#no they don't know each-other other identities

[pickledkiwiberry]

Okay there's a few bits I want to reply:

My background

I am a programmer ("Software Engineer" for the industry parlance, despite how totally unregulated my profession is by either the public or private sector). I've worked full time in startup technology for the better part of a decade and prior to that I spent over a decade in non-professional programming communities.

Risk and limitations

I have to talk pretty abstractly about this stuff because like, well...

"...ensure order remains in a manner nearly identical to the way a religious order maintains its vertical power structure..." - osaka

A weird thing happens as you move up the (sub)classes in the United States where as you make more money, you're pressured to take on more expenses by your workplace peers where now you have a mortgage and an auto loan and property taxes and you're supporting your family to the point they depend on you and you get pets and start planning out children and--

Basically there was a point in my life where I thought making money would mean I'd be free, and I was wrong. I have so many things I have to worry about now that if I got kicked out of my industry I have a LOT to lose, because I wouldn't be able to survive on lower wages anymore. And because I have people I care about how depend on me, I'd be hurting other people, not just myself.

And despite how massive the tech industry is, it's also based hugely on networking. The best way to get a job is to know somebody who has a job. If your network breaks down, it becomes exponentially harder to get a job.

I have to maintain my reputation to the extent that I have to be non-specific and not talk about any particular company and make sure my bridges remain unburned.

At the same time, I can still get away with talking in the abstract because it's okay to complain about the industry as long as you give your part of the industry plausible deniability. "Yeah, this industry sucks. And we're the exception!" Whether or not it's true.

So about worksonas

You get to your corporate job. You're excited: You got a good offer, and you're finally going to be able to get off your feet.

You meet your new coworkers. You are shy at first, but as you start opening up you start to show your genuine personality.

You immediately face consequences.

No matter how many times Human Resources (or its modern incarnation: People & Culture) or the Executives tell you that they want you to bring your genuine self to work, it's a lie. The social norms of the office are nothing like they are in the outside world. Your genuine personality will bring you threatening conversations with your managers, exclusion from decision making processes, and downward momentum.

So you make a mask. It hides parts of you and shows things that aren't there. At first it's little things: You're less dramatic in your speech. You start using more corporate lingo. You try not to rock the boat, but you try to make yourself heard... just enough to keep you on the promotion ladder.

The mask gets thicker. Meetings aren't a waste of your time, they bring value you to and your coworkers. You trust in the Executives decision-making. You aren't just here for the paycheck: You believe in what we're doing. You're part of the team.

That mask is heavy. And soon, you're faced with a fork in the road.

Some people split their personality. That's my camp. It's like ripping your brain in half: There's the you at work, and there's the real you. The way I talk when I'm around suits: It's unfamiliar. Alien. It feels like I'm watching somebody else talk. It'd be disconcerting if I weren't so used to it.

Others, they change themselves. Their worksona becomes their real personality. They become LinkedIn influencers.

Being honest with your coworkers

I find myself in one-on-ones. Meetings where it's just me and another person. They aren't recorded. We aren't being watched. But we're watching each other.

We know each others worksonas but we don't know our genuine selves. We have to speak in code, creating openings in our speech for the other to inch a little closer to how we really feel.

The longer we get to know each other, but more our code changes to communicate real feelings.

You and I both think most of our meetings are a waste of our time. But we can't say that. We both know that we both feel this way, but we still need plausible deniability. They're just difficult to focus on, and we need to work harder on being attentive. We discuss strategies.

You can't truly know which road your coworker took. If their worksona is their persona, or if they're faking, too. And if they're faking... you still can't show too much vulnerability. There's too much incentive to bury each other, and use the mound of dirt to climb a bit higher.

On the subject of stress

I'm writing this post with a smile on my face even though nobody's watching.

What happens off the books?

"I am utterly fascinated. Where can I find out more about this stuff that does not appear in documents?" - osaka

I'm not sure. What I can say is that a lot of the corporate world is about unwritten agreements. I've seen interactions where you have multiple companies who are technically violating each other's agreements, but in ways they off the record are okay with.

Why would you have an agreement if you're both okay violating it?

Plausible deniability

To anyone who's worked with me or works with me: Know that I'm talking about a different company than the one we worked at or work at together. This isn't a record. Things may be dramatized. Things may be made up. I'm not talking about you.

The most important reason to keep things off the record is to maintain plausible deniability.

Alpha Corp has their terms of service. Their clients are constantly ignoring this, and off the record Alpha Corp is okay with it. The point of the terms isn't to stop Beta Corp and Gamma Corp from violating it, it's so that when shit hits the fan and there's a public outcry, or a lawsuit, or what have you, Alpha Corp can point to what's on the record and say: "We had no idea this was happening. It shouldn't have happened. Beta Corp and Gamma Corp are to blame."

You go to Beta Corp and Gamma Corp. They tell you they didn't realize it was a violation, that they're sorry, and they're making organizational changes to prevent this from happening in the future. There's no record saying that what they said was wrong.

But off the record: Beta was in a meeting with their account execs over at Alpha and they asked how serious they were about those terms. The meeting wasn't recorded, and Alpha said "I mean, you shouldn't do it, but we don't keep track of it." There's a tone to those words. We don't keep track of it. Emphasis. It's a quiet go-ahead.

Gamma sees that Beta is doing this. They know they've been doing it for a while. They see the signal: Alpha doesn't care, so we can do it, too. They don't record that decision. As for as the records state, just like Beta, just like Alpha, they weren't aware.

Someone at an old job asked why I wanted to write up the meeting minutes for our team and I said 'i wanna control the narrative' and they were like 'what' and I pointed out that no one was gonna remember what we said in six months and so my interpretation of the meeting would dictate the assumed reality of what happened

"none of you ever send corrections when I offer the draft so y'all have consented to my version"

"we don't read that shit"

"you must trust me implicitly to create our shared reality that's so sweet"

That's how several coworkers decided I was a supervillain and how I learned several coworkers didn't understand record keeping as like a CONCEPT

[thisisntmyrightera]

Together - CHO HYUN-JU x Fem Reader Part 5

Summary: Reader is scammed and abandoned by her boyfriend, leaving her alone in South Korea to her fate, so in desperate search of a solution to return to her home country she decides to join the squid games to get money, within the game she meets a couple of people who become her friends and could possibly be something more.

Warning: Violence, homophobia mention of attempted rape and sexist language

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''Get on the floor, I'll be on top of you, don't open your eyes or make any noise, no matter what happens or what you hear, don't move, do you understand?''

Those words from Hyun-Ju repeated themselves in my head as we slowly descended the stairs from the beds without making a sound.

She was in front of me, holding my hand, no one made a single noise as everyone went down to their respective hiding place.

Once down in the darkness, I could feel her hand take my shoulder, indicating that I should crouch down, with my chest on the floor, I slid under the bed, crossing my arms against the floor, hiding my face between them as I closed my eyes.

I could feel Hyun-Ju's weight on me, her chest pressed against my back as she breathed heavily without making a sound, her arms around my head and her legs around mine, making it impossible for me to move a single centimeter.

From one second to the next the screams of people being killed and those who killed them was the only sound around as some cursed each other, structures falling and bodies crashing against the floor.

Shh… I'm here - Hyun-Ju whispered in my ear placing her hands on my ears trying to silence the chaos around me, but I could still notice it, it was impossible not to notice the hatred in that room

''When the lights turn on and the soldiers intervene, they will control the situation''

That made sense when the door alarm sounded.

Now - Hyun-Ju said whispering getting off of me pulling my arm to leave me in sight of the soldiers, carefully I took some blood from the floor placing it on my clothes, Hyun-Ju barely managed to stain her hands and lay down next to me both pretending to be dead in that pitched battle.

