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ficklefics · 2 months

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Obsessed - Part 4: Mind and Again

Your life with Jeremiah is faultless. Perfect. And yet that voice persists in the distant part of your mind: Something is wrong.

SERIES MASTERLIST

MASTERLIST

PART 3

Requested by @vayereliyanin

Warnings: Self harm, Implied torture and brainwashing, Stalking, Nudity

Flour. Sugar. Eggs. Milk. A pinch of salt.

Whisk. Whisk. Whisk until the batter’s smooth.

A pan on the hob. Gentle heat. Be careful not to burn yourself. A ladle and a half. Let it coat the pan evenly. Wait. Flip. Wait. Slide it onto the plate and cover.

Pan. Ladle. Wait. Flip. Wait.

The pattern was simple. The pattern was good. It was easy to follow. No need to deviate. No need to think. It was Sunday morning and on Sunday mornings we have crepes.

The mixing bowl was empty by the time the door opened behind you. A cool hand on your waist and a kiss on your cheek in greeting.

“Good morning, sweetness.” You smiled at the pet name, at Jeremiah.

“Good morning.” Allowing yourself only a moment to lean into his touch, you pulled away. “Help me with my apron?”

His hands deftly untied the bow at your back, lifted the apron over your head and discarded it to the side. It was those simple moments that you loved most, the gentle acts of service that were so characteristic of him. You picked up the crepes and turned with them in your hands. He was smiling at you, practically glowing with love. He took the plate and carried it to the table, freeing you to bring the jar of homemade raspberry compote. He sat at the head, with you to his right, and let you shift the crepe from the top of the pile onto his plate, offering him the jar and a spoon.

“Thank you my dear.” You served yourself and began eating, knowing he wouldn’t start before you were a few bites in. He was so patient, so generous. You ate in a companionable silence. It was only after finishing his plate that he spoke: “Delicious as always.” He rested a hand on yours, holding it tight. “I must go to work now, but I’ll see you this evening. If you behave, I may even bring you a gift.” You couldn’t hide the excitement on your face. You never went without, never wanted for anything, but the idea of something special, of some kind of treat, set your heart fluttering. “If you behave, of course.” Suddenly he was serious. The grip on his hand just a little too strong. But you didn’t flinch. You simply nodded, pulling back your grin to a more restrained smile. You knew Jeremiah meant well. That he only cared for keeping you safe, protecting you. That sometimes that desire overcame him and made him go too far. It wasn’t his fault.

“Of course.” He stood and gave you a kiss on the forehead. “I hope you have a good day, love.” He smiled at that.

The dishes were cleaned, the floors swept, chores all done. There were still a few hours before Jeremiah would be home from work.

More than enough time for a relaxing bath.

Water gushed from the tap in a steaming torrent. You dripped in essential oils, lit candles, poured bubble bath until the bath was a luxury of foam and lavender. You slipped from your jeans, your blouse, left them neatly folded on the counter. Twisted your hair up and away from the nape of your neck. Climbed in and sunk into ecstasy.

A whole hour in peace and relaxation. When the water began to prick goosebumps along your skin, you stood and stepped out, wrapping the thick towelling robe around your body. You left the bathroom into the bedroom and sat at the dressing table to stare at your reflection. Damp hair hung around your face in tangles. Loose like this, it failed to hide the marks on your temples. They had always been there. Birth marks, you were sure. Almost symmetrical. Red spots, almost like abrasions. But not. Birth marks. They were birth marks. Almost unconsciously, a hand drifted under to the base of your skull, to the thin ridge that wound its way from ear to ear. The line was so narrow you almost forgot about it in the day to day. Almost. An accident with hair straighteners when you were younger and more reckless. An accident. That was all.

You shook yourself away and reached for your hairdryer and brush. The routine of blow-drying and styling was well-practiced, almost robotic. By the end of it every unsightly thing was hidden away and there wasn’t a hair out of place. There never was.

Wake up. Monday. Oatmeal. Write the shopping list. Pasta. Sleep.

Wake up. Tuesday. Omelettes. Stock the pantry. Steak. Sleep.

Wake up. Wednesday. Croissants. Clean the bathrooms. Soup. Sleep.

Wake up. Thursday. Scrambled eggs. Wash the floors. Fish. Sleep.

Wake up. Friday. French toast. Read. Chicken. Sleep.

Wake up. Saturday. Croque monsieur. Spend time together. Sushi. Sleep.

Wake up. Sunday. Crepes. Clean the kitchen. Roast beef. Sleep.

Wake up.

You were not a restless sleeper. You closed your eyes at 11pm and woke up at 6am. Like clockwork. So why were your eyes wide open and staring after you had lain down.

In the dark, the ceiling almost seemed to swirl. Or maybe it was your brain. Spots darker and brighter, inflating and shrinking, twisting and turning around each other in strange patterns. You couldn’t stop watching though you longed for your eyes to close and morning to come.

Jeremiah’s body next to yours was still. Sometimes you joked to yourself that, when he was asleep, he was indistinguishable to a corpse. Only the very slight rise and fall of his chest proved that he was still alive.

Just lay still. Don’t let him know you’re awake.

You weren’t sure why the thought of Jeremiah realising you weren’t sleeping as normal was so terrifying to you. Surely the man who loved you would be worried for your insomnia. A hazy memory of sleeping pills rose to the surface of your mind. A time when you had been plagued by sleeplessness, when… when…

And as soon as it had appeared, the memory was gone. Almost like a dream. Perhaps it was. Perhaps you were already asleep.

Flour. Sugar. Eggs. Eggs. Eggs. Milk. A pinch of salt.

Whisk. Whisk. Whisk until the batter’s smooth.

Whisk. Whisk. Eggshells. Whisk. Not smooth.

A pan on the hob. Gentle heat. Hotter. A bright flame. Fascinating colours flickering against the metal. Careful. Touch it.

It hurts. Hurts. Sensation. Hold onto it. You don’t feel anymore. But you feel this. He takes this from you. The pain. Take it back. Feel it. Hurt. Hurt.

You don’t realise you’re screaming until your hand is being pulled away and forced under a cool stream of running water. Jeremiah is at your side, hushing you, brushing away the sobs, holding your trembling form against his body. Holding you tight so you won’t slip away.

He murmurs comforting words as he sits you down and soothes the burns with a salve. The sensitive and fragile skin of your hand is now red and raw, blistering at spots. It twitches in his grasp. You haven’t spoken. You’re not sure what you’re meant to say. What you’re supposed to say. This doesn’t happen, it shouldn’t happen.

It happened.

Jeremiah was talking, but more to himself than you.

“Easy to fix, just a simple problem. Something I didn’t notice the first time. Not to worry, you’ll be good as new.”

The first time. Good as new.

Good as new.

He walked away, came back, gave you a glass of cloudy water. Under the intensity of his gaze, you drank it all.

“Let’s get you back to bed.” He helped you up from the seat, down the corridor. Changed your clothes for pyjamas and tucked you under the silken sheets. He stroked your hair as your mind grew hazy. “I’ll make you right as rain, my sweet. You’ll be yourself.”

Darkness. A single bright light. Was this death? Had you died?

No. Death couldn’t be this painful.

But it could definitely be this lonely.

All that you had was that voice in your head. The voice that was yours, and yet not yours. Screaming at you. You weren’t sure what for.

She couldn’t help you. There was nothing to be helped. This was it.

The bathwater was tepid. You couldn’t remember how long you had been soaking in it, but your fingertips had shrivelled in the damp. You were staring at the door. At the brighter spot of paint, newer than the rest of it. The slight gouges near the handle, the painted over screw holes. There had never been a lock there. You were sure of it. There was no need to lock each other out. So why…

The thought was disrupted by a jolt of pain that shot through your head. You winced, resisting the urge to cry out. Scrambling, almost panicking, you threw yourself from the bath and escaped to the bedroom, still naked and dripping water on the plush carpet. You gripped the dressing table, knuckles white. In the mirror your cheeks were pale. The birth marks darker. Stress? Must be. Stress. What stress? What was there in this life to stress you? Every day was the same, nothing ever unexpected, nothing to scare you or surprise you. So why did you feel so afraid?

The sound of the door handle turning made you spin around, heart pounding in your chest and brain pounding in your skull.

Jeremiah closed the door behind him with a click. His pale eyes took you in, stood there, exposed. An unnameable shiver ran up your spine.

“Isn’t this a surprise.” Was it surprise in his voice? Or something else?

“Jeremiah. I was just getting changed. I didn’t realise you were home.” You walked slowly towards the hook on the bathroom door where a silken robe hung. You reached for it, eager for the protection it offered.

“Wait.” You froze mid-movement. He stalked towards you. Stalked? That was the word that came to mind? Why? Now he was beside you. A cold hand rested on your skin, tracing the contours of your body, a path of goosebumps appearing in its wake. This was unusual. Jeremiah was not a physical man. Affectionate, sure, but he had never expressed interest in anything further than that. It wasn’t a problem for you. You couldn’t remember the last time you had wanted someone to touch you. This sensation was unfamiliar. Distant. Unwelcome.

He cradled the back of your head. It almost felt as though his fingers were probing the scar that sat there. He examined your face, eyes giving away nothing. You could never know what he was thinking. When he kissed you, you wanted it to feel like love. And it did, in a way. It felt like his love. Like possession. Like ownership. Like… like…

Before you could find the word, he pulled away. A gentler kiss on the forehead. “Get dressed. It’s almost time for dinner.”

What day was it? Tuesday. Stock the pantry.

Stock. Stock the pantry.

You didn’t.

You wandered. Wandered the halls like a ghost. Unending. Lost. You could taste blood in your mouth. When you touched your tongue, your saliva was clear. You felt like Theseus in the labyrinth. Bound by an invisible string, drawn to doom. Searching for something you couldn’t remember. These doors were so familiar yet so, so distant. Like a dream. Like a nightmare.

You had stopped in front of one. It opened to reveal a security room. Nobody there. Nobody watching the wall of screens showing the view of the cameras that were watching you. You took a shaky step over the threshold. The door closed behind you. The screens approached and engulfed your vision. That voice in the back of your mind was even louder now.

There was a phone. Jeremiah didn’t have phones. You didn’t need them. Everyone you needed to speak to was here. So why was there a phone?

You reached for it. Dialled a number. The number. Listened to the ringing.

A bored voice. “GCPD.”

“Hello.” The word almost became trapped in your throat. You couldn’t remember the last time you spoke to anyone else.

“Hello? Ma’am, this is a priority number. What do you want?”

“My name is (Y/N) (Y/L/N).” It was important to say. You weren’t sure why.

The voice swore, then there was a clatter, and shouting. Then another voice, one that was familiar.

“(Y/N)?”

“Yes. I- I don’t-”

“Where are you?”

“I’m at home.” Were you? Were you at home? Or was this place something else, something more insidious? Something was very, very wrong.

“Look, hold on. Just don’t hang up. We’re going to find you. Just… Just hold on.”

You were still holding the phone when the building shook with footsteps. Still holding the phone when the door slammed open. Still holding the phone when the familiar face of a man you didn’t recognise appeared beside you.

“It’s okay, (Y/N). You’re safe now.”

“Was I in danger?”

Yes. Yes, you were.

This apartment was small. Bedroom, toilet, living area and kitchen combined. Barred windows that barely opened. 3 bolts and 4 chains on the door. Police in the hallway and outside the building day and night. It was more of a prison than the maze had ever been. But you finally felt free. You hadn’t realised you’d felt trapped.

Your mind was starting to piece things together. Your other life, your real life, was still a haze, but it was within reach. And every day Jeremiah was further away.

Did you miss him? You felt his absence. You weren’t sure it was the same thing.

But he was never that far, not really. The marks on your temples – those you now knew to be electrical burns – were fading, but still sore. The scar – from surgery – easy to ignore, but still present.

And when you looked out of your window, you felt him watching you. You never saw him. Never a glimpse of dark hair, of leather gloves, of pale, pale skin.

But he would never be gone.

