#nows the time to rise gdi

[change-the-rules]

*grabs your hands earnestly*

it's not about the Canon, that is not to invalidate any feelings that is to say we are fandom, our works are transformative because we take the bits and pieces of a something we love and we break it, take the pieces that speak to us a spin them into something that resonates, it's about the dynamics and the potential and putting characters we adore In Situations because the narrative failed them or it failed us, or for fun or for science or just because it's fucking hot, it's not that serious and it holds a certain gravitas

it's playing in the sandbox, pure and simple, beholding ourselves to Canon is the antithesis of Spirit of the thing

do you see?

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

Realms Collide people be over here giving me hope and I dunno that's dangerous. I'm afraid of getting hurt. TT0TT Rangi baby please be in this game. I'll take a pixel! Anything! Please! TT0TT

[missallanea]

@yinbug : " you should heal up in no time. " bugnoire → nathalie! (rubs my gremllin hands together)

"I highly doubt that..." Nathalie's voice is barely above a whisper, throat still raw as she tries to speak. And why does this girl care so much whether she lives or dies? Perhaps, she still hasn't fully realized the part she had to play in all of this, in what was meant to be her undoing.

And if she does? If she survives this, what then? A hand lifts to pinch at the bridge of her nose, nudging glasses out of the way before simply removing them. This was her punishment, wasn't it? To live and die and be forgotten, for goals which once seemed to pure and idealistic and had twisted and warped into something darker.

She was going to break her promise.

"I don't understand why you're... so concerned. With me." She has to know, doesn't she? She has to have figured out all the pieces now. Where she fell in all of this. "I don't know what you think this will do... besides paint an even larger target on both of our backs."

barbie prompts

[backjustforberena]

i am SO excited to see corlys’ reaction next week, i have to say.

their last private conversation was not an argument, but was fraught. no resolution. something that was to be dealt with later (or never, if corlys has anything to say about it.)

their last time together is him coming to stand by her side, to argue their (her) cause. did she know he would? was that his attempt at an apology? i think it might have been.

they have only been together 10 days in the last six years, and they have barely been TOGETHER, the war looming over them, and yet they have tried, both going back and forth between dragonstone and driftmark so that they could spend time together. but those few days couldn’t make up for six years.

i will assume that corlys will be feeling a lot of guilt. and i know her death motivates book!corlys to make certain moves, but how rhaenys goes to rook rest is different, so i wonder if he’s going to be as angry in the show, bc the argument could be made that rhaenyra COULD have sent more dragons, but that’s a moot point.

i do think rhaenys will be a steady presence even in her death. corlys will be motivated by it, rhaenyra will be motivated by it. the WAR will be shifted by it.

anyways. i’m rambling on your ask box again lmao sorry.

H finally gets around to clearing her inbox after HOTD 2x04

OMG, no, keep rambling in my inbox, I'm so sorry it took me so long to get to this! It was wonderful to receive! Thank you so much! I'm going to break your thoughts down a little bit to answer with my own just to help my brain and if you see this and want to respond again, please do! You've written a bit on what you think Rhaenys's death will be like as we move forward and what you thought Corlys's reaction might be but, obviously, we've had the episode now so I've left that unaddressed!

their last private conversation was not an argument, but was fraught. no resolution. something that was to be dealt with later (or never, if corlys has anything to say about it.)

Last private conversation that we saw, at least. GDI, I'm still 85% sure there will be something on the cutting room floor. But, as you say, it was fraught. It was emotional and a bit heartbreaking. For both of them, I think. It's the cracks starting to show. And it is so unresolved.

did she know he would [show up at Dragonstone]? was that his attempt at an apology? i think it might have been.

I definitely think it was. I think him coming up to the Painted Table was him showing up for her. I definitely think that was his attempt of rolling his socks up and engaging, and possibly apologising, and I say that for two reasons. One, is that she never asks him to. She doesn't even suggest it.

We have two instances where the council sort of vaguely gets mentioned between them. One is in 2x03, and the other in 2x04. In 2x03, Rhaenys says "I must hope she will rise to it, but I fear she’ll need you by her side sooner than late" - given her care for him in that scene (with feeding him and making sure he has broth and worrying over his state of health and his life), I'm of the idea that Rhaenys doesn't want to have to bring Corlys into it until she has to, and she's sorry that she might have to.

In 2x04, she mentions the council session that Corlys ultimately walks into: "I came to tell you that Baela has called me to Dragonstone. [...] That council is going to dine on her and Jace for supper. They grow restless in Rhaenyra’s absence." - she never asks him to come with her. It's not even hinted. She's just there to tell him she's off and that's it.

And the second reason is that he's still physically weakened and in emotional turmoil. This is not the place he'd like to be and he's only there for her. It's to defend her, and then that's it. He doesn't muscle in and take over. He just helps her. Corlys still has a bit of a limp when he walks in there and I think it's been so deliberate to keep him away from the Painted Table and the council, and so for him to then enter that space has to be a gear change. There has to be a reason and it has to be a moment and you can find that in his feelings for her.

So, you have to think that Corlys is watching her go, recognising her struggle and thinking: forget that I'm weak and vulnerable and not feeling myself... I have to show up for her. My wife is struggling, and here is how I can help. I need to get my arse in gear and grow up.

And he stays. At least a day passes: Rhaenys changes her outfits, more news comes in about Cole's movements and Rhaenyra returns. There's a period of time that happens and he is still right there by her side. He's locked in.

they have only been together 10 days in the last six years, and they have barely been TOGETHER, the war looming over them, and yet they have tried, both going back and forth between dragonstone and driftmark so that they could spend time together. but those few days couldn’t make up for six years.

I think it's been longer than ten days, thank goodness. It was ten days between the end of Series 01 and the start of Series 02, and I think they have weeks after that (if anyone has a timeline, I'd be more than grateful). So they do have some time together, but they are so separate, just by the way things are and who they have to be. It's not conscious on either side (other than a deliberate wish not to show their partner how fragile they are), and they do seek one another out and they do still take great comfort in one another and having one another nearby. The fundamentals of the relationship remain the same.

But it is a lot of buried hurt and a lot of emotional instability and they can't be in the right frame of mind to actually take the time to address the issues and do anything but surface maintenance because they don't have the time or they aren't in the same place. Corlys is physically recovering and is needed on Driftmark and Rhaenys is naturally being pulled away by things on Dragonstone and flying Meleys in the Gullet and attending these meetings. They both have a lot of individual baggage before they can even touch the stuff that's still unspoken between them. I think each of them don't want to be a liability to the other and they've both, slightly, gotten used to just keeping it all to themselves.

Rhaenys, especially, because she's coming off the back of those years without him and when he does come back to her he's near death, and then Corlys is also going through compound grief that, even if Rhaenys is still feeling, she has largely worked through (because she's a proper grown-up who doesn't run away) and keeping this rather large secret regarding his illegitimate sons.

I think Steve says in an interview that Corlys can't multi-task. If he just had to focus on Rhaenys and on his marriage, he'd be grand. But he's got a lot of stuff going on and he can't. I think that's very true. And, meanwhile, Eve has said things like Rhaenys's modus operandi is basically to lock away personal feelings in service of just forging on, even when she should be vulnerable and communicate and talk to Corlys. So they're both guilty of behaviours that really don't help!

Do let me know what you thought of Corlys's reaction this week! Do you think we'll get more next episode?

[tinotika-arts]

Some ramblings for alex that might? contain soto spoilers? cause I've only played half but have random ass thoughts anyway

other thoughts I had though, was mainly after seeing the first chapter's name: Commander without a cause. Like... what if commander was literally created/placed just to be Tyria's saviour. All their experiences were real, but they were created and placed to be Tyria's 'oh shit' card.

And any time when the crisis is over, they disappear.

I thought about maybe an advanced creation that was sleeping and no one finds out until the very end...

I now have thoughts of what if Alex died in the desert, and what came back wasn't Alex, but the manifestation of his will. Across all of the verses i have for him, Alex is a genius at magic. What if he marked the leylines with his will before he died?

