#this is purely based on the new doctor episodes

[ineffableshitpost]

Crowely and the 14th doctor if they ever got to meet each other:

Crowley: Hi-

Doctor: STAY BACK! I HAVE SALT!

Crowley: Wait wha-

[clevercorvidae]

Why Viktor from Arcane is WRONG About Evolution

Right so, I'm getting my degree in evolutionary biology and evolution as a subject is my absolute bread and butter, so I thought I'd give some insight into a particular line from Arcane and why it both infuriated me AND is also brilliant writing.

(Quick note: I'm not writing this to say the SHOW is wrong about evolution or that the writing is bad. The writing around this is actually amazing and I'll get into that. This IS NOT a critique.)

The line in question happens during episode 6 of season 2 of the show during a conversation between Singed and Viktor where Viktor states the following:

"Evolution has a destination, not to combat nature, but to supercede it. The final, glorious evolution."

Every single thing about this statement is disastrously incorrect. And when I first heard it, it took everything in me not to scream in frustration, but I think I get it now.

The rest of this essay will be me picking apart this quote piece by piece, both to explain WHY its incorrect, but also why that's not necessarily a bad thing.

"Evolution Has a Destination"

We'll start with his first assertion, that evolution has a destination. This is patently false on every level. Evolution occurs constantly, it never ceases.

This is actually a really, really common misconception when it comes to evolution. Many people see the explanation for natural selection, survival of the fittest, and assume that that means evolution is a constant trend of "improvement". There's an assumption that, as we continue to evolve, we become "better".

But that's NOT what "survival of the fittest" means (nor is natural selection the only mechanism of evolution but I digress). "Fitness" is not some overall objective best form, it has a VERY specific definition.

Fitness, when discussing evolutionary biology, refers to your ability to survive within your environment long enough to produce viable offspring. It doesn't mean "fastest" or "strongest", and it's incredibly circumstantial. Every species encounters DIFFERENT challenges based on the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors of their environment. These pressures are what define "fitness". It's different for all species.

And those pressures are NOT static either. Your environment changes. Plate tectonics shift, natural disasters occur, weather patterns change, other species evolve alongside you, your circumstances as a species will never remain stagnant. New challenges WILL befall you in your environment and you WILL have to evolve new adaptations for continued success.

Even if you tailored everything to perfection, eliminated all challenges, and somehow obtained infinite resources, EVEN THEN you cannot escape the finite resource of SPACE. Your population's density will grow and eventually you will run out of space, and you'd need to, once again, adapt.

(Now, there is a concept in ecology called "climax", where an ecosystem could theoretically perfectly balance itself and remain unchanged for a statistically long period of time, exiting the cycle of succession and in essence, slowing evolution to a crawl at best.

However, this is not only purely hypothetical and heavily debated, it also is not permanent. Even this "perfectly" balanced state of equilibrium cannot compete with the force that is geology and time. Even an ecosystem in climax would eventually be torn asunder by the changing climate and plate tectonics, not to mention neighboring ecosystems.)

There is no static environment and there is no static life, so it's impossible for there to be a "perfect" lifeform. There is no destination, there can't be.

"Not to Combat Nature"

This is Viktor's second statement, and it's... a very interesting choice of words.

Because this... is not actually in response to what Singed says about evolution. His statement is in response to what Viktor has to say about fate:

Viktor: Do you believe in fate, Doctor? Our paths, carved before us guided by... an invisible hand.

Singed: Not fate, evolution. Nature's greatest force, forever in flux.

Singed says he believes in THIS in place of a belief in fate. He doesn't see it as combating nature, but as a force of nature itself. Instead this is actually Viktor's own initial assumption and interpretation of evolution. That evolution combats nature. This is obviously false, and Singed is the one with the right idea.

Evolution is, in fact, a facit of nature itself, of life itself. It is an inseparable part of what defines life; the essence of something being organic in the first place. As I said before, all life evolves CONSTANTLY. We NEVER stop evolving. The results of evolution are often too slow for us to see within our lifetimes, but its still happening. As Singed says, we are "forever in flux".

But Viktor is arguing against something else entirely: that evolution combats nature, that it is an aggressive force, maybe even a destructive one.

Most importantly, to meet something in combat is to be on equal footing, presumably, a mutual struggle. Nature and evolution, equals in a battle that will never end, oscillating between perfection and flaw. This is Viktor's view of Singed's response and of evolution as it currently stands.

"But to Supercede It."

Viktor, however, does not see evolution and nature as equals. Instead, he sees the path of evolution as one that will overtake nature and surpass it. In Viktor's mind humanity is destined to break out of the chains of the organic concept of flaw itself.

But that's impossible, because evolution requires flaws in the first place.

I've talked about how there's no such thing as a perfect, ideal life form, and that alone squanders Viktor's idea of evolution. But it's not just his end goal that doesn't mesh with reality, but the very function of evolution itself.

Evolution relies on diversity. In order for a trait to be selected for or against it must first EXIST within the population. A trait cannot be selected for if the genes that encode for it aren't present, and what is the only way for new alleles come into existence? Mutation. Mistakes. You could even call them imperfections.

Everything that makes us human originated as an inconsistency in the process of DNA replication. We are a tapestry of imperfections, every single living organism on earth. If we didn't have diversity in our gene pools we would have never even become multicellular, we would not have been able to keep up with the changing world at all.

How can you supercede nature via evolution when its made us everything that we are BECAUSE of how messy and flawed nature is in the first place. It's a paradox.

Altogether, Viktor's idea of a destination is impossible, and the very foundations of evolution are built on imperfections. So you may ask yourself: Why does he even believe in this? Why does he say all of this despite being such an intelligent character? Surely he knows he's wrong, right?

"The Final, Glorious Evolution"

Viktor as a character is a lot of things. He's shown to be incredibly intelligent and hyper-competent. He wants to make the world a better place for people suffering because he himself suffered greatly. He's also a perfectionist.

When we first meet Viktor, we're introduced to him as the assistant to the dean of the academy who holds his head high and isn't afraid to be snarky with Jayce for blowing up his apartment. On a whim he chooses to help Jayce, to inspire him to risk it all for Hextech, to improve lives.

He stands with Jayce on the ledge saying no one ever believed in him, so instead he believed in himself. He appears to be incredibly confident.

But we see through the rest of season one that that confidence doesn't come from a place of genuine self love, it comes from security in his abilities. His self-worth is tied to his usefulness, to his impact on the world. Imperfections, in Viktor's eyes, are a mere hindrance.

Viktor isn't actually as confident in himself as he first appears. He postures himself with a lot of faith in what he's able to do, but when it comes to what he IS NOT able to do, he shrivels. He's a deeply insecure person. His disability and his status as a Zaunite have done little for him but hold him back. He thinks he needs fixing, that the undercity needs fixing, that humanity as a whole needs fixing.

So when the hexcore is manipulating him, of course it targets this view in him. Like Viktor, the hexcore wants to change the world to be in its image. It wants to replace all that is organic with that which is artificial, ideal. And so it sings the song of the glorious evolution to Viktor.

Imagine it, a world with no pain, no conflict, no struggle. No environmental pressures to contend with, because a perfect being cannot struggle, it can't make mistakes that lead to pain.

But when we see that imagined world, its a wasteland. In Viktor's own words, a field of dreamless solitude. A flat expanse where nothing can change or grow, nothing new can be experienced, none of humanity's warmth and emotion exist anymore.

"There Is No Prize to Perfection, Only an End to Pursuit"

At first I thought it was kind of silly that a scientist would ever misunderstand evolution to the degree Viktor has with this line. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Viktor misunderstanding evolution is just another extension of his perfectionism. It's IMPORTANT that he's wrong actually, it's essential to his arc.

He can't perceive the truth of what evolution is at this point in the story because accepting that means accepting that there is beauty in imperfections.

And I think we all know that that lesson is one that he hadn't quit learned yet.

Thanks for reading my insane ramblings.

"There is beauty in imperfections. They made you who you are. An inseparable piece of everything I admired about you." - Jayce Talis

[elminx]

Magic for Recentering During Times of Conflict

Note: I am writing this immediately following the November 2024 election cycle, but this is not meant to be specific to this time. Nor am I inferring that magic can solve all of our problems. Please seek out help from a professional if you need it.

One of the deep truths that I have uncovered in my life is that when I am unbalanced (emotionally, physically, spiritually), I am of no use to myself or to others. When something rocks me to the core of my being as this election has, I need to feel all of the feels first and foremost. Then, I need to find a way to move on from the immediate (VERY VALID) emotional turmoil so that I don't get stuck in a pattern of rumination or pathological catastrophizing.

These are some of the ways that I do so. This list is not meant to be exhaustive and, of course, I do not expect every one of these to work for everyone. That is okay and expected. I'm also not including medical, psychological, or court-based interventions because I am not a doctor or a lawyer. Some of these tips are purely magical in nature and some are what I would call magic adjacent - they are mundane actions that are cleansing in nature.

Feel your feelings. I know I said AFTER, but I feel that I need to reiterate this. These steps are unlikely to work until you have worked your way through the first stages of rage, revolt, grief, name your emotion here. How long this takes will be different for everyone. Don't rush this.

Breathe. When I am really In It, I find meditation nearly impossible. I need to be reminded how to take deep breaths. This is when I get help—I use the Tide App for this. I set it to "Breathe," a fifteen-minute timer, and balanced breath. If you're new to breath work, start with five minutes. This is very simple: The app makes a sound for inhalation and one for exhalation. For many people, deep breathing helps to bring your nervous system into balance.

Change. This isn't a tip for everyone, but you know who you are. (I'm definitely guilty of this) If you've been wearing the same clothes for a week, stewing in your emotional turmoil, it's time to change them. Every single item you've been wearing. This may go to blankets or bedding, too. Put them all in the wash and give yourself a fresh set and a fresh start.

Wash. Take an intentional bath or shower. Wash every part of your body, focusing on removing the bad emotions with soap and washing them down the drain. You can add oomph to this by using soaps with cleansing scents (think lavender, citrus, lemongrass, sage, etc.).

Cut or Dye your hair. This is a deep take that will only work for some people, but if you're like me, cutting your hair can be a big release. It doesn't have to be a big change (though I find the bigger the cut, the bigger the release). Sometimes, making a visible change to your appearance can change how you feel. IYKYK

Small Cleansing Rituals. These will vary greatly depending on your practice and culture. If cleansing yourself with smoke or crystals really gets you, do it.

Clean Your House - stale energy is stale. Part of getting over an emotional episode, for me, is getting the energy in my environment flowing again. Open some windows. Wash your floors. Pick up the mess you created when you were too In It to do anything more than feel. This could be your bedroom, house, or space in which you spent the most time while you were down for the count. You can add oomph to this with Cleansing Vinegar.

Big Cleansing Rituals—When something is really stuck, we need the big guns. This could be cord-cutting or cleansing spells, whatever works well for you. I have a spell that works for this here.

Flush it out of you. (TW: alcohol) If you're the potion type, you can make a cleansing potion to move the emotions through your body until you eventually pee them out. This doesn't have to be alcoholic, though I like alcohol for its mild diuretic effects in this scenario. Think cleansing with citrus here, especially. My long-form lemonade will definitely work here, as would many types of tea. I have a seasoned cocktail specifically designed to do this here.

Banish it. There are too many ways to do a banishing spell for me to list them all here. But, since we are talking about explicitly banishing something from your own body - I suggest using food. Onions and black pepper are good banishing ingredients that taste great, too. I have a French Onion Soup banishing recipe here.

I want to reiterate here that if you are still dealing with your emotions stage of things right now, that is completely okay. This isn't meant to rush anyone through this process. We are all different people with different needs. It's also okay (and probably expected) that all of these things listed above won't work for all people - after all, they are things that work for me, specifically.

You need to find out what works for you. If don't know where to start right now, I hope this gave you some ideas. And, as always, if there's a method of getting through the hard shit that you'd like to add to this, please do! We could all use some new ideas for the hard road ahead.

[heresmyfiddlestick]

What is halfway through Doctor Who?

By seasons? We're looking at Season 21: Warriors of the Deep, The Awakening, Frontios, Resurrection of the Daleks, Planet of Fire, The Caves of Androzani, and The Twin Dilemma.

By story? Depending on how you count Shada and Trial of a Time Lord it's either The Christmas Invasion, The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, or Boom Town (or, I suppose, Born Again-- but then I'd have to take into account Dimensions in Time).

By episode? That would be The Robots of Death Part 3 and Part 4.

Purely based on time? Well the halfway point between the most recently aired episode (May 31, 2025) and November 23, 1963 is August 28, 1994 which makes the story that was released at the halfway point of Doctor Who's (current) lifetime the Virgin New Adventures novel Strange England (released August 18, 1994).

[yoghurtsgirl]

If I held that wish baby, I would wish that Russell T Davies never returned to Doctor Who

RTD2 has been a colossal mess. Last season was maybe the worst series the show has ever had, with the only truly good episode being Rogue. After The Empire of Death, I thought I was done with the show. Then I killed time by watching Joy to the World on Boxing Day and I thought I was done with the show. But on my quest to show my girlfriend Doctor Who, I thought hey it might be an idea to do the new stuff just so she knows why I don't like it. And guess what we found?

We both really liked this series. The Robot Revolution was a super fun camp introduction to the season, with Belinda instantly being ten times more of a character than Ruby Bloody Sunday was. Lux was creatively unique and even though I wasn't a huge fan of it, it was a big swing which I really enjoyed it taking. The Well was a surprisingly great base-under-siege sequel to Midnight, something I never thought could happen. Lucky Day touched on really interesting themes and emotional beats even if it didn't stick the landing. The Story and the Engine was absolutely fantastic, pure joy and the most original episode in all of Doctor Who. And then we got the Interstellar Song Contest - an episode with incredible production values but god awful internal politics.

And here we are. Wish World, a story has some real interesting meta commentary of conservative power-structures that suppress people who don't fit in with the patriarchal worldview, how the world the right-wing strive to get back never really existed, and they have to ignore literal holes in their philosophy for their fiction to make sense. The production design is superb and it does look lush, with redressings of sets in super clever ways. On a production design and on a commentary level it is better than last year’s first part of the finale, but it left me feeling nothing. It left me feeling very little hope for The Reality War. I've been let down before by this show, and been let down by you, Russell. Surely you won't do that again.

Well Russell, fool me once shame on me, fool me twice? Fuck you.

The Reality War. What a heap of absolute piss. There's something truly incestous about the show now. This god-damn boys club that's had its claws in the show since the 90's is still here, and it refuses to progress. When the show returned in 2005, Russell was on record saying the kids watching the show in twenty years would be running it, they would be Doctor Who. 20 years later the old bugger is still here. And I have to wonder, was it worth it? Is all this worth it?

The MCU-ification of the show - and all media, let's be honest - is a plague. I don't mind the deal with Disney, I don't mind the lil mid-credit scenes I guess. What I do mind is how the show is being made as content and that's it. It's jangly keys tv. It's not a show, it's not made as a production. It's made out of legal obligation. This show is being made for ten year olds who have been watching the show for forty five years. It's made so broadly and yet so fucking niche it's for nobody. I enjoy lil cameos here and there, I enjoy lil references to silly little lore. What I hate is building entire episodes - nay, seasons - off references to decade old plot points that haven't been referenced since 1983. Oh, speaking of which...

