#Best Classified Script

[batsplat]

bringing this back just. y'know

could you say that marc is the best flag to flag pilot, at least in modern motogp?

idk if it's recency bias or what but I just rewatched misano 2015 and brno 2017 and like beyond his actual skill in the wet (which I think is pretty up there) honda and him usually nailed the strategy i think

misano 2014 was obv not great bc he came in too late but I think on the whole

oh yeah, it's not particularly close. and 'modern motogp' is in this case a completely unnecessary caveat! f2f was only introduced in 2005 as a more tv-friendly format and the first f2f race was phillip island 2006. until 2015, there's not like... any real patterns amongst the winners - and generally they're rare enough that you can't draw that many conclusions from who's winning them. marc's first f2f is technically phillip island 2013, which wasn't a weather-related bike switch but did of course feature the notable team fuck up that got him disqualified and could have cost him the title. then it's aragon 2014 where he fucks it and crashes because he didn't switch bikes when he should have, yes. but after that, the record's flawless: wins misano 2015, argentina 2016 (also a tyre-related bike swap), sachsenring 2016, brno 2017 - the full set until 2021. I do have another ask sitting in my drafts sent well before misano, which requires a longer response because it's about what makes a rider good or bad at f2f... so I'll go into more detail there. for now, yes there's a little bit of luck involved in some of these wins, a gamble or two that paid off because his race wasn't actually going all that great until he swapped bikes, but it's a record that kinda speaks for itself. it also probably speaks for itself that I spent much of the season pre-aragon attempting to singlehandedly manifest rain clouds. representative sample included here of my dispassionate analysis of the situation:

which made me initially quite irritable when the rain showed up at the race after aragon, but that's neither here nor there. anyway, I will go into this in a little more detail for that other ask, but I do think it's the f2f format specifically that suits marc. it's just those specific conditions where it's not wet wet but kinda slippery and gross where he really thrives - which of course you also see with stuff like his affinity for low grip conditions in general. plus, he developed a knack for picking the correct strategies in this genre of races. his record in proper wet races is significantly worse... if I had to make a list of the best wet weather riders this century, a few names would sneak ahead (dovi, casey and valentino being the obvious picks, and some of those riders were..... not so great at f2f). here's the comparison:

so yup - he's not a bad wet weather rider by any stretch of the imagination, but it's the type of mess thrown up by f2f where he really thrives. neat skill to have

[blueiscoool]

1,900-Year-Old Papyrus Records Roman Tax Fraud Trial

The Greek document details a court case in ancient Palestine involving tax fraud and provides insight into trial preparations in the Roman Empire

Back in 2014, a researcher from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem rediscovered an ancient papyrus while organizing a storeroom in the Israel Antiquities Authority’s Dead Sea Scrolls Unit. Once found in the Judean Desert, the document’s script had previously been classified as Nabataean—an ancient Aramaic language—but papyrus expert Hannah Cotton knew better.

“When I saw it marked ‘Nabataean,’ I exclaimed, ‘It’s Greek to me!’” the researcher says in a statement by the university.

Cotton and a team of experts spent the next decade deciphering the 133-line text, and their findings were recently published in the journal Tyche. Turns out, the document is the longest Greek papyrus ever found in the Judean Desert, and its newly translated content is particularly unique: a Roman lawyer’s detailed notes about the trial of two men accused of tax fraud.

“This is the best-documented Roman court case from Judaea, apart from the trial of Jesus,” says study coauthor Avner Ecker, a historian at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in the statement.

Per the study, the papyrus was likely written on the “eve of the Bar Kokhba Revolt,” a second-century Jewish uprising against Roman rule. The Roman Empire had colonized Judea—the southern part of ancient Palestine—some 200 years earlier. By 132 C.E., various Roman incursions upon Jewish life, including bans on religious practices, had taken their toll: The dwindling population of Jews in Palestine revolted. The rebellion, led by a man named Bar Kokhba, was crushed by the Romans in 135 C.E., and Jews were subsequently banned from Jerusalem.

The newly translated papyrus was written after Roman Emperor Hadrian’s visit to Judea around 130 C.E. and before the Bar Kokhba Revolt, per the study. It details Rome’s case against two individuals—Gadalias and Saulos—accused of forging documentation about selling and freeing slaves to bypass paying Roman taxes.

“Forgery and tax fraud carried severe penalties under Roman law, including hard labor or even capital punishment,” says study coauthor Anna Dolganov, a papyrus expert at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, in the statement.

The papyrus was written in “vibrant and direct” language by a strategizing prosecutor, advising another lawyer about pieces of evidence and anticipating objections, per the statement. The document also contains a “rapidly drafted transcript of the judicial hearing itself.”

As Dolganov says in the statement, “This papyrus is extraordinary because it provides direct insight into trial preparations in this part of the Roman Empire.”

Significant portions of the document are missing, making conclusions about the trial’s participants difficult to draw. Still, the researchers write that the prosecutors were likely “functionaries of the Roman fiscal administration” and suggest the defendants were Jews. The papyrus also makes mention of “an informer who denounced the defendants to Roman authorities.”

As Live Science’s Kristina Killgrove writes, the papyrus sheds light on the long-debated question of whether or not ancient Jewish people owned slaves. The document mentions that Saulos’ family owns multiple slaves, but whether those enslaved people were Jewish is unclear.

The trial’s location and the case’s outcome also remain mysterious. Per the study, proceedings may have been interrupted by the Bar Kokhba Revolt. Somehow, this papyrus ended up among a collection of documents stored in caves in the Judean Desert—the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were rediscovered in the mid-20th century.

As study coauthor Fritz Mitthof, a historian at the University of Vienna, says in the statement, the papyrus showcases the Romans’ governmental reach: They regulated private transactions even in remote regions of their empire.

By Sonja Anderson.

[literallys-illiteracy]

Oh boy time for me to do my thing and watch closely: New HTP episode released

When discussing the Regent of Great Yarmouth (referred to in the scene as "The master"), we see the background use the same silhouette as the figure credited as "The Monk" in the final scenes of the first episode.

I think that the theory of Kevin actually having telepathy, still screaming at D about the blender every so often (assuming he hasn't had time to meet Kevin since purchasing it) is very funny so I'm going with it. Kevin's dribble while going off script says "POWERFUL WIZARD LAZER".

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The symptoms that Spit displays line up heavily with those of the Delirium (note that there are many many different effects that the Delirium may take), with one of the most common reactions being catatonia (essentially becoming unresponsive in shock/fear), also implying that Spit has a willpower of 1.

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Crossing off the supposed kindred from being a "Vampire Wizard" (presumably not only relating to Tremere but we don't know how the family classifies them), Kitten proposes them to be a Sludge Lad (Nosferatu) or Humanimal (Gangrel), also making a joke about La Ghostra Nostra, which I believe is mean to be a pun on La Cosa Nostra (The Sicilian Mafia).

As the group is still going by the assumption that this IS a vampire, they are treating it as if Simon (Spit) has been dominated (See previous HTP post for Domination). That AND Matilda posits that he could simply be faking it I Wonder Why.

Also yeah I ship it.

Brok is genuinely pissed at the idea of Spit being the ghoul for basically no reason bar the fact that they are/were friends for a long time.

Now we get to the part where I get to talk at length about the Irish man.

to start off with, I haven't actually the best guess as to what Occam fully is (other than being a hedge mage). The amulet he is wearing has a sigil which is common in Celtic circles called the Triskelion, this also has ties to Hellenistic history (most specifically in Sicily, which being the second mention of Sicily sent me down a weird rabbit hole, allow me to elaborate:)

Basically, the triskelion is linked to Sicily, Hellenism (used as a common symbol during the period) and the god Hermes (Hermes helped Perseus fetch the head of Medusa). This isn't the important part but by God if I did this research it isn't going to waste. (also there is a theoretical link between the fact that the symbol is not too distant from the god Hermes and the Order of Hermes but I don't think that's important)

In Sicily, in WoD, there are pretty much only two things of note: In Syracuse (city within Sicily for those unaware) is the old centre of the Clan Lasombra, however it has not been in major use for roughly 600 years by this point (1400's-2000).

The second thing is that there is a Cairn there which... Werewolves I guess.

There was a third section which started talking about the Ars Goetia and how that could also relate back to Occam's sorcery but I cut it.

-

Back to the murder at hand(s) (claws?):

We can continue seeing Matilda be aggressive and defensive, we can also see her hands become visibly claw shaped when agitated:

Foreshadowing is-

Even while locked up, Matilda continues to direct attention towards both Spit and Git. Note how the episode consistently draws attention towards her, being the only non hunter who has more than a few lines (Non hunters being Spit, Git, Amanda, Matilda) and being the only one to directly point blame at any single person.

The time out box is back and with a full clear view of the symbol on the side.

The first thing I thought was mercury, due to the crescent shaped open top and the crossed centre line, however most depict mercury having a full circle and half stacked on top.

Then I realised that it was the symbol for the magic sphere of Matter. I then also found where/what the symbol properly was.

The only proper source I can find for this symbol is this researchgate proposal about unicode.

The fourth image lists the symbol as "amalgam", but oddly enough both figures 1 and 3 disagree with fig. 4 and with each other as to what the proper symbol for amalgam is.

Alchemy is weird like that sometimes, anyways I spent way too long on this moving on.

Referring to spit, the obvious odd behaviour he displayed throughout the last episode.

Funnily enough, this can be explained through the excuse Git gave before, his Ritalin (ADHD medication) wearing off. For those unaware, there is a side effect of prescriptions stimulants, specifically when they are wearing off, in which one becomes extremely tired, irritable, agitated, hungry, or anxious when their medication runs out of their system. This can be worse with children or those with comorbid mental health problems such as anxiety or depressive disorders; crashing or rebounding in extreme cases, like seen with Spit, can be a sign that the dosage of medication is wrong (too high), or simply that your body doesn't vibe with the stimulant, in which case you should consult your psychiatrist and change medications. Speaking from experience, it's never fun to crashland from being relatively normal into being a prick.

Uh considering that Git also has a nicotine dependency (seen through his desperation for getting his smokes back), I can't help but wonder what substance Brokham is using. Honestly looking at him? Anabolic Steriods.

Which is to say that... uh. Spit goes in the box.

Ok so I want to let HTP be its own thing for the most part but there is a 0% chance this isn't an intentional reference so i'll note it down:

these two paintings that mark the archive: the left is a reference to Ephrael Stern, a Sister of Battle known as the "Thrice Born" or "Daemonifuge". We can see this from the fact that she has the same blue lipstick and a cross-tattoo on the same areas as her TTS depiction.

For similar, design correlated reasons, it is safe to assume that the portrait on the right is inspired by Aurelia Malys of the Dark Eldar, whose TTS portrayal is below:

There's probably some sort of foreshadowing going on here related to Markus seeking entrance to the Archives, Magnus seeking the Black Library, and Ephrael being in the Library for most of TTS.

final note about the door, I cannot be bothered to try and find the meaning of the alchemical symbols on the door but they are there and unimportant if anyone wants to check it out.

-

These two books have visible writing.

"Immortal Divorce Court (1)" and "Vamp Dictionary"

Please skip to the next red texted note if you don't want to read Latin lessons.

"Oculus Empyrean".

When I was first watching this episode, I misheard this as "Oculus Imperium" and got very confused because that would mean "Eye control(er)" (or more strictly it would be "Eye's control")

Oculus Empyrean (sort of) translates into "Eye of Heaven". The "Sort of" comes from the fact that Empyrean comes from medieval latin/early middle english, and also because of inflection.

Taking Oculus Empyrean at face value means "Eye Heaven" (unless my Latin is finally slipping as I go senile). This is because both Oculus and Empyrean are in the nominative case.

For non inflection-language speakers: The nominative case is used when a noun is the subject of an active verb, eg.

"The Ball was kicked into a tree" where "The Ball" is the nominative noun.

