#no water no electricity always constantly living in fear

[despair-ninja-everything-agency]

I'm so fucking tired. I wanna vent but Idk where to output it. So fuck it, just this once, Imma get political and bring real life issue to fandom spaces.

I wish the Warrior of Light is real.

They liberated 2 nations under oppression of a tyrannical Empire and yet here we stand, at the other end of the screen, as a Nation mercilessly laid waste to the ground for God knows how long as World leaders keep their silence and smallfolks are powerless to help but by some donations - that is if they managed to reach them - and a few brave souls who lend their aids to them even if it cost them their lives (and it did. It still is 'till now.)

Fuck Israel. I always scrutinizing their occupation in Palestine ever since I was a kid and still now. I was powerless then, and now - barely knowing the world of having a job - all I could offer is a few donations (if I could find links to them) and some prayers.

Expect reblogs pretaining this issue in the near future. You can block 'DN gets serious' if you don't want them to appear in your dash. I'm not gonna guilt trip you from wanting to avoid irl stuffs.

[just-animaxiz]

Boss Finn Headcannons

Out of every citizen out there besides Sylvia, Boss Finn often hangs out with Corsac. Not only Boss Finn finds not only Corsac's electric aura steady and risky for such a brave face, but he's the only one who appreciates Corsac's naturalist jokes... As long as it's water-related.

They do share a common hatred and fear of Dolphins. Finn hates it when they chase him around like a toy, steal his jewelry and collection, or even whip him hard enough for a big groan. Corsac, on the other hand, knew that sharks aren't as vile as dolphins, who were the actual tormentors of the sea. They are unpredictable and can be aggressive even when Corsac thought they were gentle and quiet. Whenever people spot Dolphins, they to stare at awe; however, Corsac and Finn only glare.

Boss Finn likes to scare Mint. It's like a big brother and little sister thing, and Mint finds it annoying. When he scared her at Halloween, she wished she could have a real scythe and slice him down like sushi. Boss Finn thinks she looks like a small pufferfish by the way her cheeks puff up at him.

Boss Finn canonically lives in a seaside shack, but that's his "Land" home while his real bed is in a lovely cavern beneath it. It's not a total wreck, but it's not too fancy either. He has the shack there to store his collection, TV, his pictures, one of sylvia's robes that she left after watch TV with him and he loves it so much like a blankie.

Boss Finn has many siblings, like Luna and Mint; however, due to their lack of parental figures and shark behaviors, they went out in their separate ways. They do write each other letters about their lives, and those who didn't.. Were probably dead.

Boss Finn used to spy on humans when he's young. He observes their behaviors, their rich goals, their fancy interests, and anything to give him a boost to the top of the human food chain. When he became a member of the underworld, he observed criminals and cons' predatory tactics to do the same.

Despite being big with ego, Boss Finn is very self-conscious of losing. His old group remind him constantly that winning is everything, and if a big shark like him fail at one thing, he's washed out. After Sylvia made him realize his new path, Boss Finn isn't afraid of losing anymore.... Especially if he has to deal with a blocky, cunning negotiator like Quinn a lot.

Boss Finn has a good talent on everything, including Make-up. He loves to put them on for Halloween, maybe some for tests, and when he and Sylvia became a thing, he put some on her as a gift! She gives him back with lipstick markings around his face~

Boss Finn is the leading champion of his people's swimming competition. They have to race across various reefs, dangerous currents, and life-threatening monsters, and those who aren't competitors cheer for the winner. This is one of the only competitions Boss Finn wouldn't cheat because he's a natural.

The only thing about the competition is that it's just a three-yearly thing and not some regular event. That's why Finn wants to pursue a business he wants to make for himself daily.

Boss Finn is a magnet to the underwater ladies and gents. They leave him offerings, try to flirt with him, and even would kill each other for him. After he became Sylvia's BF, Boss Finn tries to negotiate a plan to lessen the potential murders and jealousy... And lessen the attraction from other shark men who kept their predatory eyes on his girl.

He got into the Itsy Bitsy Kaiju obsession when he spied on a couple of teens talking about the cards and their costs. Finn then went to a hobby shop, and while searching, he discovered a pack of cards that smelled different from the rest. After opening it, he discovered a very rare card and was so proud of it. He still kept it in his binder to this day and TCG became his thing.

Boss Finn always has his hair tied cuz it takes him a long time to get it combed without tangles, and it's easier for him to comb a hold of his hair without a single loose strange on his forehead. He also likes it when Sylvia smothers her face in his hair, commenting how soft it is. He does use the best quality of shampoo and conditioner.

Finally, Boss Finn really wants to break the cycle of how shark parents aren't there for their kids. After he and Sylvia became a thing, he had dreams of having kids with her and giving them the best lives. He would spoil them, protect them, playfully scare them, and most of all... It felt like he can say "I'll always be there and I'll always love you." whenever he tucks them to sleep... Because for once in a shark's life, a father will be there to raise his kid.

[au-sonic-smackdown]

AU Sonic Smackdown - Round 1, Right Side

Click to see full size image

Halloweentown AU belongs to @colorfulplasma

Words Hurt AU belongs to @oddogoblino

Read more about them under the cut!

Halloweentown AU-

Long ago, Sonic used to be the heroic speedster everyone praised, constantly feuding with his rival, Eggman. But on one fateful day, Robotnik triumphed that day. They both couldn't believe it. Sonic's defeat led him to be prisoner beneath the ocean surface. Next day, he woke up in the chaotic dysfunctional afterlife known as Halloweentown. Sure he might be intimidated for a big behemoth like him but he's a very welcoming goof around town.

Words Hurt AU-

In this au, Earth is decaying, the planet slowly losing its ability to sustain life due to mankind's lack of care to it. To try and survive, they attempted to move people to planet mobius as it held similar conditions as earth. The mobians at first welcomed them happily, happy to help those in need. Eventually, the humans began trying to repeat their old mistakes and began digging into mobius and setting up machines to harvest from it to try and save Earth. The planet didn't handle this as well as earth once did, machines quickly backfiring and any mobians nearby during the incidents quickly falling ill. That's how the infections started.

Sonic's parents were one of the few first mobians infected, having lost them due to them going into the second form of the illness that's caused from starvation. They'd been "quarantined" and left without food or an energy source for too long. He was only a toddler when this happened. He's now part of Vanilla's secret organization that helps infected mobians survive outside of the homes they'd been kicked out of due to fear. Sonic himself works as a secret delivery boy and tends to travel to make sure infected mobians have access to food and water and even just simple pleasantries like games and toys. He met Tails as a 4 yr old who'd been born from infected parents, taking care of him when they weren't. Currently Sonic is 17 and Tails is 8.

Sonic is mostly his same ole usual self except he's a lot less social. He doesn't talk to anyone except for Tails, Vanilla, and sometimes Cream. He was naturally born with his super speed but keeps it hidden due to not wanting to be mistaken as an infected. He still has to fight Eggman as the mad doctor tries to manipulate both uninfected and infected mobians' fears and resentment toward each other. He has a civilian disguise named Nicky so no one recognizes him as the superspeedy hero. He's a bit more easily agitated but only because he doesn't get enough sleep with his work.

Sonic's right eye is always tearing up, not because he's emotional but because of repeated exposure to infectious spores. The spores can only infect others if inhaled or through exposed open wounds. Hes naturally immune to the illness, but he doesn't know that, and wouldn't ever take chances on it. Whenever he gets injured, he disinfects the wound immediately and patches it up like others would in hopes to avoid spore-infection.

Infected mobians tend to live in abandoned spaces that their cities and towns assigned for them to live. Infected mobians feed off energy, whether that be electricity, emotions, powerful items, etc, but can also eat normal foods just fine. They need normal food to keep sane and prevent them from going into the second form that attacks anything with energy in it. Only the second form can infect others directly, making it the most dangerous and is an automatic kill-on-sight if seen. No one knows yet if you can change infected back to normal after they've transformed. Vanilla takes care of transformed infected when Sonic reports the incidents.

Mobians aren't the only things infected, plant and wildlife have been mutated by the illness aswell. The symptoms of the infection is body mutations, a blue tongue, and increased hunger and thirst. Mobians born from infected parents can't go into the second form but they become feral without food. Bites from hostile born-infected mobians are less likely to spread the infection but it isn't impossible.

[mahmod12345]

The Story of a Displaced Gazan Family:

Our story began on the morning of October 7th. I had woken up as usual to get ready for school, while my father Nidal, as always, was up early to go to his construction job, and my mother Amani was preparing breakfast for us. But that morning was different; it wasn't like any other morning. Barely an hour had passed before the sounds of massive explosions echoed everywhere. The peaceful morning transformed into a horrifying scene, as if the entire city was shaking beneath our feet 💔.

Within moments, Gaza turned into a sea of fire and smoke. The sky was filled with aircraft, and shells rained down on every corner. There was no time to think or make decisions—every moment held danger that threatened our lives 😞. My father was talking with our neighbors, then he returned to us, his voice filled with worry: "We have to leave immediately. We’ll go south, where it might be safer."

We hurriedly gathered whatever essentials we could—some clothes, some food—and carried my little brother Ahmed, who was just five years old. My mother held him close, as if shielding him from the world 🌍💔. My sister Sama cried silently while holding my hand, and my brother Mohammed looked scared but tried to hide his fear.

The Journey South:

The journey was long and difficult; we took rugged paths and tried to avoid areas that might be targeted. Other families were also fleeing, each carrying their own story of suffering and fear 😔. Children were crying, mothers exchanged worried glances, and fathers silently searched for safety. After hours of walking, we finally reached a southern area where some makeshift tents were set up for shelter. We had to start over, but this time, our home was just a tent that barely shielded us from the harsh summer heat or the cold winter nights 🏕️.

Life in the Tent:

Life in the tent was harsh and difficult 💔. It was small, not enough to meet our basic needs. During the day, the sun blazed intensely 🔥, and we tried to hide from its stifling heat. At night, the air was cold, and we huddled together for warmth. We had no electricity, and the only blankets we had were those distributed by aid agencies 😞.

In the first weeks, things were extremely challenging; we barely had access to clean water, and sometimes we had to drink contaminated water, which led to health issues 🤢. We suffered from diarrhea and fevers frequently, and our bodies grew weak, especially my little brother Ahmed, who developed a persistent cough and high fever 😥.

