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petrova121 · 4 months ago

Text

leave all your worries at door…please and thank you!

"Don't trust a lion"

-lately I have been obsessed with moulin rouge and cabaret so here you guys go.

-Part 1 -Part 2

°:. *₊ ° . ° .•

Song- I put a spell on you by Nina Simone

warnings- threats, death, blood, fighting, fluff, smut (it will be in later chapters)

enemies to lovers

≈☆≈

Klaus needs help getting a witch on his side for Wolfsbane, which is running low. The best idea coming to mind is bringing along Elijah as ... a form of reinforcement. but things always take their turns

★・・・・・・★

New Orleans is known for its wide variety of performances and shows and for its interesting people, to say the least. On the small side of town, one building lit up, the lights blinding if you stared too long. The two men walked strides with purpose until they reached the entrance. Posters were all over the walls of all the shows that had been performed and it was messy, maybe a bit unclassic for Elijah's taste. The unpleasant look on his face spoke volumes looking at each poster.

“Are you sure you will..find what you need from here?” Elijah said coolly looking at the sign above “Le solitaire” What a fitting name. “Oh trust me we will and we’ll get a show while we're at it,” Klaus said smirking opening the door to what was a dimly lit room. The walls were painted dark red and blue. The smell was in between a disgusting odor of cigarettes, alcohol, and sweat. Then a smell of a sweet almost vanilla-like perfume clouded the air. It was packed, to say the least, and a lot of what seemed to be a mix of humans and vampires. Tables were full but one in the front all the way in the corner.

“It still hasn’t changed, just how I like it,” Klaus said walking over to a table and waving the waiter over as Elijah sat down. The seats creaked a little as they settled down.

“What can I get you two gentlemen?” The waiter said, taking out his notepad which was wrinkled. “Two glasses of whisky,” Klaus said with a smirk plastered on his face.

“Your finest whiskey,” Elijah said a bit sharper than he was intending to say. if he was here at least let the drinks be good. “Alright that's all?” the waiter asked, both brothers could tell he didn't know what was going on.

After what seemed like a long wait, the lights dimmed down to it just being a black room. There were mummers and chatters and the spotlight was targeted towards an empty stage. Then the sound of heels tapping the wood was heard and the audience could see a solute of a lady as she appeared from the shadows with a bright smile, clearly practiced. Her lips were a shade of dark maroon color. The Jazz band started softly playing in the background as she spoke. “Ladies and…gentlemen,” She said slowly, smiling. She walked to the center of the stage where she was more visible. Elijah's eyes slowly widened taking in the lady before his eyes. She most certainly had everyone's attention, especially his. She was wearing a striking navy blue dress that was laced up by a corset. On her head a sort of hat, a top hat if you had made it miniature. “And that's our leading lady for all our problems” Klaus whispered to Elijah. His eyes lit up with a mischievous glint in his eye. “That's the lady we came here for?” Elijah said back quietly.

“Yes, what did you think I brought you here to watch some old hag?” “The way you were speaking about her made me think she was a century old,” Elijah said, the sarcasm in his voice evident. It brought Klaus to a low chuckle, shaking his head as he took a sip of his whiskey. Elijah glanced and caught eye contact with the women and he didn't intend to break it.

She kept a smile while talking or singing but always her gaze would land on Elijah to her he was the mysterious man in a nice suit. She knew that there was something off with him and the man next to him. Once she finished her performance it was time for the next lady to come up. She quickly gave a bow and a wink to the coward and disappeared off.

Y/n walked back to the hallway where some of the dancers were. She could hear groaning coming from the main dressing room which made her roll her eyes annoyed. Y/n walked over to the mirror on one of the walls to check her appearance. Rory, a redhead, blue-eyed bitch in y/n’s mind. “Oh come on, no going down to the guests tonight? Have you gone soft?” Rory teased y/n because it was used to her being a total flirt with the crowd, gaining an extra couple of bucks if she could. Unfortunately, tonight wasn't the night for her especially after that strange man gave the worst but best feeling in her gut “No….. wasn’t feeling up to it… and anyways I’ll leave some for the rest of you” She answered fixing her hair in the back hallway. “Heard there are two money machines down there, blonde and the guy in the suit,” Rory said, lighting up a cigarette leaning on the wall opposite from y/n. Then she got that bad feeling in her gut again. “Yeah I saw, the guy in the suit has a big staring problem,” She said reapplying her lipstick. She sounded annoyed, Rory could tell, and handed her a cig, which she took and waved her hand over the end and lit it up. The dancers close to the stage gave them both dirty stares as the smoke clouded the little hallway but they both could be less bothered.

“Well if you're not going to make a move I will,” Rory said smirking “Tell me how that works out for you” Y/n scoffed knowing Rory wasn't the brightest in the bunch there and she was most certainly not going to be able to pull a stunt like that. “Stop acting like you're better, any of us here can do exactly what you can,” Rory said.

Her eyes narrowed. “I'm not better, I just have comprehension, I know when to back off a member of the audience you DON’T,” Y/n said bitterly. “Self-centered bitch” Rory mumbled. Rory was on her third strike with the owner one more and she would be out. Y/n prayed for the day that would happen

»--•--«

After an hour or maybe even two. The crowd was getting rowdy and so was the music. Losing its taste. That's how you would know the show was soon to be over.

The show was over to Y/n’s relief and she rushed to her dressing room waiting for Smith to come unlock it. Smith was the owner and had a very strange rule 15 minutes before show time every performer needed to be out of their dressing room or else they would be locked in there. No performance and no money for the night. “Smith will you hurry” She called from her door as he was taking his sweet time turning the corner. Then he came and opened the door. “Be patient will ya?” Smith said annoyed with a toothpick in his mouth. He was an old guy, wearing a worn-out leather jacket, and a worn-out hat. Everything about him was worn out. Y/n went into her dressing room and shut the door sinking into her couch. She let out a sigh of relief for

a brief moment until her senses were going ballistic on her. All she could hear was

Run, run and run!

Don’t trust the lion

She absolutely hated the ancestors and their horrid timing when warning her, she didn't know what. scratch that she knew exactly why. Her mind went back to the two men in the front corner. “Shit” she mumbled to herself, undressing and putting on a silky one-piece that went to her thighs and a long sheer robe. Her heart was quickly pounding as the voices kept repeating. She took off her jewelry and her palms were sweating. She almost dropped her necklace and caught it just in time to hear a knock on her door. Her head snapped to look at the door. Two more knocks followed. She felt a lump beginning to form in her throat.

“Who is?” she called out as normal as she could proceeding to stand straight. “Open up love. We’re not here to cause any harm…..” Klaus said smirking, she could hear a threatening undertone to his call. Elijah was by his side as they waited for the door to open up. The door slowly opened and enough for them to see the young lady with a neutral look on her face.

“What do I owe the pleasure of you two gentlemen?” She said with a tight smile, the voices finally stopped as if they had left it up to fate if she were to die or live.

“Mind if we come inside? Looks like a lovely room you have in there” Klaus said, his voice dripping with false innocence that any smart being could tell it was all an act. “I’m not supposed to let people, especially strangers,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him.

Klaus realized it would be a little harder to get her to let them in. “I’m Klaus, Klaus Mikaelson,” Klaus said. A smirk quickly grew on his face as he saw the color slightly drain from her face.

“And here is my dear brother Elijah,” Klaus said, taking a step at her door and his hand gesturing to Elijah. “Hello,” Elijah said, finally speaking. Stepping along with his brother.

“What do you people want from me?” she asked. She had now come into contact with the originals themselves, and two of the worst. “Let us in and we’ll have a quaint little chat,” Eijah said leaning on the door frame causing her to open the door more they got a peak of the dressing room. Even though she didn’t want to, she knew the other girls would be out soon and it wouldn’t be a good look for her if there were two attractive and wealthy men at the doorstep of dressing rooms. She could hear the rumors already. “Come in” Y/n mumbled stepping aside as both of them stepped inside. Her room was a bit messy, there were bottles of bourbon, wine, and whiskey on the coffee table, some opened, some closed. Few dirty shot cups, and one singular cup of wine. A long wide couch on either side of the room.The one on the left-hand had dresses thrown on it and lingerie.

The right had books piled on top of it, along with a basket of herbs and other assortments. Both brothers looked at each other, both thinking the same. She was a very messy witch. She could see the judgment through both of them. “Forgive me, if I knew I had… visitors I would have cleaned up better,” She said acting sorry, but she wasn’t. She’d be damned if it was her dressing room, she could do whatever the hell she wanted. Elijah could sense her false remorse and if he was being honest as stunning as she was he wasn’t totally in the mood. “You don’t have to put on your theatrics with us here tonight, trust me the last thing we need from you is lies. We know you're a witch so we will be getting to the point I think I've spent just enough time in this god-awful place ” Elijah said, the distaste in his mouth clear. She got annoyed crossing her arms and leaning on her vanity letting out a deep breath. This man and his audacity” she thought to herself. Klaus was already sitting on the couch to the right, making himself comfortable moving things around as if this was his own room. “Well you know I'm a witch, what a great thing to come in and say I really am glad my dark little secret is out to the world Mr.Mikaelson,” She said sarcastically as she lit up a cigarette. “Well, I'll be quite forward with you, I know you have access to Wolfsbane,” Klaus said, looking her up and down.

“And I'm looking to get it,” he said, picking up a jar of herbs. Her heart sped up, great another thing she hated, was wolfsbane. Known for its ability to be lethal to the werewolf kind, she knew exactly why he needed it. She had heard rumors of the hybrid coming back to New Orleans and taking down Marcel, giving a lot of the witches the power to practice magic freely but knew about the loophole he created by getting a werewolf pregnant.

“Because you want to control the werewolves, why? There already out of New Orleans Marcel drove them out years ago” she said quietly trying to play dumb for now. “Well let me inform you now, I'm back and I'm here to stay, and let's just say the werewolves have made their comebacks. Especially with the mother of my child…. I need to take necessary precautions to keep them in line in case” Klaus said explaining and Y/n kept her eyes to the ground every now and then staring at Elijah's very nice shoes. Her eyes slowly drifted up looking at him from his feet to his eyes. He was already staring which caused shivers to go down her spine

“And if I refuse?” she asked her eyes drifting to Elijah and Klaus knowing the answer.

“You die,” Klaus said, shrugging. He said it as if it was nothing. To him, her life was nothing, he could always find another witch anytime he wanted and she wished he did.

“Help me and you are promised safety. A newfound place in my little kingdom” Klaus said, lacing his deal with false promises, sweet words.

“Don't trust the lion,” she remembered in her head. Klaus was clearly the lion, with blonde hair, devilish eyes, and stalking his prey as such. her eyes darted to Elijah. If she couldn’t trust the lion then could she really trust his brother? But she, as any other, heard the tales of the nobleman. The most common story is the nobleman and his word. He didn’t break it, never broke it. Elijah prided himself on that.

“I want your word,” she blurted out. Klaus raised his eyebrows in surprise. Elijah had a smirk, small but noticeable, filled a small portion of his face. “For what exactly?” He asked taking a singular step closer. “That I won't die or get fucking double-crossed,” She said, trying to not sound nervous. “You two fuckers can’t walk into my dressing room threaten me to take my life and then give me false promises!” She said finally getting a little angry more than scared. Klaus had an amused look and got up and walked up to his brother. “Deal with it,” Klaus said simply and left. The door clicked shut. Now it was just her and Elijah.

“Are you sure you want to negotiate with me? It is really unheard of” Elijah said, straightening the cuffs of his suit. “Here I thought you were better than that tyrant” she muttered. Elijah just got more amused, “I am, or I’m not it depends on who you ask. But why was my word? My brothers not enough for you?” Elijah asked. She took a deep breath.

“First your brother is widely known for double-crossing and well his heinous acts of murder,” she said uncrossing her arms. “You on the other hand while I know you two aren’t too different you have more honor than him, you keep your word you try not to harm people,” she said plainly walking one step closer.

“ Ancestors do talk, don’t they? I will say I am flattered that good things are said” Elijah said smiling. His accent was thick, she couldn’t help but like that. “Don’t be cocky too soon I’ve heard just as bad about you” she said distasteful. Her eyes look at the posters around the walls of past shows. It didn’t wipe the smile off Elijah’s face just yet. “Well, how about this? Do you actually have wolfsbane?” Elijah asked, there was a part of him that was a bit suspicious of her. Witches weren’t always reliable. He learned that through the thousand years, he was alive. Either you had to compel them to make sure they stepped out or simply just had to kill them. But he could smell Verveine coming off y/n and her blood. So no use trying to compel her. She went to a little drawer pulled out a little glass bottle filled with a little sample and threw it over to him. He caught it quite sharply. He popped the lid off and he could already smell it.

“I suppose you, are not a fraud,” Elijah said, putting the small vile in his suit pocket

“Well?” She said still waiting for his word

What?” He said. His smile turned into a smirk. If he was being honest, he was getting a little kick out of this. Playing dumb was a bit fun he did have to admit it himself

“Don’t play dumb” she spat out annoyed. Her belt to her robe fell down and her robe was open. Elijah looked, and looked away. “Have some shame” he told himself in his head to stay in control.

“You have my word, Miss…?” Elijah said bit of a questioning tone trying to figure out her last name.He raised an eyebrow waiting for her to speak

“Y/L/n” she said quietly. She was relieved she had his word.

“Miss Y/L/n that no harm will come to you ... .as long as you keep your end of the bargain supply us with what we need for the amount of time we need it” Elijah said standing now right in front of her.

“I suppose we have a deal,” she said, lifting her head to meet his gaze. He was immortal and quite perfect. His face was sculpted amazingly and his eyes looked like they could suck anyone in. Y/n never understood vampirism and never wanted to. She knew enough to make her dislike them. She took a long deep breath of her cigarette and let out a very long puff. The smoke went all over both their faces. Even then she could see him stare and the stupid smirking on his face she could only wish to wipe off.

might be a slow burn;)

-part 1-

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sufferu · 18 days ago

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I rewrote part of the first chapter of my react fic to be more in-line with the themes of the story. Posting the original part of what I edited here for archival purposes. This is my attempt to be responsible, lol.

The Exhibition Of A Low Down Disgusting Good-For-Nothing Dog: Exclusive Tickets On Sale Now!! — Original Intro Chapter (The Trial Is About To Begin)

____

WITH ALL PRESENT, THE TRIAL SHALL NOW COMMENCE.

Everyone jumped. Garfiel swore loudly. “The Hell was that?!”

“Please try not to use language like that in front of our political opponents!” Otto cried.

ON THE STAND IS THE DEFENDANT NATSUKI SUBARU.

A harsh spotlight came on with a sound like a thunderclap, making everyone jump. It was focused a little to the left of the audience. The sheer brightness drew everyone’s eyes just as much as it forced them shut, adjusting agonizingly slowly as they attempted to make out what it was exactly that was being illuminated.

A glass jar — oversized. A cork in the top, sealing it shut. A dark figure huddled inside, covering its face from the onslaught of light that was no doubt much, much worse for the target than the onlookers nearby.

And as their eyes adjusted, it became clear that the figure isolated within that glass jar was—

“Subaru!” Beatrice cried, rushing forwards.

“Beako!” Subaru caught sight of her through the clear walls of his cage, rushing towards her and pushing against the glass in a desperate to reach her. “W-Wha—?”

“Subaru, Subaru!” Beatrice banged her fists against the clear surface. It didn’t budge. “Why is Subaru in there, I suppose? Let him out!”

“Be— Beako, it’s okay, it’s okay! It’s gonna be alright! Do you know where we are?”

“I don’t— None of us do! Subaru!”

“None of— Emilia!” Subaru suddenly saw the other figures, rushing towards the trap behind Beatrice. “Emilia, where are we? What’s going on?”

“Don’t worry, Subaru, it’s alright!” Emilia babbled. “We’ll get you out, we’ll get you out of there soon—”

“Ow!” Garfiel’s fist bounced right off the glass. He hissed, cradling it to his chest. The wall remained clear and spotless. “What is this thing—?!”

“I can’t summon my spirits!” Julius realized, alarmed. “Subaru, are you—”

“I’m fine, you annoying prick! Nice to see you here, too!”

“Why isn’t any of my magic working?!” Emilia cried, trying and failing to freeze the glass.

“Where’s my sword?!” Ricardo shouted. “Did it really not—?!”

“Something tells me it wouldn’t be of much use anyway—”

“Subaru-dono, just hang in there—”

“Who the hell is that?!”

“R— Rem?!” Subaru had finally caught sight of the awoken sleeping beauty. His eyes filled with wonder and delight. “Rem! Rem—”

“Who the hell are you?!” Rem snapped again, backing away. “Why do you smell like that?!”

Subaru jerked away from the glass as though it had burned him.

“Don’t talk to him like that!” Beatrice shouted, enraged. “Subaru’s tried so hard to wake you up, I suppose — don’t talk to him like he’s some — filth!”

“Who— I didn’t ask him to do anything!” Rem retorted. “Whoever he is, that boy is dangerous! I don’t know who all of you think that is, but—”

“Ah,” Subaru exhaled quietly, looking like he was trying really hard not to seem as devastated as he was. “So that’s how it is.”

THE DEFENDANT IS PUT ON TRIAL FOR HIS CRIMES. I, THE PROSECUTOR, HEREBY CONTEST THAT NATSUKI SUBARU IS A GUILTY OF ATROCITIES AGAINST THE WORLD ITSELF. BEFORE THE JURY, THE DEFENDANT SHALL FACE JUDGEMENT.

“There, you see?!” Rem cried.

“Wait— Subaru?” Julius frowned, remembering a stupid young man who threw a tantrum in the throne room because people were being mean to his crush, accepted a challenge from one of the most powerful knights in the kingdom, and sulked around the Karsten Manor for three days after he lost like a scolded puppy. It had been a pathetic display, but— “You think SUBARU committed some horrible atrocity? Really?”

It didn’t matter much that Subaru had gone on to help against the White Whale, the Witch Cult, and even perhaps the Great Rabbit. As far as his demeanor was concerned, Subaru was — at his absolute worst — a naive, annoying brat in need of some discipline. To suggest that someone like that would ever willingly do something as heinous as this voice seemed to be suggesting—

“Subaru would never do something like that!” Emilia exclaimed hotly, a sentiment that was being echoed by the entirety of her Camp.

“Subaru might be — a little strange,” Reinhard admitted. “But he’s a very good person! He wouldn’t do anything like you’re suggesting!”

“Big Bro’s a freak, but he’s not a war criminal!” Felt agreed.

“Barusu is useless and pathetic, not a demented sociopath,” Ram added, crossing her arms. “I don’t know what sort of ridiculous conclusions you may have drawn here, but I can assure you that he’s far too stupid and soft to do anything like what you are suggesting!”

