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eleamaya · 4 years

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Fun with Zodiac Signs: Zack/Aerith/Cloud/Tifa

NOTE: Not really shipping related, this is just for fun I was idly doing based on tweet that came up on my timeline and people who try it are freak out of how accurate it is; even those who doesn’t really believe about personality traits from zodiac sign. This is the tweet:

So I went to “universal-tao-eproducts” and got what I copy-paste below. The sun signs are taken from their official bday. To get the moon one, you need to put your birth place in Birth Chart. I put Texas as Cloud & Tifa’s birth place for Nibelheim’s reference and the result is crazy accurate for them. I have no idea about Aerith which city in our earth similar to Icicle Inn so I pick the combination of moon sign that describe Aerith the most. As for Zack, since his bday isn’t given by SE (ugh, why?)... so this is the most accurate combination for me to headcanoning his bday^^.

AGAIN, THIS IS ACCURATE AS FUCK.

Zack Fair -- HC: Sep 23-29, 1984: Libra Sun, Sagittarius Moon (air/fire) why up to Sep 29? because he died on Sep 30

FREEDOM FIGHTER

You must have the room to believe and do, as you want. You most admire honesty, both in yourself and in others. You are never fearful to do what you think is moral or to say precisely what you feel. Your outlook is idealistic and your perspective is broad and extensive, but you may have some bewilderment when you find that others do not always match your standards of integrity or subscribe to your strange beliefs. You draw people to you with your free-spirited, courageous, and cheerful nature. Because your character is very self-governing, excitable, and restive; freedom is what you need most. You become incensed when someone tries to limit your expressive style or infringe on your way of life, even though you are even-tempered in most cases. Seeing the world through rose-colored glasses is a Libra-Sagittarian preference, so even if you believe you are always being truthful and uncomplicated in your dealings, there are times when brutal idealism stops you from perceiving the whole truth. Do not allow philosophy to rule every move or blind you to the more pragmatic parts of life just because your convictions are admirable. You like to play with abstract notions and ideas as an intellectual and details always slow you down. You prefer thinking about the infinite of surveying the universe to balancing your checkbook. Many of your lofty ideas can be put to good use in a more practical realm. Nothing is better for the Libra-Sagittarian than to go off on an African safari or an Alaskan expedition, so go ahead and book your ticket. Any sort of physical exercise is good for you. You are an idealist with love, as with all things. Fantasizing about your perfect lover is usually the start. You are a great lover and are giving, affectionate, and open. Unfortunately most of them stay stuck in your mind, just because you lack discipline. Mix it with some good old-fashioned common sense and think of what you could do with all that inspiration. The barriers have been broken before. Imagination is a very powerful aspect of your combination. Do not let your overactive mind take you off into Fantasy Land in the middle of a chat or a day at work. Fantasy is not a substitute for experience, but you admittedly you do need both to be healthy. It is likely that you feel a need to travel to faraway lands because your Libra-Sagittarius combination has a lot of restless energy and inquisitiveness.

Aerith Gainsborough -- Feb 07, 1985: Aquarius Sun, Pisces Moon (air/water)

TRUE BELIEVER

You are a very kind and helpful person and are able to identify and sympathize with almost everybody. Your innocent soul is humble, generous, and sensitive. You know the difference between right and wrong because you have an innate sense of integrity and wisdom. But your spirituality is not always synchronized with pragmatic common sense. You have no cunning or shrewdness and are completely trusting. Your faith in other is total and you would be eaten alive if other people were not so kind to you. Fortunately people never fail to respond in a positive way to your innocence. There is a dreamy look that Aquarius-Pisceans have and it seems they have just woken up and do not know where they are. This approach is used in everything, as though existence is carried on in several dimensions. If you see the entire world at once, you get mixed up because you cannot really separate the parts. It is possible a religious path might be for you because you are quite spiritual. Some Aquarius-Pisceans are even drawn to the monastic life. Furthermore, you may be especially tuned in to the occult and the mysterious. More mainstream people find this quite odd about you. Your imagination is strong and you have a very visual mental framework. Given the right motivation and teaching, you might be an artist or other creative entrepreneur. However you must acquire some direction and discipline from others to be successful. Without this, you are a ship with no rudder to guide you to your destination. You are a sponge for the stress or feelings around your environment. That is a strong influence on you. Meditating, reading, or listening to music from time to time is good for you. However, you must be careful that isolation does not take you away from involvement with others. High technology or heavy competition is not suited for you as a career. Involve yourself in a profession where you can use your compassionate and humanitarian feelings. Or perhaps think in terms of using your powerful clairvoyant skills. Because of your detached character, people might think that you are uncaring. Aquarian detachment may lead others to believe that you are not very sensitive, but the opposite is actually true.

Cloud Strife -- Aug 11, 1986: Leo Sun, Scorpio Moon (fire/water)

VACILLATOR

You relish a good battle and, in fact, if there is not a lot of competition, you feel somewhat cheated and let down. You are very motivated and determined, even though you show a playful image to the world. You probably believe that, if you ever revealed yourself, you would give your enemies an advantage, even though most of your enemies exist solely in your mind. Consequently you are very secretive in order to protect yourself. You view yourself and humanity with the greatest importance and you are a very intense Leo. Your approach is almost always a serious one. Jokes at your expense are not thought of kindly. You generally have a master plan for life, and you carefully follow it because you are purposeful, bold, and aggressive about everything. A kind of wall is built around you. You desire all the comfort, authority, and control you can get from life. You like material possessions and are sensual. Nothing can hold you back after you have set your sights on a job, toy, or romance. You go after your aims with quiet firmness, and your charisma, self-assurance, and ruthless willpower help you to get them. You have a lot of determination, fortitude, and a strong sense of purpose because both signs of your combination are fixed, but that also makes you obstinate and rigid, especially pertaining to your beliefs. It is very hard for you to accept the views or opinions of others. You are very independent and you seldom compromise. You have a very low stress threshold thanks to your rigidity. Aggression, irritation, or injured pride cannot be held in for very long and it is generally released quickly. You are obstinate and somewhat spirited. You are very insightful and astute to the ways of the world unlike most Leos. Finance, management, and business attract you, as do most things involving competition. You have probably experienced strong creative desires, however. A Scorpio Moon can inspire and assist the creative needs of the Leo Sun. You rarely follow through on those artistic desires because you are so worried about instant gratification including things such as when you might get your promotion or have your next sexual conquest. You might be the next van Gogh or Picasso if you would redirect some of those sensual drives and use some restraint. In this lifetime, when there is so much going on, your creative talents are not likely to find an outlet.

Tifa Lockhart -- May 3, 1987: Taurus Sun, Cancer Moon (earth/water)

PROVIDER

There is an insecurity and restraint about you too. This results in a person who shows an exterior that is stable, while internally there is insecurity. There is a gentle kindness in you that attracts others. You also have a charming and tactful nature to go with it. You realize that aggression does not work nearly as well as diplomacy. Handling people well is an inborn trait, as is your almost instant adaptability to situations. You seem to be on everyone’s side at the same time. You carry yourself with an air of confidence. You are controlled in your approach to life and this makes you seem secure. This combination has a Taurus side that is dedicated, motivated, and sensual. The Cancer aspect shows sensitivity along with imagination. Caution is necessary if you do not want to lose your own identity in this process of trying to please everyone. As you move on in age, do not allow yourself to become self-satisfied and smug because a big part of you is easily satisfied with your life. Push yourself beyond what you see as your limitations and this will surely help round out your life. It would be a shame to waste your numerous strong points and talents. Creativity in design or architecture are places you can showcase your wonderful imagination and artistic talents. However, professions that provide more financial security because of your Moon in Cancer attract you. Undertaking a career that is a gamble is unlikely because it goes against your basic nature. The Taurus powers of concentration and the Cancer Moon provide an ability to understand and remember what you have learned. However, you also keep a ledger grounded in emotions such that you remember every insult, rejection, threat or other circumstance for a very long time. You pout in preference to discussing your feelings of hurt or anger. You can become a cynical and sluggish person if you experience a serious emotional setback in the form of rejection. Obviously, releasing negative feelings like anger is best for you and this means expressing them openly. Aggression is almost unknown to you because you are a peaceful person. Luckily, the vast majority of people respond to you kindly because you will probably not come to your own defense. Occasionally though, it is imperative to state your views.

COMPATIBILITY & STORY RELATION

FYI, Sun Sign represent exterior self, ego---dictates what we want out of this life, how we view the world, and how we interact/express with others. Moon sign represent inner self---especially when you’re alone, a personality that is often unknown to others unless they’re so close to you and understand you on that level, reflecting emotion/feeling, desire, and fear.

Zack & Aerith’s sun sign is air; the most expressive tribe. Air sign is social butterfly, flirtatious, and they quickly drag you to their life. They are truth-seeker to put their right belief onto before action and curious about many things in the world. You also could see them externally similar as fuck and being happy couple, no need explanation, do you agree? Meanwhile, as the one who has fire element under the sun sign, Cloud has the highest ego and fiery personality upfront. You see how he alienated himself and pick up fights since kid because he thinks he’s the best of everyone. He’s also someone who hardly admit his weakness and prefer to cover it. But his exterior energy matches Zack’s inner self. His desire of what he want to become is what Cloud carries for the rest of his life and put into real action. Like the name, Earth sign, Tifa is the most grounded character and the most stable outside while Zack-Aerith-Cloud are turbulent/chaotic people.

Surprisingly, Aerith-Cloud-Tifa are emotionally similar as they all carry water element as their moon sign: sensitive, depth of feeling, private, empathetic. So they all can be compatible each other to understand feeling while Zack is the most rational one who uses mind more than heart. The difference is... As Pisces, Aerith is the most selfless. As Scorpio, Cloud is the most secretive. As Cancer, Tifa is the most nurturing. Meanwhile, Zack & Tifa has no compatibility, both of their sun and moon sign are all opposites. Story-wise, they also have no interaction other than a week in Nibelheim where Tifa guided Zack to Nibel reactor, texted him about blond SOLDIER, and he felt responsible for the incident happened to her.

PS: I also search for Barret (Dec 15, 1972) and tweet it on my Twitter account, he’s Zack’s reversion: Sagittarius Sun-Libra Moon; probably gonna do more characters!

#cloud strife #Aerith Gainsborough #tifa lockhart #zack fair #final fantasy vii #text

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eiwenmaclor · 4 years

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Supergirl prompt #3 - Prove it

[Following the list of 50 Dialog prompts]

_______________________

33. “Prove it.” - theme coffee

The conversation had flowed easily, as it would have before... well, before everything. They were trying to rebuild their relationship. Lena was burning to call Kara her friend again but was afraid to be too hasty doing so. She knew they had hurt each other. They needed to respect that in order to avoid doing it again in any way. Sometimes it seemed like they were managing fine and other times it was as if a single word could unbalance them all over again. But they were both trying and they were making progress. Kara being in her penthouse for the second time in two weeks was definitely a proof of that.

Right now, Lena was looking unimpressed at the alien in her kitchen. The reporter huffed gently, playing with her glasses. The gesture was familiar. Very Kara Danvers.

"I can do it better Lena, that's all I'm saying!"

The Kryptonian's tone might have been cocky if not for the seemingly immediate blush that came with her bold affirmation. That was endearing and exactly why it was so hard not to rush in their friendship once again. But it was also clear that Kara didn't want to overstep whatever boundary they were resetting. They were both careful, cautious. Lena really hoped that it would dissolve with time. She missed the easiness they once had. Because it had always been easy with Kara Danvers, which was an anomaly in Lena's experience with people. Never before had it been so easy. But that was the whole point wasn't it? It had been unusually easy with the reporter but it hadn't with her superhero counterpart. Now, they were one and the same and Lena had to find her footing.

In response to Kara's affirmation, an elegant eyebrow went slightly up. The point of the argument was trivial, really, but Lena was still a Luthor. True, she lacked in egomania, homicidal actions, and world domination planning but certainly not in competitive streak.

"You're telling me you can roast coffee beans better than the... I don't even know how much it costs... Better than this highly specialized machine?"

One did not graduate from the MIT, nor tried to cure cancer from a small garage, without developing a taste for good caffeine. Good being the key word here because she had learned the hard way how awful coffee could be when neglected. Early on, the genius had vowed to always care for the quality of her caffeine intake. A bad batch was out of the question. The precious beans were coming from a specific little producer –a coffee bean magician– that was environment friendly, maintained good working conditions and fair pay, and worked to impact positively the local community. A perfect match. Lena had checked. Yes, personally. And yes, Lena Luthor was home-roasting her coffee beans. Call it guilty pleasure but she had already argued that good caffeine input to her system did increase her efficiency and productivity significantly. It may have been to Sam during their university days. She may have been caffeine high at that time. And it may have included a 10 minute long talk and a well-built powerpoint. She could be extra. So what?

Lena knew her coffee and she knew that her roasting machine was the best available on the market. There was simply no way for Kara to do better. However, the Kryptonian didn't seem to be intimidated. Far from it. The blue eyes were shining with challenge and she only answered with a single but very sure nod.

Game on.

A smile came to Lena's lips.

"Prove it."

A couple of minutes later, she was entranced.

Lena didn't know what she was expecting but that wasn't it.

Maybe she should have.

Kara was on her balcony, coffee beans in a cast-iron skillet held in her hand. Gone were the glasses. Her hair was in a ponytail she had readjusted to free her face.

Oh, and she was using her heat vision on the skillet.

Yeah, that.

Lena was a few feet from the alien, fascinated. At first she had approached the scene like a moth drawn to the flame but Kara had stopped her. "The smoke can be a lot", the Kryptonian had justified softly. She was right, Lena knew it and she had taken a seat at a safe distance. She still had a perfect view of Kara's face. The concentration was obvious. Her skillet hand was doing small circles in order to roast all beans equally.

That's when it hit her.

Kara's face reflected focus but she was relaxed. It was Kara using heat vision. Not a superhero. Not Supergirl. This was Kara. The "true" Kara. Lena could see plainly how this person could be both a Catco reporter and a determined superhero. Every gesture was done with care. The blond head tilted slightly and Lena understood with a second's delay that she was listening for something. Green eyes went from Kara's face to the coffee beans and back. The crack! Kara was waiting the first crack! Lena felt something she hadn't felt in a long time outside of her lab: wonder. And excitement. The first crack was the most important event of the roasting process. It marked the point where the moisture had been evaporated from the beans. It also meant that the temperature had to be adjusted because the beans themselves would start to emit heat. Really, coffee roasting was a fascinating process. And from the first crack it was an exercise to go on with the roasting without overdoing it at the risk of losing all the initial flavors of the beans. The more Lena was thinking about it, the more she was impressed by what was happening on her balcony. After all, roasting was a delicate process and she had absolutely no idea that a power as destructive as the Kryptonian heat vision could be use with such finesse.

