#so if you got issues with it not showing up complain to the staff

[sharkboywrites]

"You're Just a Boy, You Are No Man, And Nobody You Know Will Understand"

Twst staff finding out stealth ftm reader is trans (platonic)

Reader is a trans man and implied to pass, misgendering, mentions of dysphoria and periods

A/N: Back with a part two to this post after the poll came out mostly positive. I really love the staff taking on a parental role to Yuu/player, its just so sweet.

Dire Crowley

Getting teleported to twisted Wonderland was a very difficult experience, and of first the first person you met, and the one causing most of the problems for you, was Crowley. As the headmage of the school, he had to do something with you and generally take care of you. it was only a matter of time before you had to tell him the truth.

This doesn't mean you avoided the inevitable conversation as much you could. You were able to go a few weeks without running into an issue, that being the dreadful natural process that comes once every month.

While you could run to Sam, there was the small issue of the right clothes to wear, after all boxers won't really cut it in this situation, so unfortunately you had to go to Crowley for the right things to wear.

It was definitely an uncomfortable situation , sitting in Crowley's office, having to explain the situation to him. He was also, clearly, made a bit uncomfortable by the situation, but as headmage of the school, it was his job to provide you with what you needed.

you could already sense that dreaded feeling coming in the back of your throat as you explained. You really didn't want to cry in front of him, it was embarrassing, but there was really nothing you could do to stop it. In all honesty, Crowley doesn't know how to react in this situation, he's not really good with comforting and all that, so he isn't sure what to do once you get up and leave once the conversation, tears threatening to pour from your eyes.

You do find the next day, however, the clothes you requested, although you're decently sure he made a guess on the sizing, and a small chocolate bar. A small note sat with the items, reading "You've been excused of all chores for this week, take the break you need". Truly a bird dad at heart, even when he's not good with the talking part.

Divus Crewel

While Crewel can be seen as, well, cruel, he's taken a liking to you as you've made your way into Night Raven College. Now obviously he hadn't thought much of Crowley, knowing he did the bare minimum keeping you at the school, but he didn't expect this.

Other than your school uniform and the clothes you showed up in, you really didn't have anything else to wear, and he was not having it. Of course once he found out he dragged you to the nearest clothing store. Caught up in his anger and disappointment with Crowley, he didn't see how nervous you actually were about getting new clothes.

It wasn't until you had to make decisions did he pick up on your hesitation. he was a bit pushy with trying to get you to pick out things, but it wasn't until it came to trying thing on he realized just why you were so hesitant about this whole thing. It really all had clicked the moment you had to actually try things on, but he had reassured you that everything was fine and took a different approach.

He started to prioritize clothes that would make you feel comfortable over the ones he thought looked fashionable, although don't doubt for a second fashion won't still be considered.

Once you're all done you've got a new wardrobe and Crewel understands you a lot better. After this there's very clear favoritism once in the classroom now, which Ace will complain about until the day he dies. But that's alright, it's worth it to put with the complaining now that Crewel's you're new dad figure who's willing to do anything to make you feel comfortable with the other boys

Mozus Trein

Out of all the staff at Night Raven College, professor Trein is the most of a dad, quite literally, after all he had three daughters. Because of this, he can pick up on those small things that make you different from the other male students at Night Raven College. While he had his assumptions, he never outright said anything. He decided it was none of his business, and that if you wanted him to know, you would come to him instead.

it was during one of his classes that he noticed you seemed really uncomfortable. Not just uncomfortable physically, but mentally. It looked like you were ready to burst into tears with one wrong move. When class ended, he told you to stay after.

In that moment it felt like everything had gotten so much worse. Had you messed up? Were you in trouble? That's really not something you could handle right now. but to your surprise, he asked if you were alright instead.

You couldn't help when you started to cry a bit at that moment, although you did your best to hold back as much of it as you could. this caught him off guard, he didn't want you to cry. After reassuring you that it was alright, you explained to him what was going on. You told him how you were trans, how you were trying so hard to hide it, and how dysphoria had really been eating away at you ever since you got there.

Fortunately, when raising his own daughters Trein had to comfort them plenty, so he was able to calm you down enough to once again reassure you that everything would be alright. He told you that if you had any issues, to come to him and that he wouldn't tell anyone if you didn't want to. if you wanted the rest of staff to know, he'd help you slowly come out.

After that, he's very attentive to you in class, always making sure you seem alright. He really just wans you to be okay, even if he doesn't know that much about being queer. he starts to see you as one of his kids, and he wants to protect and help you in any way he can.

Ashton Vargas

Out of all the teachers you weren't very exited to learn about your identity, it was Vargas. He's like the average intimidating man that you're not sure if you want him to know you're queer. his reaction would either be super supportive, or he'd be the most transphobic person you'd ever met. teaching gym, it was inevitable that he would eventually find out you were trans.

When it came to locker rooms, it was really a challenge. there was no way you could change with the rest of the guys, they'd figure it out in seconds, and no you can't get out of changing for gym. So you had to go to Vargas to ask if there was somewhere else you would be able to change. Of course, he made you explain. it wasn't in a mean way, but he wants to push every student to being the best version of themselves, and being too scared to change in a locker room was not going to help that, a least according to him.

So, you had to tell him. You explained to him that you were trans and not only were you not comfortable changing with the rest of the boys, it would be unsafe for you if in the room with the wrong person. he's very taken aback by this. he probably isn't the type of teacher to think about students being queer, not in a homophobic way, just not something he generally thought about. So he offered to let you use one of the bathrooms nearby, as long as you didn't tell anybody about it.

This does not mean, however, that he'll suddenly go easy on you. you're still expected to do the same exercises as the rest of the boys. you are a boy and therefore will be pushed just as hard as the rest of them. Sorry, no getting out of that one. Vargas doesn't really see you any differently. You're still one of his students and need to be pushed to your limits, no matter how much you may dislike it. In fact, this makes him even harder on you. he's strict about making sure you don't exercise in a binder and gives you work outs that would make you more physically masculine.

So congratulations, you're given even more work than all the other students, but it's in good intentions from Vargas.

Sam

In the end, it was inevitable that you would also have to go to Sam at some point. I mean those period products aren't gonna buy themselves. Even though it wasn't really an ideal situation, Sam seemed like the person who'd you'd rather come out to than everyone else.

He's a bit odd, but he doesn't seem like the type to be judgmental, although he might bug you a little bit about it, not in a mean way though, the way he does to everybody. He's a bit of a sassy guy and that isn't going to stop for you.

When you first ask if he has anything that could help, he simply laughs. yes, it's an odd request that he wasn't expecting, but of course he has some. In fact, he even has enough for you to pick out a preferred size of whatever it was that you wanted.

he doesn't tell anyone if you don't want him to, although when you show up, with friends or not, he'll make a few sly jokes about it. Not enough to out you, just enough to let you know that he knows, and it doesn't bother him at all.

this took me a lot longer than I thought I would, probably because I kept goofing off and getting on my phone instead of writing. I feel like Sam's part is really short but at this point I'm pretty tired and need a hot chocolate lol. ty for reading and have a nice day <3

[therollingriceball]

aventurine x a f!reader whose personality is a lot like mayuzumi fuyuko of shinymas

*to those who doesn't know shinymas, fuyuko is a fashionable girl who acts friendly, cutesy, lovely and kind to people but beyond that mask has tsundere tendencies with anger issues that she only shows to people she actually trusts.

(( f!reader's job isn't specified, but she's from a planet that had a deal with IPC // mentions of random IPC staff dude being asshole / creepy to reader ))

being used to (or more likely forced to for survival) on observing people with hidden intent, Aventurine immediately could know you're not what you seems to be.

he knew he isn't any better with his fake smile and everything, so he didn't pry too much into it.

but somehow, you two ends up having to be a lot together due to business reason, and your masking isn't as sturdy as Aventurine's

you was so mad at one of his underlings in IPC being a total creep to you just because you're kind to him, that you forgot your masking and complained out loud where you think no one could hear.

unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), Aventurine overheard you.

obviously there was no need to mask anymore, you stormed off to confront him about his underling who's being a creep until Aventurine would promise to lay him off or something or your deal with him is off.

he wasn't surprised at your 'sudden' change upon dropping your mask, and instead smiled and agreed to help you. (it bothers you)

(Aventurine was amazed at you because of the way you spoke out honestly about your feelings despite your initial masking, that he finds you interesting. teasing ensues, but he still agreed to your terms)

that creep got what he deserved, but now Aventurine had a secret of yours as well as being interested in you in some form.

he definitely would find the tsundere you who had anger issues more fun than the you who are masking as a kind, generous girl.

while you do open up to him eventually, it may take a while for him to do the same for you. even after you're dating.

your mask of a kind self had brought you a few admirers. that's how you two got closer in the first place, anyway. that does make Aventurine feels kind of annoyed, but he knew he's the only one who knew your real side that it makes him feels smug in his heart.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Early 2021 Timeline

There was an anon who asked for the timeline of royal happenings in the March/April 2021 timeframe. I forgot to grab the ask when I saw it before it got buried under newer asks (I'll spare you all another gripe about how useless the inbox can be).

Quick little disclaimer first: this isn't *everything* that happened and it doesn't cover all of the media coverage that was taking place during this time.

(What I started doing was tracking royal events so that when I do research the PR timelines, I have a frame of reference for the kind of stories but not a whole lot of links. So that's the background to this.)

Without further ado...

January 2021: Pretty quiet month as far as royal events go. (Most of my newsfeeds and social media is dominated by the events of January 6th so it's very possible things happened that slipped right past me because of that. (This is not an invitation to discuss January 6th.)

February 2021

2/16/21: Prince Philip enters King Edward VII's hospital for an infection.

2/18/21: CDAN says William took Princess Latifa's (Dubai/UAE) virgnity and it's causing diplomatic problems for the UK and Dubai. (I believe CDAN published the blind because of this BBC story about the princess's kidnapping and detention.)

2/19/21: Buckingham Palace confirms the Sussexes won't return as working members of the royal family, that Harry will give up his miltiary titles, and that they're both relinquishing royal patronages.

2/20/21: Charles visits Philip at the hospital. He's papped leaving, looking very emotional and upset. Media and the public realizes this could be the start of the end.

2/26/21: Harry appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Cringe all around.

March 2021

3/1/21: Prince Philip is transferred to St. Bartholomew's hospital for continued care and treatment of a heart condition.*

3/3/21: Philip has a heart operation.

3/5/21: Philip transfers back to King Edward VII's hospital.*

*For one of these movements, there are photographs showing that hospital staff are using sheets to block media's access/view of Philip being transferred into an ambulance (I don't remember which one). It fuels further speculation that this may be the end for Philip.

3/7/21: Oprah's interview with Meghan and Harry is broadcast in the U.S.

3/8/21: Piers Morgan flips out over the Oprah interview. The royal family attends the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. Oprah releases four new clips of the Sussex interview to CBS This Morning that were cut from the original broadcast. Meghan lodges formal complaints about Piers to Ofcom. The Oprah interview is broadcast in the UK.

3/9/21: Piers quits or gets fired. (No one's really sure of the official story.) Buckingham Palace issues the "recollections may vary" statement.

3/10/21: Piers doubles down on his comments made about Meghan following the Oprah interview on social media.

3/11/21: Kate makes the BRF's first official appearance since the Oprah interview is broadcast in the UK. William unexpectedly joins her and issues the first in-person statement: "We're very much not a racist family."

3/16/21: Philip is discharged from hospital and returns to Windsor Castle. Harry and Meghan leak to Gayle King about the status of their relationship with the BRF post-Oprah interview.

April 2021

4/9/21: Prince Philip dies.

4/10/21: Edward and Sophie are the first royals to be publicly seen, spotted driving through Windsor. Sophie makes brief remarks to reporters standing near the road as they drive past.

4/11/21: Details of Philip's funeral are announced. Harry starts complaining about not being able to wear his military uniform. Andrew and Edward attend a Sunday service in Windsor at the Royal Chapel of All Saints and both make comments to the media.

4/12/21: William releases a statement on Philip's passing via KP social media, including a new-to-us photograph of Philip and George by Kate. Harry also releases a statement about Philip's passing via Archewell, receiving immediate criticism that a) he posted too quickly after William; b) used the for-his-personal-profit Archewell charity to do it; and c) pretended to be the Captain General of the Royal Marines (which he gave up two months earlier) by quoting their motto. Meghan announces that she will not attend the funeral to avoid being in the "center of attention." Harry papped traveling to London for the funeral; in accordance with the government's COVID policy, Harry has to isolate and quarantine for 5 days and "test to release" on the fifth day to attend Philip's funeral.

4/13/21: More details of Philip's funeral announced, including mask-wearing and social distancing protocols, the guest list, and the order of the procession.

4/15/21: Buckingham Palace announces that no one will wear military uniforms to Philip's funeral. It's covered as "the decision was made to spare embarrassing Harry."

4/16/21: Huw Edwards sends spicy messages to a younger coworker. The Wessexes (Edward, Sophie, and Louise) do a walkabout at Windsor Castle to view flowers and tributes left for Philip - it's the only royal walkabout, probably for COVID protocols.

4/17/21: Philip's funeral. Meghan issues PR taking credit for the flowers and card on top of his casket.

4/25/21: CDAN publishes that Meghan was hitting on Serena's husband at the 2019 US Open and he told Serena, who confronted Meghan and they had a big falling out.

[uninformedartist]

I feel like Spindlehorse can't separate Helluva as a product from themselves as people. Same shit the fandom does.

Yeah that's actually what's happening. Now its understandable that a creator would be attached to their product/project in some ways because after all they made it can be seen as an artistic reflection of themselves and what they want the world to see. But there comes a point where you have to separate yourself from your property especially if it becomes mainstream for legal, professional and pr reasons. That is not seen with Viv and she includes too much of herself (good or bad) into her shows.

When looking at the core aspect of helluva boss the comedy, Viv tries to implement a lot of what she finds personally funny but... lets just say her humor is problematic in some ways or just down right unfunny. And this is very bold of her to do because she's putting what she finds personally funny which thinking in a greater scale is bad to do because everyones humor is subjective. Another thing to note is that her humor is in general very crass "edgy" and immature actually so dick jokes, SA "jokes", ableis "jokes" are all over her show and since this is what she finds personally funny, in our modern era that is a problem because many don't find this sort of humor funny in any way.

The main aspect of helluva boss fails. Viv and whoever she associates with put too much of themselves personally in helluva boss. Be it the humor they find funny or life experiences. And doing this causes issues because as seen by the audience at large (not talking about her bootlicking fanbase) they simply don't find that sort of humor funny or relate to whatever life experiences they insert in helluva boss. Then Viv and co get offended/or angry at the backlash their humor etc receives and proceeds to complain on twitter because this is their personal humor/experiences is being criticised.

Saw a few examples:

This was that horse joke in So2 ep1. It wasn't funny at all well to me at least, was informative but not funny and it was an actual thing that happened to Sam who is Viv's best friend/spindlehorse staff member. This "joke" had to be explained on twitter cos nobody got it, its an inside joke/life experience thrown in the episode that didn't land and now Sam had to explain it.

And this is a big one, the infamous dildos in the wall joke. Since the episode was written by Adam Neylan we thought it was his joke he made and a lot of people didn't find it funny because it was a stupid dick joke and where the joke happened was were Moxxie was physically abused by his father then the next scene had the dildos popping out the walls, complete tonal whiplash and was insensitive. Why I bring this up because it was actually Viv who added the dildo joke: this is highlights from the Helluva boss watch party.

And then she proceeded to go on twitter liking and retweeting any tweet of someone who found it funny when many didn't to I don't know comfort herself, maybe boost her ego. Yeah adding your personal taste in humor can backfire.

On the hivemind fandom, its like minded people in it and she cultivated this fandom over many years so Viv and her fandom are in the same boat together, nothing much to say there.

So yeah in short, spindlehorse and Viv add too much of themselves in helluva boss and it backfires because its not funny, relatable, problematic etc. Some separation between creator and product is key to avoid a lot of this as mentioned, getting too personal with your product especially if its released to a wider audience can save you a lot of hurt and backlash if what you're adding personally of yourself is problematic etc but you don't see it as such.

Sorry for such a long post ╭( ๐_๐)╮ I threw myself this morning into doing a lot of law past exam papers so my writing off the wall.

