#rather than it being some kind of conspiracy everyone is on to take him down

[astrojelly]

like if almost every single person that has worked with someone talked about how they were awful and stood against them then idk maybe that means they really are awful and not some misunderstood victim

[bloodchapell]

the kirkegaard to my camus - armin a.

brief summary: you meet armin in a philosophy class and it seems there is something about him that is drawing you in. after talking over text and in class you propose to read the next story in his book together since you haven’t read it either. you do not read but spend the hour talking about it all.

what to expect: alt and very nerdy reader, equally nerdy armin, mutual pinning, armin being soo awkward

your sword’s note: this is the first delivery of this thing. i may or may not be projecting myself in the reader:0, other than that i love armin sm and love imagining little scenarios of daily things with him rather than just consuming smut like a fiend so this will focus more in the evolution of their relationship —yes there will still be smut eventually but the plot is the main thing rather than the smut. all future parts of this au series available in my mistresslist

It is no surprise that nerds tend to group together, and though you seemed to be a pretty girl with an amazing style, you were the biggest nerd ever. Bland people that could only gossip and talk about relationships were like sunlight for you as an aspiring vampire. You liked being able to sit down and talk about life and death and philosophy and astrology and music and science and conspiracies and everything and anything, and only some kind of people could really fulfill that hunger for comprehension from a mind on the same level.

You were majoring in fashion, but for funsies decided to take a philosophy class as an elective, and there you met Armin. He was shy and seating in the row next to the wall, and since you took insanely long in the morning to do your makeup and choose your clothes, you were moderately late and the only seat available was besides Armin when you got there.

As a proper philosophy class, you had to talk with people and debate, so the professor asked for everyone to talk to the person besides them and boom! You were talking to Armin. The talk started simple, introductions in the most basic sense, but your eyes soon caught a glimpse of the book under his elbow.

“I also like Asimov.” You pointed out and he turned around fully to face you nervously. He could not believe you knew Isaac Asimov. “Well he is the father of the laws of robotics we follow to this day…how could I not know him?”

Armin observed you closely. Your hair had an unusual haircut and he could see that it had been dyed over dye because the color was inconsistent. Your makeup was carefully done and not in a way to alter your features but enhance them and almost as decoration too. Your eyes were fierce and normally he wouldn’t speak to someone that looked like you in fear of being judged, ironically. He had a certain admiration for people that were cool looking, and almost some sort of envy. In the depth of your eyes that waited for him to say something he felt enthralled by you.

To say he was quietly fascinated is low. He caught an almost immediate crush on you and though he was too shy to talk, he found himself quickly comfortable knowing that you would start the conversations during class. That same day, you asked for his number and texted him right away.

As soon as he arrived to his dormitory, he sat down in his bed, ignored Eren, and texted you nonstop. Talking about simple things and confusing things could take you both hours, and the topic of the conversation swiftly changed and made the texting an ongoing conversation. You both went to sleep pretty late that night.

You two only shared one class, but had some gaps in your schedules that matched and by your own proposal, you two started hanging out together as often as possible. You had no other close friends, to Armin’s surprise, and his friends were often busy. For your first outing with him out of class you decided to go to the library since you both were yet to read Nightfall by Asimov so you asked to read it together in the library after class over text and though he was extremely hesitant, Eren convinced him of accepting.

“Hiii!” You said waiting for him in the entrance of the library. He didn’t know what brand it was but his eyes were immediately captivated by your h.NAOTO coat and the long Anna Sui black dress you decided to wear for the day.

“Hello.” Kind of shy he started. Initially he didn’t understand why you’d want to be seen with him, as if he was convinced –and he was– that having him by your side would take off aura points from you. He eventually got that you were beyond the comprehension of the average fellow and having such a knowledgeable person as he is as a friend was even an honor for you. He remembered Eren’s words: to compliment you. So he did. “I like your coat.”

“Well thanks, I also like your jacket, very dark academia-ish.” You laughed and walked inside the library. Armin was nervous as hell, he didn’t know where to put his hands or how to carry the book, suddenly his phone was seating uncomfortable in his pocket and the tag of his shirt started tickling his side, just as if everything was against him in that precise moment.

When you reached an area that was silent and a little secluded, you asked Armin if he wanted to seat by the window and when he agreed you two pushed two small sofas together.

“Did you finish reading The End of Eternity?” You asked taking off the coat and putting it in your lap. He nodded trying to make some eye contact. “Did you like the ending?”

“Yes, it makes sense, both sides make sense but I think I lean more towards supporting the Eternals, having a controlled and stable future seems better.” Armin said playing with the pages of the book in his hands, a collection of some works by Asimov. He had wished for the longest time to have a friend with whom he could discuss complicated things, he had imagined in his head that it’d be another nerd guy just like him or something; he had not expected for his wish to be granted in the form of a seemingly unreachable and mysterious goddess. He cringed at himself.

“Yeah stability does for sure sound calming, but don’t you think that it is kind of boring?” You inquired and he simply looked at you in hopes you’d expand your thought. “For sure stability is necessary, but controlling every possible outcome that seems negative can withhold progress, and what is better than to be better… uhmm for example, I wouldn’t like all my pieces to feel the same or look the same; amongst several fails something has to succeed. Mistakes are the road to progress after all.”

“Yeah I guess so too…” After a good second of silence, Armin said. “I guess if we are scared of failure we are consequently avoiding possible success.” He laughed softly and you smiled at him; he immediately thought you had a pretty smile.

Truth be told it was pretty easy for him to develop a crush on someone, but most were fundamentally just neutral, he saw someone and built their persona in his mind according to the information he had of them and would stay with that. It was different with you though, he started to believe there were genuine reasons for him to like you, you were of course beautiful and fashionable and cool, but you were also intelligent and thoughtful.

“Are you not afraid of making mistakes?” He suddenly asked and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“I don’t think I am that honorable. Mistakes are a pain in the ass but I guess I am not going out of my way to avoid making a mistake… it is a complicated thought.” You mentioned and he nodded as in trying to make sense of every word that came out of your mouth, as if they were words that could prophesy the meaning behind existence itself.

“That is so absurdist.” Armin laughed.

“So precise of me, so accurate of you to guess my philosophical current.”

“Absurdism, that is crazy. Guess mine.”

“Be the Kierkegaard to my Camus?” You asked taking off a ring from your hands and offering it to him. “I once read something by Kierkegaard in high school and it genuinely made my brain hurt.”

“He is a little complex.” Armin laughed softly without knowing how to react. You had guessed correctly and he knew, you didn’t even have to say the actual word, simply replacing “existentialism” by making an allusion of yourself as Albert Camus, father of absurdism, and of him as Søren Kierkegaard, father of existentialism; it was as if you were proving to him that you understood what he was talking about.

The silver ring did not fit in any of his fingers but his pinky, so there he wore it.

“Do I need to give the ring back?” He asked seconds after you put it in his right hand.

“Hmm you can keep it if you plan on using it next time.” You said standing up. The hour had passed already and your class was starting soon so you needed to go. “See you soon, next time let’s not get distracted and actually read.”

“Okay.” He waved goodbye from his seat and after you left he glanced at the ring for good ten minutes, your words just repeating over and over again in his mind, “next time”.

[thezombieprostitute]

Tech Tuesday: Mike

Summary: A new intern is assigned to your department.

A/N: Mike is from Hellraiser: Hellworld. If you need an idea as to what his character is like, I highly recommend this gif set.

Warnings: Age gap (Reader is 10+years older than Mike). Power imbalance.

Part 1

Tech Tuesday Masterlist

Mike swears his brain has melted out of his ears. This meeting has gone on forever. Clearly he was being subjected to cruel and unusual punishment for a crime he hadn't committed! He'd heard from 4 or 5 different employees about all the ways they use the interface. There had been a lot of back and forth between said employees about preferences for the new layout, pretty much everyone's ideas conflicted with each other. It only reinforced Mike's belief that he should just create some sample portals of his own design and have people pick from that.

You had noticed Mike's absentmindedness early on in the meeting and made sure to take all the notes he should have been writing. He's clearly not prepared for the job but you're not going to let him get away with not giving your employees what they want. Still, he is just an intern and part of the point of an internship is learning how to do the job. So you'll grant him this kindness. What he does with that will determine whether or not you ask Pine or Syverson to remove him.

After the meeting you wait for everyone else to leave before gesturing for Mike to follow you to your office. He flops down in one of the chairs by your desk, clearly exhausted.

You chuckle, "welcome to corporate life, kid."

"That was insane," Mike begins. "The interface sucks balls, obviously, but no one can agree on how to fix it? That was basically," he pulls out his phone, "2 HOURS! That was 2 hours of people not listening to each other! What the fuck?"

You sit in your chair. "First of all, watch your language." He shrinks a little under your gaze. "Secondly, that's not an every day occurrence, at least not under my watch. There's a reason I set this aside as a project."

Mike gives you a look like a confused puppy, "you mean projects aren't the daily work?"

"They can be," you nod. "But the majority of the work my people do is day-to-day stuff. Routine. Projects, unless otherwise specified, are filler work for them. For you, however, the project will be your internship."

He startles at that. "Shi---shoot," you smile at his self-correction. "I should've taken notes. I...I'm normally good at remembering things, but I wasn't expecting...Please tell me we don't have to have another fu-- meeting like that?"

You can tell he wants to go on a very colorful rant about how painfully boring the meeting was to him. Again, you find yourself smiling softly at his frustration, remembering how you were at that age.

Handing him your notes you tell him, "it's a good thing I took notes." His joy filled eyes makes you chuckle. "But this is a one-time thing," you warn. "I expect you to take your own notes going forward. And yes, there will be other meetings." He winces at this. "We need regular updates on your progress, regular feedback from the employees you're doing this for. So you'd better get some practice at note-taking. I find it helps me when the meetings get so boring my brain wants to destroy itself rather than continue."

"That's...good advice, Boss Lady," Mike says as he takes the notebook from you.

You roll your eyes at the nickname, "just get your butt to work, young man. I expect an update from you by the end of next week."

Part 1

Tech Tuesday Masterlist

Tagging: @alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @ellethespaceunicorn; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory;

@kingliam2019; @late-to-the-party-81; @lokislady82; @ozwriterchick; @ronearoundblindly

@thecrandle

[insanescriptist]

Another Day, in the park, I think I just saw-

Tim's had years of experience at being a vigilante but sometimes the human brain has a little fritz and misses something obvious. Especially while stressed and sleep-deprived. Very unkind of evolution to have not fixed that in human brains.

Which is why on little lunch date before Tim drags himself back to the office, he's walking in the park with Benard. Bleary-eyed and focused more on his drink than food. It's great weather for Gotham, surprisingly sunny and warm enough that being outside is enjoyable. Everyone that's not chained to work is enjoying the rarity. Something is bound to go wrong but for now, time to enjoy it.

So that's what Tim was doing. Enjoying the good weather and good company as they walked along in the park.

And that's how Benard spots Jason Todd, laying out on a picnic blanket, holding a book to shield his face first, as he read. Or so Tim has to conclude. This had to be what was going wrong for Tim. Jason. Please, he'd rather take Scarecrow. Or Firefly. (He was not desperate enough for Condiment Man.)

"That's a dead-ringer for Willis Todd," Benard breathes his excitement as he chatters on. "I wonder if he's related?"

"Willis Todd?" Tim asks Benard, as if he hadn't seen the files himself. Petty criminal. Jason's biological father. If Jason parts his hair down the center, brushes it and through some magic Tim has never understood, he's basically his father once again, but with prettier eyes.

