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tanadrin · 2 years ago

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Imagine that a century or two from now, the eastern half of the United States is conquered by the Canadian Empire, its intelligentsia deported, its land colonized by Canadian immigrants, and its remaining people mostly gradually absorbed into a Neo-Canadian identity. The West reorganizes, developing a new political and cultural center, and comes to regard itself as the "true" United States, with the remnant culture of the East (by now much changed by Canadian rule) as representing an unchanged tradition stretching back to the time of George Washington. The holdout western half is subsequently conquered by the Reformed Mexican Empire, and while most of the population remains in situ, its elite is taken to Mexico City. There, for three or four generations, they do their best to maintain their distinct American identity, focusing on the American "civil religion," the distinctive political ideals and cultural features that mark them out as Americans, and come up with a new way of interpreting their history that allows America to be a perennial idea, something not directly physically tied to the territory of the United States, which no longer exists. They compose a body of historical works based on Washington Irving's rather fabulistic approach to early American history, the half-remembered popular versions of the stories of Columbus and the Pilgrims, the First Thanksgiving, even the Revolutionary War. They don't have access to the original texts anymore--let's say this is all taking place in a post-Collapse North America where long-range travel and communication is difficult and a lot of history has been lost--but they do their best. They append to these books, or include in their text, of history a copy of the Constitution, big chunks of the United States Code, and Robert's Rules of Order.

Subsequently, the Empire of Gran Columbia invades, conquers southern and central Mexico, and its Emperor lets the captive Americans go home. They return north, mostly to California, find that the version of American history and civics that is remembered there isn't the same as the version they have (not that the Californian one is correct--the Mexican Empire has suppressed English-language education and high culture in its Aztlani provinces), and set about reforming and reorganizing the Western States (as they're now called) to be more in line with the forms they brought back from the exile. In the meantime, other bits of important literature start being kept in libraries next to copies of the received histories: some bits of early American literature, like Hawthorne, the Song of Hiawatha, some highly abridged Herman Melville, Thomas Paine--heck, even some John Locke, and quotes or fragments from Shakespeare. Some traditionalists now argue the capital of the United States has always been located in San Francisco, and that Washington, D.C. only because the capital later, under the influence of Eastern heretics.

In the following centuries, the Western States retain their independence for a time, but eventually become a secondary battleground for a lot of other empires--the Mexicans, the Canadians, the Pan-Pacific Federation, and so forth. American culture remains distinctive, insulted in part by its unique traditions, though now everybody speaks Future Spanish, and only learns English to read the old texts. In this period additional material, including later compositions, continues to accrete, forming a distinct body of sacred American scripture, although it does not exist in a single canonical form. Attempts to reconcile distinct sources, like more literal and historically-grounded accounts versus the simplified narratives of figures like Irving, produce hybrid texts that sometimes are full of internal conflicts.

Oh, and through all this, some institutions of American government like the Supreme Court still function, although their rulings only apply to Americans, and there isn't much in the way of a federal bureaucracy.

Finally the Great and Sublime Brazilian Potentate conquers most of the Americas, sets up an American client state that roughly coincides with the heartland of the old Western States (California, Oregon, most of Washington and Nevada), and allows the Americans to elect their own President (subject, of course, to Brazilian approval). During this period, an apocalyptic street preacher from Los Angeles claims to have inherited the authority and power of George Washington, and is executed by the Brazilians; his later followers point to the prophecies of Emperor Norton, and out-of-context bits of a Quebecois translation of Moby-Dick and some Mark Twain stories to say no, really, he was George Washington. Inexplicably, a version of this religion becomes the dominant faith of the Brazilian Empire before it collapses. But long before then the American state in California fails, crushed when it tries to revolt against Brazilian rule; the remnant Easterners likewise dwindle down to only a few hundred souls living in a village in Alexandria, Virginia. Centuries from now, as the descendants of the descendants of the Brazilians colonize Mars, they will point to the sacred Americanist scriptures, the Neo-Americanist narratives of their prophet's life, and the letters written by the early leaders of Neo-Americanism, and say, "all of this was written by the spirit of George Washington, and is free from contradictions." Meanwhile the remnant Americanists, who have been writing about Americanism and how it applies to their everyday lives in the centuries since, and whose commentary has formed around the copies of the last editions of the U.S. Supreme Court Reporter (SCOTUS managed to outlast the final American state by a hundred years or so) plus the thoughts of the remaining Americanist community in Mexico, continue to regard their traditions as the unbroken and unaltered practice of American culture, politics, and ideals as they existed since the Revolutionary War.

This is, as far as I can tell, approximately how the Bible was composed.

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dreams-and-honor · 6 months ago

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Guatemala Antigua

ship: angel delores x renji yomo, angel delores & ken kaneki source: tokyo ghoul word count: 2435

OH MY GOD THIS TURNED OUT SO FUCKING LONG AND FOR WHAT. this is like 80 percent angel yapping at kaneki while yomo watches him try to process it. just a little something i like to imagine would be fun character development if it were actually in the series. anyway, i'm already jumping into an established relationship for this ship with him, or at least for this fic anyway.

absolutely none of you are required to read/rb this if you don't want to because it's long as fuck and ik it's difficult for y'all to keep up with the stuff i'm into.

tag list: @dearly-beeloved @gymleaderkylar @adoredbyalatus @dorothys-wife @the-sleeping-city

@dear-gambler @goldenworldsabound @mahitosoulmate @sunstar-of-the-north

@faerie-circle-ships @heatobrienswife @tireddovahkiin

At an odd request from the manager, Kaneki had been instructed to deliver… something. Something to Angel’s apartment. He had been given the address and was confident he was in the right place. The directions were clear, they couldn't have been wrong.

He didn't know Angel all that well, he realized. He wasn't sure what to expect from showing up at his place of residence. He didn't speak much and was a bit odd and gloomy, but he wasn’t mean or anything at the very least.

Apprehensively, Kaneki rang the doorbell, and, after a while, he heard footsteps approach.

The last thing he expected was for Yomo to open the door, looking as stone-faced as ever.

"M-Mister Yomo?" he stammered, his thoughts going a mile a minute. Did he have the wrong place?

Yomo looked down at the package in Kaneki's hands, noting Angel’s last name written across the box in the manager’s handwriting, and then turned his head.

"Angel, it's for you," he called out with little to no fanfare.

"I'll be right there!" came a familiar voice from inside the apartment, sounding more at ease and carefree than it ever did at the cafe.

Yomo's eyes went to Kaneki again, and he stepped to the side to let him in.

"You can wait in the living room," he said, closing the door once Kaneki had gone further in.

Kaneki felt like his grip on reality was loosening. What was happening?

Even as he sat on the couch, numbly placing the package on the coffee table, the situation refused to sink in. His gaze flitted about the, admittedly, very cozy apartment. His thoughts that Yomo might just be visiting were dashed, the equal amount of Yomo and Angel’s personal effects blended into a picture that could only be described as domestic.

Before he could try and wrap his head around it, Angel emerged from the bathroom, toweling off his wet hair. His attire was a stark contrast to the Anteiku uniforms, and even more so to the goth or metal (frankly, Kaneki could never tell the difference) style he had seen Angel in off the clock. In the comfort of his own home, apparently a tank top (Angel never showed much skin at all) and some white and blue Sanrio character pajama bottoms (Kaneki had never seen him in anything that wasn’t black or white) was the dress code.

Angel froze as his eyes landed on the visitor, eyebrows raising.

"Kaneki..." he said softly, realizing he was being seen out of his element. He blushed a bit out of embarrassment, clearing his throat. "Was there... something you needed?"

Kaneki numbly blinked, not sure what to say for a moment before he remembered why he was there in the first place.

"Uhm," he said, pointing to the package. "I was told to bring… It’s your…" he stumbled over his words.

“For me?" Angel asked, his brow creasing in confusion. He went over to pick the package up, inspecting it.

"Renji, was I expecting something?" he asked Yomo, casually referring to him by his first name.

Yomo opening the door, Angel calling him by his first name... the pieces were starting to fall into place.

Yomo leaned against the wall, equally as casual and at ease. His eyes were locked on Kaneki, studying him to see if he had figured it out yet, shrugging at Angel’s question.

"Beats me," he said. "But it has your name on it."

Kaneki was still processing the situation. The way Angel casually called Yomo by his first name, the two of them speaking to each other so casually, all of it pointed to one thing.

He swallowed. He couldn't be wrong, right?

"Oh! My favorite Arabica coffee beans!" Angel said, suddenly seeming to remember what was in the package. He looked at Kaneki with a soft smile, so different than the miserable-looking expression he usually wore. "Thank you, Kaneki. Since you came all this way would you like to try some?"

"Uh- sure!" Kaneki replied, his thoughts still going a mile a minute. This all felt so surreal, just when he thought he was regaining his footing, that smile threw him off.

"I'll go put some on, then. Renji, do you want any?" Angel asked, looking at Yomo with domestic fondness.

"Yeah, I'll have some," Renji answered casually, though he was now watching Kaneki's expressions intently.

Angel nodded, not seeming to notice as he retreated into the kitchen, leaving Yomo and Kaneki alone.

Silence hung in the air for a few moments, save for the sound of coffee beans being ground down in the kitchen, before Yomo spoke.

"You look like your brain's going to explode," he said, his tone almost playful.

Kaneki gawked at him, eyes wide before reigning in his expression.

“You and… And Angel?” he stammered. “You’re…?”

Retaining his usual aloof expression, though now tinted with a hint of mirth, Yomo let out an amused breath through his nose.

“What do you think?”

It was like every little context clue became obvious, the things Kaneki never noticed about the two of them suddenly becoming clear as day. In no way was it blatantly obvious, both Yomo and Angel were too reserved to appear as a conventional couple to the untrained eye. But the way they communicated so cohesively, seeming to read each other’s thoughts half the time… And of course, the glances that they’d give each other that lingered a bit longer than that of just coworkers.

Yomo's smirk grew a bit, though he still kept a neutral expression as he seemed to read Kaneki’s thoughts.

"You never even thought about it, did you?" He asked, his tone a tinge more teasing.

He had indeed NOT thought about it, Kaneki realized. The thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. It was like everything was falling even more into place in real-time, Yomo and Angel walking in the same direction whenever Yomo dropped by when it was time to head home, vague recollections of Koma or Irimi saying things like “I’ll have to ask Delores and Yomo,” emphasis now on the ‘and’ part of that statement…

“No… I hadn’t…” Kaneki mumbled sheepishly.’

“You’re usually pretty observant.” Yomo was definitely teasing now.

It was now that Angel returned from the kitchen, precariously but expertly holding three cups of coffee.

“All done,” he announced himself, making his way over to Yomo and handing him a mug with a soft smile.

Yomo responded with a soft smile of his own, taking the mug and leaning down to give Angel a quick thank-you kiss, only further blowing Kaneki’s mind.

The display of impossible expressions continued as Angel’s already sweet smile softened into something that was probably mostly seen in couples who were extremely close before he turned to Kaneki and handed him his mug.

“There you go. Are you a fan of Guatemalan coffee, Kaneki?” Angel asked warmly.

“Uhm.” Kaneki’s gaze shifted from person to person. “Is there anything special about the type you ordered?”

To his curiosity, Yomo shook his head with a fond sigh.

“It’s my favorite Guatemala Antigua brand,” Angel began, his eyes sparkling before he launched into a full dissertation on what exactly WAS so special about these beans… At least to him anyway.

By the time he was done, all Kaneki could say was. “Uh, wow…!”

Angel smiled at him, once again performing the impossible. His smiles were small and gentle, and very warm.