"Good Girl" for example would have nominative singular Puella (girl) and genitive singular version of Bonum, Boni, (Good) to create the phrase "Boni Puella".

However, that being said, unless listing nouns (the door, the wall, the shelf, and....-) or making a direct relation between two nouns (Jon is a farmer = Jon agricola est), I don't remember a case for multiple nominative inflections in a row; This is why it is more accurately translated to just Eye Heaven.

To actually write "The eye of heaven" in Latin, inflect both Eye and Heaven in the genitive case to indicate a relation between the two (as neither noun is the subject of a verb):

Oculi caeli

(I just swapped Empyrean for Caelum because they both mean heaven) (also, if you check this on google translate, due to Oculi being both the nominative plural, and the genitive singular of Oculus (as is the case for second declination nouns) it will probably translate as "eyes(plural) of heaven")

ok back to the actual episode because ????

The newburgh group is one of the members of the Coalition (Second Inquisition), which heavily backs the arcanum.

Ok so back on the eye real quick

This isn't an alchemical symbol, believe me, I've done multiple hours of research about alchemy today alone (if I had a nickel for every time I researched alchemy in depth for a media series I would have three nickels-)

the closest I could find in any of my sources was

Attramentum Vitriolum (Black vitriol), which lacks the central dot, and Auripigment (Arsenic Sulphide, literal translation is "gold coloured"), which lacks the central dot and is tilted to 45%

We can see here that the eye projects some sort of "red beam" from its... iris? I guess? which then connects into Markus'.

The red beam may relate back to the concept of the Empyrean. We've had our alchemy lessons, we've had latin lessons, time for a mythology lesson for an esotericism trifecta.

Beforehand, when I said that Empyreum means Heaven, I wasn't lying, just simplifying. The Empyrean, in ancient european myth, is the heavens beyond our terrestrial spheres; the empyrean referred to the spheres of existence permeated and constructed from, the element of Aether, the fifth element.

This may explain the symbol of the eye itself, having 5 nodes on a cross representing the 5 elements, but that's conjecture. The important part of this potential connection to the aether is the fact that, in the 5'th century, there was an alchemical theory of "Quintessence", being a similar conceptual "fifth element" of which the heavens were made of.

Quintessence in fact literally means 5th element. Quintessence is also present in World of Darkness lore:

in essence, in Mage the Ascension, Quintessence is basically the fabric of reality. The entire tapestry of reality, all things within, are made of quintessence.

I've already gone on too many tangents so i'm stopping myself from going deeper into Mage.

I can't be fucked looking for another one, also im 90% sure that i'd be barking up the wrong tree because I do not recognise those triangle ones.

Technically one could interpret the boxes with circles inside them as being the sign for urine.

***

Update because I'm dumb:

as people have pointed out, these symbols are Hunter marks, symbols used by and recognisable to Imbued (mildly supernatural hunters).

In my defence, I'm not a hunter, so I wouldn't know.

The three symbols seen are "imbued" (on the eye), Danger (the rectangle one) and "Puppet" (Triangle)

-

as was very predicted by ms WILD who was always wearing gloves.

also from the sheer brutality, the delirium symptoms, the pinning of blame on others, the antisocial personality, claw marks all around the arcanum, and complete lack of surprise at the reveal of vampires existing.

Foreshadowing certainly WAS a literary device-

also would?

-

in the ensuing fight, D is fairly easily overpowered, gains a large neck gash from claw marks, and cuts off matilda's left arm

Remold also shoots with his... cane gun? a phosphorus bullet. Phosphorus is known for like one main thing and it is that it burns like crazy, hence why "no vampire could survive that"

-

I don't think that the reactions of each cast member are meant to actually reflect their willpower scores, except for Git and Spit who totally fit willpower 1.

That being said, time to organise each reaction into the different delirium reactions/willpower's:

Note how Grimal is strong enough to scratch into the tiling of the walls out of sheer fright.

That being said, every character in this scene, including D and Remould (which is why I'm saying that this probably doesn't fully reflect accurate stats) takes little to no action for this first section.

Also, immediately after we see the two elders, both clearly afraid, but still maintaining composure and fighting smart, think back to what D said back in the first audiolog:

"Trust your wits, not your fists"

probably somewhere around 9-10 range. 10 is defined as no reaction, and both are clearly afraid of the situation, but no matter your will, a werewolf running at you is scary.

Willpower 4, the berzerk reaction. As D put it "some may attack with extreme vigour"

In this scene here, we can hear the wound of the knife hissing after it has cut: either this is the knife "enchanted with death magicks" from the Guy Chapman audiolog, or the knife is made of silver. Either way this is called aggravated damage. Unless they changed something in W5 i've not played it.

Also this is probably just like a moth spirit or something, potentially this could be that one auspice that allows you to transport something from the umbra at will? unlikely though

willpower 4, berzerk.

Willpower.... 10? I don't think that this was an uncalculated action, I just think Markus is bad at math and doesn't know the strength of a werewolf.

I mean he had some of the shortest time between sight and thought out action, so at the very least a 7 (afraid but rational).

Also STAKE JACKET IS THE BEST IDEA.

We can assume that these are the spirits that Tilda (who from this point forward I will refer to as Tl;dr) has gifts from. Can't say which gifts, hard to say most things about spirits in general, so yeah.

in Audiolog one, we discussed: Vampires/Ghouls (which we have fought and met) Werewolves (just now fighting) (specifically Black Shuck) Witches/mages (Potentially seen?) Ghosts (wraiths); (Potentially seen?).

The mention of wizards was a specific tale of a witch, which remains unseen, and the "ghost" was that one with the well.

This marks the first named foreshadowed character appearing except for the fiddler/monk at the end of episode one.

Willpower 4: berzerk.

seems the spirit's name is Jambles? even more terrifying, the spirit might be french.

[saltsongwc]

thistleclaw is very involved with both of their original stories … how is he related to them in this rewrite?

@mrcow101 (sorry for not answering separetly but together fits better)

No art here, don't know what to put sorry

Okay so, tw for mentions of grooming, I gotta mention Spottedleaf's Heart because a lot of the divergences from the au would directly take place in the timeline of the book, TLDR if you don't want to read my "This is why Spottedleaf's Heart fails as an expansion of her charcter in a satisfying way, this is the trope and why it's in use both in the book and in the au, this is what happens, this is what I would change, this is why 'Thistleclaw is a horrible person even without Spottedleaf's Heart', and this is the end" yap: Spottedpaw is not groomed by Thistleclaw in the mate sense, he does groom her into his idiology of "Thunderclan above the rest" much like he did Tigerpaw, there is no Dark Forest training, and Tigerfoot kills him because Thistleclaw tried to kill him as revenge.

Yap session below

If Thistleclaw did the same thing he did to Spottedleaf in canon to Spottedstem in this au, then I would've have her kill Thistleclaw, my script teacher would say "that's not positive and shouldn't be good" but justice is not given to the characters in warriors they gotta take it for themselves.

The thing is how warrior's treated Spottedleaf's story is that it pushed her into the trope of Taking the Veil, there are historical reasons related to this trope (often used as a way for women to escape from the oppressive world by one, maybe as oppressive but in sisterhood than alone), Warrior's does not escape from tropes, especially not this one (the whole medicine cats not having mate or kits is an enforcement of this).

Tangent: Tropes are not necesseraly negative, depends on how they're written

The way I see it, Tigerfoot in this case also falls into this trope, the subvertion is that he, male, decides to take refuge into what the universe of Warriors classifies as a very feminine leaning job, the healer and the priest, both in fantasy to be read as very 'un-masculine', in his build and in his appearance he looks warrior like, and yet he chose otherwise for the same reasons Spotted did in Spottedleaf's Heart, it's ironic.

However the Spottedleaf in arc 1 and in Bluestar's Prophecy did not choose to become a healer just to escape from the world, rather to embrace another side to it, medicine cats in warrior's work best when they are treated not as a separation and an exclusion from the clan but as a crucial part of it that must work in tandemn. At the same time, I love putting medicine cats as "messangers of the eldritch being that is probably Starclan", so the separation makes sense. And I'm basing this au on the latter so yeah-

WITH WHY SPOTTEDLEAF'S HEART IS NOT GOOD OUT OF THE WAY-

Thistleclaw in this is au was Tigerpaw's mentor much like in canon, and planned to become leader to bring Thunderclan into war with the other clans, he wanted Thunderclan to control the forest, all under his rule, he was charismatic to many, and tried to push this ideology of violence to his clan mates, which during the time when they lived in (of constant battles and famine for short periods of time), was very appealing.

He was very liked among apprentices because he was the "Cool mentor" that let us eat what we caught whenever he was in charge of training, Tigerpaw was very proud of being his apprentice up until one of these "chest out, Thunderclan rocks" outings caused him to miss Leopardfoot's passing, he wasn't the same after that, and instead of being the stable supportive figure one should think a child should have he pushed Tigerpaw further into anger, taking his anger out on others, Tiny (ask about what pushed Tigerpaw into being a medcat here).

When his apprentice began giving him the cold shoulder, and it became unlikely Tiger would return to his duties, he turn his focus in other places, Spottedpaw was just beginning her training, and despite trying to beg Sunstar to give him another apprentice, as Tiger had not technically resigned by that point the leader was reluctant. It didn't stop Thistleclaw from butting into lessons as he was still, technically, a mentor. Spottedpaw was thinking of becoming a medicine cat apprentice (by her intial desires as a kit) before Tigerpaw took it from her.

Thistleclaw enters the picture, both very pissed at losing his shot of being leader, and now apprenticeless, that he decides that if he can't force his way of thinking into the clan, he should take a shot at the next generation, Spottedpaw.

So Thistleclaw is the dark mentor, the one that pushes out your worst qualities and makes you believe that they are your best, the one that has always been objectlively wrong in his way of thinking and is not a victim of poor wife syndrome, he is evil because he in canon wanted everyone but Thunderclan dead, and anyone who doesn't agree with it dead. He does not view other clans the same as Thunderclan, rather lesser.

This is bad. There is no other interpretation and there is no other excuse, he is bad both by his intetions and who he trained others to be.

One day, while escorting Tigerfoot, he planned to murder the medicine cat and make it look like an accident, he monologued about his plan, about the revenge, about in the cusp of victory how he would force the clans to his will.

So he did the clan a favour.

[crazybiscuit]

Siren Song

Pairing: PM!Osamu Dazai x PM!Reader Summary: Dazai was used to seducing women and throwing them away when he no longer needed him. He never expected he'd be the one on the receiving end... Warnings: MDNI, smut, angst, unrequited love, toxic relationship, reader has siren abilities, mentions of murder and mafia business Word Count:  2442 Credits: @saradika-graphics thank you for the divider! A/N: Sorry guys, I was too drunk to finish writing this last night since I played a drinking game with my friends while watching Twilight. I am not a lightweight and we drank champagne, so I hope this gives an idea of how bad the movie was (it's still a guilty pleasure though). Also, I’m AroAce so my intention isn't to depict aromatic people as manipulative pricks. This is just depicting a toxic relationship between two people, in which one of the members happens to be in the community. Anyways, enjoy!

Relationships between coworkers were never a good idea. Especially when the parties involved members of the Port Mafia, which wasn't renowned for its HR department. However, Dazai supposed this didn’t really classify as a proper relationship anyways. It was purely physical, but that was still enough to cause trouble.

And he had to remind himself of that fact every time he would find himself pinning you down in your bed, trying his best to ignore the emotions building up in his chest with each sweet gasp of his name falling from your lips.

Dazai wasn’t a stranger to casual sex, if anything, he considered himself an expert at using people’s feelings for him to have a fun night. What he wasn’t used to was someone flipping the script on him and that was exactly the situation he found himself in when he first met you.

At first, he’d simply pursued you to piss off Chuuya (who like most other members developed a small crush on you due to your ability) and as a challenge for himself to see if he could seduce a siren. He should’ve quit the game he started the moment he managed to steal a kiss from you. No… Actually, he shouldn’t have even started because the moment he got a taste of you, he couldn’t stop.