[the-demon-of-a-thousand-eyes]

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒟𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓃 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝒯𝒽𝑜𝓊𝓈𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐸𝓎𝑒𝓈 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 38 Killing an Eyeful Peep Again, View Were Always Meant to Be Stares

Pairing: Alastor x F!OC (Theia, The Demon of a Thousand Eyes)

Chapter Summary: You delight in killing Edgar again, then things take a turn you hadn't anticipated.

Word Count: 4.4k

Warnings: Tentacles, Murder, Blood, Spitting, No Hands, No Eyes, Removal of Genitalia, Decapitation, Discussions of Implied SA of Minors

Edgar had never been an easy man to appease. Even from that first encounter, something seemed off about him, but he had always been careful in the beginning, at least with me.

He complained if my tattoos showed, but I explained that fresh ink always needed to be seen, and if I couldn’t show off my eye tattoos at an optometry clinic, where else would it be acceptable? While most places on Earth that I’d been had discouraged showing skin, he never did, at least on the younger women. The older you got the more he expected you to cover up, as if your age dictated how many inches of fabric you were to have covering your flesh. He always made a big deal about the length of my skirts, mocking me if they were modest, stealing glances if they weren’t.

He couldn’t keep staff, a revolving door of various women from all walks of life had come and gone in the mere six months that I’d worked there, and in that time, I saw many leave due to uncomfortable conversations, gifts, or drunken late-night texts—especially if the women were younger.

With Ellie, it started off small, too. I barely noticed at first.

She was a sweet little thing, all energy, excitement, curiosity, and smiles. His eyes always followed her, and I noticed. Of course I noticed. 

For a while, he was just keen to watch. Then, when she turned fourteen and joined our ranks, he got bolder. He seemed to have a physical space issue: he had to be within touching distance, couldn’t keep his hands to himself. They were on her shoulder, in her hair, caressing her arms. Subtle, but very noticeable to anyone paying attention.

He was always giving her things, little things, long before she had been employed with us, and sometimes these trinkets would make her uncomfortable. I didn’t see them all, but I could tell by the look on her face when she left his office some days if he’d given her something she didn’t like. She was so determined to be an apprentice with our clinic. On many occasions, I’d ask her why, why not go somewhere else. She said she liked it there, that we were nice, that Edgar was nice, but I didn’t know what to think, not for some time.

When Ellie changed, and everything changed, and he started doing it to me, the gifts started out small. 

Sweets—which I have never been partial to—consumed from his grubby outstretched palm and thanked immediately, swallowing down chalky candies with too much sugar. 

Hair ribbons, like the ones I’d seen in Ellie’s hair not long ago, in colors I had never been fond of but ones he preferred. He’d put them in himself, just how he liked, then take the mirror we used to show clients how they liked their new frames to show off his work. It was shoddy and messy, and my hair always felt greasy afterwards, but I let him, even and especially when the color of the ribbons he’d chosen clashed horribly with my clothing that day. I’d spend what felt like hours taking them out of my hair every night, wanting to burn them, throw them away, but knew that if I wore them the next day, wore them with colors that matched instead of clashed, he’d be pleased, in a better mood.

Usually that just resulted in more gifts, dolls I’d never been much for even as a child, makeup I had no interest in wearing, uniforms in colors that matched the ribbons that were too tight and too small. ‘What if customers see me in this?’ I asked, forgetting my place, and I remember he’d replied, ‘Oh no, you wear this, Iris, and no one will see you but me.’

Not long after that, he invited me to go to his house. Ellie had told me those words, those haunting words that I will never forget. ‘Never go to his house, Iris. You will regret it for the rest of your life.’ Sixteen words.  It only took sixteen words for me to understand. How I hadn’t connected the dots earlier, I’m not sure, other than just being so young, so unfamiliar, so naïve.

I'd never seen him or his wife after that night, the one where I cut off his hands and gouged out his eyes, the one where his wife caught me in the act of partaking in my new favorite snack and chased me into an alley with a kitchen knife, stabbed me over and over again and left me to bleed. I never thought to look for him, cared what had happened, not until I'd told Alastor and Ombre about him.

Now I want to kill him again.

You’re back on that same derelict  rooftop in the abandoned territory just outside of the Entertainment District, your hair whipping in the wind once more, thoughts of your first kill swirling around like smoke. Alastor stands beside you, his own tousled gently in the breeze, and Ombre is billowing slightly about your shoulders. It’s early morning this time, the Hellish ‘sun’ just peaking above the horizon, beginning to bathe the sky in the bright, blood red familiar to Pentagram City’s skyline. Behind the same door from before, you hear muffled grunts, and the sound makes your eyes flash that familiar red in anticipation. “Mes rois, who do you have behind that door for me?” You raise an eyebrow. “Is it who I think it is?”

“He was a difficult man to find, ma très chère, but with some determination and patience, I succeeded. How he managed to survive fifteen years in such a state is a feat in itself that I didn’t bother to learn. You’d think it would have been easy to track down a sinner that arrived in Hell with no eyes or hands.”

Yours flash red again, and you grin wickedly, pulling Alastor into a passionate kiss. When you’re panting for air, you break it to purr, “You brought me my first kill to do it all again.”

“But of course!” Alastor says with stars in his eyes despite the morning hour. “Anything and everything for you, nostre âme soeur.”

“Anything.” Ombre echoes from around your shoulders, “Anything for you, our majesty.”

You feel the urge to swoon as you fall into his arms and kiss him with fervor, then turn your head and do the same to Ombre.

A thud against the door brings you back to why you’re here; you sigh with a happy smile. “I suppose it’s time to move on to the main event now anyway.”

“Lead the way, nostre reine. I look forward to the show!” He says with a wicked grin, and yours matches his intensity as you look back at him.

“A dazzling performance, I have no doubt, our majesty.” Ombre purrs into your ear.

You take a few steps and open the door. The thumping sound comes not from a body bag like last time, but a struggling man tied to a chair. He’s gagged and bound, fighting against his bindings. He looks quite different from the last time you saw him, dead in his living room. Just as Alastor had described, he has no hands, and when his head tilts up to look in your direction instead of eyes, deep, hollow sockets meet your gaze. You drag the chair deeper into the room so that Alastor can walk in behind you. He watches you intently, and you wink with one of the eyes on the back of your horns as you step towards the sinner in the chair. Ombre stays draped around your shoulders. You suspect this is their new favorite place to be. For the fun of it, you remove the gag from his mouth. For this conversation, you’ll want him to be able to speak. The first sounds that pour from his lips are guttural and angry, and you chuckle, amused. “Now, now Edgar. That’s hardly the way to talk to one of your old apprentices. Don’t you remember lil’ old me, hm?”

His eyeless sockets stare hollowly at you, and while you can’t read his expression, you know there’s no recognition there as he spits, “Never seen a freak like you. Think I’d recognize one pretending to be one of my employees.”

You chuckle again and then, with a glint in your eyes and a bend at the waist, your human disguise slips over your features. You now have pale skin, two brown eyes in their normal locations on a human, a set of rather sharp but not too sharp teeth in a wide-set mouth, a pert nose, and shoulder-length black hair. Instead of the eyes that litter your body, tattoos of them cover your arms. “Does this ring any bells? Sure, I’m sixteen years older by now, so you’ll have to excuse me no longer looking like your type, of course, but one can only stay fourteen for a year, after all.”

You don’t need to read his eyeless sockets to see the jerk in his body at the sight of you. “Iris. Thought those freaky-ass eye tattoos were on theme. Now I know you’re a fuckin’ witch. It all makes sense.”

You cackle. “How cute. No, I’m not a ‘witch’ as you so stupidly put it.” You let your human disguise fall. “For someone who’s been in Hell for fifteen years, you sure don’t recognize a hellborn very well. Now before you get any grand ideas, I didn’t come up to Earth just to kill you in particular. Don’t go getting a big head now, silly little sinner.” You smirk as you run your fingers through his hair just so you can yank it up by the roots, pull it taut until it rips from the follicles. 

“You hurt so many people. I didn’t need to see the acts to know that. Ellie was enough. You were so careful with her. It was obvious to me that if you’d done it to Ellie, you’d done it to others, and you would do it again. So when you turned that revolting gaze on me, I knew I had to have those eyes in between my teeth.” You lean in close so he can look at you through the holes where his eyes should be. “You want to know something? It was the best snack I have ever eaten or will ever eat. I’m almost disappointed I don’t get the pleasure of doing it again. Eyes have always been my favorite because of you. It’s the only good thing you’ve ever done for anyone. So thank you for that, Edgar.”

A beat of silence, excluding the grunting coming from him as he tries to struggle from your grasp. “What,” you croon as you let your other hand cup his cheek and dig your claws into the flesh of his jaw, tiny droplets of red trickle and fall from where you snag him, “not going to tell me ‘you’re welcome, Iris,’? Can’t even manage to be polite when you’re bound to a chair for me? How rude. I see you truly haven’t changed. Good. This will be extra fun then.”

“W-what are you going to do to me?” He stutters out, and you spit in each of his eye sockets as he gags.

“Nothing you don’t deserve.” You shrug as you bat all seven eyes on your face. “The wounds I inflicted upon you to cause you your death were for Ellie and myself. The wounds I will inflict today, however, will be for everyone else you hurt. See, I never forgot about you since I came home to Hell, but I decided I didn’t care to track you down. I didn’t own your soul, so what was the need? It had been so long; I had expected you’d met the unfortunate end of an angelic spear, but that would have deprived me of this wonderful experience of a reunion. Aren’t you so happy to see me, Edgar? Tell me you’re happy to see me.”

“Fuck you, you psycho bitch.” He spits again, and you cackle as you use your claws to tear off one of his ears.

As he wails, you offer it to Alastor, who declines it with a chuckle. You shrug, and let it drop to the cement below you. “You may have lost an ear, but your tympanic membrane is still intact. So listen closely. Do as I say, or your death will take far longer and be far more unpleasant than necessary. Behave, and I’ll end you quickly; you can respawn and go about your shitty little sinner existence for the rest of time.”

He stutters out pathetically, “W-what do you want from me?”

Your eyes flash red and you chuckle darkly. “I don’t want anything from you. I’m here to kill you, plain and simple. I’m here to enjoy it just as much or more than I did the last time.” You say as you rip open his shirt, buttons popping off and flying in every direction. “I’m going to take my time with you, time your stupid bitch of a wife didn’t allow me last time.”

“Leave my wife out of this, you fuckin’freak!” He bellows, and as you grab his hair fiercely, you spit into his sockets again, then shove his head forward so it dribbles out onto his face like tears. Then, just because you feel like it, you tear the other ear off and drop it next to its mate on the cement below.

“I’d hardly call myself the freak, Edgar. You’re the one with no eyes, no ears, and no hands, after all.” You smirk. “Besides, I wasn’t the one who brought your idiotic wife into this. She did that herself when the bitch thought it was a smart idea to chase a girl who’d torn into her husband with her bare hands into an alleyway. She tried to stab me to death, and if I’d been more bloodthirsty, I’d have killed her too. How she didn’t care that the blood was black though? She’d either seen some shit or knew a thing or two. No human reacts normally when they see demon blood. Except her. She just kept stabbing. She’s either stupid, or isn’t the wife you thought you married. Is she down here yet? Can I kill her too?” Ombre chuckles in your ear and you shiver.

“I said leave my wife out of this!” He roars this time, so dig your nails into his chest and carve your alias into his flesh. As he howls and whimpers, you unbutton his trousers and yank them off his hips. “W-what are you going to do to me?”

“You already asked that question, and I already answered it: nothing that you don’t deserve.” You huff out another laugh. “However, this time, I think I’ll elaborate. See, all of this started because you had an urge that you refused to ignore. I, on the other hand, was taught to ignore my urges. As a lady, and as royalty, one must be prim and proper at all times. One must be aware of how one is perceived. Hmm,” you think aloud for a moment, “maybe that’s why I have eyes on the back of my head.” You shrug with a laugh and a wink towards Alastor, who smirks back at you in turn, leaning on his microphone to continue to watch the show. Ombre chuckles in your ear as you continue. “So I saw the way you looked at Ellie, even when you were blind to it. I didn’t have to witness what you’d done to her. The words she said to me that day when you invited me to your home were enough for that. 

“You touched her with your hands, so I tore them off of you. You looked at her with your eyes, so I gouged them from your skull and ate them. You wouldn’t listen, so I’ve torn off your ears. Next, I’m going to tear off your tiny little dick, since that was what you were thinking with when you thought it was a good idea to touch her and all the other little girls you abused. Then, I’m going to tear out your tongue for the nasty things you said to them. Lastly, I’m going to tear your limbs off your body, and then, when you’re nothing but a torso and a head, I’ll pluck it off, box it up, and mail it to your wife.”

He’s uttering out pleas that you’ve chosen to ignore and whimpers, fighting the bonds that have kept him firmly in place this whole time. You turn to Alastor, who has been watching with a rapt and delighted expression through the entirety of your little show. “Ma moitié, did your search prove fruitful in regards to the whereabouts of this filth’s pathetic little wench?”

“I’d have her here too, nostre reine, but due to an inconvenience, she is still where you last saw her.”  Alastor’s face remains neutral with that unwavering smile, but you notice his ears are pressed against his skull in irritation.

“It was rather annoying not to be able to have them both for you to slaughter, our majesty.” Ombre murmurs into your ear.

“Hmm, an irritating inconvenience, but not a bother. I have friends in useful places.” You say with a smirk. “All it means is in the meantime I’ll have to make room in our freezer, and you have to promise not to eat him.”

Alastor chuckles from his place behind you as Edgar makes noises of protest that you continue to ignore. “Of course not, ma très chère, I’d never. The torso and limbs will be sufficient for Rosie’s soiree this afternoon.”

“I hadn’t heard there was a party.” You say casually as you tear open the sinner’s trousers, exposing him to the dingy lighting of the room. Edgar is bitching and moaning, but you’re still ignoring him, your ears trained on the conversation with Alastor.

“Last minute arrangement. Rosie invited us both to attend.” He tries to look aloof, but you’re not falling for it.

“A fun night to be had for all, to be sure, our majesty.” Ombre says quickly—too quickly.

You narrow the eyes on the back of your horns at him. There is more he isn’t telling. He’s usually not so tight-lipped about such things. You peel off the sinner’s shoes and then his trousers. “Is there a dress code expected for such an event? I’ll just transform mine, of course, but are you anticipating needing to change?”

“No need, bien-aimée. I am dressed for any occasion as always.” He says with a wink, and you know for a fact he’s hiding something, but decide to let it go for now, as you have a victim to torment.

“We’re not done talking about this.” You tell him with a knowing look, then, even as your gaze is still focused on Alastor, you tell the soon-to-be-corpse in front of you, “You’ve been given a generous reprieve. Now that ends.” Edgar makes more sounds of protest, words you let blend into the background as you smirk up at him. You pull on the collar of your dress and unleash The Thousand Eyes. His eyeless sockets look back at them in horror. “Oh, you remember me now, do you?” You cackle, and your tentacles shiver in the anticipation of fresh blood. “The Thousand Eyes remember you too. They’re eager to tear you apart again. We’ll start with that tiny little dick of yours, as promised.”

Your tentacles, acting on their own accord but knowing your intent, wrap around each of Edgar’s limbs and one of them around that smudge of a dick that wasn’t even half the length of your hand. Edgar inhales in a panic, and the tentacle wrapped around it tears it from him without warning. Your laughter bubbles from you, maniacal and unhinged, and you delight in the howling wails that emerge from his lips.

The tentacle holding it wiggles it in front of his eyeless sockets in amused glee. “It’s not even the length of one of my fingers. A true representation of yourself.” The tentacle drops it to the ground, but not before running it across Edgar’s mouth, his own blood painting his lips.

You laugh as a mixture of your saliva and his blood spills into his mouth and he gags, nearly hurls. You cackle louder and sneer. “Now, arms or legs first?”

“N-neither, please, j-just let me go!” He cries out and you laugh harder.

“Very well then, one of each it is!” You sing joyfully, then realize something. “Oh, but I promised your tongue next! Guess that means those were your last words!” A tentacle forces his lips apart and then into his mouth, and you feel it wrap around his tongue. You grin maniacally, then feel it pull as it removes the muscle from inside, then within the same breath, you rip his right arm and leg off at the same time.