Susan Foreman. Hi Susan. I love Susan. Why were you here? Or specifically, why weren't you here? If I had a nickel for each series of Doctor Who which built up the big return of The Doctor's first companion, only for her to not actually appear, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's weird it not only happened twice, but in back to back seasons no less. Her cameo in Interstellar Song Contest was nice, but it amounted to nothing. Why was she here? Who was she for? The Fugitive Doctor's cameo in Story and the Engine was nice, but amounted to nothing more than jangly keys. The Thirteenth Doctor's cameo here amounted to nothing because she pops in, and it's lovely to see her again, but her whole cameo only existed for one reason - to give me vindication on how good her era actually was and how no one fucking believed me. We had it so good, man

The Rani - why? She's a character that exists only to be The Master-lite. I do like her, but she's often just a less interesting villain archetype. She's camp, she's silly, but that's kinda about it. I'm glad her grand return happened so we can stop with the "oooh the Rani is coming back" speculation every damn year, but god almighty what was this? Mrs Flood is the epitome of making it up as you go along. There's no arc, there's no actual thinking things through. Go back and watch her first appearances in Season One - she's clearly not The Rani. She just exists to be a buzzword so people can make lore videos about. "Ooh, are you not excited this character who hasn't appeared since The Doctor was Scottish five times ago is coming back??"

No. Because I care about writing. I care about plotting. I care about this show. Well, fuck me. Because if I had a nickel for each time a season finale brought back a legacy character who aspired to be a God, reduced his character to just being another boring God, with a CGI body of a dog, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's weird it's happened twice... two seasons in a row. Why is Omega here and why is he like this? He got Sutekh'd. Holy fuck. How was this allowed to happen.

Why is there no story? Why is it all fluff and waffle. And when there is a story, about the Doctor having a daughter and how if they fix the world she disappears from time, why does it not matter? They pretend it does, but it not only is obviously a reshoot but it clearly lacks all the emotional weight of times long gone. You cannot tell me RTD2 was made to be accessible for new fans, and at the same time mention Looms in the same sentence. Because Looms are canon now. LOOMS. FUCKING LOOMS. The most insane and worst part of 90's Who Lore. Hey, remember that time the Time Lords got cursed by a witch and made them sterile? No? Well that's canon now. Oh, and bi-generation was explained as something Time Lords can do to reproduce, and not actually a one off magical event based on a Time Lord myth. WHAT THE FUCK REASONING IS THAT FOR THAT ALREADY AWFUL IDEA???? The Doctor having children was such a huge part of the show in RTD1, and how he lost them (in the Time War or not) was super impactful. But now he's retconned his own era - the Doctor never had kids because he's sterile but Susan... exists...?

Susan is a real weird part of the show because she existed pre-all this lore about The Doctor and the Time Lords and regeneration came about. He left her on an alien world to live a life of her own, and said he would come back for her. He never did. His granddaughter. But because of all the new lore over the years, her place in the show was left super unclear. Was she a Time Lord? Could she regenerate? Would she age like a human or a Gallifreyan? Well fuck you, because now she's not even the Doctor's grandkid. I don't want those answers to be explored really, because exploring too much of the Doctor's past could be damaging, and damning in Susan's case. But the answer is now no, she's not even his grandkid, is fucking insane to me.

And look, nostalgia is a dangerous thing. Nostalgia is a really powerful tool but it's remembering a past that never truly existed, it's the memories of past events that should stay that. And it's always good to remember. But that same boys club running the show for the past 20+ years refuse to let go of nostalgia. Because Ncuti is gone. And Billie Piper is the next Doctor Who

I fucking mean this, that is the single choice that has forever broken the show. Hey, Doctor Who is Rose Tyler now. Rose Tyler, his ex, who he last saw hundreds and thousands of years ago and six regenerations ago. We've had five Doctor Who's since David Tennant (first) left the TARDIS. And Rose has not been relevant in the show since 2009. Why are we still doing this? Beyond the optics of regenerating into his ex, beyond the nostalgia-baiting, I have to ask. Does anyone even care about Rose Tyler like this anymore? I have no hope for the future of the show, because it refuses to let go of the past.

And poor Ncuti. I feel so bad for him. He was so hard-done by. Two seasons of poor scripts, awful plotting, negative character arc. He came in with nat-20 charisma and I love him for that, and in this season he got to pull back the layers a little more and have him be a more complex character. All for it to come undone here. The best Doctor who deserved better; he's joined that pantheon alongside Colin Baker, Paul McGann, Peter Capaldi, and Jo Martin. The only Dalek appearance in his era was a reused clip from Day of the Daleks (which, by the way, was a clip from the special edition that featured new Dalek voices by Nicholas Briggs, which means the original serial isn't canon but the special edition is? Oh my god, Russell T Davies is the George Lucas of Doctor Who...) The only Cyberman appearance in his era was in a comic strip. No, we're not doing old baddies unless we're turning them into big dogs. No, we have whole new baddies and monsters! Like... a Nazi, a victim of a genocide who is villainised to the extent the Doctor joins the cause to kill him, and a monster made of snot. WOW, SO INCREDIBLE THERE

There is no sauce here. Nothing special. The directing and blocking in this episode was truly awful. The lighting flat as a pancake. Insane uses of characters. Anita from that god awful Christmas special stands there as a doorstop and says nothing for the entire episode. They throw the main companion into a literal fucking box for half the episode and she does nothing. Rose, Donna's transgender daughter is also here. And again, she does nothing (at least this time she did more than only look at a bloody iPad though). Like,,, wow, go girlies!! Give us NOTHING!!! 

Also it's insane that the optics of the story where a fascist creates an alt-timeline where the men go to work and the women stay at homes to look after the babies, only for the resolution of the story to have the main female character stay in the sci-fi cube. Now that's what I call feminism. Reducing a female character to just being a mother. Belinda wanted to get home all this time because she was an independent woman who had a life of her own to lead, with zero set up of her wanting to start a family. She even hated the idea of being Mrs, of being seen as incomplete if she didn’t adhere to a family unit. But no, the Doctor commits suicide to change time and make her a single mother and rewrite her entire life. What the fuck. Also insane that Anita is a pregnant woman, yet her whole function in saving the day is to stay standing for uncomfortably long. It’s not like pregnant women need major physical support or anything. Fuck off. The gender politics of this episode Jesus fucking Christ. 

It’s truly fucked up. Why did no one stop this? Poppy getting erased from time, The Doctor awkwardly giving up his life to save his and Belinda's daughter, only for her to come back and re-write Belinda's entire timestream so she was a single mother. Because in this story, women are just for breeding or something?? Wtf is that about. It's insane that the Doctor died like this even. On paper I love the Doctor giving up his life to save one person. That's so so good and something that has been done before, and even in this era the idea of one person being missing is so heartbreaking and the Doctor would do anything to remedy that. But the emotional and thematic beat of the Doctor finally having a biological child (which is a heap of piss but let's go along with it for a moment) is completely gone because no, he doesn't have a kid. Poppy doesn’t matter because her life got completely rewritten too. We don’t even meet her dad. Fuck you.

This has been a whole ramble of a review, and I have so so many more thoughts on it. This is entirely unstructured, but I'm disappointed. My girlfriend Jane is disappointed. She's a pathological enjoyer of media, she's somebody who will find the good in anything and love it for that (is that why she's dating me, chat?) and she hated it. I hated it. And you should hate this too.

If 1980's Doctor Who was not worth saving, this shit isn't either. I said the same last year, and I'll say it again. I hope Disney pulls out. Doctor Who deserves better than Bad Wolf and Russell T Davies.

Sack Russell T Davies, sack Jane Tranter, sack Phil Collinson, sack Julie Gardner, sack Murray Gold. And then I'll come back to the show...

[bluesakura007]

I'm not deaf myself, and I don't know anyone in my life who is, but something I've been thinking about is how deafness would be treated in the Matrix-verse. It's just a little worldbuilding aspect that's been on my mind.

A couple of the things I think would happen on the Machines' end is that deaf pod-born humans in the power plants - and those with other disabilities - would get comparatively more attention from the Docbots, and that the Agents would of course be programmed to be fluent in sign language. On the vein of the latter (especially because you can see him talking with his hands during his "instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment" and I've noticed Hugo often talks with his hands IRL), I can picture Smith questioning a human who's deaf by using sign language. And whereas Jones and Brown just purely use sign language if and when they address the deaf human, Smith signs and also says it verbally as he goes along, as another early sign of him being not like other Agents. It confuses Brown and Jones that little bit, because they don't bring it up but they're thinking to themselves that since all three of them are fully fluent in sign language, surely he shouldn't have to say what he's signing out loud.

On the Resistance's end, I like to think that should the deaf human join a hovercraft crew in the Real World, at least some of their pod-born crewmates, certainly including the Captain, would download a fluency in sign language to make sure they can communicate clearly with this one of them. And based on a thing in one of the new Doctor Who episodes over these last few weeks, The Well, I think some Zion personnel might have a small, wearable piece of equipment that turns what they say out loud into holographic text for those who are deaf to read when interacting with them. As for the deaf human themselves, if they're not that good with lip-reading and they're a pod-born then they could have this skill downloaded into them.

As I say, just something that's been going around in my head for worldbuilding theory purposes. Let me know what you guys think of it!

[morganski-19]

Alright, in-depth theory time because it's all I could think about at work today.

This will be about what I think will happen in the next two episodes purely on the promo for ep 7, what I know from certain interviews, and the episode titles. None of this is based on anything really, it's all for some fun.

Cool, here we go.

Hotshots is going to deal with a lot of "Hot Shot" related emergencies, including the one on the actual Hotshot set. So a lot of people doing dumb shit, thinking that it will make them look really cool, but they get injured during it. And then the actual Hotshot rescue will happen somewhere near the mid-point of the episode, like the well emergency did in 8x06, which was also second in the promo.

Non-emergency related plots that will be happening during this episode, Madney going to the doctor which is why they need Buck to watch Jee. Buck going through it and starting to deal with his breakup. Eddie continuing his journey of finding joy in his life, and starting to figure some stuff out. Bobby getting almost stalked by Brad, because that man has some insane tendencies. And then Athena dealing with that new rookie that they mentioned in the synopsis.

To bring in some of the stuff from the articles, Buck is going to be looking at the past while Eddie is going to be carefree and looking at the future, a complete role reversal. I think that is going to be mostly this episode, where we see Buck overthinking everything in his relationship, and Eddie just being a more carefree version of himself.

However, I will say, that I don't think the carefreeness is going to be for very long, because eventually, he will have to acknowledge the whole Chris situation and get dragged back into all of those feelings again.

That is a hell of a lot to put in one episode, but they've done it before, they will do it again.

Now, this is where it will get a bit crazy, because I have nothing to base any of this information on, it's pure fan theory.

8x08's name "Sob Stories", was changed to "Wannabes". I'm not sure if that means "Sob Stories" will be moved to the spring premiere of the season, like how "No Place Like Home" was moved from episode 3 to 4, it's too early to know that. I am going to go off of the assumption that it isn't.

A "Wannabe" is someone who tries to be like someone/something else to fit in with a particular group. Since the episodes tend to be named after the emergencies that occur in those episodes, I can assume that the emergencies are going to surround that.

However, it could also be plot-related as well. I can see three possibilities of what Wannabes could mean with the characters specifically.

Buck continues to unravel what Tommy said to him in the breakup, realizing that he was a "Wannabe" in the relationship. It could bring everything back to when they first got together, and Buck's jealousy of Tommy and Eddie's friendship, and he could realize that it was never Tommy's attention he was trying to get, but Eddie's. Do I think that means he will be smart enough to fully understand his feelings for Eddie, absolutely not. That will take a few more episodes. But I can hope.

Eddie gets a call from Chris/his parents (or maybe Abuela, since she lives in Texas now), and realizes that his parents are the "Wannabes" because they want Chris as their redo child. It would play into my hopes of the mid-season break cliffhanger being bringing Chris home. Or at least starting the process of bringing Chris home. (if we want to continue with Eddie, even though I think it's going to be a plot in 8b, he might realize he is a "Wannabe" because he isn't straight)

And now here's the big one.

Brad is the big "Wannabe", as he is stalking Bobby and possibly hijacking some of the emergencies throughout the episodes. Brad is a spark fuse, he has anger issues, and would not be happy about Bobby's move from Hotshots in general, and also his rejection of that invitation to his cabin. He might even ask Bobby to come back to the set of Hotshots, because I can't see him liking Gerrard very much. This could go south fast, as the actor commented something along the lines of "you're not going to like Brad for too much longer" back when the first three episodes were airing.

So, he's were it gets really insane. All week we've been talking about the allusions to Buddie NDE, and how we think there is going to be one in the mid-season finale. I really like this theory, and think that this show would absolutely do something like this, especially as it keeps viewer attention over the break.

This NDE can be completely inconsequential and just out of the blue, much like some of the other NDE's have been. However, since the shooting is the only NDE not accounted for right now, I'm going to be focusing on that one.

There are some BTS pictures with some SWAT cars, I think that's a red herring. Everyone is going to make it out of there alive.

Given that the shooter was targeting first responders, specifically firefighters, we can take that fact and apply it to the possible NDE.

That being, Brad only knows one other member of the 118, Buck. He wants revenge against Bobby for leaving him alone on Hotshots, so he does something to Buck. I think Brad will be a recurring figure in ep 8, and in the last few minutes, the accident will occur.

What I want that to be, is Brad following Buck around and hitting him with his car. It could then be a redo of the Shannon death, where Eddie is the only one who can save Buck, and thus give him a reason to work through all of that trauma that has not been mentioned in the show since.

Do I think Buck will be saved in that episode, I really have no clue. It could go one of two ways, the screen blacks out with a flatline, or Buck is saved and Eddie realizes something. I don't think he can realize anything in the last few minutes (or possibly seconds) of the show, but it could start it.

I have more thoughts about why I think a car accident NDE for Buddie would be the way they bring up the whole Shannon thing again, but that is a whole other theory. So send me an ask if you want me to explain that more.

As far as what Tim said about bringing it all back to the beginning of the season, I think it will either Chris calling Eddie and saying he wants to go home, or Buck getting hit by the car (since he almost got hit by one when he was on the highway in ep 3)

I also really want Hen to have a storyline in the next two episodes, but I'm not sure if there is 1. time or 2. a good idea that doesn't involve family problems, since the writers can't seem to think of anything else for them.

(the only think i can think of, though, does play into my forbidden theory. it's forbidden because I both don't want to speak it and don't want it to happen, but these writers like to play with my emotions too much, so I know it's a large possibility. it may involve a miscarriage and dealing with the loss of a wanted child, something that hen has experienced in her own way the the hell of an adoption process her and Karen have gone through, where she can be there for chim. but again, I really don't want that to happen.)

Anyway, here's my crackpot theory. Don't know if any of that is going to happen, but we'll see.

[st4rshiptr00per]

VNAs skip/read list (my opinion...) made based off my reading of my buddy Rachel's recommended skip/reads. putting this here so i can share it on discord easier lol

4 Timewyrm: Revelation - Paul Cornell

Stands alone pretty damn well tbh and the Doctor and Ace characterization makes me insane

5 Cat’s Cradle: Time’s Crucible - Marc Platt

Not required reading but its more Platt doing more of his Lungbarrow shit, first mention of looms, really great ancient gallifrey stuff

9 Love and War - Cornell

The romance plot isnt for everybody but I love it and this is a really important book to the shape of the series to come, especially for what happens to Ace and her relationships/characterization. PLUS: Benny’s very important introduction!!!

10 Transit - Ben Aaronovitch

Has a semi-earned bad reputation, but it introduces Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart and I think it’s good to read if u want the full VNAs experience, including a taste of all its flaws and the breadth of the genres the series contains. Also I just love the hard scifi world building

13 Deceit + #14 Lucifer Rising

HAVENT READ THESE ONES YET SHHH but these also contain important Ace character arc stuff

[ALTERNATE HISTORY ARC ZONE]

19 Blood Heat - Jim Mortimore

Beginning of an arc, very enjoyable (minus a couple slow spots) and has a great jurassic park/Inferno/the last of us setting. Post apocalyptic and hopeless, includes UNIT stuff (!)

