#there's zero appropriate place to add it

[diseaseriddencube]

on one hand I feel overwhelmingly compelled to righteously add my name to the wiki as the angel who granted us with the stage play

on the other I'm not the kind of person to vandalize wikis... otherwise poor Jan has to fix my goofing around 😔

[magpiepills]

Plow

Rating: EXPLICIT 18+ MDNI

Pairing: Joel Miller x f reader

Word count: 900ish

Summary: Joel’s neighbor does yoga and he has a new appreciation of the practice.

Warnings: SMUT, voyeurism, pervert Joel, creep Joel, male masturbation, PIV, fingering, spit as lube, reader is able to do yoga and wears activity appropriate clothing.

A word from the author: come get your creepy Joel jerk off fic!

Read Part 2 Here

Read Part 3 Here

He stopped in his tracks the first time he noticed that the little window at the landing on his staircase looked right over your privacy fence and into your backyard. He might or have noticed at all if you hadn’t been outside, splayed over your purple yoga mat, twisted into a pretzel with your legs wide open and your tits threatening to spill out of that little stretchy top you wore.

He looked around, sure that someone saw him, knew what he was seeing, heard his brain telling him to look away and saw him watching anyway.

Joel was a practical man. He was honest and good and upright. He took pride in it.

That didn’t stop his hand from sliding over his jeans to palm his rapidly hardening cock. Didn’t stop him from zeroing in on the way the snug fabric highlighted the point of your nipples, or oh god how it molded to the cleft of your cunt.

He tore his hungry gaze away long enough to flick off the lights, hoping to watch just a little more in secret before he swore to himself that he would do the right thing and go downstairs and put you out of his mind.

It was only seconds before he was back in place at the window, ducking to the side to stay out of sight should you look up. In that time you’d switched positions. He watched as you slowly stretched your legs and spine, lifting your pert ass into the air.

Joel’s heart raced. He let himself believe that you were offering yourself to him. He imagined tearing open the fabric of those fucking pants and finding your bare pussy underneath, he let his mind paint a picture of your slick and swollen lips, your tight little asshole, all on display just for him, ready for him to devour or destroy.

He unbuttoned his jeans, belt buckle clacking against the floor as they fell around his ankles. He left his boxers on and told himself it was ok, that looking was free, that he wasn’t doing anything wrong.

He was hard as a rock.

He watched as you moved through your poses, breath hitched as he daydreamed of fucking you in each one.

You were so limber, bending like a willow switch, your movements so smooth and deliberate. He was transfixed by the graceful motion of your body and soon his boxers joined his jeans on the floor. His hand moved slowly against his length. His palm contoured to the underside of his cock and slid down to cup his balls before going back up to roll over the thick, weeping head.

Joel wondered how else you might stretch.

Did you ever touch yourself? Did you slip your fingers inside? How many? How many of his could you take in that little hole? Would you be loud? Scream his name? He would start with one, if he ever got the chance. He would feel how wet you got and he would spread your wetness over your clit again and again, dipping back for more of your dripping arousal, getting you close to coming then adding a second to make you moan and clench.

His fist moved faster around his cock, he spat into his hand to aid the glide, but he didn’t dare look down to watch, didn’t risk missing a moment of you. You were a goddamn minx.

He would add a third finger, he decided. He would wait until your first orgasm washed away, leaving you limp and pliant on your little mat. You’d think he was finished with you, but he would just dive back in, licking and sucking at your pussy, mixing his saliva with your wet release, and sucking your clit between his lips, feeling it throb as he tongued it, making your back arch off the mat when he split you with three thick, rough fingers.

Joel was close. Too close. He didn’t want to come yet.

He squeezed the base of his cock and took a few deep breaths. He looked at your pretty face, you looked dewy and serene, practically glowing. He imagined your pretty face covered in his cum.

You seemed to be winding down, stretching your body out, arms over your head, tits lifted and begging for his hands and his mouth.

Joel pumped his turgid member, closing in on his orgasm as you laid on your back, arms over your head, legs spread wide and bent at the knee, opening up your hips just for him, he was sure. Every deep breath you took lifted your chest and dropped your knees a little further.

How easy it would be to fold you in half and fill you up with his aching cock. He could pull that little top down, lick those little nipples you were hiding, use your top as a handle to fuck you hard and deep, hammering into you.

Joel’s vision tunneled, the house, the fence, the grass and sky all fell away until it was just you, mere yards away, practicing your yoga in the privacy and seclusion of your yard, while Joel splattered his tshirt and spilled cum down his thick knuckles to the image of you in his mind, stuffed full of cock, rubbing your little clit furiously with your manicured fingers, wedding ring shining in the sunlight as he squeezed your tits and filled you to the brim.

None the wiser to what had just transpired on the other side of the fence, you checked your watch, sipped from your water bottle, rolled up your mat and went back inside. Joel was left alone with his stains and his shame and checked his own watch, making a

Mental note so he could be waiting at the same time tomorrow, tissues and lotion handy.

[anemoiashifts]

The age changing debate from a twenty three year old Reality Shifter.

⭑.ᐟ recently ive seen a ton of arguments on shiftok of what’s okay / what isn’t okay to do in your desired reality regarding aging yourself up or down to date characters or have certain experiences like going to high school, going to college, reliving your childhood, etc.

when you shift you are fully embodying that version of yourself. when you shift you are everything you intended to be. you have that mentality. you have a certain set of experiences under your belt that make up your desired reality self.

by throwing around words like p3d0 & placing that onto adult shifters for expressing they’d like to be friends & date characters they’ve liked since they were children, it diminishes the meaning of that word. it also makes the community incredibly ageist; like there’s a certain amount of time people have to shift or else they can’t shift there. thus, creating unnecessary pressure for people to shift within a “certain amount of time”.

some people just want to re-live their schooling who didn’t have a good time due to bullying. some people want to befriends their favorite characters so age themselves appropriately & accordingly when they do so with non-malicious intentions because they didn’t shift / were unaware of the idea of shifting as children & still hold these places closely to their hearts. in the same breath, minors will age themselves up & have adult experiences & nobody questions it.

keeping what I just said in mind, not everyone wants to shift to date. some people have no romantic intentions for when they shift. someone people are aromantic or asexual, like myself. when people say “shifting for ____” it doesn’t always mean romantically. it could mean “shifting for” a comfort character. it could mean “shifting for” platonic love. when people say “im shifting for draco malfoy” — he could be their brother in their desired reality or their dad or their best friend. not everything is inherently s3xu4l & that’s on you if your brain goes there when adults mention shifting for someone.

aging yourself down isn’t just reserved for media that includes minors. shifting can aid in re-living stages of life trauma free. it can help people — both adults & children — who would’ve liked to live a live of normalcy instead of what they have experienced in this reality.

i can guarantee that minors who are so hellbent on saying “adults can’t shift to places like harry potter because hogwarts is a school for children” & “aging up characters to date them is wrong” who will go on to still not have yet shifted into their adulthood / later in life will change their minds really fast once they turn eighteen & then nineteen & so on. by telling people it is wrong to do something in your desired reality, that is policing people’s desires realities weather you like it or not — something the community has agreed is unproductive because it’s your desired reality & not anyone else’s.

do i agree with certain things that ive seen people wanting to do ? no. but do i vocalize that & add onto the dozens of others parroting my thoughts when that person clearly has their heart set on doing something in their desired reality a certain way. why would i ? calling them out & trying to persuade them won’t do anything. they probably have seen the debates of “is this wrong or right” already. at the end of the day, people will do whatever they want despite others trying to influence that. im focused on my shifting journey, not making sure everyone else is going by the book because there is no book when it comes to shifting. if i took the time to tell people online everything I disagreed with on this app that i came across, i would have zero life outside of social media & severely neglect my own shifting journey in addition to mental health.

[sashasspace]

How to set up the FUN party in the sims? 🎉

Questions to ask yourself

What is the event?

Who's invited?

Is there a theme?

Where is the party located?

What's the age of the sims?

Who is this party for?

Do I have to do any CC shopping for this event?

Do I need to download a mod for this party?

Gameplay Tips:

Take advantage of the seasons calendar to set up the event. Example: party spirit tradition, sims will do autonomous interactions that show they're feeling festive. Example: Give Gifts tradition, sims will give you gifts If you want sims not to work during the event, you can click for them to not go to work that day too

Set up VFX, if that's what your party needs [RVSN mod]

Create a menu for your sims, and prepare the food a day in advance

Consider sim's lifestyles. Is a sim a vegetarian, or lactose-intolerant? Are there any kids to give them pizza? Is there a junk food lifestyle sim you want to give them something greasy?

Buffet Table [use bb.moveobjects] to get more slots available

Set up Cannons in correct placement aligned with where you want your sims to celebrate

Have a recovered copy your save, if you don't want to go through the mess of cleaning/removing build mode objects. Not only that, but sometimes, you may need to film again. If you save before the party starts, you can keep replaying the party until you get the party you want (hope this makes sense)

The baby shower event from growing together, sims give the host gifts autonomously and sims celebrate properly when the cannon is fired

Set up cannons from growing together expansion pack, in a correct placement that is aligned with where you want your sims to celebrate accordingly

MWS wedding events are perfect for events you need sims to follow your instructions such as "dance" "gather around"

Steady seat is perfect for seating arrangements

Have a photoshoot area ready, if the party needs it, so you can pose your sims. I recommend custom pose shopping in advance, but after the fact isn't bad either; just don't delete the copy of your save until you've completed that.

Place gameplay objects you need for the party around the lot. Example: If it's a birthday party and there's space, have the pirate ship "rented". You know how parents add bouncy castles and stuff for events? Think of it like that.

When it comes to arranging the table, have your sim add the placemat from parenthood around the table. Sometimes, your sim may not be able to add the placement, you can go into build mode and move the placement to the one your sim couldn't and go back into live mode and have your sim do it all over again until every spot has a placemat. If you have better-build-buy mod, you can copy the debug object yourself and place it around.

When it comes to decorating and you are having issues with slots, I recommend OMSP. It is explained in my video at 28:18♥

If you're having a dinner party, have your sim "pick up serving" for drinks and food, your sim will place the food in their inventory and you can place it yourself around the table. Perfect example to see this is Joy of Life Legacy challenge when my sim had a Winterfest dinner party (33:26)*

Don't forget to add kiss of freshness lot modifier on your lot, so food doesn't expire

Place the food over the placemat, and have their drink to their right side.

Zero's drinking mod works like placemat where your sims can place drinks around the table. There's age appropriate drinks too like juices and sodas for child/teen sims.

The Sims 4 gallery contains rooms where there's food for your sims and if you didn't have time to cook. Miss_frogstar has a bunch of rooms for your sims that contain food. It's really detailed for you.

Have a serving table, if your party is meant to have a lot of guests and food. It takes the load off you, when you don't have to worry about table slots for larger events.

Create sims you can hire for events. Think of these sims like Nurse Joy from Pokémon. You can have this sim be a townie in all your saves. Cheat their skills and hire them for events/set their outfits.

Lock them doors LMAO! Sims love to misbehave and go everywhere, so it's easier to have them be in certain areas by locking the door of the rooms you don't want them to be in.

I also recommend saving the party decorated home in your gallery, so you can just place it again in the future and remix it to how you want it

Sometimes you got to combine different events to create the atmosphere you want in your game, so don't be too hard on yourself, if you feel like it's not going how you want. We all know parties in the sims isn't perfect at all

Mods Mentioned Sasha's Space party mods recommendation TheGoldSims Better Birthday Set Better build buy Zero’s drink on table mod Gala place setting by somik and Sevrinka  Surelysims placemat mod OMSP OMSP SHELF Pick up all servings by brazen lotus

WCIF SYB UNICORN COLLECTION Sims 4 ACNH birthday cc BrittPink adopted mods Rex Baby Shower set + Birthday set Platinum Luxe Sims wall letters* (I saw on Platinum Luxe's website, you have to contact them atm) Dreamteamsims birthday Anye Party Inabadromance birthday Happy birthday sign by simmerkate Birthday photoshoot set by simmerkate SG5150 (idk the link for the party banner if you know pls help)

The Sims gallery to follow miss_frogstar (food rooms)

It is best to prepare in advance, so things fall into place by the time the event is set up for you in game. Thank you to all the simmers who helped me create this bday party, CC, Mod creators💕

[luffy-addict-author]

Pairing- Luffy/xreader

Warning mentions: 18+ and smut, that's it-

Basically: still riled up from a small battle, luffy needs you to pent up his energy.

Info: Requested by anon a long time ago

The attack wasn't a threat. It could barely be called a attack with how easy the opposite bad guys were taken down. On his first blow, luffy didn't resist his defense which already had the bad guys screaming and scurrying back to where they came from.Now because of those stupid people, the nerves in him started to wound up rapidly, zigzagging under his tanned skin.

Luffy blinked back at the circumstance as his back slid into the railing of the ship. His hands were holding the top of the railing behind him as he scowled and slouched even further. His lack of patience drove one of his legs to briefly jump up and down.

Now that had his attention. He stood at the same place for a test, wondering where these feelings were coming from. As seconds passed, luffy jerked away from the railing with a jump, his urges wining away. Sure he could normally never be still for too long and had to he reminded to many times to just sit down but this was way different.

Normally his impatient nerves wouldn't claw at him and now that they had the slightest taste of a battle, his skin was practically vibrating from the anticipation which he really couldn't comprehend how to satisfy- till he shifted his head around him, fixating his eyes on something, or rather, someone.

His eyes zeroed on your form, walking freely by a corner of the ship. Actually, cross that earlier point, he now had one single thought on how to release all this brimming energy inside him.

-

As soon as you felt him swing you into a room, most definitely without your will, you could tell something was wrong.

The lights in your rooms were still out but the daylight gave you sufficient sight to detect the wall he drastically cornered you in. concerned at his abrupt appearance, you opened your mouth to question his intention before he halted your words with a severe kiss.

utterly surprised, you shift deeper on the wall, gingerly placing your fingers on his shoulders, tempted to push him away at the first instinct but he pulls away just as fast as he went in, gripping your wrists before sliding his palm on yours, fingers locked together. 

you frown your brows at him. "luffy, what the hell?" then finally notice the slight shuddering running up and down his hands. "-And why are you shaking?!" 

