#while citizens worry about their rights and freedoms

[submalevolentgrace]

sitting around nervously waiting to find out if the massive military empire, already occupying and politically controlling a third of the world while provoking the rest, decides to implode into a volatile dictatorship or a volatile civil war

[thecruellestmonth]

Jason Todd 2023 fic recs

Some of the best Jason Todd fics that were posted or updated in the year 2023.

"Beneficiary" by sirsparklepants https://archiveofourown.org/works/44845189 - The beneficiaries of the estate of Jason Todd. Wonderfully bittersweet. A story about "the logistical demands of death" and "the banalities of death and grief".

"The Extremely True Story of the Titans Tower Attack" by Wisetypewriter https://archiveofourown.org/works/45011785 - Red Hood evilly dragged the iron maiden Talia had gifted him in the Titans Tower’s kitchen. He cackled to himself, so deliciously happy to be able to test it on Robin. -- The most "Titans Tower AU" ever of all time. A must-read masterpiece for anyone who hates or loves fanon.

The Foreigner by somecaveats https://archiveofourown.org/works/44992420 - Jason had played out Bruce’s first words to him again and again, the blame, the disgust, the rejection, and then, sometimes, when he was feeling sentimental, tears and warmth and muttered prayers about the miracle of his return. He had thought he was prepared for anything. --Or; Immediately after the Lazarus Pit, Jason comes back. -- You know those fantasies of Jason returning to the family in a neater and more palatable way? And all his loved ones react so sweetly and supportively and sensitively—as if Jason's own behavior were the singular deciding factor for whether the family is functional and healthy in canon? This isn't that. Or; in which Jason receives a damningly tepid welcome home, has several ugly ugly panic attacks, and expertly deduces that one of Bruce's Wayne ancestors got it on with the portraitist John Singer Sargent. [work in progress/incomplete]

"how it feels to be immune" by maangoes https://archiveofourown.org/works/44490682 - He spent a year in a villa in the Hindu Kush. He doesn’t remember most of it. There were people that cleaned and made him food. The whole house smelled like Talia, like rose and jasmine flowers. This is a soothing little vignette, like a calm before a storm. Talia shines in her competence and in her tenderness, while also struggling to make the right choices for Jason's post-resurrection recovery.

whether a beast or a human being by Goldmonger https://archiveofourown.org/series/3417622 - The Red Hood has been recaptured by the Batman and consigned to a private prison, one buried deep beneath Gotham City. The Dark Knight has encountered insane and deadly criminals before, and knows the havoc that can be wreaked from allowing them any kind of freedom. The Red Hood will spend the rest of his life under observation, and will be cared for according to the directives of the Batman. It is unlikely that he will rejoin society, but that is a sacrifice that must be made to protect the citizens of Gotham. Or: "The Wide Sargasso Sea: Jason Todd Edition." Now serendipitously even more relevant after Gotham War! This story contains extreme and unmitigated pain, and severe medical abuse. In the words of the writer: a story "of how even the closest relationship with the most love in the world can fall apart under the right conditions." This is an ongoing/incomplete story, but each installment feels like a satisfying pausing point.

"catch and release" by hellsreluctantheir https://archiveofourown.org/works/50457703 - Dick & Jason hurt/comfort, with POV Dick. In the words of one commenter, this is a sweet story that really appreciates Dick's "constant worrying & planning & trauma and huge sense of responsibility that he’s always got going there" with respect to the ups and downs of his history with Jason.

"Neighbours" by Aingeal98 https://archiveofourown.org/works/40132554 - Bruce loved his son. Bruce was delighted that his son was making new friends. But there was something odd about that family, and no it wasn't just because Cassandra's mother outvoted him at the last PTA meeting, Jason. (That may have played a small part. Sue him, he's human.) PTA AU starring Cass and Shiva, with Jason as a supporting character. A feel-good story with comedy, friendship, family, and tiny pre-teen urban justice crusader Cass as our intrepid hero!

"EURUS" by cowboymater https://archiveofourown.org/works/50555239/chapters/127711369 - "Eurus is a continued interrogation of our own beliefs […] the record seeks to capture the feelings of dark woods, dry branches, dead leaves, and wondering who had migrated — you, or your flock?" OR: Jason Todd, his convictions, his forgiveness, and the cycles of violence and hope (violent hope, sometimes) he may never be free of.

"Ages 12 & Up" by motleyfam https://archiveofourown.org/works/52384984 - See, the real reason that Damian always refuses painkillers is that he cannot swallow a pill. Cute and fun Batfamily fluff. Damian is a tough little guy, and Jason is an obnoxiously annoying big brother.

"YOU MUST KNOW LIFE TO KNOW DECAY." by orpheusaki @damianbugs https://archiveofourown.org/works/48513616 - For as long as Jason can remember, it's always been raining. Jason's memories of rainy days throughout his life. The rain continues, and so does Jason.

"Get Joker" by chucklesbuckles https://archiveofourown.org/works/49377664 - Harley tries to bond with Jason over their singular shared point of trauma, obsesses over the dead bird's hands, and alienates him by having a platonic hard on for his dad. Jason just wants to make bets over who on their team will bite it first. In which Suicide Squad: Get Joker! is scrapped for parts and melted down. Harley's retrospective on having knowingly loved someone who tortured Barbara Gordon and killed Robin. [POV Harley Quinn.]

"Down to Dust" by Sparkypants https://archiveofourown.org/works/47407291 - It's not the warehouse that Jason has nightmares about. It's Bruce. Bruce deciding to cremate him instead of bury him. Because if he had, what would Jason be now? An infinite number of pieces, cast into the wind. Smoke hanging in the air and never whole or home again, part of him always missing. A spiral of psychological horror, then some hurt/comfort.

"the shadow of violence" by shipyrds https://archiveofourown.org/works/49059019 - Jason shoots someone to protect Damian. Bruce, as usual, has opinions.

"promises" by sunspikes https://archiveofourown.org/series/3413851 - After a nightmarish premonition, young Jason makes Bruce promise not to bury him.

"through death and time" by sparkycap https://archiveofourown.org/works/45733813 - After a mission that takes Batman and Nightwing back twenty years in the past, they end up with time to kill. Bruce does what he does best: he finds a kid. Luckily this one is already his. The fluffiest feel-good fluff available, featuring Bruce & Dick & Jason. Sweeter than WFA.

"The Daughter of the Water" by chucklesbuckles https://archiveofourown.org/works/46605205 - “To walk the world!” it croons, bright gold spilling over it’s cheeks, highlighting the springy white curls crowning it’s head. It bends, cold wet hands cradling Talia’s face, wiping her tears away. It places a soft kiss to her forehead, tucking a loose curl of hair behind her ear, torchlight eyes burning. “Thank you for the body.” The Lazarus Pit takes Jason's body for a long and productive joyride. A creepy and wet story featuring Talia & Jason, with POV Talia.

"Confessional" by Temeritous https://archiveofourown.org/works/45307363 - Jason gets hit with a truth spell and uses it in an inadvisable manner. Ooh, the emotional pain here is exquisite. It's like helplessly watching a glass bottle of olive oil drop and shatter and spill all over the floor.

"Oracle Movie Trailer" by centreoftheselights https://archiveofourown.org/works/47940070 - A screenplay for a trailer for a Oracle: Year One origin movie, featuring Robin II as a supporting character. We love the idea of a movie following Barbara's recovery and journey to becoming Oracle.

Red X by ilovelegendsalot https://archiveofourown.org/series/1211157 - Mostly following the canon events of the Teen Titans cartoon, from the perspective of the second Red X, Jason Todd.

"salt in the wound (and a kiss on my cheek)" by pseudonym123 https://archiveofourown.org/works/52471159/ - A RHATO #25 canon divergence fic where Roy doesn't come to Jason's rescue that night on the rooftop. Bruce and Jason deal with the fall out. [incomplete/work in progress]

[2022]

[pompadourpink]

hi mom! i'm starting uni in september, i'm moving to a new city so i need to start shopping and all, but also my parents didnt really give me advice and im the eldest so im kinda lost, do you have any advice?? XX

Hello darling,

The ABC:

Uni is scary because your free-will goes from 8 to 90 in two months and freedom is intoxicating. Making up for lost chances can lead to bad choices (spending, dating, partying).

If your family failed to parent you, it is now your job. Autonomy is essential. Learn to cook, budget, clean, be clean, save, be a good citizen, make scary phone calls, keep yourself safe, prioritise.

No one will force you to get up and study, or hire you at 21 when competing with a bright 18 year old. Effort will not betray you (being a grown lazy gifted child will).

Have shared hobbies, from movie Sundays with a girlfriend to knitting with your sister. A social life is a happy life.

Trust your body, it knows. Stomach cramps mean we hate him, daydreaming means try, yawning means bed, not coffee.

The home:

Make a cleaning schedule, be open-minded and reasonable, do not do or say anything your landlord wouldn't like (I fully recommend having roommates once for exposure therapy).

If you have a neighbour your age, introduce yourself. Having that phone number will one day mean not having to sleep outside or getting a package stolen. Thank them with food.

Start documenting problems right away (photos, timestamps, screenshots, testimonies) as you may need to take action later. No emotions, you're just "worried about everyone's wellbeing".

Mould, vermine and leaks are enemies. Act yesterday.

Avoid big purchases. You don't know what the future (location, size, taste) looks like. Go secondhand, neutral, practical.

Avoid silly purchases: streaming, takeout, drinks, fast fashion. You will not regret having a downpayment saved in ten years.

If you ever need to do emergency laundry, put a bin or a bucket in the shower, add water and detergent (+ soda crystal for stains or whitening), wait an hour, rinse, wring, hang.

The shopping:

My grandmother has kept her house clean with a broom, bucket, squeegee broom wrapped in a floorcloth and Marseille soap since the 60s. When something doesn't work, look back.

Must-haves: cleaning (see #1 + cloths, soda, lemons, white vinegar, steel wool), hygiene (scraper, net, shower head filtre, first aid), night (good pillow, plugs, mask) supplies, freezer if possible, water filtre, reusable period protection, winter clothes, long chargers, sunscreen, friend living at home who will lend you tools.

Must-not-haves: anything trendy, collections (even books), a pet - don't let Felix keep you back, sleep over and study in Paris!

Have an emergency kit (+ whatever you need) + a smaller version in the car/at the office (with cash).

Fresh fruit, starches, a few types of frozen vegetables, of cans of legumes, of fresh, canned and frozen protein, a treat, something fun once in a while to experiment + a (bi-)monthly outing.

A couple of formal outfits. Large black dress pants, white shirt, dark grey thin jumper, pencil skirt, blazer, large coat, trench coat, loafers, heels, tall boots. Never slouchy or skin tight, plain.

Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, thrift stores. Spend a few hours making a perfect home board on Pinterest instead of listening to TikTok and taking what Ikea gives you.

The social life:

Make one or two real friends and cherish them forever. Support each other, travel, buy a house together, idk.

Don't be afraid to be/do things alone. You shouldn't be afraid of what your head says when it's not distracted.

Don't miss out on huge opportunities for people. Some are around out of necessity and will ghost you after graduation.

Do not try to impress, especially people you don't like and who don't like you. Do not do or say anything cops wouldn't like. Be a homebody who doesn't drink if that's what you want.

Do not try to educate those who will not learn.

Do not befriend someone who lacks confidence as they will make you pay for their jealousy, nor someone who wants a free therapist. Those relationships will be one-sided.

Befriend a couple of older girls. They will see through the lies of the people (men, classmates, employers) trying to fool you.

The love life:

The thirty-two year old man doesn't find you mature, he finds you inexperienced and malleable. Don't try meth thinking you're special enough to not get addicted.

If a date mocks you and you get mad, either that is who he is or he hates you. If you got mad, he is not for you. Your job is not to pretend you don't care so he can have a girlfriend.