21 The Left-Handed Hummingbird - Kate Orman

The ancient Aztec stuff is predictably clumsily handled, but this is where Orman starts and it already has some extremely good hurt/comfort shit going on. Undead color-out-of-space wizards, rogue alien-hunting UNIT employees, and Friendship.

22 Conundrum - Steven Lyons

This one wasn’t for me pacing-wise, but is very well loved. Very successful return of beloved concept from 60s Who…

23 No Future - Paul Cornell

Finale of the Alternate History Arc ft. A returning 60s Who villain. A big chaotic mishmash of a ton of different ideas in a Moffat-era sort of way but I think it pulls it off shockingly well, a lot of fun.

26 Theatre of War - Justin Richards

A Shakespearian space adventure romp… Benny in her element AND the first on-screen appearance of Irving Braxiatel and the Braxiatel Collection. A lot of fun.

27 All-Consuming Fire - Andy Lane

The Sherlock Holmes/Dr Who crossover special :) a lot of fun, with multiple unreliable narrators. Highly recommend.

30 First Frontier - David A. McIntee

Military thriller ft. The Master in the american southwest. I wasn’t big on the prose, but u gotta be excited to see the Master again…

35 Set Piece - Kate Orman

ORMAN BACK AT IT AGAIN. Ace’s big exit story, and the return of Kadiatu. They could not have picked a better author to handle this one. Very sweet, a must-read.

37 Sanctuary - David A. McIntee

A pure historical in 13th century france! Introduction of Benny’s beloved Guy.

38 Human Nature - Paul Cornell

Honestly the superior version of Human Nature. Scarier, sadder, and spookier. A lot more pared down and straightforward than a lot of the previous books to great effect. More of Cornell’s great fantasy-element writing in here.

39 Original Sin - Andy Lane

NEW COMPANION INTRO… Funky and gritty far future setting with fun world building, and our beloved Chris and Roz

40 Sky Pirates! - Dave Stone

This one is fucking bizarre. You just have to try it. Deranged Fritz Leiber pastiche that gets way more thoughtful about the source material than expected. No rating properly communicates the quality of this book. Really excellent eldritch Time Lord stuff in here.

43 Head Games - Steve Lyons

Sequel to Conundrum. A bit of a hot mess, but so much fun. Mel and Ace return(!)

44 The Also People - Ben Aaronovitch

PEAK aaronovitch worldbuilding fully harnessed here. A must-read for Roz characterization, and especially neccessary if you plan on reading the Bernice Summerfield New Adventures afterward. A cozy murder mystery beach episode full of summer romance…

46 Just War - Lance Parkin

Nazi-punching WWII historical. A grimy split-up-team story. Beautifully written and well loved for a reason, even if its a bit messy around the edges.

48 SLEEPY - Kate Orman

The beginning of the lovely besieged community stuff Orman’s going to keep coming back to in future books (see: Vampire Science, Intelligent Tigers). Just beautiful to read, as usual.

49 Death and Diplomacy - Dave Stone

Stone does a “normal” DW plot. Introduction of the very important Jason Kane, don’t read the next book without this one. Really entertaining tonal whiplash from the previous book, a lot of fun.

50 Happy Endings - Paul Cornell

THE WEDDING EPISODE… cameos from characters from nearly every previous book, a gigantic ridiculous slice-of-life with lots of anxiety about what the future will hold…

[ok after this point I haven’t read any of these yet lol]

53 Return of the Living Dad - Kate Orman

Important Benny lore/previous storyline resolution AND jason content

55 Damaged Goods - Russel T Davies

Much loved, very grimy and gritty. Now you get to see RTD without the constraints of an all-ages rating.

56 So Vile A Sin - Orman + Aaronovitch

VERY well loved. Was supposed to be #56 but ended up being published late, so it contains some references to the TV movie… Roz’s big exit. A tragedy.

57 Bad Therapy - Matthew Jones

A special TV companion return :) another book that takes place in a historical queer community

59 The Room with No Doors - Kate Orman

Supposedly one of Orman’s best in this series… Chris Moment.

60 LUNGBARROW -Marc Platt

You know this one.

61 The Dying Days - Lance Parkin

Eight and Benny time :)

[vetrugan]

when i started listening to woe.begone i couldn't wrap my head around their time travel logic because when i get into a new time travel story my mind defaults to doctor who time travel logic which feels a lot more straightforward and familiar to me but it was extremely unhelpful with woe.begone. i had to completely detach myself from my previous understanding of time travel to listen to woe.begone.

today i was thinking about the timey-wimey moment in the newest doctor who episode and how it didn't make sense so i tried to go through the chain of events in my head and at some point i realized that it wasn't working because i was using woe.begone time travel logic. (i thought about it more and it doesn't work with the doctor who logic either so that sucks)

i tried to put into words how those two time travel logics are different but the best i can do is: doctor who time travel is based on loops and paradoxes and what is convenient for the plot. woe.begone time travel is based purely on vibes. and what is convenient to the plot, of course.

[artoatsblog]

Half-Life/portal/tf2 crossover but it's a 2000's cartoon au

Gordon Freeman is our blank slate protagonist, he's 11 and just moved to town, He's bullied and doesn't have any friends until he finds out he has superpowers and it's his job to save his new town.

Chell is a goth girl who acts as (essentially) Gordon's moral compass.

Wheatley is a Mr crocker type teacher who hates Gordon and helps Caroline take over the town.

Caroline is the principal whose alternate supervillain form (named GLaDOS) main power is summoning "the all powerful nine".

They may or may not be based on the Mercs from tf2

Speeding sound (scout) is a black and white cartoon character put into the modern day, he dresses like a baseball player and in the first episode he appears in the main way of defeating him is not giving him any attention.

Powerful patriot (Soldier) is the most """Noble""" of the nine he has a skewed sense of justice and looks like a 6 ft raccoon wearing teared up army clothes he found in the dumpster probably.

Innocent inferno (Pyro) just wants to make everyone happy, granted this happiness comes from being hypnotized, but it's the thought that counts, he's/she's/they're a unicorn that looks like they're being taken over by dragon DNA, although only the unicorn parts can be seen when they're pals (victims) hypnotized to have a more "friendly" look.

Almighty alpha (demo) is a beach bum because that's the closest I can get to a PG alcoholic, He's also a wolf because... I needed another word that started with a, instead of being just connected to wizards he is one, he mostly uses his powers to hypnotize people to like him because he is very lonely and sad.

Dreaded dyr (Heavy) rarely comes to earth himself because he finds conquering humans child's Play, closest thing to a leader the nine have and looks like whatever a fat/jacked skeletor would look like.

Boastin' bronco (engineer) thinks that all humans are inferior to him, acts "real nice" to them but secretly hates every single one, he's a robot cowboy because why would you expect him to be anything else.

Medical malpractice (medic) is no angel despite his looks, similar to bronco he finds humans weak however unlike bronco he wants to improve humans by taking his favorite parts of the animal kingdom and forcing humans to be just a bit more like them, he has a human body but dove like wings, a eyeball for a head and a doctor's coat design to look like an angel's robe.

Sharp shooter (sniper) is a croc from the down under(world) doesn't talk to people and mainly stays up high to avoid being touched, He's literally just sniper but a crocodile in terms of appearance.

And finally, Shimmering shadow (spy) has the ability to possess anyone with the only downside being that the right arm is all under control of the original person he possessed, he is a pure black shadow in 2D.

[lastweeksshirttonight]

Did you want my notes on Strike Force Five episode one? No? TOO BAD! YOU'RE GETTING THEM!

(Heavy spoilers for episode 1 if you plan on listening soon!)

- I love the show's overall vibe and the "roles" that all of the guys play. It's definitely a free-wheeling, off the rails kind of show, where everyone is rambling over each other; the personalities involved can make or break this kind of podcast, and everyone thankfully is playing to their strengths.

Kimmel serves as the overall show runner and is seemingly the only one endeavoring to keep anything on track, which is a slightly thankless job with this group, but he's got a soundboard and all his radio experience guiding him. Colbert also leans into being the other "elder statesman", as it were, but is much easier to derail (and provides his own episode eclipsing derail I'll talk about later). Fallon is surprisingly reserved and a bit awkward - I'm not the hugest fan of Fallon, but in this podcast, that energy serves him pretty well. Kimmel introduces Seth as "the cute one" and he seems the most neutral so far, just there to ask questions and crack jokes. And John is their super sarcastic "evil teammate" who occasionally interjects to just destroy everyone. Perfect dynamics, 10/10, no notes.

- Seth qualifies his eyes as ocean blue. John says they're Gatorade blue. I don't think I've ever laughed harder at a description of someone's eyes.

- There's a point where I assume there must have been a really blunt edit, because Fallon changes the topic abruptly to having a doctorate. Otherwise, I love the image of Fallon just sitting on that revelation and WAITING, BURSTING to talk about how he has a doctorate, while everyone else talks about Kimmel getting paid summers off.

- Everyone mention multiple times that they have sponsors and are doing this show to help pay their staff during the strikes, which is lovely. This does not mean they aren't taking the piss out of their sponsors. I never thought I'd hear worse ad copy reading than I do on The Jeff Gerstmann Show (I love Jeff, don't get me wrong, but his ad copy screaming is hilariously bad), but the Casamigos ad in this is something else. John spends most of his reading time shitting on a bleeped-out competitor that he calls "not fit for human consumption", Stephen says "you're gonna wanna wipe your ass with it" and likens it to the smoothness of sheets you make love on, there's a disembodied "woo" at some point, Seth stumbles all over a few Spanish words, and Fallon delivers his lines in his awful fake French Timothee Chalamet puppet voice. It's pure chaos and I love it so much.

- Kimmel referring to "the despicable Matt Damon" made me so happy.

- John has never done a deposition. Kimmel saying "I'm surprised you're not in prison" gets lost which is sad, that's a fucking hilarious joke.

- Fallon tells an amazing story about his mom being a nun for a week. She left after being reprimanded for taking Lifesavers into the nunnery and then left. My late aunt and best friend, who was also a nun, probably would have loved Jimmy's mom, as she was always going on wine tastings and picked the order she joined entirely based on who would let her continue to drink after taking her vows. Jimmy also has a picture of his mom dressed as a nun holding a doll dressed as a nun, which is absurd and adorable.

- This leads to everyone but Seth confessing that they'd all thought about becoming priests at some point. That doesn't shock me about Stephen at all, tbf, knowing how religious he is.

- I have to shamefully admit that when John mentioned that he told his father he wanted to be a vicar, my brain went to an extremely Fleabag place and I had to rewind the podcast once I snapped out of it and realized I'd missed like 3 minutes of jokes (including a fantastic one from Seth about John having a doll of himself as a child, like Fallon's mom's nun doll).

- "Don't you want a whole new crop of relatives to visit and entertain?" "Do you wanna get cancelled?! :D" The two Jimmys everyone.

- Stephen reveals who he has everyone saved as in his phone, to prevent people from figuring out who his contacts are if his phone gets stolen. John's is Joliver, which 1) was his name as written on TDS scripts to differentiate him from Jon Stewart, and 2) as everyone points out, is a VERY easy code to crack. Don't really need Sherlock for that one.

- ONE OF US ALERT: Stephen collects weird late night shit, like a hat from The Chevy Chase Show (John literally goes "WOW") and a silk jacket from The Pat Sajak Show. I am very jealous of this collection.

- Next episode everyone will talk about first episodes. I cannot wait to hear John talk about how all over the place his first episode is.

- The big story, running joke, and completely wild admission from this episode - Stephen Colbert has a pair of Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza's pants. Fallon asks how no one outbid him, and it turns out his MOTHER had them BECAUSE SHE DATED HIM. His uncle went to LaSalle Military Academy with Somoza, and Somoza stayed with them during holiday breaks. Everyone else in the room picks up on the idea that Stephen's mom probably slept with a dictator (or as Kimmel says, "made love to a murderer"), Seth claims his mom drinks coffee out of Ferdinand Marcos' skull, and every other male figure Stephen brings up for the rest of the episode is assumed to be someone his mom slept with.

If you asked me before listening to this podcast if I thought there were going to be a pile of elevated "your mom" jokes holding it together, I would have pretty strongly said "no". Surprises at every turn in this pod.

The beginning of this story also captures John SO STRONGLY, and he wants to hear everything about it. Definite Bugle vibes there, this man will never not want to hear about weird dictator facts. He also manages to completely kill Seth by saying "Anastasio Somoza's pants, brought to you by Casamigos".

- Finally, I have already sent an email to the show asking about Planet of the Bass, to make up for my complete failure to ask at the Q&A. I got y'all, we'll get this answer some day.

[slushie-and-skittles]

Ninjago AU ❤️‍🔥

Get ready y'all we are talking about Kai now

⚠️ Trigger warning: Discussion of Bipolar Disorder ⚠️

If you are new to this au, here is the synopsis:

After Aspheera's reign of terror, the ninja are training to become stronger than they ever were. Everything seems fine until past unresolved arguments start rising to the surface. These arguments, while light at first, became more aggressive as time passed. These fights cause several injuries and broken hearts, and the ninjas become more far apart than ever before. Can they find each other again and forgive each other for past mistakes? Or will they stay a broken team, bringing Ninjago down with them?

Ok, let's talk about Kai's role in all of this

After the fight, Kai decides to flee Ninjago City and do missions on his own, as Garmadon did in the comic series. The rest of the ninjas and Wu need to find where Kai is, and most of them are trying to find him.

Earlier in a post, I mentioned that I headcannoned Kai to have Bipolar Disorder, a mental disorder characterized by significant shifts in mood that have an enormous negative impact on the person. I want to incorporate this in Kai's story to the best of my ability. Please keep in mind that I don't have Bipolar disorder, and my representation of Bipolar disorder in this series is purely based on memoirs and research.

During the fight, Jay attacked Cole, resulting in Cole being hospitalized (more info on this in a future post), Which resulted in Kai injuring Jay with his elemental powers. Soon after, Jay is sent to a mental hospital to recover. This event sends Kai into a depressive episode, which makes everyday tasks a struggle to complete. Kai had trouble eating, sleeping, and feeling anything for a week. The other ninjas failed to help Kai since they were busy with all the bills and complicated plans burdened on them due to this fight, and they assumed that Kai was having a normal reaction to the situation. "Our support and the doctor's medication have helped Kai in the past," Says a hopeful Nya to a worried Wu. "Why wouldn't it work now?"

After Kai's depressive episode, a set of jumbled thoughts charge a manic episode. This is when Kai gains the courage and anger to leave the rest of the ninjas and travel on his own. "If I am a burden, I'll just leave" was his thought process. So, Kai decides to escape the monastery and dodge all attempts the ninjas make to try and bring him back. Once Kai leaves, he feels overjoyed at all the new experiences he has traveling, and once his mania ends, he decides not to go back due to the guilt of leaving his friends. He now helps out small villages with safety issues, struggles with his mental health, and debates whether he should return to Ninjago City or not.

Kai will eventually return, but I need to plan it out more.

Other plot ideas: During Kai's travels, Kai sends a birthday card to Lloyd since he feels bad for not visiting them. (He asked a fellow traveler to bring the letter to Ninjago City's post office.) This sends the ninjas into a chaotic haze, trying desperately to trace the letter back to Kai. I don't know where else this plot line could go; it could confirm that Kai is alive, or it could be the thing that locates Kai. One more note: I want a scene where Misako tries to hide the letter from Lloyd since she thinks breaking connections to their past life would be a good idea. Lloyd finds the letter and is frustrated with their mom.

Another idea is that Nya eventually decides to go after Kai since she is frustrated with herself and everyone around her. She eventually finds him and brings him back to Ninjago City.

The art shown above is one of the comic pages I am creating depicting Kai on one of his solo missions.