The one that came back wasn't the Commander, it was Tyria's magic rising up as a result of his will and desire to protect Tyria and his friends. The magic is aware and uses illusions to cover up the fact that they aren't quite human, and acts around like how Alex would.

And so, whenever peace is obtained, 'Alex' disappears, and only reappears when there's a crisis on the horizon. The rest probably don't find out until 'Alex' takes a hard blow that blows off half their body and couldn't come up with an illusion in time, and has to reform their body by drawing on the leylines again.

It becomes way apparent why this 'Alex' seems to only care about protecting Tyria, and not give two shits about anything else.

I did have a version of Alex where magic takes an interest in him and wants to use him as their vessel but that's for another day, I got like 2 comics to finish -cries-

Also being called Harbinger just made me side eye the story creators so hard. Harbinger Azrail was one of the many verses I had prior to this where Alex goes off the deep end and brings Eternal Night to Tyria- aka killing off all life.

Coincident, but I'm still side-eyeing a little.

Also:

-playing map complete-

me: wait is that maylck??

friend: what??

me: oh wait, it's Malok, gdi

now I wonder what if Maylck was just a rift hunter...

[theowlhousefanboy]

Good/Great Games That Sorely Needed Expansion Packs/DLC Stories, if not More (And What They Might Have Entailed):

X-Wing Alliance (tying up the loose end that is Uncle Antan, whilst maybe extending to the Liberation of Coruscant)

Quake 4 (eliminating the remnants of the Strogg while fighting what may be fellow humans sent to hunt you down)

Return to Castle Wolfenstein+Enemy Territory (just more B.J. Blazkowicz adventures)

Star Wars: Squadrons (modding, more ships like the Assault Gunboat and E-Wing, and a far better and more expanded story campaign akin to X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter: Balance of Power)

Battlezone II: Combat Commander (probably cleaning up General Braddock's remaining yet fanatical forces, with an alternate campaign showing the full extermination of the Scion)

Batman: Arkham Origins (basically, a singleplayer campaign between Batman and Dick Grayson Robin based on the premise of the now defunct multiplayer)

Aliens versus Predator Classic 2000 (just more missions for the Colonial Marine, Alien, and Predator; maybe even more modding tools)

Original War (an Arab campaign that explains the main game's plot holes, among others)

SiN: Wages of Sin (perhaps an alternate timeline where the elusive Elexis Sinclaire was actually killed, thus preventing the existence of the lackluster episodic sequel)

Valiant Hearts: The Great War (an extension involving the American intervention, the fall of czarist Russia and the rise of Communism, and the end of WW1)

Command and Conquer: Tiberium Wars+Kane's Wrath (basically, Kane's Wrath-like takes for the GDI and the Scrin, with maybe a bonus campaign involving CABAL remnants and an actual crossover with Red Alert 2 by way of a Nod agent about to be sent back in time named Yuri)

Brutal Legend (even I can't think which)

Singularity (mayhaps an interquel involving another time traveller who may or may not be helping the protagonists)

Impossible Creatures (again, I can't think of anything)

Shadowrun Returns (Dragonfall and Hong Kong are great, but really, we need more)

BattleTech 2018 (same as Shadowrun Returns)

Mad Max (more adventures, vehicles, and franchise fanservice, and I don't mean the skin kind)

Halo Wars (just some side stories over the course of the Human-Covenant War)

Total War: Shogun 2 (Mongol invasion, 'nuff said)

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (I don't really need to say more)

Act of War: Direct Action+High Treason (either a campaign that shows us the fall of the Consortium or, better yet, a full blown alternate universe Consortium campaign)

House of the Dying Sun (more intriguing missions and ships, I guess)

Edit: OK, Valiant Hearts actually got a sequel named Coming Home in late January 2023, in a different medium that does show the American intervention and thus the end of WW1. Suffice to say, heard it did well.

[sentofight]

ooc. this always makes me sad because m.achina always viewed himself sort of inferior to class zero. even though if you look at the stats of the whole class, machina does not ever fall behind them that much. I mean look.

second to highest HP after Nine.

MP he is fourth!

Attack/ strength he is Third! (technically this would probably bother him as fuck because the two who are stronger for him are not 'conventionally looking strong' you know. jack is the haha hehe guy. cinque is the eeeh~ so nano~ girl and that pisses him off like YOU GUYS ARE NOT TAKING THIS SERIOUS GDI! shoutout to poteighto for being 4th lmao)

Same defense same offence, third. a balanced guy if you ask me.

bats eyelashes at deuce twinning the fire magic wehehe Second for fire! Kind of ...foreshadowing the Phoenix motif of rebirth a little bit hahahaahahaha aahahahaha ahahahaha FROM ASHES HE RISE--technically miss arecia was like mm oke wake up bitch.

Ice magic is behind at 4th and ... looks to the side you know you know. you know you know. winks.

We're crying in the club twining with Sice at 3rd sobs for lighting magic. Listen, i wish the game had more chances for the cadets to interact more. like the break time before missions, wish it had more options for you to spend the time with each other. Machina and Rem deserved more chummy chummy time with their classmates--at least Rem more since Machy was doing the emo dont wanna be your friends blegh attitude. smh.

the lowest stat is his magic defense ...remembers that time when he got barbequed by Celestia's summon lol

so, in a way machina shouldn't feel 'less' than class zero yet he does. the thing that makes you go angry and feral is that he could've been just fine if it weren't for the meddling of adults. 1)arecia fucking up rem's health condition 2) consortium of eight fight arecia through striking a 'deal' [aka use him] with machina to spy on C0 and tell him all about izana's death 3) consortium of eight literally blackmailing him with rem's safety and her well-being 4) honestly fucking fight me but kurasame not actually noticing the deal with machina like bruh you are the captain sir he is being blackmailed sir help him YOU SEE YOURSELF IN HIM, RIGHT ? HELP HIM 5) fucking arecia man just arecia making every thing easier for him to fall into despair 6) yall khalia if you think about it he fucked up real time for allowing things to go under his nose like that 7) his previous class captain. idc if they dont care about him even tho he moved class then are you really a good captain???? 8) i know i will fight myself for this but ...izana. even if machina said dont talk to me does not mean he should give up on talking to his little brother .. if anything, had izana been insistent on his little brother a lot of things wouldn't have affected him.

listen, i won't say it is entirely izana's fault, machina is an idiot and he kept pushing izana's attempts but think about it who is the older? who should know that he is handling a traumatized child? machina was never out of that house ... believe it or not, he is still in that house trapped with many milites soldiers aiming their rifles at him and rem. he saw a woman die--who is she? his mother but he cant remember her. he only remember "Izana" where are you ? ...save me. rip me.

SOMEONE TAKE MACHINA OUT OF THAT HOUSE NOW HELP HIM WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[soulties0310]

THE U.S. ECONOMY SUMMARIZED IN 1 TAKE

October 6, 2023

1. THE BOND MARKET

I was told early and often:

“Bond guys are the smartest in the room.”

This used to hurt my ego whenever I hear this phrase because I didn’t really understand this specialized but critical function of the market

Still true, most all financial commentary is targeted to Retail and Institutional Equity folks. If equities aren’t affected, why bother?

Which is why I became much more macro-focused in recent months. The lagging impact of uncontrolled fiscal spending, triggering entrenched inflation, forcing violent FED moves only exacerbate falling collateral values from bond returns and put the entire financial system at risk.

THIS IS NOT JUST A CREDIT EVENT RISK, BUT AN UNFOLDING SOVEREIGN DEBT CRISIS

So bonds down 50% should cause all of us to try and unpack why bonds can’t catch a bid.

Spiking higher 10Y Yields in the U.S. may have started because of inflation - “Bonds stop going up” but now they continue higher because the risk premium demanded to hold these “risk-free“ assets-turned-liabilities is growing.

So many confuse higher Yields on economic growth expectations. But are GDI (Gross Domestic Income) or PM (Profit Market) showing monster beats? That would be "no"

“Wage Inflation Delayed Recession” and that’s all.

Term premium is increasing with rates as Fiscal spending is massive and growing, as is Treasury issuance. FED rate hikes contract future economic growth while Treasury/Congress continue to fuel inflation from past, present and future spending and printing.