Your ability didn’t work on him, so he had no clue what made him eagerly push you against his desk as he tugged your hair or pressed you in the small corner of the supply closet, hands wrapped around your throat to keep you quiet. Maybe it had something to do with your face or body. He’d often seen your true face each time he touched you, nullifying the illusion spell that you’d cast, and he wouldn’t deny you were pretty. But he found many women easy on the eyes and never felt the urge to pathetically whimper out their names as he clung onto them desperately for release.

Dazai had finally come to the conclusion that his love for you likely was a cruel joke from the universe. Anything he would never want to lose was always lost. It was something he had learned early on in life and as he grew older, it began to hold more truth than he’d like. His feelings were stubborn, however, and he couldn’t help but find himself alone with you too often.

Tonight, you had finished a mission on Mori’s personal orders and you got home in the early hours of the morning, long before the sunrise. You weren’t disturbed or surprised when you noticed your door open ajar. You didn’t even reach for your pistol as you entered, instead, kicking your heels off and addressing the man you knew was here, “Back again?”

Dazai’s dark eyes remained on the revealing dress adorning your figure, mildly irritated with himself for feeling jealous of the man you murdered last night. He knew Mori had only assigned you to this case to spite the executive and he hated to admit the punishment was working, “How was the mission?”

“Fine,” you stated dryly as you removed the gun tied around your thigh, along with the empty vial of poison, not caring of the man’s stare, “A little too easy if you ask me.”

Dazai looked away for a split second, staring into his glass of whiskey before finishing it swiftly, “Hurry up and shower. I’ll be waiting in bed.”

You rolled your eyes but made no attempt to disobey him as you walked to your bathroom. You didn’t bother to shut the door, fully aware of the wandering eyes on you as you slowly undressed and turned on the hot water.

By the time you entered your bedroom in your bathrobe, you found the brunette sitting on your bed, flipping through one of your catalogs, “You should consider buying me a new nightgown or lingerie one of these days.”

Your comment was obviously meant to be playful but even with the laugh falling from his lips, you can tell it doesn’t reach his eyes, “I don’t really like the idea of clothes I bought ending up on the floor of a stranger.”

You paused as you dried your hair, lowering the towel slightly. You weren’t stupid, you had obviously noticed the subtle differences in his behavior since your first meeting. You had noticed his strange insistence on assigning you to missions that had nothing to do with him when he first realized his feelings. This flipped when he couldn’t help himself by visiting your apartment at least once a week and he began recruiting you for his own missions, which caught the attention of quite a few members.

Not only that, but his behavior and expressions had also shifted enough for you to notice he had developed feelings inappropriate for your arrangement, “If I didn’t know better, I’d assume you were jealous, Dazai.”

“Trust me, I’m not,” you both knew the truth but pretended to be oblivious. It was easier that way…

You dropped the towel on your chair and made your way towards your bed and you felt the urge to remind him of your relationship, “That’s good… I wouldn’t want to give you the wrong idea.”

The comment stung a little but the man effortlessly shrugged it off as he grabbed your wrist and pulled you down next to him. You could already tell what he wanted and you closed your eyes before he even pulled you close enough to kiss. This caused him to groan in mild frustration, seeing how unaffected you were with these encounters but he quickly pushed the feeling away as he began to push the emerald-colored silk off your shoulders.

“You shouldn’t be taking direct orders from Mori, you’re my subordinate.”

You stared at him stunned for a second and bursted out into laughter, “Do you realize how crazy you sound? You aren't the boss… At least not yet.”

“I don’t care,” he mumbled against your collarbone as your nightgown finally fell down to your waist, exposing your bare body. 

You dismissed the comment, tilting your head back slightly for the brunette. His hands were wrapped around your waist and your own ran through his dark curls, “What do you want tonight?”

“Shouldn’t you know that already, mind reader.”

You let out an annoyed sigh as he ruined the mood. You weren’t even going to indulge him with an answer since you both knew your mind manipulation ability didn’t work on him, “Quit being snarky and let’s get to the point.”

His jaw clenched, a small frown making its way to his face but he stayed put, his hair tickling your neck as he began trailing kisses up your throat. Your fingers found their way to the ends of his eye bandage and you carefully untied it as he began marking your skin. Another sign that he was more comfortable with you than he’d like to admit. The gauze fell down when he pulled away for a few seconds.

“How was the mission? You didn’t give much details,” you sighed, his lips on your pulse. You could tell this conversation wasn’t sparked out of mere curiosity.

“The usual. I was sent to clean up after…,” you hesitated slightly. You assumed Mori hadn’t given him details of your assignment and you weren’t about to throw Akutagawa under the bus, “A member failed to kill a witness during a raid: a politician. Luckily, they’re always easy to manipulate.”

“I bet they are,” you gasped as he suddenly pressed you into the mattress, clearly not wanting to hear anymore. He expertly unbuttoned his suit jacket and tossed it on your floor, leaning down to taste your lips. You were quick to reciprocate the gesture as your fingers loosened his tie, pulling him deeper into the kiss.

He eventually pulled away, both of you breathing heavily, and the rest of his clothes soon found themselves on the hardwood floor, alongside your nightgown. His bandages also found their way off his body, a rare occurrence even when it came to sex (or any interaction for that matter).

You sat up, pushing him back a little as you reached into your drawer. He knew the protocol, despite being on birth control, you asked him to wear a condom for safety. He didn’t mind obviously, he was used to this. What really stung was seeing the various different brands and sizes, reminding him that he was just like all of your other playthings. He wasn’t special and he interpreted it as a lack of trust on your part. Obviously, he was known for sleeping around but if you cared enough, you would’ve known that he stopped that a few months into knowing you.

He didn’t vocalize his complaints, laying back down on the bed as you got on your knees in front of him. He could hear the sound of the package opening and shivered as you rolled the cold rubber onto his cock. You didn’t waste your time, your hands slowly stroking his cock as your lips gently pressed kisses against his thigh, causing him to let out a sigh, eyes closed as he relaxed further into the mattress. 

His hand found its way into your hair as you finally wrapped your lips around his tip and he groaned softly, grabbing onto your roots. He stayed fairly quiet as you bobbed your head up and down at a leisurely pace. The man could tell you were teasing him and frowned in annoyance, thrusting his hip. You let out a small gagging sound as he pressed your head further down onto him but adjusted to his length quickly, being accustomed to his impatient behavior.

He took control, fucking your mouth like a toy as you sucked his dick, face scrunched up as he focused on the sensation of your warm mouth wrapped around him. It didn’t take long for him to feel himself approaching his release and you moaned onto his member, knowing he would cum soon as his thighs trembled faintly. He hissed, pushing your head as far down as he could, hitting the back of your throat as came.

You pulled away, licking the flavored lube off your fingers as you stood up to grab a towel. The lanky man stayed on his back for a while, ignoring the dreadful sensation in his gut, ashamed of how quickly he’d give into pleasure just to be near you. He sighed, removing the condom and tossing it in the bin as he waited for you, finally sitting up and leaning against the bedframe. 

Once you were back, you cleaned him off and opened your bedside drawer once more but you hesitated for a few seconds as you stare at the boxes. Dazai frowned slightly, wondering what was wrong but before he could ask, you straddled his lap much to his shock, “Wha–”

You kissed him, tongue pushing past his lips, smiling in satisfaction. It wasn’t often someone could surprise the Demon Prodigy. You briefly pulled away, looking at his stunned expression, “I figured there’s no point wasting another one.”

“You taste like bubblegum,” he remarked, unable to think of anything else to say in the moment as you aligned his tip with your cunt. If he was stupid enough, he’d assume this meant more than it actually did. You let out a small snort at his comment as you slowly sank onto him with a gasp.

 “Yeah, it’s a new brand. Like it?” you mumbled, holding back a moan at the sensation of him stretching you out.

“Don’t use them with anyone else,” he ordered without thinking, head resting against the wooden frame as you took him inside of you bare. He knew this was most likely going to be a one time thing, so he was hoping the condoms would solidify his need to prove his importance to you even if he knew it wasn’t true.

You ignored him, eyes closing as you took him balls deep, a soft moan escaping your lips at the sensation. His hands wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer to his chest, causing you to grind against him, “Fuck…”

He took a deep breath, trying to control his heart. You’d always been more vocal than him in bed but he had a feeling you mostly did it for your partners. It was the same thing he did when he hooked up with someone for information, acting in the specific way he knew they’d like.  He couldn’t deny that he found it attractive but it was yet another reminder.

His nails dug into your waist as he tried pushing aside his feelings and he began helping your set a pace to ride him. You wrapped your arms around him, head tipped back as you whimper out his name. He grasped this opportunity and kissed the top of your chest before biting into it, hoping to mark you even more. He’d always noticed the sweet taste of your skin and the pleasant smell. If it weren’t for his ability, he would’ve assumed it had something to do with your siren spell.

Your moans and whines only grew louder as Dazai picked up his pace, relishing the sensation of fucking you without protection. Honestly, his delusions were telling him that if he filled you deep enough, you would get pregnant and you’d finally be his. He clung to the stupid thought, thrusting up into your cunt, small groans muffled against your skin as he screwed his eyes shut in concentration.

You reached down for your clit as you watched him through half-lidded, sensing that your night would end soon. The brunette’s eyes snapped open in annoyance as he slapped your hand away, “The hell do you think you’re doing?”

You shivered at the cold tone of his voice, clenching around him from the sterness and you gasped out in shock as his finger tip replaced yours. It took only a few more seconds for you to slump against him, body shaking as you cried out his name. He bit his lip hard in response, feeling the tight grip of your cunt on his cock, causing him to draw blood as he pushed himself as deep as he could before cumming, filling you with his warm seed.

You both stayed entangled for a minute, catching your breath as you recovered. Unsurprisingly, you were the first to pull away, standing up and grabbing the emerald robe on the ground to cover yourself.

“Feel free to shower before you leave, Dazai,” your voice was nonchalant as you stepped out of the room to fix yourself dinner, “I’ll take mine later.”

[the-most-humble-blog]

<div style="white-space:pre-wrap">

<meta recipe-classification="classified">

<script>

ARCHIVE_TAG="CORPSE_STARCH::KITCHEN_DOCTRINE::NUTRITIONAL_EXECUTION_PROTOCOL_EXTENDED"

EFFECT="servitor appetite activation, culinary heresy enforcement, dietary class division mockery"

TRIGGER_WARNING="bureaucratic horror, fascist satire, cannibal culinary grotesque, meal-based execution"

</script>

Make Your Own Corpse Starch at Home!

📍 LOCATION: Hive Primus Kitchen Block 998-B | Clearances: Level Skull++ Only

---

Tired of overprocessed food?

Tired of standing in line at the Administratum-rationed slop trough, just to *beg* some apron-stained vendor for his third-hand meat mush?

Tired of *waiting behind the stall* while that fat bastard with the greasy cog-piercings tries to upcharge you for “premium marrow filtration” on something that’s 60% burnt spleen and 40% boot leather?

Well, *no more*, Citizen!

It’s time to ***take initiative*** in the Emperor’s name!

It’s time to become the ***starch provider*** your quadrant deserves.

---

✨ MAKE YOUR OWN CORPSE STARCH AT HOME™ ✨

(Easy! Cheap! Approved by 7 out of 10 Inquisitors!)

Includes bonus points toward:

✅ Purity Assessment

✅ Street-level Morale

✅ Informant Loyalty Credit Bonuses

---

🛠️ REQUIRED TOOLS:

☑️ 1 heretic (or a particularly annoying co-worker)

☑️ A domestic-grade flensing saw (or ask your neighborhood Tech-Priest!)