Kara changed her posture, interrupting Lena's musing. The hand was now moving the beans more actively and the heat coming from her eyes seemed to lessen. The crinkle of seriousness had appeared between Kara's eyebrows, which made Lena smile. The challenge was indeed taken seriously, or maybe was it Kara's love for food that morally compelled her to achieve the perfect roasting without wasting any bean? Either way, Lena found it incredibly endearing. How could she not see it? How could she refuse to reconcile both Kara Danvers and Supergirl as the same person for so long? Oh that was perfectly rhetoric. She knew how. She was hurt and experience had showed that hurt Lena was dumb Lena. A human trait really. Hurt and fear were the least reasonable emotions. But still... Looking at her right now, it was absolutely clear as day.

Finally, the heat vision receded and Lena witnessed yet another power used outside of superheroing. Freezing breath. More accurately, cooling breath here as it was not that freezing at all. Lena was observing, no less fascinated than before. It really was something else to see Kara like this. She seemed... free. Light. And when her –hopefully soon to be– friend –again– came to her, proud as a peacock, to let her see the result of her work, Lena had to use all of her control not to smile too much. She was losing a challenge after all, she couldn't be that obviously happy about it. She still had some Luthor pride or whatever to salvage. Of course, Kara saw right through it, but that was beside the point. After a totally failed and very short-lived stand-off between the smug Kryptonian and the wannabe pricky Luthor, they both laughed softly. A simple glance at the beans was enough for Lena to know they were perfectly roasted, probably somewhere between a New England and an American Roast.

"You've done it before haven't you?"

The question was soft on Lena's lips. She wanted to know without overstepping.

"Yes."

The answer was even softer than the question and Lena knew her intuition was right. There was a story there. And she wanted to know. Because that was her fri- Kara. And she had passed too much time not knowing who she was, wholly and completely. Lena's next words where imbued with awe.

"I had no idea you could do that."

Her words were received with a small amused laugh.

"Come on Lena, heat vision and freezing breath! It's not new. You already saw me using them."

Lena couldn't help but think that it was marvelous how much Kara ignored that she was incredible. She chuckled.

"Of course. I mean I didn't know you could use them like that, with that much control. I know how much precision roasting coffee needs to be done right. That's very impressive what you're doing with what you can do."

She didn't want to use the word "power" because not everything was about power and Lena was learning it.

"Oh... I mean, I kinda have to be in control all the time you know... It's not a big deal."

Lena saw Kara's nervous gesture to adjust her absent glasses fail. That was adorable in itself but more important was the alien deflecting and denying her accomplishment. Classic but not acceptable however, and Lena wasn't about to let her do it anymore.

"But it is. I can't imagine it was easy to learn that much control."

Because in her own way, Lena knew what it was like to be imposed control. To be asked for it. Growing up as a Luthor was anything but learning how to control, whether one's self or others. Control was the Luthor way. Control the way you appear and the way you are perceived, in order to better control those around you. It had been excruciating for Lena. This education had been forced upon her and years later she was still trying to put the pieces back together. To always be in control was exhausting. It probably was even more so for a sun-powered Kryptonian.

"It was difficult yeah... but the Danvers found thousands of fun ways for me to learn..."

"Like... roasting coffee beans, for example?"

Lena definitely had a smile and her eyebrows were high, daring Kara to deny it. Which she did not.

"Yeah. This idea was Jeremiah's."

There was a tenderness in the way the reporter said his name. Lena slowly put her hand on hers. The loss was still fresh in a way and Kara smiled at the gesture.

"I'd love to hear more about it. I mean, if you want to talk about it..."

Lena didn't want to seem forceful. They were still mending things after all. Kara didn't owe her anything. At least not childhood stories. But Lena wanted to know her better, fully. Something that had not been possible until now.

"I want!"

Kara being Kara, she must have understood her insecurities and her response was particularly enthusiastic, practically blurted. Very Kara-like. What was very unlike Lena was hearing herself mirroring the blurting.

"Great!"

However she was too happy to care how inarticulate she had been. Kara was looking at her with such openness and eagerness that Lena couldn't remember why she had waited that long to tell her she wanted to know her. All of her. That was, without a doubt, a big step in rekindling their friendship. Of course Kara would have been hesitant when she hadn't any reinsurance that Lena accepted her wholly yet. It was like she could feel Kara's relief. She didn't know exactly how long they looked at each other, basking in the soft realization that, yes, they would be friends again and really, they never stopped being friends. Lena finally felt the need to put some lightness before they became emotional, which was a very real risk.

With a warm smile that reflected in her eyes, she asked a simple question.

"Around coffee?"

Kara beamed.

"Perfect."

#pre read by #lea-audague #supergirl #supercorp #starring coffee beans #lena luthor #kara danvers #soft

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textsfromninjagoblog · 4 years

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⛩Dissecting the Book of Spinjitzu: Actual Stretches or Utter Bullshit?⛩

An over 600 follower special!

I haven’t seen anyone talk about the Book of Spinjitzu lately, and definitely haven’t seen many analyses’ of it so figured it’d be a cool treat to celebrate the long-since-overshot milestone!

Fair warning, like when I get into far too much detail with anything regarding the show, this could get looooong.

So for those who don’t know, the Book of Spinjitzu is a work akin to Gravity Fall’s Journal number 3 as it is the defictionalized publication of Sensei Wu’s journal. It covers events from his childhood up to season 11 and possibly beyond as the foreshadowing and world building here is top notch!

One section before the events of season 1/2 kicks off details Wu’s basic training regimen for the ninja, which is a very different list than the popular one that was circling around of Lloyd’s Green Ninja training.

It’s very interesting as it actually provides diagrams (in classic Lego art-styling of course) of various moves, from stretches to strikes.

Now I’ve been curious to see if the stretches listed are actually IRL ones in Ninjago packaging since I got the book, so that’s where we’ll start off.

(If this blows up I may do a Part 2 covering the strikes, but that could take a while as researching martial arts in relation to Spinjitzu gets convoluted very, very quickly.)

Leg Warm Up:

While at first glance this just appears to be a cheeky reference to how you move a minifigure’s legs, but nonetheless I decided to see if it was plausible.

Now, the first instruction listed here is an actual stretch, referred to as a Standing Lunge Stretch. It’s designed to loosen up something called the Psoas muscle, which is at the base of your spine and acts as a connection to the legs, as well as a stabilizer for the body’s core. Since it’s chef function is to move the hips, this is an excellent stretch for a kick and rotation heavy martial art like Spinjitzu!

(And in my reading this stretch helps counteract damage caused by looong periods of sitting so it’s also a quick way to stay ninja while in quarantine. XD)

Shockingly, the rest isn’t just describing a minifig walk cycle, but it’s actually an IRL dynamic stretch!

Specifically a Forward Leg Swing, which is designed to loosen the hamstring as well as hips. Not only does this fit in with the above as being an excellent choice for Spinjitzu, but it’s also a recommended stretch before running, which the ninja sure do a lot of!

Arm Warm Up:

Fairly simple, and once again appears to be another reference to minifig movement on the surface. But hey, the last one had an IRL equivalent so why not this one?

Here’s where things get interesting. The Arm Swing IS an IRL set of dynamic stretches, however not just with the overly simplistic instructions given here. This is only technically the first part of the set and even then not fully explained.

In the real stretch, after those movements, you swing your arms out to the side and then cross them over your torso, which works the muscles of the shoulders, back, and chest.

A very good stretch for the ninja’s line of work, but the instructions given here are truly just a tongue in cheek nod to the minifigures. Verdict? Somewhat Bullshit.

Head Warm Up:

Now this one I knew from experience was a tried and true stretch, I do it all the time! Nonetheless, I was curious about the technical side of it, as I learned it in passing from my stepdad.

In professional terms, the first set of instructions pretty much describes the IRL Side Rotation to a tee!

As for the second set of instructions? That’s a Forward and Backward Tilt, once again perfectly described!

These obviously work your neck as well as the shoulders, and it’s awesome to see something accurately taught in an unexpected place!

Hip Warm Up:

Here is one that actually looks like it could be genuine, but does it hold up?

Honestly? Not really.

In the many, many health websites I visited to research this list, most of the hip stretches were in laying positions, or involved the legs in some way. I even searched up core stretches/exercises and nothing matched!

So, in the name of science, I followed the instructions myself....and I felt absolutely nothing being stretched. It’s essentially a toned down version of when you hula-hoop, and honestly didn’t do anything even with the hands on hips version.

So I really want to call Bullshit^tm, but I swear I’ve seen athletes do this before so I’m honestly at a loss here.

The Verdict:

Overall, it looks like the author of the book managed to accurately research some information, while just kinda filling in the blanks in other areas.

What was truly impressive was that the stretches that I thought for sure wouldn’t have IRL equivalents actually did, while the one that seemed pretty tame didn’t!

In short, it was far more accurate than expected!

The book on it’s own, with no outside instructions, could provide an outlet for the kiddos of the target audience to get some energy out but for a fan expecting an actual regimen, it should be taken with a dash of salt unless you take the time to look up the moves from actual heath and fitness resources.

(IRL photos courtesy of the University of Kansas)

#ninjago #book of spinjitzu #600 followers #stretch #ninjago fsm #fsm #sensei wu #ns1 #ns2 #ns11 #rise of the snakes #rise of the green ninja #secrets of forbidden spinjitzu #fire chapter #defictionalization #journal 3

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triptychexe · 4 years

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TITLE: Initiation SUMMARY: The Trivium members receive ‘initiation’ by S.O.T and Tromme and complete three tasks in one night.

GENRE: Friendship, humor ig PAIRING: OT9, R3D OT3, BLU3 OT3, Y3LLOW OT3. WORD COUNT: 3.k WARNINGS: Swearing, initiation process (but no one gets hurt) A/N: this is the longest thing i’ve written for triptych lmao. i was thinking of breaking it up into parts but whatever. if you read the whole thing, thank you!! i hope you enjoy!

“I am not participating.” Ura frowned, crossing her arms defiantly. “I just won’t show up. If they want me there, they’re going to have to pry me from by bed.”

Van gave Ura a pout. “C’mon, they can’t do anything too bad. They’re our friends, they just want to have some fun to celebrate our debut.” “We all know that the only reason why they’re doing this to us is because Cal is annoying and they want an excuse to bully him.” Ura rolled her eyes.

“Hey,” Cal frowned.

Ura scoffed, ignoring Cal’s protesting whine. “It’s a little childish, don’t you think?” “I think you’re being a little... adultish.” Cal fumbled the fake work, his eyebrows knitting together for a second of confusion before continuing. “Plus if they’re going to roll me in honey and feathers, don’t you wanna be there to point and laugh at me?”

Ura sighed, unraveling her crossed arms. The two older groups invited them to an ‘initiation’ night at the boy’s dorm this evening after Trivium got back from their last activities for promotion. Ura thought it was bullshit, especially when she knows that neither S.O.T or Tromme have ever gone through initiation themselves. However, Van and Cal seemed to think of this as a great team bonding opportunity. Even though she didn’t want to be made a fool of in front of her new members, she also wanted to be there in case she needed to intervene to save her friends from bodily harm.

“Fine." Ura grunted. “I’ll go.”

Teo lit the last candle, shaking out the match. Around the boy’s living room were dozens of candles. The other six members sat in a semi circle in front of Trivium, all with blankets draped over their heads and shoulders.

Ura shifted uncomfortably, watching as Teo took his seat on the edge of the semi-circle, right next to Asa.

“Trivium,” Eli spoke, raising his hands. “You have completed your debut promotions successfully, ringing in new fans and opportunities for the group and the company. Even though these are great and appreciated accomplishments, you still have to pass initiation in order to be accepted by us, the founders.”

“The founders? We’re just as much of ‘founders’ as you are.” Ura arched a skeptical eyebrow. Eli lowered his hands slightly, not expecting the opposition to his statement.

Zim pushed her blanket away from her eyes. “Just go with it, Ura. We’re aiming for dramatic, not accurate.”

Ura rolled her eyes. ‘Dramatic not accurate’ might as well have been Triptych’s whole concept.

Eli continued, raising his hands back to their original height. “We have called upon the Kpop Gods to help us find the proper trials. First, you will do The Crawl to judge your strength. Then we will do The Beam of Balance, to test your agility. Then we will preform The Heist as a group, to test our compatibility.”

“Do you accept your challenge?” Yen asked, a grin under her hood.

The Crawl was kind of stupid, if you ask Ura.

The members had gathered their electronic wires and shoe laces and taped the ends of them to the walls in the hallway. You had to crawl on your stomach under the wires and string and get to the other side. The obstacle? The other members of Triptych were standing in the doorways of bedrooms with handfuls of flour, ready to pelt you with the white powder as soon as you got close enough.

The first trial was over and done with after about ten minutes. Van took the shortest amount of time, only taking about a minute to get through. Ura took about three, because she kept stopping to blink flour from her eyes. Cal took roughly six minutes because he managed to wrap a cable around his neck and needed Teo to unravel it for him.

Covered in flour and dust from the floor, the second trial began. The members had brought up two boxes and one wooden plank (that Asa said they found behind the company building after practice). The goal was to see how many ‘original’ members you could knock off the balance beam using brooms to throw their balance off.

Ura actually enjoyed this round. She was easily the one to beat out of all of Trivium. Van let Yen knock him over in the first round, earning him a collective boo for refusing to play rough with a girl. Cal was decent until Nia got on the beam and knocked him over with one good shove. Ura managed to knock down almost everyone, except for Eli, who was the last person she had to face.

The nine members collected themselves, shaking hands and resolving faux arguments about the fairness of the game. When they all calmed down, it was time to start the final round: The Heist.

Ura thought it would be another game, but she was gravely mistaken. When Triptych said a heist, they really meant it.

“We’re all going to split up into our designated color teams and sneak into the company to find some sacred HBH objects. Yellow team,” Eli announced, looking at Zim and Van. “The three of us will be stealing... Hak Bonghwa’s travel mug.” “The one with the frogs on it?” Zim clarified. “That’s the one.” Eli confirmed. “Easy.” Zim nodded.

“Blue team,” Eli turned to Asa, Yen, and Cal. “You will be stealing... HBH producer LeeBoi’s Supreme sweatshirt!” Asa, Yen, and Cal wrapped their arms around each other’s shoulders, uniting as a team.

“Red team,” Eli addressed, turning to Nia, Teo, and Ura. “You’ll be stealing... Vice’s First Win trophy.”

“Wait, why do we get the most difficult one?” Teo complained. “Just admit you’re scared of Vice and don’t want to upset them.” Asa teased. “I am not-” Teo started to protest.

“The items have been chosen from the Kpop Gods. We cannot change them.” Eli said dramatically. “The first team to collect their item and bring it back here wins!”

The corporate floor was eerily quiet at night. Van has only been called up here a few times. Once to go over his trainee contract and the other to sign his idol contract with Hak Bonghwa.

Moonlight filtered through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows of the three idol’s figures as they inched closer and closer to Bonghwa’s office.