I firmly believe rising yields are now due to holders afraid they won’t get repaid. This is much bigger than inflation +/or oil +/or dollar spiking higher.

Argentina has unanchored inflation, yields and currency.

How will FED tightness help U.S. avoid Argentina let alone grow out of this mess?

It can’t.

Only once equities figure this out that FED is impotent to do anything constructive not obstructive then they can catch down to bonds.

Then they will notice why bonds matter.

Bank of America's Michael Hartnett stated "Bonds should be the best performing asset class in the first half of 2024, we are impatiently waiting for capitulation selling, and a recession or credit event to trigger bullish policy easing"

Hmm, all of a sudden everyone are now expecting a credit event which only last week was the elephant in the room.

On Thursday, Barclays said "ONLY A STOCKS CRASH CAN RESCUE THE BOND MARKET"

Global bonds are doomed to keep falling unless a sustained slump in equities revives the appeal of fixed-income assets, according to Barclays Plc.

"There is no magic level of yields that, when reached, will automatically draw in enough buyers to spark a sustained bond rally, In the short term, we can think of one scenario where bonds rally materially. If risk assets fall sharply in the coming weeks. The rout in Treasuries has sent shockwaves through the global bond market as investors position for the reality that borrowing costs are likely to stay higher for longer. The selloff has abated but traders are on high alert for a resurgence in volatility, especially if US non-farm payrolls data on Friday come in stronger than expected"

Well here we are with a VERY STRONG Non-Farm Payrolls print yet the market rallied. Why is that you may ask? It could be one of many things. Election Rally could be one of them. Being oversold on the Technical side could also be the reason. Next week's market open should tell us a story.

2. THE TREASURY YIELD

I'll keep this ALARMINGLY simple. The Treasury Yield Surge we are currently witnessing closely resembles that of 1987 shortly before the Black Monday stock market crash (see chart below)

3. THE LABOR MARKET

U.S. Non Farm Payrolls rose by 336K in September, nearly DOUBLE the 170K expected.

Unemployment rate rises to 3.8%

To explain these numbers in simpler terms, most Americans would be needing to work 3 Part-Time jobs to pay for this 3+ years massive inflation. That is just absurd.

I know, the "Stocks only go up" crew will say today's U.S. Non Farm Payrolls will be revised and will likely be lower than today's reading. But holy smokes! How can the experts miss their estimates by this much? This took EVERYONE by surprise today

And the BIG problem with data ahead of recessions: REVISIONS

In 2007/2008, 1st round jobless claims only started to rise in February 2008. But revised data shows they started to rise 6M earlier in September 2007. We have to apply a wider confidence interval around the data if recession risk is higher.

4. NATIONAL DEBT & LEVERAGE

The Total U.S. Debt rises by $275B in one day to a record $33.51T

Exactly 2 weeks ago, total U.S. Debt hit $33T for the FIRST TIME ever.

Yes, your math is correct! That means that the U.S. added $32B in debt per day for the last 2 weeks. At these current pace, the U.S. will add $1.5T of debt in a month.

Now not only does the Interest Rates are causing a lot of stress for the banks, but also DEBT.

U.S. Banks held $5.43T in debt securities. These securities lost $140B in value during the quarter. Cumulative unrealized losses were $558.4B in Q2 and have now surpassed the previous peak of $689.9B in Q3 2022.

This is why I have been saying that we might see a banking collapse in the near future. The banks simply cannot take another hike in interest rates November 1st.

Not to mention leverage, I do think a lot of people are missing, is the amount of debt and leverage in the system dwarfs 2008. Debt is one thing, but leverage is the real "problem" lurking in these markets and economy. Leverage has the ability to exponentially amplify losses causing a death spiral of epic proportions to the economy.

The Debt Ceiling Crisis is far from over. The Debt crisis might not be imminent, but it is unavoidable. When it happens, it may present the greatest financial disaster of all time.

5. THE BANKS

U.S. Banks losses on Hold-to-Maturity assets have soared to an ALL-TIME HIGH of $400B

On Tuesday, I posted that Canada will be the first to use their bank's Bail-in Law. And today, CBC reported that "About one out of every five home loans at three Big Canadian banks are now negatively amortizing.

This week, the FEDs pulled another $20B emergency OCE liquidity and $70B total in the last 3 weeks.

In 2020, they froze credit markets by pulling $100B away from the banks in 4 weeks. This is very concerning.

On Facebook In March 18, 2023 I stated that the FEDs seem to be driving the economy towards a credit wall. Everytime interest rates goes higher, banks do not feel its impact until 12-18 months after. If I am not mistaken we are now on the 18th month since the FEDs first hiking the rates during this cycle. People thought I was crazy for thinking of a credit event. I am not a genius. I simply just looked way further than many eyes could see.

Next week, Banks are scheduled to report earnings that can bring SUPREME VOLATILITY to the market. Some investors are placing their bets and some are bracing for impact.

6. INFLATION (Update)

Reports on Friday says that 84% of U.S. CEOs are now expecting recession in 2024, unfortunately, 0% of them are FED Staff.

Given what is happening to other drivers of economic growth, both the nature and magnitude of the recent surge in yields will make it harder for the U.S. to avoid recession in 2024.

The never-ending narrative of getting inflation back to 2% requires a slowing growth of wages which also requires softening the labor markets is just far from reality. It requires 3 major issues:

• Commodities (Food, Energy and Oil/Gas)

• Labor Market Tightness

• Fiscal Concerns

Sadly, even with our Government taking as many twists and turns, the writings on the wall says destination remains unchanged.

7. HOUSING

U.S. Mortgage rates surpassed 8% this week for the first time in 23 years.

This mortgage rates bounce is occurring amid the U.S. housing market's seasonally soft window. This impact will only INTENSIFY.

Home value to income ratios just ticked higher once again and are now above 4.50%

To put this in perspective, even in the 2006 peak home value to income ratios topped out at 4.34%

This is officially the least affordable housing market in the world.

Let me explain this using mathematics.

Assuming a $3,000 monthly budget:

• 2.65% mortgage rate in January 2021 could have bought you a home worth $641,000

• 8% mortgage rate today could buy you a home worth $420,000

Thats a 34% decline in purchasing power.

The honest question for realtors and correction skeptics: What is a compelling argument for why prices can sustain or even rise given this extreme price-to-income ratio?

And the honest question for home buyers: After seeing this data, would you be willing locking on a 30-year mortgage at these rates?

The answer should be a resounding "no" and based on public data, we are due for a massive correction in the housing market next Fall/Autumn.

Tough times are ahead of us. It seems like everything is breaking all at once. May God bless you all and your loved ones. Enjoy your weekend

- Chuchi Encarnacion

Disclaimer: I am not a financial advisor. These information I wrote are purely based on my studies and opinions of our economic data. I am not in favor or against a credit event, a crisis or a recession. I am not an investor. I am a daytrader of the S&P500 Futures and NASDAQ Futures. I do not have any bias on what direction the market may want to go, I simply react on price action and technical analysis. I am not trying to convince anyone on having or changing their bias in the market, economy or your political beliefs.

[raedear]

I want 2 little 2 lent snippets gdi

‘Lent begins soon,’ says Nicolò one otherwise innocuous morning. Yusuf isn’t particularly paying attention, he has yet to eat and there are so many holy days in Nicolò’s calendar. Who has the time to know them all.

‘We can find a church for you a town or two over,’ he says, distracted as he digs through their packs looking for his eating knife. ‘It won’t take us too far out of the way.’

‘No, it’s…’ Nicolò pauses, long enough that Yusuf stops what he’s doing to look at him. Unusually for Nicolò, he bites at his lip and considers the dust beneath his feet.

‘It’s…?’ prompts Yusuf.

‘It is… a time of fasting,’ says Nicolò slowly. ‘Fasting, and devotion and… and self-denial.’

‘Like Ramadan?’ Nicolò had been very supportive of Yusuf’s fast. It had been kind of him, how much effort he put into providing water and dates to break Yusuf’s fast. He can certainly do the same for Nicolò.

‘Somewhat,’ Nicolò agrees, nodding. ‘But constant, for forty days and forty nights.’

Yusuf blinks at him, horrified.