☑️ Large cauldron (blessed or scrubbed of sin via Mechanicus rites)

☑️ Bone strainer (or mesh from repurposed flak armor)

☑️ A sense of righteous vengeance

☑️ Industrial hunger

☑️ Three hymns of psychological fortitude

---

🧠 STEP-BY-STEP IMPERIAL PREP:

**Step 1: Apprehend Your Protein.**

Find a citizen guilty of:

- Eye rolling at the Schola

- Owning pre-Imperium literature

- Hoarding “gluten-free” ration cards (heresy)

- Saying “The Emperor didn’t seem that tall in person” (DEATH SENTENCE)

- Participating in unauthorized yoga

Bonus: Target smug walkers and suspicious vegetarians.

The leaner the subject, the easier the bake.

---

**Step 2: Report Immediately.**

Notify your local Adeptus Arbites:

> “This bastard mocked the Emperor while chewing!”

Provide visual evidence if available.

(If not, cry convincingly. The Emperor values *initiative*.)

Reporting earns you:

- Their food stamps

- Their personal effects

- First harvest rights to ***whatever’s still twitching***

---

**Step 3: Harvest Time.**

When they’re dragged off for lobotomy and servitor conversion, make your request to the attending Chirurgeon:

> “Mind if I keep the offcuts?”

They will nod. They always nod.

The Mechanicus hates waste almost as much as it hates poetry.

Prioritize:

- Spleen (dense, fibrous, nutrient-rich)

- Calf meat (low chew resistance)

- Brainstem casing (best used as starch binder)

---

**Step 4: Cleanse the Meat.**

Use incense if sanctioned. Otherwise, aggressive boiling.

Add:

- Three spoons of salt from the penal mines

- One sprig of Ecclesiarch thyme

- Holy water, or spit from a trusted Commissar

Skim floating heresy. Anything that resists heat is likely traitorous.

---

**Step 5: Break It Down.**

Grind bones into paste using Mechanicus-approved grinder (or mortar and pestle if below Tier 4 clearance).

Mix with blood curdle and marrow slush until doughy.

Flatten into imperial baking sheets (or old license plates)

and ***bake in forge-oven for 1 hour*** or until screams stop echoing in the metal.

---

**Step 6: Package & Label.**

Once dry and flaky, powder and jar in sanitized containers.

Affix purity seal. Label should read:

> “Official Corpse Starch – Batch 0911 – For Internal Righteous Use Only”

---

🍽️ SUGGESTED USES:

- Sprinkle over ration slop for crunchy martyr flavor

- Add to Ecclesiarch tea for righteous consistency

- Dust over morning sermons (trust us—boosts morale)

- Mix into guilt-loaves for the children you’re raising on fear and protein

---

🩸 “BUT I’M A PUSSY!”™ SECTION

(Diet-Friendly Alternatives for the Spiritually Undermuscled)

We understand. You still flinch when the Reclaimation Truck backs up.

So here’s an alternative starch plan for:

- The lactose-intolerant

- The shadow-averse

- The “I don’t eat humans” crowd

- Beta-males with sensitivity to emotional seasoning

---

🧁 SUBSTITUTE INGREDIENTS:

- Soylent Glimmer™ (now 80% less guilt)

- Shaved servitor husk (already dead inside, just like you)

- Leftover ration bars (grind, lie, profit)

- Your own fingernail clippings (biologically neutral, spiritually dubious)

- Hair. Yours. Hers. Doesn’t matter. *Hair is starch.*

---

🎖️ HERETICAL ADD-ONS (Use With Caution):

- Xeno-derived protein (illegal)

- Flavored sorrow beads (shunned but effective)

- Anything that “tastes like chicken” (you’re a coward and the Hive will smell it)

---

💡 EXECUTIONER COOKING TIPS:

- Always bless your flenser. Dirty tools rot both meat and soul.

- Burn tattoos off the flesh. Ink = ideology. Ideology = ***heresy.***

- Add crushed lho-stick ash for that authentic Hivegrime tang.

- Bake on a scream cycle for extra fluff.

---

📣 TESTIMONIALS 📣

> “I made corpse starch for my family and now my father-in-law finally salutes me.”

> – Decanus Flakmunch, Hive Primus Sector 12

> “Tastes like Uncle Remus, but less opinionated.”

> – Sister Spitea, Order of the Iron Spatula

> “Reported five citizens for suspicious belly laughter. Got a year’s worth of starch and a promotion. Feeling full.”

> – Private Kneebiter, PDF Morale Division

> “I added corpse starch to my shampoo. My hair now sings the Emperor’s Hymns.”

> – Junior Tech-Adept Gristlefex

---

🎁 BONUS RECIPE: *EMPEROR’S BROWNIES™*

Ingredients:

- 2 cups corpse starch

- 1 crushed ration cube

- 1 drop of joy (stolen is fine)

- Sobbing (silent, from the heart)

Bake until the smoke detector screams.

Best served under curfew.

---

🕯️ ADVANCED VARIATIONS:

1. **Arbites-Chili Bake**

Spicy, confrontational, leaves a guilty aftertaste.

2. **Purity Pancakes**

Thin enough to lie to your children. Thick enough to keep the Ecclesiarchy watching.

3. **Astartes Smoothie (Unofficial)**

Just corpse starch, weapon oil, and a single crushed oath. Will destroy your insides. Worth it.

---

📦 STORAGE PROTOCOLS:

- Keep in dry, blessed area (avoid psychic hotspots)

- Do not mix with sanctioned baby formula

- NEVER feed to psykers (unless funny)

---

🔥 CULTURAL NOTE:

Corpse starch isn’t just food.

It’s history.

It’s enforcement.

It’s ***recycling, with purpose.***

Your ancestors were probably turned into starch.

It’s only fair you pay it forward.

---

📜 LAST WORDS:

You are not above the system.

You *are* the system.

And the system’s hungry.

So don’t just report. Don’t just obey.

***Contribute.***

Because in the end…

> If your meal doesn’t scream,

> ***it isn’t starch.***

Reblog if you believe the emperor is not shorter in person.

Praise be the Emperor.

---

🧠 Read more respect-coded doctrine and emotional architecture at:

👉 https://linktr.ee/ObeyMyCadence

🛡️ Masculine polarity. Scrolltrap psychology. Unforgiven words.

🚪 Warning: This post triggered a city-wide recipe audit and 14 summary executions. All before breakfast.

</div>

[AUTO-PURGE IN: 00:00:00 — RECOVERY TEAM DISPATCHED TO KITCHEN BLOCK 998-B]

[sharlotscarletfox]

Masquerade, Dangerously Yours (Sebastian Sallow x Ominis Gaunt)

A/N: This story is based on a 1940s radio show that I have been obsessed with and can quote from memory. I love the original material so much, I tried to stick to the script as close as I could, only changing a bit of wording here and there, but this honestly owns my soul. I wrote it for Hogwarts Legacy Pride Week, Day 4: Crossover. Thank you, @hogwartslegacyprideweek, for hosting! This is dedicated to anyone who has ever listened to 'Cigarettes Out The Window' by TV Girl.

Tags: angst, guns, spies, violence, war, major character death

Word Count: 6478 words

“And so, my Marquess Gaunt, you have our reasons for choosing you for this mission. You are very young, you are clever, and you are very handsome. Because of your youth, you should be exceptionally valuable to us.”

The cruel and uncaring words sizing up his most exploitable characteristics didn’t bother Ominis anymore.

Ever since his parents, who were high-ranking government officials, basically sold him off to be a spy for the best interest of the country, a part of him had stopped caring. He quickly caught on that in this line of work, no one cared about his aspirations or personality, only his good looks and persuasive charm that he could use to get the information he needed from his victims and leave without getting attached. 

This was his biggest mission yet, coming from the man whom everyone he had met on his way here had referred to as the ‘Headmaster.’

“I am at your command, Headmaster.” He responded, tone cold and uncaring.

“And you’ll forget my title. In all our communications you will address me as Mr. Black. Now let us get on to fix. I hope the Baron will not be too difficult for you, he’s a short man.” Ominis made an effort to commit every detail of their conversation to memory. “When you have obtained our information, you will conceal the message in this silver pencil. Send it to me immediately. Trust no one. We rely on your discretion.”

“I understand.”

“Very well. “ The Headmaster huffed. “Now, in these papers you will find all the necessary information about Baron Sallow. It has already been arranged just how you will meet him. Tonight you will take the train to the Highlands.”

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

The long train ride was endured in the company of Poppy Sweeting, a girl his age whom he had gotten to know when she was pushed into the same line of work he was. From their brief encounters and few missions, he had learned that her parents were responsible for her employment with the agency and that she had a grandmother in the countryside who would take her under her wing if she ever made it out.

A small, hopeful part of Ominis wished her success in her quest, but he knew that if the agency found out about her whereabouts, both Poppy and her grandmother would face execution if they found them. When they find them.

He listened to her brief him on the Baron. Sebastian Sallow. Very close to their age: parents perished in the war between their countries, a sister who is ill and under the care of their uncle, a veteran who had separated from the force after a classified incident. He is suspected to be deeply involved with the opposing country and in possession of classified information due to his uncle.

Ominis entered the hotel where he and Poppy would be staying for the duration of the mission. He was dressed in his nicest suit, fresh from the dry cleaners. The fabric fit nicely around his calves and chest, putting an emphasis on his well-toned body. Poppy made sure his emerald cufflinks were neatly arranged, and the snake brooch over his heart sat straight. His hair was swept back with some gel, giving Ominis a look of someone wealthy and sophisticated. 

Lastly, she gave him his cane, made from high-quality polished wood, and quietly wished him good luck.

After that, Ominis was officially on his own. He mentally got in character and approached the desk.

“Good evening, sir!” The woman at the front desk greeted him with a cheerful attitude. 

Ominis slid her his room reservation. “Have my bag sent to suite 913.”

“Yes, sir.”

He immediately turned away from her; the longer look she got at his face, the more likely she would recognize him again if the plan went awry. 

Ominis wasn’t given a lot of time for this mission, so he had to make contact with the Baron as soon as he could.

“Good evening, Marquess Gaunt.” A strange man greeted him. 

“Good evening.” He gave a court nod before making it into the dining hall.

“Welcome back, Marquess Gaunt.” Ominis recognized his voice as one of the agency’s associates who worked behind the scenes.

“Thank you, Garreth.”

“Our table for one, sir?” Garreth asked, seemingly posing as a waiter for the night.

“Is Baron Sallow dining?” He asked.

“Oh, he’s at the table by the window, sir.” He responded with an understanding of the situation. 

Ominis bid him goodbye with a swift nod and headed in the direction Garreth had given him. 

He weaved around tables carrying the pleasant smell of freshly cooked dishes, prepared for the wealthier class. People around them carried on meaningless conversations, flaunting their riches, untouched by the horrors of the war. Ominis wondered if they had a high enough tower of coins to hide behind when the battle knocked on their front doorsteps.

The Baron wasn’t hard to find. Ominis could pick him out easily in the crowd of people. He was loud and boisterous, cackling after one of his entertainers said something funny. 

“This morning when I was riding in the park, I saw Everett on the bridal path.” Arrogant attitude and a hint of a Scottish accent. Just as Poppy told him when reading over the mission files. 

He inhaled, processing the most effective way he could get his attention and make sure he could get him alone somehow. 

Settling on the idea of an upset mistress, he exhaled and approached the Baron with purpose.

 “He was…” The Baron trailed off confused when Ominis put on the most scandalized expression he could and slammed the hand that was not on his cane onto the table, just next to the Baron. “I beg your pardon, sir.”

“Here is the watch and the rings and the bracelet you gave me, Lucan!” He produced the items hidden in the pockets of his suit jackets and shoved them into the Baron’s hands, giving him a shove for extra measure. “Take them back. I’m through.”

Ominis then stormed away, not giving the Baron a second to recover. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding as the adrenaline eased out of his body. Now, if everything went according to plan, he should find the Baron in his room later, and the first phase of their plan was already completed.