"nothing." he lightly drags out, making eye contact and you suck in a breath at the intensity in them. Despite his previous claim, he adds on. "I have a lot of energy left."

your eyelashes flutter, waiting for him to continue more clearly. his finger's tighten around yours. "And I need your help."

more confusion pricks at your mind and you push him away to breath properly- even though he barely budges. "Right, how am I supposed to help you with that?" you ask inridiculously.

he leans his head closer, an almost desperate look in his dark eyes. "I want you to ride it out of me." Luffy utters. 

You are ready to say something back but snap your mouth shut when you seriously consider what your boyfriend just said. Your brain short-circuits, leaving you to gape at him with equal disbelief along with equal flustration. However, the more the seconds stretched, you came to realize just how serious he was.

"Luffy, it's the middle of the day and we are not having sex righ-"

.    .     .

Okay- screw that. You were definitely riding something out of him right now.

You hadn't actually planned to agree with his very sudden demands but somewhere between pleadings and very appropriate touches, along with -now that you thought about it, those were a lot of yes coming out of your mouth- you just so happened to be drunk on him and decided to fuck it all to hell.

Which, yes, does justify why you were strangling his hips, hands curled in a tight grip beside his chest as he unrealistically fucked you deep open, muscles tense in restraint, holding himself back for your sake. 

Clenching the sheets tighter under you, you moaned once again as his dick jerked against your inner walls. Your insides were aching because of his throbbing cock that stayed snug inside you, still painfully hard despite your heat. Being aware of that made you strangely more erotic and the heat building inside you again was tearing apart.

Shifting to sit more securely, luffy groaned underneath you at the movement, a whisper of your name following behind. You could see the sweat gathering a layer on his warm skin, slowly dripping down his chest and distracted from that, you almost screamed at the unexpected sharp thrust you received from him.

"Nghh- Luffy!" Gasping, you clenched around him tighter, eyes watering. Skin flushed, your hand slapped on his wrist, gripping it tight just to hold in your ground.

"Sorry." He whimpered, raising his free hand up to wipe the wetness on the side of his face. "I can't hold back anymore. I need to- faster, deeper- just please mhhm- " his words rushed in a gasp when you moved again, slightly bouncing to get the beverage, making a shudder go down his back.

Huffing your cheeks out, you gripped his hands, bringing each of them on your thighs and he instinctively squeezed the softness of your skin there, sliding them at the back of your upper knees to pull your hips more forward, forcing you to yelp out a moan. Luffy moaned back, panting heavily when you got a better posture to circle your hips, noticing too much of how his cock dragged inside your cunt.

You could feel your needs doubling each seconds till you were nodding your head, peering towards his face. You were barely breathing when the words rushed after your lips. "Go faster. Luffy- don't hold back anymo-" your sentence wasn't even finished as he exhaled a deep breath, fisting one of your thighs while his other arm circled around your back, flipping your position.

"Hey! What the-" Now under him, your face practically burned with his cock still inside you, now sliding in deeper. Spreading your legs apart more, he shifted closer, hips slamming sharply against yours. The both of you groaned loudly at the impact of his thrust.

"Oh god- Fuck, finally!-" luffy whined out, bracing his both hands on your knees, careful to keep them spread open as he liked. You whimpered his name weakly, straining your arms for support. Now in control, he wrapped your legs around his waist and you crossed them securely around him while putting your hands on his broad shoulders.

Aching badly, you almost regretted giving luffy permission as he pulled himself back and then roughly squeezed in without a warning. Though you were the one being the receiver, he moaned sensually, fluttering his eyes to look at you but nonetheless ending in a moaning mess each time you clenched tight on his cock. His movements became more harsher, hands groaping tighter, pants getting heavier and the continuse abuse towards your hole way more enthusiastic.

Your fingers curl lightly on his shoulders, few tears gliding away. "Oh luf-f, I don't ahhh- damn it." Swallowing thickly, It's only when you throwed your head back with a smooth cry that the rhythm inside you stuttered. "Fuck y/n-" his whole skin was flushed when he spoke. "How do you, ah- sound so fucking good-" He shuddered heatly. "Feel so fucking good- shit!- c-can't stop, I-" you forced him down for a kiss, feeling way too sensitive and overwhelmed from his words alone. It might have been a switch on with the sounds being released in your mouth, hands leaving your knees to the soft skin of your hips instead, making you buck against his own hips on command.

You tangled your fingers in his dark hair, deepening the kiss that soon turned into you and him licking each other's tongue lazily, casually bumping teeth now and then. You squirmed against him as he rubbed his thumb on your clit, another finger joining to add in the stimulation.

He was still looking at you with his tired eyes when your body jerked slightly on him, forcing your eyes to open up. His lips slowly curved up in a lazy smirk, dark eyes glinting wickedly. "I can feel you getting close again." He purposely strikes a lick on the warm skin of your neck, voice just above a breath. "Shit, I can go hours fucking inside of your tight heat." He whines softly, tucking his head above your shoulder. "I think I am gonna be close too. I wanna cum inside you so bad." He rocks his hips faster, grinding against you, tightening the thin knot in your stomach more.

Moaning absently, your head fogs up so thickly you barely realize you had came on him until you hear his gasp, his cock twitching roughly before following behind you. Sore, your legs slide down from his waist at the same time you freely enjoy the feeling of being filthy fill, kissing him with passion and pouring the rest of your heathy arousal into his mouth and all along his tongue.

He kisses back with intimidate force, lightly stroking his after-orgasm cock while pinning your wrists to control the fierce motions of your lips. He pumps his dick harder, slightly trying to grind on you because ah well, shit he is hard again.

all right reserved. do not repost or copy my work but relogging, comments or feedback is very much appreciated! Thank you.

[airas-story]

Zero Stars

“How would you rate your pain?” Stephen asked quietly, trying to focus past the ill feeling in his chest. Tony was leaned against a wall while bleeding from several slashes in his side, his eyes screwed up in pain. Damn wraiths.

“Zero stars,” Tony told him, sending him what was probably meant to be a cheeky grin. It was rather ruined by the grimace of pain that won the battle of facial expressions. “Would not recommend.”

Stephen didn’t know whether he wanted to laugh, scream, or smack Tony upside the head. None of them felt like particularly appropriate reactions to the situation, though. “Zero to ten, Tony. How bad is it?”

Tony winced, gaze darting to look at anything but Stephen. “Four.”

And since Tony had a very flawed view of what constituted pain, Stephen could easily add several levels to that.

Stephen bit his lip, turning his eyes back to the claw marks in Tony’s side. Tony hadn’t been in his suit when he’d been attacked, and while he’d managed to handle himself fairly well, all told, the wraiths had still gotten a good few hits in.

Tony was lucky he wasn’t dead.

He could tell that Tony was trying to clear the pain from his face. “Stephen, sweetheart—“ It was always a bad sign when Tony pulled out ‘sweetheart’, ”—I’m going to be fine. I promise. You’ll badger Christine on her day off, I’ll be a terrible patient, you’ll hover and do that annoying ‘backseat doctor’ thing you do, Christine will give you the murder eye, and despite all that, she’ll patch me up just fine and I’ll be complaining about red-eyed shadow creatures—“

“Wraiths,” Stephen supplied.

“—And driving you insane within days.”

“You never could,” Stephen said quietly.

Tony’s lip tilted up in a pained smile. “Yeah, I know. But that doesn’t stop me from giving it my best shot. You know, before you, I was pretty sure I could irritate anyone into leaving me alone.”

“I’m too persistent for that,” Stephen acknowledged. Some of his tension was battling to release itself, soothed by Tony’s assurances.

Most of it was held stringently in place by the fact that Tony had been attacked because of his connection to Stephen. That Stephen had been the one to endanger Tony, that Tony was hurt because of him.

“Stephen.” Tony took his hand. “Stop. I’m going to be fine. Those little black gremlins—“

“Wraiths.” 

”—would have attacked someone, they didn’t need outside motivation for that. Maybe they chose me because of you, but the violence was already there. Better me than someone else.” Tony met his gaze. “And maybe you’d have chosen yourself instead, but that just proves me right. Better us than some civilians.”

Stephen wondered what it said about him that, yes, he’d choose for Tony to get attacked over someone innocent when he claimed to love Tony.

But then, Tony felt the same.

Yes, they’d both choose to take the pain themselves, but when that wasn’t an option, they’d hand that pain to each other before they’d ever risk anyone else.

Maybe it was messed up. Maybe it was who they were. Maybe it was simply how it had to be.

“But seriously,” Tony said, interrupting Stephen’s thoughts. “Zero stars. So get me to Christine already so I can get over this.”

[malice-mercy-miracle]

I normally stay out of interpersonal fandom drama because it's exhausting, pointless, and I'm too old for that shit. But I've been in online fandom spaces to varying degrees for about 20 years, and my short stint with the Bad Omens Tumblr fandom thus far is, without question, the most toxically selfish and immature community I have every stepped foot in. And I was in the A:TLA ship wars.

I'm going to try to keep this very simple.

Don't like; don't read. I truly cannot fathom the fact that this aspect of fandom etiquette has fallen by the wayside. If you don't like fic/art/ships/tropes or whatever else, just don't look at it. It's that simple.

You are responsible for your own triggers. Now this comes with a heavy caveat, in that anyone writing dark/traumatic content should tag it as such. But ultimately each individual is responsible for their own mental health. If a fiction has dark content and has appropriate warnings, just don't read it and you won't be triggered. If a fic has dark content and it's not tagged, politely ask the author to use appropriate warnings. And if they refuse? BLOCK THEM. Because 1) that's bad etiquette on their part, and 2) blocking someone who typically posts triggering content is a great way to not deal with triggering content!

Writing about illegal things is not illegal. I can't believe I have to say this. Depiction of illegal, taboo, or harmful things in media is allowed. The only context in which it should reasonably be constrained is when the target demographic is likely to try to replicate it - AKA children's media. I'm pretty sure no one here is an eight year old?

People can have any variety of reasons to read or write taboo, traumatic, or illegal content into their fics. It's not your business why they do it. Genuinely. You are not entitled to that information. Nobody owes you justification.

Harassment IS illegal. Sending people repeated hate messages, threats, comments on their children or personal lives, etc. could all be construed as harassment and is actually fucking illegal. You do not respond to someone portraying something taboo, triggering, or "but that's illegal!" in a work of fiction by harassing them until they leave the fandom space because they feel unsafe. Given that these behaviors are typically happening on anon, I'm pretty sure you know this.

I'm coming at this as someone who is not only in fandom spaces, but also reading, writing, and reviewing outside of fandom. I have read books that contain wildly problematic content, but there's still a time and place for how I respond to that. I don't send authors anonymous hate mail because their book had a gratuitous SA scene for cheap drama; I write a professional review calling it out, explaining why it's an issue in terms of how it's framed and in context with the genre and target demographic, and I do what I can to make sure there's content warnings available for future readers.

Now you might be thinking, "This is Tumblr. We don't have any professional review spaces here."

You'd be right.

Because this is fandom. We're talking about fanfic. Something people write for shits and giggles as a hobby. For free. Chill the fuck out.

Anyway, that's my piece. Any and all vitriol or I Have Zero Reading Comprehension responses to this will be blocked/reported as needed. ✌️

Edit: Also wanted to add really quick: YOU CAN STILL BLOCK AND REPORT PEOPLE ON ANON. Here's a guide.

[caught-in-a-tism]

Corruption

I was struck with inspiration as I lay in bed last night. I'm gonna write it as a rule for dnd 5e but the concept could be adapted to similar games easily.

The basic idea is to sometimes replace damage with Corruption Dice (spooky), which are subtracted from d20 rolls and sometimes cause surprise damage.

(plain text is rules jargon, purple text is me saying stuff)

Concept:

This mechanic is meant to emulate various forms of magical curses as an alternative to damage. In my head it's something that can be inflicted on players if you want to create a sense of impending doom without just damaging them.

It adds a numeric way to simulate indirect harm that spooky things might cause. Just damage can get boring so this is something to heighten vibes and force players out of their comfort zone. The intended effect is to make players feel like something bad is coming, or like they're being forced by some supernatural energy to accept harmful consequences.

Added bonus is that it can mitigate insane modifiers that high level players end up with.

Mechanics:

Corruption is inflicted on characters (or creatures generally) as a number of dice. These dice are not rolled but are added to a pool. For example, if a creature takes 3d6 corruption, add 3d6 to their total corruption and don't roll them (this could be a written tally or a kept as a pile of dice in front of the player). A creature with a non-zero amount of corruption is referred to as corrupted.

This pool of dice remains until spent, or until removed by the lesser restoration spell or any effect that removes curses. Whenever a corrupted creature makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, they can spend some of it by rolling a number of corruption dice and subtracting the total from the initial roll. When they spend corruption in this way, they cannot spend more than 3 dice on any given d20 roll.

Alternatively, a corrupted creature can spend up to 3 corruption dice during a short rest, roll them, and take damage equal to the total.

When a corrupted creature makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw and rolls a natural 1, they must immediately spend all of their corruption dice at once. When the dice are spent in this way, they deal necrotic damage to the corrupted creature equal to the number rolled.

Implementation:

Corruption can be quickly inserted as a replacement for damage. It can appropriately be inserted into the spells or abilities of fey, fiends, or undead. One use I would recommend would be to use it instead of damage for magical traps or include the mechanic when designing cursed magic items. For a direct conversion, consult the following table:

If this makes it more complicated than necessary, or you don't want to mix types of dice, just do 2d6 for every 5 damage.

Lair/Legendary Actions:

This is a good place on a stat block to sub in or add corruption. In addition to damage conversion, you may replace any condition caused by a special action (such as frightened or paralyzed) with a number of d12s equal to the challenge rating of the creature. If you wish to make a creature more powerful, choose one or two of these actions and add d6 corruption/CR to the existing effects (allowing a wisdom or charisma save to avoid it if you want).

Regional Effects:

Unhallowed land, the shadowfell, the territory of a cursed or undead creature, or the domain of an illegitimate ruler may all be places where corruption permeates the air and soil. Use it when it feels right or for a specific antagonist or faction if you want them to have a unique flair. When a creature finishes a long rest in a corrupted place, they must make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw. On a success, the creature feels a vague sense of unease but suffers no other effects. On a failure, the creature gains 2d6 corruption.

If the source of the corruption is a sentient creature, they can choose up to 13 creatures that they know to be within the affected area. When any of those creatures fails their saving throw, they instead gain 1d12 corruption for each night they have spent in the affected area.

Monster Traits:

Following are a few example traits that use corruption. They can be added to the statblocks of appropriate creatures. Alternatively, they can be used as identifying features of all creatures in a specific faction or from a specific place.