"It's been a long time since I've had it, Renji managed to find my favorite supplier online," Angel hummed, looking down into his cup and taking a sip, his expression content. "Yep... Just as good."

The warmth and gentleness radiating off of him was mind-blowing, Kaneki could only marvel at the contrast to the depressing, gloomy aura that hung over Angel like a constant shroud.

This didn’t go unnoticed by Angel, who casually took a seat and smiled down into his coffee sheepishly.

"I know I'm a lot different outside of my own home... To tell you the truth, it's hard for me to be at ease around people. Working at Anteiku makes things a bit difficult, but I enjoy working there regardless."

Kaneki looked up from his coffee again, a mixture of stunned and contemplative.

It was difficult for Angel to be at ease around people? That explained why he often came across as distant and gloomy, even outside of work. It was nice to know there was a reason for it, that he wasn't just being rude for the sake of it.

Yomo, who had been quietly listening, nodded in agreement.

"He's a little skittish, like a stray cat," he added, his tone neutral, though there was a hint of teasing.

This brought a pout to Angel’s face, his brow furrowing.

“Renji…”

Yomo just gave him a subtle flash of a smile, which then disappeared from view as it was eclipsed by a coffee mug.

Angel sighed, before smiling and shaking his head, then turning to Kaneki.

"Thank you for making the delivery, Kaneki. Did the manager pay you anything for coming out all this way?"

Kaneki, briefly thrown off by Yomo’s smile, snapped back to awareness.

“Ah, no, he didn’t…! It’s alright though, it was no trouble!”

Angel hummed thoughtfully.

"I see. Well if you liked the coffee, I can send you home with some of the beans. As a thank you, I mean."

Kaneki paused, a bit thrown off.

“R-Really? That’s… kind of you.”

Angel blinked a few times, his expression one of mild intrigue.

“Do I seem mean to you, usually?”

Kaneki's eyes widened again and he quickly shook his head, waving his hands in front of him.

"No, no, not at all! It's just-" he started, then paused. How could he put this delicately? He didn't want to hurt Angel’s feelings but… "You... just come off as a little... closed off, sometimes," he explained cautiously, his eyes darting everywhere but the two of them, for fear of accidentally saying something offensive.

Angel once again blinked at him for a moment, before looking down at his coffee.

"I see... I was afraid you'd think that," he sighed, before smiling at Kaneki awkwardly. "You're the one I know the least, so it's no wonder you would assume such a thing. Everyone else at Anteiku has gotten to know me, but I guess I never went out of my way to get to know YOU. I'm sorry,” he said genuinely.

"No, it's not your fault-" Kaneki protested. "I... I should have tried talking to you more too," he admitted, feeling a bit guilty now.

Angel chuckled softly, a warm, gentle sound that matched his smile.

"No no. I can imagine it'd be difficult to initiate with someone who looks like me." He considered his appearance; dark, gloomy, the long black hair that often hung around his face. He hummed thoughtfully. "People say I look like..." he trailed off before looking at Yomo. "Renji, what did Touka compare me to?"

Yomo didn't even need to think for a second before replying.

"Sadako."

Angel nodded, chuckling.

“That was it. She said I’m like Sadako.”

Yomo took another sip of his coffee before speaking, a smirk on his face.

"Touka wasn't the only one who thought that, by the way," he added, his tone still a tinge amused.

At this, Angel furrowed his eyebrows again, that pout returning.

“Who else?”

“Koma, Nishio… Even Uta agrees,” Yomo listed off.

"Seriously?" Angel asked, suddenly poutier. "Uta did all my piercings and tattoos, he's a direct contributor to my appearance." His nose scrunched up. "I should have assumed Nishio, but Koma too?"

“Yep, all of them said it,” Yomo responded with faux seriousness, nodding sagely.

"A-Anyway," Angel stammered, pushing some hair aside and looking at Kaneki. "For this particular coffee. You want to brew it at a very specific temperature or it'll taste way too tanic," he explained before going into ANOTHER dissertation on how to properly brew whatever the hell kind of super special coffee this was.

Eventually, Kaneki found himself at the threshold of the apartment, Yomo and Angel having seen him out.

“Let me know if you have any more questions about the brewing process,” Angel offered warmly, Yomo’s arm wrapped casually around his shoulders in a domestic display.

“I will,” Kaneki assured with a nod and a smile. He found himself oddly reluctant to leave. He couldn’t believe it, but he had enjoyed his time just leisurely hanging out with Angel and Yomo of all people. But it was getting late, and he offered them both a wave and a goodbye before taking his leave.

Once the door closed, Yomo sighed, immediately wrapping his arms around Angel’s waist and resting his chin on his head as he pulled him into his chest.

“He’s a good kid,” Angel hummed, closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling of Yomo’s warm embrace.

“Mhm,” was all Yomo said as he buried his face in Angel’s hair. It’s not that he hadn’t wanted Kaneki in his home, but he was grateful that it was just the two of them again.

“Do you want to do anything now, or just go to bed?” Angel asked, returning the embrace.

Yomo let out a thoughtful breath.

“You’ve got an early shift tomorrow, let’s settle in for the night.”

“That’s a good point. Shall we?”

Yomo released Angel, taking his hand and leading him off towards the bedroom.

Upon arrival, Yomo took a seat on the bed, pulling Angel forward to stand in front of him, his hands lingering on his hips.

“What? What’s this?” Angel asked, smiling affectionately and placing his hands on Yomo’s shoulders.

Yomo rested his chin on Angel’s midsection, looking up at him with no particular expression.

“You were cute today,” he said with a tone to match his expression."The way you talked about the whole coffee brewing process with Kaneki. You were animated."

Angel blushed, turning his head away.

"I- I get carried away sometimes, you know," he stammered, embarrassed.

Yomo chuckled, his hands affectionately rubbing up and down Angel’s sides. “I know. It’s cute.”

Angel blushed a bit more before suddenly pushing forward, lightly tackling Yomo back onto the bed. Yomo took the motion in stride, adjusting himself so that they were both properly lying on the bed.

As Angel propped his chin on Yomo’s chest, he smiled.

“I love you.”

Yomo hummed contentedly, brushing some hair out of Angel’s face.

“Love you too.”

Angel leaned forward to give Yomo a short kiss.

“You were right about that early shift, let’s get to bed.”

“Let’s.”

#self ship #self shipping #dream fics #one of my longest sfw fics to date at that #cr: yomo

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momo-shut-the-fuck-up · 5 months ago

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Hello I’m new! I read somewhere that most of the outfits so far have been very Lilith kingdom coded (??) because that’s what the heartland kingdom is based on (??) and they predicted that when we get clothes they’ll usually be in the design of the location we’re in in-game?? Do you have any expertise or comments to share with an enthusiastic Nikki newbie?

Hihi welcome to nikkiverse :] This is quite a long reply, thats y it took me so long to get to ya.

I summarised the 7 nations and their respective styles/names across the franchise, and included a link to a more in depth explanation of the nations of Miraland if you feel like doin research- but then i saw that post had a much better and much more succinct TLDR than i made oops. So i ll keep what i wrote but if u dont feel like readin it, just go to the reddit.

I'll give you a v brief overview of the other games too, thats y im tryna save u from my rambling lol- it aint over once u get past the nations pfft. Put it under a readmore cuz it was gettin looong

Ninir/lilith/Heartcraft kingdom: cutesy and/or fairytale-esque designs. Most people call it Lilith, from Love nikki. I can see why they started with Lilith, it s the most "whimsical" of the bunch, and they love that word. Its true that there's been a good amount of Lilith-styled suits released so far, but there's a decent amount of apple and north and now we have cloud styles too- hold on,

Apple Federation/Starhail Federation- It's basically modern styles, and anythin that doesnt quite fit into the rest of the nations. Styles are very varied and range from Regular Girl from Class to Worlds Most Overdesigned Gacha Character (and they fuck hard). The trend is just that the clothes are inspired by (relatively) modern fashion trends.

Cloud/Linglang empire- chinese/east asian traditional clothing. Devs loove cloud, ofc they do, bcs theyre a chinese company. If ur into this style too, ur in for a wonderful time playin these games buddy

North kingdom/ Empire of light: Millitary style, knights, soldiers, cool bitches w guns or just cool bitches in general (istg sometimes they put apple suits in north for no reason) oh also fluffy warm clothing. Its cold in the north after all. They dont get a lot of suits.

Pigeon/Twinmoon Kingdom: European style clothes, as well as religious inspos, and demons/angels (pigeon has always had some connection with the church). Academia, steampunk, uhh idk victorian clothing etc. U get the vibe yea?

Wasteland/Terra Alliance: Racism land. Or more accurately, whatever seems "exotic" to devs, they throw it in there. Ancient egyptian, middle east, indian, uhh idk dreamcatchers r wild right? Put that in there. they have some native american ones too and yeah they re all pretty questionable. Wasteland doesn't have a great reputation. Idk if infinikki will be better about this, but when u throw half the planet's traditional clothing styles into a mixer you re already doin somethin wrong imo

Ruin island/Whale port: Futurism babey. Wires and glowy things and tech and robots n shit. Pretty simple really

https://www.reddit.com/r/InfinityNikki/comments/1hbslkd/an_general_introduction_to_the_seven_nations_of/?rdt=49525

Here s the reddit post. Very helpful, a Nikkiverse veteran that explains the world of Miraland for people just getting into it in Infinikki. I just realised at the very bottom of their post, there's a much more compact TLDR of the nations than I cooked up.... coulda saved me a lotta trouble writing it and you a lotta trouble reading it...

So. In the other games (Love/Shining Nikki) we get whatever style the devs feel like throwing at us. Sometimes there s craftable ones related to the main story thus the location we're in. But in Infinity Nikki it's slightly different.

We are Not region locked in terms of aesthetics- as i said, we got Apple and North style clothes as well as stuff from Cloud, alongside the cutesy Lilith style clothing. A lot has been "Lilith Kingdom coded" as you put it, because we are in Lilith equivalent. (I Think we have some Pigeon coded stuff too- but sometimes Apple/Lilith/Pigeon's styles blur together a bit)

However, i d guess it's gonna be some time before we get Ruin style suits, let alone Wasteland- they're already the least popular in devs minds, they have the least amount of suits in every single game so far. So ima guess we're only half region locked, but not at all completely stuck with bows and frills.

Now, I don't really know if you're currently Playin any of the games. Ima guess infinikki is ur gateway drug?

Love Nikki is a lot of people's first Nikki game. 2D and incredibly detailed, it's been running for- close to 10 years now. It's Old, and feels old, and isn't very friendly to newcomers- but if you get past it's clunk you'll get the most robust 2D dress up experience there is. Except that yes, we have bunch of skintones, but none of them work with 99% of makeups..... devs have a bad track record with diversity.

Shining Nikki is the new shiny (ha) 3D game that got a global release in 2021. I was there day 1 i was so fuckin hyped for it- and it does it's job damn well. Much more intuitive and more f2p friendly than Love Nikki, but it will fry your phone. Monkey's paw curls.

And Infinity Nikki is "what if Sn was open world" except that we're not even in the same world as Sn do nvm.... Clothes are every bit as detailed as in Sn, and i'll stop here cuz my guess is that ur comin from here. If sn fries ur phone tho, infinikki destroys it- cant really enjoy the beautiful dresses unless u got a nasa phone or play on pc. If u can tho, it's the most straightforward of the bunch in terms of gameplay- really made for beginners of the franchise.

