#no binary code can get past me!

[lucabyte]

transfem loop + siffrin... you agree

i does agree.... i does in fact ... write a 7k word essay on the subject..... if you would like to perhaps click that link and read it if you were not already aware...... kisses u on the forehead......... sorry its that long but i had to cover all of my bases you know how it is with textual analysis when you're trying to draw a distinction between "headcanon" and "reading of the text" because those are different things.... to meeeeeeee.......

[honey-tongued-devil]

↠The last drop tour

| Part 1 | | Part 2 | | Part 3 |

This tour was designed to allow those who write and read fanfiction to finally visualize the Last Drop and have a solid map in hand. Specifically, I created it for a personal need, for my fanfiction Everytime It Rains, which you can read by clicking the title. This is part two, where you can see Silco's office in detail. Welcome back from your favorite guide, and enjoy!

Did you get something to drink? I hope so, because it's really packed in here. So, where did we leave off? We were supposed to enter the office, right? Well, sisters, and bros, and non-binary hoes, welcome!

Let's start from the left; I know it's a bit chaotic, but this is where Sevika used to come to drink even when Silco wasn't around, waiting for him faithfully. All those bottles are hers. The rug is from Piltover, you've probably recognized it, along with the iconic Last Drop glasses. That sturdy piece of furniture you see there, closer to his desk, is his safe. No one has the code except for him, me, and now you (it's 937). Since we're here, I might as well open it.

Face down, there's a photo depicting Vander, Silco, and Felicia on the bridge when they were younger—certainly well before Felicia got pregnant, given the length of Silco's hair. That strange map is a map of the mine tunnels, a relic from his past as a miner. And finally, the LP is "Our Love," ironically Vander's favorite song (as Jinx mentions in Jinx Fixes Everything), as well as Felicia's, Silco's, and Jinx's. It's in the safe because Silco treasures that vinyl so much that he doesn't leave it where it could get destroyed; he keeps it protected.

But let's close it up and move on. Here it is, the iconic desk. Since I'm a generous guide, I'll let you circle around it so you can see it from every angle. On top, there's the map of Piltover with the mug that Jinx made for him, while in the drawer, there's a mask to filter out the gray, the smog of Zaun, and a card that I think was used for blackmail. I can't say for sure, but it seems to be part of the man's shady dealings.

Next to his desk, on the right, there are two doors. They're not accessible, but since I doubt he'd want anyone to have such direct access to his office, in my fanfiction at least, there will be a room behind them with a double bed and some of his belongings.

But let's move on to the last piece! The huge map of Piltover and zaun with which he planned the export of Shimmer and weapons, where he kept track of everything that happened.

If you enjoyed or found this little tour useful, let me know, and feel free to check out my headcanons or my longfic! This tour has come to an end, but I might have material to create more in the future!

[genderkoolaid]

i brought up the term enban/enben to someone who said they felt enby was infantilising, and someone else (also nonbinary) commented in response "sometimes i feel like folks just get off on having their own secret codes" and that they wouldnt know what it meant if someone said it to them without an explanation

like a. wtf??? and b. i don't think its that hard to figure out what it means? its just the start of enby + the ending of man/woman

Yeah unfortunately that's a reaction a lot of people have to nonbinary neologisms.

And like. I do understand it somewhat. But I honestly can't help but feel that part of people's resistance to new nonbinary-specific terms is exorsexism. Like... yeah. You won't know it what it means until someone explains because it was just invented. Every single word relating to nonbinary people that we have invented, we have at some point had to explain. To say that a neologism is bad because it's not immediately fully intuitive to you with zero explanation is like. Yeah friend! That's how making new words works! Especially when the word is trying to describe something who's existence has been completely excluded from our culture for the past forever!

I do understand people who personally dislike using enby (I'm not big on using it for myself either, I prefer enban), but I think people will very uncritically call any given nonbinary term "infantilizing" and say stuff like "just call me a slur instead!!" without realizing where that impulse can come from. It's similar to how anything that becomes associated with women develops a reputation for being stupid and shallow and annoying—people have ingrained biases against nonbinary people, so when something reminds them of nonbinary people, they feel an aversion towards it.

People will come up with every single possible reason why every possible neologism won't work (too long, too short, too latin, too germanic, too cringe, too boring) and the end result is that nonbinary language never is able to move forward. Our language will always require explanation and seen abnormal as long as we do not popularize their use, and in order to popularize their use we have to get over our aversion to our own language.

It's not about wanting to be special or "having secret codes," it's about having the basic linguistic visibility that binary people already have. It's about being able to discuss ourselves and each other with ease and clarity and specificity. If you are fine just being called a "person" and using pre-existing gender neutral language for yourself, that's fine. But we deserve so much better than binary people's linguistic scraps. And that means we have to confront what it looks and sounds like to not just casually gender neutral but actively, blatantly outside of the binary in a way that makes people confused or uncomfortable.

[sorrowsofsilence]

Diagnosis • Sebastian

Pairing: Noah Sebastian x Fem!Reader

Words: 4.1k

Warnings: Smut (18+, fingering, female!receiving), PnV pls wrap it b4 u tap it, male!recieving, choking, doctor x patient (this idea may make you uncomfortable so pls don’t read if it does- in irl it makes me uncomfortable lol- but this is pretend and Dr. Davis is made up.)

Prompt: You had no idea your past highschool school hook-up would be your substitute doctor during your annual check-up; but let's just say you were in desperate need of a physical.

Author note: LOL I AM GOING TO HELLLLL - but also I've seen so many Dr. Davis ideas I had to create one myself; so thank you to especially (@valiantroeagleangel) whose work inspired me. You are wonderful. And shout out to some sexy phrases by @loveisanimaginarydagger3000 - I’m weak

THIS IS A FANFIC USING REAL PEOPLE IN A FICTIONAL SITUATION! I AM NOT IMPLYING THAT THIS PERSON WOULD DO THIS IRL OR ACT LIKE THIS! ITS FICTION!

+

You picked at your fingernails nervously as you sat in the waiting room, your leg bouncing up and down rapidly.

Something about Doctors’ offices always made you nervous, especially when it involved a doctor that wasn’t your own. You were getting a routine check-up and your first pap smear, scheduled with your regular doctor, but she had a last-minute family emergency. This meant you were going to be inspected by someone else, and that thought made you slightly uneasy.

You played with the mask that covered your nose, pinching at the metal band that rested on the bridge before tugging at the string.

The old woman next to you watched your anxious wading with curious eyes, and you simply shifted in your seat, avoiding her gaze.

Your name was finally called and you followed the nurse, allowing her to check your height, and then leading you into a room located at the end of the hall.

She sat you down, your legs crunching beneath the paper as she placed the blood pressure bump along your arm, squeezing until it tightened and let go.

“Your blood pressure seems to be a little high?” She said, eyebrows furrowing.

You rubbed your hands nervously between your thighs, “I’m just a little anxious.”

Her eyes smiled, indicating a soft grin beneath the mask she wore, “You’ll be just fine. Dr. Davis is a fantastic doctor.”

His name rang off her tongue, piquing your interest. Davis. You knew someone with that last name in high school.

“You can take your mask off in here by the way. Just set it on the side.” She nodded before leaving and you sat there for a few more moments, nervously shifting in your seat.

After a few minutes, you heard a soft knock on the door and you sat up straight, anticipating the man who would be taking care of you today.

The door opened and a man with soft chestnut hair that fell slightly in front of his face walked in, thin-framed glasses sat promptly on top of his nose, covered by a black mask. He hadn’t looked up from the clipboard that was in his hands as he kicked the door closed with his foot gently, tattooed fingers holding up the top page as his eyes skimmed rapidly over the words.

“How’s it going? I’m Dr. Davis.” His voice fell from his lips in a firm but gentle tone and your eyes widened in surprise as you remembered the faint lisp at the end of his ‘s’, and the twang in his accent.

“Hi,” you whispered as you absorbed his image, eyes skimming over his white coat that draped down his long body. The light-blue button-up sat tightly against his neck. You swallowed gently at the ink that crawled just above the collar, sinched between a black tie traced with binary code as the pattern.

“Y/N Y/L/N?” He asked with a curious tone, gaze immediately leaving the page as his orbs met your own, and your heart raced as his ochre eyes bore into yours.

His professionalism dropped slightly as his eyes skimmed over your face in recognition, and your lips parted slightly. He stood still, frozen in remembrance before he coughed, setting the clipboard on the counter and taking a seat next to his computer.

Noah Sebastian Davis is your doctor.

He immediately avoided your gaze as your face began to warm, and you crossed your legs, feeling vulnerable under his authority as he sat there, distracting himself with his computer.

Your high school hookup is your doctor.

“Well,” He began typing, a soft waver barely evident in his voice, “It’s been a long time.”

“Thirteen years,” You licked your lips quickly, smiling shyly as you stared at your legs, glancing up every so often to steal a look at your doctor. You felt even more nervous than before as the man who sat in front of you eventually turned, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he watched you intensely.

“Look, let’s just keep this professional. If you’re more comfortable with someone else I can get another doctor in here.” He said monotonously, leaning over his lap as his elbows rested on his knees.

You mustered a small smile as your chest hammered, eyes grazing across the tattoos embedded into his fingers Memories of the way they used to dance along your skin left your stomach swirling.

“It’s alright, I don’t mind…” Your thoughts trailed off as you looked at the ground, “if you don’t mind?”

Dr. Davis maintained strict eye contact, his voice proper and fixed, “It’s my job to remain professional and competent. I strive for nothing but efficiency, and I’ll have you in and out Mrs. Y/L/N.”

“Miss,” You corrected quietly, picking at your nails again.

Something flashed across his eyes at the realization, and your ears flushed as you adjusted yourself on the examination table.

He turned on the chair again, fingers tapping on the keyboard.

“Let’s go through some medical history to clarify things under your files. It seems you usually have Dr. Thomas, am I correct?”

You hummed in confirmation, nodding along.

“Any health concerns to bring up in your visit today?”

You shook your head, “Just a routine check-up and a pap smear.”

Dr. Davis nodded along, shifting in his seat at the mention of a pap, his hand reaching to pull against his collar as if loosening the tension that was building within the room.

“Any issues regarding mental health?”

You shook your head.

“Eating and drinking well?”

You nodded.

“Any allergies?”

You shook your head.

“Sexually active?”

You noticed his voice hither slightly, as he glanced over at you briefly, before fixating his eyes on the computer again.

“Not like, regularly.”

He shifted in his seat, nodding.

“Multiple partners?”

“Uhm,” you began to stutter nervously at his questions, “A few. Not frequently changing.”

It was a routine check-up, you reminded yourself. Doctors asked these questions.

You shrugged, eyes skimming up towards him again as his eyes bore into you once again, your abdomen clenching as his gaze darkened.

“How many since me?”

You coughed, caught off guard as you stared at him in disbelief, “P-pardon?”

He didn’t repeat the question, but instead continued typing, clicking away at your file.

“Three,” You then said, watching him carefully and he hummed in response.

“Anything else you think I should know?” He asked, returning to his cool, professional composure.

You shook your head again, watching as his chest heaved slowly as he stood up. He grabbed the stethoscope that hung around his neck, and you watched as he placed the ends in his ears before standing in front of you, maintaining a distance.

“Let me check your lungs… can you take your jacket off?” He asked, watching you carefully as you peeled off the layer, placing it to the side.

Dr. Davis then sat next to you on the examination table and your heart began to pick up pace at the proximity of his body, his cologne melting into your senses.

His shoulder brushed against yours as he leaned behind you to place the end of the stethoscope on top of your back.

He asked you to take in a deep breath, and you inhaled swiftly, attempting to exhale in a slow, controlled pattern; but the breath that left your lungs was shaky and uneven.

“Sorry,” you whispered, and he ran the stethoscope across your back again, this time placing it underneath your shirt, the cold metal causing a shiver to run down your body.

“Three more,” He asked gently and you obliged, each breath faltering again as your heart raced.

There was no doubt he could hear the thump of your heart pick up as his warm fingers gently skimmed your skin as he controlled the stethoscope; knowing how nervous his proximity made you.

He pulled away, staring at your flushed face before leaning behind you to grab an ear otoscope.

“Just going to check your ears,” he said as his warm hands pulled along your ear, his warm breath creating goosebumps along the skin in your neck as the hairs stood up.

Your stomach butterflied as he then grabbed a wooden popsicle stick, standing in front of you now, placed between your legs.

“open,” he commanded and you obliged, sticking out your tongue and making an ‘ah’ sound.

Dr. Davis held underneath your chin to look up at him as he placed the wood on top of your tongue, pressing down slightly. Your abdomen clenched as a rush of emotions ran through your body, making eye contact with the tattooed doctor as he stared back, not even looking at the back of your throat as your mouth was agape, open widely for him.

You wanted nothing more than to reach up and pull against the fabric of his mask, greedily wanting to expose his lips to see the rest of his face and smile, to see how handsome he had gotten with age.

Your chest heaved as his fingers slid from underneath your chin, trailing down your throat with firm but gentle fingertips, the tension between you building as seconds passed by. He pulled back his hand, along with the popsicle stick, and your mouth closed slowly as he took a step back.

As he turned from you, the way he slid his hand into his pocket to readjust himself didn’t go unnoticed, before he faced you again, nodding curtly.

“I’ll let you get undressed from the waist down. You can place this blanket over yourself, I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He averted his gaze as he opened the door, closing it gently behind him.

You let out a breath as your mind began to race. The way your mind kept tracing back to years of messing around with him in high school sent your stomach into a lustful spiral, the warmth of his inked fingers relighting years of memories he engraved into your skin.