“What are the chances that he left it unlocked?” Van asked. “High. He trusts all his workers a little too much.” Zim responded in a hushed tone.

They reached the office, which was completely dark except for the light emitting from the city lights outside. Eli reached for the door handle with his sweatshirt over his fingers, careful not to leave any finger prints. Just as they suspected, the door opened.

“Alright.” Eli straightened up. “We just got to grab the mug and we’re out of here. He probably has it in his mini fridge under his desk.” Van furrowed his eyebrows. “How’d you know that?” “He always makes himself an coffee before he goes home. He chills it over night in his minifridge so he has a coffee first thing when he gets to the office.” Eli shrugged. “He told me all about it when I was early for practice last week.”

The three idols made their way to Hak Bonghwa’s desk where the minifridge was concealed. When they ducked down to open the fridge, they were met by a small round face peering up at them.

“AH! CHILD!” Zim yelled, jumping backwards. “Shh!” The child pressed a finger to his lips. “Who the hell are you?” Eli asked, his eyes wide. “Hak Donghyun.” The boy responded matter-of-factly. “Who the hell are you?” “Language.” Eli stuck an accusing finger out to the child. “Aren’t you Hak Bonghwa’s kid?” Van asked, crouching down to the child’s level. From under the desk, Van could see that the kid set up a small campsite of blankets, video games, and mini snacks from the vending machines. “Yup.” Donghyun grinned. “You’re not supposed to be here.” “Neither are you.” Zim reminded him. “How did you get in here?” Donghyun pointed to the ceiling. The trio looked up to see a vent with the grate pushed aside. “I know all the vents. It’s helpful. You should learn them too.” Donghyun shrugged. “Anyways, my dad’s travel mug is in the fridge. Don’t touch my Gatorade supply or I’ll tell on you.”

The three idols looked between each other in disbelief, but were careful not to touch the kid’s Gatorade as they removed the frog-print travel mug from the minifridge. “Thanks, Donghyun.” Van said to the kid, who was now engrossed in a video game. “I want a signed album, though.” Donghyun looked up from his video game. “If I don’t get one by tomorrow, I’ll tell everyone you broke in and that you swore at me.” “I didn’t swear-” Eli’s eyebrows furrowed. “Deal.” Van cut his friend off. “We’ll see you tomorrow Donghyun. Have a fun night.” “Thanks. You too.” Donghyun grinned, resuming his game as the three idols left his father’s office.

“Where the fuck is it?” Yen hissed, checking behind the studio’s sofa. “Don’t tell me his musty ass finally decided to take it home to clean it.”

“Hey, Mi, relax, there’s no way LeeBoi would do laundry, that’s way too out of character.” Asa soothed his friend, coming out of the recording booth empty handed. “If it’s not in here, it’s gotta be in a locker somewhere.”

“A locker? There’s hundreds of lockers in this damn building!” Yen complained.

“We can split up?” Cal suggested. Both Yen and Asa frowned at him. “No, we should stay together. The whole point of this exercise is to build bonds with each other.” Asa reasoned. “I think the ‘whole point’ has changed to who can come in first place.” Yen disagreed, crossing her arms. "I don’t want to split up, but I also don’t want to lose to Eli. He’ll brag about it for ages.”

“Alright, so how do you wanna go about this?” Asa questioned. “I mean, isn’t the trainee floor off limits to anyone without a trainee ID?” Cal wondered. “So LeeBoi’s sweatshirt must be in a locker on the main practice room floor.”

“And knowing him, he’d probably want to take the least amount of time getting from The Dungeons to the locker. So he’s probably stored it somewhere on the third floor.” Yen hypothesized. “And LeeBoi is a pretty predicable person.” Asa nodded in agreement. “Alright, to the third floor we go.”

The trio entered the boys locker room and started opening up all the unlocked lockers. No sign of the producer’s sweatshirt. Yen was starting to get frustrated now. She flopped herself down on one of the benches and rubbed her temples.

“I can’t believe we’re going to lose to everyone. We’re even losing to Nia... Moon Yerin! This is the worst day of my life.” Yen complained melodramatically. Asa sat next to her and tried to make her feel better by cracking dumb jokes and rubbing her shoulder. Cal felt like he was intruding on a personal moment, as he felt every time Asa and Yen drifted off in their own little world like this. Feeling awkward just standing there, he took one last walk around the lockers.

Suddenly, something very strong hit his nostrils. The obnoxious cologne scent wafted into his lungs, making him gag a little. He back tracked his steps and breathed deeply. Coming from a locked locker was the unmistakable smell of LeeBoi.

“No way... Guys!” Cal exclaimed over his shoulder at the pair. “I think it’s in this locker... come smell it!”

Asa and Yen came over, pressing their noses against the metal grates in the locker door. “Holy shit, that’s gotta be it.” Yen’s eyes widened, her waterline tearing up from the stench. “But how are we gonna open the lock?” Asa questioned.

Cal’s eyes fluttered to Yen’s hairstyle; a high-risen slicked back ponytail. Yen backed away. “We’re not using my head as a battering ram.” She said sternly. “What?” Cal furrowed his eyebrows. “Bro, no. Do you have a bobby pin?”

The two gave Cal space as he worked on the lock with Micha’s bobby pin. After about three minutes, the lock finally popped open. “Dude, that was kinda hot.” Asa said under his breath in amazement. “How did you learn to do that?” Yen asked as Cal removed the lock. “I lived in London.” Cal simply shrugged. “That’s a little cryptic, but okay.” Yen blinked, opting out on asking more questions.

Inside the locker was the Supreme sweatshirt they’ve been searching for in all it’s smelly glory. Cal took it out with two pinched fingers, holding it away from him.

“Alright, let’s dip. I don’t wanna hold this sweatshirt for longer than necessary.” Cal suggested. The trio silently agreed and fled the locker room, barreling towards the elevators.

“We’re dead, we’re dead,” Teo muttered under his breath like a mantra. Ura gritted her teeth, fighting the urge to tell her group mate to be quiet. Thankfully, she didn’t have to. “Injung, chill. We’re just going to run in and then out.” Nia said, trying to sound calm.

Ura wasn’t really sure why her teammates were so worked up about breaking into Cyth’s recording studio. After looking around the trophy case in the main hall and realizing that Vice’s First Win was not there, they knew there was no where else it could be besides Cyth’s studio in the basement.

Ura let them lead the way, knowing that both of them wanted control over this situation. She didn’t mind going with the flow. There was nothing to worry about anyways-

“What are you three doing?”

The three Triptych members turned around. Walking towards them was Cyth, a coffee in his hand. He arched an eyebrow at them, taking the straw of his coffee into his mouth. “Not trying to break in, are you?”

Teo let out an anxious chuckle, instantly straightening himself up. “Haha, what? No. We wouldn’t do that.” Cyth looked between the three of them, taking a gulp of his drink. Then he let out a sigh and shook his head in disappointment. “I can’t believe it. I’m the worst senior ever. I never taught you guys how to properly sneak around the company after hours.” Cyth gestured to Nia with his coffee. “Your whole form was completely off. Your body was so tense, it gave the guilt away.” The rapper turned to Teo. “And you... what was that pained laugh, bro? I thought you only reserved that for the unfunny jokes Minho tells at company gatherings. That hurt.” Teo looked guilty, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

“The only one who didn’t look guilty was Chiayu.” Cyth gestured to the youngest member. “What are you guys trying to swipe?”

“Your First Win Trophy.” Ura responded. “Ura, don’t tell him that-” Teo started to scold. “Take it.” Cyth shrugged, walking past them to open his studio door for them. The pair followed him inside, watching as he reached up and brought down the first place trophy from a shelf above his set up.

“How long are you guys going to need it?” Cyth asked, handing it to Ura. “Only for the night. We’ll return it tomorrow.” Ura responded. “Can I ask what for?” Cyth wondered. “We’re doing initiation for Trivium.” Ura answered, ignoring Nia and Teo’s warning glances.

Cyth chuckled. “Damn, you guys are really doing the most. In that case, tell them Ura had to sneak into the studio while you guys distracted me.” Cyth said to Teo and Nia. “Make your maknae look good in front of the others.”

Ura grinned at her two members, who looked a little awestruck. She couldn’t enjoy the satisfying moment, however, because her eye caught the clock hanging above Cyth’s door. “Shit, it’s almost two! We gotta get back to the dorm.” She swore. Ura turned to her senior one more time. “Thanks for helping.” Ura nodded. “Hey, no worries, it’s all in a day’s work, being the best senior and all.” Cyth winked.

“The Kpop Gods have spoken... and the winners are...” Eli motioned for the rest of the members to create a drum roll. Everyone banged their hands against the floor.

“Team Red!” Eli cheered. Nia, Teo, and Ura wrapped their arms around each other, a victorious smile on their faces.

“No fair, we would have won if Ura didn’t side check me in the hallway!” Yen complained, showing the rug burn on her kneecap. “Isn’t that a violation of the rules?” “We never said no to inflicting rug burns.” Nia grinned smuggly. “We won, fair and square.”

“What do we win?” Ura asked curiously.

“You win...” Eli motioned for another round of drum rolls. “A free from chores coupon! You won’t have to do chores in your dorms for the next month!” Eli cheered, holding up three post-it notes with “FREE FROM CHORES - ONE MONTH - ONE TIME USE” written on them. He handed them to each member of Team Red.

“Well, this was exciting.” Nia smiled, standing up from her spot on the ground. “But we also have practice at 10am and it’s almost four now. I suggest we all get some sleep before practice.”

The members all groaned, but they rose to their feet as well. Everyone exchanged hugs and good nights before the girls left the boys dorm, heading across the hall to their own dorm.

Ura and Yen entered their shared bedroom, preparing for bed. While they were changing, Ura cleared her throat. “Hey, I’m sorry about shoving you.” She apologized. Yen grinned, shaking her head. “Don’t be. It made the game spicy.” “Spicy?” Ura frowned, not understanding her friend’s use of slang. Yen shook her head. “Give it a couple of weeks and you’ll be talking like me too.” Yen promised. “All my friends do eventually.”

With the promise of finally belonging, Ura was able to drift off peacefully that night, thanking herself for agreeing to partake in initiation after all.

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nikkzwrites · 5 years

Text

Is it Too Late to Tell You | Reader x Conner | Detroit Become Human OneShot |

TW: Death

You lounged on the couch and tried to write more on your thesis for your doctorate. You were working in genetic engineering and were trying to find a quick healing” solution. Sadly, since your father’s information got leaked to the general public for being an engineer and designer for some of the androids. So now you had to stay generally confined to the luxury apartment that your father and you lived in. You let out a sigh as you stretched. It was becoming generally pretty boring in your home. Someone had to be hired to walk your dog. You had all your food and groceries delivered. You were only allowed on the balcony for short periods of time. You missed the outdoors. You missed going through Detroit.

The door opened. Your red fawn Anatolian Shepherd lifted her head and wagged her tail. You poked your head over the sofa knowing it was safe. Your father had walked in through the door with a tired smile. He opened the door again and called to someone outside that you couldn’t see. “RK800, you can come here. This is going to be your new home,” You heard him say in his father tone.

You placed your laptop down and knelt on the cushion so that you could see who your father was talking to. You spied a young man with brown hair and brown eyes stride in. He had a nice non-threatening face. You smiled and asked, “So Dad, are you going to introduce me to tall and handsome with you?” You lay your head on your arm. You giggled at yourself and your forwardness.

“Oh,” Your father commented. He looked back between the man and you. He laughed at himself and rubbed the back of his neck, “Uh… My team and I hadn’t thought of a name yet. I guess you can name his line if you’d like. It is customary for the model to be named by the person who they are helping and assisting.”

You rested your chin back onto your arms so that you looked at him properly, “Hm…” You slid off the comfortable miniature home within your home. You strolled over to the man you now realised was an android. His eyes watched you as you studied him. You smiled at him and asked, “What name would you like?”

“I do not have a preference for what you call me. I simply am here to comply with orders,” The man replied.

You giggled and said, “Well you have to have a name. If you don’t, then we can never truly get to know each other Conner.”

The man tilted his head, “Conner?”

You nodded, “Yes. Lady likes you. So, the name fits you.” You smiled and patted his hand.

Your father addressed Conner and said, “Well Conner, as I was telling you in the car, I want you to make sure my daughter is safe and I know she has been getting lonely. So please be a companion for her.”

You laughed at your father and turned to Conner. “Don’t listen to him,” you smiled at him, “You don’t have to do anything you do not want to do Conner.”

Conner tilted his head. He blinked for a second. His LED became yellow as he processed, “But...I am just supposed to complete my objectives.”

You smiled at Conner. “Yes. I guess that is what they intended,” You held his hand.

A few days later, you woke up and groaned. You elongated your muscles and sighed. You blinked hearing a slight shuffle next to you. Your head turned to see Conner standing with a tray of food for you. You sighed and asked, “Conner, what are you doing?”

“I prepared breakfast for you,” Conner answered your question promptly. He looked at you. Upon seeing your confused expression, he explained, “I was researching common requests of owners of domestic androids. This is surprisingly very high among them.” He placed the tray in your lap and sat in his chair next to your bed.

You deadpanned for a second. Your face clearly annoyed. You shook your head and tried to explain again, “Conner. Please don’t do things unless you expressly want to do them. You are here to be my friend-”

“And guardian,” The robotic man interrupted.

“Which means that you do not have to act like a servant if you don’t want to.”

Conner shook his head, “I have no opinion either way. I’m just supposed to make sure you are not lonely, healthy, and safe. Having a balanced breakfast in a relaxed manner is very important to your health. After this, I actually prepared a morning exercise routine for you. Right now it isn’t much, but that is because you have not exercised in-”

“Do not comment on how much a woman exercises, Conner. That is very rude,” You smiled as you corrected him, “But thank you for all your hard work and dedication.” You saw Conner adding a note of what you corrected him on in his memory.

“So what would you like to do today,” He asked.

“I plan on doing whatever you had planned for me today.”

The android blinked, “I thought you said that it was rude-”

“I know what I said Conner,” You addressed his concern, “But I still plan to do what you so lovingly designed my day to be today.”

“I wouldn’t say lovingly. I only did what I was assigned to do,” Conner explained.

“I know. That was hyperbolic.”

Conner further explained, “The most accurate term would be dutifully.”

“Thank you Conner,” You laughed and finished the food he had brought for you to eat. It was very well balanced. You were going to have to give him your favorite meals soon. His menu was almost too perfectly healthy for your taste buds.

Panting, you stop to take your breath. You doubled over from exhaustion. Your android companion jogged up next to you. He leaned down to meet you and asked, “Are you alright? By my calculations, we should have stopped sooner for you to rest at a more optimal time of exercising.” He took a deep breath to make you feel better. He rested his hand on your back and asked, “Do you need to walk the rest of the way? It seems like you pushed yourself too hard.”

