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lilikags · 3 years

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Aluxia Fanris OC Voicelines

Disclaimer: we don’t know much about fontaine so I’ll scrap her if canon makes it difficult for her to exist Q_Q

I’ve written a lot for her, so this’ll be broken into many different parts [see links to other parts below!!]

link to picrew

Hello: Hello there! I’m Aluxia, though if you’ve talked to people around, you might’ve heard of me. I’m a magic performer and singer. If you’d like, I can show you around town if you’d like.

Chat- Occupation: Being a celebrity is much harder than one would think. It’s not talent that got me here, it’s hard work. (soft giggle)

Chat- Fontaine: Fontaine’s a beautiful place; I wouldn’t live anywhere else.

Chat- Magic Trick: Take a card, and don’t show me. I’ll show you the other half of the pair.

When it rains: Oh gosh, it’s raining. Let’s get inside.

After the rain: It finally stopped raining… (relieved sigh)

When it snows: It’s so cold; gosh I should’ve brought a jacket. I’m so glad I convinced Mama not to go outside.

When it’s windy: Gosh, at this rate, my hair’s going to be carried off into the distance.

Good morning: Morning, I’m going to prepare breakfast shortly.

Good afternoon: If there’s anything you need me to do, just let me know.

Good evening: Hmm… I wonder what Mama’s going to make for dinner.

Good night: (yawns) Night, see you in the morning.

About Aluxia Fanris- trust: W-well, I don’t just trust anyone you know. They’ve gotta earn it; good job on doing that well.

About Aluxia Fanris- singing: I’ve always liked to sing, ever since I was little. (sigh) I still do now, on the stage. It’s different, when there are many people watching. It’s easy to worry if they’ll hate you afterwards, but when you hear their cheers and see their smiles, it’s something to never forget.

About Aluxia Fanris I: My mother’s family used to be well-known. Now, our family name has no longer been continued. It’s still in the history books, so that’s all that matters. After all, it’s my ancestors that are to be celebrated, not our family name. They’re the ones who worked hard, so they should get all the credit and perks.

About Aluxia Fanris II: My father’s side? Well, (nervous laugh) they’re not the best of people. A lot has happened; I’d do anything to be less affiliated with them. I’d change my surname too, but Mama would be sad that I wouldn’t identify as my father’s daughter anymore.

About Aluxia Fanris III: I spend most of my time in the library. Everything’s accessible there. After all, what is time for if it isn’t used to better oneself or to spend time with those close to you? Otherwise, it’d just be a waste. We had a lifespan given to us, so it is our duty to spend it to our fullest.

About Aluxia Fanris IV: Mama’s always so gullible. (sigh) I wish she’d learn how to be wary of people. I know she just wants to be nice, but not everyone is nice back. Just look at all the times she’s been wronged because she’s easy to trick.

About Aluxia Fanris V: Do I look tired? I probably am. Last night I had a hard time sleeping; I’m impatient when it comes to falling asleep. (sigh) If only I could sleep as soon as I wished to...

About us- the market: Oh, oh! I have to take you out to the market soon. They have all the best stuff, from fresh vegetables to even kameras! I know everyone there and the ins and outs of their products, hehe.

Something to share- fans: I love my fans- for the most part. They give me so much support, and they’re the entire reason for my success. Though, I do wish they could just calm down a little sometimes. I’ve gotten confessions over mail, during meets, and even from stalkers I’ve had to fish out near my home. (sigh) Can people just have some common sense and respect?

Something to share- scent: I like it when I smell good. Not that I just smell clean, but I also smell sweet. People like sweet things; why not smell sweet too? Of course, it should be taken into moderation as well, but just a little can boost sales up.

Interesting things: I always said that the things I did were all for the family. After all, my work gave them food on the table and a roof over their heads, but perhaps, did they want something else? Something more? Perhaps spending all my time working is more selfish than anything...

[ about {character} lines will be added in the future]

Aluxia’s hobbies: My hobbies, huh… would my work be considered a hobby? I enjoy singing and dancing and doing magic tricks quite a lot...

Aluxia’s troubles: Oh, gosh, Elma and Ainos are fighting and Mama’s not hearing them. (sigh) These two never stop.

Favorite food: Mama’s chicken fricassee is the absolute best. I can make it, but it’s just not the same. It’s perhaps the only food I’d miss if I were to go far from here...

Least favorite food: Peppers… if possible, I’d rather not eat those. (nervous laughter)

Birthday: Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday happy birthday~ Happy birthday to you~ Yay!! You’re now one year wiser, I suppose. I wish you a year of prosperity and mora, hehe.

Feelings about ascension Intro: It’s only the beginning. Let’s keep going.

Feelings about ascension Building up: Ouah, it seems the hard work is finally starting to pay off, huh?

Feelings about ascension Climax: There’s nothing practice can’t do. Practice makes perfect, they say. True, in a general statement, though there isn’t a perfect; there is only better.

Feelings about ascension Conclusion: Perhaps it’s time for me to move onto something else, something new to improve on. But thank you, I will never forget the time we spent training together.

Added to party:

Already need my help?

Ready to go.

Let’s go, time’s passing already.

Elemental Skill:

Feel the wind!

Tread carefully now.

Elemental burst:

There are no exceptions.

You cannot hide from the sound which travels in the wind.

0 HP:

I- I wasn’t done… yet…

Perhaps… it’s time for me… to rest...

Gliding:

Whoo!

Heavy hit:

Augh, stay back!

Sprint:

No time to waste here. We’re moving quickly.

#genshin #genshin oc #genshin impact #aluxia

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yostresswritinggirl · 3 years

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Cuz of ur 💜 anon and the other anons, I have ABTA a shot... and WOW I wish I read that sooner??? So goddamn perfect istg I want mooooorrrrrreee!! Yesss plz update ABTA whenever u can!

I had a question tho, why tf are readers parents so mean, like didn’t they like Crepus and Diluc? They were with Diluc for over 10 years and yet?? They push reader away from him

Also will reader ever comfort Diluc properly over Crepus and Kaeya? Will she hear the truth about Kaeya? I feel like Kaeya is at crossroads but he’s really not to blame like who tf abandons a CHILD and let’s the hope of a country on him poor thing, he’s sooo conflicted! Mona in her readings even said one day he’d have to choose, and I dread that day because it’s obvs how much he loves mond and protects them

Can I scream at how GENUIS it is that u had Diluc hide the infinity promise ring under his gloves?? And she only found out when he pulled her back?? That whole scene is *cheff kiss*

OH OH and when he was watching her from the Sumeru tower and she felt like someone is watching her!! And he got the envelope! AHHHHH! I love you and your writing forever ❄️

FINAL ASK FOR THE MORNING SKSKSKSKKS SPEEDRUN, SPEEDRUN -

ABTA is one of the works I'm very proud of and I'm glad you guys are finally seeing it ahaha, it's gonna get more soon like, probably the next major fic after the one I'm working on rn

There are many aspects to this that I wish to rant over since there's many instances: They didn't inform Reader of his death because they knew it would be detrimental to her studies, and she's already working her ass up to lrove her worth, putting more stress to her would not be healthy and they plan to explain it once she comes home. The part by the end of part 2 is for her as well, because in their dwelling in Fontaine, they still think Diluc is gone and most probably dead. They didn't want their child to stay there drowning in double loss and heartbreak, wanting to console their daughter in a place far from bad memories.

The thing about Kaeya is, well, not gonna be out anytime soon or at all. It's a piece of information Reader doesn't need to know, and since Kaeya has a bit of fondness to her it's not the ideal scenario for anyone. Kaeya will keep her in the dark and he trusts Diluc wouldn't say a thing. I have a lot and not a lot of thoughts about Kaeya's prophecy but I'm not tackling that here.

AS FOR THE MOURNING, this is something I imagined perfectly and then forgot about the details when I WOKE UP- Post Trauma Diluc is not gonna be easy to work with, anon, and he has a different viewpoint that's gonna make this harder than it should. Consoling him is not easy because spoiler scene here: Whenever he looks directly or longer at Reader whenever she's all smiley, he always sees the image of his father like an imprint seeing as he always sees younger Reader and Crepus together in the earlier chapters, right? *wink wink nudge nudge*

I honestly FORGOT how I thought of that ending ahahah but I again had an explanation for it aodhsosnls he hid it ever since his freakin four years roadtrip to protect Reader <3 he had to keep it secret so that the enemies he encounter wouldn't look for any weakness, he ended up hiding it out of habit after coming back to Mond, and as you can see he's very touch starved and sensitive with physical interaction cuz of his compounded defense mechanism. Him finally reaching for your hand is a first step into finally getting his comfort, and it just so happens to be the step needed to pull her back uwu

Now that part was OUT OF THE BLUE kind of thing haha, I wanted to just make the letters rot in the mansion but I was like - isn't Diluc going on a field trip type of shit all over Teyvat? That was gonna be a diff scenario featuring creepy boy Lulu but I held back, just to make sure he's in character.

OKAY SORRY SWEETIE I RANTED TOO MUCH JUST AAAAAA I DON'T GET TO TALK ABOUT THE DETAILS THAT MUCH BECAUSE I DONT WANNA IMPOSE *BANGING FIST ON TABLE* I'M SO EXTRA

#anon ❄️#about abta #about abandoned by the altar #diluc #kaeya #genshin impact #about writing #DEETS DROP HAHAHAHA #exile.goblet #exile.circlet #genshin impact x reader

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whitherliliesbloom · 3 years

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all that glitters

[ ffxivwrite2021 ] ★ [ masterlist ] ★ [ prompt #26 (free) - heartfelt ]

[ alphinaud/illya ] ★ [ 2,105 words ] ★ [ genshin impact au ]

one of several genshin impact aus i have where the scions of the seventh dawn are an international organization that recruits members from all around teyvat. mentions some canon genshin impact characters.

heartfelt - strongly felt sentiment and sincerity

on the first full moon of the lunar new year, liya has only a single selfish wish as she gazes up into the sea of lights.

Fontaine has ever been like a second home to Alphinaud - aside from the isle of Old Sharlayan and the nation of wisdom that was the endless fields of grassland in Sumeru. Whenever he looked out into the distant horizon where the vast blue of the ocean met the deep unknown that was the sky above and took a deep breath in to smell the salty undertones of the sea breeze intermingle with fresh silk and irises, he took comforting in knowing that he isn’t too far away from home - from the place where he grew up and spent his childhood in.

The same could not be said for his partner, who has opted to spend their rare free time during the evening sitting by the window sill of their inn room, head turned skyward as her eyes are fixed upon the sea of glittering lights and the full moon above, partially obscured by overhead clouds but not enough to hide it’s radiance.