Health and Skin Issues:

Over time, red spots and severe itching began to appear on our skin. At first, we didn’t understand what was happening to us, but soon we realized we were suffering from skin diseases due to the lack of cleanliness and insufficient water to bathe regularly 💔. Both my skin and Mohammed’s were covered in itchy sores that caused us intense pain 😢.

My mother was worried about all of us, especially Sama, my fourteen-year-old sister, who was developing severe allergies. She tried not to tell my mom about the pain she was feeling, but sometimes she would wake up at night crying 😭. We missed seeing a doctor; in this area, only one doctor visited occasionally to give out some basic medicines, which were not enough for our condition 💔.

Psychological Struggles:

It wasn’t just the physical suffering that we endured; fear and uncertainty loomed over our lives. I would wake up every night to the sound of Mohammed screaming in his sleep 😰; he constantly dreamt of scenes of war and bombings, and these dreams turned into nightmares that haunted all of us 😟. My mother would whisper words of comfort, though she too was struggling in silence. She tried to hide her tears from us, but I could feel her pain and her helplessness to protect us from everything happening around us 💔.

My father, Nidal, was always trying to find work in the south to provide us with some food, but each time he returned disappointed; work was scarce, and the situation was hard 😞. He looked at us with eyes full of sorrow and pain, especially when he saw my little brother Ahmed pleading for a small piece of candy or a toy to ease his suffering 😔🍬.

Life Without Hope:

The days passed slowly, each day bringing a new challenge. I tried to find hope in anything—a conversation with our displaced neighbors, or a small laugh from my brother Mohammed when he tried to forget. But everything around us reminded us of our harsh reality: the dust covering our faces, the increasing illnesses, and the hunger that never left our bellies 🍂😔.

I started feeling that life was slipping away from us, and that the world had completely forgotten us. We hoped this war would end soon, so we could return to our home, which is now destroyed. But as days passed, those hopes began to fade 💔. The idea of going back became a distant dream, and staying in this tent became an inescapable reality 🏕️.

Conclusion:

Today, as we live amid this suffering, all I can do is share our story and try to hold on to a glimmer of hope. We may not have a home, we may not have enough food or healthcare, but we still have each other ❤️. My mother, my father, and my siblings are all I have, and I will stay strong for them, no matter the hardships.

[i-cant-sing]

I just want to take a moment as someone from Israel-in Israel. A woman in Israel.

I do not agree with what my country is doing. I do not agree with the violence and atrocities we commit. But just like Americans, we can be against a war our country is fighting.

Yes, if Israel stops this war, the war is over. It is not equal.

But we cannot ignore what Palestine has done, also. I have lost family. Many people I know have lost family. I am fortunate in that I was not ever taken, I am far from the border, but I know someone who lost a sister. When her body was recovered, she had been raped. This happens on both sides, as women are seen as property of the state. But it does not excuse it. There is no excuse in raping women. Not even for freedom, as how can you achieve freedom through violating women?

I understand it muddies waters to say that there is violence on both sides. There are atrocities on both sides. We like to pretend it is one sided as it makes it easier. But it isn't. You can be the country in the right and still commit war crimes.

I understand if my words are seen as unwelcome here. But I wished to see it acknowledged, the pain that has been brought, not always justly. War is simple, but it is also complex. Trauma goes back generations, it grows roots and takes hold. The fear of the Israeli people for another holocaust is perhaps not well founded, but it is real in our minds. It will always be. The hatred we faced for something not of our doing by Palestinians was real. Our response does not become justified, an overreaction is not justified. But it was real. Their hatred for their land being taken was real-but their reaction to us was not justified. Not in the beginning.

I suppose i am trying to point out the suffering we face as a reminder that we are not our country. I do not enjoy seeing myself and my family and friends vilified in media because of where we live-where we were uprooted to because our family was murdered and our homes taken from us. But I understand our government does evil, now. But we are not our government. Even if we wished to speak up for Palestine, we would be branded terrorists. The things done to innocents is never justified, on either side.

This isn't a war because for a war, both countries should be able to have somewhat similar resources to defend themselves. It's a fucking massacre, a genocide, a cold blooded murder.

Look at Israel's military budget, that gets US aid. Now compare it with Palestine.

Your suffering, the death of your loved ones, your pain, its not invalidated, but it certainly will never compare to the pain of Palestinians.

I understand that this is Israel's government that's behind all this, but you guys are the ones who voted for them. So you should come out and begin protesting for Palestine, even at the cost of being labelled as "antisemitic" or "hamas sympathiser". If Holocaust survivors were to be here, do you think they'd stay silent? People of Israel chose and voted their government officials who now don't even consider Palestinians as humans, so... sorry to say honey, but yall are also responsible for this genocide.

Water, food, fuel, electricity, even donations and trucks carrying MEDICAL supplies have been cut off or prevented from reaching Palestinians. Is that happening in Israel rn? Didn't McDonald's just promise to supply food to the Israle armed forces??

Now, anon, imagine this-

Your country is being bombed, what for? You're not even sure exactly at this point. You've been kicked out of your home, which was then bombarded. your dad's business? All gone, his money, tears sweat, were all for naught. You've been shifted to a refugee camp, and you've been moving from one camp to another for many years because you're constantly hearing airstrikes. You've lost many of your siblings, family, friends. Every night that you go to sleep, with your mother making sure that all of remaining family members are sleeping together, so that in case something happens, you're all dead and no one has to live in pain to mourn for others. Your entire childhood is gone now because you've witnessed such horrible conditions, death is almost always a certainty, and you're struggling for basic necessities such as drinking water, food, etc. Almost all of your family is dead, you were one of the "lucky" ones who didn't die under a pile of rubble. You're grown up now, and you're thinking of leaving this hell by educating yourself and applying to a university outside of Palestine but oh oh! Well, the passing rate is incredibly low, less than 1% of students pass a test which is graded by an occupying force. The doctor who onec treated you is now breaking down becase she lost her entore family in the airstrike while she was helping victims of the same airstrikes, but she doesnt have time to mourn them or wven bury them because the hospital is understaffed nd theres way too many trauma patients in the triage that need her. Oh and look, your best friend was just shot in the back of the head. What for? He was just walking down the street. And the little kid you saw yesterday? Well he was body slammed to the ground by the occupying force's police and taken into custody where he was forced to confess to a crime he never committed, WAS TRAUMATISED AND TORTURED and was never even given a fair trial before he was locked up for more than 2 decades, after which this kid, now an adult has developed schizophrenia. As for you, you thank your lucky stars because you passed your test somehow but oh no. You're suddenly being taken into custody by the occupying force for "suspicious activity and links to a terrorist organisation".

Shall I go on?

[prpfz]

❤️‍🩹| I'm looking for an 18+ advanced lit+ roleplay partner who enjoys themes of hurt with/without comfort, unhealthy dynamics, and more. I would preferably play (B), and I prefer MxM. I would like to find people with interesting and unique characters instead of the typical stock archetypes.

This is rather a rather dark rp. I have very few to no limits with the hope that I can find someone similar, but I'm always happy to accomodate! Also, please, please be active. I'm not asking for rapid fire, but I don't wish to wait weeks inbetween responses.

No drawn or anime fcs please.

Love by Proxy | 🩹❤️ ( MxM, slowburn )

( A ) becomes recently disabled or incapacitated. They are expected to make a full recovery if they follow their medical treatment, including therapy, medication, and rehabilitation.

Though this is temporary, their eyes are opened to the many struggles other experience. They meet many people in not only physical but mental therapy, populating their lives with a loving group.

One day they find themselves face to face with (B). (B) was an otherwise unassuming neighbor, the two not even really speaking aside from the typical plesantries. Once (A)'s situation becomes apparent to (B) they suddenly become extremely interested, helping all the time and checking in on (A) constantly. Soon they are enjoying meals, time, and eachother's company together.

(A)'s recovery date comes and goes, and doctors are unsure of why they have made little to no progress. Members of their support group are concerned when they stop showing up. (A) is having so much fun with (B) that they constantly forget the time.. and day.. and where they are? Their prescriptions never seem to run out, and they don't even have to lift a finger.. much to their detriment.

Fevers, headaches, mystery aches and pains with bruises and rashes that cannot be explained. (B) is with them through it all. Their condition seems to be worsening, but why? Everything seems to hurt (A). Loud noises, the sun, humidity, tap water, electricity.. Soon they are essentially trapped inside of their home with nowhere to go, (B) increasingly protective over them.

Over the course of time they find themselves slowly being consumed by (B). Their time, their things, their humanity. They can't do things without a curfew. They can't go to therapy anymore. Their list of medications are piling up. (A) isn't even allowed to even fetch their own water for fear it would be over a strangely specific ounce and Ph balance. Will (A) escape all of this and recover, or will they simply lay down and accept it?

Kink friendly, ooc talk appreciated, love to chat, plot and make art! :)

give a like and anon will get back to you

[artemismoorea03]

I need to try to draw more pictures of Loi. I love her so fuckin’ much.

Anyways, time for introduction.

This is Loi, the Roc Demon Princess. Daughter to the Roc Demon King - a member of the Seven Sages (though she was made before Peng replaced the Roc in the Lego Monkie Kid version). Loi is the same age is Red Son (however old he is I just went with 19 because I could) and is only 5 Mortal Years/5 Celestial Days older than him.

Her mother was mortal and her father an absolutely massive Demon. Her mother died before Loi reached a 30 Celestial Days old and so she has no memories of her but her father was sure to always tell her stories about how amazing she was. Her mother was the reason that the Roc Demon King stopped being a “Terror of the Skies” and began protecting the skies over his territory allowing safe passage through his rivers and protecting travelers who got caught in the icy waters.

Her father, unfortunately, was recently murdered after coming to the aid of another sage and was killed right in front of Loi. Loi did her best to protect innocent bystanders as the responsible party retreated and was later found by Nezha who put her into protective custody. From there she went to live with the Demon Bull Family.

Loi’s abilities include a booming voice that sounds like thunder when she lets it out, this can shatter glass, crack the pavement and shake the ground under her feet. She can create, dissipate, and relocate storms. Her wings collect electricity from the air and allows her to manipulate the electricity like lightning in any direction she needs to.