“Thanks, nee-sama…”

“And Rem, my dear sister —” Ram turned to face her awakened twin, her eyes softening slightly. “It is true that Barusu is ridiculously suspicious, but I can assure you that he is not dangerous in the slightest. However badly he may stink.”

“I wash every day!” Subaru protested.

Rem looked unconvinced, but her attention had been redirected elsewhere. “Sister…?” she echoed.

THE TRAIL WILL BEGIN ONCE ALL ARE SEATED. DELIBERATION AND JUDGEMENT WILL BE RESERVED FOR AFTER THE TRIAL. THE JURY WILL DELIBERATE OUTSIDE THE TRIAL ROOM, ONCE ALL EVIDENCE HAS BEEN PRESENTED.

“So— that means we can leave after this is over?” Anastasia tried to clarify. “You’ll let us leave after this — this ‘evidence’ has been presented?”

THE MEMORIES OF THE DEFENDANT WILL BE PRESENTED AS THE EVIDENCE OF THIS CASE.

Protests from all directions erupted at this declaration.

“Wait, WHAT?!” Subaru squawked.

“That sounds incredibly violating!” Crusch agreed, eyes wide. “What gives you the right to — to publicly undress him like that? I refuse to have any part in this!”

“We have better things to do with our time than delve into some kid’s memories — or to play around in this theater at all!” Anastasia agreed disapprovingly. “As much as I may respect Natsuki-kun, I’m a busy gal. Even if he wanted this — which he clearly doesn’t — I can’t spare the time or attention for this sort of affair!”

“We absolutely do NOT want the memories of a member of our Camp blown up in front of two rival factions!” Otto squawked, gripping his hair. “What sort of outside interference IS this—?!”

“Betty’s Subaru deserves better treatment than his most private memories being used as entertainment, in fact!”

THE DOORS WILL REMAIN LOCKED FOR THE DURATION OF THE TRIAL. The voice continued, ignoring all of their protests. ONCE THE TRIAL HAS CONCLUDED, THE DEFENDANT AND THE JURY WILL ALL BE RETURNED TO THEIR BODIES AND MINDS, AT THE PLACE AND TIME OF THE SUMMONING. JUDGEMENT FOR THE DEFENDANT WILL BE LEFT IN THE HANDS OF THE JURY POST-TRIAL.

“LISTEN to us, for OD’S SAKE—” Garfiel was roaring.

“Why would a kid like that even NEED a trial like this?!” Ricardo shouted desperately. “He’s — a bit much sometimes, but he’s nothing CLOSE to—”

THE TRIAL WILL BEGIN IN EARNEST ONCE EVERYONE IS SEATED.

No matter how much they protested, the voice showed no signs of so much as hearing them cry out. After a few minutes of desperate calling, it quickly became clear that—

THE TRIAL WILL BEGIN IN EARNEST ONCE EVERYONE IS SEATED, the voice repeated once, and then it said not one word more.

“We don’t have a choice,” Crusch realized. “It’s either to watch — this, or…” Remain in this room forever.

“…Well then I guess that’s that, yeah?” Garfiel said uncomfortably.

“What?!” Otto squawked. “We can’t just let this— We don’t even know what this thing wants to show! What if it includes Camp secrets?! It could end up endangering our entire campaign!”

“Doesn’t mean a damn thing if we can’t ever get out of this damn place!” Garfiel retorted. “We can roll with whatever happens, but we have to be able to get out of here first!”

“That doesn’t mean we should just lie down and let something like THIS happen! Isn’t there any other way to get out of here?!”

“Do you see any other ways? I hate this just as much as you do, but would you really rather be stuck in here? We can’t win the Royal Selection if we stay stuck in this room for the next three years!”

“Sure but— I— AUGH! I really don’t like this! Isn’t there another way out?!”

“It’s such a mean thing to do!” Emilia added, protesting for an entirely different reason. “I— Even if Subaru really DID something really, really bad— Doesn’t he deserve a second chance? Hasn’t he proven that he deserves a second chance? Why does it have to be dragged up NOW?”

“Because the only other option is to never leave this room, apparently,” Garfiel replied, agitated. “I don’t like this either, but — there’s nothing they could show me that would make me think less of Captain as is, and I don’t wanna stay here with him trapped in a cage just cause — cause I’m scared of what I might see, you know?!”

“Wait, wait!” Subaru banged his fist on the glass, looking panicked. “Wait, don’t I get a say in this?!”

“You think I want to do this, Barusu?” Ram shot back, arms crossed. “Watching your memories of bumbling around as an embarrassment sounds miserable. You may just end up being the most comfortable person in this room.”

Ferris blinked. Then he grinned, his tail curling mischievously by his side. “Well…”

“Ferris,” Julius warned.

“I mean, watching Subaru-kyun humiliate himself is a LITTLE fun—”

“I wouldn’t say—” Ricardo protested.

“Oh come on.” Ferris leaned backwards, catching Ricardo’s eye with a teasy look on his face. “Nyew’ve mentioned a nyumber of times nyow that nya wish nyew’d seen what Subaru-kyun was like during the Royal Selection Ceremony. Aren’t nya looking forward to a chance at that just a little bit?”

“What??” Subaru squeaked out, face scarlet.

“I mean…” Ricardo shifted, but the slight smile on his face did very little to deny it. “I’m sure it was annoyin’ at the time, but some dumb kid jumpin’ up to defend his crush from half the kingdom and causin’ a mess sounds really adorable in retrospect.” Subaru made an indiscernible, high-pitched noise. “Wouldn’t say no ta seein’ it for myself, if that’s what this is about…”

Julius coughed into his fist. “That aside,” he said, hiding a smile. “We don’t know if that memory in particular is what this — place — wants to show us, and even if we did, we don’t have an infinite amount of time. Subaru’s memories are not our business, and as much as I may — respect him as a colleague, they are not our priority, either.”

“Don’t think time will matter all that much if what that — voice — said is true,” Tivey said hesitantly. “If we’re going to just end up back when and where we were when this started, we could probably spend as much time in here as necessary.”

“Mimi doesn’t like it here,” Mimi declared, sitting down in Anastasia’s lap. “Let’s just get this over with so we can all go back to the inn.”

Anastasia sighed, but relented with a nod of her head.

“I’m really not sure—” Reinhard protested. “If Subaru has memories he doesn’t want us to see—”

“I doubt that moron has done anything worse than throw tantrums when he didn’t get his way,” Felt said, rolling her eyes. “Whatever he did to piss this — thing — off, it won’t be anything we can’t just brush off and forget about later. I’m with them: let’s just get this over with so we can all go back.”

Emilia was one of the last to be convinced.

“It’s not fair!” she protested desperately. “Subaru didn’t do anything! And even if he did— he— hasn’t he done enough to make up for it?! What could he possibly have done?!”

“Emilia-sama,” Crusch said. “Even if I believed him the type of boy to commit atrocities, there is nothing I can think of that could possibly outweigh the blessings that Subaru has given us over the course of the past year. You have my word that your knight will remain free of judgement from my camp.”

“Mine too,” Felt confirmed. “Big Bro probably did something very embarrassing, but that’s nothing unusual.”

“Why do we even have to see it, then?” Emilia begged. “Subaru’s a good boy! Can’t we just let him be?”

“I’d love to,” Anastasia muttered. “But unless ya want yer knight stuck in a glass jar forever, this seems like the only way out.”

Emilia turned to face Subaru, pitiful and panicked in his glass cell. After a long moment, she wordlessly took her seat.

Subaru was the only one left to be convinced.

“W-Wait!” he cried. “Wait, Emi— everyone, is this really necessary?! Isn’t this a breach of privacy?! What do you mean you’ll be watching— I don’t want this!”

“I— I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Emilia tried to say. “It’ll be over before you know it, alright?”

“I don’t want to do this!” Subaru protested. “I don’t want this at all! My — my memories are private, I don’t want you looking at them like there some sort of anime!”

“Ani— I don’t know what that is, but we can’t just—”

“There has to be another way out, right?! Can’t we do something else?! There’s got to be a way out of here that doesn’t involve—”

“I really don’t think there is,” Reinhard admitted guiltily, fretfully.

“Maybe you just haven’t looked hard enough! Maybe those doors can open— if you push them hard enough—”

“Actually, Reinhard already tried—” Felt started. “Wait, Subaru, that would mean—”

“We can’t leave you in there, I suppose!”

“No, go ahead, leave me in here! I don’t want you rooting around in my head, what sort of sick joke is that?! I’ve done so much embarrassing stuff, and I don’t know wha they’re gonna— whatever it is they wanna show, I don’t want you—!”

“Subaru-dono.”

Wilhelm’s voice was calm and reasonable. Subaru’s eyes darted up at him.

“Every young man has things in their past that they’d rather forget,” the old man said gently. “Especially involving shameful moments, or past embarrassments, or blunders with women. None of those are things that any of us would have room to judge you on.”

“But—” Subaru was still obviously panicked, for understandable reasons.

“Even if you did do something genuinely terrible, at some point in your past —”Wilhelm shook his head. “Subaru-dono, I am a soldier. I can guarantee that I have done far worse in my sixty years of life than you ever could in a mere eighteen. And even if I am somehow proven wrong — we already know the you that exists today. Whatever it is that we see on that metia, I promise you that we will not think less of you.”

“It’s not like we don’t already know that your ability to conduct yourself properly is flawed,” Julius added, a teasing smile on his face. “I mean, our first impression of you made that clear from the start.”

“It is insanely violating and I hate everything about this situation,” Crusch sighed. “But if this is the only way out, then it is the only way out. —And that includes getting YOU out of that jar.”

“I really don’t think anything in yer memories is gonna be all that interesting, Natsuki-kun,” Anastasia drawled, looking bored and inconvenienced. “We’re a bunch o’ soldiers and politicians. Even if ya somehow DID do something genuinely terrible at some point, I can pretty much guarantee that all of us have seen worse. This’ll be unpleasant and humiliating, but then it’ll be over and we can all go home. —Or to the inn, at any rate.”

“I’m GONNYA tease nyew,” Ferris declared. Then his eyes softened, just slightly. “But I won’t judge nya. We’ve all got stuff we don’t want aired out, so if anything really bad nyew did ever comes up, I’ll leave it alone.”

Subaru still looked freaked out. “But—”

“We PROMISE,” Wilhelm assured him. “Whatever it is we see on that metia, we will give you grace.”

“B…But…”

“Subaru.”

It was Emilia who spoke up last. Subaru’s eyes darted towards her.

“I know this is a really uncomfortable situation,” she said. “But I think bearing with it will be best, oh-kay? Let’s get this over with, and then we can go — have fun in Priestella, and forget all about it. Don’t you want to see the canals Otto told us about? And I heard that they had this amazing singer we can go listen to— and some really tasty authentic Kararagian cuisine— and the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get you out of that jar, all of us out of this place, and enjoy the rest of our day!””

Subaru swallowed.

Emilia pressed: “None of us want to hurt you. If anyone tries to use this to do something bad to you, I’ll protect you, oh-kay? I promise I will.”

“As will Betty, in fact,” said Beatrice, who really just wanted Subaru out of his cage as soon as possible.

“You don’t have to worry about anything like that, alright?” Emilia insisted. “We’ll be right with you. We promise, oh-kay?”

After a long moment, Subaru took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. “Okay then,” he relented, falling back to sit on his knees. “Let’s…get this over with.”

The screen in the front of the room flickered on.

#yeah the whole Trial idea was a good enough motive to handwave why this Might be happening but like.#I felt like I could do better #so I chose a different motive for that weird spirit thing #the new version is now up #enjoy!#my ficlets #now that’s what I call a dogshow

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the-writer-nerd-ro · 1 year ago

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I referenced this movie in "Hunter Finally Plans The Perfect Date" so you should have known this fic was coming! Spoilers for the 2005 movie Elizabethtown but not enough that you shouldn't watch it apparently it's on Max now but I personally just bought it on Vudu bc I plan on rewatching it A LOT. I also own it on DVD. This is my favorite movie ever please watch it please.

Also there are a bunch of headcanons in this fic I'm having a blast with the world building.

28% Critics, 66% Audience

“Movie night!” Sara said, plopping down on the comfy couch and patting the seat next to her.

“So what’s this movie about?” All Hunter knew was it contained a date scene set in a cemetery, which was a Hunter Richardson specialty.

“It’s about love. And loss. It’s kind of beautiful in its own weird way.”

“Like you,” Hunter said.

“Like me. Come watch!”

Hunter settled in, having no idea what she was in for. But if it made Sara happy, then she just felt lucky to be included.

From the first few seconds Orlando Bloom was on the screen the movie was a sequence of terrible things knocking Drew to the ground and kicking him when he was down.

Immediately, without even trying, Hunter connected to Drew. She remembered the out-of-nowhere system shock when her parents had died. The holes in her life they had left and how quickly regret had crept in to fill those holes.

She glanced over at Sara, who was mouthing along with the lines.

Sara glanced over too, and grinned.

“Here she comes,” Sara said, clearly excited. Sara was watching a different movie than Hunter, one that didn’t truly begin until Kirsten Dunst stepped on screen.

“Celebrity crush,” Hunter thought. She would find out that that was an oversimplification.

Hunter saw Sara in Claire Colburn pretty quickly. Like Sara, Claire had so much passion and love that it was offputting for some, but the people who stuck around got a whole garden in bloom. Hunter could see how Drew would fall for her by the end of the movie.

But the movie was about so much more than an ex-shoe designer and a flight attendant falling in love. Hunter teared up three times before Claire appeared on the screen again. Hunter felt personally targeted as Drew reflected on the life his dad had lived and the heartwarming, overwhelming outreach of his father’s family as they held him and waited for him to grieve.

Hunter remembered feeling like a bug under a microscope, mourning but in all the wrong ways. Wanting to reach out to the people who were hurting too, but having no idea how to relate to any of her relatives.

“That could have been me,” She whispered without meaning to as Drew flipped through family photos with an aunt he clearly didn’t remember (played by Paula Deen, of all people). Sara didn’t say anything, just wrapped Hunter up in a hug, reminding her that she wasn’t under a microscope anymore. Sara saw her as she was without expecting anything more.

They were silent, enthralled, for a few more minutes, and then Sara turned to Hunter and beamed.

“The phone scene is my favorite.”

It was actually a collection of scenes, but Hunter understood why Sara liked it. After struggling through awkward conversations with his ex and his sister, Drew stumbled into an easy conversation with Claire. There was something deeply intimate about the act of staying up all night talking with someone, even if it was a stranger. Hunter hadn’t lived with Sara very long but they’d already had many late-night/early morning conversations. Hunter snuggled closer into Sara’s arms.

Hunter recognized what happened next, too, when the sun rose and they went their separate ways, both sure they’d never see each other again. When Hunter had first met Sara, she’d thought it was a stroke of dumb luck, a fluke that would never be repeated.

Instead of saying any of that, Hunter asked, “Have you ever watched the movie Fluke?”

“Huh? No,” Sara was distracted by Susan Sarandon.

“I’ll tell you about it later,” Hunter decided, not wanting to miss a moment of Sara’s favorite film.

Especially not the over-hyped cemetery scene, which Hunter didn’t find as romantic as Sara clearly did. It seemed more like two sleep-deprived people blowing off some steam. Hunter didn’t think the romance really started until they were walking back in the dark, the third late-night conversation Claire and Drew had gotten to have.

When they were talking, they felt like more than characters on a screen. They felt so vivid, so real. Claire was a person who had always gotten second place in the lives of the people who claimed they loved her, never the first choice, never the priority. Drew was only first when he was successful, and when he failed he might as well be as good as dead. Who hadn’t felt like that before, like a substitute person who could easily be recast?

Again Hunter didn’t say any of that, just leaned over and whispered, “They should make a lesbian version of this movie.”

Sara nodded earnestly. “They should cast us.”

Hunter laughed, “Yeah, they should.”

“Are you loving it?” Sara asked.

“I love you,” Hunter said, which was so much easier than saying how this silly, sappy movie was ripping her heart to shreds.

And when the stupid, silly straight couple ended the evening almost-but-not-quite kissing, Hunter couldn’t admit just how invested she was in the pairing.

It felt like she was holding her breath until Claire showed up again, just waiting for the two repressed dorks to take another baby step in their relationship. She exhaled in relief when Claire admitted, very directly, that she liked Drew. She let out an audible whoop a few minutes later when Drew finally kissed her.

Unfortunately, there was still a sizeable chunk of runtime left, which didn’t bode well for the substitute people. Fortunately, Kirsten Dunst could act her little ass off, really selling the heartbreak she felt when she realized Drew was still too hung up on his failures to love her the way she deserved to be loved.

“How are they going to come back from this one?” Hunter whispered.

“Haven’t you ever seen a romcom before?”

“A few.”

“Then trust the formula.”

Hunter had gotten so caught up in the love story that she had almost forgotten it was a movie about loss. Then the memorial hit her again with that dissociative feeling of grieving with people who all had their own version of the deceased. It was the kind of thing you never completely forgot.

Hunter squeezed her eyes shut and shuddered.

For the first time in over an hour, Sara paused the movie.

“Hun? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just remembering.”

Sara nodded, knowing exactly what Hunter was talking about.

“When did it happen? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Seven years ago. But sometimes it feels like yesterday.”

“I’m sure they were wonderful.”

“The best,” Hunter agreed. Maybe she should reach out to her family, it had been about that long since she’d seen some of them. Her dad’s brother and his family lived in the city but everyone else was scattered. Her parents had been the ones to bring them together.

“I’m sure they would be happy to know that you’re loved,” Sara said, which seemed much nicer than the usual “They’d be proud of you.”

Maybe Hunter hadn’t done anything worth their pride but she was loved, and that’s all they’d ever wanted for her.

“Go ahead and start the movie again.”

Sara did, and they watched Susan Sarandon tap dancing, and the air in the room seemed a little lighter than it was before.

Hunter was surprised to find the movie wasn’t done surprising her. The grief of the memorial turned into celebration and celebration slipped into chaos as Drew’s eccentric cousin (played, Hunter was pretty sure, by that one guy from Parks and Rec) brought down the house with a live performance of Freebird that really emphasized the Baylor family motto.

“If it wasn’t this it would be something else,” Hunter whispered.

“Exactly!” Sara said, thrilled that the movie was resonating with Hunter.

Neither of them spoke after that, until the credits rolled twentyish minutes later. It was hard to talk, when so much was happening on screen. Hunter didn’t even realize she was crying again until Sara reached over and gently brushed the tears away.

“Thank you for watching this with me, I’m sorry if it was a lot,” Sara said.

Hunter laughed a little, rubbing her eyes. “Everything about us is a lot.”

“Good point.”

“You seemed to really like Claire, is she your type?” Hunter asked, not jealous just curious.

Sara burst out laughing. “Oh no. Oh no no no no. Hun, you’re my type. But I was,” Sara thought back, “thirteen when this came out, and it changed how I saw the world.”

