#answering questions prior to execution of a plan

[handleerz]

[heartikeu]

IN ALL YOUR PERFECTS ⸝⸝.ᐟ⋆ 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐫

〔 𝒾 〕 How did you get so lucky as to bag one of the hottest men on campus, Sim Jaeyun? That question rings in your head often, even in moments you shouldn't feel insecure. And every answer is too unkind to speak out loud to the beautiful boy stealing hearts on the lacrosse field and upending your world with every smile he gives you. But he can sense something is off, and if you don't explain why soon, you may just be the downfall of everything.

═══ RELEASE DATE: 18.06.2025

𝐬𝐢𝐦 𝐣𝐚𝐞𝐲𝐮𝐧 𝓍 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫, 1K (teaser) ⋮ 18+ ⋮ fluff, angst, smut, plus-size!reader, lacrosse player!jake, semi-fwb au, college au, downbad!jake, insecurites (of the reader), self-manipulation, negative self-talk and thoughts, body worship, praise kink, oral (f receiving), fingering, unprotected sex, creampie ᯤ 𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗈: 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 — 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘭𝘥𝘭𝘧𝘦, 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 — 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘢𝘭, 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 — 𝘤𝘰𝘪𝘯, 𝘥𝘪𝘻𝘻𝘺 — 𝘺𝘶𝘦𝘬𝘶, 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 — 𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 — 𝘥𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭, 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘴 — 𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭𝘴

⌗ 𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐥'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 ── First fic on this blog! This story does come from a special place in my curvy heart! Please know that you are greater than your worst thoughts, and the love that you deserve is waiting for you no matter your size or self-doubts. Thank you so much and be ready to enjoy!

You never step out of the car.

It's routine to pick Jake up after every Tuesday and Friday lacrosse practice. You detested the idea at first. You didn't know Jake's teammates and friends—you made a point not to—but you predicted long ago they would smell your anxiety the second you shifted gears on the pavement. "Just have San or someone else do it, please?" You'd responded with something to that effect the first time he asked, and the subject was dropped.

But sticking to your guns became especially difficult once Jake discovered your undoing via his incessant pouting and perfectly-executed neck kisses. Ultimately, your resolve crumbled.

You've driven to and away from the field many times in the past four months, yet your physical reactions in between the driving never change. You sit with bated breath as you see the clock on your dash shift, ten minutes past when you were supposed to be here passing in a blur. Fingers tap against the steering wheel in time to the beat of the song, the melody humming low from your speakers. All of the humdrum habits and safety of your car keep you from feeling small, but the second your head turns, or a sound pulls you from your daze, you're fucked.

Your 2011 Volkswagen is no match for the Audis and Range Rovers surrounding you in the parking lot next to the lacrosse field. In the 9 PM moonlight, they all shine something fierce. The chrome and glossy finishes are in excruciatingly stark contrast to the chipped paint on your front bumper and aged rubber lining your tires.

You can't picture what the field must look like. Booster parents and college alumni's donations ensured top-dollar amenities for the team that you've never seen play once. The Red Hawks have to be formidable in some capacity in order to garner such adoration from your peers and financial support from the school administration.

Jake laughed it off when you said you never went to a game before him and didn't plan on doing so even after ending up in his bed. He just went back to kissing you at the time and let it go because he knew the truth: it wasn't a part of the deal you both agreed upon.

"Yet picking him up is?" Jungwon asked one morning after you told him about taking Jake home the night prior. You lovingly told your best friend to fuck off and mind his business. The questions on his face could have easily cracked through your cool resolve, but you wouldn't let them.

All that can do that is your own nerves, psyching you out in a million ways before Jake can step away from the field and make it to your passenger side door.

Ultimately, though, finally seeing his sweat-soaked hair and cherry-red uniform hugging his body makes the fears dissipate enough for you to breathe normally again. A handful of guys walk off, but Jake and a few friends remain near the edge of the field. You can hear his laugh before he can get to your car, his conversation with his teammates turning from strategy to straight comedy, no doubt. Felix and Vernon share brotherly handshakes with him before making it to their own cars. You tell yourself not to follow them with your eyes, but they betray you the second the two men leave your peripheral vision. The girls waiting outside their vehicles are eager to greet them, sporting denim cutoffs and tank tops meant to show off their midriffs.

Subconsciously, your hand drifts to your own stomach. The skin there hasn't seen the sun in a hot minute. The last time had to be when you were too drunk to care. Now, more than clearheaded, you feel the hard truths come in like tidal waves. The outfit you could never pull off taunts you like the cars do. It's another piece of the puzzle to prove you don't fit in, not really.

The light but purposeful taps to your window pull you from the precipice of another mental spiral. You turn to find Jake fogging up the glass with his quick breaths. His megawatt smile is electric, unfurling your somber mood like a bird's wing. He may desperately need a shower and some rest, but he's never looked more radiant than with his flushed cheeks and damp curls. For how bright the moon shines outside, he's the sun incarnate.

He gets in the passenger side once he sets his equipment in your back seat. After he's settled in, his smile is back on you, warming you with silent heat.

"You smell," you say before pecking his lips. The kiss lasts for only a few seconds, but it could be a lifetime from how slow and smooth it feels, numbing your thoughts to their core like novocaine.

"Oh?" he asks when you pull away, poking the inside of his cheek with his tongue.

"You're lucky I'm into that."

He chuckles. His lips are back on yours in the next second, the sound of his laughter still rumbling on his tongue when it enters your mouth. He presses his hand to your cheek, pulling you into him. The protective taping wrapped around his hand, running from knuckles to wrist, rubs against your cheek with every move of his mouth and fingertips.

You pull away to catch your breath, dizzy from the force of him. He whispers, "Let's go home."

He says the last word reverently, like home is just the two of you and nobody else. Exactly as it should be in his eyes. You try to believe it as you start the car, his hand firm on your thigh as you begin the drive back to his studio apartment. You want to take his words to heart, the only reassurance you'd ever need to quell the fear of opulence and beauty you barely possess, but you know the facts.

It won't last, so you have to enjoy what you can while you have it. But even that seems to be the hardest feat in the universe when you're reminded of what will soon be gone.

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 ᥫ᭡

© 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙪; 𝙙𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮, 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩, 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚, 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙮 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙨!

[nathaslosthershit]

Celebration Baby, Literally! (CL16) [Blind Items AU]

(Part 6 in the Blind Items AU [can be read separately])

Summary: 8 months after Charles Monaco win, the fans get to see just how hard he celebrated

“Ohhhhhhh mate, you have been outed!” Pierre laughes as he shoves his phone into Charles’ face.

“Pierre, I cannot read when you put the screen in my eyes like that, back up” Charles responds as he shoves his longtime friend. Like many of the other victims of the ‘F1 Blind Items’ account, Charles’ face drains of color as he sees what they are saying. While there is some truth to the rumor, it still is far from correct. “Ah! Merde, they got so much wrong, mate!”

“What's wrong, honey?” Charles’ girlfriend calls from the other room where she is sitting with Pierre’s girlfriend. The couple decided to join the Gasly house for a nice dinner, although reading the post surely made Charles lose his appetite. 

Charles and Pierre look at each other as they realize she heard them. The one thing the post got right was that his girlfriend was very pregnant with what is most likely a post-win conceived baby. There was no reason to stress her out when she was so offline it would take a while for her to learn about the rumor, giving Charles enough time to convince her to go public and try to make this into the smallest problem possible. 

“Nothing, baby. I love you” He responded as he made a ‘stay silent’ motion at Pierre.

“Um okay, love you too?” was all she replied, not believing in the slightest that this was nothing. 

It didn’t help that for the rest of the night, Charles was off in his own world, thinking of how he was going to execute his terribly thought out plan. But she wasn’t going to interrogate him on it, at least not again, she had already asked him multiple times if he was okay and if he wanted to talk but he would always answer with a “I am fine, beautiful. How can I not be when the woman I love most is pregnant with our child.” While it was charming, she still wasn’t convinced he was okay after all. 

After hours of deliberation, as he sat outside the bathtub while his girlfriend relaxed in it, he finally spoke his mind.

“We should tell people” is the best he came up with after hours of thinking.

“Tell people what?”

“About the baby”

“We told people about the baby”

“I mean like everyone, we should go public.”

She turned her neck to fully face him at that. 

“Where is this coming from? Why now?” She asked.

“No reason”

“You are a shit liar, Leclerc, tell me why.”

“People know”

“What people know?” She asked. God, he was awful at explaining things.

“Everyone.”

“Then why would we need to tell them?”

Right when he was about to reply, he closed his mouth. Why would he need to tell people? While the Blind Items account had become a reliable source as they had yet to be wrong, there wasn’t any reason to actually address the issue, at least not till the baby was born, which would happen during winter break.

“...I guess we don’t need to. It's just- there is this account that posts rumors about the drivers that so far have always been true, but one came out about us and it isn’t really that correct, I just thought we should squash it.”

“What did they say that wasn’t correct?” She questioned.