[accio-victuuri]

Yuli Entertainment’s interview SBMS exclusive interview with Xiao Zhan ☀️

Xiao Zhan: I have some questions about Shengyang

"The value of an actor lies in using his work to speak and having a very real feedback connection with the audience."

At the end of 2019, Xiao Zhan had just celebrated his 28th birthday. He received the script of "The Sun Is With Me" and met the 26-year-old Sheng Yang in the script.

About the same age and having similar work experiences, there seems to be some wonderful connection between Sheng Yang and Xiao Zhan. Coupled with the lively and lovable characters in the script, it seems to be an obvious choice to take on the drama.

In Xiao Zhan's work resume, he has played the roles of a lonely and cold prince, a young man with infinite sincerity, a soldier who strives to break through himself, a doctor who is cold on the outside and hot on the inside, etc. These roles have given Xiao Zhan different life experiences. But he still seems to be missing a life-flow work - after Sheng Yang met the audience, this role filled the gap.

The script took more than three years to write. Xiao Zhan also experienced some of his own growth during these three years, which made him have some doubts about his firm choice of Shengyang, "I At 31 years old, how can I play the role of a young brother who is new to the world and has no experience in the world? Can I convince the audience?" In his heart, Xiao Zhan asked himself repeatedly.

Xiao Zhan told screenwriter Li Xiao all these questions.

The original Sheng Yang was lively and innocent, with endless energy. In Li Xiao's words, "He was a sunny and light character." This was also Xiao Zhan's initial feelings about Sheng Yang, but such a character was very Soon there was a round of challenges.

After writing more than 20 episodes of the script, Li Xiao's emotional life has changed, and he has a deeper understanding of the love story between his younger brother and his older sister. "The younger brother who really wants to fall in love must be very mature in his Temperament and ideas." Li Xiao said.

26-year-old Sheng Yang actually has several years of work experience. Should he still be a big boy who doesn't understand the world? Is it possible that I admired Jian Bing for ten years because of an advertisement ten years ago? Should Sheng Yang be a completely straight-forward and passionate character? Can I fall in love with my sister Jian Bing just based on pure love?

These questions seemed to have different answers in Li Xiao's mind. At this time, Xiao Zhan met Li Xiao for the first time at the script planning meeting.

Xiao Zhan's doubts and Li Xiao's thoughts collided at the same time, "Sister Li Xiao and I have met each other late." In Xiao Zhan's eyes, Li Xiao is a person who is very serious about work. The two people's thoughts about Sheng Yang We hit it off right away at the first script meeting.

Xiao Zhan was worried that he might not interpret well the "image of a fledgling, inexperienced younger brother" that was almost overthrown by Li Xiao, and he transformed into a more resolute character, a bit stubborn, and a more serious Sheng Yang. He is no longer a novice in the workplace, but a character with strong personal abilities, inner aspirations, and a sense of maturity.

When encountering difficulties, Sheng Yang is responsible; he also has his own persistence when he extends an olive branch to Jian Bing after losing his job; choosing to start a business is not a young and energetic impulse or a hothead, "We want the audience to believe that Sheng Yang After everything he has gone through, I believe in the decisions he has made," Xiao Zhan said.

Xiao Zhan participated in such script meetings three times in total. The communication with Li Xiao also extended from the script itself to the two people's taste in art. "We will talk about some of the works we have watched recently, and she will recommend many to me." I also saw interesting movies, TV series, and even FM and audio books through her recommendations, and I saw a lot of good works that I had never seen before.”

It is in this atmosphere that Sheng Yang's image becomes more and more full-in Xiao Zhan's heart, Sheng Yang is no longer just a cold description like words, but outlines a complete character portrait. All Sheng Yang's choices The motivations become clear. Only by convincing yourself can the audience have the possibility to believe. Sheng Yang's changes finally gave Xiao Zhan the confidence to perform.

"Now Shengyang has a clear growth line, and the family atmosphere is also clearer. His sense of responsibility and ability, as well as his ability to withstand stress, have improved. His relationship with Jian Bing has also become more grounded and more capable. Make people believe it." In the three years of script creation, Sheng Yang, like Xiao Zhan, has grown up.

"SBMS" was filmed in Chongqing, a city where Xiao Zhan has lived and can give him a sense of security. It may be easier to find the "sense of life" desired in the play in such a city.

Even so, Xiao Zhan was still a little nervous before joining the group, "What I'm particularly worried about is actually that I want to interpret the character of Sheng Yang in a very life-like and natural way. If I can make everyone feel that Xiao Zhan is not acting, but If he is Sheng Yang, then it will be successful."

How to interpret a life-like character is a lesson that Xiao Zhan must complete.

Director Song Xiaofei once took Xiao Zhan to Shengyang's home. After entering Shengyang's room, Xiao Zhan first stopped and looked around to familiarize himself with the environment. Then he went to tidy up the quilt and pillows he was going to sleep on. He sat on the sofa again, then got up, came to the desk, and adjusted all the ornaments on the desk to where he could easily reach them.

"I particularly like the Shengyang family. The art teachers in "SBMS" are very good. They made the Shengyang family very life-like. So when I walked in, I didn't feel like I was acting at all. Instead, it felt like I had already I’ve lived here for a long time.”

In Shengyang's room, Xiao Zhan seemed to see the house where he lived when he was a child. Whether it was the living atmosphere or the environment, everything was too similar.

With such an atmosphere, Xiao Zhan wants to show the role of Sheng Yang better. Therefore, he is always a little nervous, "I have never acted in such a life-oriented drama, and I will be a little uneasy." From the first day of filming, Xiao Zhan would send the director a message every day. information.

"Director, do you think there are any adjustments today?"

"Director, do you think this is okay?"

"How do you feel?"

"How about the scene tomorrow?"

Xiao Zhan likes the feeling of being in the sun on the set of "SBMS". He communicates, discusses, and creates with the director every day. For Xiao Zhan, this is a way to make progress.

On the first day after joining the group, Xiao Zhan's first scene was the scene where Sheng Yang met Jian Bing in a restaurant ten years later. Song Xiaofei deliberately put this important scene on the first day of filming in order to retain Xiao Zhan's character. The feeling of just getting to know Bai Baihe is exactly what the character needs.

Recalling the first day of filming, Xiao Zhan thought it was "quite fun." On the second day, when filming the scene where Jian Bing was drunk and Sheng Yang took care of her in the hotel, Bai Baihe's acting skills brought some touches to him. .

"The plot of that part was that Jian Bing asked for a song. Sheng Yang asked what the title of the song was. Jian Bing looked at Sheng Yang and said, "I really love you." What impressed me deeply was the look in Sister Bai's head when she raised her head. This was very shocking to me at the time. I saw the light in her eyes and her whole state directly and closely, and I really learned a lot."

The excellent performance of the opponent actor also inspired Xiao Zhan's energy. In the subsequent scenes where Sheng Yang muttered to himself, Xiao Zhan's performance was more refined than when he was walking.

Director Song Xiaofei is always good at capturing the impromptu reactions of actors under the camera, and that reaction is the most real and the most touching to the audience. Xiao Zhan said: "In the play "SBMS," I Just do subtraction, don’t think too much about the design or anything else, it’s enough to just immerse yourself in the character.”

Sheng Yang's lines are life-like, but they also convey viewpoints. To be able to express these views without preaching is a test of the screenwriter's creative ability, and it is also a test of the actor's line performance.

Director Song Xiaofei does not ask the actors to say their lines exactly according to the script, which makes it seem a bit rigid. Most of them do not deviate from the original settings of the script, and the actors can handle it as they feel comfortable. "This is similar to the costume dramas I have made before. There are still some differences. For costume dramas, there is his own way of segmenting lines and saying words." Xiao Zhan said.

In addition to family, love and other story lines, Sheng Yang's work scenes are also very important. When walking into Shengyang's office, Xiao Zhan, who had also been a designer, even had a sense of time travel. "Those work stations, hand-drawn tablets, pens, and even the office and design software in the computer are all too familiar." Sitting at Shengyang's workstation, Xiao Zhan will feel relaxed.

"Although these software are not commonly used now, and the technology is a bit degraded, it is still possible to make some pictures and cut some short films when filming." While waiting for the scene on the set, Xiao Zhan would occasionally make two random sketches on the draft paper. , this sense of atmosphere created an inexplicable connection between him and the character Sheng Yang.

In "SBMS", there is a scene that moved the audience and called out the truth: Sheng Yang lost his job due to a certain project accident, but he did not complain to his parents. Instead, he behaved as usual every day and went out to find a job at the designated time. , go home on time to accompany your parents.

Xiao Zhan fully understands Sheng Yang who reports good news but not bad news, because the way he gets along with his family is similar to Sheng Yang. Xiao Zhan likes the noisy but harmonious way of getting along with each other in the play, " Parents will quarrel and have arguments, but they love each other very much, are very happy, and are very beautiful." During the filming of "SBMS", Xiao Zhan's parents visited him twice. For Xiao Zhan, This is also a kind of happiness.

The audience said that "Sheng Yang is Xiao Zhan in the parallel world." Sheng Yang, a Chongqing native and designer, has a high degree of similarity with Xiao Zhan. Xiao Zhan himself also felt that "in the process of playing Sheng Yang, I will It's a little bit unconscious." For example, Sheng Yang and Xiao Zhan would scratch their heads when they were shy.

"But I'm also afraid that everyone will feel this way." Xiao Zhan said, "I'm afraid that the audience will project their feelings and emotions towards Xiao Zhan onto this character. Although Sheng Yang and I have the same career, in fact we are in the same profession. The personalities are still different, Xiao Zhan may be quieter and more stable, while Shengyang is more outgoing."

There will definitely be some connection between the character and the actor himself. The real reaction given during the filming may include Xiao Zhan's own temperament in some of Sheng Yang's scenes, but this does not mean that Sheng Yang is the actor. Xiao Zhan.

If the audience feels that Sheng Yang seems to be truly living in a certain time and space, it may also mean that Xiao Zhan's interpretation of this character has achieved a landing effect. The "sense of life" he wants to show has been The audience approved.

Broadcasting three TV series in one year is a very rare achievement for an actor. Xiao Zhan also knows clearly, "The value of an actor lies in using his works to speak and having a very real feedback connection with the audience." In the future, TV series are still Xiao Zhan’s main development direction, what will be his next work?

[aishangotome]

Charlie Encounter: Chapter 2

Chapter 1

♡———♡

Episode 1 - To Feel Doubt (心生疑窦)

"On this pure white wall, mottled marks have already begun to appear."

A flurry of footsteps suddenly echoed down the empty corridor. The nurse, Charlie, Tony, and I rushed to bed number 7.

I ultimately couldn't withstand the pressure and gently tugged on Charlie's sleeve.

You: Charlie, they probably know more about Vacon than we do.

You: Maybe we should just leave this to them…

Charlie looked back at me, then at the patient in bed 7. He lowered his eyes, lost in thought for a moment, and then let out a soft sigh.

Charlie: Let's go.

Charlie walked through the group with a blank expression and left the ward.

After we left, the boy in bed 7 was immediately taken away.

But what I never expected was that the very next day, I started showing similar symptoms myself.

The hospital got the news from somewhere, and a group of people in protective suits suddenly burst into the office and surrounded me. Without a word, they took me away, just like they had taken the boy from bed 7 the day before.

I was taken to an unfamiliar place, heavily guarded, where many people with symptoms similar to mine were confined.

I completely lost contact with the outside world. No matter how much I called Charlie's name, he could no longer hear me.

[NORMAL END]

"If everyone gets used to compromise, then heroes will no longer be born."

-

2. Argue based on reason.

At this moment, feeling Charlie needed my support, I spoke loudly in Celsian.

You: Please answer Dr. Zha's questions! If you can't, then trust his judgment!

David's face darkened. He gestured behind him, and a doctor stepped forward, handing us a piece of paper.

David: See? This is Bed Number 7's blood test report.

I leaned closer to Charlie, my eyes searching for the indicator named Vacon. I finally pinpointed a line of small text. But the final result was a crushing blow—Test Result: Positive.

Seeing us speechless, David revealed a slightly smug smile.

David: No more questions now, Dr. Zha, right?

David: We'll do our utmost to treat him. There are many other patients waiting for your care; don't waste time here.

Charlie remained unmoved, still intently staring at the thin paper. After a long moment, he tossed the paper back to the other person.

Charlie: Let's go.

As he passed one of the doctors, Charlie stopped and pointed to his left shoulder.

Charlie: Your protective suit is torn. Change it before you come back.

With that, he swept past the slightly stunned doctor, leading us in long strides out of the ward and down the corridor.

As we reached the end of the corridor, the clatter of bed wheels sounded behind us. I turned my head, watching the group in protective suits push the patient away, moving towards the other end of the corridor.

When I came back to my senses, I noticed Charlie looking in the same direction as me, his expression uncharacteristically serious.

Charlie: Something's wrong. I still feel something isn't right.

Charlie: I touched Bed Number 7's wound and even performed surgery on him a few days ago. Why isn't David isolating me?

You: Maybe they forgot in their hurry? Medical care isn't very developed here; perhaps their procedures aren't standardized.

Charlie: Also, do you remember, David initially said, "Bed Number 7's symptoms are very similar to Vacon."

Charlie: It was only after I questioned him that he produced the test report. Why didn't he present it from the beginning?

I froze, looking up into Charlie's clear, sharp eyes. For a moment, I was speechless, a subtle sense of incongruity welling up in my heart.

Charlie: I will investigate this thoroughly.

For a central hospital with thousands of patients entering and exiting daily, one patient's condition was ultimately just an interlude. Charlie and I quickly plunged into the fast-paced work.

...

By the time work ended, it was late night. Charlie drove me home.

Charlie had performed three surgeries today, but he didn't appear particularly tired. Soothing music played in the car, and his slender fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel to the rhythm.

My workload was far less than his, yet I felt inexplicably weak, my head swimming, not wanting to say a single word.

You: Charlie, the music is too noisy… please turn it off.

He immediately turned off the music, rolled up the car window, and then reclined the passenger seat.

Charlie: Are you tired today? Maybe you should rest for a bit.

You: Mm...

I closed my eyes, my consciousness gradually sinking. Half-asleep, half-awake, I felt a strong itch behind my ear and unconsciously scratched it.

Was I bitten by a mosquito? But how could there be mosquitoes this season…

That night, I had no dreams and slept straight through until morning. When I woke up the next day, however, I still felt weak and sore all over, even more so than last night.

It wasn't until I stood in front of the bathroom mirror and inadvertently glimpsed my arm that my head buzzed, and I instantly became wide awake—

Patches of red rash had crept up my arms. I quickly checked my neck, behind my ears… faint red rashes were everywhere.

I suddenly remembered the full-body rash on Bed Number 7 yesterday when he was in critical condition. My rashes looked so similar to his!

You: Charlie… Charlie!!

My voice was trembling with fear. Hearing me, he quickly walked in, and when he saw my arm, his pupils contracted sharply.

Charlie: You…

A tiny flicker of panic crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

Charlie: Anywhere else you're feeling unwell?

I recalled the series of discomforts that had started last night. I took a deep breath and explained everything to Charlie as coherently as possible.

He said nothing after listening. This made me even more uneasy.

You: Charlie, am I…?

He looked at me with concern, hesitating before speaking.

Charlie: Your symptoms are similar to Bed Number 7's.

I involuntarily recalled the scene of the boy being pushed away by the doctors. The cold corridor was like a one-way street; the boy's figure gradually faded, shrinking to a dot, and then disappeared.

You: Was I infected by Bed Number 7? Or poisoned like him? But… how could that be?

I suddenly thought of something, grabbed Charlie's arm, and rolled up his sleeve to check.

You: What about you? Are you okay?

Charlie: Don't worry, I'm fine.