“Your gay awakening,” Hunter guessed.

“Sort of. I’d fallen in love with a lot of tv girls before, but I didn’t feel that way about Claire. I didn’t want to be with her, I wanted to be her. I’d never had words for those feelings before. It had never been so concrete.”

“Oh!” Hunter had known Sara was trans but she had never considered that came with an origin story. She felt kind of foolish that she’d never asked Sara about it before.

She studied Sara, a smile growing on her face. “Huh. I can see that, actually.”

Sara beamed. “Really?”

“Really. You’re a lot like her. Better, in my mind. Cuter, too.”

Sara Pena looked like she was going to swoon.

“You have no idea how much that means to me.”

“Thank you for sharing this part of you with me. I like learning about what made you who you are. Because I love who you are.”

“Next time you can pick the movie. I want to learn more about you, too.”

It was only the start of their journey, but Hunter really, really liked where they were heading.

#sara pena #hunter richardson #sara x hunter #hunter x sara #drawfee #drawfee fanfiction #elizabethtown #trust me when i say I'm even more annoying than sara to watch this movie with bc i come equipped with fun facts #i really didn't spoil much of this movie i think you would still be shocked to learn all the crazy shit that happens #absolutely bonkers insane movie and there's still so much heart #fun fact this is the movie that spawned the phrase manic pixie dream girl #elizabethtown 2005 is the moment and no one is talking about her #she's old enough to vote and smoke and now she's everyone on my blog's problem

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nowgrow1 · 1 year ago

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6 ChatGPT Prompts To Validate A Business Idea

6 ChatGPT Prompts To Validate A Business Idea Many entrepreneurs have many ideas according to their business and they keep thinking of new ideas from time to time. Types of insight can never stop thinking about smart solutions, inventions, and new products or services for their existing business. Train ChatGPT to sense-check each idea, so you can sort those incredible must-do ideas from the ones that should be left well alone. Use these 5 prompts to help you do that. Table of Contents⤵️

1. Use ChatGPT to validate your business idea

1.1 Figure out your unfair advantage

1.2 Understand your perfect customer

1.3 Assess demand for your idea

1.4 Collect feedback

1.5 Make your testing plan

2. Best ChatGPT Prompts for Busines

2.1 ChatGPT Prompts for Finding Business Ideas

3. Validate your business idea with ChatGPT prompts

Use ChatGPT to validate your business idea

Figure out your unfair advantage

If you’re going to start a new business, there should be a clear reason why. Why are you specifically best placed to begin this particular venture? Ideally, you hit upon a concept that is multiplied by your unique intersection of skills, networks, and interests. Once you get that, no one can compete with you. If there isn’t a clear reason for you to start a business, maybe it’s not the idea for you.

Ask ChatGPT for an assessment of synergy with this prompt. Copy and paste straight in and complete the gaps: “I’m thinking of starting a business that [describe what this business does] and I want to understand my unique strengths in making it a success. I have experience in [describe your experience] and expertise in [describe your expertise]. I have access to people who [describe your network]. Can you give me the reasons why this will and won’t be a success based on my specific situation?”

Understand your perfect customer

Trying to sell to everyone won’t get you anywhere good. Selling to one very specific person, however, resonating with their world and turning them into a raving fan, will bring you more of the same. But first, you need to define them, make sure your idea actually solves their problems, and find out what action they are already taking. Get crystal clear on your perfect customer to unlock validation of your idea and see a clear plan to reach them. Now that ChatGPT knows about your business, prompt it for customer insights.

Here’s the prompt: “Now you know what business I want to start, can you suggest who might be the ideal customer for this business? Can you describe their demographics and explain what problems they might have, that my business might solve. Please rank these problems in order, starting with the most important thing to them. Next, tell me what products or services they are currently using to solve these problems.”

Assess demand for your idea

So you have your idea and a feeling you could make it a success. Your customer profile is nailed on and you feel confident that they have problems that your idea solves better than what already exists. Next, you need to check that your ideal customer exists and frame your idea in a way that resonates. Make sure there are compelling reasons why that person would want to buy that product. Make sure there’s enough demand in the entire market, make sure you’re not joining a declining industry after the big gains have already been made.

Here’s the prompt to further the conversation. “Can you give me 3 main reasons why someone would want to buy my product? Next, estimate how many people in [location, if applicable] could be in my target audience, and tell me the size of this market and its likely growth over the next five years. Please also include any adjacent markets I could explore.”

Collect feedback

Everything so far has been theory, now is where you get some practice. Take these value propositions to your ideal customer and see if they like them. Hear their concerns, understand what excites them, and refine your offering from there. Use the intel to decide if this is a mountain you want to climb, and how profitable this route might be. Go beyond friends and family to find those who match your ideal customer profile and will give their honest opinion.

Prompt ChatGPT to set you on this path. “Create a survey for my potential audience. Start by giving a description of my business and who it’s for, to set the scene. For the first question, create three compelling value propositions that address how my business solves a problem for them, and ask which value proposition most resonates. Next, ask how likely they would be to buy, and then ask what this new concept would need to do to win their business. Finally, give me options on how I collect this feedback from my target audience.”

Make your testing plan

Survey responses will give you an idea of what people might want and how likely they would be to buy, but having something they can actually test out is the next step to validating your business idea. Ideally, you do this without incurring huge costs or hassle. Get ChatGPT’s opinion on what this could be, based on what it knows so far.

“How do I create a minimum viable product (MVP) or prototype, to test my business idea with real users and gather their insights? Include information such as how much this might cost and the steps to take to make it happen. Include what metrics I should look out for to know if my idea is worth pursuing.”

Best ChatGPT Prompts for Business

Below is a list of advanced and helpful ChatGPT prompts for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. These prompts cover various aspects of business, including generating ideas, invoicing, communication, planning, and much more.

ChatGPT Prompts for Finding Business Ideas

“Generate a list of 10 innovative business ideas in the [industry] sector.”

“Suggest three niche markets within the [industry] that have growth potential.”

“Identify five current trends in the [industry] and how a new business could capitalize on them.”

“Analyze the top three competitors in the [industry] and suggest unique selling points for a new business.”

“Propose five business ideas that focus on sustainability and social impact.”

“Create a list of 10 low-cost business ideas that can be started with minimal investment.”

“Suggest three business ideas that cater to the remote work and freelancing market.”

“Identify five business opportunities arising from recent technological advancements.”

“Provide three business ideas that can help solve common problems faced by small business owners.”

“List five business ideas that can leverage the growing popularity of online shopping.”

Validate your business idea with ChatGPT prompts

Figure out your unique advantage, understand your perfect customer, and assess the demand for your idea, then collect feedback and make your plan for further testing. Repeat for every great idea until you find the one that will change the world.

Also Read -: 5 ChatGPT Prompts To Increase Your Business IQ

#Chatgpt #chatgpt prompts #chatgpt research process #ai technology #generative ai #business news #Chatgpt business #prompts for writing

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tiressian · 2 days ago

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any tips for writing humor? i just finished reading your ouran satosho fic and cried laughing at the "judas" line 😂 he really is tamaki

dawww thank you! 🥺🥹 thank you for agreeing with my vision lmaooo ouran AUs are always fun

lolol 'tips' implies i know what i'm doing - it's more accurate to say i get lucky and i reach my target audience (mainly me and the people who would find me funny if im lucky 😂) but anyway heres some things i say to myself to keep going:

you're writing anime characters, so anime rules apply 😈

aim for 5% realism and 95% "how would this scene look if it was storyboarded/animated" 😈

set up and punchline, dont tell the punchline but give... signs 😈

this is not an essay that is going to be graded so just chill out have fun😈

no comparing yourself to other fic authors allowed! if they are too distracting then you should kill them!* 😠😠

watch a lot of stand up comedy and sitcoms like i mean A Lot (or just pick one of your favourites and watch/observe how they reach a punchline) 😈

read a lot of funny stories - for me, i love Discworld novels. Terry Pratchett is a master at puns and any set up and payoff with any joke, check out his work it is just 😈

*dont kill anyone please 🙏😭 lmao but seriously dont compare yourself its not good for you

#answered asks #/ gave up on punctuation near the end there oh well lmao

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cdroofingma222 · 4 months ago

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Chancellor Institute

You should really think about applying to the CHANCELLOR INSTITUTE because of its stellar reputation. If you persist, you will achieve your goals. This is my last resort, and I beg you, please consider it.

Whether or whether you wish to pursue a career in nursing after graduation is totally up to you Nursing We will reach this position quickly. Please take advantage of this chance if enhancing your knowledge is a priority for you. When deciding on a leveling method, they are under no obligation to take your preferences into account. In case you were wondering, these are the requirements for the program. If we go ahead and finish, we won't waste time. Verify that everything is in its proper place before proceeding. If we do just one task, we will have met all the requirements.

Is it more appropriate to hold this conversation in a group chat? For once, could you please tell me the truth? My anxiety levels would skyrocket in that kind of scenario. In response to your request for clarification, I will compile all of your options and send them to you via email. Where do you think we stand, in your view? I would much value your feedback.

Because of how perplexing it is, I have considered every conceivable avenue of inquiry. Our staff is here to assist you with any inquiries or problems you may have about our company. If we really want something bad enough, we can achieve it. Someone in management can handle that.

An email tailored to your specific needs will be sent to you after you submit the form. Dataset contents include, among other things, school start dates, enrollment status, and availability of financial aid. In order to help you make a well-informed decision, we are here to answer any questions you may have about the major. You can be confident that we will respond quickly to your call. With all this data at your fingertips, picking the right option is a breeze. With all the pertinent information at your fingertips, selecting the best option is a snap. This is primarily due to the abundance of supplemental materials that are available to you.

This could serve as a baseline against which you could measure your progress:

Everything you may possibly need is available in the Career Development office. Among the many services offered by this program are practice interviews and guidance with creating a CV and cover letter. Unfortunately, we must tell you that our resources are restricted. When faced with multiple choices, it's natural to feel overwhelmed. My earlier remarks were insufficient, to state the obvious. A multitude of opportunities are available to every individual. Their collective goal is to help people find satisfying careers that make effective use of their unique set of experiences, education, and interests. With the department's confirmation of this finding, this objective takes on paramount importance lpn This goal will carry more weight in the end product since it has been acknowledged by all departments. Notifying the appropriate authorities allowed us to verify the data's accuracy. These service providers should prioritize client retention and the recruitment of HR experts if they wish to enhance their financial status. The effective provision of services relies on it. Marketing these services to your target audience will be a breeze if you stick to this plan. It is vital if we are to achieve our objectives. Following this process will make delivering this type of assistance very easy.

Your present skills and experience meet their requirements in what ways? That is the information that is sought after. If you want to back up your plan with an example, give one that worked. We value your thoughtful deliberation on this matter. Chancellor Institute has an enormous amount of value in its partnerships, certificates, licenses, and grants. Before you can take part, you might have to join the group. The following are only a few of the many qualifications held by this establishment. This ranks high among the many things for which the institute is renowned. The Chancellor Institute probably already has all of those certifications. More opportunities are available to everyone. The confidentiality of the information is my utmost concern at the moment. In case you're interested, I'm writing to inform you that the institute has just started giving these qualifications. Remember this at all times; it is critical. I take their expertise and experience into account when I make a calculated choice. The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education has recognized Chancellor Institute as an accredited school for the current academic year. The head of the US Department of Education is deserving of recognition. It is clear that the Chancellor Institute accomplished its goal because it received this distinguished prize. A common trait among all successful people is the capacity to persevere in the face of adversity. We would have been satisfied if we had accomplished our ultimate goal. The Commission for Independent Education (CIE) is the go-to place for any nurse in Florida with concerns regarding the legitimacy of their practice. Without their consent, we cannot move forward. Everyone who took part benefited in some way. Additional licenses are not required for the Chancellor Institute to conduct its educational programs. Every facet of the business as usual is covered in this exhaustive review.

#Nursing

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cherryblossomshadow · 2 years ago

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#red said #also there are posts and tweets like THIS IS JUST FOR MCU FANS #like please go on demonstrating how you've adopted 'mcu fan' as a shorthand for 'person who likes films i don't' #or 'person who likes films that are popular' #because the defining features of mcu films are that they're high budget irony poisoned derivative works #targeted at a broad audience so aiming to be accessible and inoffensive #and it really seems. like 'accessible' is the part of that you object to #bc EEAAO is a highly original A24 indie film with a 14.5m budget which is NOTHING #it's made mostly with practical effects and sets #and most importantly it's beautifully painfully earnest. it's never trying to shy away or go Hey Look How Silly This Is 😏 #everything is driven by its earnest desire to talk about specific themes #i think the people comparing it negatively to mcu films are stuck on the fact that it's about a multiverse and it's got jokes #and colourful action scenes #but they miss that the referential jokes (like racacoonie) and setpieces aren't the point of the film (tags courtesy of OP)

#red said #ARGH!!!!! MEDIA LITERACY!!!!!!!! #so irony poisoned i watch a film very explicitly about the importance of absurdity in a painful and exhausting world #and point at it and say haha look how silly that is isn't that pathetic #YEAH IT'S TALKING ABOUT YOU MAN. YOU'RE EATING THE BAGEL. EMBRACE JOY. (more tags courtesy of OP)

Despite this world that is constantly moving faster and rarely makes any sense one clear feeling cuts through all noise and it is that I want my loved ones to be okay (comment courtesy of @meams4u)

And anyway: WHAT THE FUCK IS IMMATURE ABOUT THE MESSAGE “BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER”??? Kindness isn’t immature! It’s incredibly difficult! Kindness means having to look beyond your own comfort and needs (while not disregarding them) and seeing the humanity in others, and trying to understand what that person needs. If kindness was easy to understand and do, do you think the world would look the way it does?

Kindness if absolutely necessary for vulnerability to exist, and without vulnerability — as EEAAO tells us — we slip into destruction of either the self or the people around us, or both. (comment courtesy of @stele3) .

how is "find joy" as a message that fundamentally different from "be kind" also a character literally gives a "be kind" speech at the emotional climax of the movie like forgive me for thinking what the movie is saying is what the movie is saying (comment courtesy of @2rat2touille)

I mean yes be kind is PART of the message of the movie but it's part of a message that also includes allowing yourself to be authentically open and vulnerable and stop trying to be Sensible. Like that's why Waymond's admirable behaviour is framed in terms of stuff like googly eyes and dancing and play, and why Evelyn's act of reaching out is both 'have an emotional breakdown' and 'put on the googly eyes'

Like Waymond's strength of character is that he's kind and thoughtful, and that is part of him being comfortable with his own vulnerability and the vulnerability of others, which is also part of his relationship to joy which he explains in the SAME speech - "it's not naive" etc

and yeah tbh I'm oversimplifying by saying the message isn't "be kind" cause you're right that that is part of what the film is saying. but the film is also saying a lot of other things and this post is a frustrated reaction to people acting like because one part of one speech sounds like a message that's often simple and moralistic, the only thing the film has to offer is a shallow "be nice to each other" (literally multiple people are using the word 'shallow')

and that IS a fundamental misreading. especially because the other "written for children" claim is that it's silly. which as a choice makes perfect sense if you look at the whole of the film as conveying a coherent idea, rather than, as these people are doing, look at part of one speech at the climax of the film and say "well that's the extent of what this film is saying" (comment courtesy of OP)

Quotes:

The message of the film isn't even "be kind" as much as it's "be silly. fuck around. laugh it off. find joy in being ridiculous. fuck cynicism."

The message isn't "be kind" it's "find joy." literally it's so on the nose the character Evelyn is reaching for is Literally Called Joy.

I do not understand how multiple people seem to have decided the theme of the film was "be kind to one another" and not "engage authentically with the absurdity and joy of the world because nothing matters except what you make matter!!!!" Simone de Beauvoir did not die for this!!!!!!! kill both the sensible man and the nihilist and revel in the absurd!!!!!!!!!!

people seriously pretending EEAAO is overrated suddenly bc it swept awards? it swept awards largely because it is very very very good. I cried like someone who’s just had a religious revelation BOTH times I watched it bc it touched something raw and real and beautiful but it was also just very, very funny. everyone’s performance kills and the concept is creative and interesting and doesn’t distract from the emotional core. you guys are just contrarian.

#i copy tags #i copy comments #i quote #everything everywhere all at once #eeaao meta #kindness #self care #long

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romanarose · 7 months ago

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Hello there ✨️ love your work 💕 I'm a long time fan 🫶🏼. I've been on tumblr a few years now, but I'd never found the courage to post anything of my own til now. I've been feeling a little optimistic these days, and genuinely excited about posting some of my writing and sharing it with the people out here. Do you have any advice on how to start posting and interacting from scratch? Cause I'm low-key nervous abt it and it seems like my target audience has already formed a solid community I don't know how to get into 🥺

Wow, this might be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me wowie!!!!!!

okay let me tell my advice

The numbers don't equal quality. Certain things appeal to people more, like shorter stories, straight up smut, Joel Miller gets way more than when I write Marc. I think one of my best works was my Marc X Jewish!Reader series, Seattle, but it idnt get anywhere really even at the height of moon knight popularity bc people dont read OC's esp ethnic oc's. Put your heart into it and those who enjoy it will enjoy it. I had a William Miller series that averaged like 8-20 notes per chapter but I had a handful of readers I knew adored it and thats what mattered

This site is so much better with interaction. PLEASE DON"T ONLY INTERACT FOR THE SAKE OF GETTING FRIENDS WHO"LL REBLOG!! However, if you dont already, make sure you are reblogging stories and leaving nice words! Me personally, if someone reblogs regularly and leave nice words, espcially things that show they really paid attention, I usually just follow back bc I love friends. Im happy to get to know you!

Yes, it's hard sometimes to break it. It took a few months for me to get into the Oscar Issac writer circles, and then when I started writing Pedro it took a while too but I always reblogged and tried to communicate and I made friends. Isn't it crazy we can just.... become friends with our fav writers? Obvs Im not friends with all my favs but MOST of my favs became my friends <3

It's kinda annoying to me bc Im bad at it but aesthetics help. Title, a picture to catch eyes, summary, warnings, note. Try to make it look nice. Im really had at this LMFAOOOOOO. My lovely friends have made my best looking banners. If you have graphic design skills, use them! i wish i didn't have to but it does help catch readers when you have an interesting headers and everything looks pretty.

Few technicals. Use the readmore option. No one wants to reblog a LOOOOOONG story and clog up the feeds. Use as many correct tags as you can. Tag any triggering content. And I'm the worst at this but proof read. Im bad at proof reading, everyone who reads my work knows spelling, grammar, wrong words are a common issue I have bc Im bad at typing. When I still had word on my laptop I started typing in word and using text to speach to help me catch stuff!