“They implied we only got together because of the baby, and that we weren’t dating before I uh, knocked you up.” The ‘very public breakup’ the post referred to, was an actual breakup that happened a year prior to the world knowing. It was another very private relationship, as Charles became more famous and ‘sought after’ he liked to keep relationships from the limelight till they got serious in order to protect his girlfriends. But when his ex had found out just how serious things were with his current girlfriend, she wanted to bring it to light in order to get her 15 minutes of fame, which ended up being more like 2 minutes. As terrible as it was, once the public knew she had no connection to Charles anymore, they lost interest in her. 

After requesting he pull up the post, Charles handed his phone to his girlfriend so she could read.

“Is this what you are worried about? The part about me getting a ring for a ‘push present’? Don’t want me getting any ideas?” She joked. They had been together long enough and were about to have a baby, so the idea of getting engaged took up about 65% of the monégasque’s thoughts, the rest being about her and the baby, maybe 5% in total was devoted to F1.

“Ah no, my love, you know that is not it. Although an engagement ring would already happen even without our baby, so I will get you something else as well as a present” He said as he kissed her shoulder, then her neck, then her cheek, finally landing on her lips.

“We don’t need to say anything, let us enjoy the privacy for a while longer. Wouldn’t it be better to go into the upcoming season with a baby and a financée?” She asked.

She was right, why not make an even bigger entrance by saying nothing and letting the rumor die down, in order to enjoy the bliss of privacy for a little while longer.

“That sounds wonderful, mon amour. Absolutely perfect.”

[contemplatingoutlander]

Trump accelerates push to reward loyalty in federal workforce

Many critics say the administration is scrapping a nonpartisan, merit-based civil service in favor of a biased, politicized system.

"How would you help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired."

— One of four questions asked of applicants for GS-5 jobs and above, Office of Personnel Management’s May 29 “Merit Hiring Plan” memo

This is a gift🎁link, so there is no paywall. Below are some excerpts.

President Donald Trump is accelerating efforts to transform the federal workforce from a nonpartisan, merit-based civil service to a system that values loyalty to the president and to push policies that allow the administration to more easily dismiss career employees, according to federal workers, public service experts and employment attorneys. [...] The House-passed budget proposal...would give new federal workers an ultimatum to accept “at-will” status — meaning they could be more easily fired — or pay a higher retirement contribution. The administration also unveiled a plan to require job applicants to write short essays describing how they plan to advance Trump’s priorities. And Trump has revived his previous efforts to reclassify thousands of federal employees and blur the line between political appointees and career professionals. [emphasis added]

COUNTERMANDING CIVIL SERVICE LAWS: The above Washington Post report explains how Trump is basically countermanding much of the 1883 Pendleton Act, which turned the civil service from a "spoils system" to a merit-based, nonpolitical system of dedicated civil servants, and the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act, which created the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) to adjudicate worker complaints (which Trump disabled by firing "its Democratic chair," thus denying the MSPB a "quorum" to meet).

EVEN CLERICAL/SUPPORT STAFF MUST BE LOYAL: The loyalty questions that federal job candidates have to answer apply to "GS-5 jobs and above." One WaPo reader commented that GS-5 jobs include positions like "Clerk-Typist/Clerk-Stenographer," "Administrative Assistant," and "Support Services Assistant." In other words, even people in clerical and support roles would have to demonstrate their loyalty to Trump in order to be hired.

MERIT WAS ALWAYS A PART OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/ DEI: The Trump administration claims that the civil service, prior to Trump's recent changes, was not "merit-based" due largely to affirmative action/ DEI initiatives.

This is simply not true. To my knowledge DEI/ affirmative action still kept in place the merit parts of the civil service system (and any system to which those policies were applied).

[See more under the cut.]

I've been on university committees that considered affirmative action in hiring. I was told by an affirmative action director that affirmative action meant that if you had two candidates with equal credentials and ability to do the job, the nod would go to the candidate from the marginalized/protected group, IF a given department was underrepresented by people from that group.

In other words, all of Trump's claims that affirmative action/ DEI hires were not qualified for their jobs were false.

In fact, we see in Trump's anti-DEI zeal his dismissing very qualified people, like General Charles Q. Brown Jr. (a four-star general, who is also Black), and replacing him as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with Lieutenant General Dan Caine (a-three star general, who is also White). Brown was far more qualified than Caine for the job. But Trumped waived Caine's lack of qualifications (i.e., the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 set the requirement that the position be filled by "a four-star general or admiral"). Presumably this was because Trump assumed Caine would be more loyal to him (and likely because, perhaps in Trump's twisted logic, Caine is somehow more "qualified" because he is White.)

________________ Image sources: 01, 02*and 03* *These images were modified from their original sources.

[chiprewington]

Character Analysis on Chip Revvington, the Chainsaw Consultant.

Genuine Long Post Warning, as well as a LOT of images. This is going to cover literally everything we know about Chip (as of April 25th, 2024) and my take on what's provided In Canon (being his Cogs Ink profile, his Interview, the 1.3 News Article, and In-Game). This is my first try at an In-depth Character Analysis. Screenshots used are from the official Wiki.gg, In-Game, and from the Corporate Clash News Archive.

Prior to being brought on to lead the Deforester Force, it's shown he's clearly a confident Suit, and has a genuine passion for his line of work as a consultant. With his personal statement alone this can be seen on full display with how he writes about himself, including noting how he's not swayed by bribery in any manner. (also the fact he outright pokes fun at one of the bribes will never not be funny to me)

Not to mention his lack of discipline records throughout his 19 months having already worked for C.O.G.S. with his usual job as an external consultant, this plus the fact he has "positive remarks" from his previous places of work shows he's probably in very high demand and really does excel at his job.

This is also shown in his interview, where he also equally shows a lot of passion for his job and genuine interest with answering questions relating to it. Before we get into that though, I feel like it's important to also point out a couple other things that I think about a lot with his profile.

This, being referred to as the "Temperamental Terminator" in the 1.3 trailer, and considering the average age of a Consultant is ~40+ years (and I personally hc him as 48), I think it's safe to say Chip just always was a quick-tempered individual throughout his life. It's one of his less favorable traits that I personally find charming.

And these read to me like Chip's always been considered "scary" among other suits. His behavior isn't the issue (yet) though, he's just a massive guy who happens to have a chainsaw for a snout.

Which. Makes this very interesting. Jennifer, stated something similar above, but I feel as if her intentions are more... unaware than the actual company's. Jennifer sees a guy with a big Chainsaw and thinks "Oh! He can cut down trees with that!" Jennifer ily. The company on the other hand probably has had this idea of what Chip could be a candidate for. They hired him to lead the Deforester Force. His job consists of him sitting in an office. Nothing relating to physical labor in cutting down trees, he just oversees the process. "Chainsaw apparatus will be helpful [...]" suddenly takes on a much darker meaning, in my mind.

Which is how we get here. Chip being modified with a clearly experimental hardware which we all know as the Personality Override. The fact that it was only "partially successful" is a very fun thing to consider.

Note the fact that from a canon standpoint the Override was implemented "2 weeks ago". This will be important later.

(The toon who got the above screenshots is not mine!)

Another fun side-note is the fact that the Override is experimental. It's experimental hardware. Chip is the only one with it. They are using him like a guinea pig. And not to mention "Dealing with Toons far more efficiently" paired with the above company-sourced "Chainsaw Apparatus will be useful [...]", you can't make this stuff up. They turned this guy into a living weapon likely without him knowing the full scope of what would happen if he did get this position in the first place.

Okay. Now we can talk about his Interview. Which even through glancing at it you can see just how passionate he is regarding his work. He is driven and confident that his plans for the Deforester Force will work. He wants to believe that he'll set an example for the rest of the departments to execute a similar plan.

And then this question comes up. And then I have to remind you it's probably been only a couple days since he's modified. And he already has rumors circulating about him.

And the moment the subject is changed, he perks right back up into being passionate about his work.

I also feel like it's worth mentioning the fact he's been actively requesting and wanting Spruce (who recommended him to begin with!!!) to join him in the Deforester Force and keeps being turned down on it. The way this and something else I'm about to touch on are written feels like he's barely been able to see him. These two have a brotherly bond and they're being separated. He misses his brother, man.

That's not even getting into this. Even as I'm writing this I just realized the implications of something at the end of this and I'm going to have to pace around my house thinking about it. But also you can see that even though just the slightest amount of time has canonically passed since the interview, you can already see the toll the Override's been taking on Chip's behavior. While he was once passionate, he's now actively complaining about his job. It's not even about the job itself, it's about what's happened to him.

Not to mention, I feel it also displays his temper in full swing once again- even if he's justified in this sense.

I also need to pay special mind to this ending bit right here because the implication of this with everything else surrounding it fucking broke me. uugghhhhh.

Now this is something I feel is so, so, so important to his character. He actively does not like toons. He clearly shows a certain disgust for them and views them like Animals. Pests. He doesn't hesitate to proudly state his opinion on them. And then you see him in-game.

He hasn't changed his mind about toons at all. Ignoring the fact that "you critters again" insinuates this isn't even his first contact with toons (will get to this later), he's... Restrained. I don't know, this reads to me like he's actively restraining himself from blowing up. "You don't want to see what happens when I get angry." is a warning to just comply and leave.