You shook your head as an answer to him. You took your time catching more of your breath before verbally replying him. “I am fine. I can continue. Just give me a minute.”

Conner nodded and stood up straight. He pulled you up with him and lifted your arms above your head. “This will maximize your oxygen intake,” He explained before you had time to ask, “If we are to continue, I suggest we walk for a bit with you like this before you overexert yourself again.” He let his hands linger on your arms before pulling away. The android took a brush and redid your hair to make sure none of it was hitting your neck too much. He, then, took out a cool towel and wiped the nape of your neck down to the extension of your shoulders.

You closed your eyes and breathed out, “Thank you Conner.” You let your arms relax at your sides again. You held out your hand, “Please?” You pointed to the towel.

Conner blinked and handed it to you. He watched as you wiped your face and arms. “Would you like me to get there as well next time,” He asked as you gently handed him the towel back.

“I can do it,” You assured him as he placed the towel back into a containment tube and back into the backpack. You smiled at him and asked, “Do you want me to carry the bag next time?”

He shook his head and gave you a bottle of water, “It would be too heavy for you. Next time, we can get you a water bottle holder and a small fanny pack if you’d like.”

You took a sip and nodded to him, “Anything that makes this a little bit more fair.”

Conner chuckled and said, “This is nothing to me. Please don’t worry so much about me.”

You shook your head and said, “Never Conner. I will always worry about you.”

When you two arrived at the square, you stopped jogging and took a small break to sit on a bench. Conner walked over to you and stood in front of you, “After you are done resting, I can call a taxi to bring us home. You did well today, exceeded my expectations.”

You laughed, “Thank you. Can we walk around here first? I want to buy you some work out clothes and just go look around the shopping center. Is that okay?”

Conner nodded, “That is absolutely fine.” He checked the time in his systems. He, then, commented, “We should also get you lunch while we are here.”

You nodded as you stood up. You linked arms with his and smiled. You walked through the stores with a bright smile and pulling him into stores so that he could try on clothes.

“I do not have a need for these things. I have my uniform,” he tried to argue with you.

Your head made the international understanding of no, “You may not need it, but it would be nice for you to have clothes you can wear whenever you want.” You picked out some white, black, and blue outfits. You picked out some work out outfits, some everyday outfits, and another suit. You went and found some matching pajamas in blue with white and black accents. They were built to be matching so you got yourself, your father, and Conner a pair. You got both your and your father’s initials on the corresponding pajamas. You also got Conner’s full name embroidered on the chest pocket and left cuff. You made sure to order this while Conner was in the dressing room. After he tried on the clothes and your surprise was on order, you both walked towards the food court for you to get some food to eat.

Conner smiled and said, “Thank you. This is very sweet of you to go through all of this for me.”

You ate your meal a little bit and smiled. “Hey Conner,” You scooped a bite onto your fork and said, “Open.”

Conner was taken aback, “Wh-What are you doing?”

You giggled and said, “I want to see if you like this.”

Conner sighed and opened his mouth. He has since learned not to argue because he knew he was going to lose. He let you put the bite in his mouth and hummed imitating the way you eat.

You laughed and exclaimed, “Conner!” You blushed and covered your face a bit to hide your embarrassment.

Conner tilted his head concerned, but then smiled seeing how bright your face was. “What did I do,” he asked.

“It was just cute,” You softened and sighed. You finished up your food and went back home to go relax with your friend.

A few days later, you and Conner got into a routine. It was amazing being able to spend time with someone and see the impact of your life together. Conner was still Conner, but he was becoming more confident with himself and his place with things. In fact, Lady had started to go and cuddle with him instead of you. It was so wonderful to see him feeling like he could be at home. That morning the both of you got up and cooked breakfast. Then you went for your morning jog. You interrupted the jog to go and pick up your surprise package. Conner waited for you outside of the store, per our request, so that it could keep a surprise. When you walked out, you noticed a man talking to Conner. You overheard the comment, “Oh, are you also waiting for your wife?” You blinked, then realised he thought Conner was human due to the hat he was wearing hid his LED.

Conner blinked for a second and said, “No, I am waiting for my-”

“Hey Conner,” You called jogging up. You wanted to quickly intercept the conversation before it got into bad territory. You turned to the man and said, “I’m sorry. We have to head out. We are late getting home and our dog will worry.” You pulled Conner up and waved a farewell to the man.

Once away from him, Conner looked down to you, “He didn’t know I was an android.”

You shook his head, “No. He didn’t.” You slipped the package into your backpack and jogged with him back home. Once home, you both greeted Lady. You split ways once fully inside and shoes off. You walked to your bathroom to shower and Conner walked to the kitchen to make the two of you lunch. You let yourself have a cool shower to soothe your heated skin and to wash the sweat off your body. You walked out of the bathroom when you were ready. There was food on the table for the two of you and Conner had changed into the suit you had bought for him. You sat across from Conner to eat.

Conner looked at you with a small smile. His face almost conveyed shyness and awkwardness. “I,” Conner started. He paused to gather himself up more, “Would you like to dance with me?”

After eating, Conner stood and strode over to your side of the table. He bowed and held his hand out to you. You smiled up at him and took his hand. He took it and held it into a comfortable waltz position. When you stood to meet him, Conner slid his hand to the small of your back. He sighed happily and smiled at you. You looked up at him and said, “I am sorry in advance. I never really learned how.”

Conner gently brushed the hair out of your face, “It’s alright. I will teach you.” He took a moment to evaluate and to create the perfect flow of events. He focused back onto you and nodded confidently, “Yes, please follow my lead.”

“Of course,” you responded with a small nod. You followed as he lead you through the steps. You were amazed at how well he could dance and move. He kept the both of you in perfect sync. You smiled and leaned into him. You rested your head on his chest. It was disconcerting at first that he didn’t have a heartbeat, but you quickly got over it by looking back up at him. You smiled after a while of dancing and pulled away.

Conner looked concerned, “Di-Did I do something wrong?”

You shook your head. You kissed his synthetic cheek and smiled at him. You asked him, “Conner, please wait here.” You turned away and went to grab the present. You handed it to him and said, “Please go try this on.”

Conner looked down at it. He smiled and shook his head. He sighed contently and looked up at you. “Only because you asked so politely,” He smirked.

When he disappeared to put his on, you snuck away to put on your matching set on. You heard Conner emerge faster than you. He called for you. You walked back saying, “Conner, you can try to be patient.” Your shirt still needed to be fully buttoned.

Conner froze for a second. He simulated swallowing hard and turned his face in embarrassment. He still walked over to finish helping you button your top. “You could have told me you were still changing,” He gently smiled down at you.

“But that would have ruined the surprise,” you concluded. You took a step back and spun for him to see that he and you matched. “I also got one for my father,” You added.

Conner gently rubbed your cheek with his thumb, “That is perfect. Thank you.”

It was about a week later that the three of you got a family photo in the matching pajamas. The photographer had no problems getting some perfect shots. All of you were all smiles and laughing.

You and Conner were cuddling on the sofa in your matching pajamas when your father came in. You greeted your father nonchalantly. He laughed and commented that Conner was spoiling you too much. The two of you had become lazy.

Conner chuckled and said, “Today was a cheat day.”

You nodded and concurred with him, “We just wanted to catch up on some shows that we were missing.” You leaned over Conner’s lap to talk to your father.

Your father laughed again, “Next thing I know, you have convinced him to sleep in your bed with you.”

You and Conner looked at each other and remained silent. He, then, spoke up and said, “She got freaked out having me just sitting in a chair watching her every night. So instead, I lay with her so that if she wakes up, it isn’t as alarming.”

“Keep telling yourself that Conner,” Your father waved and walked up the stairs to go to his room, “At least I don’t have to worry about surprise grandchildren.”

After a little bit, you two also decided to turn in for the night.

The day Conner was officially was marked deviant was a day you’d never forget. The two of you were on your routine jog when you past the Cyberlife office. You shook your head as a riot had formed in front of it. You were just going to pass it up until you saw one of the protesters attack an android. You couldn’t help it. You turned to Conner and said, “Conner, please go grab an officer. I’m going to help the man getting abused over there.” You jogged over to go help the android. You pushed the protester beating him up and said, “You need to stop. He wasn’t doing anything to you.” You reached and helped him up. You tried to calm him, “It’s oka-”

The android tried to interrupt you, “Please Ma’am wat-”

You turned to see the protester you pushed reach to hit you. Before you or he could react, Conner appeared between you and the attacker. He grabbed the man’s arm and said, “Please do not harm her. She is very important to me. I am going to advise you to stop your attack at once.” Conner started to twist the man’s arm.

“Conner,” You screamed pulling him out of his rage. He let go of the man and shook his head.

“Is everything alright,” An officer intervened.

The rest of that day was uneventful until the night. You heard a rustle in the house. Both you and Conner shot up out of bed. Conner quickly ran downstairs. When you reached the part of the stairwell to see into the common areas of the house, you watched as Conner shot. You screamed as the protester from before lay dead and bleeding onto the floor. Conner looked up, saw you, and ran to you. You two clung to each other. Conner eased you to the floor as you cried. It wasn’t long before the swat team arrived to assess the situation. Your father also came home early as the team and Cyberlife decided it was best to take Conner away. You kissed him assuring him everything would be fine and that he would be back with you soon.

He never came back. In fact, you saw a Conner later working within the police. You rushed to him only to find that his memories with you had been erased. That night, you mourned even harder about your loss.

You watched on the screen seeing the Android Protests. You smiled happily until you saw the military and police needlessly firing upon them. You threw on a jacket and ran down to the statute towards where they were walking.

Conner’s lips trembled. He held his head and shook it. He felt faded memories of love and rage hitting him. He turned to listen to the familiar voice calling to him. He saw the face that kept flashing into his head. He whispered your name.

“Conner! Watch out,” You dived to push him down as a bullet came to hit him. It easily tore through you. Everyone watched horrified as red blood splattered instead of blue.

Conner flipped the two of you panicked. He held you close, “Wh-Why did you do that? You were supposed to stay safe. You had everything to look forward to.” He started to cry. He slammed his forehead into yours.

With your last moments in your body, you laughed, “It doesn’t mean anything if I couldn’t have you.” You closed your eyes and took your last breath with Conner’s lips pressed against yours.

After the protest was over and everyone was free, Conner met up with Hank. He gave his police partner a hug as they talked. It wasn’t long after that when he was dragged back into his mindscape. Instead of it being winter like he had last left it, it was a beautiful spring again. He blinked and took the bridge to the middle island. He couldn’t believe what he saw.

You turned back to face Conner with a huge smile, “I love you.”

#conner x reader #detroid become human #detriot become human #detroit: become human #detroit: connor #rk800 x reader #conner rk800 #dbh rk800 #dbh connor #dbh conner x reader

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canyouhearthelight · 5 years

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The Miys, Ch. 18

Happy 2019, Everyone! While 2018 was a rough one in a lot of regards, I am always thankful that it is the year that I really got going on this story. I really want to thank everyone who has been following this far, and I hope to keep you all engaged in the year to come. One of my goals for the year (I do not do resolutions) is to post at least 2k words each week for this story, without interruption. Wish me luck!

Shoutout in this chapter goes to @werewolf2578, because this is the chapter where we first mention her character Grey Hodenson. Don’t worry, I’m not finished with Zach Khan yet, by a long shot!

“We need a swimming pool.” All eyes turned to my sister as she stared into nothingness, a contemplative look on her face as she took a sip of her wine. This week, family dinner was in her quarters, and we had been discussing task allotment just a moment earlier. Tyche’s statement had come quite suddenly, and out of nowhere.

“I’m definitely for that idea, but where in the world did that come from?” I asked.

“I miss swimming,” she stated firmly. “I can’t be the only one. Additionally, a swimming pool would provide additional work for those who have no assigned tasks, allow exercise for those on the ship with mobility restrictions, and a lot of people find it very relaxing.”

Arantxa hummed thoughtfully, seeing the connection to the previous discussion. “Also, it would be a communal activity, of which we are actually sorely lacking onboard. We had an overwhelmingly positive response to the international food bazaar for Insert Winter Holiday of Choice, and feedback did indicate that a significant portion of that was due to the community aspect of it.”

“I don’t know if we have the resources for it, honestly, and it depends on the scale. You have to remember, we are essentially on a life raft. It’s a rather spacious and luxurious one, but still,” I pointed out.

Conor tugged his ear, then glanced up at the ceiling. “Noah. Do we have the resources for a swimming area? Any size, mate. Just on a lark.”

The buzzing voice filled the room with a sigh before responding. “Yes, Human-Conor, we have sufficient resources to construct a swimming area – “ We started cheering, only to be cut off when it continued “ – provided such an area were, indeed, confined to fit on the surface of the Terran avian you spoke of.”

This elicited a round of groans. “Noah, that was a terrible pun.”

“Wisdom, I did not mean it in a humorous way. Conor inquired if the ship had sufficient resources to construct a swimming area of any size, limiting the parameters to have it fit on a bird.”

“You cannot be serious. I know you understand figures of speech, you use them all the time. ‘On a lark’ indicates that the suggestion is hypothetical.”

“While I do understand Terran idioms at times, those times are limited to when I am physically present.”

Tyche and I perked up considerably at this information, while Conor, Arantxa, and Antione simply looked confused. Obviously, they did not read much science fiction in the Before. “Can you explain that, Noah, so that everyone in the room better understands? Soph and I have an idea what you’re talking about, but I want to make sure.”

“Gladly, Tyche. When we speak as we are now, you are speaking to one of several bodies that are permanently stationed in the communications and control room, for monitoring remote inquiries. Because we are not physically present where you are, communication is limited to audio-only, with no neuro-pheromonal component. As such, we are only hearing translations. In both your and your sister’s quarters, I am also provided a translation of facial expressions so that I may take into account data provided via body language, to ensure more enriched understanding.

“When one of my bodies is physically present, however, there is the added layer of neuro-pheromonal communication, which allows me to pick up information that you are not providing directly and communicate most accurately with you. At these times, I am able to utilize body language you understand, interpret idioms, and recognize strategic falsehoods.”

“So, psychic taint is what you’re saying,” I summed up for the room.

“It is not telepathy, Wisdom. We have spoken on this.”

“She did sum up in two words what you just needed several minutes to explain,” Antoine pointed out. “You also have a sense of humor when you’re actually with us.” This last part was directed at the ceiling.

“What I don’t understand,” I continued, jumping on something I had noticed on several occasions, “You still communicate mentally with Tyche when you’re remote.”

“No they don’t,” my sister corrected me, looking confused.

“Horse shit,” I laughed. “I’ve seen you do it.”

As if to prove my point, my sister tilted her head thoughtfully, then made a face like someone just explained something to her. “I guess it does look like we are communicating mentally,” she conceded. “I’m sub-vocalizing, actually. In response, they communicate directly into my translator, with no perceptible sound, kind of how it works when Derek signs to someone. You don’t actually hear what he is saying, but your translator still provides it.” She tapped her temple for emphasis.