Keep at it! IDK where you know my work, weather moon knight, triple frontier or tlou or whatever but all those fandoms right now are like.... a little less active. So don't be dissapointed if it takes a while. With TLOU, theres SOOOOOOO many amazing writers. With Moon Knight theres just less buzz rn. If you write for lesser known characters like Llewyn Davis or Will Miller, you probs won't reach the notes of established writers in Joel Miller. Just the reality. the point is keep going, find what you like and what gets people excited and go from there

This is the most important. Write what you want. I mean it. I love writing Will Miller because he's my special man <3 even though it's a small fanbase. My series Rooms On Fire, a lot have lost interest bc its a long series. That's okay! I love the series and it makes me happy to write it. I wrote a few Miguel O'Hara stories because, I'm being honest here, I wanted to capitalize on the hype. Guess what? They weren't good. I'm not proud of them. Since then, I write what Im inspired to.

THIS SHOULD BE FUN AND IF AT ANY POINT, IT"S NOT FUN STOP AND FIGURE OUT WHY

feel free to say hi off anon! I'm always happy to get to know new people. If you like Triple Frontier, I have a discord server that is pretty much open to everyone! I'm trying to revive it and you can share your works and meet knew people!

Anon or not, let me know if you have any questions!

#writing advice #fanfiction advice #fanfiction writing

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molluskzone · 11 months ago

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i wish the people making whiny posts demanding reblogs from people just admitted to themselves that no, its not about "reach," its about Big Number Feels Good. because if you allowed yourself to confront the fact that you ARE a number chaser then youd have a much better chance at fixing it. and you HAVE to fix it if you want your art output to remain sustainable. numbers will NOT make you satisfied never ever especially not on modern social media. and no its not "just big accounts who dont get it" who know this: the MOST followers ive had on ANY art account of mine since 2014 is 600. and i got maybe 40 likes per post and a handful of comments. thats the best i did in 10 years online and i reached that point in like 2016. haven't gotten near that level of "popularity" since that year because the game changed and i was unwilling to change what *I* wanted to do to please an algorithm.

i understand WANTING people to care about your art. i think itd be weird if someone DIDNT want people to care (at least, out of the people posting their art publicly). but lashing out at the audience not only will NOT get you what you want but it also reflects REALLY badly on you and just makes you sound annoying, mean, and bitter. i honestly hate this and this is the main reason i block people, i have unfollowed people for even just reblogging particularly nasty posts because it rubs me the wrong way SO bad

"people dont reblog because theyre all new users who are too stupid to use the site! you NEED to reblog its just how the site works if you dont like it dont come here" its not up to you to decide what people do on their OWN blogs. people have been complaining about this since at least 2015, and honestly likely before that too (thats just the first time i remember seeing it firsthand). its NOT the "fault" of new users. if people arent reblogging your work... ITS BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WANT IT ON THEIR BLOG. this is not a crime. some people just dont reblog everything they see: and if people DID truly reblog every post they saw (which by these posters logic they SHOULD be doing if they Really care about creators), their accounts would be so cluttered the "reach" wouldn't matter anyways. if they have a blog centered around their OWN work, their followers might bail if all they do is reblog random peoples work they didn't agree to see. THIS IS A VALID AND NORMAL WAY TO USE THIS SITE. i've also seen people suggest making a "reblog dumping blog" so you can give number-crazed artists their precious internet points without reblogging something to your main that you don't want to. this is a genuinely stupid suggestion. again, if the point of reblogs is "for reach," then WHAT purpose would a dumping blog have. nobody is going to follow the dumping blog of the average tumblr user. it wouldn't "reach" ANYbody but the op. not only is this pointless but its also STILL trying to control the actions of random internet users who are causing no harm and just trying to use the website as they please: this is ridiculous and entitled behavior.

"its an INSULT to like a post and not reblog it. youre basically telling the artist their work is shit to their face!" / "likes are useless!" honestly i do not have any sympathy for people who say shit like this because it's just so fucking number-greedy i dont even know what to say. like i said before, there are many reasons a person might not reblog something. its entitled as HELL to demand people do with their blogs what YOU want them to. but to say that likes are useless, or worse than useless? absolutely ridiculous. god forbid people want to express appreciation of a piece even if they dont want to reblog it. i would personally MUCH rather get 20 likes and 0 reblogs on a piece than 0 likes and 0 reblogs. again, targeting and being rude to people trying to express appreciation for your work in simple ways because YOU have a problem with being focused on numbers and because YOU are *choosing* to take it personally is inexcusable

"if you like but dont reblog i will block you! you dont care about artists" perhaps the reason you dont get "enough" attention on your posts is because you are alienating any potential audience by trying to control their use of SITE-WIDE functions. the like button is part of tumblr, it is so weird to me to block people who use it. if you want to block people that is your business but i genuinely dont understand why youre blocking potential followers and people who enjoy your art enough to WANT to click the like button if your goal is to grow your account. you don't have a right to complain about lack of attention if you do this is all i'm saying

"im leaving the site because YOU didnt reblog my work enough! im QUITTING ART FOREVER because nobody reblogged it so if youre reading this its YOUR fault! if artists leave the site its YOUR fault. if you dont reblog work THINK about what youve done. artists are quitting and its ALL YOUR FAULT" this is immature guilt tripping and it boggles my mind that grown adults will make posts like these. i have seen many! if you quit art because you didnt get enough reblogs, that's your own problem. it's probably for the best because focusing on numbers so much that your entire motivation for creating is based around numbers is unhealthy and unsustainable anyways. ill give you a fun fact: the numbers will NEVER be enough if that's all youre focusing on. and even if you get to your "goal", it will NOT be forever. the internet isn't even forever and your social media site could be shut down at any time. you need to find other motivations. and again, this is ANOTHER example of alienating your potential audience: if you care about growth, stop trying to manipulate your audience! stop blaming your audience for your personal problems! if you want to quit, just quit. it's not your audience's fault.

basically: no it's not "reach" or "mutual artist support" you just want numbers. numbers feel good so you want them! admit this. there is no other reason you would feel THIS agitated and aggressive over reblogs. and i have seen some REALLY nasty posts before. it's an unhealthy mindset that it would do you good to unlearn. and honestly: im going to call you a hypocrite if you make ANY posts like this. because there is NO WAY that you as an artist are reblogging every piece of art you see. there is just no way. youre reblogging art that you like enough to share with others. and that is simply not every art piece you see. if you understand this for yourself, then you NEED to accept that this is the case for others: people are not reblogging your work because they do not want to. we all know what the reblog button does. we can all figure out that clicking reblog shares the post with all of your followers and gives the post more chances to be seen and reblogged again and again. WE KNOW. if people arent reblogging your work then they just don't want to. accept it! you need to deal with the fact that not everybody likes your art! work on yourself instead of demanding that others cater to your ego.

there is no problem with asking for reblogs. there is no problem with wanting to grow your account. there is no problem in letting people know why reblogs help artists. there is no problem in encouraging people to comment on or like your work. there IS a problem with being rude and entitled about it though

and for artists whos jobs rely on internet attention: you still don't have a pass to behave this way sorryyy... i understand being numbers-focused if you rely on commission work or ad work. but lashing out at others is STILL never okay even if your income relies on it. if you cannot game the algorithm, that is NOT your audience's fault. you have to learn to play the system if you want to make posting online your job, and if you CANT do this (like so many cant), it is not fair to blame it on the people supporting you for "not doing enough". it is nobody's obligation to make your living for you! if you cant convince people to reblog your work and spread your work based off of the content of your posts, that's a YOU problem. people share what they want to see: if your income relies on shares. make what people want to see. and even then it might not work because of how social media algorithms work. this is the risk you take being an online artists and its NEVER your followers fault for not doing enough.

anyways if u like my work i <3 you if you reblog my work i <3 you i never expect notes on my art so any attention i get is much appreciated and i treasure every compliment i get SO much that i screenshot them all and put them in a google folder so i can look at them forever and ever <3

#long post #my post

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supernovafeather · 2 years ago

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A Dream

Leto Atreides x F!Reader

Content : harem, concubine!reader, mutual pining, nudity, fluff.

Please comment and reblog if you liked ! 😊

Thanks to weeks of training your danse is synchronized perfectly with the softest music filling the air. The chords move in harmony between the thin and skilled musicians' fingers, as well as your limbs turning in the air with precision.

The group of ten concubines you are a part of has mastered this choreography a long time ago, but this time the Duke himself and an audience restricted to his most loyal men and women witness your hard work. Here on Caladan you are a model of elegance when it comes to traditional music, the symbol of feminine and distinguished delicacy the Duke only can get a taste of. More than a harem of favorites depending on a single pan you had become an important part of the traditions conservation.

Black flat shoes, a long white and beige dress you can make float all around you in swift and mastered twirls without undoing the complex bun crowning your head. Where many uncultured eyes would see a group of women parading for the Duke, you see the tales narrated in all the nuances of your gestures : the wind hitting the cliffs during thunderstorms, conquest, the birds songs, the rise of the House Atreides. These stories fill your heart with pride and melancholy as after a few steps back you stand in the fourth line, kneeling in front of another concubine doing the same, your hands linked as you look at each other tenderly as the music slows down.

An approving series of claps erupts all around you as the privileged audience goes back to its previous interactions, buzzing with compliments for the Caladanian culture and good taste in art.

To your surprise you see a blond maid coming to you with a slight bow, her soft voice being another treat for the guests.

"Duke Leto requires your presence."

Barely a few seconds later you walk up to the Lord's sides, staying at a reasonable distance out of respect. You are a concubine among others, and despite some temporary surge to sit on his lap or to hold his hand you know better. Affection display in public must come from him.

"Here you are." Leto purrs with a grin. "Come here."

"Yes my Lord."

He stands up from his chair, his gentle eyes slightly watering due to exhaustion and alcohol remaining somehow as charming as ever as they examine your face.

The soft kiss on your cheek surprises you by how sensual it feels. Nothing too explicit but the sheer gentleness of his gesture and the pressure resting there for more or less five seconds as he holds your hands firmly doesn't feel acceptable in front of an audience. They may be all talking to each other but in these kinds of events one's eyes are always everywhere.

"You were magnificent." He tells you tenderly at your ear so that you are the only one hearing his words. "It's always a pleasure to see you loving this."

"If you loved it then I consider my mission completed my Lord." You reply with a flattered smile. "I hope they all appreciated it."

His thumbs apply some pressure on your palms as he rubs them and it feels pretty good, especially under this playful gaze so close to your face.

"Please join me tonight."

"I will." You say with a kiss on his bearded cheek.

Dancing is a good source of pleasure but you have to admit that making Leto fall harder for you every day is an indecent one you cherish more than anything else.

You joined the harem out of selfishness, it's true but after all you needed to make sure that you could get a much better situation. You used to target some important man in the court before catching the Duke's eye and to your disbelief you could only watch yourself getting absorbed by his numerous qualities.

After your bodies reach their climax his embrace tends to be more protective than possessive, his fingers tracing some patterns on your skin as you listen to his heart beating, your eyes closed with a content smile. You had never done such a thing with anyone else. Why would you care about a heartbeat when all you wanted to do was either leave the bed or fall asleep ? But with Leto it's different. It connects you to him.

"Your skin is softer than usual." The Duke mumbles sleepily. "I love it."

His hand rubs your back up and down with slow gestures before reaching your shoulder blade, then nape.

"I chose a new soap. I knew you'd like it."

"Oh, so this was all planned ?"

"Everything went well according to my diabolical plan. You just can't resist."

He snorts before kissing the top of your head.

"I can't. You're right."

A long and almost silent yawn later you feel him shifting a bit underneath you. This signal is enough to make you roll onto your side as the Duke leaves the comfort of his bed, your eyes admiring his simple naked beauty. Sometimes you wonder whether famous sculptors would be able to copy his body properly. After all they don't have the chance to touch and see him the way you do so often. Would they be able to reproduce the firmness of his muscles, this subtle softness in his features once relaxed, the length of his eyelids that adds a more feminine aspect, his curls, this belly that feels so welcoming for your head the days he gained weight ? They would never dare to show anything negative about their leader. You, you can see him fully.

"Do you want to take a shower with me ?"

Leto turns to you, and your only answer is a shrug as you keep watching him with an adoration you don't care about hiding from him. He's handsome, what can you do against it ?

"What about a bath ? It would feel better to take our time after the festivities."

"My eyes are up there." He scolds you with a fake serious tone. "And I know that if I let you take a bath you are going to fall asleep again."

"But there's nothing better than sleeping in hot water with my Duke and his stories."

He chuckles loudly and walks away, shaking his head before entering the bathroom.

You love how casual your interactions can be when you have time. This got never discussed between you but you hope that one day he is going to make you his Duchess out of all his other girls, one looked at with genuine affection. Maybe it's an unreachable dream but you doubt it. And if it is that unreachable, then you are going to allow yourself to keep dreaming with innocence. This world is full of injustice and dark elements, why would you stop believing in what brings you light ?

- - - - -

Please comment and reblog if you liked !

@salome-c @stevenngrant @lavenderluna10 @one-hell-of-a-disappointment @dailyreverie @thecursivej @lady-targaryen @general-latino @harrys-tittie @laura-naruto-fan1998 @later-gators12

#leto atreides #leto atreides x reader #leto atreides x you #duke leto x reader #duke leto x you #duke leto

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kopw · 11 months ago

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transcriptions below the cut

CHRIS BROOKES

[ID: The cast of Baka Gaijin (Chris Brookes, Masa Takanashi, Takayuki Ueki, Drew Parker, MAO and a few others) doing their signature send-off with the audience after a show. /end ID]

"It was the best year I've ever had in terms of the quality of the matches in ring"

— Congrats on the 10th edition of Baka Gaijin and the first anniversary coming up on December 13th! Chris, when you reflect on the past year, filled with a victorious run in the KING OF DDT tournament and winning the KO-D OPENWEIGHT championship title, how do you feel about all that you've achieved?

Chris: It feels surreal, to be honest. Every professional wrestler sets themself a goal to make the next year better than the last, but at the start of this year I really didn't know if it would be possible. I had no momentum, and even lost in a tag match with Chiitan and I thought my stock in DDT as an important player was plummeting… I guess reaching that low point gave me the motivation to turn things around. Even though I won the King of DDT and turned things around somewhat, I dislocated my shoulder and Drew left and retired and it was more negative hurdles along the way. Finally, all in all though, when I reflect back on 2023 I think it was the best year I've ever had in terms of the quality of the matches in ring. I'm really proud of all the singles matches I had from the start of King of DDT to now.

— Right. You made it on to the cover of Weekly Pro-Wrestling and were chosen as one of the cover athletes for the wrestler's directory.

Chris: Being featured in Weekly Pro-Wrestling is nice. It tells me, despite our unusual setting of no ring, we must be doing something right.

— Additionally, with regular broadcasts on YouTube reaching overseas fans, how have fans from overseas been responding to the content?

Chris: Overseas fans respond pretty well to it, but really, it's not at all my target audience. The simplicity in which you can stream an event on YouTube to the world these days with just a smartphone is amazing, and it's a nice bonus to be able to reach that audience, but it's not my priority. If the YouTube account was suspended, or there was a sudden reason it wasn't viable I wouldn't really mind. It's not the point of a show like Baka Gaijin, I think. I think it's best experienced inside the venue, and those customers are the ones I'm prioritizing.

— Taking a trip down memory lane back to VOL. 1, what were your expectations for the situation a year later? Have there been any shifts in your mindset since then?

Chris: I don't think I really went into it with any expectations, which is maybe why it's successful. I think it's earnest and genuine, in that sense. We started these shows because we wanted to and thought it would be fun, and I think people look forward to it now still because it's always fun. The motivation wasn't money, or a wider/bigger goal. I still think about it that way now. If suddenly it wasn't fun, I would stop doing it.

— The regular roster has truly found its stride. What are your thoughts on each member individually—Masa Takanashi, MAO, Antonio Honda, Takayuki Ueki, Ram Kaichow, and Chie Koishikawa?

Chris: Masa is my best friend, and in my opinion one of the smartest and most interesting wrestlers in the world. MAO too, someone I am very close with, and I think he's the most creative young mind in professional wrestling, no one else can touch his creativity. Honda is so out of the box, anything he does is entertaining. I can tell him "please do something for 10 minutes" and he can just come up with something interesting, funny and unique every time. He's the most self-reliant member, I think. Ueki is funny, because we weren't particularly close prior to Baka Gaijin but he would always be around and help out on the first few shows and really found his place. I think he's critical to the flavour of the Baka Gaijin recipe now too. Ram will probably resent being called a part of the regular crew, I still don't know if she actually enjoys doing the shows or just feels obliged to be here, but I think she suits the style of it perfectly and is very entertaining. Chie can do anything, too, and is the member of the team that always goes 150% into everything she does. I think the shows wouldn't be the same without her.

"MAO is a little busy right now with the Sauna Kamiina but I wonder if he'll find his way there one day too."

— SCHADENFREUDE International was formed with familiar faces from Baka Gaijin, correct?

Chris: Well I guess you could put it that way. MAO is a little busy right now with the Sauna Kamiina but I wonder if he'll find his way there one day too. Ueki, Chie, Ram, etc. would all be welcome guests. I think Kiso Daisuke is also a member of SCHADENFREUDE International.

— Reflecting on the past year, is there a particular scene from Baka Gaijin that stands out the most in your memory?

Chris: It would be impossible to pick just one, but selfishly I really loved the match I had with Maya Yukihi there. I think there's been so many, which is why it's so fun. When I look back over the shows I'm constantly reminded of events, costumes or scenes that I'd almost forgotten about. I think that is its charm. It's a completely unique, strange, weird variety show every time and there'll always be something memorable and different.

— What are your thoughts and expectations for the future?

Chris: Continue living with no expectations and the only goal being to have everyone leaving saying "that was the most fun I've had!". If we can do that, we're doing something right.

ANTONIO HONDA

[ID: Hagane Shinno rolling up Antonio Honda. They are both wearing bee costumes. /end ID]

"I want everyone to come to Daisetz's live shows and cheer loudly."

Yeah, it's crazy, isn't it? Baka Gaijin's first anniversary has come so quickly. It feels like we just started this thing not too long ago. It's a blast because there are so many friends involved in Baka Gaijin, you know? Even though Drew Parker left, Chris Brookes still seems to be having a great time and that's awesome.

At first, I thought it was going to be a one-off. When they announced the second one I was like "Oh, it's going to continue." and the pace of these shows is surprisingly fast, I believe the intimate atmosphere of Baka Gaijin + Friends is something the audience enjoys. If the wrestlers are having fun, it shows and the audience is having a good time too. It's cool that even though the show is produced by Chris, he's not always in the spotlight. The ideas are interesting. Just being in the venue and seeing HARASHIMA and Kazusada Higuchi is enough to entertain the audience. Chris, originally a fan of Japanese indie pro wrestling, is now creating a great form of indie pro wrestling in Japan. I'm grateful to be a part of so many fantastic shows. And it feels like I'm there every time, even though I'm not physically there.

