#no shame keeps the economy running

[drakeanddice]

Haunted by a fantasy world where "adventurer" is handled in the same way as "assassin" in John Wick. An ifykyk secondary economy running on gold coins where everyone knows each other but no one acknowledges the elephant in the room because we have manners about our weird-ass line of deadly desperate dangerous work.

Rolling into town, looking immaculate. Checking into the Inn. Not an inn, or the coaching house, or the traveler's hostel. The Inn. The one that takes my ridiculous oversized coin and says that my room is ready, and will I need to visit the Smith today? Perhaps a meeting with the Vintner? Shall I send up the Gourmand?

"Good afternoon, Master Whicke," the Smith says, putting aside the barrel scraper he's been working on to flip a switch beside the forge. Racks of tenpenny nails and trowels and hammers fold back to reveal the glittering points and edges of a score of swords and axes and spearpoints lit with the flicker of finely-tuned enchantments. "Shall we tour what's new?"

"What sort of occasion are we hosting, Master Whicke?" The Vintner asks, pocketing the coin with a sigh. "A funeral," you say.

"Ah, well perhaps something light to start, then," she says selecting a straight-walled flask that glitters with contained starlight, proof against the touch of the undead. " And something for remembrance," she plucks a small crock of something evil-smelling and phosphorescent. "And then something to really bring down the house." She gingerly selects a double ampoule of energetic looking jellies.

The Gourmand carefully runs his knife through the salted flank of a cockatrice with a pursing of the lips. "So many neglect trail rations, Master Whicke, and it is their shame. Paired with goldenwheat pancakes and carrion honey, a mouthful of cockatrice--properly seasoned of course--will keep the mummy rot at bay, even post-exposure. I have been given to indicate by the Management that your current escapade may make such information useful to you. I will of course wrap your purchases exceedingly carefully. Rot will be your constant companion in the Black Pyramid."

There's something here.

#indie ttrpg #ttrpg stuff #ttrpg #ttrpg design

[theminecraftbee]

Hi! I’m like 90% sure you answered this already, but I was wondering if you had any advice on keeping all the hermits in character? There just too many for me to keep track of.

actually, unlike the answer to "do you have a list of characterization notes for each hermit, i want help writing [x hermit]", i have an answer to "there are too many hermits to keep track of"! and it's, uh, maybe not the answer you expect/want to hear? but...

my advice for keeping all the hermits in character is that you don't actually need to write all the hermits.

some stories ARE served by an ensemble cast! but many stories are not; you'll note most of my fics have a cast that is really only two or three leads deep, sometimes four or five in my larger casts but normally two or three! and that's because trying to keep a bigger cast than that perfectly in-character is REALLY HARD because you do not have the space in your story for it. read a LOT of things; MOST people do not fully flesh out a cast of 26 in their stories! because there just is not time.

there are two solutions to this. the first is, if you are committed to an ensemble cast, accept that everyone won't have as much depth to begin with. in large ensemble casts, it's pretty normal for everyone to just sort of have One Character Trait each, except for whoever the most common POV characters are, and that's okay. 

additionally, you'll note most TRUE ensemble casts are found in things that are long-running; the way something like an ace attorney game or a shonen fleshes out its ensemble cast is that it'll take turns with who's turn it is to get characterization. before it's that character's "turn" to have their backstory/characterization/motives explored, they typically stick to the point in their arc/character traits that have already been revealed, and that is okay! economy of storytelling is important, after all, and no audience is going to be able to follow twenty-six character arcs happening simultaneously. like, that's normal. that's fine. so use shortcuts to get through them!

the second solution is like... just don't write all the hermits! choose the ones you are comfortable with (or, alternately, you want to get more comfortable with by practicing). those are now your leads. focus in on characterizing THOSE GUYS and ONLY THOSE GUYS correctly for your story. use other hermits as bit side characters as needed, but they won't need to be characterized as well, because they are side characters.

and like. okay. that's the thing: it is OKAY if you have particular hermits you write less often or that you use as side characters. fandom sometimes shames people for not having everyone be a richly-characterized, perfectly in-character character, but like... there are TWENTY-SIX HERMITS. you will not be able to write them all perfectly. hell, i take shortcuts to write them all too (mostly related to my ability to write efficient dialogue but that's a thing you learn with practice and i can't really easily teach you to do), and i still get praised for writing them alright! i certainly don't even try to claim i keep track of all twenty-six hermits in every fic i write with them. that would be absurd. it is okay to have leads, to focus in on specific characters, and almost certainly better for your story, i promise.

anyway the third answer here is "also you just need to practice" but i acknowledge that's the boring non-answer. it's true, unfortunately. just... practice, and if there's a specific hermit you're trying to write that you're shaky on, practice them and watch a few of their videos to at least get the cadence for how they talk down, and you'll start to figure out what to do with them.

so,,,,,,,, yes i hope this actually helps with your question,

#answered #anyway sorry if this is not answering the question you really had #but 'how do i write all the hermits' is an interesting quetsion to me! #because like... there's really no reason to? #like OBVIOUSLY if you WANT to write all the hermits more power to you #but in most cases you do not need to and probably even shouldn't you know

[comic-sans-chan]

cursed modern human garashir au where ds9 is an old ruined resort that was built by some evil rich motherfuckers years ago and was recently seized back by the native people whose land and economy it had destroyed. it's since been converted into an affordable apartment complex sort of situation (just... with a pool, bar, restaraunts, spa and tennis court built into it lol) and is run by sisko and kira. since it is rundown, odo gets hired back on to keep kids from further vandalizing it and o'brien's team gets hired on from the nonprofit organization sisko works for to fix the place up best he can. dukat is the old overseer of the property who drops by sometimes to remind them he and his hospitality business still exist, and my, what a fine job they’ve done renovating the place! it’s actually nice again. sure would be a shame if someone bought the property out from under them (lmao jk kardasi hospitality and starfleet are friends! no hard feelings. they should collaborate on some future projects, actually).

garak's a sad bitch who just lost his amazing morally dubious nepotism career at obsidian corp. (which absorbed kardasi hospitality) and moved into the complex just for the comfortingly familiar architecture. even tho he's not on the payroll for his (secret) dad's evil exploitative company anymore he's still vital to its continued efficiency and is an absolute sucker who still does unpaid shady work for them from time to time. so no one in the complex likes him, but also he's a very pleasant and fastidious queer man who pays his rent on time and has completely taken over the laundry room, to the benefit of everyone, because all the machines actually work now, it's always tidy, and there's a variety of forever-stocked detergents and soaps available, plus an iron?? there was not an iron before garak moved in. which is how it eventually becomes public knowledge that garak has an online tailoring and fashion design business, and he's actually pretty good at restoring clothes that get fucked by the washing machine or eaten by rats, soooo. yeah. they let him stick around.

meanwhile julian's a hot doctor who works at the local hospital and is absolutely buried in student debt that he refuses to let his moderately-wealthy family help him with because they're awful people who had him on illegal drugs without his knowledge since he was a little kid. they were afraid he had something wrong with him, apparently. he was too far behind in his class or w/e. they couldn't handle having a kid with special needs, so they pumped him full of dangerous experimental stimulants. only reason he found out is because he snuck off somewhere to start transitioning and had some tests done that revealed all the crazy shit in his system. he's insanely lucky he didn't end up in the hospital with seizures or fall into a coma or worse. not to mention his parents still dead-name him left and right over a decade later. it's a whole mess and a huge secret, because he technically has a history with illegal drug abuse, and it's a partially ongoing history because going cold turkey off drugs he's been on since he was six is Not A Good Idea, so??? fuck his life, actually. he lives in the apartment just down the hall from garak's. 

garak hates the country his dad's company expanded into and would like nothing better than to move back home, but it's not really logistically possible. especially since everyone there hates him cuz his (secret) dad's company is a mega-corporation that's completely taken over everything p much and is a complete monopoly nightmare, and he did... kinda... work there for decades. no one would hire him if he went back. it would be an extreme conflict of interest, since everyone wants to stay on tain's good side, including garak. but starfleet is interested in him, so he does some begrudging contract work for them sometimes, but he really has no desire to join them. he just wants to resume his old career and reclaim his assets.

julian's hospital is owned by starfleet, tho. his scholarship into medical school was also from starfleet, in fact--they're the only reason he was able to (sort of) afford becoming a doctor at all. so he's a big fan, even tho they are pretty hardcore anti-drugs in a way that's made him have to forge medical records and risk serious legal charges and prison time. julian comes across as a squeaky clean medical professional and an adorable idiot, but he's intimately familiar with back-alley dealings. which is kind of how he ends up helping garak with his drug addiction, and keeps said addiction off the record.

but basically, how it begins is julian likes to support the local restaurants in the complex and garak finds him there and thinks he's gorgeous, and it proceeds as expected. they fuck nasty and become codependent. ten years later, julian lives in a modest house with garak in his home country and garak irons all his old university hoodies.

#julian's addicted to trashy romance novels with mysterious ceo love interests with fancy high rise apartments and private jets #if they have an accent Even Better and garak has a thick one #so when he meets garak he's immediately drooling #but he later finds out garak was never especially wealthy he was the bastard son of the housekeeper in his (secret) dad's mansion #and as an adult he was Not paid well so he lived pretty much like a normal person #he does not drive an italian sports car it's just a kia #but garak Was on his way to taking over his dad's company and becoming filthy rich and he Is familiar with that lifestyle #so he plays it up to impress julian in the beginning of their relationship #saving up to take him to fancy hotels and restaurants in exotic locations for business purposes and doing weird sex stuff #this eventually peters out into them just loving each other for who and what they really are #but julian can't deny finding garak particularly irresistible when he's in a suit and talking about the stock market #garashir #my posts

[teaberrii]

Chapter 12: Eyes Everywhere

After ending a five-year relationship, you pour all your energy into work. Your latest assignment? Staying at a popular bed-and-breakfast to gather information. It should be a piece of cake... If only the owner isn't the man you scolded on the street.

Jing Yuan/You

Notes:

Cross-posted on Ao3

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

You’re spending the rest of the afternoon doing research in the city. You manage to score an interview with some businessmen, and the responses of one of them have you see a silver lining.

“There are a lot of great business opportunities here besides hospitality. I mean… it truly is a great place if people here can get it up and running. It may be small, but they should take advantage of the island's natural resources. That can seriously boost its economy! I already know people who want to get factories up and running… but they’ve been and still are facing a lot of obstacles.

"Take this off the record, but I think the people here are too protective of themselves. Maybe it’s because of what happened to that owner that everyone sees outside influences as a threat.”

“Owner?” you ask.

“Yeah. Caelus… I think that was his name. He owned a boutique hotel”—the man points somewhere in the distance—” somewhere in that area on the next street over. I kind of knew his old man as my wife and I stayed there when it was just getting off the ground. It’s quite a shame. Their ideas were very unique, and I heard they were doing well before the awful news…”

“Have they said anything about their business running into some sort of trouble?”

“God, it was so long ago… but I remember a fight. Don’t know the man who was arguing with them but my wife was a local here. She’d never seen him before either, so it might’ve been an irritated customer since it was pretty clear he wanted to make a scene.”

You show him a picture of Caelus’s uncle. “Was this him?”

“Yeah! Pretty sure.”

So, that meant Caelus’s uncle mainly or had always stayed in the city. Was he already trying to sabotage the hotel before the Star Rails project with Jing Yuan's ex? Did the resentment go that far?

You thank the man for his time. Then, as he walks away, you quickly turn around. Perhaps you’re paranoid, but you swear you sense someone looking at you. But all you see are people and tourists walking around. Nothing out of the ordinary.

“Well, well, if it isn’t everyone’s favourite mother.”

You recognize that voice anywhere. You turn around, and your guess is right. “Didn’t think I’d see our athlete superstar walking the streets alone.”

“Yeah, well, not everyone gets the special opportunity to spend time with the one and only,” Dan Feng says with an amused grin. “You’re lucky.” You give him a deadpan look but start walking with him nonetheless. “So, how was the date? Did Jing Yuan treat you like the queen you are?”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, son.”

“Oof. You got me.”

“But, since you asked... I had a lot of fun. It was wonderful."

“Wonderful? Really? You’re too young to be sounding so old, Mom.” You raise a fist, and Dan Feng quickly raises the bag of groceries he’s holding to protect himself. “Just kidding!” You face forward just as he asks, “So, are you two official?”

You don’t know what to tell him. The less people know, the better. However, Jing Yuan already messaged you about Yanqing's mistake. And there’s also the project. You may be digging up dirt on Star Rails, but you’re still partly responsible for this project's success. Perhaps it’s best to wait until this is all over to announce the news.

“All right, I get it,” Dan Feng says. “I think I know why you want to keep it hush-hush for now.” He winks at you. “I’ll keep your secret, Mom. Don’t worry. But… Did you know his ex is back?”

“Who did you hear that from?”

“No one. I saw her myself. If I were to take an educated guess, she was going to pick up Yanqing.”

“Have you met her before?”

“Twice. Once when she and Jing Yuan were dating. The next was on their wedding day.”

“...Ah.”

Dan Feng gently nudges you. “Hey, don’t be getting jealous. They’re done for.”

You want to say you’re not jealous. It doesn’t bother you at all. And, maybe you’d really feel that way if you’d never seen her. But now that you’ve seen and met her in person… it feels more real.

You clear your throat. “Where’s your brother?”

“He’s been worried about Jingliu, so they’re out on a little date. I wanted to go, but he insisted on going alone.”

“Someone sure sounds disappointed.”

“Just between you and me, I think he has a thing for her.”

“Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”

“Me?” Dan Feng scoffs. “Oh, please. It’s Jingliu. It’d take someone really special to sweep her off her feet.”

“You don’t think Dan Heng meets those standards?”

“Do you think he does?”

“Sir, why are you asking me?”

“Well, you and Jingliu are kind of alike… You’re both women.”

“Very well spotted, thanks.”

“Honestly, I don’t think there’s a man or woman who exists that can match Jingliu. She’s unmatched.”

You and Dan Feng are almost at the bed and breakfast when the conversation turns to his training for the Global Games next year.

“It’ll probably be my last competition.”

“...Are you thinking about retiring?”

Dan Feng smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah. I don’t think I have much of a choice.”

There’s more to the story, but you don’t get to ask when you reach the stone villa. You see March and Welt sitting on the couch inside, and Pom is anxiously looking upstairs. Knowing exactly where it leads, you glance up. You hear faint conversation but not enough to know what’s going on, but you’re sure that the voices belong to Jing Yuan and his ex.