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

Sebastian was stunned for longer than he would like to admit. He was taken aback by the handsome man pushing himself into his personal space and yelling at him about something that he hadn’t even had the chance to process until he was holding the expensive-looking jewelry in his hands, and the very handsome man was almost through the doors of the dining hall.

“Just a moment, sir. You’ve made a…” He shouted, earning a couple of nasty glares from other patrons. He stood up, and the ring slipped between his fingers. 

He looked at the ring rolling away and the retreating figure of his mystery assailant, and then back at the ring again. “Sir, wait!”

He ducked under a neighboring table, which was thankfully empty, and retrieved the ring. He inspected the silver exterior and ran his thumb over the large green stone in the middle. An emerald, he assumed, but Sebastian didn’t grow up around wealth, so he couldn’t tell for sure. 

A waiter, overhearing the commotion, approached him. “Can I be of service, Baron Sallow?”

“Did you see the young man who stopped at my table?” He asked hurriedly. 

“Yes.”

“He left these jewels and a watch. I don’t understand.” Sebastian shook his head. “Do you know who he is?”

“He is the Marquess Gaunt.” The redheaded waiter answered. “He’s in suite 913.”

Sebastian said his thank yous and rushed to find the room.

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

Ominis paced back and forth in his room, wringing the anxiety out of his hands once in a while. His plan had to have worked; no one with a moral compass would hang onto riches that were given to them wrongfully, no man with dignity would let themselves be disgraced like that in public, and lastly, no man or woman had ever been able to resist his looks. 

When a knock sounded at the door, Ominis almost jumped out of his own skin. He gripped his cane tightly and approached the door, initiating the next phase of the plan. “Just a moment.”

“Sir, you have made a mistake. My name is not Lucan. I have never seen you or these jewels before.” He sputtered, clearly out of breath.

“I know.” Ominis flashed him a sly smile and motioned him inside. “Won’t you come in, Baron Sallow?”

“You… you know who I am?” Baron Sallow asked, confused by the sudden development Ominis had sprung on him.

“But of course. You were the most handsome man in the dining room. And I was very lonely.” Ominis placed a hand on his chest, subtly feeling around for a tie if he had one. He slightly tugged on the cloth when he found it, leading the Baron into the room. “So I thought tonight I will have an adventure. I will make the acquaintance of the distinguished Baron Sallow.”

“How do you know my name?” His tone was a bit dazed, and Ominis grinned, knowing he had him under his spell already. 

“It was not difficult to find out.” He let go of his tie.

“How did you know I wouldn’t run off with your jewels?”

“I took that chance. Besides, they’re insured.” Ominis let out one of his carefully practiced laughs. “Are you angry?”

The Baron laughed too, a real, genuine laugh. One that made Ominis’ heart squeeze in his chest. “No, I am not angry. If some kind fate wishes to send a handsome man to dine with me, I can only be grateful. You will do me the honor, won’t you, sir.”

“I shall be delighted.”

Ominis felt the satisfaction of victory in his veins already.

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

“What would you like for dinner?” Sebastian asked him that night. 

“What does a baron eat? Pheasant’s wings and peacock’s breast, and…?” He chuckled lightheartedly at the other’s attempts at impressing him. “I mean, what do you usually eat?”

“What does a marquess usually eat?” 

“Almost anything.”

“Well then, how about roast beef?” He decided.

“All right,” Ominis said with a smile.

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

The two of them spent most of the following week meeting up whenever they had free time, which was often, since Ominis’ schedule was open, so his sole focus would be on this mission. He only had to sneak away occasionally to have a briefing with Poppy about his progress.

During dinners and long walks through the city streets, Sebastian spoke openly about his family, something Ominis already knew but acted like he didn’t. 

He learned that Sebastian radiated pure, unfiltered love and fierce loyalty that would put many soldiers to shame. The first time Ominis heard him talking about his sister, he was seething with jealousy. If any of his siblings had a fraction of the care Sebastian gave his sister, maybe Ominis wouldn’t have turned out this way. 

He would give anything for love like that. 

Eventually, Sebastian asked him to go to the travelling carnival with him closer to the pier. 

The two of them ended up at a shooting game, where Sebastian wanted to put Ominis’ skills to the test. 

“Step right up and watch Monsieur with the green tie shoot the little clay pigeon. Step right up!”

“I’ll never be able to hit a thing,” Ominis complained. He could only really aim at a target he could hear.

Sebastian stepped up behind him, chest pressed against his back, and helped him adjust his posture and aim. 

The gesture gave him an idea of Sebastian’s build. He was a bit taller than Ominis, broad-shouldered, and hid a good amount of muscle under his simple shirt he wore today. His body was warm against his as he helped shift Ominis’ arm up to align his aim with the target with a steady hand. His soft hair tickled his cheek, and his warm breath against his neck.

“Don’t let me down before all these people,” Sebastian muttered and finally stepped away.

Ominis’ yearning for physical contact in that moment should have been his first warning sign. “I’ll try.”

He took a deep, measured breath and pulled the trigger.

The clay shattered on impact, and cheers erupted all around them. Ominis blinked, surprised.

“Good heavens!”

“Hand the gentleman down a plushie.” The clerk announced heartily, and a soft plush in the shape of a snake was pressed into his hands. 

Later that night, lost in thoughts about Sebastian and the mission, he hugged it close and swore it felt like it was suffocating him.

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

Another week passed, and Ominis had accepted the death sentence that was his feelings for Sebastian.

The two of them stood on the balcony of his large suite, Sebastian enjoying the comfortable silence and Ominis marveling at the imaginary guillotine hanging over his head.

“Look, Ominis, a shooting star.” Sebastian shifted closer to him. “Did you wish?”

“I didn’t have time.” Even the stars themselves wouldn’t be able to save him from his situation.

“And there is something you wish for?” He asked after a pause.

“Yes.” Ominis breathed out.

“What did you wish?”

Ominis crossed his arms over the railing, resigning himself to his fate. “I was wishing that we were two other people. Two people that need not say goodbye.”

“Perhaps it can be that way.”

Sebastian did not elaborate, and Ominis’ heart broke into pieces.

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

“Forgive me, Your Lordship, but I’m not easy in my mind about this business.” Sebastian’s assistant, Natsai Onai, who was always the more cautious of the two of them when it came to any form of endeavor and self-indulgence, spoke up. “I wish you wouldn’t go see that man tonight, sir.”

“How could I stay away?” Sebastian sighed, running his fingers over the ornate brooch that Ominis had gifted him on one of their walks. “Natsai, for the first time in my life, I’m completely, head over heels in love.”

“But, Baron Sallow…”

“I know what you’re thinking,” he cut his assistant off. “I have a mission to perform, and I have no right to fall in love. But things don’t always work out the way we’d like to have them work out, eh, Natsai?”

That did not stop her from looking uneasy. “Oh, I don’t know what’s the come of all this, sir.”

“No, Natsai, neither do I. Neither do I. But perhaps we shall find out tonight.” He pocketed the snake brooch and exited their suite.

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

“Ominis, I have received a message for you from Mr. Black.” Poppy alerted him when he came back to their shared room.

“What is it?” He asked, trying to hide the unease in his tone. 

Check-ins from his superiors were normal. Ominis had kept the mission in mind these past weeks. Maybe not on the forefront, but it was definitely there; he would never forget his mission. This one was different in the sense that he had budding feelings for his target, but he should have no trouble pushing past those feelings when the time came. He was a trained spy in the line of duty after all. 

“He said that you must obtain our information immediately.” There was something sour in her tone as she spoke, as if she pitied him somehow. “That you’ve taken too long. You are to get it tonight.”

“Tonight?” 

“Mr. Black has been lenient with you because this is your first big mission. But he will not be lenient any longer. It is not wise to anger Mr. Black. He is a dangerous enemy.” She forced the words out, then sighed. “Forgive me, Ominis. I was sent to serve you as an assistant, not to give you advice.”

“You’re right, Poppy. Don’t worry. The mission will be completed tonight.”

Poppy took a step forward as if to say something more. Ominis wished he could tell what she was thinking in that moment.

In the end, whatever she wanted was left unsaid. “You have the silver pencil?”

“Yes.”

“Then I will wait for you at the appointed place. Do not fail us. This mission will be completed tonight.”

Ominis listened for her footsteps approach the door and open it. She lingered in the doorway, as if she didn’t want to leave or wanted him to say more. He had a sudden feeling that if he asked her to run, she would. If he put his foot down right now and told her the mission is over, and they are going to leave, she would have been the first out the door.

Neither of them would tell a soul, and she could go back to her grandmother. Ominis could tell she was a nice girl—polite and kind—and he found her feeding stray cats outside mission locations sometimes. She deserved a good life somewhere far from here, and to live happily without the agency breathing down her neck. 

And Ominis could also leave. He didn’t know where he would go. Even if he escaped the agency, there was still the matter of his family’s influence. They would find him, hunt him to the end of the earth. Even if he and Sebastian made it out of here-

He scoffed. These thoughts of Sebastian again compromising his mission. 

Swaying his thoughts and compromisning his damn mission. The one thing he was entrusted with. He only had one damn job and he couldn’t even get done without catching feelings for his target. 

Needing to take his energy out, he started dressing, not remembering whether Poppy left or not. Not that he cared. 

He took his casual shirt off, tossing it to the side.

Stupid Sebastian and his charming words and dinner dates that he took him on. Talking about his sister and his parents, spreading information as if he were an open book. Telling stories as if people’s lives weren’t on the line and making Ominis feel like he was the only one he had his eyes on.

His fingers made quick work of the buttons of his dress shirt.

Taking him to the carnival? Ominis could still recall how his body felt against his, lining it up for the shot at the clay figure. Sebastian couldn’t even imagine how lethal Ominis’ aim was given the right circumstances. He was trained on the correct posture, he knew how to aim based on sound only, and he knew exactly how to deal with the recoil of multiple types of weapons and how warm it felt in his hands after a shot.

He slipped on his pants and put on his jacket.

Sebastian had to have been playing him. He talked smoothly, letting information slip at just the right moments. He had to have known what was going on. No one this charming and romantic would ever take him to the balcony to describe constellations. Sebastian and his stupid sweet words and fierce loyalty, and flirty tone that made Ominis feel so warm-

He stopped to take a deep breath, trying to push his rising rage down. 

He fit the gun where he knew it would be concealed in his outfit, just in case.

He will resist the temptation that came with Sebastian Sallow, and he will accomplish his mission.

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

They were on the balcony of Sebastian’s suite again. Ominis crossed his arms over the railing and enjoyed the cool breeze that came with the Scottish nighttime. He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to ease his anxiety. Everything that he had done in the past three weeks had led up to this moment.

Just him and Sebastian on the balcony.

“Ominis, I offer you the three things most dear to me.” He jumped at the sound of Sebastian speaking. “My heart, my country, and my dream.”

He gritted his teeth together, pushing down the emotions threatening to bubble over. Ominis spoke slowly and practiced. “You are too generous.”

“Ominis, you must listen to me. Since that first hour we met, I’ve been completely yours.” He confessed, his feelings flowing freely in contrast to Ominis, who was trying to close his heart. “There’s never been anyone else for me. There never will.”

Panic seized him, and his hands gripped the railing. He could not be serious right now. Why did he pick tonight to confess his undying feelings? Ominis needed to shut it down.

“Oh, please, please don’t say any more.” He attempted to desperately deflect. “There are worlds between us, worlds that can’t be bridged with words.”

Sebastian went quiet for a moment, and Ominis hoped that he would back down from his soulful confession enough to realize what was going on and why Ominis couldn’t accept his feelings.

He heard footsteps beside him as Sebastian approached him by the railing. Ominis felt like every single nerve in his body was on fire.

“You said one night that you wished we were two different people.” Sebastian exhaled slowly. “I think you may have that wish, Ominis.”

“What do you mean?”