‘You do not eat for forty days?’

Nicolò finally meets his eyes, but only to give Yusuf a look of sarcastic disbelief. It’s the merest tightening of his eyes, but Yusuf knows his face now. He can tell.

‘No,’ Nicolò grinds out through clenched teeth. ‘We eat less, and deny ourselves meat, and wine, and… and pleasures of the flesh.’

‘Pleasures of the flesh,’ Yusuf repeats slowly. Navigating what is and is not a sin to Nicolò is already a challenge (one he engages in gladly. mostly.), but this has the particular smell of a trial he will not appreciate. ‘So for forty days, we will have no pleasure at all?’

He’s been rather enjoying the pleasure they find together. If Nicolò wants to fast, he wants to fast, and that is his choice. Yusuf will respect that. He will.

‘Well,’ begins Nicolò in a tone Yusuf is increasingly familiar with. It’s a tone that says there’s a boundary here not for Nicolò’s comfort, but for his religion’s. That’s a very different beast.

‘Well?’

‘Well,’ says Nicolò again, ‘You are not observing lent.’

‘No…’

‘And, as on Fridays…’

On Fridays, when he abstains from meat, Nicolò helps Yusuf find pleasure while denying himself his own. It drives him wild, but he persists. Yusuf has a lot of fun on Fridays.

Yusuf grins, slow and sly as the snake in the well.

‘More than a month of Fridays, my heart?’ he purrs, leaning into Nicolò’s space. Colour rises in Nicolò’s cheeks. ‘Are you sure you have the strength?’

Nicolò’s eyes are bright, and his cheeks are very red. For all his claims of piety, Yusuf knows him far too well.

‘I have never yet broken my Lenten fast,’ says Nicolò, in a voice that could spark coals to burning. ‘This year will be no different.’

Yusuf chuckles, and leans closer still.

‘We shall see, beloved,’ he says quietly, lips brushing the hinge of Nicolò’s jaw. ‘We shall see.’

[pain-in-the-butler]

it’s late, I’m bored, time for Hunger Games Simulator Kuroshit Edition Episode 2

Day 1 Cornucopia highlights

Sebastian’s just like “aight time to clean”

it’s gonna take more than that to help you now, bud

they might be too pure for this

rip grandpa

Will also said “fuck it, cleaning time”

Agni brings out the right hand of god for bread, Randall gets the broken nose he’s deserved for a while now (he did win the last Hunger Games, to everyone’s disappointment)

O!Ciel hoping to hibernate it out

TERRIBLE NEWS EVERYONE, OUR GIRL IS DEAD ALREADY

Phipps, Macmillan, Finny, Lizzie, Soma, Abberline, Undertaker, Edward, Bard, Ronald, Othello, Mey-Rin, and Grey all got away from the cornucopia safely. Some of them got weapons, but the game doesn’t record what weapons people have and what they don’t, so whatever people picked up doesn’t really matter

Day 1 highlights

HARCOURT CAME TO FUCKIN PLAY YA’LL

gdi Randall, we just lost three of four girls in one fell swoop, I hope you bleed out from your broken nose and die

Ronald says we aren’t allowed to have nice things

Other highlights:

Day 1 Arena Event: Borders Close In

Edward punishes Agni for his bread crimes

Hunger Games simulator is actually just a rare pairs simulator

pretty upset that Harcourt died so soon, it’s always kind of funny when he gets the chance to become a cold-blooded killer

and there goes our last lady (though now that I think about it, I should probably sub in Lao and Ran-Mao)

Day 1 and we’ve already lost Lizzie, Mey-Rin, Bard, Tanaka, Soma, Agni, Sieglinde, Grell, Othello, Phipps, Abberline, Randall, and Harcourt

This leaves us with only eleven survivors: O!Ciel, R!Ciel, Sebastian, Edward, Finny, Undertaker, Wolfram, William, Ronald, Grey, and Macmillan

Night 1 highlights

the boys are like “better make the best of a bad situation by creating the next Kuromyu”

Macmillan had the same idea, but he’s alone, and no one’s favorite character is Macmillan

alternate title: R!Ciel and Undertaker traumatize Edward and Finny so badly that they can’t sleep

O!Ciel’s sitting on his food cache like a fat dragon guarding its hoard of treasure

Wolfram is unable to sleep, but Grey builds himself an entire camp and presumably gets plenty of beauty rest

Day 2 highlights

Macmillan refuses to kill the shorter, two-eyed version of his friend. Meanwhile, R!Ciel is already dead

Ciel’s almost too in character as he waits for the enemies to come to him while he does whatever the hell he wants

they’re just blond boys doin what blond boys do

other highlights:

Wow, no deaths today, so it looks like it’s camping o’clock

Night 2 highlights

black ops Macmillan says never trust anyone, not even the side character who exists to set up exposition

why do I feel like Wolfram will regret this

well, at least we know he didn’t burn down the manor

R!Ciel: I’ve reclaimed the manor, my title, and my girlfriend. What are you gonna do about it? O!Ciel:

other highlights:

Alas, poor Will

Day 3 highlights

R!Ciel is really out here like “I’m incapable of dying, just try to kill me and you’ll see” but no one believes him

the food king discovers he cannot be sustained on food alone

Grey does the gentlemanly thing

Wolfram says “my death scythe now”

Other highlights:

and so day 3 comes to an end with this final roster

we’re fortunate enough this time to have things wrapping up with both twins and Sebastian still alive, which keeps things interesting. However, Macmillan is also here, and the randomizer could turn him into an absolutely feral killing machine. Nothing is sacred in Hunger Games Simulator

Night 3 highlights

looks like someone couldn’t find that water source

another man cleared of arson

fast, hungry boy and strong, hungry boy bond over being hungry

still not entirely certain Macmillan knows he’s helping the wrong twin

the only wounds he's gotten are from the thorns while picking berries.......

fair enough my man

The Feast highlights

Somehow the frail, decrepit perpetual ten-year-old managed to defeat the powerful demon and grim reaper armed with a lawn mower. Did I mention nothing is sacred

Day 4 highlights

Macmillan and Finny both spared R!Ciel, but as soon as Macmillan asks for death, Finny’s like “you got it champ”

meanwhile the brothers are squabbling but what else is new

imagine if we got to a point in the manga where the roster actually looked like this 3wijaor;jiwa

Night 4 highlights

so I guess somehow Grey has cemented himself as Enemy #1 and the boys put aside their differences so they could have a slumber party with the remaining blond boys

Day 5 highlights

Older blond boy kills younger blond boy in a truly devastating example of blond boy crime. Meanwhile, O!Ciel add medical supplies to his growing collection of goodies, and Grey says “ooga booga” at a child

Night 5 highlights

it’s like the start of the Blue Cult arc all over again

Day 6 highlights

Did R!Ciel just die really anticlimactically?? Also, O!Ciel becomes a perfect combination of McGruff the crime dog and Smokey the Bear and says no to fires

Night 6 highlights

Hunger Games simulator returns to being a rare pairs simulator. Somehow O!Ciel has acquired an infection, and R!Ciel is definitely dead

Day 7 highlights

O!Ciel, Grey, and Wolfram take a page from the Public School Arc’s notes and don’t do anything interesting for a while

Night 7 highlights

Wolfram gets medical supplies but refuses to use them on his new boyfriend. O!Ciel's canon energy is stifling

Day 8 highlights

O!Ciel receives a weapon he won’t use. Grey tries to make something happen. Wolfram goes spelunking

Night 8 highlights

O!Ciel’s canon energy continues to rise to dangerous levels, but Seb’s too dead to hear him make orders. Wolfram dies, and if this were the manga, you know our boy wouldn’t stand a chance in hell against Grey

Day 9 highlights

IT’S THE HUNGER GAMES SIMULATOR AND NOTHING IS SACRED

god look at that shit-eating grin. Ciel managed to make it through the whole thing without killing anybody and he knows his ass would be grass if Grey hadn’t gone kablooey. unbelievable. our grand champion, everyone

[emberkyrlee]

Encanto: 1, 5, and 11

1. which character do you relate to the most from your fandom?