"Hmm, yeah, could still be a doppleganger instead of related but.. he looks like Willis Todd, the biological father of Jason Todd, your adopted older brother, who died under mysterious circumstance overseas."

"So you think he's like a cousin?" Tim asked. Because, now he could see how Benard would pull them over so he could ask. If he didn't manage to derail this.

"No, I did a little research a while back to scratch the itch and with the rise of social media, you can get enough information about a family to hire one of those ancestry sites."

Oh great goddess no. Benard did not.

Actually Benard would.

That's why Tim liked him.

He had terrible taste.

"Anyway, so all of Willis' living siblings only had girls, so it's probably a doppleganger."

"You mean officially. Kids out of wedlock happen all the time." Tim's mouth ran before his brain caught it. Do not feed the Conspiracy! "And-" Think Timmy, damn it Jason-voice, out of his head! "And, he could also be a cousin from further out. Like Jason's grandfather had a brother who had kids."

"You'd think so but the neat thing about the Todds is that they've only had one male offspring to survive to adulthood for each generation for the past seven generations. Willis did have a younger brother."

Oh shit. Now Tim might be jumping to conclusions, but that sounded like magic. He, like every other self-respecting Bat, hated magic.

"So your plan is to just go up and ask if he's related to Bruce Wayne's dead adopted son?"

"Well, it sounds really rude when you put it that way, but look at him!"

So Tim did. Reluctantly.

And then fascinated, as he watched Jason perk up into a sitting position as a lady approached him. Tim immediately profiled her. White hair, light skin, about Tim's own height, no eye patch! Okay, not Rose Wilson, that's one hazard avoided.

"I think he's on a date Benard." Because then Tim and Benard could return to theirs.

Yeah, she wasn't really Jason's type -not that Jason really had a type as far as Tim knew- since he didn't advertise anything personal about himself and was utterly miserly about what he did share. The women he worked with though, those were usually tough as nails. Which was a stupid phrase from a stupid brain. Rose Wilson was a railroad spike in the eye kind of a nail if she had to be a nail.

She had a style kinda fashions sense to Rose Wilson though, if more punk and less Deathstroke's iconic colors. Cropped dark hoody, leggings, boots that might be steel toe. A pleated black skirt, too many belts.

But yeah, they definitely knew each other, since she was leaning over and teasing him. Maybe about the book?

Oh! Jason put the book down!

He never put the book he was reading down unless the book was in danger or he was done with it!

He must be in love!

And now Tim knew about it!

And Benard knew about it! Without knowing! So, how to get Benard to never mention it at all to Tim's family and also to not stalk them as soon as Tim's lunch break was over?

She reached down as if to help pull Jason up, Jason making a comment as he was lifted-

-overbalancing them-

-stronger than she looked-

-Jason was not light-

-they were falling backwards-

-green light flashed.

"What." Tim said as he put what he had just seen into something like logical sense.

Bruce would want to know everything. Everyone would. Tim had no answers. No evidence.

"Tim. What if Jason Todd was still alive and just got abducted by magic in front of us?"

"Benard, I love you but if Jason's been alive all these years, why hasn't he gone home to Bruce?" Tim pointed out logically. Except Tim knew the reason.

"Well," Benard said as he bought time to come up with something outlandish. "With Superman and Green Arrow and that one Green Lantern coming back from the dead, along with a number of other civilians through various incidents it's possible that Jason Todd was revived through some cosmic quirk. But however it happened, he's now bound to Gotham, because he's buried in town. And the undead in lore, usually can't cross running water because it's a natural boundary, but the Finger and Sprang rivers are part of Gotham City itself. But Bristol is separated from Gotham by the Gotham River. So he can't!"

Benard looked so proud of himself, so Tim kissed him as he went to the consider how to actually report in and not tip his boyfriend off about the vigilantism.

"Anyway, we just saw someone get abducting in the park, possibly through magic. I'm going to call into the bat-tip line and hopefully they'll investigate."

"Oh, Tim. Imagine if one of the Bat's show! Best lunch ever!"

Tim was having the worst lunch ever.

Stupid Jason.

[not-really-a-writer]

Clone Relationship HC's: fights and makeup s*x

I don't know where this came from within my brain. Everyone feel free to add to this or whatever if you have thoughts ;)

ARC Trooper Fives: ahh, my dream man. But in all seriousness, I believe Fives would be quite fiery in an argument. Remember how he stood up to Rex and General Krell on Umbara? And how he fought so hard in the conspiracy arc? He doesn't back down, and if he believes he is right, he will not stop. So I'd expect Fives to be that way in a relationship, especially during a fight. He would be almost stubborn with his point of view and probably more concerned with proving his point rather than coming to a mutual consensus, especially in his early relationships. He'd probably eventually learn that it is better to be in agreement more than it is to be "right" but certainly not until he got some life experience and learned the hard way that he can lose partners this way. If entering a debate with him, prepare to throw down (figuratively, not literally. He'd never turn to violence with his SO) and go the distance bc I get the feelings Fives is not a 'stick a pin in it and we'll talk later' kind of guy. He'd want to talk about it NOW, and talk it through completely, no matter how late you stay up arguing. This would be a challenge for partners who cannot deal with intense emotional situations for very long because Fives would not want or need a break. Asking to take a break from an argument would probably cause a lot of anxiety for Fives as it would be akin to bottling up a raging river after you'd blown up the dam.

As far as makeup sex goes, I think he'd be the type to be able to switch off all the negative feelings from the argument and move onward pretty quickly without holding a grudge. As soon as apologies are given, or you both decide to agree to disagree and drop it, he'd be ready to move on in a heartbeat, already putting the past behind him. Therefore, makeup sex with him would probably be more like normal sex with him: playful, energetic, and full of passion and affection but this time with added reassurance to let you know that the argument is over and that everything is good between you.

Commander Wolffe: Ahhh Our handsome, gruff commander.. I get the feeling he doesn't handle others' emotions too well. Not that he can't process them or anything, he simply gets overwhelmed by intense expressions of emotion either from himself or others for long periods of time. Therefore, I believe arguments and fighting with Wolffe in the context of a relationship would actually be quite short in duration because he would be looking for a chance to escape the situation pretty quickly. I think that Wolffe wouldn't be avoiding the conflict because he doesn't care, but because it physically tires him out when it comes to receiving and expressing emotions for hours on end. So, if entering a disagreement with Wolffe, be prepared for him to reach his tolerance limit, and then be able to give him some space and time until he's ready to resume. It would be important to be able to wait until he is ready to talk about any type of emotionally-charged topic because he would be unreceptive and irritable if it was too soon. This somewhat conflict-avoidant personality would be challenging for someone who seeks resolution quickly or has trouble controlling the anxiety created during an argument because once Wolffe has hit his limit, the conversation is going exactly nowhere until he is ready to talk again. However, once Wolffe is ready to talk, he would likely seek agreement with his partner over his own preferences. I think he would want harmony above being 'right' in all instances simply because he would be highly interested in avoiding conflict in the first place.

Now, when it comes to makeup sex, I think Wolffe would be more than willing to channel some of the pent up energy from the argument into some action between the sheets. I think that he would use it as a chance to physically work away those negative feelings and feelings of frustration from the argument while also showing you that he has passion for you as a couple. I'd expect makeup sex with Wolffe to be rougher than normal, but he'd be more affectionate than normal afterward once the frustration has passed and he realizes that despite the conflict, he is still in love with you and appreciates your patience from earlier.

[aberooski]

Every thought I've had about OUAD 2 so far:

1. OUAD 2 will take place a few months after OUAD and will follow Chazz, Atticus, Alexis, and Jay, Sy, and Hassleberry as they take a trip to visit the Crystal Kingdom where Atticus and Alexis live (otherwise knows as the Northern Kingdom in OUAD as it's located to the north of the Golden Kingdom, the central kingdom of the lands)

2. Keeping with the Once Upon A .... theme for the title, it won't just be Once Upon A Duelist 2. My main thought is Once Upon A Winter OUAW or something along those lines because the story will take place during the wintertime and the Crystal Kingdom is in fact a snow kingdom.

3. Chazz and Atticus are officially a couple

4. I want to include more of the ensemble cast, my thought is that Bastion and Jesse are residents of the Crystal Kingdom and will have some kind of significance within the story

5. I don't like him but I also want a Zane cameo because the fact that he canonically exists in OUAD and because Syrus is a fairy, he has to be one too is hilarious to me and I need to see it.

6. Hassleberry is in trouble with fairy society for actually killing Jagger in OUAD, despite how evil he and Slade were when they were still alive. They also view him as more of an enigma than they already did due to his animalistic side that he was born with and how weak his magical abilities are because despite his weak magical powers, he was able to not only access extremely powerful ancient magicks on his own during the final battle of OUAD, he did it while in his berserked state and not even in control of himself. Just like Jaden thought, everyone underestimated the power of the gold fairy.

7. Jaden is intrigued by how Jesse, a regular human, can see and communicate with the spirits. Jaden can but even as a magical being it's uncommon, and Chazz can but only because Jaden blessed him with the power. So how is it that Jesse can see spirits too? Eventually as he's observing Jesse to try and figure that out, he starts to develop a crush on the kind human boy......

8. Not sure what the greater conflict of the story will be. Maybe some kind of conspiracy or some sort of other issue that is uncovered and runs deep within the Crystal Kingdom. I still have to figure that out and who the main antagonist will be. That will influence a lot of the story since it'll need to be built around that.

9. Loved a comment @chazz-is-a-zelda-fan made about OUAD 2 continuing the trend of killing off disliked characters, wouldn't mind finding a way to sneak and Adrian death in there somewhere 😌 thanks for putting that thought in my head friend 💜 I'm all kinds of down for killing off that bitch somehow lol

10. I had originally had a thought about Adrian wanting revenge for Slade and Jagger's destruction of the Kingdom of the East, but I'm not sure timeline wise if that would work I mean they destroyed it a little over 20 years ago and Adrian isn't much older than they are in canon so he couldn't have actually been there to see it but I suppose it could still work if that event more or less destroyed his family and set him up for a real crap life. Also Slade and Jagger are dead now and nobody still alive had anything to do with it except the trio was involved in the battle to stop them back then, which they did. So it wouldn't make sense still unless I got real creative I guess 🤨 or maybe it does and I'm just underthinking it. But Adrian I think would be more of a minor antagonist rather than the main antagonist of the whole fic.

11. Going back to conspiracy, and I did almost say cult.... potential SoL inclusion??? Or a Darkness cult???? Nightshroud???? Absolutely no thoughts about that just a potential concept but maybe something like that for the main conflict???? I really don't know yet 😭

It'll probably be a while before I get to start actually writing any of this but the thoughts are real y'all.

[siri-ike]

Bellyache pt.2

Prev

He'll be fine. He once threw up an entire, live centipede. There's nothing that can keep Mikey down for long. Raph really picked the best twin. Ok, so they aren't really twins, but technically, Leo and Donnie aren't either. They just decided these things based on appearance. Does that make it any less true? Point is he'll be fine. Crabs. What was Mr Bishop saying, something about frogs. Oh no, he's looking at Raph.

"Perhaps you can answer the question." For a moment, he just looked like a baby turtle in headlights. "How do reptiles react to the cold?" Thank goodness he was in Bishops' class and not Lucas's.

"t-tired?" He stutters out hopefully.

"That's correct. Reptiles are cold-blooded and therefore need external heat to stay warm. If it gets too cold, their heart rate slowes down, and they hibernate. This can leave them vulnerable to predators."