Ask yourself if you would tell your best friend, mother, Taylor Swift, that he (hers) didn't mean it like that. If not, take a break from dating and think about why you think you don't deserve respect.

Don't forgive what you don't want to tolerate.

Don't try to force a relationship with someone who made it clear that he is, for whatever reason, not interested. You will be played like a fiddle until he meets someone he wants.

Don't try communicating with someone who is messing with you on purpose. No one ignores you for three days or sleeps with your friend or breaks your favourite necklace after an argument by accident. Also, your husband would never.

The daily life:

Have a clean e-mail address (firstname.lastname) for official biz and a casual one (f.lastna) for everything else, a solid password (Lanadelrey1984#) - change it yearly - and a list of the usernames and passwords you didn't pick.

If you don't trust your parents, block them off your account or open a new one when you turn 18 before they rob you.

Save a year worth of expenses, don't purchase what you couldn't buy twice now, don't replace what still works, give yourself week-long thinking periods before spending.

Get folders for your paperwork and keep them safe + take pictures for an encrypted Drive (beware of iCloud): diplomas, flat, car, big purchases, work, taxes, health, etc.

Print pics and make albums. One day, the app will die.

Mind your health. Exercise weekly (cardio/strength, ex: runs + weighted Pilates), walk, get more water, sleep, and fibre, take vitamin D, mind your eyes/ears/skin/teeth, stretch, leave.

Only invest energy, money, or time into what is worth it. FaceTime before the date. Get secondhand leather boots instead of replacing plastic. Drop the book after 100 bad pages.

Refuse conversations with people whose lives you wouldn't want, who happily overwork for a mediocre wage and don't know how old their children are. The handcuffs are homemade.

The job:

People will not forget how you made them feel and the world is a small place. Colleagues, clients, bosses will gossip: make sure it is for good reason. Dress and look clean, stand straight, be on time, never ever gossip, even when you were wronged.

Understand the power of sobriety. Be known for the success of your last project, not your bright skirts or temper.

Protect future you so you get the promotion/project/raise. No friends, no enemies. Smile, have neutral answers, make them talk, move on, make your IG private, google your name.

Lie. You don't avoid them, you eat lunch with your nana (hi Paula, no, I forgot about the hairdresser's), weren't unemployed, your father was ill, cannot go out, you have a birthday party.

Act boring with the jealous old woman or the obnoxious man. Take the fake compliment for a real one, don't understand the innuendo, have too much work to chat. Bullies get bored.

Instead of clapping back (see #3), be Cinderella, who ignores the insults and turns to Mr. No nonsense, who has been there twenty years, worryingly asking if Ethel is okay, I don't know what to do (no mention of ego, you're just distraught about her).

Sites to look up: Proton (mail, VPN, drive), Notion.

Love,

Mum

(PS - apologies if the she/he thing doesn't match you, this is a flexible plan for all of my children)

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Errmm RTA did you see that H won his VISA court case? What do you think about it? People very often say Charles is protecting him via the UK government but I don't understand how this can happen in the US soil. Utterly disappointed 😞

Honestly, I’m not that concerned. I knew it’d go this way, and I knew it’d be a sealed judgment, because it questioned the establishment (both Democrat *and* Republican), it involved exposing personal information - aka PII - that the government has a right to protect, and it involves established precedent.

Just to remind everyone: The Heritage Foundation is alleging that Harry lied on his visa/immigration paperwork by omitting his drug use because of US immigration law making it illegal for immigrants or travelers with past drug use - even if recreational - from entering or being admitted into the US. The Heritage Foundation made these allegations after Harry admitted to extensive drug use in Spare. To prove their case, The Heritage Foundation FOIA’d the government for Harry’s immigration records. The government essentially said “no, this is protected information*” Heritage Foundation then sued for the full, unredacted, unrestricted records. The court has now dismissed the lawsuit on procedural grounds.

*Harry’s immigration records being protected information is NOT because he’s Harry or because he’s being protected. It’s because it’s the rule of law. There are certain types of information that is legally allowed to be restricted, even under a FOIA request. There are certain types of records that are legally allowed to be restricted, even for a FOIA request. These standards apply to the entire government, all records, and all federal employees.

While the judgement is still sealed for now, that it was a procedural ruling, versus an opinion, suggests it probably has something to do with FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) and a resulting privacy issue that would upset decades of precedence.

So yes, you can be disappointed that the ruling is in Harry’s favor. But you should also be happy, because the ruling also protects you. Meaning that no one can sue the government for your personal files on the basis of “I need to know because I’m convinced you lied” and get access to your private, personal information — because that’s the precedent The Heritage Foundation wants to overturn. And it’s dangerous because today, it might be someone’s immigration records, but tomorrow it could be your voting record, your passport application, your medical history.

That’s not Charles protecting Harry. That’s the government protecting its citizens. Yes, it’s crappy that they’re doing it through Harry (of all people), but personally, I’d rather keep as many rights than to keep losing them, and if they use Harry to do so, well, I’ll just hold my nose for a little bit.

But ultimately, the judgment is still sealed. Let’s not worry about whether this is Charles protecting Harry until it’s unsealed and we can read for ourselves what’s going on.

[bari-the-witch]

Couples Quiz Night Part 1

Part 2

Heya dear people of the fandom!

I originall wanted to post this as a whole but because my private life is a bitch right now it's going to take a while to finish this. I decided to post the first part now, so you don't have to wait for something to read. Don't worry, I didn't ditch this. I have too much fun writing this!

A few people wanted me to tag them. So, here they are:

@swimmingbirdrunningrock @grtwdsmwhr @lightwoodbanethings @eggrollofchaos01 @gamerdano @miss-hit @photoaesthetic @alexdesappho @lifeisnotsobadonceyoustopcaring (with cherries on top ;D) @gay-stranger-things @hopefulcookieoperatorpersona @thepainisspicy @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @alienace @ashwinmeird @satan-is-obsessed @ninjapirateunicorns

Hope you enjoy!

And beware: English is not my native language so there might be a few mistakes here and there. Even though I used two different spell checkers/grammar programs.

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

Indianapolis, Indiana

July 10, 1987

“Honey, I’m home,” Steve called as he entered the apartment, toeing off his shoes and placing them neatly beside Eddie’s beaten-up sneakers and Robin’s red Converse before slowly making his way to the kitchen.

They had moved to Indianapolis half a year ago, leaving Hawkins behind for good. Between Steve’s shitty parents, Robin’s desire for freedom, and Eddie’s problems with the dear citizens of Hawkins even though his innocence was proven, it wasn’t a particularly difficult decision to make. They were still close enough in case their friends needed help but far enough away to finally heal.

Fortunately, they quickly found a three-bedroom apartment on the outskirts of the city and were able to afford it with their combined financial forces. Steve was glad he had taken the leap of faith to move here.

His life was a lot better now.

“Welcome back dingus,” Robin greeted him with a mock salute while Eddie just waved. They were both sitting on the kitchen counter together (although they had a small dining table not two feet away), sipping something that looked suspiciously like red wine.

“Already started without me?”

“Hey, it’s not my fault you came back home this late,” Robin protested.

“Rob, you literally pressured me into letting you leave earlier so you could get,” Steve eyed the wine glass in her hands, “ready for tonight. I see you’re using your time wisely.”

“It’s totally Eddie’s fault. I swear!”

“Hey! You’re the one who wanted to crack a bottle to get all nice and tipsy before our night out. So you won’t lose your nerves because of Nan-.”

“Shut it, Munson!” Robin grinds out through gritted teeth, a deep blush darkening her cheeks. She smacked a hand over Eddie’s mouth to silence him....only for her to draw it back in disgust immediately. “Eww. Did you just lick my hand? What are you, twelve?”

“Why are you so embarrassed, Bucks? It’s not exactly a secret,” Eddie replied nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

Robin hung her head in defeat and sighed. “I know. It’s just… every time I meet her, I make a total ass out of myself, you know? I just want to be this cool person that doesn’t start spewing out unnecessary facts no one cares about.”

“With alcohol?” Steve asked amusedly, holding up his hands in defense when she glared at him. “Don’t look at me like that. Come on, Rob. Nancy likes you. Even your rambling. She thinks it’s endearing.”

“She does?”

Steve nodded. Nancy had told him a few weeks ago when they met up in a small cafe during their lunch break. She also said a few other things about Robin but it wasn’t Steve’s place to tell her that.

“That’s-. I need to get ready. I- Boys, see you later!” she exclaimed dramatically and hopped off the counter, marching straight into her room, and closing the door behind her.

“Well, she sure seems excited now,” Eddie chuckled.

They’re alone in the kitchen right now, and Steve is well aware of that. You see the thing is, moving to the big city and living together with his friends had not only made his life better but also significantly more complicated.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t always found men attractive. However, growing up in the Harrington household had taught him to keep these kinds of thoughts buried deep inside him. His father wasn’t very fond of queer people (an understatement) and would not have liked his son to be one of them (also an understatement). Moving here, living together with Eddie day after day, and finally being free from his father’s clutches had thrown him into the biggest sexuality crisis known to mankind.

At first, it was just mild infatuation that soon grew and spread into a full-blown crush, leaving him scared and confused. But it was OK, really. There wouldn't be anything coming out of it anyway. Steve was positively sure Eddie didn’t even like men that way, let alone him. So all he had to do was wait for this to blow over.

Well, that is, until Eddie decided to tear down Steve’s most effective defense mechanisms by outing himself a few weeks after moving in.

Suddenly, Eddie didn’t seem out of reach anymore, throwing Steve into the next crisis on top of the first. It got so obvious there was something wrong with him that Robin pulled him aside one night when it was just the two of them.

He finally spilled his beans that night. From the fact that he seemed to always have liked men as equally as women (bisexuality, Robin called it), down to his embarrassing all-consuming crush on Eddie.

She listened intently, asking a few questions here and there but otherwise letting him do the talking.

“What makes you think he doesn’t like you that way?” Robin asked earnestly.

“I just know,” Steve answered dejectedly and Robin didn’t press.

“Hey, Steve. You in there?”

Steve snapped out of his thoughts and shifted his attention back to the present. Eddie was standing in front of him, a worried expression on his handsome face.

“Huh? Sorry I- just got lost in my own head.”

“Shit, you really scared me there, man. Didn't we talk about not spacing out at random?" Eddie asked, relief evident in his voice. “For a second, I thought Vecna was back or something.”

“I know, I know, sorry.”

Only now did Steve realize how close they were. And that Eddie was grabbing both of his shoulders, the touch sending a spark of something through his body. The fact that Eddie was a very tactile person, touching Steve whenever he had the opportunity to, didn’t make dealing with his crush any easier.

"I, um," Steve started, trying hard not to stare at Eddie’s lips. “I need to get ready. For later. Shower, yes.” He stumbled over his words like a pre-schooler talking to his crush for the first time. Jesus, get it together. What happened to your famous Harrington charm?

“I mean, I’m gonna head to the shower. Or do you wanna go first?”

“Nah, I already did, so… It’s all yours,” Eddie answered before finally releasing his shoulders, and taking a step back. Steve nearly breathed out in relief.

“Well then, see you later.” Eddie patted him on the shoulder, grabbed the wine glass from the kitchen counter behind him, and made his way to his room. Before he stepped inside, he turned around again, a shit-eating grin on his face. “Oh and Steve? Just take your time. I know how much you like getting all dolled up for me.”

Heat shot to Steve’s cheeks while his heart did a full ballet routine in his chest. But befor he had the chance to react, Eddie disappeared inside and closed the door behind him.

Oh, did he forget to mention that Eddie was a notorious flirt, too?

Steve slammed the bathroom door with more force than necessary. He stripped down angrily and stood under the warm spray of the shower, trying to relax.

Fuck, he used to be good at this. Really good. With girls swooning left and right, just looking at them. He had been King Steve for fucks sake.