Noah had given you years of orgasms, some of the best you ever had. None of your other lovers had compared to him, and your body knew this, sparking complete excitement at his presence once again.

You shifted on your feet embarrassed at this, peeling off your jeans as you folded them neatly on the chair. You slid off your black panties, placing them on top of your pants before lying down on the bed, the cool air causing you to shiver.

Or perhaps, it was the fact Noah was going to be extremely close to your intimate space after so many years of deprivation.

You two hooked up on and off for years during adolescence, never forming a relationship beyond that; even though you always wanted to.

You always had feelings for Noah, but you knew he wanted nothing more than to fuck you senselessly, and then part ways. No strings attached.

After high school graduation, you two parted, never speaking to each other again. You had always wondered what he had gone off and set to do, and being a doctor was honestly the last thing you’d think he’d do. Noah had always been extremely smart, but it still came as a complete shock when he was the one who walked through that wooden door just fifteen minutes prior.

You covered yourself with the thin blanket and a moment later Dr. Davis came through the door again, glancing at your exposed legs before turning to grab a pair of gloves from the counter.

You watched him intensely as he pulled the latex over his fingers, almost drooling at the thought of them running along your folds. You shook away the thought, knowing that you would be completely dripping by the time he would be sitting between your legs, examining you.

The last thing you wanted was for him to know the effect he still had on you, even after all these years.

He made eye contact with you again, tugging at the tie around his neck once again as he took the chair, rolling it to the edge of your feet. Before sitting he pulled out the stirrups.

“You can rest your heels on here,” He pointed to the plastic, and you noticed how his ears began to flush red, his chest rising and falling quickly as he glanced into your eyes once again.

When he looked away you glanced down at his black slacks, swallowing harshly at the bold outline of his erection that was extremely evident, through his tight pants.

You swallowed as you slowly lifted your legs, exposing yourself to the man who now sat at the end of the bed, the thin blanket sliding down your thighs gently, leaving your body on display for Dr. Davis.

“Fuck.”

The word was barely audible. He had whispered it so quietly through gritted teeth, but you still managed to hear the four-letter word, and it sent another rush of warm lust through your body.

“I-I’m just going to examine you before inserting the speculum.” Dr. Davis’ professional tone faltered briefly, and you wanted to look down at him so badly.

You knew that he was aroused, but you had no idea how badly Noah wanted to tear into your pussy right then and there.

For years Noah wondered what happened to you. After years of dedication to med school, he didn’t have much time to form relationships, and he usually had a quick fuck here and there to tie over his cravings. He reminisced frequently about how good you felt wrapped around his cock, all of his past flings never making him feel quite how you did.

This morning when he agreed to substitute at the clinic he had no idea what to expect. You were the last thing he thought would happen, and the second he read your name on that piece of paper as he entered your room he felt his mind begin to spiral.

How was he supposed to remain professional around you?

His biggest regret was never pursuing anything further with you years ago, worried that if feelings got involved he would lose the best thing he ever had. In turn, he fucked himself over in the end, because he had lost you either way; but now, you were right here in front of him, naked and on display.

The second he saw you sitting on the exam table he felt an immediate rush to his pants, his mind racing as he began to sweat, the room suddenly feeling stuffy and tight. He couldn’t help but watch your lips as they parted when you talked, memories of them wrapped around himself as your tongue slid up and down his length leaving him unable to concentrate as he attempted to read your file.

He watched as you shifted nervously in front of him when he checked your lungs, heart racing rapidly under his touch. He wanted to rip your thighs apart, slipping his fingers into you, wanting to leave you begging.

Noah wanted to pull his name from your lips; leaving you worshiping him, needing him.

He kept reminding himself that he was a professional now and that it was unacceptable to push the boundary of client-patient professionalism. There was a code of conduct and ethics he was required to follow; but he wanted to forget years of practice, just to get a taste of you.

You lay there, trying to keep your heavy breathing quiet; but you immediately gasped as one of his covered fingers spread you open, barely touching your skin, afraid to go further.

You closed your mouth tightly, biting the inside of your cheek as you scolded yourself.

Don’t fucking moan, don’t fucking moan. He barely touched you.

“I’m going to insert the speculum now,” He said quietly, and you heard him whisper another sentence to himself, “God, you don’t even need lube…”

You knew that he knew how turned on you were by just his presence alone, and you closed your eyes as Dr. Davis inserted the plastic into your body, the feeling of fullness causing you to chew on your bottom lip.

Dr. Davis clicked the hinges as the speculum opened you up, and you covered your mouth with your hand, something Noah had noticed.

“Are you in pain?” He asked gently, and you shook your head.

“N-no, I-I’m okay.”

He hummed again, and it was quiet for a moment.

There was a lack of movement for a second until you felt a gloved finger brush across your clit slowly, and you furrowed your brows in anticipation.

Fuck, that had to be an accident, right?

You tried to think rationally about the situation, but your thoughts trailed to dirty places, silently pleading that Dr. Davis would press against your intimacy again.

Noah had listened for your reaction as he sat before your legs that held you splayed open for him, his mind battling. He swallowed hungrily.

You felt his fingers brush against you again and your thighs jolted to his touch, before you felt the pad of his finger press firmly against you, tracing small circles as he tried drawing a moan from your lips.

Your mouth fell open in satisfaction as your body clenched, Dr. Davis’ fingers rubbing faster and faster.

You couldn’t help it as a gentle whimper crawled from your chest, and with furrowed brows, you bucked your hips into his touch; giving him the permission he desperately wanted.

You felt the speculum being removed, and seconds later a wet swipe trailed up along your folds.

“Oh my god,” You whispered and Dr. Davis hummed, his lips latching onto your sweet spot before two gloved fingers slid into you, curling upwards.

You began to moan again, pulling the blanket away to see the brunette devouring your body. He looked up at you with lustful eyes, his mask pulled underneath his chin.

You ogled upon seeing his entire face, brows furrowed with desire as he remained stone cold.

“If you moan loudly one more time I’ll stop.” He said as he began licking your body once again, eyes fixated on your own.

“Y-yes.”

“Yes, what?” He said, pulling his mouth away as he continued to pump his fingers in and out rapidly, taking his thin glasses off and placing them on the table.

“Yes sir.”

“Good girl,” he praised, burying himself between your legs again in famish, devouring you feverishly with complete craving.

Your legs began to shake from his praise and you covered your mouth with your hands as your hips pushed into Dr. Davis’ touch, completely engulfed with euphoria.

You didn’t know that he was palming himself through his slacks as he ate you out, desperate for friction, desperate for you to be the one touching him instead.

“Cum.” He demanded, and in a second his tongue swiped along your folds you felt the knot that he built release, elation washing through you as you choked back a desiring cry.

Your free hand gripped Dr. Davis’ hair as you pulled him closer, rubbing yourself along his face as he ate you until it became too much, pushing him away.

He stood up, mouth agape and wet from your release as you watched him with yearning, both your chests heaving.

He hastily began pulling off his white coat, throwing it to the floor as you watched him loosen his tie. Sitting up you beckoned him over and his fingers gripped your throat, pulling you towards him as his forehead rested against your own.

You looked into each other’s eyes as unspoken words danced between you, both of you needing each other but too afraid to speak.

He held you firmly for a moment before pulling your lips to his own, kissing you completely with need and hunger, forcing you to taste yourself

You groaned quietly into his lips as your tongues ran along each other, your fingers shaky as you began unbuttoning his blue dress shirt.

His fingers tightened around your neck as your hands trailed to the hem of his black pants, tugging at his waistband as you pulled apart his belt, sliding the zipper down slowly.

He moaned softly as your fingers slid along his abdomen, threatening to dip in to grab where he needed you.

“You’re in no position to tease princess, remember that,” He squeezed your neck again as he towered over you in authority, and you smiled.

“This is wrong.”

“So wrong.” He mumbled before kissing you in desperation again, your minds fogged with nothing but lust and arousal.

Dr. Davis’ hands pulled your shirt over your head as he pulled back, taking in the image of your exposed body, ready for him.

His covered fingers found their way to your core once again, slipping in and out as you pulled down his underwear, his body hard and ready to devour you.

You licked your fingers, smiling up at him as he watched with lustful eyes, before grabbing hold of his erection, pumping up and down as he thrust into your hand in eagerness. He pulled his fingers in and out of you quickly, your mouth falling open as you watched each other, pleasing one another.

“Spread your legs, baby,” Dr. Davis pleaded, and you opened your thighs farther.

“That’s it… Wider,” He whispered, before pulling his hands away from you, wrapping them around himself as he positioned his body to yours.

Dr. Davis didn’t hesitate any longer before he pushed into you, a loud whimper leaving you. His eyebrows furrowed angrily as his gloved hand covered your mouth, pushing you back into the wall.

“Be fucking quiet,” He said through gritted teeth, his chest heaving as he continued to thrust into you, filling your body, claiming you as his own.

He tore into your skin with his motions, the feeling of him pulling out before pushing back in deeply causing your legs to clench shut. He pushed them open with the hand that wasn’t covering your mouth.

“I said to spread them,” He scolded, fingers digging into your thigh before he slapped the top of your intimacy, earning a yelp from you as your body jolted from the contact.

He remained cold and composed, attempting to keep up his professional facade that was beginning to crumble before you. His eyes squeezed shut as he pushed your thighs back towards your chest, opening you as he fucked your body with possession.

You watched his head tilt back, exposing the tattoos on his neck as his lips fell open in complete satisfaction.

Your body felt perfectly wrapped around him, years of need ready to release into you.

Dr. Davis wanted to flip you over so you stood in front of him, one leg lifted onto the bed as he gripped your ass and pounded you; but he knew that right now, he needed to watch your face contort in pleasure for him, from him.

Your body clenched around him, “Dr. D-Davis,” You whimpered, still trying to remain quiet so as to not be heard by the rest of the clinic.

“Noah,” the brunette growled, bringing you into a kiss and you nodded, murmuring his name back to him against his lips in a plea.

He was close to his release, but he held back, waiting to pull another orgasm from you before he would bring you to your knees, ready to cum down your throat.

“You can do it, that’s a good girl.” He praised and you melted at his words, letting go as he thrust into you one more time, your body completely enveloping him as your mouth was covered by his hand once again to mask your screams. Your body shook through the orgasm Noah offered you.

He slid in and out slowly, before pulling away. His fingers were threaded through your hair as he guided you to the floor, placing you on your knees.

You took him into your mouth mercilessly, sucking and bobbing along his length before he gripped your face, pulling you closer.

You gagged along him, tears forming as a deep growl rumbled from his chest, signalling he was close.

Seconds later Noah’s release coated the back of your throat, and you swallowed his orgasm, looking up at him in commitment.

“You’ve always been mine to ruin,” He said, panting as he pulled you off of him, and you sat on the ground, smiling up at him.

The two of you got dressed in silence, the hormones lingering in the air as he pulled off the gloves, grabbing his prescription notepad and a pen.

“I wasn’t able to get a good enough sample to send off to the lab,” He said, scribbling away, “I’ll need you to meet me at my office this weekend.”

Dr. Davis handed you the note and you looked at the paper, staring at the phone number and address as he nodded toward you, opening the wooden door and leaving the office.

hshshgsghshghsshgh ok i am a mess

Tags: @sammyjoeee @cookiesupplier @th4t-em0-k1d  @dsireland86 @whenthesummerdies @spicywhenspeaking @gretaswhore28 @veronicaphoenix @lma1986 @calleyx13 @somewhere-diamond @talialovesmiw @auratheopossumwitch

[midnightshindig]

Tattoo Hcs: Cecil, Donald, Mark, Rex, and William

Literally nobody wanted this but i figured it's better to write what amuses me than get caught up in requests lmao

i'm doing this so i don't impulsively text my tattoo artist bc I'm broke and fate is cruel.... (I want a tlou tattoo sooooooo fucking bad eughkbgsfhausofdfbgrnyht6e5yt4we)

enjoy <33

Cecil

he's a deeply professional man

He has the same philosophy to his body that my parents have towards cars: "NO identifying features."

He doesn't want to be undisguisable, and the only thing he wants on his body to be a constant reminder is the scar on his face

That being said, he'd probably get a very practical tattoo, like his social security number or some weird shit in invisible ink on his inner lip or smth

Like, purely pragmatic.

I could maybe see him getting a "cool" tattoo in college, probably something super small on his lower stomach or hip or anywhere nobody would ever see

Like a gun or a shark, or something a stupid college student would like

Donald

NEW Tattoo's are largely a moot point once he realizes what he is

they're not actually permanent since the GDA can never be fucked to replicate them on his skin now that he's uncovered the truth

That being said, I could see him finding some freedom with this and getting ridiculous tattoos for the hell of it

Comes into work with a heart mom tattoo, like the really traditional one

He gets random names tattooed just to fuck with his coworkers

actually I take back everything this man is getting some shit in binary code on him

and a fish

a big ass fish chest tattoo

I said what I said

Mark

The ONLY normal person about tattoos istg

I dont'..... think.... he CAN get tattooed?

Think PB and Marceline getting tattooed

like I think he'd just heal over? He doesn't scar or anything

poor dude....

it's for the best, his mom would murder him

When he's older he tries to get a tattoo of eve's symbol on his wrist bc he thinks it would be cute or wtv

but no matter how many times they go over it, it just keeps healing up

I can totally see him being the type of guy to draw on himself, though

wore long sleeves like all of high school so he could have notes and doodles alllllll up his forearm

used to get in trouble for it at work (mf burgermart...)

He probably still writes notes to himself on his arm when its menial shit like "take Oliver to park" or "Date @ 5"

Rex

He has a back alley shitty tattoo of an explosion on his ankle or something that he got when he was sixteen against Eve's will

When he's older he has the restraint to at least get tattoos that're safe and look good

Not one for patchwork tattoos, probably has something more like decorative

Maybe cyber sigilism? I can see him having a full back tattoo just bc it makes him look cooler

AND a lower abdomen tattoo, like in his v?