Surviving biology was no easy feat now that they're on the chapter focusing on reptiles and amphibians. It seems Bishop only ever calls on them rather than the other students. 'He probably just wants to make sure we're on track with everyone else since we haven't been in school as long as them.' Leo had said. It's like he just can't help but lick the boots of any and all authority figures. Heh. Ya'know, gross metaphors aren't the same without Mikey taking them too far. It's not like he misses him or anything. Raph can handle school. He's been handling school. For, like, almost two months. He's got this. It's just a few hours. Alone.

Donnie missed lunch again. It's weirdly peaceful with just Leo and April. It's a little nice being able to just eat silently while they do their TCRI conspiracies. Lunch was some sort of fish. It doesn't matter. Raph'll eat anything that's put in front of him without much thought. Because any food is energy and energy is violence. Raph loves violence. He really does, honest. Sure, it's been a bit duller since being accepted by the humans, starting school, and legally mandated therapy. And yeah, some nonviolent sports have turned out to be fun, too. But he still dreams of violence,  just maybe not every night. But, right now. This isn't a problem he can punch. Nobody hurt his little brother. And Leo's right. It probably was something he ate. He did once try to eat a frog whole, so it was bound to happen.

After they finished their lunch, Leo insisted on bringing some to Donnie in the science room. He'd been examining blood samples from last night. 'Given voluntarily,' he claims. He's also been acting weird. But more the usual kind of weird. The kind of weird Donnie gets every now and then a couple times a year. Maybe it's the full moon. Maybe he's a werewolf. No, wait there's no wolves in New York. Ware-possum? Ware-racoon? Maybe Mikey's a ware - something and Donnie's trying to cure him. That's deffinetly what's going on. Raph should warn Leo and April so that- no, what if they're in on it? What if they're all just waiting to get him alone so they can turn him too?

"LEO!" Raph says calmly as they turn the smelly corner (Andrea dared them to lick the gross wall last week)

"yes?" That's exactly what a were-something would say.

"I have to, be um, at the mmnm. Reading starts moon- soon. I mean I, said I'd yelp- Help! At, eh, library, with, uh, bye." Nailed it.

After expertly evading his pursuers, Raph proceeds toward the gym, number one source of information. There's still about 20 minutes left for lunch, which means Mona-Lisa's still practicing on the hockey field.

Next

[emmashouldbewriting]

[I don't know, perhaps it's me being a bit pessimistic. (You can't be disappointed if you expect the worst haha.) It was clear under the Queen that there was no way back for them, but we know they desperately want the half in, half out royal shtick, and a part of me can see Charles letting them on the balcony at the coronation and stuff like that. If that happens, the line is absolutely blurred. I'm just preparing myself for the worst 😂😂]

I completely disagree and this is why the hate on Charles is so frustrating because it has little basis in reality. Things like this get repeated and then when it doesn’t happen, it’s not like anyone goes back and retracts the ugly stuff said about it.

Case in point, all the nasty stuff said in response to the media’s baseless speculation about the DoE title which would always have been given to Edward on his birthday (just like his previous additional title as Earl of Forfar was).

So if you look at the facts - the late Queen continued to invite Harry and Meghan to events. She renewed their lease on Frogmore cottage. She continued to take Harry’s calls until she died, asked Charles to and he refused her saying “he’s not a bank”. She could even have changed the LP, which I fully believe The King will do, but she didn’t.

Meanwhile Charles banned Meghan from Balmoral the day the Queen died, wished Harry well overseas, didn’t allow the official RF channels to share his tribute to the Queen (even the York girls got this), didn’t have any 1 on 1 public contact with him (like say William & their Windsor walkabout), didn’t mention him in his Christmas speech or montage, didn’t renew his lease on Frogmore, removed him from the CW trust website and has essentially risen above the continuous baiting.

So what example can you point to where The King has given them “half in/ half out”? One would hope that after the Coronation when all these worst case scenarios don’t happen, that you’d acknowledge it, but after seeing all the ugliness the BRF fandom heaped on him re Edward’s DoE title just because they don’t understand how their issuance works and none of which has been apologized for or retracted, I’m not holding my breathe.

You’re not allowed to criticize W&C’s workload but feel free to make all kinds of nonsense to run down a good man who has dedicated his entire life to serving his country and the Commonwealth 🙄

Okay, this is a lot, and I can see how you're at the conclusion I'm a Charles hater. I... am very much not. Actually I do like Charles (and Camilla) a great deal - his duchy work was incredible, and I would love to visit his gardens at Highgrove one day. Like I'd pee a bit with excitement if someone presented me with a trip there.

I'm also not one of the bloggers who constantly put him down and blame him for every teeny tiny little thing or think there's some Charles vs WK conspiracy or whatever it is. I am an Equal Opportunist Complainer, which means everyone gets my complaints (coatgate anyone?). I've also been pointing out that QEII could - should - have changed the LP, and I always knew Ed would get the DoE no problem, they were just waiting for a notable date.

My position of being open-minded about it is because Harry is Charles' son. That's a very different kettle of fish, and I would much rather expect less from him and be pleasantly surprised by his actions than disappointed in them. It's still early in his reign, and while there's a very good chance he'll approach these difficult decisions like the balcony as the Head of State, there's also a chance he'll do a Liz and approach it as a father. What we do know is the coronation and the balcony will set out the tone of his reign which is why it's so important. If they're on the coronation balcony, they will get their 50/50, but it is an if. I don't quite know what he'll do, therefore I shall sit on my fence until May 6th until I find out.

It's human nature to doubt people. If I wanted to follow someone in blind faith and believe they could do no wrong, I'd join a cult.

[jewpacabruhs]

ok well. i didnt post til now cuz i wanted to rewatch and try to understand better. turns out a rewatch didnt help. 

im seeing a lot of people say that was a rlly good episode... i thought it was very sloppily written and subpar. south park’s always been so good with satire, especially when they’re calling out something/someone shitty by exaggerating them into something so ridiculous that nobody can take it seriously. with this kanye ‘satire’, they didnt do that, at least not effectively, and if they were trying to do it, it didn’t turn out well. at all. this is a personal belief, but i find parodies of kanye now that we know he’s legitimately mentally unwell to be very cruel. it’s hard for me to condemn him fully when i don’t know what’s his actual beliefs versus what his unmedicated mental disorder is resulting in him spouting (and ive seen people say ‘ive had manic/psychotic episodes and it never turned me into a bigot’, well that’s you, psychosis can result in all kinds of beliefs and, fact of the matter is, it can result in bigoted beliefs brought on by paranoia and delusions. psychosis can have you believing anything. and ofc mania can also result in acting like a person you’re not.) however we can condemn him for not choosing to take time during lucid periods to denounce the things he says. but i can’t definitively say if that’s indicative of him actually believing those things, and his episodes simply result in him lacking a filter and airing that information to everyone. so overall i just sorta pity him and find the situation regretful.

now, trey and matt could’ve fully come for the more extreme sect of the black hebrew israelite movement (though i think that’d be a very very very slippery slope), or, alternatively, for people/celebrities who believe and promote antisemitic conspiracies in general. but they focused on kanye, and i just felt it was too narrowly focused and unsuitable for effective satire. 

they could’ve put more focus on cartman as a white kid trying to stir shit between a jewish kid and a black kid, as jewish and black relations have always been very layered and complex. and it seems like it’s a relevant topic, too, as a handful of high-profile black celebrities have recently been in the news for antisemitism. (although as i highlight that, it’s important to also admit there is a fair amount of anti-black sentiment among some jews too.) there’s a lot to be said about the unfortunate reality of minority groups resenting each other rather than unifying with each other. more so to be said about white people encouraging that divide. they could’ve also focused on the utter irony and peculiarity of kanye as a black man praising nazism, a ideology which hated people of color as much as jews. i think the whole topic’s rough, really, but hell, they coulda gone after farrakhan! i think farrakhan’s worthy of getting satirized; he’s a big figure representative of all those beliefs. he’s been promoting violently anti-jewish ideology since the 80s, and similar pro-hitler stances. or they could’ve done something more in line with ‘with apologies to jesse jackson’ from season 11 (which i just went back to rewatch and the satire in that one is sooo good). but whatever they were going for just... missed. there wasn’t even truly commentary. it was disappointing. 

although, i also think it’d be rather hard for two white guys who value honesty and acerbity but who are also conscious of staying in their lane to comfortably parody hypocritical ignorance out of anybody who’s not a dumb white person. you know? like it’s trickier, for sure. because it’s jarring, honestly, the way white people calling people of color out on things almost always gets racial, or can be read that way, even if that’s not the intent. and i think that could happen with a south park ep that tried that, considering how that fairly recent episode about trans people in sports went down. like, they couldn’t satirize a trans issue without being transphobic - could they parody a race issue without being racist? i personally don’t think anything should be off limits for satire, i have an interest in the history of comedy and especially jewish comedians and one of the leading ways jews in comedy in the 1940s-50s coped with the shoah was by parodying the nazis - but in the case of satirizing current events or prevalent concepts, it’s hard to parody something when you’re not in it, or when you don’t get it. because there could very very easily be a misstep that paints YOU as the asshole.

anyway. but i know a lot of people just value the boys interacting and if thts what ur here for, more power to u and im glad the ep fed you well in that regard. 

considering the lack of well-written satire and social commentary, the other thing i’d be interested in would be cartman, who definitely... was going through something in this ep. but the cupid me arc was also sloppy as fuck. i was so confused by the end. for a while i was theorizing and trying to understand what it all means for cartman’s character and his mental health, but at this point (a couple hours of brainstorming and a few rewatches later) i can’t even settle on a conclusion to draw. so idek.

legit like a 3/10 ep. here’s hoping next week’s ep is better

if anyone has thoughts, either on the topic of satire or on cartman and what’s going on with him, please feel free to send me an ask or a DM, or to reblog or reply. i’d love to hear what you think.

[aeoki]

Magic Lantern - Mysterious: Chapter 2

Location: Yumenosaki Secret Room Characters: Sora & Natsume

TL Note:

Tokusatsu (lit. special effects) refers to Japanese films and dramas that make use of practical special effects. Examples of these kinds of works include Godzilla, Ultraman and the Power Rangers.

Sora: HaHa~♪ Master~ is good at socialising with others~ You can get along with basically anyone?

Natsume: I’m a fortune teller, after aLL. Rather than getting along with everyoNE, I suppose it would be more accurate to say I weave out the story everyone wants to see while watching from high aboVE.

I do this by saying the things they want me to say and making their wishes come trUE.

It’s too late before they realise they’ve been swayed by mE.

NO. They’ve become a part that is essential in building the utopia I wish fOR.

I don’t mind not being the protagoniST. I don’t have what it takes, anywAY. I don’t have to win every time and the world doesn’t have to revolve around mE.

I’ll control all the protagonists – all the heroes – like pawNS and then paint the world in our preferred colouRS.

Sora: HiHi~♪ Master~ you sound like Satan.

Natsume: I am trying to be careful so that I don’t make others hate me and put me doWN.

I’ve seen a few “failed examples” of happiness and unhappiness alreaDY. I plan on watching where it’s leaning towards first and then take the appropriate measurES.

NO. I predicted their motives and intervened in a positive manner at timES, adjusting the advantages and disadvantagES…

And now, I’ve finally arrived at this spOT.

I really have kept you waiting for a long tiME, Sora. But there’s no need to worRY – All the annoying things will be cleaned up very soON.

The thing we’ve been preparing all this time at Yumenosaki Academy and ES will finally bear fruIT.

Firstly, the “Five Oddballs” from Yumenosaki Academy will be left under my managemeNT. I didn’t do it by throwing punches at all the students or brainwashing thEM.  