Conor’s face screwed up in confusion. “What do you mean, sub-vocalizing?”

I could only shrug, since I had no context to explain it. Tyche glanced at me, then clarified. “It depends on how you think. Some people think in bursts of information, or in pictures, or in abstractions. Others think in whole concepts, all in one part, like an egg. Then, you have people whose internal thoughts are just parallel internal dialogues, full sentences, like they are speaking to themselves in their head. The last one is subvocalization. Some people do it naturally, like me or Soph over there – one of the signs is being a naturally fast reader, actually, because you are reading at the speed that your internal thoughts go. Other people learn to do it, usually because they have to communicate through sign language. Which is how Derek can still communicate with the Miys when he is in his quarters, despite the fact that his rooms have absolute minimal monitoring and no video to pick up sign language. Arantxa, you could do the same thing, if you wanted.”

Both my eyebrows launched up toward my hairline as I turned to my friend and assistant. She wrinkled her nose slightly, “I am fluent in both ASL and BSL.”

“You don’t even speak English!”

She shrugged elegantly. “Concepts are concepts, and those were the most prominent sign languages. It helped in my role as an ambassadorial adjunct if we had no need to find an interpreter on short notice.”

“So, we’ve established that we need to be more literal when we are speaking to the Miys remotely, that the translators are calibrated to pick up internal dialogue, and that our lovely Basque compatriot speaks sign language fluently,” Connor recapped. “But that does not answer the first question, mate. Do we, hypothetically, have the resources to make a swimming area of any size on the Ark?”

Oh, right. We had really gotten off track.

“The resources exist, but not the space, Conor.” Tyche burrowed her head into Antoine’s shoulder and groaned loudly in dramatic disappointment as he tried to suppress a laugh at her behavior. “However, may I make a suggestion?” the Miys continued.

“Please do,” I rested my chin on my folded hands, curious.

“There is already a rather large area set aside for aquatic testing, in attempts to adapt non-predatory species to Kepler 442b, much like Conor’s aeroponics experiments. It is a rather significant volume of water, and the Council may be able to persuade the scientists to allow the area to serve dual purpose for what you are asking. My understanding of humans is that you will swim in any body of water that is not immediately dangerous to you, along with some that are, so it may be beneficial for the testing that the researchers understand how the species react to this inevitable event.”

That was actually a rather devious suggestion. “How did none of us know about this?” I asked, incredulously.

“Experimental research areas fall under the purview of Councillor Hodenson, I believe,” the Miys replied. This was actually a very good point. While I served as a member of the Council, it was mostly in a capacity geared towards interpersonal interaction and social health – like Human Resources and Recreation all in one. Grey Hodenson, on the other hand, was a researcher first, foremost, and always. That they were the Council member who oversaw all of the research bays was the most logical use of their talents.

“Conor should still have known,” Arantxa pointed out, turning to look at him.

He held his hands up defensively. “I’m not actually a researcher, remember? I volunteer, I hang out in the aeroponics bay, but at the end of the day, I’m in structural engineering. Engineering is under Councillor Huynh.”

“That’s fair,” Tyche agreed.

I, however, suppressed a shudder. Giang Huynh was a brilliant man, both creative and logical, but he had a tendency to see people as just another type of building block: maximum function with minimal resources. In all of our interactions, I spent most of my time trying to temper his tendency to forget that people needed more to life than work. Any compromise Huynh and I were able to reach was usually the result of a massive shouting match, but also inevitably garnered unwavering support from the rest of the council. The idea of rambunctious, fun-loving Conor reporting up to someone like that made me feel very defensive of my friend.

Pushing the thought out of my mind, I started thinking everything through out loud. “So, since need for construction would be minimal at most, Councillor Huynh should not have any objections. Grey will likely jump at the chance for the new data on how the adapted aquatics react once humans start invading their habitat, so that’s three out of six of the Council who we can probably count on to pass it. Who can we see needing the most persuasion?”

After a brief exchange of glances between her and my sister, Arantxa nodded firmly. “Xiomara Kalloe, Councilor for Safety. She takes her role very seriously, and will try to poke holes in it every which way possible to ensure something of this scale is as safe as possible. It was not an issue for the food bazaar, but swimming means drowning, watercraft, etc.”

I shook my head, “No. No watercraft. We want a swimming area, not an amusement park. Floating platforms for diving, maybe, but nothing mobile that requires technology to move. If we can’t swim it out, row it, or just float it around, it’s a no-go. As for the rest, I’m going to go to Xiomara first, before even presenting this to the Council.”

“You’re going to do it, aren’t you?” Tyche asked mischievously.

When I nodded enthusiastically, Antione looked between us curiously. “For those of us not sharing your psychic sister-bond, what is ‘it’?”

My sister and I shared a predatory grin before I conceded the floor to her with a sweeping gesture. “It is one of Soph’s more… insidiously persuasive tactics. Pretty much the only time she manipulates people for personal gain, actually. Fortunately, she doesn’t use it for evil.” She gave a mock-shudder before going on. “She always tackles challenges head-on, right? Well, that works for most stuff, but when it’s a person, not so much. So, she comes at it sideways instead. Goes to the person who is going to be her obstacle, tells them what she wants to do, lays out all the risks and rewards involved – specifically as many risks as she can see them pointing out. Then, she asks their opinion on how to minimize those risks, along with any other ones they see. She doesn’t try to outthink them; instead, she lets them defeat themselves by asking them politely to find problems, fix them, and when she’s done, they can’t have any objections, right? After all, they themselves already poked and patched it. And, voila, the enemy is her staunchest ally, the dragon defeated itself, and they don’t even know the battle took place.”

Three sets of wide-eyed faces turned to where I was sitting back, sipping my wine innocently.

“There’s a reason so many people like her,” Tyche laughed.

“And this actually works?” Arantxa asked carefully.

“The vast majority of the time,” I confirmed.

“And no one has figured it out yet?”

“Oh, they usually figure it out, eventually. But by then, they usually just feel like they’re in on the joke when I do it to someone else. Worst case scenario, they at least admit that it was much more effective than if I tried arguing.”

“That must take a lot of confidence to pull off,” Antoine pointed out, somewhat skeptical.

“Actually, it takes the opposite,” I corrected. “It takes absolute humility to do it. And it has to be genuine, you can’t just fake being humble. Which is why this is the best way to handle this: I’m not dumb enough to think that we can predict every objection Councillor Kalloe will come up with, nor how exacting she will be in wanting to fix it. Why dither around, present the idea, go back, try to fix it, over and over and over? Instead, I can just go to her privately, ask her to tear it apart, and then just have her tell me exactly how she would like it fixed. It isn’t false flattery, it’s deferring to her expertise.”

Arantxa nodded in conviction. “Well then, let us go convince the dragon to slay herself.”

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#the miys #humans are weird #science fiction #humans are space orcs #earth is space australia #scifi #fiction #writing #original #aliens #apocalypse

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anneapocalypse · 5 years

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[RvB 17.11] Stagnation

FIRST Spoilers

In isolation, Carolina’s Labyrinth scene was not out of character or inconsistent or objectively bad; however, cumulatively it is emblematic of the stagnation in Carolina’s writing since season 13. It undeniably resonates with viewers—but I deeply dislike what it represents and I’m going to talk about why.

So to begin, and to try and give this episode a fair shake, here’s what was good about Carolina in the Labyrinth.

Jen Brown kills it as always. It is no mystery that this scene resonates with people. There is a lot of emotion in it and Jen is a fantastic voice actor who always digs deep and does the best possible work with what she is given. Better than what she is given, in many cases.

Carolina’s self-hatred is, I think, evident in her character as far back as season 10 if you look at all beneath the surface level. I’ve said before that her actions make a lot more sense when viewed through that lens than if you look at her as simply competitive, and at this point I don’t think that’s a particularly radical statement. That self-loathing is given a particularly raw and painful manifestation here.

Carolina’s encounter is also the most on-the-nose representation of what the Labyrinth actually does: it seizes upon a person’s most negative emotions and reflects them again and again, further distorting them each time, until its victim succumbs to despair. The explicit, stated function of the Labyrinth is to drive its victims to suicide, which is dark even for this show. But given that function, it makes sense that the Labyrinth would seize upon the root of Carolina’s most self-destructive impulses.

I would also like to propose a theory that probably wasn’t authorial intent but which I think makes this whole thing read… if not well, at least better. It is already obvious to fans of Carolina that the Labyrinth’s representation of Freelancer Carolina isn’t truly her, and does not accurately represent what she was like in Freelancer. Others have said as much. But I would argue that “present” Carolina isn’t truly herself here either, because she both is not how past Carolina describes her, and says things about her past self that are untrue. Neither of them are real. The real Carolina is an observer in this scene, as we are, and the Labyrinth is subjecting her to two distorted versions of herself, both of them speaking lies.

Like I said, this probably wasn’t the intent, but it’s the only way this scene even begins to work.

Which is a pretty good segue into how it doesn’t.

“I feel so much rage when I look at you,” Carolina says to her past self. “You know that? You prioritize yourself over everything. You’re going to get people killed. Heck, you’re going to kill people. And they won’t always deserve it. Dad won’t love you more if you keep winning. He can’t. He died when Mom died. And you’ll bury him. Your competitive streak stops. I’m demanding it.”

“Oh,” says past Carolina, “you’re done? Okay. You got pretty talkative! No need for the lecture. I can read your whole shitty life from your whiny tone of voice.”

“Oh, you think you’re so—”

“Directionless? Scared? No. No, actually I—” Past Carolina laughs viciously. “I feel great. Weird to hear all that from you, though. Let me unpack this. You’ve now tasted defeat, I’m assuming, and you were—aw, sad? For a while?” Her tone grows taunting. “And you want people around as crutches in case you trip again. When have I ever—think about it!—ever allied with someone I didn’t need? A friend in a high place. A bolt hole. A wing man. To forget how to utilize people is to forget yourself. Forget me. And frankly, that’d be damning enough, but you went further. Carolina, you stripped away what comes without thought. What’s instinctual. Your passion. What greater betrayal is there? You’re not you anymore.”

So let’s unpack this. First of all, how much of what the two Carolinas say is true?

It’s worth noting that it’s present Carolina who immediately goes on the offensive here, spitting venom at the image of her past self before that image has even spoken. And the things she says… “You’re going to get people killed. You’re going to kill people.”

So what is she talking about? Who did Carolina get killed by being competitive? Who did she kill?

If she’s talking about enemy targets that weren’t who she believed they were… I mean, yeah, they didn’t deserve it, but Carolina was acting as a soldier under orders and her being less competitive wouldn’t make those any less her orders.

Is she talking about the other Freelancers? Because… Carolina didn’t get them killed. North, South, York, Wyoming, Florida—none of them were killed by or because of Carolina’s competitiveness. The only one you could really ascribe to her actions is Maine, and there is a case to be made that Carolina gave up Sigma as much to prove she didn’t need an AI as to help Maine after his injury—but that act was based on such incomplete knowledge that to call it a direct result of Carolina’s competitiveness is a stretch. Furthermore, this argument always seems to ignore the fact that if Maine hadn’t gotten Sigma, someone else would have, and while we don’t know how Sigma might have behaved with a different host, it’s hard to imagine it ending without casualties regardless.

Are we talking about Biff? Because… we’ve been over this, but Carolina didn’t kill Biff, and Biff also didn’t die because Carolina was competitive. Biff’s death was an accident; even Tex, who threw the flagpole Carolina deflected, wasn’t intentionally aiming at Biff, though it does seem like she (or someone else inside that helmet, more likely) must have realized she was throwing it with lethal force. Had Carolina been less determined to win that particular match, there’s no reason to assume Tex (and Omega) would’ve dialed back their own aggression.

We also have evidence from other bits of canon that sim trooper deaths during training exercises were disturbingly common within Project Freelancer—a fact not one of the agents, not even Good Guy Do the Right Thing York, are ever shown objecting to.

Let’s look at what past!Carolina says about herself.

“When have I ever—think about it!—ever allied with someone I didn’t need?”

CT.

You know, that person everyone forgets about when they’re trying to make a case for Carolina being purely self-serving.

I wrote about this one a long time, ago, but for a refresher: the first time we ever see Carolina question the Director’s orders is when he says that CT is an “acceptable loss.” Carolina embarks on that mission with full intent to disregard that order and try to bring CT in alive, despite that fact that doing so will be far more difficult and offers her no personal gain whatsoever and in fact results in her failing the mission. And while Carolina’s motives in the briefing with the Director may be subtle, her intent on the mission itself is not. The first thing she does upon catching up to Tex is to remind her that they only need the armor. And when she tries to pull Tex back from the killing blow, she explicitly, verbally, objects to Tex killing CT, and even knowing that they have failed the mission and that she will take the blame, Carolina still chastises Tex for what she’s done. This is not just subtext. This is text.

And this is not the only instance of Carolina caring about her teammates. The haste with which she calls for medics when York is injured in training, the offer on the Sarcophagus mission to come to Team B’s aid instead of going after their objective, the “No!” she screams out when Maine gets shot—none of these are the behaviors of a person who is only out for herself at everyone else’s expense.

Freelancer Carolina is not characterized as a ruthless lone wolf who disregards her teammates except when they can benefit her. Not matter how much certain corners of the fandom prefer to read her that way.

But all right. It’s the Labyrinth. It’s a distortion. It’s not supposed to be real. It’s amplifying Carolina’s worst feelings about herself.

Still, that distortion is meant to be reflective of something real. It certainly seems to be so for other characters.

So which of the above would Carolina likely blame herself for?

Well… we actually have canon on how Carolina feels about most of the above.

In season 13, Carolina apologizes to Sharkface for what she and her team did to his squad. “I’m sorry,” she says. “We were on one side of the fight, and you were on the other. We thought we were the good guys. I’m sorry.”

Let’s unpack that for a hot second. In this short line, Carolina:

expresses genuine remorse for what she took part in.

acknowledges that she acted on false information, and by extension, that not everything was her fault.

Season 13 Carolina knew that not everything was her fault.

Let’s go back even further.

In present day season 10, Carolina has a couple of vulnerable moments in which she states her motivations outright. And a large source of that motivation for getting revenge on the Director is the suffering and death of her teammates. She tells Epsilon:

Church, the Director's still out there somewhere. And I need to find him. Not just for what he did to me, but for what he did to York, and to Wash, to Maine, the twins, to all of them.

Even earlier in season 10, when Carolina stands with Wash inside the wind power facility, she says, “Poor Maine,” expressing sorrow over what happened to her teammate. When Wash says, “Carolina, it wasn’t your fault,” she says, “But it was my AI.” There is regret here, obviously, and I think in that statement in particular is no small trace of survivor’s guilt. Carolina knows full well that had she not given Sigma to Maine, the Meta might well have been her.