He gets most of his tattoos for the sex appeal ngl

William

He's sensible

oh my god I lied HE'S the normal one of the bunch

He's got a couple tattoos in discreet places, his hip/legs or maybe his shoulder/bicep or something

Places he can easily and often does hide

but his tattoos come without aesthetic priority, he gets stuff that he likes AND that looks good

Very fineline stuff

NO fandom tattoos, he's decidedly anti fandom tattoos bc he's still a little insecure about being "cringe"

That being said, I wouldn't put it past him to get a little bowling tattoo

Gets a tattoo for Mark at somepoint probably maybe idfk

I both feel like William isn't THAT close with Mark, like they have one of those "I'm here for you man *pat pat*" male friendships

But I can see Mark convincing him to get a tattoo "because I can't!" in like the whiny voice he does

it's probably some dumb shit like a seance dog crystal ball with sparkles around it

William initially is so mad he let Mark talk him into it but he grows to really love it

There's at least two men on campus with Williams name tattooed on them and he DID NOT tell them to and DID NOT date/hook up with them and he thinks its the funniest shit ever, absolute menace this guy

[cadaveerie]

I'd like to point something out to Dragon Age fans, especially fanartists, in the nicest way possible:

Taash doesn't have a small waist. Taash doesn't have boob armor. Please guys, could you consider drawing the bodies of people you perceive as women like they actually are? Pleaseeeeee.

A lot of people doing fanart have been giving them both, and while it's not a crime or anything, can we for once let characters read as female not have those tropes? Especially when they're not like that in canon?

Obviously I do not condone harassment because of how anyone draws a fictional character, so I'd ask you don't target specific people about this... I just think that it's already rare to get these characters that don't have tiny waists and boob armor, so it'd be nice if this was more widely respected. I ask you to consider why it matters, and why it's questionable to have the one character like this be changed.

And also, not that related, but still somehow related to how Taash is perceived by fans: Taash has been referred to by 'she' and 'they' pronouns by the devs, so I'd just ask people to keep it in mind as well, and the possibility that they might not be a woman. That and the fact that both their writer and actor are non-binary and go by they/them, and that apparently Trick Weekes has expressed in the past their desire to write only trans characters (I've heard this multiple times, but I don't have the source. Let me know if you do.) I also think that the way Corinne Busche talks about their arc sounds incredibly trans-coded to me, but that's another discussion. Obviously, we don't know Taash's gender yet, they might not be enby at all, but it's still a nice thing to keep in mind since we lack the information to indicate the opposite, and there's some other to at least suggest the possibility that they might be trans, and perhaps even have a coming out arc.

I just ask that you consider these things at least. It matters to a lot of people, for good reason.

source: [1] Taash's picture, Corinne using they/them for Taash and talk about their arc.

[sixpennydame]

dark side of the moon⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ [chapter 2]

Pairing: Yakuza!Levi x F!reader

Word count: 6.2k

Newly out of prison, Levi is thrown back into life in the yakuza.

Series Content/Warnings: mafia/yakuza AU, flashbacks, slow burn, mystery, cyberpunk, sci fi, non-binary Hange Zoe, eventual smut, dark content, graphic violence and sexual content

Author's Note: A huge thank you to my beta reader @bitchymanlet - you were such a big help through this!

next chapter/masterlist/AO3

“Inmate 012025, Ackerman. It’s time.”

With a loud thud, the heavy, titanium doors slide open, and bright light fills the small cell.

”Hands against the back wall. Make it quick.”

Levi stands up and walks to the back of his cell. With a sigh he raises his hands and presses them against the wall.

Immediately a guard grabs his arms and places them behind his back, before clicking the cold cuffs around his wrists.

“Don’t give us any trouble now, Ackerman.”

As if he would do something today, of all days.

The two guards lead him down the corridor, past all the other cell doors; Levi can feel the other inmates staring out from the tiny window on their cell door. Their eyes follow him, wild and predatory.

But Levi Ackerman had never been their prey.

One of the guards presses a code into a keypad and another heavy door opens. There’s a series of offices, all behind thick-plated, forcefield glass.  The three men move toward a desk where a woman with blue hair, deep wrinkles and uninterested eyes types in the air. With a blink of her eyes, the screen before her disappears.

”Ackerman, Levi?”

Levi nods and the woman takes a device that scans his eye, confirming his identity. 

“Hold out your right hand.”

He does so, while she scans another device over his wrist. There’s a sharp sting, and then the glowing tattoo of his inmate number - 012025 - was gone.

“That takes care of the detection device implanted inside your wrist,” she informs in a monotone voice.

Levi touches the silver button behind his left ear. “What about my cerebral comm system?” 

“It’s been completely deleted. You’ll have to have someone reactivate it.”

The woman moves to a back room and returns with a large vinyl bag.

”Here are your belongings. You can change there.” She gestures to a door just outside their office cluster. 

Levi takes the items, walks to the room and closes the door. He steps out of the grey prison jumpsuit and stands there in just his underwear, looking at the stack of clothing he hasn’t seen or felt in almost five years: a black t-shirt, black combat pants, boots, socks..

He puts on each item, and wonders if he’ll feel different - if he’ll revert back to the man he used to be before he was put behind titanium bars.

But he doesn’t feel different. He doesn’t feel….anything.

When he finishes dressing, the guards walk him to the outer gate of the prison. The forcefield comes down and Levi takes his first step outside as a free man.

”You’re late. I’ve been waiting out here for over 30 minutes,” comes a voice from behind him.

Levi turns to see a tall man with sandy brown hair leaning against a cherry red vehicle. “I thought you’d done something to get another year added to your sentence.”

”Tch, as if I had any say in what time they’d release me.”

”You look like shit.”

”Takes a piece of shit to know one.” 

Both men glare at each other, then the tall one smirks. “Good to see you again, Levi.” He pats him on the shoulder.

”You too, Farlan..” Levi replies warmly.

”Come on, let’s get you out of here.” 

The car’s engine purrs as Farlan weaves in and out of traffic. Levi is enveloped by the leather seat, the glow of the neon accents inside reflecting off of Farlan’s dark suit coat.

”Looks like you’re doing well for yourself,” Levi says.

“The last few years I’ve been managing all our legit businesses, making sure they look good on paper. At least good enough that nobody will snoop around further.”

”So you’re a paper pusher,” Levi remarks. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

”Beats fixing the books for underground gambling rings,” Farlan answers defensively. “It’s the same concept though, just a different arena. I’m suited for this.”

Farlan had always been smart. He knew how to work the angles and how to get people to let down their guard.

They’d met at the orphanage they were both put in during one of Neo Tokyo’s efforts to, “alleviate the growing population of homeless children littering the city’s streets.” Farlan had convinced Levi that his calorie bar - the only thing they received for dinner - was infested with invisible larvae and that if he gave it to him he'd get another one. Finally figuring out he’d been conned, the next day he punched Farlan in the face and took his daily ration. 

They’d been friends ever since. 

During their teenage and young adult years with the Ackerman clan, everyone knew their names. They had their hands in almost every backalley operation - from gambling to fights and everything in between.

And if Farlan had been the brains of their operation, then Levi was the brawn. Farlan could shake people down through intellect, and when that didn’t work, Levi would beat them to a pulp. Together, they were feared and respected.

They had been equals. But now, after five years, Levi felt left behind.

“So where are you taking me? I need a shower.” Levi scrunches his nose at the musty smell emanating from his clothing.

”To your apartment. I made sure they didn’t touch anything. It’s all there as you left it.”

”Probably a dusty mess…but thanks for looking after the place.”

”Wasn’t that hard. Not like you had much stuff in there.”

”…and Isabel?” Levi asks tentatively, afraid to know the answer.

”Still functioning, and still entirely devoted to you. She could barely contain her excitement today.”

Levi felt a rush of relief. He never thought he’d feel any sort of affection for an android, but Isabel was different. She was a friend and comrade, and had saved his ass on more than one occasion, stitching up his cuts and gashes from a fight or standing beside him during a back alley brawl. But he was often surprised by how human she behaved sometimes, tearing up when she’d see a dead animal on the side of the road, or stealing food to give to a needy family. 

Sometimes he thought she was more human than he was. 

The buildings grew higher and higher the closer they got to the city center, their reach seeming to pierce the orange-red sky of the late afternoon. The next thing he knew, Farlan was pulling up to his apartment building, both of them entering the elevator decorated with layers upon layers of graffiti, and finally walking down the hallway and standing in front of his apartment door. 

It was finally hitting him. He was free.

”I bought you some suits, hopefully they fit. Though you do look like you’ve bulked up a bit.”

”Not much else to do in prison but exercise. I tried to train as much as I could, too. I wanna get back into the ring.” 

“After all this, you still want to fight?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“It’s just…nevermind. Take a shower, get dressed,” Farlan hesitates. “Oyabun wants to see you this evening.”

“Oyabun…” Levi repeats, the word turning sour in his mouth. “Your professionalism is getting on my nerves. You don’t have to talk to me like I’m some new recruit.” 

“That’s who he is, Levi. He deserves our respect.”

Levi grimaces. “So Kenny’s pulling my leash already, huh?”

”Levi.. I know things were…strained between the two of you before, but he kept you protected while you were in prison.”

”Bullshit.”

”Believe what you want.” Farlan waves his hand in surrender before walking towards the door. “I’ll be back this evening.”

”Don’t bother, I can drive there myself. Where’s my bike?”

“It needed some tuning up since it’s been out of commission for so long. Isabel’s getting it ready for you.” Farlan turns to grin at his friend. “So you’re stuck with being chauffeured by me just a little longer. See you in a few hours.”

The door shuts and Levi is surrounded by silence. It’s a different sound than he’s used to; even though it’s the space he lived in for years, it feels unfamiliar and new.

His eyes scan the room; it really was exactly as he left it. Always the minimalist, his small sofa nestled in a corner across from a dining table with two chairs. No pictures, no books; the only personal item was an antique ceramic teapot and two cups.

”Petra.”

Suddenly, the lights fade up in the room, as if the apartment itself was coming to life.

”Welcome back, Levi,” the female voice resonates in the space, “it’s good to have you back. I haven’t been activated in such a long time.”

”Yeah, I’ve been…away.”

”Shall I prepare you some tea?”

”That’d be great,” Levi pulls off his shirt, “but I’d like to take a bath first.”

There’s a chime of recognition and then, “The bath water is ready. Please relax, sir.”

”Thanks.”

Levi had always felt prompted to treat Petra respectfully, even though he knew she was just an apartment AI - an assistant built into almost every home in Neo Tokyo. But it was so rare for him to hear a kind word from anyone in his life, so hearing her voice made him feel like he was being reunited with an old friend.

He takes off his clothes and turns on the shower, taking a sponge to wash away the dirt and grime from his body and hoping in some small way, that it might wash away some of the memories as well. 

But those proved harder to get rid of. He knew only time could do that.

He finally sinks into the steaming bath water and a heavy sigh escapes his lips; he can feel his muscles relaxing with the heat, years of built up tension slowly melting away. The Martians of Neo Tokyo knew what an important resource water was, but now Levi felt it in his very bones. 

Stepping out of the bath, he looked at his naked body in the mirror. He was bulkier than he was five years ago, Farlan was right about that. His lean, muscular frame, useful for street fighting and cage matches, was now replaced by more defined arms and chest; it was noticeable now, even beneath the tattoos swirling on his body. 

A giant eagle, designed in the classical Japanese style, stretched across the length and width of his back; its wings outstretched and talons out, as if attacking prey. A red moon shone from his right shoulder and clouds wrapped around his torso, swirling up his abs and around his pectoral muscles. Over his left pec was the Ackerman clan crest, the Japanese character for power, 力, encased inside a circle.

That had been his first tattoo, when he was initiated into the Ackerman clan as a teenager. That felt like an eternity ago now.

His yakuza tattoos covered many of the scars Levi had received throughout his life, but there were new scars from his years of incarceration. He collected them all like badges of honor; evidence that he’d survived another day.

He found his electric shaver and erased the light stubble growing on his face, then decided to shave his undercut again, just like he’d always had it. But this time, he kept his hair slightly longer than it had been before. He slicked it back with a comb, exposing the sharp features of his face - flawless, except for one scar running through his right eyebrow, breaking it in two and barely missing his eye.

He’d forgotten how he'd received most of his scars, but that one…

…he’d never forget that night.

Wrapping a towel around his waist, he walks to his bedroom.

”Petra, I’ll take that tea now. Green jasmine.”

”Right away,” she responds. 

As Farlan had promised, there were several suits hanging in the small closet. The yakuza were old fashioned, and clan members always preferred the look of the classic, tailored suit, in contrast to the bright and bold fashions prevalent on the streets of the city. Levi scans each one and decides on a dark navy blue suit with a white shirt. In a drawer are several ties, but he decides to forgo them and instead keeps the top two buttons undone, slightly exposing his chest tattoos that start just under his collarbone.

If Kenny wants him to wear a suit then he’ll do it his way.

He rummages through another drawer and finds his gold earring stud. The hole in his ear has grown smaller but he pushes it through, wincing just a bit as it breaks through skin. He welcomes the pain, though. Pain has always made him feel alive.

“Your tea is ready, sir.”

Levi takes the tea cup from the food preparation compartment and eases into a chair that’s facing his balcony window. How long has it been since he’s had a steaming cup? Tea wasn’t the type of contraband that could be obtained in prison, no matter what an inmate had to trade. He lifts the cup to his lips and takes a sip, breathing in the aroma.