The most memorable moment for me was when Yoshihiko shadow turned out to be El Phantasmo from New Japan Pro-Wrestling. His moves were too painful! I landed face first on the floor and it took about two weeks for the pain to subside. So that match left a lasting impression, or rather lasting damage. It's definitely memorable. Talking about other wrestlers' matches, the one between Hagane Shinno and Maya Yukihi was incredible. To do that much on the mat is extraordinary. I thought "Hagane should be more famous!" He's really an amazing wrestler. Hagane isn't pushy and does not say "me, me" all the time. This makes him almost too angelic for the pro wrestling industry. But he puts on fantastic matches even in Gatoh Move, so I hope more people get to see him and appreciate him. And after watching Hagane's matches, I want everyone to come to Daisetz's live shows and cheer loudly.

"What we do in Baka Gaijin has a flavour of the more chaotic DDT of the past."

Chris is currently in DDT and I really think he's a perfect fit for DDT. What we do in Baka Gaijin has a flavour of the more chaotic DDT of the past. So what Chris wants to do in pro wrestling is a good fit for DDT and I think he's really happy to be in Japan doing what he loves.

I'd like to continue exploring peaceful deathmatch styles in the future. Ultimately, these quirky matches, such as the wasabi cream one, aren't as enjoyable unless the audience is close. They don't translate well to larger venues like Korakuen Hall. The interesting thing is the distance at which the wasabi hits the audience. In my case, since I can't do flashy moves like other wrestlers, it's easier for me when there's something unique happening in the match. While small venues like ChocoPro have a certain charm, Baka Gaijin has a different vibe. Maybe it's the alcohol? That's probably what makes it great. The friendly atmosphere and the alcohol break down barriers with the wrestlers, creating a sense of unity. And there's a desire to wrestle people you can only wrestle in that venue. So, I'd like to wrestle anyone I haven't wrestled before… as long as it isn't Phantasmo.

With the previous faction, I often took the initiative without being asked, but SCHADENFREUDE International, formed with friends from Baka Gaijin, was different. It was the first time I was invited to join. The last time I joined a unit was Happy Motel. It was surprising. In the process of promoting wrestlers like Takeshi Masada and Chris, I sometimes wonder if my presence in the faction might be a hindrance. Is the company getting anything out of it? But I'll do my best not to hold the faction back.

Takayuki Ueki who I met in Baka Gaijin, is incredibly talented. It was shocking. Everyone is fantastic. I look forward to more in the future. Finally, to all the fans, I'd love it if you'd take cheki photos with me from time to time.

[ID: Hagane Shinno and Antonio Honda looking into the camera for a photo, still wearing their bee costumes. /end ID]

MAO

[ID: The background is a two-page spread of MAO blowing smoke out of his mouth. He is dressed like Chris Brookes. /end ID]

"Don't worry, I want to protect this place."

Initially, Chris Brookes had discussed with DDT the idea of producing a show, but I remember it was quite a challenge. Just between you and me, DDT is afraid of any individual having too much power. Well, that could be the result of seeing the fate of many organisations that have disappeared over the last 25 years. DDT has grown considerably and the organisation seems to be well run, so there seems to be some logic to it. Just between us, the permission for the show was granted with the condition of "limited to small venues", and that's how Baka Gaijin started at ARENA Shimo-Kitazawa. Ever since VOL. 1, tickets have sold out within seconds for every event, and now it's already the 1st Anniversary. The momentum isn't slowing down, it's actually growing. Soon DDT might take notice! These days I have such positive concerns. Don't worry, I want to protect this place.

Looking back, I'll never forget the days before VOL. 1. Suddenly I received two red horns from the cheerful Chris. Even when life asked, "What's that?" the answer was simply, "Good luck." thought, "Oh, that means I should do Power-chan, huh?" Come to think of it, Chris had been humming "KICK BACK" a lot around then… From here my unique participation began, with 6 out of 7 times not in my own costume, the "Baka Gaijin MAO" was born.

Since I found the answer in VOL. 1, the costumes were placed there when entering the venue from the next time on. I had to discover the meaning, put on the right costume and behave correctly within about three hours, from the time I entered to the time of the match. When it was a mysterious pompadour wig and Indian-style costume, it turned out to be Baliyan Akki. Chie Koishikawa's costume was collected by running around the streets of Shimo-Kitazawa by myself, and Mecha Mummy… firecrackers?!… and so on. Thanks for the fun show, where I can fully express myself every time.

As long as Chris and MAO, the two creative giants, are around, it promises to be an interesting place. However, in terms of what makes Baka Gaijin what it is, I think we value the 'band scene' vibe. If you go back to Chris's CCK, the original SCHADENFREUDE and the activities in ATTACK!, I think it goes back to that. The indie scene in the UK wasn't that cool. Young people didn't seem very interested. Chris and Kid Lykos brought the 'band scene' vibe, bringing a new wind that attracted girls and young people to live events. Chris has since been successful in producing shows and running organisations. The coolness of Baka Gaijin is due to Chris. I fully agree with this 'band scene' vibe and I want to continue to follow it. But doing a lot of shows in a completely different culture, with a mindset like the UK, is frankly crazy. But it works well, so it's amazing. I love crazy people, so I'll do whatever the producer says.

"I want to try different martial arts or kickboxing fights next."

The adaptability of Gatoh Move's wrestlers in a small space is always surprising. They make full use of their unique background, and I can suddenly feel the difference in instances like tag matches! Mei Suruga is often called a genius, but from my point of view, Chie is also a genius. Whether she is on the opposing side or the same side in a match, I feel a mysterious sense of calm… well, she is pretty crazy too, haha.

After flying in front of 30,000 people at the Tokyo Dome, two weeks later I cosplayed as Akki and flew from the bar in front of 60 people. I was really surprised by wide range of experiences in my wrestling life. When I jumped while dressed as Akki, my opponent dodged and I self-destructed, and I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Baka Gaijin has been a platform where I've been able to try out a lot of things I've always wanted to do but never quite had the courage to do in the ring. Every show, there's something new lyrics want to try, and I expect that trend to continue. Maybe I want to try different martial arts or kickboxing fights next. It's great because the venue is small. Speaking of which, I just remembered the existence of the All Japan Hardcore Judo Federation that Takayuki Ueki and I started, hahaha. I love you all, baby.

MASA TAKANASHI

[ID: Masa Takanashi staring down Chie Koishikawa, who is dressed like him. /end ID]

"The foundation of Baka Gaijin is rooted in those SCHADENFREUDE shows."

As a producer, Chris Brookes embodies the feelings of a pro-wrestling fan. He makes it a priority to create cards that he would personally enjoy, sometimes even getting into the ring for the opening match. He usually enjoys the main event from the steps, beer in hand. Like many producers, Chris tends to build the cards around the matches he wants to see, but I think Chris has a distinctive image in his mind. In that respect, This makes him a unique producer. I felt this very much during my trip with Chris in the UK. The foundation of Baka Gaijin is rooted in those SCHADENFREUDE shows.

Every match in Baka Gaijin has left a lasting impression on me, but the Lingerie Muto vs. Inoue match was especially remarkable. Having this match happen at around the same time as Keiji Muto's retirement match led to a development I had never imagined. Another memorable match was Antonio Honda vs. Yoshihiko. Such unique events are only possible in Baka Gaijin. The playful spirit of Chris as a pro-wrestling fan, combined with the complicity of the fans, creates this unique atmosphere in Baka Gaijin. I think the original strength of Baka Gaijin is that this can happen because of the intimate size of the venue.

"In terms of CDK I hope to face Shutendoji one day. I'm sure the post-match drinking session would be fantastic."

I see SCHADENFREUDE International as an entity that Chris has created as an opportunity for his Baka Gaijin comrades. Neither Anton nor I are regular DDT participants at the moment, and Takeshi Masada is a University student, so he can't attend every event. Chris has given these members a chance to show their presence in DDT. He is fulfilling his dreams and looking forward to the next stage. I will also work towards achieving what Chris has in mind.

In terms of CDK, I hope to face Shutendoji one day. I'm sure the post-match drinking session would be fantastic. Also, the team of Shunma Katsumata and MAO at Baka Gaijin. It would be a different kind of match. What kind of match will it be? What equipment will MAO wear? How drunk will Katsumata be after the show? I can't help but imagine various scenarios.

Thanks to everyone, Baka Gaijin has reached its first anniversary. Next year will be the fifth anniversary of CDK. I hope we can continue to enjoy the present together.

[ID: To the right of the text column there are two more images. One shows Masa Takanashi in front of the crowd. The other shows Masa forcing Kazusada Higuchi to drink beer. /end ID]

TAKAYUKI UEKI

[ID: Takayuki Ueki sensually touching his body, surrounded by fans. /end ID]

"Originally I had no plans to be a part of Baka Gaijin."

At first, I wondered if Chris Brookes and Drew Parker producing shows in Japan would be OK, thinking it might end up being a shitshow. But it's incredible because Baka Gaijin has become so popular—tickets sell out instantly and the venues are packed. Chris has a remarkable charisma, both he and Drew are interesting, and people naturally gather around interesting people. So, the 10th anniversary…? No, the 1st anniversary! I've been wrestling for 10 years though, haha! Originally, I had no plans to be a part of Baka Gaijin, but since Drew and I were friends, I asked if I could come. Then Chris asked me, "How about Ueki DJing?" At that moment thought, "These guys are true to their name, Baka Gaijin!"

On VOL. 2 I did a comedy show by myself and I've always wanted to do that somewhere. So, based on my life experiences, l did a performance called "Jugemu." The impressions that I performed during that show were thanks to the influence of Hideyoshi Kamiya, who raised me. Oh, I haven't talked at all about the first anniversary of Baka Gaijin!

A memorable moment in Baka Gaijin was the fight between Masashi Takeda and Death Worm. It was something unimaginable anywhere else! Chris made it happen and it was exciting to see two wrestlers with different world views face each other. I got too excited, went into the match before I came back to wrestling after an injury, got hurt and bled in a place no one could see. The match l had with Chris in Baka Gaijin was the first time we really faced each other, I think. He had been at FREEDOMS once before, but I wasn't on the card. Facing him was fresh… as Mad Doctor Ueki no less. After all, the Doctor wants to conquer not only Shimokitazawa, but the world. It seems like it will take a long time to achieve that…

I probably first met Chris when I was a young wrestler in Big Japan Pro Wrestling. I didn't think much at the time, just like "Oh, a handsome foreign wrestler is here". I vaguely remember meeting him, possibly through my good relationship with Shinya Ishikawa. I saw Chris again during Fight Club PRO, and when I saw his match where he put drool in his opponent's ears, I thought, "There's a dangerous guy like that!? His ideas are just incredible, and he does things like deathmatches. Chris probably only saw me as a deathmatch wrestler. Normally, when you're born good-looking like Chris, you want to do cool moves, right? You want to be popular! I think if I was cool I would have done a lot of flashy moves and tried to be popular haha.

MAO is also really amazing. How he is able to maintain his core as MAO while doing different things is impressive. I got into the pro wrestling industry because I love death matches, but I've always wanted to do something like Tiger Mask in pro wrestling. Seeing MAO's changes up close makes me want to do something other than deathmatches. It's cool and awesome and I admire it. Especially from VOL. 1, MAO made a strong impression. The match between Power Chan of Chainsaw Man and Deathworm. "You can do anything you want!" This match created an atmosphere where everyone could be free. This unique world view is not easy to find. At least, in the organisations I'm in, the taste of Baka Gaijin is missing. I really love the pop and core feeling that is unique.

"A guy from the sound staff wrestling in a singles match against Chris is a dream story!"

Originally, the comedy show I did on VOL. 2 was supposed to be a duo comedy show. MAO was supposed to be my partner. But if I remember correctly, he went abroad. So one day, even if MAO isn't my partner, I'd like to do comedy performed by a duo. In VOL. 10, Chris and Munetatsu Nakamura will be wrestling. He also grew into his role from the sound staff! Yes! He's on the same path as me! So I feel like I want to team up with him. It might be interesting to play our entrance music and enter from the bar counter. A guy from the sound staff wrestling in a singles match against Chris is a dream story! So, I want to team up with Nakamura and wrestle. As for the Mad Doctor… I don't know what to say! Maybe the Doctor will modify Nakamura to achieve world domination. Then Nakamura could become… Mechamura…!? If producer Chris turns into a robot… He seems like he could lead a rebellion with all the mechas I've created so far! We could have Doctor vs. 100 Mechas! A Mecha Rumble!? It won't fit in ARENA!

Well, in the future, I hope Baka Gaijin and friends can continue to create a unique atmosphere both on and off the mat. Whether as a wrestler, sound staff or comedian, I'd love to be involved. If I touched someone else's chest hair I'd probably scream, but the Baka Gaijin audience loved it. Truly, Baka Gaijin has flourished because such foolish people have gathered. So let's keep doing Baka things together!

[ID: Baliyan Akki attempting to put Takayuki Ueki into a submission hold. /end ID]

BAKA GAIJIN VOLUME 9 ZINE INTERVIEWS

in order: chris brookes, antonio honda, mao, masa takanashi, takayuki ueki

hey guess who just discovered his shit printer can scan! sorry these are a little wonky, it was not easy to fold the zine so i could scan them. the interviews are both in japanese and english, but it was a pain in the ass to scan so i only scanned the english bits

#thank you for the scans... forgot to read these when you brought the zine over #chris brookes #antonio honda #mao #masa takanashi #takayuki ueki #words

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innuendostudios · 3 years ago

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I was invited to give a talk on GamerGate over Zoom in early 2021. I've long been frustrated that there isn't a good timeline of GG and its origins on YouTube. When people ask "what the hell was GG anyway?" they often get referred to my or Dan Olson's videos on the subject, but both of them were made while GG was ongoing, and presumed a degree of familiarity on the part of the audience. There was just too much to say about what was already happening to spend time getting the audience up to speed, and it was safe to assume our audiences had enough context to follow along. But time moves fast on the internet, and many people who now care about such things weren't there while it was happening, and are lacking the necessary context to follow the better videos. For a long time, I've only been able to direct them to RationalWiki's timeline, which is excellent but so exhaustively comprehensive that it's likely to scare off first-timers.

I realize an hourlong lecture isn't necessarily helping matters, but the first 20-or-so minutes of this video are my attempt at streamlining the timeline such that people can be up to speed on the most important stuff fairly quickly. The rest is talking about what it all meant, how it prefigured the Alt-Right, and using it to better understand digital radicalization.

This video was made with the help of Magdalen Rose, who edited the slides to the audio while I was laid up with a back injury. Go sub to her channel! And please back me on Patreon.

Transcript below the cut.

FUCKING VIDEO GAMES? FUCKING VIDEO GAMES. THEY MADE DOZENS OF PEOPLE MISERABLE FOR YEARS OVER VIDEO GAMES! NOT EVEN FUCKING VIDEO GAMES, FUCKING ARTICLES ABOUT FUCKING VIDEO GAMES. THIS IS WHAT PASSES FOR LEGITIMATE GRIEVANCE. ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS SHIT??

Hi! My name is Ian Danskin. I’m a video essayist and media artist. I run the YouTube channel Innuendo Studios, please like share and subscribe.

I’m here to talk to you about GamerGate, and I needed to get all that out of the way. I’m going to talk about what GamerGate was and how it prefigured The Alt-Right, and there are gonna be moments where you’re nodding along with me, going, “yeah, yeah I get it,” and then the sun’s gonna break through a crack in the wall and you’ll suddenly remember that all this is happening because some folks - mostly ladies - said some stuff - provably true stuff, I might add - about video games and a bunch of guys didn’t like it, and you’re gonna want to rip your hair out. By the end of this, you will have a better understanding of what happened, but it will never not be bullshit.

Also, oh my god, content warning. Racism, sexism, antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia, rape threats, threats of violence, domestic abuse - I’m not going to depict or describe at length any of the worst stuff, but it’s all in the mix. So if at any point you need to switch me off or mute me, you have my blessing.

Brace yourselves.

Some quick prehistory:

In 2012, feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian ran a Kickstarter campaign for a YouTube series on sexist tropes in video games. And, partway through the campaign, 4chan found it and said “let’s ruin her life.” And a lot of the male general gaming public joined in. And by “ruin her life” I’m not talking 150 angry tweets including dozens of rape and death threats per week, though that was a thing. I’m talking bomb threats. I’m talking canceled speaking engagements because someone threatened to shoot up a school. I’m talking FBI investigation. The harassers faced no meaningful repercussions.

And in 2013, Zoe Quinn released Depression Quest, a free text game about living with depression. They received harassment off and on for the next year, most pointedly from an incel forum called Wizardchan that doxxed their phone number and made harassing phone calls telling them to kill themself. The harassers faced no meaningful repercussions.

(Also, quick note: Zoe Quinn is nonbinary and has come out since the events in question. When I call Zoe’s harassment misogynist, understand I am not calling Zoe a woman, but they were attacked by people who hate women because that’s how they were perceived. Had they been out at the time things probably would’ve gone down similarly, but on top of misogyny I’d be talking about nonbinary erasure and transphobia.)

Okay. Our story begins in August 2014. The August that never ended.

Depression Quest, after a prolonged period on Greenlight, finally releases on Steam as a free download with the option to pay what you want. In the days that follow, Zoe’s ex-boyfriend, Eron Gjoni, writes a nearly 10,000-word blog called The Zoe Post, in which he claims Quinn had been a shitty and unfaithful partner. (For reference, 10,000 words is long enough that the Hugos would consider it a novelette.) This is posted to forums on Penny Arcade and Something Awful, both of which immediately take it down, finding it, at best, a lot of toxic hearsay and, at worse, an invitation to harassment. So Gjoni workshops the post, adds a bunch of edgelord humor (and I am using the word “humor” very generously), and reposts it to three different subforums on 4chan.

We’re not going to litigate whether Zoe Quinn was a good partner. I don’t know or care. I don’t think anyone on this call is trying to date them so I’m not sure that’s our business. What is known is that the relationship lasted five months, and, after it ended, Gjoni began stalking Quinn. Gjoni has, in fact, laid out how he stalked Quinn in meticulous detail to interviewers and why he feels it was justified. It’s also been corroborated by a friend that Quinn briefly considered taking him back at a games conference in San Francisco, but he became violent during sex and Quinn left the apartment in the middle of the night with visible bruises.