“Only that my country is close to its victory and may not need so much of my service any longer.”

Ominis froze. His next words were barely above a whisper: “Close to victory?”

“I’m going to tell you something tonight, Ominis.” Sebastian’s tone was serious, devoid of the flirtation and charm it usually held. “Something that will put my life in your hands.”

“Your life?” Ominis’ dinner threatened to make a repeat appearance. 

“It would mean my life, were the news to get to certain circles, yes.”

Countries, lives on the line, victories. Ominis’ realization that Sebastian was involved in this behind-the-scenes war more closely than expected was overshadowed by the overwhelming fear gripping him. Ominis needed to complete the mission, but he never wanted any harm to come to Sebastian.

He couldn’t imagine a world without Sebastian in it. And if he was right about what Sebastian was implying, he needed to make him leave. Now.

“Then don’t tell me.” He blurted out. “How do you know you can trust me?”

“I love you,” Sebastian told him simply, as if it was a fact of life, a universal truth to be accepted. “And I believe you love me.”

Ominis’ patience snapped, rage taking over. How dare this man put words in his mouth? Even if he was right, he had no right to those feelings. Those were Ominis’ feelings to act upon and confess. Sebastian had no right to take this from him.

“You’re quite wrong. This has been only an adventure to me.”

Not quite a lie. Three weeks of an adventure, and they will never see each other again after tonight.

“That isn’t true, Ominis,” Sebastian argued.

“It is true. You smiled at me, I was flattered. It was an adventure for a holiday mood.” He insisted, taking a step away from him.

“You may as well take my heart, Ominis. It’s already full of you. You walked into it the day we met.” 

“You’re a fool, Sebastian Sallow.” Ominis spat, the conversation derailing way faster than he expected.

“Oh, but isn’t any man who falls in love? Do you know what you are to me?” Ominis wanted to press his hands over his ears, he didn’t want to hear a single word Sebastian had to say. Yet some part of him craved it. He wanted to see Sebastian’s act unravel and bare himself before him. “You’re something to believe in again. You’re the type of person that had ceased to exist for me. A fine and honest man.”

“Oh, my darling, you’re such a child.” Ominis backed up so fast he almost tripped over his own foot. “Take your foolish little dream and your heart and go. Please go.”

“What is it? What’s wrong, my dear?” Sebastian asked, his tone delicate as if Ominis was something fragile.

Somehow, that set him off even more. “You know nothing about me. You’ve known me only three weeks.”

“Three weeks? Ominis, I’ve known you all my life.”

“All your life?!” 

“It’s true.” Sebastian insisted. “I’ve seen you in a thousand plays. Read you in as many books. When I’ve heard beautiful music, I’ve thought ‘he’d like that.’ I’ve looked at flowers and known that one day I’d give them to you.”

“Oh, stop, stop.” His hands were shaking. Why were his hands shaking? “You must listen to me. I’m not that man. Perhaps I was once, but I’m not now. You see, you were wrong. You can’t trust me.”

“Are you trying to tell me that someone whose name we both know and won’t mention sent you?”

Ominis’ brain backtracked several steps. Did he let it slip about the mission? He wouldn’t have. He may have alluded to it in his panic, but it shouldn’t have been enough. Gods, he really blew it now, he blew the mission with his stupid feelings. Why did Sebastian pick now to confess his feelings? 

“What are you saying?”

“You see, I’ve known all along.” His words felt like a death sentence, and Ominis’ fate has just been sealed. “I had Natsai look you up the day you arrived.”

“And it didn’t make a difference?” He rasped.

“It didn’t make any difference. You see, I trust you. You came here to betray me and to betray my country.” Ominis didn’t think he was breathing anymore. “That is your mission, Marquess Gaunt. And yet I am so sure of your love that I will trust you with my life and, what is far more valuable, the life of my country.”

“I will betray you.” He warned. Anything to make Sebastian snap out of it, to make him stay away. If he ran now, he could save himself. Ominis wouldn’t stop him.

“If you do, you will betray yourself at the same time.” Sebastian countered, and Ominis had to swallow the lump in his throat.

“Yes. Yes, I know.”

“So you shall know my secret. Even now, as we sit here, there is a great network growing tighter around the foremost nations of the world. Treaties, pacts, alliances being formed against the man who sent you. Tonight, I will sign a pact that will set the wheels in motion to destroy him.”

“Destroy him?” Ominis spoke slowly, trying to wrap his head around what was going on. “No.”

“He’s made a great many mistakes. The greatest of all was sending you here, Ominis.” 

“Why?”

“He knew I should love you.” There he went again, spouting about love. As if love mattered. “But he did not guess that you would fall in love with me.”

His head felt like it was spinning. “No. He didn’t guess that.”

“Then you do see that you cannot betray him.”

“If I betray you, I betray myself. If I betray him, I betray my country.” Ominis looked over to where he knew Sebastian was standing still by the railing. “My country is very dear to me.”

“Dearer than I?” 

The question was posed with such vulnerability that Ominis couldn’t lie. “No. No, not dearer than you.”

“Then will you help me defeat him?”

“Help you?” He asked, confused. “Defeat him?”

“By telling me his plans. That’s the only way I can hope to defeat him.” Something in Sebastian’s demeanor had shifted. “We can’t both win. You’ll see, Ominis.”

“I’m beginning to see.” 

And he was, but not in the way Sebastian would hope. 

All the times Ominis thought that something didn’t add up about Sebastian, that he was too easy to get to. There was always something off about his charming demeanor and how easily he flirted. It all made sense now.

Ominis was being used. He was played for a fool.

“Then you will help me.” Sebastian pushed further, but Ominis didn’t have the strength to give a reaction. He was defeated.

“By giving you any information I may possess concerning our plans?” 

“Yes.”

“You’re very clever, aren’t you? Oh, I can read you like a book now.” Ominis accused Sebastian, pulling out the gun from where it was concealed, and pointed it at the other. “You thought I was young and easily swayed. That you could make me love you. And I would throw over my country. My duty for you.”

Sebastian took a couple of steps back in panic, but Ominis kept the gun trained on him. “That’s not the way to look at it, Ominis.”

“You weren’t so wise after all.” He yelled, emotions spilling over. Ominis let his anger and heartbreak guide his hand. “Because you’ve lost, do you hear me? Lost. You guessed wrong in our little duel of wits. You forget how close hate is to love.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying, Ominis.” Sebastian’s tone was calmer now, trying to soothe him, but Ominis was pushed to his limit already.

“You never loved me,” he choked out, “you knew that I loved you, and you used that!”

“Ominis, stop talking like a child. We’re playing for countries now.”

“Yes, we are, aren’t we?” He breathed in, trying to get a grip. He was a professional and was trained to keep his emotions in check. “This is a gun in my hand, Sebastian. I’d advise you to be careful what you say.”

Sebastian was quiet for a moment, a tense standoff between lovers on different sides of the same war. In the end, he let out a defeated sigh.

“Well, rather melodramatic, aren’t you? Tell me, will I be the seventh notch on the gun or the eighth?” Something along the lines of defeat. “Do you mind if I smoke?”

“Smoke?” Ominis asked, incredulous. He hesitated, trying to figure out what Sebastian was playing at here. Somehow, the other didn’t fail to surprise him, even now.

“I always smoke at the theater. Somehow it enhances the performance.”

With a shift of the fabric, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack. Ominis listened as he dug around for a lighter and lit the cigarette. On his exhale, he got hit by the strong smell of tobacco dissipating into the air. He gripped his gun tightly, not willing to let his guard down.

“You can do anything you please, Sebastian.” He sneered. “But you have very little time to do it in.”

“You mean you’re actually going to kill me?” Sebastian humored.

The lighthearted shift in his tone made Ominis train the gun right over where he knew Sebastian’s heart would be violently beating in his chest. “I mean just that.”

“Well, go ahead.”

How dare Sebastian belittle him like that? Ominis would bet his family’s fortune that Sebastian thought less of him because he believed him to be weaker. He thought that just because Ominis happened to fall in love with him, he would cave and give him all that information. He was going to use him and then abandon him without a second thought. 

“I’ll do this my own way. Look, you already know my purpose in being here. Now you will either give me my information or I will kill you. You have until nine o’clock.”

“You won’t do it. You can’t pull the trigger. You can’t pull it because you love me. It takes a very brave and a very cold man to do that, Ominis.” Sebastian was trying to get a rise out of him, and Ominis wasn’t falling for it. “I don’t think you can. Isn’t that true? Isn’t that why you’re waiting?”

“That’s not true.” Ominis insisted, trying to make himself believe it more than Sebastian. 

“Or is it that you want to watch your victim? You want my heart to constrict with agony, my hands to shake.” Not true. Ominis wanted to shake his head. That wasn’t right. “You want me to plead for my life so you can make a generous gesture and spare me. Sorry, Ominis, I don’t seem to be in the mood for prayers tonight.”

“You don’t think I’ll do it. That’s why you’re so brave. You don’t think I’ll do it. You wouldn’t be so brave otherwise. You’re a coward at heart. You lied to me. You deceived me.”

“You tried to deceive me.”

“I’m tired of listening to you.”

“You gave your heart, you know. You’d like me to hand it back whole again, but I won’t. You’ll live a long time yet, Ominis, an eternity without me. You will look into the faces of passers-by, hoping for something that will, for an instant, bring me back to you. You will find moonlit night strangely empty, because when you call my name through them, there will be no answer. Always your heart will be aching for me, and your mind will give you the doubtful consolation that you did a brave thing.”

“You dare to talk of bravery?” He spat, but he was falling apart, unraveling at the seams.

“What else do we have to talk about, Ominis? For me, there will never be another man but you. But for my heart, there is another love that must come before you.” Sebastian mused. “My country… You are so still. Your face is like ice. What are you thinking, Ominis?”

“What does anything you say can matter? You betrayed me with words. What good are words when your heart is breaking? If I fail now, I should deserve to die. You tricked me into loving you.”

“Aren’t you forgetting that you came here for the same purpose?”

“I couldn’t have betrayed you,” Ominis argued, and it was the truth. “I tried to tell you. You said you already knew, I was as honest as I knew how to be.”

“Do you think I wanted to love you, knowing where you came from and what your mission was? Don’t you suppose that every hour we were together I was thinking he’s just pretending?”

“I wasn’t!” Ominis’ voice cracked under the weight of the sincerity of his confession. “I loved you.”

“And I loved you so much I let you pretend, because you brought something to my days I couldn’t stand the thought of losing.” Ominis felt his resolve crumbling. “Listen to your heart, Ominis. Feel it pounding.”

Just as his walls were about to crumble, his watch ticked, signaling nine o’clock. It brought him back to the present. He was holding a gun to his enemy, someone who played him and broke his heart for his selfish gain. “You’re time is up.”

“Then my last words.” Sebastian mused to himself, then confessed proudly. “I love you, Ominis.”

“You’re determined to die with a lie on your lips?”

Blinded with rage, Ominis fired the gun.

Sebastian fell to the ground, his body hitting the balcony floor with a sickening thud. The gun was warm in Ominis’ hands.

“I… love you, Ominis.” He managed between gasps of air, and for a horrifying moment, Ominis believed he wasn’t lying after all.

“Oh, God.” 

Head spinning, Ominis put away the gun with shaking hands and turned around. 

Sebastian was going to die, there was no way around it. 

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

“Natsai… Natsai!” Sebastian choked out when he heard someone walk around his room.

“Where are you, sir?” His vision swam, but he could just make out Natsai frantically pushing through the glass sliding door. “I heard a shot.”

“Help me up. I’ll be all right. Help me up.” 

Natsai slipped a careful hand under his arms and lifted him to sit against the balcony. Sebastian winced in pain, trying to regulate his breathing to the best of his ability. 

“Oh, I knew you should never have come here.” She fretted. “I’ll get a doctor.”

“No, no, no, no.” Sebastian lifted his hand from just under his heart, watching the warm blood rapidly seep into his shirt. “No, it’s too late.”