Fun facts about Loi: 

She and Red were actually engaged until they were 14 and Loi came out as lesbian to her father. Her father, loyal to her happiness above all else, called off the wedding but stayed close to the Demon Bull Family. Because of this Loi and Red are extremely close and have a brother and sister bond, constantly driving each other crazy for one reason or another.

Loi has an obsession with peanut butter, a habit she picked up from her father.

The Roc and his Partner (Loi’s mother) were inspired by Stoick and Valka from How To Train Your Dragon. They were so full of love, caring, and friendship that not even the Celestial or Mortal Realm dared get between them in fear of the backlash from those close to them.

When Loi was a baby her feathers were snowy white, as she gets older her feathers will get darker and darker until they’re dark red almost black.

Her final height will be close to 9 feet tall putting her above Sandy in height (I estimate him to be about 8ish feet) and Demon Bull Kings ‘casual size’ (about 10 feet).

Loi can swim but due to her wings she can’t go under water, so she’s stuck looking like a non-water fowl just floating awkwardly in the water.

[brooklynisher]

You're probably going to get a gazillion responses because it's basically an indirect invitation to infodump, but I still want to add my 2¢ (show)! I'm a newer fan, but I've dug deep into a lot of a lot, and also being an active Patreon patron of theirs helps me discover a LOT of information. I've got a bit of a reputation as the info guy kinda I think. Hopefully, that's not just me stroking my ego.

Anyway, get ready for way more information than necessary

-Do the Robots have emotions?

They might. They might not. It's one of those things that are constantly messed with. Especially in their live shows. There are many instances where the robots claim to not have feelings, but there are just as many instances where they claim they do. Songs might be more reliable, but The Spine has said on stage multiple times that he doesn't really care about the topics of the songs they sing and that they're just songs. Not everything from the live shows is canon, but sometimes they become canon. When Rabbit freaked out after being left alone on stage during the 10th-anniversary show, Bunny confirmed that that was improv, but she also considers that to be Rabbit's biggest fear. More recently though, the robots have been leaning into this "We can feel emotions, but not physical pain" thing. It was never written down officially and there's a lot of contradicting moments relating to this matter, but the band doesn't like having a concrete answer for everything. That way the fans can have fun with it. SO BASICALLY, it's up for interpretation.

-what is the meaning behind the lyric "I know you don't like how I feed?" In 'Electricity is in my Soul'? What are they feeding on and how?

The robots all rely on water, but there are other things too that may or may not be canon! Rabbit is also apparently powered by milk, and The Spine is powered by curiosity. The Jon used to be powered by water like everyone else until he got that Crystal Pepsi upgrade. They couldn't get rid of that, so now he only runs on Crystal Pepsi. But more likely, that lyric could be referencing their first music video featuring the robots in back in 2008! Where the robots quite literally ate electricity depicted as blue electric beams. It's also referenced in the song's cover art which depicts The Spine eating electricity, and The Spine himself mentions eating electricity for breakfast during some live shows.

-Are Upgrade and The Jon canon to the lore of the band? It seems like Hatchworth is, but the other two haven't been in the comics

A quote from David: "Hatchworth is kinda the only one with an actual “departure” as the performer (Sam) planned his departure with the band and stayed on until we had a replacement ready. Upgrade has the “went off to become a princess”, but I don’t recall us ever saying that on stage before the 10 Year show. I believe that was said by all of us as just performers. In short, people leaving/being kicked out of the band does mess with the lore, and we didn’t always have a good lore reason why certain robots left. It’s relevant for fans of course trying to piece a story together, but based on the band’s current stuff, it’s safe to say Hatchworth still exists along with Rabbit, The Spine, and Zer0. They all appear in our comic (or will), and Zer0 was retroactively added to the Vice Quadrant timeline by being included in the VQ Calendar we did a few years ago. It’s messy, and yeah we have to be meta a lot on stage sometimes, but it’s a comedy act, so I think people will forgive us for characters suddenly vanishing in lore for in-real-life reasons. We are not above retroactively explaining things. It’s just probably less important for us for The Jon and Upgrade, until it’s relevant for an anniversary show like we did 😬 It’s less about us being lazy and more about marketing and where our energies are spent. Current lineup is the most important to us." [x] Essentially, there isn't really an actual answer. It's a complicated thing, so to keep things simple, they don't really want to mess with their lore unless it's genuinely relevant, which it rarely is.

-Speaking of, what happened to the comics? They seem unfinished but maybe I'm missing something

They've got big plans for their comics! There isn't really anything to suggest that Hatchworth and the Blue Ghost or Red Core will receive continuations, but the main comic is their current focus. Their aim is to turn it into a cartoon! They've already pitched the idea. Although it was rejected, they plan on expanding the comic more to get their ideas off the ground. Bunny plans on working on it this year :)

-Why does Rabbit have a 'mask' now? It's cool, but what's the reason for it?

In lore, Rabbit has a closet of faces. Out of lore, the whole white-face thing started with their music video for Hold Me. Bunny wanted to do something unique for that music video specifically. It was meant to be a one-time thing. But she ended up liking it a lot and incorporated it into her ongoing design. Not to mention that she also hated the copper face thing. The only reason why she was copper in the first place was because The Spine was already silver, and The Jon was already gold. Her faceplate design has had a gradual shift in design over time either because she made a mistake, wanted to try something new, liked one thing more than the other, etc.

-I don't understand the lore of The Vice Quadrant. I'm sorry, but I don't. 😭

I mean, I COULD explain it because I do understand it, but it wouldn't be as easy to digest as this video.

-Who are Captain Albert Alexander and Rex Marksley? I think the wiki says they're brothers, but like… who are they?

Who they are is exactly what their songs claim them to be! Rex is an extremely talented gunslinger and inventor who is also a friend of jackalopes. Alexander is a very generous captain who loved the sea so much that he died in it. They are not brothers. That is likely a reference to the song Weird Weird West by Professor Elemental featuring SPG. In the music video, there is a tough group known as the "Three Brothers" portrayed by Sam, David, and Bunny. David was dressed as Rex Marksley, Sam as Coinsley (Rex's tax attorney), and Bunny as Captain Albert Alexander. The music video was recorded at the Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention, so their costumes were likely just cosplay and nothing more. They were also born in entirely different periods so it's kind of impossible for them to be brothers. They have other possible connections in lore as well. Ravaxis Starburner is said to be a descendant of Rex Marksley. Bunny also mentioned that at one point she wanted Captain Albert Alexander to be an ancestor of Peter A. Walter. However, that isn't necessarily confirmed. More like a possibility Bunny has considered.

Hopefully this isn't too much for you aaaa

I just like to be informative :]

Okay, so I'm still making my way through the last few SPG albums, but I have a couple questions:

-Do the Robots have emotions?

-what is the meaning behind the lyric "I know you don't like how I feed?" In 'Electricity is in my Soul'? What are they feeding on and how?

-Are Upgrade and The Jon canon to the lore of the band? It seems like Hatchworth is, but the other two haven't been in the comics

-Speaking of, what happened to the comics? They seem unfinished but maybe I'm missing something

-Why does Rabbit have a 'mask' now? It's cool, but what's the reason for it?

-I don't understand the lore of The Vice Quadrant. I'm sorry, but I don't. 😭

-Who are Captain Albert Alexander and Rex Marksley? I think the wiki says they're brothers, but like... who are they?

I think that's it.

[husbandohunter]

Mermaids exist in stardew, yes? So imagine a mermaid farmer for Zhongli, Kaeya and Diluc it could be in Yandere setting or not. I just wanna know their reaction when they found out and how it’ll effect their relationship. Will it brew angst, love, or both

Part of your world [Genshin x Mermaid!Reader]{Stardew Impact series}

Synopsis: You came from the sea and he takes you through a journey of what it was like to live on land despite your differences.

Genre: Fluff

Characters: Diluc, Kaeya, Childe, Zhongli

"I threw in Childe because I had an idea for him xD It's fluff month so everything is going to be happy from now on >.>"

=============================

{Diluc}

It was a hot summer day when Diluc first found you lying unconscious ashore. You had just swam far and wide from the ocean world, the climate deemed unideal for your case. With no one else around, he took the initiative to help you out of your situation.

He shortly found out by the slight appearances of scales gracing your legs that you were neither a human or someone coming from the town nearby. As legendary as mermaids are, Diluc wanted nothing to do with you. His beginning plan was to find your relatives and send you out of his house (Additional work isn’t welcomed when he has so much already). However, you latched onto him pretty quickly since he was the one who saved you.

Here stands a human, a creature that you always wanted to interact with, in your perspective he may look a little stern but he must have plenty of knowledge to offer based on all the antiques he owns.

The only problem was that you two had no way to communicate. Different worlds meant different languages. Whenever Diluc told you that you couldn’t stay, all you did was tilt your head and whenever you tried expressing what you wanted to say, well, normally bubbles would come out of your mouth since they were an indication for your words.

He gave up on trying to kick you out and simply allowed you to take residence as long as you stayed out of his workaholic life. You would tend to his farm while he was absent on other matters and feeding animals in the barn (a lot to do but a win-win situation now that you were able to discover what it was like to live on land at the same time). Though you were also a handful, most of the time Diluc had to excuse himself from his desk when you thought the rake was some sort of hair brush and he forbade you from using the bulldozer. Quite honestly you caused him a lot of stress. He spent most of his hours teaching you and before he knew, it was already a habit of his.

The only words you knew were three words. If you wanted to eat you would say ‘fish’. If you were thirsty, you would say ‘water’. If it was anything else, you would say ‘Diluc.’

He allows you to take long baths since he knows how hydrated mermaids must stay at all times. Orders a pool to be built in his front yard (at least this way helps him save his costly electricity bills). Diluc also borrows books from the library museum for you to read, anything that you would find interesting, (mostly they were about alphabets and picture-based stories (it felt like he was raising a child).)

Easily gets worried when you step into town with him, he keeps a watchful eye in case you collapse and extra bottles when you need a drink. Most of the time, he had to keep an eye on you since you had the natural instinct to waltz into whatever interested you, such as dancing in annual festivities (which you dragged him along of course). It was how he grew attached to your presence because you truly knew how to appreciate the world around you when he himself was too busy to do so.