Off of the abusive ex-boyfriend’s post, 4chan decides it’s going to make Zoe Quinn one of their next targets, and starts a private IRC channel to plan the campaign. The channel is called #BurgersAndFries, a reference to Gjoni claiming Quinn had cheated on him with five guys. A couple sentences in The Zoe Post - which Gjoni would later claim were a typo - imply that one of the five guys was games journalist Nathan Grayson and that Quinn had slept with him in exchange for a good review of Depression Quest. Given the anger that they’d seen drummed up against women in games with the previous Anita Sarkeesian hate mob, #BurgersAndFries decides to focus on this breach of “ethics in games journalism” as a cover story, many of them howling with laughter at the thought that male gamers would probably buy it. This way, destroying Quinn’s life and career and turning their community against them would appear an unfortunate byproduct of a legitimate consumer revolt; criticism of the harassment could even be framed as a distraction from the bigger issue. Gjoni himself is in the IRC channel telling them that this was the best hand to play.

The stated aim of many on #BurgersAndFries was to convince Quinn to commit suicide.

Two regulars in the IRC, YouTubers MundaneMatt and Internet Aristocrat, make videos about The Zoe Post. Incidentally, both these men had already made a lot of money off videos about Anita Sarkeesian. Matt’s is swiftly taken down with a DMCA claim, and he says that Quinn filed the claim themself. (For the record, in those days, YouTube didn’t tell you who filed DMCA claims against you.) Members of the IRC also reach out to YouTuber TotalBiscuit, who had been critical of Sarkeesian and dismissive of her harassment, and he tweets the story to his 350,000 followers, saying a game developer trading sex for a good review might not prove true, but was certainly plausible.

This is where GamerGate begins to get public traction.

Zoe Quinn is very swiftly doxxed, with their phone number, home address, nudes, and names and numbers of their family collected. Gjoni himself leaks their birth name. The Zoe Post, and the movement against Quinn - now dubbed “The Quinnspiracy” - make it to The Escapist and Reddit, which mods will have little luck removing. The Quinnspiracy declares war on any site that does take their threads down, most vehemently NeoGAF. People who defend Zoe against the harassment start getting doxxed themselves - Fez developer Phil Fish is doxxed so thoroughly, hackers get access to the root folder of his website.

In what I’m going to call This Should Have Been The End, Part 1, Stephen Totilo, Editor-in-Chief at Kotaku where Nathan Grayson worked, in response to pressure not just from The Quinnspiracy but an increasing number of angry gamers buying The Quinnspiracy’s narrative, publishes a story. In it he verifies that Quinn and Grayson did date for several months, and that not only is there no review of Depression Quest anywhere on Kotaku, not by Grayson nor anyone else, but that Grayson did not write a single word about Quinn the entire time they were dating.

In response, The Quinnspiracy declares war on Kotaku. r/KotakuinAction is formed, which will become the primary site of organization outside of chanboards. The fact that their entire “movement” is based on a review that does not exist changes next to nothing.

Some people start to see The Quinnspiracy as potentially profitable. The Fine Young Capitalists get involved, a group ostensibly working to get women into video games but who have a Byzantine plan to do so wherein they crowdfund the budget and the woman who wins a competition gets to storyboard a game, but another company will make and she will get 8% of the profits, the rest going to a charity chosen by the top donor. 4chan becomes the top donor. They like TFYC because the head of the company has a vendetta against Zoe Quinn, who had previously called them out for their transphobic submission policy, and he falsely accused Quinn of having once doxxed him. 4chan feels backing an ostensibly feminist effort will be good PR, but can’t resist selecting a colon cancer charity because, they say, feminism is cancer and they want to be the cure to butthurt. They also get to design a character for the game, and so they create Vivian James, who will become the GamerGate mascot.

Manosphere YouTubers Jordan Owen and Davis Aurini launch a Patreon campaign for their antifeminist documentary The Sarkeesian Effect and come to The Quinnspiracy looking for $15,000 a month for an indefinite period to make it, which they get.

In what will prove genuinely awful timing, Anita Sarkeesian releases the second episode of Tropes vs. Women in Video Games, and, despite not being a games journalist and having nothing to do with Quinn or Grayson, she is immediately roped into the narrative about how feminists are ruining games culture and becomes the second major target of harassment. Both she and Quinn soon have to leave their houses after having receiving dozens and dozens of death threats that include their home addresses.

After being courted by members of the IRC channel, Firefly star Adam Baldwin tweets a link to one of the Quinnspiracy videos and coins the hashtag #GamerGate. This is swiftly adopted by all involved.

In response to all this, Leigh Alexander writes a piece for Gamasutra arguing that the identity that these men are flocking to the “ethics in games journalism” narrative to defend no longer matters as a marketing demographic. Gaming and games culture is so large and so varied, and the “core gamer” audience of 18-34 white bros growing smaller and septic, that there was no reason, neither morally nor financially, to treat them as the primary audience anymore. Love of gaming is eternal, but, she declared, “gamers,” as an identity, “are over.” Eight more articles contextualizing GamerGate alongside misogyny and the gatekeeping of games culture come out across several websites in the following days. GamerGate frames these as a clear sign of [deep sigh] collusion to oppress gamers, proving that ethics in games journalism is, indeed, broken, and Leigh Alexander becomes the third major target of harassment. These become known as the “gamers are dead” articles - a phrase not one of them uses - and they make “get Leigh Alexander fired from Gamasutra” one of their primary goals.

Something I need you to understand is that it has, at this point, been two weeks.

Highlights from the next little bit: Alex Macris, a higher up at The Escapist’s parent company, expresses support for GamerGate; he will go on to write the first positive coverage at a major publication and cement The Escapist as GamerGate-friendly. Mike Cernovich, aka “Based Lawyer,” gets GamerGate’s attention by mocking Anita Sarkeesian; he will go on to hire a private investigator to stalk Zoe Quinn. GamerGate launches Operation Disrespectful Nod, an email campaign pressuring companies to pull advertising from websites that have criticized them. They leverage their POC members, getting them, any time someone points out the rampant racism and antisemitism among GamerGaters, to say “I am a person of color and I am #NotYourShield”; most of these “POC members” are fake accounts left over from a previous, racist disinformation campaign. Milo Yiannapoulos gets involved, writing positive coverage of GG despite having mocked gamers for precisely this behavior in the past, and gets so much traffic it pulls Breitbart News out of obscurity and makes it a significant player in modern conservative news media.

[Hey! Ian from the future here. This talk mostly addresses how GamerGate prefigured the Alt-Right strategically and philosophically, but if you want a more explicit, material connection: Breitbart News took its newfound notoriety to become, as its Executive Chair phrased it in 2016, "a platform for the Alt-Right." That Executive Chair was Steve Bannon, who threw the website's weight behind The Future President Who Shall Not Be Named, and, upon getting his attention, would then go on to become his campaign strategist and work in his Administration. So, if you're wondering how one of the central figures of the Alt-Right ended up in the White House, the answer is literally "GamerGate." Back to you, Ian from the past!]

In what I’m calling This Should Have Been The End, Part 2, Zoe Quinn announces that they have been lurking the #BurgersAndFries IRC channel since the beginning and releases dozens of screenshots showing harassment being planned and the selection of “ethics in games journalism” as a cover. #BurgersAndFries has a meltdown, everyone turns on each other, and the channel is abandoned. And they then start another IRC and things proceed.

It goes on like this. I’m not gonna cover everything. This is just the first month. It should be clear by now that this thing is kind of unkillable. And I worry I haven’t made it obvious that this is not just a chanboard and an IRC. Thousands of regular, every day gamers were buying the story and joining in. They were angry, and no amount of evidence that their anger was unfounded was going to change that. You could not mention or even allude to GamerGate and not get flooded with dozens, even hundreds of furious replies. These replies always included the hashtag so everyone monitoring it could join in, so all attempts at real conversation devolved into a hundred forking threads where some people expected you to talk to them while others hurled insults and slurs. And always the possibility that, if any one of them didn’t like what you said, you’d be the next target.

To combat this, some progressives offered up the hashtag #GameEthics to the people getting swept up in GamerGate, saying, “look, we get that you’re angry, and if you want to talk about ethics in games journalism, we can totally do that, but using your hashtag is literally putting us in danger; they calling the police on people saying there’s a hostage situation at their home addresses so they get sent armed SWAT teams, and if you’ll just use this other hashtag we can have the conversation you say you want to have in safety.” And I will ever stop being salty about what happened.

They refused. They wouldn’t cede any ground to what they saw as their opposition. It was so important to have the conversation on their terms that not only did they refuse to use #GameEthics, they spammed it with furry porn so no one could use it.

A few major events on the timeline before we move on: Christina Hoff Sommers, the Republican Party’s resident “feminist,” comes out criticizing Anita Sarkeesian and becomes a major GG figurehead, earning the title Based Mom. Zoe Quinn gets a restraining order against Eron Gjoni, which he repeatedly violates, to no consequence; GG will later crowdfund his legal fees. There’s this listserv called GameJournoPros where game journalists would talk about their jobs, and many are discussing their concerns over GamerGate, so Milo Yiannopoulos leaks it and this is framed as further “proof of collusion.” 4chan finally starts enforcing its “no dox” rules and shuts GamerGate threads down, so they migrate to 8chan, a site famous for hosting like a lot of child porn. Indie game developer Brianna Wu makes a passing joke about GamerGate on Twitter and they decide, seemingly on a whim, to make her one of the biggest targets in the entire movement; she soon has to leave her home as well. GamerGate gets endorsements from WikiLeaks, Infowars, white nationalist sites Stormfront and The Daily Stormer, and professional rapist RooshV. And hundreds of people get doxxed; an 8chan subforum called Baphomet is created primarily to host dox of GamerGate’s critics.

But by November, GamerGate popularity was cresting, as more and more mainstream media covered it negatively. Their last, big spike in popularity came when Anita Sarkeesian went on The Colbert Report and Stephen made fun of the movement. Their numbers never recovered after that.

Which is not to say GamerGate ended. It slowed down. The period of confusion where the mainstream world couldn’t tell whether it was a legitimate movement or not passed. But, again, most harassers faced no meaningful repercussions. Gamers who bought the lie about “ethics in games journalism” stayed mad that no one had ever taken them seriously, and harassers continued to grief their targets for years. The full timeline of GamerGate is an constant cycle of lies, harassment, operations, grift, and doxxing. Dead-enders are to this day still using the hashtag. And remember how Anita had nothing to do with ethics in games journalism or Zoe Quinn, and they just roped her in because they’d enjoyed harassing her before so why not? Every one of GamerGate’s targets knows that they may get dragged into some future harassment campaign just because. It’s already happened to several of them. They’re marked.

(sigh) Let’s take a breath.

Now that we know what GamerGate was, let’s talk about why it worked.

In the thick of GamerGate, I started compiling a list of tactics I saw them using. I wanted to make a video essay that was one part discussion of antifeminist backlash, and one part list of techniques these people use so we can better recognize and anticipate their behavior. That first part became six parts and the second part went on a back burner. It would eventually become my series, The Alt-Right Playbook. GamerGate is illustrative because most of what would become The Alt-Right Playbook was in use.

Two foundational principles of The Alt-Right Playbook are Control the Conversation and Never Play Defense. Make sure people are talking about what you want them to talk about, and take an aggressive posture so you look dominant even when you’re not making sense. For instance: once Zoe leaked the IRC chatlogs, a reasonable person could tell the average gater, “the originators of GamerGate were planning harassment from the very beginning.” But the gater would say, “you’re cherry-picking; not everyone was a harasser.”

Now, this is a bad argument - that’s not how you use “cherry-picking” - and it’s being framed as an accusation - you’re not just wrong, you’re dishonest - which makes you wanna defend yourself. But, if you do - if you tell them why that argument is crap - you’ve let the conversation move from “did the IRC plan harassment?” - a question of fact - to “are the harassers representative of the movement?” - a question of ethics. Like, yes, they are, but only within a certain moral framework. An ethics question has no provable answer, especially if people are willing to make a lot of terrible arguments. It is their goal to move any question with a definitive answer to a question of philosophy, to turn an argument they can’t win into an argument nobody can win.

The trick is to treat the question you asked like it’s already been answered and bait you into addressing the next question. By arguing about whether you’re cherry-picking, you’re accepting the premise that whether you’re cherry-picking is even relevant. Any time this happens, it’s good to pause and ask, “what did we just skip over?” Because that will tell you a lot.

What you skipped over is their admission that, yes, the IRC did plan harassment, but that’s only on them if most of the movement was in on it. Which is a load of crap - the rest of the IRC saw it happening, let it happen, it’s not like anybody warned Zoe, and shit, I’m having the cherry-picking argument! They got me! You see how tempting it is? But presumably the reason you brought the harassment up is because you want them to do something about it. At the very least, leave the movement, but ideally try and stop it. They don’t, strictly speaking, need to feel personally responsible to do that. And you might be thinking, well, maybe if I can get them take responsibility then they’ll do something, but you’d be falling for a different technique I call I Hate Mondays.

This is where people will acknowledge a terrible thing is happening, maybe even agree it’s bad, but they don’t believe anything can be done about it. They also don’t believe you believe anything can be done about it. Mondays suck, but they come around every week. This is never stated outright, but it’s why you’re arguing past each other. To them, the only reason to talk about the bad thing is to assign blame. Whose turn is it to get shit on for the unsolvable problem? Their argument about cherry-picking amounts to “1-2-3 not it.” And they are furious with you for trying to make them responsible for harassment they didn’t participate in.

The unspoken argument is that harassment is part of being on the internet. Every public figure deals with it. This ignores any concept of scale - why does one person get harassed more than another? - but you can’t argue with someone who views it as a binary: harassment either happens or it doesn’t, and, if it does, it’s a fact of life, and, if it happens to everyone, it’s not gendered. And this is not a strongly-held belief they’ve come to after years of soul-searching - this is what they’ve just decided they believe. They want to participate in GamerGate despite knowing its purpose, and this is what would need to be true for that to be ok.

Or maybe they’re just fucking with you! Maybe you can’t tell. Maybe they can’t tell, either. I call this one The Card Says Moops, where people say whatever they feel will score points in an argument and are so irony-poisoned they have no idea whether they actually believe it. A very useful trick if the thing you appear to believe is unconscionable. You can’t take what people like that say at face value; you can only intuit their beliefs from their actions. They say they believe this one minute and that another, but their behavior is always in accordance with that, not this.

In the negative space, their belief is, “The harassment of these women is okay. My anger about video games is more important. I may not be harassing them myself, but they do kind of deserve it.” They will never say this out loud in a serious conversation, though many will say it in an anonymous or irreverent space where they can later deny they meant it. But, whatever they say they believe, this is the worldview they are operating under.

Obscuring this means flipping through a lot of contradictory arguments. The harassment is being faked, or it’s not being faked but it’s being exaggerated, or it’s not being exaggerated but the target is provoking it to get attention, which means GamerGate harassers simultaneously don’t exist, exist in small numbers, and exist in such large numbers someone can build a career out of relying on them! It can be kind of fun to take all these arguments made in isolation and try to string together an actual position. Like, GamerGate would argue that Nathan Grayson having previously mentioned Zoe Quinn in an article about a canceled reality show counts as positive coverage, and since Grayson reached out to Quinn for comment it’s reasonable to assume they started dating before the article was published (which is earlier than they claim), and positive coverage did lead to greater popularity for Depression Quest. But if you untangle that, it’s like… okay, you’re saying Zoe Quinn slept with a journalist in exchange for four nonconsecutive sentences that said no more than “Zoe Quinn exists and made a game,” and the price of those four sentences was to date the journalist for months, all to get rich off a game that didn’t cost any money. That’s your movement?

And some, if cornered, would say, “yes, we believe women are just that shitty, that one would fuck a guy for months if it made them the tiniest bit more famous.” But they won’t lead with that. Because they know it won’t convince the normies, even the ones who want to be convinced. So they use a process I call The Ship of Theseus to, piece by piece, turn that sentence into “slept with a journalist in exchange for a good review” and argue that each part of the sentence is technically accurate. It’s trying to lie without lying. And, provided all the pieces of this sentence are discussed separately, and only in the context of how they justify this sentence, you can trick yourself into believing this sentence is mostly true.

So, like, why? This is clearly motivated reasoning; what’s the motivation? What was this going to accomplish?

The answer is nothing. Nothing, by design. GamerGate’s “official” channels - the subreddit and the handful of forums that didn’t shut them down - were rigidly opposed to any action more organized than an email campaign. They had a tiny handful of tangible demands - they wanted gaming websites to post public ethics policies and had a list of people they wanted fired - but their larger aim was the sea change in how games journalism operated, which nothing they were asking for could possibly give them. The kind of anger that convinces you this is a true statement is not going to be addressed by a few paragraphs about ethics and Leigh Alexander getting a new job. They wanted gaming sites to stop catering to women and “SJWs” - who were a sizable and growing source of traffic - and to get out of the pockets of companies that advertised on their websites - which was their primary source of income. So all Kotaku had to do to make them happy was solve capitalism!

Meanwhile, the unofficial channels, like 8chan and Baphomet, were planning op after op to get private information, spread lies with fake accounts, get disinformation trending, make people quit jobs, cancel gigs, and flee their homes. Concrete goals with clear results. All you had to do to feel productive was go rogue. In my video,

How to Radicalize a Normie, I describe how the Alt-Right encourages lone wolf behavior by whipping people up into a rage and then refusing to give them anything to do, while surrounding them with examples of people taking matters into their own hands. The same mechanism is in play here: the public-facing channels don’t condone harassment but also refuse to fight it, the private channels commit it under cover of anonymity, and there is a free flow of traffic between them for when the official channels’ impotence becomes unbearable.

What I hope I’m illustrating is how these techniques play off of each other, how they create a closed ecosystem that rational thought cannot enter. There’s a phrase we use on the internet that got thrown around a lot at the time:

you can’t logic someone out of a position they didn’t logic themselves into.

Now, there are a few other big topics I think are relevant here, so I want to go through them one by one.

MEMEIFICATION

So a lot of interactions with GamerGate would involve a very insular knowledge base.

Like, you’d say something benign but progressive on Twitter.

A gater would show up in your mentions and say something aggressive and false.

You’d correct them. But then they’d come back and hit you with -

ah shit, sorry, this is a Loss meme.

If I were in front of a classroom I’d ask, show of hands, how many of you got that? I had to ask Twitter recently, does Gen Z know about Loss?!

If you don’t know what Loss is I’m not sure I can explain it to you. It’s this old, bad webcomic that was parodied so, so, so many times

that it was reduced to its barest essentials, to the point where any four panels with shapes in this arrangement is a Loss meme. For those of you in the know, you will recognize this anywhere, but have you ever tried to explain to someone who wasn’t in the know why this is really fuckin’ funny?

So, now… by the same process that this is a comics joke,

this is a rape joke.