”These are imported leaves from off-planet. Where did you get them?”

Petra blinks on. “Mr. Church wanted to make sure that you had the best for your homecoming.”

Levi’s lips turn upward into a faint smirk. 

Farlan.

He guesses his old friend can afford things like this now. No more slumming it like they did when they were kids. He’d made his way in the world, and now Levi wanted to as well.

But first things first…

He finishes his tea then grabs his suit jacket. “Petra, I’ll be back later,” he says to the room, before stepping out of his apartment and into the city streets. The sun was just starting to set, creating a copper glow to the sky as it reflected off the high rise buildings and skyscrapers. Neo Tokyoites filled the sidewalks, bustling from one place to the next, but no one drifted an eye toward Levi as he walked along the city streets - just another face in the crowd. 

The city hadn’t changed much since Levi had left it, but even if it had, he could make it to his destination with his eyes closed. He takes a right, then a left, turning into a narrow alley and scaring a cat or two before arriving at an unmarked door. 

He knocks once, a pause, then two more quick knocks.

There’s commotion on the other side of the door, as if someone is scrambling towards it. Then it bolts open.

“Aniki! I knew you’d come!”

A small red-headed young woman throws her arms around Levi’s neck, practically throwing his body across the alley. 

“See? Didn’t I tell you he’d come right away?” she boasts as she pulls him through the space Levi had once used for training. His punching bag was still there, gathering cobwebs in the corner, along with his other training equipment, but the rest of the room was now littered with electronics and various tools.

And sitting in another corner was Farlan, scrolling through his comm device as he lounged in one of the only chairs in the entire space.

“Isabel knew you wouldn’t stay in your apartment for long, so I thought I might as well just wait for you here. Saves me a trip, anyway.” Farlan smirks.

Isabel can hardly contain her excitement. “The trio is back together, just like old times!”

Old times…Levi thinks as he looks around the space. Everything - and he’s sure everyone - has changed, but it’s a relief to see that Isabel is still the same. 

Levi puts his hand on the top of her head. “Glad to see that Kenny didn’t get rid of you once I was arrested.”

“What? No way! Farlan got me out of there the moment you were busted. He’s been getting me steady work ever since, working on bikes and cars, even some augments here and there.” Her face beams, “Kenny may have thought me a useless android, but I’ve been making my own way.”

That also gave Levi some relief. Throughout these past years, he’d wondered what had become of the spunky little android he’d saved from the wrecking yard. 

Levi had always had a soft spot for things that were considered broken beyond repair. 

“Isabel, I need you to reboot my cerebral comm connection.” 

“Oh yeah, yeah, not a problem.” Isabel takes his hand again and leads him to a part of the room with a computer connected to a multitude of cables. 

Levi sits on what looks almost like an examining table, leaning his face into the light above. “You’ve got quite the set up here.”

“Since I’m not a certified augmentation android, I have to stay under the radar, so most of my clients come from Farlan or from word of mouth.” 

Isabel rolls her chair over to Levi. “Just turn your head to the right for me…” One of her small hands finds the silver button behind his left ear and with one swipe of her tool, pops it out.

 “Let’s see what I can do here..”

There’s a slight sense of pressure as Isabel sticks a cable into the port, connecting Levi to her computer. She rolls back over to her station, clicking her keyboard methodically.  

“All your contacts are still here…at least they didn’t try to wipe your memory for names and information.”

“Oh they tried,” Levi remarks, “but it didn’t work. Seems my Ackerman genes are good for more than just kicking people’s asses.”

“I bet that pissed them off,” Farlan adds, still scrolling through the air with his pointer finger as images only he can see moves across his eyes.

“Almost there..” Isabel says, intensely concentrated on her computer screen.

There’s a few more clicks of her keyboard, and then Levi feels a slight jolt of electricity through his head.

“And that should be it.” Isabel rolls back over the Levi, disconnecting him and replacing the silver button. “You should be connected to your old contact list now.”

“Thanks.” Levi pats her head again and she grins from ear to ear. 

“I’ll have your bike ready for you tomorrow.” The red-head responds while Levi gets up from the examining table. Farlan gets up, giving both of them a look that says it’s time to go. As Isabel walks them to the door she puts a tentative hand on Levi’s arm.

“Aniki…once the word is out that you’ve been released, people are going to wonder when you’ll start fighting again.” 

“That’s a good question, and one I’m about to get an answer to,” he responds. 

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

The Ackerman Clan headquarters was housed in a nondescript, four-story building, just on the outskirts of the entertainment district. The only thing that made it stand out from the other business buildings was the Ackerman crest emblazoned next to the door; no other signs were needed, and inhabitants of Neo Tokyo didn’t have to be fluent in Japanese to know its meaning…

Power. The word that’s synonymous with Ackerman.

Farlan pulls up and the door to his car lifts up automatically. “Oyabun is in his office - I assume you remember where everything is.”

“You’re not coming in.”

“Nah, not this time. Kenny wanted to meet with you privately, and I have a meeting to get to, anyway. I’ll see you later this evening.”

Levi steps out of the car, straightening his suit jacket before stepping up to the door. The moment he touches the handle the door unlocks for him.

At least he knows he hasn’t been completely shut out of the organization.

There are voices coming from the second floor - new recruits, most likely, being made to clean and prepare dinner for the evening. Levi remembered the hierarchical structure well; it was something he’d also had to go through in his teenage years. But unlike the others here, he wasn’t recruited into this clan.

It was something he was born into.

The elevator takes him to the top floor, which was reserved entirely for the clan’s leader. Levi walks through the empty reception area and knocks on the office door.

“Come in,” a low, gravelly voice answers.

Behind the door is a room split in half; the front part serving as a reception area and in the back, a broad desk surrounded by pictures of past leaders. The man behind the desk grins broadly then stands up, gesturing to Levi to come in. His face shares many of the same features as Levi: a sharp profile and even sharper eyes of a stormy grey hue. He’s taller than Levi, however, and leaner, with a powerful aura that fills the entire space.  

“Look who’s back from the dead,” he says, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Levi scoffs at the phrase, but it’s true; the last few years in prison made him feel like a corpse, a half-life that dragged on and on. In a way, he has been resurrected.

“Kenny…” he says sharply, “you wanted to see me.”

”Of course I did! It’s not every day that I can celebrate the release of my nephew from prison.” He gives Levi a once-over. “You survived with all your limbs, that’s good. And you look strong,” he frowns, “but not any taller.”

Kenny laughs at his own joke and then offers for Levi to sit, but he refuses, standing in front of the broad desk with his arms crossed. 

“And no better sense of humor either,” Kenny deadpans before sitting on the edge of his desk. “Always so serious. But no matter…let’s get right to business.”

At that, Levi finally sits, though he’s on edge and alert, not sure where this conversation might go.

Kenny walks behind his desk where a katana sword is displayed. He picks it up and slowly removes it from the sheath.

“You know, Levi, we Ackermans have been feared for our strength for generations, even before we were yakuza. This power has shaped us into what we are today. I’ve been preparing you to take on this role someday, but you’ve been a pain in my ass from the beginning: disobedient, disorderly, and headstrong. That fire in you needed to be beaten into submission.”

Light glistens off the katana as Kenny moves about the room. “I let you do those cage matches because it gave you a purpose and kept you compliant. But when you started earning huge sums of money, and weren’t paying your dues to me and your brothers - well, that just wouldn’t do.”

Kenny stands in front of Levi now, the katana held loosely at his side. “I hope your time in prison taught you a thing or two about respect, Levi. What I say, goes. Always.”

He pauses, as if expecting to get some sort of reply from Levi, but gets none.

“You were supposed to lose that match - that was the deal we’d set - not beat the humanoid within an inch of his life. You lost me an incredible amount of money, and respect from the Reiss Agency. So you needed to be taught a lesson.”

Levi’s hands ball into fists in his lap, his nails digging into his palms. He takes a deep breath before he responds. “Consider the lesson learned. When can I start fighting again?”

“Fighting?” Kenny laughs. “You think I’m gonna put you in the ring again after that stunt you pulled? Abso-fucking-lutely not. It’s time you started preparing for a bigger leadership role.”

Levi grits his teeth. He wants to grab that katana Kenny holds and slice him right down the middle. 

He could do it - he’s strong, probably stronger than Kenny now. He could do it and finally be free. 

He takes a breath. No, this isn’t the time.

Be smart…

Kenny presses a button on his desk and a few seconds later, a tall, blonde woman enters.

“Sir,” she says in a stern, serious voice.

“Levi, you remember Caven. She’s my wakagashira now.” He grins. “The title you should have had. I suppose you’ll have to usurp her someday.” Levi can tell that it gives Kenny no greater joy than to think of the two of them fighting for the role and for his approval. 

Caven’s eyes slide towards Levi, her body on edge, as if Kenny could call for them to fight any minute. Kenny laughs. “But that’s a problem for another day. Caven, introduce Levi to the new shatei - he’ll be in charge of them now.”

At that, Levi stands up. “What? I don’t want to be in charge of some brats.”

“Oh, but you will, Levi. Because what I say goes.” Kenny’s eyes darken and his voice lowers. He walks towards Levi, looking down at him, the katana still in his hand. “Got it?”

Levi looks away, wordlessly conceding to Kenny’s demand. He turns to follow Caven out of the office.

”I guess this is when I’m supposed to welcome you back,” she says coldly.

”Don’t bother. We don’t have to pretend that we like each other.”

They both walk down the stairs to the second floor. “I’m not sure what you mean, Levi. You’re my brother. We’re all family here - or did you forget that while you were in prison?” 

Levi clicks his tongue at the statement. He always thought the yakuza’s obsession with family laughable; if this was supposed to be a family, then it was the most dysfunctional one he’d ever known. 

Not that he’d really ever known anything else.

The brief times he’d ever felt the true bonds of family was when he was with Farlan and Isabel, or as a small child, when it was just him and his mother. But those years were fading from his memory with every year he grew older.

“Speaking of which,” Caven opens the door to the second floor, where there are clattering and raised voices coming from the living area.

”I told you to clean this place up!”

”I did! Why can’t we just have androids do this?”

”There are no androids here, idiot. Oyabun is against it. Now hurry up, our brothers are gonna be here soon.”

Caven pinches the bridge of nose and gives a heavy sigh. “Connie! Jean! Get out here.”

Two young men emerge from the room: one on the smaller side, with silvery grey hair and a buzz cut; the other tall and lanky, his light brown hair growing slighting over his undercut. 

They both look at each other then at Levi, mouths slightly agape. Caven clears her throat, clearly disappointed at their sudden lack of manners.

”Connie, Jean, this is Levi. He’ll be your big brother from now on and will prepare you to be a true member of the clan.”

”Levi… Ackerman…we heard all about you,” Jean says, bowing deeply. When he sees Connie still standing there staring, he pulls him down as well. “It’s an honor, sir…uh, aniki.”

They both stay in a bow and Levi shifts uncomfortably. “What am I supposed to do with them?”

”Take them around on neighborhood patrols and payment collections. You know, standard stuff.” Caven raises an eyebrow. “Unless you’ve forgotten the basics.”

Levi gives Caven a cold look, then walks over to his new younger brothers, their bodies still at a ninety degree angle. 

“Ok, that’s enough. You don’t have to bow to me.” Levi looks around the space as they stand up. “You were cleaning?”

Jean rubs the back of his head nervously. “Yeah…then we were gonna start cooking dinner after we finish this…”

Levi’s discerning eyes continue to survey the room, seeing every hairball and clump of dirt left behind. “Oh, you are nowhere near finished.” He hangs up his suit jacket. “You. Baldy.” His finger points at Connie. “Go get the mop. Jacques – ”

“...it’s Jean, sir..” 

“-- get a rag and start wiping everything down.”

“But we just cleaned —,” Connie interjects, but when Levi glances towards him, his mouth clamps shut.

“I’ll leave you all to it, then,” Caven says, sauntering away. “Good luck, you two.”

Connie and Jean immediately start their tasks. Levi rolls up the sleeves of his dress shirt.

”I’m sure you’ve heard lots of things about me, but one thing you should know right now: I do not tolerate filth.”

”Yes, aniki!” They both answer.

”I’ll start on dinner prep. You two join me when you finish here.”

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

It’s not long until other clan members start ambling into the building for dinner. Levi hears their voices before he sees them, and the corners of his mouth curl into a slight smile.

”It smells cleaner in here! Could it be?” 

A tall man with long, blonde hair strides into the kitchen. “If it’s not the man himself! Oi! Levi’s back, everyone!”

“Pipe down, Eld, the whole damn neighborhood can hear you,” Levi chides, before shaking his hand. “Good to see you again.”

“Shit, I don’t believe my eyes. Levi!” Another man enters, patting Levi on the back generously. 

“Gunther..”

“It’s about time they let you out..” comes a lackadaisical voice from the back. Levi turns to see a third man, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, a cigarette hanging from his mouth. 

“Well you know, Oluo, I had to get back here and beat your ass back into shape.”

Eld and Gunther laugh, but Oluo frowns. “Come on, Levi, I’m a lot stronger now. You’ll see.”

Levi feels a bit uncomfortable with all this attention on him, but it’s expected; these are men he’d known since they were new recruits. He’d done jobs with them, showed them how to take a punch and even give them when needed. It’s amazing how much they’ve changed in just these few years.

He wonders what else has changed in this organization. 

“I see you’ve met the little brothers,” Eld says, grabbing Connie and putting him in a headlock.

“I’m in charge of them, actually.”

“Damn,” Oluo laughs. “Hope you two are up for it.”

“Up for what?” Jean asks.

Oluo smirks as he sits down with the others at the table. “For the daily ass beatings you’re gonna get if you don’t keep the damn place spotless.”