Two worlds merged and he was learning how to live in yours too, how you perceive things. Building sandcastles, collecting seashells, listening to the echoes resounding within them. Activities he thought were unnecessary suddenly gained the meaning he had lost long ago. Diluc grew too fast at maximum speed, trying to get as many things done as he could, until he was pulled back by the emotional waves of your kindness and compassion, onto the shore he failed to live on. How ironic reality can be.

{Childe}

Everyone knew how much Childe loved to fish. He sets out at sea every evening to capture a batch of flounders, hopefully stumbling upon a legendary one.

In a way, he did. Just not what he expected. What he pulled out of the waters seemed to be a human-sized fish sitting upon the other residues caught in between. ‘A mermaid…?’ he thought, still digesting the fact in front of him. (No wonder the net felt so heavy).

At the same time he wanted to take you with and sell you for a good price but knew how mad Tonia would get when she found out. So he lets you go free. The thing is, you swam behind his boat and followed him back to land. This was how your relationship with Childe started, to this day he continues to jest upon that memory.

Tonia took most of the responsibility to coach you about human life. One of them was table etiquette, before you ate with only your hands which caused a mess. Childe would laugh hysterically at it until Tonia reminded him, “This is also what happens when you use chopsticks, big brother.”

Teucer invites you to basically anything since you have so much patience. Childe shortly realizes that he was soon going to be replaced as the eldest caretaker and you couldn’t even talk at that time. So it was only fair that he included himself in the circle while interacting with your way of communicating: sign language (Surprisingly, he was naturally good at it. Though his movements are rather exaggerated and...ungraceful).

You were nice enough to accompany him to his fishing tasks and soon enough became your daily activities. Childe takes the lead as you follow him from the side, sometimes he lets go of the steering wheel and allows you to push the boat instead (he kept a note to himself that in your mermaid mode, your strength multiplied by a large number). Other times he felt a little risky and decided to jump in the ocean with you for a swimming session. It worried you immensely but your anxiety subsided when you saw how much fun he was having and for the rest of the time, you both explored what the ocean had to offer.

Childe used to be a fish-cook enthusiast. Not anymore (since that day you cried when glancing at the flounder dish he placed on the table). He had to stick to seaweed or any other plant-based meals with a little bit of meat but too much would cause your stomach to churn. Since his siblings complained at the sudden change, he had to make a separate meal plan for them. With a mermaid in the house was certainly high-maintenance indeed.

Cuddling with you in front of the cracking fire blazing under the chimney was one of the calmest moments indulged himself in. He often chooses the life where the waves crash constantly, anticipating a thrilling storm that comes ahead. But you were just a lull at the sea, the mediator he needed in times where his siblings needed a mother-figure. Sometimes he fears that you would leave him and return to where your true family lives but he was grateful that you chose him above all else. He was grateful that by chance, he captured you at sea. One thing he loved about life was the unpredictability the future brings, including the blessings. Even if you were a creature from far away, in your presence he felt like he was truly at home.

{Kaeya}

When the tides rose above his head, Kaeya was sure that he was done for. The surfboard he recently stood upon slips off beneath his feet and he falls into the ocean’s merciless waves. No oxygen, no time to catch his breath amidst the impact, his eyes were slowly closing and the last thing he saw was the sun’s light beyond the heavy surface, along with the murky visual of someone swimming in front of it.

Although he almost drowned, the idea of being saved by a pretty mermaid makes up for the fact (He has a natural tendency to flirt at anything eye-catching even if you were an outlandish being). You on the other hand was confused by his advances as you couldn’t understand a word he was saying, hence you swam away.

Those beginning days when you chose to explore the land, Kaeya remembers how much trouble you had with walking using your new legs. He had to hold both your hands while leading you forward, he found it rather cute when you tighten your grip the moment you felt that he was going to let go (he was only bluffing of course but you still hissed at him). Still, Kaeya ensures that you don’t fall to the ground, he catches you in time when you collapse while laughing, “You’re doing great sweetheart.”

In return you teach him how to read the ocean’s movements so that he won’t drown again. Kaeya spends more time around the beach since he knows that the water bodies are where you were most comfortable with. He tells you that you always smell like saltwater whenever he buries his face in your hair, perhaps that was how he grew attached to the ocean as well.

In summer seasons there were several days where you had to sleep in his bathtub because the air was so dry. As a mermaid, he had to tolerate many of your unique quirks, in this case he had to deal with showering in cold water since you took up all the electricity. Another case was your wine tolerance, no one could challenge you to a drinking contest when your body could sustain large amounts of liquids. Kaeya sometimes jokes if you could turn him into a merman like those in fairytale books so he can have the same experience. You take it as a joke while he was also being half-serious.

When you have to take a temporary trip home, Kaeya visits the dock every evening and waits for you to come back, trying to see any signs of your colourful tail. He glances at the ocean he grew to love, knowing where he stood is as far as he could go and anywhere beyond the boundary was out of his reach. So many people left him in his life and even though he knew you wouldn’t do the same, he still worries. Uncertain if you would abandon him too.

Your existence became the center of his life the moment you chose to walk upon land with him. Side by side, through small hurdles the seashore and hurdles as big as the wave that almost killed him the day he met you, Kaeya keeps them all as if they were the most precious treasure a pirate could find. It didn’t matter if you were different from everyone else because despite your tail, all he could see was you.

{Zhongli}

While Zhongli strolls along the sandy beach, he follows the alluring sound of your singing voice. You sat upon the rock while humming along what seems to be an old folk tune, similar to what Guizhong once sang. The man folds his arms and closes his eyes. Many years have passed since he last heard something like this, “Your voice, it’s very lovely.”

He was a geologist who worked by the museum, collecting different types of rocks and seashells that would wash up shore. You became very familiar with his daily routine that before he pays a visit to the beach again, a pile of interesting rocks would be waiting for him by the docks. It was a gift. And Zhongli would bring snacks like seaweed soup as an accommodation for your kindness.

Unlike Kaeya, when you couldn’t walk because your legs were too weak to be used, Zhongli helps you with every step along the way even if the trip was a slow one. He even offered to have you carried when he saw you were having too much trouble but you insisted on trying. The whole trip that usually took ten minutes was a three hour walk.

Even though he knew many things, your language was not one of them. However he was willing to learn. Both of you have study sessions regarding each other’s culture. For you it’s the way humans drink with cups because of Zhongli being a tea fanatic himself, he even showed you how to hold a tea cup properly. You taught him how to swim since he had been so occupied on land that swimming never crossed his mind. Thankfully he was naturally good at it due to his tall stature (albeit a little scared when diving into an environment unknown and different to him).

Zhongli loves the way you sing and he would ask every time he wanted to read a book. Either under the tree on a warm spring day or on the couch when it was storming outside. Although he intended to get some reading done, Zhongli can’t help but fall asleep. You didn’t want to wake him up (and you could carry him if you wanted to thanks to your mega-mermaid strength) so by morning, you’d find yourselves in the same spot and your lap feeling numb.

Earth and sea were separated for a reason so that the creatures may stay upon the place where they belong. That wasn’t enough to separate you from him though. Zhongli would travel to the sea to see you and you mustered the courage to walk upon the hard surface of land. The two were only parts of the world but together they are part of the world, connected to form a whole new life.

[omori-ethereal-route]

Gotta ask, how was entering the afterlife and seeing it was not really what most view as?

“Mm… now this can be a bit… touchy for some. Especially since I passed away so abruptly from a Heart Attack… my parents’ reaction still kinda… scares me.”

“I guess for me… it was pretty… jarring to say the least. My family had a lot of beliefs and tried to kinda force those onto me even though I have a more… scientific view on things. Both my parents came from pretty Christian families so they did all they could in teaching me about “God, Heaven and Hell” but without really caring about my own personal beliefs.”

“Which if I wanted to tell you what they were, I couldn’t because it’s been so long that I don’t really remember and it’s not like they matter anymore anyway because they would’ve been false regardless.”

“Hm… I guess… I’m not really sure what I originally thought of The Afterlife. For the last few years of my life, my thoughts were kind of a blur as it was just the same thing almost every single day.”

“…I know that just before the doctor turned off my life support while my Dad held my hand, I… didn’t really feel scared but the kind of nervous excitement that comes with getting to experience the unknown. Then once I was gone… I felt, a lot different than before. I used to always felt a sickly kind of uncomfortable but now, I’ve never felt so alive before which is kinda ironic, hehe.”

“I know that when I first came to Soul, my expectations of what The Afterlife would be like were just blown right out of the water. Think it’s safe to say that this is WAY better than what I originally thought it was.~”

“I 2nd that notion. I slightly feared about having religion being constantly shoved down my throat, but to find out that The Afterlife was built up by one of the smartest technology experts of the decade? Mr. Wendell Calloway himself? I was ecstatic to learn all I could.~ And now, I can let myself be at ease and peruse a future in Advanced Technology Studies.~”

“And then as for yours truly, I can finally live the future I want without any handicaps! I’m currently trying to get my school diploma in Music Arts!~ Got an Electric Guitar and I’ve set up a room in my dorm to be like a soundproof recording studio!~”

[alwaysabeautifullife]

Hello!

First off, thank you for your posts, they're usually very helpful!

Secondly, if it isn't too much, what do you mean about being in a constant state of fear for survival? I'm only asking because this is something we're considering, and it's hard to find any viewpoints that aren't about how off-grid living is perfect and will make your rustic dreams come true

Thanks, and happy holy Lent!

I grew up in the mountains of Idaho (off the grid) in a setting that could be considered ideal (mountain valley, perfect weather, lush and beautiful against a river). We did not have a toilet, but we did get water hosed from the mountain. In some years we had electricity, but not tv/internet. The last years I lived there we had a tv. My dad hunted regularly, and was absolutely excellent at it, eventually we all hunted and fished.

The mountains are not a place to grow food, winters are like 9 months, we had snow in august in most corners of our yard. We spent many summers picking berries for food/alcohol, and for selling. I know literally every single edible plant in Idaho. I don’t know that information because I was well fed and safe, it’s because I was surviving and in constant fear of what could come next. There were very few enjoyable moments because you must work 24/7 to survive. The moments you are eating are typically the moments that everyone can rest but is too exhausted to say anything.

There is always something broken to be fixed, something that must be done and your survival depends on it. As a child it’s a constant state of fear and uncertainty.

There’s a reason why human beings live in communities, it’s because they are necessary.