I’m not gonna show the original image, but, once upon a time, someone made an animated GIF of the character Piccolo from Dragon Ball Z graphically raping Vegeta. 4chan loved it so much that it got posted daily, became known as the “daily dose,” until mods started deleting every incident of it. So they uploaded slightly edited version of it. Then they started uploading other images that had been edited with Piccolo’s color scheme. It got so abstracted that eventually any collection of purple and green pixels would be recognized as Piccolo Dick.

Apropos of nothing, GamerGate is a movement that insists it is not sexist in nature and it does not condone threats of rape against the women they don’t like. And this is their logo. This is their mascot.

If you’re familiar with the Daily Dose, the idea that GamerGate would never support Eron Gjoni if they believed he was a sexual abuser is so blatantly insincere it’s insulting… but imagine trying to explain to someone who’s not on 4chan how this sweater is a rape joke. Imagine having to explain it to a journalist. Imagine having to explain it to the judge enforcing your abuser’s restraining order.

Reactionaries use meme culture not just because they’re terminally online but also because it makes their behavior seem either benign or just confusing to outsiders. They find it hilarious that they can be really explicit and still fly under the radar. The Alt-Right did this with Pepe the Frog, the OK sign, even the milk glass emoji for a hot minute. The more inexplicable the meme, the better. You get the point where Stephen Miller is flashing Nazi signs from the White House and the Presidential re-eletion campaign is releasing 88 ads of exactly 14 words and there’s still a debate about whether the administration is racist. Because journalists aren’t going to get their heads around that. You tell them “1488 is a Nazi number,” it’s gonna seem a lot more plausible that you’re making shit up.

MOVE FAST AND BREAK THINGS

Online movements like GamerGate move at a speed and mutation rate too high for the mainstream world to keep up. And not just that they don’t understand the memes - they don’t understand the infrastructure.

In an attempt to cover GamerGate evenhandedly, George Wiedman of Super Bunnyhop interviewed a lawyer who specializes in journalistic ethics. He meant well; I really wish he hadn’t. You can see him trying to fit something like GamerGate into terms this silver-haired man who works in copyright law can understand. At one point he asks if it’s okay to fund the creative project of a potential journalistic source, to which the guy understandably says “no.”

What he’s alluding to here is the harassment of Jenn Frank. A few weeks into GamerGate, Jenn Frank writes a piece in The Guardian about sexism in tech that mentions Anita Sarkeesian and Zoe Quinn. In another case of “here’s a strongly-held belief I just decided I have,” GamerGate says this is a breach of journalistic ethics because Frank backs Quinn on Patreon. They harass her so intensely she not only has to quit her job at The Guardian, for several months she quits journalism entirely.

Off the bat, calling a public figure central to a major event in the field a “journalistic source” is flatly wrong-headed. Quinn was not interviewed or even contacted for the article, they were in no way a “source”; they were a subject. But I want to talk about this phrase, “fund a creative project.” Patreon is functionally a subscription; it’s a way of buying things. It’s technically accurate that Frank is funding Quinn’s creative project, but only in the sense that you are funding Bob Dylan’s creative project if you listen to his music. And saying Frank therefore can’t write about Quinn is like saying a music journalist can’t cover a Bob Dylan concert if they’ve ever bought his albums.

And we could talk about the ways that Patreon, as compared with other funding models, can create a greater sense of intimacy, and we also could comment that, well, that’s how an increasing number of people consume media now, so that perspective should be present in journalism. But maybe it means we should cover that perspective differently? I don’t know. It’s an interesting subject. But none of that’s going on in this conversation because this guy doesn’t know what Patreon is. It was only a year old at this point. Patreon’s been a primary source of my income for 5 years and my parents still don’t know what it is. (I think they think I’m a freelancer?) This guy hears “funding a creative project” and he’s thinking an investor, someone who makes a profit off the source’s success.

The language of straight society hasn’t caught up with what’s happening, and that works in GamerGate’s favor.

In the years since GamerGate we have dozens of stories of people trying to explain Twitter harassment to a legal system that’s never heard of Twitter. People trying to explain death threats to cops whose only relationship to the internet is checking email, confusedly asking, “Why don’t you just not go online?” Like, yeah, release your text game about depression at GameStop for the PS3 and get it reviewed in the Boston Globe, problem solved.

You see this in the slowness of mainstream journalists to condemn the harassment - hell, even games journalists at first. Because what if it is a legitimate movement? What if the harassers are just a fringe element? What if there was misconduct? The people in a position to stop GamerGate don’t have to be convinced of their legitimacy, they just have to hesitate. They just have to be unsure. Remember how much happened in just the first two weeks, how it took only a month to become unkillable.

It’s the same hesitance that makes mainstream media, online platforms, and law enforcement underestimate The Alt-Right. They’re terrified of condemning a group as white nationalist terrorists because they’re confused, and what if they’re wrong? Or, in most cases, not even afraid they’re wrong, but afraid of the PR disaster if too much of the world thinks they’re wrong.

ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONTROL

A thing I’ve talked about in The Alt-Right Playbook is how these decentralized, ostensibly leaderless movements insulate themselves from responsibility. Harassment is never the movement’s fault because they never told anyone to harass and you can’t prove the harassers are legitimate members of the movement. The Alt-Right does this too - one of their catchphrases is “I disavow.” Since there are no formalized rules for membership, they can redraw boundaries on the fly; they can take credit for any successes and deny responsibility for any wrongdoing. Public membership is granted or revoked based on a person’s moment-to-moment utility.

It’s almost like… they’re cherry-picking.

The flipside of this is a lack of control. Since they never officially tell anyone to do anything but write emails, they have no means of stopping anyone from behaving counterproductively. The harassment of Jenn Frank was the first time GamerGate’s originators thought, “maybe we should ease off just to avoid bad publicity,” and they found they couldn’t. GamerGate had gotten too big, and too many people were clearly there for precisely this reason.

They also couldn’t control the infighting. When your goal is to harass women and you have all these contradictory justifications for why, you end up with a lot of competing beliefs. And, you know what? Angry white men who like harassing people don’t form healthy relationships! Several prominent members of GamerGate - including Internet Aristocrat - got driven out by factionalism; they were doxxed by their own people! Jordan Owen and Davis Aurini parted ways hating each other, with Aurini releasing chatlogs of him gaslighting Owen about accepting an endorsement from Roosh, and they released two competing edits of The Sarkeesian Effect.

I say this because it’s useful to know that these are alliances of convenience. If you know where the sore spots are, you can apply pressure to them.

LEADERS WITHOUT LEADERSHIP

One way movements like GamerGate deflect responsibility is by declaring, “We are a leaderless movement! We have no means to stop harassment.”

Which… any anarchist will tell you collective action is entirely possible without leaders. But they’ll also tell you, absent a system of distributing power equitably, you’re gonna have leaders, just not ones you elected.

A few months into GamerGate, Randi Lee Harper created the ggautoblocker. Here’s what it did: it took five prominent GamerGate figures - Adam Baldwin, Mike Cernovich, Christina Hoff Sommers, Milo Yiannopoulos, and Nick Monroe, formerly known as [sigh] PressFartToContinue - and generated a block list of everyone who followed at least two of them on Twitter. Now, this became something of an arms race; once GamerGate found out about it they made secondary accounts that followed different people, and more and more prominent figures appeared and had to get added to the list. But, when it first launched, the list generated from just these five people comprised an estimated 90-95% of GamerGate.

Hate to break it to you, guys, but if 90+ percent of your movement is following at least two of the same five people, those are your leaders. The attention economy has produced them. Power pools when left on its own.

This is another case where you have to ignore what people claim and look at what they do. The Alt-Right loves to say “we disavow Richard Spencer” and “Andrew Anglin doesn’t speak for us.”

But no matter what they say, pay attention to whom they’re taking cues from.

AD CAMPAIGN

George Lakoff has observed that one way the Left fails in opposition to the Right is that most liberal politicians and campaigners have degrees in things like law and political science, where conservative campaigners more often have degrees in advertising and communications. Liberals and leftists may have a better product to sell, but conservatives know how to sell products.

GamerGate less resembles a boots-on-the-ground political movement than an ad campaign. First they decide what their messaging strategy is going to be. Then the media arm starts publicizing it. They seek out celebrity endorsements. They get their own hashtag and mascot. They donate to charity and literally call it “public relations.” You can even see the move from The Quinnspiracy to GamerGate as a rebranding effort - when one name got too closely associated with harassment, they started insisting GamerGate was an entirely separate movement from The Quinnspiracy. I learned that trick from Stringer Bell’s economics class.

Now, we could stand to learn a thing or two from this. But I also wouldn’t want us to adopt this strategy whole hog; you should view moves like these as red flags. If you’re hesitating to condemn a movement because what if it’s legitimate, take a look at whether they’re selling ideology like it’s Pepsi.

PERCEPTION IS EVERYTHING

One reason to insist you’re a consumer revolt rather than a harassment campaign is most people who want to harass need someone to give them permission, and need someone to tell them it’s normal.

Bob Altemeyer has this survey he uses to study authoritarianism. He divides respondents into people with low, average, and high authoritarian sentiments, and then tells them what the survey has measured and asks, “what score do you think is best to have: low, average, or high?”

People with low authoritarian sentiments say it’s best to be low. People with average authoritarian sentiments also say it’s best to be low. But people with high authoritarian sentiments? They say it’s best to be average. Altemeyer finds, across all his research, that reactionaries want to aggress, but only if it is socially acceptable. They want to know they are the in-group and be told who the out-group is. They don’t particularly care who the out-group is, Altemeyer finds they’ll aggress against any group an authority figure points to, even, if they don’t notice it, a group that contains them. They just have to believe the in-group is the norm.

This is why they have to believe games journalism is corrupt because of a handful of feminist media critics with outsized influence. Legitimate failures of journalism cannot be systemic problems rooted in how digital media is funded and consumed; there cannot be a legitimate market for social justice-y media. It has to be manipulation by the few. Because, if these things are common, then, even if you don’t like them, they’re normal. They’re part of the in-group. Reactionary politics is rebellion against things they dislike getting normalized, because they know, if they are normalized, they will have to accept them. Because the thing they care about most is being normal.

This is why the echo chamber, this is why Fox News, this is why the Far Right insists they are the “silent majority.” This is why they artificially inflate their numbers. This is why they insist facts are “biased.” They have to maintain the image that what are, in material terms, fringe beliefs are, in fact, held by the majority. This is why getting mocked by Stephen Colbert was such a blow to GamerGate. It makes it harder to believe the world at large agrees with them.

This is why, if you’re trying to change the world for the better, it’s pointless to ask their permission. Because, if you change the world around them, they will adapt even faster than you will.

THE ARGUMENT ISN’T SUPPOSED TO END

Casey Explosion has this really great Twitter thread comparing the Alt-Right to Scary Terry from Rick and Morty. His catchphrase is “you can run but you can’t hide, bitch.” And Rick and Morty finally escape him by hiding. And Morty’s all, “but he said we can’t hide,” and Rick is like, “why are we taking his word on this? if we could hide, he certainly wouldn’t tell us.”

The reason to argue with a GamerGater is on the implied agreement that, if you can convince them they’re part of a hate mob, they will leave. But look at the incentives here: they want to be in GamerGate, and you want them not to be. But they’re already in GamerGate. They’re not waiting on the outcome of this argument to participate. They’ve already got what they want; they don’t need to convince you GamerGate isn’t a hate mob.

This is why all their logic and rationalizations are shit, because they don’t need to be good. They’re not trying to win an argument. They’re trying to keep the argument going.

This has been a precept of conservative political strategy for decades. “You haven’t convinced us climate change is real and man-made, you need to do more studies.” They’re not pausing the use of fossil fuels until the results come in. “You haven’t convinced us there are no WMDs in Iraq, you need to collect more evidence.” They’re not suspending the war until you get back to them. “You haven’t convinced us that Reaganomic tax policy causes recessions, let’s just do it for another forty years and see what happens.” And when the proof comes in, they send us out for more, and we keep going.

The biggest indicator you can’t win a debate with a reactionary is they keep telling you you can. The biggest indicator protest and deplatforming works is they keep telling you in plays into their hands. The biggest indicator that you shouldn’t compromise with Republicans is they keep saying doing otherwise is stooping to their level. They’re not going to walk into the room and say, “Hi, my one weakness is reasoned argument, let’s pick a time and place to hash this out.”

And we fall for it because we’re trying to be decent people. Because we want to believe the truth always wins. We want to bargain in good faith, and they are weaponizing our good faith against us. Always dangling the carrot that the reason they’re like this is no one’s given them the right argument not to be. It’s all just a misunderstanding, and, really, it’s on us for not trying hard enough.

But they have no motivation to agree with us. Most of the people asking for debates have staked their careers on disagreeing with us. Conceding any point to the Left could cost them their livelihood.

WHY GAMES?

Let’s close with the big question: why games? And, honestly, the short answer is:

why not games?

Games culture has always presented itself as a hobby for young, white, middle class boys. It’s always been bigger and more diverse than that, but that’s how it was marketed, and that’s who most felt they belonged. As gaming grows bigger, there is suddenly room for those marginal voices that have always been there to make themselves heard. And, as gaming becomes more mainstream, it’s having its first brushes with serious critical analysis.

This makes the people who have long felt gaming was theirs and theirs alone anxious and a little angry. They’ve invested a lot of their identity in it and they don’t want it to change.

And what the Far Right sees in a sizable collection of aggrieved young men is an untapped market. This is why sites like Stormfront and Breitbart flocked to them. These are not liberals they have to convert, these people are, up til now, not politically engaged. The Right can be their first entry to politics.

The world was changing. Nerd properties were exploding into popular culture in tandem with media representation diversifying. And we were living with the first Black President. Any time an out-group looks like it might join the in-group, there is a self-protective backlash from the existing in-group. This had been brewing for a while, and, honestly, if it hadn’t boiled over in games, it would have boiled over somewhere else.

And, in the years since GamerGate, it has. The Far Right has tapped the comics, Star Wars, and sci-fi fandoms; they tried to get in with the furry community but failed spectacularly. They’re all over YouTube and, frankly, the atheist community was already in their pocket. Basically, if you’re in community with a bunch of young white guys who think they own the place, you might wanna have some talks with them sooner than later.

Anyway, if you want to know more about any of this stuff, RationalWiki’s timeline on GamerGate is pretty thorough. You can also watch my or Dan Olson’s videos on the subject. I’ll be putting the audio of this talk on YouTube and will put as many resources as I can in the show notes. The channel, again, is Innuendo Studios.

Sorry this was such a bummer.

Thank you for your time.

#video essay #alt-right playbook #Youtube

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deluluass · 4 years ago

Text

Red, like blood. Blue, like love.

Content warnings: rape/noncon; nsfw; bullying; soulmates au

Prompt: 88 & 183

There’s someone for everyone, you’d learned growing up.

"Remember, blue means happy," your mother would say. "The happiest you'll ever be.”

She liked reminding you about this fact— for it is an indisputable truth, every so often when she could still carry you. You’d be hugged from the back, as she recounted stories of first meetings, serendipitous and life changing in their nature; belonging to those who’ve lived long before you, sometimes even those who’ve only lived in tales.

Mostly, your mother loved telling those involving the people she knew. And if you’ve behaved properly, she would tell you about hers.

Tracing your palm, starting from the forked lines to the dashed ones on your fingers, she’d say, “These would start to glow like stars.”

“That’s weird!” you’d burst out, shrieking a laughter as she tickled you.

“Listen carefully,” she chastised. “Blue is for your soulmate, okay?”

And you’d repeat: Blue is for my soulmate.

“Then, mama,” you tugged at her sleeves, “What if it’s really, really bright red! Like! Bloody glow sticks! Say, mama, you see, everyone at the park was talking about the man who died because he touched someone and his hand became bright re— ”

You never brought that up again. What your mother said about it had been enough to never make you forget.

“Tell me if you get red,” she said firmly, clutching your arms as if she feared someone would snatch you away from her. “Red is bad, my heart. Red means run.”

It hadn’t nearly been as gruesome as your mother made it out to be.

Case in point, when you turned twelve the couple three houses down your street found out, shortly after their honeymoon, that their palms gleamed a fierce red once they clasped each other’s hands in front of the neighborhood aunties.

Their marriage ended with a swift and ordinary divorce, a year or so later.

Red: Not just an ominous warning for homicide, then. That was a relief, you’d thought.

Contrary to how your mother framed it, you were thankful, actually. It helped some of your friends escape from potentially hellish relationships. How lucky is it that you lived in a reality where the universe seemed exceedingly benevolent. Though, you sometimes have to question if that generosity extended to everyone.

Fat lot of good it did for you.

Because, from where you’re standing, it doesn’t have to take some arbitrary and unsolvable scientific mystery to heed that Oikawa Tooru must be avoided like the plague.

Any person in your shoes would be conditioned to do exactly that.

You’d first met in Elementary. You thought he was the prettiest kid you’d ever seen, with chestnut curls and doe eyes and lashes that swept past his cheeks, and when you’d asked for a hand shake he’d called you “the ugliest girl I’ve ever seen” and “fart face.”

Recess and lunch were when he’s most fearsome. Spiky burdocks slapped on the collar of your dress; dead lizards in your food; the boy was determined. The worst part was that it always happened when no one was looking. And if someone were, it was his best friend. So when you finally told on him to your mom, both your teacher and the principal simply judged Oikawa as the victim of an attention deprived child.

“Please discipline your daughter,” they told her. “We are all aware of your situation at home, but do ensure that she’s not getting out of control.”

You couldn’t even muster up the strength to defend yourself. In that moment all you could do was swear that you’d never allow anyone to talk to your mother in that way again.

You moved out of that school.

You didn’t wait for your palms to flash a warning signal because, somehow, you knew that boys who discover early that they could get away with anything cannot get any better.

There’d been no way to be sure of that until Aoba Johsai— after a peaceful interim of no Oikawa; no red palm lines (and no blue ones, either).

The proof hit you in the face. Literally.

“Oi, Shittykawa!”

Heat permeated from your nostrils as you patted your cheek, detached and staring back at the large gymnasium.

“You hit someone!”

How unlucky did a person have to be to bleed right on the first day of classes?

You tried to lean forward. “It’s okay,” you slurred nasally, pinching your nose and averting your embarrassed gaze from the boy kneeling next to you.

“Trashykawa! You better hurry and apologize!”

“Don’t be mad, Iwa-chan,” that disgustingly saccharine voice came from behind you, making you flinch, as if the years you’d spent apart had done nothing to purge it out of your system.

In all honesty, you hadn’t really cared for whoever was responsible for the ball that careened all the way to where you were standing, so sure that it had to be an accident. No one in their right mind would want to injure someone they barely knew, especially if said someone is a couple of feet away from you.

Morally and athletically, it should’ve been improbable. But then you saw who did it and everything made perfect sense.

Iwa-chan. The boy beside you. Iwaizumi Hajime.

If he’s here, then—

“You,” he whispered.