But then Eddie appeared and Steve’s famous Harrington charm, which was already in a nosedive anyway, crashed and burned to the ground, shattering into a million useless pieces. Eddie, with his stupid wide-brown doe-eyes, his equally ridiculous dark curly hair, and this fucking dimpled smile that always made Steve tremble and weak in the knees. And don’t forget all the stupid pet names he threw at him like candy, coming up with a new one every week.

Don’t get him wrong. Most of the time he’s glad the King Steve days are over. He just missed it sometimes, being that cocky, self-confident guy, strutting the halls of High School instead of this easily flustered tongue-tied idiot he was now.

Standing in front of the mirror after his shower, Steve had to resist the urge not to style his hair just to teach Eddie a lesson.

He dismissed that thought quickly, though. Not even that would make him leave the house looking like that. He still had some self-respect after all.

Steve stayed holed up in his room until Robin told him it was time to leave. He knew it wasn’t a permanent solution to his problem, not with them living and spending so much time together, but he just needed a break to collect himself.

The next few hours will be exhausting enough.

Going out tonight was all Robin's idea.

Since moving to the big city she had used every opportunity to get out of the house and into every gay bar she could get her hands on. She called it her ‘mandatory gay experience’ and Steve was glad she finally popped out of the shell she had built around herself while living in Hawkins.

And because Steve was such a good friend (the best) he tagged along when she asked him to, week after week. Sometimes just the two of the, sometimes with Eddie and Nancy in tow.

And so it happened that Steve found himself at one of those bars again on a Friday night, pressed against Eddie’s side, while Robin and Nancy sat across from them. The seating arrangement hadn’t exactly been Steve’s decision, but Robin had nearly knocked out his teeth trying to scramble into the booth beside Nancy. This left him with no other choice than to sit beside Eddie.

It was beautiful and terrible at the same time.

This close, Steve could feel Eddie's warmth through the layers of their clothes, leaving a tingling feeling wherever they touched. He tried not to show how much it affected him, but from the smirk, Robin was giving him from across the table, he was failing miserably.

Meanwhile, Eddie didn’t seem affected at all. He was his usual animated self, gesticulating around widely while telling Nancy a story about one of his co-workers who almost burned down the kitchen.

Unable to tear his eyes away, Steve followed the movement of Eddie’s mouth with his eyes. How he licked his lips from time to time or the way he bit his lower lip when trying to keep himself from laughing at his own story.

God, those damn kissable lips…

Stabbing pain shooting through his shin made Steve tear his eyes from Eddie’s mouth immediately.

He glared at Robin, who had a far too innocent expression on her face and only mumbled a soft “You’re staring again dingus” in return, before turning back to the conversation.

Oh shit. Had he been that obvious again?

Fortunately, Eddie didn’t seem to have noticed Steve’s brief staring contest with his lips (or so he hoped), being far too engrossed in telling the girls his funny story.

Thank God.

Later, Robin and Nancy had gone to get them a new round of drinks and from what Steve could see, it would take them a while to get back to the table. As the night progressed the bar had gotten steadily more packed which wasn’t surprising considering it was a Friday night. Steve was glad they had gotten here early.

As the girls returned with fresh drinks in tow and sat down again, Robin slid something into the middle of the table.

“You boys wouldn’t believe me what we’ve found,” she said delightedly, tapping at the small piece of paper with her finger Steve could identify as a flyer now. “Sounds pretty interesting to me.”

Next to her, Nancy nodded approvingly, sipping at her drink.

Eddie snatched it before Steve could take a closer look, tossing it back on the table with a snort a few seconds after.

“Couples Quiz Night, huh? I think I’d rather stab myself than join this, thank you very much.”

“What? Is that too uncool for lil’ ol’ Eddie?” Robin asked challengingly.

“You bet, Bucks. That shit’s only for couples that desperately try to make others jealous by showing how great they are.”

Eddie’s reply started a bickering match about the pros and cons of couples quiz night between him and Robin. Steve just rolled his eyes fondly, glad that the two most important people in his life had become such good friends and got along so well. He didn’t want to imagine a world where those two weren’t part of it at the same time.

Curious, Steve decided to take a look at it and grabbed the flyer off the table. Trying to tune out the agitated chatter of his friends he started to read.

The hand-sized flyer didn’t contain much information besides the name and date of the event written in big bold green letters and something about a prize you could win. Steve remembered doing something like this with his girlfriend Lisa (now an ex-girlfriend, fortunately) back in Hawkins. It ended in a complete and utter disaster because he and Lisa hadn’t even gotten one question right. It wasn’t exactly one of his proudest moments as a boyfriend.

"What?"

Steve flinched at Eddie's ear-splitting screech, immediately scanning the room for any signs of danger, his shoulders sagging in relief when he couldn't find any.

"Oh my god. Oh my god, I need them!"

Eddie looked at his friends one by one with big pleading eyes and, to top it off, even jutted out his lower lip. When no one seemed to take the bait right away, because they were all used to Eddie's antics, he fixed his gaze on Steve who still was none the wiser about what brought on Eddie's over the top reaction.

“Stevie?”

Steve quickly averted his eyes. He knew he couldn't say no to Eddie (to whatever he would ask of him) if he kept looking at him like that.

“Wait. That’s actually not a terrible idea,” Nancy said, sipping her drink like the traitor she is. “I mean, this is a gay bar, right? So there shouldn’t be any problems. And you two are so close, I bet you can easily fake it.”

Huh? Fake it?

Robin seemed to have noticed Steve’s confusion because she immediately started to explain. “Eddie wants to take part in the couples quiz night since he found out what the super secret prize is.”

“And … what does this have to do with me?” A sense of dread started to creep up on him.

“He wants you to join him,” Nancy answered matter-of-factly. “It’s a couples quiz after all.”

“But we aren’t a couple?” Steve asked perplexed. “Unless I missed something.”

The thought of him and Eddie being a couple made his insides all gooey and he quickly shoved it away.

“That’s why we’re gonna fake it, sweetheart!” Eddie laughed and threw an arm around, pressing him snuggly into his side.

Wait, what?

“You want me,” Steve pointed a trembling finger to himself and then at Eddie while trying to keep his voice even, “to fake a relationship with you to win a stupid prize at a Couples Quiz Night?”

“Hey, the prize is not stupid. How dare-”

“Yup. That’s exactly what he said.” Nancy answered nonchalantly, before taking a sip from her drink, giving Steve a look from under her lashes he didn’t like one bit.

“Yeah, come on, Steve, don’t be a spoilsport. It'll be fun!” Robin backed her up, of course, with a dangerous gleam in her eyes.

“Yes, Stevie. Listen to our friends."

“What happened to ‘rather stabbing yourself than joining this?’” Steve asked dryly, a last desperate attempt to wiggle out of this somehow.

“Steve. Steve-o. My best friend. Light of my life, did you not listen to anything the guy said?" Eddie asked sweetly and huffed when Steve only shrugged his shoulders. "It’s fucking tickets for a Metallica concert at Market Square Arena. That shit’s been sold out for weeks! Dude, I’d sell my soul for this if I could. So screw what I said before. I. Want. Those. Tickets.”

Steve felt his resolve start to crumble like a house of cards. He knew how much those tickets meant to Eddie. The guy literally hadn’t stopped talking about it for weeks and was totally crushed when he heard it was sold out.

Steve sighed deeply and closed his eyes.

He was absolutely sure that this was going to end in total disaster as it did with Lisa. And then Eddie would be mad at him about not winning those tickets, about him not being able to answer some stupid questions in a stupid quiz and -

- and then he made the mistake of looking into Eddie's pleading eyes.

Shit.

Rookie mistake.

Steve sighed, getting ready to succumb to his inevitable fate.

“Fine. But if we’re doing this, you owe me, Munson. Big time.”

“Oh my god, thank you! You’re absolutely the best! You won't regret it. Promise!” Eddie clapped his hands together a few times with barely concealed glee, bouncing on his seat like a maniac. Steve didn’t have the heart to tell him that he regretted it the moment he agreed to do it.

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t cream your-. Hey, what are you doing?”

Eddie nearly shoved him off the booth and Steve quickly stood up to prevent himself from planting his face on the floor.

"What the hell, Munson?"

"Come on, come on. There are two Metallica tickets with our names on them, I heard.”

“I don’t think-.”

“Less talking, more walking, Stevie,” Eddie tutted, grabbind Steve around the wrist and dragging Steve mercilessly behind him without waiting for a response.

Glancing at the girls for help, Steve was only met with a thumbs up from Nancy and an overdramatic smooching gesture from Robin.

Screw Nancy's guns. He was so going to strangle them after this was over.

Eddie made it through the crowd with relative ease, slipping smoothly between the bodies on his way over to the bar while Steve bumped into people left and right, receiving tons of dirty looks in return. He didn't even have time to apologize, not with Eddie dragging him behind him like this.

At the bar, Eddie squeezed himself between two scrawny-looking guys, eagerly waving the bartender over. With Eddie's hand still clasped around his wrist, Steve didn't have much choice than to stand way too close behind him.

“Yeah? What can I get ya?”

“Hey, we heard about a quiz tonight and really wanted to join. Because I somehow can’t convince this knucklehead," Eddie turned back to him and had the fucking audacity to wink, then turned tack to the baarkeeper. "that we’re made for each other.” He put a hand on his heart, sighing deeply like he was carrying the whole world on his shoulders. “Maybe that’ll finally make him see it. You know?”

God, Eddie really was a theater kid, huh?

No way in hell someone would buy this little performance. Not when Eddie was laying it on this thick. Not in a million years.

But to Steve’s horror, the guy took a pen and a piece of paper from somewhere and shoved it over the counter. “Relationships are tough, man,” he nodded with a sigh, a look of pity in his eyes. Steve wondered if the guy was either a newbie or simply not good at reading people.

“Just write down your names here. We’re starting in ten minutes. So you better be ready.”

Then he left them alone to tend to some other customers demanding his attention.

“Ten minutes?” Steve hissed into Eddie’s ear from behind, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach running amok. “How should we come up with matching answers in ten minutes?”

Unimpressed by Steve’s tiny little freak-out, Eddie scribbled down their names in his neat handwriting before turning around. Their faces were barely a hair's breadth away and if Steve wanted to he just could lean forward and - no. Nope. Bad idea.

“Relax,” Eddie said, his breath caressing Steve’s lips, nearly driving him insane. “We don’t even know what they’re going to ask so I guess we just have to trust in the power of our relationship.”

“Which doesn’t exist," Steve replied dryly, proud of how even his voice sounded. "Listen, it’s always the same shit, like favorite color, favorite food, who kissed the other first yadda yadda yadda. So we need to-.”

“Wait wait wait. You did something like this before?” Eddie raised his eyebrows, his mouth twisting into a grin. “Stevie, you absolute romantic! You really know how to make a girl feel special,” he giggled, twisting a curl around his finger like a girl in those corny teenage movies Robin always made them watch as punishment for whatever.

“Yeah, I bet Lisa would disagree with you on that,” Steve grimaced, shuddering at the memory. “Whatever. Do you wanna go over some possible questions or not?”

Eddie tapped a finger against his lips, weighing his head left and right a few times like he was thinking really hard about his answer.

But then he leaned forward, bridging the gap between them and pressing his lips against Steve’s cheek. Just a short peck.

Steve's eyes widened in shock.

“I don’t think we’re going to need that, sweetheart,” he whispered softly before drawing back again. Which isn’t very far because they’re still unbelievably close, their noses almost touching. "Just trust in us, ok?"

Steve, whose brain had shut down the moment Eddie’s lips touched his face, nodded dumbly, his mouth open. Eddie’s smile grew and he took Steve’s hand in his, intertwining their fingers before pulling him toward the stage.

