#their overviews and known issues are in the replies

[wolvzephyr]

extremely popular bird choices. pretty much designed for a scary hospital level KAHR: surgery and treatment of Replika biocomponents and Gestalts TABR: battlefield medical care, nursing, and nonlethal suppression

[ducktoo]

Office Antics

Yena x Reader

Note: Recently rewatched Hyemileeyechaepa and man I missed 2/3 of Jo Yuriz. If you haven't watch it yet I really recommend yall to do it!

Here's for fellow resident duck.

The office was alive with the familiar hum of keyboards and the occasional ring of phones. It was another Monday morning, and as usual, you were the first one at your desk, sipping a subpar instant coffee you’d made from the breakroom. The workday ahead promised to be a mountain of reports, client proposals, and dreaded spreadsheet formatting—tasks that demanded focus. Yet, your mind wasn’t on the work.

No, your thoughts were fixated on a certain someone who had yet to show up.

Choi Yena. Your supervisor. The office’s resident prankster. The embodiment of chaos wrapped in pastel blazers and a permanent grin. She was always the last one to arrive but somehow managed to make her presence known instantly, turning even the dullest workday into a whirlwind of noise and mischief.

You were halfway through organizing the team’s task list for the day when the elevator doors dinged.

Speak of the devil.

“Good morning!” Yena’s sing-song voice bounced off the walls as she burst through the door, holding two iced coffees in her hands. Her grin stretched wide as she plopped one down on your desk.

“Iced Americano for my favourite team member,” she chirped.

You raised an eyebrow, instantly suspicious. The last time she gave you coffee, it was spiked with salt instead of sugar. “What’s the catch, Sunbae?”

Her eyes widened in mock offense. “No catch! Can’t a supervisor just be nice to her hardworking team?”

“Not when that supervisor is Choi Yena,” you shot back, narrowing your eyes.

She gasped, clutching her chest as if wounded. “Wow. The lack of trust here is unbelievable. I’ll have you know that I’m turning over a new leaf. No pranks today, I swear.”

You weren’t buying it, but the coffee smelled too good to resist. With a cautious sip, you confirmed it was safe. No salt, no hot sauce, no glitter bombs waiting to explode. Yena watched you expectantly, her lips twitching like she was holding back laughter.

“What?” you asked, already bracing yourself for whatever she had planned.

“Nothing!” she said, a little too quickly, before skipping back to her desk.

-

Work officially started at 9:00 a.m., and the day unfolded like any other. You were in charge of preparing the weekly task overview—assigning smaller chunks of projects to each team member while flagging urgent deadlines.

The first task on your list was compiling data for the company’s quarterly performance review. You groaned inwardly, knowing the amount of cross-referencing it would require.

“Hey, sunbae, can we talk about the client feedback report for the Kim & Lee project?” you called over to her.

“Of course,” she replied, spinning her chair dramatically before walking over to your desk with her usual exaggerated flair. “Let’s tackle this head-on. Serious Yena-sunbae mode: engaged.”

You slid the draft report across the desk. “The issue is with the client’s notes on the second phase. They’re asking for an entirely new cost analysis, and we’ve got a two-day turnaround. Can we reassign some of my other tasks?”

Yena leaned over, scanning the document with a furrowed brow. For once, she was genuinely focused. “Hmm. Good point. Let’s offload some of this to Eunji and Sungho. I’ll handle the final approval.” She gave you a thumbs up. “Boom. Delegation, baby.”

-

By mid-morning, the office had settled into its usual rhythm: the quiet clatter of keyboards, the hum of printers, and the occasional buzz of phones. You were elbow-deep in Excel, trying to fix a formula that some long-forgotten coworker had created to "streamline" the quarterly financial summaries.

Spoiler alert: it didn’t.

“Why does this formula look like someone coded a secret message?” you muttered, leaning closer to your monitor. You had just started unravelling the mess when—

“Ya, ya, yoohoo!” Yena’s voice broke through your concentration, startling you so badly you nearly toppled out of your chair. She was suddenly looming over your desk, holding up a packet of snacks like she’d just discovered gold.

“Want some dried mango?” she asked, dangling the packet in front of your face.

You sighed, rubbing your temples. “…Sunbae, do you even work here, or are you just here to disrupt me?”

“Excuse me, I’m your supervisor. Disruption is part of my job description,” she said with a wink. “But seriously, how’s it going with that finance thingy?”

“It’s not a ‘thingy,’ it’s a nightmare,” you replied, gesturing to your screen. “This formula makes no sense. It’s like someone deliberately made it as complicated as possible.”

“Let me see,” she said, pulling up a chair beside you. She squinted at the screen, then immediately leaned back, shaking her head. “Yeah, nope. That’s a you problem. I’m more of a ‘big picture’ kind of gal.”

“Wow, so helpful,” you deadpanned.

“Hey, I didn’t say I couldn’t help in other ways!” she chirped, pulling out her phone.

“Oh no. What are you—”

“Shhh. I’m solving your problem,” she said, cutting you off as she started typing furiously. A moment later, she grinned and held up her phone. “Ta-da!”

You squinted at the screen. It was a meme about how Excel was designed to make grown adults cry.

“Very funny,” you said, but a small smile tugged at your lips.

“See? I’m boosting morale. That’s like, half my job as a supervisor,” she said, patting you on the shoulder before skipping off to her own desk.

-

Five minutes later, the printer jammed.

“YENA-SSI!” someone from the design team shouted.

She popped her head up like a prairie dog. “What? It wasn’t me!”

“It’s always you!”

“I take that personally,” she said, hopping up from her chair and making her way to the printer. “I’ll have you know, I’m a model employee. Watch and learn, folks.”

You glanced over just in time to see her dramatically roll up her sleeves, as if she were about to perform life-saving surgery. She yanked open the printer tray, dug around for a moment, and triumphantly held up the offending piece of paper, which was crumpled beyond recognition.

“Fixed it!” she declared, tossing the mangled paper into the trash.

The printer whirred back to life, and the team gave her a half-hearted round of applause.

“Thank you, thank you,” she said, bowing theatrically. Then, as she walked back to her desk, she sprinkled star-shaped confetti onto the floor behind her like she was leaving a trail of breadcrumbs.

You sighed, already knowing who would be tasked with vacuuming it up later.

-

At around 10:30 a.m., Yena made her rounds through the office. She stopped by everyone’s desk, offering unsolicited advice and handing out snacks like a chaotic fairy godmother.

“Eunji, you’re overthinking that layout. Trust your instincts!”

“Sungho, great job on the client emails, but maybe use fewer emojis next time. We’re professionals, remember?”

When she reached your desk, she leaned over your shoulder and whispered, “Still fighting the Excel file?”

“Yes, and it’s winning,” you replied without looking up.

“Want me to call IT?” she offered.

“I am IT,” you said flatly, earning a laugh from her.

“Well, when you’re done, come see me. We need to prep for the Kim & Lee client pitch. You love PowerPoint, right?”

You groaned. “You’re evil.”

“Evil? No, no. I’m effective,” she said with a wink before disappearing into the break room.

-

When lunchtime rolled around at 12:00 pm, the office buzz quieted as everyone scattered to their usual spots. Some gathered in groups to eat at their desks, while others slipped out for fresh air or made a beeline to the cafeteria. You decided to head to the break room to escape the endless spreadsheets and give your eyes a break from the glaring screen.

As you stepped inside, the smell of warm food hit you immediately—ramyeon, fried rice, someone’s dubious reheated fish—and in the middle of it all sat Yena, perched on the counter with her legs swinging, humming a tune to herself.

“Ah, my loyal team member!” she greeted dramatically, raising her half-eaten kimbap like royalty. “Come to dine with your favorite supervisor?”

You rolled your eyes but smiled as you made your way to the fridge to grab your lunchbox. “Favorite by default, considering you’re the only supervisor I report to.”

She grinned. “Still counts.”

You settled at the table, peeling back the lid of your leftovers: some rice, grilled chicken, and steamed veggies. Simple, nothing like the variety of colorful side dishes Yena always seemed to have. As if on cue, she hopped off the counter and slid into the seat across from you, pushing her kimbap container into the middle of the table.

“Want some? I made it myself.”

You eyed the kimbap warily. “What’s in it?”

“Rice, seaweed, veggies, and unconditional love,” she said with a wink, holding out a piece with her chopsticks.

You raised an eyebrow. “Unconditional love, huh? Sounds suspicious coming from you. sunbae.”

She gasped dramatically. “Wow! Can’t a supervisor just share her lunch without being accused of foul play?”

“Not when that supervisor once put chili powder in my tteokbokki.”

“That was one time!” she protested, pouting.

“And what about the fake soy sauce prank? Or the time you switched the sugar with salt?”

Yena bit her lip, clearly trying not to laugh at the memories. “Okay, fine, maybe I have a history, but I swear this kimbap is safe. Scout’s honour!”

You stared at her for a moment, debating whether you should trust her. Finally, you gave in, cautiously taking a piece from the container. It looked normal enough. Taking a slow bite, you braced yourself for some hidden twist—but to your surprise, it tasted great.

“See? I told you it’s good!” Yena said triumphantly, clapping her hands together. “I’m not just a prankster. I can cook well.”

You shook your head, chewing thoughtfully. “Fine, I’ll admit it. This is actually... really good.”

Her face lit up like you’d just handed her a trophy. “Knew it! Now I feel validated as both your supervisor and a good home cook.”

“Don’t push it,” you warned, but there was no bite to your tone.

The two of you ate in relative peace for a few minutes, the easy banter filling the room. Yena kept sneaking pieces of your chicken when she thought you weren’t looking, and you retaliated by stealing some of her kimbap. It was a rare moment where she wasn’t causing chaos, and you found yourself genuinely enjoying her company.

But, of course, this was Yena. The peace was never meant to last.

“So, about that trust thing,” she started, her voice taking on an innocent lilt that immediately put you on high alert.

“What about it?” you asked, narrowing your eyes.

“Well…” She reached into her bag and pulled out a small plastic spider, dangling it in front of your face with a mischievous grin. “You’re not scared of these, are you?”

Your glare could have cut through steel. “Sunbae, I swear—”

Before you could finish, she tossed the spider onto your rice. You jolted back, startled, only to realize it wasn’t moving. Fake. Of course, it was fake.

“Relax!” she said between bouts of laughter, clutching her stomach. “Your face—oh my gosh, I wish I’d recorded it!”

You picked up the spider and tossed it back at her. “You’re unbelievable. Can’t even make it through lunch without pulling something, can you?”

She dodged it with ease, still giggling. “What can I say? It’s my love language.”

“Your love language is being too nice,” you sarcastically muttered, shaking your head.

Yena just winked, stealing another piece of chicken from your plate. “You’re lucky you have me to keep things fun.”

-

The office was quiet as the clock ticked closer to quitting time. Most of your co-workers had already packed up for the day, leaving you and a few others burning the proverbial midnight oil. Your focus was on the final edits for the Kim & Lee proposal, your fingers flying across the keyboard as you updated figures, corrected typos, and double-checked client specifications.

The spreadsheet in front of you was practically your baby at this point—a meticulously crafted, formula-heavy masterpiece. Losing it would be catastrophic.

As you clicked to save your progress, the screen suddenly froze. Your cursor vanished, replaced by a spinning wheel of doom. Then, without warning, the screen went blue.

You blinked, momentarily stunned.

The iconic blue screen carved deep into your tired mind; the haunting words lingered:

“CRITICAL SYSTEM ERROR. ALL FILES DELETED.”

Your heart stopped.

“No, no, no, no!” you muttered, panic bubbling to the surface. You frantically clicked the keyboard, your mouse, anything to undo the apparent catastrophe. Nothing worked. The message continued to flash, taunting you:

“ALL FILES DELETED. SYSTEM FAILURE IMMINENT.”

Your pulse was racing. Everything—hours of work, detailed charts, carefully formatted tables—gone in an instant. You’d have to start over, and with the deadline looming, that wasn’t just inconvenient; it was impossible.

“Why now? Why me?!” you groaned, your voice echoing in the empty office. Sweat prickled the back of your neck as you opened Task Manager, desperately trying to shut down whatever program had caused this.

That’s when you heard it—a barely stifled giggle.

Slowly, you turned your head, eyes narrowing.

“Yena-sunbae” you said, your voice low and dangerous.

Behind you, Yena stood just outside your cubicle, clutching her phone and biting her lip to keep from laughing. Her shoulders shook with barely contained glee, and her face was turning red from the effort of holding it in.

“What did you do?” you demanded, your tone sharp enough to make her flinch—almost.

That was the wrong question because it sent her over the edge. She exploded into laughter, doubling over as if you’d just told the funniest joke in the world.

“Your face!” she managed to wheeze, tears forming in her eyes. “Oh my gosh, you should’ve seen your face!”

“YENA,” omitting the formality, you shouted, standing up so fast your chair rolled backward.

“It’s—it’s just a screensaver!” she choked out between fits of laughter, holding up her hands in surrender. “Relax! Your files are fine. Everything’s fine! I saved it already!”

You froze, your panic slowly giving way to disbelief—and then anger. “A screensaver? You nearly gave me a heart attack for a screensaver?”

She nodded, wiping her eyes. “I couldn’t resist! You’ve been on edge all day, and you were so focused—it was too perfect!”

You stared at her, torn between throttling her and collapsing into a puddle of relief. “Yena, I swear, if you ever—”

“I’ll never do it again, promise,” she interrupted, holding up three fingers in a Scout’s honour gesture. Then she ruined it by snorting with laughter. “Okay, maybe not never, but not anytime soon.”

Your glare could’ve melted steel. “You’re lucky I didn’t actually lose anything, or I’d be writing the longest HR report of my life right now.”