There’s no point in collecting a large number of slaves or dolls, after aLL.

What I bestowed upon the students of Yumenosaki is A “story”.

It’s a classic story of hard work, friendship and victoRY.  You shouldn’t make fun of it just because it’s both a classic and a fairytaLE.

The truth of this world is hidden in stories that have been passed down from ancient timES.

Boys learn one thing in life – not from his parents or educatiON – but through fairytales and tokusatsu[*] TV shoWS. And that “story” is “just for uS”.

“That’s” what we’ve prepared for thEM.

Sora: HuHu~? What do you mean?

Natsume: RigHT. First, we’ll have most of the current students in the Yumenosaki idol course become members of the strongest units in the schoOL – That means being a member of “Knights” or “RYUUSEITAI”.

Unfortunately, “RYUUSEITAI” is a mess at the momeNT…

It looks like “Switch” or the “producer course” will have to pick the ones that are left out, thouGH.

…It indeed works out perfectly for both me and that rotten heretIC, but I have a feeling it’s all working out exactly how he wanted it to – including “RYUUSEITAI’s” current circumstancES.

Sora: He? Who’s the rotten heretic?

Natsume: There’s no one else like him when it comes to spreading conspiraciES – I’m talking about a certain “Emperor” who has no intention of stepping down from his throNE.

He’s made excusES, saying that he’s hospitalised so he can’t move around so muCH, but it’s very suspicioUS…

It’s not as if he was unconscious or anythiNG, so at the very leaST, I presume he should know what the current situation is like and is simply choosing not to do anythiNG. 

Based on solely the resulTS, “RYUUSEITAI” will be left with the best members and it’ll be the best turn of events…

The kids who end up being left behind would fall under the jurisdiction of StarPro or tHE “producer course”.

It’ll probably be good for the future of the “producer course” if they gain some EXP by taking care of new idoLS.

And for StarPro, they’ll gain a stronger voice within Yumenosaki while also reaping in the benefiTS. It just sounds really good for them, doesn’t IT?

The “Emperor” can also make an excuse by saying he was hospitalised so he couldn’t save anyoNE. No one will resent him and instead, he can gain a huge profIT.

Sora: Hmm? He can’t do anything while he’s hospitalised, so Sora thinks he’s missing out as an idol, though?

Natsume: YeAH. Well, I suppose you could say this is all merely my speculations and me reading too much into thinGS.

The “Emperor” simply observed the situation and made the best move he couLD.

Rather than ending everything and wrapping up the tragedy with unhappineSS, he must have wanted to obtain as much profit as he possibly couLD. It’s like dealing with deBT.

← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

[invincible-selfxmade-punk]

Big Damn teacher rant

In the month of October we have had at our school:

Two field trips,

Spirit Week for homecoming, Red Ribbon Week for Halloween,

two benchmark tests,

and two early dismissals.

This month so far we have had the mock election, which was incredibly successful but took a full day of teaching away for every social studies class,

And yesterday a high school came down and put on a play that got the kids so riled up they were absolutely out of control for the rest of the afternoon classes.

And yet in all of this chaos they expect us to teach, stay on track, and maintain three daily grades per week.

We very briefly touched on the Mexican Revolution today. And I explained that Father Miguel Hidalgo wanted something better for the poor people of Mexico and so he began to teach them things. The government did not like that and so they went in and destroyed everything that he had helped with and eventually had him arrested and killed. They did this because the government preferred the people to be uneducated because if they were not educated they would be a lot less likely to rebel.

And God help me I will probably get in trouble for this but I added in that was true in the government. And that everyone asked me why did they have to go to school all the time. I said it wasn't torture you for 8 hours it is because if people know you are uneducated you will become a Target your entire life. And not just for people who want to take advantage of you are trick you, you will definitely become a target for the government who will try to take away your rights and that will be easy if you don't understand what your rights are. And in order to understand what your rights are you need to learn how to read and write and think for yourself.

I have always thought there was some other plot at work with the way our students are educated and disciplined. Or rather are not disciplined at our school. Think it turned wild. They get to do whatever they want. Students have assaulted each other students have assaulted teachers and nothing is done. Students vandalize school property, students destroy brand new computers and nothing happens to them. And I've always thought someone at a higher level is funding a private prison just waiting for these kids to come up. But also I think it's bigger than that I think that's the reason teachers don't get paid s***. I think that's the reason why there is only emphasis for testing and not for actual teaching. I think whole thing is a big freaking conspiracy to make this next Generation the dumbest one yet and they are working. But when it comes down to it who is going to run our country in a few decades?

Who is going to defend us if we go to war?

Who will become the nuns, the priests, the preachers, rabbis, monks, and other spiritual leaders who completely give up their own interest to serve a higher power??

Not these kids.

I can't even reward them on any kind of merit system because they don't understand that. If I give them a sticker one day for being good, they won't stickers every single day. And they do not understand that I did not give it to them just to give it to them. I gave it to them because they did something good that I wanted them to do.

When we were talking about Spanish missions I had to explain what nuns were. The only kids that knew anything about nuns knew them from horror movies and told me they were all sadistic killers and they were possessed.

And now I'm waiting for work but thank you so much for listening to this rant and now back to your regularly schedule lives!

[blowflyfag]

WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT/FEDERATION MAGAZINE: OCTOBER 2011

RAW Q+A

CONSPIRACY OF ONE

Fresh off the biggest summer of his career. R-Truth delivers his most paranoid rant yet, spouting off about his rivalry with John Cena, his first pay-per-view main event, the secret origin of “Little Jimmy,” and his affinity to both Batman and Superman. But be warned: This interview is 100% unfiltered truth.

BY MAX BAKKE PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAGIUS BUGGE

As WWE’s resident conspiracy theorist, what plots and schemes are you trying to expose? 

’m focused on myself–my own conspiracy. This is all about me; about me being held bakfrom the WWE Championship. It’s obvious who’s behind it: It’s John Cena. Why does the man at the top always need the title?!? If that doesn’t tell you there’s a conspiracy, I don’t know what does. 

Outside of WWE, what’s the most interesting conspiracy theory you’ve ever heard? Aliens at Area 51? The JFK assassination?

The Clinton/Lewinsky scandal. Hillary Clinton said there was a “vast right-wing conspiracy” against her husband, and Bill said that he had no relations with that woman. Sounds like a conspiracy to me!

How did you come up with the nickname “Little Jimmy”? Have you always felt such contempt for the younger members of the WWE Universe?

I was talking to Mr. McMahon about those kids, man. Something was boiling up inside of me, and when he said the name “Little Jimmy,” everything just clicked, you know? They’re the ones who sing “What’s Up?” and want me to come out and dance for them, and at the same time, they wear their little John Cena T-shirts. Not R-Truth T-shirts.

We’re just spitballing here, but it seems like things started to go sour for you after the introduction of your new theme music, “Get Crunk.” Were you surprised by the mixed reaction it received from the WWE Universe?

I think “Get Crunk” had a chance to become as hot, if not hotter, than “What’s Up?” It was totally hip-hop and totally heavy metal, but it never had a chance to marinate. The WWE Universe never got a chance to figure it out. But i bet you one thing: I could bring back “Get Crunk” right now, and people would flock to it like flies on doo doo.

Just out of curiosity, do you have beef with Jimmy Uso on SmackDown? He’s not a Little Jimmy. He’s kind of big actually…

I love Jimmy Uso. I hate that he's got the name Little Jimmy, but I got no problems with the guy. The only problem I got with him is his name. I’d rather call him Uso. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t mind taking those guys under my wing. They could be my Jimmy Knockers. 

During your rivalry with John Cena, you really got under The Champ’s skin by messing with his younger followers. What’s it like being inside Cena’s head?

I love it. According to everyone, G.I. Joe was unbeatable. Homeboys tried many times, man. And he was unbreakable. But now I found his weakness and it’s the Little Jimmys. And once I take that title from him, that’ll be it. It’s like giving Superman some kryptonite. John Cena is nothing without that title, so once I get it and this conspiracy comes out, he’ll be chopped down one step at a time. 

WWE Capitol Punishment marked the first time you’d ever headlined a WWE-pay-per-view. Describe the moment…

I work best under pressure. I’ve always done that since I was knee-high to a teacup. I’ve always put the weight on my shoulders, put the pressure on me–on my back, man. I’ve accomplished what some other guys in this world will never accomplish. I went to the highest of heights. I’m in the greatest company in the world. I wrestled the top guy. I headlined the pay-per-view with that top guy. That’s satisfaction to me; that's the truth. 

What did you take away from that match other than a loss?

That match right there just made me hungry, man. Y’known how Pac-Man eats those power pellets, and he gets chomped up? That’s just how I felt. I was ready. I was energized. 

You always go to battle in sneakers and denim., a bit different from the classic boots-and-trunks look. Why?

It’s about throwing down with what you came to grow up with. My look is the rugged, straight–from - the-street, straight-from-the-heart, truth. No costumes. I might have it dazzled up a bit, but you get the real me. I don’t need to put on a pair of tight or a beard to whoop some ass, you know? Would you ask Batman to go out there without his mask and cape? Or ask Superman to leave the cape and the “s” on his chest at home?

Lately, you’ve used the Scissor Kick to put away opponents. It’s a move made famous by Booker T. Did you adopt it as some sort of an homage to the six-time champ?

When I first got in this business I met Booker T, and Booker’s kind words and advice meant a lot to me. I use the move as a sign of respect to him, and I let him know that. When our paths crossed again I was like, “Hey Book, I know it’s your move, but i got to do it.” And he said: “No problem, dog. Because I like seeing you do it.”

Do you still go to him for advice at this point in your career?

Anything Booker can tell me, I soak it in,. He’s been everywhere I’m trying to go. He’s that guy for me to look at and listen to. And Booker’s always in my ear, telling me this, telling me that. Giving me pointers, man. And he’ll be straight-up with me. He straight shoots from the hip.

OK-so level with us. Are you really crazy? Because we’re not so sure anymore…

I wouldn’t say I’m crazy; I got crazy potential. I got some crazy tendencies, you know what I’m saying? But we all got a little crazy. It’s just a matter of when, where and how you choose to let it out. But you’ve got to control it, like a ball of fire. It can make you hot, or it can burn you up.

[sukirichi]

dutifully yours. [01]

Attached to the could’ve been’s of a promised happily ever after with the Crown Prince disguised under a scheme for power and greed, you are torn between choosing your happiness — or abandoning it to fulfill your duty as the future Queen.

→ unedited bcos i’m brave lazy. implied patriarchy. angst in future chapters. pure romance and fluff for now. royalty au. eventual smut. prince naoya !! i love him sm i could cry. this fic will break me, okay. naoya is close to canon but with my twist if that makes sense. drama in future chapters. oh and listen to this while reading <3

→ massive shoutout to my besties for always hyping me and helping me uwu, i present this token of prince naoya being an ideal husband okay cry cry i love him sm im crying. anyways pls enjoy bcos i poured my heart out to this and bcos i want more people in the naoya fucker club :>

one | next (to be posted)

Ever since the day your mother taught you how to read, you’ve had your nose buried in a book. Losing yourself in different worlds, swooning over fictional princes, and fantasizing for a love story ripped out of fairytale itself with such burning, passionate romance – you’d been through it all, dreamt of it all. And yet, you struggled to stop yourself from tugging at your dress.

The tight corset hadn’t even been the main focus of your worries, and neither was the heavy rivière resting on your collarbones.