[bunni-v1]

Request: Rook Hunt drabble for a royalty AU

Twisted Wonderland Royal AU: Pomefiore

TW: Use of “princess” but that’s it

Info: Rook x Reader; Vil x Reader (familial); Epel x Reader (platonic); GN!Reader

🍓Teehee, I love royalty AUs. Unfortunately, I got a little out of hand on the “Drabble” part, so this is just an introduction to everyone in a soon-to-be-long fic I’ll be posting in the coming week. These are VERY brief, as the actual fic is about sixteen pages. I do hope it’s worth the wait! I hope you’ll understand! If you’d like, I can tag you in it!

Tags: 

Kingdom Lore

-Your Kingdom is part of a “United Front” with several other kingdoms across all of twisted wonderland.

-The castle is located in the Shaftlands, making it one of the most influential and bustling areas in the entire world.

-You and your people are focused on the creation of silks and fabrics and clothes — which you have quite a chokehold on the industry.

-You also have quite a large hunting industry, due to your location next to multiple large and vast forests.

-Your kingdom is the (newly) second strongest within the United front, thanks to the recent addition of of The Valley of Thorns

-It’s original rulers (your parents) died in a tragic accident, leaving only you and your brother behind to rule your kingdom.

-Magic is not common in the Shaftlands, usually only left for the great scholars to study and hone. 

-In fact, because of the way the late king and queen died, magic use is frowned upon.

-The kingdom has fairy tales of large inky monsters that live within the forest, but those are just fairy tales… right?

You (Oh my goodness!!!)

-You are the princess (by title, you use they/them pronouns) of the Shaftlands.

-While the people believe you rule side by side with your brother, you really are only there to sit still and look pretty.

-You ARE well educated and very smart. You understand deep political issues and have bold opinions which Vil (your brother) does take into account.

-You are better described as a socialite, collecting information about every single person you brush elbows with.

-This includes your citizens, whom you love and adore and they love and adore you.

-Since you have no political hold over people, you learn everything there is to learn about them and use that as leverage against them if you need — alternatively, with your citizens, you use it to try and help better their lives.

-You are good at being royalty, and are loyal to your kingdom and the crown, but you don’t like it.

-You especially hate the looking good aspect of being royal.

-Parties are the worst punishment you can go through.

-You value your freedom and ability to do as you like, but you are understanding as it becomes limited the older and older you get.

-You would rather marry for true love rather than for political connections.

-You ARE a princess after all, you love the stories of a dashing rouge sweeping you off your feet.

-All of this being said, your absolute favorite thing in the world is hunting.

-Your mother was an esteemed hunter before she took on the crown, and therefore she taught you everything you know.

-You are no longer allowed to hunt, thanks to your brother being too worried something may happen to you, but you miss it.

-You DO have a good relationship with Vil, but it’s become more and more strained as years went on and he became more and more restrictive of what you can and can’t do.

-Epel is your best friend in the castle, and was your hunting partner until you were banned.

-He remains loyal to you over Vil, and will always have your back if you need it.

Vil

-Your older brother, and the Queen of the Shaftlands.

-Vil took on the crown at only fifteen, and he has ruled gracefully and powerfully ever since.

-He is, by far, the most influential ruler among the seven separate kingdoms.

-He is the main reason that the unification front has lasted so long and The Valley of Thorns joined later after.

-He singlehandedly led the kingdom into economic prosperity, and remains the reason as to its huge success.

-He banned the average man from hunting, instead requiring a hunting license so that they could limit the loss of human life in the forest.

-He, himself, finds hunting boorish and dangerous, which was his main reason for banning you from doing so.

-He adores you with his whole heart and soul, and every single thing he does is for the betterment of the kingdom and the safety of you.

-He’s got thousands of responsibilities which has limited the time he’s able to spend with you, but he does try to make time at least once a week to sit with you.

-He is one of the only people who knows exactly what happened to his parents, and he also requires a license to study and practice magic in the Shaftlands.

-He studies magic, specifically potion magic, but only so he can better understand the benefits and dangers of it. 

-He does not permit you to study magic, because he is afraid something could happen to you much like it did to your parents.

-He seemingly works very closely with Idia Shroud and his family, but no one knows why — especially since Idia and Vil don’t get along well publicly.

-In fact, Vil does not get along well with most of the soon-to-be rulers of the neighboring kingdoms.

Epel

-Epel and his family was plucked off the streets by Vil himself when both you and Epel were very young.

-His family was given a position as the castle’s own farmers, his grandmother being the head of production.

-Epel, however, was assigned as your personal playmate and eventually a member of the lower court.

-He is your best friend and in turn you are his.

-Both of you hate the castle lifestyle, and run around causing chaos and having fun with one another.

-Frequently, you both find yourself in trouble, but you are able to dismiss Epel’s punishment by taking full blame and arguing for his forgiveness.

-Epel is quiet and soft-spoken around Vil, but when the two of you are alone he is outspoken and loud.

-He drops his fake fancy accent and talks in his regular southern drawl which you adore so much.

-He isn’t too important to the story overall, but he is your rock to lean back on when things get rough.

-He knows you better than your own brother knows you, and for that you think he is like family.

-His main responsibility is to look pretty and mingle, just like you.

-He is also, technically, your first guard in case anything goes wrong.

-He is, magically, incredibly talented with a gift that is unmatched by most in his court.

-Vil sponsors his lessons and study, but his is not permitted to use magic outside of his lessons.

-Epel believes that Vil has a bigger plan with his magical experiments, but he’s not sure what.

-It is also worth note that he is not supposed to mention his magical lessons to you either.

Rook

-Rook is a mysterious man. He is not one of the many citizens of the Shaftlands that you know and love dearly, nor is he an elite from another kingdom.

-You know virtually nothing about this man, therefore you are drawn to him in a way that you’d never felt before.

-He shows up suddenly at your birthday party, uninvited and unknown, and disappears as quickly as he came.

-What you don’t know is that he is - in fact - a very important figure among the only kingdom not within your unified front.

-Now, I don’t want to spoil anything for the story, but the two of you end up tangled in a sort of cat and mouse game that only one of you is aware that its happening.

-Now, general head cannons on him.

-Rook is a very well read, well spoken, well educated young man. 

-He is not from the Shaftlands, but he knows the ins and outs of every single system both inside and outside of the castle.

-To be truthful, he is aware of the inner workings of every single kingdom in the unified front. 

-He is also magically talented, and his favorite form to use would be his enchanted bow which he can use to apply any spell to his arrows as he draws them.

-Unlike you, who is extremely sheltered from the world, he knows perhaps TOO much.

-He is equally as captivated by you as you are with him, which leads him to make a… very interesting decision.

-He is, technically, a guard for hire. A very good one, at that. None of his clients have ever faced any harm with him around.

-Vil, being protective as he is, hires Rook to be your guard after a set of circumstances happen, and suddenly this mysterious man who you thought you’d never see again is a part of your everyday life.

[pettytiredandjewish]

Are you pro-Israel or pro-Palestine?

I honestly don’t think it’s any of your concern but if you really want to know my “stance”, I’ll tell you. You may or may not like my answer but I’m at the point where I really don’t give a flying F. So here we go-

A little background about me-I’m not Israeli, I’m from the states but my great-grandparents on my mom side left Germany sometime a little before WW1 due to antisemitism (they were Ashkenazi Jews.) Not everyone left and the ones who did stay ended up in the concentration camps/ghettos during WW2. Honestly if my great grandparents didn’t leave Germany- well there is a high chance that I wouldn’t be here and that this family tree branch would be non existent.

I’m gonna be honest I’m a “zionost”. There is no safe place for Jews. A lot of countries made it known for many years and they are still making it known to this day. Not only is the land of Israel is considered holy (I’m not super religious but I do recognize and respect that it’s a sacred and holy site) but it is also considered a safe place for many Jews who had to leave their own homes due to all the antisemitism/hate/etc. I’m not an “anti-Zionist”. Did you know that one of Russian’s leaders during- I believe the Soviet Union created that term as a way to help destroy Jewish culture during that era? That term just rubs me the wrong way.

I constantly worry about my friends and family. I worry about mine and their safety. I have to keep looking over my shoulder when I leave the house or when I go to the store, it to work… I know my parents worry too and I know my mom is secretly happy that I attended Shabbat services via online. I don’t want to think about what would happen if something happened to me or to my family/friends. But I don’t hide my “Jewishness”. I love being Jewish- I’m not ashamed of it. It’s a beautiful culture but it also is sad too. The history is not all butterfly’s and rainbows. We (Jews) have suffered for generations but we also overcome everything that people throws at us. Are we traumatized? Probably yes, but we don’t give up. We work hard to keep our culture alive so that we can keep passing it down.

The situation in Israel and Palestine is/has always been messy. It’s like a pressure pot- every little issue and conflict has been cooking up for some time. And every once in a while someone will let some steam out- to help let out some pressure but if you keep it covered and not let out the pressure, well it’s all going to build up and explode. And il that’s what’s happening here. That’s what we’re seeing now. This is the aftermath.

So to answer your question- I’m “pro Israel”: I think that Israelites have the right to live there. It’s their home. They did not colonize it. It is also not an apartheid state. Really people- please read a dictionary to understand these terms that you keep throwing out. Gaza’s government has been unstable for some time and it did eventually fell to hamas control sometime earlier 2000’s(?) for those who don’t know and or still in denial about what they really are- hamas is a terrorist organization. They’re not a resistance group of freedom fighters “fighting to save their people” cuz they don’t give a damn about their own people. They a literally using their own civilians as human shields. They’re stealing resources that’s mental for the civilians and using it themselves.

Also quick question(s) but why is Israel getting blasted for defending themselves after Oct 7? Is anyone gonna call out the other neighboring countries for how they are handling the situation- why aren’t they opening up their borders for refugees? Also why are most of y’all blaming Israel citizens and well- Jewish people in general- i mean I know the answer to this (*cough* most of y’all hate Jews and are using this as a reason to unmask yourselves).

I honestly could keep going- I’ve mostly kept this to myself, so it’s building up, but to be “nice” I’m gonna stop there for now. I don’t know what your “stance” is and I really don’t care per se- the whole situation has been stressing me out like crazy. If you don’t like my answer to bad so sad- I’m no one’s “good Jew”. If you or anyone have any questions you can ask but if you say some antisemitic crap I will block you and depending on my mood- call you out on it too. Have a happy holiday.

Am Yisrael Chai

[hobiebrownismygod]

So on one of my recent posts about Hobie, I got this comment from @unnecessary-account and I thought it was really interesting.

Miles has a connection with the Prowler

That's already been established (Prowler Miles)

We know that Uncle Aaron was the Prowler and he was a 'bad guy' and all that. We know that the Prowler in ITSV was supposed to be a bad guy, with his scary theme, the fact that he worked for Kingpin, and the fact that he was trying to kill Miles until he found out who was under the mask.

But the Hobie Brown Prowler is different.

Hobie Brown was a really smart kid who grew up in a really crappy family. His father left when he was a baby and his mom was an alcoholic. He had 9 siblings and all of them were basically forced to raise themselves.

In order to support himself, he became a window-cleaner who used his intellect to build gadgets to make his job easier. When he was eventually fired, he turned to a life of crime, where he would steal money from the Daily Bugle.

But after a confrontation with Spider-man, he realizes this life of crime sucks and he actually becomes an anti-hero. Spider-man even comes to him for help every once in a while and Hobie joins the Silver Sable group, a group of anti-hero mercenaries that includes Sandman.

"The Prowler gives me control over my own life-- and power. Power I can use to protect the helpless."

The Prowler Issue #1

The Prowler gives Hobie power over himself and his identity

It gives him control over his own life and his own future

Now lets connect this to Spiderman Hobie

Hobie advocates for freedom and free speech. He would want people to have control over themselves and their future. He actively fights against a fascist dictatorship in order to provide human rights for all the citizens of London

Being Spider-man means having the freedom to do these things

Having that mask on means being the voice of the people

That's what being Spider-man is to Spiderman Hobie

Now lets connect this to Miles

The first thought Miles has when he sees Hobie is "Damn. He's way cooler than me."