The whimper and wail that escapes his lips is something you revel in, and you hum to yourself as you wait for him to quiet and his breathing to calm, just so you can hear it all start again. “Now the other two!” You cheer as a giggle bursts from your lips, and you see Alastor’s smile widen with amusement. Ombre rumbles against you in a purr.

The sound mirrors the first, but is somehow more pathetic, more desperate. Blood sprays from both wounds and you take a step back, preventing it from getting on your clothes. “I have a date tonight. It’d be rude of you to soil my dress, now wouldn’t it?” You raise a brow then narrow your eyes. “Any last words before I kill you? Oh, I forgot. I tore out your tongue. That’s okay. I can speak them for you. ‘I was a terrible man, Iris. Thank you for killing me again to teach me a lesson and remind me of how I should behave in Hell.’ Why you’re very welcome, Edgar. Such kind words from a man like you. I didn’t know you had it in you! That must have come from such a deep place inside. May you find comfort knowing that I’ll scar your wife with your earless, eyeless, and tongueless decapitated head.” You wait until the words sink in, until the look in those hollow cavities where eyes should be widen in panic and fear, then you lick your lips. Your tentacles wind around his neck, squeeze once, twice, and then pull.

The job is finished, and you are pleased, but you look forward to presenting this gift to his wife, to be sure. Your tentacles drop the head into your hands, and you set it in his groin as you stride over to Alastor, appendages waving at him. “Your gifts get better and better every time, ma moitié.” You tell him. “You speak nothing but the truth. I love you so impossibly much.” You kiss him deeply, then leap into his arms, knowing he will catch you, and of course, he does. You giggle girlishly, delighted in how well today has gone so far. “Marry me?” You ask as a tease, as a joke.

He nearly drops you for a second, then sets you down on your feet. You blink, confused, as he narrows his eyes at you. Where is this going? You wonder in a panic. Have I done something wrong?

“You don’t get to ask that question first.” He sighs, but you can tell that there is nothing but love and affection in that gaze of his, so you relax. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this, but here we are.” What? What does he mean? What is he talking about? Then suddenly, next to the fresh corpse of your first kill, Alastor drops to one knee. You almost scream. Is this actually happening? “Iris, bien-aimée, Theia, nostre âme soeur,” he breathes out as he reaches into his pocket to pull out a ring box, “would you do me the greatest honor of being my bride?”

This time, you do scream, and tears escape all seven of the eyes on your face. You have to blink them away to even see the stunning ring he offers you as he opens the box in his hand. The stones are shaped like an eye, the band like antlers. “Yes,” you say the instant you see it, “yes, Alastor, of course I want to marry you!”

Alastor lifts the ring from the box and moves to slip it onto your finger, before Ombre, who’d been purring all this time, calls out, “Wait. It’s not ready yet, Master.” Alastor raises an eyebrow at them, but passes the ring to Ombre, who takes a small piece of themself to weave it through the antlers and curl around the edge of the eye. They pass it back to Alastor, who slips it onto your finger. “Now whenever you are wearing it, we will always know where you are. Not that it will matter too much, of course. You will always be by our side, our majesty, our fiancé.”

Tears prick your eyes again as you stare at it. “It’s perfect.” You murmur breathlessly, and kiss them each in turn, and then again. A moment of realization hits you as you break from it to breathe. “The soiree was where you were supposed to propose.” A giggle escapes you. “Rosie’s going to be livid.”

Alastor blanches, his ears pinning against his skull again. “We had an entire evening planned. She’s going to be terribly put out.”

“I’m sure she’ll be kinder to you since I’m there, ma moitié, mon fiancé.” You say as you kiss his cheek, delighting as his face colors at your words. “Besides, I’m sure she’ll be quite delighted at the sight of our fresh meat for her.”

“Always the smart one, nostre fiancé.” He murmurs against your lips, and you sigh into the kiss.

While Alastor might not have meant for his proposal to go like this, you are quite pleased with this arrangement. In your heart, in your mind, in the place where one usually had a soul, you knew it was supposed to go like this, that he’d ask you to marry him next to the corpse of the sinner that had started it all. He called you Iris; he called you Theia, and he’d asked for you to marry him. It seems that like all things that concern him, that it was always meant to be like this, that you were always meant to be theirs.

A/N:

IF ANYONE WANTS TO DRAW THE RING PLEASE DO! I'D LOVE TO SEE YOUR TAKE ON THE ENGAGEMENT RING! <3

These two are such simps for my sweet Theia (and I mean rightfully so, honestly).

Chapter 39 is the afternoon that Alastor had actually planned prior to his proposal, plus a few hiccups. Chapter 40 is a continuation in the evening, which leads him to the speech he'd scripted and some unexpected guests.

Things:

Contact Theia on Tumblr at: tumblr.com/blog/the-demon-of-a-thousand-eyes

The Demon of a Thousand Eyes Youtube playlist

The Demon of a Thousand Eyes Spotify playlist

(The Spotify playlist doesn't contain spoilers as it is for the Discord Server)

See you all in the next update! Ta for now~

First || Chapter 37 || Chapter 39

[ap0wersstories]

Arianna Pays for the Cost of Living

The following story is 100% fiction with zero real world relevance, non-consensual sex/sexual assault of any kind is wrong and should never be accepted. If you are considering or have committed such an offence I suggest you get serious psychiatric help.

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

Arianna was an up and coming news reporter always keen to be a team player and do whatever stories were assigned to her. At 28 years old she had heritage that came from South East Asia, and had a fit and firing body on her that ensured she got plenty of lingering looks. And yet with all of that her journalism career was what mattered to her, she was as passionate and determined to make her mark.

She was handed a story one day by her chief of staff for the day, a guy in his early 50s who had been at the company for 20 years. She’d recently had a run in with this guy as she’d complained about a story he assigned her, she felt it was degrading as it involved her getting wet. She did it, but she said to him that she wanted a more serious “real” story to do next time. The story she was handed was based on cost of living, she would be going out to a tent city that had swelled to over 100 tents due to rental and COL expenses. It was definitely more serious but she didn’t feel great about doing it in a tent city, she felt it was disrespectful to those that had fallen on hard time. Her boss had said they had scouted the area and asked those in there how they felt about it, he said they appreciate it becoming an issue that people knew about.

She had no option but to take him at his word, and she her camera operator set out to the location. The camera op was good friends with the chief of staff so she knew it would be pointless talking to him about it. They got to the spot and the camera op instructed where she could stand, it felt intrusive but again she wanted to show she was a team player. One of the tents stirred and out came a man who was scruffy and dirty looking. He was in his late 30s she thought, “what the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Arianna was taken aback but responded, “hi I’m Arianna from 5 local news, we’re here to highlight the rental and cost of living crisis.”

“Does it look like we want to be a part of your do-gooder story that makes you look like a fucking saint?”

”I’m sorry, I was under the impression that the people here were consulted. We’ll get out of here, I’m sorry!” She wanted to kill her chief, he’d sent her here knowing they didn’t have permission.

“Oh so now you’re gonna wake us and fuck off?!” The other tents were stirring, more men were getting out. “You wanted a story, well I’ll give you a fucking story!” He suddenly grabbed her by the throat and shoved her against a pole.

The camera operator was transfixed, he had his camera in his hands as more men started to crowd Arianna. “Jeff!!!! Help me!!!” Jeff did the only thing he knew in a crisis moment, he pulled out the camera and started filming. “Sorry Ari, looks like the best thing I can do is get footage for a story!” One of the other homeless men had grabbed her wrists and tied them behind the pole using some rope off the tent with the other one was choking her against the pole, while with his free hand the man choking her ripped open her satin top revealing her bra. Another man came around and yanked her skirt down revealing pink panties.

Though the chokes Arianna managed to scream, “ahhhhhh stop!!!! No please let me go!!!!”

“Let you go?! You came here wanting to “help” us, that’s exactly what you’re gonna do! Most of us in this part are sex offenders, and we haven’t had some good pussy in ages!!!”

The other tents had stirred at the sound of Arianna’s muffled cries and when they saw her half naked, and tied to the pole they all got super excited and started crowding around her. There were already 15+ men surrounding Arianna and more were approaching! One of the men pulled her panties off her while another ripped off her bra leaving her naked and helpless around these horny homeless men. Arianna was petrified, she was not only afraid of all these men raping her but what they would do to her aside from raping her. All of them had started whipping out their cocks and getting rock hard, some had taken their pants off entirely while some unzipped them through their pants. The first man on the scene was raring to go, and shoved her hard down onto her knees with her wrists bound behind the pole. “You look like a proper cock sucker, such a pretty face on you. Open up and get to work!”

He was right up against her and the stench from this man was foul, it made her gag “urgh *cough* no I can’t! The smell is too much!”

He immediately grabbed some electrical cord that was on the ground and wrapped it around her neck choking her hard, “we’re not fucking playing around here slut!!! I will choke you out and use your unconscious mouth dead or alive if I have to, so your mouth better get sucking right now!!!!”

He loosened the cord but kept it constricting on her neck, realising she had no choice Arianna opened her mouth and accepted the homeless man’s disgusting cock. She closed her eyes trying her hardest not to vomit from the taste and smell emanating from the man, he wasn’t making it easier on her as he was slamming his cock hard into her mouth making her cough and gag. “Fuck yes take my cock you sexy Asian little slut!!!! We’re gonna fill you with so much homeless cum!!!!”

Arianna couldn’t believe what was happening and worst of all the cameraman was taking footage of it! The man using her mouth was brutal, but the men waiting were all still trying to get a piece of her as they groped, pinched, twisted, poked, and slapped her body everywhere. She could feel fingers (multiple!) invading her ass and pussy. The man using her mouth grunted like an animal but he abruptly stopped and declared, “alright enough of that, time to fuck this bitch! Someone grab a mattress will ya?!” While they sought a mattress the man undid her bindings freeing her from the pole, but immediately her bound them back together in front of her body. Two men had returned with a mattress and the first man picked her up and tossed her onto it, Arianna noticed it had stains of all kinds everywhere on it and it stank. The man shoved her onto her back while men either side of her spread open her perfectly smooth legs. He spat on his fingers and rubbed them inside her pussy, he could feel the earlier work the others had done had got her a little moist but she wasn’t wet. He didn’t care though, he rubbed his cock up against her warm pussy and then forced it inside of he. “Ohhhhhh fuuuuuuck yessssss!!!”

“Nnnnnnnggggggggmmmm, noooo take it out!!!”

He pulled almost all out, “alright I’ll take it out, and slam it back in!!!” He pounded his cock hard into her hitting her cervix, which elicited a reaction from her body the Arianna wasn’t really for. She immediately started getting wet at this man pounding her hard like a slut, “ooooohhhhh nooooo, mmmmmm ohhhhhh goddddddd!!!” She gasped as he fucked her hard. The man hadn’t had a fuck in ages and was absolutely ready to pop. “Fuck yes you little slut!!!! Take my homeless cock, take my homeless cummmmmm!!!!!” He had increased his pace this whole time and as he said that his cock exploded with his cum, a load that had been building for weeks. “Ahhhhhhh fffffffuuuuuuuck!!! Fuck yes, milk my cock you slut!!!”

Arianna closely followed her cycle and as she sobbed feeling this awful man’s seed enter her she knew she was right in prime time ovulation. She felt sick at the thought she might get pregnant to this man. Each thrust he gave squirted more cum out until he shuddered and felt his cock go soft, as he pulled out Arianna could feel the cum dribbling out of her. She wasn’t given any time to rest, the second man who’d helped tied her up was already on her. He picked her up and put her on all four’s doggystyle and pumping his filthy cock he entered her sloppy pussy, “haha number two baby, here comes my cock!!!”

“Nooooo please, please stop! Let me go!!!”

”Would someone shut this little sluts mouth, the only thing that face is good for now is sucking!”

Not wasting time one of the men waiting his turn jumped straight on in and shoved his cock in Arianna’s pretty tear stained face, he smelled and tasted even worse than the first man! “That’s it honey, I haven’t had a proper bath or shower in months! Give my cock a good proper cleaning!!!”

Meanwhile the man pounding her from behind was thrusting so hard and fast it was causing a slapping sound as his body met hers. Suddenly he stopped though and pulled out, “that was just the warm up for me, I wonder if you’ve ever been fucked in the ass? Well I hope you’re an anal virgin and this hurts like hell!!!”

Arianna heard those words and gasped into this man’s cock, she hadn’t had anal sex before, she had always thought the idea of it sounded painful. A few boyfriends had asked if she would do it, closest they came was one boyfriend fingered her ass as a test and she told him to stop. But she felt this homeless man press the tip of his cock against her ass hole and felt him forcing it inside her with only the previous man’s cum and her pussy juices as lubricant. “Fffffuuuuuuck she’s tight!!!! I haven’t had an ass this tight since I ass raped my 14yo niece!!!”

He finally had managed to get the tip in and was pushing it deeper into Arianna’s virgin ass. It was total agony of Arianna and all she could do was scream her muffled cries while the other man used her mouth. After what felt like an eternity the man finally felt his cock was in deep enough and started thrusting. Such was the tightness of Arianna’s ass he wasn’t getting much movement in and out but was just loving feeling her ass clench on his cock. He gave her ass cheeks a few good spanks causing her to squeal while the man who was using her mouth had got so turned on by her ass rape that he had started face fucking her and could feel his orgasm coming. “Fuck yes man!!!! Rape her ass hard while I cum in her pretty mouth!!!!” As he said that he grabbed the back of her head and forced his cock as deep as it would go inside of her and shot his load of cum in her mouth causing her to cough and gag as she choked on his seed flooding her mouth and down her throat.

Turned on even more by the other man’s face fucking of her, the man ass raping her felt his balls about to explode while she choked on cum. “Fucking hell, fuck yes take my cum in your asssssss!!!!” With that his cock exploded with a torrent of cum inside her giving her an anal creampie as the man face fucking her kept jerking more squirts of cum in her mouth. Finally they both pulled their cocks out almost at the same time leaving cum dribbling out of her ass while she coughed up the cum the other man had forced in her mouth.

The remaining men were furiously jerking, they couldn’t wait their turn to fuck this Asian beauty….

[bookoflibrary]

Famitsu Dec 28th Issue Summary

Coverage for the Dec 28th Famitsu, which has a special feature on SINoALICE JP's ending. It includes an interview with Shogo Maeda, Fujimoto, and Yoko Taro. YOU ARE AT THE POINT OF NO RETURN. THIS INCLUDES SPOILERS FOR THE FINALE. Summary only since I am too busy for a word-by-word translation. And yes, I got a jump scare by my little sister in the user collage spread. Highlights only.

'How has your life changed in the last six years?' Yoko Taro says SINo came out around the time of Automata and both were widely well received and became a hit. Before them, he didn't have a lot of production lined up for awhile, and he wasn't confident in selling titles using his name as a brand so he just kept grinding through it. After these two titles, he found some success and felt like a celebrity, and he has been growing since.

Maeda says his life hasn't changed much since, saying he hasn't gotten married yet but at least he got a salary raise. He's working on his happiness.

Fujimoto: What? You got an increase in money, and you're still not happy?

Yoko: You saying that money is happiness shows your true human nature. But true happiness cannot be bought with money. Fujimoto: "True, but money is important" They all laugh.

Yoko Taro has mentioned several times before that Pokelabo and it's writing staff is in charge event scenarios, weapon stories, and job stories, but that he oversees main story with a second writer. The ending to the game was actually the first thing he wrote when creating SINoALICE's story.

He was especially excited, creating the final boss which is the result of the player's desire and gacha pulling all of these years. Taro has said in several interviews before that the dolls and a 'creature we have not yet seen' as of 5th anniversary were his favorite characters, and he confirms the Desire Mass is it.

Maeda, on the other hand, does things on a whim sometimes. They bring up the covid lockdown, and how Maeda decided to do a live in a bathrobe with wine spur of the moment. He spilled some of the wine on himself. Taro: "You decided, 'let's do a live that will make Maeda-san's mother sad.' Maeda insists she enjoyed it.