MASTERLIST

#gotham #jeremiah valeska #jeremiah x reader #jeremiah valeska x reader #jeremiah valeska/reader #gotham x reader #gotham/reader #reader insert

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emo-trash88 · 11 hours

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hiya ! its 🦈 anon

Could I req the male reader x drunk stone but instead its switched? ((oneshot, btw)) stone having to take care of drunk reader 💀

take your time + no pressure! have a good day/noon/evening :)

- 🦈 anon

Yay, I missed youuu! And yes ofc I would love to do that! Also sorry this took so long to post 😭😭

Alcohol Tastes Better Than Tears

Stone x Drunk! Reader

Pronouns: second person, gender neutral

Word count: 575

Tw: Alcohol, vomit

Today sucks. In fact, you've had a terrible day. First you blow the whole robbery on your own, and then you can't even steal an apple to make your friends feel remotely better about how horrible you've done. You've given up on being good at anything at this point.

You look down at your hand, staring at the bottle Stone handed you after the heist. You think he just felt bad and wanted to do something nice? But it honestly made you just feel worse. You feel so terrible that not even alcohol could fix it. Well it wouldn't hurt to try you think to yourself and before you know it you're putting the bottle up to the lips and taking a small sip.

That one sip turned into 2 sips, then 3 sips, then 4. Then that turned into you barely holding an empty bottle and trying to prop yourself up on the wall of whatever building you were next to. Your eyes flutter shut softly, as exhaustion hits you like a fright train with a vendetta.

You wake up to the clatter of a bottle and a male voice going "God...what the hell happened to you?". You force your eyes open and lay your eyes upon...an emo? "Whaa~...?" You say, trying to sit up more properly. All you hear in return is a sigh and a crisp "You're drunk". The man leans down to try to help you up before you push him away. "I dont evin know u" You say, your words slurring very aggressively.

"Oh god...my names Stone, we're...friends." He says, the worst friends looking like it's paining him to say, "I'm taking you back to the others".

That led to him trying to lift you up even slightly, which sounded almost completely impossible because your entire body felt like it was filled with lead. But eventually after you almost falling on your ass several times, he was finally able to force you up and being semi able to walk.

"I feel gross..." You say, leaning against Stone as he leads you through the streets. You hadn't even realized it got this dark. "Please don't vomit on me." He says, and almost on cue, you bed over and vomit. "Bloody hell..." He says, trying to prop you upright and continue to drag you away.

After about an hour of him dragging you after you vomiting (because he has the body strength of a malnourished owl) you both finally reach the alleyway, where he essentially drops you on the ground and you immediately pass out. As he grabs a nearby rag and places it on you, Vinnie leans against a wall. "Stone, is that really a good way to treat your crush?" She says smirking to herself.

He glares at her aggressively before speaking "They're not my crush." he says angrily. He stands upright and looks at her. "I'm just teasing, make sure you don't stay up late lovebirds." she says, the last part barely audible and then walks away.

He sighs and sits down next to your unconscious body, glancing down at you to make sure you're still breathing. Maybe...maybe I should tell them he thinks to himself before looking at the ground and noticing, something on his shoes. "IS THAT FUCKING VOMIT!"

Idk if this is any good, but I hope it is 😭

#ramshackle #stone ramshackle #stone x reader ramshackle #ramshackle x reader #I'm not sure if I portrayed drunkess properly #it's a talent atp

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probablyevilrpgideas · 11 months

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Whenever D&D gets into morality in any depth, it's just straight up fucked.

Ok, maybe this is peculiar to 3.X, but I very much doubt it

Back in 3.X, the Book of Vile Darkness was published, defictionalizing the title of the magical artifact from the game to provide a sourcebook of THE EEEEVILIST MATERIAL. It was specifically marked as a book for mature audiences, and supposedly was specifically about truly reprehensible evil stuff for the game.

It was followed up (after the edition revision) by The Book of Exalted Deeds. It was supposedly about the greatest good things, but likewise marked as being for Mature Audiences (I think that was more about making align with the BoVD and giving the artists some leniency to show boob).

Both books discuss morality in straight up completely fucked "I know this person is going to kill someone, so killing them first without provocation is good/I didn't do anything to stop this random natural act from killing someone even though I could have, clearly I am evil" type stuff. Additionally, it painted such things as extreme body modification, sadomasochism, alcholism/drug addiction, and xenophilia (in terms of necrophilia and bestiality but making no distinction between actual necrophilia and having sex with a consenting undead or actual bestiality and having sex with a dragon) as "(...) horrible traits common to the evil and perverse."

But while that's all fucking bad, it's really apparent in a pair of spells-

One traps the target's soul in a diamond for a year and destroys their body, where the target is forced to confront their past deeds and, if the spell successfully runs its course, forcibly changes the target's alignment to that of the caster.

The other allows you to enter the mind of the target and alter their memories, emotions, opinions and alignment in any way you choose. When done, you can subject the target to essentially a permanent Insanity spell effect, or leave no trace. The duration is instanteous and the casting time is 1 standard action.

The first spell is called "Sanctify the Wicked" and it's a Sanctified spell (requiring a sacrifice from the caster, in this case, 1 character level) from Book of Exalted Deeds. The second spell is called "Mindrape" and it is an Evil, but not Corrupt (basically the same idea as Sanctified, but Corrupt spells came first) spell.

So... imprisoning and emotionally torturing them for a year to forcibly change their alignment to yours is S+++ GOOD, but immediately and painlessly altering someone's thoughts (which could be used to consensually erase traumatic memories!) is so evil that the spell name likens it to arguably one of the most heinous things a person can do.

COOL WOTC. VERY FUCKING COOL. (/s)

This also carries into non-spell stuff. Poison use has always been defined as evil in D&D, even if you're using something basically harmless like Drow Poison (which just knocks the target unconscious for 2-4 hours). Unless, of course, you're some heavenly flying snake (Couatls have a natural poison that does Strength damage. Which can kill a target.) Using diseases as weapons is likewise seen as evil, which is more understandable.

To quote the BoED-

Poison and disease are generally the tools of evil monsters and characters, implements of corruption and destruction. If snakes and vermin are associated with evil, as they are in many cultures, it is usually because of their venom that they are viewed in such a negative light despite their neutral alignment. Using poison that deals ability damage is an evil act because it causes undue suffering in the process of incapacitating or killing an opponent. (The text does, at least, admit that Oil of Taggit and Drow Poison are not inherently evil to use, though it weirdly says that only Oil of Taggit is acceptable for good characters to use.)

So Book of Exalted Deeds felt the need to introduce Ravages and Afflictions. They're basically Holy Poisons and Diseases, respectively, only working on Evil targets and basically are fluffed as turning their evil on themselves, wracking them with pain and torment as a reflection of their depravity.

So, again. Torture and inflicting unnecessary suffering is EEEVIIIILLLL. Except when Good Guys do it to Evil Guys.

Now.... there is stuff I like in BoVD. The rules for sacrifices are amazing (mostly in an asymmetric power way) and there are some interesting items (like tongue studs that let you breath fire). But I like them *in spite* of the bullshit morals of these books.

#dungeons and dragons #dungeons & dragons #d&d #fantasy #rpgs #dnd #Morality #CW: mention of rape

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beardedmrbean · 8 months

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SAN DIEGO — One of two teenagers charged in connection with the death of a homeless woman texted he intended to go "hobo hunting" before the violence, a prosecutor alleged Monday, according to NBC San Diego.

William Innes, 18, faces the most serious count, first-degree murder, in Monday's charges against the pair in connection with the homicide of Annette Pershal, 68.

Armed with an air rifle loaded with pellets, Innes fatally shot Pershal in San Diego's Serra Mesa neighborhood on or about May 8, authorities allege.

Police responded to reports of a woman down in Serra Mesa on May 8 and called paramedics, who couldn’t determine why Pershal was unconscious, San Diego police said in a statement.

She was taken to a hospital, where doctors determined that she had been shot several times with a pellet gun and that the injuries were not survivable, police said.

Deputy District Attorney Roza Egiazarian said Monday that Pershal was shot in the head, a leg and the torso, according to NBC San Diego. One pellet ruptured her aorta, the prosecutor said.

Pershal was declared dead three days after she was found, police said.

Egiazarian said in court Monday that Innes sent a group text to contacts who included his co-defendant, Ryan Hopkins, 19, according to NBC San Diego.

It said, "I'm going hobo hunting with a pellet gun," according to the prosecutor.

Egiazarian said authorities found the possible weapon, a Gamo Shadow Whisper air rifle, in a search of Innes’ home, according to station.

Innes faces additional charges of possession of an assault weapon, banned in California, and failure to apply for serial numbers for two would-be firearms under state legislation designed to thwart ghost guns, essentially untraceable firearms that can be 3D-printed.

Hopkins is charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Prosecutors said he drove Innes to the scene, which NBC San Diego described as a parking lot.

Both teenagers, who live in the area, pleaded not guilty after their arrests last week. They remained in jail without bail, according to jail records.

Hopkins was scheduled to appear in court Thursday, when he will ask for bail, said his attorney, Vikas Bajaj, the station reported.

In court Monday, Bajaj disputed the timing of the “hobo hunting” text, saying it was sent 12 hours after the shooting, the station reported.

He described Hopkins as “a good kid with a warm heart.”

Attorneys for Innes and Hopkins did not immediately respond to requests for comment from NBC News.

The San Diego County medical examiner’s office determined Pershal’s death was a homicide. The cause of death is pending, and the office is “still working on the case,” county spokesperson Chuck Westerheide Jr. said.

Homicides by air-powered guns are rare. “The literature on air weapon deaths yielded only three murders in the United States,” a 2019 study by the journal Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine found.

Pershal's death comes as the city's homeless — a population that has grown beyond 10,000 — face crackdowns by police.

Responding to complaints about blocklong encampments on sidewalks and in front of businesses, the city has taken the hard-line approach, seen in Los Angeles and elsewhere, of essentially outlawing "unsafe camping" outdoors.

People living on the streets also continue to be victimized. In Los Angeles last year, nearly 1 in 4 murder victims was homeless, NBC Los Angeles found.

The state has set aside at least $12 billion to address homelessness.

Residents and patrons of the area where Pershal, known as Granny Annie, was found unresponsive told NBC San Diego she lived on the streets there for at least seven years.

#nunyas news

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sunwarmed-ash · 8 months

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Angst Prompt: Billy Hargrove

Neverender

Characters: Billy Hargrove, the hawkins crew, Eddie Munson Trigger Warnings: Suicidal ideations/mention, no attempts, homophobic language/violence Tags: Sad Billy, post season 3 & 4-Billy lives, Billy and Steve are ex's, Eddie is a worried friend, Neil Hargroves A+ parenting, post harringrove fall out, hurt/minor comfort, suicidal ideation/mentions, dissociative/Major Depressive Disorder Billy

*Fic also under cut*

Nothings been the same since July.

How could it be? Billy died. And what was left of their heated-rivalry-turned-blazing-sex-life and budding romance died with him. Because Billy wasn't the same when he came back. How could he be? Nothing that Billy liked about himself existed anymore; Nothing that Steve fell in love with was recoverable.

He’s a shadow of his former self, and its obvious to everyone, but worst of all himself. His Calforinan tan and meticulously sculpted torso were gone, replaced by a ghostly pale all over color, and ugly, horrifying scars left behind by the monster that almost took his life. His hair, which he had spent months learning to cut and style himself had to be cut to add stables to keep his brain inside his skull post attack. The ‘doctors’ did such a piss poor job of it too Billy lost almost all of the length. He hated how it looked now. How he looked now.

Nothing is the same as it was before.

When the Steve finally got the balls to call off whatever their pathetic attempt of going through the motions, Billy told Steve the first lie he’s ever told them since they became exclusive.

“I get it Steve. Don’t worry, I’ll be alright.”

“Billy…”

“I’ll be fine. Really.”

He wasn't fine. He wasn't even in the same ballpark as fine. He was ‘okay at best’ on good days, and seconds away from diving headfirst into the shallow end of the quarry on bad ones. The demons in his mind that plagued his night and daymares were nothing compared to the venom spit from his classmates, from Neil after everything with the mall went down and Billy was arrested after he barely surviving an interdimensional monster attack.

Some rack of shit huh? Instead of a welcome wagon and fucking parade like the hero who sacrificed everything for a stranger should get, he was gifted with 100% of the blame, 7 months of rehab and a 6 thousand dollar fine for the damage.