The skin on his arm was indeed fair and smooth, with no abnormalities. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Charlie gazed at me, deep in thought for a while, then finally took the car keys from the hanger by the door.

Charlie: I'm going to the hospital to find an opportunity to take a closer look at Bed Number 7's medical records and test report.

Charlie: Don't go out for now. Wait for me at home.

You: …Okay.

Leaving the residence and getting into the car, Charlie floored the accelerator. His seemingly calm expression seemed to crack.

...

There was a local Celsian doctor at the central hospital whom he knew fairly well. Upon arriving at the hospital, he walked straight into that person's office.

Doctor: Old Zha? What brings you here?

Charlie: I've been writing a paper related to Vacon recently. Do you have any patient records for Vacon that I could borrow to look at?

Doctor: You're putting me on the spot.

Doctor: Vacon is a sensitive topic for Celsus. The medical records all have access restrictions.

Doctor: The regulations state I can't show them to you, so there's nothing I can do.

Charlie: How about this? Take me to the isolation ward so I can see the Bed Number 7 patient who was sent to isolation yesterday.

Charlie: That was originally my patient.

Under Charlie's probing gaze, the doctor managed a strained smile, his eyes darting away.

Doctor: Well… I heard he's already been sent to another hospital. It's not very convenient.

Charlie: Which hospital?

The doctor opened his mouth several times, but stopped short, waving his hand helplessly. His tone seemed to carry a deeper meaning.

Doctor: Old Zha, listen to me, stop stirring things up. It won't work out…

Charlie didn't press further, nodded, and left the office.

He paced along the corridor, pondering what his acquaintance had just said. Passing a window, he inadvertently looked up and saw a middle-aged woman lingering in the hospital's backyard.

The woman looked familiar, like she might be Bed Number 7's mother? Charlie felt a doubt arise in his heart, so he went to the backyard and walked towards her.

The woman noticed Charlie and immediately rushed over and grabbed him. Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying.

She spoke rapidly in Celsian, and Charlie, looking bewildered, only caught a few words.

Woman: Son… save him…!

Charlie: Wait, speak slowly. What happened to your son?

Woman: Son… can't find him…

Security Guard: Hey, I told you to get out!

A fierce shout came, and two burly men in security uniforms rushed towards the pair, grabbed the woman, and started to escort her out.

Charlie: Wait, let her finish!

Security Guard: Hmph, special times, special orders. I advise you not to meddle!

...

Less than an hour later, the apartment door clicked open, and Charlie walked in, his expression solemn.

You: You're back! Did you find out anything?

Charlie: The doctor told me Bed Number 7 had been transferred, but I saw his mother in the hospital's backyard.

Charlie: His mother was frantic and pulled me aside, begging for help, saying she couldn't find her son.

I widened my eyes, looking at Charlie, feeling that the situation was becoming increasingly incomprehensible.

You: How could this be… Is the doctor lying? Where exactly was Bed Number 7 taken?

Charlie: Yes, the Central Hospital's method of handling these "patients" is very suspicious.

Charlie: I still stand by my opinion: Bed Number 7's symptoms, like yours, seem more like poisoning.

Charlie: The Central Hospital hiding him might be related to this unknown toxin.

A sudden cold gust of wind blew the window open a crack, and a chill crawled up my spine.

Charlie: We can't worry about that so much right now. We need to leave Celsus as soon as possible and find a place to treat you.

Charlie: If we stay here, we probably won't have a chance to figure out the cause of your illness.

You: Huh? Leave Celsus?

Charlie: Maggie mentioned to me before that she discovered the Central Hospital was falsely reporting the number of casualties.

I stared at him blankly, my mind racing.

You: You mean, they're not only concealing poisoned patients but also falsely reporting casualties? That's definitely too strange!

Charlie: Yes. These don't seem like things a single hospital could orchestrate. The situation might not be as simple as we think.

I nodded in confusion, then thought for a moment and felt something was amiss.

You: But speaking of leaving the country, I haven't received my blood test report yet…

Charlie: The report is issued by the Central Hospital. Its credibility with me has plummeted to zero, along with theirs.

I looked at the lines etched between Charlie's brows, feeling very hesitant. His serious expression clearly told me that my physical condition was not optimistic.

However, without being certain that I haven't contracted Vacon, can I really leave the country rashly?

2A. Agree. 2B. Object.

-

2B. Object.

I thought for a moment, then finally shook my head gently.

You: Charlie, I know you're worried about me.

You: But right now, you can't be 100% sure I haven't contracted Vacon, right?

You: If that's the case, I can't disregard the lives of more people.

Charlie frowned slightly, pondering for a moment.

Charlie: What if I could ensure you wouldn't come into contact with anyone else besides me during the journey?

He stared directly at me. I caught a glimpse of his swirling struggle and hesitation in his eyes. I gently took his arm.

You: We'll figure something out here too.

You: For example, with the toxin detection, we just need to send my blood samples to a neighboring country, right?

You: It doesn't matter where we go; with Dr. Zha by my side, I'm not afraid at all.

As expected, his expression softened somewhat, and he let out a difficult sigh.

Charlie: Alright, I respect your decision.

Charlie: However, from now on, I'm not just your fiancé, but also your attending physician.

Charlie: If I believe your condition requires treatment in a neighboring country, you must listen to me then.

You: Got it, Dr. Zha.

-

2A. Agree.

My strong will to survive left me no time to consider anything else. I bit my lip.

You: …Okay, I'll listen to you.

So, we immediately packed our bags and left Celsus on Charlie's private plane, flying to another country.

The medical standards there were very high. As soon as we landed, doctors immediately performed a toxicology screen on me.

We quickly received the test results. Just as Charlie had suspected, it was a very rare heavy metal poisoning. The cause of the poisoning was likely the smoke and dust from the Celsus fire.

After using the antidote, my poisoning symptoms quickly improved, but I could never quite let go of what happened in Celsus.

Could the boy in Bed Number 7 have been poisoned, just like me, instead of being infected with Vacon? What happened to the other poisoned patients?

Was the Celsus Central Hospital merely misdiagnosing, or were they intentionally doing it, as Charlie suspected?

When we returned to Celsus, hoping to further unravel the mystery, we discovered that not only the patients' files, but also the patients themselves, and even Anna, who was on duty with us, had all vanished without a trace.

It seemed a huge conspiracy had been covered up.

For the next few days, Charlie looked dispirited. As a doctor, failing to save his own patients must have been heartbreaking for him…

NORMAL END

"If only we had been a little braver, perhaps everything would have changed."

-

Episode 2 - Sacred Hands, Tender Heart (圣手柔情)

"Even someone as resolute as him can waver because of a certain person."

The beeping of the password being entered at the door woke me. I opened my eyes to a clean, spacious single room.

I was now staying in a sanatorium just across a wall from the Central Hospital. This single room was specially arranged for me by Charlie. It was not only fully equipped with medical facilities but also decorated very warmly.

Most importantly, the privacy here was extremely high. Not just visitors, but even medical staff needed a password to enter. Staying here, I didn't have to worry about being discovered by the outside world.

Just then, the door to the room opened, and a nurse walked in with Charlie. The nurse was wearing a thick protective suit, while Charlie was dressed in his usual white lab coat.

Charlie: How are you feeling today?

You: Pretty good.

Charlie walked to my bedside, stretched out his long arm, and took my medical chart from the head of the bed. The nurse followed, pushing a small cart.

Nurse: Miss Y/N, it's time for your IV.

Charlie: Today's dimercaptosuccinic acid dosage has been increased. If you feel any discomfort, be sure to say something.

You: Okay.

Charlie put down the medical chart and helped me sit up, placing a soft pillow behind me. I put my wrist on the small table and watched as the needle squirted a little medicine before piercing my skin.

Perhaps the angle of insertion wasn't ideal, as a sharp pain immediately shot through the back of my hand.

You: Hiss—

Nurse: Oh, I'm sorry…

You: It's okay. You're wearing protective gloves, so it might be a bit awkward.

You: I haven't even received my blood test report, yet you're taking a risk treating me.

The nurse smiled shyly, pulled out the needle, and tried again. This time, it went very smoothly. After applying the IV patch, the nurse packed up her equipment and left the room.

After the room door closed, I looked at Charlie with a slight reproach.

You: You're the most carefree one, not even wearing a protective suit.

Charlie: The Vacon virus is transmitted through bodily fluids. What do I have to be afraid of?

Charlie: What's more, when I say you don't have an infectious disease, you don't.

You: Alright, then I'll trust Dr. Zha's diagnosis.

Charlie: Hmm, that's right.

Charlie: Your blood sample was sent to a neighboring country today. The agency there will complete the toxicology test within fifteen days.

Charlie: Before we get the results, I'll try several different treatment methods.

Charlie: In the next few days, I'll also find an expert in heavy metal poisoning and discuss your case with him.

Charlie: Additionally, Anna is helping us gather information about the circumstances when other patients, diagnosed with Vacon by the Central Hospital, were admitted.

Charlie: This information might all be helpful for your condition.

You: But can you manage all of this? You need to rest, too.

Charlie: It's fine. At the Central Hospital, the fire victims have been gradually discharged. With Tony's help, it's enough.

Charlie: Right now, Dr. Zha only has one patient: you.

You: Then I'll have to trouble Dr. Zha for some "special care."

A few mornings later, when Charlie walked into the room, he saw me scratching the red rash on my arms.

Charlie: Is it really uncomfortable?

You: It's so itchy I can't help myself… The rash is even more widespread than a few days ago.

He strode forward, pulled my arm, frowned as he examined it for a moment, then gently applied a cool compress to the areas I had scratched until they bled.

As he put the medicine back on the bedside table, his gaze fell on my lunch, which I had set aside.

Charlie: Why did you eat so little lunch?

You: Lying in bed every day, I don't have much appetite.

Charlie: Then let's eat an apple to get some vitamins.

You: But my mouth feels dry, and I don't want to eat an apple…

Charlie: Oh? You must have heard the saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

You: But I don't want Dr. Zha to stay away from me~

Perhaps it was due to being confined to bed for so long; my mood, like my body, felt lazy and weak.

I pulled on his sleeve, my voice tinged with a hint of a whine. Charlie paused, then returned to his usual composure.

Charlie: Tsk, tsk, finally speaking your true feelings.

Charlie: Then how about I get even closer? Maybe you'll recover faster.

As he spoke, he actually leaned towards me. I watched his face draw closer and closer, my cheeks feeling warm, and I frantically averted my gaze.

What I expected didn't happen. Charlie extended his long arm, took the medical chart hanging at the head of the bed, and sat back in his original spot as if nothing had happened, writing rustlingly in the chart.

Charlie: Loss of appetite, dry mouth. Noted.

You: …You're even writing that down?

Charlie: You're my only patient right now, so being meticulous is only right.

Watching Charlie's unpolished handwriting gradually fill the entire notebook, a warm, tender feeling rose in my heart.

Charlie: Oh, right. Tony got a lot of important information from Anna these past few days.

Lying in the hospital room with nothing to do recently, I had also been thinking about the Central Hospital, so I immediately propped myself up.

You: What information? Tell me quickly.

Charlie: Anna is a newly admitted nurse and wasn't aware of the hospital's internal rules. That's why she asked me to help save Bed Number 7.

Charlie: Otherwise, according to the Central Hospital's requirements, these cases wouldn't be handled by a foreign doctor like me.

Charlie: It's not just Bed Number 7; the admission records for all those people who were sent away as Vacon patients before have vanished completely.

I couldn't believe my ears. How many people were misdiagnosed, where were they sent, and how were they now? The more I thought about it, the more terrifying it became, and my heart sank.

Charlie: Anna also pretended to casually chat and managed to get more details about other patients from her colleagues.

Charlie: According to the nurses, those who were sent away as Vacon patients all had similar symptoms.

Charlie: Including nosebleeds, even coughing up blood, and a severe decline in liver and kidney function. They were clearly poisoned.

You: It's just as you suspected earlier. Vacon is just a cover-up.

You: The Central Hospital is concealing the existence of another toxin!

Charlie: Exactly.

A reassuring warmth spread across the back of my hand. It was Charlie gently unclenching my hand, which had subconsciously tightened around the bedsheet.

Charlie: I have a way to investigate this thoroughly, so don't worry. Your job now is to recover.

Charlie: The new medication today might have some side effects. I'll also be here with you this afternoon.

You: Okay.

After that, I took my usual afternoon nap. After an unknown amount of time, I slowly woke up feeling stifled, as if a stone slab was pressing on my chest, making it difficult to breathe.

I struggled to sit up, but the suffocating feeling still didn't ease.

Charlie was still in the room. Hearing me stir, he immediately walked towards me. I clutched his hand tightly, as if grasping a lifeline.

You: Charlie… I have chest tightness, and I can't breathe…

He looked at the cardiac monitor, picked up his stethoscope, listened to my chest, his expression tightening, and immediately pressed the call button for the nurse's office.

Charlie: Patient has acute pulmonary edema. Prepare for emergency treatment!

Several nurses immediately rushed into the room.

Charlie: Start high-flow oxygen via oxygen mask, morphine 3mg subcutaneously, aminophylline 0.25g IV drip, furosemide 10mg IV push.

Charlie steadily helped me to a semi-reclining position, and a breathing mask was placed over my mouth. The feeling of restricted breathing finally eased somewhat. I tried my best to breathe, and a mist seemed to rise before my eyes.

In my blurred vision, the only thing that drew my gaze was Charlie's light blue shirt. Only his presence could bring me a small measure of calm amidst the boundless fear.

Charlie: Blood pressure is back up to 108/62mmHg, heart rate 114 beats/min… What's the central venous pressure…?

His voice sounded as if it came from very far away, yet I felt as if I could hear his hurried breathing, hear the tremor in his voice.

Was this Charlie? He was so different from usual. I'd never heard him so flustered, making me want to comfort him. But I couldn't say anything, couldn't do anything.

My consciousness floated as if on clouds. After an unknown amount of time, the breathing mask was finally removed. Charlie quickly came to the bedside and crouched down, holding my hand, squeezing it quite hard.

Charlie: Y/N, are you feeling better?

Charlie looked at me anxiously, his forehead already covered in a fine layer of sweat.

The unexpressed fear transformed into tears flowing down my face at this moment. I sobbed as I poured out my true feelings.

You: I… I'm scared… Charlie, I'm so scared I won't see you again…

Charlie: What nonsense are you talking about? Wherever you go, I'll follow. You can't shake me off, even if you try.

Charlie: Haven't we always been like this?

Charlie forced a smile, but his lips were very pale, and his eyes were red. That smile wasn't pretty at all.

The ordeal stretched time out. When I woke up again, it was already the next morning.

I looked down and saw Charlie asleep by my bedside, an open medical book beside him.

He looked utterly exhausted, resting his arm in a very awkward position, yet his breathing was deep, and he was sleeping very soundly.

I couldn't remember how many days it had been since he had gotten proper rest. Looking at his sleeping face now, I couldn't help but lean down to examine him closely.

The morning light passed through his light-colored eyelashes, casting shallow shadows on his face. His brows were relaxed, and he was surely drifting through a peaceful dream.

His fingers were still intertwined with mine. Was he worried about me even in his dreams? Remembering last night's close call, my heart felt sweet and a little bittersweet.

You: Dr. Zha, I made you worry…

That night, my various symptoms slowly began to improve.

However, I might be overthinking it, but Charlie seemed to have become a bit more quiet.

Every day when the nurse came to give me an injection, a subtle seriousness would unconsciously appear in his eyes, only to quickly recede when he noticed my gaze.

He stayed by my side every night. A corner of the room was piled high with various obscure foreign books and documents.

Late one night, I slowly woke up, opening my eyes to see his tired figure hunched over a pile of books. I got out of bed and walked behind him.

You: Charlie, get some rest.

He pinched his brows, leaving a small crease between them.