Soo pick ur poison, or play all 3 if ur insane. Read the main story, or don't, make pretty outfits, save diamonds so u can get more pretty clothes to make pretty outfits with- now Nikki has cemented herself in your life. You can never leave. You will wake up in a cold sweat at 12 am thinkin "oh fuck shit i didnt do my dailies-"

That is to say, remember these are all gacha games, Infinikki being the purest form of them 3. Thus, they all have inherently predatory monetization. Be conscious of it and spend responsibly if you choose to do so. It's not necessary per se, i haven't spent in love nikki in- 3 or so years i think? (I got mad at devs so i did my own lil boycott lol- long story,) and ever since sn came out, i think i gave em like, 60? 80? I dont remember. Its a lot when put in plain numbers, but when i think this was across 4 years, it makes me feel better lol.

And well, i think these are the essentials to know- honestly, the whole nations stuff isn t even needed to get started, but you asked specifically about it, so i gave u the rundown. Nikkiblr is a much smaller community than others, but it's cozy in here- hope u stick around~

#There s not much 'expertise' to give really- they re silly little dress up games with some fucked up lore thrown in there #be cautious of their gachaness if youre not familiar with the genre. but otherwise. hop in and have fun #i hope this whole response made sense. if there s anythin else u wanna know u can send another ask or send me a dm

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archoneddzs15 · 8 months ago

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Nintendo Game Cube - Sonic Mega Collection

Title: Sonic Mega Collection / ソニックメガコレクション

Developer/Publisher: Sega (Sonic Team) / VR-1 Japan

Release date: 19 December 2002

Catalogue Code: DOL-GSOJ-JPN

Genre: Compilation / Variety

You know of the first four Sonic games already - good platformers. These are presented in mostly their original form, except for a few graphical modifications. These do not affect the overall experience, and die-hard fans should not be put off. Sonic Spinball is a slightly mediocre game - imagine the pinball areas in the Casino Night levels of Sonic 2, with the difficulty upped and the gameplay quality lowered - this one's an acquired taste (I personally hated it as much as that Dinoland game from Wolfteam).

Mean Bean Machine is excellent - this is just Puyo Puyo with a Western twist, and the Sonic license slapped on to make it sell. Flicky may be off-putting due to the dated graphics (I'm not kidding - I played it 2 times on my Mega CD already) but is an addictive game which originally started back in the arcades in 1984. Ristar is the best game on the disc, but you probably didn't know that this was there. Do you know why? Because in Sega's infinite wisdom, the company has chosen to lock it out until you start every other game 50 times. Personally, I think that the people putting the disc together thought they were funny.

One HUGE scar on the surface of this pretty little optical disc - NO SONIC CD: the best 16-bit Sonic game ever (IMO) has been sadly not included in the compilation due to hardware emulation difficulties (the game was on the Mega CD; a port of the 1996 PC version would be included in Sonic Gems Collection). Knuckles' Chaotix (32X) is also missing, and while I miss it, I don't see this as a huge problem.

Visually, the games still look great. Of course, they have technically aged, with the possible exception of Ristar - its use of the Genesis hardware and its extreme colorfulness make it too hard to criticize. (Make sure you're using the RGB cable, or if you live in North America, the next best thing, is S-Video - or Component if you can afford it!) The audio's also hard to fault. Some of the menu songs on Spinball are so grating you'll wanna put your TV on mute (thanks a lot, GEMS sound driver!). But the catchy songs of the other games (Chemical Plant in Sonic 2, anyone? Starlight Zone in the original?) are still good after all those years.

Oh, and the Japanese disc also includes The Ooze and Comix Zone. I liked Comix Zone's music. Despite using GEMS, the music is strangely awesome.

Along with these classic games, Sonic Mega Collection has some extras up its sleeve. Remember the lovely Sonic CD anime intro which we also got to see in Sonic Jam on the Saturn? Well, you probably would, if that game was on this disc. On the Mega CD, the frame rate was poor, the video size was tiny, and the colors were nasty. But it was a stunning intro. The PC version of Sonic CD lets fans see the intro in its proper colors. Squashed into a tiny window and badly resized (read: pixilated!) Sonic Jam came closer, but Sonic Mega Collection finally lets us see the intro (and ending sequence) in broadcast quality, full screen, full speed. The sequence was animated by Toei Animation, who I believe is also to blame for "Digimon", and is stunning. This version (probably the American version I used to have) has the American music "Sonic Boom" by Spencer Nilsen dubbed over the original Japanese rap song "Sonic, You Can Do Anything", but in all honesty, I prefer the Japanese version as far as the one in this disc is concerned.

It's not perfect though. A graphical smoothing option on the emulator would have been nice like is available on PC emulators. The rest of the movies are cop-outs. Rather than giving us the selection of TV commercials on Sonic Jam, Sega has decided to give us advertisements for current and upcoming games. Oh, and a really bad "History of Sonic" video, nowhere near as good as Sonic Jam's museum section. There are also lots of comic cover scans, some of which are nice, but because these are the American Archie comics, some are painful too.

Overall, Sonic Mega Collection is worth picking up, considering how many titles you're getting on one disc. The fact that Sonic CD isn't included is a huge kick in the stones, but considering Ristar is here (albeit in a nearly impossible-to-unlock form), as well as other classic Sonic games, movies, and illustrations, it's hard not to recommend.

youtube

#nintendo gamecube #sonic the hedgehog #sonic mega collection #Youtube

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benedictsbelle · 8 months ago

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Grey’s Anatomy Smut | Read as you please | Mature content | 🤍⚠️

• Originally posted on ao3 @// jakeslittlemira aka me, myself and I.

• You can find me on insta for my Episode Stories @ // authmadisongrace

• Find me on Twitter for Avatar @// miraalayite & Bridgerton @ // Benedictsbelle

Enjoy!!

The thunder outside was rumbling loud, with flashes of lightning here and there. The hospital lights flickered above you as you continued to walk around when your pager went off…

Looking down you read ‘code black.’ All it does is remind you of your intern year when there was a bomb threat. As you hear someone say that the floor is being locked down until you can be moved to safety.

As you took a deep breath and looked around.

“A thunderstorm and bomb threat in on night, lights flickering and everything.. this should be interesting. How much more do we go through.” You muttered under your breath and walked into an empty on call room and sat on the sofa and sighed.

But the thing was, the on call room wasn’t empty, the one person that you liked was laying on a top bunk as he looked over at you.

“Not sure what to do right now?” Mark asked as you jumped slightly as the lightning flashed through the window illuminating your features. As he got down and sat on the bottom bunk.

As you swallowed hard, he was known for being called McSteamy because you and your intern group nicknamed him that. He was known for casual flings with others, or being the person that Addison cheated on with, when married to the other Mc brother McDreamy or Derek.

“No, I just got on shift, and the storm is insane. The bomb threat now, and all I can think about if hoping my friend doesn’t shove her hand in another body with a bomb inside.” You responded as you looked away taking deep breaths to stop yourself from heating up.

“Yeah, I can understand that. I have nothing so now I’m just locked away in a room with a pretty girl, waiting till we can be safely evacuated.” Mark said with his charming smile.

“Yeah..” You responded as you took a breath and looked away… as I heard footsteps coming over to me as I sat on the sofa.

“A pretty girl like you shouldn’t need to be worried..” Mark said sitting down on the sofa beside you, moving strands of your hair away from your eyes.

As he put his hand on your chin and made you look at him…

“I know you’re worried about your friends, but there is nothing for us to do until we can be evacuated safely. That’s why the floor is on lockdown. And they’re on the North East side of the hospital on the first floor. It could be hours.” Mark said as he looked at you with a caring look and a twinkle in his eyes.

Your heart was beating quickly as you were looking at him as he spoke before nodding. It was coming harder to keep your cool.

“Yeah I know..” You whispered softly as you took a deep breath. Looking at him softly as you waited a bit.

“We could you know.. kill some time if you want too.. just you and I..” Mark said looking at you with that simple sparkle as he leaned in closer to you..

“S-sure..” You said stuttering as you looked into his blue eyes as his hand moved from your chin to your cheek as he pulled you closer.

“You’re so beautiful compared to everyone else, my eyes have finally laid on you and now I don’t want to let you go..” Mark whispered softly before he moved his arm to your waist and pulled you closer.

His cologne filling your nostrils as his lips parted before leaning in and kissing your beautiful self. Passionately kissing you as you kissed him back.

Your hands moving to his cheeks as you cup them softly, his beard in your hands. As you both softly kissed each other with a beautiful passion.

As he slowly moved you into his lap as he doesn’t break the kiss, his hands roaming over your beautiful body. His hands starting at the back of your head with his hands entangled in your beautiful silky soft hair. His hands on the back of your neck, as they slowly moved to your shoulder blades, squeezing you close to him.

Your bodies touching each other through your scrubs, while his hands moved down from your shoulder blades, to your hips, his thumbs slowly moving in circles on your back, digging in like a massage.

Having to break the kiss from his good it felt to sit in his lap while he massaged your hips, letting a soft moan escape your beautiful lips he enjoyed kissing so much already.

“That feels so good right baby girl? Feeling how loose you are becoming under my soft hands..” Mark whispered softly as he continued to slowly massage your lower back.

Having to rest your head on his shoulder as he continued to massage your lower back and moved his hands up your back. Massaging every little knot he found as he listened to the soft heavy breaths and small moans of pleasure just from his massage.

As you moved your hands around behind his neck and moved one hand through his soft hair. As you placed very tiny soft kisses on his neck.

“Is that what I get for massaging your back?” Mark asked as you sat up and looked at him softly..

“Rewards for your kindness is always given..” You whispered back.

“Lock the door..” Mark whispered back as he smiled as he looked at you into your eyes.

As you smiled softly as you stood up and walked over to the door and locked it as he got up and pushed you against the locked door. The lightning flashing as the thunder roared. The lights flickering in the on call room as Mark leans down kissing your neck as he holds you against to door.

His hands are moving over your body as he holds you tight to him but has his body holding you against the door behind you. Marks kisses on your neck begin to intensify as he slowly starts to nibble on either side of your neck. His hands exploring your perfect curves, as he find his hands on your behind pulling you in.

As his hand roams down to your arm, to your wrist and to your hand before holding your hand, bringing it above your head softly. As he reached down and moved his other hand over your behind and to your thigh and bringing your leg up to his waist.

Your breath was heavy and fast as your chest was rising and falling quickly as he continued to softly nibble onto your neck.

Before he let go of your hand and moving his other hand to your leg, lifting you up and wrapping your legs around his waist and holding you against the door before finding your lips again.

Pressing his lips back into yours as you made out desirably and passionately, while he used his body to hold you against the door. His hand holding onto your neck softly as the other moved to your legs to remove your shoes.

The sound of thunder filling the room but not being a bother anymore, the only sound was your shoes falling to the floor. No more worrying of a bomb threat and the thunderstorm. Just both of you in the moment.

As he then let you down without breaking the kisses and slowly began to move your blue scrub top, as it moved up over your arms before he removed his.

“Your sure about this?” Mark asked softly as he looked at you with his hand softly on your cheek.

“Yes..” You responded confidently as you looked at him softly before he softly kissed you again before removing your second shirt to stay warm.. his hands roaming your bear skin now around your back. As he went back to kissing your neck and throat.

Leaving soft small kisses down to your collarbones as you ran your hands through his soft hair with one on his cheek.

Moving down to your breasts, as he slowly held you as he kissed your breast softly and wrapped his strong arm around you.

“God you’re beautiful.” Mark whispered as he used his tongue to lick you between your breasts. Using his left hand to squeeze your left breast causing you to whimper softly as he kissed you on the other breast. Sucking softly, enough to leave hickeys forming on your right breast.

His right arm around you strongly holding you against him as you felt his skin against yours. He was gorgeous shirtless and it was turning you on more and more.

As his hand moved over your bra and slowly unclipped it with just a couple fingers. Before he slowly used his hands to slide the straps over your shoulders and down your arms. Before it fell to the floor.