And then because he doesn't remember he fired the rest of the Deforester Force (another thing I want to touch on), he actively gets upset and angry at the remaining flunky because of course someone as high-rank as himself wouldn't want a Flunky on such an important team. Once again, additionally showing his active temper. His active temper he just tried to restrain and bottle up.

And that's what breaks the camel's back. The Override most likely activates from excessive anger/distress, something that Chip Actively Struggles With. He has to bottle himself up because if he tries to be his usual hot-tempered self, which is who he naturally is, he's just going to lose himself. Lose himself to cog knows how long as being a lifeless machine that perfectly and efficiently complies with the commands its given.

He begs for help when he's able to partially regain control (emphasis on partially, considering the most he can do is speak and prevent Deadwood from happening), but like. Again, to me this reads as the fact he is currently Incredibly Fucking Terrified because he's completely aware the whole time the Override is active. He can see himself acting against his will. It's mortifying. He's willing to beg anyone for help because the Override is genuinely traumatizing for him.

Which makes this all the more harrowing. He can't keep the Override at bay forever (likely the only reason why he partially regained control is from the sheer amount of pain he put himself in by ripping out one of his bulbs. You can see him brace himself and wince when that happens). Once again, "save yourselves" in this context feels more like he's scared. He's terrified. Because the Override sucks. And the implication of "ALL RAM CLEARED" doesn't leave much room to assume anything other than the Override likely clears out Chip's memories in order to make more processing room for this janky hardware to run at a constant overclocked state. I wonder how much of Chip's memories have been removed because of that thing, honestly.

By the way did you know that a normal chainsaw runs an average of 12,000 RPM. Do you think about how the little RPM icon is his saw smoking as if it's overheating. What the hell is the Override doing to him internally.

Another added touch I think about a lot is how his battle as a whole is, for the most part, very predictable. You control what cheats he does. Even in technical battle terms, everything is out of Chip's control. As long as every gag hits, you're really just manipulating an enemy's AI to to make the most optimal choices to your benefit. The Override perceives "X", and responds with "Y". You're not fighting an actual individual, just a program.

Clearly, whatever it's doing to him, it's painful (not mentioning the agonizing scream he lets out during this). And thank Cog he was able to regain control at the last second because it's way too obvious that the Override's "final fallback procedure" likely involved some kind of lethal force when it lunges at the toons. (The Chainsaw Apparatus will be helpful.)

There's no sorrow in Chip's words, that's what I think. Everything here is bitter. It's numb, to me.

He's clearly been through this song and dance multiple times by now. He's pissed at the toons, at the company, and at himself. But he can't properly let it out. You know what will happen if he does. The most he can do is throw a chair and scream into the air. (which that line gets its own custom voice clip, fun fact!)

It's clear he's been isolated ever since he's been upgraded, and it seems like he's bitterly accepted it. The only thing he has left to lose is Spruce, which is why he tells the toons not to tell him. If he loses Spruce...

I don't think he'd have much left. It'd make sense why he's grown so restrained and numb and stilted in his speech. He's quickly grown to learn that he can't let himself express anymore, all because of the override.

The fact that everyone else around him views him poorly doesn't help. His employees fear him. Most of them probably don't realize something is wrong, spread rumors about him, or outright attack him through hatemail. Written in Cipher.

"Chip has some anger issues. I would be careful around him. Don't worry about the Cogs though, I'm sure they'll be fine. Might get demoted back to their initial tier, but that's what happens when you work with Chip. Good thing that Toons can't get fired-- or wait, they can, can't they? Do Toons LIKE getting fired? I will never understand those animals. And you seen Spruce around lately? I haven't. I wonder how his deforesting expedition is going. There is a secret message up ahead in Chip's room. Can you find it? If you are stuck, have you considered looking around your surroundings?"

"I can't stand Chip anymore. I know I'm a Yesman, but I have to say NO. He used to be cool up until his sensors flared off. After what he did to my fellow coworker, I don't know if I can continue working under him. Sure, he's one of the most organized managers I've ever worked with, not to mention the flowing passion he has for the Deforester Force. His personality issues can single-handedly cause all of our projects to collapse. One of my former coworkers had raised concerns about Toons taking over our buildings and ultimately undoing all work that was done on our end. That poor Pencil Pusher overstepped his boundaries with Chip when he admitted his failure to secure "our" project from the Toons. Up until this point, I have never seen a Cog fire another Cog. With a cannon."

"It grinded my gears when I saw that happen. Him and I worked nonstop for days straight, while this pile of bolts just sat there doing his paperwork. I wouldn't be surprised if he was just doing crossword puzzles or writing letters to his little buddy. If you are reading this Mr. Revvington, you are the reason for our decline. We are running out of Deforester Force members because of you. As someone who has gone through close-call battles with the Toons, I hope you experience what it's like to have boulders and anvils fall from above you. You can try to fire me with that shoddy cannon of yours, but you would have to track me down first. I've already left the area and was recruited to a new organization far more stable than you will ever be."

------

...I genuinely love Mr. Revvington. He's a Suit who's been dealt the worst hand he could possibly ever get in life. He was just like anyone else, and then everything happened ever since joining C.O.G.S.. He's isolated, he's temperamental, he's pissy, he'd genuinely be someone hard to get along with because of the fact he's struggling with all sorts of issues and would be incredibly difficult and annoying to even start talking to and forming a bond with unless you're both stubborn and have patience. He's awful, and I love him for it.

I genuinely believe he's one of the most complex, beautifully written, and depressing characters in Corporate Clash. Maybe I dive way too deep into things about him, maybe he's not that deep at all. But I like to think about him. He makes me emotional, but he also makes me happy. Thank you for making him exist.

[connorsnothereeither]

if ulysses and icarus interacted after it was kind of made known they were "the bad guy" (but before the finale) - how do you think that would've gone-?

That’s a good question. The real answer is I don’t know and this is very spitballed and spur of the moment, but I think it depends on when they would interact.

Prior to Ulysses finding a wounded Bruin, I think they would have been more empathetic for a very long time. He would have gone with the approach of “I know what it’s like to be taking these orders and feeling like you need to, but you can see this is wrong, we can help”. Trying to talk Icarus down, because he’s been in that position. He’s followed orders and been the tool wielded by evil people and he knows Icarus can be talked down from that point and come back from that, because he was.

But I think finding Bruin was very much a turning point for Ulysses. Because that’s the point where Icarus stops being just a weapon wielded by Fable, an abstract threat, and begins being a proactive threat in their own right. That’s when Icarus becomes not just someone attacking because they have the chance, or because they’re told to, but someone pre-meditatively planning and executing the murder of innocent parties on their own, because they want to. Because they want to make Fable happy. And the people Ulysses cares about are the direct targets of those attacks. Aax is a theoretical target of those attacks, in Ulysses mind, given she’s part god. And I think, after that point, if Ulysses ran into Icarus, he would be in fight or flight mode. He would be weapons drawn, trying to run, ready to kill if he has to the second he sees them to keep Icarus away from others. Ulysses would have gotten his ass absolutely handed to him, and probably even would have been killed if he tried to fight, but he would have fought anyway if he had to with the mindset of “this person is actively trying to kill everyone I care about” and being past the point of trying to peacefully talk them down

[eugenedebs1920]

So I’ve been researching voter suppression and was planning on writing a whole, overly long, data driven, boring diatribe (still might) when I ran in to this. Rep. Takano lays it out better than I could.

Here is House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Ranking Member Mark Takano addressing Republican Committee members when voting to subpoena the VA for documents regarding registering veterans to vote.

9/10/2024

“Good Morning and thank you. Prior to our January 11 vote to authorize a subpoena regarding documents in the Committee’s investigation into sexual harassment at VA, this Committee had not voted to issue a subpoena since 2016. 

 When I held the gavel during the last two years of the Trump Administration, this Committee did not issue a single subpoena. There were plenty of occasions we could have issued subpoenas for the sake of performance over real oversight, but we chose to put veterans over politics.  

We relied on the independence of the Inspector General to thoroughly identify and investigate wrongdoing, and we chose not to interfere with ongoing investigations to score press and media hits. 

Yet now, the Republican Majority this Congress has threatened to subpoena VA on at least a dozen occasions for its supposed failure to comply with the Majority’s impossible requests. This severely cheapens this Committee’s oversight authority.  

We have been through this exercise several times before under the current Majority, and the script is highly predictable.  

The Chairman makes a vague, onerous, and overly burdensome document request of VA with a purposely unmeetable deadline. VA produces documents in response to the request.  

The Majority doesn’t like the answer they receive, screams that VA failed to meet their unmeetable deadline and then threatens to, or in this case goes through with, issuing a subpoena to compel VA to produce documents they don’t have, are already trying to produce, or have already produced.  

The question we must ask is why we see such temper tantrums from our current Majority?  It is not out of an earnest desire to acquire information and hold VA accountable for its failings. No, clearly it is not. Rather, this subpoena resolution, and frankly the hearing that will follow, is a red herring meant to distract veterans from the truth: that this Republican majority has absolutely nothing to show for its time in charge other than chaos, dysfunction, and paranoia.  

I hope the veterans who are watching see this subpoena for what it is, an anti-democratic and purely political effort to stoke conspiracy theories and ultimately suppress efforts to help veterans and their caregivers vote. Why does the Majority want to suppress the votes of veterans and caregivers? We should want all veterans and caregivers to be able to vote. With how much control elected officials wield over veterans’ health care and benefits, the stakes are enormously high for veteran voters, and their voices should be heard. It is dumbfounding to me that my colleagues would take issue with veterans exercising their right to vote, a right they served and fought for and sometimes died to protect.  

The Heritage Foundation, the same organization responsible for Project 2025, is using the Republican-led committees across Congress to suppress voter access.  

They have literally published a public-facing memorandum outlining strategies to frustrate efforts to encourage Americans to exercise their fundamental right to vote.  

But what makes this subpoena particularly weird and confusing, is that its underlying premise is that VA should not promote veterans’ access to voting, though it has been VA policy to do so since the Bush Administration. This policy was most recently renewed during the Trump Administration.  

Even weirder, the law underpinning this policy and President Biden’s Executive Order has been in place for thirty years. The National Voter Registration Act explicitly allows states to request that federal agencies or non-governmental agencies accept the designation as a voter registration agency.  

Pursuant to this law, VA is partnering with the state of Michigan to be a voter registration agency, but VA has considered partnerships with Kentucky, Georgia, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, and Nevada to help veterans access the polls.  

Yet the Majority is insistent that VA’s efforts constitute electioneering or some sort of partisan political effort to affect voting in swing states and districts. How is registering veterans to vote, no matter where they are, inherently partisan or political?  

Through the partnership with Michigan, VA is providing voter registration assistance to veterans in very limited circumstances when processing a change of address or during a Public Contact Team appointment. VA employees were given training by state officials, which included a review of prohibited partisan political conduct while assisting veterans with registration as required by law.  

If my colleagues are so concerned with states and agencies following the letter of the National Voter Registration Act, why aren’t they spending their time repealing it?  Instead, my colleagues are attacking VA for helping veterans register to vote. They are making a mockery of the Committee’s subpoena authority to the most anti-democratic end I have ever witnessed on this Committee. And I am frankly appalled that they have decided to go to these lengths to serve their political aims. This is not Congressional oversight. This is voter suppression.  

In the hundreds of documents VA has already produced for the Majority, there is nothing to indicate that VA has violated the law in any way. The only thing I am concerned about in terms of VA’s actions here is why they are not doing more to register veterans to vote.  

Later this week Congress is voting on the SAVE Act, which requires proof of citizenship before registering to vote in federal elections.  The Majority has no credible evidence that foreign citizens are voting in federal elections; in fact, this is already an illegal practice.  

But this Majority has proven that it will never be deterred by facts or evidence, so it is no surprise they are going to plow forward with this bill. I am opposed to it and will be voting no. But what’s shocking is that in their rush to block people from voting, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have decided that blocking veterans from voting is just as important as blocking undocumented immigrants.  This subpoena is a gross and obvious effort to stifle veteran voter registration. This is voter suppression.  

But again, it is also a red herring, a distraction from the Majority’s inability to lead, their inability to govern, and their inability to accomplish anything meaningful for veterans.  

I certainly do not have veterans banging on my door demanding to know why VA is helping veterans register to vote. However, I do have service members stationed overseas contacting my office saying that they need better access to voting – an issue I am working on. I also have veterans and their providers asking me what our plans are to ensure VA has the resources it needs to continue delivering health care and benefits to those who have earned them. So, I must ask who does this Majority serve – veterans or Project 2025?  

I also must ask, to what end is this exercise? I have yet to see my Majority colleagues produce any legislation that actually addresses the issues we’ve spent countless hours of Committee time considering in hearings to help improve VA.  

All I have seen is wasted time on deeply flawed bills that have no outlook for becoming law because they are Project 2025 pipe dreams that will do nothing to actually improve VA or help veterans.  

Mr. Chairman, using the subpoena authority of the Committee to investigate conspiracy theories is beneath us and should never be considered.  

The Committee must hold itself to the highest possible standard, because abuse of the subpoena for political gain – especially when it implicates fundamental constitutional rights – is a very real risk.  

 By fear mongering and stoking conspiracies that VA is doing something nefarious by registering veterans to vote, my colleagues are showing how little they trust veterans to actually exercise their right to vote. But I will say to veterans: I know how smart you are, and that you will see through the Majority’s partisan efforts.  

And I know how powerful you are as a voting bloc… I have seen it and felt it.  

It is important for everyone to participate in the electoral process, including veterans.  And I encourage my colleagues to vote NO on this subpoena resolution. With that, yield back.”

There’s one party in America that encourages the vote. There’s one who does all they can to suppress it. What side do you want to be on?

[adeadcreator]

Is it bad I want yo see more of Pinocchio Fem!reader and Jolyne? I really love how you executed the idea ;_;

No not at all, HERE YA GOO (~˘▾˘)~

Jolyne Cujoh x Fem Reader with a "Useless" stand Pt 2

A few days passed since you first met with Jolyne, along with her group of friends who seemed to love spending time in a hidden room within the prison. It shocked you at first but then again it was one of the few bizarre things that had happened within this prison, though another bizarre fact was that it had turned out your cells were relatively close, which you both loved. 

A meeting was called for the next execution of the plan that they had made prior to your presence, which you were now involved with. Though it did seem like many of them were pleased to have another stand user by their side, not that you minded joining. It was rather refreshing to hear different voices and personalities, it was much better than your days in solitary confinement. 

You could feel your face slowly blossoming into a bright pink as you felt a familiar pair of green eyes staring at you lovingly as Hermes explained some details with weather report. Turning your head slightly you gave a gentle smile to the duel-haired girl as she gave a wicked smirk in return, her mouth began speaking without a sound. Your (E/c) eyes scanned her lips as the patterns of the words that never echoed in her voice ‘spoke’.

‘How are you doing, darling?’

Snapping your eyes back to her own before mouthing back ‘Well and you angel?’ your head tilted as she snickered, earning a few glances from the others. The meeting soon ended with an argument on the terms for the next battle, leaving you and Jolyne to your own devices as you whispered back and forth to each other. A soft array of giggles left your chest as Jolyne snickered alongside you before staying quiet for a moment and observing you.

“You never really told me why you’re in here serving a sentence (Y/n)..?” Jolyne’s question went unanswered as your mouth repeatedly opened and closed like a fish out of water, the question caught you off guard as she waited patiently as you glanced around before seeing some loose paper. Your hands were quick to snatch the paper as you began writing down your answer, hoping and praying Jolyne’s patience won’t run thin. 

Her green eyes scanned each word carefully as you handed her the paper, from a distance the rest of the group watched as you and Jolyne conversed amongst each other quietly “What do you think they're talking about?” Ermes asked as she scanned your body language, mentally preparing for the worst “Eh, It’s probably nothing. But the real question is where my water is?” the green haired plankton said as she looked around, clearly not bothering with what you and Jolyne were up too.

“Your water doesn’t matter right now F.F, we need to hear what they’re saying.” Anasui snared as his eyes glared at your unexpected figure, Jolyne suddenly smiled before lifting her head up and leaning close to you before planting a kiss on your nose, earning a harsh blush from you in return. Anasui’s original plan to confess to Jolyne was immediately discarded as he saw how you both looked at each other.

It had sickened him how sweet you both were with each other, or rather a better word would be jealous, it made him jealous how her beautiful green eyes were quick to ignore his presence in favor of the (H/c) haired girls. The solitary confinement building wasn’t the only place it occurred. No matter who was in the room or what, Jolyne always found a way to have her green eyes glancing at you.

Anasui was quick to jump just in time as a flesh colored stick appeared, nearly impaling him if he hadn’t moved fast enough. “Bless you (Y/n)!” Jolyne’s voice said as she handed you a tissue, which you gladly took “HOLY CRAP HER STAND IS LIKE PINOCCHIO!” Ermes screeched as her eyes landed on the (H/c) haired stand user, who was shyly apologizing “That’s amazing!” F.F said as she poked the wooden-like nose in amazement.

“Isn’t her stand amazing! She my very own Pinocchio~” 

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Inside Climate News:

As the Environmental Protection Agency works to roll back multiple public-health protections, it announced Monday that it intends to take action to combat toxic forever chemicals.

Advocates are skeptical, saying the language of the announcement raises red flags.

The EPA announcement consists of a list of proposed actions to target contamination by per– and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS. The list includes plans to advance remediation and cleanup efforts for PFAS in drinking water, ramp up research and testing and designate an agency lead to oversee it all. The announcement does not name the person who will oversee this work, a timeline for action or a number of other specifics.

The announcement also fails to mention last year’s landmark EPA standard on PFAS in drinking water, which the chemical industry and water utilities sued over. The Trump administration has until May 12 to decide whether it will continue to defend the Biden-era rule—which was accompanied by a $1 billion investment in state-level water testing and treatment—in court. EPA did not answer questions from Inside Climate News about the rule, the litigation or Monday’s announcement.

“We are tackling PFAS from all of EPA’s program offices, advancing research and testing, stopping PFAS from getting into drinking water systems, holding polluters accountable, and providing certainty for passive receivers,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement. “This is just the start of the work we will do on PFAS to ensure Americans have the cleanest air, land, and water.”

This comes after President Donald Trump’s administration has already begun dismantling environmental protections across multiple agencies, including for clean air, public lands, waterways and wastewater. The administration has also eliminated future funding for climate and health research and canceled grants for research on environmental health, including millions of dollars in research on PFAS accumulation in the food chain. 

“Based on the prior Trump administration and based on the current Trump administration’s gutting of environmental protections across the board … I’m skeptical,” said Dana Sargent, executive director of Cape Fear River Watch in North Carolina, a group that advocates for clean water in a region heavily contaminated with PFAS and that sued the EPA over these impacts.

Sargent and other advocates also noted that the announcement seems to lack teeth.

[punishing-eden]

Hello. I'm sorry if this is sudden but I was wondering if you took story requests and if you do, could you make a platonic Dan heng IL story with the reader being the child of his previous incarnation and with the reader still being quite young and Jing Yuan is the one to tell Dan Heng about them even though he's only met them a couple and doesn't know them personally, but Jing Yuan felt like Dan Heng had the right to know about the reader especially after the reader had an encounter with Blade. (If this is too much or if you don't do requests that's completely understandable and I wish you a good day/afternoon and or night😊)

Author's Notes:

Hi, I haven't done the latest Trailblazer mission yet. But my stupid ass, low-key, accidentally spoiled myself with the whole thing about Blade :') . So, I guess I can give this a go.

Tbh, I am not a lore person when it comes to Hoyoverse. For me, it's too confusing and convoluted. I just pay attention to the details in the story and reread character lines over and over again to get their speech patterns.😅😅😅

I hope for the best.

Also…is this Dad!Dan Heng, or Creator!Dan Heng?

-Punishing Eden

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

His Legacy…

Dan Heng x Child!Reader (Ft. Jing Yuan & Bailu)

Summary:

Before Dan Heng leaves, he learns of your existence; his next of kin from his previous incarnate. Despite not harbouring much memories or parental familiarity, Dan Heng wants to see you one last time.

Tags: Lore (that I only know 10% about), platonic, parental relationship, request, one-shot, potential spoilers, possible ooc, canon divergent, request

It was a risk.

With every decision made, there’s always a risk. And, Jing Yuan knows that, by releasing the Stellaron Hunter; by the name of, “Blade”, was definitely a risk.

“General… are you sure we should do this?” Yanqing had expressed his concern, yet, for the General, Jing Yuan continued to execute his plan. Knowing, if everything is under control, the fruition will worth the risk.

Jing Yuan had given precaution to each step along the way. However, he never anticipated that the Stellaron Hunter would have other plans of his own.

___

“Who are you?”, you asked, looking at a man with a nonchalant, yet, troubled look.

Blade looked at you. The colours of his irises swirled. He didn't answer, as his dark presense towers over you.

Troubled, as if he was baring all the burden on his shoulders. Troubled, as if he held onto the anguish and hatred of the past. Troubled, as if he holding on to a thin line between ‘monster’ and ‘man’; of what is left of his sanity.

___

The guilt weighed on Jing Yuan when he had heard of your encounter with Blade. Were the precautions not enough? We're his predictions not good enough?

The General recalled, how the Master Diviner had given him a warning, prior, to the operation.

“Was it worth, to put so much risk to simply catch the Stellaron Hunter, Kafka?” Fu Xuan asked, she made her disapproval as clear as day.

"Nothing can escape destiny and fate..." Fu Xuan's voice rang in Jing Yuan's ears.

Maybe, despite all the precaution that were made, your encounter with Blade was inevitable. And, maybe it was also fate that brought Dan Heng back to Luofu.

“Dan Feng…” Jing Yuan began, “I see that you have finally returned to Luofu.”

“Dan Feng?” Dan Heng questioned, amused by how Jing Yuan called him by his previous name, “I don’t go by that name anymore… everything is in the past, I see no need to look back.”

Hearing what Dan Heng had said, brought a frown on Jing Yuan’s face. However, the General nodded. He accepted the fact; what had happen centuries ago was of a tragic demise. Done, out of the succumb of “immortality”.

___

“You’re hurt…” you said, trying to grab the man’s bandaged hand, “Lady Bailu can help you.” You offered.

Before you could wrap your tiny fingers around Blade’s hand, he immediately pushed you away. His eyes stared with intensity, seemingly glowing at the sight of his target. His chest heaved, as he felt his throat tensed up at the bubbling emotions of anger emerging.

Looking at the small child getting up from the ground, Blade fixated his gaze on you, as if he was planning to strike his next move. His grip held onto his sword tightly.

___

“Indeed, the past is the past, but…” Jing Yuan said, “ the legacy of your former self, will continue over the centuries to come, Dan Heng.”

He hinted something to Dan Heng.

“Whether you, like it or not…” Jing Yuan added.

Dan Heng’s foot step paused. There was a small weight in his heart. Was it something he did, when he was still Dan Feng? He turned around to look at Jing Yuan, the memories swirled in Dan Heng’s mind, trying to comprehend the muddled and missing pieces of the image of you. An sleeping child, hibernating until it was time for you to be awaken from your birth.

“… [Y/N]…?” He spoke of your name.

___

He lifted his arm up, the cracks on his sword glowed, as he looked down at you with an intense gaze. At that moment, Blade had felt he had snapped. He wasn’t a “man”, but a “monster” blinded my his emotions.

The animalistic growl grumbled from his throat, the anticipation of spilling crimson right before his eyes when he brings his arm down. Yet, his arm remain frozen. Your cries began to alert the guards of Bailu’s estate.

Blade struggled against his mind. Your childish cries was giving him a headache. “…Just…a…small…child…” He mumbled to himself.

“Who’s there?” The guards came running to your direction, “It’s him! The Stellaron Hunter! Quick, alert Lady Bailu!”

“Tsk..”Blade clicked his tongue. Without a word, he fled.

___

“[Y/N].” Dan Heng said.

You looked up at him. Your creator, that you never knew.

Without saying anything, you handed him a cup of tea, before returning to Bailu’s side. Warm light illuminated the living room of Bailu’s house.

“Do you know how tiring it is to look after this child, General?” she complained, “how long will you be keeping this child with me?”

Jing Yuan chuckled, “I understand, Lady Bailu. You have ‘just’ been through a rebirth, and I am certain that having a child under your care while still being…quite young…is tiresome.” The general took a sip of the tea, avoiding certain words, “But, please bare with this arrangement for a little longer. Until the time is right, you will be free of such services.”

Bailu was a little surprised, “W-wait!? What does that mean?!”

“Why do you sound like I want to get rid of this child?” Bailu accused.

”Oh?” Jing Yuan held a surprised look, “Was that not what you ask for?”

“I mean…yes, it will be less of a burden to have this child under my care... But, I have taught a few things about medicine to this child…” the dragon girl said, thinking of a excuse, “…so it will be a loss of my effort if the child leaves so soon. How are you going to compensate that?! ” She crossed her arms.

Dan Heng continued to look at you. You were at a corner playing by yourself. The way you look, the expression and features, were a reflection of him. Dan Feng, your creator, your father.

He let out a heavy sigh. There was a part of him, that wants to engage with you. There were so many things he wanted to say, to do, and to ask of you. Yet, the lack of familiarity and parental feelings for you, made him hesitate.

“…well, it will be quite some time before further arrangements can be made on the child’s welfare…” Jing Yuan grabbed his chin, a mock gesture to convince Bailu to fall through his plan.

“As I thought, General,” Bailu scoffed, “Now, if you are not asking for prescriptions or diagnosis, leave.”

“Yes, of course. Are you alright with that?” Jing Yuan looked at Dan Heng, who’s eyes were fixed on you.

He snapped out of it and replied, “…Yes, I am ready to go. The Astral Express will be leaving soon.”

“We’ll see you both out… [Y/N], the guest are leaving.” Bailu hopped off her chair. She gently took your hand and walked Jing Yuan and Dan Heng to the door.

Both men looked back as they walked out. Dan Heng gave you one last look. You were waving goodbye at him. With Bailu, the Elder High of the Vidyadhara, as your guardian. He knew you are in good hands.

The front gates closed. The image of you disappeared behind the structure with along with Bailu.

That was the last time, Dan Heng saw of you.

(C) Punishing Eden

[veryace-ficrecs]

Zosan Modern Au Fic Recs

This list will include all ratings and tags, so read at your own discretion! :)

One Heart [For The Two Of Us] by curlystrawhat - Rated T

“Who are you?” Zoro asked, because he really has never seen this guy in his life and he’s pretty sure neither Koushirou nor Mihawk know him, so why the fuck was this guy leaving flowers on Kuina’s grave? The blonde bit his lip and took his time to answer. Zoro was getting impatient, he opened his mouth to say something, but the blonde beat him to it. “I’m Sanji.” he said, staring right into his eyes, “Kuina gave me her heart.” or Two boys, one heart connecting them, a meeting by chance, a friendship by choice. Falling in love along the way? Well, that just happened all on its own.

To Have and To Hold by eflo - Rated T

Sanji just woke up from surgery to see some guy in his room.

A Trip Down Memory Lane by Kaiisan (orphan_account) - Rated G

Sanji recognises a familiar face on the train. ((AU based off of the cute couple sitting in front of me on the train a few days ago))

Minutiae by LibbyLune - Rated T

Normally Zoro would hate to find a stranger picnicking at his favorite secret photography spot, but there's something special about this blond chef.

In Lieu of Payment by Harubo - Rated T

Sanji spends an afternoon trying not to ogle the mechanic fixing his furnace. He does not succeed.

Just Need this Love Spiral by three_days_late - Rated T

When beloved Hollywood star Sanji came back from Bora Bora after three weeks of being off the grid, no media, no paparazzi, no contact to anyone, the tabloids went insane. The fact that he came back with a husband was the icing on the cake. The fact that no one had ever even heard of this husband before was the cherry on top. The one question on everyone's mind: Why?

Two Left Feet by Harubo - Rated T

Zoro is forced into taking dance lessons for his sister's wedding. It turns out better than he expected.

Love You Better by 8ball - Rated M

“What about you?” The cook had asked. “Any BDSM or anything?” Zoro had stared blankly at Sanji, trying to remember if BDSM was the name of a band. It sounded like a fighting style, maybe related to MMA. “I thought you practiced savate and kickboxing?” Needless to say, he’s blown his cover pretty quickly. And thus, the list.

Point and Click by modeoheim - Rated M

Sanji Black, Executive Chef and owner of Le Tout Bleu, successfully defends his restaurant and its customers from aggressive paparazzi one evening with style. A video of the fight goes viral, though, and one of the celebrities in the center of the whole mess develops quite the intense—and public—crush.

Grounded by Hazel_Athena - Rated T

Sanji stares up at the screen that lists all inbound and outbound flights, his heart catching in his throat when he spots the little flag that says ‘canceled’ next to his own.

Double Play by auspizien - Rated T

After a horrible car accident a year prior, Sanji finds himself wheelchair bound and a little lost. When his sister forces him to go to a baseball game, he really isn't expecting much from it; until a certain green-haired baseball player makes it his mission disrupt all of Sanji's carefully thought out plans.

Zoro's Boyfriend, Who Lives In Canada by donutsandcoffee - Rated G

Everyone knows Zoro has the perfect boyfriend—tall, blonde, and handsome. He cooks Zoro’s bento every day, fights as well as Zoro does, and has the clearest, bluest eyes mankind has ever seen.

Wildcat by Harubo - Rated T

Captain of the soccer team Sanji Black gets recruited to be a replacement kicker on Thousand Sunny High School’s American football team. The problem? An unfortunate crush on star running back, Zoro Roronoa. Oh, and Sanji has no idea how this sport works.

Steady, As She Goes by auspizien - Rated E

Zoro Roronoa is a retired black-ops agent suffering from PTSD; after moving to a small town and getting married in hopes of leaving that life behind him, a chance meeting with a smarmy, blond paramedic changes all of that. Thus ensues a summer of tempestuous desires, heart-wrenching decisions, and unforeseen espionage. [Modern AU. ZoSan. Slow Burn.]

blue by adietxt - Rated T

Zoro doesn’t see it, until he does. One moment everything seems normal — Sanji meeting him at the back of the gym building, passing Zoro his bento before the Kendo club starts like usual — and then Zoro sees it, the way Sanji stands with a weird slouch on his shoulder, his body leaning to the side, like he’s favoring his left. Zoro always thought the slouching was just an act, a way for the stupid Love Cook to look ‘cool’ and impress the girls in their school, but a different thought crosses his mind for a second. A different, terrible thought.

keep playing that song (hey mister dj) by adietxt - Rated G

Usopp isn’t scared. The stranger might be a tall, burly dude with one eye, two large scars, and muscles that could rival a god’s, but Usopp is not scared. Nope. Sure, the guy could probably crush Usopp’s head if he does so much as flex, and the scars seem to indicate that he’s trained in some kind of deadly martial arts, and even without all those things he’s still big enough to be able to beat Usopp up into a pulp through sheer strength, and — Okay, so Usopp might be a little scared.

[irenespring]

House M.D. Fanfiction: A Clearly Discernible Line, Chapter 1 (House/Wilson)

Chapter 1: We're here to learn, aren't we?

Chapter can be read here!

----

It's finally ready for publication! I have made so many posts about this (from planning to publishing) so I am so glad to finally be ready to share the first chapter (of ten) of my Hilson School for Good and Evil AU!

THIS FIC SHOULD STILL MAKE SENSE WITHOUT ANY PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF SGE. If you have a question I will answer immediately and possibly address it in the fic text for future readers.

Fic will be updated every Friday. I have a multiple chapter buffer in case of writer's block or unfortunate circumstances, so I don't anticipate any issues getting this fully updated on time.

Yes, this AU sounds crazy. I am cashing in my "please trust my writing and read this weird AU" chips while only having seven published fics. But it still should make sense!

On that point, I would like to give my eternal thanks to @jameswilsonsupremacy for their help with finalizing the plot of this fic (the whole thing is plotted!) and making sure it is understandable to someone not well-versed in SGE. Also sorry Lucas I just realized you share a name with Professor Lucas from the School for Good and Evil. He's a side character in SGE, not a deliberate reference. I know it's weird to randomly see your name in fiction.

I would also like to thank users @a-case-of-the-ace , @thatpersonwithbooks , @deanbane , @everytuesday, and @atmaligaya for their encouragement when I was thinking about whether to attempt this AU at all given it's niche nature, and when I was writing (and having writer's block issues!).

---

Fic teaser:

James Wilson, new student at the School for Good, is excited to live out his destiny and make his own fairy tale. He excels at everything: weaponry lessons, history tests, smiling class. He just doesn’t exactly feel true love for any of the girls. But that won’t be a problem. It’s easily faked. In fact, a surprisingly alluring Evil student is going to help him keep up his ruse. He’s totally covered. Gregory House, new student at the School for Evil, has finally gotten away from his father. He’s also found the first home he’s ever had... at a school built for training villains. He has books, magic, and teachers who don’t suck. After a chance encounter with a Good student, he might even have a friend. His life is finally making sense. So, there we have it. Their fates seem sealed. James will go on to star in a fairy tale and in young girls’ dreams. Gregory will cause some manageable mayhem, then take the under-the-radar magical academic track that produces some of the few Evil students who live to get gray hair. Nice endings tied with a bow, just like the elusive School Master likes. Except here you are, reading their Tale. Which begs the question: what went wrong?

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I would love to hear what you think about this chapter on either AO3 or here on Tumblr! I totally understand the anxieties inherent to commenting, the executive functioning demand, or the time demand, so I totally understand if you are not comfortable. But if you are able and like the fic, it would be great to know! It always makes my day and is super helpful for writing motivation.

[ziskandra]

5, 7, and 35: which character (if any) has changed the most as you wrote them, in terms of your interpretation or understanding of their character and choices?

(Fanfic/author ask game) 5. What's something you learnt while researching a fic? I had to mull over this question for quite a while! Given my tendency to mostly write canon-compliant character studies in fantasy universes, most of my 'research' process is double-checking for lore compliance and the like and it was a struggle to identify anything particularly interesting or revelatory which would be worth sharing from those deep dives (unless people want to hear me bang on about the symbolism of Meredith and Orsino both losing loved ones in cupboard fires again). So, I had a flick though the last few pages of my posted AO3 works, and came up with the research I had to do into the neighbourhoods of New York City for my Crazy Ex-Girlfriend fic Crossroads, featuring Rebecca Bunch crashing at her ex-frenemy Audra Bunch's house when stranded in NYC, as well as my Ace Attorney smut fic escargot*, which uh, features the eating of escargot. (I have eaten escargot before, but wanted to refresh my memory of the process because it was basically a food kink fic lol.) *Heads up that this is a (aged-up) Trucy/Miles fic for anyone who's canon familiar and might be squicked by the pairing. 7. Coffee or tea while you write? I don't really tend to drink either while writing these days! They're both very work-coded to me now. (Coffee for when I need to focus, tea for when I need to calm down.) The real question is water or alcohol, to which the ratio is about 9:1 😉. (But no joke, I have found that staying adequately hydrated helps my writing process a LOT. glug glug)

35 (wild card): which character (if any) has changed the most as you wrote them, in terms of your interpretation or understanding of their character and choices? I know I mentioned the other day that I've started finding Meredith easier to write due to recent life events, and I think there's at least a handful of people who follow me here who would understand the full context of why that's the case, and probably a dozen more that could make a pretty educated guess based on what I've mentioned publicly! Because the explanation deals with pretty heavy mental health shit (psychosis, suicide) and is quite lengthy, I'm putting the rest of this answer under a cut.

Long story short, I think it's incredibly difficult to truly appreciate just how fucking weird brains can be when pushed to their absolute limits (especially where trauma is involved). And nothing quite encapsulates that for me more than the circumstances which lead to my involuntary hospitalisation on the other side of the planet last year! Basically, due to a cumulation of insanely stressful life factors between January and June last year, I ended up having a psychotic break featuring hallucinations, persecutory delusions, and delusions of grandeur. Unfortunately, I was still acting just normal enough before my pre-planned trip to the US last year that nobody quite picked up on it until after I left Australia (although in hindsight I was definitely having hallucinations before the trip). Anyway, I quickly grew more deranged after that due to a combination of factors, such as being socially isolated from my support network, missing my connecting flight to NYC at LAX (and absolutely lacking the executive function to rebook one), as well as being separated from my luggage. I also misplaced my wallet and glasses (but somehow managed to hold onto my passport, thank god). Thankfully, I did have my credit card details stored on my phone, so I managed to book a room in a Holiday Inn for several days, which I only left to eat at the McDonald's across the road in a state of constant hypervigilance. I became convinced that I was a secret CIA sleeper agent and that the CIA had killed my cousin (who had suicided some nine years prior). Eventually, I decided that I desperately needed to return to Australia and tried to make my way back to the Australian embassy, missing its closing time by 15 minutes. Lost and confused, I spent a lot of time wandering about in circles hoping that whoever was tailing me would lose my scent. I sent my lawyer an email from an Apple store stating that I had "shaken the fabric of reality and discovered my moral values" and that I wanted to go home now. I got hungry and hunkered down in a McDonald's again. I sat there for a while having occasional moments of clarity where I would be like 'holy shit I think I am losing my fucking mind'. During one of these moments, I asked to borrow the restaurant's phone and called 911 on myself. I then had a very vivid and soothing hallucination of my Honours thesis supervisor who I had not seen in a decade putting on a bad Australian accent (he's American) telling me that everything would be okay and I would get through this. Then the police turned up and I screamed at this LAPD officer about how I was a proud Australian citizen, that I was going to become PM one day, and that when I was Prime Minister (of Australia) I would ... *check notes* fix Los Angeles International Airport? And then I got sectioned. lol As for how all this relates to Meredith Stannard, I think it's very cool and sexy for me to have already been a massive fan of a character who more or less experiences canonical delusions (and implied hallucinations) so I can continue processing this absolutely bizarre batshit experience that happened to me the way I know best (terrorising fictional characters). It definitely gave me more insight into how somebody in that frame of mind (and not sleeping for days!!) might end up putting dots together that aren't there because their frames of reference are wrong, or they believe God is sending them signs, or what have you. tl;dr I was always fascinated by how Meredith's sanity slippage has a very slow build up (she carried that red lyrium sword around for YEARS!) for her to just finally snap the way she does, and although I have written snippets set in that time frame before, I think I'll be able to do it in an even better and more meaningful way now.

[biblioflyer]

Power as Privilege

Magneto’s power gives him options that are unavailable to most Mutants. It would also make him a kingmaker if not the king, whether he wants it or not. Who could defy him in a separatist enclave aboard Asteroid M except another Omega? Since no one could, then who would dare?

Previously I discussed why X-Men as a setting is fundamentally pessimistic as a necessity according to the creative choices made. It is an essay in 5 parts:

1,2,3,4,5

This is a new series analyzing how experience and social status influences Mutant outlooks on the assimilation vs separatism/supremacy question.

A mile wide asteroid is not a very big place. Doing a bit of back of the envelope math, that works out to a volume of about 2.2 million cubic meters. Which is an impressive number to be sure.

For comparison the ISS has a pressurized volume of about 1,000 cubic meters and an inhabitable volume of 388 cubic meters. That supports 7 people usually. That works out to about 1 person per 143 cubic meters.

Following the same ratio, Asteroid M could probably support a population of 15,384. Where things get fuzzy is that the amount of personal space Asteroid M residents seem to enjoy, such as lavish reception halls complete with Sentinel scrap thrones, is much higher than your average astronaut. Asteroid M is also theoretically fully self-sustaining whereas the ISS needs periodic resupply and provision of spare parts. On the other hand, Asteroid M also was built with salvaged alien tech from the Savage Lands so that might even things out quite a bit.

Just over 15,000 people is the population of a large town trapped inside a machine that provides them with the essentials of life in an environment that would otherwise kill them within 30 seconds, absent special powers or survival gear.

We don’t have to work very hard to imagine the damage that could be wrought by just a handful of Omega tier Mutants deciding to cut loose inside Asteroid M’s walls. The boss fight with Bastion is a pretty excellent example. The damage to structural integrity and essential systems can add up very fast. I forget the specifics, but Asteroid M also had to be abandoned previously due to damage that made it at risk of becoming uninhabitable in the wake of Cortez’s coup against Magneto.

Accountability for Omegas and Protections for the Mutants Who Don’t Have Cool or Awesome Powers

This leads into a question of how an insular Mutant state could govern itself. Realistically the only answer to a Bad Omega tier Mutant is a Good Omega tier Mutant. Yeah, I don’t really like the implications of that analogy either.

The alternative is large numbers of lowertier Mutants or Humans with sufficient firepower or technological doodads but we’ve seen time and again that this winds up being a Zapp Brannigan strategy. It can work, but it costs a lot of lives and material. I wouldn’t personally be overly eager to sign up to be part of a special task force whose objective is to try to slip a power suppression collar on Magneto.

TAS/’97 never really elaborate on what sort of society Magneto was planning to create and how it would be organized, constitutionally speaking. Notably Genosha was setting up a constitutional monarchy prior to the Wild Sentinel attack. It was also notable that of the known members of the executive council, the majority were Mutants with extremely formidable powers. The presence of Moira MacTaggert in some capacity and Callisto represent at least gestures towards the idea of egalitarianism and informed decision making, but the presence of Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost, both known Mutant Supremacists and unapologetically hierarchical, does not instill confidence.

The groups directly influenced by Xavier’s teachings seem to be the only organizations that don’t have an implicit power based hierarchy. In this way Mutants seem not to have surpassed Human organization and Human concepts of justice. This is something I’d like to think Xavier recognized, especially the further down his path of separatism and domination Magneto went, which is why in theory, if not in practice, Xavier was willing to work inside of Human institutions.

Flawed as they are and unreceptive to Mutants, well designed Human institutions are designed to disaggregate power and regulate how authority is used when it is necessary for an individual to have wide latitude and vast resources at their disposal. This often does not work as well as might be desired, but history is full of examples where being unable to alter the course of an absolute ruler once they’d set their mind to something proves disastrous.

As such, the X-Men working to contain and disrupt the activities of Mutants who are too powerful for traditional Sapiens authorities to deal with practically is probably the most potent statement pro-coexistence Mutants can make about their ability to be folded into existing society and institutions and their willingness to be held to the same standards as baseline Humans. 

It's a statement that Mutants who use their powers destructively can be confronted and brought to justice by a force of Mutants willing to be bound by and enforce rules and norms of Human society. In doing so, they declare themselves to be Humans who have mutant powers, rather than something else entirely.

Next: No matter how many times we save the world, it just seems to get in jeopardy again. Also when we save it, you hate us more for some reason.

[jeannereames]

What was Alexander’s relationship with his sisters like?

Short answer: We mostly don’t know.

Alexander and His Sisters

Longer answer: We have some clues that he may have got on well at least with Kleopatra and Thessalonike. Kynanne is more of a crap-shoot, as she was married to his cousin and rival, Amyntas. But as Philip arranged that marriage, she had little/no say in the matter, so we just don’t know what she thought of her husband-cousin versus her brother. (Not addressing the infant Europe, as she died at just a few weeks.)

First, let me link to an article by Beth Carney, and at the end, I’ll add some links to my own prior entries that address the question too.

Elizabeth Carney, “The Sisters of Alexander the Great: Royal Relics” Historia 37.4 (1988), 385-404.*

Beth’s article discusses Argead marriage policies, and the fate of the women after ATG’s death. I know she’s changed her mind about a few things, but it’s still well worth reading.

Also, a general reminder to folks who may be new to Alexander/Macedonia … Macedonian kings practiced royal polygamy: e.g., they married for politics, not love, and had more than one wife at the same time. Philip married 7 women (the most of any Macedonian king), although there weren’t 7 wives living in the palace at once. There may have been as many as 5 at times, however.

Because of royal polygamy, they did not use the term basilissa (queen) until after Alexander’s death. The chief wife was the mother of the heir; she had the most power. Because of the rivalry inherent in such courts, a woman’s primary allegiance was to her son, not her husband. Her secondary allegiance would be to her father (if living) and/or brothers. This was not unique to Macedonia, but a feature of most courts with polygamous structures.

These are not love matches, although our later sources may present them as love matches. (These authors had their own ideological reasons for such characterizations.) Did love never come after marriage? Perhaps. It would have depended. Also, within the women’s rooms, wives may have allied with each other at points, particularly if several of them. If only two (as seems more characteristic in Macedonia, aside from Philip), they’d have been rivals seeking to produce the heir.

I state all that to explain why Alexander’s sisters may have courted their brother’s affection (and protection), after Philip’s death. Only Kleopatra had a son, and he was 12 at most at Alexander’s death.