Maeda said planning events has always been a bit of a hassle because he wants to do something no one has ever seen before, and reminiscences about the mini van from 5th anniv. He says he doesn't wanna do the same things more than once which Taro agrees with. Fujimoto was just genuinely impressed Maeda pulled off the van stunt. When it was time for 6th anniv to come, they knew EoS was coming and they were pushed to their limit, so they wanted to go all out. It was also one of the most expensive anniversary to date, with only Fourth ANniv/Death Metal coming in first. They talk about how strained and out of ideas they were, while trying to oversee the writing to the final edition of Reality, the final batch to Act of SINoALICE and working full time on Desire.

They said due to Gishin & Anki's bizarre behavior, it was fun and also easy to blame all the crazy things they came up with to fit the game's uniqueness on them.

Interviewer: 'This is a farfetched question I know, but what are the odds to a sequel to SINoALICE?' Yoko Taro says that usually he'd answer these questions with, 'Give me money and I will do anything', but says it's been a long time, and so much work has been put in 'til now and couldn't accept money as he feels SINoALICE is complete. Fujimoto agrees.

Maeda on the other hand says that in regards to a SINoALICE sequel, he cannot discuss this due to his company's policy.

Yoko Taro goes on a bit saying he didn't want to make a social game that had no value after it died, and hopes SINoALICE and it's contents and memories are carried in the users' hearts forever. Then complains that the service was a hit from what they were expected and he had to keep coming up with new arc ideas. 'SINoALICE was created with a definite end written, though.' He still brings up his 'Shut it down after one year, collect the money, then start a sequel up and repeat' idea Pokelabo laughed off. Maeda wanted to keep the game going as long as possible. They came to the conclusion that if sales were going down into red, and they properly conclude the story, SINoALICE can be shut down. Maeda says JP was not quite in that red zone, but it's better to end the game on it's own terms now that the story has been completed. A lot of budget also had to go into the Desire arc for all the gimmicks it does as well as post clearing it with your guild.

'… In addition to clearing that finale with your guildmates, we used a lot of our budget to store the data of players who cleared the ending. Along with this, we have to figure out how much data can be stored offline.' [Blood note: An offline version of the game has been announced. Clearing the Desire arc changes the game dramatically, and you can still login to the app after Jan 15th to view weapon, job and main story. Collab stuff had to be removed. Data transfer is not possible after the servers go down, and if you clear your cache after clearing the finale make sure to login again before the EoS date. If you do not clear the finale in Desire, your data will NOT be stored. Please note your tombstone and your profile will be publicly available on this version of the game]

'What was your favorite arc?' Maeda says the reality arc was the most memorable for him. Yoko Taro made the pitch first, and Maeda was confused. When it came to releasing it, Maeda was at a loss, saying the game was meant to be about fairytales but suddenly he is being asked to do a modern one. He felt a sense of awkwardness explaining this arc to the company, considering 'a lot of dangerous bridges were crossed in it.' They were also relieved they were able to get Matchie and Hameln out, despite Maeno's time-crunched schedule. To them, despite the story progressing without them until now, it was part of 'seeing the full story through.' Pokelabo staff at first were horrified by the Reality arc.

Taro interjects here, going on a long explanation about UI and how he wanted the story to be shorter since it was a social/mobile game, and designed it where you can skip over it with a tap or two, so players could easily choose to skip over everything.

User polls for players who did the Famitsu survery suggested Act of Reality by an overwhelming amount. Many comments were made about Piggy, Hameln, and Pinocchio and Snow's reality. Gretel's Act of Reality job stayed a player favorite start to end, but then the three laugh at how overwhelmingly popular Gretel's Story of Authors job became. 'It won the wallpaper poll, y'know?'

Act of SINoALICE came in behind it as favorites by the user. The comments for it showed that players liked the feeling of the characters coming together to stop an ominous force. Of all the chapters, Aladdin & Hameln's was the best recieved. Yoko says good. He was also pretty ecstatic about showing up in the main story and how he was potrayed. [Blood note: Yoko is in the first chapter of Dorothy and Piggies]

Statistics: 60% of players who did the Famitsu survery were female. Only 1% of players logged in the game for 2,000+ days. A majority have only been playing a yearish. [61.37%]

Famitsu did their own popularity poll; results look pretty similar give or take to our usual ones. Interestingly, Hameln went up by several slots. Maybe the extra story and events showing better sides to him helped? Here are the results. I'm happy to see Gretel continuing to get love.

Gretel

Alice & Snow were too close to call, so both got second place.

Ibarahime/Sleeping Beauty

Akazukin/Red Riding Hood

Alice

Cinderella

Pinocchio

Little Mermaid

Aladdin

Hameln

Dorothy

Kaguya Hime 13. Match Gir 14. Rapunzel 15. Three Little Pig 16. Nutcracker In addition to clearing the finale, your loading screen will now turn into a tombstone with the number of player you were to clear the finale. You can see the tombstone of other players who also have in the game. Yoko Taro hopes players enjoy the finale.

And that concludes the takeaways! This is the last Famitsu I am buying. It feels incredibly bittersweet.

[gear-project]

Annon-Guy: What makes or breaks a Guest Character for you?

I know you focus on the main cast and all, but when a Guest does show up, how do you feel about them?

Feel free to use the Guests from Soul Calibur as an example. I know Link and Ezio are the most well received while Yoda, Dark Vader and Starkiller get shafted on.

Honestly, I haven't had much reason to complain about the guest characters I've been presented.

In Soul Calibur's case, we actually got VERY GOOD representation for a lot of guest characters (Bandai Namco and Project Soul were pretty skillful in that regard).

I'd argue that Spawn's presence in Soul Calibur is actually dwarfed by how he was presented in Mortal Kombat 11, to be honest.

If they managed to sneak Spawn in Guilty Gear, I'd go crazy... hahaha...

Samurai Shodown's Guest characters (i.e. Baiken/Warden/etc) were "simplified" to better suit the game's mechanics, and while that's something some people might complain about... in Samurai Shodown's case, "simpler is better" in a lot of ways. Even for Baiken in that game... she felt very solid in the game itself (well maybe not as versatile as she was in Accent Core or Xrd, but those are the peak of GG, and are hard to compare to).

I'd argue Soul Calibur IV's DLC wasn't the problem... the gameplay elements and mechanics were the larger issue.

Yoda is... well he's a mild amusement... Soul Calibur IV got mixed responses on a GOOD day... but people still loved Starkiller and Darth Vader regardless.

Yoda is the "Kliff Undersn" of Soul Calibur, if you can believe it... tiny character, awkward hitboxes, silly hits and combos... but DESPITE ALL THIS... he is very lore-accurate to the films that depicted Yoda in Combat in the Star Wars series (which is funnily ironic.)

I'd argue that they could've chose Boba Fett or the Mandalorian and got a stronger response, but that's Star Wars for you.

Honestly, I'm a huge fan of Jedi Survivor and Jedi Fallen Order, but that's a different story.

Soul Calibur IV itself suffered under its own mechanics and features, the Tower of Trials it had was some of the hardest content ever seen in an SC game, to be honest... not nearly as fun as Libra of Souls.

I'd say the character DLC wasn't the problem with that game... the mechanics of the weapons and the unlockables needed more to be improved upon.

In terms of visuals though, Soul Calibur IV is still one of the prettiest SC games (SC6 wasn't nearly as bright, but it also had a lot more stable features and played at a faster pace like SCII and SCIII are better known for being).

SCIV also didn't have an extensive museum/library like SC6 does, so that right there should tell you something.

Also SCIV had a ton of guest characters beyond the DLC and many of which looked nothing like standard Soul Calibur cast, some were straight out of an anime (Angol Fear), which was jarring to compare to at the time, since most SC characters look semi-realistic.

My standard for guests boils down to how well they fit in with everyone else in the roster... if they stand out like a sore thumb but can still scrap well in a fight, I guess that's fine for some people, but for me I don't necessarily want to be embarrassed by my friends when I decide to pick a character.

Angol Fear definitely stands out, however a character like Ashlotte was inspired.

It was Ito Ōgure who came up with her design, but as a result we got the Clockwork Doll character creation template later on in Soul Calibur 6... and many fans have appreciated it.

(By the way, Ashlotte is still one of my favorite SC designs as well.)

You could argue that 2B is the "next big step" in that aesthetic and genre, though in her case it's a bit more complex.

2B is also a guest character in Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising now, which is also nice to hear, I'd argue that Granblue is the 2D equivalent of Soul Calibur (and given the staff that created the game were former Project Soul Staff, that should be obvious).

Even if Harada once stated that Project Soul had to be disbanded in order to make a game like Tekken 8 possible, I still believe that everyone who was behind Soul Calibur as a series would love to work on something similar in the future... it was that great a concept.

Ultimately, when it comes to fighting games, you have certain themes you want to make present... and when including guests in to that theme, you want to make sure they mesh well overall.

Of course, that doesn't just apply to fighting games, but to every game that has that level of potential.

Despite the fact many might consider Soul Calibur dead and buried... MY SOUL STILL BURNS.

[strawsoldier]

Spring 2024 Anime-Round Up

I tend to do this Round-ups before the next season starts but thanks to my vacation it was delayed until now. I still haven't caught up on all my spring shows, but I did watch and finish the shows that are going to be written up here.

Anime of the Season: Sound! Euphonium 3

Best Opening: The Parade of Battlers (Black Butler: Public School Arc )

Best Ending: Twinkling Ash (Delicious in Dungeon)

Drops: Wind Breaker, Unnamed Memory, Blue Archive: The Animation

Plan to Watch at a later date: Girl's Band Cry

Completed:

Delicious in Dungeon - (9/10)

Imagine being a popular, well-written, and beloved manga and getting an anime adaption this good. Most of the time, the anime gods are cruel, but sometimes they can be merciful. Soooo looking forward to S2

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc - (6/10)

Not sure how much milk the cash cow has left, but you can be sure the good farmers at Ufotable are going to keep squeezing that teet. I find it incredibly ironic that one of the complaints about DS when the manga was still ongoing is that the story progressed way too fast and now people are complaining the anime is too slow. At the very least, the switch to movie format should help the pacing issues...I hope.

Kaiju No. 8 - (8/10 (kek))

Real shit. (Kikoru spinoff when?)

Konosuba! 3 - (8/10)

Don't really have much to write tbh. It's still funny. Sucks the character designs are not as expressive as they were in the first two seasons, but we're here for the cast and they are still as good as ever.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 Part 2 -(6/10)

Didn't I say I was going to drop this series? Must've forgot. Anyway, watching this for Norn, would shot up to being the best character in this show, was worth it. Still don't care for much of everything else. Rudeus still sucks.

GO! GO! Loser Ranger! - (6/10)

The Boys- I mean. Loser Ranger is a show with a good concept and plot and some of the best direction I've seen in an action show. Unfortunately, it's boggled down by the fact that most, if not all. the characters in this show are not endearing or just flat out suck. I don't know if I'll bother with S2 but this was fun despite my lack of investment.

Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night - (7.5/10)

I don't think this was as good as everyone was praising throughout it's run, but it's a very strong story nonetheless. The themes that it tackled hit a little too close to home and the drama felt very genuine. Kiui was my favorite.

Laid-Back Camp Season 3 - (7/10)

Peak comfy is back!! This time with a new studio and much more RL backgrounds. Both of which I did not like lol. Granted, eight-bit at the moment is very stretched thin giving how many shows their are working on. Maybe in the future more staff can jump on future installments of Yuru Camp and make it better than what we got. Please add Aya to the main cast

Sound! Euphonium 3 - (9/10)

Kyoani is back and stronger than ever as they bring Kumiko's high school journey to a close. The drama this season was some of the best Eupho has produced and the new characters were fantastic additions to the cast. I am sad we didn't get as many performances but the one we got in the finale more than made up for that, and even made me cry a bit. This series is so important to me and I'm glad it got to reach it's conclusion at the level. Well done Kitauji!

The iDOLM@STER: Shiny Colors - (4/10)

Remember when I said how cruel the anime gods can be?

Black Butler: Public School Arc - (6.5/10)

Never saw this show ever coming back. And with a fancy Ishihama OP to boot. Hopefully a sign that more is to come.

[strawberrys-starship]

So I watched Star Trek 2009 again and decided to do some more in depth note taking this time around, and decided to post it here. I'll be honest though most of it is me pushing the mcspirk agenda and complaining about the uniforms

Disclaimer! This constrains spoilers for this movie and also Star Trek into darkness, I will also say here that I am an autistic queer man, and I refer to a lot of Spock's behavior as autistic, if that is something that makes you uncomfortable them maybe you should skip this post.

Also the spacing is weird but I'm not gonna fix it, sorry :/

Anyway! Onto the post itself.

-----------------------------------

So I'm watching this movie again, I feel like I will like it much better now that I have my own twisted perception of this movie 👍🏻

--

It's unfair the amount of power this soundtrack has over me

--

This movie is truly beautiful, the uss kelvin is a gorgeous ship

And the sounds?? Ugh, I love it

--

I love the fake out they did there, I know so many old trekkies in the theater were like "THERE THE ENTERPRISE!!! LOOK AT HER!!! THERES THE BRIDGE!!! Oh wait..."

--

I love the funky shape the kelvin has

--

Ok so, what era are these uniforms supposed to be in? It's not the same ones from Archers days, and even though this is *technically* the point where the timeline diverges, these uniforms had to be canonical in the prime timeline too bc obviously hey were wearing them before they discovered the anomaly.

I'm guessing they just wanted to show that it was in the past? I'm pretty sure these uniforms were invented for this movie specifically.

We're only 1 minute and 43 seconds in.

--

Yea that ship is pretty damn scary

--

Oh em gee is Chris Hemsworth, wonder what he's doing here

Side note, when I first watched this I thought he was actually Chris Pine, but I kept going like "hmmm something ain't right here" yeah doofus you got the wrong Chris

It's even funnier when u know that I'm actually a big MCU fan and did a whole marathon of all the movies like a year ago, just full on did not recognize Chris Hemsworth

("Wow Lynsey, you're an MCU fan? How cringe!" Yeah whatever I know, I know, it's got a million and ten problems with it, but hey I love a good fix-it)

--

Fucking side note- this opening battle scene is gruesome as fuck, I remember watching this the first time and just being like "damn, three minutes in and already we have bodies flying through space??"

--

Ok so is this canonically what future romulans look like?? Bc this is not what romulans look like in any of the other shows, including SNW but that's all in the "past" so...?

--

I do find it interesting how many different species they have in starfleet here, because again up until the very minute that wormhole appeared, this was the prime timeline (which begs the question, WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO KHAN??) so that means that in TOS they also technically would have had several other species in starfleet at any given time, obviously we don't see that in TOS itself bc of primary budget issues (that's why Spocks makeup wasn't super inhuman and stuff, bc they didn't have the money to put a regular character in super complex makeup every episode) but this little detail opens up a window of possibilities that I find really fun

Like because of this movie, my TOS crew of OC's has an Orion and two Vulcans in their senior staff (I know I know most Vulcans at that time wouldn't be caught dead in starfleet but they're my dollys and I get to decide what they look like!)

--

I'm back like, an hour later!

Let's get right to it!

--

He really does like like Chris pine, like I'm not going crazy, am I?

Is it just a Chris thing??

But yeah I can see why all the fics are like "Jim looks EXACTLY like his dad" cuz yeah they kinda do look like brothers if nothing else

--

Again I wonder what the theater reaction was to that "Kirk!? JIM Kirk?? But I thought he was played by a different blond twink!"

(Listen I'm sorry to say it but Chris Pine was a twink in this movie, it's just the truth! He gets more twunky as the movies go on, though.)

--

It's so weird to hear Chris Hemsworth speak with an American accent, or at least his attempt at one

--

Do we ever hear about this captain like, ever again?

--

I love the romulan language dude

--

Wait so do the romulans just straight up not have the eyebrow ridges? Like I think I read somewhere that sometimes they don't have them, but it looks like this entire crew doesn't have them

I'm confused

--

All I can hear when I look at Nero is the wackes bonkes audio that was going around on TikTok like, two years ago

Idk he just gives me that vibe

--

Spack! :D

Also I'll say right here right now, I do not support this ending for Spock prime!! I will give her a happy ending even if I have to forge it with my own to hands!!

--

GASP 😱 we're in the past!

--

I hate the fact that I had a Once phase, because all I can see is Emma so to me it's like a really weird crossover fic where Emma Swan and Thors child is Jim Kirk

What a mix

--

GASP! 😱 what ever will he do!