And as the anemo breeze blew in through the open window and carried her silken white hair into the air like a fluttering veil, the iridescent moon rays catching upon her head like an angelic halo, Alphinaud could only frown at the aura of melancholy and longing that practically oozed out of the girl’s beautiful, yet lonely visage as she sat counting stars in silence.

In her hands she held a single glaze lily, the glistening blue petals swaying lightly in the breeze as if in a tranquil dance. And though Illya has never been one to enjoy opening up her innermost feelings to the people around her, it doesn’t take the archons to know that the girl was thinking of home.

Alphinaud admittedly knows very little about Liyue’s customs and traditions - or, to his own shame, about the girl he’s often partnered together with as a travel companion who hailed from said harbor of stone and fortune. He’s tried multiple times in the past to educate himself, but in between being held up with errands after errands in the headquarters of the Scions in Mondstadt and taking lengthy, time-consuming and exhausting trips to the other nations of Teyvat for intelligence collection has left him with little to no free time as it is.

There was never much of a need for frequent visits to Liyue anyway, aside from it being the most convenient port to use to travel to and from other nation states... and of course, Fatui activity that frequently needed monitoring - but really what nation wasn’t being plagued by the Fatui?

Liyue was self-governing, independent, the crown jewel of wealth and prosperity in all of Teyvat. There was very little that needed solving in Liyue, in comparison to the still ongoing, harsh Doctrine of the Vision Hunt decree still ongoing in Inazuma or the endlessly burning mountainous plains of fire that was Natlan.

And so he’s only ever had a handful of extended stays in the city of contracts, had little to no time at all to get to know the inhabitants of the nation, let alone befriend the people who were supposedly close with Illya - such as the little zombie girl who worked at Bubu pharmacy or the daughter of the Wanmin Restaurant owner, Xiangling.

Save for one, however, an unlikely visitor who saw the two of them off only a week ago as they boarded a ship from Liyue’s port to Fontaine - a man of golden eyes and a sturdy built that perfectly encompasses the strength and resilience of geo and stone.

The scions know him to be the geo archon, rex lapis or morax... but to the rest of the world, he is but a humble civilian named Zhongli.

He’d bid the pair safe travels, and asked the girl in particular if she would return home in time for the Lantern Rite festival, which is only met by a saddened frown and a lengthy silence from her in return, which prompted the man to quickly apologize before turning to leave.

Had it not been for Zhongli’s offhanded, innocent question, Alphinaud perhaps would have gone the entire trip not knowing what was causing Illya to feel so particularly moody - or worse, be completely ignorant to her state of mind in the first place.

He has heard of the Lantern Rite Festival and the brief summary of what it meant to Liyue and it’s inhabitants, but he knows not what it meant to Illya as a person or just how deeply the festival was sentimental to her - only that she refuses to speak of it and she’s rarely had the chance to participate ever since she became a member of the Scions.

But he’s determined this time - if not to get the young woman who has closed off her heart for so long to open but, then to at least fill the void within her even just a little. If he could not bring her home to see the sea of lights and wishes, then he will bring just a tiny sliver of the stars here in Fontaine to her instead.

After days of procuring information from an array of sources that he needed - from linkshell calls back to Tataru pleading her to gather intelligence within Liyue, to secret trips past bedtime to consult tomes within libraries, he’s finally gathered all that he needed within a single big paper bag that he pulls out from the security of the inn cabinet, and carefully moves over to the window sill and lets out a soft hum so as to not startle the young woman.

“Illya..?” He calls her name, and when she fails to hear and respond, he opts to be bolder.

“Liya.” He calls her by her Liyuen name, her birth name. A name that he knows reminds her of family and home, and the response is immediate.

Her shoulders stiffen, and she turns her head back to look up at the boy with widened, lavender violet eyes that twinkle as the stars do in the night, sheepishly tucking stray strands of her hair and her braid behind her short pointed ears.

“O-Oh... I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you.” she apologizes, bowing her head frantically until Alphinaud shakes his head and grabs the bedside chair over, dragging it next to the window sill and sitting himself beside her.

“It’s alright. You were quite lost in thought.” the boy reassures, and the girl visibly relaxes, tucking the glaze lily in her hand closer to her chest.

“D-did... did you need something from me?”

The smile upon his face is gentle, apologetic as he opens the paper bag on his lap, and pulls out a set of paper meshes, wooden sticks and wicks that instantly sends Illya’s eyelids flying upwards in surprise and knowing.

“I know we’re not in Liyue... and by the time we return, the festival would be over but... I hoped to give you some way to participate even if you are not home. I’m aware that the materials aren’t exactly the same as the ones used in traditional xiao lanterns... and I could not even get my hands on a single plaustrite shard since we’re in Fontaine.. but-”

He jolts when he feels a warmth brush against his hand, looking down to see Illya’s hands gently clasping over his own, before taking a piece of wick and holding it up, inspecting it with an unreadable, troubled expression.

And yet her eyes glisten, she blinks back moisture from falling, quickly shaking her head to stop him from saying anymore before forcing a touched, sincere smile upon her face.

“Alphinaud... thank you.. That means a lot to me.”

A smile of relief graces his features, his navy blue eyes softening as he sets the emptied paper bag down beside him on the ground.

“Could you show me how to make a Xiao lantern? I’ve done my research on the basics, but I’m afraid it won’t compare to first hand experience.”

The night trickles by, minutes to hours passing them by slowly as they took their time and focused on the craft between their fingers, allowing the silence to fade into soft, idle chatter that soon broke out into melodic giggling from the girl as she recounts tales of home.

She spoke of folklore, she spoke of cuisine, she spoke of even the very geography of the land she called home - her love for that place dripping palpably from ever word she spoke, and every light brush upon the petals of the glaze lily that rested upon her lap.

And by the time they’ve finished their pair of lanterns, Alphinaud could only frown lightly at the result, the shoddy, basic materials that he had gathered not allowing for the intricate, detailed craftsmanship that was standard of real xiao lantern. Illya herself confirmed that a xiao lantern from Liyue was about ten times more beautiful.. and yet she gazed down at the ones in their hands with nothing but pure adoration swirling in her gentle eyes that would have nearly stolen Alphinaud’s breath away.

“We have to write our wishes on it now.” Illya states, as she is quick to uncap the marker in her hand before handing it to Alphinaud. “After we do that, the lantern will be complete and then we can release it into the sky.”

“That’s quite a unique tradition.” The boy states with a blink, taking the marker and staring blankly down at his lantern. “Is there a reason for that?”

“They say when you release your wishes written on a xiao lantern into the sky, the adepti will hear it and will make it come true.” Her response is soft, barely louder than a whisper as her gaze is stolen back by the starry night sky bathed in an unfamiliar blue hue that is a far cry from the warm golden glow of a sea of lights drifting into the wind... but not an unwelcomed sight, especially not with Alphinaud beside her. “It’s also a good way to honor the fallen - to remember the heroes who came before us and fought to make our dreams come true.”

Alphinaud knows not what the first full moon of the Lunar new year means to Illya on a personal level - only that it was near and dear to the very depths of her deep, painfully large and giving heart... and that more than anything else, he wished that she of all people would have all of her wishes come true. She deserves it more than anyone else in the world.

He knows what he wants to write on his lantern now, and quickly scribbles the words down upon the paper mesh before handing the marker over to Illya, who equally without hesitation writes down her wish onto her lantern.

“On the count of three, we’ll release it together, okay?” The girl turns to look at him, her hands gently clasped under her lantern as he does the same with his own, nodding in response with a gentle smile.

“Three... two... one.”

In an endlessly dark sky with endlessly bright stars that shined like glitters above their heads, two flickering lanterns begin to drift through the wind and into the sky, carrying the heartfelt wishes of two likeminded souls into the air. They glow like gold, warm and radiant against the blue backdrop, and Illya pictures the sound of fireworks bursting in her ear.

She can almost hear and smell it - smell the gunpowder, the freshly cooked Chopsuey and hear voices of her people echoing their awe into the night. And in her imagination, a large Mingxiao lantern gallops into the air, wild, pure and free as it led the sea of stars further and further towards Celestia.

But even with the silence and the scent of Iris and seawater permeating through the air, the atmosphere is nothing short of sweet and beautiful - just like it always is at home with her family.

“When we’re this far from Liyue.. I wonder if the adepti will hear our wishes.” Illya asks offhandedly, and she feels the warmth of Alphinaud’s hand fall gently upon her shoulders that she leans into.

“I’m certain they will.”

They spend the next several long moments just staring into the distant sky as their lanterns begin to drift out of sight, their respective wishes carved deep into their hearts and into the heavens long after the full moon has set and a new dawn arrives.

[ I wish Alphinaud eternal happiness ] [ I wish Illya eternal happiness ]

#ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #ffxivwrite2021 #ffxivwrite #kiwisffxivwrite2021 #alphinaud leveilleur #alphinaud #illya skawi #genshin impact au #we've come so far #fanfic #mine #I've been feeling really awful and just... not good lately #i relapsed really violently for the good majority of my day so #this didn't turn out quite the way I wanted it to #And it could have been a lot longer had i the strength but #I'm glad I at least got this idea out #since I've had it before ffxivwrite even began

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pants-jones · 4 years

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Bioshock

The title of this is simple because Bioshock is a game I almost forgot that I played, but as soon as I remembered it a truckload of Bioshock stuff came flowing into my mind, and I decided to write about it here so I can finally seal all the stuff about these games in my brain vault forever. The Bioshock series consists of three games, Bioshock, Bioshock 2, and Bioshock Infinite. Around when Infinite came out, I heard a lotta talk about how amazing it was, but I was like 10 at the time so I never got to play it until it was free on PsPlus a couple months ago, along with the other two. The first two Bioshock games are fairly simple, in story and in gameplay. But Bioshock Infinite took the entirely new level that thinking about it now, almost a year after playing it, still blows me away. I feel like Bioshock doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, the way that games like Portal and Half Life do. But when I say that Bioshock blew my expectations out of the water (that is a pun) is a huge understatement.

So first, let’s start with the first Bioshock. This game came out in 2007, and it really shows with very dated mechanics. The game feels old, and for me that made it way more difficult than it needed to be. Bioshock 2 on the other hand, came out in 2010, and while the story isn’t nearly as good, it’s definitely way more streamlined. I could definitely see myself going back and playing it again. Let’s start with the first game.

Bioshock

Bioshock starts with you on a plane, examining a letter, when the plane suddenly crashes in the middle of the ocean. You’re the only survivor, and the closest thing you can see besides the burning plane parts, is this strange lighthouse.

This lighthouse is made of stone, and it’s tall and menacing but you enter since you have no other option. The door closes behind you and the first thing you see is this.