He's jealous of Hobie, not just cuz he's close with Gwen, but because he's an older boy who knows what he wants, does what he wants, and doesn't have to worry about other people's perceptions of him.

He's the definition of cool

Miles in the meanwhile is struggling to balance his classes, struggling to keep his identity a secret and feeling completely alone in his world

He's struggling with anxiety, panic attacks, maybe even a little bit of depression from what we saw in The Spider Within

He's struggling with the meaning of Spider-man

He's working so hard to protect his city, help the helpless, to fill those shoes that the original Peter Parker left behind. Hobie Brown's Prowler does the same thing, where he takes inspiration from Spider-man to fuel himself and his goals

Miles doesn't have control over his own life. At the end of ATSV, he doesn't even have control over his own future or his own fate.

Hobie Brown wanted control and power. Hobie Brown became the Prowler to have control and power.

Miles Morales wants control and power. Miles is fighting against his canon event because he needs that control over his future and he needs that power in his life.

Because both Spider-man and the Prowler are good people that have been put in tough situations.

And both of them want control over their own lives

Miles and the Hobie Brown Prowler share that connection. Spider-man in general shares that connection with the Prowler. I think that's pretty cool.

This analysis was kinda all over the place, mb 😭

if something doesn't make sense I'm happy to explain it though

Sources under the cut:

[animekpopsimp]

A Fatal Decision (Kaeya and Diluc x sister reader part 4)

He's Kanreya's last hope, at least, that's what Kaeya's father told him before abandoning him in Mondstat. Those words kept haunting him every day of his life, they made him feel like he didn't belong. On one hand, the nation where he was born was seemingly counting on him, on the other hand, he had come to consider the city of freedom his home. Especially now since both he and Diluc have begun repairing their once damaged brotherly relationship. Kaeya felt relieved that he was finally able to explain to Diluc, it had been so many years of him trying, yet getting pushed away. It broke his heart, and if it weren't for you, then he would still be in that same position.

But deep down, Kaeya knew that he would choose Mondstat. After all, Kanreya had already been destroyed. He didn't see the need to remain loyal to a place that had been gone for 500 years. He had found a family right where he was, and he didn't want to lose that, ever. Which is why he was worried, he was aware that the abyss, or what was left of Kanreya would eventually attack the city, and he was determined to stop it.

"Kaeya?" The blue-haired male was suddenly snapped from his thoughts by your voice. He had agreed to train you, with some hesitation from Diluc. However, he was having trouble focusing today, something you noticed right away.

"Are you ok? You seem worried about something" you asked, gathering his thoughts, Kaeya plastered a smile on his face as he looked over at you.

"I'm fine" he tried to reassure you, but you weren't buying it.

"No, you're not. If you need to take a break, I don't mind." You said, Kaeya sighed, you had always been observant.

"I think you need to take a day off" you told him, arms crossed over your chest as you huffed.

"I promised I would help you learn how to fight" he argued, not wanting to let you down. You smiled, wrapping your arms around him in a hug.

"What matters more is you, why don't we go get some food. Maybe we could get Diluc to come with us" you laughed. Kaeya did as well as he let you pull him toward the city. He finally felt at home.

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

Kaeya was startled awake by the sound of scream, jumping out of bed he ran over to the window, throwing it open. With wide eyes, he scanned the city, his heart starting to race. Mondstat was in chaos, people were running and monsters were attacking whoever was in sight. Kaeya wished what he was seeing was a nightmare, but he knew all too well that it wasn't. Without another thought, he grabbed his sword and ran outside, heart racing. It felt as if it was going to beat out of his chest. The smell of smoke filled his nose as he made his way outside. The Knights of Favonious were fighting off the creatures as best they could while getting the citizens to safety, luckily, as far as Kaeya could tell, no one was dead.

"Kaeya!" Jean called out, looking toward the woman, the male tried to calm himself down.

"We'll handle things here, get Diluc" Kaeya didn't waste any time as he turned and made his way toward the winery. He trusted that the others would keep Mondstat safe. He wasn't sure how long it took, but soon, Kaeya had arrived to his destination. That's when he spotted something horrific in the distance. You were surrounded by Hilichurls and an abys mage. The sight made Kaeya want to vomit. You held a weapon in one hand, but he could tell you were injured.

"(Y/N)!!" He called out, Kaeya ran toward you, praying he would reach you in time. The abyss mage raised its staff to attack you. Adrenaline coursing through him, Kaeya pushed himself forward as fast as his legs would go. He was so close, but not close enough. Kaeya was forced to watch as you did your best to block the attack, but your effort wasn't enough. The attack hit its target, knocking you to the ground. Finally reaching the group of monsters, Kaeya swung his sword, knocking them all to the ground at once.

Rage filled his body as Kaeya quickly dispatched the monsters before turning his attention to you. At the same time, Diluc arrived, breathing heavily. Both brothers stared down at you, blood pouring from a large wound. Kaeya fell to his knees, not minding the blood that began soaking into his clothes. Tears began to well up in his eyes as he pulled you into his arms. Your eyes were half closed, and you were having a hard time breathing.

"I'm sorry" he spoke, trying to put pressure on the wound. You winced as Diluc stared down, tears streaming down his face. You tried to speak, but you didn't have the strength. Kaeya pulled you closer, he closed his eyes, beginning to sob as your breathing became slow. Eventually, you went limp. Kaeya froze when he realized this, more tears sliding down his face. Diluc and Kaeya both lost someone important that day. Even if the city was saved, Kaeya still felt as if he should have done more.

[hoshibatake]

FREEDOM – Virtuality and Ideals/Chapter 5

Previous chapter

<An evening one week later. In the real world, Trickstudio>

Subaru: Oh. Anzu’s here! Otsukaresama¹～

Subaru: Come over here. Come laze around with us☆

Subaru: ...Huh? Work first, fun later? Oh, right. We were supposed to have a review meeting about FREEDOM.

Hokuto: Don’t tell me that you forgot.

Subaru: I remembered, but when I saw Anzu, I got so happy it slipped my mind♪

Mao: I’m glad to see her too, but isn’t that getting a bit too excited?

Mao: We’ve been seeing quite a lot of her since we started hanging out in Trickstudio regularly, don’t you think?

Subaru: You just don’t get it, Sari～. Any time you see someone you love a who~le lot is a time to be happy.

Subaru: Anzu, what’s up? ...Oh, you wanna hear about FREEDOM’s current status while we wait for Ukki～?

Hokuto: We can tell you that, but you have administrator privileges, so can’t you just check the data directly?

Hokuto: ...Fumu. You want us to be able to build freely without any worries, so you only log in when there’s an error?

Subaru: You don’t need to hold yourself back, though. You’re welcome at any time☆

Subaru: But thanks for being considerate, anyway. The current status, huh…?

Subaru: Oh, right. Our four avatars finally formed a unit～♪

Subaru: Out of their own initiative, of course. We’re Trickstar, after all☆

Hokuto: Yes. Putting the surrounding circumstances aside for a moment, I can’t help but be impressed at the realism.

Mao: Yeah, and their actions since they formed a unit have been reminiscent of ours as well. Subaru and Hokuto’s avatars have been jumping the gun, holding live performances in all sorts of places…

Mao: ...but my and Makoto’s avatars have been putting effort into city building and helping out citizens, instead of focusing purely on idol activities.

Mao: It kinda reminds me of the time when we just formed Trickstar♪

<Flashback. Five days earlier, in the information room>

Makoto: (FREEDOM is our first job of the fiscal year, so the agency must have high expectations too.)

Makoto: (In order to get good results, we first need to focus on building the city. This is my strong suit, so I’ve gotta give it my all!)

Makoto: (I’m following the plan I drafted using my experience with previous simulation games I’ve played…)

Makoto: (...but it’s pretty hard to balance it with those idol activities. A lot of things don’t turn out like I want them to.)

Makoto: (The fact that it’s not just about city building is what makes this game so interesting, but it also complicates things, so I’m having a hard time.)

Makoto: (I feel like I’m doing exactly what I should be doing, but the results don’t reflect that. Hrm…)

Makoto: (An online strategy guide would… not exist yet. Of course it wouldn’t. The game isn’t out yet, after all.)

Makoto: (I could still give looking it up on our internal network a shot. Although I really doubt I’ll find anything♪)

Makoto: (...Huh? I got a hit.)

Makoto: (“City Building Plans ‘FREEDOM’. Documentation for internal use.” ...Some of this information wasn’t in the documents we were given.)

Makoto: (Actually, it seems like I’ve stumbled upon some pretty significant information?)

Makoto: (…)

Makoto: (“Choosing idols and having them freely construct a city, using the software we developed in cooperation with this game company.”)

Makoto: (“If they are successful, that virtual city will then be built in reality”...)

Makoto: I already thought that it was strange that this job only consisted of playing a game. So that’s the plan.

Makoto: The reason why they’re letting us build this city however we want is still a mystery to me, but I never thought our city would become real…

Makoto: Actually, that’s a huge issue!

Makoto: The four of us have just been building our own versions of an ideal city, but it would by no means be an ideal city in reality!

Makoto: It’s overrun by dinosaurs and full of factories, with the occasional zombie outbreak and a theme park that’s without power most of the time. We can’t let them build that in real life!

Makoto: There’s a high chance that they would just cancel the whole thing, but I don’t want to let our first job of the year end in failure either.

Makoto: I’ll just have to correct our course, and turn it into a city we can be proud of…!

<Several days later. The dormitory, Makoto’s room>

Makoto: (…)

Makoto: (...Oof. How many all-nighters have I pulled now? I’ve lost count.)

Makoto: (By overhauling the factory area, I’ve increased the factories’ energy consumption, but now they’re less destructive to the environment.)

Makoto: (And I tore down all of the city in order to fix the infrastructure. I’ve widened the roads and improved traffic flow…)

Makoto: (I’ve built more parks, improving the citizens’ living conditions. The ambiance in the city should be much better now, but…)

Makoto: (It’s nowhere near ideal. There’s just not enough time.)

Makoto: (I feel like the career system... or rather, the idol activities that are being organized because of it are getting in the way of the development of the city.)

Makoto: (When they’re called upon, the avatars automatically start prioritizing idol activities.)

Makoto: (Their training takes up a lot of time, and when people gather for concerts, they end up leaving a big mess in the city...)

Makoto: …

Makoto: Maybe I should make the avatar ‘me’ leave Trickstar.

Makoto: I feel like their idol activities wouldn’t really change, even if ‘I’ wasn’t there. I’m sure ‘I’ would have more to contribute in terms of city building.

Makoto: The others might be a little disappointed, but I feel like this is the better option…

Makoto: But my eyelids feel so heavy… I can’t……

TL notes:

This is a standard expression used when greeting someone who has been working.

Translated by me, proofread by Altea (@icaruswasthesun on Twitter)

Next chapter

[vvallent1ne]

THE HEIRESS - genshin impact

summary: Being the Heiress of the Cryo Archon, more commonly known as the Tsaritsa, was no easy task. Which is precisely why the Archon hand-picked a lowly, Monstandtian, Visionless girl.

… meet Feyre, the local bookworm of Mondstadt!

chap. I : lab safety is of utmost importance

chap. I - chap. II - chap. III (IN PROGRESS)

wc: 3.1k

"ACID..." the platinum-haired alchemist muttered quietly, paying extremely close attention to the experiment in front of him. The young girl to his right, tan skinned with flaxen hair and cobalt blue eyes, was not doing the same. Her face, therefore her ears, were facing the opposite direction, seemingly lost in her thoughts, or, perhaps, caught in the rapture of the snow's beauty.