“Aw, come on, don’t be mad!” she said, stepping closer and placing her hands on your shoulders. “It was funny, admit it.”

“No, it wasn’t,” you grumbled, sitting back down and trying to calm your frazzled nerves.

“You’ll laugh about it later,” she said confidently. Then, after a beat, she added, “...Maybe.”

You huffed but couldn’t stay mad at her for long. This was Yena, after all. Chaos was her default setting, and you knew what you were signing up for when you started working under her.

“Alright,” you sighed. “But you owe me dinner. And drinks. Good drinks. None of that cheap stuff.”

“Deal!” she chirped, already bouncing on her heels. “Let’s go! My treat. No pranks this time, I promise.”

She linked her arm with yours, dragging you toward the elevator. Despite yourself, a small smile crept onto your face.

With Yena, your life might’ve been unpredictable, messy, and occasionally terrifying—but at least it was never boring.

Even though you wanted to quit halfway through because of her antics.

[hamiltonconfessions-but-better]

an overview of the events surrounding the old hamilton confessions blog + proof that @\hamiltonconfessions was instrumental in its destruction

reposting because the post wouldn't show up in the tags and my perfectionism was bugging me

i. to begin with, i must kindly request that absolutely no harassment, death threats, insults, etc be sent to @\hamiltonconfessions or anyone else involved in this situation. there has been a lot of confusion going around in the wake of everything that happened. the purpose of this post is to clear up that confusion by providing all the information pertaining to this situation in one place, as well as bring attention to some ongoing issues within the fandom - not to contribute to an environment where said issues continue to exist, uninhibited.

ii. the first part of this post closely corresponds with one made by @\jittyjames. in it, she goes into more detail regarding her role in this and raises some very good points, so i highly encourage everyone to read her post as well. UPDATE: @/hamiltonconfessions was deactivated within roughly two hours of me posting this. this post will continue to serve its function as a record of everything that transpired.

part 1 - @\hamiltonfandomconfessions and its ending

if you are reading this post, you will have known of the existence of this blog and will be somewhat familiar with the hostile atmosphere that developed in the last week or so before it was deleted. people were arguing left and right, creators were being publicly called out and harassed. topics that were discussed on the blog ranged from ship wars to incest to whitewashing allegations. within a few days, a single confessions blog had caused enough chaos that it was being mentioned outside of its own posts, drama was spilling out beyond its confines and into the blogs of those involved, and even people who generally stayed in their own niches and did not interact with the fandom at large had become aware that something was going on.

on friday the 27th of september, the following confession was posted by the blog:

in response to which, jami (@\jittyjames) sent this:

her confession was posted, but deleted shortly thereafter. she sent two follow-up asks and was replied to thusly:

some people who had been around to see both her original ask and the confession that it was serving as a response to were upset by the lacklustre and nonsensical moderating inherent in the decision to allow harassment and death threats to run amuck, but delete an entirely innocuous post for reasons unknown, as well as the implications of jami's deleted confession having been specifically about queerness.

in particular, this was sent to the blog:

on saturday the 28th of september, @\hamiltonfandomconfessions was deactivated.

with the mod having spontaneously claimed to be deleting confessions by request and having inexplicably singled out jami's confession among the myriad of others, there is much to be remarked upon regarding the likelihood of something here not being right. the above essay delves into questioning the more incongruous details fairly well, so i will spare you any more of my own thoughts on the matter.

part 2 - @\hamiltonconfessions and its glaring disingenuity

on sunday the 29th of september, one day after the deletion of @\hamiltonfandomconfessions, a new blog, @\hamiltonconfessions, posted this:

for someone who would later go on to argue that they are not the previous blog's mod and ostensibly are not affiliated with it in any way, it is interesting to note a few things:

a) the rather short amount of time that passed between the deletion of the old blog and the creation of the new one;

b) the rules listed are, besides being insufficient for the fostering of a good community within the limits of a confessions blog, fairly generic, save for one specific rule. a rule which happens to express a uniquely idiotic opinion paralleled in the very first screenshot included in this post.

this is important, because few people had seen that confession, fewer had seen jami's response and the conversation that followed, and even fewer still were up to this point aware that the old blog's death was, as all the contributing evidence would lead one to believe, directly related to and brought on by everything talked about in part 1 of this post.

@\jittyjames posted her version of the events, in which she commented similarly on the above, and they replied:

around the same time, they removed the rule and asserted several times on their blog that they had no relation whatsoever to the original blog and its creator:

it is worthwhile to point out that "i changed my opinion about slurs. ok" is brief, vague and not indicative of an actual change of heart. the conviction present in their previous statements also does not fit the haste with which they apparently reconsidered their stance. all of the above screenshots, to me, look like damage control - they know that people are onto them and are desperately scrambling to hold up the crumbling fiction of their image as an innocent, clueless person who accidentally ended up embroiled in an ongoing scandal.

now, the tone of @\hamiltonfandomconfessions' reply to all of jami's asks could be said to be disproportionately aggressive and rude, as opposed to her own relatively respectful language. previously, this fact has been attributed to possible queerphobia. and without taking away from the relevance and validity of that theory, i would like to propose a few ideas regarding the identity of the mod of @\hamiltonconfessions:

a) they were the mod of @\hamiltonfandomconfessions, sent themselves the confession that compared slurs to the word "whore" and got offended when people disagreed;

b) they did not send that confession, but were the mod of @\hamiltonfandomconfessions and included that rule in the original pinned post of @\hamiltonconfessions in a ploy to avoid the drama and discussions that caused them to delete their previous blog;

c) they are a friend of or otherwise have some degree of closeness with the mod of @\hamiltonfandomconfessions, and as such were made aware of everything that was going on and acted accordingly in the aftermath.

either way, there is no doubt that, somehow, @\hamiltonconfessions was involved in everything that has happened over the past few days. i therefore raise you the following question: knowing that this person is directly connected to the previous blog, the opinions they have held and the way they have handled this situation so far, their strange, dishonest behaviour and refusal to acknowledge any criticism or commentary regarding their actions, do you feel comfortable continuing to frequent their blog? knowing that there is a very high chance that what happened with @\hamiltonfandomconfessions, its upsetting and divisive effect on our community, is going to happen with @\hamiltonconfessions as well?

conclusion

regardless of whether the mods of @\hamiltonconfessions and @\hamiltonfandomconfessions are friends or one and the same, there is a manifest lack of organisation present throughout the infinitesimal history of the new blog. one could argue that the very creation of the blog - only a day following the death of the previous one - speaks to a certain inability or unwillingness to think things through. in two short days, the pinned post was updated no less than three times. the existing rules, fairly vague and unenforceable, are missing several precautions that would prevent the mistreatment of its users and could well have been scribbled down on a post-it note five minutes prior to the blog officially becoming active. an example - "just be patient pls", a confusing and likely entirely useless rule, as juxtaposed with the absence of any rule regarding name-dropping until one of the subsequent updates to the pinned post.

overall, with the disorderly state of @\hamiltonconfessions' moderation and the inaptness and duplicity displayed by its mod, i do not expect this new blog to last very long without devolving into the very same cesspit that caused such grief to the fandom and tore the first blog apart.

[ansbobcar]

EP 17 - The letter from Miley

WORD COUNT. 1323

Link to overview

_ _ _ _ _

"What do you need?" the Desert Cane asked. He was rather obvious, waiting infront of the headmaster’s office near dusk. “It’s regarding Rinka,” he simplified much to his attention as they flew back to his office beyond office hours for his department. Heading over to his drawer, he pulled out a stack of envelopes, with a signature ‘M. Cyrus’ written near the fold, and tossed 3 of them towards Orter.

"What is this?" Nearly crumpling a letter with a hand.

"I doubt she told you about Miley Cyrus," Checking the contents revealed a suspicious photograph. It was the back of his head with a feverish Rinka on the couch draped in a blanket. Followed by a message that was scratched on the back. ‘Why?’ He opened the others. Which seemed to form resentment towards him as he strung what could be a message.

Why?

You’re losing your feathers.

Nobody can have you, we agreed on it.

The method of photograph collection might explain why there were so many surveillance based magical items that she didn’t notice considering the mess of the office beforehand but didn’t he dump out all of them? Wouldn’t that mean someone had infiltrated into the room recently to spy on them?

His face scrunched up in disgust. "This is a violation of the tool’s use and abuse of magic." 

"Why didn’t you report this?” Suspicious to their colleague. "Because it's your expertise, and I’d like to keep her in the dark regarding this issue, since she stopped reading them a few years ago and forwards all of these letters to me. Plus with the way it’s worded, you’ll probably be targetted. So it’s just something you need to be aware of because you’re with her often." And she didn’t tell him?

"Is there anything else I should be aware of?"

"She had an assistant once.” Surprisingly she even had one. "But he never returned about 3 years ago as she started receiving violent threats in these letters. That's why the director wanted someone to replace her. To see if the conflict stemmed from her position." Obviously, it didn’t if he was going to be murdered in cold blood.

"If you can't tell, the Director worries about Rinka the most,” Kaldo added. Considering her ranged skillset, vulnerabilities, and dutiful disposition, it’s completely understandable, Orter noted. He wondered if she had gone back home already. “Compared to Ryoh who society considers the strongest, at her best, she outclasses him.” 

It filled the both of them with delirium as such an outlandish claim. After all, Orter Madl has never seen those two spar before. And they’ve never clashed wands in public either. “Even more shocking is that she—”

“—she left Easton without graduating. I know,” he finished his sentence. The familiarity in his voice followed by the unwarranted melancholic gaze only heightened his doubts.

The two Divine Visionaries wouldn’t have known each other even if they were from the same school because she dropped out when he was a mere freshman, barely 4 months into the school year. That would mean Orter Madl was a fan of hers… like Cyrus. 

“So you want me to deal with this stalker?” Yes he did. Pinching onto his nosebridge, he sighed. “I’ll drop the search after a week since that’s how far I can meddle with the schedule. I’ll keep you updated.”

_ _ _

To compare Rinka to a bird who must be caged is simply inane. But more pathetically, Miley Cyrus was faceless. Non existent in municipal records in name, silhouette, and residence. Even the sender’s address was an empty lot of land. It was an alias.

Based on previous letters he had run through his latest night at the Bureau, they liked hamburgers, has been patiently waiting for her reply to hang out at the cafe which sold Macarons, recounted planting a firecracker near a hen house, amongst other odd yet highly inconveniencing scenarios and paradoxical preferences. Judging by their use of ink followed by a magic coat of paint, they were at least 27. Although there’s been advancements in technology, the learning of preservation spells instead of using a preservation mixture was only implemented 3 years ago. 

He can only afford a week for this wild goose chase. But he confirmed they were a man.

By the third day, Kaldo Gehenna called him urgently. Cyrus had noticed his presence and addressed a letter to him, Orter Madl, directly. “He wants me to stop searching for him?” The audacity of this stranger. “Is he scared of me? Does that mean I’m getting warmer to his location?” He sneered. This was only the 5th town he’s investigated based on the wasting habits of this fucking moody man. Certain towns are designated trash sites with famous secondhand and repurposing shops. 

“Send a reply that states: ‘Just accept the reality.’ The day after tomorrow preferably. I’ve got something to attend to,” ending the call.

Unfortunately, the letter simply disappeared without a trace when he stalked for the owl. A bit more digging revealed a sigil which he couldn’t activate. It was a complex spell upon further inspection. Not his expertise. Yet something dropped from where he hid. That wasn’t possible. There was a lack of animals near the lot yet the heaviness of the object meant it wasn’t a branch. It landed with a thud instead of a rustle, walking over to light up his vision with his wand. White cloth tied up A body. A corpse without smell. Honey blonde hair combed. Yet unclothed like dead cattle from a slaughterhouse.

It took him hours to arrive into the main headquarters for the Magical Cemetery Administration without a sound. Chucking the body towards the forgetful immortal. “Analyse and identify this guy for me.”

“Get him on the table will you?” The Immortal Cane instructed before he proceeded to wear some gloves until he stopped. “Isn’t this David Kingfisher?” Who was later revealed to be a missing person for 3 years. “How did you find him?” It was unsettling to see him worked up, scratching his head. “Argh! I don’t remember anything beyond that… think Renatus… think!” As he continued examining the dead man.

It was Rinka’s assistant, he finally remembered. “But his body’s been embalmed only recently and,” taking out a yawn, “he’s got no magic residue which should only be possible in these rooms… but by who? He’s not in the records. I would’ve remembered because Rinka basically cursed me to remember,” he mumbled.

But it was like with Slagturn. Lifeless without any magical energy, unnaturally as well. “How’s the crackdown on the illegal disposal of deaths going?”

“There’s still outliers we haven’t managed to reach yet.” They’ve already illegalised the personal disposal of the dead but either due to their lack of knowledge, or other manipulations, they probably forgot the procedure. “Supposedly, the main money maker of the business is Innocent Zero but we haven’t gotten our hands in them still. It’s a failure on our part to confirm it.”

“Alright. Thanks for the favour.”

“You owe me sleep.”

_ _ _

There’s no possibility a 27 year old could be that rich without having seen her in person. After all, the Onojis are approachable compared to other families. It pisses him off that she shouldn’t know about it, noticing the sight of her without her rustic robe as if glowing from the evening sun smiling at him. That he can’t find Cyrus, as he passed by the hallways with staff members leaving their shift. Only one thought ran through his mind as he strut into an intense embrace with her: I’ll just agitate him further. With one arm slid around her waist, and the other hand holding her head, she froze in shock. 

Almost shyly she asked, “... Is something wrong?”

‘He’ll kill me when he’s at his limit.’

“Just missed you,” he buried his head into her shoulder. “Sunshine.”