Also any small medical issue will bring you to a state of poverty beyond what you could ever imagine. Especially if it’s your children. In the event you are caring for chronically children, or are sick yourself, no one can preform the duties for survival, or someone gets all the duties. Often it’s the children. Children do not have time for play. They work. Work is the only play you know because it makes time pass until you eat again.

Living off the grid is a state of survival. It is not living. You are constantly preparing for the next disaster, or even just the disaster that is winter. You work because you starve in winter, and any minor inconvenience of weather effects your entire year and therefore several years. Life off the grid is just a series of domino effects you are preparing for before the next on.

Things in the modern world are necessary for living, like dental (majority of people have hereditary dental defects), mental and physical health. These things are not available in this lifestyle. Everyone believes when you’re off the grid you’ll be treating colds with bone broth, but in reality cancer and other life threatening illnesses are at random but more likely the more people you have in your home. I have watched my dad cut away gangrene with a knife, and pull his own teeth out. I watched my little brother suffer a medical condition that went untreated (it involved leaking fecal matter constantly), and instead feel shame because of the additional work it caused for everyone.

I think off the grid (or close to) is great, if you are single or a married couple with no children who has the luxury of a fall back plan if it fails or luxury of parents who would be there to help you when you change your mind. A lot of the people who make YouTube videos and stuff on living off the grid have financial fallbacks, and make income from YouTube so can commit to it full time with a steady stream of income on the side so both adults can work 24/7 at home (it’s too much for one adult so the children will begin to do majority of work in these cases). Other people that do it (outside the US) are living in actual communities, with greater support than even the common American.

[write-haikyuu]

Karasuno as element benders

This is inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender since I’ve been binge watching all the seasons.... hehe

Daichi would be an earthbender hands down. The way he grounds himself and the strength he has to pull together to ensure the team is positioned to win, on top of always sticking his stance, Daichi would make an excellent earthbender. In fact, he could probably be apart of an earthbending army and rank quite high in his position if he wanted to.  He strikes as someone who is talented in earth shielding and rock bullets.

Sugawara would be a waterbender. In some ways, his nuturing and caring prescence gives me the impression that he and Katara would get along well. Though he might not posess any healing abilities, he has an artistic sense to create beautiful ice scuptures with his skills and tends to make quite the water bending instructor. However, he would specialize in healing, making sure that the resources of the tribe are fully equipped and physically healed for a battle or just day to day life.

Asahi would be a firebender as suprising as that may sound. He would be a late bloomer however, as some firebenders tend to bend with anger and fear, Asahi learned to bend by being provoked with protection. With a gentle, free flowing background, his flames spread in both warmth and burning sensations. With that, he’s able to redirect lightning, but not so much control it as others can. However, he has great skill in fire vortex attacks and combustion bending. Even he is sometimes shocked at how strong he actually is.

Nishinoya would be an earthbender. Like Daichi, his stands his ground and rooted to both himself and his surroundings. As the libero has to stay close to the ground and be ready to take up the most outragous saves, Nishinoya would make such a strong and sharp earthbender. He would probably learn his bending from the swamp and master it in the city (both ways would work). He’s also best friends with the cabbage man. Like for SURE.

Kinoshita would be an firebender. Specifically, he would have a knack for lighting strikes and have the ability to control the movements of electricity at the tips of his fingers. Though this does not occur often, when he does gain control, I think Kinoshita brings a lot of surprises in the battlefield. Like fire, he fumes bursts of energy where he can, but also remains his composure by heat control.

Narita would be a airbender. His movements are evasive yet free-flowing like air. I think he carries a particular sense calmness in his movements and poses a very meditative state when he is not attacking. He waits for the right moment, and builds up heaps of air to turn into energy and momentum before releasing. His intention is never quite to kill or harm, but rather create counter attacks that make the opponent imbalanced or miss their shots. He also has the ability to reach the spirit world, and occasionally goes back there to visit his spirit friends.

Ennoshita would be an earthbender. Although he has very air-like tendencies, he actually is able to navigate the air well through his earth levitation. Intuitive to the frequencies of the earth, he is able to curate mini earthquakes around the area, throwing the opponents off balance but also manipulate the status of the ground to be earth sinking as well. This way, enemies never get ear Ennoshita. The way he talks and carries himself is very much straight-forward and loyal, much like earth signs in general.

Kiyoko would be a waterbender. Kiyoko shows great versatility and flexibility in the way she carries herself. Just as much as she is steadfast and sharp minded, I think she would have great skill in deflecting in her attacks and maneuver focus on controls. She could ice creep a lot of people into freezing themselves into ice sculptures and create water brackets that could slice through. However, she doesn’t fight unless she has to. She much prefers to help Sugawara with healing. She may not realize it yet, but she also has a special skill in blood bending. Although, I can’t think of a case where she would need to use that as well.

Tanaka would be a lavabender. Unlike Asahi and Nishinoya, Takana’s quickwitted and explosive personality would lead him into both a grounding and heated bending technique. Tremendously strong--yes, but also just as firm in his attacks and thinking. His strength is rooted deep into the magmas of the earth but striking is haste and urgent like a wildfire.

Hinata would be a firebender. He’s a spitfire waiting to burst, and you even see it from his name, which means “sunny place”. Though he is quick to burst, that doesn’t mean his attacks strike as weak. He is certainly a fireball with lots of energy and has no problem creating large fumes of fire to defend from the enemy. He is youthful and young, much like the fire he creates. That also includes the occasional burns he gets from messing around as well. Hehe

Kageyama would be a waterbender. Much like water, his water flows controlled, stilled, yet thick. He is very conscious of how he formulates water in its three different bases (gas, solid, and liquids), therefore you might find him constantly practicing those techniques and perfecting it. You might find him often water whipping Hinata in the butt too~. However, I think his most prominent attacks are with ice, as it comes off to be physically striking and sharp, much like his mind. He is constantly analyzing how to manipulate water into multiple forms during battles.

Tsukishima would also be a waterbender. Like the series, I think Tsukishima would have ancestry with the Moon spirit in some form, and therefore, root from the Northern Water Tribe. Though he would be skilled in water attacks, I don’t think that would be where his greatest strength lies. I actually see him on the defensive lines if creating tidal waves, ice prisons, and steam to distract intruders. I certainly see him as a scholar, so I think occasionally he would practice healing on the low.

Yamaguchi would be an earthbender/metal bender. I definitely got it from his name, Yama meaning Mountain. But also, much like his personality to remain strong willed and become a pillar to his team, he is capable of so much strength. He has a natural talent with seismic sense, meaning he is able to sense the smallest vibrations of earth/metal and intuitively guess the surroundings. That’s why he’s able to create defenses that are critical. He would also eventually build the skill to metal bend.

Yachi would be an airbender. I would imagine that she would rarely have to go out to fight as most airbenders are quite peaceful and prefer to stay on high grounds and live a less violent life. She capable of making air funnels and wipes, while occasionally teaching kids how to make air balls to roam around the air temples. I think she strikes as someone who has a skill in flying! You often can find her gliding in the air next to a bison with a bunch of kids (she teaches the children how to fly).

[chrysocomae]

‘Crazy things are happening’: life in occupied Ukrainian nuclear city

Olexander lives in Enerhodar – a satellite city for the Zaporizhzhia power station where he used to work. An accident or artillery attack are constant fears.

I dedicated my life to nuclear power and have always been proud to be part of it. For many people like me, the Zaporizhzhia plant is our pride and destiny. There are six powerful units, about half of the capacity of all Ukrainian nuclear plants and a quarter of the country’s entire energy sector. Before the war, 11,000 people worked here.

More than 50,000 people live in Enerhodar. We have been living under occupation for almost six months. It’s like a double occupation – the city and the nuclear plant have been captured.

Our faith is constantly being tested. Ten days ago, we were sure that the city and the inhabitants would not suffer. But there are already wounded from the shelling at the station. There are already victims in the city.

The station and the city are almost a single whole, because these are places where people work and live. The station continues its struggle for existence. It is full of Russian military vehicles and soldiers. Only two power units are in operation, not at full capacity. Salaries are being paid. Many employees work remotely.

In the nuclear industry, we investigate any deviation in the operation of equipment or a mistake of personnel. Corrective actions have to be taken after that. Now such crazy things are happening at the station, such as the delivery of military equipment to the turbine halls of power units, damage to equipment as a result of shelling the station’s territory, and even, according to some information, the mining of the building.

A Russian serviceman on guard at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in south-east Ukraine. Photograph: AP

There were reports of people being kidnapped, including station workers. It’s hard to describe the feeling when you read about the kidnapping of a person you know personally.

The situation changed dramatically 10 days ago, when the Russians began firing at the station and the outskirts of the city. They hit a high-voltage line, buildings on the station territory, and the spent nuclear fuel storage. The city was left without electricity for several hours.

Since then, every day and every night we hear the roar of artillery salvos. Sometimes the Russians drive their artillery so close that it sounds like shooting in a neighbouring yard. Window glasses tremble. It feels like the whole house is shaking. Even those who do not believe in God pray for their salvation. Sometimes it happens in the middle of night. An ordinary person cannot distinguish the sounds of an artillery salvo and a shell burst. Therefore, every time it seems that this is an explosion and the next projectile will hit your house.

We know that they are hitting the opposite bank of the Dnieper – the cities of Nikopol and Marganets. A few seconds after the first salvo, an alert is activated in Telegram channels – get to a shelter! Someone is trying to save people day and night. In the morning we read how many houses were destroyed and how many people were killed and injured. For many years these cities perceived our nuclear plant as a source of mortal danger. Now real death is flying from us to them. We can only commiserate with them.

Enerhodar is a young city. We love and are proud of it. Now it seems to be seriously ill. Kindergartens and schools were closed immediately after the invasion. Although boys play basketball every day on the playground in front of the school, children’s voices on the street are heard less and less. This is a city of disappearing children.

The occupying authorities, which I, fortunately, do not encounter, force people to write prices in hryvnias and rubles. I do not understand where the rubles come from here, except for those that were distributed to some pensioners. Maybe it’s an important part of their reports to Moscow.

There is cold and hot water and electricity in the city. In this regard, we have always been under protection of the nuclear plant. Instead of three mobile operators, a Russian “no name” one appeared, using local equipment. Several internet providers have been restored but the traffic passes through Russia, with all Russian internet bans and limitations.