Aura of Evil. Any creature that starts its turn within 10 ft. of [this creature] must succeed on a DC [8 + proficiency + Cha or Con] Charisma saving throw or gain 1d12 corruption.

Corrupted Strikes. [This creature]'s weapon attacks are magical. When [this creature] hits with any weapon, the target gains 1d8 corruption. A creature immune to necrotic damage or curses is immune to this effect.

Foul Magic. Any creature that fails a saving throw against a spell cast by [this creature] also gains 1d8 corruption. A creature immune to necrotic damage or curses is immune to this effect.

Tainted Blood. A creature that touches [this creature] or hits it within a melee attack while within 5 ft. of it gains 3d6 corruption.

Items:

Below is a single example magic item, to show the way this mechanic could be used to represent curses.

I think it's neat because the ability to use corruption to your advantage encourages a player to seek out dark and dangerous situations. It makes corruption a little less scary, but it uses the meta to push the character to find opponents to inflict it on, lest they suffer the consequences of their actions.

Narrative:

In darker campaign settings, corruption can be used in roleplay to underline thematic elements. The DM may inflict 1-3d8 corruption on any character who gives in to dark desires, betrays someone's trust, does something impious or blasphemous, or witnesses something grim and horrifying.

The DM and players should decide ahead of time exactly which actions or events will lead to corruption, and how severe they have to be to incur a given number (or size) of dice. Consider which type of roleplay you all want to encourage, and which themes should be emphasized.

Player Options:

Spells and abilities that deal damage can easily be converted, either on a character by character or spell by spell basis. Spells that this change would be most appropriate for include arms of hadar, blight, chill touch, cloudkill, dissonant whispers, summon celestial, summon undead, toll the dead, etc.

You could also modify (or make up!) class features so that they inflict corruption instead of damage, or in addition to other effects. A vengeful Cleric's Channel Divinity might inflict corruption upon sinners, even a Rogue's sneak attack might inflict supernatural woe in place of additional damage.

If you, as the DM, allow players to cause enemies to gain corruption, remember that you should spend it more liberally than a player might. You can and should roleplay as that monster or enemy, but consider that a creature that will likely not survive the fight may make the players feel cheated if it never chooses to suffer the penalty.

Variants:

The damage type that corruption deals could easily be changed to highlight different themes. Change it to psychic damage for a more horror or lovecraftian setting, change it to poison damage it you are using it to represent toxic substances or diseases. Perhaps you want to use it to represent radiation poisoning, in which case it could be radiant damage (if not poison or necrotic).

Another idea I like is to make the corruption represent horrible luck. Because the damage is triggered by natural 1s, the DM can describe it as a consequence of some kind of accident and declare an appropriate damage type. For example: a character that rolls a natural 1 on an attack may fall on their sword and take piercing damage equal to their remaining corruption, or a natural 1 on the Constitution save triggered by a green dragon's breath may represent a character gasping and breathing in additional poison damage like an idiot.

Another change, for a more sword and sorcery setting, could include allowing spellcasters to accumulate corruption in exchange for more potent magic. Whenever an arcane caster casts a spell, they may gain 1d12 corruption and increase the level of the spell by one without expending a higher level slot. This could also be a mandatory feature, to make all magic a form of dark bargaining.

This has not been play tested so you may also find it necessary to balance it by including maximum corruption (perhaps dealing its damage if it reaches that threshold), limiting it to d6s or even d4s, or making it less deadly. If the potential damage seems too high, random, and/or disruptive to combat balance, it could be spread out. To do so, change it so that each time a corrupted creature takes damage, they spend one die and add it to the damage.

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

[CN] Victor x MC – S2 CH 41 - CH 44 (Eng Translation - Part 1)

“The surrounding clusters of flames emit a bright glow, and the slowly rising lanterns encircle the man. It seems as if he is a god descending from the heavens.”

⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a chapter that is yet to be released on the global server. ⌚

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

[Disclaimer]: I’m actually going to subtitle the Victor parts for this update, so I won’t give myself double torture by adding sprites here LOL. this is more for keeping a transcript version, and adding the screaming at the end lmao 💕

—

【CH 41-1, Victor part】

The gears of the world rotate silently, propelling mottled time forward, ultimately toward a completely detached direction.

The black vortex contorts as if, with just an attempt to peep, one would be sucked into an abyss from which there is ever no return.

??: It’s indeed difficult to impose restrictions on the abilities of a powerful Space-Time Evolver.

??: You are indeed extraordinary to have persisted up to this point. It’s only appropriate to commend you for your abilities.

Victor turns his head and looks at the little boy who has appeared alongside the black hole. The boy is attired in a gentleman’s hat and a mismatched style of shirt and casual shorts.

Little Boy: Although someone helped you before, you must know that you won’t be able to cheat this time.

Victor has a vague feeling that he has seen this strange little boy somewhere before, but he doesn’t dwell on it as it doesn’t seem to matter.

He roughly has an idea of what the other party’s presence here right now means.

Every demand comes with its own price – this is a truth he understands better than anyone else.

Little Boy: Don’t try to secretly do anything. I can see everything~

It’s as if the young boy could see through his innermost thoughts with a single glance. He places a finger on his lips and speaks in a naïve tone that carries an unusual sense of composure for his age.

The black vortex expands, encompassing the entire space in silent and lifeless darkness. At this moment, the sound of a mechanical violin begins to play slowly.

A distorted space abruptly opens, revealing a crack from which a pair of black leather shoes emerges.

The little boy tilts his head and raises the tail note of his voice with a sense of intrigue.

Little Boy: Are you the Time Observer?

Zero: I would like to discuss a particular condition with you.

—

MC is back at the office, and after exchanging pleasantries with everyone, she heads back to her respective work:

After filtering through a variety of content, I draft a few program topics and want to discuss them with Victor.

As soon as I turn on my phone, I find that he has already sent me a text message.

Victor’s Text: “I’m currently in France. If you have any new proposal ideas, send them to me via email.”

How come he suddenly went to France?

A little puzzled, I type a line in the chat box - “Are you on a business trip?” But I delete the previous text after thinking for a moment and press the keys again.

MC’s Text: “I’m waiting for your return!”

MC’s Text: “Sent the new proposal ideas to your mailbox. CEO Victor, please have a look at them~”

MC [to herself]: Let’s add another cute emoji… perfect!

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【CH 43-13, Victor part】

The sky has just begun to clear up, but there is still a dampness lingering in the air of Paris.

As the wind brushes through the leaves and branches of the surrounding Sycamore trees, it makes a rustling sound that accompanies a faraway sigh, creating the reminiscence of a silent requiem.

The person in his memory used to really like this kind of weather.

Victor quietly withdraws his gaze, lowers his head, and lays down a bouquet of pure white flowers as he looks at the tombstone before him.

Looking at the cold yet familiar name on the marble, he seems to once again see the figure of that person who once took him by the hand and guided him to the window, showing him the birds seeking shelter from the rain under the eaves.

The past scenes are akin to feathers, gradually scattering in the shifting rainy season of a foreign land.

Victor closes his eyes and gently rests his forehead against the tombstone.

The Adam’s apple under his collar quivers for a moment. After a prolonged silence, he finally speaks in a soft voice.

Victor: [shredded my heart into a million pieces]  I’m leaving.

Victor: [x2]  But I will take care of everything beforehand… don’t worry.

As he speaks, his fingertips linger on the cold marble for a long, long time. It seems as if he wants to leave something behind, yet also wants to remember something for himself.

The evening breeze of the late spring brushes over the hair on his forehead, reminiscent of that hand that once gently fell on his head, accompanied by lullabies.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【CH 44-1】

At MC’s office–

MC is sorting out the materials for her proposal related to the “memory overlap,” and the entire situation, including the public opinion and commotion, is much more under control than before.

—

MC: I knew I should have come and sorted this out last night…

Sighing, I shake the document in my hand. When I subconsciously glance at my phone to check the time, a text message pops up on the screen just at that time.

“Don’t forget that you have to report in a moment.” The sender is Victor.

The conciseness of the content is infused with the familiar flavor, and I can’t help but curl up the corners of my lips.

Victor’s overseas business trip this time has not been a short one. And although we have contacted each other via texts, there are many words that simply cannot be conveyed through words.

After knowing that he would return last night, I immediately scheduled an appointment with CEO Victor, intending to do the so-called “work report.”

I quickly press the keys on the keyboard, typing out a reply:

MC’s Text: “I certainly haven’t forgotten. I have already sorted everything out!”

Victor’s Text: “I’m afraid if a certain someone hasn’t set off yet, she will be late again.”

I feel as if I can see the teasing expression Victor is wearing right now through the screen, causing my hands to accelerate involuntarily.

Just as I’m nearly finished organizing the documents and am about to get up, Anna comes over with a bundled proposal and hands it to me.

Anna: MC, there’s a proposal that you urgently need to go through. It’s about the redevelopment of Loveland City.

MC: Okay… Meng Chang? Why do I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before…

I thumb through the papers in my hands, my gaze falling on the compressed letters.

“Since assuming office, Mr. Meng Chang has made outstanding contributions and has significantly elevated the Evolvers’ social status.”

“This time, he is in charge of the Loveland City redevelopment project, and we are confident that he will be able to acquire even more remarkable achievements.”

The document also contains detailed notes on Meng Chang’s relationships with important figures and the key points for asking him questions. Rather than a proposal, it’s better to say that this is a publicity release.

Anna: This is the material provided by the City Hall, and in two days, there will be a press conference to mark his inauguration.

Anna: The company’s staff is still working on the past memories overlap project. So, I have no choice but to trouble you, the Boss, to make the trip personally.

I nod, thinking about how the main focus of my recent efforts has been on dealing with memory overlap, and the company has also been awfully occupied.

MC: No problem. The press conference will cover our association with the City Hall, and I’ll follow up. You guys have been working hard recently.

MC: Once we are done with the matters at hand, you all should take some time off.

Anna: Speaking of, aren’t you the one who should be taking a break the most?

Anna: Watching you running in and out with dark circles under your eyes every day, we are worried about you.

MC: It’s alright. I’ll find an opportunity to rest later.

Anna: Well, that’s just as well, I have something for you.

Anna suddenly comes up to me and places two tickets in my hand.

The huge Kongming lantern on the ticket enters my line of sight, and the words “Lantern Festival” are written in Chinese calligraphy.

–

[Tidbits]: The person encouraging MC to “go out with someone” to the Lantern Festival in “Victor’s Lantern Date” was also Anna~ 🥺💕

–

MC: Are there any festivals recently? How come there’s a lantern festival?

Anna: It’s a promotional event for the redevelopment project, and the City Hall sent out the invitations a few days ago. I put aside two for you.

Anna: When the time comes, remember to go out and relax~

MC: Thank you, Anna~

MC: I’m going to LFG to submit a report now. Is there anything else going on at the office?

Anna: Anything else…

Anna: Speaking of, something curious did happen. There is a guy in the finance department who hasn’t come to work for over a week.

Anna: We were concerned, so we informed to police to go to his house, but no one ever answered the door.

MC: What about his family?

Anna: We tried to call, but no one answered.

Anna: The police have taken over the matter, so all we can do now is wait. I’ll let you know as soon as we receive any updates.

I nod, and a slight vibration also comes from my phone at this moment.

I pick up my phone, and as expected, I see a line of text messages floating across the screen.

Victor’s Text: “I don’t even see the shadow of a certain someone so far. Didn’t you say you were already on the way?”

Quickly, I put the tickets in my pocket and walk briskly towards the door.

Even though I’m about to be labeled a “habitual latecomer” again, a tinge of joy still surfaces in my heart.

After all, what I can be certain of is that – I will soon be able to see Victor.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【CH 44-2】

As I approach the door of Victor’s office, I see that Goldman seems to be confirming something over the phone. When he sees me coming, he frowns slightly and draws a few steps back in silence.

I nod at him, then push the door open.

Victor (on the phone): Regarding this section of the proposal, it will be scheduled to discuss at tomorrow’s meeting.

The sunlight is folded into small speckles of light by the blinds, leaving marks on the carpet that reflect the passage of time. However, it is the figure at the window that captivates my attention completely.

With his back facing the door, his entire body is half-leaning against the wide windowsill. His voice is steady, but there is a hidden color beneath it that’s hard to discern.

In the distance, there is a long, dark suit draped over a hanger, while the sleeves of his white shirt are slightly rolled up.

I can’t bear to disturb Victor, so I quietly creep up behind him on my tiptoes.

Victor (on the phone): For the specifics of the rest of the itinerary, send them to me via email.

As he hangs up the phone, I avail myself of the opportunity and abruptly poke his broad back.

He turns around, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness.

Victor: [sigh mixed with a soft laugh]  Did you think I would be caught off guard by this kind of child’s trick?

As I look into his familiar and helpless eyes, my heart is overcome with indescribable emotions.

I can’t decide whether to say it’s been so long since we last saw each other or should I ask about what has happened during this time. Too many words rush to my throat, and in the end, they all turn into an uncontrollable urge to draw closer.

MC: Who asked you to leave the country just after you got your memory back? And it was always so difficult to be in touch with you.

As soon as I open my mouth in a falsely reproachful tone, Victor pulls me into his arms. His chest pressed tightly against mine instantly drowns out all my emotions.

Victor: [extremely soft, indulgent laugh]  Now, does this count as being in touch?

I nod heavily in his arms, feeling this warmth that I’ve missed. The setting sun in the distance draws our figures into the fading twilight as if condensing this moment in time.

The next second, I feel a gentle pat descending on my head.

Victor: [soft laugh]  Are you going to spend the whole day here hugging me like this?

I lift my head to meet Victor’s teasing gaze. Pouting, I straighten myself up, then take out the report I’ve prepared from my bag.

MC: CEO Victor, please review the report for this period.

Victor: This heavy? Looks like a certain someone has been very busy during this time.

MC: Not only have I completed a significant amount of work, but I have also made much progress. It won’t be that easy for you to nitpick this time!

The corners of Victor’s lip curl into a soft arc, his gaze deep as he looks at me.

Victor: [soft chuckle]  In terms of self-confidence, I can tell that you have indeed matured a lot.

Victor: I just wonder when you will grow in terms of your sense of time?

MC: That was because you didn’t come back even after so long, so I made you “revisit the past”~

Victor: Sophistry.

Victor curls his finger and taps me on the forehead. Then he turns to return to the table and carefully flips through my report.