_ _ _ _ _

Stalker subplot is a GO! :D

I'm realising how unrom-com the fic has become. I tried okay. Don't worry, it will return. in the next chapter. *WINK WINK*

I'll probably stop uploading new chapters by the time EP 22 is published cuz I need to focus on my coursework really badly. (Fuck you Extended Essay, and all my IAs I have to start doing TwT) And I'm having severe writer's block because I have to figure out how to move stuff. This is only episode 17. I need to remember that. TwT

[constance-emmeline]

The Countess and the Marchioness’ Maid

Preface

This overview of the English social class system may enhance your enjoyment of this story:

Unless you are:

 The Monarch, King or Queen ruling over all [Address: Your Majesty]; or a

 Duke or Duchess [Your Grace]; or a

 Marquis or Marchioness [Your Grace]; or an

 Earl (or Count) or Countess [My Lord or My Lady or Your Ladyship]; or a

 Viscount or Viscountess [My Lord or My Lady or Your Ladyship]; or a

 Baron or Baroness [My Lord or My Lady or Your Ladyship]

You are a commoner.

Note: The only ranks featured in this story and its sequel are Marchioness and Countess.

Here’s the story!

At just twenty-five years of age, Felicity, known as ‘Lissy’ to those close to her has become a Marchioness ... and her life-long friend … since private and finishing school ... a Countess.

The Countess is spending the summer at the Marchioness' country estate.

The Marchioness employs a number of staff - of course - to run an establishment of this size: a Housekeeper, Cook, two Housemaids, two Chamber Maids, a general Apprentice reporting to the Housekeeper and a 'Personal Maid' whose main purpose is to act as a companion, confidante - and friend - to the Marchioness.

The estate grounds - which include a church, purchased by her late dowager aunt ten years ago from the Church of England for a token sum of one pound - are managed by a contractor. The Marchioness realises she should appoint a Business Manager in the near future to manage the activities of this contractor, as well as assist her with her properties in London and France and her other business interests and investments.

In these elevated circles, it is expected - and accepted - that a Personal Maid is a life-long appointment. Of course, at least since the late twentieth century it was accepted that a maid may marry - bear children, even - but the level of commitment remained the same: for life.

It was also clearly understood that under no circumstances whatsoever should any sexual activity take place between mistress and maid because it was felt that this might constitute an abuse of power. Sexual relationships between women and the holding of confidential information on a wide range of business and personal subjects were never a good mix and in particular, the Courts were very loth indeed to become entangled in trying to rule on such matters. Let alone the almost infinite possibilities for unpleasant conflict such issues could cause.

The Marchioness of course understood and happily accepted that - like herself - her Personal Maid enjoyed certain sexual proclivities and that in recent months appeared to particularly flourish in the company of the Countess. The Marchioness resolved to support this relationship ... for both the Countess, Letitia – known as ‘Tish’ to her friends and family – her friend and her Personal Maid, Amanda ... just twenty-one years of age now. No one had any wish to shorten Amanda’s elegant Christian name.

And so, as the sun set on another lovely July evening, the Countess - as was her wont - took herself to one of her favourite areas in the grounds offering a quiet and peaceful view across much of the Marchioness' estate.

The Countess had enjoyed a bottle of Chablis and as the light started to fail, became aware of the approach of the Marchioness' Personal Maid. She stood up to greet the Maid.

The immaculately dressed Maid carried a wicker basket containing a syphon of soda water, two cut glasses and a small bottle of brandy from the Marchioness' cellar. The Maid had also bought a shawl for each of them, should the evening turn cool.

"Your Ladyship?"

"Amanda?"

"Your Ladyship, Her Grace felt that you might enjoy some refreshment and for me to then assist you in returning to the house or if you prefer, to your room?"

"Thank you, Amanda" replied the Countess.

The Maid's white lace trimmed pinafore and black silk dress rustled gently over her white nylon lace trimmed petticoat as she poured a glass of brandy and soda for each of them.

Both ladies sat down and the Maid noticed - as she drew her hand across the Countess' thigh after she handed the Countess her glass - how smoothly the Countess' dress moved over the petticoat beneath.

Instinctively, both ladies sat closer. Both were aware how much they enjoyed each other's company - and it was not lost on either of them that the Marchioness may have engineered this opportunity for them to spend some time together.

They sat quietly, enjoying the moment. The Maid replenished the glasses a second time and they smiled at one another.

After forty-five minutes or so, the drink consumed, the Maid suggested she help the Countess back to her room? The Maid packed up the basket carefully, including the empty Chablis bottle and glass and offered the Countess her right arm.

"Amanda" ... "Your Ladyship" ... and that was all that needed to be said as the Countess took the Maid's arm and they slowly made their way to the Countess' bedroom on the second floor of the west wing of the house, visiting the ladies’ room on the ground floor as they went.

Once there ... inside the room ... the Maid's basket carefully placed to one side, with the unworn shawls too ... they stood and looked at one another.

The Countess offered an enigmatic smile and the Maid smiled back.

It was evident the Countess wished the Maid to stay ... and the Countess reached to close the door ... and lock it shut.

For the first time, the Countess made a pass at the Maid, reaching out her arms to offer an embrace ... and to her delight it was accepted!

The Maid sighed her pleasure and the two women embraced ... the Countess' arms around the Maid's shoulders, her beautifully manicured fingers feeling the Maid's bra straps ... the Maid's arms around the Countess' waist, feeling her bottom ... feeling how the Countess' dress moved so freely ... sensuously ... over her petticoat.

Both ladies started to wet themselves with clear viscous secretions from their sexual organs as they were overcome with carnal lust and sexual desire, fuelled by their love for each other which had become firmly established by now.

Each felt their vulva swell and sensuously fill their knickers at their crotch; each felt their breasts swell similarly, firming so comfortably into their bra cups as their nipples hardened too.

"Please help me take off my dress, Amanda?" asked the Countess and she then assisted the Maid likewise with her pinafore and dress.

They stood quietly now, facing the other.

They looked so lovely in their pretty white petticoats - white nylon lace trimmed full slips each with adjustable ribbon shoulder straps and falling below their knees - and other matching underwear.

The Countess wanted to reassure the Maid and so offered her right hand to the Maid and her heart rate increased further as her hand was gently, so gently taken by the Maid's left hand in acceptance.

"May I?" asked the Countess as she stepped forward and still holding the Maid's hand, tenderly kissed each of the Maid's cheeks.

"And now to bed?" suggested the Countess, releasing the Maid's hand, peeling back the duvet and indicating the Maid should make herself comfortable.

"Your Ladyship" replied the Maid, dutifully, respectfully and compliantly lying in the bed.

The Countess thought how lovely ... pretty ... the Maid looked ... in her pretty white lace trimmed petticoat and told her so, bending to kiss the Maid's forehead ... before walking around the bed, getting in and making herself comfortable, lying on the Maid's right and then pulled up the duvet.

The Countess felt - quite rightly - that she had seduced the Maid into her lesbian love nest.

"Oh, Amanda!" whispered the Countess.

"Your Ladyship!" responded the Maid as she began to make some very precocious advances while the two women continued to make themselves comfortable beneath the duvet ... so happy now, together.

"Amanda!" exclaimed the Countess as the Maid reached inside the Countess' petticoat and on, to stroke her thighs and stocking tops ... teasing the Countess by pulling at them ... as well as the Countess' suspender straps ... then interfering with the Countess' knickers in a delightfully meddlesome and quite provocative way ... and then as the Countess knew the moment to arch her back and lift her buttocks removing them ... delicately ... and with a little flourish.

"Amanda! You tart!" whispered the Countess as the Maid started to edge her labia, quickly finding her clitoris and then very skilfully, generating a clitoral orgasm that left the Countess wriggling in ecstasy and struggling for breath.

The Maid felt she was here to serve the titled lady and continued to manipulate the Countess' vulva before delicately reaching further into the Countess' fanny and stroking her vaginal walls until the 'tell-tale' pulsations came to indicate that an unstoppable vaginal orgasm had been generated.

The Countess knew this too and moaned with pleasure as the Maid stroked her breasts ... how lovely they felt beneath her white lace trimmed slip and bra.

And then, the Countess was consumed by the absolute power of her second orgasm. Her breathing was characterised by her rapid audible intakes of breath, a sound of such sensuous, sexual femininity.

Recovery took place over the next few minutes and the Countess allowed her thoughts to become clearer before starting to make reciprocal advances to the Maid.

With the Maid now resting on her back after her achievement, the Countess placed her left hand on the Maid's right breast. She squeezed it, gently. She stroked it, the Maid issuing a gentle sigh to indicate her pleasure. The fabric and lace trim of the Maid's slip felt so sensuous to the Countess, especially in the way it either rested on or moved so smoothly over the matching underwired bra which nestled prettily beneath. This turned the Maid on further, too.

The Countess enjoyed taking a few moments to then lightly run the nail of her index finger back and forth along the bra cup wire beneath the Maid's breast, which the Maid found incredibly sensuous, so much so that she audibly caught her breath in such a beautiful, feminine sound and also felt that sensuous feeling of becoming really quite wet as she also anticipated the Countess' advances migrating to her vulva and her other sexual organs.

The Maid was not disappointed! The Countess tenderly kissed the Maid's right cheek and moved her hand from the Maid's breast, allowing her fingernails to move down, stroking the Maid's abdomen and causing the Maid to shudder with pleasure and anticipation.

"Amanda" whispered the Countess as she started to gently agitate the fabric of the Maid's slip over the Maid's matching lace trimmed knickers beneath.

The Countess found the way the Maid audibly caught her breath as she experienced such sexual pleasures incredibly attractive and now the Countess enjoyed that sensuous personal experience of becoming wetter herself as her sexual organs discharged the characteristic viscous fluid into her now knicker-less crotch as her body and mind responded to the sexual stimulus she continued to receive.

"Oh, Your Ladyship!" intoned the Maid as the Countess stroked her thighs, catching her breath with delight at how her slip felt so sensuous as the Countess stroked its sumptuous white nylon fabric, agitating and drawing it gently across the fabric of her black nylon stockings.

The Maid then shuddered with pleasure as she felt the lace trimmed hem of her slip being lifted - so tenderly - as the Countess prepared to reach towards the Maid's vulva.

The time had come for the Countess to tease the Maid ... as the Maid had teased her ... by precociously pulling gently at the Maid's stocking tops and suspender straps: and to then titillate the Maid - as the Maid had titillated her - by stroking the Maid's vulva beneath her knickers; tugging gently at her knicker elastic and in a tender, unhurried manner making it quite clear to the Maid that her knickers would soon need to be removed.

And so, they were!

"Amanda, your knickers, now, please!" whispered the Countess as she continued to gently manipulate, stroke and stimulate the Maid's vulva: indeed, the Countess could already feel how moist the crotch of the Maid's knickers had become as the Maid committed to their sexual intercourse together.

"Of course, Your Ladyship" responded the Maid, obligingly arching her back and marvelling at the Countess' dexterity and speed in the manner of how her, the Maid's knickers were taken from her, almost imperceptibly, in just a moment – even more skilfully than the Maid had relieved the Countess of hers.

The Maid now knew she would be fucked by a titled lady and sighed her compliance, indeed submission ... complete submission, anticipation and pleasure. The Maid wriggled involuntarily with sexual excitement as she realised that she, a commoner was the sole subject of this female aristocrat.

The Countess also knew that the Maid expected to get fucked, now and having thrown the Maid's knickers from the bed, resolved to give as best she could ... to this pretty, fair-haired, blue-eyed girl ... and started to feel, to 'edge' the Maid's distended 'flaps' of her labia ... the majora and minora forming the petals of such a pretty flower!

The Maid gasped with delight and pleasure and as the Countess accessed her clitoris, gasped again ... and once more as she felt the inevitable orgasm ... her first at the fingers of the Countess ... start rising from her prettily manicured toes ... the 'Fire of Venus' lighting up her pelvis ... her fingers, manicured in matching gloss pearlescent pink tingling, her blood running cold (so sensually!) in her arms and shoulders as her blood supply was drawn to service her sexual organs.

And then, as she climaxed, the Maid caught her breath once more.

The Countess granted the Maid little recovery time as her glossily polished red finger nails continued to work the Maid's fanny ... to fuck her properly ... to 'really give her one' ... to screw the Maid.

Upon entry of the Countess' fingers into the Maid's vagina, already quite dilated by this sexual and equally, emotional and loving experience, the Maid shuddered ... and shuddered again ... in rapture ... "Your Ladyship!" she whispered.

The Countess of course felt the Maid start 'to come' before the Maid realised that she would come soon herself. Inevitably, the Maid's vaginal walls responded to the Countess' gentle and sensuous fondling and started to pulsate with such increasing power and frequency that the Countess thought it wise to withdraw her fingers and by this point too, her hand.

The Maid duly came, marking the moment with a series of shuddering, audible intakes of breath, both her feet kicking up the duvet with delight ... as she realised ... accepted ... celebrated that the Countess had fucked her ... and over the next two minutes, as the orgasm - this fantastic disruption to her sexual organs and consciousness - naturally faded away ... how turned on was she still by the fact that she had been fucked while wearing (most of!) her lovely, favourite underwear: fucked in her petticoat, an item of clothing still considered by many to represent the ultimate expression of femininity.

The Countess kissed the Maid and stroked her breasts. She fucked the Maid in this manner four times more over the next two hours. The Maid was beyond ecstatic. “Your Ladyship!” she whispered from time to time, “Oh, Your Ladyship!!” and was so turned on each time the Countess told her she was such a tart!

But the Maid was also tiring. She fought to compose herself and marshal a commensurate response.

She remembered a snatch of conversation she’d heard a while back. It was in the Marchioness’ private parlour. There was a visitor called Tabatha, who was always so kind to Amanda: always bought her chocolates and at Christmas, she’d given Amanda two sumptuous full slips with built up shoulders: one in white and another Tabatha described as ivory. The Maid only wore them on Sundays. They were longer than the petticoats she wore otherwise and the Maid loved how their lace trimmed hems showed beneath her dresses and how content and feminine she felt in consequence.