Charlie: Did I wake you?

You: No, I'm just worried you can't take it. Look, your eyes are all red from staying up.

Charlie: I can't sleep. It's fine, I know my body's limits.

I leaned closer and saw that Charlie was reading a paper researching Vacon.

You: Why are you still researching this? Didn't you already confirm that I'm not—

Charlie: Curiosity, just casually looking.

I didn't press further and silently returned to bed.

...

It was another ordinary afternoon. I faintly heard arguing at the door.

Nurse: Dr. Zha, I've always trusted your diagnosis, but now the Central Hospital's report has arrived.

Nurse: It's written in black and white: Y/N's Vacon test is positive. You should reconsider—

I froze. Were they talking about the blood test report I did at the Central Hospital the day I first met Charlie in Celsus?

My test result was positive? Just like that boy's report…

Outside the door, the nurse's urgent voice seemed to rise an octave.

Nurse: So, it's better if you put on a protective suit before going in!

Charlie: I've said it before, the Central Hospital's report is unreliable.

Nurse: Dr. Zha!

I quickly went forward and opened the door. The moment my eyes met Charlie's, I seemed to see a hint of helplessness and disarray in his eyes, though it was quickly covered by his usual calm.

You: Charlie, you're here. Why don't you come in?

I opened the door to let him in, then gave the nurse outside an apologetic smile.

You: I want to say a few words to Dr. Zha. Could you please come back later?

The nurse left with a very hesitant expression. I returned to my bed and sat down, looking directly into Charlie's eyes.

You: Charlie, do you dare to kiss me?

Charlie froze, his face instantly flushing. But he quickly composed himself. I think he understood what I meant—the Vacon virus can be transmitted through saliva.

He leaned forward, looking deeply into my eyes, and said, word by word.

Charlie: Even if you had Vacon, I'd dare. Besides, you don't have it now.

You: If that's the case, then let's not worry about that test report from the Central Hospital.

You: I believe you, not just because you're Dr. Zha, but because I want to believe you.

You: I've always felt that human conviction has a very powerful strength.

You: And my trust in you, that conviction, makes me certain that we can overcome any difficulty we encounter.

He looked at me, his eyes trembling slightly, as if there were a thousand unspoken words, yet they all flowed back into the surging waves of his gaze.

Charlie: Thank you. I understand.

Charlie: I won't let anything happen to you.

He held my hand tightly, but his voice was very soft, as if he was speaking to me, and also to himself.

Charlie: However, fiancée, that topic from earlier isn't finished yet.

He put his hand on my shoulder, making a move to lean closer. I snapped back to reality, my heart starting to pound.

You: Huh? I was just giving an example…

Charlie: If you don't agree to me, does that mean you don't trust me?

You: You, you, you!! How dare you!!

Charlie: Just now you asked if I dared, and now you're shouting "How dare you!"

Charlie: There's no other woman in the world as fickle as you.

His face gradually enlarged before me. I froze, blood rushing to my head.

You: Oh, what's wrong with me? I'm so dizzy! I can't breathe!

Charlie's movements were like a paused video. He looked me up and down, a bit nervously.

Charlie: Really? Then I'll call the nurse.

You: No, no need. Just let go of me, and I'll be fine.

Charlie reluctantly let go of me, watching him, usually so smart, become so easily teased. I found it both funny and endearing.

...

Two more days passed. Charlie was in the room checking on my condition when the sound of the password being entered came from outside the door. The nurse pushed the door open, her face beaming with joy.

Nurse: The toxicology report from the neighboring country has arrived! It's heavy metal poisoning, not Vacon, just as expected!

Nurse: The antidote will arrive the day after tomorrow. Dr. Zha's treatment approach these past few days was correct. You'll get better!

I smiled, feeling no great surprise, only relief.

You: I knew Dr. Zha's diagnosis wouldn't be wrong! Tonight, you can finally sleep peacefully, right?

As our eyes met, his smile seemed to falter slightly. Suddenly, he bent down and hugged me tightly on the hospital bed.

Charlie: Yes, you're saved, and I'm saved too.

You: Huh?

Charlie: I never doubt my professional abilities, but when it concerns you, I can't afford to lose.

Charlie: Every time I saw your condition worsen, a voice kept saying in my ear…

Charlie: Charlie, what if you're really wrong?

Charlie: Funny, isn't it? I'm this old, and this is the first time I've ever doubted myself so much. This must be what "care breeds confusion" feels like.

His voice grew hoarser, finally catching in his throat. His weight pressed on my shoulder, and I suddenly felt some dampness there.

Charlie… was he crying?

That confident and steadfast Dr. Zha, who never backed down in front of anyone, was now so shaken because of me.

Had he been enduring this doubt alone all these days, forcing himself to appear calm in front of me, just to put my mind at ease?

His thoughtfulness made me feel somewhat overwhelmed. I wanted him to lift his head so I could wipe his face, but he held me tightly, refusing to let go, refusing to let me see his expression.

I could only gently stroke the back of his head.

You: It's okay, it's okay. I know, you were just too worried about me. See? I'm perfectly fine.

You: You're under too much stress, holding strong for me for a long time, right? Just let it out. I won't laugh at you.

Gradually, I felt the body in my arms relax.

Charlie: You don't know how scared I was before. Now, I can finally relax… It's great.

Charlie whispered intermittently, sobbing, his broad back rising and falling slightly. His warmth and weight enveloped me tightly, giving me a sense of being leaned upon and feeling fulfilled.

After a long while, he finally let me go. He vigorously wiped his face, then regained his usual demeanor.

Charlie: Oh, right. I need to send your test report to Maggie. And the fake report issued by the Central Hospital.

You: Is she investigating this?

You: Oh, right, the last time I met her at the hospital.

You: She said she was investigating something that concerned the lives of many people, could it be…

Charlie: Yes. At first, she only noticed the hospital was underreporting casualties, which made her pay extra attention to this matter.

Charlie: On the day you met her, she had just visited the fire source area for an on-site investigation.

Charlie: She discovered people wearing medical base uniforms frequently entering and exiting there.

Charlie: During this time, I've pieced together the information about poisoned patients I collected and sent it to her. It's been quite insightful for her.

Charlie: Now, she suspects the spread of the toxin is related to this medical base at the fire source.

A medical base at the source of the fire spreading toxins? What exactly is in this medical base?

I felt as if I had unknowingly reached the edge of an abyss, drawn by its evil aura, and couldn't help but peer down.

By the time Charlie finished sending the report to Maggie and arranging my medication, it was already night.

Charlie looked very tired, but he was in particularly good spirits. He lay by my bed, tirelessly gazing at me, his eyes sparkling in the dim room.

You: Go to bed early. You must be exhausted these past few days.

Charlie: Can't sleep. Too happy.

Charlie: Once you're well, we'll go to Celsus Gold Coast for a couple of days before heading back.

You: You've got it all planned out beautifully, but I've been off work for over half a month now. If I don't go back, I'll be fired.

Charlie: Then I'll send your company a banner of commendation, making your boss too embarrassed to fire you.

You: If you dare send it, I dare to ignore you!

He lay by my bed, chatting idly with me. I don't know when I fell asleep.

When I opened my eyes again, it was dawn. Charlie was still sound asleep by my bedside, just like last time.

You: Why does he like sleeping in this position…?

Many days had passed since I was confined to bed, but this was the first time I felt so relaxed. I gazed at the hazy morning sun outside the window, my heart stirring. I quietly got out of bed and walked towards the balcony.

The balcony's screen door was closed. As I walked towards it, I seemed to catch a fleeting glimpse of a dark figure outside. I rubbed my eyes and looked again, but it was gone.

Was there something on the balcony?

1. Move forward 2. Wake up Charlie

-

1. Move forward It must have been my imagination. I didn't think much of it and walked straight to the sliding door on the balcony, pulling it open.

The moment the door opened, two figures in black jumped out! Before I could even cry out, they forcefully clapped a cloth over my mouth and nose…

A strong medicinal smell filled my nostrils. I struggled desperately, terrified, but my body quickly went limp as if it no longer obeyed me…

Finally, my vision went black, and I lost consciousness.

[NORMAL END]

"Don't try to fight alone. Give your back to the person you trust the most."

-

2. Wake up Charlie

I suddenly snapped back to reality. Yes, I had been living in this isolated place for so long that I had almost forgotten the dangers of the outside world.

I might be the only person in this country who was poisoned and not yet controlled. If Charlie's suspicions were correct, I should be vigilant right now.

I retreated inside, and with great reluctance, I gently shook the sleeping Charlie. Charlie slowly opened his eyes, looking at me groggily.

I leaned close to his ear and whispered.

You: I think there's someone on the balcony!

He instantly became wide awake.

Charlie: You stay in the room. I'll go check.

You: Be careful!

Charlie silently approached the balcony. I curiously poked my head out to peek. I saw him place his hand on the window glass and lightly snap his fingers.

Soon, there was a hurried movement on the balcony. Charlie suddenly pulled open the door, and two figures tumbled directly onto the ground!

Charlie stepped forward, grabbing each by the collar. They gasped for air like fish out of water, completely losing the will to resist.

Charlie: Speak. Who sent you?

The two clearly looked like Celsian locals. In their panic, they spoke incredibly fast, and Charlie didn't understand. He tilted his head in confusion.

I plucked up my courage and stepped closer to help him translate.

You: They said… if they reveal their employer's information, they won't be able to stay in the game.

Charlie: Alright, then I won't make it difficult for you. I'll look myself.

He knocked out both kidnappers with a single blow each, then searched their pockets for their phones and opened the call logs.

I leaned in to look. The most recent call was a landline number.

Charlie: Isn't that the Central Hospital's landline number? They're not even trying to hide it. They really have no fear.

Charlie: Your condition has been exposed. We can't stay here any longer. We need to find another place for your treatment.

Charlie: Y/N, let's leave. Right now.

His hands rested on my shoulders, his eyes shining with determination, his tall figure shielding me from the cold wind.

The morning light slowly spread across the horizon behind him, but I paid no mind, focused only on that small patch of tenderness within the confined space.

You: Okay. But, they've already targeted me. How will we leave?

Charlie: Celsus isn't a large place. We'll be out of the country soon.

Charlie: Go change and get ready, then we'll leave.

You: Okay.

I quickly returned to the bedroom, changed out of my hospital gown, and organized my essentials. Just as I finished packing, I heard a loud noise growing closer to the window, and soon it was right outside.

It was pitch black outside the window, as if something was blocking out the sky in mid-air.

I walked to the balcony in disbelief, where a fierce wind was blowing. I looked up and saw a helicopter hovering directly above the balcony…

You: This…?

Charlie: My private jet.

His tie fluttered in the wind, hands in his pockets, he confidently lifted his chin.

The helicopter door opened, lowering a ramp that securely connected to the balcony railing.

Charlie lifted me from behind. I stared blankly as Uncle Ji appeared in the helicopter doorway. He pulled me inside with a strong tug.

Next, Charlie followed me into the helicopter. The helicopter door closed and slowly ascended.

Even after Charlie pulled me to sit on the soft leather sofa, I was still immersed in the confusion of "Who am I? Where am I?" and couldn't snap out of it.

He placed one hand on my shoulder and opened a cabinet beside me. Only then did I notice it was a small refrigerator, packed like a miniature bar.

Charlie: Were you scared on the balcony just now? Do you want something to drink?

You: Just some hot water, please.

Uncle Ji, as if by magic, brought a cup of hot water. As I held it, my senses slowly revived with the warmth.

Charlie leaned back in the sofa, arms crossed, lost in thought.

Charlie: Some of the medicines I used on you before were very hard to get; I could only obtain them from the Central Hospital's pharmacy.

Charlie: It's highly likely that my prescription records were noticed by the hospital, and they deduced that I had a poisoned patient, then tracked me.

Charlie: We'll reach the neighboring country in 10 minutes. You should rest for a bit.

I nodded, but felt no drowsiness. I looked down through the window. The thrilling experience was like a dream, gradually receding behind me, left far below the window.

Celsus, this land shrouded in smoke, though now blessed by the morning light, seemed not to have fully awakened.

And many unanswered questions lingered in my heart, reminding me that this was not yet over.

-

Episode 3 - Chasing after Fleeting Things (惊风逐影)

"In the deep night, he is chasing light.

Charlie's helicopter landed at the capital hospital in the neighboring country, the same place where my toxicology report had been issued.

Upon admission, I was quickly given the prepared antidote.

Combined with Charlie's accurate medication in the preceding days, after a few days of rest and recovery at the hospital, my body was largely fine.

Though the storm had temporarily subsided, I remained concerned about the potentially misdiagnosed patients in Celsus.

Every day, I kept an eye on the TV news, especially the channel Maggie worked for, but I never saw her appear.

"The aftermath of the Celsus fire has been well handled, and all the injured have received full treatment. Normal life has largely resumed."

Hearing this news, I couldn't help but glance at Charlie, who was sitting beside me, noticing his somewhat serious expression.

You: Charlie, are you worried about Maggie?

Charlie: Yes. After she got your test report, she told me she was going to "cast the net," and her phone has been off ever since.

Charlie: I called her apartment complex to check, and they said she left three days ago and hasn't returned.

You: What about the newspaper office?

Charlie: She's a special correspondent and works from home; she rarely goes to the office.

You: Huh? Why didn't you tell me sooner!

My heart sank. My test report was the most direct evidence pointing to a conspiracy. Could this have brought trouble to her?

You: What do we do now? We have to help her!

Charlie: Yes. But we escaped Celsus so openly before. Now, trying to re-enter the country will definitely be blocked.

Charlie: That way, we won't be able to investigate.

Charlie: How about you stay here and recover, and I'll go back to Celsus to inquire about her.

You: But won't that be very dangerous? What if you're discovered…?

Charlie: Then I'll see who dares to make things difficult for me, Charlie.

Charlie seemed to have made up his mind. I hesitated, unsure of what I could do now.

1. Persuade him not to be reckless. 2. Go with him.

-

1. Persuade him not to be reckless.

You: Even so, Celsus isn't our territory after all. I think it's better not to take risks.

You: The enemy's forces seem very powerful. Let's stay here for now and use your connections to gather information.

Charlie: No, those people work too slowly.

Charlie was so worried about his sister that no matter how much I tried to persuade him, he insisted on going to Celsus. Fortunately, in the end, he listened to my advice and brought more people, which eased my mind a little.

Several days later, Charlie finally returned with Maggie. However, Maggie was seriously injured and had to be hospitalized for treatment.

I could hardly imagine what dangerous things they had experienced in Celsus, but seeing Charlie's worried expression about his sister's condition, I decided not to ask any questions.

[NORMAL END]

"Sometimes being too cautious can cause you to miss the best time to counterattack."

-

2. Go with him.

You: I'm well now. Maggie and I are friends too. I want to go with you!

As expected, Charlie frowned, adopting the stern tone typical of an attending physician.

Charlie: Patients should listen to their doctors. I don't agree.

You: You've helped me so much; please give me a chance to help you too!

Charlie: You should know that the situation in Celsus is no small matter.

You: If you're going to confront them head-on, I certainly wouldn't want to hold you back.

You: But for investigating and searching, my abilities might be helpful to you.

Charlie: Everything you've said is right, but I still don't agree.

Charlie crossed his legs, looking utterly unyielding. I gritted my teeth—

You: When husband and wife are of one mind, they can break through metal! Given our relationship, we should face problems together!

Charlie sat upright on the sofa, looking at me with disbelief, his eyes shining with unrestrained excitement.

Charlie: You're finally willing to admit it?

He leaned very close. I averted my gaze, a little embarrassed, and mumbled.

You: Even if I didn't admit it, you call me "fiancée" all day anyway. My ears are calloused from it.

He abruptly stood up from the sofa, took my medical chart from the bedside, flipped to a new page, and handed it to me, then put a pen in my hand.