It’s not until he turns to the last page does he give the nod, a hint of applause tinging his voice.

Victor: The report is good. It appears that a certain someone has indeed grown up a lot during this period.

—

[Anika’s Tidbits]: BLESS CHINESE ITIREATIONS haha~ there’s a trend with Chinese speakers of using the same phrase twice, so it sounds really cutesy. The first time MC tried to make Victor say it was in “Advice Date (on EN)” 3 years ago LOL, and I just can’t with how he does it so naturally while imitating her now~ 😂💕

—

MC: As it should be. I burned the midnight oil for several nights to write these plans.

MC: Fortunately, the impact is under control now. Otherwise, there will certainly be an increasing number of people experiencing a mix-up between their past and present memories.

MC: And if it continues to develop, it may even lead to QUEEN’s identity being exposed.

Victor’s eyebrows knit into a frown, evidently, also remembering all the hazards this “QUEEN” identity had once brought with it.

Victor: You’ve done well. But resolving this memory overlap issue won’t be that easy.

Victor places the report that he is holding to the side, smoothening a creased corner of the document with his fingertips.

Victor: Memory is the most sensitive part of a person’s life, and it involves numerous connections.

Victor: As long as people believe that a particular memory is real, they are prone to act in ways that are beyond the ordinary.

His tone is solemn, and it seems he isn’t simply talking about the memory overlap issue.

And what’s more, given that everything with LFG is running steadily at the moment, there is no need for an explanation for the other things that could worry Victor.

Tentatively, I voice the conjecture in my mind.

MC: Beyond the ordinary… did something happen with BS?

Victor: There have indeed been some internal changes in BS.

Victor: To be precise, some people have chosen to leave of their own accord.

I can’t help but recall Victor’s rearranging of BS before. His thunderous and decisive approach really helped BS to eliminate its internal obstacles and achieve its ultimate goal.

But such a measure will eventually trigger a chain reaction. Additionally, Poseidon’s whereabouts are still unknown, making him a constant hidden threat.

Victor meets my gaze and seems to see through my concerns.

Victor: Those who left recently had no conflict of interest with BS.

Victor: As for Poseidon, the identity he used to disguise himself has already been found. Rest assured, he won’t be able to be in hiding for long.

Hearing Victor’s words, I finally feel a little at ease. However, his slightly creased brows make the air in the room somewhat stagnant for a while.

Having been with the people in BS, I know that they will get restless as long as there’s even a little hint of turmoil. So, I reckon the current situation is certainly not as simple as Victor is making it out to be.

Pursing my lips into a thin line, I lower my head and shift closer to Victor, crashing straight into his gaze without a care in the world.

MC: Victor, if anything really has happened, you must tell me about it.

MC: Don’t forget, I just saved the world!

Victor: Dummy, don’t worry about other matters.

Victor’s eyes sparkle with laughter, and he reaches out, stroking my hair.

Victor: The most important thing now is your proposal. Is there anything else?

MC: There is indeed something else. It’s about the interview with Meng Chang, the new person in charge of the redevelopment project.

MC: He seems to have come to Loveland City today. I’m going to attend the press conference tomorrow to find out more.

MC: Do you know this guy?

Victor: I’ve heard of him. He is an Evolver and has previously been in charge of the administration of Evolvers on the field.

Victor: But because of his eclectic ways of doing things, he was controversial in political circles.

Victor pauses for a bit before continuing again.

Victor: This, combined with his previously established position, gave him a strong follower base.

MC: What kind of followers?

Victor: Evolvers.

I let out an “ahh,” instantly understanding where this man stands.

Victor: So, even though the outside world was quite critical of him, he was able to soar to the top.

Victor: Reportedly, he applied for his transfer to Loveland City himself.

At some point, it has started drizzling outside, and fine drops of rain swiftly trickle down the glass.

Victor: You must be more careful when you go to meet him.

—

───── [Narrator’s POV Begins] ─────

In front of the City Hall. Leto has been waiting here for a long time.

Even though he tries to assume a calm and indifferent attitude, he still can’t help glancing at his wristwatch out of the corner of his eyes.

The curtain of rain outside has gotten heavier than before. On the misty street, the indistinct roaring at the far end is particularly ear-piercing.

The thunderclaps rumble faintly through the churning dark clouds, reminiscent of the muffled beating of snare drums.

Not long after, a black limousine comes to a halt in front of the entrance, and a pitch-black umbrella is unfolded in front of the car, blocking out all the raindrops falling from the sky.

The car door opens, and an amiable, middle-aged face appears under the umbrella.

??: Really sorry to have kept you waiting like this in this heavy rain.

Leto: Please! Your arrival in our city to lead the redevelopment project is a major event. How dare I will be negligent.

Leto: I have been looking forward to meeting you for a long time, Mr. Meng. I’m Mr. Leto, the person currently in charge of the Loveland City Redevelopment Project.

Leto says, smiling as he extends his hand. The man called Mr. Meng is dressed in a loose leather jacket, wearing a pair of glasses on his placid face.

With an apologetic expression, he quickly takes two steps and reaches out with a handshake, the corners of his lips raised into an invulnerable smile.

Meng Chang: Mr. Leto, you’ve already done a great job. I’m simply in charge of adding some icing on the cake. There’s still a lot for me to learn.

Leto also withdraws his hand. Naturally, he won’t easily buy such official civilities.

Leto: That being the case, I wonder where Mr. Meng is going to begin his work?

Meng Chang: Mr. Leto, you just asked the question that was on my mind.

Meng Chang lifts his head. His sharp gaze cuts through the heavy curtain of rain and lands on the towering and radiant LFG building in the distance.

Meng Chang: Let’s just start from there.

—

───── [Narrator’s POV Ends] ─────

—

【CH 44-4】

The next morning, the press conference at the City Hall is completely packed with journalists.

I’m about to turn on my computer and do some more prep work when I hear the sound of discussion coming from behind me.

Reporter A: Do you have any information regarding Meng Cheng taking office?

Cameraman B: What else could it be? He’s definitely seen how well the redevelopment project is going, so he especially rushed over to grab the credit.

Cameraman B: How could a politician who stands by the Evolvers still have the well-being of ordinary people in mind?

Reporter A: There’s nothing wrong with leaning towards the Evolvers. Aren’t we all advocating for helping each other nowadays…

Reporter A: I heard that he was also attacked for promoting Evolver policies. I wonder if that’s true.

Cameraman B: Where do you guys get this much gossip from! Zip it now. They’ll be coming out soon.

The next second, the entrance of the meeting hall is suddenly pulled open. Leto strides to the front of the group, while behind him is an amiable-looking middle-aged man.

A well-ironed suit is fitted to his body. As his calm gaze sweeps across the venue, the sound of chatter filling the space just a moment ago instantly quiets down.

Leto walks up to the podium and steadily places his speech draft on the table, holding the microphone.

Leto: Good morning, everyone. I’m Leto, the person in charge of the Loveland City Redevelopment Project.

Leto: As everyone knows, the Loveland City Redevelopment Project has been underway for a long time. And although progress has been made, it has also encountered many difficulties.

Leto: Therefore, at this special juncture, Mr. Meng Chang will be engaged in the redevelopment of Loveland City, overseeing and directing the said redevelopment project.

Leto partially turns his body and gives a quick look at the middle-aged man behind him. The man smiles and steps up to the podium, tapping his hand on the microphone.

Meng Chang: I express my thanks to our journalist friends for their diligent efforts. I’m Meng Chang.

The moment he begins to speak, the stage is awash with spotlights.

Meng Chang: I’d like to start by expressing gratitude, on behalf of the City Hall, to all those who have shown interest in and supported the Loveland City Redevelopment Project.

Meng Chang: My purpose in coming to Loveland City is not only to oversee the various aspects of the redevelopment but also to boost cooperation among all parties.

Meng Chang: The redevelopment efforts in Loveland City concern the interest of every resident, including both the ordinary people and Evolvers.

Meng Chang: I’m happy to serve as the communication bridge for this process, and I will welcome your opinions and suggestions at any time.

As soon as these words fall, Leto, standing by Meng Chang’s side, immediately breaks into a massive smile and applauds.

Meng Chang’s speech is simple and unadorned, which inevitably leaves a favorable impression on the audience.

Thinking back to Victor’s assessment of this man yesterday, I have a vague understanding of why someone with such thunderous methods could still thrive.

At this moment, the assistant standing next to Meng Chang picks up another microphone, and the reporters raise their hands in unison. My fingertips, which I try hard to lift, are instantly drowned out by the crowd.

Reporter A: Excuse me, Mr. Meng, will your work this time overlap with Mr. Leto’s?

Meng Chang: Regarding my relationship with Mr. Leto, I’d much rather call it mutual assistance.

Reporter B: You mentioned the term “obstruction” earlier. Does it mean you already have an objective for investigation?

Meng Chang: As the saying goes, “Rome was not built in a day.”

Meng Chang: If there is any headway in the relevant investigation, I believe our media friends will be the first to know.

Regardless of how pungent and tricky the questions are, he maintains his composure and speaks in measured tones.

After the previous reporter sits down, I raise my hand again.

Meng Chang: The last question. Miss in the back row, please go ahead.

As I’m called upon, I immediately stand up with the microphone in hand.

MC: Hello, Mr. Meng. I’m MC, from the program team of [MC’s Company Name].

MC: If I may ask, as an Evolver and as a leader, how do you regard the future of Loveland City?

The previously clamorous crowd in the surroundings quiets down, leaving only a few fragmented whispers.

Matters of identity and position have always been sensitive, and no one expected me to be so blunt in bringing this up.

Meng Chang: Miss MC, your question is quite interesting.

Meng Chang: Only, you are not the first person to ask this question.

He lifts his head, and his unperturbed face slightly curves upward beneath the spotlights.

Meng Chang: As an Evolver myself, I do pay more attention to the Evolver community.

Meng Chang: But my dream is to build a society where everyone can coexist in harmony, and I believe everyone present here must share the same vision as well.

MC: And what measures do you plan to implement in the future?

Meng Chang: It’s still too early to talk about measures now, but I do have a premature idea.

Meng Chang: As the proverb goes, “If one cannot clean one’s own room, how can one clean the world?” I want to help this society by cleaning up the garbage first.

—

The sunshine streaming in through the car window brings a touch of early spring warmth, but my heart seems to be covered by a layer of invisible mist, making it impossible for me to see through.

The flawless responses given at the press conference just now have earned Meng Chang a considerably favorable impression.

However, the words “clean up the garbage” that was spoken by his amiable face continues to send shivers down my spine.

MC: I hope I’m just overthinking it.

I shake my head and reach for my phone, intending to call Victor to confirm the press conference details. But at this moment, my phone coincidentally starts vibrating first.

Victor: Is the interview over?

MC: It’s already over. I was just about to call you.

MC: I’m on my way back to the office. I’ll head over as soon as I’ve got the documents sorted.

Victor: Alright, the time remains the same. Be careful on the road.

Victor: By the sound of your voice, it seems like things are not that simple?

MC: You’re right…

I heave a sigh and recount to Victor what happened at the press conference just now, and also share my own vague sense of unease.

Victor: Don’t worry too much about it for now. Since he will be involved in redevelopment-related matters, there will be opportunities to interact with him in the future.

Goldman: CEO, outside…

Suddenly, Goldman’s hurried voice comes through the phone, followed by some loud noise. It’s only after a while that I hear Victor’s voice clearly again.

Victor: Something has come up. Come over after you’ve finished organizing the documents.

MC: Mm, see you later.

As soon as I hang up the phone, Anna’s name begins to flash on the screen. The next second after connecting the call, I hear an urgent voice on the other end of the line.

Anna: MC, something’s happened.

—

By the time I rush back to the company, there are already many people gathered at the entrance. At the far end, I can see Anna standing in front of two men dressed in suits, frantically explaining something.

MC: Anna, what’s going on?

Anna: These two people claiming to be employees from the City Hall came with documents, demanding to take away all our entries and reports regarding the Loveland City Redevelopment Project.

As soon as the two men hear my name, they immediately turn their gaze toward me. The two tall figures stand rooted in place, exuding an intangible sense of intimidation.

I suppress the bewilderment in my heart and meet the opponent’s chilly gaze with a straight face.

MC: I’m the person in charge of [MC’s Company Name].

City Hall Staff: Miss MC, is it?

City Hall Staff: This is an investigation regarding the Loveland City Redevelopment Project. Please cooperate with us.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【CH 44-6】

The midday sun is shining fiercely, bright, and even a bit blinding. The oppressive air feels as if it’s pressing down on everyone’s chest, making it difficult to breathe.

I take a step forward and fearlessly meet the opponent’s gaze.

MC: Before proceeding, please let me verify your identities.

The investigator, clad in a suit, appears to have been ready for this and promptly retrieves a document from his briefcase.

City Hall Staff: This is our investigation order.

City Hall Staff: Signed by Mr. Meng himself, so we’re kindly asking for Miss MC’s cooperation.

As I take the document, the black text on the white paper makes my heart stutter.

“The City Hall’s Coordinated Investigation Order on [MC’s Company Name].”

Looking at the City Hall’s stamp and Meng Chang’s excessively neat signature in the lower right corner, my heart can’t help but sink.

This investigation order is indeed real.

But seeing how suddenly this investigation has been issued, I can’t help feeling that the other party was planning and preparing for it for a long time… I purse my lips and return the investigation order.

MC: May I ask how we should cooperate?

City Hall Staff: We need your company to provide, including but not limited to: the planning proposal, project plan, financial transaction proof, and complete files of relevant responsible personnel.

City Hall Staff: Once all the documents have been verified, you can collect them autonomously from the City Hall within ten working days following the completion of the investigation.

City Hall Staff: During the investigation period, relevant personnel must maintain immediate real-time communication to promptly confirm any pertinent information.

The other party answers my question like repeating a math formula.

The situation before me has made me realize that continuing to ask more questions would be simply pointless. It would be better to first see what the other party actually wants to do.

After contemplating for a while, I give a nod in Anna’s direction.

MC: Anna, please take them to retrieve the necessary documents.

MC: The two officers are simply following the protocols for an issued investigation, and I’m sure the materials will be returned to us soon.

Anna: …okay. Please follow me.

—

Anna leads the two of them into the office, and shortly after, a few more formally dressed people also flood in through the doorway.

By the time they walk out of the office, their arms are already heavy with documents.

A consistent and heavy sound can be heard ringing on the floor, reverberating in the ears of everyone present.