The platinum-haired boy muttered out his previous request—no, demand, a tad bit louder than before, trying to grasp the girl's attention. She was not budging, however. This caused the alchemist to annoyingly scrunch up his nose and furrow his brows, eyes finally blinking for the first time in a few minutes before peeling them away from the ongoing experiment. They, now, landed on the girl to his right. Once the scientist noticed that the girl was not willingly ignoring him, he paused, and relaxed his facial features.

He knew that she was highly sensitive to how others perceived her—so much to the point that it affected the way she saw herself. He pitied the girl, really, for that was no way to live. In the city of the wind, in the nation of freedom, citizens were meant to enjoy their lives to the fullest, in lieu of worrying about how others viewed them. The girl, however, was sadly victim to this fear. She stayed quiet and meek, she contributed to the greater cause only when requested to, and chose to work alone on her own projects subsequently.

Hardly anyone in the city knew her—even laid their eyes on her—for she preferred to stay out of that area, due to the fact that everyone who dwelled there were enthusiastic extroverts—her exact opposites. There were just two issues with this plan. One, her brother, Captain Kaeya of the Knights of Favonius, lived there, and was very persistent in her visitation hours. And two, there was only one single library in all of Mondstadt, and that library was housed inside of the main city.

Despite the girl's avocation to disengage in conversation with every living being, she got along with the librarian, Lisa, quite well. The girl would be a frequent—if not the most frequent visitor of the library whenever she would visit the town. Over the years, Lisa had watched the girl grow up alongside her brother—er, not really alongside, since the girl was almost never caught with her dimwit of a sibling.

As the girl grew older, Lisa would try to strike up conversation more and more frequently, in order to make the girl open up to someone for once. At first, it was a shot in the dark, a terribly, terribly misaimed shot in the dark, for it did not go well. The second Lisa had said hello, even acknowledged the girl's presence, she would drop all of the books she was holding and dart out of the library faster than a hare. Lisa would sigh while picking up and examining the discarded books, deciding that she would get the girl to say something next time.

"Feyre, what are you looking at?" The chief alchemist questioned, authoritatively, yet quietly, as to not startle the girl into flight mode. The girl instantly broke from her trance after hearing the alchemist's voice so close to her left ear. The sound was dizzying, almost. The softness of his usually monotone voice. It made her brain fuzzy, yet scratched it in all of the right ways. She shook her head quickly before turning to face her lab instructor. She dared not to look him in the eyes, however, did she knew she would be enraptured by them, the aquamarine irises staring so intently into her own. She wanted to jump in them, to swim in their shallow depth, to drink in its icy flavor. She knew she would freeze immediately if she looked into them, so she alternatively looked at the ongoing experiment.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Albedo. It seems as though I were prematurely distracted for a moment. I promise to do better." Feyre spoke so quietly, so softly, that Albedo almost had to lean in to hear what she was saying. He did not need to do this, though. He already knew what she was going to say before she said it. He always knows. Despite how secretive and introverted the girl may be, she was very predictable to an experienced hypothesizer such as himself. He could see through her, as if she were made of glass. Feyre is aware of this fact, and it terrifies her. She fails to hide anything from her instructor, and it makes her shake in anxiousness almost every day. Though she had nothing to hide, she couldn't help feeling skeeved out by the way he could answer her questions before she even thought to ask them.

"Now, that's quite alright, Feyre. I just need you to pass me the sulfuric acid." Albedo requested politely, his eyes gesturing to the location of the element. Damnit. He did it again. Before Feyre even thought to ask where it even was, that genius was three steps ahead of her. His lip quirked up slightly when he saw her mask of obedience slip for a moment—already knowing what she was displeased about. It made him feel quite boastful, really, for being able to see through her facade. He knew everything about her. Her ins, her outs, the way she thinks, the way she behaves, what she likes and dislikes, the things she gets angry over, all down to how she hates the feeling of grass touching her because it makes her feel like she's being stabbed with miniature needles. He knew all of these things without her uttering a single word.

Albedo was the furthest thing from arrogant, in fact, he was often praised for his humbleness regarding his great success in his countless experiments. But figuring Feyre out was the one success he revels in every day. To know someone better than anyone else does... it was quite a flush to the cheeks. Despite this, he would never dare to brag about it out loud. Feyre was shy enough, he recalled, and he didn't want her to build up her once sky-high walls around herself again.

Feyre's nose scrunched for a split second in annoyance of her master's ability to read her so easily. It made her skin crawl with anxiety and anxiousness she never knew she had in her. Why did she feel so violated? So invaded? Why did she feel like he was trespassing over her private property? In her head, she envisioned him and his long boots and jacket, with his flowing platinum hair, catching the wind in all the right angles, waltzing right into her territory. He would capture her eyes, aquamarine completely enveloping her entire being, pulling her in, drowning her. She wondered what it would be like to die inside of his irises. He would give her a customary smirk, as if to prove that he had just conquered a great feat, breaking into her mind. The protective part of her wanted him to leave, to get out immediately—but some other part of her, the part that made her heartbeat quicken whenever the blond was particularly close to her, wanted Feyre to beg him to stay.

The girl reached over to her right and saw the sulfuric acid right where her mentor told her it would be. She mentally scowled. She grabbed the top of the Erlenmeyer flask with her gloved hand before passing it to the scientist. He gently took it from her, making the grave mistake of looking into her eyes while doing so.

To say that Feyre was freaked would be an understatement. The girl was absolutely star-struck. So much so that the flask filled with acid slipped from both her and Albedo's hold, shattering over the semi-snow covered ground. Albedo backed away on instinct, attempting to push Feyre away as well. Unluckily, Albedo was the only one who wore his lab safety garments, leaving Feyre completely vulnerable to the dangerous chemicals that were now exposed to her. The acid splashed back up from the ground, causing several droplets to land on Feyre.

She screamed like the sky was going to fall and crush them both. It burned. It burned. It burned. It hurt so very badly. Feyre gripped her wounds in pain, from what she could tell, the droplets landed on her collarbone, upper left thigh, and ironically enough, the back of her neck. She grunted animalistically, disregarding the volume of her voice as she yelped like a fox in a bear trap. Tears sprung loose from her icy irises as her incessant screaming continued.

Albedo immediately rushed to her side, pulling her over by her waist to the small sink in the back of the lab for safety purposes. He looked over her body, not quite seeing where she was hurt. He gripped her chin, along with her cheeks, and turned her sobbing eyes toward him. She looked utterly dejected. Droplets of tears so big and so many it stained her cheeks a shade lighter. Her eyes were almost forced shut, leaving the sliver of her vision to see her teacher's fretting gaze.

"Where does it hurt?" He asked, his voice different from what it usually sounds like. It was concerned, unsteady, worrying, which only made Feyre cry more as the pain from the burn seemed to increase tenfold. She managed to understand what her partner was asking, it seems, because she lifted her quivering arm up to point to her collarbone, her fingers flexing and unflexing, looking for some semblance of comfort. She then guided her hands to her upper left thigh, the burn visible through the hole disintegrated in her shorts. She grunted and used her other hand to cover her mouth as she breathed heavily, another wave of pain rolling over her. Lastly, she pointed in the direction of the back of her neck, before her arm gave out and she began to scream again, her mouth not-so-very effectively muting the sound.

Albedo understood and blasted the water from the sink, knowing exactly what to do. He read this, one day, very long ago, that when one gets a sulphuric acid burn, one must rinse under high-pressure water to remove the excess chemical—therefore washing out (most) irritation from the burn area. It seemed to all come back to him now, as if his instincts took over, and all he wanted to do was to make her feel better again. It was his fault. He shouldn't have looked at her beautiful eyes, shouldn't have inched impossibly closer to the girl during the intervals of the experiment. And he most definitely shouldn't have looked at her in the way he did. So caring, so lovingly, so nurturing. He would take away all of her woes if he could, and lay them on his shoulders. He would build a fortress, a kingdom, a throne out of them and have her be exalted as royalty in the land of her worries in which he has conquered.

He took her wrist and motioned for her to climb up onto the counter by the sink. It was quite an awkward scenario. She would have to bend her legs, her body, in an uncomfortable way in order to flush the burn, but she didn't mind as long as it meant the pain would cease. After a few beats of silence, Albedo found a way for her thigh to be placed under the running water. Feyre cried more, as Albedo had surmised, and he shushed her in a soothing manner. He took his right hand and rubbed her upper back in a gentlemanly manner. He also read this once, that when in times of distress or pain, humans relied on physical touch for comfort. The book had said that gentle touches on the back or shoulders were quite helpful in scenarios like this. His touch was light, soft, fleeting—he didn't want to be too rough and injure the girl further. He traced circles onto her shoulder while she finally adjusted to the new sensation, and began to find it alleviating. She heaved a sigh of relief, the last of her tears slipping down her face and onto her lap.

After a few minutes of silence, sniffles, and the soothing lull of the running water, Albedo looked back at the burn. Still inflamed, and definitely still sensitive, but better, nonetheless. He looked up to the girl to gauge her reaction, to try and read how she was feeling. Her face was red and puffy. She looked a lot younger than she usually did, now. Her long lashes still fresh with the residue of tears, her red cheeks stained with the path they made. Her eyes downcast, she raised up her hand to touch the burn. Albedo noticed what she was trying to do and grabbed her wrist firm, but gently.

"Do not touch it. I'm afraid that will only cause more irritation," He spoke, his voice as coddling as a warm blanket on a freezing night. He looked back at the burn before turning to look at her face once more. "How are you feeling? Can I get you anything to ease the pain?" He inquired, watching the girl close her eyes slowly, most likely tired from the whole fiasco.

"No, I'm quite alright. I appreciate your help, but I'm fine now." She stated, the lilt of her voice gone, now scratchy and sharp from all of her previous screaming. As she tilted her head down in shame, her hair fell into place like dominos. The alchemist then realized that the acid had also landed somewhere around her collarbone, and looked up in a fervent hurry frenziedly.

He acted on his instincts, pushing her hair out of the way in order to look at the skin. He saw nothing, however, and instead of concern, his suspicion rose. His eyebrows scrunched as his eyes scanned over the rest of the area, finding nothing of note.

The injured girl lifted her head, curious to see what held the scientist's interest. She felt his gaze on her upper body and her cheeks immediately reddened. She quickly maneuvered her body off of the counter, dragging her burned leg out of the sink in stride. However, the absence of water on the burn caused the girl to whimper out in pain, gripping the edge of the counter.

"Archons...! Why's it hurt so much.." The girl exclaimed, eyelids squeezed together. She grasped the counter's edge impossibly harder, in an attempt to keep herself upright. She didn't have to for long, though, as the alchemist grabbed one of her shoulders, pulling her body upwards into a standing position. He placed his other hand at a respectful place on the small of her back. He guided her quickly to the lone chair close by.

As the girl sat, the alchemist turned back to the sink, getting a washcloth out of the cabinet and rinsing it under the water before shutting it off. He rung out the cloth, the sound of the droplets hitting the metal of the sink resounding throughout the room. The noise somehow grounded Feyre from the chaos. She let herself close her eyes for a mere second.

Until the alchemist returned and placed the cloth directly onto the throbbing burn. Feyre's eyes burst open as she sat up straight in the chair and grabbed the armrest, fingers whitening from the constant gripping of objects. She held back her yelp as the scientist quietly cooed her to relaxation. Feyre knew that voices could not truly alleviate pain, but if they could, Albedo's would rid her of it all. For a few stark moments, the two sat in silence, the alchemist's hand never leaving the top of the cloth over her burn. He occasionally would whisper sweet nothings to her as she'd shudder. Things like "It'll be okay" and "You're doing great". He thought they were weightless, that he was comforting himself rather than the injured, but to her, his words held great importance. Every word of his did, simply because they were said by him.

"I am afraid I do not possess any painkillers. I must go down to Mondstadt to find some. I do also need to get the Calvary Captain’s opinion on a matter . . .” The male trailed off, mostly talking to himself. He stood up slowly, removing his hand from the top of the cloth. The girl frowned slightly at the loss of contact. The alchemist began to fix his appearance, abandoning the pristine white lab coat in favor of his normal attire. He removed his goggles, along with his gloves, and grabbed his small bag, filled with his sketchbook, his notebook, and any extra paperwork he had on him. Feyre would know; she had gone through it many times in order to soothe her burning curiosity.