--

He sounds soooo confident that the baby will be ok

--

Them both being blond and blue eyed gives me the ick

--

Damn, poor Jim. Now he's got a million and ten allergies.

--

Ok ok ok I know this is supposed to be super emotional (and to be fair it is pretty emotional) but with all the fics I've read and fan content I've consumed where Jim's dad dying kinda fucked him over and Winona leaving him as soon as she could just makes me apathetic towards them.

So... yeah.

And I know none of that's canon (I don't think? We'll see as the movie goes on and I remember shit) unless I've missed a book or ten somewhere that provides all this extra information (like where frank came from, sam leaving, basically all the troupes we see with most AOS fics)

--

Damn, I gotta say that's pretty traumatizing

--

Star Trek!!!

Yep, we just got to the title sequence :)

--

Baby Jim!!

Ok so canonically Winona is off planet

--

I do love the fact that Jim listens to dad rock. Why? Because I listen to dad rock!! And it's very important to me that Jim does too!!

--

Ok so from the fics, that is supposed to be Sam, right?? But is that confirmed anywhere?? Also they never said who was on the phone, I just knew because of the fics

Where did all this extra info come from??

--

Oh, nope that's some kid named Johnny oops

--

Let's hope that we don't have cops in the 23rd century, thank you.

--

The trauma. This kid.

--

SPACK!

--

If I'm not mistaken (I probably am) this is one f the first good looks we get at an actual Vulcan city, right? Like in TOS we only got the ritual grounds, in TOSM we got the other ritual grounds, and then the other other ritual grounds, but we never really saw a city of any kind, did we? It's been a minute I might be mistaken.

And then in TNG, we only really saw some of Sareks home and not much else of Vulcan, but then again I haven't watch the majority of Trek so maybe in Voyager or one of the other shows we see more

Anyway, I choose to believe that Vulcan cities look way more colorful then this, you can't convince me otherwise!

--

When the Vulcan children are in the learning sphere it makes it look like the floor is actually a really big doughnut pan

--

BABY SPOOOOOOCK 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

SHES LITERALLY THE SMALLEST BABY IN THE WORLDDDDD HOW CAN YOU BULLY HIM YOU BASTARDSSSS

GAHHHHH I LOVE HERRRR

--

My question is what Vulcan would think this is logical behavior. Like I know that they're xenophobic and like obviously they couldn't care less about logic when it comes to that so it doesn't really matter, but you go up to possibly the golden standard of Vulcan ideology and act like that?? And then say he's the one who's illogical and out of place?? Look In a mirror bud.

--

BEAR HIM UP! BEAT HIM UP! BEAT HIM UP!

--

I don't know how I feel about Sarek being British

--

Sarek I'm not entirely sure that's what they intended when they made you ambassador to earth 💀💀 but I see where Spock get her "Ah yes, it is perfectly logical to have sex with my human captain and the CMO, it builds respect and is a great team exercise."

--

Sure bitch

--

It was so random to cast Winona Rider as Spocks mom, I'm not complaining ofc, I love Winona, but just so random

--

See, I can't just let her be killed off when she's that damn nice. I refuse! Amanda lives!

--

Idk what kind of gay little outfit this is bust it works for Spock, honestly. Idk I just feel like he can pull it off but if anyone else wore it it'd look ridiculous.

Is that because Spock is my favorite and therefore can do no wrong?

No! Be quiet you!

--

YEAAAHHHH!!!! GET 'M SPOCK!!! TELL THEM WHATS WHAT!!! BE A BITCH!!! FLIP THEM OFF!!! TELL THEM WHERE THEY CAN SHOVE IT!!!!

--

I literally love her so much.

--

The one bar in Iowa 💀

--

I never know how to feel about this scene.

--

Jim Kirk you literally bitch. I love him with my entire heart.

--

Kirk...

--

Jim Kirk is a gay bitch (he's bi but still)

--

KIRKKKK 💀💀💀

--

Ok that was unnecessary. :| fucking 2009.

--

Kirk: you can whistle really loud, did you know that?

I... cannot tell you how much Jimby Kirk means to me. Just- he is so absolutely important to my wellbeing. I love him so so so much.

--

I want a tiny star ship salt shaker

--

It's also very important to me that he rides a motorcycle, because I love motorcycles

Can you tell I'm very heavily attached to AOS Jim Kirk? I don't know how good that is for my health

--

WEAR A DAMN HELMET YOU DUMBASS!!! YOU CAN STILL CRASH!!!

--

The Enterprise 🥹

--

Did they just let him in? No questions?

--

BONES! BONES! BONES!

LET ME SEE HIMMMM!!!!

--

BONESSSSSSSSS!!!!! THERE HE ISSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

--

I just- they all mean so damn much to me

I also identify with Bones so much because I too am a southern queer

--

Ok I'm sorry, I love Karl Urban, but again I am a southerner and this accent... 💀 I just can't

It's so damn funny to me

--

You look a little love struck there Jimby 🤨🏳️‍🌈

--

Ahaha I hope nothing bad is about to happen

--

Ok no the romulans do have the eyebrow ridges, they're just not very prominent

--

Wakus bonkus

--

:( Spock prime

--

I'm sure he does, I bet he studies your ass every second he gets 💀💀

Also I paused just as they cut to the scene with Jim and Gaila 😬 that's fun.

--

Ok- first off, very interesting that Uhura doesn't even blink at Gaila being in her underwear, but then proceeds to undress in front of her

Gay? More likely then you think.

Also, can they stop making Jim a creep? Thanks.

--

Well. I can confirm I am a gay man.

--

I love her tone here

--

Bones is over this shit

--

BISEXUAL BITCHY KIRK!!!

--

Jim 💀

--

SPOCK SPOCK SPOCK!

THERE SHE ISSSS

LIGHT OF MY LIFEEE

--

Kirk 💀 why must you cheat

--

I can physically hear Jim's thoughts going "oh no she's HOT" when he saw Spock stand up

--

First off- I love how Spocks the type of autistic that makes too much eye contact, like this whole time he's just 👁️👁️ LASER focused on Jim's face

Second, that's a lowwwww blow Spock 💀 damn.

--

Gehhsjchdishsjs I feel sickkk

I hate that I know what's coming.

Honestly, I started writing fics just so I can fix this kind of thing, bc in my mind Vulcan is not destroyed! Fuck you!

--

(Don't mind me just reading the name plates of all the admirals)

--

SEE BONES IS INTO SPOCK TOO!!!

THEYRE ALL GAY!!

--

(Ok I need to stop for now cuz it's late and I have things to do, I made it 35 minutes and 29 seconds through!)

--

(I'm bAAAaaaack!)

--

Bones hair flying in the wind 💀 he looks so disgruntled

--

How tall is Chris Pine? I didn't think he was very tall but he towers over this random commander

Maybe that guys just short tho

--

Bones, you poor poor fool, you're so in love with Jim. One kicked puppy look and it's all over for you

--

Gehhhhh I am not here for the Spock x Uhura relationshipppppp

The worst part is, is that I honestly think Spock and Uhura could work, not in these movies obviously with how abhorrently they write Uhura to be a #girlboss (and then they did the same thing with chapel in SNW) but I think that if it was written by someone who like, actually cared about the characters then I feel like it could work

But also that because I headcanon Spock using he/she pronouns and being just all over the queer spectrum, and I also headcanon Uhura as the number one lesbian of the year, so I think the dynamic between those specific headcanons would be very interesting to see

Anywho!

--

Ok now that I'm looking at this relationship through the lens that they are both lesbians I don't mind it as much

--

BONES 💀 YOU ARE SO GONE ON THIS MAN

"Just sitting there looking all pathetic" HE IS SO IN LOVE WITH JIM ARE YOU KIDDING ME

--

I... fucking love Bones so much. I can't even put it into words

--

THERE SHE ISSSSS THE ENTERPRISEEEEE

--

It seems my opinion on the new uniforms has not changed. Idk what happened but I just do not like how they redesigned the classic tos uniforms, it feels like they took the sparkle out of them, whatever that means

--

Spack! :D

--

Ok like. Why do the uniforms just look like a tee shirt and jeans? They don't look like a uniform!!

I also hate the longer cut on the shirt, the higher waist line from tos along with the sleeker pants just looked better to me

ALSO WHY DO THE DRESSES HAVE SHORT SLEEVES??? HOW THE HELL ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO TELL SOMEONES RANK WHEN THEY DONT HAVE THE STRIPES???

--

And then the delta just printed all over the shirt but there no texture to it... it's like those cheap bodysuit cosplays you can get online where they just print whatever the character is wearing onto a polyester bodysuit that warps whenever you stretch it too far

And the shirt isn't tailored at all!! It's so baggy!! Like Spock was looking at her station, kinda leaning over, and the collar of his science blues was like sticking out because the shirts fit like shit!

Anyway... I got big feelings about these uniforms

--

I ALSO hate how they attempted to make it look like the shirts were sewn like they were in tos (y'know with that weird shoulder seam they had? I don't know the name of it) but then they're actually just sewn the normal way?? So there's like, double the seams??

--

Sulu!!

--

I literally love the dynamic between Bones and Jim so much. He just knocked him the fuck out without even blinking. I love it

--

Chekov :(

--

One of my favorite things that Bones does is follow Jim around with a regenerator because he knows that Jim Will Not sit still long enough for him to like actually do his job normally so he's had to adapt

--

THAT looked like Jim was gonna kiss him

--

Haha..ha... I wonder why they're drilling into the surface of Vulcan... it'll probably be fine...

--

Spock is like "what a reckless and intriguing man. I Must Have Him"

--

I saw that glance gay boy

--

Damn this movie is actually kinda intense

--

I hate that I know what's gonna happen

--

✨Spock and her autism✨

--

THAT WAS A GAY ASS LOOK KIRK

--

That guy reminds me of the Skyrim guards

--

Godddd that is so damn scaryyyyy

--

Fuckkkk that is so. Fucking. Terrifying. Instantly vaporized.

--

My question is why didn't they immediately start evacuating Vulcan the second they could

--

God. I feel physically sick knowing what's about to happen

--

God.

--

Gut wrenching.

--

Six billion.

--

God damn.

On a side note, I find that I don't mind the relationship between Uhura and Spock as long as I imagine that they're either in a QPR or are lesbians

I still don't like how they reduced Uhuras character to being Spock's girlfriend tho, especially in into darkness.

Anyway. I'm still reeling over Vulcan being destroyed. That was fucking devastating. I can't even think about it

This is why 90% of my AOS writing either takes place during the academy or is an AU

--

Who the fuck is Nero's actor?? Why do I recognize him??

One sec now I gotta look it up

I looked him up and I literally don't know him from anything except Star Trek, so I guess he just reminds me of someone else but idk who

--

Ok but. Romulus was destroyed because the star went supernova, not because the federation or Vulcan went after it, right? Like I'm not misremembering that, am I? Guess we'll see.

Like I know Spock got there too late to save it, but Romulus is still gonna be destroyed?? If anything he just made it far less likely that Romulus will survive now that most of the Vulcan scientists that came up with red matter are dead.

--

I fucking hate those thingssss

--

I love that Kirk is already in the captains chair, he's just that much of a bitch

--

They totally just wrote that in so Spock could nerve pinch someone 💀💀

--

Damn. Really just dumped him on an ice planet

--

Run bitch!!

--

Spock :(

--

Oh my god. The look in his eyes. How does anyone expect me to be ok after that.

--

Heart wrenching.

Spock hasn't seen her Jim for decades. Possibly even a century. And the first time she sees him again, he doesn't recognize her.

And I know, I know, timeline shit, but like, could you imagine how devastating that is? To see your lost loved one and them just straight up not even know you? And Vulcans feel emotions so much stronger too.

--

Yea so see? They didn't personally destroy the planet! It a was natural space disaster! And Nero probably just fucked up any chance of them being saved from it!

--

Man, now I want to watch TOS again so I can see Spock happy.

--

Spock to McCoy: I understand that James Kirk is a ""friend"" of yours

It's ok you can call them boyfriends

--

These southern phrases they have Bones saying are insane 💀 not once during my life as a southerner have I ever heard someone say that, and I hear weird shit come out of other southerners mouths every day. We make shit up, but nothing that damn complicated 💀💀

--

SPOCK YOU ABSOLUTE CUNT 💀💀💀

SHES LITERALLY GOT A SMIRK ON HIS FACE RIGHT NOW

I missed bitchy Spock 💕

--

WHAT AN ABSOLUTE BITCHHHHHHH

Sorry McCoy I don't think you can come back from that 💀💀💀💀💀 Damn

--

Ok no need to be racist McCoy

Or xenophobic, technically

--

Oh don't worry Spock prime, Jim's tiny little human arms got the door, just keep on walking down the hall

--

SCOTTYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!

--

THERES THAT CHAOTIC SON OF A BITCH!!!

--

YOU DUMBASS 💀💀💀 I DIDNT KNOW HE USED ARCHERS DOG 💀💀💀

--

AOS Scotty is one of my absolute favorite things in the world

--

Kirks over this destiny shit, man

--

And then Spock prime breaks that rule himself 💀💀 I think she just didn't want to deal with her angsty younger self

--

Fuck Spock prime doesn't even know this version of his mom is dead too

--

WAHHHHHHAHA 😭😭😭 THAT OLD FRIEND WAS JIMMMMM BECAUSE HE FUCKING CHEATED THE SYSTEM ALL THE TIMEEEEEE

--

you got this Kirk, don't worry about it

--

There was way more water in that pipe then that

--

Spock: un-fucking-believable. He found his way back onto the ship. I Must Have Him.

--

Ohhh shit here comes one of my absolute least favorites scenes. THE PAINNNNN

--

Oh my goddd like I know why Jim is doing this but it HURTS and it makes me want to DIE

--

Oh my god oh my god STOP

--

STOOOOP

--

GET EM!!! GET HIS ASS!!! SHOOT HIM INTO SPACE!!!

But not rlly cuz I love him

--

And that single shot of Kirk changed the entire fandom. For the better? For the worse? Who's to say

--

Scotty 💀💀💀💀

--

Yeah fair 💀

--

Oh my goddd the cut of these shirts bothers me SO MUCH

THEY LOOK AWFULLLLLL

IT LITERALLY TURNS EVERYONE THAT WHERES THEM INTO A SHAPELESS BOX

except if you're a woman, then that thing is tailored to your body like a glove 🙄

--

Its guns-UH-blazing, McCoy! Get it right

--

I can't explain in but Spock is standing in a very autistic way

--

WHAT IS THIS LOOK SHES GIVING KIRK RIGHT NOW

"Vulcans don't show emotion" MY ASS!!! SPOCKS ALREADY SMITTEN!!

--

They are standing veryyy close

--

OK WHAT WAS THAT SLAP SOUND EFFECT 💀

And Spocks face after 💀💀 pure regret

--

Ok no thanks I'd rather not see them make out

😐

--

Gaygaygaygay

--

Kirk "oh wow that weird, wonder why it called u ambassador, that so random" 💀💀

--

YALL CANT JUST STARE INTO EACH OTHERS EYES LIKE THAT WHILE STANDING TWO INCHES APART AND THEN CLAME THAT SPOCK AND JIM ARE 100% CISHET

I WONT BELIEVE IT!!

--

Spock finding a chair that swivels on its own fascinating is extremely autistic

--

Dude the Vulcan ship is literally so damn cool

--

Whys this damn thing got no safety rails?? Isn't this a ship from the future?? I figured you'd be at least a little concerned with safety, holy shit

--

I really thought Nero went "FUCK!!!" But he was just saying Spock 💀

--

Jimbyyyy Kirk, what a sad lil boy

--

And that's how you break several ribs

--

Ok damn I got chills when the enterprise appeared

--

"Jim!" "Bones!"

HOMOS!

--

OH MY GODDDD THEY ARE LITERALLY FLIRTING RIGHT IN FRONT OF MEEEE

--

The enterprise looks so tiny

--

damn, got chills again

--

GAY

--

Ok one sec I know that this is like an "omg Spock and Spock are talking!" Thing but-

SEE THEY KNOW HOW TO TAILOR SHIT!! THAT PROFESSOR UNIFORM LOOKS GREAT ON SPOCK!! WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED WITH THE OTHER UNIFORMS!!