In his final year, Philip married off Alexander’s older sister, Kynanne (d. of Audata, ergo half- Illyrian), and Alexander’s younger and only full sister, Kleopatra (d. of Olympias). Kleopatra’s wedding was literally the day before Philip’s assassination. The timing of Kynnane’s marriage is less clear, but Philip married her to Amyntas, his nephew (her cousin), some time after his own marriage to his last wife, Kleopatra Eurydike. Kynnane had a daughter by Amyntas, Hadea (later Hadea Eurydike). We’re not sure if she was born before or after her father’s execution by Alexander, but it does let us nail down her age to c. 12/13 at Alexander’s death.

After he had Amyntas executed, Alexander planned to marry Kynnane to one of his trusted allies, Langaros, king of Agriana, which lay north of Macedonia, between Paionia and Illyria. Agriana was arguably Paionian, but similar to Illyria. Ergo, this may show a bit of thoughtfulness on Alexander’s part, to match his sister to a man who wouldn’t attempt to trammel her. Recall that Illyrian women wielded more power and even fought in battle. Yet Langaros died (perhaps of injury) before Alexander could make good on that.

It would be the last time Alexander planned any nuptials for his sisters. In part because he invaded Persia not long after, but it wouldn’t have stopped him from summoning one of them if he’d really wanted to marry her off.

Kynanne raised her daughter Hadea in traditional Illyrian ways, which Alexander allowed (although he probably couldn’t have stopped her). After his death, she took off to Asia to see Hadea married to her uncle, (Philip III) Arrhidaios. Kynanne was murdered by Perdikkas’s brother Alkestas, because Perdikkas (then regent) didn’t want the marriage. BUT the army (who liked and respected Kynanne) forced Alkestas to allow it anyway. Hadea (now) Eurydike and Philip III Arrhidaios eventually fell under Kassandros’s authority/possession, where she/they opposed Olympias and baby Alexander IV (and Roxane).

It was inevitable that the co-kingship that followed ATG’s death wouldn’t hold, and Hadea, who clearly wore the pants, wasn’t about to step aside for her cousin Alexander IV. Nor did Kassandros want them to, as he could control them. He couldn’t control Olympias. Yet none of that would necessarily reflect how Kynanne and Hadea had felt about their brother/uncle during his lifetime.

So, we must say the jury is out on Kynanne’s relationship with Alexander.

But for Kleopatra and Thessalonike, I do believe we have enough hints that they cared for him and he for them.

Kleopatra’s husband (another Alexander, of Epiros) died in combat in Italy in 332—around the time Alexander was besieging Tyre and Gaza, or four years after their marriage. In that time, Kleopatra produced two children, a girl (Kadmea) and a boy (Neoptolemos). The girl was named to honor her uncle’s victory over Thebes,** which happened at the tail-end of 335. As Alexander of Macedon and Alexander of Epiros both left on separate campaigns in 334, the boy would have to have been fathered not long after Kadmea was born. (It’s possible that Alexander of Epiros didn’t get to Italy until 333.)

After Alexander of Epiros’s death, Kleopatra did not marry again, although after her brother died, she had a couple marriage offers/offered marriage herself. She was THE prize during the early Successor wars…the full sister of Alexander.

Two titbits might suggest she was close to him (even if he didn’t marry her off again). First, the name of her first child is for his victory, not one by her husband. Sure, Alexander of Epiros didn’t have a battle victory at that point to name her for…but he could have insisted on a family name. Instead, he let Kleopatra give the child a name celebrating Alexander of Macedon’s victory. I suspect she fought for that.

Second, an anecdote reports that when Alexander was told his sister was having an affair some years after she’d become a widow, he reportedly replied, “Well, she ought to have a little fun.” This, btw, was viewed as a bad answer…e.g., he didn’t properly discipline her. As Alexander was constantly used for moral lessons (good or bad), we should take it with a grain of salt. But it’s possible his approximate reaction was preserved and became fodder for moralizing about those wild, half-barbarian Macedonians from the north…couldn’t keep their women in check!

As for Thessalonike, data here is also circumstantial. She stayed with Olympias after Alexander’s death and was never married until after Olympias herself was killed by Kassandros—who then forced her to marry him to cement his claim to the Macedonian throne. She had a sad life, at least in her latter years. Her eldest son (Philip) wasn’t healthy and died not long after he became king. Her second son (Antipatros) and her last son (Alexandros) apparently hated each other. After Philip’s death, Thessalonike argued that Antipatros should co-rule with the younger Alexandros. So Antipatros killed his mother! (Matricide, folks, is SUPER-bad.) Then Alexandros killed Antipatros, and was eventually killed in turn by Demetrios Poliorketes.

Well, if Justin can be trusted, and there are problems with Justin. Ergo, it’s possible that internecine spate of murders didn’t go the way Justin reports.

Yet the naming of her youngest boy may tell a story, along with her insistence that he co-rule with his brother.

There’s also the legend of Mermaid Thessalonike, but we can’t take that as any sort of evidence.

Here are some additional posts that also talk about the sisters:

“Writing Kleopatra and Alexander’s Other Sisters” — Although aimed primarily at the novels, it obviously must deal with the girls as historical persons. Pretty short for me.

“What Philip Thought about His Other Children” — A sideways take on this same question. Not long.

“On Amyntas” — About Alexander’s older cousin, his real rival for the throne when Philp was assassinated. Also discusses Kynanne as a matter-of-course. Not long.

“On Kassandros” — Mostly about Antipatros’s son Kassandros, who had Alexander IV murdered, but also discusses Thessalonike, who he forced to marry him. Relatively long.

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

* The link takes you to academia.edu, where, by clicking on Beth’s name, you can find more of her articles. Keep in mind the woman has something north of 150, many on women, PLUS a bunch of books. Not everything is uploaded due to copyright, but several of her older articles are, such as this one.

** It was something of a “thing,” at least in Macedon, for daughters to be named in honor of their father’s victories. Kynanne not so much, but Kleopatra means “Glory of Her Father,” and both Thessalonike (Victory in Thessaly) and Europe (Victory in Europe) reflected their father’s triumphs.

[theamityelf]

Been a while since you did the kidnapped amnesia makoto and as a potential idea what if for the 78th class during the start of the killing game they all felt like something was missing and also maybe have Celes know they are missing the lucky student or everyone assumes it’s Kyoko maybe that reminds her of makoto and also maybe Mukuro is freaking out a bit cause she wants to rescue makoto

Oh, this would be so fun.

Also, not for nothing, while the canon of the AU so far states that Junko pretty much just cuts her losses and goes on with the killing game without Makoto, I do love the idea of Junko being unwilling to do that and insisting on getting Makoto back first because He's supposed to be part of it, you lab rat! Maybe instructing the 77th class to try and get Makoto back, or using the hijacked airwaves to mobilize whoever still cares about hope to save the kidnapped Hope's Peak student. If they succeed, there's a swell of hope at this first-in-a-long-time victory against despair. A swell of hope that she gets to stomp on when she finally does her killing game.

(And boy, imagine Izuru dealing with people who try to trespass on his isolated home with Makoto. Izuru discreetly leaving the house, killing five interlopers, and returning with a neutral expression. Washing the blood off his hands, and it looks like he's just washing the dishes.)

I can also imagine a situation where she goes through with the killing game as planned, except she makes sure that all evidence points to Makoto as the mastermind. She could pull a "We all got chloroformed!" (Community reference) and be part of the killing game in person herself just to pretend Makoto is the one who stole their memories and came up with the killing game. Enjoying the cruel irony of having his name be the one smeared while she's seen as another victim. I imagine her ideal end for this scenario is, the 77th class recovers Makoto and delivers him to the school dazed and confused, the killing game participants vote to execute him or just kill him outright (bonus points if Kyoko kills him, thinking he's the mastermind), and then they find out that he's actually a dear friend to all of them who didn't do anything wrong.

But! Those are just stray thoughts.

More to the point, I love the idea that the 78th class, and particularly Kyoko, gradually remembers Makoto. Especially if, prior to memory wipe, she suspected that Izuru was up to something. She recovers memories about someone she loved, and the more she remembers about him, the more she dreads about the question of where he is now.

Only to eventually remember another person. A person who used to watch while pretending he wasn't watching. A person who was credited with the death of the student council and then suddenly disappeared. A person who was certainly capable of breaking into the school and who has exhibited motive to abduct Makoto.

Mukuro definitely knows from the start that Makoto was taken by Izuru and is really stressed about it. She's constantly bothering Junko.

"What's he going to do to him?"

"I already answered that, you clod."

"I can go after him. You said you wanted everyone here for the killing game. I can go find him, and-"

"Gee, yeah, guess I'll send you out to be killed by the Ultimate Everything so we're down two classmates instead of one. Great idea, A-cups! Our senpais will handle it or they won't. End of."

The others occasionally feel tempted to knock on Makoto's door, when they need help with something or want to talk to someone. I like to imagine his dorm room isn't locked, or else the keys can be found somewhere (like maybe he forgot his keys in the dryer in the laundry room and Junko didn't notice), and Kyoko investigates inside. The smell of his soap alone brings back memories.

Hey, by the way, Syo fully remembers him!

It would be very funny if Kyoko, Syo, and Mukuro ended up forming a team to go save Makoto.