“I waited right by the door like you told me to, sir.” Natty went back to return with a spare set of sheets and made quick work of wrapping it tightly around the wound. “The other man went downstairs about ten minutes ago. Please let me get a doctor, sir.”

Sebastian shook his head. “No, no. I want you to send a message, though, at once. The usual destination.”

Natsai gave him a sad look, but eventually decided that she could not defy orders. “Yes, sir.”

“Mr. Black. The masquerade is over. X-32 reports that Marquess Gaunt is trustworthy and loyal. You may entrust in his care any documents. He will not betray you. Report case 255 closed. X-32. Conceal it was usual, Natsai, in the silver pencil.”

“Please let me call him back.” She insisted, and for a second Sebastian almost said yes. Anything to take a look at Ominis one more time. If he were the last face he got to see before going to the other side, he would spend eternity happy. “You must tell him the truth before it’s too late.”

“Tell him the truth?” He wheezed, the loss of blood making his vision blur. “Tell him the truth so that he will watch the stars through tears instead of following the one cold star that is his destiny?”

Natsai moved to say something, but Sebastian’s time was running out.

“No, no, Natsai. Let him think that I never loved him. One day, he will follow a flag to the same fate as mine. We must leave him the strength for that hour.”

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

Unbeknownst to Sebastian, in that moment when his assistant shut his eyes after his heart stopped beating, he didn’t have to wait too long for his beloved.

Ominis only lived two more cold years, where he shut his heart off from the world, guarding it with greater effort than he would ever give to his own country. Nothing brought him a shred of joy, and he dedicated his time to appeasing his family and taking missions back to back. 

Sebastian’s words haunted him; he heard him in every stranger he bumped into who had a Scottish accent. He felt him every time anyone wrapped a hand around his waist or helped him adjust his aim. He imagined Sebastian the time he had to give his first kiss away on a mission, something he thought he had reserved for Sebastian. He found him over and over again in every ‘I love you,’ in every romantic play, in every warm body against his.

When the stray bullet caught him in the street, he thought of Sebastian one last time and wished he had at least stayed to make sure he didn’t die alone, the same way he held Anne’s hand half a year ago when she took her last breath in that hospital. 

Ominis closed his eyes and hoped Sebastian was waiting for him in hell.

[lgbteca]

Even in a story as well constructed as Marta and Fina's, sometimes drama happens for the sake of drama. We can roll our eyes, but that's the way formulas are and as long as they work, they'll be used. For there to be a resolution, there must be a conflict.

@nerdishpursuits responds to my previous post with arguments that I agree with and give new light to my previous thoughts. Marta is noble, upright and loyal, but that doesn't mean that the way Fina reacted, despite being thermo-nuclear, was not completely wrong. Fina has memories of Vietnam.

When Marta went to see Jaime to tell him that she wasn't going with Fina to Barcelona, I believed that she was actually going to propose that the three of them leave. The strategist Marta would have thought of that, but the script left it up to Fina, which I accept. It proves my theory that Fina will always be the bigger person.

There was only one thing I didn't like about today's scenes with Marta, which were otherwise beautiful. Fina is assertive, impulsive and doesn't always choose the best timing for things, but to classify her reactions as childish seems a little out of place and unfair to the character. Fina had her reasons, the moment she's in also deserves understanding, it also frightens and frustrates her, of the two she is the one who has the most to loose. It's important that she apologizes and explains herself, but I don't think it's necessary for the script to repeat this diminishing of herself in the face of the circumstances. After all it’s also her life they are talking about.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Dave: Reality show in the Everglades

* * * *

We are all foot soldiers in the battle for truth.

July 2, 2025

Robert B. Hubbell

Jul 01, 2025

The Senate passed the Big Ugly Bill early on Tuesday morning after a record-breaking marathon session of amendments by Democrats intended to kill the bill and persuade Republicans to vote against it. Despite the strong opposition by Senate Democrats, the Senate passed the bill on a 50-50-1 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote.

Democrats still have the ability to kill the reconciliation bill in the House, which intends to vote on the bill before everyone has had a chance to read it. Speaker Mike Johnson will call for a vote if and when he has enough votes for passage. It is not clear that he does, so calls to your Representatives are vitally important.

Even if you have called your Representatives and Senators before, do so again! See 5 Calls.org, which has word scripts and easy-to-access telephone numbers for your congressional representatives. Also, check out this excellent site from FieldTeam6, Please Grow A Spine! (“Let’s Get Loud! Call Your Electeds!”)

In the face of overwhelming unpopularity and unassailable facts from objective sources about the damage that will be inflicted by the bill, Republicans have adopted the only strategy available to them: The have begun telling big, ugly lies about what is in the reconciliation bill and what it will mean for tens of millions of Americans.

In a comment reminiscent of Senator Joni Ernst justifying cuts to Medicaid by saying, “We are all going to die,” Vice President Vance dismissed the 17 million people who will lose healthcare as “minutiae.” DCCC, JD Vance & House Republicans Think 17 Million People Losing Their Health Care is ‘Minutiae’.

In a repeat of a bad horror movie, Alaska Senator Murkowski was the deciding vote that advanced the bill to the House for final passage (assuming that happens). But Senator Murkowski was clearly embarrassed and ashamed of her vote, saying that she secured some special benefits for people in Alaska that are not available to the residents of the other 49 states.

When confronted with criticism from Senator Rand Paul saying that Murkowski voted for the bill because it included a “bailout” for Alaska, Murkowski said,

Do I like this bill? No. Because I tried to take care of Alaska’s interests, but I know that in many parts of the country there are Americans that are not going to be advantaged by this bill. I don’t like that. I don’t like the fact that we moved through an artificial deadline, an artificial timeline, to produce something—to meet a deadline rather than to actually try to produce the best bill for the country,

So, Murkowski knows it is a bad bill, but sold out the rest of the nation because she secured benefits for her constituents that are not available to all other Americans. While that quid pro quo is perfectly legal under the lax ethics rules in Congress, it should be classified as a bribe.

But I digress. We are about to engage in an information war that we MUST NOT lose. Republicans are lying like there is no tomorrow because they know the consequences of being caught in a lie are worse than admitting the truth.

It is up to us to know what is in the bill and how those provisions will harm tens of millions of Americans.

The Congressional Budget Office report stated that the bill will increase the deficit over ten years by $3.2 trillion and result in 12 million people losing healthcare coverage over the same period.

The actual CBO Report is here, but it is a downloadable Excel file, so it may not be user-friendly for many. But if you do download the file, you will see a line at the bottom that says “Net Effect on the Deficit (in millions)” and cell to the far right containing the sum of 3,253,264. (That number is in millions, meaning the fully expanded number is $ 3,253,264,000, or $3.2 trillion.)

For the effect on the 12 million additional people who will lose healthcare over the next ten years as a result of the bill, see Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy, CBO Confirms Senate Republican Reconciliation Bill’s Medicaid Cuts Are More Draconian than the House-Passed Bill.

Also, see this helpful New York Times summary (accessible to all): See NYTimes, A List of Nearly Everything in the Senate G.O.P. Bill, and How Much It Would Cost or Save.

I urge you to save, share, and post the above resources to help convince people who may be hearing lies from Fox News or Trump on Truth Social.

But don’t just rely on me to identify helpful resources. Let’s crowdsource the best, most impactful sources that speak the truth about the bill. Include podcasts, TikToks, Instagrams, Facebook posts—anything that will reach voters where they get their news. And don’t forget to include conservative news sources that are reporting on the divisions in the Republican Party over the Big Ugly Bill.

Winning control of the House and Senate in 2026 is dependent on winning the information war surrounding the Big Ugly Bill. We are all foot soldiers in that battle for truth.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[simblorbo-bracket]

Round 2 - Simblr's Saddest, Wettest Meow Meow - Mainline

No. 27 (@literallyjusthereformods) VS. Andre St. Fleur (@armoricaroyalty)

(polls are presented left -> right unless stated otherwise)

Who's sadder? Who's wetter? Read on for more information, and vote with your heart!

What is a ‘Meow Meow’?

(taken from tumblr user @/torturelabyrinth) “The thing about a true poor little meow meow is they have to be 1) downtrodden 2) morally questionable at best 3) deeply and pathetically miserable”

No. 27

Alias: "Livard"

No. 27 was the 27th 'living' instance of the Crane Foundation's modern Quintessence Program. When the breach occurred, 27 took immediate opportunity to leave, using her sharp limbs to grievously wound operatives and other personnel who attempted to obstruct her path of escape. Eleven confirmed aggravated fatalities. An unknown number of fatalities occurring at trample areas and exit pileups. She proceeded to use the slaughter-path of the other breachers as a clear line out of the facility’s underground portion, ascending rapidly to the upper floors where she is believed to have fled the building.

As of right now, 27 is an immune carrier of a new strain of the same pathogen currently causing a cataclysmic outbreak. While typical variants can only infect and alter biological matter, this mutation was observed with the new ability to infect machines during controlled testing.

No. 27 was last spotted wearing the stolen cardigan of Dr. Livard, with a secondary article of clothing tied beneath at the waist. The owner of the second article has not yet been identified.

27 has been reported self-identifying as ‘Livard,’ and has not discarded the nametag attached to the stolen cardigan, despite having no reason to keep it.

27 was created as an experimental binding of biological tissues and cybernetics. Unlike precursors, who were constructed with biological matter on a 75% or higher percent mechanical endoskeleton, 27 was an experimental integration of traditionally classified ‘biological’ and traditionally classified ‘mechanical’ elements on a fundamental level. The use of nanites in her tissues, along with algorithmic adaptations, created a unique combined system challenging the preconceived definitions of the categories.

However, the arise of the new pathogen strain saw 27 strictly confined. 27 was shown to be incredibly observant of those observing her, and an incredibly accurate mimic of their behaviors. She, notably, engaged in a game of rock, paper, scissors with an anonymous researcher after they and their coworker demonstrated the game through the window.

Sentient or not, 27 still falls outside of the Mimic Law, and is legally property of the Crane Foundation. With artificial sentience having already been academically accepted years ago, whether 27’s curiosity is dictated by script or by consciousness is not our concern.

As for the present times, it was assumed 27 would perish shortly after leaving the facility, without the specific needs of her body being met in a controlled environment. Our assumptions were wrong. 27 has been spotted feeding on mechanical devices as if they were prey animals. We can only assume this habit will accelerate the spread of the new pathogen strain, and while we would like to reclaim 27 for study, it might become necessary to terminate her entirely to prevent escalation of the already dire world situation.

Originality Status: 100% Original Property of the Crane Foundation

Additional Notes:

(Attached below is a fabricated 3D model based on the last contained recording of 27. It is merely for visual context. If you are an operative searching for 27, or, in some inexplicable instance, creating a poll (Tom), please use the topmost image as it is the most up-to-date.)

Andre St. Fleur

What makes him a Sad, Wet Meow Meow? Born to royalty but completely temperamentally unsuited for it, Andre is pathetic and sad and weak-willed and a big, giant loser. He's the king of a small and unimportant country, and he simply cannot parent effectively or stop cheating on his wife. Finally forced to decide between his mistress and his wife of nearly 30 years, he became so paralyzed with indecision that he developed a terminal illness instead, saving him from ever having to make up his mind about anything.

Just some additional pictures of Andre moping, crying, and letting his loved ones down </3

I think my boy has the potential to go far, but even if he gets knocked out in the first round...what could be sadder, wetter, or more pathetic than getting immediately eliminated from the "most pathetic" tournament?

[tf2vnthingy]

Devlog 1 - Names, References and Revisions

Today's agenda: The name of the game!

What should I name the game? Give me all of your wackiest suggestions and I'll make a poll to see which does best! Just anything that you'd like to see in a TF2 vn. (If anyone could possibly, maybe, want to volunteer in helping/proofreading the current drafts, that'd be awesome!!)