Both Mirabel and Bruno. "Waiting On A Miracle" is a hard one to get through when I sing along with it cause I FEEL that. I can feel a lot from most I Want songs in Disney films, always have. But that one? That one HURT. That moment right beforehand, where you see her face has relief and happiness for Antonio not needing to go through the same trauma as her, but also the envy and bitterness of "why couldn't I have had this?" and probably even hating that she felt it cause she just wants to be happy for him. I FELT that deep in my soul. She did a better job than me at staying positive, but can I take a moment to gush over the role that her parents, Julieta and Agustín, likely played in helping form that part of her? Because I love how much they obviously love her and do what they can to make her feel like she IS enough, even if they don’t quite manage to succeed over the matriarch’s attitude.

(Edit: Woop, fixed the spelling on Agustín’s name cause someone brought up in the fandom tags that people often forget the accent in his name. I can’t say I forgot, but that’s because my blind ass didn’t even see that the “i” had an accent.)

And for Bruno, well... I also know what its like to be the socially awkward, anxious, neurodivergent one that for a bit while young is told they're some rising star, but eventually is seen as a burned out, walking disaster to whom it is made clear I should just leave because trying to talk about it sure as hell didn't work. Resulting in the others talking shit about me after I'm gone (which I knew they’d do ahead of time) and turning me into their villain. (Its easier for people to make a villain out of someone than it is to grieve their absence, especially if you had some involvement in driving them away. Not healthier, but easier.) And lets see, spending waaay too much time not interacting with other human beings and being even worse than ever at doing so afterwards. And feeling awkward coming back into the family after being distant from it for so long?

Yeah... That's unfortunately VERY relatable to me. (Also I will admit, I have been very self-conscious since first watching it that I have an overwhelming need to knock on wood to not jinx things. A lot. Nowhere near as extremely as him, his is at pretty cartoonish levels, but I've sure noticed whenever I do it now. XD)

This movie came for me and held up a mirror and was very uncomfortable at first and I am very defensive of pretty much any of the Madrigals, but especially Mirabel and Bruno.

5. who is your favorite character (and maybe why?)

Its a close call between Mirabel and Bruno for reasons already stated mainly, but been leaning towards Bruno. Because I am always SUCH a sucker for kicked-puppy characters that give me an overwhelming urge to hug them and never let go. Also I love his aesthetic. The green and the hourglass motif and the glowy eyes when he uses his power? Nice. (BTW his ruana looks like its fucking comfy AF, like a hoodie that's also a comfort blanket, which I totally headcanon is why he wears it. I would love one that looks like his to just be comfy in around the house, but alas the only ones out there are made out of that shitty thin plastic-y costume material, not actually woven.)

Aside from the two Madrigal outcasts, I LOVE Antonio. He is the most adorable child Disney has EVER animated, and has my favorite power out of all of them. I wanna have jaguar and capybara friends gdi! And I want to hug the stuffing out of that kid. He's so cute! (I am noticing my greater-than-usual severe need of hugs in this time of pandemic crisis...)

Of the adults, if I have to pick an overall favorite character DESIGN, not necessarily overall aesthetic or storyline, just the design of the character themselves? Dolores. She’s just so CUTE.

Okay look, I do love ALL the Madrigals. Its really hard not to mention why I like each one. And if you asked me about any of them, I could ramble about that character for a bit. I especially sooooo want stories about the Triplets from when they were younger, especially involving their relationships with each other. Alma/Abuela is probably my least favorite, but that's mainly cause of her role in the story. I still absolutely sympathize with her and understand where she was coming from. Even if I know what its like to be on the receiving end of such toxic perfectionism. I at least still understand her.

11. what song do you associate with a character (or 2)?

I've really only been into the fandom for a less than a month, and have been obsessed with the soundtrack since then. Haven't really been able to listen to much else XD. So running through my head to consider songs I know very well...

There are some songs I could see certain characters singing along with. I could see Mirabel and Isabela both getting into and belting out along with songs like “This is Me” (Greatest Showman) and “Reflection” (Mulan). I could see Bruno enjoying those types of songs as well, just less confidently perhaps. 

I could see Dolores relating to some of the feeling in “Satisfied” (Hamilton). Maybe see Camilo grooving to “The Stranger” by Billy Joel, relating to the feeling of wearing, or trying on, various ‘masks’ or identities over one’s life.

Immediately following the events leading up to receiving the Miracle, “Next Right Thing” (Frozen 2) seems VERY fitting for Alma.

...I would love to come up with more and I’m sure I could, given a LOT of time, but I know myself and I would never finish this ask if I tried to do that right now. XD But I would LOVE to come up with what songs I know that most fit the Triplets.

[chibigaia-art]

look at the time!!! time for me to go to bed, our dog literally barged into the kitchen to try and bring me to my room, but before that, i managed to play p4 today so!! under the cut

-literally every face in this screenshotooHDSNDANF yu has just two dots on his face i love it

- tamaki sou but he’s in persona

- I’m trying to not use a guide to get all confidants but GOD I’M MISSING SO MANY, and I know I have time to gather them all like infinity stones but BOY. the pressure of socializing in persona,,, speaking of which, I’m a bit behind with yukiko compared to the others, but I managed to spend a bit more time with Kanji and Chie! I’m trying to keep more or less all social links balanced

- speaking of confidants, i’m super curious about the old lady??? I unlocked her today and- she’s p cool, I actually can’t wait to see more of her

- and to get to her i had to go to the hospital, and yeah i can see a faint hint of smth interesting with the nurse’s background but man was it really necessary to have her be LIKE THAT- anyways. still not my priority but i’ll see how it goes.

- had to follow a guide to get the fishing and bug catching minigame. inaba crossing.

- THE GHOST AT THE SHRINE, I DID READ SHE WAS THERE, I STILL GOT SCARED she sounds like a nice lady tho

- can you PLEASE let this man pet teddie so he can finally have a break

- yusuke ‘cant wait to take a girl on the motorcycle with me’ ‘wait rise you cant go with yu it’s illegal :I’ ‘it’s illegal i said’ hanamura

- i actually really like the fact that teddie now is some sort of acquired roommate for yosuke??? I think it’s fun to have him around outside the tv world

- i was right about the creepy boy!!!!!!!!!!!!! i was right. also minecraft world cool. music is cool too

- obviously there will be some twist because naoto guy isnt in the team yet and i’m only rank 7 with the investigation team so yeah. my money is still on adachi doing some weird thing at some point. idk. and i’m behind with adachi’s confidant too gdi

- the random old man that goes patrolling because he’s worried about the town’s security for his wife is really sweet

[roetrolls]

gdi the urge to draw veylin post-[redacted] rises a 3rd time now :\

[bleachbleachbleach]

Re Hitsugaya and Kira's shikai powers, it's pretty unlikely Hitsugaya knew, I think. I'm no lore expert but I do love to over analyze things! Rangiku points out before their fight that Kira doesn't tell people what he can do. He specifically mentions that Renji and Momo know, so it's theoretically possible Momo could have told Hitsugaya, but she doesn’t have much reason to. It seems likely that people who fight together often, like officers in a squad, would know each other's shikais (unless they're hiding them...Yumichika...), but since Kira and Hitsugaya haven't ever been in that position, my guess is he didn't know. We see Kira (and most of the Soul Reapers really) show off and explain his shikai in detail a few times, but I assume that's because we as the audience are just seeing them fight a lot and having it explained for our benefit. With a couple exceptions (some of the zanpakutos seem to be famous?), my guess is people who aren't close and/or in the same squad actually seeing each other fight probably don't know each other's abilities super well.

Anyway, those are just my thoughts because I love to think about small details like that!

Yes, I totally agree!!! I come back to these scene all the time because I just think LOL what a way to find out. Hitsugaya's in the middle of stopping a fight and arresting some people and suddenly his sword is twice as heavy as he was expecting it to be and it's just like, gdi Kira u motherfucker. But gotta play it cool on account of, you know, arresting people. XDDD RIP wrist.

I think it's so fascinating how radically different things become in SS pre- and post-ryoka invasion/Aizen defection. It just all happens so fast! Suddenly people are carrying their zanpakutou around all over the place and releasing shikai and even bankai willy nilly.