“Would you stop fidgeting?” Beside you, your mother pursed her lips, fingers decorated with jewels stopping in their movements of fanning herself. The temperature hadn’t been particularly high inside the limousine that evening. You supposed it was the mere sight of you tugging and gulping audibly every now and then, gloved hands running over the hems of your collar.

You ducked your head down. “Sorry, Mother. I can’t help it.”

“Dear, your anxiety is written all over your face,” she sighed, turning your face to her as she cupped your cheeks. Smiling tenderly like a mother always did, your heart felt soothed even by the slightest bit. You wished she could keep holding you like this – like you were a fragile flower she was afraid of breaking; a fragile flower that needed more care handled than most. Tonight, however, you felt a hundred years older. Like you’d accidentally clicked on fast forward and got launched to the future. A future that seemed so unclear yet so...perfect. So right.

“How would the Prince fancy you if you’re sweating bullets like that? It’s not a good look for a marquess’ daughter.”

At the mention of the Crown Prince, your heart sank again. “My apologies, Mother. I’m just rather nervous. It’s the Crown Prince we’re talking about here.”

“He is quite the looker, isn’t he?” she giggled behind her fan, “Strong and handsome, as well.”

“My ladies. You are not fantasizing over the Crown Prince in my presence, are you?”

Crossing her leg over the other, your mother leaned forwards, elbows on her knees as she winked at your father. The marquess had his torso half twisted from the passenger seat, glaring playfully at your mother’s unabashed features. “It is of no seriousness, My Lord. I’m simply easing your daughter’s nerves.”

Your father sighed in worry. “What’s got you so worked up, child? You are beautiful. The Prince would be blind to not notice you.”

Each fibre in your body screamed in desperation for your father to be right. Tonight was not just any other night – the entire Kingdom, including noblewomen, foreign royals, and unwed daughters from honourable families had been invited to the Zen’in Castle for one purpose only: to find his Crown Prince a suitable wife, one that would be fit to be the next Queen as well. As the daughter of the marquess, you’d naturally received the invitation. It felt just like yesterday when the mail arrived and you’d cheered so much in joy the chickens went flying out of their coops, your horses galloping and whinnying at surprise, and now you here – minutes away from the palace where you were soon to be deemed worthy or unworthy to be beside His Highness.

With a shaky smile, you dug your nails into your thighs. “Well, we’ve only met once, Father. I doubt the Prince would remember me.”

“Just smile, darling. You will do great.”

To no one’s surprise, the Zen’in Castle brimmed with people and esteemed guests. Men and women danced with one another as muted chatters and chuckles blended in with the grand royal orchestra, everyone dressed to the nines and making you feel completely out of place.

The moment you’d been welcomed by the knights and led to the palace doors, your dress began to feel tighter than usual, your ribs clenching uncomfortably from the pressure. Your hands had not stopped trembling either, not even when you hid it behind your back and nodded at the people passing by. There were governor-generals, dukes, earls, professors and royal advisors and even families of the royal family’s inner circle of knights. Everyone looked like they belonged here. Chatting amongst one another over the finest of wines or discussing conspiracies on where the Kingdom of Zen’in would be in the next sixty years of the future King’s reign, no one here seemed to be out of place.

Everyone except you.

A warm hand was suddenly placed on the small of your back, making you gasp. Your mother’s smile was nothing short of warm as she held you close to her one last time, leaving a kiss on your forehead. You didn’t even realize how much you shook until she clasped her hands with yours. “Calm down, dear,” she reminded, “You’ll be on your own now. This is where we leave you since we’re not supposed to mingle with potential princesses.”

“Mother!” Your eyes widened in embarrassment. Looking around frantically, you bit your lip in fear someone must’ve heard.

Of course, while it would be no surprise most guests – if not all – hoped that their daughter would be the Crown Prince’s chosen fiancée, it still felt wrong to boldly assume such when you could barely keep up with the events of tonight.

However, your mother merely laughed. “I am proud of you, dear. Never forget that. It doesn’t matter whether you are chosen or not. We’re only here for formality and respect to the King and Queen’s demands.”

“You say that as if the Crown Prince really would not bother with me.”

“We didn’t mean that,” your father cut in, a flute of champagne already nested between his calloused fingers. Ever since you arrived, he’d been snatched away by fellow earls and barons, disappearing into the crowd for a ‘hearty conversation over one’s lands.’ You knew better than that, though. That statement always translated to which leader got to have more chances to wine and dine with the King, to which your family was ridiculously reminded of that you’d been stationed to the most faraway land where even hearing news from the royal papers was but a privilege.

“Just be yourself, alright? And enjoy the party. It’s about time you met with girls your own age and made some friends.”

“I – Father, wait!”

A slender young woman slithered to your side out of nowhere, her golden brown eyes following the silhouettes of your parents. It wasn’t long before they completely disappeared. Left alone with the stunning woman that was – for some reason – dressed in a plain black curve hugging dress too modest for tonight’s appropriateness, you took three steps away in caution. “You must be from way up North,” she noted, her head to the tipped to the side. “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before.”

God, was she beautiful. Long, thick eyelashes and short hair chopped in messy yet elegant curves, you struggled to hold her gaze. “Oh, yes, I come from the Terratian Borders. My family is stationed there under His Majesty’s orders.”

She hummed to herself. “The Terratian Borders are mostly forests and fields, no? The last time my family and I visited there, I came across the loveliest dandelions I’ve ever laid eyes on. Shame they died on the way back,” offering her hand – again, bare and empty with decorations yet still littered with faint scars and cuts – she beamed at you. “I’m Mai, by the way. Mai Zen’in.”

Zen’in?

Hands cupping your mouth, you bowed deep until your back ached. “Lady Mai!” you shut your eyes closed, unable to live with the shame. Mai Zen’in; one of the iconic twin pair from the extended Zen’in royal family, both a fashion icon and a legend for being a rumoured female knight. To have her in your presence was an honour. “My apologies for not recognizing you any sooner, Lady Mai!”

“Stand up, I’m not a royal,” she sniggered, “We’re just relatives of the actual monarch, but don’t let the family name fool you. The Crown Prince barely even acknowledges us being of the same blood.”

Albeit hesitant, you followed her gestures of making you stand up. You straightened your back and cleared your throat, fighting the urge to go haywire the moment his name was brought into the conversation. Not only would you be seeing Prince Naoya again in real life for the first time in years, but you’d also made acquaintances with his distant niece. However, his name was spoken with malice.

Frowning, you faced Lady Mai in all seriousness. “Prince Naoya? Why so?” Lady Mai looked at you like you’d grown two heads.

“He’s an ass, that’s why.”

“I-I don’t think he is,” you defended, “The Prince has been nothing but kind to me.”

“I didn’t know he was capable of kindness,” she muttered more so under her breath, low enough you were unsure whether you were supposed to hear it in the first place. Lady Mai then shook her head to herself before stealing a flute from a waiter passing by. Chucking it your way, her face turned dark and grim. “Take it as free advice: stay as far away from his as possible. The Crown Prince is nothing but good news.”

“Is it because he has lots of lovers?” you inquired with a small voice, “Uhm – well – It was an assumption. With a title and handsomeness like that, it would make sense everyone would want to be the Crown Prince’s lover.”

Lady Mai’s lip curled upwards. “Prince Naoya won’t bother with lovers. He is too occupied for that.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“Heard from whom?”

“The Royal Declaration from His Majesty himself,” you said, “Was it not the purpose of this ball? To find worthy candidates to be the Crown Prince’s betrothed? His coronation is coming soon.”

“Right. I forgot today was technically a bridal market,” she scratched the edge of her brow, falling silent for a moment. Her eyes scanned the lively crowd for a brief moment – watching with you as everyone laughed and danced to their heart’s content – the grand final event of the routine personal dance with the Crown Prince himself slowly approaching to reality. “You are joining in the festivities, are you not? Later, when he arrives, he shall meet you.”

“I am obligated to as a noble bachelorette, though I doubt His Highness would even look my way. There are far richer noblewomen here and even daughters of duke that would be perfect as his wife. ”

“You may have a point for that,” she hummed to herself, unaware that her agreement to the Crown Prince not paying attention to you left a sting both in your ego and heart. Not that it lasted long, for Lady Mai was already tugged on the arm by another equally fiercely beautiful woman – her older twin, Maki Zen’in. Soon to be governon-general of the Kingdom.

Lady Mai smiled in apology. “I need to go now since I’m not a part of this event. But hey, if ever I come around to visit the Borders again, perhaps you could entertain me?”

“I would be honoured to, Lady Mai.”

“You are sweet and innocent,” it was her sister who spoke this time, glasses perched high on her nose that concealed the wariness of her gaze. “I hope the Crown Prince never gets to your routine.”

“I’m sorry?”

“It’s nothing; she was talking to herself. Maki does that a lot,” Lady Mai’s forced chuckles were barely heard from the music. “You enjoy the party now. Don’t drink too much lest you want to embarrass yourself in everyone’s eyes and be talk of the Kingdom. Prince Naoya would hate it if you took the attention away from him.”

“Oh, uhm...”

“It’s a joke, Lady Y/N. Relax.”

You bowed once more. “My apologies.”

“The dance is about to begin,” Maki tapped on your shoulder, making you look up right where her eyes zeroed in. And exactly in the middle of the grandiose hall, under the sparkling golden chandeliers where he made all the gold in the world look incomparable next to him, the Crown Prince stood in his fully glory. Blond hair with the ends stained of midnight gelled back to reveal his forehead, the Crown Prince’s beauty never failed to shine. Whether it be in the papers, in the tabloids, in the billboards that you passed on the way to the city, or from way back when you met him for the first time as a naive, innocent teen – Crown Prince Naoya came straight out of a magazine cover.

In the back of your head, you could hear either of the twins murmuring good luck. Maybe both of them had said it – you had no idea. All of your attention, all the sensibility and coherence of your state had been switched the next instant, as if your heart and soul was born for the sole purpose of being bewitched by your Crown Prince.

And as if feeling someone’s gaze on him, the Crown Prince’s eyes trailed over the crowd. Almost boredly, his sharp eyes bounced from one giggling woman to another, the ends of his lips smirking upwards for just the tiniest bit. It must’ve stroked his ego. Until his eyes connected with yours. The Crown Prince’s eyebrows knitted together. You had no idea how you looked in that moment, and quite frankly, you didn’t care. Because the Crown Prince was looking at you, and you were looking at him with hearts in your eyes along with your heart pulsing at the tip of your tongue.

“Let us begin,” his lips moved from the distance, “Play the music. I shall dance with my bride.”

The air shifted in a split second. Murmurs were thrown over the room, women and men alike turning pale. Even the orchestra was stunned from the Crown Prince’s entrance – and it hadn’t even been dramatic to his standards – yet the whole castle fell mum from just a few of his words. A few seconds later, the crowd recomposed itself, and the strings began to dance along with its bows.

You are pushed into the crowd. Nearly colliding into the arms of another, you quietly thank the masked man who was to be your first partner of the night.

All the men joining the dance floor dressed with the intention of making the Crown Prince shine. Prince Naoya stood out from the throng of white as per the colour code, his blood red uniform as both Prince with the  golden crest of the military leader pinned to his right breast. The other men meant to be filler partners until all the potential brides got to their designated three minutes with the Prince were all dressed in black, faces covered behind a plain black mask. None were allowed to talk. None were allowed to utter even a word, and so your partner pursed his lips in displeasure at your apology.

Whatever. You just had to wait a few more rounds before the song finished and transitioned into a new one; the song where you’d been informed would be your time alone with the Prince.