Story

As I write this, I am currently within the 3rd draft/revision of the beginning of the game. I'm a bit conflicted on how to start it. I'm jumping between this being a one week experience for the MC to show how short Ms Pauling's vacation is OR the idea that this is the last week of the internship and you're on your way to say goodbye.

The middlest parts are the easiest to write as they're rather independent from each other. The endings are already fully conceptualized but that's classified, no matter how much I wanna info dump about it!!

Designs/Art

My friend is currently helping out with the project! He's going to be in charge of the backgrounds and other assets in exchange for me helping with his commissions lol! For now, I've been drawing sketches of poses and figuring out which poses work best through reference gathering.

These would work for Sniper and Spy, maybe.

Coding

This part is the trickiest since I don't have my laptop with me for another week or so. But, for now, I'm learning through basic python tutorials and implementing a lot of the script in Twinery.org to keep track of the branching paths. I do intend on using Ren'py for development.

This is mostly a bunch of dialogue because I refuse to write actual lengthy descriptions for a DRAFT...... (shush, I barely even started)

[vindicated-truth]

(Originally written here)

There are three things that stood out to me here about Oh Jihwa's background:

Jihwa as a licensed psychotherapist

While it wasn't explained how or why she got that certification, it certainly makes a whole lot of sense for her character.

For one thing, it explains exceptionally well why she's the only one among the crazy ensemble of their little Manyang family who has a remarkably sane head on her shoulders. She's the most logical, most level-headed, and most objective of them all, less prone to being blinded by emotion while embracing the empathy it entails instead of shunning it.

(The latter is what sets her apart—and in some ways better—than Joowon.)

In everything else, she's also remarkably the most similar to Joowon: strictly law-abiding, refusing to let human attachment get in the way of enforcing justice, wants the best for everyone precisely through calling them out on their bullshit, instead of enabling it.

It makes the most sense, actually, that Dongsik is drawn to both Joowon and Jihwa in similar ways, with the only difference in Dongsik's slightly sexist—albeit completely understandable and not without merit, considering how the victims were all women—overprotectiveness of Jihwa as a woman.

It also makes sense for Jihwa to be the most fitting to be Dongsik's best friend, as she is actually the best suited to deal with Dongsik's multiple psychological issues because of her qualification in psychotherapy. She's the most capable of handling Dongsik the right way, and it clearly shows with the way she deals with him constantly without babying him, enabling him, or patronizing him.

In a way, she mirrors Joowon in this. Which leads me to my next point and theory:

Jihwa as potentially Dongsik's love interest in the initial conception of the script

When Joowon asked Dongsik, "Are you jealous?" when Dongsik demanded Jihwa to refrain from meeting her ex-husband again, I can now see where the showrunners might have headed with this, given what we've now seen as an initial conception of the background of Dongsik's and Jihwa's relationship in the script:

Lee Dongsik. The moment he was brought into her father’s Taekwondo studio by his father, Lee Hanoh, she sensed that they were alike. Sure enough, whenever something happened his kicks flew first, just like her. He was also strong against the strong and kind to the weak, just like she was. The neighbourhood elders used to tell her over and over that she should get married to Dongsik. At first she hated hearing it, but after a while she got used to it. Maybe even liked it a little.

There was potential there, had everything not went through hell because of Kang Jinmook, for Dongsik and Jihwa to have been romantically involved, at least for a trial run, had they caved in to familial and societal pressure.

And I now realize why:

Jihwa can be seen a female counterpart of Joowon much in the same way that Jaeyi can be seen as a female counterpart of Dongsik.

Because Jaeyi has incredible similarity to Dongsik too: headstrong and passionate, fiercely protective of the people they love, unheeding of societal norms and more likely to follow their own personal convictions, stubborn and upfront about their own personal beliefs, fearless in blatantly breaking the law as long as it brings forth the justice they believe in.

(In D&D terms, both Joowon and Jihwa can be classified as Lawful Good, while both Dongsik and Jaeyi can be classified as Chaotic Good.)

Had the showrunners decided to take the more conventional route of Korean dramas, I can actually see how they could get away with the parallelism of Jihwa and Jaeyi as mirrors of Joowon and Dongsik in turn, and naturally heading down the path of what could have been a more heteronormative and age-appropriate potential romantic involvement between Joowon and Jaeyi, and Dongsik and Jihwa.

I'm honestly not against the thought. It could have worked had it been done well, considering the natural talent of both Kim Sujin and Shim Nayeon in fleshing out characters and their relationships to each other. And considering their similarities, Jaeyi and Jihwa can serve as a proper balance too to both Joowon and Dongsik, in ways that are similar to how Joowon and Dongsik are to each other.

Except—it would have been a massive disservice to both Jihwa and Jaeyi by once again limiting and devolving their characters into being written in as nothing more than romantic interests of the male leads, instead of the superior and incredible female characters they already are in themselves.

The showrunners made the best decision in not shoehorning in the romance—even as the natural potential was there—because it's in precisely letting these women be freely who they are in themselves is exactly what made each of their characters shine best.

(And the irony is: both Jihwa's and Jaeyi's strength as female characters lies in what they cannot be for both Dongsik and Joowon in turn, in a way that both Dongsik and Joowon desperately need:

Jihwa and Jaeyi are both much too sane to ever give in to either man's brand of lunacy, which is the kind that only Dongsik and Joowon can give to each other: that raw, unhindered, unfiltered, all-encompassing devotion.

Ironically, both women have a much stronger sense of self-worth to ever blindly lay their soul on the line for a man.

As they should.)

And finally, this is the most remarkable thing that stood out to me about Jihwa's character background:

Jihwa's estranged friendship with Jeongje

Despite how it's the three of them who have the longest history together, it has always struck me how Jihwa strangely feels like the outsider to their trio.

It felt, to me, like she was left out a lot in the bond that Dongsik and Jeongje uniquely share.

At first I had thought it was because Jeongje was the one leaving her out, whether deliberately or unwittingly, with the way canonically in both Jeongje's character background and the actual show, Jeongje keeps referring to Dongsik as "his only friend", as if Jihwa isn't right there along with them.

Which is why it fascinates me now to find out that it was Jihwa herself who was deliberately avoiding being too close to Jeongje, finding excuses to not be around him more than necessary since they were young.

And again, it circles back to Jihwa's incredibly sensible background as a licensed psychotherapist: perhaps she always had the inclination, due to her nature as being logical and level-headed, and had always been attuned to the fact, even before she was professionally trained for it, that there was something about Jeongje she was right to be wary of.

And again, it also circles back to how this makes her remarkably similar to Joowon in this too:

Just like Joowon, she had always wondered if Jeongje's attachment to Dongsik isn't necessarily healthy for Dongsik.

(And Dongsik himself had always felt it too, that it was Jeongje who was clinging to him more than necessary, more than what is normal, the way he had pointed it out to Do Haewon herself.)

[plural-detector]

how do I know if I’m a different headmate or if im just me but in a different mood

🦇 the difference is a little fuzzy.. in our system, persistent "moods" get classified as alters in a fused subsystem, while different alters are delineated in the main system based on their attachment to preexisting emotional connections and names..

🥃 if you can remember everything, the big point is emotional amnesia: does the name people call you feel right? does your presentation feel right? does your best friend actually feel like your best friend, or like a character handed to you on a script that says theyre your best friend? does a lover actually feel like a lover, or... etc?

[cupidfilmed]

YOUTUBER DR INTRODUCTION

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❝ she’s got a book for every situation. gets into parties without invitations. how could u ever turn her down? ❞ - HS

HALO LANEE FRANCIS … born in paris france, is the eldest daughter of her parents Lucille and Adrien Francis, her only sibling being her much younger sister, Annie. currently, she resides in los angeles, california, around the block from her childhood bestfriends

THE STURNIOLOS … born and raised in boston, massachusetts, met halo on the first day of seventh grade after her moving to america. Nick was the first to introduce himself to her, almost immediately making jokes about baguettes. she met Matt the same day, confusing him for his identical brother she had already met, failing his attempt at flirting with her. she met Chris earlier on in the week while hanging out with nick at their house. oh my there’s three of them.. she thought. but what she didn’t think was that these three people would eventually become some of the most important people in her life.

YOUTUBE … has been a huge part of halo’s life since she started her channel at fifteen. she started off posting silly little school vlogs or day in the life’s, which blew up her channel almost immediately, addicting people with her natural humor and relatability. she had over one million subscribers in less than a year, leading her fame to grow even more, eventually becoming the youngest person on the cover of vouge. she is now known for long, comforting, funny vlogs on her everyday life. she posts twice a week, going back and forth from her main channel and her famous podcast, girl at home.

MATT & HALO … were best friends. they knew everything about eachother. of course they had a crush on eachother. in eighth grade, halo decided to tell nick about her huge crush on his brother. he was not surprised. it seemed as though everyone knew except them, she still made him swear not to tell anyone. in the same week, matt also informed nick on his huge crush on halo, and nick convinced matt to tell her, obviously without telling him that halo felt the same. matt had spent weeks planning out how he was gonna tell her, if he was going to ask to be her boyfriend, and every possible scenario that could follow. halo was oblivious. eventually, all of his plans crumbled down to a spur of the moment kiss, followed by a confession. and ever since then, matt and halo have been joined at the hip. friends to lovers, middle school sweethearts, and most of all best friends. as of twenty twenty three, their love has lasted an ongoing of 6 years.

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FUTURE FAME : this dr is set in march of 2023, and maybe i have gotten a little out of hand with scripting things for the future.. but anyway. for the barbie movie, i scripted that i made the song ‘what was i made for’. ive been known in my dr for loving singing and doing covers of other songs, sometimes i would post an original song on my tiktok but never release it. i did choir and theater all throughout middle school and highschool so singing has always been apart of my life, but i never did anything about it.

until greta gerwig, the director of barbie, approached me about doing a song for barbie. i, of course, said yes and then made and released my first song, ‘what was i made for’. during this time, and since 2021, i had been filming for wicked, which is how greta found me (through the director of wicked). from doing theater throughout school, some would classify me as a ‘theater kid’.. so ‘Wicked’ has been my favorite musical my whole life and i’ve always, even though i didn’t have many intentions of acting, dreamt of playing the role of glinda.

when the auditions came in 2021, i did everything i could to prepare my voice. i ended up getting the role for the 2025 movie, Wicked, as Glinda. i was ecstatic. over the time of filming, i became really close with my co-star, cynthia erivo. since we had an age gap, she was like a second mother to me.

but fast forward to may of 2024, slowly wrapping up wicked. i had unexpectedly released the hit single, ‘espresso’. my song immediately topped the charts and my fame in singing only grew. about a month later, i had release my third single, feather, also topping charts. i knew that i wanted to keep my priorities on youtube so i decided that instead of releasing albums and being in many movies, i would release a handful of songs throughout a year and maybe be in one movie. i was only planning on releasing the two singles and a christmas song at the end of the year, but the netflix show, bridgerton, approached me for a song in their show.

(for background) i scripted that in the book, two main characters had a famously very very romantic ball room scene, just them, dancing together in the big empty room, to a slow passionate song. the directors of bridgerton wanted to make this scene into the show just as good as it was written, so they came to me to write them a good slow and romantic song. in september, i wrote and released the song ‘wildest dreams’. it quickly became a hit for the vulnerable yet yearning like lyrics.

quick skip to november, wicked comes out and immediately breaks records. my fame grows exponentially. i follow out with my original plan of releasing the christmas song, ‘buy me presents’ in late november. but, a christmas song i wrote when i was like 12 got leaked and went widespread, ‘is it new years yet?’. so, mostly due to peer pressure LOL, i release the song early december.

that’s basically it for my singer-actress side hustle LOL. you’re welcome for the extremely and unnecessary description. assuming nobody is reading this far, i’m gonna stop yapping :)

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other posts about this dr

inspired by @laylasverse