As you go down the stairs behind it, you enter a pod with the door open, and pull the lever inside. The pod takes you deep, deep underwater, while playing you a small video from a projector. This is 1960, so it’s very old styled. This is the first time you hear the voice of Andrew Ryan, while he tells you his philosophy and why he hates the world as it is. His initial speech is the rule he will live by for the entirety of the game. He hates government, and religion, because as he says in the speech, they all believe “a man isn’t entitled to the sweat of his brow”. I’m probably phrasing it poorly, but he means the mans hard work. You then get the first view of his creation- Rapture, the city on the bottom of the ocean.

When the pod lands, you are met with the main enemy of this game- Splicers. I think this goes without saying but Rapture has some pretty advanced technology. They’ve learned to manipulate peoples DNA to extreme levels, giving them pyrokinesis and other things. These abilities are distributed in really cool looking bottles and are called Plasmids. There are many different types of Plasmids, but you’ll start with lighting in the beginning of the game

Splicers are the results of splicing your genes way too much; they’re like crackheads, but instead of cocaine they was gene splicing. Their faces are usually cutup and they’re usually absolutely insane. But after escaping the first one you meet, you get in contact with a man named Atlas. He tells you he wants to get the hell out of Rapture, and that Andrew Ryan is the reason it’s gone to shit. He tells you that he needs to get his wife and child out with him, but when you get so close to rescuing them, Ryan bombs the submarine they were going to escape on.

Throughout your gameplay you will hear about the way Rapture used to be, before it was a warzone. You would hear about the power struggle between Ryan and someone named Fontaine, and you will learn about how Ryan killed his mistress who was pregnant with his child. This game is full of information explaining how things went down before your arrival. Unfortunately, I’m not the best with this kind of exposition. This is a personal thing but I always mess up the story when it comes to this form of story telling.

Now I’m gonna try my best to explain something a bit weird. If you’ve ever seen anything bioshock, you probably know about their mascot, the Big Daddy.

This right here is a Big Daddy. They’re not robots, more like giant brainwashed people in bit suits. Their voices are altered so they sound deep and menacing, and they’re by far the strongest enemy in the game. They’re made to protect the Little Sisters- the little girl next to the Big Daddy. Little Sisters are practically little blood suckers, they can sense where a dead body with some Atom (the substance they use in plasmids) and call them Angels. They’re children turned into indestructible mosnters that are just there to get Atom. They always travel together. You can kill the Big Daddy and either free the sister, or take the Atom from her body which would kill her. There’s a limited amount of Big Daddies and the game marks how many are left in each section. Obviously killing or saving these girls changes the ending you get. You team up with some german(i think) doctor that pretty much sees these girls as her daughters to stop Ryan and Fontaine, who wants to use them for more Atom.

The rest of the story is a bit fuzzy for me, so I’m just gonna briefly explain it here. Fontaine wasn’t a good guy, and he faked his own death and turned out to be Atlas. He and a doctor (whos name I don’t remember but she was important) pretty much took you and wiped your memory, brainwashing you so that you’d always listen to the trigger ‘would you kindly.” This twist was the biggest mind fuck, because you realize that Atlas (now Fontaine) would say those words all the time. They planted fake memories of a family in your mind and sent you to the surface, and even the letter you were examining in the start had the trigger in it. You kill Andrew Ryan before this (forgot to mention it), and you move on to get rid of this brainwashing and kill Fontaine. And to fight you Fontaine fills himself with Plasmids and Atom and obviously this doesn’t work because video games. You end the game, saving all the little sisters and bringing them to the surface, and live out your life sort of as a father figure for them. Or if you didn't save them, you just bring a bunch of splicers with you, but I don’t think this is a canon ending. This game is a solid 6/10 for me, only because of how dated it is.

Bioshock 2

Bioshock 2′s story is pretty much the same but with a twist this time- You get to play as a Big Daddy. Unfortunately this games story felt a bit too much like the first one so I don’t remember anything big about it. You play as a Big Daddy looking for his Little Sister. The game starts with a cutscene, showing you protecting her from splicers until you get murdered by Raptures new dictator- Sofia Lamb. She takes your Little Sister and turns her into a normal girl again, raising her up to be Eleanor Lamb. You revive yourself years later (i don’t remember how) and go off to find her. The biggest difference between Andrew Ryan and Sofia Lamb is that the splicers seem to worship her. But at the same time Sofia uses Eleanor as some sorta messiah figure, so they could be worshipping her I don’t know. In this game you get to go through newer parts of Rapture, and even get to see the new variant of Big Daddy- Big Sisters. These aren’t like Big Daddies and I’m not even sure what their purpose is, but they’re just as difficult to fight against. I’m pretty sure they’re supposed to steal Little Sisters from their male counterparts and bring them to Lamb. Towards the end of the game, I’m pretty sure Lamb ends up destroying Rapture, and you escape with Eleanor, a bunch of Little Sisters, and depending on your ending you also save Sofia from drowning. This game was a 7/10, because the gameplay was much better but the story was sorta lackluster. I’m not even sure if this game is canon in the story.

Bioshock Infinite

Bioshock Infinite is the most different out of the three. I get the feeling that the devs got sick of the underwater aesthetic, so they said fuck it lets make a city in the sky.

This is Columbia. A city in the sky. It’s the literal opposite of Rapture. It’s bright, it’s colorful, and it’s gorgeous. This was my favorite setting in the whole series. Plasmids are now Vigors, and it takes place in 1912 (I know, surprising). This games story is extremely complex, so if I get lost explaining it I’ll link a video explaining it clearly. In this game you play as Booker Dewitt.

Booker Dewitt is a former member of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, scarred from the events of the Battle of Wounded Knee. When his debts from gambling start climbing too high, he is sent to Columbia to rescue a young woman named Elizabeth, who’s been trapped there since childhood. She’s kept in a giant statue protected by the Songbird, a giant bird with similar looks to the Big Daddies of Rapture.

(This is Elizabeth btw. We never see Booker’s face except for some official art.)

All of Columbia is run by one man, Zachary Hale Comstock, He’s revered as some “Prophet”, and he seems to know everything about Booker. He’s turned the people of Columbia into a sort of cult reminiscent of the KKK, based on Christianity and white power. Which makes him and all the enemies very easy to hate. Which is good.

This cult is opposed by the Vox Poppuli, led by Daisy Fitzroy. She was originally the housemaid of Comstock’s home, but she fled when she was accused of murdering Comstock’s wife. She took her never ending hatred of Comstock and formed the Vox, a symbol of hatred for all of Columbia and men like Comstock.

The story begins in July 1912, when Booker is taken to a lighthouse off the coast of Maine by two very odd twins, Robert and Rosalind Lutece (they are important later), being told “bring the girl and wipe away the debt.” This lighthouse is very reminiscent of the old stone lighthouse from previous games. But this lighthouse doubles as a rocket silo, and Dewitt is sent to Columbia from here.

The first thing that I personally noticed is Booker’s disdain for religion, because when he’s forced to be baptized to enter Columbia he’s extremely uncomfortable. Soon he’s chased down by the authorities, since all of Columbia has been told by Comstock that any man with a scar on his hand in the shape AD is the devil, just like the scar on Booker’s left hand.

After evading a lot of cops, we finally meet Elizabeth. She’s never really known anyone besides Comstock and the Songbird, and she’s missing a pinky. Besides that, she has a strange ability to create these tears in space time. The first time we see this is when she creates one to 1980′s Paris, a place she's always been desperate to go to. So they make a deal- She leaves Columbia with him and he takes her to Paris.

After multiple shenanigans, Elizabeth ends up taking Booker and herself to a reality where Booker was the martyr of the Vox Populi. Booker sacrificed himself for Daisy here, and this started an all out war between the two factions. Fitzroy believes that the Booker we play as is either an imposter, or a ghost, and she sets her forces on him. With Bookers help, Elizabeth kills Daisy, and they try to escape via airship before Songbird forces them to crash.

At this point they learn a few things about Comstock; Comstock had the Luteces build a siphon device into the tower Elizabeth lived in to inhibit her powers, and he killed his wife and then the Luteces to hide the truth. Plus, Elizabeth is actually Comstocks adopted daughter.

Elizabeth is kidnapped by Songbird. When Booker pursues, he needs to cross a bridge that happens to have a cloud passing through it. In the brief moment that clouds pass over the bridge, it goes from a bright sunset to a cold, windy dark snowstorm. You fight through an old building filled with Comstock’s men, and learn that Elizabeth has already been tortured and corrupted by Comstock. She believes you left her there to die. And then, you learn that Comstock’s been dead for years now. Then you finally meet Elizabeth, she shows you that you’ve been brought to 1984, and that she is using Columbia to attack New York.

In that cloud over the bridge, you were running for what felt like a short time, but was really 72 years. Elizabeth sends you back, because she still doesn’t view you as an enemy, and she tells you how to save herself from Comstock, by controlling the Songbird.

After freeing young Elizabeth, the pair assault Comstock’s airship, where Comstock and Booker argue about Booker’s knowledge of Elizabeth’s missing pinkie. This ends in Booker slamming the back of Comstock’s skull onto a baptismal font, right before drowning and killing him. They move on from the conversation, they use the Songbird to destroy the tower Elizabeth was held captive in, therefore destroying the siphon on her powers.

Songbird turns on them again, but with the siphon gone, Elizabeth uses her powers to transport herself, Booker, and even Songbird to Rapture. Booker and Elizabeth are inside, where they watch Songbird sink and die, being crushed by water pressure.

At this point Elizabeth understands everything about her powers, and understands everything about whatever mystery there is left to this story. She takes Booker up the stone lighthouse, the very same one we saw in Bioshock 1, and basically explains multiverse theory to him. She explains that there are an infinite amount of lighthouses just like this.

At this point, she knows Bookers history. She knows the truth, but Booker’s so traumatized that his brain legitimately erased the memory. The rest of this is about Booker’s past, and how this all began.

Booker was there for Wounded Knee. It traumatized him, made him resent himself, so some day he went to repent, to be baptized. But Booker couldn’t go through with it. he gained a massive debt, and in 1893, Robert Lutece approached Booker on behalf of Comstock, requesting that he “bring us the girl and wipe away the debt”, referring to Booker’s daughter, Anna Dewitt (hence, the AD on Booker’s hand.) Booker reluctantly agreed to hand off his daughter to wipe away his debt, but when he changed his mind, he chased Robert and Comstock down. Comstock tries escaping through a portal (the same portal Elizabeth can make btw) and the two struggle for the baby. Eventually, the portal closes, and Comstock snatches her away while the closing portal leaves her severed pinky in Booker’s hands.

She explains that the Lutece’s have tried to recruit many Booker’s to stop Comstock, but all versions of Comstock will live on unless they try to stop his birth. So she takes Booker back to the baptism- but from another perspective. Booker changing his mind last minute at his own baptism sparked to life a universe where Booker went through with it, and was reborn from that moment onwards as Zachary Hale Comstock. After overusing the Lutece’s multiverse machine, he became sterile, and stole Anna to provide a biological heir for Columbia.