As the last footsteps fade away at the end of the hallway, the long-suppressed chatters in the office also erupt.

The minute whispers are accompanied by overflowing doubts, creating a pervasive atmosphere of unease.

I purse my lips tightly and force myself to calm down. Although it’s understandable for everyone to feel anxious due to the unexpected turn of events, I must not panic no matter what.

Allowing everyone to speculate randomly will only exacerbate the situation. Plus… if the investigation was actually designed, the current situation is precisely what the other party wanted to see.

After inhaling deeply, I walk briskly to the center of the office and clap my hands.

MC: Everyone, there’s no need to worry. The investigation is simply a routine inspection to cooperate with the redevelopment work, and it’s not intentionally targeting anyone.

Hearing what I said, the crowd around me lapses into silence.

MC: During my interview with Mr. Meng Chang in the morning, he stated that he intends to conduct a thorough investigation for the reconstruction work.

MC: All companies engaged in Loveland City will cooperate with the investigation to facilitate the next work steps.

MC: I apologize for not syncing this information with you all promptly. Keep up the good work, everyone!

It seems like they have accepted the reason I came up with on the spur of the moment. The clamors dissipate, and everyone gradually returns to work, as if the previous commotion was just an interlude.

—

Anna helps me to smooth things over. Once the situation has temporarily returned to normal, she discreetly pulls me back to the office, with a look of undisguised concern on her face.

Anna: Although we knew that a new official would be eager to make his mark, this Meng Chang’s actions are too extreme… I have never seen someone coming in and immediately issuing an order to investigate another person’s company.

MC: Don’t be angry, Anna. Anyway, we’ve done nothing wrong, so we shouldn’t be afraid of being falsely accused. Let them investigate thoroughly.

MC: However, the upcoming work related to Loveland City Redevelopment Project is likely to be quite troublesome.

MC: Send me the relevant plans later, and we’ll figure out our next steps after looking into it.

Anna: Okay, I’ll sort it out now.

As I watch Anna’s gradually receding figure, my brows finally can’t help from creasing into a frown.

Although the investigation itself does indeed hold water, the underlying reason does not withstand scrutiny.

Moreover, conducting such an extensive investigation with great fanfare, if nothing is found, could result in resentment from other companies involved in the redevelopment.

Unless… the other party is trying to obtain their desired outcome through the investigation?

If so, what exactly is it they want?

Numerous possibilities are entangled in my mind, but I can’t seem to grasp a single clue.

I knead my aching temples and glance down at the clock. It’s almost time to go to LFG for the report.

After the report is over, I’ll tell Victor about this. Perhaps he can help me disentangle the connections involved.

At this moment, out of nowhere, a news article pops up on my phone screen unannounced.

News: “Meng Chang enters a lengthy discussion with LFG! Suspected to conduct an in-depth investigation into the reconstruction plan!”

The huge headline is particularly eye-grabbing, and although the comment section below the news has been banned, countless reposts can still be seen.

I feel a tightening in my chest and immediately turn around, walking swiftly toward the door.

When I arrive at the entrance of LFG, journalists who have rushed over hearing the news are already crowded around the nearby street corners, waiting for first-hand information.

Even though the employees are in a rush, it’s evident that LFG is operating in an orderly fashion, indicating that the sudden investigation has not caused any disruption.

I walk upstairs, and turning the corner, I hear Goldman’s voice.

Goldman: In order to access the documents, we must wait for CEO Victor’s arrangements. Until his arrangements are made, please follow me to the lounge.

The four people across from Goldman are also dressed in suits and leather shoes, identical to the ones who arrived earlier to conduct a search at my company.

My heart can’t help but hang in the air again, prompting me to quicken my pace.

This hallway adorned with exquisite carpets, which I have walked down countless times before, seems especially long at this moment.

As I approach the end of the road, an elusive tension seems to permeate the atmosphere.

—

The moment I push the door open, the intense smell of a close battle assaults my senses. And there is Meng Chang’s amiable side profile that catches my attention.

Meng Chang: I wonder what CEO Victor thinks of what I said just now?

Meng Chang doesn’t seem to have noticed my arrival, as he speaks with an elevated tone while a sinister grin hangs on his lips that makes one’s hair stand on end.

Victor, standing at a distance, sees me and gestures with his eyes for me to remain silent.

Victor: Given that Mr. Meng is also in charge of the investigations, there is no valid reason for LFG to refuse.

Meng Chang continuously nods his head, seemingly satisfied with the outcome before him.

Meng Chang: I had heard before coming here that CEO Victor is an excellent cooperative partner, and today’s meeting with you has indeed proved it to be true.

Meng Chang: I also believe that the investigation results on LFG will not disappoint me.

Victor: I don’t really care about whether you will be disappointed or not.

Victor: And nor has LFG ever been obliged to please everyone.

Victor softly taps on the desk with one hand, his indifferent voice steady yet sharp.

Another tense silence ensues, causing one to be on edge. Meng Chang’s expression also becomes a little awkward.

He darts his eyes left and right, seemingly wanting to change the topic, and just then, his attention is drawn to me standing at the doorway.

Meng Chang: Aren’t you… Miss MC who interviewed me in the morning? I didn’t expect that we’d meet so soon.

Meng Chang’s eyes glide past Victor and rest on me. The inscrutable tone hidden behind his smile involuntarily causes a sense of apprehension to rise within me.

I purse my lips and subconsciously walk over to Victor while maintaining a calm demeanor.

MC: I also didn’t expect to meet you again so soon, Mr. Meng.

Meng Chang: Is Miss MC here to see CEO Victor too?

MC: You seem to be quite forgetful for a person of great wits. LFG is an investor in [MC’s Company Name], and we have many business transactions to deal with.

Upon hearing my words, Meng Chang's face lights up with a look of sudden realization.

Meng Chang: That’s right, that’s right. Miss MC’s company is also invested in by LFG.

Meng Chang: Oh no, the routine investigation this morning shouldn’t have affected your work, right?

MC: Their documents were valid and legitimate, and they also had Mr. Meng’s signature, so we naturally cooperated.

Meng Chang: That’s good to hear. However, I didn’t inform CEO Victor beforehand about this investigation. I wonder if he will be…

Victor lifts his eyebrows gently, not saying a word.

Meng Chang makes a small bow, as if he is genuinely conveying an apology.

Meng Chang: It’s my fault for not considering all the factors. According to regulations, I indeed should have informed CEO Victor first.

Meng Chang: But CEO Victor, please understand that I had no choice.

Meng Chang chuckles softly and adjusts his clothes as if nothing is wrong.

Meng Chang: I’ve already got concrete evidence of wrongdoings for the company under investigation, [MC’s Company Name].

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【CH 44-7】

The calm words are akin to a sudden clap of thunder, shattering the fragile balance maintained in the room.

MC: I’m unsure as to the source of Mr. Meng’s information. I wonder if there may have been some misunderstanding?

MC: Although our company has been involved in the redevelopment project, we have never had any conduct that violated the regulations!

Meng Chang nods, changing his expression to adopt a sincere one.

Meng Chang: Right. Actually, I also think there is a misunderstanding here. After all, [MC’s Company Name] has a great reputation in the city.

Meng Chang: However, when it comes to our job, the most important thing is the “evidence.” If there is concrete evidence, we have no choice but to investigate.

Meng Chang retrieves an old-fashioned cell phone from his pocket, repeatedly rubbing the surface of his thick leather glove against its buttons.

He holds up his phone, and the small LCD screen displays a vast array of open account details. Alongside it is an extensive list of overseas transfer transaction statements.

Meng Chang: As you can see, every transaction of funds from Loveland City Hall is made public in the community.

Meng Chang: Just three days ago, Miss MC’s company received a sum of money that was deposited to the company’s account, and it was then allocated to various projects as usual.

Meng Chang: However, the money that was originally intended to be allocated to different projects disappeared overseas after undergoing a series of account transfers.

Meng Chang: CEO Victor, you should know what this represents.

Meng Chang’s gaze casually sweeps over Victor, waiting for his response.

Victor: This represents that this company may be involved in major violations.

Victor walks up to my side with absolute composure, giving the other party a chilly stare.

Victor: Mr. Meng, since you’re aware of the relationship between [MC’s Company Name] and LFG––

Victor: Then you should also know what the accusation you just made implies.

Victor’s tone is almost flat, and there isn’t even the slightest trace of wavering in his voice.

An immense sense of oppression rapidly spreads through the room, causing the atmosphere to become so tense that the air begins to feel thin.

Meng Chang puts away his phone and resumes his previous composed posture.

Meng Chang: CEO Victor, there’s no need to feel anxious. As I said before, I also have some personal reservations about this matter. After all, this sum of money is not even worth mentioning in front of LFG.

Meng Chang: Besides, since Miss MC is the boss, it’s inevitable to have some oversight in managing the subordinates from her standing.

Meng Chang: So, there must be some malicious individuals behind this incident, isn’t that right?

Meng Chang’s tone is sincere, as if he truly doesn’t believe that the two of us would engage in anything illegal.

Meng Chang: There will definitely be numerous collaborations between the City Hall and LFG in the future, so considering it as doing a personal favor might be worth it.

MC: Mr. Meng, do you mind being a little more explicit with your words?

Meng Chang’s roundabout probing words make me unable to resist addressing the topic directly.

Meng Chang: I only need a result.

Meng Chang narrows his eyes, calmly looking at Victor before him.

The corners of Victor’s lip twitch slightly, and then he lifts his chin with an air of arrogance.

Victor: But it’s the responsibility of the City Hall to seek the results.

Victor: The request Mr. Meng proposed doesn’t seem to be in accordance with the rules.

Meng Chang: …the rules?

Upon hearing Victor’s words, a smile appears on Meng Chang’s face.

Meng Chang: If Mr. Victor were such a compliant person, perhaps he wouldn’t be sitting in the position he is in today.

Meng Chang: Efficiency is always the top priority to me, especially considering…

MC: [cuts him off immediately]  Especially considering that my company has just collaborated with the City Hall to produce a promotional program.

MC: If you were to start investigating at this moment, the citizens would likely begin to question the competence of City Hall, right?

Seeing that the other party is about to start speaking in convoluted official language again, I immediately interrupt Meng Chang.

Victor frowns slightly, and I turn my head to give him a reassuring look.

Although the current situation is very critical, as Victor said, the responsibility for any errors or negligence in this matter does not lie with us.

Since it was deliberately set up by someone else, being in haste to clear ourselves may actually lead us to fall into their trap. At this time, it would be better to take a step back and turn the situation to our advantage.

This could not only help to dismantle the current situation, but also potentially ferret out the person who is pulling the strings behind the scenes.

And Meng Chang seems to be surprised by my getting right to the point like this, revealing a hint of astonishment.

Meng Chang: Miss MC, your words always catch me by surprise.

Meng Chang: Alright. In brief, as long as you guys can find the person responsible for this and recover the money involved, you will be able to absolve yourself of suspicion.

I look into the other party’s eyes, trying to calm my heart as much as possible.

MC: What about the timeframe?

Meng Chang: I can give you a week.

Meng Chang: If you can’t find this person within a week, I’m afraid I’ll have to meet the two of you every day.

Victor: We don’t need that long; three days is enough.

Victor blinks in a leisurely manner, his eyebrows arched sharply like a blade.

Victor: I believe Mr. Meng doesn’t want this issue to drag on for too long, either.

Meng Chang: From the looks of it, CEO Victor seems very confident, so I won’t inquire further.

Meng Chang: Although this isn’t a formal investigation, I hope that the two of you won’t leave the city. I’ll arrange for my subordinates to ensure your safety, in case any “bad guys” show up.

Meng Chang: I’ll be waiting to hear good news from CEO Victor.

Victor: You can see yourself out.

Victor turns sideways, and his silent figure is outlined by the light, which is his response at this moment.

With a steady gait, Meng Chang slowly walks toward the door, but just as he is about to step out, he turns around and says:

Meng Chang: By the way, there’s actually a personal reason why I don’t want the people from City Hall to get involved.

Meng Chang: Aside from my fondness for Evolvers, I also really like smart people.

The sound of Meng Chang’s laughter resonates through the room, akin to the invisible sword of Damocles.

The suffocating sense of oppression that follows the laughter lingers in the room for a long, long time.

—

Victor and I get into the speeding car, and the street scene outside the window continues to retreat in the rearview mirror.

The person driving the car is not the usual familiar driver, but instead is the “bodyguard” Meng Chang has assigned for us.

Although I understand that this is a deliberate form of monitoring us, the most important thing now is finding a solution to the problem.

I unlock my phone, and unsurprisingly, there are already several missed calls.

I immediately call back and hear Kiki and the girls’ voices on the other end of the phone.

Kiki: Boss, rumors are circulating outside that we've made illegal profits in the Loveland City Redevelopment Project.

MC: Don’t be anxious. I already know about the situation. No need to pay attention to the rumors outside. Right now, we have more pressing matters at hand to deal with.

MC: Kiki, contact the media outlets we are acquainted with and have them focus on who has been promoting these topics recently.

MC: Anna, keep an eye on what’s going on in the company and send me the list of employees who have left recently or seem suspicious.

MC: Afterwards, you guys just go about your normal work and leave the rest to me.

After meticulously arranging everything that needs to be done, I lay back on the seat, feeling a wave of exhaustion washing over me.

Victor: Your response just now was good.

Victor: I thought a certain someone would be flustered, but you were much calmer than I had imagined.

I turn sideways to look at Victor. His lips have a gentle curve to them, and his resolute gaze is filled with an expression of trust.

There has always been something about this man that makes one feel invincible, and this feeling sustains me at every moment.

Without realizing it, I reach out and take hold of his hand, subconsciously stroking his palm.

MC: I told you, I’ve grown up quite a bit.

MC: Moreover, compared to all the things encountered before, these are nothing.

My phone suddenly buzzes. Picking it up, I find that Anna has already sent me the list of names she has compiled.

There haven’t been many employee changes in the recent period, so it doesn’t take me long to go through all the lists of changes.

My gaze sweeps over the form, and I quickly lock onto a person.

I bring the screen closer to Victor, pointing at the ordinary-looking photo on the form with the name “Chen Hui” written next to it.

Victor: What’s your reasoning?

MC: This person has been working for the company for more than half a year and has been responsible for matters related to the Loveland City Redevelopment Project. He appears to rarely interact with others.

MC: But according to what Anna and others said, he suddenly disappeared a few days ago, and the police went to his registered address but couldn’t find him.