It was evident to Amanda that the Marchioness and Tabatha were not just friends, but almost certainly lovers – or had been previously. They were talking about a medieval lesbian technique known as ‘The Butterfly’ where one lover would gently describe a circle with a finger-tip on the vaginal walls … first one way, then the other … in a particular area, just below the cervix. It took an incredible level of skill by one party and arousal in the other to drive the degree of vaginal dilation necessary. Pause and repeat. Thing was, receiving party didn’t know when the butterfly might fly again. Held in suspense, longing, so desperate! A classic tease! Sexual torment!

This would start an inexorable pulsation of the vaginal wall which would at first be imperceptible to the receiving party. A skilful lover would feel it first and with it established, with draw their hand and fingers and do other things, anything at all to agitate the receiving party’s sexual organs. Clitoris usually favourite. Once the receiving party felt the pulsation and recognised its increasing frequency, they knew they ‘were in for the ride of a lifetime’ as the pulsations became so close they generated a single muscular response into a massive orgasm, from the feet, hands and head to the receiving woman’s core: the ‘Fire of Venus’ burning!

But this wasn’t all, Tabatha was saying. This invasion and consequent disruption will so agitate the cervix that if that can be reached after the first orgasm has subsided and the receiving party has made some recovery, it only needs ‘just a touch’ to the cervix to generate an orgasm even more powerful than the first.

“If you want more thrill than that, Lissy” Amanda heard Tabatha say, “You need a fucking surgeon – not a lover!” Both women laughed and Amanda discreetly slipped away.

So tonight, this first time in bed together, that is exactly what the exhausted Maid gave to the Countess.

Half an hour or so later, the Countess whispered hoarsely to the Maid: “I am so fucked! Whatever was that you did to me?! Your touch! You fucking tart! You whore! Wherever did you learn to do that shit, you bitch! I love you, Amanda.”

“Your Ladyship” said Amanda. “I love you too. I love it when you ‘talk dirty’ to me, it turns me on so. I’ll do this again if I may and perhaps it will be even better as I gain experience! But I urge you: we must both sleep now … please?”

But the Countess was already asleep, on her back, her breathing slow and even.

Having satisfied herself the Countess was comfortable, the Maid allowed herself to sleep.

Or at least to rest. She slept fitfully. She ached all over. But she felt so fulfilled, so loved. Loved up.

Shortly before daybreak, the Maid awoke and slipped away. The Countess continued to sleep soundly.

The Maid put her dress and pinafore over her arm and left the room as quietly as she could.

As the door clicked and locked shut, the Maid realised to her dismay that not only had she failed to recover the wicker basket with its contents and the shawls, but that she was without her knickers! Shit! She could hardly knock on the door and … assuming that would rouse the sleeping Countess … ask for them back!

She felt like a slutty tart standing there in a state of undress and hurried away to her quarters, thanking providence that hers were secured by combination lock. Once there, she collapsed into her bed, pausing only to set her alarm for 7:30am, an hour later than usual. She couldn’t serve the Marchioness on no sleep, surely! This way, she’d get around three hours: enough … barely … but sufficient!

The Marchioness sensed Amanda’s tiredness. She understood and was pleased. “Take the afternoon and tomorrow off. Perhaps you and Tish would like to have some time together. A picnic in the bottom field, by the spinney? I’ll instruct the area be cleared and secured. As for me, I’ll get Nicola to sort me out!”

“Your Grace” responded Amanda, gratefully. The correct form of address in every circumstance. English aristocrats are completely unimpressed by ‘gushing’ thanks, they know that those who serve them well are appreciative, grateful. They also tend to feel that thanks which seem too fulsome may be insincere. But they do like to be addressed correctly … respect is so important!

As she progressed along the long corridor towards her room, the Maid encountered the Countess unexpectedly.

“I’m wearing your knickers!” said the Countess

“I’m not wearing any knickers at all!” replied the Maid.

“You tart! You shameless hussy! You dirty cow! You’re causing me to make you knickers wet, or should I say even wetter than they were before! You slut! I shall never give you this pair back or ever wash them and I will always keep them safe! I love you so! My room at 7:30pm, Amanda?

“Your Ladyship” replied Amanda, “I look forward to joining you. Her Grace has granted me this evening and tomorrow off … for us to spend time together.”

And so it was. Courtship took off. The Countess sought the Marchioness’ permission to propose marriage to her Maid. Once the Maid understood the Countess had obtained the requisite permission, she accepted immediately.

It was the perfect match.

The Marchioness and the entire estate, Tabatha too were delighted.

The church had not seen such a ceremony of such gaiety for well over one hundred years.

Nor had the estate hosted such a lavish party for so long.

What happens from that point is described in the sequel story “The Marchioness takes a Wife.”

[bestnewshub]

Meta AI Summaries Now on WhatsApp to Tackle Long Message Threads

WhatsApp Introduces Meta AI-Powered Message Summaries for Long Chats

WhatsApp has rolled out a powerful new feature aimed at simplifying lengthy message threads. Known as Message Summaries, this tool uses Meta’s artificial intelligence to help users quickly catch up on unread messages by generating concise bullet-point overviews of chat conversations. Currently available only in the United States, this feature is not turned on by default and must be enabled manually by users.

How the Feature Works

When users enter a long chat, they will see a “Summarise Privately” button at the top of the thread. Tapping this allows Meta’s AI to process the conversation and display a summary of key topics and responses. For example, the summary may indicate that a group is planning an event and list who has replied. The AI condenses the chat into a few short, digestible points, making it easier for users to understand what they missed without scrolling endlessly.

Importantly, these summaries are private and visible only to the user who requests them. They are not shared with other chat participants, maintaining personal privacy.

Privacy and Data Security

WhatsApp is well aware of the concerns surrounding privacy when using AI on personal messages. To address this, the platform has published a technical white paper outlining the privacy protections built into Message Summaries.

The feature uses Private Processing technology, meaning message data is processed locally on the device, not sent to Meta’s servers. The AI works inside a Confidential Virtual Machine (CVM)—a secure, temporary environment that analyzes the chat content and deletes all data immediately after the summary is generated. This ensures that Meta or any third party cannot access or retain message information.

U.S. House Bans WhatsApp on Official Devices

In a separate development, the U.S. House of Representatives has banned WhatsApp from being installed or accessed on official government devices. The Office of Cybersecurity flagged the app as high risk, citing insufficient transparency around its data protection and encryption practices.

As a result, WhatsApp is now blocked from use on all government-issued mobile phones, desktops, and even web browsers. Responding to the ban, Meta defended WhatsApp’s security, stating that its end-to-end encryption offers industry-leading protection, even stronger than many apps currently approved for government use.

WhatsApp’s new AI feature aims to enhance productivity while keeping user data secure, but it arrives at a time when regulatory scrutiny around messaging apps is also intensifying.

[ideaboxcreations]

7 Hidden Google Ads Features Every Marketer Must Know in 2025

Introduction

Google Ads continues to evolve with powerful yet underused features that can significantly boost campaign performance in 2025. Beyond the popular tools, these seven hidden gems offer strategic advantages—from AI-driven placements to smarter measurement and creative automation. Read on to sharpen your digital strategy and stay ahead of the competition.

1. Ads in AI Overviews & AI Mode

Google is now surfacing ads within AI Overviews and its new AI Mode tab. These placements appear in conversational summaries and chatbot-style replies.

Why it matters: Queries in AI Mode tend to be longer and more exploratory—ideal for brand discovery.

How to prepare: Ensure your Search, Performance Max, and Shopping campaigns (with broad match) are active, as Google automatically matches eligible ads to AI-driven placements.

Pro Tip: Focus on long-tail keywords to increase relevance for conversational queries.

2. Smart Bidding Exploration

Smart Bidding Exploration uses machine learning to identify untapped, high-value queries and adjust bids accordingly.

How it works: It expands ROAS targets to capture conversions from new and emerging search intent.

Benefits: Helps advertisers stay competitive on evolving search patterns.

Tip: Start conservatively, monitor performance closely, and scale strategically.

3. PMax Enhancements: Negative Keywords & Search-Term Visibility

Performance Max (PMax) now includes advanced controls for better optimization.

Campaign-level negative keywords: Exclude irrelevant queries at scale to enhance targeting.

Search-term visibility: View which queries triggered PMax ads to better understand user intent.

Action Steps:

Regularly review your search term reports.

Add negative keywords to block low-performing terms.

Refine asset groups for higher engagement.

4. Seasonality Adjustments & Data Exclusion

These advanced tools improve Smart Bidding and measurement accuracy.

Seasonality Adjustments: Fine-tune bids during known sales events or promotions to align with expected traffic spikes.

Data Exclusion: Exclude time periods with tracking issues or website errors to maintain algorithmic integrity.

Use Case Examples:

Schedule bid boosts for holiday sales.

Exclude days with broken site tracking to avoid misleading data.

5. Incrementality Testing Made Accessible

Incrementality testing is no longer limited to large advertisers.

Update: Minimum spend thresholds have dropped significantly, making lift studies more accessible.

Why It Matters: Provides a clearer picture of real campaign impact beyond last-click attribution.

Best Practices: Use split testing to measure lift and adjust strategy based on true conversion influence.

6. Creative Studio & Asset Tools (Image-to-Video, QR/Barcode Promos)

Google’s Creative Studio has introduced new features that enhance visual and interactive advertising.

Image-to-Video and AI Assets: Quickly turn static images into engaging video creatives with AI tools.

QR and Barcode Integration: Add scannable codes to promotions, connecting offline and online experiences.

Tips for Use:

Create multiple asset versions for different placements (vertical, square, landscape).

Run localized QR code promotions for tracking in-store engagement.

7. Demand Gen & Video Integration

Demand Gen campaigns have redefined YouTube and Discover advertising.

What’s New: Shoppable formats on Connected TV (CTV) and mobile let users engage directly with ads.

Creative Boosts: Enhanced support for vertical Shorts, AI video extensions, and seamless influencer collaborations.

Optimization Advice:

Upload vertical videos to reach Discover and Shorts users.

Partner with YouTube creators for credible, authentic reach.

Conclusion

These seven hidden Google Ads features—AI Overviews, Smart Bidding Exploration, enhanced PMax tools, smarter measurement, affordable incrementality tests, AI-powered creative tools, and Demand Gen campaigns—are reshaping how marketers drive performance in 2025. Now is the time to audit your campaigns, activate these tools, and test strategically to outperform competitors.

FAQs

1. What is Smart Bidding Exploration? A tool that identifies and bids on emerging queries using flexible ROAS strategies.

2. How are seasonality adjustments different from data exclusion? Seasonality tweaks future bidding; data exclusion removes flawed past data.

3. Can small brands use incrementality testing? Yes—lower budget thresholds now make it accessible to smaller advertisers.

4. How do I add QR codes to promotions? Use QR generators and upload them through Google Ads promotion assets.

5. Are AI Mode ads globally available? Currently rolling out in stages, with broader access expected during the year.

Looking for a trusted Google Ads agency? We’re here to drive real results for your business.

[psalmonesermons]

An apologetic letter in reply to a sceptical friend who raised the issue of ‘’I don’t think anyone can be sure about God’s existence’’.

By Staff Blogger Steve Green

Dear Kenny,

Thanks for your letter and your honesty, when you shared “I don’t think anyone can be sure about God’s existence.”

I can relate to this; there was a time in my life when I had doubts about God’s existence. During this period, I experienced a series of significant personal setbacks. Things I held dearly, were slipping away from me. When I was at my lowest ebb and in considerable pain, I cried out to God, wondering if anyone would hear my cry.

God heard my cry and responded. Why on that particular day did God heard my cry ? . CS Lewis says, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world” (1). With the chaos and pain in my life, God was able to speak directly to me, certainly that was how it felt.

I felt God say, I should read John 3, a well-known chapter in the Bible, which speaks of having an entirely fresh start in life, once you accept Jesus as your saviour. Jesus says in John 3:17 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” The words of Jesus became real and alive to me, from that moment on, my belief in God was unshakable.

Whilst my belief is based on my personal experience and relationship with God, I take comfort in the fact the Bible contains no scientifically incorrect statements. There are also numerous examples of the Bible referencing science thousands of years before man understood the science.

Pleiades

In Job 38:31, God is talking to Job about his creation and omnipotence, he says: “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades? Can you loosen Orion’s belt? .” At the time, this statement would have made little sense. Pleiades also known as the Seven Sisters is a gravitationally bound star cluster, which means, the stars of Pleiades move through space together due to their mutual gravitational influence. Galileo Galilei was the first man to view Pleiades using a telescope and commented “the galaxy is nothing else, but a mass of innumerable stars planted together in clusters” (2). However, God knew the stars in Pleiades were held together by gravity or as God described it at the time “Chains.”

Unlike Galileo, God knew exactly how many stars are in the sky, as God made a promise to Abraham that his dependents would be as numerous as the stars in the sky (3). Orion’s belt is an unbound asterism, a group of stars with no gravitational attraction or as God put it, “loosened Orion’s belt” as the stars freely move apart. God documented this scientific phenomenon in the Bible, thousands of years before Scientist became aware of the same phenomena. I am unable to explain how the Bible documented the movement of Pleiades, thousands of years before humans became aware that Pleiades was a bounded system, without reference to God and his omniscience.