“Wait … I’ll come with you!” Feyre exclaimed, shoving off the damp washcloth from her burn. The male only fixed her with a pointed look, an obvious warning.

“No. You must stay here. Your burn is a serious injury, and I will see to it that you do not injure yourself further.” Albedo sternly spoke, refusing to make eye contact, because he knew that if he did, he would be forced to negotiate with the girl.

“I’m fine. I’m not a child, and the burn looks better already, look!” She pointed to the burn, which was still red and disturbing. “I will come with you. It’s about time I paid Kaeya a visit regardless …” The girl said in rebuttal. Albedo took a long breath and faced the girl.

“I would really prefer if you stayed out of harm’s way.” He spoke with no malice, just warning. But the girl already knew that she had won this battle. She smirked at his relinquished face, a rare sight, both her smirk and his renouncement.

“I’m not glass. I’ll fare just fine, thank you.” She spoke, figuratively as well as literally putting her foot down. The alchemist sighed as he accepted the unalterable. He faced away from the girl, re-fastening his bag over his shoulder, and began to make his way to the door.

[shephar]

Saw a Genshin x Persona 5 post and thought of what Joe Ker would be like as a Genshin character.

Can be read as related to my Yusuke post or standalone, or even related to my Cyno post :3

Under the cut, as usual, duh.

About: Introduction.

"Oh! They call me Joker, sometimes, but my friends call me Akira, and I think we'll be great friends."

He's an Anemo character, surprising or unsurprisingly. I chose this because of how the Anemo Traveler and other Anemo characters can use the swirl mechanic to semi-manipulate other elements.

About: Vision.

"Mondstat's the city of Freedom, under the Anemo Archon of Freedom... Hmm. I suppose it's not too surprising I got an Anemo vision, then..."

For a weapon he uses a catalyst, due to his affinity for magic, which is abnormally high for a regular citizen of Teyvat, at least to those not from Khaenri'ah. He is from Khaenri'ah, of course, because he's just That Guy.

Aside from that, his skill has a chance to add an element to his attacks, which most people assume comes from his magic affinity, when in reality he just uses matches, ice-cubes, bottled water, dirt, or leaves. It's unknown how he does Electro-swirl...

These can be seen if you pay attention to his skill activations, but not for the Electro.

About: Swirl.

"You wanna know how I add elements to my attacks? Don't you know, a magician never reveals his secrets. Maybe I'll tell you later?"

His burst is an AoE targeting skill, which works by having each subsequent attack from any party member (even co-op) gaining 30% of their damage per hit.

If he's on a solo-run, however, his skill changes to a Hermanubis/Persona-like phantasm attacking enemies while Joker does as well. This is because, unlike Yusuke, where it's up to choice if he's from the Persona-verse, Joker definitely is.

About: Family/Home.

"My family? Hmm, well, it's just me and my sister, really, but it's been a while since I've been back to Fontaine. I wonder how she is, being called Father must be strange, huh..."

Akira is, much like Arlecchino, from Khaenri'ah and then lived in the House of the Hearth as a child. Their childhoods are this similar because they are twins. However, Akira chose to explore Teyvat after the Mother was defeated, wanting to see what the world has to offer.

He earned his Vision in an unknown way, when asking, Arlecchino only has this to say:

"My brother's Vision? Hmm, I suppose he's always had it, even when we were younger."

About: Archons.

"They're just... Regular people, or people adjacent. I don't really care all that much about them. I feel bad, really."

He's a five star character, of course, but his splash art is unnaturally bland for a five star, instead seeming more like a four star.

Of course, this is because of his affinity for not trying to stand out in Persona 5, which carried over to Genshin Impact.

About: Furina.

"I know people are readily accepting Neuvilette to be our new Archon, he's the hydro sovereign. But, I don't know, I think Furina, or Foccalors, was more... Relatable, I suppose is the term."

As with most other five stars, he also has a Character Story. It's the shortest one, really, should barely even count as a Story, it's a simple conversation with the Traveler. It changes based on friendship rankings.

After the Hangout, he just gives the Traveler a gun. A fake one, albeit a lot more advanced and realistic.

About: Stars (Unlocks at friendship rank 8)

"These stars... Oh, didn't see you there. What was I saying? Oh, it's just... These stars don't seem quite right, as if a painting. They reminded me of a friend, don't worry."

Akira's friendship rankings actually affect his combat potential. At Friendship 8, he has a chance to restore an ally's HP when lower than 10% when he's switched with them.

At Friendship 10, there's a chance he has to revive a downed ally, but this can only happen once per battle and it has only a small chance.

About: Origin (Friendship 10)

"Hmm, my origins? I guess you've ascertained that I'm not from Teyvat... Truth be told, I died. Then, I came back. It wasn't back to where I was from, sadly, but. What can you do? I've made the most of my life here. I do miss my friends, though."

And extras that may or may not be part of this AU, depending on your thoughts. Both unlock after Friendship 10.

About: Yusuke.

"I don't know how he got to Teyvat, but it's nice to know it's not just me in this world, I don't know if he has Gorokichi, but I can still hear my Personal. I hope he wasn't alone until we met again."

About: The General Mahamatra.

"He's a lot more... Intense than from when we were teammates, but it seems he remembers me, at least. He's still got Hermanubis with him. He's even the General Mahamatra."

About: You.

"Why do you want to hear my opinion? You're... you, it doesn't matter what I think, or that's how it should be. You help people, despite them leading to dead ends about your sibling, and that's a lot more selfless than I could act."

About: Relationships.

"I could never bring myself to date back in my world, and it would feel weird now. Arlecchino and I's bloodline is going to end with us, it seems, unless she finds someone. Unlikely, though."

About: Furina.

"She's cool, I can relate to pretending to be someone else to please others. *Uncomfortable laugh*. Except she was faking God, I was faking being a good friend."

That's it. Thanks for reading this garbage.

[mariacallous]

Jewish parents in Maryland’s Montgomery County have no clue how their school district’s antisemitism investigation is proceeding. 

It’s been more than nine months since the U.S. Department of Education opened its Title VI civil rights probe into reports of antisemitic bullying, including at pro-Palestinian student protests, at the suburban Maryland district. The case was one of more than 100 investigations the department’s Office of Civil Rights has opened at colleges and K-12 districts since the Gaza war began, part of the Biden administration’s highly publicized efforts to combat rising campus antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Yet today, according to department records, the vast majority of those cases have yet to be resolved — including Montgomery County Public Schools’. And the parent activists who initially sounded the alarm on the district say they haven’t heard anything.

“If there is an investigation, it certainly doesn’t seem to be causing much concern,” Margery Smelkinson, one of the Jewish parents, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency last week. “The process is completely opaque, and it’s hard not to conclude that nothing is actually being done.”

Smelkinson’s group, the Maryland Jewish Alliance, tried submitting their own Title VI complaint, in partnership with the right-wing Zionist Organization of America. The initial complaint was filed by a conservative activist with no connection to the district and without the group’s knowledge, based on an op-ed Smelkinson and another parent had written. By contrast, the complaint from the parents who actually lived there, she felt, was “far more detailed.”

Yet the office wouldn’t open theirs, because the less detailed one had beaten them to the punch — a sign, she believes, that the department is only doing “the bare minimum.”

Critics of the OCR’s handling of antisemitism complaints are hoping that will change during a second term for Donald Trump, who has proposed a radical overhaul of United States education policy, including shuttering the DOE altogether. He also wants to use the long arm of the law on pro-Palestinian, non-citizen campus protesters, having threatened to deport them.

If Trump were to follow through on closing the Department of Education, the Department of Justice would be a likely new home for campus civil rights issues including Title VI. Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Pam Bondi, has taken a hard-line approach against campus pro-Palestinian protesters. 

Other campaign promises, including threats to hold university endowments and accreditations hostage unless they curb what Trump calls “Marxist maniacs and lunatics,” have set off alarm bells among many education insiders and proponents of academic freedom. They worry about his nominee for education secretary, Linda McMahon, who has very little education experience, and note that Trump-friendly states like Texas and Oklahoma are more openly embracing a push to get Bible-tinged curriculum into public schools.

But some Jewish parents, if they’re not exactly welcoming all of these changes, see an opportunity in Trump’s education agenda. It was under his first administration, they point out, that the department expanded some Title VI protections for Jews, as outlined in a 2019 executive order on antisemitism.

“One can only assume this issue will be taken more seriously under his administration,” Smelkinson said.

Through a spokesperson, the Department of Education declined to comment for this story. But its top officials, including current Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and Catherine Lhamon, who oversees the Office of Civil Rights, have in the past year told JTA they place a high priority on fighting campus antisemitism in their department through Title VI. 

Major Jewish groups have taken this cue and seized on the statute. The American Jewish Committee has hosted webinars with Lhamon, and the Anti-Defamation League and others signed on to some civil rights complaints. Even more politically conservative Jews and Jewish groups, including ZOA, former Trump administration officials and Orthodox student-focused organizations, put stock in Biden’s intent to fight campus antisemitism and encouraged their networks to flood the department with Title VI complaints.

By some metrics, things are already better for Jews on campus. A new study from Harvard University found that the number of pro-Palestinian campus protests so far this semester — a common breeding ground for accusations of antisemitism — has plummeted to less than one-third of last semester. In part that is due to stricter enforcement of protests by schools that now must weigh the possibility of a federal investigation or a lawsuit much more heavily than they were in the immediate months after Oct. 7. 

But when it comes to Title VI, despite a flurry of opened investigations at major educational institutions, few of the cases opened during Biden’s term have been completed. 

A small number of Israel-related investigations opened since Oct. 7 have concluded with formal resolution agreements, or pledges from the schools to take specific steps to better address antisemitism. Those include the University of Michigan and the City University of New York, which both agreed to improve their antisemitism training; Brown University, which said it will rethink how it handles campus protests; and Muhlenberg College, which promised to take action against a tenured Jewish anti-Zionist professor who had been accused of harassing Jewish and pro-Israel students. (Muhlenberg’s agreement was reached days after the professor in question announced she had been fired over her advocacy.)

Some schools, as part of their resolution agreements, have hired Title VI coordinators to more effectively respond to future complaints. Such positions could soon become required by law, as in Maryland, where a legislator last week introduced a bill to require all colleges in the state to have such a staff role. 

One of those schools to voluntarily create such a role, New York University, also instituted a bold change to its harassment policy by declaring that targeting “Zionists” could violate it. Such changes have drawn criticism from progressives, who argue that Title VI has prompted a chilling effect on pro-Palestinian campus speech and courses.

Some Title VI cases that predated Oct. 7 by years, including one at the University of Illinois, have also formally concluded in the months since renewed attention was placed on the department.

On Tuesday, the ADL and the Jewish legal group Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law announced another resolution, this one involving Occidental College in Los Angeles — where, the April complaint alleged, Jewish and Israeli students were accosted by protesters on campus who sometimes uttered antisemitic slurs. The complaint also accused the college of not protecting Jewish students by agreeing to some demands of pro-Palestinian protesters who, shortly after Oct. 7, had occupied a building on campus. 

In response the school agreed to “consider” the International Holocaust Remembrance Association’s controversial definition of antisemitism, which progressive critics say chills legitimate criticism of Israel. (The resolution agreement includes a caveat that IHRA will be utilized “only where useful as ‘evidence of discriminatory intent.’”) The college also said it would incorporate some attacks on Zionists (including “applying a ‘no Zionist’ litmus test for participation in any Occidental activity”) into its bias and harassment training.

Other agreements include appointing a director of Jewish student life (and one for Muslim student life), and agreeing to host lectures and workshops about “the connections between Jewish identity, Israel and Zionism.”