''They're going to be busy stopping those who fight and they're not going to pay attention to the dead, they're going to start scanning the fallen to verify their identity then…we attack them''

Gi-Hun was the first to attack and when I felt the cold sensor of a guard on my neck to scan my pulse, it was my turn.

My legs pushed up, surrounding the guard's neck as well as his arms allowing Hyun-Ju to take the gun from his belt and shoot him in the head.

STAND BEHIND ME - She screamed pushing me quickly while shooting at the guards, one after another fell but out of nowhere others appeared

It was when I was able to reach one of the many fallen soldiers taking the gun from his belt aiming at one of the guards who was approaching from the bed shelves, hitting him in the chest making him fall to the floor

Another shot, towards another soldier, one who was approaching from behind us hitting him in the forehead.

What are you doing? - Hyun-Ju looked at me as she changed her weapon to a machine gun

Shut up - I pointed at her firing over her shoulder, shooting at the guard who was approaching from behind - shoot and stop looking at me

Yes ma'am - she loaded her weapon firing around, with military precision that made one soldier after another fall with one shot

''Attention, retreat'' the speaker talk

All the soldiers ran towards the door making it easier to target the shots, only a few were able to get out, one more stayed inside and surrendered dropping his weapons.

STOP FIRE! DO NOT SHOOT ANYMORE - Gi-Hun shouted making us lower our weapons looking around looking for someone who was still alive and was about to attack

Is… Is there something else you do that I don't know? - Hyun-Ju looked at me breathing heavily

I'll show you later - I smiled at her climbing onto the bed platform shooting at the camera, then at the other while Hyun-Ju shot at the rest until finishing off all the ones surrounding the room - are you okay? - I looked at Dae-Ho hiding behind an overturned bed covering his ears - Dae-Ho?…- I lightly touched his shoulder making him jump screaming and look at me scared

YN… are you… are you…- he looked at me upset smiling as he stood up

Are you okay?…- I looked at him curiously as I noticed how he rubbed his hands and quickly arranged his hair behind his ears

Yes I… everything… everything okay, how are you? - she smiled without stopping moving

Okay.. - i told him

YN..come with me - Hyun-Ju called me making my attention return to her while she went to where 246 organized the ammunition and weapons he found - is something wrong? - she looked at me curiously while I directed my gaze back to Dae-Ho

I don't know… didn't Dae-Ho say he was a marine? - I looked at her curiously while I left my weapon on the mattress with the rest

I don't know, listen to me we're going out and I want you to stay here understood? - she looked at me adjusting her weapon on her shoulder

No…but Hyun-Ju I want to go with you…

No, I'm not going to let you go out and it's not something to discuss, you're going to stay here understood? - her hand slowly and carefully arranged my hair behind my ear mockingly while i rolled my eyes annoyed- you're going to wait for me here and when I come back we'll leave ok?

And what happens if you don't come back?…- I looked at her crossing my arms annoyed of following her decisions - then you'll go from here and live your life understood? you'll be very happy and you'll never accept proposals from strangers again - she smiled at me bringing her hands to her neck opening her necklace and then placing it around my neck and tying it - as long as you wear this necklace I'll be with you and I already know that you're not afraid of anything, but even so I'll always take care of you okay?

Please come back okay? - I hugged her tightly, surrounding her body with my arms while she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and took a deep breath trying not to show fear

I'll be back, I promise - she smiled against my hair, barely kissing my forehead as she moved away from me a little and smiled - I think you can do something to help

What is it? - I looked at her, following her to where the rest of the men were holding a gun. She took a machine gun from the mattress and looked at me, offering it to me - do you want to learn how to use it?

Yes..- I smiled at her nodding as I took it and she adjusted the one hanging from her shoulder between her hands watching as some of the men had difficulty using it, including Dae-Ho

Hyun-Ju sounded so natural explaining how to use the weapon, as she removed the magazine and put it back in explaining how to take off the safety, reload and how to adjust the number of bullets to fire, everyone paying attention to her following her orders

Gi-Hun - Hyun-Ju called him nervously with some respect in her voice- Y/N will stay here, she…she will take care of whoever stays in this room

That's fine…thanks - Gi-Hun looked at me smiling a little nodding approving Hyun-Ju's decision

After that, everyone left taking the guard as a hostage, I could barely look at them turning quickly heading to where Geum-Ja and Yong-Sik were sitting next to them while taking a breath trying to stop my tears from falling

She will come back baby, trust me - Geum-Ja hugged me rubbing my back - don't worry

Y/N… you are… very brave - Yong-Sik looked at me nervously adjusting his glasses- I didn't know you could shoot

Thanks Yong-Sik - I smiled shyly as I felt everyone's gazes on me

Too brave, you are a woman after all and we will always be the strongest - Geum-Ja smiled at me looking around with the many gazes of the men on me- all of you should feel ashamed for not going out to defend your people, damn cowards, let me be an example of how a woman will take care of her asses

Mom… stop.. - Yong-Sik looked at her nervously sitting down while trying to calm his mother - why don' you... tell us Y/N how do you know how to shoot, you too Are you a soldier or something like Hyun-Ju?

No..I'm not, I have two older brothers and where I come from hunting is common, I learned to use a gun when I was a child and when my older brother enlisted in the army he…helped me perfect my shooting, he said it was just in case - I smiled shyly looking at the floor while holding the gun tightly

Ah..I see - he smiled curiously - I see why you are so brave it's…nice how you and Hyun-Ju found each other and both take care of each other, I wish I could find someone like that

Geum-Ja patted his back giving her just a few words when we all stayed silent listening to the shots in the distance, there was no pause, one shot after another came out of the weapons

Afterwards they stopped for a couple of minutes, everything was silent, not even the echo of the shots could be distinguished from the silence around making the pressure in the environment still felt Worse

You know…what's the best of all? - Yong-Sik looked at me breathing nervously and slowly - when Hyun-Ju and you have babies…and they ask you what their mother taught you, you'll tell them that she taught you to use a machine gun and not something boring at home.

Oh Yong-Sik - Geum-Ja sighed covering her face while I couldn't control a small laughter making Yong-Sik look at us disoriented not knowing if he had said something offensive but clearly he had made the atmosphere lighter

That would be nice Yong-Sik..- I smiled at him pushing him a little making him smile

Afterwards…again the shots, one after another without pause, not even giving the echo a chance to resonate in the place, each time, it diminished a little more, one weapon after another was silenced and in my mind, I only prayed that the weapon that kept firing was Hyun-Ju's

Calm down..-Geum-Ja took my hand - let's trust her

Magazine…magazine in the suits - Dae-Ho ran in nervously stumbling

Dae-Ho?…-I got up quickly going to him while running from one side to the other - Dae-Ho what are you doing?

I came for this..-he looked at me nervously showing me the magazines - the guards have ammunition in their suits I need all that they have

Okay, I'll help you - I dropped my weapon on my shoulder searching through all the soldiers' suits and leaving them on a bloody sweater - these are all I found, are they enough?

Yes…yes - he looked at me nodding nervously trying to leave quickly while hugging the ammunition in his arms

Dae-Ho..Hyun-Ju is okay? - I stopped him, watching as his face changed rapidly, his gaze no longer seemed innocent or nervous, his hands stopped shaking and tightened the green cloth that surrounded the ammunition and his lips pursed, making his jaw stand out

I don't know… she separated from the group..- he looked at me, leaving quickly, almost running, leaving me static in place

A couple of seconds later, he returned with a lost look dragging his feet without saying a single word

Dae-Ho?..- we all followed him with our eyes while he walked aimlessly - Dae-Ho where are the others?…where is Hyun-Ju?..- I reached him taking him by the arm making him look at me in silence- WHAT HAPPENED TO HYUN-JU- I held him moving him trying to get him to tell me something but he only looked at me in silence and shook his head getting out of my hand heading towards a dark place..