Colorful Bleach suggests that knowing the Captains' and VCs' shikai/bankai is now on the Academy entrance exam, but given that this information does not seem incredibly widespread within the current officers it kinda makes it seem like that's a... new, post-Aizen addition. XD Afterwards I feel like it was like, Man, maybe we should do some icebreakers or something and get to know each other?? Because I agree--prior to the start of Bleach, I don't get the impression the divisions saw all that much of each other all that often, unless people made specific individual effort to do so.

Part of me is like LOL someone help them--how hard is it to keep track of the like, handful of people who have shikai to begin with (or even just Captains/VCs--it's not like there's that many of them). Especially given that a lot of this stuff is super flashy and distinctive. But the serious part of me is like, no yeah that tracks. Flashy or not, anything related to your zanpakutou seems fairly personal; it's probably not social convention to discuss it outside of particular situations or audiences, or in the context of assessment (e.g. Captains/VCs exams). My workplace has fewer employees than the Gotei 13 has and I definitely could not tell you what the heck most of these people do all day, much less the specifics of their individual research. Even within my specific department (approximate in size to, say, the number of Captains) I still couldn't tell you. XD So I imagine it's like that. Everyone knew (or thought they knew) Aizen's because he did so much teaching/demo-ing, but that whole arc really showed SS's ass in terms of how poorly their atomized leadership was able to rise to the occasion. People are probably fairly aware of Senbonzakura, because if they know Sode no Shirayuki well enough to grant her an epithet, I assume Kuchiki trivia is just part of SS's social fabric. Knowing Ryuujin Jakka is probably like knowing the names of the U.S. Presidents' dogs. On the other hand, like, when Kira is surprised by Hitsugaya's shikai when he's fighting Ichimaru, I imagine that'd be like me thinking of one of my co-workers, "Ah, see I knew you were a physicist but uhhhhh would not have guessed you work on the... physical structure of bacteriophages??? whut"

I HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS ABOUT THESE THINGS and have demonstrated in this reply my inability to coherently organize them, but anyway YESSSS I am always here for all of this. Thank you so much for sharing your take! I LOVE IT. <3333

[fonulyn]

I need to scream about RE ID bc like. Did I enjoy it? Yeah, I did. Was it. Just wrapped up way too nicely and quickly? Also yeah. I was a little disappointed by it tho, like the length, and the flashback scenes weren't as clear as I think they should have been? Like I understood what was happening, but it took me a little too much brain power to like keep up with what was and wasn't a flashback lmao

Also I wanna say, I get wanting to keep Jun See alive but god, that did not look fun. Just let him die, dude, no one wants to live like that, smh.

Thank god they kept Leon's one liners tho, like thank you for that at least lol also Claire, my GIRL, I love her holy shit. Honestly she was amazing, like, just perfect. Not sure why she has a gun in the promotional poster, bc she just. Never has a gun throughout the entire show, I don't think? Also can we talk about how she took that guy down with that lamp, and then hopped on top of him just fucking ready to continue to beat the shit out of him? Chris would be so proud 🥲

Okay also, I saw what you said with that flirting scene, and I agree that it seemed like Leon was trying to lighten the mood, but it so didn't need to be put in there at all @ the writers. Like this show could have gotten away with no romance, or just that one moment near the end with Claire and Leon (which, I don't ship them much, and that moment at the v end where she was like "are you ever gonna stop treating me like a kid?" And he responded with "probably not" or whatever kind of ruined whatever was shown earlier? Like it feels like she's had that convo with Chris before too, so I'm like hm no don't imply romance and then imply that he treats her like a little kid every time they run into each other, now it's weird lol) and been fine. None of the story was contingent on any kind of romance between anyone.

Now with that said, can I just say Patrick absolutely wanted to suck Leon's dick? Like he was smitten, and I bet you they at least fuck after all this is said and done, if not date for a short period of time. I thought they were gonna kill Patrick off, I'm glad they didn't tho, he was v wholesome lol.

Also I wanna mention that every serious moment (save a small handful) I just. I couldn't take it seriously, it was too over the top. Acid? Really? That's the self destruct measure? Slowly rising acid? I dunno, that doesn't seem quite right to me, I don't think that's how it works lol

Honestly they should have just made this into a new movie, bc making it a series implies more to follow and in general a longer narrative, but these eps were barely 20 minutes each, so there's almost no point splitting it like that. Did I enjoy myself? Yeah, I always do when Leon is involved, but it could have been so much better.

Also the silly little shipper in me is kind of desperate for more interaction between Chris and Leon, bc as far as I'm aware it's just RE6, RE vendetta, and RE ID (and I think the person who told Chris to save Claire in either code x or Veronica was Leon? Not 100% about that tho lol) where they actually interact with each other, and considering that they're the two main characters of the franchise, they should probably meet up more? Idk, that's just my gay ass hoping for more Chreon content lmao but still.

ANYWAYS yeah, I would rate the show like a 7.5/10? It wasn't amazing but it wasn't garbage, either. Probably my least favorite of the four animated movies tbh, but I will take the Leon content, thank you Capcom. Also it was interesting to see Leon around the time following/around RE4 and RE degeneration, I thought, I dunno.

oh boy I agree 100% it was wrapped up way too quickly in the end. like killing Jason? by just dropping him in the acid? it was way too simple and easy if you ask me. and like, why didn't he yeet Leon into the acid when he had him by the throat? him not killing Leon makes zero sense to me??

asdfg yeah I get they weren't ready to let Jun See go, but I bet Jun See really would've preferred to go...

I am so happy that they kept the one liners!! Leon felt very, very in character which I loved so much. I was afraid they'd tone it down or make him super serious or so, and it was such a relief they didn't. he was so eager to help and so goddamn kind to everyone I don't know if my heart can even handle it ;;;;;

also Claire!! so badass!! I loved the part where she attacked the guy with the lamp (yes Chris would be super proud haha) and THE HEADBUTT seriously, one of the top highlights of the entire series :'D

(but honestly this is gonna get long i'mma gonna hit that read more here)

and the flirting scene, I do think they could've left it out entirely and it felt a little strong-armed in. but I'm trying to look at the silver lining? Leon was super goddamn adorable in it, like, so cute it hurts :'D and Shen May didn't seem bothered really, it was more this joking thing between them. so while yes, it was unnecessary, i'm focusing on the joking feel of it and choosing to interpret it as such :'D

also, can I just say, the "romantic moment" with Claire and Leon near the end didn't feel very romantic to me? I know it's a romcom cliché (or at least a fanfic cliché lmao) how they ended up in a pile after the rescue but ...it didn't scream romance to me? although I do kind of like the pairing! (not a top fave but a cute one)

and yes, the whole "when are you gonna stop treating me like a kid?" "probably never" felt SO much like a sibling moment!! such big brother energy from Leon, and I don't know, that made me super duper happy?? I want them to be friends. I neeeed them to be friends gdi. which is why I am unhappy with how mad Claire seemed to be at Leon in the end and how they left it off like they did. I am hoping that it sets things up for a second season? and they for whatever reason need them on kind of the opposing sides at first? because otherwise it makes no sense to me for her to be that disappointed in him. in Degeneration they already establish they work in different ways towards the same goal, and for that to do a 180 now feels... like a disservice to the characters? idk?

lmaooooo but yes Patrick 100% wanted to suck Leon's dick he didn't even try to be subtle about it :'D idk I would've wanted Patrick to have more depth and screentime too, i so wish they would've made it a longer series and given the characters more development. because I liked pretty much all of the new characters they introduced! but it feels none of them reached their actual potential!

then again that is kind of the whole deal with resident evil in general, they set up awesome characters and end up wasting them half of the time :'D guess i shouldn't be surprised.