Everyone laughs except Connie, Jean, and Levi, who looks at his two little brothers. “They are right about that.”

Connie and Jean eat their food quietly, listening to the stories being told around the table by the others about Levi. He shifts in his chair uncomfortably; he doesn’t particularly like being talked about like he’s some history report, but he’s content enough to listen, especially as the conversation shifts to updates on the clan and its newest exploits.

Hours pass with more stories being told and alcohol being drunk, until Caven walks through the door, a serious look on her face.

“There’s been a disturbance at Club Azure. Some members of the Jaeger Clan are causing a scene and harassing the hostesses. Levi, Kenny wants you to take care of it.”

Before Levi can even respond or refuse, she’s on her way out the door, but stops, glancing at him behind her shoulder. “And take Connie and Jean with you.”

“Fucking Jaeger Clan, thinking they can mess around on our territory,” Gunther says, his hands balling into fists. “Unfortunately for them, Levi’s back.”

Without a word, Levi gets up from the table and grabs his jacket.

“Those Jaegers won’t know what hit ‘em,” Oluo adds. 

“Come on,” Levi finally says to his two brothers, who scramble away from the table and file behind him. “Let’s get this over with.”

Levi hadn’t realized how much time had gone by that evening until he stepped out into the brightly lit streets of the entertainment district. Signs flashed and holograms coaxed patrons to step inside their clubs, while drunks stumbled around them, yelling about which bar to hit up next. 

Pachinko parlors, night clubs and host and hostess bars lit up every corner of every block; and when these institutions closed in the early morning light, there was still entertainment to be found in the sex clubs and soap lands. 

And every one of them was protected by the Ackerman Clan.

“Does Hange still own Club Azure?” Levi asks as they make their way to the club, an easy walk from the clan headquarters.

“Yeah,” Jean answers, “but I’ve heard times have been tough over there.”

“Tough for a lot of the clubs these days, I heard,” Connie adds. “Members of the Jaeger Clan have been busting shit up around here recently and scaring customers away.”

Levi wants to ask more about this Jaeger Clan, but they’ve already arrived at the doors of the club. By the time the three men enter, there are raised voices amidst the smooth jazz music.

“We got ourselves a non-aug!”

Levi hears a voice say over the others. He looks over to the source of the noise and sees a man - probably no more than nineteen or twenty - being slapped by one of the hostesses.

“Don’t you touch me,” the woman says.

A few seconds later, he sees the man backhand the woman.

And that’s when something ignites in Levi.

“Stay here,” he says to Connie and Jean, wasting no time in walking toward the disturbance. The man grabs the woman’s face hard, saying something about not fucking with the Jaeger clan.

“Oi.”

From then on, Levi goes into combat mode, the rest of the world fading away as he throws the man across the room. He senses the rest of the men gathering around him; he deals with them one by one, barely breaking a sweat.

The leader reaches for a weapon in his jacket, but Levi is faster, his knife in his hand in the blink of an eye.

Even in the heat of the moment, his breathing is calm, his heartbeat is steady, and his concentration is laser focused. He feels his strength coursing through him.

The feeling of his fist against skin, his punches sending a resounding crack across the room…

This is who he is. This is what he does.

He blinks a few times when he sees them scrambling away, the room incredibly silent, until - 

“Thank you so much, um..”

You’re in front of him suddenly.

Your dress does little to hide every curve of your body, and every bit of skin that is revealed shows not a single tattoo or augmentation. He blinks a few more times to focus on your face, and it’s like time stands still. Tears have formed in the corners of your eyes, probably from the force of the blow to your cheekbone, but your eyes are still bright, undefeated. 

No longer able to hold your gaze, he gives you his name and turns away. 

Why is his heart beating so fast?

When he reaches the bar he turns around to see you being whisked off by another hostess.

“Whew! Well that was not how I wanted this evening to end.” Hange says, leaning against the bar and looking at Levi. “And when I called Caven, I had no idea you were gonna show up. I didn’t even know you were out of prison.”

“I just got out today.”

Hange laughs and pours him a drink. “I bet this wasn’t the welcome you had in mind.”

“Who’s that girl? The one that got hit.”

“That’s Luna. She just started here today. Guess you two have something in common there.”

“She’s not augmented?”

“Nope. Pure as snow. Not that I’ve ever seen snow before.” Hange pours a drink for themself and downs it in one gulp.

“Where is she from?”

“Earth… Why do you want to know so much about her?”

That breaks Levi from his concentration on you. He doesn’t answer, but instead shifts on the bar stool and takes a swig of his drink. 

“It’s natural to have those urges, Levi. You’ve been in prison for so long,” Hange’s voice has a teasing lilt.

“Fuck you, Hange.”

“Not even on a good day, Levi. But she might.” Hange gestures to the dressing room where you’ve been taken.

Wanting to get away from the conversation, Levi gulps down his drink and stands up. “I’ll take my guys and search the perimeter of the club to make sure they’ve left.”

“My hero, just like old times!” Hange yells out, as Levi and the other two walk towards the exit of the club. “Don’t be a stranger!”

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

“Hange has a new girl working at Azure.”

It’s the first thing Levi says to Farlan when he picks him up the next morning. He hasn’t been able to think about much else since last night.

”You’re not usually interested in the products.”

“She’s from Earth.”

”So what?” Farlan counters.  “There’s lots of Earth refugees here; in fact, many of them work in that sweatshop Kenny has, making fake….”

”She’s not augmented. At all. Not one mark or change.”

Farlan looks up. He knows where this is going. “That’s not a rarity for Earthlings, Levi. It’s a coincidence.”

“What if it’s not?”

”What difference would it make now? What’s done is done, Levi. You can’t change the past.”

”That’s easy for you to say.”

”Look, I know you want answers, but you’re not gonna find them in some girl from Earth. You have a chance to start things over. Don’t stir shit up.”

But it was too late. Levi’s curiosity had already been piqued. His gut told him there was more to you than what you seemed, and he wanted to know what that was.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

Glossary of terms:

Oyabun - title given to the leader of a yakuza group

Aniki - “older brother”, used to refer to someone who is considered a superior

Wakagashira - a lieutenant, works directly under the Oyabun

Shatei - “younger brothers”, they work under the more experienced “older brothers” (kyodai) of a yakuza clan

Pachinko Parlor - a mechanical game like pinball, used for gambling

next chapter/masterlist/AO3

Join my taglist!

@youre-ackermine @honestlywtfisgoingon @bejewelledd @cometlevi @sea-after-a-storm

@notgoodforlife @belovedackerman @y44sherlock @xyumeni @armani78

@humanitys-strongest-bamf @thalia-prior-of-ravenclaw @zasialovee @heartsforlevi @pieckes

@aomi04 @ackermendick @sun-drak @crazychaoticizzy @mintandgingertea

@socio-kai-path1972 @xuanzhe @hvziers @hollistichood @highgoon69

@vxlentine888 @luasxsx @notsaelty @themoonisbeautiful-blog @leviismybby

@littlerequiem @deepestcatpatrol @nube55 @noctemys @darkstarlight82

@pamakali @leviisgf @righty @dreamtuna @amywritesthings @yihona-san06

@levilxvr @velouria17 @ryutotsukai @outrofenty @l3visthighs @bitchymanlet

@emilyyyy-08 @wingedtalewombat @wavyhat2540 @angelanimedesaray

@spicerackofblorbos @ackerlancio @thunderstorm505-blog @sorenflyinn

@galatict3a @eurydiceofteribithia @synesheart @frag1lity-blog @phoenix-draws77

@ackermanswifee @ae-chidori

[genderqueerdykes]

the post you just shared about being both a trans man and a dyke reminded me of something that ive been wanting to talk about for a while now but haven't been able to so far.

im brazilian. the country with one of the biggest pride parades in the world while also being in the highest rates of violence towards lgbt people. queer culture here is weird, and maybe i missed out on it because i was able to find refuge online among the english speaking community relatively early.

ive been observing something that i wrongly assumed was our own version of the butch/femme community, and for a second i got really excited bc we all know butch loneliness, but the more i started looking into it, the more of its completely rotten entrails they showed me.

it's a disfigurement of the ideas that i have held to my heart so dearly ever since i read stone butch blues for the first time, and even more as i discovered leslie feinberg, and found out that there really were others like me. they use the term "desfem" (as in "defeminized"), and the definition explicitly states that the individual must be a cis woman, quoting some terf-tier bullshit that would make joanne proud.

hating men is their entire personality, and it's so shallow and based on cishet gender roles that there is no "femme" counterpart, because they see no way to perform femininity outside of patriarchal roles. they want the aesthetics of butchness without the hardships of living as one. the trans community carries these people on their backs and still they're more worried about how some dykes are trans too.

i don't know where im going with this, i just need to get it off my chest to someone who would at least have an idea of what im talking about. it's so disheartening to see the community head towards this direction, and i grow less and less interested in forming bridges with cis people as time goes on lol

i wanted to thank you for taking the time to send it, i really appreciate these thoughts! i get contacted by a lot of brazilian people. i think that's super cool! i've heard that despite how large your queer scene is that it's still very queerphobic and that's unfortunate, but it does happen.

"hating men is their entire personality, and it's so shallow and based on cishet gender roles that there is no "femme" counterpart, because they see no way to perform femininity outside of patriarchal roles."

i really appreciate the way you said this! i've been trying to point this out for a while now and i'm glad you've come to this realization, yourself.

for whatever reason, cis lesbian, dyke and sapphic spaces are obsessed with the butch-femme binary. it's romanced to hell and back but it's very restrictive and patriarchal. implying that romantic relationships must fall into a masculine partner + feminine partner structure is cisheteromative. there's not much representation for butch4butch, butch4all, femme4femme and femme4all people. the idea that the masculine partner must be strong and protect the weak feminine partner that can't defend themselves is a patriarchal dynamic.

all of the lesbian yearning posts are about how butches are tops and doms and how all femmes are bottoms and subs. butch becomes synonymous with penis and femme becomes synonymous with vagina. calling butches 'chivalrous knights' dehumanizes them and reduces them to being protector figures. the way cis femmes online go on and on and on about how they "need" a butch is very alarming. femmes are being framed as dependent and as though they can't function unless they have a butch in their life, which is very misogynistic.

it's just a repeat of cishet- the patriarchal relationship formatting applies here, even if the genders are slightly tweaked. it's in the coding. it's literally a copy and paste job. it's lazy and toxic as hell and it leaves out all of the diversity that comes with lesbianism and how butches and femmes can experience life and love and sexuality in a variety of ways.

the thing is, as a genderqueer person, i've never understood why people are so attached to this binary. it's so restrictive. i'm butch, but not in the way that white cis lesbians define it. the way they tlel you how to be butch is so restrictive it's not even funny. it's like you gotta pass a test. you gotta be stereotypically masculine 100% of the time or else you're not a real butch. you're expected to emulate a cishet guy, but if you identify as a guy, all hell breaks loose. if you think about it people basically force butches to identify as men and then hold it at arm's reach away. like you have to act exactly like a man but be a Woman. and it makes no fucking sense.

lesbians are some of the most gender diverse people out there. it's crazy to me that people are trying to force lesbians, people who are known for being gender weird, into a male-female cishet binary but with a lesbian Womyn coat of paint. i wish you better luck in finding community that wants to stick together instead of fight over petty bullshit that doesn't matter. take care of yourself. feel free to stop by again any time

[kanmom51]

JM Muse Blooming

Concept photos and clip

JM's first concept photos dropped, and what can you say? The man is 🔥🔥

Walking in the Smeraldo flowers garden.

Wearing this belt:

Same belt?

The minute I saw this photo it felt a little familiar.

And then it hit me.

JK's 2D shoot.

Now, I'm no photography expert, but it looks like the same kind of slow exposure technique is used for this photo.

And then we have this:

How far will you go for love

To the moon?

To tell the whole world that you want that one person you love, even if your love may be considered as wrong or ugly to some?

To enlist together, being the first idols EVER to do so?

I guess pretty far.

Yeah yeah, I know not everything is about Jikook. This is JM's album, JM's photo concept, JM's creation. And yes, not everything is about them as a couple. There is definitley plenty that isn't. But with saying that, we have seen, time and time again, referencing, coding and mirroring of one another. Not everything is about them as a couple, but yet, I do believe that some of it is.

And then we have this next photo.

Now really?

If you are sitting there and denying the second you saw the tie you didn't envision this:

then you are lying. Either out right or to yourself.

The tie, the crop top. Even the pose with the shoulder tilt and the lifting of the chin gaze looking down.

Reminds me of someone else that had some mirroring going on and was called a copycat and so much more and worse.

I can assure you that was one among many photos taken in that shoot, and yet, that was the photo chosen by JM.

Third photo.

Besides the fact that JM is beautiful, no need to even state the obvious, we get a few more details from this photo.

First we get the 13 on his cheek.

In the Face shoots he had the studs/thorns and scar under his eye, and now he's proudly wearing the number 13, a number that means so much to him that he has it permanently tattooed on his arm.

His nail art.

In the teaser clip we had the crescent (probably right hand) and now we get two parallel lines. An equal sign perhaps?

We also have a little bit more sharing going on.

I guess Jikook do love to share their outfits and accessories when it comes to these solo shoots specifically.

Another coincidence? I think we are way past the point of believing that it is.

We have shared belts.

Same pants.

Different parts of the same outfit.

Same singlet.

Same necklace.

We also got this message:

ARMY! Who knew a baby chick could be so dangerous? One look at these concept photos and you might have a heart attack 🐥 10 years of this boy and he’s still finding new ways to be beautiful? 🤦‍♀️ 🐣: Is that how you see me?! 💜: Exactly that, yes. Hope you’re all pumped up for another new chapter in our lovely shared story!!