The water cycle is the process by which water is continuously transferred between the surface of the earth and the atmosphere. The Met Office describe the Water Cycle (4) as: The sun warms the water on the surface of the planet; the water then vaporises and rises into the Earth’s atmosphere. The Water vapour will then return to liquid water or some variation (snow, ice, hail, or sleet) and fall to the Earth, where the water will gather in rivers and be transferred back to the sea. I have in very simplistic terms described the Water Cycle, which was first documented by Bernard Palissy in 1580 (5). Yet thousands of years before this, God wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes “All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.” (6), How could the book of Ecclesiastes give a very brief overview of the Water Cycle, thousands of years before Bernard Palissy first documented the process? I believe that only God had this knowledge at this time.

I find the Scientific discoveries referenced in the Bible fascinating and interesting discussion points; However, they may not be the conclusive proof you require. You have doubts about the very existence of God and that can only be addressed by communication between you and God. If you will get down on your knees and pray words to the effect of “God, you know my heart, you know the doubts I have, if you do exist then I want you in my life. God, please come and change my heart and lead me on a path where I can learn more about you. The Bible says you are “Gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” Lord be gracious and have compassion on me and change my life forever.”

If sincerely prayed, your request will determine the issue. If God does not exist, your prayer is a sincere request to the atmosphere and heard by no one else. However, if God does exist, you are about to begin the most wonderful life transforming journey, beyond your wildest expectations. As Jesus comes into your heart, the same promises he made in the Bible chapter John 3, will become available to you. A new start full of hope, a love that changes you and a true purpose in your life.

My friend, take your doubts to God in prayer and let him reassure you, as a loving Father would do with a doubting child.

You will remain in my prayers daily.

Your friend

Steve

Citations

(1) C.S. Lewis, The problem with pain. “We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world....No doubt pain as God's megaphone is a terrible instrument; it may lead to final and unrepented rebellion. But it gives the only opportunity the bad man can have for amendment. it removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of the rebel soul.”

(2)– Galileo Galilei, Sidereus Nuncius 1610.

(3) Genesis 15:5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

(4) Met Office Website - https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/learn-about/weather/how-weather-works/water-cycle

(5) Bernard Palissy, Discours Admirables (1580).

(6) Ecclesiastes 1:7

[govindhtech]

AWS WAFv2 For Hotlink Protection: Future Of Content Security

How to stop hotlinking with Amazon CloudFront, WAF, and referer checking.

AWS WAF Classic will be retired in September 2025. This update describes how to utilise the latest AWS WAF (WAFv2) to avoid hotlinking. Screenshots have been updated to reflect AWS WAF Management Console changes.

Hotlinking, also known as inline linking, is a kind of content leeching in which an unauthorised third-party website embeds links to resources referenced in a major website's HTML. Your website may be invoiced for third-party websites' content as they don't pay for hosting. Slow loading times, lost money, and legal issues may result.

Hotlinking may now be stopped using AWS WAF. AWS WAF, a web application firewall, integrates with Amazon CloudFront, a CDN, to protect your web apps from typical online vulnerabilities that can reduce application availability, security, and resource use.

Solution overview

There are several techniques to handle hotlinking. The Apache module mod_rewrite may verify the Referer header on your web server. You may then redirect the visitor to your site's home page or display a 403 Forbidden message.

If you utilise a CDN like CloudFront to speed up website delivery, web server Referer header validation is less useful. The CDN must validate additional requests for that content because they are unlikely to reach the origin web server, even if your web server verifies the headers (in this example, the referer). The CDN caches your stuff at the edge of its servers.

Figure 1: Cache request-response flow.Hit-and-miss cache encounters

Figure 1 shows the procedure:

A user client (1) requests from CloudFront edge point (2).

Edge locations try to return a cached file. This request is a cache hit if the cache replies.

The origin (3), which may be an Amazon S3 bucket, receives a request for a new copy of the object if there is a cache miss and the content is incorrect or not in the edge.

Cache hits prevent the origin from applying validation logic to the user's request since the edge server may fill the request without contacting the origin.

Two methods for solution implementation

This document provides two AWS WAF configurations to prevent hotlinking:

Transferring protected static assets (images or stylistic elements) to static.example.com ensures that you just need to check the Referer header.

Static files are in a directory on the same domain. This approach includes extending this example to check for an empty Referer header.

Your website structure and security needs will determine your strategy. The first approach lets you set up a Referer header check to guarantee that photo requests come from an allowlisted sub-domain, while the second way checks for an empty Referer header. The first technique prevents unaffiliated third-party sites from embedding image links, whereas the second allows users to share direct connections.

Terms

Key phrases from this post:

AWS WAFs use web ACLs tied to CloudFront distributions.

Each web ACL has one or more match criteria and rules.

Match conditions examine request headers or URIs for particular criteria using one or more filters.

The names of HTTP headers are not case-sensitive. Referer references the same HTTP header. However, HTTP headers are case-sensitive.

Requirements

A CloudFront distribution is needed to configure an AWS WAF web ACL. Configuring a CloudFront distribution with an S3 bucket origin is covered in Configure distributions.

Approach 1: Subdomain separation

This sample AWS WAF rule set comprises one rule, match condition, and filter. The match condition checks the Referer header for a given value. Traffic is allowed if the request meets rule conditions. If not, AWS WAF blocks traffic.

Due to the static files' subdomain (static.example.com) being accessible exclusively from example.com, you will restrict hotlinking for any file without a referral.

Approach 2: Domain-wide content with path filtering

The second technique filters by URL path and allows blank Referer headers. Create an AWS WAF web ACL with numerous rules and extra match criteria, which are filters. Instead than validating the Referer header once, the match condition validates it twice. First, check the request header. The URL-style Referer header is checked in the second validation.

Some people may prefer to share the photo URL directly. Accessing the picture directly in the browser can help avoid a negative user experience. This solution is better than the previous, which needed sub-domain picture requests.

You must also check the request route (/wp-content) for AWS WAF to protect multiple folders under a domain name.

In conclusion

AWS WAF, a web application firewall, monitors and manages HTTP(S) traffic to your protected web applications. Using the AWS WAF custom rule builder, you protected your website's Amazon S3 bucket content from hotlinking.

Preventing unauthorised third-party websites from connecting to your static content reduces bandwidth costs, user experience, and resource leeching. Two robust referrer check methods are described in this post. Following the least privilege approach, you may restrict AWS WAF rules to.jpg or.png image file extensions.

Referer checking prevents unaffiliated websites from utilising your bandwidth and backlinking to your images, but clever attacks can purposefully design a request to bypass it. Inconsistent referer header interpretation can also be caused by browser plugins, server-to-server queries that fake header data, or privacy-based web browsers. Recognise these anomalies and consider token authentication and signed URLs for private content protection.

Web browsers cannot detect changed Referer headers. Referer checking should be utilised with AWS WAF application protection rules, Bot Control, Fraud Control, and DDOS protection to secure online applications.

[createncodewebtechnologies]

Best Web developers in Delhi | Best web developers in India | Best Web Developers in Pune | Best Web Developers in Bhopal | Top Web Developers in India

Hiring best web developers in Delhi might be less expensive without sacrificing quality when compared to several Western nations. It is a desirable location for both established companies and startups due to its affordability. Delhi is a big city, therefore there are lots of chances to network with other companies, IT specialists, and possible customers.

Here are a few of Delhi's top web development firms that have received great feedback and are renowned for their skill:

Overview of PageTraffic Inc. PageTraffic, an SEO firm that has won awards since 2002, also provides full-service site construction.

Overview of On9service: A top website design and development company that specializes in enhancing business via digital solutions.

Overview of TechnoCrypt Web Services: renowned for creating robust and user-friendly websites.

Digital Webclick Pvt. Ltd. Overview: Provides creative solutions with an emphasis on practical tactics and inventiveness.

Web Solutions Mantthan LLP Overview: A seasoned web development company dedicated to providing excellent customer service.

Selecting the best web developers in India is essential to building a powerful online presence that supports your company's objectives. With so many possibilities in India, ranging from well-known agencies to knowledgeable independent contractors, companies may access a multitude of expertise that can produce top-notch online solutions.

Businesses trying to improve their internet presence must keep up with the most recent trends.

With more than half of all internet traffic coming from mobile devices, responsive design is now essential. For a smooth user experience, websites need to be optimized for a range of devices.

PWAs give customers quick loading times and offline functionality by combining the finest elements of mobile apps and webpages. Businesses trying to increase user engagement are starting to adopt this practice.

Chatbots and recommendation engines are two examples of how artificial intelligence is being incorporated into websites to provide individualized user experiences.

Website optimization for voice search is essential as speech-activated devices proliferate. Natural language processing (NLP) is the main emphasis of best web developers in Pune order to make sure that websites can efficiently reply to voice inquiries. This entails organizing information to address frequently asked issues and use conversational keywords.

Web development trends in Pune, a center for creativity and technology, are impacted by consumer preferences, commercial demands, and technological breakthroughs.

AI is revolutionizing web development by making it possible for user experiences to be more customized. Numerous web development firms in Pune are integrating AI-powered functionalities into their websites, including chatbots, recommendation engines, and predictive analytics.

Since a large percentage of web traffic originates from mobile devices, responsive design has become crucial. Pune-based businesses are concentrating on developing websites that fluidly adjust to different screen sizes and gadgets. Due to search engines' preference for mobile-friendly websites, this trend not only enhances user experience but also raises SEO rankings.

Because of its visual appeal and ability to lessen eye strain, dark mode has grown in popularity. Nowadays, a lot of best web developers in Bhopal provide dark mode choices for their websites, enabling users to switch between bright and dark themes as desired.

Despite being mostly linked to cryptocurrency, blockchain technology is now finding its way into web development. Blockchain is being investigated by Bhopal businesses for improved security, especially for e-commerce websites that deal with sensitive data.

The development of websites is being revolutionized by the emergence of low-code and no-code platforms. These platforms make it possible for anyone without a lot of coding experience to easily develop working websites. Many startups in Bhopal are using these solutions to cut expenses and development time.

As companies look to establish a deeper connection with their viewers, personalized content is becoming more and more significant. Data analytics is being used by leading Indian web developers to customize content according to user demographics, preferences, and behavior.

As environmental concerns acquire more attention, sustainable web development techniques are becoming more popular. Indian developers are optimizing websites for energy efficiency and implementing environmentally friendly hosting options.

Decreased Carbon Footprint: Environmentally friendly actions have a favorable impact. Improved Brand Image: Businesses can raise their public image by putting sustainability first.

Keeping up with these trends is essential for businesses looking to improve their online presence in order to make smart decisions about the functioning and design of their websites.

[theversevision-rp]

[Updated] Casting Protocols

To: Verseprods, applicants

Subject: Updated Casting Protocols

Date: Jan. 12, 2024

By: Gianlorenzo

Updated Casting Protocols

TheVerse Vision follows a strict and meticulous process in casting to ensure that roleplayers are permitted to be one of the agency and share enough of an honest overview of their mindset and personality; so that the personnel have a scratch paper on to base their observations from whether the artist stayed consistent, true, or exceeded expectations from their performance during casting.

FILED BY GIANLORENZO AND TODIEFOR

Principal Policy Authors: Gianlorenzo, Windbythesea

Final Approval: Paradise Lost

Date Effective: January 2022

Date Revised and Revisions' Author: January 12, 2024, Gianlorenzo

Scope of Implementation: Verseprods, applicants, THEVERSEPLAY, Down The Universe

Conditions: Qualifications

Applicants should be eligible for application through passing the needed requirements and initial standards.

Must be a Filipino roleplayer.

The account used for the application should have a defining roleplay forte. According to the standards of TheVerse Vision, the general classification of roleplay fortes are In Character (IC), Original Character (OC), Canon, Alternative Universe (AU), and General Art - as long as the account takes after a roleplay account [has a muse].

Has a recognizable faceclaim, of any nationality, profession, or field. Self-drawn OCs and animated fictional characters are allowed. Deceased personalities (ex. Michael Jackson, Naya Rivera) and children as faceclaims are prohibited. Specifically, for children, prohibited are those who are non-celebrity; a faceclaim below 18 years old (in the current year the roleplayer is joining) is only acceptable if the person is an artist (ex. Leeseo, IVE. Hyein, NewJeans)

Willing to abide by community policies by being responsible, respectful, and active.

Applicants with a known history of issues in character will be automatically rejected or have a lower chance of being recruited, depending on the case. Examples of issues can be but are not limited to plagiarism, catfishing, bullying, seen with below-the-belt remarks in public, spying, unapologetic behavior, harassment, cheating, and too much inconsistency in activeness such as repeatedly joining in and signing out of affiliations. If rejection in evaluation is grounded in the cases mentioned above, the evaluators should have proof of actions projecting the cases to avoid ungrounded judgments.

If an applicant was turned down the first time for medium-level reasons such as lacking substantial answers, and applies again, the roleplayer will be given the right to an interview and evaluation as consideration for persistence and choosing the agency again. Roleplayers with known issues are excluded from this consideration. A roleplayer can reapply after not less than 25 days.

Returning members, or artists who would rejoin after previously resigning or being terminated from purge, are allowed.

Conditions: Requirements

A submitted application form with complete answers, written in English or Filipino, through TheVerse Vision’s pinned post, in its application section within the comments section. Forms with incomplete answers are automatically rejected. Forms submitted through a third-party person such as an officer or mutual in the group are not allowed unless the reply section is restricted.

Any timeline pinned post that expounds the roleplayer’s forte and disclaimer.

Conditions: Protocols and Process

Interviews are scheduled only on weekends.

The Casting Director has the right to turn down an applicant if the objectives of the interview are not met or there is insufficient depth, with three days to finalize the decision to which the applicant will be made aware of.

Applicants, if caught copying an answer from the Internet without citing it, would automatically be turned down.