THE SLOWLY RISING ACID PISSED ME OFF lmaooo c'mon!! it doesn't seem like a good self destruct measure. especially since ...you'd need different acid to dissolve organic matter and to dissolve inorganic matter if we're being nitpicky. and how would it be plausible for them to store enough of it safely to even do this?? they should've just detonated the whole place and blown it to smithereens or something, the acid was. stupid.

i agree, it feels like a movie. but I think @tirsynni is probably right when saying that it was sort of a test run to see if they should make more? which I am so hoping for. because even with the complaints I have of this, I DID enjoy it, a lot!! and I do want more! and maybe this time we get Claire and Leon actually working together for more than fifteen seconds! :'D

also I definitely would not say no to more Chris and Leon interactions. (yes it was Leon who told Chris to save Claire :) at least that) it... in general makes no sense to me how capcom seems to think friendships work? like how Sherry is all "Leon and Claire are my best friends" and then they imply they haven't met in years? if not more? idek it's. weird. it's like their characters go into storage containers in between their missions to be stored away so they can't even accidentally have personal lives or friendships or anything. weird.

(what I said about having amazing characters and ending up wasting their potential? yeah)

for me, personally, it's... well, my score for the show would depend on whether I just focus on the characterizations and what I liked, or if I try to actually take the plot and all into account too :'D but I did like this more than Degeneration! already the fact that Leon has actual facial expressions is enough to put it way above that one. (and for the record, I don't hate Degeneration either, I do like it, but... Leon is such a cardboard cutout with zero personality in it, it's super frustrating)

idk I think I need to still process this a bit to see how I will like it in the end :'D there are things i'm super hyped about in it, and things i'm disappointed in, let's see how they'll weigh in the overall experience eventually.

[heartwoodventures]

Heartwood Hatchingtide!

A mysterious note had been posted on the company’s bulletin board, beckoning members to meet at Mih Khetto’s Amphitheatre for a Hatchingtide celebration! But beyond explaining that the event was to ‘help the youth,’ details were scarce. Who’s organizing this? And what activities will happen? You’ll have to go to the amphitheatre to find out.

And the place is absolutely decked out in egg-related decorations! But most prominent is the large and ‘in charge’ chicken, dancing mad on the road leading to the center. They wave at you two, and then continue to jig.

Intrigued by the odd note, Aislinn made the time to wander her way over to the amphitheatre. Whatever was going on, her curiosity got the better of her and she needed to find out.

Cravendy What is an egg’s least favorite day of the week? Fryday! Happy....friday! xD )) Cravendy I inflict pain unto myself everytime I make a pun ))

Riylli shuffled her way through the city, keeping her head down and trying not to attract attention as she made her way to the Ampitheatre. Whatever dour mood she was in would be briefly erased however as soon as she took in the dancing chicken that appeared to be waiting for her. "Er... Cravs..? Is that you..?"

"Twelve save us." Aislinn said, shaking her head as a smile worked its way across her lips. She paused a few seconds more to watch the chicken in its maddening jig, a laugh bubbling up from her throat. "You know, I'd bet gil on it."

Riylli (I love the way our heads move watching her dance Riylli (getting in on the beat Aislinn ((We're mesmerized))

Aislinn - She waves to the chicken. "So what's all this about helping out at Hatchingtide?"

“Cravs? Who’s that?” The chicken momentarily stops dancing and, somewhere in the distance, a kid groans in disappointment. Seeing that, the chicken slumps, but begins to groove once more. “I...I am none other. Huff. Than. Chickendy Hound! And it was I that called you out today on a mission...most. Huff. Important.”

Aislinn's smile widens. "Sounds like you've been dancing there quite awhile, Chickendy Hound." she noted in amusement as she plays along.

Riylli staaaaaaaaaaaared, bewilderment on her face as she tried to wrap her head around exactly what was happening here. That was definitely Cravs. Even without the giveaway of the name, the only other one in the company that tall was Rising, who Riylli was particularly sure would not be able to dance like the chicken was after the previous night. "Er... And what's that then?"

“Ay shite, I’ve been dancin’ for bloody who knows ‘ow long...” Cravs grumbles, and at that very moment a mother and child strolls on by. Cravs stiffens and clears her throat. “I mean. I can dance all day and all night! But now, the egg advocates would have us take care of another chore-I mean, thing of utmost importance. And that...is collecting eggs!”

Riylli pauses her judgmental staring to instead watch the mother and child pass, seemingly getting distracted for a moment before turning back to the chicken and letting out a sigh. "...Right. We gettin' paid for this or what?" She asks coldly, apparently back to whatever bad mood she had been in before meeting Chickendy

In contrast to Riylli's foul (fowl) mood, Aislinn seems to be enjoying this all too much. She makes a poor attempt to hold back any more laughter and nods to the passing mother and child. She couldn't begin to imagine how hot a suit like that must get. "Aye, of course. Harsh task masters, these egg advocates."

“No good deed goes unpaid! Which is to say, no, we’re not gettin’ bloody paid for this. I asked.” Cravs crosses her arms and I swear, you could see her chicken hat’s eyes furrow in grumpy anger. “Though they said we can keep any extra eggs, which ye can probably sell if yer strapped for cash.”

"....ye -do- get a free chicken suit though. That count for anythin'?"

"How, exactly, did they talk you into this, then?" Aislinn wryly asks.

Aislinn leans forward a bit and lowers her voice. "Did you lose a bet?"

Riylli let out another long sigh. "I hate this damned city so much..." She mutters, pinching the bridge of her nose as she seriously considered just turning around right then and there

"Ch-chickendy needs no reason to spread cheer in the world!" It's unclear if that's the whole truth, half, or not at all.

Riylli shot Cravs a glare, "Oy Chickendy, you better give me a better reason than that. How'd the scary pirate lady that can't even apologize end up in a situation like this?"

That earns a doubtful, though amused noise from Aislinn. "Yeah, if Chickendy is anything like Cravendy I'm not sure that math works out." Nevertheless, she shrugs a shoulder. She needed a break from building the prototypes at any rate, it was why she wandered out in the first place. "Alright then, I'm in for a bit of egg collecting." paused. "Chicken eggs, right?" she asked, deciding she better double check.

“HEY. I’m not so cold that I’d refuse to do some good in the world! That, and I didn’t say no right away. These folk sense weakness and twist yer arm until...” Cravs hears something approach from behind and freezes up.

Aislinn ((I'm going to hear this song in my sleep)) Riylli ( PA PAYA Cravendy pa paya! :D ))

An egg advocate comes over, peppiness turned dangerously past the dial. They drop a box containing chicken costumes in front of Riylli and Lin and - did they wink somehow? “You must be joining our friend here in setting up! A thousand thanks for choosing to spend your time spreading the festivities!”

Riylli shot the newcomer a glare so powerful that it could probably be tried as physical assault. "You have to be joking. You want me to wear that shite too?"

Aislinn eyes the chicken suit that was so unceremoniously dropped in front of her. "Wait...you were serious about the costume?" she looked the egg advocate over. The maniacal exuberance and zippered up smile a touch zealous. "Why the suits? We're collecting eggs, right?"

Aislinn ((It's all fun and games until you get stuffed in a chicken suit))

“Of course! The kids -love- it, and it’s said that wearing this’ll help you collect the eggyest of eggs! Chicken eggs!” The advocate unpacks the box’s contents, finds a suit fitting Riylli’s size, and thrusts it upon her without a moment’s hesitation. This person is awfully pushy, with all the strength of a traveling salesman who's got their foot in the door. “Now now, no fussing and get cracking!”

Cravendy laughs weakly.

Aislinn suddenly finds her arms weighed down in a similar fashion. She narrows her eyes slightly over the bulky armload, very likely imagining an unseemingly kind of violence that would wipe the peppiness right out of the pushy advocate. But then she cuts a glance to the still dancing Cravendy and merely sighs. The Seawolf was definitely in dire straits. "Fine. But we bring you back eggs that are eggier than other eggs and then ALL three of us are off the hook."

Riylli is forced to accept the chicken suit into her hands, blinking as her stare went from it, to Cravs, to the advocate. She wondered if it would be possible to evade capture from this deep inside the city if she were to commit some sort of crime right about now. Her attentions thankfully turn back to Cravendy. "The next time we go out drinking, you're paying for every round I feel like havin'" Riylli stated her demands, figuring it would be in everyone's best interest to ignore the advocate

The advocate squeals with glee and points to the west. There, you’ll find the chicken coops, the eggs, the hens! Best of luck! And as the three of them make their way over, the moment Cravs is a safe distance away from the advocate she slumps over. “Thank ye both...that person is frighteningly stubborn. Ye don’t want to know.”