What was worse was that no one refuted it. Not a single person who was actually there that night. Not Steve. Not his fucking father, and since he was unconscious at the time, busy ya know, not dying, certainly not himself.

Billy shut himself off from everyone after that. He quit the basketball team, spending the extra hour of silence after school at the quarry, increasing his likelihood of lung cancer, one malrboro red at a time.

Since Steve had graduated, and dumped his ass, and he learned the hard way his so-called friends were as fake as silicone tits, he didn't see a point in being social. He was content to just keep his head down and degrade, one major depressive episode at a time. And at the end of each day, the bottom of the quarry looked more and more welcoming.

Harrington Home

“So what's going on with Billy?” Eddie asked suddenly, and unprompted, catching everyone off guard. Enough that Steve dropped the dish he was washing into the sink and Dustin choked on the pizza crust he bit into.

“Why- do you want to know about him?” Robin asks, eyes jumping anxiously between Steve and Eddie.

“He’s been, weird,” Eddie said, unsure why now everyone else in the room was being weird.

“I haven't noticed,” Dustin shrugged and Max smacked his arm.

“You ‘haven't noticed’ how the once loud and proud Californian Dickhead is now essentially a ghost? I don’t think I’ve heard him talk in months. It’s like he’s trying to will himself invisible. I think I even saw Carver bullying him last week. LIke isn’t that weird- What, whoa what did I say?” He asked anxiously, because now 7 sets of intense eyes were on him. “What? What is it? You can tell me.”

“Billy is… a complicated topic around here,” Lucas starts, hedging something big and looking very intently at Max.

“Why?” Eddie asked again anyway and Dustin and Max sigh way too heavy for 14 year olds. But then again, they all did just barely survive an apocalypse. Some their second and third….

“Because he died,” Max answers, and Eddie’s mouth dropped open.

“Because he used to be our friend,” Dustin added, which is actually more surprising in some ways.

“Because he’s my ex,” Steve says, finally addressing the real elephant in the room if all of the others matching tense expressions was any indication.

Harrington Living Room

“He saved me. But, no one wanted to see that,” El said, her own tears staining her face as she retold the story of last July.

“The Hawkins lab and the press have had an ongoing, lethal NDA since, what four years ago now? By the time Vecna rolled around, well, we were as close as you got to for experts at that point. The mall burned down because we had to kill the monster inside it. Without alerting the town there was one in the first place.”

“Which, happened to be controlled by the bigger monster possessing Billy at the time,” Lucas finished, because one look at Steve confirmed he couldn't.

“As the building was burning down, The Mind Flayer basically had El, ready for the monster, but Billy, our Billy broke through. Sacrificed himself to the monster so she could get away. So we all could.” Dustin finished.

“None of us knew if he was alive or dead for months,” Max chimed in. “And then one day, he just shows up on our doorstep. Looking like he got the shit beat out of him. Didn't say where he’s been, or why. I wasn’t even sure it was him. So I tested him.”

“How?” Lucas asked, evidently even he hadn’t heard the story.

“I punched him,” Max shrugged, “He didn't block it or fight back. He barely even looked at me. He just waited, until Neil stopped screaming and then went to his room. He’s been like that ever since. Whoever, whatever he is now, that isn’t my brother.”

Hawkins High Locker Room

It's been 34 days since he returned to Hawkins, and there's still another 156 days left in the semester until he can graduate and move back to California. He’d leave now if that was an option. But it wasn't.

He just wants to get through the school year without any trouble. He’s lived through enough already. But its evident in the next moment, Carver and Hill aren’t gonna let that happen.

“Oh how the mighty fall,” Carver laughs, referring to Billy’s more-scar-tissue-than-unmarred-flesh shirtless torso. “Serves you right, karmas a bitch, huh?”

“I told you, I didn't do that shit.”

It was of the general Hawkins misunderstanding that Billy set the mall on fire, as an act of ‘unamerican criminal mischief’ turned way wrong. They also say he endangered the lives of several minors as well as many ‘respected members of the community.’

When Billy was hit with so much violence and hatred upon reintegration, he almost high tailed it back to California with his tail between his legs. But then, and now, he had exactly $197 to his name, and he needed more than that to get out of here for good.

“Right, just like you didn't try and fuck Chrissy at Tina’s Halloween party right?” Hill piled on.

He actually didn't. Chrissy was a friend. And Billy was gayer than Liberace. Just outfitted with denim instead of glitter. But Hill and Carvers sudden and vicious betrayal still stung and he just wasn’t in the fucking mood.

“Didn’t need to initiate anything. She was begging for a fuck on anything bigger that pencil dick of yours.”

The next moment Tommy’s fist is in his gut, knocking him down before he has a chance to brace. Carver is standing above him, one shoe making contect with his solar plexus when he tries to raise up off his knees.

“Remember your place fag,” he sneers and Billy laughs in his face.

“Well which is it? Am I fucking your girl on the side or too busy choking on cock? Can’t do both.”

Carver launched his own attack now, kicking into Billy’s chest hard until he wheezed. Hill added a right hook that knocked Billy flat on his ass.

Any other day, before The Mindflayer, he could have taken them both. But almost all of his former strength vanished with the monster attack. He was vulnerable to everything they gave him. And what’s worse, he’s lost all will to get back up.

It wasn't long before Tommy’s own kicks started. Billy’s been in this position on the floor all too often. He pulls his legs against his chest so hopefully his ribs won’t break under their combined force.

Billy skipped the rest of his classes that day.

After Carver and Hill left, (got bored of kicking an unresponsive Billy), he just laid there on the cold, filthy floor. All through the lunch period. No one else came into the locker room. Not even the Coach. Billy was grateful. It took longer than usual for him to get back up these days, and he really didn't want an audience to his shame.

The quarry

Billy didn't go home. He didn't want to explain the bruises that weren’t from Neil. Neil would accuse him of trying to get social services called. So he just stayed out, drove to the quarry, lit up a cigarette and watched the sun go down and the moon rise.

Some undetermined time later, another vehicle arrived at the quarry. For a moment, Billy froze, expecting to see the cops truck, or his fathers, here to drag him back home by his hair. But it wasn’t, it was Eddie fucking Munson’s screaming metal death trap and that was somehow worse. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Let alone his ex’s new BFF.

Billy ignored Eddie when he exited his car. Maybe if Eddie realized he wasn't welcome, he’d leave. Eddie was soft. Billy, even now, could probably still scare him away.

“Thought I might find you here,” Eddie says and the statement sets him the fuck off.

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

Eddie’s huge eyes only got bigger and his hands flew up in surrender.

“Nothing, just, this is a good space to think. Figured after today you'd be looking for thinking space is all.”

“And why would I need that?”

Eddie grins, hands still up in the air.

“Okay, you caught me. Steve uh, filled me in with what happened today. With Jason.”

Billy balks and jumps off the hood of his car that he was comfortably sitting on. He is not here to talk about this. Fuck Eddie Munson.

“Wait! Billy hang on,” Eddie pleads, and for some reason, it stops Billy in place. He doesn't bother turning around.

“You got three seconds freak.”

“I brought weed.”

Billy huffs in frustration before yanking his hand off the door handle.

“...Alright.”

“What's going on with you man,” Eddie asks, not more than three seconds into Billy’s hit. Guy really knows how to kill a high. Probably how he stays employed.

“Nothing’s going on with me,” he said because it's true. He’s been silent for months. He’s just trying to make it to May. As soon as he graduates he can get the fuck out of this hellhole. Go back to California, his home. It's where he belongs.

“That's what I mean. I actually never thought I’d say this, but I kinda miss being bullied by you.”

Billy takes another hit instead of passing the joint, flipping Eddie off.

The brunette only laughs in amusement, his eyes crinkling adorably as he laughed.

“Yes finally! Goddamn this has been the longest slow burn of my life!”

Billy rolls his eyes but the weed is helping soften some of his bad mood. And maybe the company is helping. He won't admit that shit outloud though. Never again.

Eddie follows up with, “Carver’s a dick, don't let him get to you.”

Billy scoffs.

“I’m not.”

“Then why are you out here?” Eddie asked, far more perceiving than Billy appreciates right now.

“What’s it to you?”

Eddie’s eyes are too honest when he says,

“I don't know.”

Billy doesn't like it. Doesn't like how its making him feel. He can’t let someone else get in the way again.

Billy shrugs, admission falling off his lips easier than expected.

“I wasn’t planning on going home.”

Eddie’s eyebrows raise to his hairline but Billy didn't see it. He was too busy staring at the body of water that had to be below freezing by now.

“So you’re just gonna what? Sleep here? In your car, all night?”

No. Ideally, if he jumped from this height, the impact would probably be enough to break some bones. His neck preferably, but beggars can't be choosers.

“That's not what I said.”

Its eerily quiet in the next moments, as what Billy meant finally sunk in. Billy’s hand shakes on his last inhale.

“Oh…” Munson says.

Well, at least Eddie didn't apologize, or launch into a monologue of 1000 reasons to live.

“Yeah…” Billy sighs, feeling lighter but also so much worse finally admitting just how far gone he was out loud. He passes the dead joint back to Eddie before pulling out his car keys.

“Wait, where- where are you going?” Eddie asks, panic obvious in his voice.

Billy wishes he could feel something. Anything.

“Home. Can’t try and kill myself now, can I?”

Eddie’s expression exposed he was probably suffering from the illusion that someone genuinely giving a shit could be enough for Billy to change his mind. But it wasn’t. Not long term. Not after everything he’s been through. “Night Munson, thanks for the weed.”

#billy hargrove whump #billy hargrove #stranger things #stranger things 3 #stranger things 2 #stranger things 4 #eddie munson #steve harrington #find me on ao3 #sunwarmed ash #tw suicide mention #my works #link in bio #i post new stuff every sunday #sinful sunday

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modern-day-bard · 3 months

Text

Worth The Feeling

Content Warning: 18+ This series contains explicit smut, intimidation, and an age gap relationship. Minors, do not interact.

I didn't sleep on the plane, and I haven't slept more than ten hours in the following three days. Normally when we return from shooting on location, we will get a day or two off. But the entire crew had received several emails that the cast was given extra time in Italy and they will be returning to our following routine on Friday, which is tomorrow. There was some alleged lie that Lloyd was reshooting one of the scenes with Emma in the Milan office building, but I was unsure how he would do that now that almost the entire crew had returned home. I'm sure that they wanted more time to themselves in Italy. Maybe to pester the cast about a press schedule, but most likely to soak up a quick, all inclusive vacation.

Beyond the emails and some check-ins from Lana and Mia, my phone was essentially a glorified flashlight. I was staying off of it as long as I could, too afraid that I would see a text from Dwayne. And then I would check it sporadically, equally afraid that I hadn't received a text from Dwayne.

What weighed on me the most is that I still hadn't received anything from Javi. Not an email, phone call, or text. At night, I would get flashbacks of our time together in Italy, most of it in between the sheets. As much as those memories made my face heat and my body ache, my heart would drop when I remembered the absence of communication. And by Thursday evening, that heart ache had morphed into a steady thrum of irritation. I had passed out, for God's sake. The word on the street is that he was incredibly worried when I was unconscious, but now he's gone radio silent? I wonder if everyone thought he was incredibly worried just because they didn't expect him to be concerned at all. Maybe he didn't care as much as I thought.

After my shower, I decided to check my phone one final time for the night.

My breath caught, seeing I had one message waiting from Dwayne.

Dwyane: Meet me in Trailer 4 tomorrow morning. 7am.

I reread it at least five times. I scroll up through our last few messages, trying to decipher Dwayne's phone etiquette and whether this text had any new, possibly more frustrated, tones to it than our previous conversations.

Me: Sounds good!!!

I press send without thinking and then curse myself for three exclamation marks. Two I could have written off as a mistake, but three was a choice. I feel like a person using three exclamation marks has something to hide. And technically, I did have something to hide. Except now it wasn't super hidden.

Beyond the cursed phone, the thing that was occupying the largest space in my brain was a comment Blake made before I passed out.