Doctors at the hospital are receiving salaries but, as far as I know, there are huge problems with medicines. It is better not to get sick at this time.

Here we also have the Zaporizhzhia thermal power plant, the largest in Ukraine. It was shut down due to damage to the railway bridge and the impossibility of delivering coal.

All billboards in the city are used for Russian propaganda – covered in quotes from Putin and phrases about one people – Russian and Ukrainian. Before that, portraits of Soviet generals from the second world war and heroes of the Soviet Union hung there. People pass by indifferently.

Russian flags hang over the city hall and elsewhere, although faded ones.

People are leaving the city. I often notice that someone from my apartment block has not been seen for a long time. In any case, everyone is trying to send children and wives to the unoccupied territory or abroad. Two days ago, my neighbour could not stand it and evacuated his children. You can struggle against your own fear but it is impossible to fight fear in the eyes of your children.

It is possible to exit the city, but just a week ago, at the checkpoint in Vasilievka, where the line of demarcation runs, there was a queue of thousands of cars from various occupied regions and people stood there for several days.

Men stay. Most of them perceive work at the nuclear plant as their duty. Nuclear power workers in Ukraine are legally exempt from conscription, so it’s like their military service. But all the same, staff members are leaving, including operational ones.

Despite everything, we continue to believe that all this will end soon. As long as we believe, the station continues to work, and the city continues to live.

- Source: The Guardian, 19 August 2022

[rumblelibrary]

"How many times can you look me in the eye and lie to me?" Also with Ernest, break my heart please 💔, I need like angry and broken Ernest

“How many times can you look at me in the eye and lie to me” - with Ernst Schmidt x Fem!Reader

Warnings: masturbation, mention of attempted murder

I wasn't ready to write this and when I was, I still wasn't.

Ernst smiled at you, he just woke up to find you laying beside him like very morning, his little corner of paradise, your silky nightgown clinging sensually around your shape, that amazing curve of your body always getting him more and more turned on.

“Good morning, Ernst”

You said to him and he smiled happily whispering it back to you.

“Oh, looks like Dr Schmidt is more awake than you”

The way you giggled and nicknamed his dick would have made him blush if he wasn’t so aroused by your presence.

“Get naked for me, I don’t have time”

You pouted but then you obliged as you stood on the bed slowly giving him a strip tease, you even hummed the music waving your body in front of him.

Your voice only rang through him, the way you sang was pure poetry.

You swayed from side to side as the silk slipped off your skin like water, you picked a moan as you touched over your body as he pumped himself nicely.

“Fuck, show me your ass”

He cursed as he went immediately hard on himself, he was hungry, needy for you and yet he didn’t have time to fully give into the pleasure.

You obeyed, you rolled your hips turning around as your panties made their way down your ass and quickly precipitated to your ankles before being kicked out of the way.

The way your hands moved, the moans that escaped you as your hands travelled between your legs gifting pleasure to yourself.

Ernst was thrown into a very fast orgasm against his own stomach while staring at you.

“Your breakfast is ready now”

You smirked as he chuckled “I hope not this one” he said pointing at his chest as you giggled jumping off the bed.

“I need the calculation for this”

You nodded providing him the answer in a moment, you worked side to side and you were his right arm, always helping him.

“So? How long is it going to take freak?”

Volkov voice made you roll your eyes.

He annoyed you like hell, but he really took a tool on Ernst.

Don’t let him get into you

You typed it on the computer for Ernest to see. He now needed to be focusing on the task ahead instead of the teasing, he pushed his glasses further on the bridge of his nose as he looked up at the screen ignoring the Russian.

Thank you he typed back to you

;) your answer

Nevertheless, the experiments kept failing and you kept working tirelessly with him. Where it was the error? What could it be?

“Ernst, I brought you something to eat” Lin said as she came to the control room and stared up at you for a moment, you leaned your head on side, you glared at her but smiled, it wasn’t even polite as a smile, it was just circumstantial.

“Don’t worry, I don’t need it”

You said it quite harshly earning a look from Ernst that made you turn around and go back to your calculations.

“Forgive her” Ernst said for you and Lin shrugged “I am worried for you” she whispered to him “you’re getting too much into this, it is not healthy, do not listen to Volkov but I need you to be awake and ready more than anyone, you’re our only physic here”

He chuckled lightly “the one who could survive here among you crazy heads” he joked as you looked back at them interacting and frowned lightly.

That evening he was applying some cream to ease the bruise Volkov left on his face after last experiment.

“That man should have been checked, with such a temper he shouldn’t be allowed on the mission” you mumbled as you stared at him while programming the dinner on the big screen to be delivered. Usually you would fetch it but the beating accident pushed Ernst to be asked to go to his rooms earlier than usual.

“I know, but I gave him his fair share and it is good like this. We are all stressed on board, Lin taught me this word which means actually stressed because of the pressure due on the mind, I need to ask her again about it”

“You like her, don’t you?”

You asked it like a firing shot, he rolled his eyes “please, not again with it”

You frowned as he dismissed always that topic but you hated it.

“You think she is more attractive than me?”

“That is not possible” he just said and you looked down at your floral shorts and top coord pyjama.

You looked back at the screen as you downloaded the exercises he had been prescribed before leaving the Earth to keep his back and neck healthy after so many hours on the computer.

“Would you fuck her?”

He glared at you “I said it is a closed topic”

You sighed nodding lightly, you nibbled your bottom lip but just carried on with the evening.

It was like an accident, Volkov was checking the oxygen reserve as always when he started to feel dizzy. He frowned as soon as he realised he rushed to the door. There was a leak. But when he rushed to the door it was locked and not even the code worked to open it.

He really thought it was the end but Lin saw him and with the help of Kiel managed to get him out of there.

Volkov didn’t speak to anyone for the rest of the night.

But Ernst knew perfectly who he had to talk to.

When he came to his quarters and locked the door you were wearing a nice deep blue dress, one of his favourites with off shoulders and a tight skirt, the dinner was ready for him to eat and some soft music playing in the background.

“You’re out of your mind”

He only said that and you looked at him confused “What? Why? Don’t you like salmon?”

“Don’t you play innocent with me Y/N, I saw the codes, you hacked the door, a clean job but you should know I can find your ID print anywhere, even behind the electricity system”

You frowned “I probably messed up, what door got blocked?”

He laughed out loud smacking his hand loudly over his forehead “How can you even be such a liar? Killing Volkov won’t solve anything”

You frowned as he spoke like that “He beat you Ernst”

You said it finally after a long silence “he handles you in that way and punches you and threatens you constantly, I can’t see him do this for more years”

“Killing him is not the solution”

“I was just trying to protect you!!” You screamed to him.

He stood straight in front of you, cringe colouring his features as you stared at him helplessly.

“What do you even know about protection? You’re not even -“

“I love you, that’s what I know”

He looked at you as you said that, the disgust on him turned to pain and then to rage.

“Take it back”

“No”

“I said” he came closer to you, his voice tone lowering “Take it back, now”

You shook your head as you felt tears forming in your eyes, your chest starting to hiccup as you tried to hold back the fear and the sadness of his reaction.

You daydreamed so much of him telling you that little ‘I love you too’.

And yet, here you’re.

“Ernst”

“No, no Ernst, this is over”

You paled up as he moved past you taking his tablet.

“Ernst, but it is true, I love you, I swear, it is love” you said, your voice trembling as your tears started to roll down your cheeks “Every day, you’re my only thought, you’re what I live for, I live to see you smile at me, to see you happy, to see that little quirky smirk you do when all the analysis work. The way you look at me when we are alone, the way you smile at me, share things with me. That’s all I wish for. Please. Please Ernst. You have to believe me”

“Liar.” His answer was dry, filled with anger and disgust, his eyes not even gracing you.

“I am not lying, I can’t lie to you. Ernst. I beg you, talk to me”

“How many times can you look at me in the eye and lie to me??” He shouted at the top of his lungs taking his dinner plate with his free hand and smashing it on the wall in front of him.

“Ernst” yours was a whisper, his name your only reason to live left as fear was now dominating you “please”

He glared at you, jaw clenched, hand locked into fists so tight that his knuckles were white.

He pressed something on the tablet that he still clenched on his side and on the big screen in the room that usually projected a night skyline for dinner appeared a red notification:

Are you sure you want to interrupt the hologram?

Yes - No

You stared at the screen as you closed your eyes, tears rolling even more down your cheeks.

“I love you Ernst”

“You’re not supposed to love, Y/N” his voice betraying the pain simmering after that mask of rage you know too well by now.

The tap of his finger on the tablet screen the last thing you heard before being caged back into your code.

[vad-hander]

JAEBEOM, THE GUY FROM THE BAR

Pairing: Jaebeom x reader

Genre: Series | Eventual Smut | Angst | Fluff

Warnings: break up, cheating, strangers to lovers, mentions of drinking

Words: 3.3k

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

You opened your eyes in fear. Your head was about to break in pieces and it took you forever to work out where you woke up.

It was your bedroom. At least you woke up in your bed, you thought happily. You tried to sit up, feeling as if your head weighed thousand kilograms. You looked around trying to remember how you got home, pointing out as well that you felt completely fine except for the headache, just in case anything could’ve happened to you physically.

Jaebeom, you remembered that you were with him last night. You gasped, lifting your blanket off your body to check what you were wearing. A shirt.

You tried hard to remember if you changed clothes yourself, doubting it highly. He probably did it for you. Did he see you naked? You felt the heat of embarrassment on your cheeks. What if he didn’t leave and is in the living room now…?