But that’s not all she says. She goes on voice her suspicions that the Director, at the very least, could have been aware of the dangers of the implantations. That he acted recklessly in his “little experiments.” She places that blame where it’s due.

My point is that even as far back as season 10, Carolina is capable of identifying culpability that was not her own, without outright denying or handwaving her part in it. There’s a balance in what she says there, when she talks about Freelancer. She blames the Director for his part in it, while also feeling the weight of her own involvement.

As for Biff… we can’t know how Carolina feels about that now, because Joe decided it wasn’t important for her to be told onscreen why Temple hated her, so we didn’t get to see a reaction. But we already have a part of Carolina’s arc in which she comes to see sim troopers as people, as friends, and then as family, and based on how she speaks of other parts of her past, it’s hard to imagine she would brush it off.

But Biff’s death is also a part of this arc, and Carolina’s part in the plot of season 15 sets a precedent for how she will be treated for the rest of this storyline.

What about that final accusation: "You're not you anymore."

Is this a real fear that Carolina has in the present? I mean, it could be, but it's not something she's expressed since, arguably, season 13, and even then, Carolina's fear that letting her guard down will get everyone she loves killed doesn't really resemble past Carolina's claim that she's lost the self-serving passion that made her who she was. This doesn’t reflect an expressed fear relevant to any of Carolina’s recent conflicts.

If it reflects something real, it's news to us.

I can accept that the Labyrinth is meant to take the worst things Carolina thinks about herself in her worst and darkest moments and amplify and distort them beyond even that. I’m personally not a fan of plot devices that allow writers to kind of throw characterization at the wall and then say it was bad on purpose. But okay, given the mechanics of this plot device as it’s been established—fine. It’s supposed to be over the top.

All right.

But what I just described isn’t character development.

It’s just putting the characters through an Angst Machine. You notice we’ve had a lot of that lately?

Let’s go back to Chorus again. Let’s look at the plot device this one is ripping off the True Warrior test. Still not my favorite McGuffin ever, but at least the portal on Chorus showed the characters something real. And for multiple characters, including Carolina and also Locus, what they saw in the portal drove some kind of character growth for them.

Because it was, on some level, real.

What is there for Carolina to learn from this experience that she hasn’t learned already—in past seasons and previous arcs which both Joe and Jason seem determined to ignore?

Carolina’s character development since season 13 has stagnated.

In the same way that this arc overall has resorted to recycling character and story beats from past seasons, Carolina’s writing in particular has sunk into a rut.

Season 13 gave Carolina a meaningful mini-arc in which her past came back to haunt her in the form of Sharkface, and collided with her fears of failure and loss in the present. This drove real growth and meaningful change for Carolina as she struggled to avoid falling back to old habits while also giving her all to protect her new family.

Most importantly, season 13 had Carolina engaging with her past in a nuanced manner. Carolina in 13 was able to separate regret from responsibility. Her apology to Sharkface was not self-flagellation. It was real, meaningful, and necessary. It was not Carolina taking on the blame for things she didn’t do.

In recent seasons, however, Carolina's only real plot involvement hinges on the writers beating her guilt like a dead horse and making up new things she did wrong.

Where Sharkface and the death of his squad were drawn from events we saw happen, Biff’s death (already a retread of Sharkface) was invented and inserted into past canon, and showed us a Carolina whose aggression and callousness felt out of place even for her Freelancer self. Carolina never heard Temple’s grievances onscreen and was never allowed to respond to them, so she wasn’t allowed any growth of her own from the experience of being put through the Angst Machine with Wash.

Season 16 invents yet another sin for Carolina: keeping Wash’s memory lapses a secret, because for some reason Dr. Grey doesn’t think it’s important to keep her patients informed personally and instead puts that responsibility on their friends. This of course blows up in Carolina’s face at the worst possible moment, forcing conflict between her and Wash and driving Carolina to make yet another mistake: the decision to time travel to save Wash, the catalyst for season 17.

This season has done some pretty decent damage control in that it has repaired Carolina and Wash’s relationship. Yet it’s still not allowing Carolina to move on from Freelancer. If we had to have a plot device that amplifies negative emotions, why not use Carolina’s more recent struggles, like the way her overprotectiveness and difficulty opening up even with people she loves led to her unintentionally hurting Wash?

There were warning signs, unfortunately. Wash’s time travel to the Freelancer era showed Carolina straight up refusing to speak to him, which… really isn’t something we ever saw Carolina do to her teammates in Freelancer. But despite Wash’s sympathy to Carolina in the present, Jason seems intent on driving home the point that she was unambiguously “mean” in the past. So I guess it’s no surprise that now we get to watch her feel bad about it some more.

In season 13, Carolina called the Reds and Blues her family, and expressed that she would do whatever it took to protect them.

In season 15, Carolina said she wondered if she’d missed her one chance at a fresh start, completely ignoring the fact that she’d already had one several seasons ago.

In past seasons, Carolina’s regrets led to her growing and changing. Now, recent seasons have reduced those regrets to static traits that never change. She was mean in the past (because with few exceptions, “ambitious woman who’s good at her job” is synonymous with “bitch” in RvB), and she’s going to feel bad about it forever. That’s it. That’s her character now. Past growth is discarded and ignored. We’ll continue to hammer on her past wrongs and her regret every single season, but she’s never going to be allowed to move on.

It's bad character writing. Yes, even if the plot provides a mechanic for it.

I’ve said this before, but Joe and Jason are not writing character arcs. They are simply remixing old character beats for Feels and then resetting the characters to status quo. We’ve seen it with Grif, and the same thing is happening with Carolina.

And furthermore, it really feels like a lot of these writing decisions stem from a very shallow impression of “what the fans like.” Fans like Wash angst, so hurt Wash for no reason. Fans didn’t like it when Wash and Carolina were close, so force some conflict, and when they make up be sure to inject a line about how they’re like siblings. Fans didn’t like Tucker being torn down in favor of Grif, so that must mean fans don’t like it when we pay attention to Grif.

Fans liked it when Carolina apologized and was emotional, so that means Carolina should always be feeling bad about something, all the time, regardless of context.

I don’t want or need Carolina to be in the spotlight. Like Wash, I feel at this point that she’s spent a good amount of time there, and it’s perfectly fine and good to let someone else have a turn. I’d be quite happy to see her just be one of the team—taking part in the story, but in a supporting role. She doesn’t need a dramatic new character arc. She just needs her past growth to be acknowledged. To matter in the present.

But to these writers, it doesn’t, because to them, characters don’t change.

This scene was undeniably emotional. But it is not growth. It is not, in this context, even particularly meaningful.

It’s just putting a character through the soulless gears of the Angst Machine.

It’s stagnation.

And if this is how Carolina is going to be written from now on, it just might be what makes me walk away for good.

#agent carolina #rvb17 #rvb first spoilers #avian dentistry #rvb critical

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australiaun-blog · 5 years

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Australia Unwrapped

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arkus-rhapsode · 6 years

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My Hero Academia Chapter 198

Chapter was released early? Nice.

So we open on Aizawa asking them what they learned over this expirence. No don’t let the audience draw from thee active failures displayed, tell us! To be fair, the context of a teacher asking what you learned makes this seem a lot better, but it is a little daft.

Sad thing also, Kaminari is right, he was really good. Kouda Im disappointed in you.

It took you six years to master your scarf? I guess this is why we don’t outfit normal police units with stuff like this.

Aizawa does my job for me and explains what the characters should learn for this and will probably reflect in their development.

So listening to Vlad chew out his kids is accurate, but if I could throw in my two cents, spliting into groups of two with one acting more defensively (Shiozaki) and one acting more offensively (Shishida) would be a good strategy for something like the excercise of capture the flag, but consider that this was a brawl based on capturing the opponent means that kind of formation wouldn’t be acceptable.

Monoma likes you Shinsou, be honored that the star of class 1-b is excited to have you on his team~ (This part of the review was paid for by the Neito Monoma is Amazing Foundation)

So all the groups take time to discuss strategies after getting a taste of the exercise.

All Might also brings up something important, that this is the end of the 1st year, and that tells me that this series will cover all the years of highschool. Now I know that may sound tricky in terms of pacing, but from what we’ve seen so far, there has only bee really two arcs out of these almost 200 chapters that had a backlash t them and that is thee Provisional Liscnce and School Festival. so I think Horikoshi is capable of writing a three year journey, but I guess we’ll have to see.

Right now is time for the next fight and if I know anything about sports series and team games, usually in a close call opening match that the protagonist team wins, often means they’ll lose in round 2 as to not make the rival team seem like complete washes. But who knows, maybe class 1-a will go 2-0...

Oh never mind, this team has Momo and Aoyama. This is going to 1-B.

We get an exchange between Momo and Kendou that shows the two have been lumped together ever since their commercial appearance when Kendou is pretty aware of their differences in ability both academically and genetically. But regardless of that Kendou wants to prove her own skill through a fight with Momo. To which Momo agrees. And honestly after that exchange, I am again enforced in the belief this is going to 1-B not only for the cool resolve, but in combat Momo tends to be jobbered pretty hard.

Oh nevermind, screw what ever is happening with Momo and Kendou, this is where the real action is, edgelord vs edgelord.

Sero inquires about Kendou (which seems a bit odd for Sero to just ask about this info, seems more like a deku thing) and Tetsutetsu basically reminds us that Kendou is basically to only member of class 1-b who’s really done anything up to this point.

The match beings (and Todomomo shippers can rejoice because Todroki is the onee showing the most interest)

The fight starts with Dark Shadow having zero chill and Kuroiro deciding to cut to the chase.

Dark Shadow returns and actually attacks Tokoyami revealing Kuroiro was manipulating it from inside.

So that’s a dangerous quirk. But Tokoyami goes all anime on us by removing his cloak and is going to use a move he learned from studying under Hawks.

Post Chapter Follow Up:

Oh my god, yes! I love almost everything about this chapter. From taking time to strategize to the effective clash between Momo and Kendou, and to the reminder of how far these kids have come.

Now if I’m going to be negative, its going to be on Kuroiro vs Tokoyami. I wanna see more of it, but like a lot of 1-b students, there isn’t much to Kuroiro as a person that wee were aware of, so this seems to come right out of nowheere. Its entertaining sure, but it still lacks buildup. So unfortunetly, gotta cut a few points from there.

Final Verdict: 7/10

Semi breather done well

Excited for the new fight

Good use of build up, but also a bit of poor build up

#shihai kuroiro #class 1-b #my hero academia #mha 198 #all might #momo yaoyorozu #fumikage tokoyami #toru hagakure #kendou itsuka #jurota shishida #shiozaki ibara #aoyama yuga #denki kaminari #kirishima eijirou #asui tsuyu #shota aizawa

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thecartoonuniverse · 6 years

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Did we get a glimpse at young Shiro?

So I haven’t really seen anyone talk about this, or if they have nobody tagged it so I could find it with a search, but one the most intriguing things (at least for me) on the new Voltron Season 8 poster they handed out at NYCC is this character on the very right standing next to Krolia and Adam:

What makes these posters amazing is that they manage to fit in so much about the show, and this one is no exception. However, since this poster may be the last one (although Allura seems to be looking at something so it might not be), it has become clear that some characters we have yet to meet are present.

We know the Alteans in the top right include one we saw at the end of S7, so it’s likely that we will meet the rest of them. And this other guy we see with the MFE pilots will be in S8, as shown in a promo pic we got of S8:

Long story short, this poster reveals things. That brings me to what I want to talk about.... young Shiro! What if the boy shown in the first photo I posted is indeed what Shiro looked like soon after joining the Garrison, which we will see in a flashback of season 8?

I am a really big fan of Shiro, so I hope this is the case. I have asked a few people their thoughts on this, and the reaction is quite mixed on it being him. Most notably, it doesn’t 100% look like the Shiro we know. But, who are we to say what young Shiro looked like? This mysterious boy is definitely different than most artist’s imaginings of him at a younger age- most notably the lack of his signature hair floof!

Yet this could be Shiro at 15-17 years old (he has two golden stripes on each of his shoulders, which means he’s not part of the youngest group), so maybe his appearance changed pretty quickly over the next 3-5 years.

And you might say, but we did see young Shiro in Monsters and Mana... kinda! And he does have the hair floof!

That’s true, although we don’t know how accurate it was since in this version his floof was always white. But it is nice to note he has the little hair sprout in the back like on the poster. Regardless this Shiro would be like 5 here so judging this with his teenage years isn’t totally fair.

My guess would be that Shiro did not get his signature hairstyle until he began breaking records and gained Adam as his partner. But comparing the kid on the poster to current Shiro, there are definitely a lot of similarities. Hair and skin color, as well as eyebrow shape, match up very well. His face and body do look like with a bit of time and exercise they could also turn into the current Shiro lol.

Finally, I want to say the boy’s placement on the poster is likely another clue, as he happens to be right next to Adam, who was very important to Shiro.

So this leads me to conclude we got an early glimpse of what Shiro will look like in his first years at the Garrison. Imagine learning about a time where he was I have heard we are going to get more flashbacks, so I can only hope there will be at least one with Shiro in it. This thought just makes me so excited!

Of course, this could just be a random character they threw in the poster or a completely new character like Shiro’s younger brother (if that’s the case where has he been all this time lol), but I’m hoping it’s my original guess. I suppose time will tell! This was super long why’d I do this

#voltron #vld #vld season 8 #shiro #takashi shirogane #young shiro #shiro flashback #adam #voltron meta #theory #my post

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sonoilbastardo · 6 years

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FULL NAME: Easton Craven

PRONUNCIATION: /EES-tuhn CRAY-ven/ MEANING: Easton | Old English: eastern settlement or eastern town. Craven | Irish: anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Crabháin (‘descendant (or ‘son’) of Crabhán’); English: contemptibly lacking in courage; cowardly. REASONING: Stella Craven did not waste her time thinking of a name for a child that isn’t hers, unlike when her own darling baby boy was born, and she gave him the name Everett - which means brave as a wild boar. For her husband’s bastard boy, she refused to grant him a name, and so Gabriel shrugged his shoulders and simply wrote Easton on a piece of paper, feeling his heart sink as he wrote the last name Craven right after. This unfortunate boy will bear his name for as long as he lived, a reminder of his, Gabriel Craven’s, horrible mistake. NICKNAME(S): Edmund, East PREFERRED NAME(S): East BIRTH DATE: 30th March 1992 AGE: 26 ZODIAC: Aries GENDER: Male PRONOUNS: He/Him ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Heteroromantic SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Bisexual NATIONALITY: Italian ETHNICITY: Caucassian CURRENT LOCATION: Verona, Italy LIVING CONDITIONS: Comfortably living alone in a small villa with a terrace, garage, and a fireplace. Considerably smaller than the estate he grew up in, but prefers his own place than to live with his father (he already works with the man, he doesn’t want to live under the same roof as well.) TITLE(S): the shadow, il bastardo

BACKGROUND

BIRTH PLACE: Verona, Italy HOMETOWN: Verona, Italy SOCIAL CLASS: Upper-class EDUCATION LEVEL: Bachelor of Business Administration & Master of Business Administration from the University of Milan. FATHER: Gabriel Craven MOTHER: (unknown), Step-Mother: Stella Craven SIBLING(S): Everett Craven ( Half-brother ) BIRTH ORDER: 2nd for his father, unknown for his mother CHILDREN: None. PET(S): None. OTHER IMPORTANT RELATIVES: None. PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS: Two official. Both while in university. First one lasted three months, he was cheated on. Second one lasted two years. The woman is from another rich family, but in a much higher league than his, is brilliant and talented, and he felt intimidated by her command of language and intelligence. He broke up with her right before joining the mob. ARREST: Once when he was 22 years old, he crashed his car into a tiny storefront and he was arrested for drunk-driving. Was bailed out by Everett, and the store-owners dropped their lawsuit and were happy to settle. Everett didn’t really give them much of a choice anyways. PRISON TIME?: None.