After hearing my words, Victor nods and then taps on his own phone.

Victor: The person you mentioned just now, we can focus on him.

Victor: However, we can’t rule out the possibility of other suspects, so I will assign people to investigate them too.

Victor: Regardless of who the other party is, one thing we can be certain of - this matter is far from over.

MC: You mean, their real intention is not what it appears to be?

Victor nods, his gaze steady and powerful.

Victor: The sudden appearance of this oversight indicates that someone must have done it intentionally.

Victor: However, the trick played isn’t sufficient to cause actual harm to you or the interests of LFG.

I nod. Thinking along Victor’s train of thought, I feel that my outlook on this matter has suddenly expanded.

MC: You’re right…

MC: If this matter was planned in advance, it indicates that the “rat” had already been planted in my company a while ago. 

MC: This incident must have gone through a long period of planning and design, and they chose today as the opportunity to detonate it!

And there aren’t that many people who are capable of accomplishing a task like this.

Could it be GR? Or is it Poseidon, who managed to escape under Victor’s subordinates and whose identity still remains a mystery?

If this indeed were to be the case, what would be their purpose? Could it be because of the CORE in my body?

Or perhaps they are using this event to lay the groundwork for an even deeper conspiracy?

For instance, their target perhaps is Victor himself?

MC: Victor, if other motives are involved, could it be that what the other party truly wants is…

Before the words can exit from my parted lips, they are curbed by the expression in Victor’s eyes.

His gaze shifts slightly, meeting the eyes of the man driving at the front. An icy warmth flits across the corners of his lips, as if warning me to hold off on speaking for a while.

City Hall Bodyguard: Excuse me, CEO Victor, where will you go next?

The person seated in the front passenger seat seems slightly embarrassed upon noticing our eyes upon them.

Victor: Turn right at the next intersection.

Victor straightens his cuffs and speaks in a calm tone.

I subconsciously turn my head to look out the window. The sight of the familiar buildings and streets outside makes me blink in confusion.

This is the road to Souvenir.

Seemingly sensing my puzzlement, Victor leans in and approaches me. His breath stirs the locks of hair on my temple.

Victor: I’ve been looking at a certain dummy’s anxious face for too long. It’s time to get her to put on a different expression.

—

[Part 2]: Here!

────

[mamamittens]

In lue of my laptop battery deciding to try and kill itself, here's a fun headcanon for OP

OP characters as vampires

Marco

He's pretty old for a vampire and kind of relaxed. Settled is a good way to describe him. He's got his preferences for the time he spends and plenty of time to spend.

He likes seeing how fields of study changes over time from the superstition he used to deal with to complex studies he voraciously follows. He personally funds several promising researchers just to see where they go.

When it comes to his... Food, he likes to wine and dine a little. He's fine drinking from a bag but it's more satisfying feeling a connection to his donor. He likely has lived with a few humans he drank from in return for taking care of them as well. Likes intelligent, energetic, and fiery people. Makes him feel young.

Odd idea but I feel like he'd be more vulnerable to classic vampire weaknesses like being unable to leave his coffin if there's a rose on it and crossing running water. Not really the sun but it does itch. He's not quite 'demonic' enough for silver and holy symbols to bother him. Does need an invite to enter a home.

Ace

He's so edgy when he isn't living it up in the night. Feels like he deserves damnation like an insufferable mix of Edward Cullens "I'm a soulless damned" and The Lost Boys daredevil tendencies. He's restless and strongly wants a 'cure'. Startlingly young for a vampire.

He refuses to drink from people unless he absolutely has to, and when he does it's from scum of the earth criminals. After he beats the shit out of them. They usually don't make it cause he's starving at that point.

Oddly very vulnerable to the more demonic type weaknesses. So crosses, silver, and sunlight stop him in his tracks. Running water and garlic do jack shit though besides annoy him. He can turn into fog and a bat though, which he thinks is neat and appropriately spooky. Cannot enter a home without an invite and even has a hard time touching others without it as well. Fighting is an invite on its own, so the invite doesn't need to be explicit.

Thatch

Life of the party, really living it up and enjoys hosting dinners. Usually for his human friends, of which he has many. His greatest pride is his ability to somehow enjoy food despite it not saying his appetite in the least unless it has blood in it. His recipe books would be prized collectors items for any librarian but only Marco is allowed to store them when not used. Some can't be made anymore cause their ingredients are gone or unethical to procure anymore. Old but certainly doesn't act like it.

He likes it when his dinner guests offer blood in exchange for meals. A meal for a meal as it were. Usually after the main course and dessert as the pick me up to recover from the blood donation. He likes to think he can taste the 'true meal' from the blood after his cooking. Likes to cycle through donors and doesn't care for bagged blood outside of emergencies. He wouldn't mind favoring a specific donor though, usually only when he's really attached to their company.

His weaknesses thankfully don't include garlic. He can't see his reflection though and crossing running water is a no go. Silver also hurts but it's closer to an allergy. I like to think he could hypnotize with his gaze but doesn't cause it's rude. Needs an invitation to enter a home.

Zoro

Doesn't quite register he's a child of the night most of the time. Well traveled but doesn't realize it cause he's always lost somewhere. Has zero idea how old he is cause he naps so damn much in dark places.

He likes the blood of his enemies. No, really. Finds the antagonistic relationship adds zest. He will also drink from friends if offered but it's not the same as licking the blood from his blades. Drinks bagged blood if he finds it but always makes such a mess with them.

His weakness includes silver, his reflection, and garlic. Holy symbols make him pause but he can ignore it. Sunlight doesn't bother him but it does hurt his eyes. His gaze can paralyze though, which is why he keeps one closed. Makes sure he doesn't cheat in a fight on accident.

Law

Somewhat young vampire and very into the details about it. Runs a lot of experiments with himself and doesn't keep track of his own age except in his journals. Mostly for posterity. He's not super angsty about it but does have the "I'm cursed to walk the earth" vibes about him.

He prefers bagged blood. Less complaints if he drinks too fast because he ignored his needs for too long. Also not likely to be diseased and he hasn't researched his immunity enough to risk it. If offered he'd likely refuse unless he absolutely has to.

He has a strong aversion to holy symbols but is fine with silver and running water for some reason. Garlic just burns his nose but that's about it. As for sunlight he does burn in it but more like severe sunburn than bursting into flames. Not like he got much sun in the lab to start with. Has a hard time entering a home without consent.

Luffy

Very young vampire and seemingly doesn't care at all. Sees it as an opportunity for even more adventure than before. Doesn't seem to struggle with angst about it either. He can turn into a bat and fog but never remembers to do so. He also has a magnetic aura he isn't aware of.

Predictably quite glutenous with his blood. While it doesn't look like it, he does have standards for his donors. Bagged blood is just a necessity because of how much he needs. Likes adventurous folks for his blood and taking them in adventures to bond with them before drinking. Finds the adrenaline in their system makes it taste more heady. Can eat regular food and does but it won't help with his appetite for blood.

His weaknesses is mostly running water and silver, but he can see his reflection.

Sanji

Somewhat young vampire with old blood. Hates this and seems to live more like a new vampire with high standards. Has moments of self hate but generally seems to enjoy charming women with his vampiric charm. Can turn into fog but has a hard time holding it.

He prefers intimate dining experiences with his donors with explicit consent after wonderful dinners he makes himself. He can eat normal food and even subsists on it somewhat. But obviously he prefers women for blood though he absolutely has drank from men--its a shameful secret and he was very desperate for food at the time.

His weakness is silver, his reflection, and also can't move when a rose is placed on his casket. Cannot enter a home without consent and also can't drink from someone without consent either.

Whitebeard

A very old vampire than adores watching how the world changes. Enjoys gathering fledging vampires and sheltering them. Teaching them. Has a very strong vampiric magnetism and can transform but he hasn't in a very long time.

He enjoys drinking from drinking partners, the alcohol spiked blood tangy. Still somehow bad for his though. Pouts when he is given clean blood bags, complains that it isn't a proper meal if he didn't do at least a little hunting for it. Drinks frequently but in small quantities.

He has a weakness for silver, holy symbols (but like, really old ones), running water, and can't enter a home unless he's invited. Also can't get out of his casket when a rose is placed on it and whines when it's used to ground him for health reasons.

[victorluvsalice]

AU Thursday: Valicer In The Dark -- Fun With Special Abilities II, Time For The Crew

Because the post about their INDIVIDUAL special abilities got long enough that I felt it was a good idea to give their special abilities as a GROUP its own post. XD Because that is the thing about Blades In The Dark -- not only do individual characters get a playbook, the crew as a whole gets one as well! To help codify what kind of scoundrels they are, and what kind of scores they generally favor. The Three Pillars, at least in my head, are Shadows, first and foremost -- this means they favor scores that involve finding and stealing stuff, spying on people, and sabotaging things. Though I'm not opposed to them doing Hawkers scores from time to time, since that playbook is all about selling shit, and that syncs well with Smiler being a seller of Joy Serum to the masses... Anyway, the crew playbook provides special abilities and bonuses for all of the crew members to use, and upgrades to their lair to help them with their various scoundrel activities. Here's the abilities and upgrades for the Three Pillars as a whole that I have locked down so far:

-->Special Abilities: As per my original write-up on this topic, The Three Pillars start with the Pack Rats special ability -- the actual playsheet says that their lair is a "jumble of stolen items," but for my crew, this represents the fact that, while most of the actual house portion of their lair is empty when they first discover it, Elder Gutknecht's beloved library up in his tower is stuffed full of books, occult objects, and other articles of interest he collected when he was alive. (Plus, I'm not opposed to them finding other random crap hidden away while they clean the rest of the place up -- the initial looters couldn't have gotten everything!) Game mechanically, this allows them an extra die whenever one of them rolls to acquire an asset before or after a score, because there's a non-zero chance it might already be in that damn tower. XD Now, admittedly, I picked this partially because I didn't think any of the other special abilities fit for the trio at the very beginning of their career, but I'm pretty happy with it regardless. As I said at the time, it feels appropriate given how messy that tower is in the actual Corpse Bride movie! :p As for what they get as time goes on --

A) Everyone Steals -- they get better at the skills best-suited to their chosen scoundrel "trade!" In game terms, this lets you immediately add a dot to either the Prowl, Finesse, or Tinker action rating (which indicates how many dice they get to roll whenever they attempt something that involves that action) on each character's personal playbook -- and you don't have to choose the same action for each character either, you just have to pick one of those three. (Though you also can't go above three dots in any of the actions either, as the fourth and final dot in all actions is locked behind another upgrade.) This is the first upgrade listed on the sheet, and is considered to be a good "starting" upgrade for new crews, but I felt that, while I wanted it, it made a little more sense to take it a bit later to show how the gang is slowly getting better at some of their chosen tools of the trade. :) Specifically, I think currently Alice would take the extra dot in Prowl, Victor in Finesse, and Smiler in Tinker to represent their own specializations (Alice is the more physical one and could use the boost to moving around quietly that Prowl gives; Victor is the one most suited to delicate work -- and I've decided Finesse is the best action to represent his artistic/musical skills, so it only makes sense to boost that; and Smiler is the tech/chemistry person and thus should have a strong Tinker rating) -- but we'll see if I think differently based on where they are in the series when they get this upgrade!

B) Ghost Echoes -- they all gain the ability to see and interact with the unearthly echo of Duskwall that exists in the ghost field! Which is just more weird, cool, and dangerous magic for them to play with. :D The playbook indicates that this is gotten through "weird experience or occult ritual," and -- well. Victor already has the Ghost Mind ability that allows him to sense the presence of anything supernatural in his vicinity, and I'm planning for him to pick up Ritual and Ghost Veil abilities, so this crew ability just feels like a natural extension of all of that (meaning, obviously, those powers of his are prerequisites). Maybe once he figures out his own ability to shift temporarily into the ghost field, this group ability can cover him figuring out how to turn it into a ritual? Though I don't know if the characters are supposed to fully or just partially shift into the field while this is happening...we'll figure that out when we get there!

C) Slippery -- they're better at avoiding the consequences of their various scores! In game terms, this means that when you roll for "entanglements" (the various things you will have to deal with after committing a heist -- can range from Bluecoats picking up friends to interrogate, to devils taking an interest in the gang, to a friend needing a favor, to a rival trying to throw their weight around), you roll twice on the table and keep whichever result you want. You also get an extra die when you roll to reduce the crew's "heat" (which, the higher that goes, the worse/more complicated the entanglements you pick up, so it's good to keep it low). I think this one fits the crew because my stories for them have them building a reputation as "weirdly unstoppable for just three people" -- they manage to get one over on Six Towers' local nobleman Lord Rowan, they survive Lord Bethesda's assassination attempt and a trip into the Lost District, they survive ANOTHER assassination attempt by the fucking leaders of most of the criminal gangs of Duskwall, etc, etc. They are slippery little fuckers! And we love them for it. :p

D) Synchronized -- they become exceedingly good at working together as a team. Mechanically, this means that when they do a "group action" together (where everybody rolls to do one specific thing, with one character leading), if two people roll separate sixes, you can count that as a critical success. I like this because a) it's cool and makes group actions more interesting and b) it has great story idea potential! You see, I see this as a supernatural thing that they pick up accidentally -- I'm not sure precisely what happens yet, but there is occult nonsense that briefly links their minds and has them relive the others' memories, and after that...it's not precisely a full telepathic link, but there's some sort of lingering effect that they can use to just -- know what they all need to do when they're all working together on something. It doesn't always work perfectly, but when it does, they are a force to be reckoned with. Plus there would also be many feels involved from them getting a first-hand look at what the others went through and -- just understanding each other better afterward. I picture them all standing stunned for a second after the trip through the memories ends, then just moving to embrace each other because damn. They've been through some shit.