I find a few things curious with this one.

First of all, using the terms "boy" and "beautiful".

JM being an almost 30 yo man choosing the work boy is a little strange here, and knowing that every single thing he does is done with thought, just like the use of the non binary singer emoji for the 30 minute reminder or the tteokbokkibyjk.

And what about the use of the term beautiful, a term usually used as an expression of feminine good looks rather than masculine (not by me, btw, but by many).

Another curious thing I found was the dialogue, and more so, the question asked by JM: "Is that how you see me?!"

Question mark exclamation mark.

Is he asking us if we see him as a boy? Is it about age or gender? If we see him as beautiful? Is this about me overthinking? 🤣🤣

And then we have the clip:

So, JM in the dark, looking away from us.

Then the place lightens up and the camera goes into a close up of JM's face, and he's looking into the camera, or at us.

He's literally looking into my soul.

What to expect?

With JM I think we have gotten used to expecting the unexpected, in the very best way possible.

D-19

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Is that really JuanaFlippa?

Based on everything we know right now, the answer is "no"

What's more likely is that this is a Binary Monster pretending to be JuanaFlippa.

On a meta level, we know the admins of dead QSMP Eggs said they won't reprise their roles, but it's no fun to base lore analysis on meta alone, so here's a lore explanation for my reasoning:

First, and perhaps the most obvious explaination: JuanaFlippa never had cracks in her shell. She died long before the event where all the Eggs got kidnapped and were returned with cracked shells, yet this "JuanaFlippa" had cracks. What's interesting to note here is that during the Election Dinner when the fake Chayanne and Tallulah tried to trick Phil, he immediately pointed out that they didn't have cracks in their shell while the real Chayanne and Tallulah did. Perhaps the imposter was trying to overcompensate for their previous mistake by adding cracks to JuanaFlippa's shell not realizing that she never had them in the first place.

The reason why I specifically say this is a Binary Monster is because of the signs she left:

We've already seen the Binary Monster(s) try to replicate regular non-binary writing before when Etoiles encountered the fake Dapper and fake Tallulah (the book he showed Forever pictured below):

"My Dapper me na name" —> "My name is Dapper"

We know the Codes are constantly evolving and learning, so naturally their writing is getting better too (though we can clearly see 1s and 0s and other errors in "Flippa's" signs despite this).

But what's the Code's motivation in doing this?

In the past, we saw the Code(s) mimic Eggs because they wanted to attack and kill Presidential candidates— but that's a pretty recent development. Remember: before the elections, they were attacking the Eggs (though they also attacked Maximus and Cellbit at one point). The motivations of the Binary Monster(s) has always been unclear, and there's a lot of potential roads we could go down while theorizing, but in the interest of keeping this as relevant to the current discussion as possible, I'll focus on just one:

We have strong evidence to believe that the Binary Monster didn't want Islanders to stay on the island. It kept attacking the Eggs and leaving behind signs that said "Last Warning," strongly implying that it was trying to chase them away.

HOWEVER: shortly before the elections, QSMPGlobal tweeted an image of the Binary Monster above the Federation building.

[ Note: I thought I had this photo saved, but I didn't. I've been scrolling through their media tab for 5 minutes and Twitter crashed, so I'll have to add this photo later. It’s very late and I am so so tired. ]

This is the first time the Federation acknowledged the existence of the Binary Monster, and afterward, it said Islanders wouldn't need to worry about it attacking them. Why would the Federation suddenly acknowledge this physical embodiment of a mistake, an error, on their (supposedly) perfect Island?

The answer? The Federation took control of the Binary Monster. Why else would they suddenly deem it "not a threat"?

We could clearly see the Binary Monster deteriorating over time during the election arc. It looked shabbier and shabbier as time went on during the election arc. Something was clearly wrong with it (perhaps whatever the Federation was doing to control it hurt the Code in some way? Maybe the Federation experimented on it and made their own Binary Monsters?) But I digress-

The next time we see the Binary Monster after the Election ends is on Tazercraft's recent stream this week. Not only does it have a new upgrade (the strange OP sword Cellbit + Etoiles saw records of), it also ignores Richarlyson and opts to take a swing at Pac and Mike instead.

Now here's where things get really weird.

Earlier this week, we also saw the Binary Monster on Etoiles' stream. It didn't attack him, and instead leads him to a sharestone, which teleported him to a portal. He's given this image, then is kicked from the QSMP with the message: "The Nether Awaits."

So what does this have to do with JuanaFlippa?

...Well, that's the question, isn't it?

This is where things start getting murkier. I want to draw our attention to two specific things Flippa said before she left:

"It's not safe out there for me."

"Please keep this a secret."

The Binary Monster has already proven time and time again it's a force to be reckoned with. Why would it need to hide? Is it so that it can get closer to Charlie? (And if so, why? To mimic him? To get information?) I think a likelier answer is that the Binary Monster is trying to hide from the Federation itself.

Perhaps whatever the Federation did to shackle it— whether they experimented on it or copied it or whatever— left it damaged and weak. Or perhaps it isn't damaged at all; it just needs to lay low and needs someone else to do its dirty work for it (like sending Etoiles on a quest to find that strange shield in the Nether).

Unfortunately, a lot of this amounts to speculation because we simply don't have enough information yet. (It's also very very very late for me, so this analysis is purely driven by sleep-deprived madness and love for QSMP lore and JuanaFlippa).

Whatever's going on, we need to be very careful and think carefully about this being's motivations. Like Cellbit said: "Eyes always open."

Anyways, feel free to share your thoughts in the tags or comments or whatever, it's always fun hearing what people think of my analysis posts. You can find other analysis posts in my QSMP Info and QSMP talk tag.

[yayasvalveplay]

IM ON A ROLL BABYYYY I FINALLY GOT MY SHIT FOR MY SHOCKBLURR BABY PROPERLY WRITTEN AYYYY

Anyways—

Meet Neuralous! One of Shockwave's many children; not only with prestigous intelligence but with a love for Gothic paints and neolights.

Neurolous's identifies as non-binary/genderfluid. They GOT ALL THE PRONOUNS BABY AND SHE IS GONNA USE THEM. SO IF ITS A LITTLE WEIRD THAT SOME PARAGRAPH HAVE DIFFERENT PRONOUNS, ITS INTENTIONAL BECAUSE HE USES ALL OF THEM, but yall can use any pronouns for Neuralous even if it's just one let me know if the writing makes like ZERO SENSE 😭

Neuralous or Void/Noir/Neura as theyre nicknamed by family (to that one anon who said the names, I love your brain so im making them my baby's nicknames ❤️) is a rather standoffish competitive person.

Considering their sire is Shockwave, it shouldn't be surprising.

Growing up, they were taught under Shockwave. Becoming very specialized in coding and neural networking/systems. Since then they have worked under their Sire in the Decepticon Internal Intelligence Division or D.I.I.D as a code breaker and developer ranging from weapons to security.

Void is just as confident in their work just as they are with their looks. Taking great pride with it that, filing/sharpening her claws or doing her optic liner-while her other servo is typing away at super computers in the lab. Occasionally getting caught and reprimanded by Shockwave more than once. Some mechs calling Neuralous a Shockwave Jr with just how focused he gets into his work that when he speaks, his speech will speed up on a topic he's genuinely interested in.

Like his carrier, who he used to spend lots of time, cuddling with his Carrier as Neuralous babbled about coding games on his datapad. Blurr, the only one who can keep Neuralous grounded and humble so his pride doesn't do him in.

Memories including when a baby Neura took advantage of stretchy limbs, mischievous as a cat— sticking their glossa out to a whimpering siblings who couldn't reach for the toy Neura had in her arms that she wanted all for herself. Only to get a stern talking to by her Carrier; nearly bringing her to tears from the sudden guilt. Her carrier wiping them away before showing her how to share with her siblings, tiredly yet so gently rubbing her 'horns' as Neura used to call them. Carrier smiling softly.

Depsite her intelligence and role; she does tend to be a bit of a gossip due to boredom at their desk.which makes other bots tend to undermine her abilities to keep conversations subtle. So Neuralous isn't equipped to become an agent like her parents.

However their expertise has... grown since then, ever since a mech dubbed Trepan had been accepted into the department, supposedly an acquaintance to the second head of the department, Pharma... Things have been happening. A co-worker or two has left, with Trepan scoffing that they couldn't take the pressure as optics aimed at Neuralous

Trepan had asked then more than once in the past if they would be interest in expanding their horizon and put their focus on the neural system of cybertronian anatomy. Trepan had handed them a data of neurosurgery with a sharp smile. The data pad felt so heavy in their servo as they took it, stocking away Trepan's obvious flowery words of tutelage in their processor before leaving.

Neuralous would consider this.

Since then... Neuralous has been... rather strange. Other than moving out into a pent house, claiming that they have a second job now, even a passion project... they have been rather... secretive with the location and what not... telling half truths and lies that the family has been having trouble decoding.

Which is saying ALOT because this is NEURALOUS. She always couldn't help but tell anyone especially her family what's up. Yet; no matter how hard they pry, Neuralous isn't budging, infact the bot pulls away even more when they try to confront her.

Today; Neuralous had just got off from her work from her Sire. Leaving and promptly bidding farewell to her Sire's office before he could say anything... today she was going to purchase some personal items. When her blue optic twitched as she got a message. It was from her... colleague she had met lately they have just finished the formula for their batch.

Until the message was cut off by a call— it was one of their many siblings, from what Neuralous could remember, it was one of their sisters. Nimbus. Neuralous felt their lips curl down as they answered.

"Hello, Nimbus."

They hummed, walking past the shopping center.

"Sorry, Nimbus— the project were working on needed to be extended, my coding got more complicated."

Neuralous's sharp heeled pedes clicked as they went through an alleyway, their paintjob blending them into the darkness before they emerged into lower stairs. The sound of voices from bots getting closer; Neuralous entered into a busy street, worn down vendors and what not. The street was crowded like a pack of tightly knitted soldiers off to battle.

Neaurlous continued until she was at the side as she waited for the crowd to disburse she she can head through, everyone was tired and worn down, the meek lighting barely glaring above them, they pinched between their red optics, blue optic closing as they sighed.

"Look, Nimbus. I'm sorry that I haven't been visiting, I forgot genuinely... you know I've been working overtime... I don't need to? I know—look—Tell Carrier that I'm doing this with my colleague so it's not like I can just back off."

Neuralous checked one of his claws, as he listened to his sister.

With a soft smile on their painted lips, a rare softness... a vulnerability. Faint guilt in their spark.

"I'll do what I can to make it up to Carrier when I get back, I promise... I swear I'll make it up to you too for dealing with my flashy drama... I'll even let him and you do my make up with whatever you guys want! A spa day if you will... Thanks Nimby, I'll talk later. Take care, Bye. "

Neuralous frowned. It was already hard enough to not talk about what they have learned. But to this extent? To their family? They've even been forgetting to visit to take the worries off of their back. Oh how they wished to have either of their parents' ability to keep long term secrets.

He hung up, excusing himself through the crowd, some of them were clear flight frames or warframes. But Neuralous was especially careful for the small grounder frames, their sharp edges could hit one of them straight in the helm even! And Neuralous got their height from a bit of Sire, "Sorry, sorry! Excuse me, I'm just squeeze right through, yeah–" he hissed, scrap— it was difficult with small bots around him, he even nearly crashed into a small bot. A blue opticed bot.

They walked away, as they finally took a breathe to cool down their heating systems... the things they did to get to the safe house was annoying at most. They rubbed their helm as they unlocked and opened the door. Looking around before closing it, Neuralous turned to the mirror they installed. They cleaned themselves up before entering deeper into the safe house— past vials and tubs of chemicals and liquids, past computers, past tubes of fertilizer and dirt.

Making sure the extra room that kept their favorite things locked and tight, adjusting the temperature to keep things moist in there. Where their colleague was in.

She went to her lab. It was time for work.

Later on when it was time to stop. She would unfortunately realize the orange paint chaffed onto her legs. She will look back in her memories, the network pulling information. Ah... she focused too much again.

AJDJFH LET ME KNOW IF THIS MAKES SENSE SOMEHOW ANDJFH FOR THIS GOTHIC DUMBASS

OH OHOHOHOHHO. MION. MION I AM GOING SO FERAL OVER THIS AHHHHHHHH.

BUT ALSO THIS BEING THE THING WHERE THEY BUMP INTO WHEELIE, NOT EVEN REALIZING THAT HE IS STARING AT HER WITH MURDEROUS INTENT.

There is a good chance Wheelie would of followed him, just to see if this was Blurrs place. Or just follow them to get a sense of their routine.

One of those days they'll run him right into Shockwave, and Shockwave will show him where his Carrier is.

Though he has to jugle this, with his gladiator duties, and seeing the two hot and mysterious mech and fem.

but I guess parallel since they are both hiding stuff from the people that they love.

[bayetea]

Something that has always intrigued me about Frank/Hazel's dynamic is how interracial marriages were prohibited in Louisiana (and like fifteen other states) until 1967 with the ruling of Loving v. Virginia and how that would have impacted the development of their relationship because that would be such a culture shock for Hazel to experience. Do you have any thoughts on this?