Charlie: Words alone aren't proof. You need to put it in writing.

Charlie: If you're willing to sign a written agreement, I'll let you go.

I glared at him, then at the blank paper, and started to feel a bit awkward.

You: A written agreement? This… what should I write…?

Charlie rolled his eyes, then suddenly snatched the pen from my hand.

Charlie: This kind of thing shouldn't be treated lightly, but given the limited circumstances, let's just put your sentiment down for now.

He said, bending down to draw a rectangle on the medical chart in my hand, writing "Marriage Certificate" at the top.

He drew two clumsy stick figures, signed his name below one of them, then handed the pen back to me.

Charlie: Come on, sign it!

You: …How childish!

I sighed and reluctantly signed my name. As I finished, I suddenly had an idea and added a small line of text in the corner of the paper.

Charlie craned his neck curiously, trying to peek.

Charlie: What else did you write?

You: I was too excited about getting married, so I wrote down a thought. This paper is very important to me; I want to keep it myself.

With that, I quickly folded it and tucked it into my inner pocket, not letting him see what was written on it.

Charlie: Alright. Sigh, I never noticed before, but you're getting better at managing me.

Charlie: Marriage, it's willingly putting on happy shackles.

We reached an agreement faster than expected. Charlie told Uncle Ji about our plan to go to Celsus.

Less than ten minutes later, Charlie's phone suddenly rang.

Charlie: Uncle Ji? Is everything arranged?

Uncle Ji: Regarding your entry into the country that you just mentioned, I have an opportunity here.

Uncle Ji: However, you and Miss Y/N need to leave now. Our car is already waiting downstairs.

We quickly packed our bags and immediately left the hospital.

Half an hour later, our car had silently crossed the Celsus border and arrived at Maggie's apartment complex.

Upon reaching the destination, Charlie briefed his subordinates on several other locations related to Maggie and sent them to investigate. They then drove off.

Charlie: Let's go to the underground parking lot first and see if Ms. Zha's car is still there. She always drives that car when she goes out for interviews.

You: Ms. Zha? Is that what you usually call Maggie…?

Charlie nodded. We went into the open-air parking lot of the complex and walked around the large empty space several times, but found nothing.

Charlie: The car isn't in the parking lot. She must have encountered an accident while she was out.

Charlie: Let's go check her home.

As we walked up the stairs, Charlie remained silent, a fine line between his brows betraying his worry.

Arriving at the door of Maggie's apartment, I knocked several times, but naturally, there was no answer.

You: How do we get in?

Charlie: Ms. Zha is clumsy; she used to always lock herself out.

Charlie: So, when she lived alone, she'd usually leave a key under the doormat.

He lifted the doormat, and indeed, there was a key underneath. We inserted the key, gave it a gentle turn, and the door opened.

We entered her apartment. There were no signs of forced entry or rummaging; everything was neat and orderly.

Several magazines lay on the living room sofa. The study had a large cabinet filled with many books and files. There was also a computer and a telephone on the desk.

You: Where should we start investigating?

Charlie: You check the computer. I'll look through the files in her cabinet.

I went to the computer and pressed the power button. When I touched the mouse, I immediately felt a trace of emotion on it, like walking with difficulty through a crisis-ridden forest.

But at the end of the forest, there was a ray of light, filling one with hope, eager to push through the mist and reach the other side.

Just then, the computer screen lit up, and I came back to my senses. However, a password blocked me.

You: Charlie, do you have any idea what Maggie's password might be?

Charlie: I wouldn't know. Try her birthday? Or try her idol's birthday.

Charlie gave me two sets of numbers, which I tried, but both failed.

You: Could it be your birthday? Let me try again.

Charlie: Her? She wouldn't use mine—

Before Charlie could finish, I had already quickly typed it in. The computer's main interface appeared; I had actually successfully entered the operating system.

You: …Charlie, maybe you don't know your sister very well.

Charlie leaned over, dumbfounded.

Charlie: Oh, no, no, this is too abnormal.

However, when he clearly saw the computer screen, his eyes widened even further.

The desktop displayed a photo of a chubby baby. The baby, without pants, was lying on a mat, drooling all over his chin, trying to shove all five fingers into his mouth.

You: Huh? Maggie already has a child?

Before I could finish my question, Charlie suddenly reached out and turned off the monitor. Hearing my words, he seemed to sigh in relief, then nonchalantly turned the monitor back on.

Charlie: Cough, cough… Yes, that's her child.

Looking at his unnatural demeanor, I already had a vague answer in my heart. My mind raced, and I deliberately said,

You: Wow, what a cute baby! Look how glistening his drool is.

Charlie: ???

You: So cute when he was little; he'll definitely be a handsome guy when he grows up.

You: Charlie, I bet you weren't this good-looking when you were a kid.

Charlie: ......

His expression gradually became unbearable. Finally, he adjusted his collar, came to stand beside the monitor, parallel to the child's photo.

Charlie: My fiancée's eyesight isn't so good today, is it? Alright, I was just teasing you. Actually, this child is me.

You: The moment I compliment him, you claim him? I don't believe you! How can you be so petty, competing for favor with your junior?

Charlie: Hey, I'm serious! Ms. Zha is a workaholic; she's not even married yet. Just ask her yourself when you see her.

Charlie was at a loss for words, his face etched with grievance. I remembered the serious matter at hand and decided to let him off the hook for now.

You: Alright, I'll believe you this time!

Charlie looked at the screen, his smile gradually fading.

Charlie: She set this up on purpose. She knew I would come.

His words seemed to illuminate a corner of my mind. I suddenly remembered what had happened earlier.

You: Oh, right, I felt a hint of nervousness from the mouse just now. Did she know she was in danger beforehand?

You: If that's the case, there must be information she left for us in this computer.

With that, the search scope narrowed from the entire room to this computer. Charlie sat beside me, and we browsed the files on the computer together.

First to appear was a spreadsheet on the desktop. Clicking it open, we found dozens of names, including their affiliated organizations, contact information, interview focus, and so on.

We quickly sorted through this information and found that all the interview content was related to three entities—the Central Hospital, the Celsus Health Bureau, and a medical base named N at the fire source.

You: There's also a folder here called "Materials"! Let me see… it has three subfolders.

The first folder contained a map of the fire disaster, with many red dots connected by several red lines, spreading out from a five-pointed star deep in the forest.

Charlie: This should be the map Ms. Zha drew based on the patient data I sent her.

Charlie: The red dots represent the locations of poisoned patients' residences, and the five-pointed star indicates the location of the fire's origin.

Charlie: From this distribution, we can clearly see that the toxin originated from the fire source and spread with the wind direction on that day.

You: This proves that the toxic smoke from the fire originated from the N Medical Base located there.

I opened the second subfolder. It contained some household registration certificates and a call log. Next to the call log, Maggie had left notes, writing down the names of both phone owners.

You: I don't understand. What's the connection to the poisoning incident?

Charlie: Don't rush. Let's look at this last one.

His hand covered the back of mine as he clicked open the third subfolder. This one contained only a stock transaction record.

You: This is a record from half a year ago, where someone named Susan bought shares in the company that owns the N Medical Base…

Charlie narrowed his eyes curiously. Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, and he took the mouse.

Charlie: Wait.

He opened a web browser, quickly typed in a URL and some keywords, and green and red candlestick charts immediately filled the screen.

Charlie: Just as I thought.

Charlie: Look, the day after Susan heavily purchased shares in N's company, this stock hit the daily limit three times in a row.

Charlie: In a single day, Susan profited over 100 million Celsian currency from buying those shares.

You: How could there be such a coincidence?

You: Unless an insider leaked news of the stock's impending sharp rise to this Susan…

Charlie closed the transaction record and reopened the call log in the second folder.

Charlie: I understand. The two parties in this call record are the Deputy Director of the Health Bureau and an executive from N.

He then opened the household registration certificates one by one.

Charlie: And the uncle of this Susan's cousin is the Deputy Director of the Celsus Health Bureau.

The air was quiet for a moment. A flash of insight struck me, and I exclaimed to Charlie.

You: I know what Maggie was suspecting!

You: This fire caused the N Medical Base to leak toxins.

You: The Health Bureau, due to receiving bribes from N Company, wants to cover up the existence of the toxins.

You: It's likely the Health Bureau pressured the Central Hospital to forcibly diagnose poisoned people as Vacon…

Charlie: Agreed.

I heard my own anxious breathing.

If before, our enemy was hidden in the shadows, unfathomable, now, they were emerging from the clouds, and we could vaguely see their massive form.

Charlie: The evidence Maggie had before wasn't comprehensive enough to support her suspicions.

Charlie: But with your blood test report, the Central Hospital's concealment of the toxin's existence is irrefutable proof.

You: No wonder she said she was going to "cast the net." Now she has completed the vast majority of factual evidence collection.

You: As long as a complete chain of evidence is formed, she can write a very detailed report, exposing the entire conspiracy.

Charlie: Yes, now we just need to find the missing link in the chain of evidence, and we'll know which direction she was investigating and who she contacted.

I fell into thought. What evidence does Maggie need most right now?

1. Evidence of N's bribery. 2. Health Bureau's directives to the hospital. 3. Take too long to make a decision.

-

3. Take too long to make a decision.

The more I racked my brain, the more tangled the information in my head became.

Just as I was hesitating, I suddenly noticed a tiny number in the corner changing from 0:01 to 0:00...

Before I could react, the computer screen instantly went black! Then a pop-up appeared in the center—"Self-destruct program initiated. Internal files cannot be recovered."

You: Damn it…

We tried a few more times, but we couldn't recover the files on the computer. I thought of one last idea.

You: Charlie, can we ask Uncle Ji to call the police? Tell them a journalist has gone missing in Celsus.

You: A foreign national going missing isn't a small matter for them. The police will definitely find her much faster than us.

Charlie: If we involve the police, we might never get the chance to investigate the things we suspect.

Charlie: That's not what Maggie would want.

You: But right now, we can only ensure her safety first.

Charlie: Alright.

After that, Charlie had Uncle Ji call the police. Half a day later, Maggie was found by the police.

Then, the three of us were deported and never had the chance to re-enter the country.

[NORMAL END]

"You only get one chance. Don't pin your hopes on a second one."

-

1. Evidence of N's bribery.

You: Is it… evidence of N's bribery?

You: Right now, it's still not completely proven that the insider information Susan received was definitely leaked by N's top management.

Charlie: What you said isn't unreasonable, but that's not the most important thing right now.

Charlie: The Deputy Director of the Health Bureau and an N executive are well-acquainted, and his relative made a large transaction during a sensitive stock period.

Charlie: No matter the country, this is enough to attract the attention of regulatory authorities.

You: I see… I'll think about it some more.

I mentally reorganized the information at hand. The N base leaking toxins, bribing the Health Bureau, the hospital forging reports…

You: I know!

You: The evidence we need most right now is proof that the Central Hospital's concealment was at the Health Bureau's instruction.

You: We must have this point to form a complete chain of evidence and bring the truth to light.

Charlie: Hmm, my fiancée might be a beat slow, but with my guidance, she can still keep up with my pace.

You: Don't flatter yourself!

Charlie: Now, let's see which of Maggie's recent contacts is most likely to provide this kind of evidence.

We opened the computer's contacts, cross-referencing them with their affiliated organizations and positions. Finally, our eyes simultaneously stopped on one person.

You: The Director of Medical Affairs at the Central Hospital? He should be the one at the hospital responsible for dealing with the Health Bureau.

Charlie stared at the name, arms crossed, pondering for a moment.

Charlie: I heard Maggie mention that name before.

Charlie: She wanted to investigate the Central Hospital's false reporting of patient data, so I helped her get a copy of the Central Hospital staff list.

Charlie: Later, she told me that this person repeatedly refused her interviews, so she followed him.

Charlie: She discovered that this person likes to hang out at a small dance hall on the hospital's back street when he's off duty.

Charlie: I even warned her not to consider using seduction.

You: …!!!

You: Could Maggie still have gone to the dance hall to wait for that person? Should we go check out this dance hall?

Charlie: Yes, we don't have any more clues right now, so we can only follow this lead.

Just before closing the computer, Charlie paused, looking at his clumsy child-self on the screen.

Charlie: I never knew she still had such a young photo of me.

You: You two must have had a really good relationship back then.

Charlie: Now that I think about it, eight out of ten silly things I did as a kid were with her.

You: Like what kind of silly things?

Charlie: She was useful in many ways. When someone bothered me, she'd pretend to be my mom and scare off those classmates.

Charlie: When girls came to pester me, she'd pretend to be my girlfriend and drive them away.

You: You really had a lot of drama in your student days…

Charlie: What can I do? Perfect people have to learn to bear jealousy.

You: Maggie had it so tough as an older sister.

Charlie: She became such a "well-connected" and "versatile" journalist thanks to the training and cultivation I provided since childhood.

You: How can someone as unreasonable as you exist in this world?

Charlie: My fiancée only has that much to say? Nothing else?

You: Huh?

Charlie: Why aren't you asking about the girls who pestered me?

You: Hmph, what's there to ask?

You: I bet they only liked your looks. If they knew what a childish goofball you are, they'd definitely give up automatically!

Charlie: Oh, I see. So you like both my looks and my inner self.

You: You're overthinking it!

Charlie: I suddenly remembered Ms. Zha saying something similar before.

Charlie: She said, "I really don't know if there's any other girl in the world who could tolerate you besides me."

Charlie: See? I found one.

He hooked his arm around my shoulder, gently pulling me closer. I looked up, meeting his proud and smug expression, as if he was showing off his most precious treasure.

I suddenly felt my face flush. I quickly lowered my head, but I couldn't stop the ripples of warmth spreading through my heart.

When we arrived downstairs, the car Uncle Ji had prepared for us was already waiting. Charlie drove me straight to our destination.

The car sped across the cross-river bridge. The road ahead was dark, but Charlie's silver hair seemed to cleave through the night, fluttering wildly in the wind.

The tension in my heart eased slightly. With Charlie leading the way, all conspiracies and evils were nothing to fear.

...

I saw

His figure pursuing darkness in the dense fog,

Like a ray of light Illuminating the world before my eyes,

Exposing all conspiracies and evils.

[SPECIAL END]

"He knew he had found the two most important girls to him."

-

2. Health Bureau's directives to the hospital.

You: I know!

You: The evidence we need most right now is proof that the Central Hospital's concealment of the toxins was at the Health Bureau's instruction.

You: We need this point to form a complete chain of evidence, making sure no party can escape responsibility.

Charlie nodded with satisfaction.

Charlie: Congratulations, our thoughts align.

Charlie: Now let's see which of Maggie's recent contacts is most likely to provide this kind of evidence.

We opened the computer's contacts, cross-referencing them with their affiliated organizations and positions. Finally, our eyes simultaneously stopped on one person.

You: The Director of Medical Affairs at the Central Hospital? He should be the one at the hospital responsible for dealing with the Health Bureau.

Charlie stared at the name, arms crossed, pondering for a moment.

Charlie: I heard Maggie mention that name before.

Charlie: She wanted to investigate the Central Hospital's false reporting of patient data, so I helped her get a copy of the Central Hospital staff list.

Charlie: Later, she told me that this person repeatedly refused her interviews, so she followed him.

Charlie: She discovered that this person likes to hang out at a small dance hall on the hospital's back street when he's off duty.

Charlie: I even warned her not to consider using seduction.

You: …!!!

You: Could Maggie still have gone to the dance hall to wait for that person? Should we go check out this dance hall?

Charlie: Yes, we don't have any more clues right now, so we can only follow this lead.

Just before closing the computer, Charlie paused, looking at his clumsy child-self on the screen.

Charlie: I never knew she still had such a young photo of me.

You: Don't worry, Maggie will definitely be fine.