Fuck - I took the gun and a charger running towards the door feeling a tug on my arm that made me stop

where are you going? Hyun-Ju told you not to go out there..- Geum-Ja looked at me with wet eyes - don't go

She needs me and I'm not going to let her die like that, hide and if something happens don't come out of where you hid okay? - I took her hand for the last time before running away looking around

I went up and down one staircase after another following the sound of the shots pointing the gun forward hoping to find a soldier in a pink uniform and shoot him, but I only found their bodies lying around.

I continued my way until I turned right and found a purple, long and lonely hallway that led to a dark door, with no one in it, no bodies or armed people

I went up slowly, pointing forward looking around looking for cameras that could interfere with my alibi, but it seemed like everything was clean.

A couple of steps separated me from that door, I was so close when I felt cold on my head, something firm and icy that made me stop breathing while I froze

Drop the gun… - I could hear the distorted voice behind the mask, without thinking I slowly took out the gun while I slowly crouched down leaving it on the floor and raised my hands getting up again - walk… - this time the cold object moved from my head to the center of my back pushing me to go back the way I had taken before, again I returned to the room where all the other players were…

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Hyun-Ju POV

DAE-HO…Dae-ho…where are you? - My eyes moved around the room looking for him while everyone looked at me and Geum-Ja pointed with her trembling hand to one side of the room between the darkness and piled up mattresses - Dae-Ho, did something happen? Are you okay?

His gaze was lost while his body trembled and he stammered incoherently

Dae-Ho… - I took him by the shoulders slowly making him jump scared covering his face shouting - Where is the ammunition?

He looked at me but didn't answer, he just trembled and stammered

Hyun-Ju…- I heard Geum-Ja's voice calling me while she took the chargers from between Dae-Ho's legs that were still on a bloody sweater - Hyun…Hyun-Ju…

Her hand took my arm, making me turn to look at her with wet eyes and trembling hands while she held on tightly to the fabric of my sweater, her voice seemed to say something but no words came out

Where is Y/N..? - I looked at her understanding her concern - where…where is she?

Geum-Ja just covered her face sobbing while Yong-Sik took her arms to hold her

She… left when Dae-Ho could no longer get out… she said she would go help you because you would need her…- Yong-Sik looked at me with his wet eyes

No… NO, WHY DID THEY LET HER GO - I looked at them feeling my heart jump uncontrollably while my trembling hands grabbed the magazines I could to run out to look for her

''Come in'' sounded on the speaker making the doors open at the same time letting in the soldiers who were shooting into the air making me stop and hiding between the beds so I could change the magazine and shoot them one by one to get out again

No..- A warm hand took my hand stopping me making me turn around looking at Geum-Ja while tears ran down her face - not like that… you must not die like that….

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Alexa play a sad song cause the next episode is the last one..

With the next episode I will end this story, it will have two alternative endings which will be tagged at the end and everyone will decide which one you want to read, if you are team ANGST or team FLUFF you decide.

Thank you all for reading, I really appreciate you, your messages and comments make me feel very happy and complete.

Thanks for reading, I'll be back soon!

Tag List!

@kuureii @sann1e @sunflowers-are-heaven @bridellashiper @etta-huracan @cupiid1 @alianacelinecolux @juliexz @duchcess @stvrdustalexx @styles-weasley @cupiid1 @babyzzlove @captainlunaxmen @lobotomyrealness @mariaxman @s-riddle16 @flowersbloom8787 @danisika @learninglinesintherainn @sl33pycaaat @mikuley @estelaig @swxggriffinsworld @anxietyspacestart

[mariocki]

Gareth Thomas returns - still running a car hire service, now inexplicably called Tom Lewis - in Public Eye: The Bankrupt (6.1, Thames, 1972)

[olderthannetfic]

Every so often, something happens that sets off a series of interactions that is identical:

Stumble across someone complaining a non-fanfic fanwork is on AO3

Point out AO3 says on its' front page if you're not logged in that it's an archive that will host fanworks, including comics, art, etc.

Get told it's condescending/ableist/racist to say that and there's no possible way they could have known

Reply that it wasn't the intent to be rude, but it does quite literally say in exact words on the front page that the archive is open to non-fanfic fanworks

"LMAO IM NOT READING ALL HTAT"/that thing people do where they repost what you said with an emoji inserted or spammed repeatedly after every couple of words/"You sound emotional lmao y u mad bro? y u up in ur feels??? lmao skull emoji"

Sometime, a month to six months later: "Why is fandom so hostile?" says person who screamed at someone else for mentioning it's okay to post fanworks to the fanworks archive. "Why can't you bitches chill? Why doesn't anyone wanna hang out anymore? Why aren't there more fandom Discords? Why don't more people comment on each other's stuff?"

At this point whenever I see someone too dumb to know the archive site with archive in its' name is an archive I block on sight. I know it won't help and someone else in fandom will reblog both the hostile reaction to being informed and the eventual "y fandom not social? y is hobby not social media?" post, but it's at least one less idiot to deal with.

I think in addition to TOS AO3 should have a box you have to check that says "I acknowledge there will be things archived besides fanfics and I promise not to cry and shit myself over it in public, but instead do so under the guidance and care of at least 1 (one) supervising adult while no less than 10 feet away from a computer". I don't think it'd stop people, but I do think it'd be funny.

--

[scribblesandink]

"I... I guess I don't... Really.... Have any? I mean.... I didn't grow up religious, so the idea that anything but total heterosexuality is wrong was never really an idea for me. Almost everyone in my family and that I grew up around was queer, and the idea of judging someone for the gender of who they dated was..... Kind of unheard of? I mean I got a lot of shit for marrying Audrey, but that was because they saw her as almost beneath us because my family is full of arrogant dickheads"

"So.... You never saw it as weird to date guys? "

"Not really. I mean there will always be that discomfort at how society views it now, but eventually I just had to decide what was more important. Living as myself and trying to feel happy and comfortable in my own skin, or forcing myself to be just another asshole who pretends to be someone I'm not. And I'm perfectly happy with Audrey, I don't feel like I'm missing anything, but I know I would love her the same if she were a man"

"I... Guess that makes sense.... How did you... Know? "

"That I was bi? "

James nodded, looking away and fiddling with his fingers. Apollo scribbled on a piece of paper for his sake, knowing he was uncomfortable

"I suppose I always did. I always viewed male and female beauty as the same. I saw someone that I found attractive and was interested, not in spite of what gender they were but it wasn't really a contributing factor for me. But a lot of other people took a really long time to realize that they were queer, sometimes not realizing until decades into a marriage. And that's perfectly okay"

"What about their partner? Wouldn't it be really shitty to have that bombed dropped?"

"Not really, depending on who you're with. I told Audrey on our first date that I was Bi just so she was aware, it wasn't important when it came to the way we saw each other but it was something important to me that she knew because it's a part of my identity and how I view my place in the world. Being Bu doesn't make you any more or less likely to cheat than anyone else. Your views on monogamy are different and if polyamory is something you want to explore, that becomes less of a personal thing and more of something you need to discuss with your partner"

"Yeah.... No..... The idea of dating multiple people is super weird to me"

"And that's fine. It's not for me either, but I've dated people who were Poly and the most important thing in any relationship is communication. Especially when it comes to monogamy and sexuality"

"I guess"

"James.... All I can really tell you is you can't help who you are attracted to. You can't get rid of attraction to someone the same way you can't force it on another. Being queer isn't wrong. Sexuality is a spectrum that has always existed throughout history and the animal kingdom and no one is born wrong because of it. That's a modern thing"

Do you think covid existed in the Season? Do you think that for 2020-2021 Zeus couldn't host two Seasons. He had to wait until 2022 when restrictions finally lifted?