--

Spock prime knows exactly what's going on. She really said "that's gonna be one of your husbands, couldn't get in the way of that lmao"

--

AGAIN EVEN THE ADMIRAL UNIFORM LOOKS BETTER THEN THE STANDARD UNIFORM!!

--

Gay! They are GAY!

--

GAY AGAIN!! THEY ARE ALL FUCKIG GAY!!!

--

AHHHH THE ORIGINAL INTRO ;;;0;;;

IM NOT CRYING YOURE CRYING

also that was the end of the movie! I didn't time myself this time around, but I would say all in all it probably took me like three hours to watch this movie, maybe more

Anywho! Maybe I'll watch into darkness again soon so I can cringe (not that I don't like the movie, it's a fun time, but there are some bits that are just... yikes, y'know? Namely Khan)

[dangerouscommiesubversive]

demonstrate

Hey, so, @gayassbugart gave me Girori/Win brainworms and it cured my writer's block, have this tiny story about messy people. CW for a clearly unhealthy dynamic but I think you can probably guess that going in.

First: paperwork.

There’s always paperwork.

The form to requisition an ID Core for an admin Player is one of the fussier ones. There’s a closet full of Desire Drivers in storage in the offices, those are standard equipment, but the higher-ups are sparing with Cores, for obvious reasons. Don’t want too many of those floating around, and assigning a Core to a staffer means it’s that much harder to ensure that a memory wipe will take should they choose to leave the organization.

But: Girori’s next planned game must be played in pairs, and if all goes properly with the current one then they’ll only have five Players remaining. So he fills out the request form, front and back, to be inspected and rubber-stamped by some paper-pusher back at the central offices.

His pen is hovering over the last section,

If a Core is issued, do you have a recommendation from your staff to receive it? If you have no recommendation for your staff Player, we will select one.

when there’s a knock at his office door.

“Come,” he says, not looking up from the paper, and once the door has opened and—pointedly—shut again, and a shadow has fallen over his desk, “What is it?”

“’scuse me, Game Master.”

“Yes, what is it?” Frowning, he looks up and squints at his intruder. “You’re one of the file clerks, aren’t you? You’re—yes, right.” The nepotism hire, he thinks but doesn’t say. “What could you possibly want?”

The man in front of his desk has bright streaks of color in his hair, which are distinctly outside of the black-and-white dress code, but his grandfather’s also an important sponsor, so far be it for Girori to complain about such a relatively minor infraction. He’s also smiling in a way that’s either nervous or smug, and either way it makes Girori suspicious. “I heard a rumor that you need a staff Player to partner someone in the next round.”

Even more suspicious. Girori raises his eyebrows. “What of it?”

A beat, and then the man, whose name Girori can’t quite recall, leans across the desk and says, very softly, “What would it take for you to recommend me to play?”

Eyebrows rising higher. “I imagine a word from your grandfather would do the trick if you feel strongly about it, Mr—” and the name finally comes to him, “Hareruya Win.”

“Probably, but I actually prefer to get things done on my own merits whenever possible.”

“And what merits are those?” He’s got an inkling, but the question has to be asked.

“I can show you if you like,” with a flick of pink tongue over soft lips, effectively answering the question in much more detail than if he’d replied with words alone.

“Hm.” He pauses, performatively. “Demonstrate.”

Win is already coming around his desk, and he pushes his chair back and spreads his legs, and he considers saying, No hands, but Win’s hands are already on him almost before the accompanying soft thump of knees hitting the floor.

Win’s mouth is hot and wet, and his lips are as soft as they’d looked from across the desk, and whatever merits he may lack that he’s doing entry-level work at his grandfather’s orders, in this he is undeniably skilled. Girori leans back with not quite a sigh and lets him work, doesn’t touch him, doesn’t say anything or make any noise that might allow Win to make any assumptions.

The desk phone rings.

He feels Win start to pull back and reaches without looking, pushing down firmly as he picks up the phone with his other hand. “Girori.” A tinny voice on the other end of the line, someone from the central office whose face he vaguely recalls. “Yes, you heard correctly. I’m completing the requisition right now.”

“Will we be selecting someone for you, or do you have a candidate in mind who would be suitable for the role?”

A beat, and Girori allows his eyes to flick downward just long enough for Win to notice before saying, “I have someone in mind, no need to trouble yourselves. The form should be in your hands shortly.”

He hangs up the phone, and what a timely end to the call, how pleasing to be able to put it aside and settle into the comfortable tension centered on that soft mouth on his cock, that tension which builds to a release as satisfying as getting a good massage. And when he’s finished, he pulls Win’s head back, peers into his cloudy eyes, and strokes a thumb down over lips and chin and throat and says, “Show.”

Win’s eyes gleam, and he’s smiling even as his mouth drops open, tongue lolling out as Girori’s come drips down his chin. “Anh?”

“Good.” Girori swipes up one of the drips with his thumb and pushes it back into Win’s mouth, amused by the ostentatious lick and swallow in reply. “Now get out of my way, I need to finish this form.”

Obediently, Win stands and moves to one side, wiping his mouth on the back of his wrist and watching curiously as Girori picks up his pen again and writes, on the final line of the form, Hareruya Win.

Stamp on the bottom corner. Into an envelope, one of the gold ones for urgent interdepartmental mail. He doesn’t look up as he passes it over. “See that this gets to the central office immediately, I have other work to do.”

“Whatever you say, Game Master.” Win heads for the door and pauses. “And—”

Girori considers just dismissing him again and then relents, glancing up. “When the Core arrives I’ll call for you.”

“Hallelujah, thanks muchly,” with an insolent salute and a wink that he should really be disciplined for, “I’ll get this over there right away.”

#

The Core arrives two days later, and Tsumuri brings it to his office, turning it in her hands thoughtfully as she comes through the door. “It’s been a long time since the last time we needed a staff Player, who are you planning on giving this to?”

He smiles at her. “Well, I was thinking you’d be a good Rider.”

She looks genuinely horrified by the suggestion. “Don’t you dare.”

“Of course not, I’m teasing you. Don’t worry about it, I think I’ve pinpointed someone with the right kind of energy.” He takes the Core with a smile, reaches for his phone as she’s leaving and dials an extension.

“Files and Records, this is Hareruya—”

“This is Girori. Come to my office immediately for briefing.” He pauses, considers. “And close the door behind you when you get here.”

#

Win shows himself well as an amusing stumbling block, the irritating gambler is eliminated, and the Punkjack Core is returned to Girori’s desk at the conclusion of the game of Pairs. And then, of course, Ukiyo Ace wins the Desire Grand Prix again anyway, with his most migraine-inducing wish yet. Girori is tempted to just stab him as he sleeps peacefully in the bedroom next to Girori’s in the house he’s forced them to share, but that would be too obvious.

It takes nearly a week to come up with an efficient solution to the increasingly frustrating problem of Ace. He’s still got the Punkjack Core, after all, and he does have some influence over the roster of Players for new games.

He pulls Win’s employee file, gets his cell phone number, and sends him a text. [Come to HQ. Urgent. -GM]

He gets a message back in seconds. It’s just, [ ಠ‿↼✧✧✧ ]. Fortunately there’s a follow-up after a moment, [u got it boss], which explains the first one.

Win arrives after him, of course, and in street clothes, which is unusual—too-pristine boots that have never seen a day of hard work, cargo pants, an obnoxious striped shirt, a spiked collar that he probably bought at a pet store. He sees the Punkjack Core on the table in front of the couch Girori’s chosen to occupy and his eyes widen, just slightly. “You wanted to see me about something?”

No sense in stalling. “I need someone in the next DGP.”

Eyes wider. Eyebrows up. “I’m guessing you don’t just mean in the general sense of needing players.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yeah.” Win is moving again, around the other couch, towards him. “Yeah, I bet I do.” There’s none of that brief coyness this time; he just straddles Girori’s lap, braces himself on the back of the couch with one hand, murmurs, “I bet you’ve got something fun planned for whoever you pick, too. What would it take to convince you that I’m your man?”

Girori looks up at his shadowed face and slides one hand up his thigh, reaches up with the other and curls two fingers in that spiked dog collar to pull him down close, and says, very softly, “Demonstrate.”

[vro0m]

vro0m’s rewatch - 159/310

2015 Belgian GP

Alright. We're back after the summer break, it's round 11, officially the second part of the season and we have minimal broadcast as always nowadays. NOPE FOUND IT.

I remember I hated 2014 Belgian GP because I started by writing I think I like Spa and then everything went to shit– OH RIGHT WAIT I'd already forgotten it was the season turning point with the Long Review, Jesus. I don't know what to hope for this time.

It fucken wimdy. To the point we have a full shot of just the Spa forest undulating to really Show Us.

A little bit of context. It's Ferrari's 900th GP. They celebrated by announcing Raikkonen's 1-year contract extension in the week prior. Merc came with a new low-downforce rear wing. RBR tried two different new rear wings. McLaren came with a new power unit and a new engine cover but warned that the gains might not be visible until Singapore + a tray design for the front of the floor, lower sidepods and a new radiator positioning to cool the ERS. 

New regs were also introduced : drivers are now only allowed to adjust one clutch level after leaving the pit for the starting grid. I'm unsure what it means. 

The Lotus team has had legal troubles with Pic that I think I mentioned in the 2015 context in the Australian GP review. He claimed some breach of contract or something. Because of the legal proceedings, there was a possibility that the Lotus cars would be impounded after the GP. In the end, Bernie stepped in "to ensure staff were paid" and the cars were returned, allowing the team to race in Italy after this GP. 

Verstappen managed to get through Q1 even though he complained of a loss of power. Raikkonen stopped on track during Q2 due to a loss of oil pressure, qualifying in 15th on the grid. Max did not take part in Q2 due to his car's issues and was ranked 14th. Lewis' first hot lap was almost half a second faster than Nico's, and that's about how they qualified. Valtteri was 3rd, 1.3 seconds behind Lewis. Then it was Grosjean in 4th and Perez in 5th. Seb was only 9th.

BUT WAIT because there were penalties. The McLarens had already been given exceptional permission to use an additional PU in 2015, using their 6th in Hungary, and then came back with completely revised 7th PUs on both their cars. It meant a 50 place grid penalty for Jenson and a 55 place grid penalty for Alonso. Yep. You read that right. Verstappen also received a 10 place grid penalty for a 6th PU. Grosjean and Raikkonen both received a 5 place grid penalty for a gearbox change. 

In the end, the top 10 at the start was Lewis, Nico, Valtteri, Perez, Daniel, Massa, Maldonado, Seb, Grosjean and Sainz. 

Lewis thus became the first driver to get on pole six consecutive times since Schumacher, who did so in-between the '00 and '01 season, while Mika Hakkinen was the last one to do it in one season in '99.

Alright now let's see what I missed in the build-up at the time I wrote this. 

Of his quali Lewis said the first lap was great, and he hoped it would be enough. He knew it put a lot of pressure on Nico for the next run. The next lap he did was one of the closest to perfect he thinks he's ever done. 

Ted has been filmed walking around a forest at night to tell the tale of the curse of Spa aka a recap of all the times Lewis got unlucky at this track. And yeah. That's a lot. In 2007, he was pushed wide by Alonso in Eau-Rouge. In 2008, he won but he was penalised after the race for cutting a chicane and lost the win. In 2009, Alguersuari crashed into him. (In 2010 he won so it's not mentioned.) In 2011, Ted says he was slow on track. I mean sure but more notably he spun and crashed and DNFd. Oh sorry, now he mentions it, I thought he was done talking lmao. In 2012, Grosjean managed to take 4 cars out with him in a crash, including Lewis. In 2013, he was on pole and got a good start but got overtaken by Seb, who won. And in 2014, of course, he was taken out by Nico. So that's 4 DNFs in 6 Belgian GPs. Well well well. 

Lewis and Nico are doing a joint side track interview again. He's very happy about the qualifying performance but he needs to translate it into race wins, he says. Johnny says to them they must have bad memories of last year, are they gonna stay as aggressive? Nico says of course, they're gonna keep battling. Johnny asks Lewis if he has plans for the start. Lewis jokes that if he did he wouldn't tell him.

Johnny says he seems to be the man of the moment and then stutters on the word momentum. Lewis makes fun of him. Then he says qualifying has been great as he said and he's happy they have a great crowd today and he hopes they'll put on a great show for them. Then Johnny says today's very important for Nico's claim on the title, how hungry is he? He says of course every race counts. 

Back to the broadcast, Simon says that was a bit earlier and Johnny is now lurking around behind the camera. "What were you doing?" he asks, "rapping?" They laugh. He shrugs with a smile. It happens. 

Well there really wasn't much in this broadcast but here you have it anyway. Let's get to the race. 

Formation lap. 

Hulkenberg is already reporting no power, he was already having issues during quali if I understand correctly. He's told to pit. Then he's told to take the start and not pit. 

They're all ready but Hulkenberg is waving in his cockpit. Aborted start.

Second formation lap. 

Hulkenberg left his box but then stopped. His team tells him they'll pull him back in the pits. Now it's Sainz saying he has no power. He's called into the pitlane as well. 

Both cars are into the garages and may or may not join the race at some point. 

The others are racing! 

It seems like a normal start but in the end, three cars are ahead of Nico into the first corner. That's weird. OH MY GOD AND PEREZ OVERTAKES LEWIS FOR THE LEAD A FEW CORNERS LATER WTF. No wait he didn't, he was shown as such on the graphics but he actually had to fall back phew. Seb also got a great start btw he's up in 6th. Lewis is now flying away and Nico overtakes Valtteri for P4. He attacks back but it's Seb getting ahead of him now. Maldonado has lost the engine and is very slow on track. He retires. Verstappen overtakes Ericsson for P10. Kvyat overtakes Massa for P8. Sainz came back out on the track from the garages but he's now also slow af. Lewis is setting fastest lap after fastest lap. Daniel pits from P3, they're trying to undercut I guess, but it seems early to do that. Grosjean overtakes Valtteri for P5. Perez pits from P2, and it worked for RBR as Ricciardo is ahead. Yellow flags blinked shortly as Kvyat went wide after a lock up. Massa is called in. 

It's lap 10. Lewis is 8.4 seconds in the lead ahead of Nico. Seb is not far behind in P3. Then it's currently Grosjean, then Kvyat and Massa and Verstappen all pit as I'm writing, then Raikkonen, Ricciardo and Perez. Raikkonen is called in from P4. Nico is called in as well, before Lewis. Crofty thinks it's because Daniel, who's currently P4, is really pressuring them. Nico is out ahead of him as well as Perez, but Perez attacks! He can't make it though. Lewis is called in, he stays in the lead. Oh. Valtteri gets a drive through for "incorrect tyres fitted"? Seb pits. Nico sets the fastest lap. Grosjean overtakes Ricciardo for P4. 

Lap 20. Lewis is leading by 3.1 after the pit stops, still ahead of Nico. Behind them Grosjean is attacking Perez for P3 and overtakes him easily. Daniel is P5 ahead of Seb, Kvyat, Massa who's being attacked by Raikkonen and Verstappen is P10. Oh! And Daniel was attacking for P4 but as we're watching his on-board, he locks up and then stops completely on the main straight! That's a bad place to stop too, just at the exit of the corner… DRS is disabled, VSC, the gaps are frozen. Of course a lot of people dive in the pits. Perez actually pitted as Daniel had his issue. Massa pits. Grosjean pits. Raikkonen pits. Lewis asks how Nico gained a second under VSC. It's a good question, but the VSC is over now and people are racing. Perez is told they need to make his tyres last to the end, that's 20 laps, not impossible. The sky is darkening. Are we gonna see rain? I'm kinda bored. Oh no Seb is having issues? He's told to change some things on the steering wheel and he answers a bit high pitched that it doesn't react. Kvyat pits. Seb, much calmer : "Think about an extra stop if that makes sense" and he's told they're looking into it.

It's lap 30. Kvyat overtakes Valtteri for P9. Lewis : "Track has changed, I think I need another half hole back in." It's about front wing specs. Kvyat sets the fastest lap. Lewis is called in. "My tyres are still good, can I do one more?" he asks. "Negative Lewis, this is the fastest race, Nico will take the stop otherwise." He obeys. He's out in P2. Nico is called in, and Lewis is back in the lead. 