Charlie: Hmm, let's go.

As we passed through the living room, Charlie's attention was suddenly drawn to a small wooden board on the wall.

Many photos were tacked onto the board, showing various bases and laboratories, clearly located in different places. These buildings all had the same symbol on their plaques.

You: That's strange, I think I've seen that symbol somewhere before…

There was no immediate response from him. I looked up in confusion and saw Charlie also gazing at those photos, lost in thought. After a long time, he turned his head, noticing my gaze.

Charlie: What did you just say?

That crease between his brows reappeared. I shook my head and smiled at him.

You: Oh, nothing. Let's hurry up and leave!

When we got downstairs and found the car Uncle Ji left for us, I was a bit stunned.

You: What's the deal with this car?

Charlie: Uncle Ji said the Crown car I usually drive is undergoing maintenance, so he sent the closest available car over.

I looked the gleaming, rose-colored vintage car up and down, peering through the window at the driver's seat.

You: This car… can it really drive?

Charlie proudly patted the shiny, reflective roof.

Charlie: Look at you. Don't worry, it's old but still strong.

You: Like you?

Charlie: Hmm, good. I like you joking with me.

You: Huh?

Charlie: It means you're well and full of energy.

He pulled open the back door and invited me into the car like a doorman, his posture impeccably standard—clearly something he'd learned from much exposure.

Charlie: Please, get in, Miss Y/N.

The car door closed, and Charlie skillfully started the vintage car. Through the window, I gazed at the small town, left ravaged and dilapidated by the fire, and at the injured, displaced people.

Maggie's image flashed in my mind. I seemed to see that woman, wearing high heels, with a wound on her arm, yet walking with a spring in her step, moving through the streets and alleys.

If it weren't for Maggie, perhaps they would never know that their futures were ruined by greedy, selfish people in power.

I had never confronted such a vast and intangible enemy before, and a faint worry lingered in my heart.

However, when my peripheral vision caught sight of Charlie in the driver's seat, I suddenly noticed that fine line between his brows had not disappeared since we left Maggie's room.

I suddenly realized that more than the fear of the enemy, it was Charlie's current appearance that disturbed me.

My condition had already caused him so much stress before; I had never seen him look so vulnerable. And now, without even a moment to catch his breath, he was facing the disappearance of a loved one.

So many changes had occurred within just one month. The calmer he appeared at this moment, the more worried I became for him.

In a blink, our car drove onto the wide cross-river bridge. The vehicle gradually accelerated, and the wind, carrying the scent of the river, continuously rushed into the car.

You: I know you're eager to find Maggie, but please be careful and don't speed.

Hearing my words, Charlie averted his gaze and deliberately curled his lips into a smile at me.

Charlie: I'm not eager to find her; I'm eager to show her our marriage certificate.

You: …Liar.

I leaned on the back of his seat, smiling as I observed him, not missing any subtle facial expression.

You: Alright, what's so hard to admit?

You: I'm just as worried about Maggie as you are, and about the truth behind all of this.

You: You know, when something's on your mind, there's a particular line that appears between your eyebrows.

You: You can fool yourself, but you can't fool me.

He looked in the rearview mirror with a hint of disbelief, as if searching for that line.

You: At work, you need to remain calm and rational.

You: But I think, in private, you shouldn't suppress yourself anymore.

You: No matter what happens, we can face it together, can't we?

As if his secret had been exposed by me, Charlie's smile slowly faltered, and his eyes became somewhat hazy and vacant.

He remained silent for a very long time, so long that I thought I had said something wrong. Then he spoke again, his voice sounding tired.

Charlie: I'm sorry, I'm a bit tired.

Charlie: I want to be quiet for a while now. Don't be afraid.

You: Okay.

Charlie stopped speaking, gazing straight ahead at the dark road. He rolled the window down further, letting the strong wind rush into the car.

He controlled the steering wheel with one hand, the other resting on the window, his relaxed posture unmoving in the wind, yet his silver hair and tie whipped wildly.

I stared intently at his profile. As if by telepathy, I felt his thoughts were more chaotic than his wind-blown hair.

Since we met, he had mostly been radiant, open, and unrestrained when he was with me. Happiness, anger, even sadness—he disdained to hide any of it.

But he was rarely as silent and preoccupied as he was now. I felt like I had stumbled into a hidden door in his heart, glimpsing a contradictory universe where day and night shone as one.

Yet, I deeply believed that the darkness would never fully claim him.

Just like now, the car headlights illuminated the flat road ahead, but the striking silver of his hair seemed capable of cleaving through the entire night.

The darkness rapidly receded behind him. Gradually, a determined light rekindled in his eyes as he looked forward, and the faint mist between us seemed to disperse.

We exchanged a smile, not breaking the silence.

Perhaps we still needed to walk many paths side-by-side to truly understand the scenery in each other's eyes. But at this moment, simply offering this smile and the most comfortable distance in the world was enough.

...

A person confined by darkness

Is startled by that hue that cleaves the sky.

He descends from above,

Unafraid of treacherous traps and dangers,

Leading me towards a destiny already written.

[TRUE END]

"Even in darkness, I believe he will ultimately belong to the light."

-

TIMELINE POST 1

Charlie: The plane landed smoothly. This fresh air is truly a long-lost luxury.

You: I feel a little uneasy, for some reason…

Charlie's Response: You need to trust that you've been perfectly protected, fiancée.

TIMELINE POST 2

Charlie: Nothing is more precious than something found after being lost.

You: You're not talking about… me, are you?

Charlie's Response: You still don't know who eight out of ten of my Moments posts are about?

TIMELINE POST 3

Charlie: Celsus is already a strange country to me.

You: I should have reacted faster at Maggie's place…

Charlie's Response: Don't be so hard on yourself. The phrase "care breeds confusion" applies to you too.

TIMELINE POST 4

Charlie: The nightscape of this city seems to have taken on new meaning.

You: Dinner time! Starting to think about what to eat today.

Charlie's Response: Your options are never healthy enough. It's more practical for me to pick you up for dinner.

-

TEXT MESSAGE 1

You: I didn't realize you knew so much about stocks. Charlie: Didn't realize? Does that surprise you? You: …That was just an interjection to express my surprise and admiration. Charlie: Fiancée, your affection for me is getting harder to hide. Charlie: It makes me feel like some things need to be sped up. Don't you think? You: Yes! I've decided to follow Dr. Zha more in learning about financial management! Charlie: So eager to learn? Then I can teach you some things I'm even better at. Charlie: I really want Ms. Zha to see how harmonious we are soon. You: "Ms. Zha" "Ms. Zha" all day long. What's wrong with just calling her "Sister"? Charlie: Don't think I don't know your little schemes. Charlie: You just like seeing me soften up, right? Charlie: I have no problem softening up for my fiancée. Give me a chance, and I'll let you truly enjoy it.

TEXT MESSAGE 2

Charlie: I recharged your Penguin Video membership so you can binge-watch shows if you're bored. You: You know my taste so well! Penguin Video shows are my favorite! Charlie: Really? It seems we have similar tastes. Charlie: It's a rare vacation, so rest and relaxation are the most important things. You: Dr. Zha~ When am I supposed to finish resting? Charlie: I won't let you go back to work until you've fully recovered. Charlie: Don't overthink it. Isn't watching shows fun? You: Dr. Zha, are you free? I want to watch a show with you! Charlie (Voice MSG): How could I refuse my fiancée's kind invitation? Charlie (Voice MSG): Sharing the small things in life and slowly growing closer, that must be how it is. Charlie: I'll be free after 8 PM tonight. Wait for me in the room.

TEXT MESSAGE 3

Charlie: Did you find your shopping website password? You: After verification codes, face scans, and fingerprint authentication, I finally found it… Charlie: It seems you're not suited for overly complex passwords. Charlie: How about something simple and easy to remember, like my initials plus 520? You: Your initials… ZLS? Haha, that's a bit silly. Charlie: Then you can adjust it to be more special. ELSAPCLL, Perfect Charlie love love. Charlie: You can also add my birthday. Charlie: No one would ever guess it. Sure you don't want to try? You: Inspired by you, I had a special idea. But I can't tell you! Charlie: Oh, I see, you're shy. Charlie: It's okay. As long as I know your password secretly holds your admiration for me, that's enough. -

PHONE CALL

You: Charlie! Where did you go?

Charlie: I'm not far from you. I'll be right back.

You: I just dozed off for a bit, woke up, and found you gone, with the car parked by the road. You scared me…

Charlie: A call came in just now. I saw you were sleeping soundly and couldn't bear to wake you, so I got out of the car to answer it.

You: Who called you so late?

Charlie: It was my subordinates who went to investigate Maggie's whereabouts.

You: Oh? Well? Did they find anything?

Charlie: They contacted a few people Maggie had interviewed.

Charlie: No new information, but it did confirm our suspicions were correct.

You: That's great. But since you've finished your call, why aren't you back yet?

Charlie: When I was on the phone just now, I saw a convenience store by the street, so I wanted to buy you some food to tide you over.

Charlie: But there's a long line at the checkout. Looks like I'll have to wait a few more minutes.

You: As expected of Dr. Zha, so thoughtful. Now that you mention it, I really am a little hungry.

You: Want to tell me what you bought first, to whet my appetite?

Charlie: Apples, apple pie, and chicken breast apple salad.

You: I can tell you really want me to eat apples.

You: Anything else…?

Charlie: Celsus specialty roasted lamb shank, with sour cream.

You: Huh? Not to mention what kind of magical combination that is, but how did you buy that at a convenience store?

Charlie: For the locals, it's just a snack. They like to hold a small portion of lamb shank and gnaw on it as they walk.

You: Then I'll follow suit and do as the locals do for once!

You: Hey, as we're talking, I just saw someone on the road walking and gnawing on a bone!

You: But won't it be a bit messy to eat…?

Charlie: I know what you're worried about. My shopping basket also has dental floss and mouthwash.

You: Charlie, how can I praise you enough! A refined man lives the best life!

Charlie: Anything else good to say?

You: I'll praise you in person when you get back. Tell me, what else did you buy?

Charlie: Cooling balm, in case I get tired while driving.

You: Oh, are you going to put the cooling balm on your acupoints to refresh yourself?

Charlie: Exactly.

You: Oh, it's my fault, my fault!

You: I originally thought you'd get sleepy driving at night, so I should chat with you. But I unconsciously fell asleep!

Charlie: Yes, your sleep is truly enviable.

Charlie: I watched your eyelids get heavier and heavier, your head nodding, then tilting against the backrest, and soon after, you started snoring.

You: You don't have to describe it in such detail! You're really not getting revenge on me for not chatting with you, are you?

Charlie: Of course not. My fiancée's snores are like a little puppy's, soft little grunts, very cute.

You: …I'm much more awake now. I definitely won't fall asleep again later.

You: You can share some of your cooling balm with me in a bit, and I'll stay awake and chat with you!

Charlie: Alright, what do you want to talk about?

You: Since it's a midnight channel, of course, it's… from poetry and prose to the philosophy of life!

Charlie: Good. I'm outside. See you in one minute.

.

.

.

.

.

Chapter 3

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[presidentdisastraofgallifrey]

Live-blogging Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks

“We pride ourselves we seldom interfere in the affairs of others” “Except mine” “You, Doctor, are a special case” Lmao

“I won’t do it. Whatever it is, I refuse.” “Daleks.” “Tell me more.”

Ha! He stepped on a land mine and they solved it in 2 minutes!

The kaled to dalek thing is pretty funny though. They mixed up their dna and identity and stuff…

I also think it’s really funny that they have a mix of ancient and new technology not because they’ve been innovating throughout the war but because they started with modern tech and have been running out of resources and using what they can find

They mentioned Davros so casually it took me a minute to realize this is his first episode!!

K so generally I think daleks should never have been humanoid BUT it did give us this guy saying “we must keep the kaled race pure” while dressed in a vaguely Nazi-esque uniform, so

Oooook I expected Davros to be young and fresh still but I guess he was literally always old. And did he base the dalek casings on his chair and not the other way around??

I don’t remember for sure but I don’t think Sarah has seen a dalek yet? So her seeing one now doesn’t have the same connotations of horror

But also. What makes the most sense to me is that Davros is using the kaleds mutated and banished to turn into daleks, which makes their obsession with eugenics and genetic purity REALLY funny and ironic (which I’m sure will be the point)

Have I mentioned how much I want to BITE this intro??

HUMANS ARE THE CRABS OF SPACE

Doctor Who constantly makes a big deal about how so many aliens appear similar but really, totally, definitely have differing physiology. So it’s apparently just a common thing to evolve into looking like us. Although Time Lords have billions of years of history. So maybe time lords are the crabs of space

Ok I officially like Four, much to my relief

Also obsessed with his Outfit Thing being just endless layers

Can you imagine if the Doctor was killed by the first ever dalek though? How embarrassing for all future daleks

[chaotic-creator]

My "New Dalek Paradigm" ideas

So, my fellow Whovians, do you remember these guys?

The Paradigm Daleks introduced in Season 5, Episode 3: Victory of The Daleks. And what a fucking let down these guys were.

I mean, these 5 big, bulky, deep voiced Daleks were meant to replicate themselves and replace all the bronze Time War Daleks, establishing themselves as the true and pure Dalek race.

But due to their poor reception (no doubt in part cos they look like their Dalek Supreme is about to say "Go Go Dalek Rangers!") they were basically scrapped, only making two other appearances of any note that I can think of.

One was at The Pandorica, where we see a white Dalek Supreme, a red Dalek Drone, and the singular yellow Dalek Eternal. The other was as officers/higher ranking Daleks to the bronze models in The Asylum of The Daleks.

So, I am here, proposing my take on The New Dalek Paradigm. Now extended to have 7 founding members, outlining their roles and assigning new colours to them, taking inspiration from previous Dalek designs:

1). Supreme Dalek

The white Dalek in the show and leader of The New Dalek Paradigm, I used the Council Supreme Dalek design from Planet of The Daleks from 1973, pictured below. I see these guys as not going into the field much. The Supreme Daleks would be there to lead big scale invasions and make decisions for The Paradigm

2). Eternal Dalek

Eternal is the yellow Dalek in the show and a mystery since these Daleks were scrapped. In my rewrite, Eternal is the Paradigm's answer to The Cult of Skaro, who will always think like every enemy. They may also lead Drone squads. Eternal Daleks serve as second-in-command to the Supreme Daleks. I used the Renegade Supreme Dalek colours

3). Scientist Dalek

Scientist is the orange Dalek in the show and retain its show role. They are responsible for developing new weapons and technology for The Daleks. They may also lead Drone squads. I used the Imperial Dalek design cos I think a sterile white works for Scientist

4). Strategist Daleks

The Strategist is the blue Dalek from the show. In my retelling, they are responsible for developing strategies for The Daleks in their battles. They may also lead Drone squads. I took the design of the Silver Daleks from Death to The Daleks

5). Drone Daleks and Drone Commanders

Drone was the red Dalek from the show and was simply a base foor soldier who did the grunt work and was just there to fight and exterminate everything. Drone Daleks also have Drone Commander variants. I used the OG Skaro deisgn for the base Drone from The Daleks and the Supreme Dalek design from The Daleks Master Plan (i believe).

6). Geneticist Daleks

Geneticist is taken from Lee Adams "The Dalek That Time Forgot" YouTube video. It's an awesome video, I really recommend. In it, a Geneticist Dalek is created, For my take on Geneticist, it would be living progenitors and contain a backup for each member of The Dalek Paradigm. They may also lead Drone squads. I've used the Renegade Daleks

7). Temporal Dalek

My OC for The Paradigm, Temporal Daleks would be timeline monitors and information gatherers, with extended databases on The Doctor, their companions, the universe and beyond. I use the gold and black Dalek design from Day of The Daleks. They may also lead Drone squads.