"I was operating under the assumption, and I mean, indisputable proof, that you, should we say, 'entertained' the actors." What in the hell had he meant by indisputable proof? Blake Henley was clearly more deranged than I originally thought him to be, so maybe he was making it up. Possibly just trying to scare me, or maybe he was even just bored. But no matter what alternative meaning I apply to his words, I still replay all my steps with Javi and all the mistakes that were made. I knew they were risky at the time, but with Blake's personal spin that I was entertaining every actor I could get my hands on, it made it look a whole lot worse. And if I was willing to do what I did with Javi...did I have a case to stand on that I hadn't done the same with Blake? Especially when it was his word against mine.

My phone lights up, still sitting in my hands after I sent my response to Dwayne. And though I'm not sure I'll be able to hold it together throughout an entire phone call, I pick up, needing the distraction.

"Hey, mom." My voice is shaky, and she notices immediately.

"Hi, sweetie. You okay?" I can hear the local news blaring in the background.

"I'm fine," As soon as she asks, a few tears roll down my face. "How are you? How's dad?"

"We're great. Same as usual over here. Though it is incredibly humid right now, your father's been throwing a fit about it," She laughs in a way that would confirm to anyone that she finds his fits endearing. "It's been a minute since you've called."

"I know, I'm sorry. We were on location and it was super hectic."

"That's right! How was Italy? How did flying go?"

"Well, I still hate it," I let out one gurglely chuckle. "But I had some help. I've met some...new coworkers, and they were really understanding."

"That's great. I was worried about you, you know."

"Thanks mom," I sniffle. "Uh, Italy itself was beautiful. I didn't get out too much but I was on Lake Como most days. It was about an hour away from where we were staying but it was worth it."

"I Googled it when you said that's where you were going. It looks stunning."

"It was. I had a really good time."

"And work? How has that been?"

I pause, not knowing if I should tell her about the promotion. I had thought about calling her while we were in Italy, but the time difference had made it difficult. Now I'm wondering if that was a blessing in disguise.

"It's been fine. Same as usual over here," I echo her and she laughs lightly.

"I...miss you guys."

"We miss you too! Are you sure you're okay, honey?"

"I'm fine, just tired. Still jet lagged I think."

My mom doesn't reply for a few moments, and I get the feeling that she's considering whether or not she wants to call me on my lie.

"Alright. I'll let you go then. Get some rest, honey."

The kindness in her voice only makes the lump in my throat grow larger.

"Thanks, mom. Love you."

"Love you, too."

I hang up, curling into a ball on my bed and wondering what the hell I'm going to say to Dwayne tomorrow.

- - -

I try not to let my sentimentality push my slightly nauseous stomach into dangerous terrorists. Everything I do between driving onto the lot, pulling out my employee ID, and parking into the employee lot, I keep thinking that this is possibly the last time I'm going to do these things. I hardly slept last night which made it easy to get here over an hour earlier than I was supposed to arrive. And as the minutes tick closer to my scheduled meeting with Dwayne, I'm not sure if it's the sentimentality or the nausea that is going to win out. It'll be a photo finish between my tears or my stomach.

Taking one last, calming breath, I get out of my car. I avoid any possible eye contact with the people I pass by. Thankfully it's too early to feel any eyes on me. Everyone else is probably too tired or still too jet lagged to care. I wish I felt the same.

I arrive at Trailer 4, and my hand shakes before I ball it up into a tight fist to knock.

"Come in," My stomach twists at the sound of Dwayne's voice.

Trailer 4 is set up as a conference room of sorts with two separate tables. From what I knew, it was normally reserved for meetings between the producers and directors. The professionalism isn't helping with the weight of this situation. Dwayne is glancing over several sheets of paper spread out on the table furthest from the door. He waves me over without looking up.

"C'mon over, Ava."

As I approach, he places some of the papers back into a folder and closes it up. When he finally looks up at me and gestures to the seat across from him, all I can offer is a tight smile.

"How are you? After your incident." He asks.

"I'm alright, thank you. It was just heat exhaustion, and now I'm out of the heat, so. Don't have to worry about that now." I let out a quick, very awkward laugh.

"Good, well, I'm glad you're okay."

Both of us nod, tight lipped and avoiding direct eye contact.

"Ava...we do need to discuss what was going on when you had your incident."

I haven't stopped nodding since he started talking. "Of course. Dwayne, I really need to explain myself. I have been nothing but professional with the talent on set, Mr. Henley completely got the wrong impression–"

"I believe you."

"--And he showed up completely unannounced, and, you what?"

"Ava, you've been a loyal employee. The only responses we've ever had about you have been incredibly positive. Frankly, I don't care who is involved with whom. But...it could reflect poorly on you and your future career to be mixed up with multiple actors, especially on the same set."

I blink. "I'm sorry...you said you believed me though?"

"I do. But I think we both know that you have spent some personal time with at least one actor on set."

I swallow a few times to push back the bile rising in my throat. Dwayne opens back up the folder, flipping through some papers before pulling out a photo and sliding it across the table to me. I have an onslaught of flashbacks of our intimate time in the pool, thinking how stupid and caught up and in the moment I was. How I should have waited and gone back inside like a normal person, and I shouldn't have been so swept up by Italy, the promotion, and the look in Javi's eyes.

But as I look down at a very small, fish-eyed photo of me leaving Javi's room, I feel a strange sense of relief. It definitely wasn't normal for a PA to be leaving an actors room, especially not with that lovestruck smile on my face. And Blake's room was not even directly across from Javi's, due to the size of the suites, but it was slanted and blurry from the peephole. It was obviously me, but you couldn't see Javi. No one besides the production team that knew the room numbers of each of the cast members would even know that it was his suite. It wasn't great, but it wasn't that bad either.

Was this the indisputable proof Blake was trying to threaten me with? It was almost laughable. Much less so with the seriousness of Dwayne's expression.

"My question is, Ava, did you have a romantic relationship with Javi, Blake, or both of them? Is this what you think you need to move forward?"

The weight of his question hangs over both of us. I can tell it made him uncomfortable to ask it, but I can't say it's completely unacceptable due to how Blake made it sound on the beach. I inhale a long, calming breath.

"Dwayne. This might not be the best thing to say right now, but I do want you to know that this is the first and only time I have ever spent time with a cast member outside of PA duties. This job means more to me than anything. All I've ever wanted is to be involved in this business, and I drive onto this lot everyday feeling like I won the employer lottery. I was on top of the world when you offered me that promotion."

I take another deep breath, knowing this might sign my pink slip away.

"With that being said...we have no company rules about relationships with the talent. In the past few months I have never let my personal feelings impact my role on set. I wish I had disclosed this sooner, but due to the, um, nature, of the relationship, I wasn't sure it was necessary. And I certainly didn't want to seem as though I was using these newfound feelings to garner special attention at work in any way. So I hope that you can see that, even though it was a bad judgment call, I still had professionalism at the forefront of my decision making."

I tap my fingers on the table, deciding how to best talk about that human boil. "As for Blake...I only had a few conversations with him, and I was never involved with him in any way. I was actually very...taken aback when he showed up at my hotel room. My roommate was there the entire time, and both her and I were uncomfortable."

Phew. It was a mouthful, but it came out better than I expected.

Dwayne stares at me passively. His general demeanor is always so composed, and on set that's a huge asset. But right now it's really making me sweat. Especially as the silence continues to grow between us. I feel at least two beads drip down my back before he replies.

"You're not in trouble Ava."

Now I'm wondering if it's possible to vomit from relief.

"Really?"

Dwayne nods. "I wanted to hear your side of the story, of course. I feel as though I knew you well enough to know that at least part of Blake's story must have been false. Though I have to say I was surprised to see the pictures, and to hear Javi's side of the story."

Oh god. Javi's side? They spoke about it already?

"If his reaction to your fainting spell wasn't enough for me to guess his...feelings, he admitted to everything as soon as we heard you were conscious. And he took full responsibility for the entire...affair. He claims he was the one to instigate things."

I just blink at him, too afraid that nodding will be some entertainment industry version of committing perjury. Because the truth is, he wasn't solely responsible for any of it.

"We had a meeting with our public relations manager and Javi and he agreed to our terms. What I need to know from you Ava is if you plan on pressing charges toward either party."

"Pressing charges? Against Javi or Blake?"

"Yes, toward either or both of them. Or if you plan to make a statement."

I have an icky feeling hearing Javi and Blake in the same context as pressing charges. One of them did nothing wrong and the other was a scumbag. I didn't want Javi compared to that imbecile. It also is weirding me out that Javi took the liberty to speak to Dwayne, and that conversation resulted in a PR meeting that didn't involve me. But I had come in here today expecting to be fired. And right now, I will take whatever path that leads me to being able to afford my rent.

"I–no. Not at all. Truthfully all I would like to do is get back to work."

Dwayne lets loose a small, professional smile. "Great. We've arranged the schedule so that you and Javi will interact as little as possible. We only have two more weeks of shooting so it shouldn't be too hard. There may be some overlap as you're still training with me, but we'll cross those bridges later. You know as well as I do that marketing can be just as important as the script, cinematographer, or anything else. We must not interfere with anything that should sabotage that. Sound good?"

I genuinely can't believe the outcome of this meeting. My nausea doesn't fade, but I feel some of the tightness in my chest easing slightly.

"Yes, of course."

Dwayne slaps his hands on the armrests of his chair. "Alright. Let's get to work then."

Next Chapter

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Series Masterlist

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal fandom #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal x original characters #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal x you #pedro pascal fluff #javi gutierrez smut #javi gutierrez fanfiction #javi gutierrez x you #javi gutierrez x reader

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ash-l31gh · 1 year

Text

Foul Legacy meets Zhongli

It was a stormy evening in Liyue harbor, Zhongli was currently alone reading a book sat next to a window in a shared house with his boyfriend. He heard the door opening and a powerful abyssal 'smell' if you could call it that, causing him to be on guard with his weapon on hand. The being eventually opened the door surprising slowly and gently from it being from the abyss, once it was in the room with the door closed it near enough ran towards him while chirping random happy noises as if it was a puppy Zhongli was enveloped by the being while being held gently. Zhongli eventually asked "why are you here?" In a slightly threatening tone which caused him go and slightly whimper. Foul Legacy eventually transformed into Childe who was essentially unconscious with alot of wounds that needed to be treated. After about 4 hours Childe eventually woke up with Zhongli to be sat on a chair while reading a book looking slightly angry, his awake presence was know to Zhonglis attention and asked "what was that thing from the abyss" which was replied with "That's foul legacy and we'll how I gained access is a long story." "I have the patience to listen" and got the whole story he felt pitiful for him.

A month later, foul legacy was out while he knew Childe was in good condition and looked like he wanted some attention while Zhongli was in a big dragon-like form seemingly trying to sleep on there double bed, Foul Legacy picked the dragon up and layed down on the bed and put the resting dragon on his chest curled up and eventually fell asleep

#foul legacy childe #childe #tartaglia #zhongli #dragonli #zhongchi #fluff #genshin fluff

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that-banhus · 1 year

Text

First lines/last fics x10

Tagged by @landwriter - thank you :) (Also, yesssss, more Oaths soon.)

Share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written less than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway.

Complete fic:

1 - Settled (The Sandman)

On the evening of June tenth, nineteen-sixteen, Roderick Burgess’ circle of magicians, charlatans, opportunists and hanger-ons draw the final runes on the floor of the basement at Fawney Rig.

2 - And Not Ask Leave of Any (The Sandman)

The unfortunate thing about the marches in October - the one unfortunate thing, Hob thought, because of all God’s lands the marches were created beautiful enough to still a man’s heart, and wild enough to set it running again - was that the air was sobering cold at night.

3 - King of Infinite Space (The Sandman)

They sat at the New Inn until the afternoon melted into evening, the sunlight thickened to a rich orange, and the late crowd began to trickle into the inn in chattering groups.

4 - Runs a Joy with Silken Twine (Good Omens)

The summer of the almost apocalypse sloped into a late autumn, and nothing much changed until it did: the weather tipped into heavy rain and dark evenings as suddenly as a seesaw coming down, and Crowley did something new with his hair.