1st step: application form, 50-50 chances. Submitting a form doesn’t guarantee consideration, as it would depend on whether the answers are substantial. 2nd step: casting interview, 50-50 chances. If the applicant’s form is considered by the Casting Director, the applicant will be invited for an interview that should be conducted in any official panel room of TheVerse Vision. Members of the management are in each panel room, but only the Casting Director or designated panelist for an applicant will share the floor with the interviewee. 3rd step: completion of requirements, if the verdict arrives as passed.

Returning members are considered not required to undergo a casting interview for the second time unless the returning member was formerly terminated due to sudden inactivity during their previous time in the group; only an application form. Members previously terminated for being involved in known issues or causing damage to the group are excluded from this consideration.

One applicant only per interview room. The applicant will be given a schedule to meet with the panelist but the duration to complete the interview is given 7 days. Failure to accomplish the interview [and requirements, if passed, will nullify the process.

If an applicant gives no response a day after being summoned to their last reply, they will be asked in the Interview Room if they wish to continue. If there is no response still, they will be temporarily removed from the Interview Room and be moved to Room 4 until their 7th due day.

Applicants who pass the casting shall receive an evaluation result or receipt.

Applicants applying to be an officer and passed the casting, but have no history in the group as a member would undergo 1-month probation first.

Conditions: Privacy

As stated in the application form, answers to the application form, a copy of the full interview, and responses in the contract record are to be documented as part of the management’s archival purposes to ensure everyone who applies and enters the group properly undergoes evaluation and process, and history tracking. Records are limited to Verseprods only.

Conditions: Free Pass

All of the measures above are applied in Free Pass phases except for the following changes:

Interviews can be scheduled on weekdays.

For officers, no probation period.

[bedlamgames]

https://patreon.com/posts/95542289 First version of the Twine version of No Haven is now up for those on the newly renamed Discord Server+Twine Early Access Tier and above

Text of the Patreon post including the rather speculative notes under the break.

Well here it is. 

Man, I hope this goes well.

This is based on the No Haven 0.863 RAGS version which gives you an idea of how long this has taken for the conversion to get to this stage.

The patch notes are going to be a lot more speculative than usual simply as I don't know entirely what works and what doesn't. 

It's reached the point where I need more eyes on this so I can get a better idea of what works, what doesn't, and what needs to be worked on first. I'd especially like some feedback based on going for multiple months worth of play to see if the Twine version can hold together that long. 

What I know works or are at least mostly  

- Most of the Assignments that were added up to 0.863 so that's everything up to and including Lady of Light, Life in Coiled Tentacles, and The Elvish Art. I've tested a lot of these and seen at least one result for many of them. 

- Scenarios.

- Unit Barks.

- Finish Days.

- Estimate Value.

- Examines.

- Standard and Quick Starts.

- Frequently Asked Questions.

- Stats. 

- All art up to 0.99. Yes, 0.99 and not 0.863 so all the new commission up to and including Whore Makers is in there too so in that respect something in Twine is now ahead of the RAGS version. I did this in the last two days so it's possible there might be some issues where Assignments I've tested and worked before now have miss-named art refferences. For example 'Error: <<include>>: passage "Assignment Tavern" does not exist'

- The UI.

- Likely a bunch more than is either too miscelleneous for me to mention now, or stuff I haven't got to testing and somehow works anyway. This has honestly happened more than you'd expect. 

What I know doesn't work or has known issues

- I've turned off some Assignments so they will be just plain text rather than being able to access them. These include Scour Dockside Taverns for New Talent, Price of Freedom (kinda amusingly this was the last Assignment added as of 0.863) , all Training, and Personal Assignments. 

- Full Custom Starts (Yes, I know this is priority number one to get sorted)

- Talking to.

- Nightly Activities.

- View Tutorial Options.

- The Morale and Supplies used on Finish Day had some real issues with the existing formatting so I've done something that at least kinda works for now, and likely will need to be entirely redone to improve the look to reflect how it was in RAGS.

- Suggestions do work but appear to be a bit finickity in when they choose to show up. I suspect this is an Assignment specific issue and so should be reasonably straightforward to deal with. 

- A number of options on the left side bar like Overview and Removal don't do anything currently. They just lead to a blank screen so I've left them as is. I may change up Overview to how it was in RAGS as the new Regions way of selecting Assignments may make some of it obsolete. Could do with your thoughts on that. 

- Turns out I was a bit over zealous with changing 's to Html code. In some menus this will show up as the code rather than it being converted. "Don&apos;t" rather than "Don't" for example. Don&apos;t bother to report this as I know to sort them out and from what I've seen it doesn't break anything so it's just a visual annoyance for now. 

- And outside of the art everything that's been added from 0.87 to 0.963 so that will include some bugs that have been fixed in those intervening versions. 

In terms of bug reporting I'm especially looking for things that will show up in red and white proceeded with an exclamation mark. For example: 'Error: <<set>>: bad evaluation: State.variables.Assign[State.variables.Nh_v1].push is not a function'

Please copy those in full and either post them in reply to this post or in a new Twine Bug Reporting channel I've added to the Discord. 

Dead ends are the other critical reports. So that's where you click on something that basically ends the game giving you no option to do anything else. I suspect there will be at least some of these in the more complex Assignments which have extra choices in how they are resolved. 

Hope you enjoy, and please look forward to many more of these Twine releases in the future as the two versions will get closer and closer in priority until we can finally do away with RAGS for good.

[maple-the-awesome]

Ackerman's Sister || Chapter 16

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x Sister Reader (strictly platonic), Erwin Smith x Reader

Words: 2,997

Overview: Winter means no expeditions. No expeditions means it's the perfect time to relax, but how can Levi relax when his sister keeps making goo-goo eyes at Erwin?

Series Masterlist🤎 AOT Masterlist🤎 Fandom Masterlist

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: TENSIONS AMONG COMRADES

If Levi had to pick a favorite season, he'd be tempted to say winter. It's a terribly messy season that leads to slushy snow-mixed-mud being tracked throughout the barracks and the air is always frigid yet the Survey Corps unfortunately suffers a lack of fireplaces on base, only one in the dinning hall and a few in the higher ups' offices. Winter lasts for a miserable few months, but it's Levi's favorite because it's the only time of year expeditions are put on guaranteed pause. No missions means no deaths. No deaths means he doesn't have to worry about his friends or sister; he'll deal with all the slushy mud in the world to have that kind of peace of mind (not that he still won't pout and try to clean it anyways).

The Underground isn't known to get any warmer than 15°C on the best of summer days, so it's safe to say Levi had been accustomed to cold weather for most of his life, but things have changed since coming to the surface. Spending most of his days out on expeditions, cleaning inside by an open window, or sitting outside in the grass with you if the weather's really nice, he's slowly grown to enjoy the sun's warm rays. With that said, he has unfortunately lost some of his tolerance for biting breezes which now leaves his cheeks and nose burning red much to his dismay. It's nothing too serious, although he won't turn down a seat by a crackling fire either which leads to his current predicament.

When you came to his room offering him sanctuary in front of a fireplace, he had been skeptical. The fireplace in the dining hall is flocked to by all soldiers who huddle together within close proximity - not a space Levi wants to be squished in. Even once you specified the location, it led to more hesitation from your brother.

Yes, the blurring snow storm raging outside has left his room feeling particularly cold and he desired some better warmth compared to his thin blankets, but at the cost of being stuck in a room with just Erwin and you where he would suffer as the audience of your maddening forms of flirting? He might like sitting in the ice cellar better...

Thankfully for Levi's mental health, the three of you haven't been alone as he had worried. Mike, Nanaba, Moblit, and Hanji joined as well. It turns out none of you really felt like huddling together in the dining hall, so someone (Levi would guess to be you) convinced Erwin to have a little gathering in his office.

It isn't much, mostly just friendly chatter among close friends as they take refuge from the cold, although Erwin had broken out a bottle of wine to share; nothing fancy or expensive, but good nonetheless. Since then, Levi has sat by himself in front of the fire, nursing his wine glass while keeping an eye on everyone with silent enjoyment he'd never admit aloud.

There aren't many seats in the office, but it doesn't seem to be an issue. Mike is leaning against the wall, nodding along wordlessly to a story Nanaba is telling him. Meanwhile, Moblit and Hanji sit in the wooden chairs placed in front of the desk, Hanji dominating the conversation there while you sit on the desk itself in front of them.

You seem to be enjoying yourself from what Levi can tell. You show no boredom towards whatever Hanji's ranting about and you must be keeping track of the topic since you add in your own replies whenever prompted. Sometimes you laugh and your eyes maintain a nice glitter to them, only leaving your friend's excitement for a second to check on Erwin from where he sits appropriately in his chair behind the desk.

The lingering glances, the softness in your expression, and the slight red to your cheeks when Erwin meets your eyes before you quickly turn back to Hanji...You think you're real smooth, don't you? You've said nothing to your brother about the matter of course, not that he's bothered asking, but it's not like he needs to; he already knows the answer.

You've always behaved bashfully around Erwin, yet you changed suddenly. Nothing too crazy, however Levi's noticed that you don't blush quite as often nor do you seem as terribly flustered as before. If anything, he would dare say you seem more confident around Erwin, in fact just last week he caught the two of you walking down the hall with your pinkie fingers twisted together - like any pair of 'friends' would.

Expeditions begin, Erwin 'casually' makes his way over to personally wish you luck. Expeditions end, you breathe a visible sigh of relief when seeing him the crowd of soldiers back home. Levi's also not stupid enough to believe Erwin, who's practically second-in-command to the Survey Corps, needs that much help with paperwork that he requires you in his office during practically any break period.

It's clear as day that the two of you have definitely crossed some line in your relationship yet you haven't confirmed it aloud to anyone including Levi. Perhaps you're both keeping it a secret for the sake of being professional and maybe you're worried that your brother would be upset at your choice of men. He's already made it pretty clear that he has many complaints against Erwin, but it's not like he can convince you, an adult woman, who to date. Even if he could sway your decision, he probably wouldn't try anyways.

You're happy. Erwin's a stupid, annoying prick, but he's a stupid, annoying prick who makes you smile which is more than most other guys could say. With everything life has thrown at you, you've never had time to so much as consider dating, too preoccupied with survival and family to let yourself be that vulnerable. It's by chance that you found someone in the Survey Corps to love and you don't seem to be complaining; quite the contrary judging on how relaxed you are whenever by Erwin's side. At the end of the day, Levi has no issue with you being content like this; you deserve it more than anyone else...He just worries...

"That's really good!" You praise, gazing over the many drawings Moblit had passed to you. Flipping through them, each landscape seems to be better than the last.

"They're just rough sketches..." Moblit explains modestly while scratching the back of his neck.

"Are you kidding? They're so well detailed!" You lean over so that Erwin can see too which seems to further embarrass Moblit who's immediately reminded of his childhood where his mother would proudly show off his skills to practically the whole town while complaining he'd be 'putting it to waste' in the Survey Corps.

"She's right. You have a gift," Erwin agrees with a smile.

You choose to look over them for a second longer before giving them back to Moblit, "I wish I could draw like that. It would be a nice way to capture an image forever."

"Have you tried drawing?"

"Yes, and I'll spare everyone the torture of seeing my attempts," you sigh dramatically, earning a round of chuckles, "...Can you draw people, too?"

"Yeah, I've done a few portraits," Moblit nods, stacking his landscapes together neatly. He then glances at you with a shy offer, "...I could draw you if you want..."

"Oooh, shooting your shot, eh Moblit?" Hanji elbows him in the ribs with a hearty laugh, however he's quick to shake his head.

"N-No, I just wanted to offer, that's all! It makes people happy to see their own portraits and I can use the practice anyways."

"Seriously? You'd be up for drawing me?" You bounce with excitement like a child handed candy and it only gets worse when Moblit agrees.

While he tries to locate a fresh piece of paper in his sketchbook, you glance across the room and meet Levi's eyes. He redirects his attention back to the fire, stubbornly refusing to make it seem like he was actually listening to the conversation, after all, he had put up such a fuss in coming here earlier. You said he'd enjoy the break and he can't let you realize you were right about that.

Despite how sneaky your brother tries to be, he'll never be able to get much past you. With a smirk, you push yourself off the desk and stroll over to him with a wave to your step, "Could you do Levi and me together, Moblit?"

Levi whips his head around to you with a glare.

"If you want, sure."

"That's going to be a challenge," Hanji snickers, earning a glare of her own from Levi.

"I don't want to be any damn drawing."

"It won't take long. I can draw fast -" Moblit tries to reassure.

"- I don't care how fast you can draw. I don't want to be drawn at all."

"-Aw, come on, Levi! It'll be a nice little keepsake for us - something we can look back at years from now and remember the good o' days when we were still young," you grin, holding a hand out to him which he refuses to take, instead scooting further away from you while hugging his knees to his chest.

"No."

You sigh, placing your hands on your hips teasingly, "You're getting a drawing done with me one way or another. Don't make me hold you down in front of everyone."

"Test her, Levi! I wanna know which one of you is strongest!" Hanji hoots in laughter and she would've tipped her chair too far back if not for Nanaba pushing it upright again. At least four-eyes is having the time of her life right now. She won't be once Levi buries her in the snow later.

He glances at your hopeful expression then your hand before begrudgingly taking it at last, allowing you to pull him up off the ground. Almost the second he's on his feet, you throw your arm over his shoulders and pull him against your side roughly. "Good. Now smile!"

He huffs and rolls his eyes at your eagerness.

As promised, Moblit goes straight to work drawing while everyone else stands by watching in quiet amusement aside from Hanji who has to bite back her smirk after calling out Levi for still not smiling.

Sneering, he feels his cheeks warm at all the attention and spotlight...This feels so childish yet when he glances at you, Levi takes note of how bubbly you are. It's a stark difference from when Isabell and Furlan died or even when you all were back in the Underground together. Of course, now you're where you always wanted to be as a kid. You dreamed of being a soldier - a hero people looked up to, not down upon which had been the only feeling you ever knew back then. The best part is you're surrounded by new friends and your brother by your side. What else could you ask for?