You’d been so lost in your head you barely breathed the entire dance. From partner to partner, you blanked. Your heart drummed so wildly in its cage it begged to come out, and strings of apologies were let out each time your masked partners grimaced for a brief second when their hands came in contact with your sweaty ones. Around you, all the lovely women smiled and danced graciously, mouths moving in unreadable conversations shared with the Crown Prince. Not once did you look at the six partners you’ve danced with. Not once did you worry about tripping on your own feet. Not once did you care that some of the masked men held you a little too roughly for your comfort. Your entire reason for existing in that moment was to witness the Crown Prince himself, mirroring his frown that got deeper and deeper with each woman retreating to the sea of people he’d rejected.

Not once did you even think about being one of them – the girls who’ve ducked their heads down as their parents comforted them over not being the chosen one, of bringing ‘dishonour’ to their families that the mighty Crown Prince had deemed them unworthy. Tears streamed down their faces until black ink followed afterwards, lips trembling from silent sobs.

Despite their broken prides – although there was that minority who simply sighed in relief after returning to their own families – no one would dare interrupt the Crown Prince’s dances.

All of these thoughts crossed your mind too late and at the exact time your masked partner pulled away from you, body half bent in a bow with his arm outstretched to the side. Following where he was gesturing at, your eyes met the Crown Prince’s tall and lean stature, a few blond fringes now fallen from his movements.

Even though a thin layer of sweat shone from his face, Prince Naoya remained ethereal.

And like a snake charmed by the musician’s seductive tone, your feet moved on its own. Fingers stretching until it met with the Crown Prince’s large and warm ones, you were now in front of him. With him. Holding him, touching him, meeting him eye for eye and realizing – gold. His eyes burned a deep shade of gold, elegantly rich and heartbreakingly stunning your heart ached.

Before you knew it, your hands began to tremble, feeling as if your body had been corded into a corset three sizes smaller. You could not breathe, and the Crown Prince took notice.

“You are stiff. Do I make you uncomfortable?” Good Saint. If only possible, you would’ve closed your eyes and basked in the deep warmth of his voice. It reverberated from deep within, breathed out with an air of natural authority and profound confidence it made your knees weak. As if sensing his effect on you (though for the wrong reasons, it seemed), Prince Naoya hummed to himself. “This routine shall last for a few minutes before I can let you go, I’m afraid.”

You instantly realized the implications of your silence. “N-not at all, Your Highness! I am honoured to be dancing with you.”

“There is no honour in a choreographed dance. Everyone will dance with me. It’s nothing special.”

Your heart fell. Prince Naoya not only sounded dejected, but detached as well. As if he found no pleasure or specialty in this event, at a time where he had every opportunity to meet his lover, and that this ball was merely a task to be checked off in his already long list of responsibilities. It wasn’t disappointment, per se, but rather melancholy that left a bitter taste in your mouth. Not because Prince Naoya held little to no regards for something you treasured, but because he sounded terribly alone. Like he was simply waiting for it to end out of discomfort.

“It’s special to me, Your Highness,” you blurted out faster than you could stop yourself. For a moment, you feared you may have offended him, but the Crown Prince only laughs.

And when he did – saint, when he laughed – his eyes crinkled into half moons, pearly whites flashing against the bright lights and his whole chest shook with amusement.

You’d never seen him smile this way before.

Prince Naoya’s laughter didn’t cease. Around you, your gut instincts told that people were now beginning to look; the Crown Prince’s deep rumbles of laughter sounded exquisitely like music as well, after all. “ Is it special to you because you are now dancing and within the Crown Prince’s proximity? As much as I presume how exhilarating it might be for those who mostly see me in the papers and in the tabloids, I assure you, dancing with your Prince is not an honour. Especially when you are all sent the invitations based on your status and not your worthy traits.”

“It’s special to me,” you mumbled, growing shy all of a sudden when the Crown Prince nodded at you to continue. “Because...because it reminds me of the first time we met.”

The Crown Prince hummed in amusement.

“We have met before?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I’m from the Terratian Borders – my father is a loyal servant of His Majesty. You visited the borders when you were eighteen and I was sixteen. Do you remember it, Your Highness? You stormed in my private library.”

Indeed, the young barely-out-of-his-teens Crown Prince barged into your home’s library years ago. You were not previously informed he and his parents would be visiting since they arrived wordlessly, so you were stuck in your chambers as usual, killing time if not for sleeping and tending to the animals. Perched on a ladder, you attempted to reach for a book on the upper shelf when your foot slipped beneath you. At the age of sixteen, you were dramatic enough to say your life flashed before your eyes. You would’ve screamed then had strong arms not appeared out of nowhere, the Crown Prince staring at you with wide, golden eyes as they were now, his breathy rasped as he asked, are you okay, my lady?

The mere recollection of that fateful memory had your cheeks warming in delight. “You were so charming and heroic back then. Even when I had no idea you were a royal, I would have still believed you to be princely,” you said rather absentmindedly, blinking once then twice at your words. “Of course, it’s understandable if you do not remember, Your Highness!”

“My apologies. I do not remember, though Terratia is a wonderful place. Such a shame I was not informed beforehand they had a lovely daughter.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” you cheered back, cheeks and jaw beginning to ache from how wide you were smiling. But could anyone blame you? You felt absolutely silly that you were a breath away from passing out minutes ago, and now here you were, dancing with the Crown Prince and sharing memories with him like it was a daily occurrence. The words it’s true love when you feel at peace with them suddenly rang back at your head from that latest romance novel you read, and you turned away, hoping the Crown Prince would not read your thoughts to your face. However, Prince Naoya’s lips pursed into a thin line, all traces of humour now disappeared. “I’m sorry – should I not have laughed?”

“No, I don’t mind,” he mused with his jaw locked tight, “I just haven’t seen anyone react that way before.”

“Like what?”

“Like my words meant the entire universe to them. I may dare even say you look terribly in love, though I cannot blame you on that one, can I?”

Prince Naoya shook his head the minute the words left his mouth. Forcing himself to believe it couldn’t be real, perhaps, you truly did not know anymore. Your only plan for tonight was to see the Crown Prince and get to live out your dream of seeing him once more even for just a brief moment before you travelled back home while he married another, and yet – “Your Highness, I’m in love with you. I have always been since the day we met.”

You could no longer stop the words. The voice at the back of your head begged you to shut up and not cause a scene, that your time had passed up and people were staring, yet you remained in his arms no matter how much you wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow you whole.

“Please do not misunderstand me, Your Highness. I did not come here to attempt to steal your heart and be your wife, though I will admit I have dreamt of meeting you again for so many moons. I...I only want to tell you this. That I love you and even though it was a brief moment, I think the love I’ve always read about felt real and possible for the first time in my life,” chuckling nervously, you gather to courage to face him, adoration shining for the Crown Prince stood shock still before you, however stunned he may be. “I love you, Your Highness. I love you. And to whoever lucky woman you choose to be your betrothed, I hope she takes care of you and showers you with all the affection you are deserving of. You would make a great King. So God help his Crown Prince, and may you lead us all into a better world.”

Prince Naoya did not budge a muscle. His eyes remained hard on yours, breath warm as his nostrils fumed. With each passing second that he did not speak, you grew restless and tugged your arm away from his hold with a disgraceful smile.

You’d truly crossed your line. The repercussions to be faced for this impoliteness would destroy your family’s honour. You had to leave. “Your Highness? The song has changed. It’s time to let go—”

The Crown Prince inched close enough until his hair tickled your cheeks, his deep voice sending shivers down your spine as he pulled you close, close enough that your lower bodies touched. Skin ablaze with heat, you dared not move an inch. “Do you mean it?” he demanded lowly, his fingers ghosting over your wrist to hold you in place. “Do you truly love me? Not for what I have, not for who I was born to be, but me as a person itself?”

Closing your eyes to shudder in a deep breath, you exhaled. “Of course, Your Highness. Even if you were not born as a Prince, I’m sure I would’ve still loved you in a different universe.”

“But I do not know you.”

“We don’t have to know each other, Your Highness, and we never will. Once you let me go, I’ll return to the shadows where I belong, and I will continue supporting you until the day of your coronation.”

“And if I refuse to let you go?” he clicked his tongue, “What will you do then?”

The Crown Prince’s spicy perfume must be an aphrodisiac or hypnotizer of sorts. Everything he did messed with your mind that it was too late – the music had stopped and people were no longer drinking or chatting. Everyone’s eyes were on you and the Crown Prince. You could only imagine how controversial this position must be; with his lips trailing dangerously close to that sensitive spot in your neck where you nearly moaned. You really needed to leave.

“P-people are looking, Your Highness. You do not want this affair with someone you won’t choose—”

“Who said I won’t choose you?” Finally, he pulled away. But Prince Naoya never once tore his gaze away from yours, nor did he allow you to look at anyone but him as he caresses your jaw so light and feathery you wondered if he was truly there.“Who said I haven’t laid my eyes on you the moment you walked in here? This ball is for naught because of you, Lady Y/N. I’ve already made my choice, and you helped me confirm it as soon as you danced with me.”

“Your Highness...”

“Look at me,” he ordered, your eyes flitting from his pinkish lips to his sharp nose and then to his fox-like gaze. Only this time, Prince Naoya was no longer harsh. “Don’t be scared.”

“But they’re looking.”

“You are with me, of course they’ll look,” he teased, “They wish to be you right now. But ignore them and dance one more time with me.”

It wasn’t like you had a choice, but did it matter? One nod from him was all it took before the orchestra fumbled back to their spots and a new song played, Ode of Moonlight Lovers, and the Crown Prince was guiding you back to where he had originally danced with you.

From the corners of your eyes, you caught a glimpse of your parents with their mouths gaped open; your father looking like he was on the verge of passing out. However, you felt nothing but joy, nothing but the adrenaline pumping through your veins as he danced and twirled you in his arms. When the music stopped and you were both panting for air with silly smiles on your face, it dawned on you that you were with the Prince. No, rather, it was only you and the Prince alone. Even in the sea of people whose faces began to blur, he prevailed crystal clear.

You could recognize him anywhere, find him everywhere.

Prince Naoya stepped impossibly closer until your chests touched, hearts beating as one. Cupping your jaw, he was near enough that he swallowed all your shaky breaths with a small, teasing smile like you both shared a secret the entire world could not know.

“Do I still make you nervous?”

Laughing, you nodded. “Yes, Your Highness. I feel like I’m going to explode.”

“It’s beloved now,” he corrected, face inching closer and closer to a point you could count the number of his lower lashes. “And what do lovers do to seal their union?”

“M-Marriage?”

“Close, but this is much better.”

If anyone were to tell you that you would have a love story ripped out straight from a fairytale, you would’ve laughed at their faces. You were no Cinderella, nor were you a goddess of beauty that could’ve possibly caught the Crown Prince’s eye. Yet, his soft lips were on yours, kissing you with as much passion you could only dream of that you cried.

Strong hands guiding the back of your waist, Prince Naoya dipped you lower to the ground – the grand of finish of his dance. He had chosen his bride.

The crowd cheered and rejoiced all around you, making you smile into the kiss. Fisting his collar to bring him closer to yours, your mouth burst into metaphorical fireworks as soon as his tongue mingled with yours for an experimental taste. He was bitter yet sweet; expensive wine resting on his tongue, yet a delicate vanilla sat heavily on his soft lips that molded with yours. It was a taste you could spend forever being addicted on. And you were crying, crying so much your chest ached and the Prince’s cheeks grew damp from yours. You’d dreamt of this for so long, too long now.