Riylli lets out an absolutely exhausted sigh. "Figured you wouldn't be doin' this if you weren't in some sorta trouble... One day we're gonna have to teach you how to talk to people though." She muttered as she shoved the mask on over her head.

Aislinn stares at the retreating advocate's back, noting how a squeal was not a verbal agreement. A point that might have to be dealt with later. For now, she turns to Cravendy and shrugs. "Sometimes I think our contracts are easier to deal with." she added.

Cravendy nods in agreement with Lin. Clear cut rules, payment! But in the world of volunteering and do-goodery, there was a wide spectrum of folk to tussle with. She looks over to Riylli and snorts. “Looks weird with just the ‘ead.”

Riylli began idly fiddling around underneath her mask as she tried to get it to fit properly. "Course these things don't fit my damn ears... Nice to know nothings changed around here." She muttered angrily, definitely feeling very spiteful today. "EVERY. ROUND." Riylli reminded Cravs, then finally began to put on her suit, grumbling all the while

Aislinn - As they made their way to this special hen house, Aislinn struggled into the ridiculous chicken costume. "Know what this is? This is Nymeia's jest in return for me laughing earlier." she shook her head, her small frame almost swallowed up by the bulk of the costume. Looking down at herself, she laughed. "What is my life right now?" she pondered aloud.

Cravendy ALRIGHT so since the fates up, lets hop to it xD )) Cravendy whoever gets the most eggs...wins! )) Riylli (BAH, I SUCK AT THIS FATE THO Cravendy SAME LOL  )) Aislinn Also same)) Cravendy GDI )) Riylli ( KNOCK ME TO VICTORY Cravendy these chickens have NO EGGCUSE being this rude )) Riylli (GAH Aislinn ((They're very eggcitable)) Cravendy at some point you get knocked around to much )) Cravendy you accept heavy as a way of life )) Riylli (using the aoe to dash me to other eggs Riylli (this is pro gaming Cravendy make sure to turn in your eggs! )) Riylli 16 Cravendy AGHF I keep interrupting myself xD )) Cravendy 12! LOL )) Aislinn ((9!)) Cravendy damn pro gamer over here ahah )) Riylli (Riylli shall win every hunt in this fc Riylli Y E S Cravendy EGG )) Cravendy OMG )) Cravendy thats cannibalism! xD )) Riylli (victory tastes so good Cravendy tho my parents own chickens and they egg their own eggs all the time lol )) Aislinn ((Are you eating them ALL? Cool Hand Luke over here)) Riylli eggsecution Cravendy STOP you'll overdose on them! )) Riylli (I aint doing it again you cant make me Aislinn ((EGGsplosion))

Cravendy limps away from the henhouse. Truly, these birds were in a fowl mood! But she’s managed to collect a dozen and that’s something, right?

Riylli finishes her hunt with sixteen total eggs in her basket, the ultimate hunter in both speed and grace. Of course, she may have thrown some chickens around and caused some children to cry, but victory is all that mattered in the end. If she had to be a chicken, she would be the GREATEST CHICKEN

Aislinn hurriedly clambers over the fence, a basket half-full of eggs and the sound of muffled curses coming from under her mask. "Those birds are not normal. I see why we need the damned suits now. They're protection."

Cravendy - “Never thought I’d be tossed around by a...by a chicken?!” Putting it into words doesn’t help at all. She peers over to Riylli’s haul. “‘ow’d ye manage to get so many?”

Cravendy LOL at any cost, Riylli will be the ultimate chicken xD )) Riylli (Shoving children over and stealing their eggs

Riylli puffed up her chest, somehow managing to look proud even inside such a ridiculous outfit. "When will you learn... Keepers are the greatest hunters there are! Doesn't matter if it's beast or bugs or... or eggs..." Her confidence wavered a bit at the end there, but she wasn't about to give up this opportunity to gloat

Aislinn pulls her mask off with a huff and pushes back the hair plastered to her brow. She quietly counts up the eggs between the three of them. "This better be enough to buy your freedom from this cult, Cravendy."

Cravendy “Smaller target is all. Chickens were too busy chasin’ me around.” Cravs smirks beneath her hat.

Riylli pulled her chicken hood off, freeing her ears from their confines and giving them a tentative flick. Despite herself, she was wearing a large grin that let Cravendy know this was not the last time she would hear of this. "Sure, sure, whatever you say."

“I ‘ope so too, Lin.” Cravs sighs, thinking back to how chicken-garbed strangers would pop out at the strangest of times, incessantly asking about when she was going to finally help out. But when she sees the smiles on everyone’s faces, a part of her gives. It’s not all to keep nosy birds off her back. “...OY WAIT. Cravs? It’s Chickendy!”

Aislinn starts peeling off the hen-pecked suit and shoots the Seawolf a wry smile. "Aye, aye. Chickendy. My mistake." she paused, struggling to fold the suit over one arm while holding her basket in the other. "Should we get these over to the amphitheatre so they can be...decorated or painted. Whatever they do to them next."

Cravendy sulks. She knows that tone. Call her crazy, but a small part of her had held onto hope that somehow the two of them hadn’t made the connection. “Ay, let's get this over with.”

Riylli glanced down at the mask in her hands and thought for a moment, before suddenly deciding to put it back on. "Think Ill keep this on 'till were out of the city... Personally I hope Chickendy sticks around though. She can dance for us next time we go out on a mission, keep our morale high." She teases

Aislinn slides a glance Riylli's way. "Might come in handy if we ever face down another mob of avians."

Cravendy nearly chokes at the thought of dancing to raise morale. But she fumes in silence.

As you approach the amphitheatre once more, the sounds of children laughing fill the air. All around you, families and friends excitedly partake in egg-related activities. The advocate happily accepts the party’s baskets, and then hands each of them a delicately painted egg. “You all did so good! Here, as a reward!”

Riylli silently accepted the egg, paused for a moment, then immediately dropped it. "Woops." She muttered, sarcasm absolutely dripping off her tone. It seemed now that the thrill of victory had faded, Riylli was back to her previously grumpy self. "So sorry, hard to get a good grip in this costume. You understand I'm sure."

Aislinn nods in thanks as she carefully takes the egg. She smiles in her quiet way as she runs a finger along its surface, appreciating the detail. After a moment, she looks back up at the advocate. "Those are quite some chickens you've got there. The suits did actually come in handy."

Cravendy takes the egg and pockets it. Somehow.

“No worries! Have another!” The advocate presents another gift to Riylli. A chocolate egg. They then turn to Lin, sunshine exuding from behind their feathered maw. “The finest hens in Eorzea! And they lay the tastiest eggs too!”

Riylli accepts the gift, and then drops the gift. "Woops." She said again, practically challenging the advocate to give her another. Pettiness was her specialty, and she could do this all day.

The henny-helper hums in thought, and then raises a finger as a lightbulb lights up above their head. They take out a sticker and plaster it on the center of Riylli’s chicken hat. Bock bock!

“I’m free now, right? I am, right?” Cravs asks, and the Hatchingtide worker nods. Cravs stumbles back in relief, and then looks to Lin and Riylli. “Thanks...er, strangers. Well, I must be off. To somewhere.”

Aislinn sighs softly. "Nymeia's breath." she says, barely audible. This way lay trouble, she could sense it. "Right, then. Ah...thank you, I suppose." It seemed the polite thing to say. "And...good luck with the rest of your Hatchingtide. We'll just be heading out now."

Aislinn begins back away slowly

Riylli stared, trying and ultimately failing to figure out a way to counter this attack as well. Giving up, she turned to Cravs. "See you later Chickendy, try not to make eye contact with any strangers on your way out." She said, offering her a wave. She followed close to Aislinn as she backed away, sighing heavily. "Lets go back to the house and burn this shite..."

Although they had been strongarmed into helping out, the three of them did good in spreading festive cheer in Gridania. But perhaps they would stay far away from any chicken-suited fellows in the future....just in case.

Aislinn - "Might come in handy though somewhere down the line." she says with such a straight face, it's unclear as to whether she's joking or not.