5 - All the Kingdoms of the World (Good Omens)

The thing which stuck with Crowley the most, from the little-Apocalypse-that-couldn’t, was how close it had all been. If the nuns hadn’t accidentally shuffled the antichrist to Tadfield, if Agnes Nutter hadn’t been exactly right, if Adam had loved humanity just a little less, in the end - well, they’d been very, very lucky, was all, and after several thousand years of doing Aziraphale’s job on occasion, he had a natural suspicion of luck.

6 - The Dead and the Living (Game of Thrones)

When she was twelve, Brienne had broken her leg. She’d taken a quick step forward toward the training master, gotten her foot twisted on an uneven cobblestone, and when his blunt sword came at her low it hit her shin with a sickening snap she felt all up her spine. That hadn’t been the worst of it.

WIP:

7/8 - A Local Habitation (The Sandman)

Cheating outrageously and counting it as two lines, because it essentially ended up being two seperate stories:

Dream went to Hell on a Monday, and barely gave Hob an hour’s notice.

and:

In the morning, Hob woke to the doorbell chiming. It was a beautiful sunny day outside, and the two chopsticks he’d taped over his window in the shape of a cross had burned themselves onto the glass in a sooty, smeared blur.

9 - Untitled Missing Scene/Coda from King of Infinite Space for @chubsthehamster (The Sandman)

Hob Gadling’s unconscious body presented a problem.

10 - To the Strongest (Star Trek: Discovery)

“Do you sometimes think that T’Kuvma got himself killed on purpose, so he wouldn’t have to deal with all this?” L’Rell gestured at the stack of datapads, maps and scrolls, a delightfully petty touch from House Antaak.

Tagging (optionally as always, and apologies if I am re-tagging) @willowcrowned, @tharkuun, @just-add-butter, @moorishflower, @chubsthehamster @mathomhouse-e

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artinandwritin · 2 years

Note

Alright I wanna hear everything about that royalty au please please please

Your wish is my command! Alright this is gonna be one heck of a ride to sit through cuz I've got a lot of infodumping to do >:)

For the basic worldbuilding, Berk is a prospering kingdom under King Hiccup III's rule, having just taken it over and married his wife, Queen Astrid. The Gang are his council, and by proxy the dukes and duchesses of the kingdom, with their families being high in rank.

Siri and her branch of the Hofferson family fall in this category as well. Due to Astrid's rise in power, the Vínteris have flourished, being cousins to the one and only queen. They often stay at Hiccup and Astrid's palace, mainly during banquets and balls. After their status got risen, Siri's father, Lord Felix, got a bit obsessed with getting his own daughters as high of a match as Astrid. To compete a bit against his wife's cousins, one might say, but it may also be just greed.

Next to the Kingdom of Berk, we have the Berserker Kingdom in close proximity, which is where Gustav is residing. After being discovered to be Spitelout's bastard (and after a series of him wrecking general havoc in the palace like an idiot) he was send to King Dagur to train there and get more... Not stupid. Basically, he became a ward to the King. Before this, he and Siri were childhood friends, despite Felix' dismay about it.

The story starts when the Berserker royal family comes to visit the Kingdom of Berk for the celebration of Princess Zephyr's birth. By this time, Siri is 18-19 and Gustav is 20-21, both all grown up since they last saw each other 4-5 years ago. They meet again during a ball, almost not recognizing each other due to having changed so much, but still end up talking for hours about all their adventures, their childhood, and of course, the latest gossip in the kingdoms.

The feeling, however, is different. Both are very aware that, "oh, shit, we're adults now. We're adults and we're pretty attracted to each other oh shit oh no-", and when they part, are left with this strange feeling of longing.

After this initial meeting, things go very rapid. As Felix has left the kingdom in search of rich suitors in other lands, Siri is free to do as she pleases with whatever man she would like. She and Gustav start courting in secret, going on dates, dancing, to masked balls, whatever you can think of. They could often be found happy, laughing together with the softest touches and smiles.

A few years passed, in which Felix brought his daughter every suitor he could think of, but they were always rejected. This angered him, made him resentful of everyone getting into the way of his rise in power, and brought him to search for... Alternative motives to make Siri say yes to someone.

As Felix' pushing became worse and worse, Gustav, during his visits to the Kingdom of Berk and knowing his girlfriend's partner wouldn't approve of a bastard, began asking Siri to come with him to the Berserker Kingdom, to live out a happy life with him, peaceful, far away from suitors and her demanding father. Siri, however, found herself unable to leave her sister, who would be subjected to the same terror as she was as soon as Siri would flee. She couldn't do that to her, and so, the secret continued.

That was, until Siri found herself nausious, tired, sore for weeks, when she was 22. Realising she had fallen pregnant and it could expose their affair, Siri and Gustav finally tried to flee, packing only the essentials and getting on their horses, going different directions as to not be spotted as easily.

That's, however, where things went horribly wrong. Siri got in an accident with her horse in the forest, laying unconscious before being rescued by a lone man. A prince, a man of great virtue and pride. His name was Ludvig Forrad, the youngest prince of the Myriad Kingdom.

He brought Siri back to the palace, and, in "gratitude", Felix him his daughter's hand in marriage. It was a decision Siri didn't have a say in; she couldn't go against it. Somehow, Felix had found out Siri was pregnant, and threatened her that if she didn't do this, he would let her be exiled, be thrown aside like a ragdoll, and Siri was terrified. So, she married Lord Forrad, as her belly grew with another man's child.

However, this marriage wasn't a coincidence - Felix had operated the whole ordeal. Siri's accident was planned as a way to force her to get married after she had gotten pregnant, and...

It had worked.

When Gustav got wind of the situation, he, without thinking, rushed to the castle Lord Ludvig had made his own, sneaking in without a plan. He and Siri reunited for just a moment, and after a quiet promise that he would get her and their kid outta there, Gustav was forced to flee again, going into hiding for a few months.

Siri was able to hide her pregnancy for months, wearing wide clothes as she got bigger and staying in her room for days on end. However, her baby couldn't stay there once he was born, wouldn't be able to survive the wrath of the ruthless Lord of the castle.

And Siri knew that, if she ran away with him, she and her little baby would be caught and dealt with. So, she composed a plan for herself.

She got into contact with an old friend of hers, Erina, and explained the situation. They exchanged letters on the regular, and when Siri went into labour, Erina was immediately involved.

Mere hours after her son Niv's birth, Siri was able to sneak out of the castle, into the forest, where she would meet Erina. So said, so done, and, in a desperate attempt to keep at least one of them safe, Siri gave Erina her son and made her promise to look after him.

Erina and Niv left Siri heartbroken, wailing in agony as her baby slipped through her fingers. She felt empty, sad, and nothing would be able to fix it, but at least he was safe. Her baby would survive.

Erina and her husband, Killian, got ready to raise little Niv for their friend, but the unexpected happened; Gustav, back from hiding, showed up at their place, looking for shelter. He found out that the child they were looking after, was his and Siri's newborn son, and immediately started to make plans to get her out of her marriage.

A momma and her baby shouldn't be apart, after all.

However, things went horribly wrong; in an escape attempt, Gustav was caught and thrown into a far-away jail, and Siri was locked up in Ludvig's castle. Now, Erina and Killian were left to parent Niv on their own.

Three years passed before Gustav was able to get out of jail, and in the meantime, Siri had another son by Ludvig, a blond boy named Konrad. She wasn't sure if she loved him; she couldn't really bond with him, as he was born without consent and left her more broken than she had ever thought to be possible. She had been pregnant multiple times after that as well, but all had resulted in miscarriages or stillbirths, either self-inflicted or because of stress. Because of this, Ludvig had started to look at other women, more often just plainly abusing Siri instead of treating her like his wife.

Felix had died as well, and now his wife and youngest daughter were out of his grip.

Niv grew up in Erina and Killian's steady home, being told about his parents a lot, excited to meet them one day. So, when his dad suddenly showed up at his doorstep, he was stunned, a bit unsure, but oh, so happy. After bonding, Gustav explained that he wanted to do another escape mission and get Siri home. Except, this time, they had the advantage of Ludvig's divided attention.

Again, so said, so done. In the process of this rescue mission, Ludvig lost his life and Siri, with her little son, was brought home. After readjusting and a lot of talking through the trauma, she and Gustav got properly married and got a little home in the countryside, close to the palace, where they would get to raise their sons in peace.

As Siri finally got to bond with Konrad, she fell in love with her second son, adoring him just as much as she did Niv. About a little more over a year after her rescue, Siri had her first daughter, Sunniva, and ten years later, little Helene.

Life was good for them, finally happy again after all those years of hardship <333

Hope you enjoyed that!! There's a lot more nuances i just don't have the braincells to explain rn oops, but this is the basic story! I absolutely adore GusSiri in the first part, just being happy and keeping secrets and stealing kisses and intimate moments in the dark <333

#httyd #oc #how to train your dragon #httyd oc #how to train a dragon 2 #how to train your dragon oc #rtte #race to the edge #siri vínteri #gustav httyd #gussiri #niv larson #oc x canon #au #royalty au #artinandwritin's lore

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wellbeing-in-your-office · 3 months

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Corporate Workshops - 5 workshop ideas you must know about

Introduction

Corporate workshops are designed training sessions focused on enhancing employees' skills, knowledge, and team dynamics. These intensive courses allow participants to learn critical skills and strategies in an interactive, hands-on setting. Well-designed corporate workshops provide numerous benefits for organisations of any size or industry. Unlike typical lectures or seminars, workshops emphasise group participation and activities. Employees practice new techniques, collaborate on projects, and receive expert coaching. This engaging approach helps staff fully absorb and apply what they learn. Participants also get to know their coworkers better during team building exercises, improving relationships and communication. Companies utilise workshops for everything from customer service training to leadership development. They allow organisations to efficiently educate employees on key topics and strategies. Workshops deliver several advantages over individual training or web-based learning. The immersive environment helps participants learn more effectively, through practice and immediate feedback. People also retain information better when learning as a group. Bringing cross-functional teams together for workshops can increase collaboration and alignment across departments. The focused format allows for deeper training than an hour-long seminar. Corporate workshops can provide memorable development experiences that stick with employees long after the event.

Types of Corporate Workshops

Corporations invest in workshops for employees for a variety of reasons. Some of the most common types of corporate workshops include: 1. Team Building Team building workshops focus on improving collaboration, communication, and trust between team members. Activities may include group challenges, games, or discussions designed to strengthen relationships and alignment. The goal is to build a cohesive team unit. 2. Leadership Training Leadership training empowers managers with skills to effectively direct teams. Workshops can teach strategic planning, goal-setting, decision-making, conflict resolution, coaching, and other supervisory capabilities. Developing strong leaders is crucial for organisational success. 3. Diversity and Inclusion Diversity training raises awareness of biases and teaches inclusive behaviors. Workshops aim to create a respectful environment where employees of all backgrounds feel valued and able to contribute fully. Covering topics like unconscious bias, microaggressions, and cross-cultural communication helps organisations to leverage the benefits of diverse perspectives. 4. Communication Skills Communication workshops sharpen abilities like active listening, public speaking, writing, presentation delivery, and more. Strong communication leads to engaged teams, clearer direction, productive meetings, and effective change management. Honing these skills is essential for workplace interactions. 5. Creativity and Innovation Creativity training helps teams generate fresh ideas, rethink challenges, and develop new solutions. Workshops utilise techniques like brainstorming, design thinking, and lateral thinking to spark innovation. Unlocking creativity enables organisations to evolve and gain competitive edge. https://wellbeinginyouroffice.com/wellbeing-workshops/

How Corporate Workshops Foster Teamwork and Collaboration

Effective corporate workshops can greatly improve collaboration, trust, and relationships among team members. By bringing employees together in a focused setting outside of their regular work environment, workshops facilitate quality interactions that may not otherwise occur. This allows teams to build stronger bonds as they learn together, tackle challenges, and navigate experiences as a group. Several aspects of workshops help foster greater teamwork: - Hands-on activities - Exercises, simulations, and games engage participants and require them to work together. This collaborative process breaks down barriers, builds understanding, and develops shared goals. Activities with a fun, engaging element also help teams bond. - Small group discussions - Breaking into smaller groups provides more intimate settings for employees to interact, share ideas, and develop connections. Facilitated roundtable talks create opportunities for sharing perspectives and insights not always visible in larger teams. - Informal interactions - The casual environment of workshops often leads to relationship-building interactions during breaks, meals, and networking time. People get to know each other personally and find common ground. - Common goals - Workshops unite employees behind shared objectives, visions, and problem-solving focus. Working as a team towards desired outcomes brings people together. Development of collaborative mindsets, values, and skills carry over beyond the workshop itself. - New environments - Getting team members out of their everyday workplace routine and into a new stimulating venue energises them and sparks fresh collaborative thinking. The neutral setting also minimises organisational politics or hierarchies. Thoughtfully designed and facilitated workshops provide teams dedicated time and space to gain alignment, improve dynamics, and build the mutual trust and understanding necessary for greater collaboration and performance. Participants leave energised and excited to put new skills, mindsets, and relationships into practice. https://wellbeinginyouroffice.com/workplace-mental-health-training/ Workplace mental health training: How to transform your work environment.