10 laps to go. Nico sets the fastest lap. Behind the Mercs the order goes Seb, Grosjean, Perez currently under pressure from Massa, Raikkonen not far behind them, then Kvyat, Valtteri and Verstappen. Sainz finally retires. Kvyat overtakes Raikkonen. There's a four-way fight over P5. 

5 laps to go. Grosjean is told to go get Seb. He's indeed only half a second behind but come on I'd rather have a sewis podium please. To make up for the boring race. Kvyat is warned over track limits. Verstappen overtakes Valtteri for P9. Kvyat overtakes Massa for P6 and they almost make contact. And Kvyat overtakes Perez for P5. OH NO! SUDDEN PUNCTURE FOR SEB ohhh nooooooooo. There's just a lap and a half to go… Sucks. Verstappen overtakes Raikkonen for P7 but locks up, goes wide and drifts onto the run-off area. Back in P8. 

It's the end of the race. 

Lewis wins ahead of Nico for the Nth time this season. Grosjean P3. Welp it was an eventful start but actually kinda boring after that. 

The video glitches just as Nico and Lewis shake hands so I can't gif it lol. Grosjean seems baffled to be here. Nico and him talk in French, obvi. Nico says something about "ta caisse" (your car, but slang) and Grosjean says "incroyable, incroyable ! J'partais 9 en plus !" (incredible, incredible! I started 9th on top of that !) then it's drowned out by the hostesses applauding outside and then he says "j'étais derrière lui, derrière lui, derrière lui, pfiou" (I was behind him, behind him, behind him, phew) The merc representative says he's very lucky and Grosjean nods as he pours water into his mouth and all over himself like a toddler. Lewis is nowhere to be seen.

Bono is in the crowd looking very proud of his boy.

It's DC doing the interviews. It's Lewis' 39th win, his 80th podium, equalling Ayrton Senna. Lewis asks the crowd if they're good. They roar. He thanks them as usual. He says he's had a great weekend, "again, an amazing job done by the team." He's drowned out by the fans cheering and chanting his name. It's unbelievable! 

DC says the only time he thought Lewis could get concerned was after the virtual safety car when Nico somehow got closer. Anything else? He says Nico had obviously good pace but he was able to answer to him most of the time. The car was feeling great so he was relaxed and just mostly looking after the tyres, and especially at the end after he saw one tyre had exploded on another car he was really cautious, and that's why Nico was catching him at the end. But he felt really under control the whole time and great assistance from the team. 

Nico gets a lot of noise from the crowd too. As does Grosjean wow. 

DC asks Lewis if although it's still close with Nico he's starting to feel like he might get another title. He says it's definitely way too early for that. He says you just wanna get these pole positions and translate them into wins. 

After the race, Seb criticised Pirelli's tyres, pointing out that Nico also suffered a failure during practice. He deemed it unacceptable and said if Nico said he didn't go off track then he didn't, as he has no reason to lie and that he himself didn't go off track and the tyre exploded out of the blue. He saw it as a safety risk. Pirelli's director Paul Hembrey said he did not want to start a war of words with Seb but that they were concerned when they saw that the teams intended to do a big number of laps on one set of tyres, as nothing suggested to them that they would go for one-stop strategies but rather two or three stop strategies. Nico backed Seb saying this shouldn't happen and pointed out it also happened in other categories. He said they both were "so lucky" as if it had happened a bit earlier or later it would have caused bad crashes for them, something Seb also mentioned. He called for immediate action as the next GP was to be Monza, which is a very fast one. Pirelli reacted by asking for a maximum stint length for their tyres, something they'd already suggested at the end of 2013. They then announced that they'd found cuts on other team's tyres, especially the rear ones, and that they were investigating the cause. Seb reiterated that his team was not at fault and that their strategy wasn't risky. Ultimately, Pirelli's conclusion was that Seb's blowout was due to debris and not excessive tyre wear. 

Max was singled out for his overtake on Nasr in Blanchimont. He ultimately received an Action of the Year award from the FIA at the end of the year ceremony for it. 

I've found Lewis' interview with Will Buxton. He asked him how it felt to be back on the top step after the summer break. He says it feels amazing. "Sometimes you wonder if a good thing is followed by another good thing."

He says he had an amazing holiday and so he was wondering if the happiness would last and it has. He says qualifying was ridiculous, and he smiles, and it gets a chuckle out of the journalist amassed around him.

He's happy with his race, he didn't have to overpush or overdrive. The balance was really nice and he's very happy with the outcome. Will Buxton or whatever journalist says last year Nico got the pole trophy and this year nobody can seem to beat him and he's said he's been on top of sector 2 this weekend which he never was before. The question is how much does he feel that with each passing race he's becoming more and more complete. He hums. He says generally this year he's growing into his thirties, "the start of a new era for me", he thinks he's growing wiser and stronger, mentally also, with the pole positions he's getting and the results he's getting. "I think I'm growing generally as a man so that's reflecting in how I drive and the decisions that I take and a lot of things I do." He smiles. "How worrying is that for everyone else," he's told. "Hum… Hopefully it should be very worrying," he laughs.

I also found the BBC interview. The journalist tells him Niki said he absolutely raised his game. "You must agree with that," she says. He says it feels good and the weekend has definitely been fantastic.

He says he as always has to take his hat off to his team that's has done an incredible job again this weekend. From the ones building the cars to the engineers. "Me and Nico wouldn't have been able to do that without them." 

He says he's coming back from the best holiday he's ever had with such a facial expression that I'm wondering what happened there,

and that it gave him even more drive to get the pole positions and turn them into wins. He says he's really happy within himself because he drove his heart out. She asks if this is the strongest he's felt in his F1 career. "I think so, yeah." then he adds : "I mean… I felt good today, when I woke up, I was like 'yeah. I got this'".

He remembers it wasn't the case in the last race. "But definitely I feel… Not only the strongest just, but in general the happiest I've genuinely been in my life." He says he loves his job, he's grateful he gets to drive F1 cars every other weekend, it's the greatest job in the world and he has to seize it with both hands and enjoy, which he does, "and in my personal life enjoy it as much as I can!"

He's truly in a very good mood.

(This gif is just for me because I have a thing for intense staring, don’t mind me.)

She says when things are so good he's not wishing his days away to Monza, "you're in a great place at the moment." He says even when the days weren't good he wasn't wishing days to go by (it's a lie but it's okay, we all wanna forget about 2009) because he's "very very aware" that time flies by, "I'm already halfway through my career if not more"... Oh my god. Wait. I can't with this interview. "Erm in my formula 1 career, and it feels like it was only yesterday that I started in Melbourne so I really want to… I don't want it to go…”

“I'm not looking forward to the day that I hang my helmet up but erm…"

"There's room for a few more championships before then." – "I hope so, I hope so." 

(btw given this was 2015 so his 9th year, according to this interview he's stopping in 2024 lol, 2023 being his 17th year in F1.)

Anyway let's see the postrace content now that it’s been uploaded.

Hill says Lewis is watching Nico all the time, as he's been able to tell he gained 1 second under VSC. It shows how in control he is. 

Ted tells Niki they got a perfect result. It's unfortunate for the Ferraris but they score no points. Niki says they went very long, he has to say. But Lewis, Nico and the whole team did an incredible job. "Mercedes is back, I have to say, after Budapest so..." He just thanks everybody. Everybody involved is working hard. They were a bit depressed after Budapest but now it's fantastic, it's the way it should be. 

Let's hear from Lewis. (Again.) He says he'd definitely say this is a "so-so circuit" for him, he's not won a lot here and it's never been easy, but he's happy with this weekend's performance. Particularly qualifying. The race was managing what he had, the gap he had, the tyres… "Nico was exceptionally fast today, but I didn't really feel like I was incredibly under pressure, I was able to match when I needed to so erm… Super happy." He says he was 5 years old when he started watching Ayrton, and he doesn't know what age he was when he wanted to emulate him, but thinking he has the same amount of podiums doesn't feel real.

She asks about the start because in the last race he apparently said having to do a second start it affected his clutch. He says he wasn't nervous, you can't allow yourself to get nervous for the start anyway, but he did the restart and was focused on keeping his car cooled and when he did the restart he did the appropriate sequence to make sure he wasn't overheating it and it turned out "relatively good". He says he did get wheelspin, like Nico did, but he managed to control a bit better and maintain the lead. She asks if he was surprised to see Perez alongside him. He says he was generally happy, and starts laughing, that it wasn't Nico.

He says Sergio was great, he says he thinks if it had been Nico it might have been a different outcome. (He says both ‘obviously’ and ‘probably’ in the sentence, you interpret that as you want lol) He's really glad the day went the way it did. She reminds him of the WDC standings and asks at what point he allows himself to think of a third world title. He says you really have to take it one race at a time. At no point you can get overly excited and think you've got it. But he's very happy with the car, so as long as he continues doing what he's doing and stays focused and healthy, he feels good about it, he finally admits.

Later, he says he's had such a good break and feels super refreshed. He has to interrupt himself to wave to the fans that are yelling. He says they can't imagine how at peace he feels in his heart after coming out of this great break, getting pole and it translating into a win. Brundle says it just seemed easy, he seemed in the groove. He says you don't always get the car where you want it but he did this weekend and same in the last race. He says he and his engineers are gelling more than ever and are working better than they've ever worked together. Together they've put a really good package and the car was feeling beautiful.

Brundle asks him about his position on the tyres given Seb and Nico's comments. He asks for clarifications. Brundle says Seb especially has been very punchy. Lewis says "yeah I'm sure, I'm sure." with an empathetic tone. He says both of them had "fairly big incidents" and that it was just lucky that both of them happened at a stage when it wasn't too detrimental or unsafe. They never ever want that to happen. They always want to be able to go out there with confidence that there won't be any problems. However he says he's heard that for Seb, they went too long on the tyres. So it's not necessarily fully down to the tyres. But if it had happened just a bit before it would have been in Eau Rouge which could have been "quite nasty". He says the FIA and the teams work closely with Pirelli and Pirelli will learn from this weekend.

Simon says he's had a fair share of bad luck in Spa. He nods with a smile. He asks if it's nice to have the perfect weekend here. Lewis says it's a very difficult track. For some reason there are tracks that really suit you and tracks you struggle at more. This is one of those tracks he's struggled at a little bit more (full emphasis on a little bit). He says he's had good results when it was raining, "it makes it easier for me" he half-jokes, but this weekend he thinks he did the best and extracted the most he could out of what's a weaker circuit for him.

Brundle asks what about Perez breathing alongside him in the first lap. Lewis smiles and tilts his head. They're all chuckling a bit like it's really really weird that he did such a thing.

Lewis echoes his earlier answer to that. "Well, better him than anyone else." He says again Perez was very fair. He tried to keep everybody behind but he followed him aaall the way. Brundle says he went wide a little bit. Lewis says he went in there nailing it then the back end bottomed a little bit and slid and he still kept it going, "I was like 'I'm NOT lifting'!"

And Perez slowly caught him but as long as he covered the inside, that's all he could do, and then he fortunately outbraked him. He's grateful for the way it came out because it made the race much easier, he chuckles. Brundle says the only other break in his serene afternoon was the VSC, he thought Nico might have gained on him? Lewis says what happens is you hear beep beeps and the screen changes and you have to brake very heavily to slow down to hit the delta. When you're driving at some point you see the other driver behind you appear so you know what the gap is. And when the VSC started he was maybe four seconds behind but during it he was closer than ever so he thought surely he'll have to fall back for the restart which he never did. Which is why he wondered. Because he did not make a mistake so there was no reason for him to be that much closer. He says he needs to go figure out where he lost that second but dismisses it saying it wasn't a big problem anyway.

Simon says he's 28 points ahead in the WDC standings so one DNF clear and asks if that's something in his mind, wanting to keep it above that. Lewis says he doesn't look at it that way because naturally as a team you never want a DNF. Simon insists that it gives him leeway though. He says for sure, but last year he crashed in this race and was 29 points behind when he came out of Spa. So it's been way more positive up until now. His goal coming back from this great holiday (seriously what did he do?) into this part of this season was to translate the great laps he does in quali into results and wins. And hopefully today was the start of it. Brundle asks if he's got on top of Nico, does he think mentally Nico realises he can't beat him? (way to put him in a tough spot) He says he thinks as a driver you never– it's very rare you see a driver fall to that belief. They still believe that they're better and all that, "whether it's true or not". He says he remembers when he was driving with Alonso. "Fernando could never believe why sometimes I was quicker, he was like 'there must be something wrong with the car cause I'm the best'. That's what he would say. To himself, I know. For sure." He says Nico's very strong, he's gonna come back and keep fighting, he knows that he still has that belief in himself, which is fine by him, no problem. 

For some reason they start talking about Notting Hill carnival and twerking. I'm at a loss. 

[mysmorgasbordoffantabulosa]

With namjoons live I'm like 90% convinced that it is taekook on that conditional contract, and that the blind item may be true about the company taking opportunities away from them.

The reason I think this is because it's odd that taekook are the only members who don't do lives at hybe- and have both confirmed they have no projects they're working on

All this nonsense of a contract issue is just pure speculation that initially came from Tae solo Stan complaining about lack promotion for solo projects. Which recently started fueling some Taekookers too, who came up with an unverified blind item allegedly from 2020, which got reworked into a more recent blind item published on Crazy Days and Crazy Nights. These fans then use (on the the surface quite plausible) evidence to back up their claim... Taekook do lives from home, whilst others at HYBE building; JK's sudden lack of work; and of promotion of their work.

If HYBE were having issues with Taekook do you think they would allow them to freely use their own platform to make "unauthorised" lives? Particularly, if he was supposedly under a (illegal since 2017) slave contract.

The sudden lack of work could simply be about scheduling. Remember, there were months were there was no yoongi stuff going on and now we have his show.

Up until recently BH were only managing 3 artists, BTS, TXT and Lee Hyun. Now they are managing the 6 active BTS members individually plus TXT and Lee Hyun, all with the same staff. So it's only natural that some members will have down time.

So, overall regarding this issue, I think people just need to take a chill pill about it.

[usedpidemo]

Do you think K-pop concert ticket prices are too expensive now? What do you think should be the threshold, and what can be done to give all fans, whether casual or diehard, a great experience?

I could go on an entire rant/tangent on what I think concerts as a whole should be like, but it would be the length of a regular fic, so I'll spare you every issue and thought I have about them. I've only been to one concert in my whole life, so I don't have the experience or depth that other concertgoers have, but let's just say the streaming and COVID economy fucked up everything.

Prices: I believe the terrible royalties from streaming, as well as the increased demand for live shows in general has caused these ticket prices to skyrocket. Like you can't just buy a ticket for a decent seat for less than $70 now, that shit only gives you nosebleed seats. Not to mention the deliberate collusion of scalpers by ticketing sites. Those resale tickets and third parties directly cooperate with Ticketmaster so they can punch a bit more money from consumers. And don't even get me started with Dynamic Pricing and those terrible service fees. I'm fortunate enough to live in a country where such things don't exist, but with HYBE openly expressing their intention to enable dynamic pricing and finding alternatives in places where it's not available, you can bet they'll find a way to punch up the prices too.

I understand why they charge this much. Fans will go out to see their favorite artist, regardless of how much they complain about it. FOMO. You don't know if they'll come back to your country or city, or when. Not to mention, the typical K-pop concert is a much grander production than, say, your average pop star. You got backup dancers, large stages, numerous costume changes, sometimes a live band, and of course, multiple members with dozens of staff managing a group. Concerts are the biggest revenue/income drive now for a majority of artists because of how music is distributed today, so they have to break even. Doing world tours are costly; consider the VISA and other costs on a country-to-country basis. No wonder they'd rather tour the US and Japan only to save a few thousand dollars.

It's difficult to gauge the threshold because popularity and demand is fickle, especially in K-pop. However, if there has to be a limit, I personally would stop at around $1000-sub range. There's not a damn singer or artist on planet earth, dead or alive, that's worth over a $1000 ticket. Even MJ. The economy isn't looking good, inflation keeps jumping year by year, and concerts have become basically rich people havens too.

Personally, I do think it'll eventually die out. There's a touring oversaturation right now that it dries people out and we have to pick and choose who we want to attend.