Bowing his head, Levi allows a small smile to form on his lips.

Once the drawing is finished, Moblit hands you his work so that you may sit in awe over it and gush about his skill. Levi himself takes the time to gaze over the drawing when you pass it to him. He must admit Moblit does have talent. For something drawn so quickly, it's pretty well detailed. He's captured your smile and eyes just right, even mastering that ever so small smile Levi had, too. Perhaps the only difference is the small lines scratched in the background in the shape of buildings to give a more outside look compared to a dim office.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" You ask Levi smugly, your arm once again over his shoulders to pull him into a side hug.

He rolls his eyes and pushes you away by your face, "It was torturous."

"So dramatic as always, Levi," You chuckle, taking no real offense and instead looking over the drawing again happily. After staring at it long enough to memorize every detail yourself, you carefully fold it up to fit into your chest pocket, "Thank you, Moblit. I'll keep it forever."

As the evening grows late, everyone slowly files out of Erwin's office to return to their own chilly rooms. Although the other voices get further down the hall, to no surprise, you take your time hovering outside of the office. You rock on your heels while bidding Erwin a goodnight, seemingly more pleased when he chuckles and sneaks a kiss to your cheek with his own whispered well wishes. Shyly, you stutter another ‘goodnight’ before scurrying off.

He’s smiling ever so slightly, his eyes following you until they can't any longer once you round the corner. He wonders for a moment if he should've offered you a stay in his room for the night since you had mentioned a few times how cold the barracks get, however such an offer might've been inappropriate - it would’ve been inappropriate. There's still no official label to your relationship, after all. Neither of you have dared speak it, both fearing deep down how much good it would do given your jobs. Still, label or not, it hasn't stopped you from being drawn to each other; it's contradictory, you're both aware.

"I'm surprised she didn't stay longer,” Erwin's slightly taken aback when turning to see Levi standing there with a glare, although he quickly recovers from this surprise.

"It’s late,” he says as if that's enough of an answer for why you hadn’t stayed, but Levi’s hardly amused.

“Doesn’t stop most couples.”

Erwin frowns, half tempted to deny what Levi’s hinting at yet he realizes there really wouldn’t be much point in that. Your brother’s no idiot. Deny it as you both wish, but at the end of the day, he isn’t the only one who would deem your relationship that of a couple. It doesn’t matter how stubbornly you use the title yourselves, it doesn’t reflect whatever you feel in your hearts nor will it save you from any heartbreak later on.

“I respect your sister greatly. I intend her no harm nor do I want to step on your toes, either -”

“- I don’t care what you are to each other and I don’t plan on getting in the way of my sister’s happiness,” Levi interrupts quickly, turning around to start making his own way towards the barracks, however he pauses then glances back at Erwin, “...Let me just ask you this: if it came down to it, would you sacrifice her for your ‘mission’?”

Erwin’s lips part ever so slightly, Levi's question taking him off guard. The answer sits on the tip of his tongue, yet it doesn't feel quite right making him rethink it again and again.

Despite these revisions, he can't seem to feel confident in his reply, his eyebrows furrowing together. If someone were to walk into the hallway at this moment, they might assume Erwin had been asked a complex riddle based on his confusion; they'd be no wiser and dismiss his hesitation, but Levi can't do so. Seeing the wheels turning in Erwin's head only infuriates him, causing his patience to officially snap in half.

"It's not a damn mind twister! If you truly care about - if you love her, you'd know the answer as quickly as you could tell someone your own name!" Levi hisses harshly, curling his fist at his side. He hadn't been angry before, only concerned, however that's officially changed. Now, he's angry, feeling as if his fears have suddenly been confirmed despite his prior words.

"I actually love her, so I can say with confidence that I wouldn't hesitate to give my own life for hers if it were needed."

Erwin watches Levi march off, the same dumbfounded expression printed across his face as his mind whirls around the complicated question he had been asked, but his hesitancy isn't for the reason Levi thinks.

You're just like any other soldier in the Survey Corps. You have your own hopes and dreams as well as your own talents to get you there. Perhaps the only difference is you hadn’t originally joined for the same noble cause as the others. Just a poor orphan girl from the Underground, you exist from a background Erwin could never properly understand, although he has tried to, determined to know exactly what makes you tick.

Like him, you've spent your whole life staring upwards while wondering what more there is to this hell around you. You, of course, are more selfless than him. For someone with nothing, you sure like to give. You give for your brother, you give for your comrades, and you give for Erwin. That's what makes you such a good soldier; you live for others and you have no shame nor hesitation in doing so despite how it could easily become a dangerous (yet still heroic) habit.

You're just like any other soldier in the Survey Corps. You can die at any time. You'll most likely die, chasing after the same cause and mission Erwin's invested you to. Many soldiers before you have fallen into place as the footsteps for humanity's future and at surface level, you'd lay no different than them; just a stepping stone for a worthy cause…so why does Levi's question bother Erwin this much? Why does he feel a weight in his heart at the thought of stepping over your body, hesitating to lead humanity any further than that despite where his dreams have always lied?

Erwin has always been focused on the future. He wants desperately to explore the world outside the Walls and confirm his late father’s theories for the fate of humanity…but not enough to sacrifice you...For some reason, you tilt every scale in a different direction and throw each careful calculation off the page. Thinking of your laughter and beautiful smile...Your determination and unmatched strength...Your faith and understanding that you allow yourself to show even towards a devil like him...

...Erwin doesn't know if he could choose humanity over you...

NEXT CHAPTER {coming soon}

<- PREVIOUS CHAPTER

[bizarrequazar]

GJ and ZZH Updates — May 21-27

<<< previous week || all posts || following week >>>

This is part of a weekly series collecting updates from and relating to Gong Jun and Zhang Zhehan.

This post is not wholly comprehensive and is intended as an overview, links provided lead to further details. Dates are in accordance with China Standard Time, the organization is chronological. My own biases on some things are reflected here. Anything I include that is not concretely known is indicated as such, and you’re welcome to do your own research and draw your own conclusions as you see fit. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or additions. :)

[Glossary of names and terms] [Masterlist of my posts about the situation with Zhang Zhehan]

05-21 → #GongJun trended on Twitter.

→ The Go Fighting! Weibo posted two promotional photos featuring Gong Jun for episode 6. 

→ Gong Jun posted four photos of himself from Go Fighting! episode 6. Caption: “Fight for the salty bean curd”

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted another four photos from Go Fighting!. Caption: “Protect the salty bean curd! Tonight at 9:00 lock on to #Go Fighting#, watch @ Gong Jun Simon start a new challenge~”

→ BesTV posted three photos of Gong Jun from Go Fighting! episode 6.

→ Episode 6 of Go Fighting! season 9 aired. This is the last episode Gong Jun will be appearing on this season. 😭 [full episode (raw)]

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted a video of behind the scenes footage from the Go Fighting! episode. Caption: “The reasoning division is online! It's a day when @ Gong Jun Simon's brain is running fast. PS: Don't miss the a cappella time!”

05-22 → Weibo Fashion posted a video interview with Gong Jun.

→ Vogue+ posted a teaser video of the full video they would release later of Gong Jun getting ready for the Cannes red carpet. [subbed video]

→ Fresh posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Hung Huang, the fashion commentator who posted an unflattering photo of Gong Jun last week, posted a video addressing it by saying that she wasn’t familiar with “fandom issues”. This got up to #3 on the entertainment hotsearch, likely bought. Fan Observations:   -  It is suspected that this incident was caused by another artist who sees Gong Jun as competition. I will not say who, as it is only speculation at this time.  -  Whalers commented in droves under Hung Huang’s post, slandering Gong Jun. It was noted that she has her profile set so that users are unable to comment unless they have been following her for a full week—this was five days after she posted anything about the event. This indicates that this may have been a planned incident involving coordination with the scam gang; the artist alluded to above has known connections to CAPA.

05-23 → Vogue+ posted the full video of Gong Jun getting ready.

→ Net-a-Porter posted a video of behind the scenes footage from their 04-17 commercial featuring Gong Jun.

→ Sohu Fashion posted a video interview with Gong Jun at the Cannes film festival.

→ L’Oreal posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun. This was followed by three photos and a short video teasing the video interviews with Hung Huang and Patty Hou that would be released later. Hung Huang reposted the full video with the added caption, “Nice talk, good luck with the new filming!” to which Gong Jun commented, “Thank you, Hung Huang-laoshi, it was a pleasure talking with you!” #Gong Jun replied to Hung Huang# later trended, with posts commending Gong Jun on his politeness and professionalism. Fan Observations:   -  Gong Jun’s comment was made 9 minutes after the post despite him not being tagged in it. 5G boy strikes again.  -  In the interview with Patty Hou, Gong Jun joked that people had referred to his singing as “人菜瘾大” (“terrible skills but addicted”). It was noticed that Zhang Zhehan used this exact phrase during an interview from the Word of Honor concert.

→ Gong Jun posted a douyin of his trip to Cannes. Caption: “Extreme business trip # L'Oreal Cannes Film Festival” BGM is 快乐小孩, the opening song of the children’s show 大耳朵图图. Fan Observations:  -  It was noted by a number of people that the style is similar to a tweet by a CPF that had been ported to the Chinese side of the fandom after Jason Wu retweeted it.  -  The song’s lyrics talk about the parents of show’s child protagonist, who are named Hu Yingjun and Zhang Xiaoli (written the same). The part of the douyin where the line “dad says...” plays is over a clip from the red carpet livestream where Gong Jun raised his eyebrows after a fan screamed “ba” (dad).

→ BesTV posted a photo featuring Gong Jun from Go Fighting! episode 6.

→ The Instagram posted a video of “Zhang Zhehan” singing.

→ L’Oreal posted three more photo ads featuring Gong Jun.

→ The 18th and 19th Huabiao Awards were held by the MCT, during which the movie The Bravest, which Zhang Zhehan had acted as a minor character in, was among ten awarded for the 18th awards as best feature films. Several hashtags referring to the awards more generally got on hotsearch. Fan Observations: These awards had been postponed for four years due to Covid and the 18th awards were likely decided in 2020. The version of the movie currently available for streaming in China still has Zhang Zhehan edited out, and no discussion seems to have arisen from this. Unfortunately, this cannot be considered anything significant.

05-24 → #ZhangZhehan trended on Twitter.

→ Gong Jun posted the video of his interview with Hung Huang. Caption: “No internal friction, no anxiety, and peace of mind waiting for surprises to knock on the door is the secret of my happiness and self-consistency.  In #欧宝雅应该说#, talking on the sea is worthwhile.”

→ L’OFFICIEL Hommes posted a teaser video for their photoshoot with Gong Jun that would release later in the week. Caption: “On the way to achieve ideals, ‘time’ is a constant measure. Young people drive off at dawn to meet life.  Gong Jun is very humorous: ‘If I travel to the future, I will become old. Then I should go back to the past and be a better version of myself. Go back to the past, seize every opportunity, and face the future.’“

→ The Instagram posted a “vlog”. The initial post had “Zhang Zhehan” misspelled (翰 instead of 瀚), which then was deleted and reposted with the correction; the caption on the repost blamed staff for the mistake.  Fan Observations / More Info:  -  [chatlog from 2018 showing Zhang Zhehan correcting Yang Zi, an actress, who misspelled his name in the same way]  -  It was noted that the video thumbnail showing the name does not come up automatically and must have been manually set. The person posting the video—which whalers claim is Zhang Zhehan himself—would doubtlessly have seen the misspelled name.   -  For those not familiar with Chinese typing input: 翰 not only has a completely different meaning, but is also not frequently used and does not come up quickly in the standard input. When I was writing it up there, I had to scroll through about ten other characters to find it, and others have confirmed this as well. When you type his full name (or even just “zzh” on mobile), 张哲瀚 comes up automatically.

→ #TheRealZhangZhehan trended on Twitter.

→ Gong Jun’s studio commented on his public schedule: “@ Gong Jun Simon has added a new itinerary this month: 5.30 to attend an event.” This is believed to be a charity event for BAZAAR.

→ Fox Factory (狐厂大拷问) posted a short video of behind the scenes footage from a photoshoot with Gong Jun in Cannes, teasing their interview that would release the following day. 

→ The fashion editor for If posted a teaser video of her interview with Gong Jun from Cannes.

→ Safeguard posted a promotional video spoken by Gong Jun.

05-25 → #TheRealZhangZhehan continued to trend on Twitter.

→ L’OFFICIEL posted a video of to their Xiao Hong Shu of behind the scenes footage from the shoot they would release a few minutes later.

→ L’OFFICIEL Hommes posted their photoshoot with Gong Jun. Caption: “The sunshine has changed from the negligible colour in spring to a bright sugar film, and the air is also full of brilliant laziness. On ‘May 1st’ @ Gong Jun Simon   took a rare short vacation for himself, working out at home, watching dramas, watching movies, and preparing for the next new drama. This may be the case for actors, creating magnificent dreams in the camera to their heart's content, and living a leisurely life outside the camera.” Gong Jun’s studio reposted this with the added caption: “Adventures of childlike innocence, @ Gong Jun Simon will take you to ‘dive’ into a summer tour!”

→ Gong Jun posted six of the L’OFFICIEL photos. (10:10, 511 kadian with the date) Caption: “‘Soak’ for a day!” He also posted seven to his Xiao Hong Shu, caption: “Soak  Bubble bath 👍” and seven to his Instagram, caption: “Interesting!”

→ Deeyeo posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun. 

→ Fox Factory posted their video interview with Gong Jun. [subbed video] This was shortly followed by four photos from the interview.