Agreements like the one reached at Occidental could be seen as a win for many pro-Israel Jewish groups who have been pushing the IHRA definition for years (it was included in Trump’s 2019 executive order), as well as a sign of how Title VI enforcement appears to be aligning more and more closely with their longstanding goals for policing discussions of Israel on campuses.

But for every resolution, there are many more in the department’s backlog. Many Title VI cases at high-profile schools remain active, including three at Columbia University; one at Harvard; two at Cornell; and others at major public school districts in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Oakland. The department has also continued to open new cases on a weekly basis, though at a slower clip than its height this past winter.

(The civil rights office does not disclose details about its ongoing investigations, including whether a case involves allegations of antisemitism or other civil rights violations, but JTA has independently verified that many if not all of those listed above involve Israel-related matters.)

For Kenneth Marcus, the founder of the Brandeis Center and a former Trump official, the president-elect’s plans for education — even his hopes of dismantling the department — should be welcomed by Jews.

“It’s not entirely clear that creating the Department of Education was so good for education, and so it’s not any more clear that closing it would be bad,” Marcus, who headed the department’s civil rights office in Trump’s first term, told JTA. He added that Trump has demonstrated a particular interest in campus antisemitism, including by vowing to deport pro-Palestinian campus protesters, and that his first administration’s track record should comfort Jews: “No president during our lifetimes has done more to address campus antisemitism from a policy perspective than President Trump did.”

Other major Jewish players in the TItle VI space said they still believed in the law’s effectiveness in addressing campus antisemitism.

“Title VI has been, and continues to be, a vital and effective tool for fighting antisemitism and protecting Jewish students from hostile environments and/or pervasive harassment,” Laura Shaw Frank, director of AJC’s Center for Education Advocacy, told JTA in a statement. “We are confident that investigations will continue under the incoming Trump administration and urge reporting of any and all incidents of antisemitism.” 

“Regardless of the future of the DOE there will still remain the need for Title VI enforcement,” Rabbi David Markowitz, executive vice president at the Orthodox campus outreach group Olami, told JTA in a statement. “Another agency will need to pick up the responsibility or they will need to work with states to fight antisemitism on campus.”

Since Oct. 7, Olami has taken an active role in advocating for stricter federal enforcement of Title VI. This spring the group held a press conference on Capitol Hill urging changes to its reporting system. At the conference, one of Olami’s biggest advocates in Congress was Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who last week introduced legislation intended to keep a newly elected transgender representative from using women’s restrooms on Capitol Hill.

Not all conservative campus antisemitism activists are upset with the Biden administration’s handling of the issue. 

“I have nothing but respect for the Office for Civil Rights’ handling of my Title VI complaints,” said Zachary Marschall, the editor of the conservative college-focused site Campus Reform and a frequent filer of Title VI antisemitism complaints. “The staff remain communicative and committed to doing their jobs.”

Marschall has filed dozens of complaints at campuses across the country, sometimes based on social media reports; Jews and officials at several of these campuses have criticized his approach as meddling. But, he said, federal investigators have taken them seriously. Brown’s resolution stemmed from his own complaint, and another one of his, at Temple University, is also negotiating a resolution, he said.

Without commenting on what Trump could do to the campus antisemitism fight, Marschall said the problem “is now a bottom-up process that primarily involves college administrators, law enforcement, and prosecutors,” rather than the federal government.

To Marcus, the possibility that Title VI enforcement could move to the Justice Department is a positive development: A Justice mandate to fight campus antisemitism, he says, would likely bring more federal lawsuits against schools. Since he left the Trump administration, the Brandeis Center has filed both lawsuits and Title VI complaints against schools for alleged antisemitism, in some cases partnering with the ADL.

(Lawsuits, if they progress to a trial or a settlement, can be more powerful tools for holding institutions accountable than agreements reached by the Department of Education, which can only dangle federal funding as leverage. But lawsuits are also more expensive and time-consuming than filing a Title VI complaint, making them less realistic for individuals unconnected to groups like the Brandeis Center.)

While other Jews have been frustrated by Title VI, in Marcus’s view, they should keep filing complaints.

“This would be the worst time to stop filing OCR complaints,” he said. “We certainly won’t stop filing OCR complaints anytime soon. After all, there’s a new administration coming into power.”

[focsle]

Hello! I don't know if this is exactly your wheelhouse, but I was reading about Fredrick Douglass and it briefly mentioned that he used a Seamans protection certificate in his escape from slavery; I was wondering if you had any thoughts/ info about these as it relates to Black seamen in the US, especially the South. If not, absolutely no worries! Love your blog.

Oh yeah, I went down a rabbit hole sometime back about seamen’s protection certificates in the context of what they meant for Black mariners and US Citizenship!

To summarize that above post, Seamen’s Protection Certificates spoke to the contradictory legal status of Black mariners in the antebellum US when naturalization was only accessible to white men. It’s a paper that says that one is a US citizen, but was not considered ‘valid’ documentation for accessing the rights of a US citizen. But for all intents and purposes, it still signaled that the man in question was indeed a citizen when abroad. This contradiction (as well as other legal contradictions) was leveraged by people fighting for access to naturalization and a full legal identity for African Americans.

But while the certificate did not truly grant citizenship to Black sailors, it still served as a form of protection both in states where slavery was law, as well as ‘free’ states, where the Fugitive Slave Act quickly destabilized any sense of security one might have there. The seamen’s protection certificates had only a brief vague description of the holder. As such, some free Black men would take the risk of loaning their papers out to those escaping enslavement who roughly matched the written description, similar to how States’ ‘free papers’ were also loaned out for the same purpose. As Douglass mentioned in his autobiography concerning his use of said papers:

“But I had one friend—a sailor—who owned a sailor’s protection, which answered somewhat the purpose of free papers—describing his person and certifying to the fact that he was a free American sailor. The instrument had at its head the American eagle, which at once gave it the appearance of an authorized document.”

Nearly 1/3rd of applications for seamen’s protection certificates were made by men of color because of the protection they afforded against being kidnapped into slavery. Even though there was a lot of backpeddling from officials saying that the protection certificates didn’t REALLY mean citizenship, it was still an official document stating someone’s freedom and thus had tremendous value in allowing a man to move freely through the world. Here’s an old but good article about seamen’s protection certificates in general that speaks a little more to that.

In the context of mariners in the South, here are some examples. This one, from the National Archives is for a man named William Wright, from Viriginia who applied for a certificate in New Orleans in 1810.

And another from the collections of Mystic Seaport of a man named Jonathan Miller, born in New York but applying for the paper in Galveston Texas. The language is a bit different from the boilerplate seamen’s protection certificates like the one above, so I think it’s slightly different as a legal document—but still, in 1856, would hold the same sort of odd wobbly status.

The museum’s interpretation of this was that it was likely applied for and used as a form of protection in moving freely through the South, rather than Mr. Miller specifically using it for a maritime purpose.

[tyote]

since politics has been on my (and probably everyone's) brain a lot lately i took a shit-ton of political compass tests and averaged them all together, then fed them to a LLM (running locally) to specifically create a profile of people i probably wouldn't get along with politically, lmao.

and wouldn't ya know, me being true neutral once again means many people (at least on the internet) would probably not like me too much, ha

full report of my nemeses under the cut, 'cause it's thorough

"Tyler, with his unique blend of political philosophies, would likely find himself at odds with individuals who hold extreme or uncompromising views. Here's how he might view these perspectives:

Far-Left Extremists: Tyler respects the desire for equality and fairness that drives many on the far left. However, he believes that radical socialism or communism often overlooks the importance of personal property and small businesses, which he sees as vital for a healthy economy. In Tyler's view, these extreme ideologies can lead to the concentration of power in the hands of the state, stifling individual initiative and innovation. He worries that such systems can result in economic inefficiency, a lack of personal freedom, and even oppression, ultimately harming the very people they aim to help. Tyler sees these systems as potentially leading to authoritarianism under the guise of equality.

Far-Right Extremists: While Tyler understands the importance of national identity and community values, he strongly opposes the exclusionary and xenophobic policies promoted by far-right nationalists or supremacists. Despite his nativist tendencies, Tyler believes that a thriving society benefits from a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints. He sees extreme nationalism as a dangerous ideology that fosters division, hatred, and violence. Tyler's brand of nativism is about valuing community heritage and ensuring that immigration policies are compassionate, economically viable, and practical, balancing the nation's capacity to accept immigrants with the need for a straightforward, fair, and legal process.

Authoritarians: Tyler appreciates the need for strong leadership, but he firmly believes that power should be distributed and checked to prevent abuse. He opposes authoritarian figures like Joseph Stalin or Pol Pot because they centralize power and suppress individual freedoms, which contradicts his commitment to representative democracy and the rule of law. Tyler believes that a healthy democracy requires transparency, accountability, and the active participation of its citizens to prevent the rise of tyranny. He sees checks and balances as essential to safeguarding freedom and justice. Authoritarian regimes, in his view, are oppressive and detrimental to human rights.

Libertarian Extremists: Tyler recognizes the appeal of minimal government intervention and personal freedom championed by extreme libertarians. However, he believes that a completely laissez-faire approach can lead to economic inequality and social disparity. Tyler supports a balanced economic system that combines individual freedom with ethical principles and community responsibility. He thinks that some level of regulation is necessary to protect the vulnerable and ensure that everyone has a fair chance to succeed. In his view, a mix of personal liberty and social welfare creates a more equitable and just society.

Populists: Tyler understands the frustration that drives populist movements and the desire for change. However, he is wary of leaders who use divisive rhetoric and offer simplistic solutions to complex problems. Figures like Bernie Sanders and Hugo Chavez, who appeal to broad, sweeping changes, might clash with Tyler's centrist and pragmatic approach. Tyler believes that effective governance requires nuanced policies and thoughtful deliberation, rather than quick fixes and polarizing tactics. He values evidence-based decision-making over populist promises. Populist leaders, in his view, often exploit people's emotions and fears for political gain, leading to instability and poor governance.

In essence, Tyler values moderation, a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints, and ethical governance. He believes that extreme, uncompromising, or authoritarian views, regardless of their position on the political spectrum, often fail to address the complexities of society in a balanced and fair manner."

[ravenkings]

Back in the 1830s, Alexis de Tocqueville, in “Democracy in America,” glimpsed the illiberal currents that already entangled the country’s politics. While he marveled at the “equality of conditions,” the fluidity of social life and the strength of republican institutions, he also worried about the “omnipotence of the majority.” “What I find most repulsive in America is not the extreme freedom reigning there,” Tocqueville wrote, “but the shortage of guarantees against tyranny.” He pointed to communities “taking justice into their own hands,” and warned that “associations of plain citizens can compose very rich, influential, and powerful bodies, in other words, aristocratic bodies.” Lamenting their intellectual conformity, Tocqueville believed that if Americans ever gave up republican government, “they will pass rapidly on to despotism,” restricting “the sphere of political rights, taking some of them away in order to entrust them to a single man.” The slide toward despotism that Tocqueville feared may be well underway, whatever the election’s outcome. Even if they try to fool themselves into thinking that Mr. Trump won’t follow through, millions of voters seem ready to entrust their rights to “a single man” who has announced his intent to use autocratic powers for retribution, repression, expulsion and misogyny. Only by recognizing what we’re up against can we mount an effective campaign to protect our democracy, leaning on the important political struggles — abolitionism, antimonopoly, social democracy, human rights, civil rights, feminism — that have challenged illiberalism in the past and offer the vision and political pathways to guide us in the future. Our biggest mistake would be to believe that we’re watching an exceptional departure in the country’s history. Because from the first, Mr. Trump has tapped into deep and ever-expanding illiberal roots. Illiberalism’s history is America’s history.

– Steven Hahn, "The Deep, Tangled Roots of American Illiberalism," The New York Times, May 4, 2024