We cut back to Elizabeth and Booker at the baptism pond, where multiple versions of her are appearing in front of him. The only way to stop Comstock is to kill Booker, so he allows them to drown him. And one by one, all the versions of Elizabeth disappear.

This is the canon ending for the game. There are some more things in DLC, like Elizabeth going to Rapture to tie some loose ends connected to Comstock and Ryan’s abuse of the Little Sister’s. And it’s confirmed that Rapture scientists got the idea for Big Daddies from Songbird, and Columbia’s scientists came up with vigors from Rapture’s plasmids. The writers went as far to explain how everything in Rapture or Columbia came to fruition, and connected them all.

I’ve never gotten such an “It all makes sense now feeling” than when playing this game. They didn’t even have to connect it to the first two games but they did and they made it work way too well. Bioshock Infinite is the best out of the three, and thanks to this review I’ve finally gotten all that stuff out of my mind. This game is a 9/10 for me. I’d definitely play it again.

#Bioshock #Bioshock Infinite #Gaming #review

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jafreitag · 3 years

Text

2020

On January 1, 2020, I went to LNHQ. The holiday party had happened a few days earlier – a sorta-epic “booze cruise” with Lana Del Rey off the Catalina coast. Everybody nursed hangovers on flights back home, and then bugged off to celebrate their new years with their people.

The office was spotless – just a few dust motes floating across the afternoon sunlight in the conference room. I grabbed a piece of chalk and wrote “What if…” on the green board. It was intended as a turn-the-page talking point. OM and I had had a sit-down after we got back from Cali. Good talk, honestly. He’s well-versed in stuff that I do not understand, and he’s driving the proverbial bus as the new LN CEO. Lotta heartfelt questions from him, lotta heartfelt idks from me. “You gotta…” and “Yeah, I suck at that, but what about…” Some bourbon later, we adjourned. “Love you, dude” and “love you back, man.” Let’s meet next week and ok.

So that’s why I was there. What are we doing? What if… What if we actually try hard? What if ECM keeps killing it on Instagram? What if Jane and Trevor come back? What if we move to a new location, and the corporate and content wings find a new synergy? What if all of the sponsorships pan out? And O’s settlement with Adidas? Sky’s the limit, right? Let your imagination wander. I mean, what if Fiona Apple puts out a new album in 2020, and it’s not just great, but better than The Idler Wheel, which was the best album of 2012?

Seriously. What if?

Or what if the entire world breaks?

That wasn’t in my head back then.

It’s December now. And we’re in a global pandemic, which is getting worse (or at least not getting measurably better) every day. This year has been indescribably difficult for all of us, particularly the ones personally affected by Covid-19. And it has been difficult for businesses across every sector, particularly entertainment. Seen a show lately? Nope? Me, neither. At the beginning of the summer, I paid Laura Marling to watch a stream of her performance at Union Chapel in London. Seemed cool then, seems irrelevant now.

We can’t help artists/bands, really, until we can see them again. And who knows when that will be? Next summer? Next fall? Maybe 2022 before we all feel safe in massive crowds again (even with masks)? Maybe never? Until then, we have streaming services. And … woof. That’s an Apple/Spotify cart that I’d prefer not to upend, mainly because it benefits me, but it’s worth some words.

I’m a Spotify person. My home team is comprised of six Spotify people. We pay, collectively, $14.99/month to stream almost any music ever recorded and released. That’s around $2.50 per person per month. Pretty good deal, right? For sure. Here’s the problem: Spotify pays $0.003 per stream. That’s 1/3 of a penny. If you’re a Zeppelin or a Beatle or a Stone, that’s just a nice little dividend. (Keith is like, “Hey, baby, I love Spot-ify. I bought this sweet fedorah with that check.”) If you’re somebody else, somebody less established in the Rock-royalties pantheon, you’re probably not buying a hat. You’re probably hoping that Spotify might, might, pick up your next cup of coffee – or one at the end of the year, I don’t know how that works.

Spotify does this year-end Wrapped thing. You get a weird Snapchat/Instagram video that tells you stuff. Your most listened-to artist/band, your also-rans, etc. You also get some pretty sweet virtual (and unearned) affirmation.

My win was this.

911 seems good. It’s better than 11. The green-dotify didn’t specify whom those new artists were, which sucks, but I have a decent idea. And I’m guessing that many of those artists have Bandcamp pages, and I didn’t visit any of those. Actually, that’s not true. I did visit the Car Seat Headrest page because Will put out three different iterations of the new record on streaming, cd, and vinyl. It was mostly the same – alternate sequences and some alternate versions of certain tracks. The alternate versions weren’t on Bandcamp. You had to buy all three formats to get the whole record. Or you had to be ok with the iteration that you got. Or you could just find the alternate versions on YouTube. Sure, they wouldn’t be on your phone, but you got to hear them.

That’s not me being petty or cheap. I could’ve bought the cd and vinyl iterations. And I could’ve bought alot of music on Bandcamp, but I couldn’t have bought 911-new-artists worth. How many could I have bought? Not sure. How would I have decided? Not sure. I’m glad that I discovered that many sounds, and I’m concerned that most of those sounds were produced by real people struggling to create in this challenging (intentionally undersold the adjective there, but “terrible” and “horrible” seemed trite) environment. I’m more glad than concerned, if you follow the dichotomy. And I’m not happy about it. Having identified the problem, however, I’m flummoxed about a solution.

I listened to alot of music in 2020. #WFH #FTW (And two hashtag sentence fragments make a sentence. I just checked the LN style manual. Jane said ok.)

Alessandro Deljavan is an Italian pianist, who was born a few months before I graduated high school. He recorded Erik Satie’s piano works. My best friend and I listened to that alot this year – she calls it “sleeping music.” Miles Davis, obv. Early-covid, I made a chronologically-tight playlist of his pre-Columbia material. Mid-covid, I started a chronologically-tight and still-unfinished playlist of his fusion material. Jenny Lin? I think that’s a holdover from last year, when sleeping music was her Chopin’s Nocturnes. CSH was my lawnmowing soundtrack. Daniel Baremboim? No idea, maybe I hit his Mendelssohn’s Leider ohne Worte too many times during the days.

Minutes listened and top genre are what I want to talk about, real quick, before I get list-y. 115,891 minutes is 1,931 or so hours, and 80.5 or so days. I listened to two and a half months straight of music this year. That’s not a brag or even a humble brag. It’s a fact. And most of that (trust me here, I ran my ass off to playlists) was Indie Rock – the aforementioned “new artists.” How can I help them, besides streaming their amazing work over and over and over, and championing them here? Shouting indirectly at Spotify on social media seems unlikely to change a flawed system. Anybody with more constructive ideas can share them below the line.

Ok, the list.

I did it. I broke the unspoken rule (nobody gets #1 twice), and I’m ok with it. 2020 was a unique year. Up top, that’s Fiona from a Zoom call over the summer. She didn’t really know about Liner Notes, but she was willing to talk while walking her dogs. I wasn’t sure that Fetch the Bolt Cutters would be the album of the year at that point, but it was a nice chat. Tbh, I struggled to finalize the list because any of the Top 10 could’ve been Top. The margins were very fine. (And fwiw, I may tweak things a bit over the next few weeks.) Links to Spotify. And COME ON, Spotify. Pay artists more, and pay indie artists even more than that.

Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters

Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher

Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud

This Is the Kit – Off Off On

HAIM – Women in Music Pt. III

En Attendant Ana – Juillet

Samia – The Baby

Kelly Lee Owens – Inner Song

Adrianne Lenker – songs / instrumentals

Porridge Radio – Every Bad

SAULT – Untitled (Black Is) / Untitled (Rise)

Taylor Swift – folklore / evermore

The 1975 – Notes On A Conditional Form

Car Seat Headrest – Making a Door Less Open

Perfume Genius – Set My Heart on Fire Immediately

Lomelda – Hannah

Fleet Foxes – Shore

Soccer Mommy – color theory

Beach Bunny – Honeymoon

Retirement Party – Runaway Dog

Shopping – All or Nothing

Ela Minus – acts of rebellion

The Strokes – The New Abnormal

Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death

Kate NV – Room for the Moon

Dehd – Flower of Devotion

Gum County – Somewhere

Bad Moves – Untenable

Jeff Tweedy – Love Is the King

Laura Marling – Song for Our Daughter

Autechre – SIGN

Four Tet – Sixteen Oceans

Sorry – 925

Dream Wife – So When You Gonna…

Fenne Lily – BREACH

Margaret Glaspy – Devotion

Jordana – Something to Say to You

Hinds – The Prettiest Curse

Gorillaz – Song Machine: Season One

Tame Impala – The Slow Rush

Tycho – Simulcast

Ólafur Arnalds – some kind of peace

Ezra Feinberg – Recumbent Speech

Slow Pulp – Moveys

Young Jesus – Welcome to Conceptual Beach

Bartees Strange – Live Forever

U.S. Girls – Heavy Light

Empress Of – I’m You’re Empress Of

Charli XCX – how i’m feeling now

Oliver Coates – skins n slime

LN is on hiatus for a little while.

More soon.

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#IFTTT #WordPress

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ginnyweatherby · 7 years

Text

Baby Mine (Part Three)

[Part 1] [Part 2]

Lefou was woken up by Stanley’s voice. This wasn’t an unusual occurrence, since Stanley frequently had to wake him up to make room on the bed, as Lefou had a tendency to take over any and all available space... but this was different. He sounded like he was talking to somebody else, and he sounded rather worked up.

“Okay, we’ll be there,” Stanley said, and Lefou slowly opened his eyes to see his husband was sitting up in the bed, before swinging his legs over the edge. His cell phone was propped between his shoulder and ear.

Lefou blinked, still too drowsy to make sense of what was happening, as Stanley continued to babble into the phone, pulling on a pair of jeans frantically.

“Lefou, get up,” Stanley finally said, buttoning his shirt crookedly, “she’s coming!”

“Who?” Lefou sat up, glancing at the clock on Stanley’s nightstand. It was nearly four in the morning.

“Michelle,” Stanley barked, turning his attention back to the phone, “yes, we’re coming, we just have to get Barney up and...”

“Oh, Michelle...” Lefou said, calmly, before it hit him. Wait, Michelle? Their Michelle? Now? He shot out of the bed, and threw on the closest pair of pants he could find, a pair of jeans that didn’t quite fit right - and he was fairly certain had been worn already.

Stanley pressed a button on his phone, shoving the device into his back pocket. “I’m going to get Barney,” he said, running a hand through his hair.

Lefou nodded, pulling a sweater over the undershirt he had slept in. It was summer, but the night air was cool. He quickly grabbed his phone and wallet from the nightstand, and rushed out of the room, himself.

He found Stanley lifting Barney out of bed, the boy too tired to even walk. He laid his head on Stanley’s shoulder, and Lefou quickly pulled some clothes from Barney’s dresser drawers. He could change at the hospital.

They made their way to the car, Stanley helping Barney buckle the seatbelt, the boy already fallen back asleep. Lefou had hardly sat down before Stanley was pulling out of the driveway, his foot heavy on the accelerator.

“You need to relax, babe,” Lefou said, although the fluttering in his chest betrayed his words.

“How am I supposed to relax when my daughter is being born?” Stanley said, gripping the steering wheel so hard his hands began to turn white.

Lefou looked to the backseat to see Barney’s head lolled to the side as he slept. Poor thing probably wouldn’t even remember being woken up.

“She’s my daughter too, remember?” Lefou said. “We’re only ten minutes to the hospital. We’ll make it.”

Stanley loosened his grip on the wheel, ever so slightly.

Lefou heaved Barney over his shoulder (he really was getting too big) as they ran into the hospital waiting room. He sat on one of the chairs, pulling Barney comfortably into his lap as Stanley spoke to the woman behind the reception desk.

“She says Alicia is in room 317,” Stanley said, falling into the chair next to them, “but according to the midwife she’s resting now, and shouldn’t be disturbed,”

Lefou nodded, gently brushing some of Barney’s hair away from his face. “Now comes the hard part. Waiting.”

Stanley was nervously shaking his leg as Lefou rocked Barney back and forth. Barney was a heavy sleeper, and didn’t need to be rocked in order to stay asleep – even under the fluorescent hospital lighting – but Lefou had his own bit of nervous energy to let out.

“How long...” Stanley cleared his throat, “do these things usually take?”

“It’s hard to say,” Lefou furrowed his brow, trying to think back on the research he had done, “every birth is different,”

Stanley sighed, and stood up from the chair, walking around the room a bit, before returning with an ancient issue of a magazine Lefou was fairly certain they had sitting at home.

“In times of anxiety, I always find that the latest Angelina Jolie gossip calms me down,” Lefou teased as Stanley opened the magazine. Lefou noticed his eyes weren’t focusing and even though it was mostly pictures, it took him a long time to flip a page.

Lefou yawned, trying to find a comfortable position in the hard waiting room chair. Maybe the wait wouldn’t feel so long if he just dozed off...

“Papa?” Barney’s confused voice jolted Lefou awake.

“Right here, sweetheart,” Lefou said. He didn’t know how long he’d been asleep, but the windows of the waiting room allowed sun to shine through, and the previously empty room now had a few stragglers with Styrofoam cups of coffee in their hands.

“Where are we?” Barney was sitting on the floor, with Stanley’s jacket draped over him as a makeshift blanket. Lefou wasn’t sure when Stanley had moved him from his lap to the floor.

“We’re at the hospital, you were sleeping when we came in,” Lefou explained.

“Where’s Daddy? Is he sick?” Barney asked, his apparent worry crossing his features.

“No, no,” Lefou assured him, glancing around the room, in search of his husband. “we’re here because your sister is going to be born soon,”

Barney’s scrunched expression changed into one of absolute joy, a smile that flashed his teeth, and his eyes brightening. “Really?”

“Really really,” Lefou chuckled, as he stood from the hard chair and stretched his sore muscles, “I don’t know where your dad has gone off to...”

“I’m here,” Stanley said, walking into the room, balancing two cups of coffee, and one cup of juice. “Thought you might be thirsty after such a long night,” He handed the juice to Barney, and passed a cup of coffee to Lefou. Lefou knew he must not have slept at all, as his husband rarely drank coffee.

“Have you heard anything?” Lefou asked, blowing on the hot liquid, before taking a tentative sip. “I assume you’ve been asking around?”

Stanley nodded, and sat next to Lefou, brushing their knees together. “No official word yet, but it’s close.”

“I’m excited,” Barney said, from his seat on the floor.

“Me too,” Lefou agreed, “I’m sure it will be soon enough,”

They continued talking for awhile, when a nurse opened the large doors to the waiting room.

“Excuse me, is anyone here waiting on Alicia Fontaine?”

Lefou cut himself off mid-sentence as he and Stanley looked at the nurse.

“We’re here,” Stanley said.

The nurse gave them a smile. “You must be the fathers, then. Alicia told us all about you! Congratulations, you have a healthy little girl!”

Lefou immediately felt tears prick behind his eyes. She was born. He – they – had a daughter.

“Can Barney come too?” Lefou asked, pulling his son by the hand into a standing position. “He’s my son,”

“We usually only let two people see at a time...” The nurse thought for a minute, but appeared forgiving, “I think any good big brother deserves to meet their sister. Right this way and you can see her,”

The little family trailed behind the nurse, until they reached the room with a little gold 317 plate on it.

“She’s right through here - quiet now, both mama, er, Alicia, and baby have had a long night,” The nurse quietly pushed the door open, allowing the other three to enter the room.

Lefou looked around, and was taken back to when he had first seen Barney in the hospital. The same kind of white bedding, the same monitors beeping away, the same scales, tools and sink. It was all the same, except this time it was for their daughter, and Stanley was here with him.

They looked to the bed to see Alicia, her dark hair strewn over her face, an unbelievably small bundle in her arms. That was her.

“I did it,” Alicia said, a tired but proud smile on her face.

Stanley appeared to be frozen at the door, Barney close behind him.

Lefou slowly walked over to her bed. “You did very well, Alicia,”

While he still didn’t know her well, over time they had managed to form a sort of relationship with the mother of their child. She seemed like a very nice woman, she just didn’t have the means to care for a child. Lefou and Stanley had agreed that in the future, if Alicia ever wanted to meet the baby, they wouldn’t try to stop her, within reason.

“She’s very pretty,” Alicia said, pushing the light pink blanket away from the baby’s face, and Lefou got his first look at his daughter. It immediately made him want to cry. Alicia was right, she was very pretty. Her face was reddened and blotchy, but he could tell. She had a rounded nose (a little on the large side, but not overly so), a prominent chin, those itty bitty baby lips, and a small tuft of brown hair on top her head. She was perfect.

“She’s absolutely beautiful,” Lefou breathed, reaching a hand out to touch the baby’s soft head. “She has your nose,”

“A prominent family feature,” Alicia chuckled, and the baby let out a soft exhale. “Would you like to hold her?”

Lefou opened his mouth, but no words came out, so he nodded. He sat on the edge of Alicia’s bed, as the woman carefully placed the baby into his arms. Lefou felt the tears in his eyes begin to spill over as he looked at the tiny, precious infant. She was finally here.

Stanley and Barney were still standing by the door, and Lefou waved them over. “You’ll have to meet her, eventually,” he said, gently rocking the baby in his arms.

Barney took the first step, walking over to the bed, peering into the bundle of blankets. “That’s her, huh? My sister.”

“Your sister, indeed,” Lefou said, with a watery smile.

“You were right, she is cute!” Barney observed, touching the baby’s hand. He was so gentle with her, already. “Daddy, you’ve got to come see!”

Stanley licked his lips, and seemed to work up whatever courage was needed to walk across the room. “Wow,” was all he managed to say.

“That’s what I thought,” Lefou said, “here, it’s your turn to hold her,”

He watched as Stanley carefully – albeit a tad awkwardly – took the baby into his own arms. He nestled her in his elbow and slowly rocked back and forth. “I... I don’t know what to say,”

“You don’t have to say anything, I don’t think,” Alicia said, with a smile. Lefou knew it must have been hard for her, to have to say goodbye to such a precious thing, but he could tell that she trusted them, and he was glad.

“Thank you for having my little sister,” Barney said, leaning over to give Alicia a hug. Alicia looked surprised, and Lefou didn’t blame her. She had met Barney only once or twice before, and they hadn’t had any sort of real conversation, most of her time being taken up by Lefou or Stanley.

“Oh,” Alicia gasped, before wrapping her arms around the boy, “you’re very welcome. I want you to make sure you take good care of her, now, okay?”

Barney pulled away from the hug, and nodded seriously. “It’s my job, now,”

Lefou smiled, proudly, pulling the boy closer to his own side.

“Do I get to hold her, Daddy?” He asked.

Stanley looked down and nodded, carefully, carefully, moving the baby into Barney’s arms.

“Careful, now, sweetie, make sure you hold her head like this,” Lefou said, moving his hand to help support the baby’s neck and head.

“Have you chosen a name, yet?” One of the nurses asked, a pen and clipboard in her hand.

Lefou and Stanley shared a look, before Stanley announced, “Michelle,”

“Michelle?” Alicia gasped. “That’s my middle name!”

“Is it really?” Lefou asked, amazed.

“Yeah, I can’t believe it,” Alicia said, smiling down at Barney and Michelle.

“Now little Michelle will always have something to honor you with,” Lefou said.

“I think it’s time for Michelle to have another little checkup,” the nurse said, gently prying the baby from Barney’s arms, much to his disappointment.

“Don’t worry, Bartholomew,” Stanley said, ruffling his son’s hair, “you’ll have plenty of time to hold her soon enough,”

#well #that was it #please tell me if you liked it #since i've re-read it too many times to know if it's any good or not anymore #disney #beauty and the beast #stafou fan fiction #stafou #stanfou #lefou #stanley #random ramblings #weatherby writes

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captain-zajjy · 7 years

Text

Solstice, Chapter 20 - A Final Fantasy XV Story

Pairing: Ignis x Female Original Character

AO3 | Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

A/N: 20 chapters! 60k words! Thanks for sticking with me, fam :D

We are EXINERIS.

Valeria looked up at the large billboard lit up by a trio of spotlights in the darkness, and recalled her mother’s derisive laughter every time the advertisement used to play on the radio. “Unless you’re a man,” her mother would say with a sneer.

She clung to that memory now, trying to settle the fluttering nerves in her stomach. She wondered if this was what it was like to have a job interview - and thought it was little surprise that her classmates who didn’t have a career lined up (courtesy of nepotism) after they graduated had been so frantic and stressed. Everyone’s counting on you, she reminded herself. No pressure.

The city of Lestallum was built in tiers, and the power plant and EXINERIS building stood at the top. People called it the ‘Ivory Tower,’ and Valeria could see why. The EXINERIS building was sleek white concrete, reminiscent of Insomnia’s modern skyscrapers, towering over the quaint, stone structures below. Unlike seemingly everything else in Lestallum, it didn’t appear to be coated in a thick layer of grime.

Valeria approached the guard blocking the narrow path to the building, a man so burly he might’ve given Gladiolus Amicitia a run for his money. So, she thought as the man scowled down at her, they do allow men to work here, at least as their goons.

“Leave your complaints at the central office in the town square,” the man said in a tired, well-rehearsed monotone.

“I’m not here to complain,” Valeria replied. “I’m here to meet with the company President.”

The man arched a bushy eyebrow at that. “Do you have an appointment?”

An appointment? Was that something people still cared about? “No,” Valeria admitted. “But it’s important.” She motioned at the man’s earpiece. “Tell her it’s Vivienne Soleil’s daughter. She’ll want to meet with me.” At least to laugh at how far I’ve fallen.

“That name supposed to mean something to me?”

“No,” Valeria said. “But it will to her. Go on. Please.” She looked up at the guard through her lashes, giving him her best doe eyes, and he finally relented with a scowl, turning away to mutter something into his earpiece. He looked more than a little surprised when the reply came and he moved aside, motioning for her to go ahead.

As she made her way across the narrow bridge that led to the building, Valeria peered over the edge, marveling at such a close view of the Disc, its jagged, crystalline spires glowing soft blue in the darkness. She could feel its heat, its power, emanating from below, even if she didn’t understand how it worked.

A young woman, dressed in heels and a skirt, met Valeria at the door to escort her to the President’s office. Valeria couldn’t help but gape as they walked; it was as if she’d entered a doorway to another time, a time six months ago, before everything had gone wrong. The hallways were devoid of squatters and loitering refugees, the tiled floors clean and polished. She was acutely aware of the sound of her footsteps echoing in the sudden, overwhelming silence. Her companion made no attempt at small talk as they rode the elevator to the highest floor, only uttering a terse “you can go in” when they reached to President’s office.

“Soleil.” Silvia Fontaine had been the president of EXINERIS for as long as Valeria could remember. She was of a similar age to Valeria’s mother, and attractive in a harsh, masculine way, her short, auburn hair neatly parted to the side and slicked close to her head.

“It’s Valerie, right?”

“Valeria,” she corrected, taking a seat opposite the woman at the broad, mahogany desk. We both know damn well you know my name.

“Valeria Soleil,” Silvia said, eyeing Valeria in such a way that she felt akin to a specimen under the microscope. She knew she was woefully under-dressed - it wasn’t as if Valeria had a wardrobe full of clothing options to choose from - but she told herself she shouldn’t be embarrassed. They were the ones who should be embarrassed - people were starving, dying out there and EXINERIS was up here operating as if nothing had changed.

“You know, it took me a minute. ‘Soleil.’” Silvia gave a haughty laugh. “I always thought it was strange that Vivienne took her husband’s name.”

She was ashamed of her family, Valeria thought. Aloud, she said, “It was fitting, given her profession.”

“And she’s sending her daughter to...do what, exactly?”

“She...” Valeria opened her mouth, closed it, swallowed hard. “My mother’s dead.”

Something almost like disappointment passed over Silvia’s sharp features, but she quickly schooled them back to neutrality.

“Ah. My condolences. But, my question still stands.”

“I’d like a job.” If her mother had a grave, she would have been rolling in it.

Silvia barked a laugh that was anything but cheerful. “So you can run me out of Leide using my own research?”

“No.” Valeria shook her head. “I’m not here for your trade secrets. Royal Energy doesn’t even exist anymore. It’s obvious you’ve got your hands full, and I think, given my particular skillset-”

Silvia cut her off. “You know how to run a city full of refugees?”

Valeria looked the older woman in the eye. “I know about as much as you.”

Silvia held her gaze for a long moment before giving her a small, approving smile. “You don’t look much like her, but there’s no doubt you’re Vivienne’s daughter.” When Valeria didn’t respond, she added, “That’s a compliment.”

“Thanks,” Valeria said, unsure if she should be flattered or concerned. Her mother had certainly possessed plenty of positive qualities, but there were things about her that Valeria wanted nothing to do with - in particular, her uncanny ability to make someone feel impossibly small, to make their best efforts seem laughably insignificant.

“So tell me, Valeria Soleil. In your expertise, what can I do to make Lestallum a better place?”

Hardly a question with a simple answer, but Valeria knew this was meant to be a test more than a genuine solicitation for advice. She considered her words carefully before speaking.

“To start with the basics: food. Gather the city’s resources and supplies, and start rationing now, before people start starving.” Valeria hated to admit that the inspiration for that suggestion had come from the Empire. But when it came to keeping a dejected, frightened populace in check, the Niffs absolutely knew what they were doing.

“And what do I tell the merchants when I take their supplies? That it’s for the greater good?”

“Well...yes,” Valeria replied. “They aren’t going to like it, but it’s better than letting people starve to death.”

“And when this blows over? Then what do I say? ‘Sorry your business is ruined?’”

Valeria frowned. “‘Blows over?’ Do you really think this is just going to go away, like a bad winter or something? Prince - no, King Noctis is the only one who can bring back the light, and he’s...he’s somewhere far away.”

Silvia rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me you actually believe all that mystical mumbo-jumbo. ‘The Chosen King.’” She clucked her tongue. “A smart girl like you should know better than to subscribe to such nonsense.”

“It’s not nonsense. It’s-”

“It’s a story concocted by the Crownsguard to disguise their obvious failure.”

Valeria wanted to slap her, but she kept her hands folded in her lap and bit her tongue. Ignis isn’t a liar, she thought. And he’s not a failure, either.

“This,” Silvia gestured at the dark window behind Valeria’s back, “is obviously some sort of atmospheric phenomenon, that will either pass, or be solved by science - not bedtime stories.”

“That doesn’t mean the sun is coming back anytime soon. You have to plan for what you know.” Valeria jabbed her index finger onto the desktop. “And what we know is that people have to eat. They have to have a safe place to live. I know it’s not fair to ask people to give up their businesses so that foreign refugees don’t starve, but then, nothing about this situation is fair.”

Silvia leaned forward on the desk, her chin resting on her steepled fingers, scrutinizing Valeria with the sort of critical gaze that was painfully reminiscent of her mother. After what felt like an eternity, she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.

“Very well. You’d like a job? Go and convince these people to contribute to ‘the greater good.’”

Valeria’s mouth fell open, and she quickly clamped it shut. That was certainly cutting to the chase...and certainly not the sort of job she had expected to be assigned straight away. She thinks I’ll fail. It was a test - an impossible test.

“Fine.” Valeria rose, swelling with determination at the challenge. “I’ll be back when it’s done.” I’ll show you just how much like my mother I can be.

“Well,” Valeria announced as she opened the door to Ignis’s apartment. “They gave me a job.”

Ignis paused his (careful) chopping of vegetables for their lunch and turned toward her, a smile beaming on his face. “Splendid news! I knew you could convince them.”

Valeria felt herself blushing as she hung up her coat. “Thanks, Iggy.”

“And what is it that you’ll be doing?” Valeria was relieved that he didn’t resume wielding his paring knife while trying to carry on a conversation.

“Only convincing all the merchants in Lestallum to hand over all their foodstuffs so the city can start rationing. Only that.”

Ignis chuckled, but then frowned when she didn’t join him. “You’re not joking.”

“No,” Valeria replied, flopping down on the couch.

“But that’s-”

“Impossible? I know. She’s testing me.”

Ignis cocked his head, then shook it. “Ah, my delightfully stubborn friend. You never could resist a challenge.”

“Nope,” Valeria agreed, stretching her legs.

“Gladio and I are going to make a short trip to Galdin in a few days, but I can assist you when I return.”

Valeria’s smile faltered. “Galdin...Galdin Quay? You’re leaving ?” She didn’t even realize she’d leaped to her feet, that her hands were balled into fists.

Ignis sighed, rinsed his hands in the sink and wiped them dry with his handkerchief. “We’re going to try to establish a supply line with the fishermen there. We won’t be long.”

Valeria felt herself shaking, shaking all over.He’s going to leave, he’s going to die, he won’t come back...

“You’re going to leave me?” Her voice had gone shrill, bird-like.

Ignis held up his hands. “It’s just for a few days. Three at most. Val, I truly am sorry. But, it’s like you say - people need food. People need our help.”

“What people? People like that man in the market, who treat you like shit just because of how you talk?” She knew she had been espousing this exact same belief less than an hour ago at the EXINERIS offices, but this was...it was different. He was going outside.

Ignis shook his head, crossing the small space between the kitchen and where she stood. “They’re just frightened. It makes them-”

“Assholes,” Valeria interjected. “It makes them selfish, self-serving assholes who would leave you to die to save their own skins.” I would know.

“I...” Ignis swallowed. “Nevertheless, it is my duty to help them.”

“Ignis.” All the anger drained from her voice, replaced by gentle certainty. She knew what this was really about. “You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.” Please.

Ignis’s brow furrowed as he tried to work out a counter-argument, eventually hanging his head. “What good am I to the King if I can’t even partake in a simple supply run?”

“Dammit, Iggy,” Valeria said. “I’m not saying you can’t. I just...I don’t want you to go. I don’t want to be alone again.”

“You won’t.” Ignis put his hands on her shoulders. “You can stay with Iris Amicitia until I return. And I will return. I’ve only just found you, Val.” He squeezed her arms. “I’m not going to let you go.”

Valeria hung her head, looking down at his hand, his thumb just inches away from the place where the Niffs had shot her. “Iggy, you said you haven’t been out there since... You don’t know what it’s like.”

“Then tell me,” he implored.

Valeria’s breath hitched. She heard screaming, pleading, inhuman screeching, her pulse pounding in her ears as she ran, and all around her was the darkness - cold, stifling, merciless. “I can’t,” she whispered. I can’t go back there.

“Valeria...”

“Please, Iggy.” No matter what she may have thought of it in the past, she had never asked him not to do his job - or what he perceived as his job - before now. “If you go out there, you...you’ll die.”

“It’s a supply run, Val. Not a battle. The Marshal would never allow it if he thought there was a real chance of danger.”

What could she say to change his mind? Nothing, she realized. He’s not yours. He was never yours. And no matter how drastically the world changed, that one, hard fact remained constant. He’s not yours.

It was with a heavy heart and a guilty conscience that Ignis climbed into the cramped cab of Gladio’s truck and embarked for Galdin Quay. After it became clear that she wasn’t going to talk him out of it, Valeria had barely spoken to him; he wondered if she realized the silent treatment was doubly punishing to a blind man.

This morning, before they left, she pressed a hefty, dented flashlight into his hands, with the cryptic explanation that it had saved her life more than once. Of course, they were well stocked with lights and lanterns, bulbs and batteries, but Ignis took it anyway, more as a good luck charm than anything else.

He unbuttoned his suit jacket, making a futile attempt at getting comfortable while smashed against the passenger side door, and ran a fingertip over his uncle’s cuff-links at the end of his sleeves. The Tenebraen floral motif worked into the silver was far too intricate and delicate to make out by touch alone, but he remembered them clearly - his uncle had worn them daily for as long as Ignis could remember. They’d always afforded him a certain class, an elegance, that Ignis hoped to emulate during the negotiations. And wearing them now was a small tribute to the man who had raised him, to the family and country he had barely known.

The truck Gladiolus had ‘acquired’ (Ignis didn’t press him on the matter) could have sat a man, woman, and small child semi-comfortably along the bench seat; three grown men was confining, to say the least. Prompto sat between Ignis and Gladiolus, and every time he moved he jabbed a sharp elbow into one or both of their sides (and given the fact that Prompto couldn’t sit still for more than thirty seconds, it meant Ignis was getting elbowed quite frequently).

The lack of space, and the way the truck jumped and shook with every crack in the road, the way they had to raise their voices to talk over the sputtering engine, made Ignis nostalgic for the smooth ride and luxurious comfort of the Regalia. Rest in peace, old girl. You served us well.

Gladiolus slowly weaved through the refugees crowded just outside the city gates, and Ignis could feel Prompto’s discomfort, his dismay at the knowledge that the majority of these people were of Niflheim extraction.

“So,” Ignis said, trying to keep Prompto’s mind off the unpleasant subject. “Are you all set to assist Wiz at the Chocobo Post?”

Prompto wasn’t going with them all the way to Galdin Quay; they were going to drop him off at the Chocobo Post en route. Wiz had contacted the hunters for help keeping his birds safe from predators - he had plenty of lights to deter the daemons, but as the monsters systematically killed off everything in the surrounding forests, hungry predators were forced to range closer and closer to the Chocobo Post in search of food. And knowing Prompto’s particular fondness for the creatures, it seemed the perfect task for him to take the lead.

“Yup,” Prompto replied. “I wrote down everything you said to do so I won’t forget.”

Ignis frowned. “Those were merely suggestions, Prompto. This is your mission. You don’t have to follow what I said to the letter.”

“Yeah but....you’re smart,” Prompto replied. “You know everything.”

And you need to learn how to lead, Ignis thought. He was far more capable than he gave himself credit for.

“You think Cindy likes chocobos?” Prompto asked.

This again, Ignis lamented. They - that is to say, Prompto - had speculated on everything from her favorite color to preferred vacation destination. And Ignis was about ninety-nine percent sure Prompto had never bothered to ask her in person about any of it.

“I think she likes cars better,” Gladio said.

“Hmm...” Prompto drummed his fingers on the dashboard. “Maybe a car dealership will need some help.”

Ignis barked out a laugh.

“What?” Prompto asked.

“If a car dealership’s overrun by daemons, they can just leave.” Gladio must have been smirking, because Prompto went on the defensive.

“Oh, it’s so easy for you two, isn’t it? You both have have girlfriends.”

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Gladio replied.

“No,” Prompto huffed. “You have, like, twenty. And you,” he jabbed Ignis in the shoulder. “I don’t even want to hear this ‘we’re just friends’ crap.”

“Well, we are,” Ignis replied.

“You know what she did to me? She came up to me all misty-eyed and said,” Prompto took Ignis’s arm and laid his head on his shoulder, speaking in a high, quavering voice, “‘Thank you so much for helping Iggy. I was so worried about him.’”

Ignis shrugged him off. “She most certainly did not.”

“Okay, maybe not exactly like that. But she did say that to me.” Prompto sighed. “I wish someone would worry about me like that.”

“We were all worried about you like that after you fell from the train,” Ignis replied.

“Yeah, but you’re not girls,” Prompto said.

“It is nicer coming from a chick,” Gladio added.

Ignis frowned. It didn’t feel nice at the moment, only adding to the already substantial guilt he was feeling about leaving her behind in Lestallum just days after she’d finally arrived.

“Ya know, Valeria is like, really pretty. But in a totally classy way. Totally your type,” Prompto said. “I like her.”

“Good to know she has the Prompto seal of approval,” Ignis replied dryly. Although, he’d yet to meet anyone with breasts who didn’t garner Prompto’s approval.

“Definitely,” Prompto said. “Oh, uh...not that I’m, like... I mean, you have dibs. Obviously.”

From the driver’s seat, Gladiolus snorted a laugh.

“Yes, I was terribly worried about that,” Ignis said sardonically.

“Nah, it’s cool.”

Truly oblivious, Ignis thought. But while they were on the subject... “Tell me something, Prompto. You spoke with her for a while. How does she look to you?”

“Valeria?” Prompto took a deep breath. “Well, let’s see...she has brown hair, kinda tall-”

Ignis scoffed while Gladiolus laughed again. “Prompto, I know what she looks like. What I mean is: does she look ill to you? Tired? Worried?”

“Uhh...”

Ignis realized it was a difficult question to answer for someone with no baseline. He pulled out his phone and handed it to Prompto. “I’ve some photos of her on there, from before.”

Prompto gave an awkward, shaky laugh. “They’re not like...you know, uh....pictures, like...”

When Ignis realized what he was asking, he couldn’t hide his offense. “Stars, Prompto! No.” What sort of woman do you think she is ?

“Like Iggy has that kinda stuff on his phone,” Gladiolus said sarcastically.

“Okay, okay. Just checking.” There was a pause as Prompto thumbed through the menus. “Wow, you took a lot of shots of food while we were on the road, huh?”

Ignis had snapped a photograph of anything interesting or particularly appetizing that caught his eye, in hopes of recreating the recipe later on. Fat lot of good it will do me now.

“Please try to focus on the task at hand.”

“Right, right...Okay, here’s one! So, Val likes Ebony too, huh?”

Ignis knew exactly which photograph Prompto was looking at; he could still envision it clearly in his mind. It was the last photo he’d taken with her, several weeks before he’d left the Crown City. An Ebony vending machine had just been installed downtown, the first of its kind, and so the pair of them, naturally thrilled with this new development, had posed with it - him with his arms crossed over his chest, shoulders squared like a proud father; and her on the other side, arms spread like a magician revealing her final, best trick. Ignis was fairly certain the person who had snapped the photo for them thought they were both mildly touched in the head.

“Of course she does,” Gladiolus said. “Nice picture, by the way.”

“Gladio, please keep your eyes on the road,” Ignis chided. “And yes, naturally, she likes Ebony.” The woman had good taste. “Now, back to what I asked...”

“Right, well...” Prompto paused. “I don’t know. She looks really happy here.”

So she did. Ignis remembered her smile well - a real smile, broad and showing all her teeth, not the phony, posed kind that she was all too good at conjuring up when the occasion required. He’d spent many nights on the road after Insomnia fell looking at that photo, hoping against hope that he would see that smile once more. Now, just because he couldn’t literally see it, didn’t mean his hopes were dashed. She could still be happy; perhaps even with him.

“Does she...does she not look happy now?”

“No one does.” Prompto’s voice was suddenly quiet, all the cheer sucked right out of him.

Ignis sighed, knowing that was probably true. If his suspicions were correct, if it would really be months or even years before Noctis returned with the light, could they really get along in despair for so long? He may have lacked Prompto’s talent for optimism, but he knew that, at some point, they had to stop merely surviving and start living in the now, taking whatever small pleasures where they could, when they could.

Elsewise, Ardyn and the daemons had already won.

#final fantasy xv #final fantasy 15 #ffxv #ff15 #ffxv fanfiction #ff15 fanfiction #ignis scientia #ignis #ignis x oc #gladiolus amicitia #gladio #prompto argentum #prompto

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heroesandvillainsofmbti · 7 years

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DS9 MBTI VIPs

DS9’s just bursting at the seams with memorable characters—the family, friends, and enemies that populate the corridors and make the station feel like a live, busy place. Not all of them spend enough time on board to provide material for a full profile, and most of them leave us just as they get interesting. So here’s a quick round up of some of the VIPs who have visited DS9, with my best guess as to their types.

(Note: I realized just I finished this post that all but two of these characters are dead by the end of the series. Well, two-and-a-half, depending on your perception of Opaka’s situation. DS9’s a nice place to live, but a dangerous place to visit.)

Tora Ziyal

It’s my theory that Ziyal actually changes type, because she was recast twice and reinvented just before her final arc.

Ziyal-A (Cyia Batten) is a young but tough girl who’s survived growing up in a prisoner-of-war camp, and finds herself in a weird limbo even after being rescued, thanks to her mixed heritage and the fact that her father is a monster. She’s guarded and naïve in equal measure, ready to fight but not quite steady on her feet. Kira sort of adopts her like a little sister, and I very much think she sees her younger self in Ziyal.

Ziyal-B (Tracy Middendorf) is roughly the same, observing Garak quietly from a distance before making the first move. She tells him she grew up alone and doesn’t need the company of another Cardassian, but he’s welcome to join her nonetheless.

Best guess for original Ziyal: ISFP

Ziyal-C is played by an older actress (Melanie Smith) to make her relationship with Garak less creepy (no dice), and she’s outgoing, chipper, and over-trusting. She’s a bit deluded about her father’s true nature, whereas original Ziyal understood but stuck by him because he was her only family bond. She shows great artistic talent (I really like Ziyal’s artwork, actually), but she leaves the art school on Bajor because she can sense that no one likes or accepts her. She really just wants her father and Kira to stop fighting and get along.

She is, by the writers’ own admission, an innocent puppy crafted specifically to gain the audience’s sympathy before they killed her off. A daughter-in-the-fridge, if you will.

Best guess for final Ziyal: Fe-dom, probably ENFJ

(I love original Ziyal to pieces. The actress was quiet yet intense. The next actress was okay, but was doing a weird accent. The third actress referred to her character in interviews as “Tora,” which sounds like no one explained how her character’s Bajoran name worked. She would have been fine in any other role, but lacked the interesting edge of Ziyal-A.)

Damar - ESTJ

Damar spends a lot of time in the background before rising to the occasion at the end of the saga. It’s one of DS9’s great magic tricks that he was cast early on with barely a line of dialogue in anticipation of a greater storyline down the road. Damar hangs back from the major action at first, acting moody and reserved because he’s drinking his conscience away—so I see inferior-Fi at work there.

Damar is otherwise a traditional family man and a loyal Cardassian, and once his family and his world are betrayed by their supposed allies, he puts down the bottle and leads a revolution. His leadership turns him into a legend almost overnight, but he does have a lot to learn from Kira about the new way they have to fight—rebel-style, not regular military. He eventually drives the Dominion off his planet, at the cost of his own life.Dominion off his planet, at the cost of his own life.

Bill Ross - ISTJ

Admiral Ross is a low-key, trusty old officer, one of the few higher-ups to break the “Every Admiral in Starfleet is a Crazy Person” trend. He does make a couple of dicey calls—helping a Section 31 operation and supporting the Romulans’ base near Bajor—but they’re all in service to his duty to the Federation.