“Eh?! Gosh, I’m so sorry!” Oikawa Tooru gasped. “You’re bleeding.”

Time is cruel. It wears down on you, tears you and molds you into something you can’t even recognize, if it decides to. (Fate, more so). You didn’t know if you wanted to cry or laugh, looking at him. If the universe were so benevolent, then perhaps Oikawa Tooru had received all of its favor.

He was beautiful. You’d known this before, but with all the baby fat replaced with sharp yet slender angles, figure lean and imposing even when he’d lowered himself to meet your eyes, Oikawa didn’t seem real.

“I did hit someone, didn’t I?” he pouted, wiping the dried blood atop your lip. “And such a pretty girl, too.”

That volleyball existed should’ve made life better for you. It didn’t. If anything, it seemed that out of the court, when he’s not taking names and being praised like a god, you were his little pastime. Something fun to take his mind off whatever it is he thinks about it.

The mocking comments, you could handle; every time you’d recite and he’ll interject with something playful and then the entire class would laugh (because he’s Oikawa) and your professor would reprimand him but you could always tell that they, too, are holding in a giggle.

Those were easy to bear, because although his insults hit way too close to home, it’s just— it’s just so petty.

Really, it’s the aftermath that does the damage.

“They’re like Christmas lights under your skin!”

This topic pops up every month or so. Most people your age can be lucky enough to meet their soulmate this early.

“And it’s the most awesome feeling in the world,” your classmate sighed. “When we touched hands? Man. We just- we glowed.”

Then, the others would poke fun, faking a gagged expression, but they’d always ask afterwards, “What happened next?” And everytime, you’d watch from the sidelines. Like an uninvited audience.

You tried being a part of it once, wanting to share about the time your close friend met her soulmate. But all you’d gotten were side eyes and titters, as if they were laughing about a joke only you didn’t know about.

“They’re so mean to you.”

You groaned.

Oikawa was seated behind you, resting his head against his elbow. Everyone was too busy talking about blue lights and destined souls to notice what’s happening at the back of the room.

He continued, “Not including you in conversations, treating you like an outsider.”

You didn’t bite, focusing on the opened book in front of you.

“Must be lonely, having no one.”

“Oikawa,” you muttered under your breath. “I don’t have the energy for this.”

The silence that came after that was unexpected. You were sure it would be short lived; he’s just gearing up for more. He usually went at it until you’d have no choice but to physically remove yourself from his presence. You’d thought once that that may be why he does this so much. Maybe he still thought you were the “ugliest girl” he’s ever met and he wants you out of his sight. Because Oikawa’s infantile like that.

But the silence stayed, accompanied by the background noise of eager conversations; lingering some more as white, fluffy clouds passed by the glass windows.

When he broke it, all Oikawa said was, “Soulmates, huh.”

You felt a finger touch your back, drawing the barest of lines over your uniform. He removed them just before you could stand up and leave.

You disliked those moments with him.

You disliked him especially when he played.

Oikawa’s a monster, be it in volleyball or with you. There are times, though, that you’d notice some things that you think you’re not meant to see. Like after a serve— its impact booming throughout the court, he’d have this puzzling expression on his face.

It looked like....anger.

He scored a point, right? Everyone’s cheering for him, aren’t they? Wait, didn’t they win?

You thought maybe it’s the adrenaline making him nastier than usual, but sometimes you’d pass by the gym when he happens to be alone. And that anger is still there, punctuated by the sound of the ball exploding against the floor. Jump. Hit. Spike. Jump. Hit. Spike. He’d do it, again and again and again.

As if he’s trying to grasp something even he cannot reach.

Those instances should’ve taught you that the best thing to do is look away.

That’s what you should’ve done. Look away.

They lost the Interhigh tournament.

You knew this not because you’d watched, but because for one day, Oikawa Tooru wasn’t your bully.

The derision was replaced by sulking. He didn’t speak for the entire period. The funniest thing about it was that everyone kept staring at you. Like somehow you’d been the cause of this, when all of them were lamenting the loss just as much as the team itself.

What was supposed to be a reason for celebration suddenly became a crime that you had to explain for.

“Great,” you grumbled to yourself. “One time I don’t have a target on my back, now I’m the bad guy.”

Trash bag in hand, the scraps inside rattled against each other as you stomped to the recycling bin, both sleeves of your P.E jacket folded up to the elbows. You affected a tone, choosing to mock the grating way some of classmates talked:

“Oh, hey, if it’s not too much,” you began. “Can you please be his punching bag again? If you will, can you relieve our superstar’s burdens? By, I don’t know, alluring him into walking all over you? Like the good old days! Please, oh please? We rely on you, oh Great Punching Bag! We Beseech thee, oh Esteemed Doormat! We compel— dude, what the fuck?!”

Crumpled papers and steel and tin cans rolled to the ground. You didn’t pick them up, like you should’ve; you left it there, trash bag lying open, and grabbed the ball that whisked mere inches from your face.

This time you’re not making the same mistake. The asshole is more than capable of suspending what little morals he has, just to hurt someone he barely knew. As well as athletically adept (an understatement, that) at hitting a walking target; or not hitting it, in this case.

You stormed the almost empty gym. Oikawa is a ray of sunshine, greeting you with that smile. It makes you want to punch him.

“What is wrong with you?” you spat.

He chuckled. “Whoops. Sorry!”

“I’m not having this-” you shoved the ball to his stomach. He didn’t even blink. “This isn’t gonna slide anymore, Oikawa.”

Wide grin still in place, he took it from your hands with his much larger ones and said, “Wow, you’re actually mad this time. ”

Then, he added, “I didn’t mean it! Honest!”

Must be nice, you thought with a scowl, to be him. Anyone can be sincere if they look anything like Oikawa.

“Sure. Fine. No, actually,” you glowered. “You know what?”

“Hm?” He tilted his head. Oikawa tilted his pretty little head.

You seethed. “I get it. You lost. That doesn’t mean you get to take it out on me. I mean, what did I ever do to you, Oikawa? I have-” you exhaled, surprised by the break in your voice.

“I haven’t done anything to you. We stopped being kids a long time ago. That shit you pull should’ve ended by now. We’ve grown.” You jabbed his chest. “But I see that maybe not all of us have.”

His pleased expression hadn’t dropped. “Ouch,” Oikawa grimaced, glancing amusedly at the place you’d touched. “How mean.”

This isn’t going anywhere.

You don’t know why it took you this long to realize this, as you shifted your gaze away from him, noticing the gashes on the floor that tear the surface like scars that never healed. That must’ve been because of him, with the amount of practice he does.

“It won’t be enough, won’t it, Oikawa?” you whispered. “Not for you.”

The smile that’s been there since you arrived tensed, straining at the corners of his lips.

“Yeah, I’ve been told,” he beamed.

He was bathing in his own sweat, seeping through his shirt and matting his hair to his face, and he looks— Oikawa looked tired. His eyes were sunken in, too. Did he even sleep?

You’re so used to seeing him not a hair out of place, with a sweet scent that you amusedly thought lures his gaggle of admirers into following him everywhere. It takes you aback, honestly. Particularly the wobble in his step as he bent and squeezed his knee with shaky fingers.

You don’t think he’s aware he’s doing it in front of you.

Then, just like that, everything seemed to have added up.

“You’ll never be happy,” you said.

You should’ve stopped there. You should’ve left. Instead, you looked him in those brown eyes, the warm hue becoming a lot colder as he moved closer.

Oikawa sneered. “And what do you know, huh?”

(Go. Leave.)

“Nothing,” you told him. “I don’t- I don’t know. Because, I don’t get it.”

(Shut up. Shut up.)

“Why you try any harder, I don’t know. Win or lose, it’s all the same. You’re still the same. You’re still awful and annoying and- and still you.” You laughed, unsure why you’re running your mouth like this.

“Win or lose. Oikawa is still Oikawa,” you breathed in. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

His teammates must’ve gone somewhere. For lunch, maybe, you thought as you eyed the abandoned bottles and used towels scattered around the court. “Besides,” you huffed, not without a twinge of envy. “They’ll all still love you, either way.”

Everything went still for a while, and you’d just realized what you’d just said.

“What about you?”

You looked back at him.

“What?”

He tipped his chin. You stepped backwards.

He brushed your wrist.

“Don’t touch me,” you hissed, but he only smiled and wrapped his entire hand around it.

Oikawa had been your first bully. Before you could even comprehend what that meant, Oikawa had been the source of your mother’s worries whenever she parted with you at the school gates. It is funny, thinking about it, for letting this boy affect you despite making an effort to stay away the first time.

But it is only now— now that he has a firm hold on you, gentle yet smothering— that you truly feared Oikawa Tooru.

It rattled your breath, squeezing your heart and refusing air to pass through your lungs, as you felt a shock zap through you. And apparently through him as well.

You broke away from each out with a cry.

Your hand was burning. That’s the only explanation for it. Your hand was burning and any moment now smoke will diffuse from the pores.

You waited. Any moment now. But the more you stared at it the more tiny spots of flames sparked under your skin, bursting along the palm lines— first, the forked ones; then, the dashed lines— glaring back at you, glowing brighter, blotting and spreading until they mapped your palms then your entire hands like constellations.

“Red is bad, my heart,” your mother said. “Red means run.”

“I knew it,” you scoffed, shaking your head.

Well, it’s not as if this is news to you.

“What about that, Oikawa?” You put both your radiating hands in the air. “The universe is telling us, you and I? We just don’t—”

Why are you crying?

Why is Oikawa crying?

“I knew it,” he croaked.

Your mother made the red light sound so horrifying for a reason.

There has to be a reason, too, why the universe is warning you so late into your life. You’d actually ran before. And when you thought it a waste of money, you chose to stay and not fight back; thinking that his punches have become less severe, degraded into verbal taunts that induce social exclusion at most; that, certainly, red doesn’t forbode something as bad as murder, right?

Well, what now? You were wrong, after all. This time you have a feeling that you actually need to hide.

Because Oikawa’s looking at you like you’re the last two people left in this Earth.

Just you and him. Without any need for anybody else.

You didn’t breathe, attempting to bolt despite the overwhelming need to throw up right where you're standing. He stepped closer, faster than you’d liked, and touched your face, caressing your cheek up to your aching temple.

“You should really stop trying to run away,” he said, voice low as if he’s sharing a secret. “I’ll always find you, you know?”

You didn’t have to look to know. Even if you closed your eyes, as well, you know it’s still going to be there; glowing in the darkness behind your eyelids.

“Me and you—” Oikawa sighed.

Listen carefully, your mother said.

“ —we have a connection that no one else will ever understand,” he said.

The light emitting from his hand was so harsh it hurt you, pricking your sight until it drew fat tears, reflecting against your damp face and tinting the fallen streaks with bright—

Blue means happy, she told you. The happiest you’ll ever be.

And you’d repeat: Blue. Blue is for—

“My soulmate," Oikawa said, before locking you in a deep, searing kiss.

The lights didn't die even as he dragged you into the storage room.

"Hey, where'd senpai go?"

The rest of the volleyball team came in droves, occupying the hollow court with their squeaking shoes and questions about Oikawa's whereabouts.

"Must've gone somewhere," you heard a deep voice say.

You could answer that question. All you had to do was scream. They weren't so far from the room that they wouldn't pick it up over the noise of their volleyball practice. Really, if you needed to, you could even outshout their guttural yells of "Nice kill!"

Though, you'd have to remove the underwear lodged in your mouth first.

Yours, in fact; soaked now by your own saliva, drool dripping to your chin as your wrists chafed against the rope that's keeping them tied at your back.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" You felt every sickening movement of Oikawa's lips against your throat. "Feels good when you- ah, fuck- when you give in."

With the cloth muting your shrill bawling, you tried your best to recall how you ended up here: seated on his lap as he sluggishly humped himself against you, his still glowing hands cupping your ass.

The only thing left on your body was your bra, and even that he's already lowered to let your tits spill over the top. Your pants and t-shirt and jacket are lying around somewhere. You couldn't determine where in particular; the only sources of light were behind you.

He was leaving imprints of blue all over your skin; around your waist as he slithered his hands to reach your breasts, scantily brushing over the hardened nipples and making you keel over.

"So sensitive," he tutted, smooching your neck so gently that even the underwear couldn't muffle your loud yelp when he suddenly bit into the flesh. Hard.

You wanted to claw his eyes out and call for help and you wanted badly to scream don't do that Oikawa someone please save me he's gonna kill me he's gonna kill me-

But the gag remained intact and the boys outside continued their game, ignorant that their precious captain is taking everything away from you.

Sharp canines bruised your skin, provoking a fresh batch of tears as he sucked and licked every after cruel bite.

Then, when you thought the worst had passed, he removed his mouth from your neck to spit onto your bare cunt, allowing it to slide from the hair on your mound to the nub sticking out in the middle.

(It is not enough that he is killing you. Oikawa must defile you, too.)

His fingers gripped the insides of your thighs open when you tried to shut them together. "Don't be a brat," he clicked his tongue.

"Be a nice little kitten for me," Oikawa drawled, smearing the slick that's soaking your folds against the spittle coating your clit.

You didn't notice when he'd taken his cock out, you only realize that he's about to enter you when he teased your entrance with it, pushing the tip to nudge the drenched hole, only to pull it back again.

And you didn't dare look. The feel of it almost stretching you out with just the head is already driving you to insipid begging.

"What'd you say, kitten?" he pouted.

Oikawa you've already taken too much is it never going to be enough Oikawa let me go.

"I can't understand you," he chuckled. "Here—"

He pulled the underwear out of your mouth as he thrust all the way inside, your back arching, driving him deeper, as his cock throbbed against your pussy walls.

"Now, what were you saying?"

You swallowed your cries and heaved and swore you were gonna tear his heart out after this.

"Say," he whispered, sniffing your wet panties without breaking his gaze. "If everyone saw us right now, how'd you think they'd react?"

It was so reverent, the way he did it, blue light revealing that he closed his eyes as he took a whiff, as if he hung onto your scent like a lifeline.

But you thought that'd been a calculated move, because as you dumbly stared at him, he immediately gyrated his hips under you, rocking back and forth ever so slowly, and you remembered that you had to keep quiet.

His cock was so big inside you, making you bite your lip as it filled you up, the curved tip hitting a spot that has you squirming in his embrace.

"At this point they'll know how much of a whore you are," he said, tangling his muscled arms around yours and anchoring you to his body. "Made just for me."

"Oika-Oikawa…"

You don't know this person.

"Help..me.."

You don't know who's speaking out and whimpering for Oikawa, on her knees and bouncing up and down on his lap with weak, quivering thighs.

It couldn't be you.

"Help you?" You felt him nuzzle your neck. "I thought you wanted me to stay away, though?"

Someone mewled out a pathetic, "N-no."

"No? Then what d'you want, kitten?"

(Oh. Oh, he feels so fucking good.)

Your belly has never felt this hot before and it's driving you crazy that you're chasing for something you cannot see and it feels so near but there's something, something that's keeping you from it that all you can do is grind your sopping cunt closer to him.

"Wanna- I wanna cum."

Oikawa kissed you on the forehead, and then he said, "Go ahead, then."

He released your arms.

Then, he's scooping cum off your pussy, making sure to drag his fingers under the lips, before circling your large, swelling clit. Then, he's sucking your tits and swirling his tongue around a nipple and you're so so close.

"That's it," Oikawa sighed. "Ride my cock, baby."

His rough palm slapped both your ass cheeks and the cry that erupted from you only made him laugh.

"Make yourself cum on my cock," he grunted, licking his smiling lips as he leaned back against the wall, hand idly rubbing your dripping clit. "You're making a mess, darling. Leaking like that."

You're quivering all over; your cunt is spasming and your legs are complaining beneath you, but you don't stop. You lift your hips and then sink your pussy down, down until you feel his balls touching your sore ass, the sloshing sound growing louder as you move faster.

You don't think about what this'll all mean later, what you're doing giving in to him, when you scream out his name. But as soon as you did, Oikawa's growl had been your only warning.

He grabbed the back of your head and kissed you, plunging his tongue into your throat, his strong arms pressing you so close to him you can no longer tell his skin from yours, his battering heartbeat from yours.

You didn't move—weren't allowed to, when he hammered his cock into you, pounding your cunt and fucking you raw until you're breathless and nothing but a shuddering wreck, splitting at the seams in his hands as you feel thick spurts of hot cum slide out of you.

"My pretty girl," came his hoarse whisper. "My pretty, pretty girl."

The lights have dimmed, when he cradled your shaking form and moved out of you, faint traces left on just the palm lines and fingertips.

They were flooded by the sudden brightness that enveloped the storage room.

"Holy shit."

You pressed your eyes close, your entire body prickling at Oikawa’s touch.

It shouldn't be surprising, at this point, that Oikawa, as quick as he'd stripped you off of everything, has already covered you back in your jacket. The smell of it striking you ruthlessly, that old cologne that you always use to school reminding you of who you were, before all this.

Had it only been a few hours? It felt like a lifetime ago.

"Ah," Oikawa murmured. "They caught us."

"Oikawa,” someone roared. Oikawa held you, hiding your face against his chest. “Why you son of a-"

"C-coach..! Stop- Oi, someone help me hold him- no, coach! "

You heard him chuckle. “Sorry about this, everyone.” He held up his hand and you had to keep yourself from sobbing. “But, look.”

There were several gasps.

(Everybody knows now.)

“You..and her?”

The boy who said that sounded so astonished, clearly overjoyed for some reason, that it revolted you.

“Mhm,” he nodded, a smile in his voice. “Now, can you guys please give us some privacy?”

Feet shuffled out of the room, along with stuttered apologies. They all left.

Except for one.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa pouted.

“What did you do, Oikawa?”

A beat. Then, he repeated, “Iwa-chan.”

Please.

Iwaizumi didn’t say anything.

Please help me.

“Sure,” he grunted.

He was gone, too, after that.

You were back in the darkness, with nothing but the faltering red and blue on your hands and his, while he untied your wrists and kneaded the abrasion away, cooing sweet nothings to your ear.

“I hate you,” you rasped.

“Don’t say that.”

“I fucking hate you-”

“Please stop yelling-”

“I won’t ever forgive you, Oikawa!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he cried, shaking his head as he brushed your tear-stained cheeks with both thumbs. You clutched them, wanting him off you, but he only latched himself firmly into you. “We’re meant to be.”

“You’re the only one for me.”

Oikawa brought your numb hand to his face, pressing a kiss to your palm, the red light basking him in its soft glow.

“And I’m the only one for you,” he said, intertwining your fingers together.

The lights flickered in and out, at first, as you stared vacantly into it, the red and blue swallowing each other. Until they finally disappeared, leaving just you and him, curled against each other in the shadows.

#tw noncon #tw non con haikyuu #yandere oikawa #oikawa toru x reader #oikawa x female reader #dark content haikyuu #prompt

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