There's a few things I really want to see happen in the future, ideally:

• Rookies shouldn't be pricier than their seniors. I don't care if its NewJeans, IVE, or Le sserafim, they really shouldn't be more expensive than say, a 3-4 year old group. It's ridiculous how NMIXX and IVE were more expensive than The Boyz or ATEEZ.

• Announcing ticket sale literally right after the tour announcement. This is something I absolutely hate. Why are you selling tickets for a show six-eight months away like two weeks after announcing it? Fucking insane! It gives us little to no prep time to gather up resources and plan accordingly. Also, what if something happens that causes a concert to be canceled or delayed? It'll be much harder for us to get refunds back, which is exactly why they pull this shit off. Normalize selling tickets at most two months-a month before the show.

• Make the ticket prices worth it. This is my biggest gripe with concerts, more than the prices: that you're basically paying for the seats and nothing else. I'm not gonna lie, I likely wouldn't have gone out to my one and only concert if I wasn't guaranteed anything else besides a nice seat. Pre-pandemic, the price of the ticket I bought would have given me a group/solo pic with the group and some other cool perks like maybe signed merch. Now? Most concerts give you the show and nothing more. You have to justify paying that hefty tag beyond just a close view of your favorite artist. I remember when pop stars like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and The Weeknd had photo-ops before the show for those VIP tivkets. COVID ruined all of that. It's such a damn shame, because at best, you're getting soundcheck, which I'm not fond of, in my opinion. It forces people to bait for interactions and not enjoy themselves during the show cuz they aren't guaranteed artist engagement (though this won't really change anything if we're being real lol). I personally would be a lot more comfortable and have a greater time if I knew I could greet them before or after the show instead of trying too hard to get their attention.

[smileygoth]

Til I Hear It From You - Part One (Stranger Things / Empire Records)

Not quite sure where this one is going to go, but I really liked the idea so I've started it and I guess we'll just see! A new employee joins the gang at Empire Records, a man with a mysterious past ...

If you haven't watched the excellent 90s movie Empire Records I highly recommend it, this story takes place almost directly after the events of the movie so it might help you understand the characters a bit more. You can rent it cheap on Amazon Prime or watch it for free on YouTube!

CW: A bit of teenage and young adult angst, suggestion of mental health issues.

Word count: 2510 words

Image found on Google.

1996

Week 1

The day was bright but cold, and Debra huddled down in her hoody while she waited for Joe to turn up and let her into the store. The wind ruffled her short hair, making her wince, and she pulled her hood up, thinking that she really ought to buzz her head again soon. She’d done it on impulse, and though she liked how it looked the upkeep was kind of a bitch. She hadn’t realised it would grow back so quickly.

She was starting to think about maybe dying her hair instead and letting it grow when a black and chrome motorbike pulled into the parking space next to her Vespa, across the road from the store. On it she saw Berko and Gina. She groaned inwardly and rolled her eyes. Since she’d dumped Berko and he’d gotten with Gina, things had been kind of awkward at work. She really didn’t care, but they expected her to, and had been tiptoeing around her for the last few months. It was a small relief when she saw Gina climb off the bike and kiss Berko goodbye through the visor of his helmet before he turned the bike back onto the road and drove away. Gina turned in the direction of the store, her hand raised to keep her blonde hair out of her face, and Debra averted her gaze.

Her eyes fell on a stranger standing across the street, leaning against the railing in front of the beach and smoking a cigarette. The man was dressed in torn black denim jeans and a plain black t-shirt under a black leather jacket. His hair was long, brown and curly, the wind blowing it into his face and obscuring it. He looked like some hair metal rock band wannabe. Dismissing him, she looked away as Gina stopped next to her in front of the store doors.

“Hey, Debs,” Gina said lightly. “How’s it going?”

Debra twitched her lip in a weak attempt at a smile. “Same as always,” she replied. “How do you not freeze to death in those tiny skirts?”

Gina looked down at her exposed legs and shrugged. “Pure stubbornness,” she joked, pulling her jacket (correction: Berko’s jacket) closer around her. Debra waited for a snarky comeback, but of course there was none. Gina was on her best behaviour around Debra these days, and it drove Debra crazy. She actually preferred bitchy, sarcastic Gina to trying-to-be-friends Gina.

Thankfully, before they had to try to force any further conversation, Joe’s car pulled up. They both straightened up and called out their hellos as Joe came up, keys jingling in his hand. He gave them his usual early morning grunt and squeezed between them to unlock the doors. “I’m gonna need you two to take care of opening prep by yourselves this morning,” he said. “Got a new employee starting and I need to sort his shit out.”

“No problem, Joe!” Gina chirped happily. “Anyone we know?”

Joe shook his head. “He’s from out of town. Should be here for nine.”

Checking her watch, which was showing 8:40am, Debra’s eyes slid back to the man on the other side of the road. Gina saw her looking and glanced over. Debra looked back and met her eyes.

“You don’t think …” she mumbled.

Gina made a face. “Not another metalhead,” she complained. “Mark does not need any more encouraging to put his shit on the speakers.”

“Are you coming in or what?” Joe snapped. The girls looked back and saw he was inside the store, holding the door for them.

“Sorry, Joe,” they echoed, and hurried inside.

“Joe,” Debra moaned, “Do we really need more staff? I mean the last guy you tried out turned out to be a total douchebag.”

“Oh God yeah,” Gina agreed. “He was such a creep!”

Joe turned away from closing the doors and gave them an exasperated look. “Since Corey and AJ went off to Boston we are two staff down. Berko’s doing more gigs, Eddie’s still got his pizza gig, Mark’s working double shifts but still somehow only does enough work to fill one, Warren’s still at school so he can only work weekends, and Lucas is working so many hours he’s started sleeping in the staff room. And it’s only been five months. Yes, we need more staff.”

The girls exchanged guilty glances. “Sorry,” Gina mumbled.

Joe’s expression softened. “Look, none of you were supposed to stay here forever,” he said. “You’re all supposed to do what Corey and AJ have done and go off to bigger and better things. No one wants to be a till jockey all their life. And there’s other kids out there who need jobs, so …” He gestured with his hands. “It’s the circle of life. Now come on, get to opening.”

Debra waited til Joe was out of earshot before muttering “What if I do want to stay here forever?”

Gina looked at her. “Really?”

Debra looked away. “I don’t know. Maybe. Forget it.”

Twenty minutes later, after dusting, sweeping and counting, putting in the till floats and turning on the music, Debra turned the sign on the door from Closed to Open. Through the glass she saw the man in the leather jacket immediately flick his cigarette away and start across the road. She groaned again and trudged back to the counter.

The guy in black came in through the door, hesitated in the entrance and looked around before coming over to the counter. He had a grey duffel bag slung over one shoulder. Now that he was closer and his hair was out of his face, Debra could see he was clean-shaven and had large, dark brown eyes. Looking up at her at where she stood behind the raised counter, those eyes looked huge. “Hi,” he said in a voice softer than she’d expected. “I, uh … I’m supposed to start work here today?”

Debra nodded. “Oh yeah, Joe’s expecting you. Head on out back. It’s the double doors back there.” She pointed, and he nodded and turned away without a word. “Hey,” she said, making him turn back. “What’s your name?”

“Oh. Right.” He put his hand to the top of his head and rang his fingers through his hair. Chunky silver rings on his fingers caught the store lights and twinkled. “Wayne.”

“Wayne,” Debra repeated. “Okay. I’m Debra.”

He nodded. “Nice to meet you, Debra,” he muttered, then turned and headed for the doors at the back of the store.

“Evidently,” Debra muttered sourly as he went.

From behind the CD racks, Gina popped out from where she had been watching. “So it was him,” she remarked, hopping up behind the counter. “How’d he seem?”

Debra shrugged. “Quiet. Kinda rude. Not the best first impression.”

“Mm.” Gina leaned over the till, watching as Wayne reached the doors and disappeared inside. “Cute, though.” When Debra glared at her, she shrugged. “What? Oh come on, look at that ass!”

Debra wrinkled her nose as the doors open. “Oh thank God, a customer,” she sighed. “You’re on the floor, Gina.”

Gina shrugged and got down from behind the counter. “Fine,” she said. “Welcome to Empire Records, do you need any help today?”

…

Wayne reappeared half an hour later armed with a plastic bucket full of CDs. As a new starter, his first job was to put away stock and get to know the layout of the store. With the leather jacket gone, Debra noticed that the black shirt he wore was a long sleeved tee with holes at the elbows. The white staff lanyard showed out clearly against the black fabric.

Debra watched him from the counter all morning. He didn’t speak to her at all; despite Gina’s bright, cheerful greetings and attempts to start up a conversation he rebuffed her with short comments each time. When Mark and Berko came in to cover the mid shift he greeted them with small nods and curt smiles. Each time a customer approached him (which wasn’t often since it was a midweek morning) he straightened up, smiled and apologetically directed them to another staff member. He disappeared completely during his lunch break, and at regular points throughout the day, presumably to smoke. Occasionally Joe came out to check on him, but there wasn’t much to check on; he worked with his head down and the plastic stock bucket tucked under one arm. Debra had to hand it to him though – by the time his shift was over he was having no trouble finding where the stock needed to go.

Debra was in Joe’s office helping him with the paperwork when Wayne came into the staff room at the end of their shift. He grabbed his jacket from the empty shelf where his name had been taped over Corey’s, pulled it on, slung his bag over his shoulder, stuck his head into the office to thank Joe, and then he was gone. He was out of the staff room, and presumably the store, long before Lucas and Eddie arrived for the evening shift.

Debra looked at Joe. He met her gaze and shrugged. “What?”

“What do you think of the new guy so far?” she asked.

“Well, he turned up on time, did a shitload of work, didn’t loaf off in the staff room and didn’t sneak out early. Other than the bajillion smoke breaks, I’ve got no complaints so far.”

Debra sighed. “Great,” she muttered.

“You don’t like him?”

“I really couldn’t say. He did his best not to talk to me, or anyone, all day.”

“So he likes his privacy.” Joe shrugged. “Give him a break. From what he told me in his interview he’s been through some shit.”

Debra looked up, interested. “He has?”

“Yeah,” Joe replied. “And no I’m not going to tell you about it, so stop looking at me like that. In fact, your shift’s over, so scram.”

“I just need to finish this,” Debra replied, bending her head over the paperwork.

Joe sighed, but he knew better than to argue with her. “Alright,” he said. “Well, I’m gonna hit the road. I gotta pick Jane up in twenty minutes. When Lucas gets here, tell him he’s late.”

Debra shot Joe a salute as he grabbed his jacket from his chair and swept out of the office in a flash of brown leather and cologne. She had no intention of going home before closing. She didn’t want to spend the evening in her tiny, empty apartment. She didn’t feel safe alone.

…

By the end of the week Wayne had worked a shift every single day. He’d met everyone and had even exchanged a few words with each of them, and Debra was forced to change her initial impression of him to match Joe’s. She found out that he’d discovered the door to the roof on his first day, and that was where he’d been sneaking off to to take his smoke breaks and lunches. From their limited snatches of conversation she gathered that he’d recently moved to Delaware, that he had a room at a nearby motel while he looked for his own place, and that he didn’t have any family. Beyond that, he refused to tell her anything. She was secretly delighted with how he gently and politely he rebuffed Gina’s flirting and Berko’s attempts to recruit him into his band, both of which were far from subtle. He seemed to enjoy Mark’s goofiness, was nothing but respectful to Joe, and seemed to have no idea what to make of Lucas … which Debra had to admit was fair.

There was one thing she noticed that stood out to her as odd, however. Often when somebody called to Wayne, they had to repeat his name two or three times to get his attention, particularly when he was deep in thought. This hadn’t bothered Debra much at first; maybe he’d blown his eardrums at one too many concerts, or maybe he just zoned out a lot. Nothing weird about that. But it was the first time he met Eddie that a suspicion started to form in her mind.

Eddie swept in in his usual abrupt way for his evening shift, smiling and calling out hellos to everyone, a box of pizza in one hand wafting the fragrant aroma of melted cheese and pepperoni in his wake. He burst into the staff room and dropped the pizza on the table. “Hey, guys!” he cried. “Sorry I’m late, but I brought pizza in case anyone’s hungry!” His usual greeting: he was always late because he came straight from his shift at the pizza restaurant, and he always brought leftover pizza.

Debra was on the sofa, taking a break and looking through a magazine. Wayne was at the shelves, pulling on his jacket. Debra looked up at Eddie’s entrance and smiled. “Hey Eddie,” she said. “Is there meat on that?”

There was a loud thump as Wayne’s duffel bag slipped from his fingers and hit the floor at his feet. Debra looked round to see him looking at her like he’d seen a ghost. Quickly, he turned away, picked up his duffel bag and almost ran out of the doors. She watched him leave, confused. Eddie watched him go to, then turned to Debra and said, “Who was that?”

“The new guy,” Debra replied.

“He allergic to cheese or something?” Eddie joked weakly.

Debra shrugged and went back to her magazine. “No idea.”

But she did have an idea, and the more she thought about it the more it irritated her, like a speck of grit itching away in her mind. That evening, while Eddie and Lucas were on the shop floor covering the last couple of hours, she went into the office and looked for Wayne’s application form. She knew where it would be; she’d been helping Joe with all the paperwork for a while now, surreptitiously learning everything she needed to know to manage the place herself one day, so she knew where to look. She pulled the form out of Wayne’s employee folder and looked through it.

His name was given as ‘Wayne Cunningham’. His address, disappointingly, was the motel he’d already told her about. No former employers, no details on schools. He hadn’t produced any ID. Debra tapped the paper against the filing cabinet and thought. He’d mentioned he had a van, so he definitely had a driver’s license – or at least had had one at some point. Why hadn’t he shown it to Joe? And why had Joe accepted a guy who hadn’t given him any indication of who he was or where he was from? What had he said in his interview?

Joe had a habit of taking in waifs and strays to work at the store – pretty much every one of them was a messed-up kid with some kind of issues. So Debra wasn’t surprised to find Wayne’s application so empty, but it was frustrating. Wayne had a story – maybe a good one – and she wanted to know it.

[antis-hero]

If I were you I’d move with the possibility of disciplinary action towards that professor. You know that if the shoe was on the other foot, where a history professor suddenly decided to go on randomly about anti-feminist issues or right wing politics, about half the students in the class would publicly doxx her and have people send her death threats and continue to complain, probably to the dean until she was fired. You are making a valid complaint, respectfully, the way it’s intended to be made. If your professor has repeatedly done and said nasty shit despite the fact that it clearly makes people (not just you) uncomfortable, she doesn’t deserve to just be watched a little more closely when she knows she’s under review and thus will probably behave herself. It’s the type of situation that warrants disciplinary action. Otherwise once the heat cools she’ll probably do it again.

The more I get comments saying she needs to be disciplined, the more I realize that, yeah, I probably should move it up to a full complaint. That option is still available, as I can contact the supervisors again if I'd like and I can fill out a form to be sent to Admin if something else happens (which it might, if she can somehow go nuts in an online course).

I actually mentioned the bit about conservative professors possibly being handled differently to the supervisor I spoke to. I go to school in a red area, and there are a lot of conservative students, professors, and staff here. Right-leaning professors that I have spoken to are open about how they make it a point to avoid their own politics in class because A) that's not what they're there to do, and B) they fear repercussions. I told the supervisor that it was unfair that they do the right thing and avoid being open about their opinions even outside of class and fear repercussions for doing things that my history professor openly does. The response I got was that I didn't have to worry about them because Ed-codes would protect them if they were open about those things. When I told her that I had been called to my boss's office over an essay I had written (peer reported it for offensive content, and it was let go by my boss because, duh, there was no issue), she became immediately concerned with that too, so I trust that people like us are treated fairly by Admin. If they didn't, it would become a scandal, and they'd lose even some of their own over it.

It's hard reporting her to the fullest extent because of a lot of things going on. My summer was rough, and I experienced a lot of unfortunate events, so heading back to campus has been a bit of a drain. I would hate to have to do more paperwork, and possibly meet with the board and her to discuss this again. It's worth it, in my eyes, to do it if I choose. She really stabbed me in the back when she would tell me in private that she loved what I was doing and supported me, then ruined all of it when she showed her true colors while in front of an audience.

Thank you all for your kind words and support. You guys supporting not only the content I research, but my private endeavors on campus encourages me to continue what I do.