Team Building

Workshops aimed at team building focus on improving communication, and strengthening relationships between employees. These types of corporate workshops move beyond typical skill-building to address the overall well-being of staff. - Popular workshop themes include yoga, meditation, and sports activities. Yoga workshops bring groups of employees together for instructor-led classes. These provide gentle stretching and movement to decrease stress and muscle tension from office work. Yoga helps center the mind, increase focus, and recharge energy levels. Classes can range from beginner Vinyasa sequences to more advanced poses and inversions. Workshops often start with breathing exercises and finish with savasana relaxation. Some may even incorporate essential oils or calming music. Attendees typically leave yoga workshops feeling refreshed and reconnected with their bodies and coworkers. - Meditation workshops guide employees through mindfulness practices to enhance their mental clarity and emotional stability. Sitting in silence helps participants turn inward and separate from daily distractions. Meditation builds resilience against stress, anxiety, and burnout—common issues in corporate environments. Workshops provide techniques to integrate mindfulness into each day through regular short sessions. Many teach basic seated poses, walking meditations, and visualisation. Employees finish with a greater sense of calm and self-awareness. - Sports activities and outdoor workshops build morale through friendly team competition and shared experiences. Activities might include beach volleyball, mini golf tournaments, relay races, or even a company Olympics. These workshops allow coworkers to bond and unwind together in a relaxed setting. They build camaraderie, communication skills, and trust between teams. Corporations may also hold workshops Facilitators incorporate elements of coaching, strategy, and motivation. Participants learn the value of sportsmanship, collaboration, and effort. Sports workshops create lasting memories employees reflect on fondly. They break up workplace monotony and reconnect staff to their bodies and teammates. Wellness workshops address the mental, physical, and emotional health of employees. Yoga, meditation, and sports strengthen relationships, alleviate burnout, and boost morale. By supporting the overall wellbeing of personnel, companies see greater productivity, satisfaction, and retention. https://wellbeinginyouroffice.com/wellbeing-wednesday/ Wellbeing Wednesday: Shake Up Your Work Week

Enhancing Leadership Skills

Leadership skills allow managers to effectively guide their teams towards success. Corporate workshops aimed at developing leadership capabilities focus on various areas to strengthen a manager's competencies. - Identifying existing strengths and weaknesses in leadership is an important starting point. Workshops often utilise 360-degree feedback surveys to provide managers with constructive input on their abilities from their team, colleagues, and supervisors. Understanding perceived strengths allows managers to leverage them, while becoming aware of weaknesses provides an opportunity to improve. - Workshops can then provide training tailored to developing essential leadership skills like strategising, decision-making, problem-solving, influence, accountability, and communication. Breakout sessions, roleplaying exercises, and interactive discussions are used to build competencies through hands-on learning. Managers also gain insight into leadership styles and situational leadership approaches to apply in different scenarios. - Further skills developed include coaching team members, providing effective feedback, cultivating talent, and fostering creativity. Workshops teach managers how to align teams to objectives, motivate and engage employees, and create an empowering work culture. This enhances their ability to spearhead collective efforts to attain organisational goals. Equipping managers with improved leadership abilities has a direct positive impact on team and company performance. Corporate workshops aimed at strengthening management capabilities are a strategic investment towards driving productivity, innovation, and growth. The hands-on nature provides meaningful development opportunities for leaders seeking to guide their teams more effectively.

Corporate Workshops - Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity in the workplace encompasses all the ways employees differ, including race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, personality, and more. While diversity brings many benefits, such as increased innovation and better problem solving, it can also lead to communication issues, conflicts, and unconscious bias if not managed properly. Corporate workshops aimed at diversity and inclusion strive to raise cultural awareness, reduce bias, and promote equality. These workshops help participants understand implicit bias, microaggressions, and how to be an ally. They explore best practices for communicating across differences and creating an environment where all employees feel welcomed, valued, and able to contribute their unique perspectives. Leadership training is key, equipping managers with strategies to build diverse and inclusive teams. Hiring practices may be evaluated to reduce bias in recruitment and promotion. Mentorship programs can be implemented to support career development for underrepresented groups. Employees should be empowered to call out inappropriate behavior and given safe channels to report discrimination or harassment. The goal is to foster mutual understanding and ensure all employees can thrive. Corporate workshops lay the foundation by increasing diversity awareness and giving participants tools to champion inclusion every day. When people feel respected and valued for who they are, they are more engaged, innovative and productive. A diverse and inclusive culture directly impacts a company's bottom line. Corporate workshops can lead to greater innovation, higher employee retention, improved brand reputation, and accessing a wider talent pool. https://wellbeinginyouroffice.com/benefits-of-mindfulness-at-work/ Benefits of mindfulness at work – Unlock your Potential

Communication and Presentation

Effective communication and presentation skills are critical in the workplace. Corporate workshops aimed at enhancing these skills can have a powerful impact on an organisation. Such workshops typically focus on building skills for both internal team communication and external presentations. - For internal communication, workshops may cover active listening, giving constructive feedback, resolving conflicts, and running productive meetings. Exercises could include roleplaying difficult conversations, practicing reflective listening techniques, and discussing case studies. - Presentation skills workshops can improve how leaders and employees deliver high-stakes presentations, training sessions, and public speeches. These workshops build skills like connecting with diverse audiences, designing visual aids, speaking clearly, and handling Q&A sessions confidently. Attendees may practice and receive feedback on short sample presentations. - Beyond individual skills, some workshops address organisation-wide communication, ensuring alignment around goals, values, and culture across departments. Workshops can also optimise communication workflows and channels through collaboration best practices. With improved communication and presentation abilities, employees can express ideas clearly, empathise with colleagues, present effectively, and keep stakeholders aligned. Honing these skills through immersive workshops leads to tangible benefits in morale, engagement, and external reputation.

Corporate Workshops - Creativity and Innovation

Fostering creativity and innovation is a key goal for many corporate workshops. After all, the ability to think creatively and develop innovative solutions is a crucial skill in the modern workplace. Brainstorming sessions are a classic technique used in workshops to spark creativity. Gathering employees together to think freely and bounce ideas off each other often leads to creative breakthroughs. - Design thinking workshops take brainstorming a step further by providing a human-centric framework for developing creative solutions. Employees learn a step-by-step design thinking process of empathising with users, defining challenges, ideating solutions, prototyping, and testing. This provides a structured way to tap into creativity. Design thinking workshops equip employees with an innovative problem-solving mindset that can generate new products, services, and solutions. - Innovation workshops can also focus on cultivating an innovative culture within an organisation. Employees learn techniques for spurring innovation day-to-day, building on each other's ideas, taking smart risks, and learning from failures. Workshops explore case studies of highly innovative companies and blueprint ways to integrate innovation practices throughout an organisation. The goal is to motivate employees at all levels to contribute new thinking. Workshops that inspire creativity empower employees with the skills to turn imaginative ideas into business solutions. Participants leave excited about the culture of creativity facilitated through the interactive sessions. Companies can tap into their employees' innate creativity through well-designed innovation workshops.

Choosing Effective Corporate Workshops

Many factors contribute to a successful and impactful corporate workshop. Here are some best practices for choosing effective workshops: Assess Needs and Set Goals The first step is identifying the needs and desired outcomes. Ask questions like: - What skills do employees need to improve? - What challenges is the team or organisation facing? - What goals do leadership and employees have? Clearly defining the goals and purpose will inform the workshop selection. The content and activities should directly connect to the stated objectives. Pick Skilled Facilitators The right facilitator can make or break a workshop. Look for these qualities: - Deep expertise in the workshop topic and content. - Experience designing and leading corporate workshops specifically. - Skills to keep participants engaged through interactive methods. - Ability to connect with and relate to the employees. It helps if they have worked with similar organisations and understand the culture. Customise the Experience Each company's needs and culture are unique. Effective workshops are tailored to the specific organisation and participants. Generic, off-the-shelf workshops often fall flat. Work with facilitators to customise the content, discussions, role-plays, exercises, and examples. Make it targeted and relevant. Evaluate Results It's important to measure workshop outcomes and derive data-driven insights. Survey participants, conduct pre and post assessments, track goal progress, and calculate ROI. This will shed light on what's working and guide future improvements. Choosing the right workshop takes effort upfront but pays dividends through an energised and unified team.

Corporate Workshops - Conclusion

Corporate workshops provide immense value for organisations of all sizes and industries. By bringing teams together to learn, discuss, and collaborate, workshops facilitate improved communication, stronger relationships, and alignment on goals. Leaders can gain critical skills to motivate and support their teams. Diversity and inclusion initiatives enable organisations to tap into new perspectives and strengthen their culture. Creative thinking workshops spark innovation, while team building activities forge bonds and boost morale. With so many options for effective corporate workshops, it's important to choose trainings that align with your organisation's specific needs and objectives. Look for workshops that engage participants and provide them with practical takeaways to apply in their roles. The right workshops will inspire teams, deepen company culture, and elevate performance.

Advance Your Team's Skills and Wellbeing with our Corporate Workshops

In a fast-paced corporate environment, keeping your teams engaged, healthy and at the top of their game is paramount. Wellbeing In Your Office offers a range of corporate workshops designed specifically to empower, inspire, and nurture your teams. Beyond traditional team-building and leadership training, we're passionate about helping your team thrive in their work environment. Our offerings expand to unique wellness activities that encompass Read the full article

#corporateworkshops

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boredtechnologist · 3 months

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Reviewing "Persona 3" from a philosophical perspective involves an exploration beyond its gameplay and narrative, delving into its profound existential, psychological, and metaphysical themes.

1. The Concept of Memento Mori and Existentialism: "Persona 3" is deeply imbued with the concept of 'memento mori' – the reminder of mortality. The game constantly confronts players with the inevitability of death, both through its narrative and the symbolic Dark Hour. This theme resonates with existentialist philosophy, particularly the works of Heidegger and Sartre, which emphasize the importance of confronting one's mortality as a means to live a more authentic and meaningful life. The game challenges players to find meaning and purpose in a transient world, echoing the existentialist belief that awareness of death is essential to understanding the essence of being.

2. The Collective Unconscious and Jungian Psychology: "Persona 3" heavily incorporates themes from Carl Jung's analytical psychology, especially the concept of the collective unconscious and the use of personas. The personas, which are manifestations of a character’s psyche, symbolize the Jungian idea of archetypes – universal, archaic symbols and images that derive from the collective unconscious. The game delves into the exploration of self, the reconciliation of one's inner shadow with their outer persona, and the journey towards individuation and psychological wholeness.

3. The Dichotomy of Individuality and Social Integration: Throughout the game, players must navigate social relationships and responsibilities alongside their battles against Shadows. This dynamic reflects the philosophical tension between individuality and social integration. It raises questions about the role of the individual within society, the importance of social connections, and the balance between personal identity and communal responsibilities. The game echoes the philosophical ideas of Aristotle on the social nature of humans and the existentialist perspective on individual freedom and responsibility.

4. Free Will, Fate, and Determinism: "Persona 3" intertwines themes of free will, fate, and determinism. The looming prophecy and the inevitability of the Dark Hour suggest a predetermined course of events. Yet, the game also emphasizes player choice and the impact of those choices on the narrative’s direction. This interplay reflects the philosophical debate on free will versus determinism – whether human actions are predestined or if individuals can shape their destinies through their choices and actions.