(p.s. loving hippocrene so far, you're probably the best Frazel writer I've seen)

omg yes I think about this allll the time 😩 (and thank you for reading hippocrene I'm so glad you like it!!!) there's so many layers to this and I'm fascinated by it all. I think that in order to find an answer to this there's a lot to unpack first

(tags: frazel, character analysis, rr crit, some camp jupiter analysis, us history and segregation-era racism, canadian racism, anti-black and anti-asian racism, poc interracial dating, and just being candid about race in general idk. also this is very long)

so on one hand hazel isn't new to interracial romance, because she was already kind-of-sort-of "involved" with sammy (who presumably wasn't afro-latino; hazel notes sammy as mexican american in son + says that sammy considered himself colored and indian. you can certainly still headcanon him or leo as afro-latino tho). and the thing with anti-miscegenation laws was that they weren't usually concerned with interracial poc x poc relationships.

they existed to preserve white racial "integrity" (particularly to "protect" white female purity from black men), to prevent black people from achieving the same social status as white people, and to uphold segregationist ideas about the "necessary" separation of the races. you see the echoes of stuff like this in hazel attending a school for "colored kids and indians"; it didn't (usually) matter that children of color from different ethnic backgrounds were intermingling as long as they weren't intermingling with white kids. (there was a 1932 louisiana state code passed that specifically prevented black people and native americans from marrying each other + concubinage, so if sammy did in fact "count" as indian, then they actually wouldn't have been able to get married until loving v. virginia had hazel stayed in the past)

I do think it's important to note that asians (and other races) were often an afterthought in jim crow era racial integrity + segregation laws (as was typically the case in the black-white binary racial system that the us was built on), and furthermore, jim crow policies were not uniform in scope across the us. in some cases, asian americans were lumped in with whites and in other cases they were lumped in with "colored" groups (they were 100% subjected to legal and social discrimination in either case though; in a lot of cases they were specifically excluded from even attaining citizenship). because of that, as far as I can tell, hazel could have hypothetically married someone of asian ancestry in louisiana - but I mean, there were very very few asian americans living in the new orleans during that time period to begin with, so it isn't so unlikely that hazel had never even met an asian person before she died, let alone spared a thought about her ability to marry one

but, hazel did spend 8-9 months at camp jupiter before she met frank (I'm getting that specific number from a line in hoh). these months would've been the biggest time period of culture shock in her life. camp jupiter is essentially a post-racial society as we understand it in hoo (but they've supposedly been stationed in the us for hundreds of years according to hazel in son) and while we don't have racial statistics for camp jupiter, I feel like it's safe to assume that the diversity of this camp and its racially integrated nature would have been absolutely mind-blowing for her (cj doesn't even "segregate" based on godly parent, which hazel expresses gratitude for. hmm interesting)

like can you imagine what the first month at camp must have been like for her??? hazel died before the civil rights movement even started. surely nico debriefed her on what to expect but man... she went from being segregated to living amongst underworld spirits for 70 years to having a white brother and sharing intimate spaces like the roman baths and sleeping barracks in racially integrated social groups. that must have been SUCH a culture shock I can't even imagine (and that's not even touching how things have drastically changed for women. seeing reyna, a woc, running a military camp must've been a whole source of amazement and disbelief in itself)

I bring this up solely to recognize that hazel did have some time (those 8-9 months) to acclimate to being unsegregated and intermingling with kids of different races. so by the time she meets frank (about 3 weeks pre-son, before his 16th birthday) she's probably not shellshocked to meet and befriend an asian guy. still, I think getting into a romantic relationship with one would have provoked some complicated thoughts from her, i.e. how does she relate to frank? she's probably never seen a black/asian relationship before, is it possible to make that work? is that a thing that happens in these modern times? it's not a bad thing to wonder about this stuff! frank grew up in the real world and hazel knows that. camp jupiter is not the real world, something with which she has no significant experience in her second life. I can definitely see her being curious and concerned about how race relations are in the post-2000s west (spoiler: they're not great) particularly between black people and asian people, since she's dating one. like she just doesn't know. how would she know?

going off of that, I would've never expected rick to get into the nuances of a black/asian interracial relationship in the books (nor would I expect him to handle that capably) but I have always considered it bad character writing to introduce a fascinating character like hazel, an undead time traveling black demigod from the jim crow south, and offer soooo little racial observations in her povs. hazel cannot be a character who doesn't think about race. she can't be a character who isn't hyperconscious of the things that makes her different or less than because her character is built around her countless experiences of being and feeling othered. she was othered by a white segregationist society in the 1930s (she literally had to sneak around with sammy at the "whites only" riding club), she was othered by members of her own race due to her mother's reputation as an evil witch, she feels othered as a girl from the past living in modern camp jupiter, and she feels othered as a resurrected girl amongst the living. and the crazy thing is that the books (specifically son of neptune) acknowledge all of these emotional complexities except for the most obvious one: hazel almost never thinks about race in her povs??? (or gender for that matter)

even after spending 9 months at camp jupiter, you would think that she would constantly be feeling some type of way about being around white people after growing up segregated (or even some relief that things in the present are better than they were in the past). you would think that she would be so alert with feelings of double consciousness (look up this term if you don't know what it means) but the most we ever really see from her is this:

we see hazel get mad that the amazons keep slaves (except they don't keep slaves it's like. a consensual bdsm thing. like it's literally bdsm according to kinzie there's no other way to interpret them in a way that doesn't suggest some kind of abuse. ok rick thanks for throwing that in there)

she expressed disbelief that "this rich white man is her father" irt seeing pluto for the first time (who apparently looks just like hitler. again thanks for that rick)

when she finds out that romans fought for the confederates in moa she says to jason's face: "as a girl whose grandmother was a slave, can I just say... not cool?" (I HATE this line lmfao I wish I could throw a tomato at rick for this) and then he has an incredibly awkward "not all white people" moment. I love jason to death but it was so awkward it made me sob. and then this whole thing about the confederates goes nowhere

I mean that's pretty much it where hoo is concerned. she referred to nico as a skinny white boy once and that was funny (but very inconsequential)

I always got the sense while reading the books that rick was extremely hesitant to get into this stuff for fear of doing something "wrong", but the consequence of such reservation is that he made his character, a black girl from the jim crow era, appear to view the modern world through a largely colorblind lens, and that just doesn't make any sense whatsoever for a girl who would have grown up seeing signs like "whites only" and "coloreds served in rear" everywhere she went as constant reminders that the world considers her subhuman (and isn't it crazy that she still died to save such a horrible world?). so when it comes to digging real deep into hazel's character you really have to fill in the blanks that the books don't provide (she has the 2nd fewest povs of the prophecy 7 which doesn't help)

SO. in context of alllll of those layers - what I mean to express is that even though you don't see this in the books, realistically, hazel must be well-aware of frank's racial (and cultural) differences from her. is she shocked/intimidated by the idea of being with an asian guy due to all of her experiences? my anticlimactic answer is... probably a little bit? really though, I think any potential shock on her end is subdued by the fact that frank is a fellow poc, and the primary obstacle to their relationship during hazel's first life would've been shunning and ostracization (and as said previously, she was already shunned and ostracized by her community because of her mom so. same old same old).

I will say that if hazel were dating a white person then THAT would probably yield sooooo much more conflict on her side of things (and if anyone is wondering: no, that doesn't make her racist. one can't expect a black girl from the jim crow era to not be sensitive to such things). if you're a person who ships hazel with any white characters then that could definitely be an interesting subject to explore, just try to approach that kind of matter with lots of empathy for someone of her background

I think part of it is also just the ease of being with frank. he's not intimidating. he may be older than her (by <2 years. pls let's kill the age gap misinfo in 2025) but he's a bumbling probatio dependent on her for guidance and companionship for his first few weeks in the legion. the boy is very sweet and very endearing. so while I'm sure hazel felt a little confused about a romance with a chinese boy initially I think it must have also been pretty clear within the first week of knowing him that like.... he's just a guy lmao like he's just a teddybear and he's so approachable, there's nothing to be worried about

and we could ask the question of how frank feels to be dating a black girl too, but I don't think there's nearly as much complication on his side of things because he's not from the jim crow era lol. he just really really really likes hazel (that boy is downbad horrendous from the get go). while it's not uncommon for families to pressure their children to marry within their own ethnic group, I truly can't imagine emily zhang putting such ideas into frank's head (and as I discussed in this post I made recently about the complications of frazel having kids, frank grew up not really invested in his own heritage to begin with). he's also canadian not american and I'm sure hazel doesn't know jack about canada but she would have cared enough to learn more about where he comes from early in their knowing each other

maybe before they were dating, frank would've had some concerns like "is she even into asian guys?" (very common thing for poc to worry about when they have a crush on someone of a different race). I think he just tries to be sensitive to the fact that she's from a different time - I totally see them having funny awkward conversations like "when I was a kid I almost drowned in a public pool" "when I was a kid I wasn't allowed to swim in the public pools" "... oh. I'm so sorry" LMAO. like he might feel like he has to walk on eggshells when it comes to hazel's experiences with racism in the 1930s because it's (understandably) very hard to talk about this stuff; his own experiences with racism are going to be very different from her own, and I imagine him perhaps feeling like it's hard to talk about those experiences with her because he might feel like they're so insignificant compared to her own (canada/vancouver, where frank grew up as a fourth-generation immigrant, does have a long legacy of anti-chinese racism, and this article from the guardian described the city as "the anti-asian hate crime capital of north america" during covid. that the zhangs are described as "one of the wealthiest chinese families in vancouver" doesn't erase the fact that they were living in an area that has specifically hated and discriminated against chinese people for a long long time).

allll of that said though, I don't think frank actually thinks about their different races so much. like idk maybe their wildly different hair textures are a source of fascination/appreciation, but otherwise I think their racial differences are generally unnoticed by him. this is a good thing but colorblindness can also be a bad thing sometimes. nuance or whatever

another kind of funny (and sad) thing is that frank and hazel both just have no real surviving family (I know nico is hazel's family + frank probably has mars siblings at camp but that's not what I'm talking about), and one of the biggest worries that interracial couples tend to have is how they're going to bridge the cultural gap between their families (or deal with racist family members) but marie is dead and emily is dead and grandma zhang is (presumably) dead so crisis averted lmao /j

the last thing I'll take note of is that interracial couples do face unique struggles that monoracial couples don't, that's just a fact. they get stared at in public more, they get harassed on the street, people say weird shit about what their babies will look like, they might get called a traitor by their own race, they have to prepare themselves for the unique challenges of raising mixed race kids (if they ever even want kids), etc etc etc. and yes, there are lots of people out there who still hate interracial relationships (as recently as the year 2000, 40% of alabama voters voted against repealing the 1902 statute that forbade interracial marriage. consider this in context of hoo taking place in 2009-the 2010s) it's all complicated and it's sometimes very uncomfortable. but I mean, so is everything else about hazel's life

and frazel is probably safe and fine as long as they're choosing to stay in camp jupiter/new rome instead of the real world, which again is presented in its current state as a kind of post-racial independent demigod society (they do have some weird obsessions with legacy-building and generational prestige though, and grandma zhang did seem to indicate that romans had an anti-chinese racist history irt frank's ancestor, hence why she wasn't sure if attitudes had changed during frank's lifetime. I do have to wonder about the presence of potentially bigoted lares at camp tho lol). can't say I actually buy cj as a race-blind utopia in the present day considering their history but again, I think that's what the books want us to believe. that frank and hazel, a chinese-african american couple, are co-praetors in toa (I never liked hazel becoming a praetor as a writing choice but w/e I don't care) of a place with a yucky racist history like camp jupiter, is almost kind of poetic justice I guess?

I hope all of that makes sense, and again I'm really glad that you like hippocrene!! if you're interested in this subject and remember this little tidbit from ch7:

then I'll just say that that uncomfortable subject will come up a little bit more between them in upcoming chapters because I think it's very interesting and worthwhile to talk about 😌 thank you for reading!!!

[osc-brainrot]

This is just me pointing out all the background details in TNM 6 (that I could find) cuz I’m a massive nerd for background details lol

This is probably a reference to Hfjone when back pack sent the frech tooth paste guy back to earth

Or maybe it’s for shadowing to the prolong episode

Mini tost from tdos because sketch pad was originally a tdos recommended character before TNM also there’s a tdos short where sketch pad appears and mini tost and them hang out all day and that’s sketch pads back story

Sketch pad has different captions than anyone else in the show I remember on the wiki it said he talked in comic sans but this doesn’t look like comic sans to me idk what it is

There’s a fire extinguisher in the car because sketch pad loves arson

And the plate says “GP5X1H4T” and I think that’s typing quirk for gps x top hat :>

North creek has a national park that is mentioned in the embers short and later in the episode it’s mentioned that gps and top hat and folder go to north creek high school

In this it says that the new file is to big and it had to spilt it in to and that’s why Cody and binary are to different people

This is the door to the store in episode 4 I think

For shadowing to the fact gps has 2 viruses in them

Folder calls gps jeep :>

So tumblr mobile doesn’t let me put more then 10 pictures so I’m just gonna leave timestamps now

[6:21] I already made a tumblr post about the lyrics of the song and you should go read it :D!