OCCUPATION & INCOME

PRIMARY SOURCE OF INCOME: Working at his father’s legitimate hotel and wine businesses. He holds a key personnel position (operations manager), and while Stella disapproves of this, Gabriel could not deny that he is capable. SECONDARY SOURCE OF INCOME: The mob, as a Capulet soldier. Thanks to his Captain, Tiberius, most of the work he does are boring, to the point that he’s a “glorified personal assistant”. This jobs pays well regardless, almost at par with his job at his father’s companies. TERTIARY SOURCE(S) OF INCOME: Fighting. He earns money through underground fights that he participates in, though he has blown some of that money anyway for treatment of injuries he’s suffered from them. CONTENT WITH THEIR JOB (OR LACK THERE OF)?: No, wants to own his father’s entire company one way or the other, and wants to rank higher up in the mob. PAST JOB(S): None, was accepted into his father’s business right after college, and did not have to work for his tuition since his father paid for it all. SPENDING HABITS: Spends a lot of money on alcohol and cigarettes, likes to dress well and buys new clothes at least once a week, whenever he sees anything that he fancies. Sometimes pends money on good ingredients because he likes to cook Italian food, but often is too lazy to do this and would simply head down to one of the restaurants in hotels his father owns. Spends money on books as well, mostly poetry, and likes to collect first editions. MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION: Rare first edition of Dante Alighieri’s La Divina Commedia.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

PHYSICAL STRENGTH: Physically strong, but does not rely solely on it when he engages in fights. OFFENSE: Usually fights with open hands, which he believes are far more brutal than closed fists, using his body parts: elbows, knees, and others as weapons to deliver forceful strikes. Recently, as well, he has been mastering a new fighting style that allows him to make use of objects around him and allows him to fight in any given situation, a style with which one must also have a clear goal for his opponent: to kill? to maim? DEFENSE: Use of an opponent’s strength against them, which is something he learned as a child when he signed up for Judo as an extra-curricular. He has long since abandoned his formal Judo training for Muay Thai and most recently, Keysi, but this defensive technique could not be lost on him. SPEED: Quick on his feet, trusts his instincts. INTELLIGENCE: Easton has been blessed with a good head in his shoulders, but still somehow not a match for his half-brother’s. He did not graduate with any Latin honors, but did not have any difficulties in college whatsoever. That made it easy for him to deal with graduate school as well. He also enjoys reading, which sometimes surprises people, and he is somewhat a snob, preferring to read the classics and works of long dead poets. For the earlier years of his life he has been considerably sheltered, and only when he decided he did not need to impress his father anymore did he take to the streets of Verona and find Measure by Measure. ACCURACY: With the gun, fairly accurate. He likes to use his hands and fists in fights that let him channel his rage, but he’s had to learn how to shoot a gun for his job, and he can’t say he’s a champion marksman. AGILITY: Quite agile and coordinated, hyper-aware of his body parts and movements. STAMINA: High endurance. TEAMWORK: Considerably good, if he sees some use with teaming up. Most likely not good if forced to work together, and he does not see how he’d gain anything from it, and he would rather work alone in instances like these. Still completely loyal to himself only. TALENTS: Martial arts (from years of training as a child, and then later in underground fights), exceptional memory (helped him throughout college) and helps him keep up with work and the mob. SHORTCOMINGS: At times, lacks the “street-smart” attitude that someone working for a mob should have. LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: Italian, English. DRIVE?: Yes. JUMP-START A CAR?: Yes. CHANGE A FLAT TIRE?: Yes. RIDE A BICYCLE?: Yes. SWIM?: Yes. PLAY AN INSTRUMENT?: Used to. Learned piano to try and impress his father. PLAY CHESS?: Yes. BRAID HAIR?: No. TIE A TIE?: Yes. PICK A LOCK?: Yes. Just because he wanted to learn it.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

FACE CLAIM: Daniel Sharman EYE COLOR: Blue HAIR COLOR: Light brown HAIR TYPE/STYLE: A curly mop of hair GLASSES/CONTACTS?: None. DOMINANT HAND: Right. HEIGHT: 6′2 WEIGHT: 83 kg (183 lbs.) BUILD: Mesomorph EXERCISE HABITS: Jogs every morning before work, goes to the gym to train Muay Thai five to six times a week, goes down to Measure by Measure whenever he feels like it. SKIN TONE: Type II: white, fair TATTOOS: Lines of poetry on his left rib. PEIRCINGS: None. MARKS/SCARS: Birthmark on his lower back, looks like a misshapen heart. Scar on his right bicep, a small slash about two inches in length, from a knife fight with a gang member he was assigned to. NOTABLE FEATURES: That jawline? I mean? USUAL EXPRESSION: Either expressionless or scowling, eyes always intense and glaring. CLOTHING STYLE: Wears expensive suits to work. Wears leather jackets when not at work, along with jeans and boots. JEWELRY: Thin gold necklace always kept underneath clothes, simple columnar pendant. ALLERGIES: None. BODY TEMPERATURE: Normal? DIET: Lots of protein, moderate on carbs and fats, very minimal sweets. PHYSICAL AILMENTS: None.

PSYCHOLOGY

JUNG TYPE: ENTP ENNEAGRAM TYPE: Type 8; Active Controller MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral TEMPERAMENT: Choleric ELEMENT: Fire PRIMARY INTELLIGENCE TYPE: Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence APPROXIMATE IQ: 125+ MENTAL CONDITIONS/DISORDERS: None. SOCIABILITY: Fairly social when he believes it useful for him. EMOTIONAL STABILITY: Fairly stable. Is able to channel rage into “appropriate” avenues like fighting, rarely takes it out on anyone innocent. Is more likely to punch a wall than punch a person. OBSESSION(S): Getting revenge. Taking everything his father denied him. COMPULSION(S): Cursing. Sex and talking about it. PHOBIA(S): None. ADDICTION(S): Smoking. DRUG USE: Minimal. ALCOHOL USE: Occassional. PRONE TO VIOLENCE?: Yes

MANNERISMS

SPEECH STYLE: Low, throaty voice, always with a hint of arrogance. A slow drawl. He usually thinks carefully about what he says, and likes to speak in a “romantic” way that uses a variety of words showcasing his command of vocabulary. (Prime example of how he speaks is how Daniel Sharman speaks in Fear the Walking Dead. link ) ACCENT: Italian QUIRKS: Prone to reciting archaic lines of poetry both in Italian and English. HOBBIES: Aside from martial arts, reading poetry and reciting them. HABITS: Smokes to relieve stress. NERVOUS TICKS: Chewing the inside of his cheek, cracking his knuckles. DRIVES/MOTIVATIONS: The idea of being able to take everything away from his father and his brother. FEARS: That he dies before he attains his goal. POSITIVE TRAITS: Passionate, driven, independent, assertive, confident. NEGATIVE TRAITS: Self-absorbed, dishonest, materialistic, resentful, secretive, vengeful. SENSE OF HUMOR: Insensitive and crude. DO THEY CURSE OFTEN?: All the fucking time. CATCHPHRASE(S): None.

FAVORITES

ACTIVITY: Muay Thai. BEVERAGE: Black coffee. BOOK: You Get So Alone Sometimes That It Just Makes Sense by Charles Bukowski COLOR: Black. DESIGNER: Gucci. MODE OF TRANSPORTATION: Maserati Quattroporte MOVIE: V for Vendetta MUSICAL ARTIST: Queen QUOTE/SAYING: “I wanted the whole world or nothing.” SCENERY: Fights at Measure by Measure. SCENT: on himself | Hermès, on women | Yves St. Laurent (something that screams sophistication), in general | old books TELEVISION SHOW: Game of Thrones WEATHER: Autumn VACATION DESTINATION: places Game of Thrones have done filming in, tbh

ATTITUDES

GREATEST DREAM: To take control of his father’s empire and take control over Verona. GREATEST FEAR: Dying before he achieves his goal. MOST AT EASE WHEN: Alone and cooking up plans for his rise. LEAST AT EASE WHEN: Around his family or his family’s home. WORST POSSIBLE THING THAT COULD HAPPEN: Dying not only having his goals achieved, but dying with nothing left to his name. BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT: Being recognized as one of the most capable Capulet soldiers and soon after, promoted by his own father. BIGGEST REGRET: Wasting time and energy ever believing he would be fully and lovingly accepted by his father. MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: Begging an ex-girlfriend to come back to him even after she cheated. One of the lowest points in his life, ever. BIGGEST SECRET: That he sometimes wake up to dreams of his entire family dead by his hands. TOP PRIORITIES: Himself

#diveronatask #( about. edmund )#dio mio #finally #THIS TOOK A WHILE #{ about. edmund }

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earaercircular · 3 years

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What if you opted for eco-responsible clothing?

The textile industry is one of the most polluting in the world. It is also distinguished by the poor social conditions of the workers. The Belgian clothing brand Opte is betting on people and the planet.

You can barely make out Alice's eyes, hidden behind her sewing machine. One after another, she sews gray sleeves with a red edge to the chain. She has been working in this adapted work company (ETA) in Hainaut for a few months (see hereunder). Due to cervical problems, this former worker in the care sector was forced to leave her post. “I sewed at home and said to myself, why not a retraining?” , she explains, her eyes still on the machine's oscillating needle.

The pieces she sews are those from the first collection of the Opte brand, launched a few weeks ago by Alizée Hilt and Antointe Giansante. The first comes from the fashion sector, the second from communication. Together, they love to recreate the world. From words to deeds, there is only one step that the pair has finally taken! “The existing clothing offer does not match our values,” explains Antointe Giansante. “The textile sector brings together in a caricatured way what is worst in terms of production in the current capitalist society ”, he argues, denouncing“ socially dysfunctions - child labor and inhuman social conditions - and ecologically disastrous ”.

The eco-responsible and local approach, if it has percolated in the food and cosmetics sector, “yet is struggling to find a place in the textile sector”, he analyzes. It is to influence this reality that young people in their thirties have created this eco-responsible alternative to a textile industry that is spinning into overdrive.

Overcycling and non-existent stocks

In big brand warehouses, fabric scraps are burned or thrown away. “This corresponds to 12% of the fabric produced in the world”, explains Antoine Giansante. To avoid this waste, Opte recovers - via textile agents in textile companies or specialized companies - these fabric scraps to make new clothes. “The limited choices of these fabrics to be upcycled are stimulating and encourage creativity. It's a challenge to do only with what's there, ” he enthuses.

A dangerous exercise to say the least, especially since the duo set themselves as an additional constraint not to use petroleum-based fabrics and to favor natural materials as much as possible (cotton, linen, wool).

Another pitfall that the founders of Opte wanted to avoid is that of waste… of finished products. Far from the mass production of the textile industry, Opte has chosen to work only with limited editions (between 17 and 50 pieces per model) and to follow demand by favoring pre-orders. Antoine Giansante sees in it an “exclusive side” that is not without interest for the consumer.

However, this system does not allow economies of scale. But he "accepts it so as not to accumulate stocks ... and waste."

Inclusion through work

For the founding duo, ecological and social commitment goes through the relocation of production. However, "the clothing workshops can be counted on the fingers of one hand in Wallonia[1]," explains Antoine Giansante. Requiring ready-to-wear know-how and cutting-edge technical skills to produce their pieces, the co-founders of Opte turned to the Adapted Work Company (ETA) C.A.R.F[2]. seven months ago. “They came in with their designs and now the clothes are there!” , rejoices Marisa Pleitinckx, director of this ETA based in Philippeville.

On a rod, the finished pieces are a tangible illustration of the collaboration between Antoine, Alizée and the ETA workers. "This is the fruit of a dialogue with seamstresses who are truly involved in the project and who support its development", summarizes Antoine Giansante. In particular, he was able to count on the strength of initiative and the experience of Ahlem[3], designer and model maker, in the haute couture sector, to improve the collection.

The inclusion of disabled people through the work "gives meaning to the project", explains the young man, proud, like the seamstresses and the director of the establishment, to "see the project come to fruition".

“The garment does not grow on a hanger”

If the tailoring is done in Belgium, the clothes are not 100% Belgian. "This is for 2022!" But the challenge is great, because Belgium has shed all its know-how and machinery whichtoday prevents the country from controlling the entire textile production chain.

Antoine Giansante nevertheless wants to be optimistic because “many players are working on the issue of the relocation of the textile industry”, in particular by developing fabric alternatives made from hemp, nettle and wool.

This way of producing comes at a cost, however. “In fashion, the margin at the end of the line is 10 to 15%. In Belgium, the cost of production is 50 times higher than in Bangladesh and five times higher than in Portugal. Who today is willing to put 180 euros in a sweater? If we want to produce at home, we must reduce the margin so that the selling price is acceptable ”, he analyzes. Hence the need to "make consumers - accustomed to low prices - aware of all the players involved and the work behind a piece of clothing. It doesn't grow on a hanger! ”

From urgency to opportunity

Sewing activities are recent in C.A.R.P. It was actually the Covid crisis that precipitated the advent of the garment workshop. “We started by responding to the need for masks for company personnel,” recalls Marisa Pleitinckx, director of this ETA in the Hainaut province. The seamstresses put back to work in this way then do with the means at hand: family machines are made available by employees, rubber bands are unearthed by the administrators ... In view of the enormous and urgent needs in the care sector, they then made gowns for the medical staff. “We had to work quickly and accurately,” continues Marisa Pleitinckx. Despite the high staff turnover due to the deterioration of the physical condition and psychosocial problems of the workers, she insists: "The level of demand is high in the clothing industry".

Enriched with this experience, the emergency turned into an opportunity. An opportunity that the director of ETA C.A.R.P. hopes lasting. Because the collaboration with Opte has, she thinks, “started the machine”. Indeed, other requests have reached it and could make it possible to perpetuate the sewing activity, "an activity in which ETA workers support project leaders with their know-how and are considered as real partners". A participatory posture emphasized by the seamstresses as well as by the management.

As a result of this success, professional sewing machines were purchased and a brand new workshop will accommodate the four seamstresses hired by ETA, "promoting the sustainability of the project and the credibility brought to the customer".

Quality work, fair wages

“What matters to us is to put people back at work who have been alienated from it, under conditions that suit them both physically and morally. To do this, it is a matter of developing their skills but also of maintaining partnerships in which, if it works for one, it also works for the other ", considers Marisa Pleitinckx. To ensure this, she sees that "the quality work provided by teams with advanced know-how is paid at the right price". Staff with physical or sensory disabilities at ETA C.A.R.P. thus provides work that "cannot be sold off," says the director of the establishment. Beyond that, its commitment lies with the projects of Belgian creators and entrepreneurs and, as far as possible, bearers of an ecological dimension.

Source

Valentine Van Vyve, Et si vous optiez pour le vêtement écoresponsable? "Le secteur textile rassemble ce qu'il y a de pire en termes de production dans la société capitaliste actuelle", in : La Libre Belgique, 31-05-21 https://www.lalibre.be/planete/inspire/l-option-du-vetement-ecoresponsable-60adf1dd9978e20c600348aa?fbclid=IwAR2J2yYxyPsBmatzf-DQdeltbqN_XSFqLWbJ3uM9QRUOjCOPGmTmbh1HMwg

[1]Southern region of Belgium [2] The Adapted Work Company C.A.R.P., located in Philippeville, is one of the fifty-two ETAs identified in the Walloon region and employs 130 of the approximately 8,228 disabled workers active in production in a multitude of sectors in the south of the country. [3] https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Clothing--Brand-/Ahlem-Fashion-240852836696225/

#circular economy #waste recycling #recycling textile

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metaphysicalpistolsoraclemine · 6 years

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Strong Moral Chararacter

The changing foundation of people’s life during the Ascension Cycle will radically alter people’s perception of reality and their capacity to trust. This is the time for greater discernment and yet, going even deeper to be as the compassionate witness.

Many people are afraid to own up to actual events with factual statements because in the New Age movement, people will react by telling them they are being judgmental. Our goal is in making an accurate assessment of character, to better discern the conditions present, rather than making judgments which assign a good or bad value system. As in the car example, stated factually without bias it is not good or bad that the car is “red”, it just is what it is.

To evolve beyond base ego drives and instinctual addictions from controlling our bodies, we must identify the difference between the weak moral characteristics of Imposter Spirit(darkness, deception, ego, etc.) and the strong moral characteristics of the truth spirit (eternal self, transparent, Krystic values).

In the New Age movement, there are evasive manipulation strategies in the “throwing around” of terms that we all recognize and resonate with, such as “unconditional love”, “unity” and “ego does not exist”. Many times these terms are used seductively by forceful personalities looking to forego personal Accountability to actions, to easily continue to promote deceptive belief systems, to gather flocks of admirers or followers and to reinforce self-entitled delusions.

Unfortunately, if a person has not grounded in a strong ethical character and moral fabric before entering the New Age consciousness belief systems, most all of these terms are misused and abused in order to perpetrate deceptions, manipulations, predator behaviors and exert control over good intentioned, heart based, unaware and innocent people.

Many of us in our community know this and have suffered through the learning experiences of great betrayals of trust while listening to the superficial flowery words with no substance or meaning behind them. This of course is the unchecked negative ego behaviors which influence low moral conduct.

Across the board in every life experience, whether a self-proclaimed “spiritual person”, an ascension guide, a spiritual guru, raw foodie, green earth activist, or banker, lawyer or accountant – whatever the personality; will we find the same common Negative Ego themes potentially present in all human beings.

Many of us have made the error that because we believed ourselves to be of “spiritual character” and we meet others that say they are of “spiritual character” too, that this inherently means they are trustworthy, ethical people with a strong moral character. This is not so and we must accept this fact as spiritual adults, while learning better how to identify those traits and strengthen our own moral character of trustworthiness.

Strong character is established by the conscientious adherence to moral values, not by words made in lofty rhetoric or with good intentions. Another way of saying that is, building strong character is ethics in action and demonstrated in personal conduct every day.

.When we assess situations and discern for trustworthiness, it is wise to look at the personal characteristics of the people involved as well as discern the ethics (virtues) that are highly valued in the organization or group. In most situations, however, when we are talking about a person’s character we are referring to the sum total of his or her moral qualities possibly balanced against his or her imperfections (imbalances).

To say a person has a solid moral character does not require that they are perfect; however, it does mean we feel this is a solid person worthy of our trust. So when we say someone has strong character we are expressing that his or her nature is defined by worthy traits like integrity, courage, and Compassion.

People of strong moral character are guided by ethical principles even when it’s physically dangerous or detrimental to their careers, social standing or economic well-being. They do the right thing even when it has a personal cost.

.A strong moral character is the physical foundation required at the base of building a strong spiritual house. In order to hold the spirit of Christos, as in acquiring ethics of spiritual virtues, the first step is in making sure that the body, the physical self, is grounded in strong moral character.

Trustworthiness

Be honest • Don’t deceive, cheat, or steal • Be reliable (do what you say you’ll do) • Have the courage to do the right thing • Build a positive reputation to be credible • Be loyal to those who have earned your trust,

Respect

Treat others with respect; follow the Golden Rule • Be tolerant and accepting of differences • Use good manners, not bad language • Be considerate of the feelings of others • Don’t threaten, hit or hurt anyone • Deal peacefully with anger, insults, and disagreements,

Responsibility

Do what you are responsible for • Persevere (never give up!) • Always do your best • Use self-control • Be self-disciplined • Think before you react and consider the consequences • Be accountable for your words, actions, and attitudes • Set a good example for others,

Fairness

Play by the established guidelines • Take turns and share • Be open-minded; listen to others • Don’t take advantage of others • Don’t blame others carelessly • Treat all people fairly,CaringBe kind • Be compassionate and show you care • Express gratitude • Forgive others • Help people in need,

Community

Do your share to make community better • Cooperate • Build trust in community • Stay informed • Follow guidelines when they make sense • Respect authority when it’s earned with trust • Protect those less privileged •

Strong Spiritual House

When we cultivate our physical self and personality to be disciplined to build a strong moral character, we are building the physical foundation to be strong enough to house the higher attributes of Christ spirit. If our body and mind is morally weak, it is also physically and energetically weak. These physical and energetic weaknesses translate into low moral character in most humans who are not aware of the Archontic Deception promoted as a value system.

Since many humans are not taught to develop strong moral character, the mind and body are increasingly weakened when we are easily made consensual to low morals and low ethical standards. Many people cannot tell the difference between high ethical standard and low ethical standard as they are mind controlled through religion, gurus or other control mechanisms.

We are so desensitized to what has become the norm, that we must put focus on the study of strong moral character, ethical conduct and demonstrating an exercise of these higher human traits in our day to day.

A strong moral character is the physical ballast which is directly related to the capacity of embodying the personal virtue (frequency) created by the Spirits of Christ. So we could think of the physical body as the practical reality of grounding into our being a strong moral character in our actions every day, while the spiritual-energetic body expands relative to one’s ethical conduct.

Together, this focused mind-body partnership attracts the higher virtues (spiritual gifts) of the Spirits of Christ. This is the key to embodying the Spirit of Christos while in a physical body.

This is to make improved choices about where one chooses to place trust with others and how to build strong moral character and thus, build trustworthy attributes in the self.

Characteristics of Trustworthy People

Authentic

Actions and words match

Able to say “no” respectfully and “yes” dependably

Keep agreements or renegotiate if necessary

Able to admit it when they do not know something

Able to be both flexible and reliable

Show genuine feeling for you if they need to let you down

Willing to make compromises but never compromise core principles or personal integrity

Consistent ethics, positive values, or principles inform their behavior

Willing and able to tell you things you do not like to hear–kindly

Able to disagree without needing to argue, or to have friendly disagreements that lead to increased understanding

Let you know how they feel, where they stand, and how you stand with them

Able to recognize, accept, and enjoy the differences between you

After considering others, be sure to turn the same list around on yourself

At a later point, I would like to expand on untrustworthy behaviors modeled in people with weak moral character, to comprehend the relationship between low moral character and the Negative Ego, through its main filters; egotism, Narcissism and Psychopathy. The purpose of promoting egotism and narcissism (i.e. alpha male, tyrants) as a positive traits is purposed to maintain low moral character and unethical standards as acceptable characteristic behavior in human beings. This is an Archontic Deception Strategy of which when we can see it working to influence our environment, we can change the course of its direction.

#planetarystewadrship #newagebullshit #arconicdeceptions #metaphysicalpistol

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jaybeartodd · 7 years

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Colleagues Pt. 2/17 -- Jason Todd x fem. reader

Y/N works late and becomes acquainted with Jason for the second time that day. She also stumbles across something oddly familiar. Warnings: cursing, mentions of alcohol Word Count: 1329

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17

“Of course I can Mr. Wayne. It’s not like I have an entire essay waiting at home for me,” you mumble to yourself half crazed while rushing over to the printer to pick up the last of the email copies.

The office is empty except for a few dedicated employees scurrying around trying to complete their work. You are resting against the printer waiting for it to complete the documents you were emailed. Checking your watch you do the math in your head to figure out how long you will have to complete your essay.

The printer goes off and a sigh of relief escapes your lips. You grab at the documents only to drop them in a clumsy rush.

“Aggghhh,” would be the only way to describe the exhausted and frustrated noise you produce. You bend down to grab them and your eye catches something.

In between the emails and business documents there is a document entitled, “Roman Sionis”. You know this name but from where?

You are lost in thought when a knock hits the door causing you to drop the papers all over again.

“Damn, you really are clumsy. Or maybe it’s just my effect,” a teasing voice sounds from behind.

You close your eyes and purse your lips before plastering the fake smile you decided to use around him from now on so you know, you can keep your job.

“Oh, Jason. I wanted to apologize for earlier. I was really stressed, well not that this job stresses me out. It’s fine. I love working here. I just got carried away and I was impolite and I am sorry,” you breathe out.

You finally take a good look at him and find the towering figure not so much aggravating as attractive. He definitely notices you checking out or that cocky grin is permanently etched into his face.

“Don’t worry about it, Y/N,” he says still grinning. Great, he has done his research, You shake your head and bend down to retrieve the documents one more time committing the name to memory for later thought.

“Let me help you,” he bends down and grabs the rest. You take the papers from his hands and thank him.

“Well, is there anything I can do for you sir?” you ask professionally and he cocks an eyebrow.

“Wow, sir? Quite the step up from buddy, I’d say,”

Your cheeks burn red from embarrassment.

‘Like I said, I apologize for my behavior earlier...”you trail off. Screw this polite thing.

“But you should not have used it to blackmail me like a jackass,” you spit out and his smile falters.

He runs his hands through his tousled, black hair and sighs.

“Yeah, that wasn’t fair. I definitely did not mean it though. I am not going to tell Bruce. I am really sorry if I disrespected you in any way.” he says sounding entirely sincere. This makes your anger falter a bit. A bit.

“Well, you did. But I appreciate the apology,” he smiles at this, “But if you will excuse me, I have to put these on Mr. Wayne’s desk and head home to finish an essay.”

You head out the door towards Mr. Wayne’s office. Jason matches his stride with yours.

“Wait, you aren’t seriously going out in Gotham at 11 0′clock at night by yourself,” he says incredulously.

You stop and look at him. “Well, weren’t you planning on going at in Gotham at 11 o’clock at night by yourself?”

He blinks at this and you smirk at your small victory.

“I will be fine. I do it all the time. Big adult in the big city and all that,” you flourish your hands and stride into Mr. Wayne’s office. After plopping the documents on his desk you head towards your own cubicle.

Jason stands there with a disapproving look on his face as you shrug on your jacket. “I could take you home,” he suggests.

You roll your eyes at this. “I don’t need your pity ride and I also just met you. Last time I checked that is against elementary guidelines for a safe and happy life.”

“We aren’t strangers, we are coworkers. Colleagues, even,” You stop in your path towards the elevator at this comment.

“Colleagues?” you ask. He chuckles and moves in front of you.

“You are looking at the next Assistant Director or Assistant Executive or some mumbo jumbo like that,” he smiles and you can’t help but grimace.

“Mumbo jumbo?” you repeat through your teeth. He flashes a wider grin but your grimace turns into a full out snarl. This boy was about to feel the stress that has been building over the past week.

“YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW THE NAME OF THE JOB YOU WERE LITERALLY HANDED WHILE I HAVE BEEN WORKING MY ASS OFF FOR THIS DESK JOB,” you make sure to jab him in the chest after each word.

His eyes widen and he gulps. Not so big and handsome now. Ok, maybe so but add mortified to the list.

You stomp past him and get into the elevator. You jam the button to close the door as he stands there staring at you. Suddenly the infamous grin appears back on his face and he gives a nervous laugh.

“So, is that a no to the ride?” he asks running a hand through his hair.

You give him your best glare as the doors shut. That man.

After doing several breathing exercises you finally exit the elevator. So, maybe he did not deserve that but you couldn’t help it with such a perfect outlet he had become in the first 10 hours of knowing him.

The cool night air of Gotham fills your lungs relaxing you a bit as you strolled home. Sure, its crime rates give the world’s collective crime rate a run for its money but you had mastered the best routes after many years of living in this hellhole.

Unlike other nights, though, you can't help but feel the entire way back to your apartment a presence following you. This causes not only the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up but for your feet to take on an energy they did not know they had after such a long day of work.

You let out a sigh of relief when you enter your apartment and lock the doors behind you.

Throwing your keys on the counter, you step over thrown laundry and dirty bottles. Looks like your brother, Nick, had another binge. You find this to be an accurate conclusion when you come upon the sight of him passed out on the couch with a bottle hanging from his clammy hand.

You sigh and gently shake him. He groans.

“Listen, Nick. You gotta get to your bed and off mine,” you grunt as you roll him off the couch. He moans a bit more but you drag him all the way to the bedroom. You make him conscious enough for him to raise himself onto the bed and pass out on it.

After shedding your dirty clothes and donning your finest pajamas, a pair of running shorts and a t-shirt, you open your laptop on the couch. A yawn attempts to impede your mission of finishing the paper but you stifle the bastard back. Before you begin typing, the name from earlier pops back into your head.

You type Roman Sionis into Google and news reports show up. The name Bruce Wayne appears and you remember seeing that he had bought the Sionis family business when it had gone bankrupt. You do some more digging and find out his parents had been killed and he was sent to Arkham Asylum. This seemed to be the end of the trail but you swear you have heard that name recently. Then it clicks.

Your brother has mentioned working with a Roman Sionis.

You smack your forehead. Oh Nick, what have you been doing?

#red hood x reader #red hood x you #red hood #jason todd x you #jason todd x reader #jason todd #batman #imagine #fanfic #batman imagine

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