E) Ghost Market -- they discover how to make something that affects supernatural entities -- who are very interested in getting their hands on it... This one is from the Hawkers playbook, and it goes "Through arcane ritual or hard-won experience, you have discovered how to prepare your product for sale to ghosts and/or demons. They do not pay in coin. What do they pay with?" This is obviously a special ability that mainly relates to Smiler -- but it's not about them improving Joy Serum with Victor and Alice's help. Instead, I picked this because I had an idea revolving around them finally managing to invent Giggler Gas, and going with Victor and Alice to present it to the Advocates -- only to run into ghost trouble along the way. And when Smiler sprays the ghost with some of the gas just to distract it --

The gas affects the ghost. Leaving it giggling and allowing the trio to escape and go "what the fuck?!" I haven't gotten much past that point, but I do know that Smiler and the Advocates would be all for peddling this shit to sapient ghosts (and maybe ghost-hunting Whispers to use as a "stun" option while they try to catch other spirits), while Victor and Alice would be a bit like "do we really want to get into the business of selling drugs to ghosts?" XD I also don't know how the ghosts who actually buy the stuff would pay for it -- maybe just drip some electroplasm into a vial? Victor at least could always use that for his butterfly experiments... I'll figure something out, just because this whole idea amuses me. XD

-->Upgrades: Again, as per my original write-up, the trio's lair starts with the following upgrades:

A) Hidden -- the lair's location is a secret to most people and is hidden from casual discovery! In-universe, I'm representing this with Elder Gutknecht using special wards that he'd crafted to keep anyone he didn't want finding him from even seeing his house in Six Towers. After he died, he started to let them run down, figuring it didn't matter so much now what happened to his stuff now that he was no longer among the living --

And then some hooligans showed up, smashed all his windows, and started talking about setting fire to the library. Cue Gutknecht scaring them out and then refreshing his wards on the regular. :p The only reason Victor, Alice, and Smiler find the place is because they come in at just the right time between refreshes -- and when they prove to be nice and polite (especially to a ghost), Gutknecht lets them stay and incorporates them into the magic. :) A very lucky break for a trio on the run from the Bluecoats, to be sure!

B) Training: Prowess -- the lair has something in it that allows people to train in the "Prowess" skills -- Finesse, Prowl, Skirmish, and Wreck (when someone chooses to "train" in that skillset in downtime after scores, they mark two XP points on that skillset's XP tracker instead of one). Admittedly, this isn't something that the place has when the trio first arrives -- rather, once they decide they're all living there permanently, the Advocates give them some spare equipment they have at their headquarters so they can train those skills (I'm picturing old-timey workout stuff). As Shadows, they'll definitely need Finesse and Prowl to effectively pull off their scores, so this is important stuff!

C) Workshop -- the lair has the space and tools for tinkering and alchemy, plus a library of various books, documents, and maps, which makes completing long-term projects involving tinkering, alchemy, or looking up stuff easier. Obviously, I've already mentioned Elder Gutknecht's library at the top of the tower, but the level directly below is a workshop, containing a Fox-Lloyd alchemy bench (the best of the best, Smiler is THRILLED) and a Lumiere brand tinkering bench (guess where I got those names XD). I suppose Gutknecht also having a nice Harper upright piano for Victor to play with can count toward this too. :p I just wanted to give them ample opportunity to indulge their hobbies!

D) Cohort: Expert -- the crew has access to a single expert NPC who helps them with their work -- in this case, the Reconciled ghost of the original owner of the place, Elder Gutknecht! As will eventually be revealed in the final chapter of "Start At The Beginning...Sort Of," he became a ghost under unusual circumstances, and thus hasn't gone mad from the craving for life essence most ghosts suffer from. Plus, when the trio arrives, he's starting to feel a little lonely, haunting his house with just the ravens for company, so he's only too happy to let them use the place. :) In game terms, he is a Tier 1 Occultist (before you say anything, the Three Pillars start at Tier 0, soooo), with the edge Independent (they can trust him to make good decisions on his own) and the flaw Principled (he has his own code of ethics he won't betray, which means certain things he won't help with -- like actively helping the gang figure out a way to murder one Dr. Bumby. He'll let them STAY, he just won't help them plan).

Not a bad set of stuff to start out with, right? As for upgrades I would like them to get as time goes on --

E) Quarters -- the crew's lair actually has places for them to sleep and live in, rather than forcing them to go to another location for a bit of shut-eye. This one is a little bit unusual because, well, the trio are living in their lair even before they get this upgrade -- after everything with Barkis, Bumby, and the Van Dorts, Victor and Alice don't really have anywhere else to go, and while Smiler could stay at Advocate headquarters, they really want access to that Fox-Lloyd bench. XD So in their case, Quarters means they've made the place a lot more comfortable to live -- it's clean, there's some proper furniture in there, the sink works, they have a way to cook food, and they all have places to sleep (though, as noted in a particular fic's title, there's only one (proper) bed...). Hopefully they can score this sooner rather than later, the poor guys!

F) Secure -- the lair has proper locks, traps, and other measures to thwart intruders! This is actually an upgrade you can take twice -- ticking the first box protects it against mundane threats, while ticking the second protects it against supernatural ones. As you're allowed to tick two upgrade boxes every time you fill the XP track, I'd probably take both levels of this in one go -- I mean, Gutkecht ALREADY has wards up, it only makes sense that they'd cover buffing the place's defenses against humans and ghosts all in one go. Maybe learning how to make ghost-repellent wards can be part of Victor's Whisper training. :p

G) Thief Rigging -- the crew learns how to load themselves up with their tools of the trade more easily and efficiently! In game terms, this means they get two free slots of "load" for anything that counts as "gear" or "tools" (like a burglar's kit that includes lockpicks and oil for squeaky hinges, or Smiler bringing along a portable alchemy set). As all characters have a limited number of slots for items (with the exact amount depending on if they go for a "light," "normal," or "heavy" load), getting a couple of things for free means being able to carry more useful kit on scores! And we all like that.

H) Insight Training -- the crew gets some stuff to help train their "Insight"-related skills -- Hunt, Study, Survey, Tinker! Because those are skills that are also much-needed by Shadows, especially ones like them. Not a single one of them starts with a dot in Hunt, after all, and they might need that if they have any jobs involving tailing people or the like. Getting new books for the library will probably help with Study, and just practicing on the alchemy and tinkering benches for Tinker -- we'll see what I come up with to represent training in the other stuff. (Hide and seek for Hunt?) We want them to master some skills at some point! Speaking of which --

I) Mastery -- the crew gets access to stuff that allows them to really train up their skills as Shadows! Yeah, remember how I said above that the fourth and final dot for all actions is locked behind an upgrade? This is that upgrade, and it requires you to tick four boxes to unlock it. So even if I did two at a time, they'd have to sink all their XP into taking this twice to unlock it. So getting this one is probably going to take a little bit, but I think it'll be worth it in the end. Because, hey, we want them to be at least masters in what I think of as their "core" skills -- Skirmish for Alice, Attune for Victor, and Tinker for Smiler. And hopefully some others besides. They will be fucking earning it, let me tell you.

Whew -- that was a lot, wasn't it? How about next week we talk about something much more simple but still interesting -- good old-fashioned trauma! :D Because THAT in a system in this game too -- see you then!

[beardedmrbean]

A BBC staffer is under fire for a string of antisemitic Facebook posts in which she referred to Jewish people as “Nazi apartheid parasites” and called white people a “virus.”

Dawn Queva, Senior Scheduling Coordinator & Playout Planner at BBC Three, made many of the troubling, since-deleted posts over the last few months, Deadline revealed.

In one rant, Queva – whose profile appeared under the name Dawn Las Quevas-Allen – called Jewish people “Nazi apartheid parasites” and accused them of funding a “holohoax,” the outlet said.

She also made several posts criticizing Israel and Zionism – including one in which she referred to “a bunch of subcontinental European melanin recessive CaucAsian japhetic AshkeNazi who have no None zero zilch blood connection to the land of Palestine or Israel historically.”

Some of Queva’s disturbing posts go back nearly a decade: In 2014, she referred to Israel as “Israhell,” the Times of Israel said.

“The Zionist genocidal land squatting so called Jew’ irrespective of the fact that The UKKK and Amerikkka gave away land they had no god given right to a people who have no god given right to,” Queva added in another post, according to screenshots shared by Deadline.

Queva – who previously worked for A+E Networks, UKTV, and Disney, according to Deadline – also repeatedly hit out at white people, whom she referred to as a “virus” and a “mutant invader species,” the Telegraph wrote.

Several of her posts refer to Great Britain as the “UKKK,” in reference to the Ku Klux Klan.

In another update, she wrote that white people were a “barbaric bloodthirsty rapacious murderous genocidal thieving parasitical deviant breed”.

Several of her posts were removed or restricted by Facebook – including an early January incident in which her activity was restricted for bullying and hate speech, the Times of Israel said.

Queva then slammed the action as “anti black klu klux klan white/Zionist restrictions,” the outlet reported.

Queva appeared to respond to the reports about her previous posts on Friday, when she updated her Facebook wall with a video from the 1987 movie “The Garbage Pail Kids” alongside a caption that read “only those who live a lie hate the truth!”

She also commented below to add an infographic supposedly listing Jewish slave ship owners, as well as the infamous photo of Gordon, an escaped slave with a heinously scarred back due to years of abuse.

Queva’s disturbing posts are believed to have been circulated in BBC WhatsApp groups that formed in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

The BBC was under scrutiny for its coverage of the attack and subsequent war – and Director General Time Davie has held “listening meetings’ in order to address the perceived bias in its work, Deadline explained.

There have also been recent reports that 22 employees at the national broadcaster have filed complaints about antisemitism in the workplace, the Telegraph added.

“We don’t comment on individual members of staff and we have well-established and robust processes in place to handle such issues, we do not tolerate anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or any form of abuse and we take any such allegations seriously and take appropriate disciplinary action wherever necessary,” a BBC spokesperson told The Post.

[kjack89]

for the wrapped thing: enjoltaire and uuuh 96?

96. "The Best is Yet to Come" by Sheppard.

A little modern AU, developing relationship E/R NYE comfort.

Enjolras knocked briskly on Grantaire’s door and waited what he deemed an appropriate amount of time before supplementing his knock by calling, “Grantaire?”

“Come in,” Grantaire shouted back, and Enjolras let himself into Grantaire’s apartment. 

His initial scan of the place – cramped and messy as usual – did not reveal its occupant, and he opened his mouth to shout for Grantaire again when he finally spotted him, lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling.

Enjolras frowned. “What are you doing?”

Grantaire made no effort to sit up. “Lying on my bed,” he said, in what he clearly thought was a helpful way.

Enjolras rolled his eyes. “I can see that,” he said, with a bite of impatience. “But, uh, why?”

Grantaire made a motion that could have been a shrug, were he sitting upright. “Because.”

“Illuminating,” Enjolras said dryly.

Grantaire lifted his head just enough to scowl at him. “If you came here just to mock me—”

Despite himself, Enjolras held up his hands defensively. “I didn’t,” he said, even though he couldn’t help but add, half under his breath, “Though after all the times you’ve showed up somewhere just to mock me…”

He had hoped to make Grantaire laugh, but Grantaire’s expression didn’t so much as flicker before he laid his head back down against the bed. “So why did you come here?”

Enjolras jerked a shrug. “Your absence was conspicuous.”

“My– Oh.” Grantaire’s voice was flat. “The New Year’s Eve party.”

Enjolras nodded, frowning slightly at Grantaire’s lack of enthusiasm – or really any emotion whatsoever. “What can I say, it’s not the same without you,” he said, which had the benefit of being another thing to get Grantaire to smile and also the truth.

Once again, Grantaire’s expression didn’t change. “Normally it falls on Joly or Bossuet to come get me when my absence has been noticed.”

“Normally,” Enjolras agreed.

For the first time, Grantaire half sat up, propping himself up on an elbow, his curiosity clearly getting the better of him. “So why’d you volunteer?”

“Who says I didn’t draw the short straw?” Enjolras asked innocently. When Grantaire just gave him a look, he sighed. “Fine. Honestly, it’s because everyone else seemed to think we were better off just leaving you alone, that if you didn’t want to be there, we shouldn’t make you.”

A stubborn note crept into his voice, and clearly despite his best efforts, a small smile twitched at the corners of Grantaire’s mouth. “And you weren’t going to stand for that.”

“No.”

Grantaire’s smile disappeared and he shook his head slowly. “Well, if you’ve come here to make a big, rousing speech, you can save it. I mean, I appreciate the gesture, and the schlep, but…”

He trailed off and Enjolras frowned again before prompting, “But?”

“But 2022 was a long shitty year that followed on the heels of a longer, shittier 2021,” Grantaire said, something sharp and bitter in his voice, “which, of course, capped off the longest, shittiest year of 2020. So I just…” He sighed, flopping back against the bed and staring up at the ceiling. “The thought of toasting and cheering 2023, which shows absolutely zero sign of being different than the preceding 3 years…I couldn’t bring myself to do it.” He sounded unusually bleak, even for his more maudlin moods. “I just don’t have it in me to pretend that the best is yet to come when it sure as hell feels like we left the best behind somewhere.”

“So instead you’re lying on your bed, staring up at the ceiling,” Enjolras said, trying to keep his voice neutral.

“And feeling sorry for myself, can’t forget that,” Grantaire said.

Enjolras hesitated for just a moment before nodding decisively. “Ok.”

He crossed to Grantaire’s bed and plopped down beside him. “What are you doing?” Grantaire practically squawked, rolling onto his side.

“Lying down next to you,” Enjolras said, as if it was obvious.

Judging by the look Grantaire gave him, it wasn’t. “But – why?”

“Because,” Enjolras said, tempted to leave it at that if only to give Grantaire a taste of how infuriating he could on occasion be, but he took pity on him and elaborated, “You’re not fully wrong. The world is a shitty place and sometimes you have to do what you have to do to survive.”

Grantaire blinked. “So no rousing speech, then.”

Enjolras lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “If I thought it would help…”

“That’s never stopped you before,” Grantaire said with a snort.

“Sure it has,” Enjolras said, rolling over onto his side. “Because most of the time when I’m giving rousing speeches, you’re not my target audience.” Grantaire didn’t look convinced and Enjolras sighed, figuring if he couldn’t give one of his trademark speeches, he could at least offer Grantaire a tiny bit of honesty. “Look, I don’t believe the world will magically get better on its own. I believe it takes a lot of hard work by a lot of very dedicated people to even inch in the right direction. And as much as I believe that it is work absolutely worth doing, I also know that sometimes you have to tap out, and take a break. Because the only way to do the work is by being able to do the work.”

A smile again played across Grantaire’s lips. “You know that, huh?”

Enjolras smiled as well, his slightly rueful. “Well, I’m trying to learn it, at least.” He rolled onto his back, the motion as stubborn as he could make it. “So if you want to lie here and stay at the ceiling, I will lie with you because facing the shit the world throws at you is always at least a little bit easier when you’ve got someone with you.” He glanced sideways at Grantaire. “Of course, if you’d rather be alone, just say the word.”