“So beautiful baby girl..” Mark whispered before leaning down and kissing your breasts and sucking on your nipples, squeezing your breasts in his big hands.

Before moving down to kiss your ribs and belly as he looked up at you leaving soft passionate kisses on your belly, moving lower and lower before untying your scrub pants.

As he untied them and let them fall down before you moved your feet out of them as he kneeled down slowly. Kissing your belly, as you stood there just in your underwear and socks.

As Mark began to slowly kiss your lower belly, moving to your inner thighs as you watched him while running your hands through his beautiful hair.

“You’re so beautiful..” Mark whispered again as he then picked you up and carried you before placing you on the top bunk of the bunk beds in the on call room. Lighting flashing and thunder banging.

You were slightly confused to why he set you on the top bunk a little nervous of his idea as you felt him kissing your belly gently. His hands on your hips before he slowly took his shoes and socks off and then your socks.

As he looked up at you softly before kissing your hands softly and gently before moving close to you and moved your behind slightly off the top bunk. Before removing your underwear and throwing it to the mixed pile of clothes.

As he looked at you before kissing your inner thighs. While he moved your legs apart then put your legs over his shoulders.

“So beautiful..” Mark whispered softly. Before kissing you on your inner thighs and then to your most sensitive skin just outside before slowly sucking on your clit.

Making you moan out in pleasure as he continued to suck on your clit, making you breath heavily, laying back on the top bunk and he held you slightly off of it.

As Mark then took two of his fingers with his other hand over your belly holding your hand. His two fingers moving between the flaps of your perfect pussy.

As he then took both those fingers and gently inserted them as far as he could into your beautiful self and moving his fingers to create more pleasure and he continued to suck and kiss your clit.

Your moans and whimpers filled his ears beside the sound of thunder and flashes of lightning.

“Ooh Mark.. Mark.. M-Mark.. god..” You moaned out and whimpered a little, breathing heavily as you titled your head back.

As he squeezed your hand while he continued to use his two fingers before inserting a third as it felt like your world was spinning.

“Oh geez… geezus.. Mark.. oh god..” You whimpered out as your breathing intensely quickened like you’d faint.. it was living up to what people said.

Your thighs moving to the pleasure and contracting muscles as you tried to not crush his head.

“M..m..m Mark.. I.. I…” You whimpered out trying to tell him, but it was too fast when your orgasm hit you like a brick and your legs shook and your body shook, clamping down on his fingers as you moaned out…

“Good girl..” Mark whispered to you before he pulled his three fingers out of your pussy and then picked you up from off the top bunk and placed you on the bottom bunk.

As Mark sat on the bottom bunk next to you as he laid you down and covered you with the blanket and himself.

As he softly stroked the side of your face as you breathed heavily, while he gave you soft kisses on your cheeks and forehead. His hand in your hair.

“How do you feel?” Mark asked softly between kisses.

“Amazing..” You whispered softly as you looked at him softly as you reached up and kissed him softly and his lips. As Mark slowly moved his hand around your beautiful naked body before he removed his boxers.

Before reaching for his scrubs pocket and pulled out a silver packet.

“Safety first..” Mark whispered before kissing you softly. As he opened the packed to reveal the condominium inside as he slowly and carefully put it on. Before moving and kissing your neck and cheek and slowly moving on top of you.

Your legs shaking still from when he ate you out while on the top bunk as he stood there. As he slowly moved over top of you again, kissing you softly and passionately.

“Are you sure beautiful?” Mark asked softly as he looked down at you while he moved your legs, keeping the blanket over you and him. Hoping you were still up for it as the lightning flashed as he took a breath.

“Yeah..” You whispered softly while breathing heavily. As Mark kissed your neck softly before moving his lips to your ear. His hands to between your legs as you felt soft pressure at your entrance.

As he slowly pushed himself into your beautiful wet pussy as you moaned out lifting your head up and tilting it back.

“You feel so good beautiful. Don’t worry about it all, I have you. It’s just a thunderstorm, the flash of the lightning, roar of thunder. But all I care about is that you feel safe and good just being here with me.” Mark whispered softly as he slowly nibbled onto your ear and slowly stroked inside you.

“Your friends will be okay, your okay, your safe, and everyone is working diligently on the bomb threat to safely evacuate sections of the hospital one by one. The patient is fine. And you’ve been through this. Mer is fine. Patients are priority over staff. You’re fine.” Mark whispered into your ear as he slowly stroked a bit deeper inside of your sweet wet pussy as you nodded between soft whimpers.

As he slowly kissed you passionately as you moved your hands the back of his head and slowly kissed him back between hot breathing.

The window of the on call room fogging up from your heavy breathing, it was the smallest on call room and a thick heavy door. The hot air of the cold window mixing to fog it up.

Beads of sweat formed on your perfect self. On your neck and shoulders, your belly. Mixing with the sweat forming on his body.

As he reached his hand to your waist as he kissed you, mixing his tongue with yours through your hot passionate sexual kisses and moans.

As Mark pulled back before putting his forehead to yours and began to deeply stroke your perfect wet pussy creating a clear slick around his dick and the base.

“Oh god beautiful… you feel so damn good on me… ho-holy..” Mark moaned as he listened to your perfect little whimpers.

“You’re too good at this… making my legs… shake… everything.. oh ooh..” You whimpered out softly…

“Don’t stop please don’t stop..” You whispered begging him to keep going.

As Mark picked up the speed as he quickly began to deeply stroke your deep wet self, in and out harder and harder. Your moans growing louder as he kissed you between moans.

Gripping the bed sheets and blankets feeling the way Mark gripped your waist and held you with his body on you.

As Mark leaned down trailing soft passionate kisses over your shoulders and collarbone as to your perfect breasts.

Kissing and sucking on your breasts. Licking you between them up to your neck and chin. Tasting you, the salty flavour of your skin, as he moved as fast as he could now, creating a beautiful mess between you too.

Your slick covering his base and dick and coating your outer skin, to your thighs and his thighs. As you dripped out around.

“Ooh Mark.. I.. I can’t.. hold off..” You whispered softly as Mark nodded softly as he took a deep breath. Feeling the beginning of himself losing himself in you.

His dick twitching inside of you as he tried to last longer, feeling you grip his arms and dig your nails in as you looked like you couldn’t handle the pleasure anymore.

As soon as you squeezed his strong biceps you felt yourself loose as your orgasm hit strong and fast. As your back arched back as your eyes rolled back.

Clamping down on his dick, as your climax took over your entire body shuddering and legs shaking to it. No orgasm has been this good till now.

As Mark felt you clamp down on his dick as he felt himself lose and release himself, protected by the condom as he gripped your waist hard. And moaned loudly as you moaned in sync with him.

As everything ended as he slowly stroked you until he kissed you passionately, before he pulled out and laid beside you and held you into his arms.

Reaching for a tissue from a tissue box and removing the condom and putting it in the tissue before putting it in the trash. Taking another as he laid with you and wiped the sweat of your body and using a clean on off his. Putting it in the trash.. as he laid with you looking at you softly as Mark kissed your forehead.

Holding you tightly in his arms with his hand in your hair as he breathed heavily as so did you, trying to calm your breathing.

As he then moved and got your clothes. “I would love to stay naked with a beautiful girl like you but there is a threat and just being somewhat dressed is good enough to still cuddle while we wait.” Mark said softly as he sat down and got his socks on and then his boxers. Before he put his scrub pants on.

As he looked at you and put your clothes on the bed, as he kneeled beside you and helped you with your socks. As he then helped you put your underwear on after, because your legs were shaking so much. As then he helped you put your bra on and do it up.

Before he helped you into your soft under shirt and kissed you softly. Then put your scrub pants on too. Before lying back down with you in his arms.

“You’re so perfect and amazing and I’d definitely do you again.” Mark whispered as he looked tired before getting up and unlocking the door.

“So they can check for us later. But you should sleep with me beside you taking care of a beautiful girl like you.” Mark whispered softly.

“Okay..” You whispered as Mark picked you up and moved you to the sofa that was one those really squishy ones the best for sleeping. Much more comfortable than the on call beds. Before cleaning off the on call bed and putting the linens in the dirty pile.

Before he laid down and cuddled up with you, with a fresh blanket and took a deep breath as he kissed your forehead and stroked your beautiful silky hair.

As you both kept eye contact with each other before he kissed you softly. As he got comfortable while you rested your head on his shoulder, as he began to rub your back making you tired. As you started to fall asleep in his arms.

Before both of you managed to fall asleep together on the sofa. What began as a possible long night in a thunderstorm to a code black. You now had spent a steamy time with none other than McSteamy himself.

#greys anatomy #mark sloan #smut #benedictsbelle #miraalayite #markslaonsmut #greys abc

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watermelons-dont-grow-on-trees · 4 months ago

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I read about your perfume ask and I thought, “oh wow that’s super cool,” and also “oh thank god maybe I won’t have to guess wtf my OCs smell like anymore 🙃”

So, if you have time, can you pls assign the main 4 some scents?

@3-2-whump

Not only do I have the time, I've had these locked and loaded, and was waiting for you to ask (and I was gonna send it in case you missed the game)

Here is the whole cast of Eternal and North Star, please enjoy, I hope I got these right!

Tom (<3) - Kutay by Unique'e Luxury

Okay, so I have a sample of a UL scent, that I am in love with, it's rich and simple and it smells like honey and tobacco, and if I hadn't assigned it to one of my DnD characters, it would be his.

So I stayed with the same brand, and picked this, because of the whiskey and tobacco notes (I know I asked this during the OC takeover, but I don't remember if he actually likes/drinks whiskey, but he does have the vibe of it)

It also has caramel and vanilla, because he's such a sweet guy these two make the other notes smoother, and not overpower them, and I think he does kinda have that sort of silver lining on his personality

There are also some fresh citrus notes (lemon and bergamot) that make it slightly fruity gay fresh, and there's also some sandalwood and agarwood in it that make it masculine and classy.

Khaled with Tom - Colognise by Nishane

I chose this one because the chapter The Scent of Jasmine lives in my head rent free, and this is a Jasmine scent, with green tea (I would've preferred to find something with black tea or chai-like spices, but there wasn't anything with that and jasmine)

and some citrus notes, lemon and bergamot that match with Tom (and I feel like a genius for that), grapefruit as well, lily-of-the-valley and neroli for some nice flower scents, and musk and vetiver as base, which is very a very nice, masculine scent.

Julio - Smoking Hot by Kilian

Do I need to explain? Because the name says it all... But I will explain, because that's why we're here!

The main notes are apple, cinnamon and smoke, I don't want to pick these apart because I was looking for the vibe together, the smoke note was important to me to appear here, because I think he does smell like smoke, maybe from the repair shop, maybe from firing guns at evil bastards...

There is also some tobacco and vanilla here, that are great additions to the previous soft/sweet apple and cinnamon + harsh smoke scents, and there are also some chemical notes, which make me think of repairing cars.

Nico - Armani Code Sport by Giorgio Armani

I wanted something very classic for Nico and also Italian to honor his familial ties with the mafia, but it had to be something fresher, and with a twist to make it his, so this something old+something new gave me this idea, it's a version of Armani's Code, that's a very classic, fancy and elegant scent. It has all the light fruity-minty good stuff in it.

free Khaled - Portrait - Revival by Afnan

The name fits the recovery arc so well!!!!! But also the scents are all things I kinda associate with him. There are some lovely sweet notes in here, like caramel, dark chocolate, honey, praline and dates, especially the dates I think he'd like, or remind him of his childhood. There are some stronger spices, like saffron, incense and cinnamon too. And to make it more sophisticated and masculine there's oak and sandalwood, that sound really good here. (The sandalwood, though it's a very versatile scent matches with Tom again, for the trauma he left Khaled with I guess) (or maybe in remembrance of the *not too bad things* Tom was/did)

Cade - A City on Fire by Imaginary Authors

Okay, so he gets this because this is my favourite scent, and though we don't know him too well yet, I think he'd vibe with this one.

It mainly smells like smoke and juniper, that I think does have a really cool pagan vibe, and I think the other flowers, cardamom and wild berries that pop up in there from time to time (you really have to focus to smell it, but it's there) are a good match with him.

Eric - DGAF by BORNTOSTANDOUT

I chose this mostly based on the name, I was looking through a catalogue of Korean brands, and this was like a perfect match to whatxfwe already know about him. I was focusing on *twitch streamer with bleached hair* and hopefully got that right, this one is really fresh, citrusy with sage and some flowers, but it also has peppers and sandalwood in it. And the base is amber and tonka beans with cashmeran and musk, which just sounds like a dream, honestly.

Vik - Oudh Al Junaid by Junaid Jamshed

Honestly, Vik seems like the most mature and well-adjusted person in the whole cast, or at least to me he does feel like that, so I chose this scent for him based on that, it's leathery and woody (agarwood) with a lemon note for the adventurousness (taking in Khaled) and musk for well... idk it's just a good base for anything. I like Vik a lot <33

#elias answers #others' ocs #ask game #whump community #oc whump

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bethanydelleman · 2 years ago

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Hi! Love your reviews and discussion!

I recently finished The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and I loved the last chapter. It felt like reading a piece from Jane Austen with the yearning and the coded speech. Did you think so too? The awkwardness between Gilbert and Helen reminds me of Darcy and Elizabeth at the end of Pride and Prejudice when Bingley is there for Jane. The subtle, covert questions from Helen to Gilbert reminds me of Persuasion in the last few interactions between Anne and Wentworth, and even the conversation between Anne and Captain Harville since Wentworth was listening intently, before the ultimate letter. And lastly, the proposition made for Aunt Maxwell to remain at Staningley reminds me of Mr. Knightley coming to stay at Hartfield to console the dependent Mr. Woodhouse. Even at one point, when Gilbert hears Helen's excited voice from the carriage, it reminded me of when Marguerite Blakeney hears Percy Blakeney on the cliffs at the end of The Scarlet Pimpernel. I felt like I was coming home with this ending. ❤️ Thoughts?

This is beautiful, I was just so glad that Helen and Gilbert finally got together! I didn't think of all these parallels. I love that chapter and the rose.

My favourite line personally is this one:

Had he come a minute before I should have received him less graciously, but now I affectionately stroked his curling locks, and even kissed his ivory forehead: he was my own Helen’s son, and therefore mine; and as such I have ever since regarded him.

You know Gilbert will be the best stepfather ever! Little Arthur finally has a good male role model in his life.

The way that Gilbert is worried too because Helen is so rich now, that's a bit like North & South to me.

#question response #well really just I love what you wrote #the tenant of wildfell hall #anne brontë #thank you!#me and stepparents I can't get enough of them #give me a positive stepparent any day #gilbert my love #helen graham

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fiercefauna · 10 months ago

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@tiredsn0w hello again, here is 13 to 15. For whenever.

As for everyone else this is a semi-collaborative thing I’m doing for the SCP wiki about 6118 and 049 I’m sharing them to see if I got the characters right etc. Recently @ironymobile just up and read an entire one of these and proofed it a little - so thank you irony. (Credits 😊)Just mostly feel free to scroll right past this and on to the other thing about plague doctors I’m going to post like now.

Part 13.

9ty5 had been warned about the danger of reading when she was on duty, but nothing got her attention more then a sound that specifically interrupted a good, Terran, Who-Done-It. It sounded like a key card hitting the ground. The card wasn’t in her side bag, nor was it on the ground.

The shallow boats in the dark water thudded dully against the sides of the wharf, their hulls covered in ugly scrapes of salvaged soft armors, some rubbers some polymer foams. The Feds had no interest in cobbled-together air boats. She could have made off with all the damn things if they did. Would have been fun, but then, she didn’t trust the engines not to explode.

Her phone buzzed. “9ty5, you better not be smoking again! Stuff down there is flammable!”

9ty5 wasn’t smoking. Not that she didn’t look like the kind of person who would. The accusation was code, it meant that she’d be expected to be on the lookout and detain anyone who wasn’t normal staff.

In the dive prep rooms a small figure in an rambler’s cloak was stooping to pick something up. Did some kid sneak in here on a dare again? These idiots would give her people so much more of a PR advantage if she were to just let the brat continue it’s wanderings and perhaps get shot by the overworked security, but she had a sibling that dressed exactly like that … Platinum blond locks were spied around the edges of the hood.

Her hearts raced in tandem as her feet inched backward. Was there no way to say who she would be dealing with? Hopefully she hadn’t stepped far enough into the lighted prep rooms to be noticed. She ducked behind the chair she rested on in between shifts. Soon, a dark figure made far less imposing by it’s small size and the high-stepping of its flipper-feet, was lurking by the wall of the supply tunnel. It paused, as though unsure of how to proceed. The top level Night Vigil had recently fired upon that thing in the water and anyone who had witnessed it would be staying away from the North face of the compound for at least the next few days - things were that impressive.

Assuming the Asu wanted to rejoin its creators, perhaps due to whatever mysterious thing the rebels had done to its lover, (and what else could be going on honestly?) then the only thing standing between the Feds and the prodigal son’s glorious return was that big, stupid gun.

She had always wanted to do something like this, but would anyone believe her? There was no real code for it, but she could make an educated guess, based on her knowledge of the system.

“The Forman wants to use the north exit but is concerned about flooding.”

“What?”

She switched to a secure emergency channel and whispered. “The Forman wants out, destroy the damn Vigil!”

Part 14.

Five-aye’s flipper legs launched him off the the pier involuntarily when the thunder above sent great flakes of concrete spalling off the vaulted support structure.

He switched on his aquatic goggles and calmed himself enough to take the first breath out of the O2 extractor as he cowered under the wooden pylons. He hadn’t quite caught what the guard had been saying about the “Forman” but was sure it didn’t apply to him. Clearly there had been an attack, an attack could only mean the whole planet had gone to shit again and he had failed. How was a Two supposed to have brokered peace anyway? The gene technicians certainly hadn’t bothered to endow him with a personality.

Pale, hand-shaped heads of salt marsh medusa reached out of the peat below. The simple animals were only curious, checking to see what he was and if he had food, but it lead him to imagine all the people he’d destroyed drawing him back into darkness, into death to join them. Wait, one of the hands was real, it seized his leg above the hock. The com in his dive hood caught a signal. A stranger’s voice said, “Welcome home, Unit 5a82.”

The uncooperative response of their evac target left the Federation diver particularly offended. “Why else would you have come out here then, you little dipzine!” Five-aye drew his dive knife and fought his opponent until the pair were driven out from under the overhang. He then forced them to surface, providing a perfect target for the guards on the walls. Instead there came a distant shout of “don’t shoot!” The Asu had indeed been missed.

Despite their many wounds, the enemy diver continued to pull him backward, presumably back into Federation hands, but the panicked oaths in his ear coms indicated otherwise. Putting so much blood in the water had not been smart. There were dangerous predators out here on top of this obvious trap. Perhaps he deserved to die, perhaps the problem with peace on this planet was that he was getting in the way of it, perhaps but the Doctor … The one person who seemed to truly need him, the person who’d be helpless on this planet without him, his warden turned ward - his - responsibility …

At some point, he surfaced.

The Federation diver sailed high over his head and landed somewhere behind him.

Gently, he was scooped from the water and cradled like a cat. The confused eyes of a prehistoric giant blinked above a jaw that hung open, on a face covered in surgical scars.

Exhausted mentally and physically, he removed his mouth piece and whispered, ��Tu pourrais m’emmener a’ lui?”

(Could you take me to him?)

Powerful search lights flashed through the trees. An amplified voice said, “Stay out of the water and wait for pick up. Tell your ah - friend not to panic.”

Was it possible this thing understood him? French was just what his Doctor preferred. Five-aye often used English to speak to Terran as his knowledge of French was limited, and yet, the colossal figure deftly replaced the mouth piece of his dive hood, and ducked back beneath the water’s surface, going somewhere.

Part 15.

The Doctor had disappeared and 4b80 had calmly but repeatedly explained to a badly damaged room full of heavily armored hooligans the details of an event far too preposterous to even seem like a self-respecting lie. Zeros had officially gone extinct at least a million years prior. Reports of them from mere millennia ago were said to be myth inspired by fossils and current reports were akin to the Terran Sasquatch but Forby was sure it had seen at least one.

In a final attempt to validate this information, the Two had torn off its helmet and offered it to the rebels. The rebels explained that the helmet’s recording tech had been disabled but called its bluff and took the thing anyway, leaving Forby naked and exposed.

“Just take it off if it bother’s you.”

Forby pulled off the balaclava, but turned to face a window, straightening its hair with its free hand. It had never occurred to Tasha that twos could pass as normal Ones.

She had promised Seedy that she’d oversee the last batch of eels; beheading livestock made her sibling cry and crying in front of the warriors currently stationed throughout the complex would have eviscerated their ego. Forby could have joined them were it not the incriminating materiel upstairs. It was flinching every time the blade came down. The guards were trying not to laugh but there was the occasional scoffing and brief jokes about the intestinal fortitude of Twos.

That stupid siren rose in volume again and this time it caused all the nosy neighbors to start rushing back across the street with not so much as a good bye. An announcement came over the intercom. “Outer guard will remain for witness protection. Continue to shelter in place.”

Tasha had to shut off the machinery herself and gather the remaining strips of fish, while she waited for the packagers to return from hounding the retreating infantry for news. Forby was talking to a packager Tasha didn’t recognize - well she did recognize her, just not as a packager.

She lifted the smaller One clear over her head and carried her outside.

“Freeze Peach!” “Freeze Peach!”

“The phrase is “Free Speech!” At least learn to say it, Si-Si.”

“I never got tired of being held by you.”

“Enjoy it while it lasts.”

Tasha handed 4cc7 to one of the remaining guards and said “Press.” The guard nodded and tossed her over the fence so that she landed on a shore sponge. Hopefully the third-rate rag slinger hadn’t told any of her other friends from the capital about how to infiltrate the Uhmishie region.

Tasha returned to the processing building, grabbing and consuming a chunk of eel. The slaughtering cycle was complete and the packagers moving tram loads of frozen fish down to the adjoining villages wouldn’t miss this one thing. She hadn’t expected Forby to be watching or that the sight would bother it so much. “Was that a damn head you just took bites out of? Holy shit, I thought you cooked and processed like humans!”

Tasha attempted a disarming smile with her prominent pointed teeth, “Meat is actually more nutritious if I de-bone or wrap it in white cabbage or something, but I don’t feel like taking a moment right now.”

“Where are you going?”

“To see what’s gotten up the neighbors this time!”

#scp 6118

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keyincode · 2 years ago

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#code locks North Reading

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storiesofsvu · 1 year ago

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Okay, im gonna preface this by saying that i normally post these directly after watching, so the chaos no context makes a little bit more sense but i was way too tired to deal with uploading after the ep last night... reading it back.... i DID enjoy the episode and did think it was a good one! props to director Aisha. i just think that *between* the eps this season, they keep flitting back and fourth between the style of how they're executing adding in new unsubs/connections to gold star/whatever and my brain can't follow it sometimes (esp at 2 in the morning when i'm getting tired lol).

Alright, considering I normally stay up til the crack of dawn something about making me stay up til 2am for these eps makes me exhausted. I blame the heat. Here we go!

I know that the format of the show is to keep us connected with individual ep unsubs, but none of us CARE. Either make us fully invested in the gold star/north star shit, OR make it the back seat story arc while these new unsubs are suddenly the bau’s focus like they did in the last season!!!

…unless that was morse code and is connected..

BUT STILL!

Make it make sense and be connected to the viewer before starting the scene

I don’t give a fuck about these guys…. Give me the people im waiting for

If you want me to care about eps that are stylized like cm s 1-15 then you have to make them ALL that way, you can’t pick and choose. Make me focus on gold star/elias/Jade from the last couple eps or nothing. You cant switch styles halfway through the season… no matter how intriguing that COULD be im automatically uninterested because its not the same style

Is tyler getting paid for this shit? Or is he just like.. hanging out and having fun?

LLOOLLL not Emily profiling tylers handwriting

PLEASE give us more and ALL dr tara lewis, she’s already been unappreciated as a character, but as a DOCTOR, please, she so smrt. Give us all if it

AS IF that many boxes contain EVERYTHING for four years!

Dad!rossi: I forbid you

Em: fuck you dad imma do it anyway

LOOOLL “ive never been forbidden before…” THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT SOMEONE SAYS BEFORE THEY DEFY ORDERS. I WOULD KNOW

Ok.. NOW this unsub storyline has caught my attention but I am confused lol. Seems very heartbreaking either way

God Emily is so fucking gorgeous

Jfc how smart is tyler?? Imma need to do a deep dive on this…

Man voit is a better fucking profiler than half the team, if he wasn’t…. ya know… a serial killer.. LOL

HHAHAHAHA omg tyler

Yess! Another VVERY NATURAL FUCK! I don’t care what anyone says, the more natural swears are the ones that I love the most!

Garcia’s so fucking hot…

Hotch “left the unit a few years ago” bruh that was at least a decade

LOL JILL IS ME

NOT FELICITY HUFFMAN OPENING WITH A FUCK

JFC. SHES SO HOT its giving elizabeth Mitchell

Looooolllll fucking rossi…

Jj and luke work super well together and I love it

Loooll Emily throwing tyler in last minute just like she planned and jill calling her on it RIGHT AWAY LOL

NOT THE GUILT TRIP LOL

“not even Jason was this manipulative”

WTF??? This some supernatural/insane shit. Is the wife even alive anymore?? Is he hallucinating that?

Aaand jj and luke have figured it out and this shit is fire

They got this girl locked up like joe from you

Jesus CHRIST this took a twist and I love it but AGAIN, I would love it so much more If it was the primary focus of the ep

Ooooo CALLED IT

God that’s heartbreaking

How THE FUCK DOES SICARIOUS STILL HAVE ACCES TO HIS NETWORK IN JAIL??

OMG Jill instantly hugging Penelope makes me SO WARM

Uuggghhh jill being dragged back into this is not fucking fair.. like… she left.. Jason DEFINTELY left.. that poor queen

JESUS that cut to rossi was straight out of a horror film where he WAS THE KILLER jfc

#criminal minds #criminal minds evolution #spoilers #cme spoilers #criminal minds spoilers #cme #criminal minds evolution spoilers #none of this makes sense but thats fine #enjoy my ramblings

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devitalise · 2 years ago

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omg imo I could've sworn there was at least one full week left of november for some reason but dec 1 is on friday BYE locking myself up to finish my books 🏃‍♀️ HOW WAS YOUR NOVEMBER READING!! are you already in the holiday spirit are you planning on reading/watching some holiday related things to get you there? this one's rando, but do you have any favorite holiday foods/desserts/drinks you're excited to indulge in during this last month o 2023 ☃️

november being 30 days always goes by SO quickly she knows we're ready for the main event. november was a very good reading month for me let's get into the

november book wrap up

Small Island by Andrea Levy

i finished this pretty early on in novembr, my thoughts are along the same lines as my goodreads review: Great piece of historical fiction. I found parts of this so funny and I'm not sure if that was the original intention but I did have a giggle! The humour was found moreso in Gilbert and Hortense who are just so, so different to each other and Hortense's wilful misunderstanding and naivete as she tries to be a Model Minority was just so funny it was a much needed brevity compared to the heaviness of the rest of the story. Such foul racist thoughts that can be burdensome after a while, though. Yeah! I don't need to read the POV of a white British man stationed in India in the second world war ever again, actually! I enjoyed reading though.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin

reread this because I hadn't picked up a high fantasy book I'd actually enjoyed in a little while. Great! I love ASOIAF as a series love returning to a known entity. I can't find my copies of A Storm of Swords or A Clash of Kings so continuing my reread is on pause until those unearth themselves.

Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

Brilliant! So, so atmospheric. Incredible translation to me, obviously I won't know for sure until there ever comes a day where I can read Polish, but I got so much of the story out of this. It was just so cool and not what I expected at all going into it. I've never read anything like it before so getting to grips with all of the quirks of the style, subject and character was its on experience.

Butcher's Crossing by John Williams

Stoner was one of my top 2022 reads, so I saved this knowing that I'd like it. Rachel Cusk coded. It didn't blow me away like Stoner did, but I appreciate these are two very different books with completely different approaches. Where Stoner is so insular, things are kind of bursting in Butcher's Crossing. William isn't a complete active character, but he's participating in his life. Really cool setting, one of the most tense books I've read which I find can fall short in books with more action but the way tension builds and builds and builds in these fraught interactions between the four men on the mountain is fucking incredible. Immediately watched the film after this, and I love Nicolas Cage as much as the next person, but it fell short for me as an adaptation and as a film, sadly! Will be reading Augustus very soon as the last novel Williams' acknowledges as his own work.

The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage

Another Western! Apparently I couldn't get enough! Not long finished this, so bear with for complete thoughts. Realised that I haven't read a book with such a sinister character in a while. Phil is sinister and strange and he's complicated, and I just really liked this book! Took me a while to get through because it is so dense at parts, but I think playing the long game definitely paid off. I love books that can make life so dramatic, all of the small stuff builds up to this big moment kind of thing. Netflix removed this film??? Will be making time to watch it this weekend for sure!

Outlawed by Anna North

3/3 with Western's which is so out of left field for me I feel. Finished it today, but on my top 2023 shelf, for sure. I think reading these back-to-back has made me appreciate the difference in style and storytelling so much more. I was a bit nervous because I've found previous Reese Witherspoon book club picks really juvenile, and whilst this is way more accessible than BC or TPotD, there's still a lot of complexity that I was able to enjoy. I love communities and found families, and it just really got me reading this book about these "women" ostracized from society making something of their own at risk of imprisonment and hanging. Thought it was really neat :)

December Reads

I'm on the Kindle through to the end of the year (10 days to New York!) so I'll be getting a couple new titles to diversify my options more. I don't have anything set in stone but I did download pdf's of The Hunger Games series which I've never read before so I might do those.

My Christmas mood started on November 1st! Multiple plays of Ariana Grande's Christmas & Chill, and I've already watched a few Christmas films. I watched The Holiday for the first time recently and found it boring :( I'm not a Jude Law enjoyer sorry.

Oh I love a hot cider! Ferrero Rocher's, stuffing, anything Christmassy really! I'm also so excited for a Christmas in New York! I have an itinerary going and many pictures to take!

#book talk #djservo

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henrys-wee-hen · 2 years ago

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No-One Fucks With The Lobos - Chapter 9

Go feral, folks! <3

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48070186/chapters/121960735

Or read under the cut! Enjoy!

Teddy

“Because some complete cunt broke my shoulder and left me to the dogs.” Those words echoed around and around in his mind, like the worst kind of broken record. Left me to the dogs. As though he’d known they’d come in and mess (Y/N) up. As though he’d planned for it. As though he’d wanted someone other than himself to come in and hurt his beautiful little object. He was a criminal, not a fucking monster. Although perhaps some argument could be made for the things he did to people... but if he loved something, someone, he didn’t ever let it or them get hurt.

(Y/N) was no exception.

He’d wanted to get that little officer down on bended knees, eventually. Because he knew there was no other way someone with such a strong moral compass pointed permanently due north would ever kneel by themselves, without a little push. But those words... it implied he’d had a choice in it. And he hadn’t.

Learning that his sacred little inner circle had been breached had put him into special measures. No way was anyone else getting close to his apartment without him knowing, so he’d increased his security system and had a two-factor authentication installed on top of it. A key, but also a code. And when he wasn’t there, a code would be sent to his phone, that he would need to approve before the door could open. No approval for him meant the entire building got locked down. Outside of that, the only way in was to scale the building from the outside, and try to blast through three-inch-thick bombproof glass. No-one was every going to break his sanctuary again. As for his men, they’d each been handed over to his mother for an unhinged kind of interrogation, and he wasn’t entirely sure which of them would be left alive.

That left him time to deal with (Y/N). He didn’t know what he wanted to do. He was hurting, so (Y/N) needed to hurt worse. He needed to make something clear, but he didn’t know what, or why, or how. That is why Teddy strapped (Y/N) to a chair and refused resolutely to make eye-contact as he started a torture unlike anything he could have planned while rational. The cries, the begging for him to stop, the tears that poured down bloodied, bruised cheeks... none of it was enough to make him see that he was approaching a limit he usually stopped well short of. Not wanting to kill (Y/N)… but just cause enough pain that behaviour patterns shifted. That behaviours were relearned. Yet this time, all the pain those words had caused... after everything he’d done, revealing parts of himself that he’d only ever let his father see... Teddy couldn’t see the limit he was approaching at runaway speed.

He slashed and bit and punched his way past those limits. He saw red after red, the mist consuming him as he hurt himself just as much as he did (Y/N). He never cried. The last time he’d cried like that, he’d been alone in his room, locked away in the darkness, just after his father’s funeral. And there, he’d blamed himself for not being able to pick up his own gun fast enough to take out the bastard cop who’d fired those shots. This... with (Y/N)… it was no different. He hadn’t been able, been fast enough, to prevent the damage done. And just like his mother had done with his father’s death, (Y/N) had thrown it back in his face, too.

It was only when a blade slipped and sliced into the top of his forearm that the mist finally cleared, his feet sliding on the floor slick with blood. He hit the ground, the knife clattering to the ground. The room was silent. (Y/N) was lying there motionless, covered in cuts and bruises, clothes slashed to bloodsoaked ribbons. Teddy leaned against the wall and succumbed to the last of the sobs, hiccupping lightly. He looked at (Y/N), lying motionless, bleeding out into the drain in the middle of the floor.

“Fuck,” he breathed, after a moment. He wiped his face and nose on the back of his bloody arm, sniffing. “Fuck...” Teddy hadn’t wanted to cross that boundary. Shooting someone in the head was one thing... but red-misting and using his own physical force...? That was more intimate. More personal. A fresh round of sobs took him, and he cried openly. No-one was going to know about this, so why try to hide it? He felt like he’d been punched repeatedly in the gut.

No more (Y/N). What did that mean? He thought back to all the times he’d been actively doing a crime, enjoying life immensely, only for the day to get so much better when those blues and twos sounded. If one of his guys got a call, he’d know it was Quincy and partner, which was fun enough. But no call, and those sexy little sirens? That meant (Y/N) and Chandler. That meant those gorgeous (Y/E/C) eyes blazing at him. That meant those beautiful lips spitting wicked little insults at him... No more of that.

And he’d ruined any chance of (Y/N) being his. No chance now that he’d get to see his little officer taking the knee for him... No hopes of showing his prize off at parties, or gala dinners, or in the passenger seat of his car... Teddy felt like his stomach had gone entirely.

Eventually, when he’d cried himself out and he felt stable enough to move, Teddy crawled over to (Y/N). Unconscious. That beautiful, peaceful face beaten almost unrecognisable. His work. His awful, horrible work. Teddy ran his hand over an unmoving chest. He felt a pulse along a blod-slicked throat. Weak, barely there, but something.

“Fuck!” he gasped. “(Y/N) - still alive -” he scrambled about for his phone, his fingers slipping in the blood which coated his hands. “Siri, call Dr Johnson!”

His phone responded, dialling the number.

The longest hours of Teddy’s life. The private ambulance had shown up in record time, pulling (Y/N)’s body out of the room carefully. Teddy watched as the private team of paramedics, usually reserved for Teddy’s men when they were in a bad way, set up the life-support and murmured to each other about ‘critical condition’ and ‘might not make it’. It was all Teddy could do then to stop himself from throwing up, but he had to stay strong.

“Can I ride along?” he asked quietly, as the paramedics loaded (Y/N) into the back of the ambulance.

“You don’t want to clean up a bit first, Mr Lobo?” one medic asked. Teddy shook his head.

“No, I fucking don’t,” he growled. The paramedic gave him a look and stepped aside, letting him into the ambulance next to (Y/N). The blood on his skin and clothes was almost completely dry at that point. But Teddy didn’t care. All he could think of was what he would do knowing he’d gone too far again.

But once they arrived at the hospital, where the Lobos had a pretty hefty bit of influence over the medical team for both priority and privacy, Teddy was pushed to the side and effectively forgotten about, while the doctors took control and tried to save (Y/N)’s life. Teddy waited and waited, hours passing with him sitting in the same chair, doctors and nurses passing him by as he stared into space, little flakes of blood falling from him every now and again. A few of his men came to see him, having received word from the nurses there that “Mr Lobo looks like he’s been through something deep, and he isn’t talking”.

It was only when Bellafrancesca walked through the door that Teddy acknowledged his surroundings and snapped out it.

“Teddy. My darling boy,” Bellafrancesca said softly, taking a seat beside him. Her powder-pink suit was pristine, but she still took her son’s hand. “What is this?” Teddy looked at her, his eyes fraught with anger, sorrow, fear... what would she say to him this time? Would she blame him again? He was already blaming himself enough. He didn’t need her to add to it.

“I went too far,” he said softly. “It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with, mom.”

“My son is sitting here like he was in a bomb attack. I think it is my concern. Who did this to you, Teddy?”

“I did this to me.” Teddy’s tone was sharp. Bellafrancesca looked at him, a little taken-aback. She pressed her lips into a line, then sighed.

“I thought you might have come to me after you killed the Mason brothers, Teddy.” Bellafrancesca let go of his hand. “But you stayed away.”

“Yeah, well. What were you gonna fucking do? Threaten them with shit? Give them to Mandy? Threaten them with higher import costs?” Teddy rolled his eyes. “They fucked with my business and they paid the price I thought fair. And their father was nowhere near the dockyard last week. So it worked. You’re fucking welcome.”

“Teddy, what’s brought this on?” Bellafrancesca asked, stunned. “What happened to my beautiful, quiet boy -”

“Beautiful quiet boy?!” Teddy snapped. “Is that what you really think? Beautiful and quiet? Try again, mom! What about utter disgrace? Slow disappointment? Unworthy of the Lobo name?!” He turned to her in the chair, his eyes betraying the full extent of his hatred – although whether it was towards her or himself, it wasn’t so clear. Even for Teddy. “Everything I ever did, I wanted you to just be fucking proud of me. But you’ve always preferred that fucking adopted little rat over me.”

“Teddy…” Bellafrancesca looked at him with a mixture of sorrow and disdain. She understood something fundamental – he needed a mother, right now. Not a leader, a mother. Someone to hold him. Care for him. Love him. “Perhaps… I have failed you in some ways…”

“You don’t fucking say.” Teddy’s voice broke at the end. Bellafrancesca closed her eyes for a moment.

“But… I am here now. For you. My son.” She held her arms out, but Teddy didn’t move. He was done in enough. He didn’t need that kind of fake love. His entire life had been spent trying to make her proud… and for what? She wasn’t proud of him. Bellafrancesca sighed, lowering her arms. Then, she noticed the cut on Teddy’s arm, open and quite serious. She took his arm gently, inspecting it, her grip tightening as he tried to pull away. “What did you do, Teddy?”

“Cut it. Obviously.”

“Did you tell the doctor?” A shake of the head. “Come with me.” She stood, pulling Teddy with her. He went reluctantly, Bellafrancesca’s heels clicking on the linoleum flooring of the hospital corridor.

“Mrs Lobo!” a nurse gasped, almost running into Bellafrancesca and Teddy as she came out of a private room. “Sorry – I didn’t see you there.”

“My son needs medical attention. He has cut his arm.” She pushed Teddy forward gently. She was going to be a mother now. She had to be. She couldn’t stand the idea of her boy hating her.

“Oh – right, yes. Come right this way, Mr Lobo.” The nurse coloured a little, taking in Teddy’s appearance. Still caked in blood, starting to smell a little ripe from it, too. The nurse led Teddy and Bellafrancesca down the corridor to a triage room. “What’s the problem, Mr Lobo?” she asked, once Teddy was installed, lying down on a bed with the back propped up a little bit. Bellafrancesca had taken a seat outside. She looked ludicrous, surrounded by her security team.

“Cut my arm,” Teddy muttered flatly. He held his arm out, tugging up his shirt sleeve. The nurse frowned. It was hard to see, through the amount of blood that coated his skin.

“Do… do you mind if I clean you up a bit, Mr Lobo? It’s a little hard to see with all… all the b-blood.”

“Go right ahead.” Teddy watched as the nurse, pulling on a pair of sterile gloves, started to prepare a small bath in a little tub. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Nurse Jane Peters, Mr Lobo.”

“Nurse Peters, do you know what’s going on with a patient called (Y/N) (Y/L/N)?” Teddy looked up at her as she added a little iodine to the water, and pulled out a stack of lint-free gauze sheets. She took a seat opposite him, pulling his arm onto a little table.

“I can’t give any information about other patients out, Mr Lobo. Unless you’re a relative or -”

“My partner.” Teddy’s tone was quiet. Nurse Peters started to clean up the blood gently, putting the used gauze sheets into a biohazard bin beside her. “And I’m worried. I haven’t heard anything.”

“Well…” Nurse Peters trailed off as she saw how badly Teddy’s arm was cut. “Yikes! That’s a big one…” Teddy looked down. Sure enough, the cut he’d made was deep. Not enough to show tendon, but enough that it should have been causing him agony… “This isn’t hurting you at all, Mr Lobo?”

“Nothing hurts…” he murmured. He watched as she cleaned it up a little more. “So - (Y/N)? News? Please?” Nurse Peters stood, removing the bath.

“A patient was brought in with extensive wounds and a lot of blood loss… Without any names, Mr Lobo… they were given a couple of blood transfusions, and extensive stitching. One stab wound had almost hit an artery… and there were a fair few contusions internally…”

Teddy closed his eyes.

“Meaning?”

“Meaning… the patient will be placed on life support if they can’t breathe on their own.” She took a seat, a suture kit laid out on a small metal tray. “Which, following the surgery, was the case.”

“Fuck,” Teddy breathed. Nurse Peters knew the Lobos well enough to know that asking anything over ‘how can I professionally help your body to stop malfunctioning’ was suicide. So when Teddy started to tremble and cry, she did nothing than inject a local anaesthetic to the cut, smear it with iodine, and begin careful, methodical stitching that would leave barely any scarring. She covered it up, placing a bandage over it, trying not to trap any dried blood in it.

“Right, Mr Lobo, you’re all done.” Nurse Peters patted his hand lightly. “Keep it dry, have the dressing changed every twenty-four hours. You can shower it, but don’t keep it wet for too long. Any sign of infection, come straight in.” Teddy said nothing. He stared straight ahead. “You know what, I’ll give your mom a care sheet –“

“I’ll remember it,” Teddy said quietly. Nurse Peters pressed her lips together and stood, clearing up the space. “Get out for a minute.” Without question, she left, taking the tray with her.

“Mr Lobo? (Y/N) is stable. You can come in, now.” Dr Johnson poked his head around the private waiting room door. He looked tired, but an emergency three-hour surgery to repair a tonne of damage on (Y/N)’s body… that was normal. Teddy jumped to his feet and, ignoring his mother’s mild protesting that Teddy should wait for a bit, let (Y/N) settle in, he followed Dr Johnson along the corridors. “(Y/N) was in a bad way, Teddy,” Dr Johnson said, just as they reached the door of the private room. “I almost didn’t succeed with the surgery. It was almost a bit too much…” He licked his bottom lip. “Please… be careful.” Teddy looked like he had a bad taste in his mouth. In reality, his heart was where his tongue should have been. Dr Johnson opened the door, and Teddy stepped inside.

When he laid eyes on the bandaged-up form in the bed, he almost lost it entirely. Dr Johnson closed the door behind him, leaving him to his privacy.

“Fuck,” Teddy whispered, creeping closer. He felt like, at any moment, (Y/N) would leap up and attack him for doing this. But nothing happened. Layers of bandage remained still, save the artificial rise and fall of cling-wrapped chest, forced by a machine. “Fuck me… fuck! FUCK!” He picked (Y/N)’s hand up gingerly, careful not to dislodge the cannula that ran in, feeding a slow drip of saline or something else vital to life. He inspected the delicate nails, some bruised, one cut a little where Teddy had caught it with a knife.

He'd been unhinged… all because of those words.

You left me to the dogs.

But he had done that. He had left (Y/N) to the dogs. He’d sworn to be a protector, to be the only one that could cause pain… because he knew the limits he could go to before (Y/N) would suffer irreparably. The Mason brothers and Carl didn’t know those limits, and so they’d gone well beyond them.

But Teddy… Teddy had seen red. He’d seen red, and gone after (Y/N) executioner-style. And this was the result. (Y/N), hooked up to a fucking machine, fighting for life.

Just like always. Fighting for good, fighting him… now, fighting for life.

Teddy pressed his lips to (Y/N)’s hand, which he encased in his own.

“When you wake up, baby… when you wake up… the fucking world is yours. The world is yours, and everything I have is yours, and everything I am is yours…” he sniffed, letting his tears fall. “And if you don’t want me after this, baby… my life is yours to take. ‘Cause fuck… fuck, I can’t cope living with this. I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so, so fucking sorry…”

Bellafrancesca wasn’t used to seeing her son in such deep turmoil. But even she tired quickly of being at the hospital, watching Teddy sit catatonic with this… this… person. Bellafrancesca didn’t even know why Teddy had gained such an infatuation with a police officer who hadn’t been seen for two months. In fact, that officer had gone missing… She frowned, watching Teddy, (Y/N)’s hand in his, pressed to his lips. Was her son about to turn good? Join the other side? She couldn’t stay there the whole night. Neither could Teddy. Even though they’d never be asked to leave, Bellafrancesca knew her son needed a shower, and a good night’s sleep.

She stepped into (Y/N)’s room. Teddy didn’t look up.

“Tedward. You need to go home. Take a shower, eat something, get some sleep. (Y/N) will still be here later.” Bellafrancesca was right, of course, but Teddy made no move to leave. “Teddy?” She stepped forward. It really was tiring, now. She’d been there for hours, with a silent Teddy who refused to speak to her. “Tedward.”

“Fucking go then, mom.”

“You need to come too.” Bellafrancesca folded her arms elegantly. “At least to take a shower. You smell like a dead body.”