Prince Naoya slowly pulled you away, his thumb wiping the tears away from the pads of your cheeks with tenderness in his touch. However, the Prince was not satisfied. The crowd whooped as he leant down to kiss your forehead. “You are mine now, my princess.”

Looping his hands with yours, the Crown Prince led you out of the castle. The crowd parted naturally to make way for the new couple, and you were left staring at his broad back and the tuft of blond hair where you’d soon find out how soft it would be. Sending one last glance to your crying parents, you waved goodbye. You had no idea where the Crown Prince would take you but you were already bunching your dress up, heart completely filled with trust you did not question it. What mattered tonight and for the rest of your life was that it felt right. That it was him – your beloved Prince Naoya Zen’in and soon to be husband – that you’d follow through the moon and back.

[adlbeay]

I wanted to talk about the themes in the Walk in the Dust event. The story of Arknights has always had a high level of thematic consistency, but it’s especially prominent in this event. I feel like a lot of the discussion of the story in certain places comes down to “lore” and surface-level plot details, so I wanted to get this out there somewhere.

The two big ideas that are covered in Walk in the Dust are that of revenge and the homeland. Let's talk about revenge first. Long post and story spoilers under the cut.

In the beginning, we are introduced to Elliot, aka Passenger, who by the time we meet him, is an aimless husk of a man. He is utterly empty inside despite being the most powerful figure in the Reefsteep black  market, with vast wealth and political influence under his thumb. Having completed his decades-long quest to slay everyone who was involved in betraying his teacher, he has no more goals for his life. After killing  the Lord Ameer of Ibut, the last of his targets, he realizes that the revenge he had been pursuing was ultimately empty, that the weapons he built and the schemes he engineered to that end no longer moved him. Even the death of the Lord Ameer didn't matter one bit in the political landscape of Sargon.

As for the Sargon army... We live in different times now. The ruling  Padishahs simply care not about what is happening here in this barren  wasteland. My guess is that it matters not to them whether it's the  father or the son that's in charge. Actually, to tell the truth, it  hardly matters to me either.

Ultimately, no one cared if the Lord Ameer was murdered or simply  died in an accident, not even Elliot himself. Sargon continues to be exploited by the Columbian military and the ruling Lords. Professor Thorne remains dead. His research, once entrusted to Elliot to prevent  it from becoming a weapon of war, has nonetheless been used by Elliot  himself to bring even more death. Now, 22 years later, Passenger sees  finding Kal'tsit as his only path to salvation, so that she can once  again give him a purpose like she did when she rescued him the first time.

Folinic's mom, Lillia, also shares the same kind of story. Her husband was killed in Chernobog when the count decided to purge the researchers working on the sarcophagus device. Among the children of the families broken up by this incident are Lyudmila (later Crownslayer), Alex and Misha (later Skullshatterer), and Luisa (later Folinic). Lillia finds Kal'tsit after months of searching, intending to take revenge on  Grand Duke Vanya not just for her husband, but also for Luisa, who never got to know her father because of it. Kal'tsit tries to talk her out of  it, even during the final phases of the plan, but Lillia's mind is set.  She entrusts Kal'tsit with taking care of both Luisa and Lyudmila, as  she knows she won't be able to come back to live a normal life after  this. And... she succeeds. Although it is Kal'tsit who ultimately administered the poison, their plan works flawlessly and Duke Vanya is finally dead.

Except it still ended up being completely meaningless. The Grand Duke was in a glorified nursing home already near the end of his life, and if Kal'tsit didn't kill him then some other conspirator from the Ursus  political backstage would have done it anyway. He was already crippled and blind, and as we find out during the confrontation with the Emperor's Blade, even Kal'tsit only agreed to Lillia's plan because it  defused the conspiracies of other powerful figures who would have used  the Duke's death to spark another rebellion. The only thing that Lillia ended up accomplishing was making sure that Louisa would grow up without both a mother and a father, and Lyudmila would never get the answers she really wanted about her family's death. And, although she ended up not doing it, she was even also planning to go back to Chernobog to kill  Sergei, Alex and Misha's father, for his betrayal.

And this carries on through the future outside the event. Crownslayer ends up joining Reunion because she thinks it will give her the answers  she wants and avenge her father. Folinic almost lets her anger at Atro's death get her into a confrontation with Wolumonde. In the end, Crownslayer is stopped by Kal'tsit and Folinic is calmed down by  Suzuran, but we might be able to imagine what would have happened if  they managed to carry out their vengeance.

The theme of homeland is one that's intrinsically tied to Kal'tsit and has at least a bit of relation to the broader story outside of the event. It's harder to talk about since it's not clearly  split into individual stories like previously, but there's at least one character that exemplifies this theme the most: Old Isin.

Old Isin is appropriately to his name, old as rocks. He remembers being a servant to some lord of a long-lost city that very few even know once existed, and spends his time telling fortunes while trying to seek out people who, like him, also share that past. According to Kal'tsit, the city's people were scattered when it was destroyed, and now only Isin even remembers the origin of the name "Reefsteep". Even then, Isin only has vague memories, and believes it to be his unforgivable sin that  he has forgotten so much about the city.

Old Isin originally helps Kal'tsit and Elliot because he hopes that  she can help him remember about the lost city, and thus absolve his  "unforgivable sin". And Kal'tsit indeed does help him. Isin begins to recall the conquests of armies a thousand years ago, something even with  his age he should not have been a part of, much less remembered.  Kal'tsit dispels the illusions clouding his memory, and reveals that  what Isin remembers is only the stories that the padishah recounted to  him, that the glory of his old city was only a memory of another memory. In truth, the city in Old Isin's memory was merely a stepping stone for the padishah's ambition to conquer the uncharted deserts, and was abandoned just as easily when that campaign failed. His homeland's glory was just an illusion created in his mind by the padishah's charisma.

Which brings us to the Emperor's Blade. Wherever he stands is the dominion of the Empire of Ursus. Whatever he does carries out the Ursus Emperor's will. Or at least, that's how the Royal Guards imagine themselves, single-handedly carrying out their homeland's legacy. Kal'tsit lays it out clearly:

Kal'tsit: Tell me, what does the current Ursus Emperor think of the Pine Valley affair? Or do you mean to tell me the seeds of that uprising, the origins of the crisis were all the will of the Emperor? Feel free to keep deceiving yourself, but the truth is the young emperor is unaware of the events that transpired there. You believe he has no  need to know. You... all of you seek a bygone era. You are just caught up in the former emperor's grand vision!

As does Patriot in Chapter 8:

Patriot: I fought with your fathers. Your strength and tactical acumen are no less impressive than theirs. But you look at the Ursus of those times with rose-colored glasses. What you see is nothing more than your wild fantasies.

The Royal Guards are described in not too unclear words as soldiers  who probably believed too much of their own grandiose affect. They are unparalleled fighters, to be sure, but it isn't hard to infer that those words about executing Ursus's will and each Royal Guard being his own nation are words intended to strike fear into their enemies rather than  statements of any real truth. Indeed, if you know anything about the internal politics of Ursus, the idea of "Ursus's own will" can be seen as more of a nostalgia at a bygone era when Ursus was, or at least seemed, united in conquest under the previous Emperor. The perceived glory of their homeland is what motivates the Emperor's Blade, but like with Old Isin, the truth behind it is shaky at best.

We also have the contrast between the retired veteran at Pine Valley  and Grand Duke Vanya. While talking to Witte, the veteran cuts off one of his own fingers, claiming that the scars he has suffered in Ursus's wars, once considered symbols of his glory and honor, were ultimately meaningless, and he wants this self-inflicted wound to be his only legacy to Ursus. At the same time, the Grand Duke is postulating about how the seeds he had sown in the winter would give birth to beautiful flowers. Even though his actions and the crimes he committed never bore fruition, he is convinced even in death that Ursus's soil will bloom.

The issue of a real or imagined homeland, and its loss, is also  shared by the Sarkaz as a whole not only in this story but in the main story and many other events. It's even arguable that Rhodes Island's mission to help the Infected was originally inherited from Babel's goal of establishing a stable homeland for the Sarkaz. After all, as pointed  out in many places, the Infected and Sarkaz share much of the same discrimination.

Sarkaz Mercenary: Home...? How could us devils... us Infected possibly have one... Kal'tsit: The Sarkaz have tried to rebuild 'Kazdel', their home for centuries, though they have never succeeded. Everyone has a different idea as to what the term 'homeland' means, but as it stands right now,  Kazdel is perhaps as close as you can get to the term's original meaning.

And in Twilight of Wolumonde:

Armed Infected: We’re going home? To what home?

Mudrock: Kazdel. There may be no place for Sarkaz outside of Kazdel.  But in Kazdel, there is a place for you. Not because of tolerance. But because there is... nothing there. Kazdel... is where the homeless go. A land of rootless people.

So what does all this have to do with Kal'tsit?

In the ending cutscene, Passenger asks Kal'tsit whether this "Rhodes  Island" is yet another passing persona to be used to accomplish a goal and discarded when it's complete. Like the persona of the Trusted  Advisor, or the Servant, or the Laterano Cleric, will she abandon Rhodes  Island as well? Kal'tsit initially puts up a front saying he has no  right to ask, then bluffs about having thousands of answers, but is pushed by Passenger saying he'll even accept a lie. In one of the only times we get to see Kal'tsit faltering, she actually has no answer to this.

Unlike the other characters we see throughout the story, Kal'tsit has no homeland. No matter how fake or illusory it is, Old Isin and the Royal Guard have something to believe about a place where they can belong. The nobles in Victoria, as incompetent as they appear from the outside, are dedicated to defending the peace of their home despite having no ruler. Even the ostracized Sarkaz can ultimately go back to Kazdel, as unpleasant as that might be. But while Kal'tsit wanders the earth to keep the homelands of others from falling into chaos, she has no homeland of her own to go back to.

In one of the trailers for Chapter 9, we hear a recording from Theresa, addressed to Kal'tsit: "I hope this Rhodes Island can be a place to call home, a place you can always return to."

[qqueenofhades]

HEY. i wanted to ask you what you thought of Kathryn Warner as a historian?

I haven't personally read enough of her work to have a particular opinion on her narrative style or use of sources, but I know that she is a big member of the Ian Mortimer Club in re: Edward II, wherein they basically act like all historians who don't accept their Superior and Enlightened Theory about him secretly not dying in 1327 are total idiots who shouldn't even be given the time of day. (Mortimer himself is infamous for being a dick about this, and he wrote the forward to Warner's biography of Edward II, so yeah.) And yes, all historians have pet theories and speculations and niche hypotheses with varying levels of support or textual evidence, but if you constantly insist that yours is the Only Correct Reading and everyone else is just unwilling to appreciate your genius, that's not really a healthy attitude.

If you're an academic historian, you have to be open to constructive criticism, you have to be willing to read and interpret sources in multiple ways and to acknowledge the obvious fact that we don't know everything and are working with limited and subjective sets of evidence, and since the actual proof for Edward II's supposed not-death in 1327 is flimsy and circumstantial at best, it strikes me as being in the same vein as the Richard III apologists (such as the ones discussed earlier this year) who try everything to "prove" that he didn't actually kill the Princes in the Tower. If lots of other people have examined the same evidence and don't necessarily agree that it supports your position, given that old "extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence" rule of thumb, it doesn't mean that obviously you're right and they're just wrong and stupid. Instead, it means (at the least) that you need to take a better look at it yourself. But since people like the Ricardian Society and all the other Plantagenet-era revisionist historians have staked their entire careers on "proving" the experts wrong (even if they never actually do), they don't do that.