5. The Power of Hope and Human Resilience: In the face of existential threats and the pervading theme of death, "Persona 3" underscores the power of hope and human resilience. The characters' struggles and their determination to face adversity reflect the human capacity to find strength and hope in dire circumstances. Philosophically, this theme touches on the concept of the human spirit's indefatigability, as explored in the works of existentialists like Camus and the concept of "amor fati" – the love of one’s fate.

6. Ethics and Moral Decision-Making: Finally, "Persona 3" presents players with complex moral decisions, from interpersonal relationships to choices that affect the broader narrative. These decisions invite players to engage with ethical considerations, challenging them to reflect on the nature of morality, the impact of their choices on others, and the ethical implications of actions taken in extreme situations.

In conclusion, "Persona 3" is a philosophically rich game that engages players in deep themes such as memento mori and existentialism, Jungian psychology, the balance between individuality and society, free will versus determinism, the power of hope and resilience, and the complexity of ethical decision-making. Through its narrative and gameplay, "Persona 3" offers a profound medium for exploring these existential, psychological, and ethical questions, making it a deeply thought-provoking experience.

#ATLUS #Persona3 #P3 #Dark Hour #PlayStation 2 #PS2 #Retro #Game #Retro Game #Pixel Crisis

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natariikireinaa · 5 months

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Captain's Command: A Haikyuu Fanfic (pt 2.)

Part one:

○○○

Ramerai Saikawa walked into the gym 15 minutes late. Late enough to receive a lecture from Daichi. He led her into the empty hallway, making the younger team members go, "Oooooo- you're in trouble..."

When they got to the hallway, Daichi looked at her with a grim expression, shutting the gym doors behind them.

"Are you alright?"

Ramerai sighed, her dark eyes looking at the floor, "Yeah. I just had a dream last night. I don't... I don't know why."

There was an awkward silence for a moment.

"Is it about..."

He raised an eyebrow. Ramerai nodded.

"Is there any way I can help?"

She shook her head. He had already helped her many years ago. He shook his head, leaning down only a little to whisper to her:

"Just let me know."

○○○

They went back inside to find Hinata and Kageyama arguing over who's fault it was that Hinata missed the set. Tanaka had to break up the fight. Daichi and Ramerai looked at each other, and couldn't help but crack up while Tsukishima looked at them like they were high.

○○○

It was dark again. Her heart was pouding...

There was a cracking noise, and Ramerai felt her jaw ache. She spit out the metallic taste in her mouth, the rage building inside her, uncoiling and angry part of her that she had locked away long ago. The wooden baseball bat that was in her hand swung at the source of her anger, resulting in a crunching sound. Her vision went red.

○○○

Ramerai jolted awake, looking at the time. She was awake, an hour and a half early. And she missed a text from Daichi.

▪︎ Daichi: You ok?

▪︎ Ramerai: how did you know I was awake?

▪︎ Daichi: That's how you usually work. You wake up late, then early, then on time.

▪︎ Ramerai: I'm not surprised that you know that.

▪︎ Daichi: You want me to go over there? I can.

▪︎ Ramerai: that's ok.

▪︎ Daichi: I'm going over there

There was no use in stopping him. She fell back asleep.

○○○

"Ramerai?" Was what she woke up to. The blinds were drawn shut, covering the room in a dark, soft orange. Ramerai looked up and could see Daichi sitting next to her on her bed, his beautiful brown eyes were full of concern. She sighed.

"Yeah. Sorry. Thank you."

●●●

Daichi looked over at the direction all of the commotion was coming from.

"Ugh... it's her again. She's scary."

He frowned. What? Then he saw what was wrong.

A young woman that was in his grade was in a fight, for the 5th time that week. She had long, brown hair, pulled into a high ponytail. She had a dirty look on her face, although half of it was covered by a surgical mask. A black one. She wasn't weak, it took 4 teachers to get her off the unconscious student.

●●●

Ramerai sighed, the amount of calm that washed over her was... intense. She wished she could reach her hand up and feel Daichi's warm skin, run her hand through his silky hair... but she knew. She knew he didn't like her like that. It was painful to admit to herself, but... it was true.

Ramerai looked up at him and could feel her mental fantasies taking over. She wanted to pull him into bed with her, his strong arms wrapped around her. The scent of his cologne adding to the warmth of the sheets, brushing his hand lightly across her face-

Ramerai jumped out of bed, yanking open the curtains- essentially killing her mental mood and fantasy. He looked surprised.

"Can you get out? I need... I need to change." Ramerai murmured, shooing him out.

He left, smiling after her. She felt her face heat up when she shut the door. She stripped off her pajamas, surprised to find her panties lightly moist.

Shit. There's no way she was horny and fantasizing? Ramerai's embarrassment increased while she changed her panties, yanking a bra out of her drawer. She quickly slid on her shorts before she could soil her new underwear and finished with the rest. She came out, slipping on her shoes.

Thanks to Daichi, they made it a few minutes early. They set up two sets of the nets, setting them to men's height and rolling three baskets of volleyballs out. The poles were surprisingly light, despite their size. The net was a pain in the ass to put up because it was tangled, but they managed it, just as Sugawara came in.

"Good! We should've left." Daichi commented, flinging his bag over his shoulder, eyeing Ramerai, who was struggling with the laces of her shoes. She finally tied them and walked after him.

○○○

"Oh! You guys already set up? I could've helped if you had waited..." he frowned, hazel eyes watching them.

#haikyuu #oc #fanfic #sawamura daichi #daichi x oc

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alignandrealign · 1 year

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The Heirloom

Chapter 2

It was later in the afternoon and my phone pinged a couple times in a row, catching my attention. I was building a wooden train track with my 4 year old nephew at the time, he was enthralled with how well we had placed the pieces together to make a loopy and windy track with all the possible pieces we had. I finished putting down the last piece and he started up the battery operated train. Toot toot – it was bliss. My phone pinged again and I stood up and walked over to the kitchen table to check it. My screen showed notifications from a couple of guys online, nothing really alluring, so I put my phone back down and continued to play with Jack. Later that evening we were packing up the toys and my phone buzzed in my jumper pocket, I didn't even register the motion before my hand had automatically swooped in and pulled it out to show whatever was on the screen. I was mentally distracted by what Jack was doing, but opened the notification instinctually.

"Steve: I'm going to assume you are in the throws of a covid takedown and unable to respond to my messages, I hope you survive!".

It was bold, funny and cute. I chuckled to myself and responded, alluding to the relaxing day I had spent with my mum and Jack, and apologising for my recent lack of replies. I hadn't even realised I had messages from him prior, short conversations even. I must have been unconsciously chatting to him on the app that weekend but didn't really take to much notice of him. I clicked on his profile and immediately recognised the mysterious profile he had, his words still had me on the edge, even then. I had obviously decided to swipe right on him after a couple days of deliberating - what's the worst that could happen? – famous last words. I definitely didn't see the two and half year, very deep but equally as toxic romantic relationship coming for me in just a few months time.

We talked on the phone for hours, about everything and anything. past relationships, music taste, favourite flavours of foods. It felt effortless and he made me giggle and wriggle with excitement like a little kid. I told my friends I loved his voice already, we hadn't even met in person yet, we weren't sure if we even could. Going out and about was pretty much forbidden and if you did go out, it definitely wouldn't be to go on a date. Most people were only venturing out for the essentials. I was annoyed that some of my friends were still dating so I allowed myself the same pleasure and agreed to meet up with him!

I was excited but relaxed, not even dressed up because I felt comfortable in myself and didn't want to put too much effort in if it was just going to be a dud date. I arrived at his apartment and texted him. "I'll be down in five" he replied. I stood out the front looking around at the area he lived in, it was so quiet compared to the last time I was in Fremantle, and I hadn't really been to this side of the city, right near the cruise ship docks. Beach Street was a main road that hugged the edge of Fremantle and followed along the river under one of the main traffic bridges. It felt semi industrial because of the old wool factory buildings that towered over the street. The city had refurbished them into luxury appartments with their heritage character and renamed the building The Heirloom. Steve lived somewhere inside, I imagined his apartment with the tall floor to ceiling windows with an open air loft or mezzanine level. It's how I dreamed all Fremantle appartments would be like - quirky, artsy and full of warm afternoon light. I checked my phone and seven minutes had passed since he had messaged me. I felt confused. This was our first "date" so to speak and I was standing aimlessly waiting outside a building for a man I had never met before. Something felt off but I continued to wait, patiently. Maybe he's just sprucing himself up a bit. Another five minutes passed and I was fed up. "Hey, are you coming down?" I texted him, starting to feel annoyed but also slightly embarrassed. Maybe he saw me already and decided he didn't want to meet me. Had he seen my body and just decided to stand me up? [We'll unpack that later on] I rang his number and he answered. "Sorry I'm coming down the stairs now, turn around." I turned and there he was, leisurely descending the staircase inside the glass entrance of the four story red brick building. His eyes were locked intensely on me while coming down the last few steps and casually pushed the access button to unlock the main door. I immediately felt a sensation hit my stomach. Was it butterflies or uneasiness? I had the strongest thought come through, this was either going to be the best thing that ever happened to me, or the worst. Maybe both.

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seaphoam-writes · 1 year

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A Father's Duty (2/?)

A Father's Duty on AO3

Summary: An encounter with a quantum fissure leaves Picard with more responsibility than he asked for, but he'll do what he always does—his duty.

Chapter 2

It’s 0800 hours and 40 minutes, firmly into the start of the day shift, nearly 4 hours since Picard awoke, and he finally has his tea. It’s probably cold now, however, because he hasn’t been able to bring himself to drink it. He’s in the conference room with his senior staff, listening to Data update them on the precise details of how a child—

Louis.

My son.

—came to be aboard the Enterprise in a quantum reality not his own.

It’s a harrowing tale, the stuff of Picard’s literal nightmares: a world being torn apart by the Borg, a world in which the Enterprise was destroyed at Wolf 359.

A world in which Picard is still Locutus.

That reality’s Will Riker failed to save Captain Picard, and so his final act was to save Picard’s son instead. Just before launching what he must have known would be a futile attack on the Borg cube, he tasked Data with getting Louis to safety and shoved them into an escape pod.

The boy’s mother, it seems, was already gone, killed when the Enterprise took severe damage from a Borg disruptor beam.

Data and Louis spent the intervening years on the run, jumping from star base to star base, ship to ship. At some point, Data heard rumors of a quantum fissure, a fixed-point across the space-time continuum that essentially acted as a keyhole that intersected multiple quantum realities, but while investigating the fissure—after finally having found it—they were discovered by the Borg.

Picard heard the story once already, consequently he’s not truly listening; he’s staring at the table, lost in thought.

It’s chilling to be confronted by the fact that there’s a reality out there—multiple realities—in which his assimilation led to the fall of the galaxy. And this boy, Louis, spent years fleeing an enemy partially commanded by his own father.

“What about the boy’s mother?”

It’s Riker who asks the question. Data responds.

“Nella Daren,” he says. “An accomplished astrophysicist and head of stellar sciences aboard the—"

Picard blinks and looks up. “That’s not what he meant, Data.” To Riker—to the rest of his crew—he clarifies, “This reality’s Nella Daren died 10 years ago.”

She died performing her duty as a Starfleet officer while aiding the evacuation of the Bersallis III outpost. It was her idea to cross-connect several thermal deflector units to create a shield against the firestorm ravaging the planet, and it’s because she stood by her post that the USS Yosemite was able to save every last colonist. Unfortunately, she and 8 other crewmen lost their lives.

“I’m sorry,” Riker says, gently, his eyes on Picard.

Picard presses his lips together, uncertain how to reply. He never met Nella Daren. Never will. And yet…his heart aches for her loss, for her absence in this reality. They pulled up her service record in sickbay, and as soon as Picard saw her photo he understood why he fell in love with her. She bears a striking resemblance to Beverly.

Unfortunately, Beverly also saw Nella Daren’s photo. She didn’t say anything, but she must have seen what Picard saw, must know the secret Picard’s kept hidden for decades, ever since she married his best friend and became forever off-limits.