But I got one thing WRONG in it 💔

in the “my post modern Prometheus just won’t die” part that’s actually a Frankenstein reference

Thanks to this user for pointing that out

[6:23] gps has a picture of tophat and folder in his office

[6:29] gps is in the elevator with paperclip from Spraypaint and mouses gang so this might mean gps has some connection to the gang

[6:44] folder is playing wackamole with all the characters that get killed in the manor

[6:48] this was the same Photo Booth used in the trailer for this episode

[7:16] “the green one was teaching the short armless one how to drive and stuff”

[7:21] they are all at the same bar Spraypaint was at in episode 5

[7:23] gps saw the forest fire that happened in the short embers I feel like that’s gonna be plot relevant later

[7:25] the date in the left corner of the video says it’s 2003 June 6th I don’t know when this video takes place in the timeline but I think it means TNM takes place in the 2000s-2010s

[7:38] you can see on the can gps in holding that it has a little doodle on it that can also be seen on the dancing in my room video on the channel and I think that’s Allen persona

[8:26] you can see strings of code on the mountain their on and gps is sitting on some sort of computer part

[10:07] the car accident was from gps trying to teach top hat how to drive (that can be seen in the song montage and speaker got punched my spray paint both taking place/mentioned in episode 5

[10:12] rings mom is seen in the short embers and she dies from having a tree fall on her and embers forshadows this episode by the last scene showing the museum burning down :>

[10:19] puzzle piece and pan flute are wiping off the mustard that fell on ball guy(?) in episode 5 

[10:24] those guys are walking out of the room after making the news papers for the embers short

[11:00] here’s what all the files (I can see/read) say

“gpswere 2.1” “tophat <3” “my drawings” “diary” “clock” “recycle bin” “funny stuff” “empty folder” “facesim 98” “memories” “canvas” “music” “documents” “movies to watch” “grocery list” “pool” “worm” “command_1” “command_2” “unknown device”

All the pop ups say

“Delete “meetingfolder.mem”? “Delete balloonride.mem”?

“Running script C5P6PS8E” “running S5Q78TSFDSWC” “running CDCQEWVFDR” “running CHCPW”

All of the commands on the command log thing in the top right says

-Personally pector “6a6179”—————-_LOGS

-debug mode enabled

-system sener process 03 has been created

-ERROR: Syntax error_ unexpected token

-disabled fast string operations

-cache “644” cleared

-ERROR_ could not read /sys/user/diary.txt. (i really like this cuz it looks like binary tried to read gps’s diary)

-signalcontroler. Process [0] complete

-signalcontroler. Process [1] complete

-signalcontroler. Process [2] complete

-onrobotfocusgained method called

-ram ???? “107 105 108 108”

-cache “101” cleaned

-Sensors recalibrates

-gpsware 2.1 operations ceated

-personally sector “6c617665” overran???

-[angel_commit_id] 66M2QXESDT

-[passthrough command decoder] (null)

-[initializing time] 1073

-rsn string “56 50 54 48”

-ram string “53 53 54”

-[initializing time] 688

-cache “161” cleared

-[initializing time] 903

[11:04] binary says the hallway is rigged implying that they have control over the mansion/they know who does

Idk where to put this but Cody and binary are both made using ascii art :D

[12:26] the computer gps has in their room looks old I don’t know how to identify computers but this adds to my idea that the show takes place in the 2000s-2010s

[12:31] folder is glitching out in the picture here because binary deleted the meetingfolder.mem file :)

[12:58] OH BOY MORE COMPUTER STUFF

I’m not typing all that shit on the screen again but all of the pop up’s asking to delete.mem are all memories that were shown in the rewind replay song :)

[13:43] all of the recovered memories also show up in the rewind replay song

[14:13] OK THE COMMAND LOG IS ACTUALLY IMPORTANT

It says

-keyboard controls: added Route to “ cr/micrwave.sys”

-fail safe activated

-malicious entities detected

-lilicit activity’s detected

So yeah that’s a little detail because binary used the microwave to start the self destruct process

And on the pop up it says “self destruct sequence must be set in place this is to ensure that the spread of malicious code is prevented in a accordance to north creek national law”

Implying that there’s like code in every technology object put there by law to blow themselves up if their code is acting up … yeah I don’t like that

[16:18] I saw a theory that gps and folder were actually going to the dance together because their wearing the same color accessories and gps left her for tophat and I really like that so I’m taking it as canon

[16:32] it’s making me cry I don’t like it

[16:50] the reason everyone is looking at them is that is the show takes place in 2000s-2010s then they went to high school in the 90s (if we assume they finished college before the show) and gay relationships weren’t common yet

Also Party hat from boto is in the crowd

[17:35] OWOWOWOOWIWIWOWOOW THIS SONG HURTS (in the good way) I don’t have anything to say here except if you think about it the lyrics can apply to both gps and Cody :]

Kay im done good night

[drinkyourvillainjuice]

Drink Your Villain Juice - FAQ

Contains mild spoilers.

What is the story about?

You play as a science experiment turned undercover supervillain, charged with gathering information on a mysterious new villain group in town. With many skeletons in your closet and mixed allegiances, whose side are you really on?

Genres: Horror, action, traumatised people trying to heal (or get worse)

Who is involved with this IF?

There's the writer, and there's her wife (the secretary!). Both of us are active on the blog, so you may sometimes see posts unrelated directly to DYVJ, usually tagged #unrelated.

What are the protagonist's powers?

The protagonist/MC can grow a protective membrane over their body, forming two tendrils from their shoulders. The membrane makes them stronger, faster, and more resilient.

MC can also select one of three power specialities: inducing wild and uncontrolled mutations of their body, creating small creepy-crawly minions (referred to as 'nodes'), and growing an armoured carapace.

Will we be able to gain multiple powers/will you add new powers?

No: both would add too much complexity and also detract from the significance of the choice.

Will our powers get stronger?

Yes, to an extent, but I don't write based on power levels anyway. :)

Who is this Paradigm/Dime person people keep talking about?

Paradigm, AKA Dime, is the MC! It's their codename with their 'true' faction.

How long will the story be? Is it going to be a series?

Length: I have no idea! I'm not intending to get completely bonkers, but I want to ensure all the ROs get their time in the sun too.

Series: I suspect this will be a duology, but I can't be certain yet as we're not deep enough into the narrative.

Did you say Romance Options!? Elaborate!

There are currently 7 romanceable characters in DYVJ. You can also play the MC as aromantic, asexual, or both. The ROs are explained in more detail on choice of games, but briefly:

Mallory (non-binary), Wilson/Wilma/Willow (gender-selectable), Kay (female), Teddie (male, men only), Control Group (female), Alistair (male), Beth (female, women/nonbinaries).

I'm intending on including at least one poly route, featuring Wil and Kay.

I've heard there's a choice to have a previous RO in the past?

Correct! There's a flashback sequence with MC and some friends before the supervillainy. You can choose to have MC dating or crushing on Prii (nonbinary), Shauna (female), Grant (male), or Beth (female). This doesn't prevent you from romancing someone else later on!

Will the characters from the flashback show up again?

I can promise some level of closure! There won't be romance routes though. (Beth notwithstanding)

Will you make [X] an RO?

Seven is already an awful lot! I don't want to overcommit by adding more!

Can I select all the options for the Juice changing my character's appearance?

I'm presently not planning on adding this. I'd have to alter some code in an annoying way and I enjoy it being a choice with intent instead of an 'all of the above'.

Will we be able to get off the Juice/free from control?

Keep playing and see. ;)

How villainous can I get?/Do I have to be a villain?

There will be opportunities to leap off the proverbial slippery slope, but also to be unhappy and conflicted about what you're being forced to do.

Drink Your Villain Juice! is kind of a goofy name.

So I've heard! I know it's given people the impression that this is a comedy, which it, uh, very much is not. Honestly Drink Your Villain Juice! was the only title that popped for me in the conceptual stage: everything else felt much more bland or generic.

I've found a bug, how can I let you know?

First, please make sure you didn't resume playing on Dashingdon from an old save: updates to Dashingdon tend to break a lot of stuff in the backend and that's been the root of a lot of errors in the past.

If you're confident this isn't the problem, then just send an ask or post on the COG forum! I'll look into it.

I'd like to give feedback on the game!

Once again, send an ask, or post on the COG forum. I also have a feedback form I'm trying out for each chapter, so you can fill that out if you like!

Can I support you?

That's very kind of you! Support from fans is how I can work on the game and update as frequently as I do. I have a Patreon and a Ko-fi, but honestly, I'm grateful just for your feedback. :)

Do you have a discord?

Yes, it's tied to Patreon membership. However, if you have sent a tip/donation/etc, please reach out to DYVJ requests to talk about an invite. :)

[redpenship]

Many fans bemoan Sonic's characterization in issue 50. Why does he talk so much? they wonder. Should he be moralizing at someone he just met? they post on Tumblr/Twitter, the websites for moralizing at people you just met. As a comic fan, should I really be expected to read more than 40 words of dialogue on a single page?

All of these are valid critiques. However, I believe the debate around Sonic's characterization distracts from the issue's most problematic content: the destruction of gay men in the Sonic IDW universe.

The first incident is obvious: the relationship of Doctor Starline and Doctor Eggman. Despite being two men in a relationship, their relationship is very obviously lesbian-coded. As we all know, lesbians get divorced at higher rates compared to hetero- or m/m homosexual couples (source). This is sometimes attributed to the lesbian phenomenon of "u-hauling", in which lesbians move in together very shortly after dating. Now stuck in close quarters despite never truly testing the boundaries of their relationship, they are prone to discover love-breaking flaws in one another that ultimately destroy their romance affair. Eggman and Starline's relationship follows a similar cycle: they meet, move in together, and then tragically break up because they discover irreconcilable differences between each other. Their relationship is lesbian-coded, whether done intentionally by the writers or not.

This is the first affront committed against gay men. Lesbian-coding them is problematic, as lesbian and gay relationship cycles are unique and cannot be swapped around carelessly. Male homosexual romance is particularly distinct. Allow me to outline an example here: typically, the two men begin as rivals who dislike each other for a variety of reasons. This rivalry ebbs due to conflict or mutual interest in helping one another with a problem, such as figuring out what to do when there is only one bed in a hotel room or one of them is going through that "time of the year". Any intrinsic binaries dividing them, be they sociological or biological, play heavily into the flourishing romance--heteronormativity is what makes gay relationships exciting, after all. The two men then realize that they may be attracted to each other despite their rivalry, forgiving each other for past sins even as severe as trying to crash a space station into the planet. They are then free to comfortably fall back into the fictional gender roles ascribed to them, reflecting dominant and submissive positions, and--huh? Sonadow omegaverse doesn't reflect the complexities of IRL gay relationships at all? Weird.

Moving on, I have now established that the lesbian-coding of Starline and Eggman's relationship was one of IDW's first offenses against gay men. The next offense is even grander than the first, so hold on tight!

Within the Sonic universe, Eggman has always stood in defiance of gender roles. His insistence on wearing pants, despite bottoms being a degenerate garment for women only, has always set him aside from other men in the series. Issue 50 undermines his anti-masculine position by reincorporating him into the hetero-patriarchy via intimate violence.

It is common knowledge that drone operators are kinda gay (source). Real soldiers kill other men in close combat wherein their life is likewise in danger. A man killing another man, dominating him while sweaty and short of breath and tussled up, is a strictly masculine affair. Drone operators do not experience such a masculine version of killing. Queer theorist Cara Daggett asserts that the spatiotemporal disorientation of drone warfare emasculates drone operators, as they kill from afar without bearing any of the risks associated with normal combat. A hypermasculine designs and messaging around drones fail to disguise their reality as genderqueer bodies.

This theory can be easily applied to Doctor Eggman. In games and most comics, he does not directly engage with any foes--he prefers to fight with robots and mech suits. His badniks and other robots (such as Metal Sonic) therefore turn into genderqueer bodies as they deny him "masculine killing" by disorienting his spatiotemporal axis relative to his enemies. When this is combined with his insistence on wearing pants, it becomes clear that always operated in defiance to hetero-patriarchal norms. He is a gay man.

In issue 50, this becomes unclear. Doctor Eggman reorients his spatiotemporal axis by grabbing the platypus by his leg and smashing him into the ground. With this one action, Eggman openly embraces his role in the heteropartriarchy by engaging in close combat. The queer ideal of Doctor Eggman is dead.

Starline is gone. Eggman is effectively a heterosexual man. No one cares about Don and Nite. In one issue, the IDW writing team has destroyed the status of gay men in their comics and reduced them to nothing.

Remember this post next time you so proudly post about how many lesbians there are in the comics. Their empire has been manufactured by the systematic removal of gay men in the comics. Do not let the cute wlw or questionable Sonic characterization distract you from this fact!

a/n: sorry, this got away from me. big /j for everything here.

[darkfictionjude]

Hi, how do you do?

This is somewhat of a follow-up from the romance system ask. I ended up deciding to do something similar to what you are going to do with EC: Having two flirt options, the opposite of each other, but specific to each RO. It just works so well I had to copy that idea. I had considered something like that at one point, but I thought it was too much effort. Then I realized that the contrary was true. It's less effort, because now I don't have to force myself into binaries that do not work for the RO's.

For example, one my RO's simply wouldn't be with an MC who is antagonistic. So, instead, I went for a dichotomy between Oblivious and Assertive. So either the MC basically has feelings for the RO, but doesn't realize. Or actively pursues something more than the relationship they currently have.

That doesn't sound like much, but that's because I'm lacking context. It sounds better with it. Sigh.

Well, besides that, I got to another stopping point. I have been messing with the code, and realized I wanted to use icons to show when an option was meant to be romantic, or special in some kind.

And that meant going to search for tutorials about how to do that. I found some... Then I always felt I was missing a step or something, because I simply couldn't figure out how to do it.

The only thing I understood was that many used FontAwesome to get the icons. Then they either used the Stylesheet, the Javascript or both. They used a link, but I could never find a link that worked for me. I know you can link fonts (which I did before), so I know you can link things of that sort.

So, I ask you, darling author: How did you add icons on your projects? I know WWC has them (I even checked, even though I was sure you used them there). So, it seems reasonable to assume you know how to do it. Or at least a way to do it.

Maybe I'm overcomplacating myself, which wouldn't be the first time. But it can be a useful question, even if it ends up being basic or easy.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Have a nice day!

Honestly? I just use the icons for google docs

I go on the tab that says insert, then special characters and select from there. After I just copy and paste haha

I’ve gone a crazy with it for OYHS but damn I really think the icons I chose for that game go with the vibe