In short, if that kind of challenge happens to you, you could (and should) at least admit the possibility that your pet theory, or even just some parts of your pet theory, might be wrong, instead of doubling down all over again. If you don't do so, it becomes difficult to trust that you're actually interpreting other evidence correctly, or that I myself would do the same if I looked at it independently. If you're tying your entire identity as a scholar to one controversial argument, which you are in the distinct minority about making and which you won't accept any criticism of, ever, then you get relegated, at least in my mind, to the more conspiracy-theorist, contrarian lower level of historians, rather than people participating in serious and well-grounded academic practice that actually does want to exchange and engage ideas in good faith. That may or may not be totally fair of me, but still.

To some degree, all history is obviously "revisionist": there is not one solid and unquestionable narrative of "what really happened," and if you make your argument well, almost all good scholars are willing to accept it and to use it to critically update common narratives or widely accepted beliefs that may no longer be accurate. After all, nobody wants to be the idiot who's still citing something 30 years out of date, if the peer review process has produced something better and more relevant. But if your ideas have repeatedly been rejected by said peer review process, and you haven't modified them at all and just hurl insults at everyone who doesn't appreciate your genius, then yeah, you're not contributing to any of that, and people are justified in not really taking you seriously. This is directed more at Mortimer than Warner, but as she's in the same group, it does apply to her as well.

[earnestly-endlessly]

I love your fic recs! Do you have any with Protective!Erik?

Protective! Erik is one of my favourite tropes so I have a TON of fics to share with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Protective! Erik fic recs

Erik Lehnsherr's Guide to Saving the Universe By Meeting Your Soul-Mate and Falling in Love in Less than 72 Hours – madneto, Pangea

Summary: Army Pilot Erik Lehnsherr is just trying to enjoy his day off when a mostly naked person crashes through the roof of his car. Even more alarming, the strange falling naked person—who goes by Charles Xavier when he's not speaking an ancient dead language—brings tidings of the apparent potential end of the world, and begs Erik to help him put a stop to it.

Well. His mother has been nagging at him to go out and meet new people.

In Sound and Silence – endingthemes

Summary: Erik is assigned to care for the special patient in room 301.

How Not To Meet Your Future Boyfriend – ikeracity

Summary: Erik punches Charles in the face the first time they meet. There isn't anywhere their relationship can go from there but up.

Forgotten – FuryRed

Summary: Charles is having a really bad day. Not only has he woken up in the middle of the afternoon with no idea where he is or how he got there, but when he returns home he’s confronted by a stranger with intense eyes, who insists that he knows Charles rather more intimately than Charles remembers…

Thou Shalt Not Eat Stones – valancysnaith

Summary: Two months after Washington, Raven found Erik in a skeevy motel off the Florida interstate.

“They have Charles, Erik,” she said.

The bedframe shrieked. In the bathroom, the showerhead snapped in half and clattered into the tub.

Demoted – JayPendragon

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is a detective-specialist with the NYPD Mutant Tactical Unit, ready to help out where his skills are needed. Or he would be, if he and his partner hadn’t been demoted. For the next four months, he is patrolling the Lenox Hill precinct with Azazel – if he doesn’t die of boredom first. One night they are called in to investigate a potential case of domestic violence, yet the tenant assures them he is both alone and unharmed. However, there is something about this Charles Xavier that compels Erik to follow up.

Warning: Sensitive material, domestic abuse and dubious consent

Watch Your Back – swoopswoop

Summary: Bodyguard AU where Erik is overly protective and things aren't as simple as they seem.

If We Met Differently – swoopswoop

Summary: Erik wasn't the only mutant 'taken in' by Shaw, Erik learns this the hard way when a new mutant is dropped into his cell. They manage to escape together, but things aren't all roses after that. Erik has a score to settle and needs to make sure Charles is safe.

The Color of Love (Character Swap Remix) – BadLuckBlueEyes

Summary: Nobody sees in color until they meet their soulmates. When your soulmate dies, your vision returns to black and white. What happens when your soulmate only dies for a few minutes?

Omega Online – miss_aphelion

Summary: Newly imprinted Charles is having trouble dealing with his overly protective alpha—so in desperation he seeks advice in an omega chat room. Emma Frost is more than happy to help, Raven isn't helping at all, and Erik can't stand to be out of touch with Charles for more than five minutes at a time.

Cannot be Contained in Words – wallhaditcoming (uvcatastrophe) 

Summary: Crime syndicate head Erik Lehnsherr travels to London on business, where he meets oxford student Charles Xavier. Their liaison spawns into a years long transatlantic affair, kept apart by Erik's work and Charles' studies,which Erik chronicles in photographs. When distance ceases to be an issue after four long years, the overlap between Charles' past and Erik's work create a whole new set of complications.

A Pertinent Reminder – ikeracity, Pangea

Summary: Sometimes it's easy to forget that getting involved in Erik's mob business isn't all fine dining and sex on yachts. There's nothing like taking a couple of bullets to remind Charles of the reality.

Part 3 of the Associates series

A Dangerous Game – ikeracity, pangea

Summary: When a familiar enemy of Erik's returns to the city for some old-fashioned revenge, Charles is sucked deeper into the world of the mob than ever before.

Part 6 of the Associates series

You don’t choose the thug life (except when you do) – Anonymous

Summary: Charles is kidnapped and discovers that Erik, the Alpha he has been dating for the past few months and is head-over-heels for, is not just a wealthy businessman but actually the head of a syndicate.

He is rather unhappy about this discovery and Erik gets an earful for lying to him. Then Charles is kidnapped again and really, he hopes mating Erik won't result in weekly kidnapping because he has a thesis to finish and papers to grade.

Marrying a Mob – Ook

Summary: Charles is a teacher at a very exclusive school. When armed men burst in on the trail of two children, of course he stands up to them and gets hurt. The children are Erik Lehnsherr's children (of course); a "prominent businessman" or, less politely, "mobster".

Erik is grateful to Charles for saving his children's lives at the cost of his kneecap. So very grateful.

Naturally he tries to reward Charles for his actions. Equally naturally, Charles will be having none of that.

Azazel finds the whole thing unspeakably hilarious. Naturally.

Rumor Has It – blueink3

Summary: "Did I hear the doorbell earlier?"

"Yeah, but I'd steer clear if I were you. It seemed a little tense. I don't know what's going on, but there's a kid out there who looks freakily like the prof."

Nearly six months after Cuba, Charles' life is turned upside down for the second time. Though he's slowly learning to adapt to the first, he's not sure he can handle the second. Luckily for him, there are a few people out there more than willing to help.

Forward Momentum – AsYouWish

Summary: Six months after Cuba, Charles and Erik find themselves thrown fifty years into the future, where they meet their older selves, the Avengers, and a world that's very different from their own. Faced with the pieces of their broken relationship, an unparalleled adversary, and dealing with Tony Stark on a daily basis, Charles and Erik do their best to adapt while trying to find a way back home -- and to each other.

Runs in the Family – Anonysquirrel (chibirisuchan)

Summary: Alex knew his own reputation. Hell, he'd started some of his own reputation, because it kept some of the smarter thugs off his back. Everyone knew Alex's reputation. There was no way Hank didn't know his reputation, but he'd brought Alex into a house with some really expensive things and a lot of innocent little kids and his too-friendly, too-harmless dad.

But clearly Hank hadn't told his family anything about Alex, just like he hadn't told Alex anything about his family. At least, not about the brain-breaking parts of his family.

"I didn't know where to start," Hank said, for the dozenth time.

Featuring mpreg!Charles in a Kiss The Cook apron, overprotective!Erik in wet black leather, and baked goods. Lots and lots of baked goods.

Round the Corner Waiting – swoopswoop

Summary: When things go so spectacularly wrong during a relationship, Charles - now a single dad - almost makes a big mistake, only to be stopped by a mysterious man who just might turn his life back around.

Hide Your Fires – swoopswoop

Summary: As the sole heir, Prince Charles, had no problem with the roles and responsibility that would come with ruling a kingdom. Though he was the only one who did not see a problem. After years of being shuttled back and forth between kingdoms, his Regent hoping he would find a match more suitable to being King, he is finally sent to Genosha. Though the path has never been less clear than the one to a foreign kingdom with no ties to his native land.

Shaw’s Captive – swoopswoop

Summary: Magneto killed Shaw, it had to be done for the sake of mutant-kind but what he wasn't expecting to find hidden deep with Shaw's complex was a man held captive, obviously tortured, that somehow made Magneto turn into Erik.

Erik now has a potential human in his citadel as he continues the war with the human's.

Mind’s Eye Blind – Sperare 

Summary: As far as Erik is concerned, if you want to scare a person into talking, you have to present him with something more compelling than what he stands to lose...

And there is nothing in the world more compelling than Charles.

Chipped – Rosawyn 

Summary: Magneto's fledgling Brotherhood find Charles Xavier in a mutations research lab as an apparently willing subject for an experimental suppression device.

Okay, I Feel Better Now – Harleydoll

Summary: The AU in which Erik is sent to a mental health facility after being convicted for Shaw's murder and pleads insanity, and Charles is his paranoid schizophrenic of a roommate. Powers, Hellfire conspiracies, protective!Erik, and of course the inevitable angst.

Five Nights in Nuremberg – FuryRed

Summary: When Charles escapes from the mutant prison he has been held in for the last two years he knows that he’s going to need help to avoid being recaptured.

What he doesn’t expect is that help will come in the form of a mysterious German man who rescues Charles and takes him to his home; a handsome stranger who, frustratingly, doesn’t speak a single word of English…

Five Bullet Points – Sperare

Summary: It was supposed to be Erik locked away in a prison one hundred stories below the ground.

Charles was never supposed to be there with him.

Notes: Unfinished but an excellent read. Highly recommend it.

Stolen – ishipitsobad

Summary: Erik is a miserable, grumpy, cantankerous bastard, and he has every fucking right to be. He drew the short end of the stick when he got the Underworld as his domain, and there isn't very much fun to be had in judging and governing dead souls who would rather be anywhere else but with Erik in the depths of Hell.

So when he meets Charles, brilliant and lovely Charles who is more popularly known amongst the mortals as Persephone, and feels the promise of something wonderful that could make his eternally doomed existence infinitely more bearable... you can bet all your drachmas Erik's not going to let Charles go any fucking time soon.

My Barbaric Darling – baehj2915

Summary: Erik is revivified caveman. Charles is the anthropologist(?) taking care of him. This is as ridiculous as it sounds. Romcom misunderstandings and prehistoric wooing ensues.

Swimming with Sharks – Not_You

Summary: Erik used to be a shark. Now he's not, and has to figure out how to be a good human father to his twins. Charles is willing to help.

Eucalyptus leaf of my soul - kageillusionz, ourgirlfriday

Summary: Zookeeper Raven at Taronga Zoo keeps having ideas on how to capitalize on interest in the zoo mascots, Koala Charles and Drop Bear Erik (the only drop bear in captivity!), who have captured the hearts and minds of the public. First it was to introduce prospective mates (It’ll generate attention, Hank. People are perverts. They’d love to see koala porn.). This idea was not effective the first through fifth attempts, as Erik and Charles seemed to show at best polite interest in the newcomer before resuming whatever marsupial debate they had going. However, the resulting lesbian koala orgies did indeed generate interest. Then Raven unveiled the Hug-A-Koala program, which was successful, as the public showed great interest in hugging Charles, and Charles seemed to enjoy being hugged.

Then Raven unveiled the Hug-A-Drop Bear program, and Hank, not for the first time, wished he had a flask handy.

Notes: Yes, they’re Koalas, yes they’re adorable, and yes, Erik is super protective even as a Drop Bear.