She was right. Of course she was right. Teddy closed his eyes. He didn’t want to leave, not yet. Any sign of additional life from (Y/N)… he wanted to be there for it. But, he could use a shower.

As he sat in the back of the huge black SUV, beside his mother, he realised he didn’t want to go back to his apartment. He didn’t want the constant reminder of (Y/N). He didn’t want to take the risk that the blood hadn’t been cleaned up yet. Fresh tears came, and he slumped to the side, his head resting in his mother’s lap as he unclipped his seatbelt.

“Can I come home with you, mom?” he whispered, voice breaking. Bellafrancesca ran a manicured hand through Teddy’s bloody, greasy hair.

“Of course you can, my son,” she replied softly. “Of course, you can come home with mama.”

#Teddy Lobo #teddy lobo #teddy lobo x reader #renfield #tedward lobo

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develthe · 22 days ago

Text

Future-Ready HR: How Zero-Downtime SAP S/4HANA Upgrades Slash Admin Effort and Boost Employee Experience

Reading time: ~9 minutes • Author: SAPSOL Technologies Inc.

Executive Summary (Why stay for the next nine minutes?)

HR has become the cockpit for culture, compliance, and analytics-driven talent decisions. Yet most teams still run the digital equivalent of a flip phone: ECC 6.0 or an early S/4 release installed when TikTok didn’t exist. Staying on “version lock” quietly drains budgets—payroll defects, clunky self-service, manual audits—until a single statutory patch or ransomware scare forces a panic upgrade.

It doesn’t have to be that way. A zero-downtime SAP S/4HANA migration, delivered with modern DevOps, automated regression testing, and business-led governance, lets you transform the HR core without stopping payroll or blowing up IT change windows. In this deep dive you’ll learn:

The five hidden HR costs of running yesterday’s ERP

A phase-by-phase playbook for near-invisible cutover—validated at mid-market firms across North America

Real KPIs in 60 days: fewer payroll recalculations, faster onboarding, and a 31 % jump in self-service adoption

Action kit: register for our 26 June micro-webinar (1 CE credit) and grab the 15-point checklist to start tomorrow

1. The Hidden Tax of Running on Yesterday’s ERP

Every HR pro has lived at least one of these nightmares—often shrugging them off as “just how the system works.” Multiply them across years and thousands of employees, and the cost rivals an enterprise-wide wage hike.

Patch ParalysisScenario: Ottawa releases a mid-year CPP rate change. Payroll must implement it in two weeks, but finance is in year-end freeze. Manual notes, off-cycle transports, weekend overtime—then a retro run reveals under-withholding on 800 staff.Tax in hours: 120 developer + analyst hours per patch.Tax in trust: Employee confidence tanks when paycheques bounce.

Security DebtRole concepts written for 2008 processes force endless SoD spreadsheets. Auditors demand screenshots for every change. Each year the HRIS lead burns a full month compiling user-access evidence.

UX FatigueESS/MSS screens render like Windows XP. Employees open tickets rather than self-serve address changes, spiking help-desk volume by 15–20 %. New grads—used to consumer-grade apps—question your brand.

Analytics BlackoutsReal-time dashboards stall because legacy cluster tables can’t feed BW/4HANA live connections. HR must export CSVs, re-import to Power BI, reconcile totals, and hope no one notices daily-refresh gaps.

Cloud-Talent SprawlRecruiting, learning, and well-being live in separate SaaS tools. Nightly interfaces fail, HRIS babysits IDocs at midnight, and CFO wonders why subscription spend keeps climbing.

Bottom line: Those “little pains” cost six or seven figures annually. Modernizing the digital core erases the tax—but only if you keep payroll humming, time clocks online, and compliance filings on schedule. Welcome to zero-downtime migration.

2. Anatomy of a Zero-Downtime SAP S/4HANA Upgrade

Phase 1 – Dual-Track Sandboxing (Days 0–10)

Objective: Give HR super-users a playground that mirrors live payroll while production stays untouched.

How: SAPSOL deploys automated clone scripts—powered by SAP Landscape Transformation (SLT) and Infrastructure-as-Code templates (Terraform, Ansible). Within 48 hours a greenfield S/4HANA sandbox holds PA/OM/PT/PY data scrubbed of PII.

Why it matters: Business owners prove statutory, union, and time rules in isolation. The tech team tweaks roles, Fiori catalogs, and CDS views without delaying month-end.

Pro tip: Schedule “sandbox showcase” lunches—15-minute demos that excite HR stakeholders and surface nuance early (“Our northern sites calculate dual overtime thresholds!”).

Phase 2 – Data Minimization & Clone Masking (Days 11–25)

Data hoarding dooms many upgrades. Terabytes of inactive personnel files balloon copy cycles and expose PII.

Rule-based archiving: Retain only active employees + two full fiscal years.

GDPR masking: Hash SIN/SSN, bank data, and health codes for non-production copies.

Result: 47 % smaller footprint → copy/refresh windows collapse from 20 hours to 8.

Phase 3 – Sprint-Style Regression Harness (Days 26–60)

Introduce HR-Bot, SAPSOL’s regression engine:

600+ automated scripts cover payroll clusters, Time Evaluation, Benefits, and Global Employment.

Execution pace: Two hours for end-to-end vs. 10 days of manual step-lists.

Tolerance: Variance > 0.03 % triggers red flag. Human testers focus on exceptions, not keystrokes.

Regression becomes a nightly safety net, freeing analysts for business process innovation.

Phase 4 – Shadow Cutover (Weekend T-0)

Friday 18:00 – ECC payroll finishes week. SLT delta replication streams last-minute master-data edits to S/4.

Friday 21:00 – Finance, HR, and IT sign off on penny-perfect rehearsal payroll inside S/4.

Friday 22:00 – DNS switch: ESS/MSS URLs now point to the S/4 tenant; API integrations flip automatically via SAP API Management.

Monday 07:00 – Employees log in, see Fiori launchpad mobile tiles. No tickets, no confetti cannons—just business as usual.

Phase 5 – Continuous Innovation Loop (Post Go-Live)

Traditional upgrades dump you at go-live then vanish for 18 months. Zero-downtime culture embeds DevOps:

Feature Pack Stack drip-feeding—small transports weekly, not mega-projects yearly.

Blue-green pipelines—automated unit + regression tests gate every transport.

Feedback loops—daily stand-up with HR ops, weekly KPI review. Change windows are now measured in coffee breaks.

3. Change Management: Winning Hearts Before You Move Code

A seamless cutover still fails if the workforce rejects new workflows. SAPSOL’s “People, Process, Platform” model runs parallel to tech tracks:

Personas & journeys – Map recruiter, manager, hourly associate pain points.

Hyper-care squads – Power users sit with help-desk during first two payroll cycles.

Micro-learning bursts – 3-minute “how-to” videos embedded in Fiori. Uptake beats hour-long webinars.

Result? User adoption spikes quickly often visible in ESS log-ins by week 2.

4. Compliance & Audit Readiness Baked In

Zero-downtime doesn’t just protect operations; it boosts compliance posture:

SoD automation – SAP Cloud Identity Access Governance compares old vs. new roles nightly.

e-Document Framework – Tax-authority e-filings (Canada, US, EU) validated pre-cutover.

Lineage reporting – Every payroll cluster mutation logged in HANA native storage, simplifying CRA or IRS queries.

Auditors now receive screenshots and drill-downs at click speed, not quarter-end heroics.

5. Performance Gains You Can Take to the Bank

Within the first two payroll cycles post-go-live, SAPSOL clients typically see:

60 DAY RESULT

Payroll recalculations 92/year –38 %

Onboarding cycle (offer → badge) 11 days –22 %

ESS/MSS log-ins 5 500/month +31 %

Unplanned downtime 2.5 hrs/yr 0 hrs

One $750 M discrete-manufacturer counts 3 498 staff hours returned annually—funding three new talent-analytics analysts without head-count increase.

6. Case Study

Profile – 1 900 employees, unionized production, dual-country payroll (CA/US), ECC 6 for 14 years.

Challenge – Legacy payroll schema required 43 custom Operation Rules; security roles triggered 600+ SoD conflicts each audit.

SAPSOL Solution

Dual-track sandbox; 37 payroll variants tested in 10 days

GDPR masking reduced non-prod clone from 3.2 TB → 1.4 TB

Near-Zero-Downtime (NZDT) services + blue/green pipeline executed cutover in 49 minutes

Hyper-care “Ask Me Anything” Teams channel moderated by HR-Bot

Outcome – Zero payroll disruption, –41 % payroll support tickets, +3 % Glassdoor rating in six months.

Read our case study on Assessment of Complete Upgrade and Integration Functionality of ERP (COTS) with BIBO/COGNOS and External Systems

7. Top Questions from HR Leaders—Answered in Plain Speak

Q1. Will moving to S/4 break our union overtime rules?No. SAP Time Sheet (CATS/SuccessFactors Time Tracking) inherits your custom schemas. We import PCRs, run dual-payroll reconciliation, and give union reps a sandbox login to verify every scenario before go-live.

Q2. Our headquarters is in Canada, but 40 % of the workforce is in the US. Can we run parallel payroll?Absolutely. SAPSOL’s harness executes CA and US payroll in a single simulation batch. Variance reports highlight penny differences line-by-line so Finance signs off with confidence.

Q3. How do we show ROI to the CFO beyond “it’s newer”?We deliver a quantified value storyboard: reduced ticket labour, compliance fines avoided, attrition savings from better UX, and working-capital release from faster hiring time. Most clients see payback in 12–16 months.

Q4. Our IT team fears “another massive SAP project.” What’s different?Zero-downtime scope fits in 14-week sprints, not two-year marathons. Automated regression and blue-green transport pipelines mean fewer late nights and predictable release cadence.

Q5. Do we need to rip-and-replace HR add-ons (payroll tax engines, time clocks)?No. Certified interfaces (HR FIORI OData, CPI iFlows) keep existing peripherals alive. In pilots we reused 92 % of third-party integrations unchanged.

8. Technical Underpinnings (Geek Corner)

Downtime-Optimized DMO – Combines SUM + NZDT add-on so business operations continue while database tables convert in shadow schema.

HANA native storage extension – Offloads cold personnel data to cheaper disk tiers but keeps hot clusters in-memory, balancing cost and speed.

CDS-based HR analytics – Replaces cluster decoding with virtual data model views, feeding SAP Analytics Cloud dashboards in real time.

CI/CD Toolchain – GitLab, abapGit, and gCTS orchestrate transports; Selenium/RPA automate UI smoke tests.

These pieces work behind the curtain so HR never sees a hiccup.

9. Next Steps—Your 3-Step Action Kit

Reserve your seat at our Zero-Downtime HR Upgrade micro-webinar on 26 June—capped at 200 live seats. Attendees earn 1 SHRM/HRCI credit and receive the complete 15-Point HR Upgrade Checklist.

Download the checklist and benchmark your current payroll and self-service pain points. It’s a one-page scorecard you can share with IT and Finance.

Book a free discovery call at https://www.sapsol.com/free-sap-poc/ to scope timelines, quick wins, and budget guardrails. (We’ll show you live KPI dashboards from real clients—no slideware.)

Upgrade your core. Elevate your people. SAPSOL has your back.

Final Thought

Zero-downtime migration isn’t a Silicon-Valley fantasy. It’s a proven, repeatable path to unlock modern HR capabilities—without risking the payroll run or employee trust. The sooner your digital core evolves, the faster HR can pivot from data janitor to strategic powerhouse.

See you on 26 June—let’s build an HR ecosystem ready for anything.Sam Mall — Founder, SAPSOL Technologies Inc.Website: https://www.sapsol.comCall us at: +1 3438000733

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