You tried to stand up, noticing a piece of paper on the table. Reaching out to grab it, you read “drink water and take the pill, I’m sure you’re dying from hangover right now. ;)” your eyes moved lower to the corner of the paper “p.s. I closed my eyes when you changed clothes, I promise.” you chuckled and grabbed your head in pain right after. You took the pill, gulping the water hungrily. You plopped your body on the bed, grabbing your phone to scroll mindlessly. Your fingers automatically found contacts, scrolling through the phone numbers you had, pausing on the letter J, seeing how Jaebeom saved himself as “Jaebeom, the guy from the bar”. You opened the chat box , thinking what possibly you could text him. Should you even text him first? Your fingers automatically typed “thanks for getting me home.”, deleting it right after. “hi, it’s y/n, thank you for taking care of me.” you typed another message, thinking for a few seconds if you should send it. Quickly exiting the chat, you lowered your eyes on the letter J noticing “Jeno👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻”. Your fingers quickly opened the chat with him, feeling the fear of seeing whatever message from him. But the chat was empty. The last message was sent by you and you felt even worse now noticing how it was read after you caught him cheat “Jenoyah, babyyyyy, happy birthday my love. I’m so happy to have you in my life and I wish you all the best because this is what you’re deserving. Can’t wait to see you and cuddle you to death, birthday boy <3”. He didn’t even try to reach out to you, he didn’t even try to apologise. You threw the phone to the bedside table, turning on the bed to hug your pillow and hide your face in it. You shut your eyes, feeling like tears could flood your pillow any second. Jeno is a cheater, what if he cheated before? Now you weren’t sure he didn’t do it before. Jeno didn’t even regret it. He didn’t try to contact your or explain anything to you. He just disappeared and now you had to pretend he never existed.

You rested your body against the mattress of your bed, suddenly getting a flashback.

/You moved your face closer to his, losing the balance and dropping your palms onto his thighs. Jaebeom’s arms caught you by wrists right before you smashed your face against his.

“I think you’re a bit too drunk now.” he chuckled, helping you back into the stool.

“Isn’t it a great day to get drunk?” you smiled wildly.

“It’s a Saturday, just a normal Saturday, at least the last time I checked.” he spoke to you seriously, covering your drink with his palm when you tried to grab it.

“I guess you checked too many hours ago. Today we’re celebrating my sudden freedom, fun, right?” you giggled hysterically. “A great day to be thriving, I was dedicated and loyal this whole time. Turns out it’s a waste? I could’ve slept around even while I was in a relationship, turns out it didn’t matter.” you spoke into nowhere, focusing your gaze on the wall of bottles. “I really wish I knew so I didn’t feel too hurt and too surprised right now. Do you know that it actually hurts? Do you know how much it actually hurts?” you turned back to Jaebeom, finding his beautiful brown eyes with yours. He blinked, blinked multiple times and kept quiet. You felt as if he gave you a chance to speak, a chance to get everything off your chest and he was the only person you could talk to right now and you felt thankful in the deepest sober part of you, you were endlessly thankful to Jaebeom. “Am I this useless? I met Jeno three years ago through a friend and he immediately became someone I always wanted to have in my life, someone I’d like to travel the world with, someone I’d die for and I was ready to die when he straight up ignored me for three years. First he was acting like I never existed, like no girl existed and I asked everyone around if he had a girlfriend but he didn’t. And I guessed it just wasn’t the time for him, I patiently waited and we became friends, we became close. We were so close he even asked me to get him with my friend, and I did because I could never say no to him. But they never fit, I knew they wouldn’t, maybe that’s why I was too keen for it, I hoped he’d see that we actually fit. And when they broke up in three months he came to me. I thought he came to talk, to maybe I don’t know what I thought. But he just asked for another friends phone number and then I just broke down in front of him. I told him that he’s mean and blind, that he asked me for all those things when I liked him so much and even loved him by then, and showed him all of it the whole time. And you know what happened?” you asked him feeling the tears in your eyes. You wanted him to answer this time, and he felt it, speaking.

“You began dating?” he cleared his throat before speaking. You nodded and pursed your lips.

“We did, he apologised so many times, he said he never thought I’d like him like that, he said sorry so many times I couldn’t believe this was even happening in real life. He stayed the night, and then the other, and he stayed all the nights there were, and days too, we’ve spent every day together. In a month he said we should tell everyone we’re together, I thought I was in heaven. He treated me nicely, he treated me the way I wanted him to, but to be fair I had nothing really to compare him to. But I waited for so long maybe I was blinded by it to see signals?” you chuckled and your eyes noticed that his hand let go of the glass, and you grabbed it, quickly taking a sip. “In five months I was barely seeing him, he just began disappearing, constantly, I’d only see him twice a week, I was scared and I told him I am, but he apologised again, and said he just got busy with life. From then up until today we were seeing each other regularly, yes, sometimes like the night you saw me for the first time… but we’d come home and he’d tell me I’m the one… and that mattered to me, and I guess it shouldn’t have. Because even with spending time with me he found time to cheat…” you gripped onto the glass. You looked Jaebeom deeper in the eyes, seeing sympathy, compassion? “Why am I giving a speech to you?” you chuckled suddenly trying to switch your mood in a click. “I’m sorry I’m like that.” you wiped the tear.

“It’s okay, we all need to get things off our chest sometimes, and I was the one who told you to do it. You needed it, I hope you’re a little bit better.” his fingers found the back of your palm, caressing lightly. Both his and yours eyes fell to where your hands met, raising back up to look at each other.

His burning touch and even more burning gaze made you want to do questionable things. Things you weren’t able to allow yourself to do yet in the morning. The movement of his fingers made your insides tickle and you slid off the chair you were sitting on. You felt your body get excited when you turned your hands around, laying your palm on top of his. The heat rushed over your body and you were scared he’d notice you turn red if you’ll get any closer. The amount of alcohol you consumed was the only thing that kept you from getting a stroke when your fingers ran up his hand, feeling up his soft and warm skin. Your eyes traced your fingers because you were too scared to see Jaebeom’s reaction, not feeling him move or tense up. It felt as if he froze. When your hand got to his biceps you wrapped your hand around it, finally lifting your eyes to meet his, that immediately moved to meet yours. He turned his body towards you, spreading his legs more for you to stand between them. You moved your hand even higher, feeling your fingers get under the shirt and having to let go of him for a second to rest your hand on his shoulder. You felt your heart beat in your ears, only thinking how he said he liked you. Maybe it was your turn to take chances? Not wait and sulk until someone picked your hopeless self, but to take your life in your hands, be wild, bold, young and alive? Jaebeom suddenly laid his palm on your waist, pulling you in closer between his legs, forcing you to hook your hand around his neck. His other hand found your cheek, rubbing it with his thumb. His eyes burned into yours and it felt like you stopped breathing at all. You leaned in but stopped, being too scared even though you had nothing to regret or be afraid of. “Do you like me as a friend or as a woman?” you didn’t find anything better to ask before you’d embarrass yourself.

“I like you as a person.” his fingers moved to your hair, brushing it behind your ear.

“What is that supposed to mean?” you replied before you could think.

“What do you want this to mean?” you felt his fingers run down to your neck, caressing it lightly. If this didn’t mean he liked you what did it mean at all.

“Kiss me.” you said baldly, watching his reaction. His eyes smiled with satisfaction, and he pulled you in closer, leaving only 2 centimetres between you. Your second hand wrapped around his neck too, and the electricity between you two made it impossible for you to keep yourself on your feet. Your mind focused on him only, you could not hear or see anything around you except for Jaebeom. He lingered, running his eyes all over your face, stroking your hair. Finally, he got closer and you shut your eyes in anticipation. You could smell him close to you, unconsciously brushing your fingers trough his hair. You felt him leave a warm kiss on your cheek and move away. You opened your eyes and your first intention was to smile, but then reality hit you and embarrassment took over you. You were wrong yet again in reading signals. He didn’t mean it and he was just kind to not reject you completely. You felt tears form in the back of your eyes in a span of a second, pulling your hands in swift motion from him.

“I’m sorry.” you mumbled and felt your face get red. “I’m too dumb.”

“No, no, don’t run away.” he protested, grabbing your hands and clipping you between his legs.

“You don’t have to make excuses, I’m okay.” you chuckled pitying yourself once more.

“It’s not that, I’m not making excuses, you just broke up with your boyfriend, you’re trying to make me someone you’ll regret sleeping with when you’ll get sober, and the last thing I want is our relationship to die like it was a stupid drunk hook up.” his hand got back to your cheek, and he pulled you in, forcing your drunken body to fall against him and hug him. “Let me take you home, you’re too drunk, I’m scared you’ll pass out soon or will do something silly. What if you’ll try to kiss someone else instead of me?” he chuckled and you felt his fresh breath on your face. Did he not drink at all? You wondered. “I don’t think that someone will hold back, I’ll get jealous and will fight.” he moved his face closer to yours again, making you think he’d kiss you. “Let’s go home.” he just whispered.

“I’m not drunk.” he chuckled and nodded “I’m serious. You can kiss me if you want to, I won’t regret, I swear.” you might’ve sounded a bit too desperate but you were drunk and you could’ve just told him it was alcohol if he’d reject. You really were as desperate as you sounded by now, feeling no shame only knowing if he’d let you go to bed like that you’d lose hope in yourself completely. “I won’t go anywhere without that.” you brushed your hair off your collarbone. Jaebeom laughed loudly at that.

“Because you won’t remember?”

“No, because I’ll have written confirmation I won’t be able to brush aside.”

“You’re carrying paper with you for such instances?”

“No, but I have a pen.” you painted with your finger, reaching out into your bag and taking few seconds to find it. “Here!” you showed it to him.

“Okay, and what and where are you going to write?” his eyes sweetly looked at you and your insides did a flip. His fingers moved on your waist, while his other hand got back to your neck. You looked around, trying to find a piece of paper.

“Here.” you grabbed Jaebeom’s hand by fingers, laying it on the bar and running your fingers through inner side of his lower arm.

“My arm?”

“Your arm.” you nodded.

“What are you going to write?” he chuckled.

“This.” you sighed, beginning to draw words letter by letter on his arm.

“I, Y/n, want Jaebeom to kiss me, sober or drunk.” he read out loud when you finished.

“Want a sign or is it eligible enough?” you lifted your eyes at him.