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted twenty-one behind the scenes photos from the L’OFFICIEL photoshoot. Caption: “@ Gong Jun Simon in the bubbles, cooling images”

→ L’OFFICIEL Hommes posted their interview with Gong Jun.

→ Gong Jun posted a douyin of behind the scenes footage from the photoshoot. Caption: “Check out my new hat, it's going to be gone in no time!”

→ BesTV posted two extended clips [1] [2] from Go Fighting! episode 6.

→ Phoenix Net Entertainment posted a video interview with Gong Jun from Cannes.

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted a video of behind the scenes footage from the L’OFFICIEL photoshoot. Caption: “Enjoying the leisure time, @ Gong Jun Simon dives into pure childlike innocence.” BGM is Grounded High by Halcyon Lounge.

→ If posted their full video interview with Gong Jun.

05-26 → Deeyeo posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Net-a-Porter posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ L’OFFICIEL Hommes posted a commercial in partnership with Fresh featuring Gong Jun. This was later also posted by Fresh.

→ The Baidu Baike page for Zhang Zhehan was edited to include the incorrect 翰 spelling of his name, and the Baidu search engine’s knowledge graph was changed to redirect to him when his name is searched with the misspelling. It’s uncertain at this time if the misspelling in the “vlog” was a genuine accident or some intentional new plan, but either way the scam gang are trying to justify it using the same kind of resources employed during 813.

→ The Instagram posted ten photos of “Zhang Zhehan” playing basketball and practicing height jumping with his shoelaces untied. Fan Observations:  -  The caption was “Once when I get back to 🏀, golf doesn't seem so attractive.” which completely goes against what Zhang Zhehan said in multiple interviews [1] [2] about how he had accepted that he physically could not play basketball anymore, but that he had found a love for golf.   -  It was noted that golf is both more expensive and has more easily analyzed form, making it harder for the scam to use. (Not to mention the little incident with Sophie during the filming of the previous golf stuff.) Also Billy, one of the people involved with last summer’s gym bros saga, is a shareholder of the court where these new photos were taken.

→ WWD China posted a video interview with Gong Jun from Cannes.

→ Fresh posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

05-27 → The Economist published an article about Chinese nationalism being weaponized as cancel culture, making a brief mention of Zhang Zhehan. Quote for people who can’t see the article since it’s behind a paywall: “The year before, Zhang Zhehan, an actor, was purged from China's film industry after a photo emerged of him standing outside the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, where war criminals involved with Japan's invasion of China are commemorated. Mr Zhang said he was just there to see cherry blossoms.”

→ The booting ceremony was held for the filming of Gong Jun’s new drama Remains of the Wind, also revealing the show’s English title The Truth.* [Weibo account for the show] *(For the time being I’m going to keep referring to the show as Remains of the Wind, whether this will change will depend on what I see being used by the fandom at large.)

→ Deeyeo posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Net-a-Porter posted a promotional video spoken by Gong Jun. 

→ Madame Figaro posted a video interview (already subbed) with Gong Jun from Cannes. 

→ The Instagram posted a video of “Zhang Zhehan” playing basketball. There is not a single continuous shot of him actually making a basket.

→ Gong Jun posted four photos of himself from the booting ceremony. Caption: “#Remains of the Wind# Follow the trace and restore the truth. Ye Qian* came to report.” This was reposted by his studio with the added caption: “Ask the truth, traces can be followed, hello Ye Qian @ Gong Jun Simon.” *his character’s name

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted another four photos from the booting ceremony. Caption: “Follow the traces of the twigs, Ye Qian @ Gong Jun Simon restores the blurred truth, breaks the situation and stands.”

→ Fresh posted a promotional video spoken by Gong Jun.

Additional Reading: → [Here] is a video (no subs) collecting all of Gong Jun’s interviews from Cannes excluding the most recent one from Madame Figaro. → The total amount donated to Bluebird’s charity drive for Zhang Zhehan’s birthday has been finalized at $15,133 CAD (11,135 USD / 78,657 RMB) raised for Educating Girls of Rural China! → An update on the charity drive for the Chengdu Bear Rescue Centre that Sheena organized for Gong Jun’s birthday: Animals Asia has awarded their 2022 Andrew Superstar Award to Gong Jun’s international fan club, with a video personally recorded in thanks by their founder.

<<< previous week || all posts || following week >>>

This post was last edited 2023-05-29.

[isolaradiale]

Hey everyone!

We just wanted to touch base on some developing technical issues with Tumblr’s platform relative to how we use it for RP, as well as what the fixes will likely be going forward. It isn’t a fun topic, but unfortunately Tumblr has decided it’s a necessary one. We don’t claim to be experts on how these things work mind you, so this is just an overview based on what we understand.

As you all may have noticed Tumblr has been beta testing a new post editor for some months now, and we’ve largely been ignoring it since they’ve given us access to the legacy editor in the meantime. But as it seems has been the case for the past few days, newly made accounts don’t have the option to use the legacy editor at all. This has led us to the conclusion that they intend on forcing a rollout to every account in the near future, but we’re not sure when that might be.

Now why is this post editor change a big deal? Well, the community relies on a browser extension known as XKit (whether old or New XKit) to make RPing a little more convenient, and one of those features is the ability to edit the reblogs in a thread and trim them so each thread isn’t more than two or three or more replies long. The issue is that the new editor isn’t compatible with this XKit feature if you’re using one of the older versions of the extension, which is obviously an issue when some accounts can’t access the legacy editor at all and we expect the number of these accounts to increase.

It gets even more confusing when it comes to a solution for the new editor, because while one does exist it is completely reliant on your RP partner also using the new post editor for it to work. Which won’t be an issue once Tumblr makes everyone use the new editor, but in the meantime it means some of our members will not be able to trim threads and it will fall upon members using the old post editor to do this for them when they reply.

This solution is XKit Rewritten, a newer extension that is receiving constant support (unlike the old versions which have been abandoned and are gradually breaking). Along with having functionality comparable to the old versions, it also has a “Trim Reblogs” feature that you use on a reblog after you’ve posted it, and you can select old reblogs to remove. The problem is that this is incompatible with posts made using the “Editable Reblogs” feature of previous XKits because it incorporates reblogs into the post of the one reblogging it. Technically it’s confusing to explain in detail, so we’ll avoid the headache.

For the time being feel free to use whatever extension and post editor you feel comfortable with, this post is just more of a heads up about what’s happening and we would never force anyone to use an extension they don’t want to. We’re just wary that the time where we’ll be forced to abandon the old editor and XKit is on the horizon, and we don’t want our memberbase to be blindsided when it does happen.

If you find all of this a little confusing, a couple of other voices in the greater Tumblr RP community have made handy posts and guides on it below (make sure you give them a like and / or a reblog if you find them helpful!):

rpschtuff

shinsources

Likewise if anyone has any other possible solutions or concerns, please reach out to the staff team!

-- the island stars.

[bruiisedpetals-a]

      TRIAL MUSES ; IRONBORN COUSINS.

PLEASE LEAVE A LIKE / REPLY IF YOU’D LIKE TO POTENTIALLY INTERACT WITH EITHER OR BOTH OF THESE MUSES.

𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐦 , sometimes called ‘ narra ’ also known as ‘ lady bone-hand ’ & ‘ the salt death ’ — she is the secondborn of house drumm , the lords of the isle of old wyk.      she is named after high king regnar drumm , who was known as ‘ raven-feeder ’ & was the fourth high king of the iron islands. considered touched by the drowned god after regnarra threw herself to the waves in a contest of faith , drowned , and then was revived with the kiss of life , thrice.

𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐟𝐫𝐲𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝��𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 , a lord of house goodbrother of shatterstone upon old wyk , and captain of the longship the bloody wanderer in the iron fleet.  known as ‘ the sea wolf ’ due to his famed ferocity in raiding and reaving ; a staunch believer in the old way & iron price , devoted to the drowned god.   wulffryd is renowned amongst the ironborn for (first raiding) and then sinking a lyseni fleet of six ships against his one , deep in the sunset sea.

further basic details of both muses below the cut & though they are not set specifically in a show verse or era as yet , they are crafted in asoiaf lore.     these are trial muse / ideas and i may bring them in for an ic trial run based on interest !

𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐀 𝐃𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐌 ; 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐓 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇                         𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐄-𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃

title : lady of house drumm — also known as ;  lady bone-hand (reference to her houses’ sigil) & the salt death (reference to her role as ritual executioner)

name : regnarra drumm ; reg-narr-ah   /  narra ; narr-ah

fc : thea sofie loch næss

age : 23

faith : the drowned god

role : elected ritual executioner for house drumm , serving in honour of the drowned god.

overview : fiercely devoted to the drowned gods , with house drumm considered the most holiest of the ironborn , regnarra often saw herself into fights with aspiring acolytes of the drowned men who mocked her for being a woman and thus unable to join the religion as a priest.   both her parents were incredibly proud of their fierce child , who may have been small from birth but every bit as wild as the seas.    when she was six , twelve and then sixteen , regnarra voluntarily entered into contests of faith upon the black cliffs of old wyk and gave herself over to the seas by falling from the heights — each time she had drowned but been revived by a priest with the kiss of life.  she would never join the religion as a leader , but they now respected her beyond questioning and no longer sought to mock her unyielding faith.  she was trained to sail and fight , which she is proficient in , but since her sixteenth nameday and her third brushing of the drowned god regnarra has been the elected ritual & sacrificial executioner of house drumm ; elected by her father as his representative in command as well as by the priests upon old wyk.

regnarra considers herself an oracle of the drowned god , whether that is agreed upon is another issue , but it is a known phenomenon that when lady bone-hand proclaimed the drowned god would battle the storm god ... a monstrous turn of the seas would come. when she burned dried salt and seaweed into the air like an incense and then proceeded to bathe naked in the salt waters as acolytes did , regnarra would often leave the ocean with the echo of prophecy in her mouth as she tasted of the fortunes of others at the hands of the drowned god ; for good or bad.

parents : lord dunstan iv drumm and lady yorra drumm (goodbrother)

siblings : denys drumm , ( herself ) , donnel drumm

half-siblings , by her fathers salt wives : keryn pyke , ellana snow , ulfurd pyke

other connection — cousin : lord wulffryd goodbrother , captain of the bloody wanderer.  his is the son of regnarra’s mother’s elder brother ; thus her maternal first cousin.             protective , rivalry , allies , ironborn support.

𝐖𝐔𝐋𝐅𝐅𝐑𝐘𝐃 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 ; 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐋𝐅

title : lord of house goodbrother of shatterstone  — also known as ; the sea wolf (reference to his name and his ferocity in reaving, etc.)

name : wulffryd; wolf-frid 

fc : zach mccgowan

age : 37

faith : the drowned god

role : captain of the bloody wanderer in the iron fleet

overview : born with a taste for salt and blood he was always training , he would attend his lessons and devote himself to the drowned god , but was first and foremost an utter savage upon the seas. after getting into a brutal fight-turned-brawl that left his elder brother with a broken arm and two others dead , lord orys sent his out of control secondborn to work on a longship under the harshest taskmaster on the island. wulffryd flourished under the savage challenge , rod and salt and lash , never bowing under and returned still a beast , but a wiser and far more controlled beast with sharpened teeth and skills honed. some years later he would become captain of his own ship , the bloody wanderer , and carefully cultivate a specifically wild crew of devoted ironborn who possessed a similar savagery as him yet still honoured him as captain. wulffryd and his crew would carve a name in the name of the old way , the drowned god and the iron price — the laws stood firm : everything was earned with blood , salt and strain.

before setting off on a voyage of any sort , he will seek out his cousin regnarra and ask her council as he supports her claim of connection to the drowned god ; he’d been there each time she’d prevailed in her recklessly confident tests of faith and believed it without question. he will also have himself and his crew-members blessed by a priest , as well as the ship itself , and insists he and the crew of the bloody wanderer dedicate the last two days ashore to aiding the priests and drowned men in charitable service.

parents : lord noarne goodbrother and lady saralyn goodbrother † (botley)

siblings : orys ii goodbrother , ( himself ) , elfryn harlaw , noare goodbrother † , netha goodbrother

half-siblings , by his fathers salt wife : darrin pyke , oshara pyke

other connection — cousin : lady regnarra drumm , lady of old wyk and ritual executioner of house drumm.  she is the daughter of wulffryd’s father’s younger sister whom married into house drumm ; thus his paternal first cousin.                  protective , rivalry , allies , ironborn support.

     THEIR  CONNECTION

house goodbrother and drumm were close before lord denys iv drumm wed the young lady yorra goodbrother , they have always been close allies.  it wasn’t a huge surprise that the cousins mixed well together and shared similar dispositions and values , despite their varying ages.

wulffryd is fifteen years regnarra’s senior and they were not close in her initial youth for obvious age reasons. they would begin to bond over a shared devotion to the drowned god , and how even as a child she would brave the icy waters of the sea , as he would as a man grown , to bathe as ironborns ‘should’.   by the time she had initiated a contest of faith at six years old he had already considered becoming a drowned man himself and had shared with her many more of the stories of the drowned god and his adversary the storm god.

several years later when noare , wulffryd’s younger brother , died unexpectedly in the night and with his eldest sister married to house harlaw — coupled with regnarra’s wild outbursts whilst her elder brother dagon tenured as a sea captain — he took her under his wing , and his own correcting under a harsh had allowed him to curb her impertinent and fiery temper.  wulfrydd was often amazed at her fierce loyalty , understanding and recollection of the drowned god’s rites and rituals , particularly during her youth.

years gone by , when regnarra approached her father for the right to act as commanding executioner for ritual or sacrifice of house drumm in his stead , and then was granted that right — wulffryd was the first of her relatives she announced the news to. the two celebrated long into the night at the honour and privilege she had finally been granted after so many years of being dismissed of the religion due to her gender.