“What’s going on?” Dan Feng asks, pushing open the door. “Why are you all just sitting here?”

March sighs. “Because there’s a war going on upstairs.”

“Where’s Yanqing?” you ask.

“Upstairs with Jing Yuan and… his ex,” Welt says.

Pom puts some glasses on the table. “Let’s calm down, everyone.”

You take out your phone and see the last text from Jing Yuan.

She found out through Yanqing.

You’re sitting next to Welt when Pom puts a glass of water in front of you. “Everything will be okay,” he reassures.

“Why is Yanqing up there?” Dan Feng asks. “Why are they up there, anyway?”

“She wanted a place ‘to talk’,” Pom says. “Neither of them wanted to go to his place."

“Wait. How do you know this?”

“I… sorta overheard a little bit of their conversation when they got back. They came in, and Jing Yuan said they’ll be using the balcony upstairs.”

March leans back. “God, why’d she have to show up?”

You don’t know if you’ll get a response, but you text Jing Yuan anyway.

I’m downstairs. Is everything okay?

Just then, everyone hears footsteps, and the first person to appear is Jing Yuan. He’s carrying Yanqing who's resting his head on Jing Yuan’s shoulder. The poor kid looks exhausted. Behind Jing Yuan is his ex.

When Yanqing sees you, he lifts his head, and Jing Yuan puts him down. You stand and meet them halfway. Yanqing hugs your knees, and you affectionately pat his head.

“Is he okay?” you ask Jing Yuan.

There's a tired but stern look in Jing Yuan’s eyes. “He’s fine."

Then, his ex walks up to you, ignoring the stares of the others. “Let’s have dinner together.” She crosses her arms. “I have the information that you want, and I’ll give it to you on one condition.” Where is she getting this confidence from? “So, since we’re both here, let’s use the time to get to know each other. Just the two—”

“Enough.” Jing Yuan’s interruption makes the room go completely silent. Then, he shoots his ex a cold look. “Yanqing gave you his answer.”

“This is between me and her.”

“No, it’s not. You’re using other ways to try to get what you want without any consideration for your son.”

“Stop.” Yanqing’s muffled voice sounds desperate. “Stop fighting… Please…”

His ex turns to you, looking a little rattled. “So, we’ll have dinner tonight. Just me and you.”

You clench your fists, but you hold your tongue for Yanqing’s sake. As soon as she walks out the door, March lets out a breath. You still have a comforting hand around Yanqing’s head when she walks over.

“Geezus, what happened up—”

Dan Feng’s nudge makes her stop. He nods at Yanqing who’s still hugging your legs.

“I wanna go home,” Yanqing says, his voice still muffled.

You crouch and put your hands on his cheeks. “Then, let’s go home.”

The car ride back to Jing Yuan’s house is a quiet one. Before you get there, Jing Yuan reaches over and gives your hand a little squeeze. You turn to him, and you can see it in his eyes. He’ll tell you what happened but not with Yanqing in the car.

A short while later, Jing Yuan is making Yanqing a snack in the kitchen. You and Yanqing are in the living room, playing a game of chess, but you can tell from the tired and sad look in his eyes that he’s focused on something else.

“...I made a mistake.” At first, you think he’s talking about the game. “When Dad was driving me to school, he told me beforehand that I shouldn’t call you Mom while she’s here. I forgot, and…”

“Hey…” You sit next to him. “Don’t tell me you’re blaming yourself.”

“Maybe if I didn’t make that mistake, they wouldn’t have fought and…”

Jing Yuan puts a plate of healthy, homemade snacks on the table, and you and Yanqing look up at him. Then, Jing Yuan crouches and puts a hand around his son’s head. “It’s not your fault, Yanqing.”

“But… She got so mad.”

Jing Yuan glances at you. “Do you think calling her Mom is something you shouldn’t do?”

Yanqing looks at you. “Well, if she doesn’t mind…”

You kiss his head. “Of course I don’t.”

Jing Yuan affectionately ruffles his son's hair. "That means it's okay, and you didn't do anything wrong." Yanqing manages a small smile and Jing Yuan affectionately ruffles his hair. “Why don’t you take your snacks and watch some TV while Mom and I have a little talk?”

Yanqing looks from Jing Yuan to you and back to Jing Yuan. Then, he picks up his plate and walks over to the couch. You and Jing Yuan end up in the kitchen where he also prepared you a little something. But food is the last thing on your mind.

“I’ve never seen him so quiet,” you say. “What in the world happened?”

Jing Yuan sighs. “She wants you to leave Yanqing alone. If you do, she'll tell you what you want to know."

It takes a moment for his words to sink in.

“Yanqing never said you were seeing anyone,” his ex said, glaring at Jing Yuan.

"It's not something he should have to tell you."

“I don’t care what kind of relationship she has with you, but she’s not taking Yanqing away from me.” Then, she crouched and put her hand on Yanqing's shoulders. He was sitting on the couch, trying to disassociate from all of this negativity. Jing Yuan never wanted him here, but his ex refused to let him leave as she also wanted to set things straight with him. “Yanqing, Mom will give you a much better life in the city. We recently moved into a bigger house, and a new private school just opened—”

“...I don’t want to go.”

“Why? You can still see your dad, and—”

“It’s not just because of Dad,” Yanqing interrupted quietly. “I like it here, and it’s not like Dad isn't letting me see you. I still visit, but I don’t want to stay there… forever.”

“Yanqing, you’re still too young to understand, but—”

“You say he’s too young," Jing Yuan interrupted, "but at least he knows what he wants." She stood upright, and Yanqing ran over to Jing Yuan. "That might change when he gets older, but stop pressuring him into doing something he doesn’t want.”

“Pressuring him? I’m not! I’m reasoning with him.” His ex scoffed and crossed her arms. “It’s also because of her, isn’t it?”

"Stop saying it's because of her." Jing Yuan glared at her. "Because it's not. You're not respecting him."

She walked up until she was close enough to lower her voice so Yanqing couldn't hear. "I know she's looking for some information. She wouldn't come to me if it was easy to get." She returned his glare with one of her down. "I want her out of Yanqing's life."

“I’m not going to let Yanqing see her anymore." Jing Yuan puts his hands on the counter behind him. "Not alone, at least.”

You scoff. “I’m also not going to give her what she wants.”

A short silence passes where both of you are mulling over your thoughts about what to do with this crazy woman until…

“...But I'll still have dinner with her.” Jing Yuan looks up and sees you leaning against the wall. “She knows that you’ll definitely tell me what happened on the balcony. And, knowing that, I’m not going to run away.”

“If you made up your mind, I have an idea.”

“I’m all ears, General.”

◆◆◆

Jing Yuan drops you off at a nearby restaurant later that evening. As soon as you enter, you see his ex already at a table near the window. Taking a small breath, you walk over. You know she sees you but she’s still looking out the window. You slip off your coat and drape it over the back of the chair. Then, you casually put your phone face down on the table. When you sit down, she finally acknowledges you.

“How long have you been seeing Jing Yuan?”

“I thought we were here to talk about your deal, not my relationship with Jing Yuan.”

She pours herself some wine. “It’s related.”

“What’s your condition?”

She scoffs. “I feel like I’m looking into a mirror.”

You force a smile. "Let's not waste time.”

“Didn’t Jing Yuan tell you? I want you out of Yanqing’s life.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Then, no deal.”

You cross one leg over the other. “Regardless of who Jing Yuan dates, that person will be part of Yanqing’s life. Are you going to refuse whoever comes into their lives? Or, is it because it’s me, someone who happens to work at Star Rails?” A pause as you pour yourself some wine. “I also have other ways of getting what I need.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Of course not. What would I gain from doing that?” You calmly look her in the eyes. “I’m giving you a chance to clear your name. Everyone thinks Star Rails has something to do with Caelus’s death. You were part of that project. It’s natural that people suspect you.”

“A chance to clear my name? Don’t make me laugh. I don’t have anything to hide.”

“Caelus’s uncle was a stakeholder in that project. You handled everything. It’s impossible not to have met him at least once. That time, you and Jing Yuan were still together and you knew that Caelus was his friend.”

“...What are you getting at?”

"Caelus and his uncle didn't have a good relationship. He even caused a scene at his hotel before meeting you. He must have known long before that Caelus wouldn't accept the offer from Star Rails. So, to succeed, you tried convincing Jing Yuan to convince Caelus to go through with the project. But, that failed. And somehow Caelus ends up dead."

“I didn’t have anything to do with that!” The sudden outburst turns a few heads. Then, she exhales sharply. “Why would his uncle want him to partner with Star Rails in the first place?”

Do you have the right answer? You have no idea. But the one you can think of is the only one that makes the most sense.

“Money. Caelus’s uncle wasn’t happy that his brother left Caelus with everything, including the hotel. Partnering with Star Rails is one way for him to get some kind of control over the hotel. There’d also be potential money under the table.”

“And what would I gain from that, hm? Yes, I wanted the project to succeed, but why would I help him?”

“He knew a guy.”

“I was talking to one of my business partners today, and… he mentioned Caelus’s uncle,” Jing Yuan said. “Not knowing that I know him.”

“What did they say?”

“He was recommending him as a potential partner as he’s supposedly a great businessman and friend. And he also has connections.”

“Wait a minute… Don’t tell me…”

Jing Yuan nodded. “He said Caelus’s uncle has been on good terms with senior management at Star Rails for a long time.”

“Senior management, huh?”

“He could put in a good word for you and help you climb the ranks,” you say.

“That doesn't guarantee I'll get anything. You’re going to have to try harder than that, Honey.”

"Then, why didn't you file the project reports? There wasn't anything suspicious about it other than Caelus's uncle being listed as a stakeholder. If you really don't have anything to hide, why don't you give a clear explanation?"

She’s looking off to the side when she says, “I just forgot.”

You almost scoff, but you don’t hide the disappointment on your face. You thought she would’ve come up with a better excuse than that.

“I have proof that you didn’t just forget.”

You think she’d ask for it, but instead, there's a pause before she says, “...He approached me first.”

Jing Yuan’s ex walked into a restaurant that evening. A stakeholder had invited her to a business dinner, and she'd thought others involved in the project would attend. But when she arrived, there was only one person. He was still dressed in the same outfit from the meeting earlier today.

“Ah, you’re here.”

She sat across from him, thinking whether she should stay or make an excuse to leave. “I thought there would be others joining us.”

He filled his glass and then hers with wine. “Let’s get right to it, shall we?” He picked up his glass and gestured for her to pick up hers. She reluctantly did so.

Clink!

“I’ve heard a lot of great things about your performance," he said, "and this project is apparently a make or break for a big promotion.”

“...Um, yes. That’s right. Does this have anything to do with—”

“My nephew is the owner of the boutique hotel.”

It took a moment for those words to sink in. She shouldn’t be so surprised as they have the same last name, but it was so common that she didn’t think twice.

“Let me tell you now that you won’t have any luck trying to convince him. This project is just an idea… a vision of what could happen. But, it’s not going to work.”

“If you have such strong concerns about it, why didn’t you raise them during the meeting?”

He extends his arms to the side. “Because if I did, the project wouldn’t be a success.”

“What… What are you saying?”

“My nephew won’t partner with Star Rails because our vision doesn’t align with his. Regardless of what happens, he wants to remain independent, and he won’t change his mind. Unless…”

“Are we ready to order?”

You almost frown when you hear the young waiter interrupt Jing Yuan’s ex. When you look at him, his innocent smile almost makes you sigh. After the waiter leaves, you turn back and see Jing Yuan’s ex calmly sipping her wine.

“...You were saying?” you ask.

She puts her wine glass on the table. “There’s nothing else to say.”

There is. You can feel it.

“...Did he have something to do with Caelus’s death?”

“You’re asking the wrong person.”

Are you, really?

“But, I had nothing to do with it."

After a brief silence, you say, “...You asked how long I was seeing Jing Yuan. What about you and your fiancé? How did you two meet?”

She slightly narrows her eyes. “Why are you asking?”

“He told me today that I had no idea what you went through. It just made me curious is all.”

“...Why would he tell you that?”

You look her in the eyes. “You tell me. It sounded like it had something to do with Caelus.”

“Let’s not get off topic. I told you what you wanted to know. Now, it’s my turn. Stay away from Yanqing.”

“This isn’t about me. Have you considered what he wants?”

“He’s too young to understand.”

“About what? You say he’s too young, but even I don’t understand why you want him to stay away from me."

"I don't need another person to be a bad influence on him. I'm already trying to get him out of this godforsaken town." She gives you a cold look. "Convincing Jing Yuan is hard enough. I don't need another person in my way."

"Godforsaken town? Why do you hate this place so much?"

She scoffs. "You haven't noticed? They aren't exactly the friendliest people to outsiders who want to do business here. They're too narrow-minded. I only want what's best for my son."

“Having me stay away from him isn’t going to help your case. It’s a short-term solution to a long-term problem. He may be young, but you should at least respect him.”

“Sorry for the wait!”

You don’t bother looking at the waiter as he sets your food in front of you. You give a nod of thanks just before he leaves. When you turn back, Jing Yuan’s ex is looking at you with a composed expression unlike before.

She looks as if she has something to say, but her phone goes off. After a glance, she says, “So, I take you aren’t going to do it.”

Perhaps you're paranoid, but you turn around. You sense you're being watched. But nothing seems out of the ordinary.

When you turn back, Jing Yuan's ex is already standing and putting on her coat. "Then, we have nothing else to discuss." She calls the waiter over, and there's confusion on his face but he does as he's told. He walks over, glances at you, and packs away her food.

You watch as they walk away. When you glance out the window, you see her cross the street and get into a car. You pick up your phone and turn off the recording that's been going on ever since you sat down. After texting Jing Yuan and knowing he’s on his way, you go to pay for your food. You step out into the cold, scrolling through your phone as you think about what you’ve learned.

You're sure Caelus's uncle has something to do with Caelus's death, and you also have a hunch that Jing Yuan's ex knows something about it if her fiancé's words are anything to go by. Was it the guilt of knowing and not doing anything? Or was it guilt—

Your eyes widen when a hand swiftly covers your nose and mouth. Your phone drops to the ground. Your hands are in a bind behind you. Despite your struggles, your attacker drags you into an alleyway, leaving your phone with an incoming call from Jing Yuan on the cold cement.

Chapter 13

Tag list: @suoshiii @lordbugs @lxry-chxn @seirenspinel @immahuman @queencybow @nqctre @grimreapersscythe @winterpein @asakenajustexistshere

#jing yuan x reader #jing yuan x y/n #jingyuan x you #jingyuan x reader #jing yuan x you #honkai jing yuan #hsr jing yuan

[jq37]

The Report Card – Fantasy High Junior Year Ep 18

Oisin’s Family Reunion 

Welcome back to Fantasy High where it’s election night and there’s a storm a-brewin. Last we left off, pretty much every student at Aguefort (plus Ragh, Jawbone, and a hidden Eugenia Shadow) was at Seacaster Manor which Riz realized was tactically unwise right as Seacaster Manor was suddenly ripped from its foundations into the sky. 

Luckily, Seacaster Manor is still a working pirate ship with a ton of functioning canons, plus a ton of shields and other protective mojo put up by Aelwyn. Unfortunately, there’s a lot to worry about here:

Kristen is a shoe-in to win the election BUT that’s only if they can get everyone to vote and get the votes to school in time. This is complicated by the fact that–

Everyone will freak out if they realize what’s happening and if they freak out, they won’t vote. 

There’s a lot to be freaked out about, the first of which is that those ping pong balls Oisin left were a sort of homing beacon that’s drawing the attention of the NIghtmare King. When Kristen looks outside, she can see the storm has taken on the visage of the Nightmare King and it’s like they’re in his hand, being wound up to be thrown for a fastball. Total party foul. 

Seacaster Manor is a boat, but not an airship and it doesn’t have flight capabilities because Oisin got Adaine’s Mephits to break the Cloud Rider Engine during that first house party months ago. This is a problem both because they need to Not Crash but also ideally they need to be able to steer to get the ballots to the school.

Complicating things even further, they have another nasty present from Oisin to contend with–a whole horde of dragons, including big grandma blue herself!

So, yeah! Tons to contend with in this episode. Some good news though: In the center of town, they can see a shock of red lightning go up into the sky and then fizzle. The Rat Grinders are performing their little Porter promotion ceremony but it’s not working because they don’t have Ankarna’s name. Equally good news, Fig’s steed now had a name courtesy of Murph: Gerard Neigh!

The Bad Kids leap into action, both doing damage control on the party and controlling heaps of damage directed at the dragons gunning for them. Fig (who is actually in Wanda form right now so idk how this is working exactly lol) convinces everyone that this is just a sick music video that’s being filmed at the party while Gorgug and Sprek (aviation Goblin) get the Cloud Rider Engine running. Adaine is predictably SO excited to get to help with the canons (along with helping Fig) and Fabian gets people to vote. He also gets his surprise tattoo from Eugenia. Riz is using his insane action economy (boosted by Haste) to run those cannons like he’s in the navy. And Kristen (with help from K2) is keeping everyone up as they are buffeted by winds, physical attacks, and dragon breath weapons. 

Though this is a wild episode, not much happens plot wise so here are some standout moments:

Gorgug is still living in crit city and putting anyone who doubted his multiclass to shame.

Fig has Adaine strap GoPros on vultures to film this fake music video which she will probably turn into a real music video at some point. Maximum Legend Behavior. 

Adaine, in one of her coolest moments ever, blasts a dragon with a cannon then runs to the deck and one shots a blue dragon by punching its lights out. Defeating enemies by hitting them with her fists and shooting them with guns. The Adaine school of wizardry. 

At one point Kipperlilly, Jace, and Oisin Invisibly jump onto the deck from grandma’s back (which Adaine and Gorgug can see because of various magical effects, though they pretend like they can’t). Gorgug has to make two Wis Saves and he rolls 22 on both. Seemingly nothing happens and they use a Rune of Recall to teleport away. The Bad Kids figure that they were trying to mind read Gorgug to get Ankarna’s actual name. 22 is pretty high but we don’t know if it actually worked or not. 

Riz gets to add yet ANOTHER ancient dragon to his kill list as he cannonballs Oisin’s grandma out of the sky. Yikes my man. You’re probably out of the will now. 

At a certain point of the fight, Baxter the griffon shows up to meet then WITHOUT Sandra Lynn riding him which is *concerning* but we don’t get more info than that in this ep. Best case scenario, Sandra Lynn just sent him solo to help because she was busy with things on the ground but still wanted to send air support. Worst case scenario–we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. 

The last big thing that happens in this ep is the moment that broke Brennan and, I’m gonna be honest, as silly as it is it feels like business as usual from Ally to me (though I do understand why it would break a man--several years into the careful crafting of his world--who has been filming for 9 straight hours in a warehouse in Los Angeles). Kristen tries to make a Divine Intervention roll and fails. Then K2 tries to make a Divine Intervention roll–which she does by looking into the clouds and saying, “Blimey” in Ally’s atrocious British accent and THAT one succeeds. This is compounded by the fact that Brennan said that if this works, K2 will be vaporized and Ally randomly adding in that K2 is pregnant with Fabian’s child (which Lou both vehemently vetoes and also plays along with to mess with Brennan)

Brennan fully leaves the dome (Zac takes over for a few minutes) and then storms back in and declares that as weird Wizard clones, simulacrum are just made of stem cells and always test positive for pregnancy because of that. Then, he tells everyone to just wipe the past ten minutes from their mind so he can have some semblance of order for the end of the episode. 

The successful Divine Intervention brings Cass back to herself for a moment and Seacaster Manor flies into the maw of cloud Cass. They appear back in Elmville but everything is now an eerie red and lightning strikes fill the sky. Looks like another end of the year apocalypse!  If Riz doesn’t get into college after this the school board is gonna have to fight *me*.

Detention 

Eugenia Shadow for Giving Fabian a Secret Tattoo of a Ghost With Hairy Legs Showing Hole

Obviously I wanna give it to Oisin for siccing his grandma on his entire school and taunting my girl Adaine but she didn’t give him the time of day so neither will I. Instead, I’m giving it to Eugenia for the insane moving tattoo that Fabian will have to corral back into his otherwise lovely clock tattoo every day. Bonkers behavior. 

Honor Roll

Gorgug for Flying a House Full of Students With No Training and No Casualties 

And he wasn’t sure he could do it. Way to step up Gorgug!!!

Rat Grinder Notes

We still don’t have specifics on what actually happened to Lucy and how the Rat Grinders got involved with this mess in the first place. We have some guesses but nothing concrete and some options definitely make them more sympathetic than others. 

Tossing a house with ALL YOUR CLASSMATES INSIDE OF IT is such an unhinged move. I don’t know how nuanced Brennan meant for the Rat Grinders to be but man it’s hard to want anything for them besides a swift ass kicking followed by jail when they’re pulling shit like this AND we’re not getting anything mitigating to make us feel bad for them (ie: Aelwyn’s shitty home life or Ragh being manipulated by Dayne). Fascinated to know if they’re in a state where they can be “snapped out” of it or if they’re basically lucid but with heightened emotions (in the same vein of, “The shitty things you do and say when drunk are still your fault/responsibility). 

My updated list on how much I wanna see these kids get embarrassed in this fight are Oisin and Kipperlilly at the top followed by Ivy. Mary Ann I truly have no opinion on. Ruben I am warmer on than the rest but that’s admittedly because Fig has put time into investigating him and it’s entirely possible the rest of the RG’s would seem more sympathetic if the BK’s dug more into them. And then Buddy dead last because he’s pretty clearly a pawn here. Like he has other stuff to work through but the current apocalypse is not his fault and he doesn’t deserve to be lumped in with the rest of them. In fairness, Porter (+Jace) deserves to get smacked down more than any of them as the adult mastermind behind this but that’s not the list I was making. 

Random Thoughts

This is a side thing but I love that Aelwyn spent a ton of high level spell slots warding up Seacaster Manor. (She also made Fabian a cursed coin that would summon the gold tornado from Freshman Year if broken but he never used it.) She’s helping!  

Lmao at Murph being called in as the expert on honoring the cock and just being resigned to cock(ed dice) inspection. 

It was casually mentioned that Bucky might believe in Cass a bit which I'm mentioning in case it comes up later.

I love Brennan letting Gorgug use his Great Weapons Fighting feature while using the boat as a weapon. That’s such a shenanigan and Zac wasn’t even asking for it. 

I bet the Rat Grinders targeted Gorgug for the name/mind reading thing because they thought he was the dumbest one in the group. Newsflash! He’s been smart this whole time! Greatest Wizard of our Age! 

Being all, “Other kids at this school have it easier than me and it’s not fair,” and then having your trust fund baby friend send his ancient dragon grandma to attack everyone at your school so you can win an election is such loser behavior.   

Sending dragons to attack the kids who killed a dragon their first year of school and have just gotten cooler and more powerful since then seems like a profoundly shortsighted decision. Why not put their loved ones in danger like in Family in Flames if you want them out of the way? Like, they’re gonna be SO MUCH more mad at you when they inevitably come for you but it might actually slow them down whereas this did not at all. 

I imagine this is going to be a Promocalypse-esque situation where despite this being a school of adventurers, the Bad Kids aren’t gonna get much help from the rest of the student body but I hope they can at least get some cleric heals or pearls of power something before they have to go into this next fight because yeesh. 

I hope Adaine remembers that Oisin has a thing to steal control of summons because she’s been getting into summons heavily this season. 

I’m really curious to know how this fight will play out. Like if it will have a heavy RP element or not. Because if the Bad Kids had bonded with the RG’s in any way (besides the weird obsession w/ Mary Ann and whatever the hell is going on with “Wanda” and Ruben lol) I could see there being a lot of persuasion roles to try and get them to stop what they were doing. But as the story stands, this is coming off of the back of the Rat Grinders sending DRAGONS to THROW THE HOUSE THEY WERE IN. If I were them I would NOT be like, “Let’s talk it out.” I’m like, “OK cool, they can’t be reasoned with,” and casting my most devastating spell at the highest level. Of course, I much prefer combat eps when they have RP but I don’t know that the story so far has been conducive to that. We’ll see! 

#Dimension 20 #dimension 20 spoilers #d20 #d20 spoilers #fantasy high #fantasy high spoilers #fhjy #fhjy spoilers #spoilers #the report card

[copepods]

holy SHIT the dsmp real world example i. sorry idk if you like people reblogging your posts with massive additions so this is an ask.

l'manburg realistically would be a city-state since it's not big enough to be a full city, with the populace in about something the size of the Vatican (~5000-10000 people) supplied by fields and the river, which is the main source of their trade. like the new england colonies, they would have relied on water to send exports to other countries and traded with greater DSMP citizens. additionally, hewing to the new england 1770 vibe (which is p funny because of the hamilton jokes) they'd be shipmakers and craftspeople.

this also means that the dteam burning the redwood fields would have devastated their economy for at least a few years; additionally, as it's a walled city, siege tactics would have been very effective and probably devastating in terms of famine and disease if the l'manburgians could not keep river access open.

on politics - ik cc!wilbur talked about c!wilbur running the whole government but that is. impractical and also poor governance, since concentrating all power in one executive leads to a lack of accountability and transparency. ofc we didn't get to see this but i imagine c!wilbur had a cabinet of actual people running things but probably took on a Lot of engagements. if we're working with "the dteam caused an ecological catastrophe", newly independent l'manburg would have needed to import food until its reserves stabilized again. this, combined with its newness and very aggressive neighbor next door, would mean local prices skyrocket and food is. fairly expensive. if the l'manburgians had their own currency it would trade at rock bottom prices against the DSMP coin, even if c!wilbur pegged it to gold/silver. he'd probably make it fiat to stimulate the economy (assuming he Knows about the economy) which would skyrocket inflation. tl;dr l'manburg is in pretty shit shape and would be a Lot of work to get up and running.

on manburg - the coalition is unconstitutional but we're playing fast and loose with constitutionality anyway; i feel like c!quackity's candidacy would have appealed to the subset of l'manburg business interests who may have wanted freer borders and freer trade + lowering interest rates that protect domestic industry but raise prices. (early american economic policies were heavily protectionist and had high tariffs to protect the young industries as well). c!wilbur could have hit against this by calling c!quackity out of touch with the common citizen (which he was) and a carpetbagger (which he was). however, there are some legit claims of corruption that c!quackity could've made and framed himself as the young upstart clean changemaker - after all, c!wilbur was not open about the presidency.

however, c!schlatt's presidency would have been marred by suspicion and protests early on; if there were civil servants working in the white house, i can picture a bunch of them resigning in protest and writing Very Angry Op-Eds in l'manburg new york times about it. income inequality prob spikes as industrialists can trade but the cost of living jumps due to mismanagement and the manburg cabinet needs to deal with threats of terrorism (pogtopia). what's super interesting to explore is the journalism of l'manburg?

like l'manburg def had a very busy and thriving political commentary and journalism culture; c!wilbur is a wordsmith, etc. there's definitely some scathing cartoons and 'anonymous' pieces attacking all sides during the election, with increasingly bitter skits written about the manburg cabinet - schlatt, the insensate and alcoholic tyrant, and quackity, his airheaded and venal henchman. if schlatt and quackity's marriage leaked, there's a Lot of slut-shaming jokes directed at quackity, which p follow him into new l'manburg. slept his way to the top, has more experiencing bending over the resolute desk than sitting behind it.

ANYWAY that's all i have for now? this is such an interesting idea i would kill to talk about it more holy shit. l'manburg politics win

YEAHH YEAAAAAAAHH all of this i love it so much. politics and socioeconomics and how it intersects with the actions of wilbur schlatt quackity dteam everyone.... aaaaah

#asks #callinova

[total-drama-brainrot]

Solo Victory Noah AU, where Noah is in Team Victory, instead of DJ... Noah later ends up becoming the final Team Victory Contestant... Alejandro keeps trying to sabotage Noah, but Noah always outsmarts all the sabotages... Noah ends up in the Final 3, with Alejandro and Heather... Owen is super-duper proud of Noah! 🏆

I've actually been toying with an AU where Noah ends up on Victory instead of CIRRRRH, watches what's happening to his team with thinly veiled annoyance, eventually grows sick and tired of sleeping in Economy (he's not at all concerned for the people he's watched be manipulated and/or his own position in the competition, why do you ask?) and manages to make it to the merge through the power of sheer spite despite being a one-man-team.

It's... not a very fleshed out idea, mind you, and I usually only ponder over it to make myself laugh at different scenarios where Alejandro is desperately trying to get Noah- the surprise one man army that no one saw coming- eliminated, and Noah managing to either outplay him at his own game or twist the circumstances to his favour in a very Looney Tunes-like fashion.

Because Alejandro would see the continued existence of Team Victory as a personal slight, so he'd put an increasing amount of time and effort into getting Noah eliminated if only to prove that he can. And Noah's just smart enough and finally motivated enough (initially by spite, turned vengeance, turned pure amusement) to spin Alejandro's schemes on their head every time. They're literally the Road Runner and Wile. E. Coyote.

It usually ends up with Team Chris or Team Amazon heading to an elimination ceremony, only for it to be a "surprise reward challenge" or something similar.

(Of course, they'd go through a "Alejandro tries to sweet talk Noah into an alliance" stage, like Alejandro does with DJ in canon, but Noah's switched on to Alejandro's true colours since he's literally watched him eliminate the rest of his team. Maybe Noah plays into Heather's offered alliance instead? Again, I haven't really thought too much on this silly AU.

After Chris doesn't allow Noah to join Team CIRRRRH, and Noah himself refuses Alejandro's offered alliance, it turns into Alejandro driving himself crazy trying and failing to eliminate Noah.)

The main draw of the idea, for me at least, is Noah not making it to the final three though. Because (in my mind) Noah doesn't even really want to be back in the competition- he just kind of went along with the crowd for the Celeb Manhunt bus chase, and inadvertently bagged himself a spot on World Tour. He's under no delusions that he'll ever win the million, but floating his way to the merge would at least make up for the embarrassment of being voted out first from the Gophers his short run in Island.

So he makes it to the merge after playing a glorified game of cat-and-mouse (Tom and Jerry Style) with Alejandro. He's got a hypercompetent Archvillain gunning for his elimination, and now that the teams are null and void, alliances are the name of the game. So what does Noah do?

He gets himself eliminated, just to take the satisfaction of doing so away from Alejandro. Probably through a technicality or something too, like Izzy's departure from the competition, to save himself the shame effort of jumping out of the jet.

That's mostly because I really like the idea of Noah reaching the merge, thinking "I've reached the goal I've set for myself. Might as well quit whilst I'm ahead!" and just-

Leaving.

(Which is ironic, because he's spent the last ~8 challenges actually trying to remain in the competition, and now he's just. Giving up. Drawing a line in the sand. "This is as far as I go.")

It's a shame that the London challenge happens pre-merge, because the idea of Duncan being forced back into the competition and the jet taking off before anyone realises that they're missing Noah- who snuck away into the city and is having a great time using Chris' debit card (of which he memorised during his time as Chris' assistant) to live it up bourgeoisie style in London- is fuelling me.

Realistically though, he'd probably sneak off in China during the eating challenge- because why would he stick around when Owen's gone? It wouldn't be hard for him to throw the eating challenge at the first round and then just. Not sit as the loser's table. Maybe he knows enough Mandarin to get by, and manages to stowaway himself back home to his family and beloved golden lab.

Meanwhile, Alejandro is seething.

Owen is really proud of his little buddy for making the merge, and a little disappointed in Noah for 'giving up', but when Noah expresses that he didn't have anything to stay for after Owen's departure, his disappointment turns to sentimentality.

#something about noah 'quitting' the competition always has be in stiches i swear-- #“yup. i've done what i set out to do. time to go home and sleep for a decade!” #noah leaves the competition early by his own accord like an introvert leaving a party early. #alejandro is SO MAD that after all of his effort he wasn't even the one to get noah eliminated. #he's even madder when he finds out that noah got HIMSELF eliminated. on PURPOSE. #yet another example of noah twisting things to his advantage. #alejandro: you are like the road runner. annoyingly competant. #noah: meep meep motherfucker. #also yes noah somehow manages to go mia post-elimination and the public is once again BAMBOOZLED by this kid's ability to ghost them #total drama #solo victory noah au #silly ideas #others' ideas #replies #...maybe i just don't want to see noah win world tour. this boy's a loser. he's not allowed to win anything.

[ae-neon]

Feyre crying on Nesta spending is hilarious considering Night Court High Lady is illiterate and dont even receive formal education. She receives basic history and education on war but dont even understand how money, bank, economy work.

Perhaps nesta understand how it work and why she keep spending money there. Like exotic food on a cheap tavern is equivalent ordering sushi at McDonalds in Western country. You keep your expectation low and their premium menu is just there in case they do receive customer that afford it.

And Nesta help her father run his business after they get their money from tamlin. While Feyre crying on something she dont even undestand. And i bet the thing that truger her to cry is because Rhys shame her sister publicly

She's probably crying cause Rhys has been telling her how bad it is, how embarrassing it is etc etc because you're right, Feyre literally doesn't understand most of what her "job" is.

Nesta spending money, especially at a low income level, is doing more for Velaris than the High Lady. And because we've been shown Nesta actually understands economics quite well through her investment actions and role in rebuilding the fortune, it's not a leap to understand she might be doing it intentionally.

The writing does more to embarrass Feyre than people realise.

Sjm could easily throw in that Feyre is taking lessons or working under Mor - who ruled Velaris during Rhys' absence - to show us that Feyre has learnt or changed. Instead we get her accepting free property, making dumb excuses for why rehousing projects haven't begun and building a mansion in a post war city.

I just don't understand why SJM took the characters out of their respective trajectories. Some people got upset when I said this but I haven't changed my mind, Nesta should have been the one in politics and Feyre should have gotten the Valkyrie storyline.

As many problematic elements as there are in the whole concept of Illyria and their relationship with the NC, lets be honest, sjm and most of the fandom don't care so just from a story perspective, Feyre helping to empower and change Illyria, taking part in the Blood Rite and putting her life on the line for an Illyrian woman like Emerie, would have done wonders for her earning the HL title.

Not only would it be the natural progression of the girl who hunted, went through the trials and trained under Cassian, it would keep Feyre at the centre of the plot without making her a plot device the way the baby plot did.

Nesta's book didn't need to happen, SJM did nothing interesting or even good with her in ACOSF.

The Frost and Starlight novella could have been a Nesta novella with Nesta's role as emissary taking her to the continent, sorting out the Vassa story and facing the Queen to keep the fanbase fed with variety.

Silver Flame should have just put the series back on track by following Feyre and the beginning of the Illyrian revolution.

That's one way it could have gone. The second way is that the original trilogy should have swapped pov each book or had multiple povs from the start. But whenever I explain it this way I think it sounds like I am biased towards a certain ship.

#anon asks #pro nesta #anti sjm #anti acosf #anti feyre #but not really #failsand #acotar elon

[cleyellow-wood]

a/n: hello! just a silly lil royalty!au, arranged-marriage!au with the one and only bang chan and princess!reader to get it out of my system. mentions of other k-pop idols but skz-centric. mostly exploration of world-building, and the very beginnings of the arranged marriage (and i mean whatever word can come before beginning)

enjoy! maybe another fic in this universe is in the works. who knows? not me!

[10:28 AM]

it’s past afternoon tea and your stomach aches, but not for the reason of being comfortably stuffed.

“do you want me to get on my knees and beg?” you ask hotly, setting the full, untouched cup of wine on the cabinet and turning around to look at the man sitting behind the desk. your father watches you with pity, and you want to rip your skin off your body for it. it feels disgusting on you—a coating of oil that feels similar to shame. “i won’t marry anyone. i refuse it.”

“why not? your prospects are many, and you’re an intelligent woman. any man of similar intelligence would be honoured to marry you.”

“that’s not what matters. i don’t care if they like me. i love—“ someone else.

the words are on the tip of your tongue but you stop yourself, biting your lip until it bleeds and correcting yourself. “i love my freedom too much to be chained by marriage.” 

your father rises, and you turn to face him fully, your heart struggling to keep itself together in your chest. it feels like it’s slowly peeling apart, rubber glue barely enough to keep the shards from disappearing in the abyss below.

“i know the wound lord yeonjun’s death left on your heart has barely had time to begin to heal, and i’ve done my absolute best to postpone this decision despite the council’s insistence, but you must understand. the council don’t know of your entanglement with him. they don’t understand why you’re—“

“they don’t understand me grieving the loss of my dear companion and champion? i don’t need to marry when felix is heir to your throne,” you spit, ignoring the tight bruising knot in your chest. “he’s the one who you should be arranging to marry. not i.”

“the unrest within the capital has been growing since the escalation of the war. brokering a proposal between two warring kingdoms is near impossible until we can peacefully communicate with our enemies. that is not my biggest concern right now.” walking around his desk, your father pours himself a cup of wine and takes a long pull, sighing. he walks through the archway, and there is the unspoken order for you to follow him into the open courtyard just outside of his office. 

the sun feels warm on your numb skin as you clasp your hands in front of you, fidgeting with the edge of your sleeve. your father sits beneath one of the smaller trees branching up, and you look up at the wooden beams that cross the blue sky. vines and flowers and decades-old plants that have made their home here have wrapped tight around the wood, drape to form a green canopy that still allows golden light to stream through.

it reminds you of when you were a child, and only the daughter of the crown prince. you had so few responsibilities then, playing with felix in these gardens while your father spoke to your grandfather on matters that didn’t concern you.

a part of you wonders where your brother is now. he hasn’t written in weeks, although you don’t doubt his time is stretched thin during a tour.

you miss him. you miss your friends that have gone off with him.

you sit down beside your father, and look into your lap as he cradles his goblet of wine in his palms. he’s never liked the stuff. only ever started drinking when he became king, and you know, then, that they’ve been backed into a corner. if a war is not a king’s biggest concern, then it must be his people. his life. his family’s life at stake.

you eye the liquid numbly, and can’t bring yourself to be angry anymore.

“our banks are running low. the economy is floundering under this war,” your father says softly. “the weather will freeze in a few months, too. the people are losing hope in the crown when the idea of starving through the winter is more than just a far possibility. before we return our focus on the war, i must remedy the unrest spreading through our people like wildfire. if i don’t… well, i don’t think i have to spell it out for my smart daughter.”

you smile half-heartedly, but it fades quick. your father falls silent, and you gently take the cup of wine from his hand and pour it out onto the grass beneath their feet. he doesn’t protest when you bend down to set the goblet in the dirt, straightening up again and staring at the ground. 

you can’t look at him. you don’t know when this conflict made your father a stranger to you, but now, it feels like you’re seven again, watching the birds, not understanding a thing in this world. the inhale you take is cool, warning of the season to come, and it calms your heart beginning to race.

“this war has forced us to funnel all our resources into the wrong things,” you intone quietly. “we have alchemists using precious minerals to create concoctions that could raze a peasant’s farmland in an instant when we should be helping them prepare.”

“i know.” your father’s long heavy sigh. you feel his gaze on your face, and meet it. almost at once, his hand reaches to touch your cheek gently, and you close your eyes as he tilts your head forward to kiss your forehead. a small pulse of warmth seeps into your skin, and it runs down your body, spreading through your chest cavity like honey. “the council’s adamant that we strengthen our bonds with the common folk by arranging a marriage between you and one of the newer lords that have risen from the peasantry. they have their own champion they wish to see on the council.”

“so they want him to breed me like a bitch in a kennel,” you finish for him desolately and he opens his mouth to argue but you beat him to it. it’s all your body will be fit for. no matter how powerful you are. “you’re their king.” lifting your head, you stare at him. “why can’t you stand to say no?”

“their ties reach into the every branch of our nobility. i can’t upset them when their support, the people’s support, is needed to maintain stability.”

“but you’re their king,” you repeat. “enforce the law. if they aren’t loyal to you no matter your decision, what is the point of the crown? the point of any of us being held at higher esteem than the rest of the people? the point of our blood being blessed with alchemic properties was so that our word would be held as law.”

“you want me to rule with an iron fist,” he questions, raising an eyebrow, “with the gentry in fear of who will die next? our ancestors have waged enough war using the power they had been blessed with. i refuse to continue that legacy.”

“and i admire that about you, father, but there comes a point where you must put your foot down. i’m your daughter.” you take hold of his hand on your cheek, clasping it tightly in your lap. “i don’t want to marry anyone. i know that my feelings for lord yeonjun weren’t appropriate, but i would rather die his unknown lover than marry another man.”

“that is not your choice to make. your life is not your own, nor will it ever be. that is the burden we were all born with, and i will not see your head on a pitchfork held in a starving farmer’s hand because i did nothing to pacify them,” your father says in a tone that concludes the matter entirely. he twists his hand to hold onto yours, and those eyes, eyes that you’ve been told that you have, stare back at you with a foreign sheen. 

your throat cinches, the noose tying itself. at that moment, you know that if your father asks you again to marry a stranger, you’ll say yes without a second more of protest. 

duty, and loyalty. 

you owe that to your king, too. 

your father squeezes your hand. “you and felix are the most precious things in my life. i would do anything for you to be born in some other family unbound of all these tiresome obligations.”

“i’m happy right where i am,” you insist, but even that gets caught in your throat, half a lie. lowering your voice to a whisper, you repeat it again. “i’m happy right where you are, father. ask me again, and i’ll do it. i’ll marry whoever you ask.” 

“you asked for me, your grace?”

the voice startles you out of your wits and you spin around on the bench. your hands spring away from your father’s as you spot a figure bowed beneath the archway. a figure that makes your blood run cold.

“rise, champion.”

it can’t be him. he is who the people want whispering in felix’s ear once he sits on the council?

you can’t. you can’t marry him.

his dark brown eyes meet yours as he straightens up, and there is not even a flare of recognition behind them. “oh. your highness. i didn’t realize you would be here, too.”

“lord christopher.” the name falls from your mouth without it meaning to, and your fingers flinch into a fist by your side, hidden in the folds of your dress. you hadn’t meant to have such an instant reaction to the man, but his mere appearance in your father’s garden has your mind reeling. 

his skin has tanned from the sun, and his freckles are more apparently as he peers at you. he’s dressed in a casual smock, sans his armour but with his sword sheathed at his side, his hair wild and untamed. he must’ve just come back from riding, or something arduous like it; there’s sweat dripping down his temples.

“come. sit with us,” your father invites, and your mouth goes dry.

you haven’t spoken to him in months, though you’ve seen him often since. yeonjun had been best friends with one of his best friends after all, so they’d been in the same circles, and just because yeonjun had passed didn’t mean you could suddenly slough off your old companions.

lord christopher was at his funeral, and he had offered condolences for your loss.

those words come back to bite you now.

“what do you know of my loss, wolf?”

now he stands before you, your future husband. you know it before your father even speaks it. suggests it. commands it.

you don’t know what aches more—your head or your heart.

you can’t marry him.

“wine?” your king offers.

but you will.

“no, thank you, your grace,” lord christopher says, and his eyes refuse to meet yours as he sits on the bench angled slanted to the one you’re perched on. his body won’t face you. his head is cordially tilted to his majesty, but somehow, you are the one locked out from a heart. “wine has never been to my taste.”

.

chan walks you back to your room on the orders of your father. 

chan. it feels strange to call him that in your head after all these months adamantly distancing yourself from both him and changbin, but the familiarity makes your heart wilt in yearning. you’ve missed his steady gait, his quiet presence. he never speaks unless he thinks he must; a trait you are most grateful for at this moment.

it gives you time to think. formulate what you need to say in the most efficient phrasing possible. 

it takes most of the walk to your rooms to decide on what to say, and as soon as you do, you open your mouth.

“if i had a choice,“ you begin suddenly, voice catching. you’ve been trying to hold back your tears for the past ten minutes since you’ve left your father’s office courtyard, and you clear your throat painfully, “i would have never chosen to marry. i think you deserve to know that before we go through with all the celebrations and we have to pretend we’re happy.”

“i know,” he says quietly. he rests his wrist on the pommel of his sword, and they both stop in the corridor. they’re alone, and they face each other. your eyes finally meet chan’s as determinedly as you can and your stomach turns. whatever speech you had constructed falters, crumbles into dust.

he looks the same since. not even older, or more tired.

just the same.

why does that devastate you?

is it because then it feels like yeonjun’s death never happened? his mark is invisible, unfelt. perhaps well-concealed. it brings you back only to last year when you’d been riding through the forests, chasing after a boy in front of you, racing with another at your side. nothing was wrong then. you just remember shouting to the man before you that no one could catch up to yeonjun once he was on horseback.

no one could ever reach the river before him.

it used to be a memory that made you smile.

then, you think maybe it’s envy. that he can look and act so normal when you’re little more than tatters at court is a feat that’s worthy of jealousy. why does he get to be even close to resembling a human when you’re nothing more than shredded remnants of your old body? you feel like you’ve been eviscerated by claws of grief, each strip of you remaining laying forgotten on some foreign street.

though you’d never been close to chan specifically, you can’t help but feel a yearning to be close to him again. close to anyone. the past half-year since the funeral has passed by in lonely hours. though none of the public know of your romantic affair with the now-dead heir to one of the great houses of your kingdom, everyone had known you two’d been companions.

then again, chan was an outsider to that band of boys, just like you were. it’d been yeonjun, changbin, and wooyoung since the beginning, and you tagged along because of yeonjun; chan being the same with changbin.

it would only make sense that the outsiders would not be as affected by the death of a best friend. at least, that’s what you want the public to think.

changbin hasn’t returned to court at all, still mourning in his ancestral family home. wooyoung is the only one you still speak to regularly as he’s never left the capital nor is he as easy to shake off with his smile hiding so much hurt.

but you’ve avoided chan for so long that standing here in silence with him isn’t awkward, only isolating. your hands tremble in their tight fists and you don’t know whether or not you should step forward or back. he’s the head of his own house at only twenty-two, an accomplished knight, but he still defers to you, so he will do what is asked of him with all the curtesy of a humble lord in the presence of his royal.

you know everything about their new betrothal makes sense. you know that you’ll do your duty, too, and create heirs to further your line.

but you know you can’t force chan into the same fate as yourself just because you’ve lost your chance at love, and you know he knows that you can’t love him.

nothing is fair to the kind-hearted, and everything is karmic to the devil.

“you should find a paramour,” you find yourself saying. his eyes widen, and his eyebrows shoot up in surprise as you clasp your hands behind your back and lift your chin at him. “i will not satiate you, i’m sure, past the years we’ve created enough heirs, and perhaps even during, so you should find another person willing to fulfill you. i will do my best to keep your affair secret from the public, but know that i won’t stand in your way.”

“princess—“

“we will do what is needed of us,” you continue. “i only ask that you are present in our future children’s lives and efficient in your duties as a future council member, but anything relating to your personal life is none of my concern.” his lips twitch into a frown. you don’t bother to hide the fact that you’re struggling to keep yourself together as your voice wavers. “i’m sorry i cannot be the wife you want.”

“don’t apologize,” chan replies immediately. he steps closer, his expression softening, and he moves to reach out for you. both pairs of eyes dart to his hands that have frozen mid air. slowly, chan curls them into fists, and he bows his head, letting them hang at his sides. “if that is what my princess demands, then i’ll do it, but i will never act outside of our marriage. my loyalty is to you alone.”

“what if you fall in love with someone?” you challenge. “you won’t be able to be with them if you bind yourself to me.”

“i won’t.”

“how do you know?” “i won’t look at another woman if you stand before me. there is no other woman to look at,” he answers honestly and your throat goes dry, gut twisting at his earnest tone. “i just... i just wish for us to be friends again. i don’t want us to be strangers trapped together in a room when we used to know each other.”

“chan...”

he smiles. it makes his entire face soften like fresh-baked bread, and you want to reach out to poke his cheek. like you’re familiar with him, his smile a refraction of the sun that used to live in your heart. a sun that begins to rise when chan’s smile grows so wide it makes his eyes squint, and he lets out a tiny laugh to himself, hiding his face by turning it over his shoulder.

“chan,” he echoes, pink dusting his face. “it feels good hearing you call me that again.”

you don’t know what to say, so you don’t. chan notices your silence and he faces you again, the innocence of his smile disappearing when he gauges your expression.

“princess.”

that word alone makes you want to crawl out of your skin. 

“thank you for accepting my father’s betrothal,” you say at last, and it is weak, quiet. 

“it was what was asked of me, princess.”

“still, we can only be grateful that you are doing your duty to the crown.” your tongue is heavy in your mouth, but your curtesies are drilled into your head.

lord christopher is your champion, now. he, too, must carry your favour.

you step forward, and steel your heart. chan tilts his head, and lowers it, already knowing what you’ll do. he read it in your expression the moment you unlaced your hands from behind your back to let them hang limply by your sides. the way your eyes became downcast. 

your lips meet his offered cheek in a soft kiss before you’re stepping back.

“our engagement will be announced to the realm in two days time,” you murmur. “relish that time while you can.”

“don’t assume i think of this as me losing my freedom in some unanimous contract.” his eyes search yours, and you press your lips into a thin line, trying hard not to bite back. it is exactly what you think of it as. “you know i would never do anything to hurt you or make you uncomfortable. and i want you to be happy.”

“of course i know that.”

“good.” he smiles again, faint and sad. it is only a few minutes walk to your chambers, up a flight of spiralling stairs, and though you should never go anywhere without your personal guard, you’re not above defending yourself. after all, you’ve got royal blood running like magma in your veins. the most volatile substance known on this planet. chan knows this, and he takes a step further back. “do you wish to be alone, princess?”

“if you wouldn’t mind,” you assent cautiously. he dips his head obediently, but he doesn’t look happy to leave you alone.

“whatever you’d like.” 

you nod to him one last time and walk to the door that will lead to the stairs. you don’t hear his retreating footsteps and know he’s watching, making sure your last moments with him are safe. you can’t help but feel guilt sink into your stomach like a dagger fresh from the forge. it’s hotter than the sun, and sears through your flesh, cauterizing the blood and keeping it lodged there.

your hand pauses against the wood of the door, and you stare at the grain beneath your barren fingers. you’re not yet adorned by rings and other such jewelry, though you don’t doubt that the bride price chan’s house will pay for the engagement will not lack in such things. 

they’re stuck together now.

you peer over your shoulder. he’s still standing there, his hand draped over the pommel of his sword still, his other hand grabbing his limp wrist. he doesn’t hide that he’s staring at you, studious gaze lightening once your gaze meets his.

“chan.”

“yes, princess?”

“i want us to go back to the way we were,” you say. “to be friends.”

his smile is damning. you remember how it would make changbin stop his rants and break into a smile just because his best friend was grinning ear to ear, and you don’t think you ever blamed him for it. “really?”

“yes. really.” and it almost feels like the anvil in your gut shifts. relieves the pressure that had been mounting inside of you somehow. you clear your throat, and straighten up your back. “i’ll see you at supper, then?”

chan nods, still grinning. “if my princess demands it.”

“she’s not demanding it,” you retort. then, because it makes you smile, you add, “but she’d like it if you were there because she likes seeing her friends.”

“then, i’ll be there.”

“good.”

with that, you turn and push through the entrance to your room, and though your steps are as heavy as they were the day before, this time, you cannot help but look up to where you’re going.

if you enjoyed, leave a reblog or comment ! ❤️

#bang chan #bang chan x reader #bang chan x y/n #bang chan x you #skz bang chan #skz #skz imagines #skz x reader #skz x you #skz x y/n #stray kids imagines #stray kids x reader #stray kids x y/n #stray kids x you #christopher bang #chan x you #chan x reader #skz angst #stray kids angst

[possessesnightshift]

my lord seeing all the posts talking about not voting for joe biden like...

im not even gonna push my personal opinion. i just want people to take the time to earnestly reflect about what they're deciding to do

as in. just think "what is the impact of my decision?" think about what would come about if you voted for biden, or against biden, or third party, or (likely the most popular other option ppl want to pursue) didn't vote AT ALL.

then reflect on the actual issues that matter enough to sway your vote. think about palestine. think about queer liberation & disability advocacy. think about the writer's strike and the actors strike and unionizing. think about the environment. the fucking economy. basically anything that's defined the political landscape of the 2020s.

and then circle back to "what is the point of making this specific choice?" in regards to voting in the 2024 election. if you want to make any of these issues better, ask yourself if those changes will be easier to make under a trump administration or a biden administration. would trump be better for palestine than biden? the environment? the economy? even if he's worse than biden in a lot of areas, is there one special issue that could push him over the edge? what are you trying to accomplish with this vote (or lackthereof)?

the reason i felt compelled to lay it all out in this specific manner is quite simple. i want to emphasize something important.

i feel like a lot of people planning to protest their vote for Joe Biden see themselves as possessing a moral high ground with respect to our corrupt political system. by refusing to participate and play the game, you're avoiding complicity in a machine designed to grind people up and spit out their bodies for the sake of profit. i get it. i know exactly why you don't want to take part in something so horrible.

but you DO.

even if you don't want to. you are a part of this system.

withholding a vote isn't exempting you from anything. you are still making a decision. a decision that impacts your life, the lives of those around you, and of course the lives of people overseas caught up in our country's colonialist bullshit

i promise you nobody is keeping score. you won't get extra woke points in heaven because you didn't vote for someone who does bad things. say hypothetically we lived in a country like australia with compulsory voting, and protesting your vote was literally not an option. what would people say then? would the anti-genocide crowd encourage you to vote for trump? vote third party? do these choices make sense??

because at the end of the day, we have 2 choices. we can continue sucking ass. or we can bring in someone else to suck ass EVEN HARDER.

i'm not sure what i can say beyond this much. i get how easy it is to turn off your brain and rail against anyone challenging an opinion that, from your perspective, feels beyond the realm of criticism. these people do not have bad intentions. our brains can't think in terms of stupid political games. we see a man encouraging a genocide running for re-election, and the LAST thing we want to do is reward him.

but the system is illogical by design. (see electoral college for more info.) you can't make it make sense. these people in power aren't gonna buckle to your pressure based on morality or shame because they have none. they know exactly what the fuck is going on. they know what they're doing, and they're doing it on purpose.

if republicans can accept that holding your nose and playing the bs voting game can make the system work in their favor, why the fuck can't college educated socialists come to the same conclusion?

whatever you decide to do come november, just be honest about why you're doing it. whether it's about gaza or trans people or even just the prices of groceries always increasing, it doesn't matter. i know what change i want to see in the world, and i'm doing what i can to help move the needle in that direction.

#2024 #trump #biden #israel #palestine #gaza #climate change #2024 election #uspol #us politics

[total-drama-takes-takes-2]

ttwt episode 2

“Last time, on Total Takes World Tour: seventeen teens competed in a marathon to the finish line… on an active volcano! Three teams ran across Mexico to reach the mouth of Popocatepetl and sacrifice their respective obsidian artifacts to the fire god, but not all went smoothly. In the end, Scruffy “sacrificed” their team’s win and let the Yaois slide to victory. Who will take home the gold next time? And who will be taking the drop of shame? Find out now, on Total Takes World Tour!”

Despite its luxury accommodations, plush seats, 24/7 fine dining, and all the perks and prizes, no one in first class is sleeping this morning. 

The night prior was rough for first class. Or, rather, one person- Joner’s constant whimpers of fear every time Ass made eye contact with him, music from the aforementioned’s earbuds audible from anywhere in the cabn, Julia’s constant sleep mumbling, and the light from Mal’s- who, as it turns out, only sleeps for about two hours and forty five minutes every night- phone kept Courtney wide awake. 

---

COURTNEY: “My parents both traveled a lot for work growing up, so I’d be left at home for weeks at a time. I’m used to total silence and darkness- the woods at Wawanakwa were one thing, but this? This is torture,”

---

“Well, that was refreshing!” Ass says, removing their sleeping mask and tossing it in the garbage. Courtney watches the bin, eye bags heavy, and makes a low groaning noise. “What?” Ass asks. “They’re disposable. My dad got them in Hong Kong.”

“OMG, is that like skincare?” Mal asks from where she’s nested on the floor. “I looooove eastern Asian skincare, I import all my products straight from Tokyo. North American lines are full of chemicals.” she states, matter-of-factly.

“What are Japanese ones?” Julia asks, rolling her eyes. “Mother Nature's piss?”

“They’re organic, duh. They’re like rice and stuff. Everything’s just better in Japan,” Mal sighs dreamily. 

Ass and Julia both raise their eyebrows and Courtney passes out, slumping forward onto the ground. 

---

Economy is quiet this morning as the losing teams slumber peacefully. Only one person is up by now, tiredly watching the rest of the teens sleep in. 

Michela yawns and balances her chin in the palm of her hand while slouching forward. The cabin is quiet, and only the faint hum of the engines is audible over the snores and whistles of her sleeping castmates. 

“Light sleeper?” a tired voice asks. 

Michela shrugs. “More like early riser. You’re up, though?”

“This is about the time I get up for work,” Albert explains, slowly gesturing. “I can’t say my body feels the same, though.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, this isn’t exactly the nicest place to sleep in,” she says, kicking back and leaning against the metal walls of economy. “What do you do for work?”

“I run the Toronto Environmental Coalition,” he says. “It’s a volunteer advocacy group. We get donations to protect the environment. Prevent new land being developed, stage protests and boycotts. That sort of thing.”

“Oh, right. You did that… thing, with Chris,”

He pauses, the smile momentarily dropping off his face. “I suppose I did,”

“Hey, man, no hard feelings from me. Chris is slippery. I’ve heard he’s been in and out of jail for years,”

“Yeah, he’s been arrested a few times before. That was a part of my case file,” Albert says, looking off into the distance. “I swear I had enough evidence to keep him in jail this time. But it was… I don’t know, a cruel twist of fate,” he pauses again. “And now I’m here!”

Michela nods. “And now you’re here,”

Across economy class, Bonnie begins to wake with a long, drawn-out yawn and a stretch, and the conversation dies down. 

“GOOOOOD MORNING, PLAYERS!” Chris’ voice blares over the intercom, startling everyone else awake. “Meet me down in the galley in five!”

---

The tired campers line up around the metal picnic table bolted in the center of the room, yawning and stretching. Courtney is asleep on the cold surface, no one caring to wake her. 

“Heh, jet lag?” Chris asks, staring at the fallen soldier. “You guys look like you got hit by a bus.”

The teens grumble indistinctly, but Chris ignores them anyway. “I hope you’re all ready for some banging barbeque and technological advancements that’ll make you feel like you’re in the stone age back home- welcome to Seoul, South Korea!”

Mal squeals loudly, clapping her hands. 

---

MAL: “I love love love love LOVE eastern Asian culture. I’m actually fluent in Japanese and learning Korean, and I’ve been begging my mom to take me but she says I would “embarrass her”, whatever that means. Plus, South Korea is basically just like Japan!”

---

“I’ll be giving you the know-how on your next challenge once you hit the ground,” Chris says, smiling brightly. 

Ass crosses their arms. “That’s a weird way to put it,”

“Not really. In traditional World Tour fashion-” Chris pauses, looking around, and then sighs. “You know, I’m starting to miss that little highlighter. Anyway, in traditional World Tour fashion… Chef, care to do the honors?”

Chef grins and kicks the landing door open, sucking everyone but he and Chris out. The host grins. “Man, these lead shoes were a great investment,”

---

The teens scream as they fall to their deaths over Seoul, flying through the air as the plane becomes a distant speck in the sky above them. Between their shrieks of horror, a familiar bell rings out. 

“Really?!” Ass shouts. “Now?!”

The bell rings again as if affirming, and the cast groans. 

“You know, you’d assume we’d do an Asian themed song,” Mal says, crossing her arms. “As a master in Japanese culture, I find this highly offensive.”

“What’s your deal?” Staci asks sharply. 

The bell rings again, louder. Chris’ voice rings out. “Less talky, more singy!”

Courtney- barely awake- sighs. “We’re singing as we’re falling!”

“And totally not stalling,” Julia picks up.

Joner screeches as he falls between the two. “As we’re about to inevitably die-ie-ie!” 

“We might just end up smushed and gooey!” Patrick sings with glee. 

“Emulsified and ew-ey!” Ass shouts. 

Everyone joins in: “We should’ve done more before Chris lost his mind!”

The teens look between each other nervously and then pick up the song again. 

“Millionaire!” Julia shouts. 

“Derby champion!” Michela picks up. 

“Make it home to see Caesar!” Bonnie yelps (and then promptly rolls their eyes at everyones Aws). 

“Save the whales!” Albert goes on. 

“Marry Jungkook!” Mal screams.

“Serve my Lord and savior Jesus!” Frollo states, matter-of-factly. 

“Research psychologist!” Max says. 

“Media apologist!” Phillip continues. 

“Get my degree and my first kiss!” Staci shouts. 

“Connoisseur!” Patrick shouts back. 

“Design couture!” Kelly says merrily. 

“And I think we’d all like to outlive Chris!” Ass says. Everyone shouts in agreement. 

“But we gotta stop from splatting, the ground doesn’t have padding!” Bonnie shouts. 

“And it’s getting closer every time we close our eye-eyes!” Austin screams. 

“Flat into little pancakes!” Sha-Mod adds. 

“Our bones about to bre-ak!” Joner whimpers. 

“There are much better ways to die!” Courtney says. 

“We'd really rather fly-y!”

“So let’s hope Chris is willing to provide:”

Frollo: “A pair of wings!”

Austin: “A jetpack!”

Max: “A wormhole!”

Bonnie: “A parachute!”

Kelly: “Waterbed?”

Staci: “Trampoline!”

Julia: “Airlift!”

Ass: “Time rift!”

Joner: “Trapeze net!”

Sha-Mod: “A dragon!”

Joner: “Wait, I change to dragon, too!”

Mal: “A hot Korean guy!”

Courtney looks down at the ground below them and sighs. “A giant bowl of rice?”

“There’s a million things to do, a millions things to do, a million things to do before Chris lost his mind!”

The free fall ends as the campers land in a giant bowl of rice. Courtney sighs. “Real creative,”

“OMG, Asian cuisine!” Mal says, her head popping up out of the rice. “Did you guys know that most Canadian restaurants don’t actually serve authentic food? Yeah, it’s totally westernized.”

Staci rolls her eyes. "Yeah, okay,"

"You're just jealous of my knowledge," Mal insists. "What's your problem?"

"I'm Japanese!"

Mal blinks. "Um... you don't look Japanese,"

"Well... I'm half Lebanese, but still. You're such a freak!"

"You're the freak!"

“Glad to see you all made it to the ground safely,” Chris winks as the teens begin climbing out of the bowl. “Welcome to Seoul!”

The camera zooms out to show the bowl of rice in the middle of a busy metropolitan area. Chris chuckles. “Your challenge today is a favorite pastime of Koreans-”

“OMG, are we doing a K-Pop challenge?” Mal squeals. “Or is it related to fashion- or beauty? I buy all my contacts from South Korea!”

Chris’ brow furrows in annoyance and he gives Mal a few more seconds of talking time before he slams his side into her, throwing her across the pavement. The Yaois sigh in relief and Staci salutes. “That’s better,” he says. “Anyway, as I was saying, today’s challenge is a favorite pastime of many Koreans, and was even licensing professional players of this popular sport back in 2000.”

“Wow, right before 9/11!” Joner says. 

“Is that how you Americans really measure time?” Chris sighs. “Yes, before 9/11. Now, as I was saying-”

“Is it going to be contact-heavy, because my doctor told me I shouldn’t sustain any wrist injuries,” Staci says, flexing their wrists. “For typing.”

“If you’ll listen-”

“Move out of the way, wimps,” Patrick barrels through to the front of the crowd and flexes his muscles. “I was made for sports.”

“SHUT IT!” Chris shouts, forcing everyone silent. He coughs, brushes off his shirt, and speaks. “Today’s challenge is all about esports- AKA, competitive gaming.”

Most of the teens groan, with the exception of one- Bonnie whoops and hollers. 

---

BONNIE: “Finally, something I know I can do,”

---

“Music to my ears,” Chris wipes away a fake tear at the sound of the teens’ misery. “If you’ll follow me, we’ll get you all set up.”

---

Chris throws open the doors to a massive stadium, earning some oohs and ahs from the contestants behind him. “This will be your playground for today. Now, esports are taken very seriously in South Korea, so let’s be cautious not to say anything offensive,”

The teams walk behind him as they enter the arena, looking at the thousands of empty seats. Ass elbows Mal in the ribs. “You’d better bring your a-game, miss Asia,”

Mal grins. “You can count on me!”

Chris leads them up to the stage, where a few long tables have been set up with PCs. “This is your first leg of the challenge- the classic multiplayer,” he says. “You and your teams will be competing in a MOBA- a multiplayer online battle area.”

“In traditional MOBAs, there are two teams, but we’ve added three just for kicks. Every contestant will have a class rank that’ll either help or hinder your team, depending on how you wanna use it,” Chris grins. “The last team base standing wins an advantage for the next part of the challenge. Ready your computer and headsets!”

The teens begin taking their seats, most looking relatively unsure of the circumstances. Frollo prods at his computer with the end of his Bible. “What is this strange beast?”

“Okay, don’t tell me you’ve never seen a computer,” Michela says, pulling out her chair. 

“I dare not touch it. I only see such wonders at unholy places. Like CVS,” 

“It’s, um, powered with the light of God,” she says, leaning over and turning on the PC. The screen flashes white. “See?”

He rolls his eyes. “I cannot use this. Bring me an abacus,”

Michela turns to Albert with an exasperated expression. He shrugs. “We can carry with five players,”

Over at the Yaoi table, things aren’t looking much better. Julia seems to be setting into the computer functions just fine, while everyone else is hovering around Mal. 

“What are the ranks and which is the best one?” Ass demands.

“How do I move?” Courtney asks softly. 

“Why are the graphics good? They’re scaring me!” Joner whimpers. 

“Just GIVE me a second to figure it out!” Mal snaps, trying to turn on her own PC.

Ass glares. “I thought you knew everything about this place,”

“I do! I’m just having technical difficulties!”

Ass rolls their eyes and Courtney yawns. 

---

“Your goal today is to protect your own base and destroy your enemies,” Chris explains, pacing back and forth between the players. “You must work together as a team.”

Bonnie adjusts their headset and speaks into the mic. “Okay, listen up, everyone: I can see my rank at the bottom of the screen, and I want everyone to tell me theirs when you find it,”

“I’m, uh, support!” Kelly says. 

“Healer!” Staci chimes in. 

Max sighs very loudly. “Mage,”

“Tank- perfect, suits me just right,” Phillip says, kicking back in his seat before falling backwards. 

“I’m a fighter,” Bonnie goes on, ignoring the commotion. “Okay, Max and I will focus on trying to destroy Team Mojo’s base- they’re the weakest team.” they say, looking up at Frollo scooch back in his seat, away from the computer. “Kelly, I want you and Phillip to defend our base. Staci, stay with them, but keep alert, we might need you.”

Phillip frowns. “Aw, why can’t I-” 

“No,” Bonnie says bluntly. He sulks. 

---

“So… what’s our gameplan?” Courtney asks Ass. 

They shrug. “Ask Miss International,” 

Courtney turns to Mal, who’s starting to look nervous trying to navigate her PC.

---

MAL: “Okay, food? Yes. Movies? Totally? I LOVE manga and K-Pop. But gaming? Um… not really my thing!”

---

“Ready, players!” Chris says. No one responds. “Set? Go!”

“Um… okay,” Michela says. “I’m a healer. You guys?”

“Support,” Albert says. “Anyone get a better rank?”

“This ain’t fair, baby- I’m a lover, not a fighter!” Austin pouts. Patrick rolls his eyes. “Well, I got bruiser. And I’m not afraid to take a few hits.” he chuckles. “Hey- Hey- wait!”

Patrick rapidly clicks his mouse as his character is almost instantly killed. He stands and swipes his PC off the table with a high-pitched scream. 

“Okay. Four players. We can work with four players, right?” Albert says. Michela shrugs. 

“Sha-Mod?”

“Mage,” he says. “Austin, let’s go scope out Team Yaoi. Joner has a terrible blindspot.”

---

SHA-MOD: “Takes Three actually draws a lot of inspiration from video games, which we play while we’re recording. For… creative inspiration,”

---

“Okay, I’m a healer,” Courtney says contemplatively, clicking their mouse. “What do I do?”

“Just wait at base! We need a decoy,” Mal nods. 

Julia raises an eyebrow. “A decoy?”

“Duh, every team needs a decoy- Joner, get out there!”

Julia blinks. 

---

JULIA: “Something tells me Mal isn’t actually too familiar with online gaming,” she then coughs awkwardly. “Not that… I am, either. You know. That’d be sooo lame.” she laughs nervously. 

---

Joner’s character nervously drifts out to sea, so to speak, and stands at the line separating Team Yaoi and Team Friendship’s base. “Okay, what do I do now?” he whispers sharply. 

“Go distract them!” Mal says back. “NOW!”

Joner quivers and steps forward into Friendship territory. “Okay, what n-”

Within seconds, Joner’s character has been reduced to miscellaneous CGI body parts on the ground and Kelly and Phillip high-five. 

“Ugh! You had ONE JOB!” Mal shouts. “Now you’re in the penalty box!”

Julia rolls her eyes. “It’s only five minutes, calm down,” 

“What would you care?” 

The blonde’s eye twitches. 

---

JULIA: “Okay, fine, I admit it! I play a ton of these stupid games! I mean, it started off as a side hustle- get into the game code, max out my stats and take home cash prizes in local tournaments- but I am like, insanely good at it in normal mode!”

---

“Did Austin get killed again?”

“Yep, he’s in time-out. He’s not taking it too well,” Sha-Mod says as Austin rocks back and forth on the ground behind him and sobs. “Any luck with Frollo?”

“He’s still refusing to get online,” Michela sighs. “He’s just standing there talking about the fortune teller he met in a Costco.”

“Does anyone else think it’s weird we’re talking to each other like we’re in different rooms when we’re all sitting next to each other?” Albert says. The camera zooms out to show them all still lined up at the table while Frollo paces back and forth behind Michela, Austin cries behind Sha-Mod, and Patrick glares and pouts in the corner. 

“Okay, um… so, what’s our strategy?” Michela asks Sha-Mod. 

“Don’t die,”

---

“How are we holding up?” Julia asks. “I can’t see any of you guys.”

“You can’t see any of us because we’re all dead. Thanks to the brilliant leadership we’re all blindly following!” Ass says sharply. 

Mal gasps with offense. “As if it’s my fault! You’re just lazy players!”

Julia massages her temples as the two bicker before finally snapping. “Alright! Listen up! Once you’re all respawned, meet me back at base and we’ll reform,”

---

Michela and Albert both hover over Sha-Mod’s shoulder as he tries to defend base as the last player available. 

“Move in!” Bonnie shouts from across the room. They and Max swoop in and destroy Team Mojo’s last soldier, and promptly take the base.

“Yes! Take that!” Max shouts, pointing an accusing finger to the team. Michela raises an eyebrow and he quickly sits back down. 

“And we’re rounding out a Yaoi v. Friendship finale here!” Chris says, then chuckles to himself. “Never thought I’d say those words.”

Julia turns to her team. “Are we ready?”

No one looks confident, but all look less confused now that Mal, who’s pouting with her arms crossed, has taken a back seat. “I’m not playing,”

“Suit yourself!” Julia ignores her plea for attention. “Let’s move out!”

“Brace yourselves!” Bonnie warns at the other table. The team buckles in and focuses harshly on their gameplay as four Yaoi players come charging at them. 

Poof- Joner out. Then Phillip. Courtney, then Kelly and Staci in one blow. Ass and Max are next to take the fall as they kill each other at the same time, leaving only two. 

“Just us now. Better for you to give up while you still have the chance,” Julia says. 

“You wish,” Bonnie fires back, and then immediately charges. 

Each team watches in stout anticipation, and when the dust clears, Team Yaoi’s base is gone and Bonnie has only taken half the hit points.

Team Friendship cheers and Chris claps slowly. “Nice one. Here’s your advantage,” he tosses Bonnie a plastic baggy. 

“Gummy bears?” they raise an eyebrow. 

“Oh, you’re going to need the energy. Everyone follow me!”

---

The teens stand behind Chris in a large, black room, looking from side to side for any sign of life. 

“What is this?” Ass asks. “What, are you going to lock us in here and have us fight to the death in real life?”

“Heh, I wish. This challenge is the one that’ll determine our winners- and losers,” Chris says, pulling out a VR headset. “It’s time for the latest innovation in gaming- virtual reality!”

“This time, we’ll be testing your mental and physical strength with a series of rhythm-based games, as are popular in the virtual reality cafes of South Korea,” he goes on. “You’ll each be selecting your most capable player to take on the challenge and bring home the gold. Let’s get moving!”

The teams immediately turn to each other and begin discussing amongst themselves. 

“I’ll do it,” Sha-Mod immediately volunteers, prompting a sigh of relief from both Michela and Albert. 

“It should be Julia, right? She’s the only person here who knows what she’s doing,” Ass says, putting their hands on their hips. 

Julia shakes her head. “I’ve never done anything related to VR, it’s completely different,” 

“Well, I haven’t either!”

“If I may,” Joner steps up and picks up the headset. “My buddy Eric has one.”

Ass and Julia look between each other, and then shrug. Over at team friendship, the vote seems unanimously for Bonnie- except for Bonnie’s themselves. “I can’t do that,” they shake their head. “I don’t have any good memories associated with those things.”

“Well, the rest of us have NO memories associated with them,” Max insists. “Unless someone else thinks they can-”

“I’ll do it,” Staci snatches the headset. “How hard can it be?”

"Um..." Max starts, but it's too late. They've already merrily skipped across the room.

Chris’ voice catches everyone’s attention. “Alright, campers! Let’s get you set up and ready to rumble!”

The three selected players adjust their VR sets and stand in their designated places, each facing a blank black wall. Chris explains the rules- using their controls, they will slash and hack at oncoming obstacles. One hit and they’re out- last man standing wins. 

He blows a whistle and the players begin, huffing and yapping as they swing around their handheld controls. The rest of the teams blink. 

“Hm. Guess we should’ve been recording their POV,” Chris says, then shrugs. “Oh well. Notes for next time! Up for some Korean BBQ?” he asks Chef. 

“Thought you’d never ask,”

The two walk off, leaving the teens alone. The minutes tick by, and by now just about everyone is sitting on the floor, absent-mindedly watching the contestants grunt and swing their hands around. The sound of their shoes scuffling on the floor is almost comical. 

Julia sighs, sitting criss-cross on the ground. Her eyes drift to Bonnie. “Why aren’t you up there?”

“Not a huge VR fan. You?”

“Same,” Julia leans back against the wall. “Good game, by the way.”

Bonnie raises an eyebrow. “Um… yeah, good game,” they look at the floor for a moment and then dig in their pockets. “Hey, um, I have something for you. From Scruffy,” they hold out the obsidian necklace. “They told me to tell you they’re rooting for you.”

“Oh!” Julia raises her eyebrows and cautiously accepts the gift. “Well.. aren’t you the little messenger.”

Bonnie rolls their eyes and pulls their hoodie over their head. “Just felt like a nice thing to do for Scruffy. With them gone and everything,”

The blonde sulks for a moment, and then quickly turns away. “Yeah, whatever,”

---

BONNIE: “Do I actually… feel bad for Julia? No, no… I must be getting sick,”

---

“What’s the deal with that?” Max asks, watching the interaction curiously. “You better not be befriending the enemy. Having Scruffy go on about her was hard enough.”

“I was just trying to do something nice,” 

Max rolls his eyes. “Whatever. Softie,”

“You’re one to talk,” Bonnie mumbles, elbowing him and nodding ahead to where Albert and Michela are giggling about something together. Max turns red and looks away. 

“NOOOO!” Sha-Mod shouts, as if in agony, and collapses to his knees. His headset falls off and he coughs weakly before keeling over on the floor. 

The commotion recaptures the audience interest and more and more of the respective teams begin turning towards the scuffle. Joner cries out in agony next, and Staci cheers before the VR headsets power down. “Hey, where’d the lights go?”

Chris re-enters the room, dabbing the corner of his mouth with a napkin. “Looks like Team Friendship has secured the win! Wish we could've seen that but hey- budget. Amirite, guys?”

The teens stare back, clearly unamused. Chris chuckles. “Team Mojo, I’ll see you guys at the elimination ceremony,” 

The team groans against team friendship’s cheers, and Yaoi just sulks. “You got lucky this time,” Ass snaps at Mal. 

---

“What a day. What a meal! Mm!” Chris says, accentuating his point by waving his napkin around. “But I suppose your gruel a la Chef Hatchet will be okay, too. Now, let’s see- you guys failed today, pretty hard. But some of you were more annoying about it than others. 

Michela, Albert, and Sha-Mod- you’re safe,” he tosses each a bag of pretzels. “Auuuustin. Patrick- way to rage-quit. And Frollo, you didn’t even try. But only one of you is going home, and that person… is…

Patrick- you’re safe.”

Frollo stands, clutching his Bible. “This cannot be,”

“It can, and it is,”

He suddenly holds out his hands before Chef can grab him. “I received a message in a dream last night. There is a traitor among us,”

Sha-Mod points. “AMONG US!”

Frollo ignores him. “Someone on this plane is not who they say they are, and they will stop at nothing to reach their goal- MURDER!”

The team gasps, then Michela shakes her head. “Wait, why’d we gasp at that? This guy’s crazy,”

“Find the traitor! Before it’s too late!” Frollo insists as Chef approaches, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him to the door. He shrieks as he’s tossed out. 

“I’m gonna miss that nutcase,” Chris sighs. “Well, see you all tomorrow!” and with that, he saunters off. Michela and Albert make fleeting eye contact, and then the team slowly walks to economy. 

---

Deep within the belly of the plane, tucked within the cargo hold, surrounded by boxes and suitcases and crates galore, Frollo sits. “They don’t believe me, but they will,” he says, drumming his fingers on his Bible. “I must save them. Even if it means getting tossed outside and climbing back in a thousand times. It’s what Jesus would have done…”

A rat sitting beside him squeaks. Frollo pets it. “Yes, my brother. Now,” he says, pulling a vial of holy water from his robes. “Let’s baptize you.”

#ttwt #total takes world tour

[aries-rising-on-an-aquarius-tide]

I think Rollins is going to blame Sonny for her boredom and her career ending - she’s always blamed and accused him of everything - they shouldn’t have got together, she only wanted him so he’d still be 100% attention on her as if he’s with someone else then she ain’t getting all his attention or him dropping everything all the time - they’ll divorce for sure I feel, and she’ll move away or something then a few seasons later or so, Sonny moves to be closer to his son (and her daughters) as he’s certainly the fittest parent out of the two.

Ok Anon. I have run out of patience for answering. Lol You can keep sending, and I will read 'em, but my opinions aren't going to change.

Rollins is not a bad character. In fact, Rollins is a fantastic character who fell victim to bad management and worse writing. As for Kelli, I don't really gaf. I don't know her and never will. What I do know is that she can act better than most actresses on TV in her age range, and DW fucked up hard by trying to get rid of her. It's a shame that in her coming back, she has to suffer through more lazy, destructive writing and boring bullshit. But really, the entire vehicle of a show is headed off that cliff, so, what can ya do I guess?

As for Carisi, I honestly don't care enough about him to bash him. As either a character or an actor. He can come, he can go, whatever. He adds nothing to the show so it means nothing to me.

I draw very distinct lines between characters and their actors. There is a huge gap between the two (despite anything Mariska says). So regardless of how much I may hate how a character is written, I'm not going to bash the actor for wanting a paycheck, or for acting the way it's written. Not in this economy.

And finally, always remember, every second interview that Mariska does she reminds us "Dick has the final say." If he wants to destroy his fan base, he's gonna. If he wants to hire and fire and then hire again, ditto. White male show creator syndrome means that no matter what his show means to others, no matter the legacy it has now, Dick Wolf is the one who decides if he wants to run it right into the ground. Anyone my age (I'm 40) will remember well watching Chris Carter do it in the 90s with The X-Files. It's like Icarus flying too close to the sun. Too much success with a good thing makes you think any change you make will be received just as well and succeed.

What really ends up happening is, the fanbase schisms worse than a white Baptist church and is left to pick up the pieces. Some write Rolivia fanfic, some write Rollisi fanfic, and we all reminisce about the days before the show went to hell in a handbasket.

There's a reason, anon(s) why TV shows in the 60s, 70s, 80s ended and never stretched on for a quarter of a century. Because culture, politics, comedy, current issues, etc. change too much to sustain that kind of cohesiveness. We all think that reboots and reunions are great, but most of them end up just reminding us that time marches on and nothing remains.

#law and order svu #svu #rolivia #anti rollisi #nbc svu #television #dick wolf #icarus #hubris #reboots #mariska hargitay #chris carter #the x files #the xfiles #txf #90s #longevity #writing #anonymous #aging #answered

[anthonybialy]

Loud About Hush Money

Taking is the Democratic form of profiting.  There’s no other way to run a business, at least that legalized grifters can imagines.  They’re not mean like your bosses, other than how they do the same by law.  The only important employment is their own, and let’s classify their workdays as unproductive.  Politicians must only endure a performance evaluation every couple years.  They expect you to keep them in office because it’s more fun than working.  Revelry will continue as long as bucks keep flowing.  The party’s finally nearing its conclusion.

The pushy party can afford to be so generous because of a generous benefactor.  If you want to maximize contributions, make them compulsory.  Thanks to withholding, most donors don’t even realize how generous they are.

Bribes for votes are shameless in blatancy, which is another sign market incentives work.  Coercion really helps those who need to keep others on their side without making a convincing case or being able to create anything worth trading.

Limp government goons inadvertently illustrate their foes are right while showing why they’re so wrong.  Every Democrat is a corrupt sheriff with a councilman in his pocket.  Entice voters with profits seized from those who back candidates calling for workers to keep what they earn.  The self-proclaimed selfless get away with it because they can, which also helpfully illustrates how they implement their very caring philosophy.

Hypocrisy is just the start.  Elected autocrats see themselves as fighters of corruption as they embody it, which is surely the only time they’re full of it.  Expanding power to the point where they can negate it with a nod is also coincidentally the reason they’re so eager to make crime legal, aside from serving as an indirect perk to their constituency.

Those who can’t create a solid image rely on projection.  Democrats habitually act in the same shameful way they accuse private entities of conducting themselves, with the difference being you can’t choose a different government without a decent amount of hassle.  Knowing you can’t shop elsewhere is part of the privilege of constructing a loving administration that has control over every life aspect.

It’s best to use bills yoinked from others, as your own is so expensive.  Buying support with cash seized from the successful is the primary way of leveling society.  The presumption that everyone should have the same works with ice cream, so why change kindergarten thinking?  The ideal amount is more than whatever you have now.

Wealth transfers are necessary if all funds have been assigned.  You unfairly claim salaries reflect value created, but that cruelly leads to some people having more than others.  True motivators have to convince voters that they’re useless.  Breaking down self-esteem is how Democrats inspire.  Someone stole from you so proficiently that you didn’t even notice.  No, they don’t mean the government.

Student loans are seen as anything but.  College is a time for learning that words don’t mean anything, which is one sort of lesson to retain.  The expectation of entitlement may not be the healthiest major.  There’s no point in arguing with people who think you’re selfish for not wanting to give what you’ve earned to those who haven’t.

Outrage at the expectation that they should pay for things defines liberalism.  Take the costliness of allegedly free tuition.  Panhandling graduates got amazing training, at least according to them.  It should be easy to pay off what’s borrowed with 120 credits of solid training.

Pretending not paying for something will help the economy is the ultimate case of not seeing both sides.  The practical implications of closed-mindedness lead to dismissing prosperity via, say, exchanging goods and services for dollars.  Alleged beneficiaries save so much by not paying for groceries, which can be spent to stimulate an economy where many things are unaffordable for mysterious reasons.  Shoplifting must be making life permanently prosperous.

Walking around money ensures getting out the vote.  Claim to help the poor to make winking less obvious.  Inflation is the only downside for the ripoff artists and upside for those outraged.  Currency has gone from worth less to worthless.  

Trying to befriend those who hate them is a sick habit of the psychologically gullible.  They simply must convince everyone they’re cool.  Iran took their lunch money and got them to beg to come over for dinner.  Enabling villainy is just one more reason to not pay ransoms.  The inability to see obvious consequences is inherent to their ideology.  Anyone who saw what comes next wouldn’t be a liberal.  

Trying to get global supervillains to behave with perks is a rather obvious test which the White House fails.  It took an invasion of Israel to show how Iran spends their allowance on terror rockets, which the executive branch naturally still doesn’t grasp.  Joe Biden’s flunkies are more than willing to accept excuses about how lunatic mullahs can’t spend what they have yet to receive.  Meanwhile, the world’s substitute teachers put America nearly $35 freaking trillion in debt.

A time-honored tradition features no honor.  Redistribution constitutes politics at its oldest and by no coincidence worst.  An entire outlook based on taking from one party and giving it to others is framed as the epitome of high-minded decency, which is true aside from how its theft that demotivates all involved.

Class warfare builds society.  Motivating their base coincidentally conforms with claiming they’re trying to help.  It’s an unfinished sentence, as they want to help stay in office.

#politics #debt #economy #class warfare #wealth #business #profits

[saltminerising]

I word vomited about rescues lol

In my experience, most hate to rescues originates from… FR users getting defensive about their playstyles. Let me explain. 

There is only a small coalition of true anti-exalters on FR - as in, they truly believe it’s wrong or unfair to exalt any dragon for any reason. Usually these players are simply new, and most of them exit this phase within their first 1-3 months of playing after realizing it’s mathematically impossible for every player to stop exalting dragons AND continue hatching nests/individual eggs. Most don’t ever harass anyone individually and only complain here and there in public about how exalting is wrong and it bothers them to see good dragons exalted; at worst, some of their words may be guilt-trippy or shaming, but not directed at any individual and easy enough to ignore if you contextualize this person as a newbie or very young player who doesn’t yet understand the economy couldn’t survive a zero-exaltation FR world. A SMALL percent of this already small community does escalate their anti-exalting activism to personally contacting exalters to truly harass them, which is obviously not okay. And this faction being small doesn’t make anyone who’s been harassed feel any better.

All that to say, hardcore exalters tend to encounter this rhetoric and get defensive, or they have a few bad run-ins with the types of anti-exalters that will actually harass other users instead of just complaining and become jaded. This in and of itself isn’t really wrong. Where the problem comes in is that exalters then begin to associate ALL “non-exalt” FR activity with judgment, shame, and harassment.,, and I don’t think that’s fair or accurate.

FR rescues aren’t inherently a bad thing and don’t inherently encourage harassment, shame, or guilt tripping. In fact, they provide a useful outlet for FR players who dislike exaltation: instead of complaining directionlessly on the forums about exalters and/or harassing exalters (which does not discourage or prevent exaltation), they can donate to, work with, or buy from a rescue and prevent individual dragons from being exalted.

And FYI, there will always be players who dislike exaltation. You can dress the concept up however you’d like (“The dragons are happy serving their deity!”), but it essentially is a prettied-up trash function for dragons no one wants. Like, it was nice of staff to create happy lore reasons about where the dragons go and leave their images viewable instead of just tossing them into the void! And again, exaltation is at WORST a necessary evil, a mathematically necessary function to preserve lair space for new dragons to be born. But it’s functionally a garbage bin that pays you to dump junk in it, and some users will always be saddened at the thought of their hatchlings being tossed straight into the trash, or interested in “saving” dragons who were bred to be exalted.

And furthermore, plenty of exalting lairs like to either hold onto pretties they find while picking up fodder or pass them along to someone who will keep them. Hell, plenty of exalting lairs may exalt dragons in general, but find themselves interested in the preservation of certain dragons - older dragons/low IDs, dragons from certain bloodlines, sometimes I see people interested in “rescuing” pretty dragons from unpopular breeds, etc. Just because somebody wants to help snapper lovers find cute snappers that were set to be exalted doesn’t mean they think exaltation in general is morally wrong.

So ultimately, just as exaltation provides a necessary outlet to prevent dragons nobody wants from hogging lair space and offers players enough room to engage in the main function of the site (breeding dragons, hatching eggs), exalt rescues provide a necessary cultural outlet for players who dislike exaltation to exchange dragons amongst themselves. I think if more people looked at it like that, there would be less of a stigma against exalt rescues among exalting communities.

(Before anybody accuses me of shaming exalters simply because I’m sympathetic to the reasons some players dislike exaltation and I acknowledged that most anti-exalt people are just newbies who don’t get the economy yet rather than bad actors, I am an exalting lair myself and don’t participate much in the rescue community. But all rule-abiding communities have their place on FR.)

#long post #submission

[not-a-coral-snake]

for the @lamenweek Day 2 prompt: Alternative Universe

In this case, a Private Eye/Film Noir au.

The sign on Laurent’s door reads “Investigations,” but really his job is broader than that. ‘Solutions Specialist’ might be more accurate. People bring him problems, he solves them.

And business is good, these days. The once-gleaming metropolis outside his windows continues its slide into gloomy decay with all the slow inevitability of a glacier moving down a mountainside, and even as the more sunshiney aspects of the economy dwindle, there remains a steady stream of corrupt politicians and crooked businessmen growing richer off the desperation they inflict on everyone else. Desperation makes people reckless, and reckless people make bad choices, and bad choices get people into the sort of situations they bring to Laurent to get them out of. Money whispers in the halls of power and creeps through back channels, and enough of it crosses Laurent’s hands to keep him in rent and coffee and whatever crappy sandwiches the automat has on offer.

It’s past closing time, and Laurent’s secretary Radel would have never let the man, no matter how belligerent or well-dressed he may be, into Laurent’s office at this hour. But Radel left early today, and it’s just the kid minding the desk out front.

Laurent looks the man over, trying to guess what kind of case this will be. There’s a lot of him to look over. He’s easily 6’5”, maybe 6’6”, with shoulders like a mountainside and a stance like a soldier or an athlete. Burnished bronze skin, black curls that gleam in the light from Laurent’s desk lamp, square jaw, strong features.

“What’s your name then, sweetheart,” he says finally, when it becomes clear the man is waiting for him to speak first.

The man’s lip twitches slightly. Not used to being mocked, then.

“Damianos Akielopoulos,” he says. “Sweetheart.”

“Charmed, I’m sure. And you’re here in my office three hours past closing time because . . . “ Laurent says.

“It’s about a woman,” the man--Akielopoulos--begins. Isn’t it always? Laurent is glad, as he so often is, that his preferences do not run that way.

Could be a crooked politician or a businessman looking to cover up a potential damaging scandal, judging from the fancy suit, but something in the man’s specific brand of discomfort says “personal matter.” He’s embarrassed, with a sort of “aw shucks” embarrassment that reads different than the shame of civic figures complicit in wrongdoing. Could be he wants Laurent to look into a crime, pick up a case the cops abandoned or bungled--the air of righteous anger he carries is right for that--but with a suit like that, the cops would keep working on the case until the man in Laurent’s office was satisfied with it. No, this is probably the sort of case that unfortunately makes up Laurent’s bread-and-butter. A cheating partner.

The woman, Akielopoulos is telling him, had shown up in his life two years prior. She was whip-smart and ambitious and movie-star beautiful. A dangerous combination, all golden hair and cutting remarks and underneath it a mind as ruthless as an ice storm in March.

“So you were in love with her,” Laurent says. Which makes it worse. Jobs are always harder when the person paying him is too emotionally involved to see reason.

Akielopoulos is not used to being interrupted, is not used to frankness. “Yeah, I was in love with her,” he says. “But that’s not the point, the point is,” he continues.

The point is that she had always taken an interest in his work, and Akielopoulos had welcomed it. Had grown accustomed to telling her about the day-to-day patterns of his work at his father’s company, the details of board meetings, the company’s unannounced plans and secret worries. He’d liked her attention. He’d liked the cool, calculating expression she’d wear when analyzing his colleague’s motivations, how to bring them over to his way of thinking. And the advice she’d offered him had been good, and he’d liked that about her, too, her fierce intelligence, her knack for cutting to the heart of a problem. 

“And then she took all that privileged company information to your competitors and left you out to dry,” Laurent says.

“Not exactly. Worse. We knew someone was spying from within the company. Stealing patents, bringing them to our competitors. Maybe stealing plans for corporate strategy too.”

And Akielopoulos’s father had put Akielopoulos in charge of rooting out the problem. A test of sorts, to see if he was ready to take on a leadership role now that Theomedes was thinking about moving towards retirement. “I think he was worried I was too soft-hearted to be effective,” Akielopoulos says, and though his tone had been veering more towards pure “righteous anger,” the “aw shucks” is now back in full force. 

“And it turned out that this lover of yours--Jokaste--she was the one selling secrets,” Laurent says, varnishing his voice with an extra layer of boredom in the hopes that it makes the man get to the point faster. He’s going to kill Nicaise for letting him in in the first place, expensive clothes and belligerent charm be damned. It’s nearly nine and Laurent wants to head home for fuck’s sake. 

“No. Well, maybe. Probably. I don’t know. What I know is, the investigation was going nowhere for weeks and then finally I thought I was getting somewhere and then--”

And then Theomedes had called him in to a meeting with the board. An important meeting, an urgent one, no way of finding out in advance what about. And Akielopoulos had been able to look nowhere other than his father’s face, the anger there almost drowned under bewildered, devastated disappointment. “It was my brother and Jokaste presenting,” he says. “They had names and dates and evidence--fucking exhibits they’d had printed out and were passing around to the board. All about how they’d caught me, how I was the one sabotaging the company from within. My own family’s company! As if I would ever do a thing like that, as if I would even have any possible reason to do a thing like that, as if--”

Laurent stops listening and lets him go on in that vein for a bit longer in the hopes that he’ll burn himself out and they can finally talk business. But the rant seems to be gathering steam, rather than fizzling out, so he interrupts again.

“So how long have they been sleeping together?”

“What?”

“Jokaste and your brother. How long have they been sleeping together?”

“I never said they were sleeping together.”

“So you’re saying they’re not sleeping together.”

“Five months,” Akielopoulos says, like the words are a bitter confession Laurent’s extracted and not a crucial piece of the case he’s keeping Laurent here past closing to tell him about. “She’s five months pregnant, and she says the baby is his, so at least five months.”

Laurent is tempted to whistle, stops himself at the last moment. Five months is a long time not to notice your girlfriend is fucking your brother. 

“So can you help?” Akielopoulos says.

“Help?” Laurent repeats.

“I need to find out who was really stealing secrets from the company. I need to find proof that Jokaste and Kastor framed me, so my father will give me my job back. And if they got rid of me for any reason other than taking my job, if they’re planning something else they don’t want me around for, I need to find out what it is and stop them.”

He draws a breath. “You’re a private investigator. Help me investigate.”

Laurent stares past him, through the reflected light on his window out at the darkened office building across the way. “It may get messy,” he says at last. “Family matters typically do.” 

“You know from experience?” Akielopoulos says. Laurent rewards him with his iciest glare.

After a beat, Akielopoulos seems to consider his question withdrawn. “It doesn’t matter. Whatever else they’re planning, Kastor and Jokaste need to go down.”

“Do you want them dead?” Laurent asks, careful not to let the question alter the insouciance of his posture. “Because I don’t kill for money.”

Akielopoulos’s posture, on the other hand. The man reacts as though slapped, though he recovers quickly. “I wouldn’t expect a man in your profession to go around wearing his moral code on his sleeve.”

Fair enough, Laurent supposes. Most people in his business would sell their own mothers’ tombstones for a shot of whiskey. But Laurent, he doesn’t drink, and he’s always found it necessary to determine where you draw the line before you start the job. To get what you want, you have to know exactly how much you’re willing to give up.

“I’m in the habit of setting realistic expectations. Saves time later.”

“I don’t want them dead,” Akielopoulos says. “They’re family. But I need my father to know the truth.”

And if everything else about the man’s demeanor, his ridiculous story, his adorable moral outrage, hadn’t thoroughly convinced Laurent that Damianos Akielopoulos is as naive as they come, that line about the truth would have done the trick.

“So,” says Akielopoulos after a beat. “Are you in?”

The man is trouble. Laurent would be able to see that blindfolded from a mile away.This whole job reeks of trouble like Saturday’s catch of the day on a Friday night. But sometimes trouble is its own reward, the heart pulsing, heady feeling of being alive never stronger than when you have to fight to remain so. Sometimes the easiest way to outdistance the clinging memories of your own demons is to dive fresh into a vat of somebody else’s. 

Aw, what the hell. 

“I’m in,” Laurent says.

#please picture laurent with his feet on his desk the whole time #captive prince #Lamen Week #Lamen Week 2022

[rockislandadultreads]

Dystopian & Apocalyptic Fiction Picks 

Docile by K.M. Szpara

To be a Docile is to be kept, body and soul, for the uses of the owner of your contract. To be a Docile is to forget, to disappear, to hide inside your body from the horrors of your service. To be a Docile is to sell yourself to pay your parents' debts and buy your children's future.

Elisha Wilder’s family has been ruined by debt, handed down to them from previous generations. His mother never recovered from the Dociline she took during her term as a Docile, so when Elisha decides to try and erase the family’s debt himself, he swears he will never take the drug that took his mother from him. Too bad his contract has been purchased by Alexander Bishop III, whose ultra-rich family is the brains (and money) behind Dociline and the entire Office of Debt Resolution. When Elisha refuses Dociline, Alex refuses to believe that his family’s crowning achievement could have any negative side effects—and is determined to turn Elisha into the perfect Docile without it.

I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane

In a United States not so unlike our own, the Department of Balance has adopted a radical new form of law enforcement: rather than incarceration, wrongdoers are given a second (and sometimes, third, fourth, and fifth) shadow as a reminder of their crime—and a warning to those they encounter. Within the Department, corruption and prejudice run rampant, giving rise to an underclass of so-called Shadesters who are disenfranchised, publicly shamed, and deprived of civil rights protections.

Kris is a Shadester and a new mother to a baby born with a second shadow of her own. Grieving the loss of her wife and thoroughly unprepared for the reality of raising a child alone, Kris teeters on the edge of collapse, fumbling in a daze of alcohol, shame, and self-loathing. Yet as the kid grows, Kris finds her footing, raising a child whose irrepressible spark cannot be dampened by the harsh realities of the world.

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

“That girl’s got more wrong notions than a barn owl’s got mean looks.”

Esther is a stowaway. She’s hidden herself away in the Librarian’s book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her—a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. Her best friend who she was in love with. Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda.

The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing. They'll bring the fight to you.

In Upright Women Wanted, award-winning author Sarah Gailey reinvents the pulp Western with an explicitly antifascist, near-future story of queer identity.

The Book of Flora by Meg Elison

In the wake of the apocalypse, Flora has come of age in a highly gendered post-plague society where females have become a precious, coveted, hunted, and endangered commodity. But Flora does not participate in the economy that trades in bodies. An anathema in a world that prizes procreation above all else, she is an outsider everywhere she goes, including the thriving all-female city of Shy.

Now navigating a blighted landscape, Flora, her friends, and a sullen young slave she adopts as her own child leave their oppressive pasts behind to find their place in the world. They seek refuge aboard a ship where gender is fluid, where the dynamic is uneasy, and where rumors flow of a bold new reproductive strategy.

When the promise of a miraculous hope for humanity’s future tears Flora’s makeshift family asunder, she must choose: protect the safe haven she’s built or risk everything to defy oppression, whatever its provenance.

This is the third volume in “The Road to Nowhere” series. 

#dystopian fiction #science fiction #lgbtq characters #queer #Book Recommendations #book recs #Reading Recs #reading recommendations #Library Books #TBR pile #tbr #tbrpile #to read #Want To Read #freedom to read #Booklr #book tumblr #book blog #library blog