“Eligible enough.” he chuckled and grabbed your face in his hands. “Are you normally this cute or am I able to enjoy your cuteness only because I never met you sober?” both of his hands were drawing small circles with his thumbs on your cheeks. Your eyes trembled because of his touch, almost closing when his finger ran over your lower lip. Your hands wrapped around his neck and you felt him push you in and lay his lips on top of yours softly. He didn’t move for a second, slowly moving his mouth against yours in a moment, not pushing or pacing, just making your heart beat out of your chest. His tongue slipped into your mouth when you opened it inviting him, and a low groan left your throat accidentally, letting him know you enjoyed it very much. You weren’t planning on being too open about it, but the drunken state of you broke your plans and he pulled you in closer, wrapping his hands tighter around you. You tried to run your hand down his chest, to wrap it around his body, but Jaebeom made it impossible with the way he held you. Your tongues moved in unison until he pulled back, pecking and licking your mouth multiple times before finally letting go. You held in a disappointed moan, killing the will to hug him once again as well./

You did what? No, you didn’t. You sat up immediately. You grabbed your phone, not knowing if calling him would look as if you were pushing boundaries and asking for more? We’re you in position to do any of that or were you meant to wait until he’ll text you first? You pushed the phone back off, hiding your face in your pillow. You groaned loudly in disbelief. You wrote on his arm that you wanted him to kiss you. Were you out of your mind when you wrote that? Oh, you definitely were, after all those drinks you definitely were out of this world. Your fingers ran over your lips, reminiscing on how his lips felt on yours. It felt nice, but you couldn’t remember for sure. And now, the only thing you wanted is to kiss him once again when you’re sober to remember it vividly./

Your phone made a sound taking you back to reality.

from: Jaebeom, the guy from the bar

“I hope you took the pill and feel better.”

“hi”

You read, sighing loudly. He texted you in the morning… that’s o positive sign, right? It definitely is, you quickly opened the chat, texting him back.

“hi!”

“I did”

“thank you for the pill, and for everything you did too”

“really”

You texted him back quickly, seeing him reading it immediately.

from: Jaebeom, the guy from the bar

“You replied”

“good”

“So you really don’t have any regrets”

“Or don’t remember a thing”

“ㅋㅋㅋ”

So he did remember, you should’ve guessed he did, but you couldn’t remember how he got you home.

“yeah…”

from: Jaebeom, the guy from the bar

“I took a picture of your message in case you forgot.”

“Want to see?”

to: Jaebeom, the guy from the bar

“no, thank you.”

“how did I got home?”

from: Jaebeom, the guy from the bar

“do you want to see me?”

“with me, I drove you.”

“I thought you guessed that by my note.”

to: Jaebeom, the guy from the bar

“I did, I just thought you ordered a taxi.”

you only replied.

from: Jaebeom, the guy from the bar

“so you do see me as a mistake?”

to: Jaebeom, the guy from the bar

“no, no, I told you I won’t regret”

“I liked it”

“I mean, hanging with you.”

“I liked your company.”

from: Jaebeom, the guy from the bar

“I liked kissing you too.”

You choked on air.

“let’s meet tomorrow?”

“I want to see you sober.”

“tell me what time you’re free.”

You didn’t read his messages, taking some time to process his words.

“don’t ignore me, I know where you live. You even told me the code. I’ll find you and will make you go eat with me.”

to: Jaebeom, the guy from the bar

“sorry”

“aren’t you working tomorrow?” suddenly you realised you didn’t know if he works, how old is he, what is he even doing in life.

from: Jaebeom, the guy from the bar

“I’m on freelance, I can find time for you.”

to: Jaebeom, the guy from the bar

“I’ll text you in the morning, okay?”

from: Jaebeom, the guy from the bar

“Can’t wait to hear from you.”

____

let me know what you think ❤️

[batsandbugs]

Help (I Need Somebody) Help

AN: Hey everyone! So I’ve got a new fic, this is inspired from an ask from @glitchon​. They wanted a “Wrong Number Daminette AU”, they gave me a couple of things they wanted to see, and so I went to town. I hope y’all enjoy! Tag list is open, and as always the pictures for the moodboard aren’t mine. 

Chapter 1 

The patter of rain outside Marinette’s window wasn’t keeping her awake, no, the creeping numbness consuming every inch of her body – a craving for oblivion and stimulation all at once – did that on its own.

But the rain certainly wasn’t helping.

On nights like these, where everything was too little and too much, she would find herself escaping to her rooftop balcony and gaze at the stars. Tikki would lie beside her whispering tales of elegance and power; the stories of miraculous holders of long ago fighting against those who would cause the world harm. Her constant companion – a voice of reason when her own brain shouted too loud – was the only reason she was doing as well as she was.

And Marinette knew herself; she wasn’t doing well.

But when the skies covered with clouds, drenching the streets, and blocking the stars it forced her to remain indoors. The hum of electricity, faint but noticeable – a noise she had been unable to ignore ever since donning her miraculous - an irritating background hum. The powers she received when untransformed existed as a blessing and a curse. It without a doubt saved her from one too many klutzy moments, but there were days she missed the ignorance about the nuances of the world around her.

Another moment of strained silence passed before she had enough. She crawled out from under her warmed covers, the cold November night chilling her. Being careful not to disturb the sleeping Kwami, Marinette stuffed her feet into a pair of slippers and descended from her loft bed, and wandered over to her chaise. Crawling under a large knitted blanket – a project from a few years ago - she glanced out her window watching the illuminated rain run down the pane.

The change in location did nothing to help the static in her brain as it wrapped its meticulous tendrils around every train of thought that tried to usher her towards coherence.

She wanted to scream.

She wanted to smile.

She wanted to cry.

She wanted to care.

She wanted to feel something, anything, other than the gaping emptiness slowly consuming her.

And yet as the moments ticked by, and the rain continued to patter, nothing came.

Marinette was scared nothing ever would.

A small light flickered in the corner of her eye. She slipped off her chaise and walked over to her desk – her phone alight with a notification.

Well, at least there was the internet to help her escape from the directionless dread snapping at her heels.

Grabbing her phone, she retreated back under her knitted blanket, content to mindlessly scroll until the need for sleep won against her brain. It was a Friday night and with a weekend planned for ignoring online harassment from her classmates and completing piles of homework – and the potential ever-looming presence of an Akuma attack – Marinette felt secure in ignoring sleep.

She unlocked her phone.

And a slight shiver ran down her spine.

Well, it wasn’t exactly a normal shiver. Over the past four years, she had developed a particularly good sense at detecting between a normal physiological reaction, and a magic-induced one. This? This chill was magic.

Her fingers tapped on her messaging app with little input from her. Opening a new message, she typed in a number, seemingly random, but she knew by now each movement was laced with luck. Once finished the push driving her to such measures faded, leaving Marinette with a choice.

Tikki did her best to explain the phenomena several years ago when it first appeared. As Ladybug she tapped into the Strings of the universe, where her powers of creation and luck came from. When dealing with luck she subtly manipulated the flow of events around her. At first, only when transformed, and only able to rise to the surface when calling for her Lucky Charm. Eventually, the manipulation became unconscious but continuously present, unable to be directed, but still there, helping in subtle ways. And on occasion, when she wished hard enough – a little push there and a little shove there – and who knew how many blows it took to break a lamppost, and maybe she had hit it a little harder than normal?

But the older she grew, and the longer she wielded the Miraculous of Luck and Creation, the more powerful she grew outside of her transformations. And, on occasion, unconsciously tapped into the probabilities of the universe. The little nudges caused her to make and take decisions and actions she never would. But every time it did a minor problem would be solved, or an opportunity would arise, or a good thing happened that would make a normal person smile at the universe and comment on how luck favored them today.

Marinette knew better.

It was a side effect of her existence mingling with the powers of the universe. Tikki told her, within time, she would feel for the Strings herself and be able not only to manipulate her own but others’ too.

It was not the first time Marinette experienced a panic attack over her powers, and it certainly would not be the last.

Which brought her to her choice; and suddenly, sitting in her darkened room at two in the morning staring at her phone with a random number on the screen, resembled being perched on top of the Eiffel Tower, feet dangling over the edge, the l’appel du vide – the call of the void – twisted around her, caressing her like a friend and urging her to just… fall.

A random number, a string of electricity running into the darkness, unknown and unknowable. Like shouting into the wind at the beach, the water stretching far as the eye could see, the words would take to the sky and disappear.

Only, a text would go… somewhere.

To… someone.

And they might, just maybe, respond.

A shiver, this time her own, rolled through her.

Marinette glanced up at her loft bed, a small red glow, barely perceptible to the human eye, lingering in the air.

Tikki wouldn’t be pleased.

The tiny Kwami always urged Marinette to caution when it came to taking risks like these. Even the goddess herself had a tough time figuring out where actions prompted from the Strings would lead. And this… this had the potential to go very, very, wrong.

But…

Every time Marinette followed the urgings of the universe, she had never been disappointed. True, its effects could be small, barely noticeable at times, but not always. The effect could be much larger. Marinette was always pleased whatever the outcome.

Even if the responsibility of the rest of the power laid heavier on her shoulders with each passing day.

Everywhere Marinette turned she stood alone. Cut off from her parents by necessity; the overwhelming urge to keep them safe, to keep them out of danger forced her to remain silent and ready lie at the drop of a hat. Cut off from her friends and classmates by manipulation; Lila succeeded in twisting them to her whims – the girl had no mercy to stay her vicious tongue, no morals to limit the stories her mind twisted into being. Cut off from mentorship by a quirk of magic; Master Fu deserved to live the rest of his life without guilt, but for his guiding influence to be taken away meant floundering on what to do next. Cut off even from her own partner; Chat flipped between hot and cold, flirtatious and disinterested, reliable and fickle. The days where they could talk about everything and nothing during evening patrols had faded away into uncomfortable silences.

That left Luka… sweet, sweet Luka.

Marinette sighed.

Holding herself together on a good day was hard enough. What good would she be as a girlfriend? Flighty and closed off, unable to open up, constantly in fear of when Hawkmoth would strike next.

No. She had made the right choice, telling the budding musician they were better off as friends.

Glancing down at her phone, the screen locked once more – a group photo of her, Adrian, Kagami, and Luka lit up behind cracked glass – she smiled, tinged with bittersweetness though it was. At least Adrian, who stuck by her side through it all, found happiness. And Kagami had proven to be a stalwart friend. Marinette still wished now and again for different circumstances, but she would never begrudge two of her closest friends for finding comfort together.

And Tikki, while a constant presence, and a needed voice of reason was still a goddess, a creature unfathomably old. Still sweet, caring, and understanding, but detached from the constant stress and pressures of human existence. She was unable to truly be an outlet for Marinette to confide in.

With everything laid out before her culminating together in a bleak understanding of her isolation, it appeared obvious her actions, driven by the luck of the universe, seemed like sanctioned permission.

She unlocked her phone once more. 

Taking a quick breath, the wind whipping smugly beneath her dangling feet, she began to type.