But Picard can’t find it within himself to feel anything about that right now, because right now he’s numb to everything except for the boy that’s biologically his lying unconscious in sickbay.

The boy he’s…responsible for.

“What do we do next?” Will asks. “Do we try and send him back?” He makes a face at his own question, sighs and sits back in his chair, mutters, “What would we even be sending him back to?”

It wasn’t a statement that required an answer, but Data provides one anyway.

“Very likely, a reality in which he wouldn’t survive for much longer.”

A visible ripple of unease passes through the room at the idea.

“In any case,” Data continues, “the fissure was damaged by the explosion, and has become unstable.”

It's currently unclear whether the shuttlecraft the other reality’s Data piloted into their world self-destructed or was destroyed by the Borg, but use of the “keyhole” is now dangerous, I fnot impossible.

“So, he’s staying.”

Picard meets Will’s gaze and nods.

What else can he do? Send the boy back to die at the hands of the Borg? Risk his safety to try and send him elsewhere?

No.

He can’t. He won’t. Louis is his son, regardless of the technicalities.

The boy stays.

That decided, Picard dismisses his staff. He asks Data to remain, as he possesses the other Data’s memories and is currently the expert on both Louis Picard and how they all ended up in this situation. Geordi, Worf, and Will stand, but while Geordi and Worf move towards the door, Will lingers.

“Captain?”

Picard turns to him. “The bridge is yours until further notice, Number One.”

Will nods, leaves slowly. He wanted to say more, Picard realizes, but the moment’s past, Will’s tall frame already disappearing through the doors. He makes a mental note to schedule a meeting with his first officer, allow the man an opportunity to speak his mind.

Beverly and Deanna are still there, watching him, and Picard gazes warily back.

Beverly’s been cautious with him since announcing the results of the DNA analysis, as if he’s a horse she’s afraid to spook, and Deanna—well, Deanna once accused him of cringing whenever asked to assume a parental role, but despite all this, Picard finds himself looking to them for direction, because he truly doesn’t know what comes next. He feels unmoored, afloat.

“We should wake him up, Jean-Luc,” Beverly says.

Wake him up. Talk to him.

Picard’s suddenly…nervous.

What is he supposed to say to the boy? Does he understand what’s happened to him?

“Captain,” Deanna prompts. “I know you’re feeling trepidation, but it’s important to keep in mind that Louis will be feeling just as lost and confused as you are. Perhaps even more so.”

Picard takes a deep breath, holds it. He knows Deanna is right. He’s an adult, he can sort himself out later. But Louis is a child, and he needs someone to take charge of him. Take care of him.

“Alright,” he says. “Let’s wake the boy.”

-/-

Picard steels himself for what’s ahead as they make their way down to sickbay, but when they cross the threshold, they’re waylaid by one of Beverly’s nurses, pink-cheeked and breathless.

“Dr. Crusher! We were just about to call you,” Ogawa says. “The boy that was here—he’s gone!”

Over her shoulder, Picard sees the bed Louis previously occupied empty. A cold finger slithers down his spine, and his lungs freeze.

Beverly lays her hands on Ogawa’s shoulders. “Calm down,” she orders, calm yet firm. “Tell me what happened.”

Ogawa wrings her hands. “We thought the boy on the bed was sedated. I swear we only left the room for a minute, and when we came back he was just gone. We’ve been running around, looking everywhere but we can’t find him! I’m sorry, we don’t know who he is, we don’t know who to ask the computer for—”

Picard’s suddenly grateful that Beverly ran Louis’s DNA, otherwise this would have been a far larger problem.

“Computer,” he says, “locate Louis Picard.”

-/-

Louis hears voices, hovering over him. One is Data’s, one is a woman’s, and the other…

The other is a voice he hears only in old logs that Data plays for him.

But Louis knows the difference between a real voice and one he’s hearing through the computer, and this time that voice isn’t a recording, it’s real, it’s—

Father.

He tries frantically to reach for that voice, but his arms are too heavy. He tries to scream, but his mouth won’t open. He lies there, stuck, feeling as though he’ll burst from the longing, the desperation, until the darkness pulls him down and he dreams.

When he wakes, it’s slowly, hazily. There are figures moving in and out of his sight, and he feigns sleep until they’ve resolved and he realizes he’s in sickbay, and neither Data nor his father are there. He waits, watching, and when he’s certain he’s alone he slides from the bed, crouches down, and tiptoes to the door. Once outside, he bolts.

Louis runs as far and as fast as he can, zig-zagging until he’s out of breath but certain that he’ll be hard to find should someone come looking, then he ducks into a recessed doorway and looks around.

He passed plenty of people on his crazed run from sickbay, but the corridor he’s in is currently empty, and across from him is a computer interface. He goes to it. It takes him eleven tries, but eventually he gets the information he needs. This time, he walks, and tries to look like he belongs.

-/-

Shuttlebay 2.

At first, Picard thinks Louis is running—perhaps 8 isn’t too young to pilot a shuttlecraft, after all. But then he realizes the true reason and it chokes him, hastens his steps. Decorum be damned, he breaks into a run, not caring if the others are following or not.

Once inside the shuttlebay, he locates Louis immediately. He sitting on the floor amidst the ruins of his shuttlecraft. Data had them beamed aboard, but as no one’s yet ordered their examination, there’s no personnel to notice a child there, no one except for Data, Deanna, and Beverly to witness Picard now, treading carefully around bits of charred metal to where the boy’s sitting cross-legged, shoulders hunched.

He scans the wreckage as he goes, terrified he’ll find some piece of the other Data—his head, a disembodied hand—terrified that’s what Louis is holding, but he sees that it’s only a bit of torn cloth.

Part of a blanket, perhaps? Or a cherished, stuffed animal? Something that provided emotional comfort?

It’s Kamin’s memories that inform those thoughts. His daughter Meribor was quite attached to a certain stuffed doll at one point, and Batai carried his baby blanket everywhere until he was 6 and it practically disintegrated in the wash.

Picard kneels down, close to the boy without crowding him. The boy doesn’t move, doesn’t react to Picard’s presence, so after a brief hesitation, Picard reaches out and puts his hand lightly on the boy’s shoulder.

“Louis.”

At the sound of his name—or perhaps at the sound of Picard’s voice—Louis takes a deep, shuddering breath and looks at him.

He has the same grey eyes as Picard, and Picard’s momentarily struck dumb by the revelation.

What must it be like for the boy, to be looking at a man who is both his father and not his father? Does he know that his mother isn’t here, that it’s just Picard?

Then, Louis’s hand tightens into a fist, crushing the bit of fabric.

“I don’t want him to be dead.”

Data.

“I know,” Picard says softly.

Louis’s face crumples

Before he lived as Kamin, Picard wouldn’t have known how to handle this, but Kamin’s memories are nestled alongside his own, as real as his own, so what he does next comes naturally. He shifts his hand, slides it down, and tugs Louis by the elbow into his own arms and crushes him in a hug.

As the boy sobs into his shirt, something ignites within Picard, a fierce protectiveness, that bone-deep instinct that manifests when one holds their child for the first time. He presses his cheek to the boy’s hair and makes a silent vow.

I’m here, and I’ll protect you.

#star trek #star trek fic #star trek: tng #tng #star trek: the next generation #the next generation #tng fic #picard #picard fic

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sneha640 · 1 year

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4 signs of a toxic relationship, and what to do to fix it, according to psychologist.

What is a relationship that is toxic?

According to psychologist a toxic relationship is defined as “any relationship [between people] who] don't support each other, where there’s conflict and one seeks to undermine the other, where there’s competition, where there’s disrespect and a lack of cohesiveness,” according to Dr. Lillian Glass, a communication and psychology expert from California who claims she coined the term in her 1995 book Toxic People.

Glass says that while every relationship has its ups and downs, a toxic one is always unpleasant and draining for the people in it, to the point where the bad times outweigh the good ones. Dr. Vinod Mune, a psychologist in Nagpur who specializes in mental health, adds that participants in toxic relationships experience mental, emotional, and even physical harm.

Additionally, these relationships need not be romantic: According to Glass, interpersonal, familial, and professional relationships can all be harmful.

1) Inconsistent or Hurtful Texting

Patterns of erratic texting and content that is hurtful, negative, or both can be indicators of a toxic relationship that isn't going in the right direction. According to psychologist, "your partner will] text whenever they feel like it, at random times, and most of the time, when they are bored or horny." This is typical of these kinds of relationships. They aren't obligated to respond until them "feel like it," which may take hours or days. And with regard to sexting? When you meet them later, they're more interested in gaming, drinking, or suddenly announcing that they're going out with their friends. In text, they're all hot and intense.

Pay close attention to how the person's texts and texting behavior affect you because a lot of relationships grow out of early texting. Shallon Lester, a YouTube sex and dating expert and the author of the dating memoir Exes and Ohs, offers this piece of advice: "With a new relationship, you should feel like the person you are seeing is the one to check in, the one to ask about your day, and the one to make plans." Otherwise, you may be unconsciously laying the groundwork for an unbalanced relationship if you have the impression that you are always the one reaching out to them and showing interest in their lives. If this seems to be the norm for some time, you might be with someone who isn't ready for a caring, long-term relationship. Give them a lot of attention to you!

2) Toxic Communication

Psychologist says The majority of your conversations are dominated by sarcasm or criticism, and they are motivated by contempt, which is a predictor of divorce. Do you ever find that you are hurling insults at friends or family? By mockingly repeating what they said in a different room, you could make fun of them. To avoid arguments and hostility, you can simply begin to ignore their calls.

3) Your Partner Keeps Score

Which of you, you or your partner, keeps score? The only place a scoreboard belongs is above a sports field, regardless of whether you are certain that this is the sixth time in two months that he has been late or whether he refuses to forget the time you tossed his favorite pair of pants into the Goodwill pile. There is a good chance that you are in a toxic relationship if one of you is keeping track of your good deeds or bad deeds.

4) Lack of Self Care

Lack of Self-Care In a bad relationship, you might stop doing the things you normally do for yourself. You might give up your free time, prioritize your health, and stop participating in activities you used to enjoy. This could be because you don't have the energy to do these things, or it could be that your partner doesn't like it when you pursue your own interests. It is essential that you each independently assess your relationship's needs and boundaries. Setting boundaries and establishing expectations would be much easier if you talked to the best psychologist in India.

Even if you think you know what your needs and boundaries are, it's still important to look over them and then tell your spouse.

A good place to start is to talk about boundaries. Even though boundaries can change over time, it's important to keep talking about them.

You can reevaluate how you feel about a variety of aspects of the relationship, including the need for physical intimacy and communication.

However, toxic communication and behavior patterns don't have to cause your marriage to deteriorate; you don't have to watch helplessly.

When both you and your partner wish to make changes, a relationship counselor can help you begin to recognize the underlying causes of relationship toxicity and explore healthy, compassionate methods of communication and problem-solving.

Couple therapy, which is also known as marriage counseling, helps couples develop healthier habits, atone for previous infidelity and sensitivities, and strengthen their emotional and sexual intimacy.

What should you do if you’re in a toxic relationship?

according to psychologist The best way to avoid a toxic relationship is to learn about one's own patterns and self-knowledge. If you're in a dramatic or difficult relationship, you need to figure out if you've chosen the wrong person for bad reasons from your past or are avoiding someone you really care about due to your own limitations, fears, or defenses. You can consciously choose to look for someone else if you identify the negative characteristics that have drawn you to your partner. You can look for ways you are behaving in the relationship and try to change your part of the dynamic that causes things to turn bad if you realize that the person you have chosen has a lot of the positive qualities you want. You can clearly see the paths that lead to the breakdown of your relationship once you understand yourself. You can take control of yourself and build a relationship that is better, more honest, and full of happiness.

Marriage counseling & Divorce

The job of a marriage counselor is mostly to help the couple solve the fights and conflicts between them. There are few ethical guidelines and problems due to which a marriage counselor will never directly suggest a divorce even if the counselor knows that nothing is left in the marriage.

A marriage counselor helps and suggests ways to cope with problems and bring understanding and start a fresh or new life.

https://drvinodmune.com

#Psychology #hypnosis #hypnotherapy #clinical psychologist near me #psychological therapy

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