Opaka - INFJ

I hate to go with the stereotype here, but Bajor’s great religious leader is a very obvious Ni-dom. The Kai sees everything though a spiritual lens, and bases her decisions on what she believes is her destiny—or Sisko’s. She makes a tough call for the greater good of the Bajoran people, sacrificing the life of her son in order to save many more, and she gives up her life on Bajor to help a planet of people she’s just met find peace.

(And I promise I’ll stop geeking out about the technically-non-canon post-TV novels, but her given name in them is Sulan, which I think is perfect and lovely.)

Bareil Antos - INFJ

Another spiritual stereotype, but it fits. Bareil takes a calm, spiritually-minded approach to life, and tries to help the anxious ISFP Kira calm down and see the bigger picture of her existence. Of course, he happily indulges in the sensual side of their relationship, too. He’s willing to take the fall for Opaka’s sacrifice of her son to avoid tarnishing her legendary reputation, and then he ends up sacrificing his own life by working himself to death helping Winn complete peace negotiations with the Cardassians.

Gowron - ESTP

The Chancellor of the Klingon Empire lives with a very damaged version of Se-dom. He’s more reactive than pro-active, constantly striking out at those that insult and threaten him (tertiary-Fe). He plunges his people into war based on a vaguely defined paranoia about Changelings (inferior-Ni), and seems to forget that Picard helped him gain his throne as soon as he has power, making up a whole new mythology about his ascent to leadership.

When Martok’s popularity starts to overshadow his own, Gowron takes over the fleet in the middle of the Dominion War and assigns Martok to dangerous missions in an effort to get him killed (tertiary-Fe again). He’s nowhere near the strategist or commander that Martok is (disorganized, damaged Ti-aux, probably not even in use since he’s most likely looping through his Extraverted functions), and the Klingons start losing badly.

Any parallels to real-life leadership are purely coincidental, but uncanny.

Gowron won’t acknowledge the reality of the situation, so Worf—who basically handed Gowron the throne many years ago by taking out his rival—takes Gowron down and hands the mantle to Martok.

Kurn – ESTP

Kurn is action-driven and wily, a hot-headed younger brother to the stoic Worf who’s nonetheless a strong commander in his own right. He boards the Enterprise under a pretense, provoking Worf until he’s sure he can reveal their family connection. The two brothers fight for their family’s honor, and Kurn reluctantly obeys Worf’s wishes to turn his back on him and pretend they’re not related in order to protect himself. Once they clear their father’s name and get to fight together, Kurn’s overjoyed and wishes they had been able to be brothers from the start.

He’s farsighted enough to see the dangers Gowron poses to the Empire, impetuous enough to want to kill him right away, but cautious enough to follow his older brother’s guidance and wait the situation out. Unfortunately, once Gowron dissolves their house, Kurn loses all hope for the future and tries to kill himself. Trying to start a new life under Starfleet/Bajoran military discipline does not suit him at all.

So (*ugh*) Worf wipes his memory and sends him off with a new family. Shortly before their house’s honor is restored again.

Sorry, Kurn. You put up a good fight.

Luther Sloane – INTJ

It’s hard to tell if the Sloane we meet in the Section 31 episodes is the real Luther Sloane, or some sort of crazy person who managed to put up an organized façade to carry out his nefarious schemes. Despite an arresting performance by William Sadler, he’s pretty much a standard INTJ villain, with plans worked out hundreds of steps in advance, with far-reaching objectives only he comprehends. His morality extends only to keeping the Federation safe and secure, by any means necessary.

Enabran Tain – INTJ

As the leader of the Obsidian Order, Tain’s another INTJ supervillain, but with mastermind chops that would have put Sloane to shame if they ever met. He sees the impending threat of the Dominion and comes out of retirement to put together a combined Cardassian-Romulan task force to pre-emptively strike at the Founders. He has a handful of old colleagues assassinated so that they won’t interfere, and is willing to kill Garak, too. He’ll never admit that Garak was his son, because a man like him can’t have that kind of emotional liability. When his secret task force is ambushed by an overwhelming Jem’Hadar fleet, Tain has a meltdown over his failure to foresee this outcome.

Vic Fontaine – ESFJ

He’s just an old-fashioned lounge singer, baby, with a hundred stories to tell about the glory days of Vegas. He’s always there with a listening ear and simple advice when someone walks in with a broken heart. Vic somehow understands that he’s a hologram, and transcends his programming to hop holosuites and manipulate Kira and Odo together in spite of themselves. He’s excited by the new, round-the-clock life Nog offers him, though it tires him out quite a bit. Raise a glass, and try to figure out how he exists as an actual human in the Mirror Universe.

Morn

He’s an Extravert, don’t you know? You can’t shut this guy up.

#MBTI #Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #Ziyal #Damar #Admiral Ross #Kai Opaka #Vedek Bareil #Gowron #Kurn #Luther Sloane #Enabran Tain #Vic Fontaine #Morn

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theseventhhex · 7 years

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Molly Kate Kestner Interview

Molly Kate Kestner

Photo by Jimmy Fontaine

Molly Kate Kestner may be new to the Los Angeles music scene, but she is by no means an amateur. The 21-year-old singer-songwriter’s gift for writing paired with her powerhouse voice make it clear she is wise and talented beyond her years and have allowed her to build a strong following. Kestner was first propelled into the spotlight when her song she wrote in high school, ‘His Daughter’, an emotional ballad she recorded for her friends and family, went viral. After making the move from Minnesota to Los Angeles just last year, Kestner played a residency at LA’s iconic Hotel Café, toured with fellow singer-songwriter Wrabel, and collaborated with producers including Ryan Tedder and Starsmith (Ellie Goulding, Marina and the Diamonds, Clean Bandit) on new music. The young virtuoso’s incredible journey continues… The Seventh Hex talks to Molly about her faith, Minnesota memories and Harry Potter World…

TSH: In terms of subject matter, what’s been at the heart of your recent songwriting expressions?

Molly: Honestly, the subject matter changes daily. But recently, I've loved digging into old memories or emotions to make a new song. When you're really busy, sometimes there isn't anything new in your life you feel like writing about. So I reminisce back to a beautiful or sad or exciting moment in my life and write about that.

TSH: Do you feel that you tend to lean toward certain styles of instrumentation with your musical outlooks?

Molly: All of my songs are piano or guitar driven...then we add everything else in after. I don't ever write to tracks. I like when the music sounds organic and similar to how it would sound if you saw me play it live with a band.

TSH: When it comes to forming new music, do you require a creative spark?

Molly: I used to only be able to write if I was really inspired. But the more I write, the easier it is for me to get into that creative flow. It's less about BEING inspired, and more about being present and open to whatever may come to you.

TSH: How important is it for you to incorporate your faith and the message of light and hope in your music?

Molly: It's extremely important. This world needs all the light it can get, and if I can create a little bit of that in my music.... then I'm happy.

TSH: What are the ideas behind the track ‘Compromise’?

Molly: The message in ‘Compromise’ is pretty straightforward: I will not compromise who I am just to please someone else. I don't drink, I don't swear and I am religious, which does not make me very cool in the eyes of most people my age, but I've never let it get to me. I don't expect everyone to dress, act or live like I do... but I do expect them to respect my personal choices, the same way I respect theirs. And I will never change who I am just because I don't fit into the box someone else is trying to put me in.

TSH: As you were structuring ‘I Don’t Know’, which part of the song would you say required most focus?

Molly: I actually wrote ‘I Don't Know’ fairly quickly (in under an hour or so). The verses probably took the most focus, because there are so many words and I wanted them to flow smoothly.

TSH: How cool is it to know that individuals connect with your music on a personal level and apply it to their lives?

Molly: That's one of the coolest parts of this whole thing and it's also why I only want to make music that will have a positive impact on the people who listen.

TSH: What sort of non-musical influences do you to tend to pull from?

Molly: I love watching a good, emotional movie or TV show! Nicholas Sparks flicks, or things like Love Actually, Grey's Anatomy... I always want to write music after I cry. Is that strange? I don't know. Haha! I also really love nature. Whether that's sitting by the ocean, hiking a mountain or just listening to the rain... It always puts me in a creative mood.

TSH: When you perform live, what are the key aspects that you bear in mind?

Molly: I always try to connect with each person I can see, I try to let go of anything that's been weighing me down and just be in the moment, and most importantly I try not to hit myself in the face with the microphone (that's happened more times than I'm proud of).

TSH: Which memories stand out and come to your mind most, having grown up in Minnesota?

Molly: Riding bikes around town with my best friends and hanging out at the community pool during the summer. Also, having lunch with the whole family every Sunday afternoon after church, as well as going to high school football and soccer games in the fall. Furthermore, always having a white Christmas and a really long, cold winter and then busting out shorts and a t-shirt as soon as all the snow melts! Lots of great Minnesota memories.

TSH: Also, how cool has it been to have your best mate join you via moving out to LA?

Molly: The COOLEST. She was actually the one who road tripped with me in my little Honda Civic from Minnesota to California when I moved out here. I remember trying to convince her to stay with me in LA and not go back. Well, a little over a year later she moved out here and it has been so much fun! I'm so happy that we can continue to make fun, hilarious, exciting memories together as adults!

TSH: When you overlook artists like Sigrid and London Grammar, what sort of qualities do you mostly admire?

Molly: I admire any female artist that captures people's attention without having to use her body. I think society has put that pressure on women... and I am not against a woman being proud of her body, but I don't think any woman should feel like she NEEDS to show skin in order to move up the social ladder. That’s why I love how authentic and real Sigrid and London Grammar are. No charades, just really good music. That's what I aspire to be.

TSH: Has your aim in visiting Harry Potter World at some point come to fruition?

Molly: Haha! I did get to visit the Harry Potter World in Orlando, FL (it was magical) but I still have yet to see the one in California or London! I want to go to both!!

TSH: What were your favourite moments from the recent season of Game of Thrones?

Molly: Ohhhh! I don't want to give away any spoilers for people who haven't seen it. But let's just say... there are two people who I've been wanting to get together for a LONG time, and when they finally got together. I absolutely cried.

TSH: Having experienced some positive UK vibes, was watching 100 Year Old Driving School among the features that really pleased you?

Molly: Haha! Ya'll do your research! I did love that show, it was hilarious. But I think what I really love most about the UK is the people and specifically London's energy. Brits are so funny, welcoming, and clever. My kind of people.

TSH: As you look ahead with your musical ventures, what drives you most?

Molly: I believe this is what I was put on this earth to do. Not just to sing and write songs, but to spread a message of love, hope and purpose. I want to travel to as many places as I possibly can, so that I can reach as many people as I possibly can. I desperately want people to know they are loved, they matter and their life on this earth serves a unique purpose. I love music and I love being an artist, but this is what drives me more than anything: people.

Molly Kate Kestner - “Footprints”

Footprints - Single

#Interview #Molly Kate Kestner

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