I'm gonna assume that covid didn't exist for my own sanity

[le-fruit-de-la-passion]

I keep seeing people worship Christian Linke for some shit he’s said and ignore the fact this man is antisemetic and heavily insensitive towards non white and straight characters HE IS NOT YOUR ALLY

I genuinely think people just don't know how much of a shitty person he is. Seriously, that dude was quite possibly the worst person to put in charge of a project like Arcane. Here are just some of things he's said that you should know of:

• Linke said the death of every character in Arcane was a direct result of their own actions : "Every single big beat in the end with our characters, whether it’s a death or not, is a consequence of their choices."

So, I'd like you to explain to me how Vander's death was his fault, because I don't quite remember him agreeing to becoming Warwick. Also, maybe having the three characters portrayed as suicidal in the show (Jinx, Viktor, and Jayce) all die, and go on to say it was just the consequences of their own actions... isn't a good message?

• Linke has declared Viktor as asexual on his own, with the sole purpose of discouraging JayVik shippers : "There is a love. I don't think it's romantic [...]. To me, Viktor was always asexual".

Now, the issue here isn't having an asexual character, its having chosen VIKTOR, one of the most important characters for disabled rep in animation and popular media, to be asexual. I've went on and on about how infantalizing that is to disabled/chronically ill fans, because we NEVER get to be perceived as sexual beings. Having a body that's visibly different from the norm, or limits on certain abilities, turns off people, makes them uncomfortable. That's why you just never see a sexually active or a sex positive disabled character on screen. That's why, in all his "sexy" skins in LoL, Viktor is given a six pack, has no visible marks of illness on his body (scars, fatigue lines), and has no medical brace or crutch.

Viktor was always intended to have a sexual swagger in season 1 ("this isnt my bedroom") and that was EXTREMELY important to a lot of us in the community. I've seen a very similar response from the asexual community as well, who feel like Linke is using their identity and experience as a shield from fan interractions he dislikes, and without actual care for what it means to the characters. Don't fall for rep that isn't actually meant to represent you.

• Linke has directly and openly compared the Zaun and Piltover conflict to the left and right in the United States, and put both sides on equal moral footing : "If you’re asking me whether we were inspired by two sides of one nation who are incapable of even talking to each other anymore at a certain point, yes."

So, I don't think I need to explain how bad this is. Remember that Piltover is the city of wealth and enforcers, and that they've gazed the district of Zaun, dumped chemicals around their water suplies, directed brutal and deadly repressions of civil uprising and protest, offered no financial support to the struggling communities of addicts, disabled people, and orphans, refused Zaun any implication or decisional seat in the city political life, AND THAT'S JUST ON TOP OF MY HEAD. Now, think about what that means with the USA politics comparison, and the idea that they should "just listen to each other". Yeah.

Now, if you know me a bit, you know I live in Canada, so maybe you think this doesn't affect me personally, or that it doesn't affect you because you live outside the US. To that, I want to tell you about a neighbour of mine, who lives on the street parallel to my house, and this truck he owns. The truck has a whole lot of fun stickers and flags on it: the quotes "TRUMP ARREST TRUDEAU" and "CANADIANS FOR TRUMP", the israeli flag, the confederate flag, christian crosses, the blue lives matter flag, and an anti BLM sticker. Now, I'm sure theres more cool things, I've just never gotten close enough to look at the smaller stickers and ornaments because, as a very openly bi arabic woman, I'm scared to death of that man. But maybe I should just hear him out, right?

Tldr, do not think that the state of american politics doesn’t affect the rest of the world.

• Linke has called the people of Zaun and specifically Silco "Svengali", which is an antisemitic name that implies Jewish people are crooks / dirty / thiefs / sexual degenerates. There's a great post on Tumblr that goes more into detail about this (https://www.tumblr.com/endearing-dalliance/769693230696677376/another-blow-against-arcane-anti-semitism?source=share). I'd just like to insist on how bad calling someone "svengali" is. His character was used in many pieces of propaganda in Nazi Germany to picture the "Evil Jew", and to dehumanize Jewish communities by portraying them as ressembling Satan (forked beard, can do unholy hypnosis, targets women...). Linke could have chosen ANY other term to talk about Zaunites, the oppressed community getting gazed by a police state, but he chose that one. That was not an unconscious decision.

I'm a firm believer that it is possible to separate art from artist/studio/company, and to appreciate something while still being aware the person behind it is not a great individual. However, if you're defending all the decisions made in season 2, these are things you HAVE to be aware of.

[nobodyfamousposts]

I remember reading a post by @critical-thinking-is-mandatory a while back about how Lila would realistically be disliked by people because of how self centered she is even if they don't think she's lying.

With this logic, Adrien's public friendship with Chloe (a school wide bully) should have a lot of people side eyeing him, if not outright avoiding him all together.

What do you think?

That's a valid point, and one that I and I think a number of others have considered.

Origins played with it but not nearly enough. By all counts, when a bully comes in with their "celebrity best friend" and parade him around the way Chloe does, there would be a mix of people being put off by him being her friend as much as there would be people impressed by Chloe being his friend.

Honestly, it would have been a more interesting setup and added extra layers to the love square dynamics if they started off going from enemies to friends to lovers. Or at least slow down and not dive headfirst right into over the top crushing.

But in that case, it would likely work better as a reverse love square. Ladybug loves Chat who is Adrien who loves Marinette who is Ladybug. Have Marinette be someon who gives Adrien a chance which builds a friendship and starts up his crushing on her.

Otherwise it would just lead us back into cringe with Marinette crushing on Adrien despite having valid reason to not trust him for being Chloe's friend or potential boyfriend.

I'm fairly certain I pointed this out in another essay/critique/salt post that they completely missed out on a potential character arc for Adrien in having him actually ADJUSTING to public school. Having him struggling to make friends with his stigma both as a celebrity and as "Chloe's friend". The effects would be two-fold.

First, it would help the Adrien salters better sympathize with him. Yes, I know there's his horrible HORRIBLE father, but storywise, the "Gabriel sucks" angle doesn't really matter if Adrien isn't having to be the one to face that. In addition, he seems to have no trouble with acclimating to a public school and making friends. Heck, he's not making friends, people are jumping over themselves to make friends with HIM. Part of what makes people sympathize with characters is seeing them try and fail and just generally make an EFFORT for what they want. Turn that around. In the hands of competent writers, this would be a setup that would do that more for Adrien. We see that in some aspects with the manga where it has Nathaniel mistake Adrien as a snob who looks down on comics and him as an artist. It would have been great to see more like that with Adrien getting to know his classmates or being the focus through which we get to learn about the classmates since he is supposed to be the new boy.

Second, it would be a stepping stone/building block to the eventual confrontation with Gabriel—which yes, should happen. Building relationships and forming HEALTHY bonds really helps to understand when other ones you have are not. (COUGHCOUGHScarletLadyCOUGHCOUGH) They can help you gain strength and courage and build a new identity for yourself. They also give you support in dealing with major conflicts. They can help him form attachments that make him NOT so willing to jump in to join his father's craziness. And they can help him become a better hero in his own right.

I'm not saying make Adrien suffer and be friendless. Far from it!

I'm saying to USE this as a plot point to develop Adrien and give him focus and room to grow. Or at least a point that ISN'T just him being half of the endgame pairing and desired by everyone in the city.

Show Adrien try to interact with each of the classmates. Show how Adrien becomes friends with others. Show how he comes to care about people who aren't there just to give him what he wants or tie him to the plot.

And yes, this would inevitably also lead in to some changes for Chloe as well...for good or bad.

[stormspryzen]

yagamane makes me so Crazy .

they are both so fucking horrible to each other, in one way or another, whether it be utter disdain or obsession to the point of insanity.

they're both so codependent on one another throughout the series, even if it doesn't seem like light's need for misa is shown very much as misa's need for light is - in the end, they are all each other have

it has been their fate from the beginning of their first encounter; since they picked up the death notes. since they became partners in a blurred justice, otherwise known as crime to sane eye

and when light is killed by ryuk at the end of it all, what more does misa have left???? absolutely nothing

light called out to misa to help him in his last moments - he no longer had mikami or kiyomi, nor his loyal followers, who follow him blindly and don't even know his true identity, obviously can't do anything. the death god who has been at his side since the beginning, stating very clearly that at the end of it all, he Would kill him, and that he is only a mere spectator - is true to his word

misa was the only one he had left, just as light was the only one misa had left.

they are so intertwined, to the point that attempting to untangle them would likely only worsen the knots

they make me so so so ill

[dustisus]

I'm just going to post this idea for a fic on here because it doesn't want to be written:

A couple of years after Jeremy has graduated, he's playing for a team on the other side of the country of California and it's not going great. The distance means he's lost some contacts from the Trojans, and phone calls and texts with his friends are not enough. All of this, added to the fact that he's struggling to connect with any of his new teammates, means he's not playing his best and it's been mentioned he might get cut from the team after the coming season if he doesn't improve.

He comes back from the off-season to what he thinks may be his last season of pro Exy to see that Andrew Minyard, newly graduated, is one of the new recruits. Jeremy instantly gets stressed to see him (but we don't know why yet). Andrew gets on the wrong foot with the team right away, and he and Jeremy become the team's outcasts. Jeremy avoids Andrew until he can't anymore, when something comes to a head and they are forced into a confrontation.

The problem is this: Jeremy Knox is not real, and Andrew Minyard knows it. He was there to see Jeremy Knox being created, in a juvenile detention center in California, when Andrew was 14-ish and Jeremy 15-ish. Andrew knew Jeremy by a different name then, but he recognizes him.

Jeremy had been admitted for a few weeks when Andrew is admitted. Jeremy is tight-lipped about whatever had put him there, and tense, and ready to butt heads with Andrew when they are roomed next to each other. They are forced into a confrontation this time too, probably about Jeremy making noise when Andrew wants to sleep. The noise is from the bouncing of an Exy ball on his wall. He only stops when Andrew agrees to join him on the small court in the juvie's courtyard.

That's how Andrew learns to play Exy; standing in goal when Jeremy shoots ball after ball at him, until they are disrupted from someone calling for Jeremy to step away for a second and talk to someone who's there to see him. When he comes back, the strength and furrowed brow that's normally visible when he's playing is gone.

The story comes out: Whatever act that had put Jeremy in juvie had been bad enough to get rid of him. He has two choices: to continue being Jeremy, or to become Jeremy Knox. His family has the money and contacts to get rid of all traces of who he had been, and officially, the story would be that whoever he had been had died. Jeremy Knox would be his surviving brother.

Andrew doesn't say so, but he's disappointed when Jeremy assumes his new name and identity and leaves. Not long after, Luther Hemmick comes to speak to him.

All these years later, Andrew calls him by his real name and Jeremy snaps. That's not who he is anymore. But Andrew has seen Jeremy's weak shots and soulless plays, and tells him that if he wants to continue playing Exy, that's who he needs to be.

And then there's the problem of where the plot goes from there. I haven't figured it out for the weeks that I have been thinking of this premise and I can't write Jeremy nor Andrew well so it will probably never be posted as a fic (at least by me). Oh well. This idea is still my baby though so don't be mean to it.

[sorbusscriptor]

 It's not something done often. But my client is powerful, and demanding, and I am not a ghost.

I do have something to loose, so I get to work.

The obvious first move is out -- this court has no jury. There's no point in it when any peers that could be called on are dead -- no memories, no allegiance, also means no emotional distinction from each other. These trials run on logic and language and little else.

The next is the judge. Dead like all the others, unmoored and without any mortal memories in his head. Not having memories, however, doesn't mean there weren't ever any. All the dead were once living, and all the living, once, had minds. Had memories. Had loved ones. The point is that all of those connections are severed at death. The point is that this court is supposed to be immortally impartial.

What I'm not doing is looking up the people that the judge knew in life. Lovers, children, descendants. That's been tried before, and it hasn't worked. No memories means no memories, and those who have tried to use relatives as a carrot or a stick have just lead to a trial interference charge. I'm looking for things more fundamental than love, more basal than attachment.

I've got contacts on the surface for this sort of thing. The kind of contacts who really shouldn't be on the surface, the same way I really shouldn't be down here. The kind of ghosts who never let go of their lifelines, the same way I let go of mine.

They provide me with a dossier. It tells me our judge was a drinker. It tells me he liked to smoke. Those are the kind of things I can work with.

Getting liquor and cigs is harder, down here, but not impossible. There are markets for that sort of thing, for mortal contraband, if you know where to look and don't mind trading away things like memories or teeth. Memories I've got plenty of, and not even all the ones I trade are mine. 

I leave with a bag shifting heavily against my side and without the knowledge of what the air looks like in the bitter cold, and head to the courts.

The dead don't sleep. The ghosts who act as the mechanisms of the court don't have homes, just offices, identical rooms in endless hallways in the impossibly large structure. They don't go home at night, nor is there night at all. The long of the law ticks around the clock here.

Now, something that's important to know about the ghost courts is that they are not part of the underworld, nor are they connected with mortal planes. They are an entity unto themselves, built of mist and forgetfulness. It is a realm of ghosts, and one that sticks to their will the same way wood and stone lay still for mortals in their world. No passing through walls for them, not here, but in a curious sort of irony, mortals in realms built for ghosts have the same sort of powers that ghosts do in the mortal planes; the powers of intangibility.

It's this that I use to get into the courts without any sort of pass, striding right through a wall into one of the infinitely many offices lining the lower floors, used by legal aides or stenographers. Up the grand curving staircase to the upper floors, and then three steps that feel like miles, and I'm at the door of the Honorable. None of the ghosts here have names. It's part of the whole no memory, no attachment deal, and partly designed to stop me from doing exactly what I'm about to do.

I knock, polite. It takes some effort for my hand to not go right through the door. Yes, same as I passed through the wall to get here, I could just walk in. But this part is delicate, and I can't afford to get security called on me right out of the gate.

(This is also why my client is not, technically, my client -- we have no legal or even traceable connection, because if this goes poorly, my client's trial won't be affected. And I'll be in deep, deep water, but I'm not new to that.)

"Enter."

And I do. The judge is sitting at his desk, a huge oaken thing, faintly see-through like everything else in this place, oddly devoid of colour. I've been told that the ghosts don't see it that way, that to them, everything is vibrant and solid as if it was real, and that I am the one that appears translucent and misty. "Honorable." I say, ducking my head. He looks up at me, impassive. Not like these ghosts ever have a different expression. I take a step forward into the room, softly close the door behind me. "If you would, I have... something to offer you. For all the good work you do here." My voice is honey-sweet, resonant in the room.

He doesn't start frowning -- the ghosts here don't really do that, frown, smile, make expressions -- but this does catch his interest. As much as this isn't something ever expected to happen -- no one thinks you can bribe or blackmail a being without wants, without needs, without memories -- the judge isn't stupid. No one gives gifts to the members of the courts, not without the expectation of something in return. Mainly this is because the people on trial are also ghosts, and thus don't feel gratitude. 

Lucky me, I'm not a ghost. I get to play on my supposed sentimentality. "You were the judge on my case," I say, still warm and sweet, take another step forwards, "Oh, it was ages ago. But I've been doing well lately, and I thought, a lot of that is thanks to your resolution. So I thought I'd swing by to... thank you." I put the bag on the desk; it settles with a nice dull clink. I smile.

I don't need to worry about him checking my claim. He doesn't have the memories to know if I'm lying or not, and I'm a good enough liar that i don't think he'll clock it. At least, not yet.

He looks at the bag on the desk. "The thought is appreciated." He says. Once again, his face screams blank indifference. Ghosts, ghosts, ghosts. No wants, no needs, no memories. He doesn't even reach for it to see what it is. I squash the annoyance; I had known this would happen.

"More appreciated soon, I'm sure." I say, and then take some initiative and pull the bottle out of the bag, heavy glass and glowing amber, and set that on the desk, a little closer towards the judge. I see the widening of his eyes, the unconscious swallow of this throat, and I think, got you.

This is what I'd been looking for -- more than love, more than personhood, more than memories. Addiction, good and basal, because there's nothing a haunting understands like addiction. It's all a ghost is; it's all any of us are, deep down and hidden; a collection of things we can't put down. Yes, they try their best down here to strip the ghosts that run the courts of these impulses, and they do a good enough job that it truly doesn't matter until someone shows up waving around a bottle. Someone like me. His arm twitches like he's about to reach forward before he stills himself. "I can't drink that." He says, and there's an expression on his face for the first time in this conversation.

"Hm, not like that." I say, lean forward, conspiratorial. Hook, line, sinker. "But I can help with that. If you like."

He looks at me, and I know I've got him. "How." He asks, voice rough.

I turn my hand palm-up on the desk, fix my charming smile to my face. I do hate this part, no matter the thrill of the rest of the con, the relief at knowing that my client won't have to follow through on any of her promises. "Take my hand."

The judge does, reaching over the desk to do so. The moment he makes contact, I close my eyes and pull. It's a feeling like trying to swallow my own tongue, like filling my veins up with something caustic.

I'd mentioned earlier that mortals in the ghost courts can do the same kind of things ghosts can in the mortal realm. One of those things is possession, in an inverse. I am pulling this ghost inside of me, knitting it's essence into my muscle and my marrow. When I open my eyes again there's a pressure behind them like a held sneeze, and my vision is curiously doubled; I can see the room the way the ghost sees it, sold and rich wood-brown, and also the way I do, flimsy and ephemeral. "Hhh." I wheeze, inarticulate, breath catching in my throat.

It always takes a moment for them to settle. And for me to get used to the feeling, no matter how many times I've done this.

I give myself five seconds, and then straighten, smooth down my shirt. This is one of the advantages of possession in the ghost courts as opposed to up in the real world; I am not the one who has to give up control. "Well, then." I say, and pick up the bottle. While I've come prepared with a bottle opener -- real mortal metal and plastic, solid in my hand -- I didn't bring any glasses, and my new best friend the judge doesn't have any in his office either. It's an oversight that makes my lips twist -- I'll have to rectify it next time.

(As to why I hadn't considered this earlier; somehow, alcohol hadn't ever been the addiction of choice for any of the other ghosts I've done this to before. Cigarettes, cigars. Gambling, sometimes. Sex, thankfully, only once or twice. A lot of it is luckily more tame -- more than half my marks have made do with a simple hearty meal. Some of them crave violence, pain. The kind of sensation that is lost to them now as spirits.)

I can feel the hollow yearning in the ghost inside of me, so I take a swig directly from the bottle. Again, it's a nauseating dual sensation; I want to retch at the taste, the way it stings, but the ghost feels it go down smooth and warm, and I feel myself sigh, long and relieved. I take another sip, cross over to the other side of the desk and throw myself into the judge's chair. Another long drink, and he sighs again, from somewhere deep in my chest. "Not so bad, is it?"

I'm glad it's looking like we won't need the cigarettes after all -- they're quick and easy enough, but I hate smoking almost as much as I hate drinking. I'd hate to have to do both.

The ghost doesn't answer me. Not because it can't -- I've done this with some very chatty ghosts -- but more than likely because it's savoring the taste and feel of the booze too much to bother to listen to me. I don't mind, I've never liked having my voicebox hijacked. So, we sit in silence, sipping away at the brandy. I can tell the judge wants me to take bigger swallows, drink a little more, but I've got plans and also genuinely don't think I can handle chugging the stuff. A quarter through the bottle, I take one final, long swallow, and set it down on the desk. "Now that, I think, is enough for now." I say, and before the judge can say anything against it, I expel him; a rush of wind and noise and velcro hooks tearing away from my inside. I stay sitting in the chair, one leg crossed over the other, casual as you like. The judge stumbles back, standing on the other side of the desk.

He looks breathless, even without breath. I smile at him, foxlike, deftly cork the bottle. "Got a lot left." I say, as the judge stares at it, longingly. I stand, amble around the desk. "If you want more..."

"Yes." He says, instant, desperate. That snake that lives in all of us stealing his tongue and choking the answer out. He'd do anything for the rest of the bottle. I know it, so does he.

"Then I'll be back." I say, pull a card out of my pocket and press it onto the desk. "That's a case number. I'd like it to go in the defendant's favor, you understand. And if it does..."

"You'll be back." He says, eyes glancing down at the card. I nod, pat him on the arm.

"I'll be back." I agree. "And we can finish that bottle."

I leave him with the card, and leave him alone with the bottle. I trust he'll keep it, tucked away somewhere in his office. The only allegiance he has left, a string to pull on that can't be cut.

The one thing none of us can leave behind. 

Not even the ghosts.

Text: The court is populated by ghosts, ghost prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges. Nothing to lose, no memories or allegiances, impossible to threaten. It’s my job to figure out how to bribe one.

[gutsondisplay]

I think most TransHarmful people don't get "too" violent or put more pressure actually HAS a reason

If you weren't there back then, DIRECTLY after TransHarm was coined, there was a huge discourse around if it should be accepted or not, and a lot of people saw it as really bad (insert "this is why antis hate us!" Etc here)

Those who were transharmful had to chip and trim themselves so they "weren't ACTUALLY harmful!!", a large percent even going back at each other for being any modicum of appearing bad

It was seen as safe to be edgy, but never bad. and while maybe ironic to a lot of you who aren't specifically TransHarmful, but we feared being pushed out of our own community! And we really were back then!

Transharmfuls had to figure out how to not be seen as evil despite wanting to be like that, most had to water down themselves so they could be accepted, becoming the most passive and explainable identity we used to tell people who hated us

But no one ever let us know it was okay to be mean again, and it kinda seemed like when we *were* mean, it would hurt us in return

Cause when conabuse was made into a thing, people went out of their way AGAIN to tell TransHarmful people that they didn't belong! And that they were horrible in ways we didn't want to be seen as!

Cause idk if you know this, but there's a trans part of TransHarmful! Most of us didn't exactly have experience hurting others! Not in these kinds of ways!

And I think it's really REALLY fucking understated how much harm (ikik teehee) discourse around conabuse did to transharm people on both sides

Those who thought they had a connection they could have and use to get euphoria, now one side was really questioning if it was okay, was it even consent? Rethinking if someone's yes to you was actually a yes

If you have not had to second guess someone being honest with you about consent or boundaries before, you have no idea how bad that spiral can be

You could possibly lose all trust in that person being truthful about you being able to do whatever you agreed on, maybe even anyone to be truthful about those things, and if you go down enough you could possibly lose that for a fucking while to forever

And let's not forget the transharmed people here either!

Having people constantly going against you and saying your consent didn't matter because "that's not something you can consent to!" Is fucking horrible! People who talk like their "helping" you are taking away your consent more than someone you told was okay to do that to you

Parts get to you that it doesn't really matter what you actually say to them, maybe a lot of people, why didn't it matter what you said? Because it was something they wouldn't personally like?

If falls victim to the tactic used against all those who use transIDs that have perceived benefit ironically enough

People saying things like "you don't have to do this!", "you don't need to go through this to feel like you have enough pain to be a victim!", "I'll get you out of that!", "someone told you something wrong"

Etc etc. all just saying you don't get a choice because you want something "bad"

It'd be wonderful if it didn't get in the way

And now

Both sides of transharm don't exactly know how to exist, maybe they don't know this happened, maybe they don't know they can do more

But we should help them do what they want to do if they want help

I know there's some transharmfuls who really wanna go all out, go for it babe <3

[sophieinwonderland]

After analyzing the results of the test I can confirm two things about you.

You are transphobic.

You are not pro-endo

Let me explain each.

TransIDs inherently harm actual trans people. Supporting them in any way is inherently transphobic.

“TransPlural” makes light of systemhood. It makes it out to be a fun identity, rather than something that actually messes with people’s life. It also makes a mockery of non traumagenic systems, by making them out to be fakers who only want attention.

So in conclusion, by your response we can easily confirm that you are both: Transphobic, and Anti-Endo.

(This post was written by. @sandstorms-syscourse. Still putting anon as our main is a shitpost blog we don’t want associated with syscourse.)

🙄

TransIDs inherently harm actual trans people.

Not even going to try to explain this are you? Is it because the argument boils down to transmed and anti-neogender arguments?

"Group X makes a mockery of trans people and therefore harms trans people by existing."

Overall, transIDs are complicated and sprawling, and I won't address all of them here. Although the most relevant one to this topic is "transabled" which typically refers to someone who believes they should have a certain disorder.

The phenomenon of Body Integrity Dysphoria, also called Body Integrity Identity Disorder, has been well documented.

From what I'm aware, "transabled" was initially coined by people with BIID to describe their condition. But it's since expanded online to include a mental equivalent. We might call this Mental Integrity Dysphoria. I don't know if others are using this term. But it's a good way to differentiate between the BIID transabled group and the ones who identify by mental conditions.

Personally, having listened to mentally-transabled people, I believe the mental BIID equivalent is a real psychological phenomenon and needs to be researched more.

I also think that if mental integrity dysphoria exists, it would likely extend to things that aren't necessarily disorders. Like aphantasia or synesthesia or plurality.

I am far more interested in the science and psychology around the topic of these phenomena, and what we can learn from people in these groups about how human identity works, than petty semantic arguments about what they choose to call themselves.

It makes it out to be a fun identity, rather than something that actually messes with people’s life.

This is ignoring that created systems tend to report positive mental health from intentionally inducing plurality.

Yes, plurality can mess with some people's lives. But it's also something sought out because it's beneficial to others.

You cannot be pro-endo if you consider all plurality a disorder.

It also makes a mockery of non traumagenic systems, by making them out to be fakers who only want attention.

This is only true if you believe with unfounded certainty that people claiming to have dysphoria over lacking certain mental traits are faking this dysphoria.

This is a belief that I find... incredibly ignorant.

Because either you are denying the existence of BIID, which has been studied by many psychologists as a real phenomenon... or you are looking at BIID research and saying, "well, sure, maybe THAT exists, but there's totally no way people could feel that way about mental conditions."

[reccyls]

Would you be able to give us a review of azels route after you’re done?? With spoilers if possible

Thank you!!!

I've now finished both endings of Azel's route so here's my review of it + answering a few other questions that I've received about different aspects. This will have a lot of spoilers that will impact a blind experience of his route, so do bear that in mind

So briefly, some questions out of the way:

Who falls first, Azel or Emma? - I think Azel does, but it takes him a really long time to even begin considering love as a possibility given his prior experiences. Emma also takes a while to come to her own realization about what her feelings really are but she's much more decisive about it than Azel is once she does realize. This is definitely a slow burn route, you're going to be waiting until chapter ~20+ or so for things to really start coming together in the relationship department.

Which ending do I prefer? - Romantic for sure. It actually portrays a couple of things that were just implied/mentioned in the Dramatic, and has more callbacks to earlier moments in the route, namely: Azel's eldest brother who had been exiled, the true identity of one of Azel's attendants, Obsidian's involvement in Tanzanite, the significance of some mentioned side characters, how Azel actually faked his death. It also answers a bunch more questions like why Azel respects Silvio so much. I also think it has a more emotionally satisfying resolution to some other aspects of the story. Also it has some hilarious moments too. The emotional whiplash I got going from chapter 24 to 25 of the romantic was something (I mean this in a good way).

Which do I find more realistic? - Hmmm, well, both of them do go into quite fantastical territory. Azel can just visit people's dreams apparently and that's not really given an explanation. All in all I would have to go with Romantic I think, mostly because it relies less on the Acolyte's semi-hypnotic incense as a plot device.

How spicy is it? - Quite tame. No smut in the route itself (it's offscreen in dramatic route, and only kissing in romantic). There's the start of some smut in the epilogues for each route, but still not a lot, mostly just the foreplay is described.

Things I liked about Azel's route:

Azel's really cute. I love his dynamic with Emma. He's the most obvious kind of tsundere and it's so funny to see him backpedaling furiously after Emma catches him being nice to her or accidentally admitting he likes her or thinks she's cute. The pinching cheeks thing is adorable.

The side characters. The route's equivalent of Cyril/Cyran, Roderic, etc. There's one in particular that is so much fun but you have to play the romantic end to really get the most out of it: Kamal, Azel's eldest brother. He initially appears as one of Azel's attendants, posing as a mute woman because he had to hide his identity. He drops the disguise in the romantic end and gets to interact with a lot more characters--Emma, Silvio, Azel, and Enis--and it's so much fun. (As a note, Kamal is an okama/onee-san archetype character, so you could interpret him as nonbinary/bigender/genderfluid/a man who just likes crossdressing/etc as you like. The one thing I don't think he is is a trans woman because he never protests at being called Azel's brother, but hey, headcanons never hurt anyone!)

Emma and Silvio's friendship. This was so unexpected but they bounce off each other so well, it's really nice seeing them with each other.

Angst, I love angst. Chapter 24 of the romantic route was a masterclass of angst: it ends with Azel dying on a stage in front of pretty much all of Tanzanite, and the attire story is basically everyone in mourning as Emma has a flashback to the last night they spent together. We as the readers who have seen the ending CG previews and/or know that Cybird won't really go there know he isn't actually dead, but Emma doesn't.

The overall conflict and plot I think is quite predictable, but I don't mean that in a bad way. The hints that are dropped everywhere build up to a coherent whole and come together in a satisfying way. The value that Azel places on free will and the ability to think for oneself is very obviously leading to a plotline where Azel seeks to end Tanzanite's dependency on him and his prophecies, and the hints we get scattered around everywhere are leading to exactly how he intends to do that: there's been a bunch of fortune tellers who have been attacked because their fortunes go against Azel's proclamations (Azel has been deliberately telling false fortunes to break people's faith in god); Obsidian has been trying to smuggle in shipments of weapons to help destabilize Tanzanite (Azel uses a gun to help fake his death); Azel's room has books of all sorts scattered around everywhere including books on astronomy (the prophecy about Tanzanite losing its moon refers to a blood moon + eclipse, Azel has been studying from astronomy books to calculate the precise time to pull off his plan), etc. The foreshadowing works quite well imo, though some hints admittedly do come up quite late (like the existence and exact text of the doomsday prophecy only becoming known around chapter 18/19)

Things that could be iffy for people:

Azel's backstory and a lot about his situation is pretty blatantly sympathy bait, but I think that's par for the course with Ikepri. It worked really well for me but it may not work as well for other people.

If people didn't like Motonari calling the Ikesen MC a slave, this crops up a lot in Azel's route with him frequently calling Emma his slave/indentured servant due to the debt that he blackmails her into

As I mentioned a little bit above, there are some supernatural/magical elements that just remain unexplained and are never really brought up again. Azel's dreamwalking ability being one of them, and probably the most egregious. It doesn't really have plot importance as far as I recall, it's just there at the very beginning and the very end of the romantic route. Also aphrodisiacs are a thing (they happen once early on, and also at the very end of the dramatic route), but there's no dubcon because of that.

It makes sense in the context of the story, but the message may not sit right with other people: Emma's epiphany about true love is "to wish for the best for someone else, even if it hurts you" in the context of letting Azel go through with his plan of committing suicide for the sake of his country, vs the Acolyte/Azel's dad wanting to stop Azel from dying (so he could remain in control of Tanzanite's people by brainwashing them essentially). She had tried to convince him otherwise, or tried to think of ways to fake it, but in the end she relented when she realized that dying was what Azel really wanted to escape the caged existence that being Tanzanite's god put him in, and was he thought was the best path to get Tanzanite to stop relying on divination for everything and to start making their own future. We know that Azel never really did intend on dying for real, but in the moment, that is not really a great message to send.

I'm not great at separating my bias from how I perceive something, so I'm probably being very charitable towards Azel's route. But I really did like it! I think it's revived some of my interest in Ikepri because I really am curious about how Azel and Emma's relationship develops from now on (I'm going to die during this year's June bride/proposal event......)

[fallen-knight]

I like your Inquisitor a lot, she really seems like the fun kind of evil! My own characters are all over the place, I tend to replay the beginnings of the class stories more than finish them lol. I also have a really hard time deciding on names I like, so most of them use random placeholders. But I do have a few who are pretty developed, and have their own interconnected story.

Hero of Tython (name in progress) - my Zabrak sentinel, The Chosen One™, a bit of a zealot in the crusade against the Empire who has a hard time recognizing when her drive for justice slips into anger and contempt - which is somewhat unsurprising, given she lost her family in the Republic-Sith War as a young child, and the Jedi are kind of notoriously bad at therapy. She will give her enemies one chance to announce their intentions and voluntarily surrender, but if they don't think to do so, it's off with their heads, and she's sure the galaxy will be better for it. She likes T7, has a complicated friendship with Kira, loathes Doc, and really doesn't want to trust Scourge. Her nemesis, the current Wrath, is secretly working toward similar goals, but they're never able to talk for long enough to figure that out before attacking each other.

Idris Arakh, Darth Tacitus - my Red Zabrak assassin, just a guy doing his best. Somehow became mortal enemies with the Knight during their random encounters, though he hates senseless fighting and is really much softer than he'd admit. He tends to push people away for their own safety - including Vette, the love of his life - and is prone to literally weaponizing his self-hatred and depression in a vicious cycle. Constantly trying to appear as an intimidating Sith who knows what he's doing, he often wears a mask for a multitude of reasons. When not staying up all night working on top secret plans to reform the Empire and assassinate its leader, he's a huge geology and archaeology nerd, and would trade Broonmark for Talos in a heartbeat (my Inquisitor is also considering it.)

Jinev, Darth Occlus - my Cathar marauder and the youngest of my characters, around 16 when her story begins. She's brash, snarky, and outwardly fearless, hurting or helping others whenever she feels like it, but has her own moral code that values freedom above anything else; she's besties with Khem Val and prefers to make contracts with ghosts rather than bind them forcefully, unless they piss her off. Jin keeps her Kallig heritage a secret, and uses his mask and armor as an alter ego to mess with other Sith and Imperials; she doesn't remember or care about her birth parents, but Andronikos became the dad she never knew she wanted, though she'd never tell him that. She hangs out with Idris' crew a lot, and loves to explore creepy tombs with him, Vette and Talos.

These guys are more nebulous and I'm less settled on their place in the final story, but I still love them dearly:

Agent [REDACTED] - a stabby, freckled Chiss operative who appears to be a straight-laced Imperial for most intents and purposes, but really just does whatever benefits the Chiss Ascendancy - at the start of her story, at least. Later on, things get more complicated and she has a major identity crisis before dropping off the radar. Loves her creepy bug husband.

Champion Tarkona - a serious Twi'lek (formerly Rattataki, might make her a Twi'lek-Rattataki hybrid) Mandalorian powertech and former pit fighter who prefers to take on opponents in hand-to-hand combat, using exoskeletal enhancements in her armor against stronger foes. She's reluctant to breach contracts, but always will if necessary to follow her morals.

Captain Scorze - a smooth-talking, one-eyed Nautolan scoundrel on their way to becoming a big-time pirate lord. While they aren't totally evil, just really selfish and focused on their own criminal empire, my goal is to get them to Dark V for a truly crusty deep sea terror look. They hang out on Rishi a lot, and love to party.

SWTOR OC

I'm temporarily obsessed with swtor, so... do you have OCs in this game? Maybe drawings or headcanons for them?

If you were looking for a place to share them, it's here)) Share your characters in the comments (and if you don't mind, I'll probably try to draw those you publish))

Pic for attention)

[uniasus]

Heir Test

Danyal and Damian have one last challenge to complete before Ra's determines who will be the next Demon Head - they're to infiltrate a family and learn it's most important secret. The first to learn it and return is Heir.

Damian is sent to Bruce Wayne to learn the civilian identities of the Batman and Robin.

Danyal is sent to the Fentons to learn how to control and use Lazarus Water.

They're to complete their mission independently, maintaining cover the entire time. This includes pretending they don't know each other at a gala/tech showcase/random event, which is pretty hard to believe when they keep sending glares at each other from across while making throat slashing gestures.

[mama-qwerty]

Even though I couldn’t see Shadow staying with the Wachowski’s I could imagine him visiting from time to time. He would probably vibe well with Maddie, going yoga, gardening; calming stuff. Maybe bond with Tom over vehicles from the 70’s.

Obviously Sonic would want him to play games and race around, Knuckles would want to spar and I think Tails would like showing Shadow what inventions he’s working on and what books he’s reading.

I could see him showing up every now and then, keeping tabs on them, maybe sticking around for supper.

I honestly don't see him becoming too comfortable with them, though. Like, he doesn't become the unofficial 6th Wachowski. He may ask Tails' assistance if his rings or shoes get glitchy, and spar with Knux, and trade barbs with Sonic.

But the adults? I'm not getting any vibes from them in regards to interacting with Shadow. I think it would take time for all parties involved to be comfortable with each other. Tom for obvious reasons, and Maddie . . . I dunno. She would see him as a lost kid, certainly, but it would take some time to get past the whole "He almost killed my husband" thing.

But, then again, Knuckles almost killed Sonic, soooo . . .

I think it would depend on how much healing Shadow does in his time on his own. He was dealing with grief from losing Maria, and then there's the whole identity crisis on top of that. It's not something that he's going to suddenly be all cool about. It'll take time to work through his thoughts and emotions, and come out the other side.

That's not to say he wouldn't show up at the Wachowski's (or nearby) to watch them. Maybe he and Sonic have a few more heart-to-hearts. Maybe Wade works his magic like he did for Knux. Maybe Shadow stays away for a long time, and only shows up when he needs to warn Sonic and co about some new danger.

The truth is, we actually don't know much about Shadow. He was dealing with so much pain in the movie, we don't know who he is or what he truly wants in life. Hell, HE doesn't know that, either. And until he does, he's not likely to seek out a family environment like that.