“No, I don’t,” Grantaire said quietly. They lay together in silence for a long moment before Grantaire added, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Enjolras said.

There was another long stretch of silence before Grantaire sighed and rolled over to face Enjolras. “I think…” he started, a little hesitantly, “maybe I can make an appearance at the party. Though I can’t promise I won’t bring the mood down.”

“If you want,” Enjolras said noncommittally, though he couldn’t help but add, “But for what it’s worth, I think everyone will be happy enough to see you that it’ll make up for any mood-killing you do.”

Grantaire made a face. “Well, we’ll see about that.”

Enjolras laughed lightly as he sat up, cracking his neck before standing. Grantaire sat up slowly as well and Enjolras turned to glance back at him. “Oh, and Grantaire?”

“Yeah?” Grantaire said, not looking up from tying his shoelaces.

“I can’t promise the best is yet to come,” Enjolras said quietly, and Grantaire’s eyes flew to his. “I could give you a lot of platitudes about the night being darkest before the dawn, or what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, or whatever, but you and I both know those are bullshit.”

Grantaire cracked a smile. “I don’t know, I always found something strangely inspirational in the saying ‘even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise’.”

“Really?” Enjolras asked, surprised.

He deserved the eye roll and admonishment Grantaire gave him. “Enjolras.”

“Yeah, that one’s on me,” Enjolras said with a laugh. He paused and wet his lips before continuing, “But look, what I can tell you, in all sincerity and at full risk of making a fool of myself, I’d have a really hard time believing the best was still to come if you weren’t there.”

Grantaire stared up at him. “There, like, at the party, or…?”

It was Enjolras’s turn to roll his eyes. “I’d like it noted for the record that I was trying to be serious,” he said, a little gruffly.

“I know,” Grantaire said, his own voice just a little too soft in the wake of the joke he’d made. “Thank you, again.”

“You’re welcome,” Enjolras said. Then, desperate to change the subject, he added with a sort of forced cheeriness, “Now let’s go before they send a search party after us.”

Grantaire glanced at the clock. “It’s almost midnight. I think our friends know better than that.”

Enjolras hoped that the dim light hid the fact that he blushed, just slightly, and he hoped Grantaire took it for what it was worth that he didn’t try to pretend like he didn’t know what Grantaire was implying. “And for what it’s worth,” Grantaire added as he stood, deliberately casual, “you’re a pretty big part of my best as well, whether past, present, or yet to come.”

Enjolras’s flush deepened. “Thank you,” he said quietly.

“You’re welcome,” Grantaire said, giving him a crooked smile, and he hesitated for just a moment before holding his hand out to him. “C’mon. We got a midnight to catch.”

And Enjolras didn’t hesitate before slipping his hand into Grantaire’s and following him outside.

[fionarara]

HIPSTER KENMA PART 2 WHEN PLEASEEEEE IM OBSESSED

nonni all caps ?? for hipster kenma ?? i thought this idea was an incredibly niche thing in my odd brain which would legit get like zero interaction, i straight up wrote it mostly for myself, so this is a v pleasant surprise (Ｔ▽Ｔ) also, this got longer than expected, but since you requested it with such enthusiasm, i wanted to add in a little extra detail as a treat for you ♡

+ hipster ! kenma . pt. 2 .

(+ part 1 ⇢)

+ hipster ! kenma who feeds his hairless sphynx cat gluten-free food, because he wouldn’t feed his cat a certain diet that he isn’t also on himself

+ hipster ! kenma who thinks much of the fashion industry’s antics are ridiculous for being so overpriced (and that some of their practices can be harmful to the environment), but will drop $375 bucks at a carefully curated, high-end, second-hand designer fashion shop in the arts district on a fresh pair of black jeans, ones that already come pre-ripped and are conveniently labeled as having a 'distressed' look. so edgy. clearly, who needs logical pricing when you can pay a premium to look like you've been through a barbed wire fence? + hipster ! kenma dislikes coffee, because not only is it so acidic on the PH scale, the entire culture surrounding the popular brew (–and yes, he really did call coffee, “the popular brew” when explaining this to you) is so aggressive in prevalent society, as it seemingly promotes an inherent overly capitalist mindset that is so patriarchal. instead, he opts for ~matcha with lion’s mane extract~ for better concentration and whenever he needs a pick-me-up. besides, he prefers things being more chill and calm anyway, and coffee makes him feel too jittery and whacked out + hipster ! kenma doesn’t actually have the best grasp on crypto or stock trading, but from believing and claiming he did, got yaku involved in also investing in that one reddit gamestop stock with him. unfortunately, due to a bad call of not pulling the shares out in time, they lost a considerable amount of money. L. but as short-tempered as yaku used to be, he’s mellowed-out in his older years and only blames himself in the end for even listening to hipster kenma in the first place. anyway it’s cool–when yaku came to visit town from russia, he got taken out by hipster kenma for an evening of partying, all drinks and party drugs on him, as a sort of apology for the risky financial loss—the night ended with the both of them on the floor crying together from reminiscing about past memories and ‘the good ole days’, sheesh + hipster ! kenma who sometimes seems like he hates you, but gets a bit of a kick out of you bringing it up, because whenever you do, he gets to playfully remind you he’s just in resting mode or deep in thought by making the same joke every time, “that’s just my cunty cat face” + hipster ! kenma who is prone to getting some pretty gnarly anxiety at times, so he takes these 15mg edible marijuana gummies to chill himself out. his favorite flavor of THC gummy bear from the packet you gifted him, and which he now regularly takes, is salted caramel and dark chocolate + hipster ! kenma will drag you to see an arthouse docufilm about the music history of video games with modular synthesizers, etc. at this little blackbox theater, complaining that those big blockbuster movie chains are ripping you off by charging way too much for mainstream crap, but then he proceeds to overpay for an overpriced, organic, effervescent, raw kombucha drink once you arrive at the little indie theater (he definitely thinks buying soda at the movie theater is beneath him, “the way i see it, if you want a soda at least make it, like, an actual appropriate setting, go to a carnival and have it with a corn dog.”)

+ hipster ! kenma loves street food. will take you to the local art walk/night market festivals once a month, fascinated by tasting all the different street food vendors and scoping out the community art scene, he’ll even end up treating you with a tasty treat every time from one of the booths. although he doesn’t particularly love overly sweet things, he will especially eat any sweetly-glazed savory snack that comes on a stick. one thing about him that you’ve come to appreciate though is that he doesn’t just gobble down his food, no, hipster kenma actually enjoys taking the time to savor what he consumes while giving insightful commentary on the food’s flavoring, etc. + hipster ! kenma who DIYs…many things, because he figures, let’s be honest, other people can’t be relied upon to make things correctly, not by his standards. especially when it comes to his computer, which of course he built himself: it has a fully transparent case so you can see right through to the whole display of all dazzling gear and deco inside of it, and in his words it had to be, “a state of the art custom loop with full liquid cooling”. you admit the inner flashing lights are pretty and the computer is definitely so decked out, that it's for sure one of the coolest things you’ve ever seen.

+ hipster ! kenma kinda has this weird thing that if he didn’t think of a cool idea for his twitch stream first after seeing it from another popular streamer, then he acts like it’s kinda inherently stupid, mentions how blasé it is to you and his friends, even if deep down he does find the idea interesting or appealing and probably, most definitely, would’ve adopted it himself 

+ hipster ! kenma who can oftentimes hold the belief that adopting a cynical and pessimistic outlook on life makes one more intelligent and analytical, even more sophisticated or enhances his overall cleverness of mind, sad + hipster ! kenma is hot. okay. in such an understated way, which all the more makes him hotter, though he’s not fully aware of his own appeal, or perhaps only mildly—actually attracts a fair amount of bitches when he goes out to the dive bars or local music shows, ones who aren’t intimidated by his sort of mysterious appearance or superior demeanor which is bound to come off a little pretentious, but in truth, he’s actually a bit insecure and shy about being approached so often and therefore tends to stay pretty silent when that happens, unsure of how to fully deal/cope with someone who is being so direct about their interest in him. ultimately prefers the slow get-to-know-you burn when it comes to any romance: a friends first, lovers later kind of thing + hipster ! kenma is incredibly observant, especially in social situations and mostly prefers to just take everything in, only speaking when he has something truly poignant to say … or when an opportunity strikes to completely, calmly, eviscerate someone’s inane or ignorant opinion, delivering a point so smooth, he’ll crush their shitty take all in a such a demure, cool, collected and resolute manner to the point where the dumbass person in question doesn’t even know they’ve been schooled and insulted by him until the roar of jeers and laughter from the surrounding crowd are heckling the unbeknownst fool, sick burn hipster kenma + hipster ! kenma only dares to wear brighter colors when at the beach and the item of clothing is a hoodie (proclaims it’s a light and breathable one though sooo he’s not sure what everyone is making such a fuss over when you, hinata, kuroo and the rest of your beach crew kick up some sand towards him while chiming in unison to urge him to, “take it off! we’re by the ocean, bruh!”) – the brightest colors of those hoodies ever worn at the beach are either a pale mustard, burnt amber, or white with possible cool textile designs. not only that, but he’ll stick to the shade beneath the large beach parasol playing on his nintendo switch, because listen, he isn’t about to get skin cancer on account of the toxic chemicals they put in sunscreen these days just so he can catch some rays (which of course, the sun could also give one cancer) + hipster ! kenma has these annoyingly long pretty dark lashes which are framed so nicely by his non-prescription clear frame glasses, and every so often you will playfully grumble to him about how unfair that is, since he’s a boy and doesn’t even care that he’s got them, then proceed to joke by asking him to give you some of those lashes since he doesn’t in fact need all of them for looks. he’ll respond by lightly chuckling and referencing that one Clockwork Orange film scene where the main character’s eyes are forced to remain horrifically clamped open, slyly suggesting, “if you can manage to get me in a position like that, then and only then, can you have them” but don’t bother, he continues, because you’ll never get past him~~ + hipster ! kenma who, no matter what he seems like on the surface, you know in the end that he’s undeniably ride or die for his friends, 10/10 will always always have their back, willingly giving them a hand without making a big deal of it + hipster ! kenma shelled out quite a hefty price on his ‘Beats by Dre’ headphones, even though as a self-proclaimed audiophile he knows they’re nowhere near being the best on the market, only bought them for the clout, and walks around town wearing them or for his twitch streams + hipster ! kenma secretly cries to bon iver, sufjan stevens, james blake, ryuichi sakamoto, erykah badu, nick cave and portishead when he’s alone + hipster ! kenma watches a looot of documentaries 

+ hipster ! kenma owns this cat shirt ↴ doesn’t wear it out in public though, only to bed, and has had it so long it’s already starting to fray at the sleeves and shoulder's seams:

+link2masterlist.

[sepublic]

I mentioned a while back about having Gandrayda being a spy within the Space Pirates during the Zero Mission arc; She's the one who deduces that Mother Brain is responsible for controlling the Metroids, and is such a load-bearing component for taming them that without her, the Metroids will turn on the Space Pirates and do a lot of the Federation's work in defeating them.

Likewise, she's the one who finds out that Tourian has been sealed off by Mother Brain out of justified paranoia; The only way in is through two access keys implanted in Ridley and Kraid's wrists, for the select occasions that would call for it. Otherwise, since Mother Brain controls all of the technology across Zebes, she sees little reason why she would need people in the same room as her vulnerable true form; Not when she has machines to act remotely through, outside of Tourian.

I originally intended for Gandrayda to appear during the Zero Mission, albeit without revealing her name or shapeshifting nature; As far as the show has conveyed, she's just a Zebesian gone rogue. And she would've appeared during the Zero Suit segment to bail Samus out of a pinch right before the Chozodia part, before leaving...

But I've changed my mind; Having no allies adds to the dread and lonely isolation of the Zero Suit segment. Having anyone help Samus ruins the tone.

So instead, I'm moving Gandrayda's appearance a bit earlier; Right after Samus defeats Ridley. The idea for the scene is that Samus jabs a Super Missile or Power Bomb in Ridley's chest, and when it goes off it splatters pieces of Ridley all over the place. Samus goes unconscious for a bit, because the explosion happens right next to her; But when she comes to, she only gets the opportunity to scan Ridley's access key to Tourian before some Space Pirates arrive. They see what happened and are stunned; Samus limps away, and they give chase while a few stay behind.

This foreshadows Ridley being salvaged even in this mangled state. The way his torso is obliterated, but his limbs and head are somewhat intact, pay homage to which parts of Meta Ridley are cybernetic and which ones aren't.

As for Samus, she’s been cornered, she's been damaged already, it looks like Ridley might have the last laugh anyway by reducing her to this vulnerable state for his minions to pick off and avenge him... But then one of them turns against the others, giving Samus the opportunity to fight back as well. This is when we meet Gandrayda.

I think Gandrayda showing up here works better; Being cornered by Space Pirates in Norfair didn't happen in the game, so I'm not really ruining a pre-established moment. Likewise, it sets up Gandrayda to basically congratulate Samus and cheer her on for the final lap; Samus defeated her childhood trauma, and now she has everything she needs to confront Mother Brain. She's in the home stretch now, so having someone offer a bit of support and reiterate the goal before leaving feels more appropriate to the hopeful tone. This realization of: Oh dang, I might actually succeed and pull this off! I might defeat my childhood traumas here and now, and basically single-handedly defeat the Space Pirates!

[nervousshipwrecked]

non-sexual submission (giving and/or receiving)?

Definitely receiving non-sexual submission more than giving 😊

I like how it can extend foreplay into every day contexts. For instance it's really hot to see someone wearing something you chose for them, maybe something with a special meaning that just the two of you know. I choose the music when we drive, no complaints. Also making someone run for something or do a detailed errand I could have easily done on my own is one of my favourite things to do, especially if they do something right and I get to compliment them. And if they get it really wrong because they're acting out or inattentive, that's fun for me too, but later.

I know some people like it when someone orders food for them as a part of submissive play, but I prefer the other way around to put him in his place. I like to make him order for the two of us. He tends to be cheap which I find deeply unattractive and I'm trying to break the habit. It's not a matter of financial responsibility, he just acts like he's still living in a college dorm and not like he's the fucking professor. So when we're out together I like to give him the opportunity to act his age and not order at a champagne place like he's on a beer budget. And I make him tip properly jfc. He knows I have to take the pen out of his hand and add the appropriate zero to the gratuity myself, it's not good news for him later down the line :)

KINK RATING TIME!!

Send me a kink and I’ll rate it! 

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |