#I had a bunch of missing assignments and that's why I failed

[sadquickchristmassnowman]

Please please please post your Jeff Winger analysis that you wrote for your college class

fine. here it is.

for those of you that don't know, this my final paper for my abnormal psychology class I took last spring (at a community college lmao, I have since graduated and am now in university studying something completely different.) the instructions were to play therapist and write a case study on one of your hypothetical clients. we were supposed to make up a person and diagnose them with something. naturally, instead of making someone up, I chose a sitcom character to dive into. I somehow got 100%. read if you so desire, it's about 1600 words.

A COUPLE (sad) QUICK (christmas) DISCLAIMERS

I wrote this in literally an hour! it's Very Rough! that's not me being humble! that is an objective fact! please just accept right now that the grammar and syntax are sloppy as hell that's just How It Is

I changed Jeff's name to something stupid, I don’t even know what it was, just so I’d have less chance of being caught lmao

I stretched some canonical truths and made some shit up that doesn't necessarily apply to Jeff. I did this because the paper was due at 11:59 and I needed to make a compelling argument quickly. so I somewhat warped Jeff to be what I needed for the paper. it's still mostly canon compliant but just beware and don't come after me for any inaccuracies okay I did it on purpose

[aha-chuu]

We the hsr community are really missing out by ignoring the aventio dynamic that is canon and funny.

Because okay. Let's be fr: Ratio has however many degrees, multiple PhDs inside that. He has a job now, obviously, but he also spent a fat while trying and failing to get Nous and the Genius Society to notice him. He's renowned and super smart and has a bunch of achievements and credentials, but that student loan debt,,, fml. And we know from Herta and Asta's dynamic that scientific endeavours aren't just automatically funded.

So for some period of time before the IPC/Intelligentsia Guild snatched him up, I imagine Ratio was bobbing along like those rubber ducks he likes so much. Not broke, exactly, but certainly in the midst of six different projects at any given time and also canonically doing TA work as well like. Relatable king.

Dr Ratio has eaten a pot noodle in his life is what I'm saying.

But that's like,,, regular financial strain. Aventurine's situation is so far removed that to talk about it in just a monetary way would be insane. His net worth was *how much he was sold for*. But you know. He didn't have rent? Aventurine wouldn't have had any concept of what was "normal" between his downtrodden upbringing and horrific early adulthood.

So what I'm saying on that unhappy note is that when Aventurine got with the IPC, it's no wonder he seems most cavalier about dishing out credits. What do they even mean to him?? Money is important and he understands its value obviously - like it's part of his job and he's smart - but his personal experience is at odds with what he knows logically.

(and in some ways, after having been assigned a monetary value himself... I don't think Aventurine can conceive of any amount of money that is worth a person's life. He'll use people as "chips" but that's different)

Anyway. When Ratio was a fresh faced IPC collaborator and stuck with Aventurine as his partner, their first mission must have been insane. Like Aventurine only knows top level IPC people's financial situations so when Ratio is just a reasonably normal guy Aventurine must have been ???? He's still new at this too, you know, does Ratio need bailing out of all this debt? (it's very regular and he's responsibly paying it off ASAP), should Aventurine get on his good side with an extravagant purchase on his own fairly new IPC issued credit card? (he chooses not to because that might flaunt it).

Ratio notices. Obviously. But the biggest issue for him is Aventurine comparative cluelessness more than actual offense. Also like Ratio is certainly NOT poor I'm sure that first IPC paycheck will polish off the student loans entirely.

It's that cluelessness that would them trigger him to try and figure out Why this clearly competent Stoneheart who is obviously very good with money would be so out of his element when faced with a normal financial situation. And Ratio is blunt so he says those words out loud but without any of those complimentary parts. Aventurine is still reeling from someone seeing through his façade.

This isn't going anywhere except Aventurine trying to be a sugar daddy for maybe four days before he clocks onto the situation properly. And Ratio isn't about to say no to paying off that student loan debt a bit faster. And eventually they're both so well compensated by the IPC that when Aventurine casually transfers everyone else 100000 credits just for being in the room, he has to come up with some insane and creative way to shock Ratio. Maybe that's where the gun light cone came from: "if I can't impress you with my shiny new wealth I will certainly do it with my luck 🤗 why are you dialling a crisis line rn"

[sturnlover21390]

Truth or dare pt.1

Your failing all of your classes, and Matt offers to tutor, you have no idea how this little action, will change everything.

no use of y/n, no smut (yet)

As I’m walking down the hall I see my English teacher, Mr.Jhonson, walk towards me. He’s always on my ass trying to figure out when I’m going to turn in my assignments, when we both know it’ll never happen.

“Ellie , this is unacceptable” he says in an stern voice. “You have a D in most of your classes, and the semester is comming to a end. Get it together before you fail the year.”

“I’m trying my hardest” I lie.

“Try harder” he says before walking away

See, I don’t understand how professors are aloud to just walk away and students aren’t, but that’s a secret the whole world would never get a anwser to.

“Hey, I heard you and Mr. Johnson’s conversation back there and I was thinking I could help?” I hear Matt say, hesitantly.

I had no idea why he was talking to me. He always had his head dug into a book in the library, or focused on studying his notes for the next test.

“So” I start “you were eavesdropping?”

Instantly his checks start to form a bright red “noo, see I- I was just walking by and - I would never.” he says in a defensive manner.

“Calm down Matt, I’m just teasing” I say with a giggle, “and what do you mean by help?”

“I was thinking maybe I could tutor you a bit? I wouldn’t want you to fail” he finishes, looking away.

“Uh .. yeah. Yeah, sure, do I have to pay you?”

“No!” Matt says a bit too loud for both of our comfort “I mean, no you don’t ..collage is already expensive enough right?”

“Okay sure, I can give you my address? I live off campus”I suggest.

And it was a plan

At 3pm I was going to see him. I have no idea why I was so excited to see somebody I’ve barley said 3 words to, but nonetheless, here I am. When I get home I change into sweatpants and a crop top. I put my hair up into a bun, then started my makeup. I don’t know why I put in more effort than usual, I mean it’s not like this is a date. But for some reason I wanted to look good for him. Look good for Matt.

A few knocks on the door grabbed my attention. I put some of my makeup away before heading to the door.

“Hey” I say, with a soft smile on my face.

“Hey, can I come in” he says back, with a edge in his voice.

“Sure” i open the door a bit wider, as he walks in. I point to the dining table as we both make our way there. “Hey, you good?” I question. He seemed a little bit different from earlier today. Like he now had an attitude or something was bothering him.

“Yeah, everything’s fine, just my brother kinda gave me shit before I got here. That dosent matter though, let’s get started”

He takes out his computer , while starting to talk about economics or something, honestly I hardly was paying attention. I couldn’t stop looking at him, how confident he was in the work he was showing me, how it seemed like this naturally came to him. 

“Do you understand that?” He says, and I get pulled out of my thoughts.

“Um, yea, sure. Anyways what happned earlier with your brother? Was it Chris or Nick?”

“You know them?” He questions

“Obviously, it’s not everyday I see triplets, everybody sorta knows you guys”

“Yeah I guess it hard to miss us” he says, with a soft smile displayed on his face.”it’s nothing that serious though they just they keep trying to convince me to go to this party later tonight and-“

“Wait Brittney’s party?” I say happily “You should defeintly go , you can even come with me, promise it’ll be fun.”

“I’m not really a party kind of person, , it’s so loud and I don’t feel like dancing with a bunch of sweaty people”

“Come on Matt, it’ll be so much fun, plus aren’t party’s part of the “amazing collage experience” I say sarcastically.

“Um.. I guess , you know what okay I’ll go with you, if you promise to at least try to pass your classes” he says blushing.

I wasent going to go to Britney’s party, but for some reason I really wanted to go with him. Spend time with him. I don’t get why I’m so drawn to him, but I don’t mind it.

[l-in-the-light]

The most embarrassing series of posts about Lawlu you will ever read: edition Dressrosa (part 5)

Are we ready for the feels? Because my "Love is a Hurricane tale" of Lawlu analysis continues on into Dressrosa, the land of love and passion! In this episode we will focus on Luffy and Law seperately. This post will be much more serious as well. Lots and lots of scrutinizing analysis ahead!

Let's point out two things here: apparently it was Sanji who was the rebel and left as the first one, attracted to amazing smells. Luffy on the other hand, actually tried to get closer to Law and listen properly.

And, one group of people is now enteirely missing. For once, it wasn't Luffy's fault, he wasn't even the first one to venture out and that tells us a lot already. Law, despite rather displeased with that outcome, decides not to do anything about it. Perhaps one of the remaining Strawhats told him not to worry about it... but would they say it? We're left with Nami, Usopp, Brook, Chopper, Robin and Momo. They're kinda a bunch of people easily scared and paranoid. Robin is the only exception, but she would rather just chuckle at all the chaos that's happening rather than reassure anyone.

I think the more likely option is Law trying to play it cool so that the rest won't worry too much. Whether he's personally worried or not wouldn't have mattered, he already feels like taking care of these people is his responsibility and he needs to be strong for them. He probably did worry himself a bit here. Let's switch to Luffy from now on:

As fast as Luffy realized (thanks to Sanji) that things aren't going as predicted, he tries to find a fast fix for it himself. I mean, he had a pretty good idea about it, sadly he was stopped with his attempt. This will start a streak of Luffy's attempts to actually stick to the plan, as disbelieving as that sounds right now. After all, he didn't listen to the end about the plan, obviously Luffy doesn't care??

If he doesn't care, why is his initial reaction towards Zoro slightly angry here? Oh, maybe because Law assigned them into one group and Luffy realizes *they have to stick together*. That's exactly why he left after Sanji (who shouldn't actually be in their group, but nevermind), it wasn't just for adventure (ofc that was important as well), it was to stay with their group. Ofc right after Luffy quickly snaps into his usual happy go lucky attitude, thinking it would be fun to chase Zoro, but let's keep in mind that's his second reaction, not the first one, and that's already giving us a hint what will be Luffy's priority from now on.

Luffy is unusually interested in finding the smiles factory. Concerned even. Perhaps he was keeping in mind Law's warning that finding the factory won't be easy and is reminded now of that.

Putting aside Luffy's clear PTSD reaction here (proving us he's still not over Ace's death, because why would he be), despite the fact he declares he wants flame-flame fruit, he doesn't immediately jump to the decision of doing everything he can to get it. It's actually only after Franky's encouragement that he makes his final decision! Very unusual for Luffy to hold back on something that important for him and needing encouragement. It's Luffy who encourages people usually, he just goes and reaches his hands to grab what he wants without fretting over it. I wonder why is he hesitating so much?

Ofc Luffy's enthusiasm to stay undercover is lovely, but he still almost fails with it right afterwards, because, well, he's Luffy. And why does he need to stay undercover? Oh right, so someone's plan in Dressrosa wouldn't be affected!

Meanwhile we have Law who tries to play it calm and cool for the group, but he's actually growing anxious. There are already two signs that the plan is going to have more problems than expected, since people in Dressrosa act normal despite their king abdicating, and then CP0 arrives. He won't voice his doubts explicitly though, he knows he needs to keep morale of the group up. But when they make it to the bridge, he already decided not to use his devil fruit to save up strength, he knows there will be problems up ahead thanks to all those signs.

It's kinda heartwarming but also a bit sad to see Luffy holding back so much. At all times he tries his best not to blow his cover. But Luffy is really terrible at lying, so he's fretting around a lot, clearly stressed from all the unfavourable developments. He even tries to stop himself from cheering on for Bellamy, something he would usually do without a second thought. Officially he claims he's doing it for Franky, but we all know why Franky told Luffy to be undercover: it was all for Law's plan to succeed, and attracting attention would be bad for it. It's not very direct, but all of Luffy's efforts are actually for Law and his plan.

Law remembered his own nature: giving out orders expecting others to live up to them. He's indeed just like Luffy here haha. Though we can excuse him a little, the situation was bad after all. Luffy meanwhile does it all the time.

Top images: Again, poor distressed Luffy is afraid his identity will be revealed and he will be the one responsible for blowing up Law's plan. He really doesn't want to disappoint him. Compare this to when he inflitrates the castle with Viola later on (bottom images), he doesn't even hesitate to take off his disguise even though his cover wasn't even blown yet. Only after Luffy removes his koi fish costume, the guy realized it was Strawhat Luffy. But Luffy doesn't care anymore for being undercover.

The contrast is shocking with the previous image. It just proves how much he was struggling and bracing himself to stay in that disguise in the collosseum, it must have been hard for him. But Luffy would try his best and beyond for Law. He just would do the same for Ace, that's why he couldn't ignore flame-flame fruit bait.

Luffy got fed by Rebecca, so he feels like he owes her. He listens to her story, about the country, about the toy soldier, he clearly wants to help her, but he stays silent. Again, unusual reaction for Luffy, normally he would be already enthusiasthically shouting that he will get rid of Doflamingo for Rebecca. But, beating up Doffy wasn't part of Law's plan, so Luffy just sits quietly, torn internally.

Let's compare it to, let's say, Drum Island Arc. Luffy doesn't hesitate at all. That's the Luffy we know.

Luffy is still listening to Rebecca. Gets reminded of Goa Kingdom. He still doesn't declare he will kick Doffy's ass. His resolve to not disappoint Law is really strong, if he's able to stop himself like that.

Law puts up a tough front, but I think he's kinda bluffing here, just throwing Doflamingo's words back at him. Internally, he must be worrying and hoping he won't mess things up himself, that he's able to withhold Doflamingo long enough.

It's not even a matter of whether he believes in what he says himself, but the dedication: he will do anything in his might. Is it for the plan, that backfired on him already? Or did his reason shift, yet again, to what it was in Punk Hazard and that means keeping Luffy relatively safe? He didn't put Luffy in his own group, the one that was at most risk, he didn't leave him up on Sunny (he probably would have wanted to, but not even Law can control Luffy's deep craving for adventure). Law is now just buying time so Luffy's group can destroy the factory; that's his chosen way of keeping them out of trouble and instead taking it all up on himself.

Another bluff from Law. We know he doesn't know what that D. even stands for, so there's no way he could have that much faith in it. After all Law is having trouble believing in things after Flevance. He says this line just because he knows it will rile up Doflamingo, and also because of his trust in Corazon. Cora-san lied a lot though so there's no way Law would take that line at face value and not doubt it at all.

Riling up Doflamingo is a sign that Law allowed him to play on his emotions. Provoking him here will end up in a disastrous result for Law. But let's rewind a moment earlier, Doffy is on a call with his subordinate, telling them to make the factory's security stronger. Ofc Law would lose his calm over that. Because who's in the group destroying the factory? Luffy. Law took it as his personal duty to keep him safe.

Back to Luffy's side now. Wait a moment. Luffy tells his crew to stop the rebellion in the oppressed country?? Despite having been fed by Rebecca and owing her a favour? Did someone just exchange Luffy with an alien here?? That's not the Luffy we know!

Though to be fair, even if it's a bit of a backwards logic, he does think it will help Rebecca as well, because she doesn't want the toy soldier to be in danger. But look at Zoro's reaction here. He's clearly taken aback. Our Zoro, the very first crewmate of Luffy, who was with him practically from the very start. And that Zoro is surprised by Luffy's reaction. He expected him to fully support the rebellion. If that's not the final argument to how strange Luffy is behaving, then I doubt anything can convince you.

His crewmates are getting involved with the rebellion, but Luffy is still quiet and refusing to go against Law's plan. Franky finally loses it and says he will do it, even if it means he will have to do it alone.

And that's finally the moment Luffy breaks his resolve. He's not gonna leave a crewmate alone. He's gonna help with that plan as well, just to fullfill Rebecca's wish, already planning to leave the collosseum before the final fights. It took Luffy only like 30 chapters to finally decide to do what he truly wants to do. For Luffy liberating countries and making people free is very important. He knows already that the peace is Dressrosa is only a facade and he hates when peace is just a facade, it's not a true peace to him. He would go fly some punches the moment he realizes that. The only reason he didn't was Law.

But let's keep in mind, it doesn't paint Law as a bad guy here. His original plan did involve dethroning Doflamingo, just indirectly, not through punching him in the face. Luffy believes Law to be the good guy who also wants to help this country, so he believes in Law's plan. But Luffy will never leave his crewmate in need and that's the only reason Luffy decided to go against Law's plan in the end. We don't know how it would end, would Luffy still try to stop the rebellion after he joined with them? We will sadly never know.

Before they even know what's going on, Luffy's face is already very worried. He clearly has a bad feeling. Perhaps it's an early sign of his future sight talent that will evolve only much, much later. In this case it activated not because Luffy himself was in danger, but because he had a bad feeling someone dear to him is.

What an interesting reaction from Luffy after he realized Doflamingo got Torao. "Torao, why are you fighting with Mingo?!" why would Luffy care about it in a moment like this? Oh, perhaps because he was still believing in Law's plan and facing Doffy was never part of it. That's your final proof that Luffy took this whole operation seriously, he constantly was thinking about Law and his plan, and trying not to disappoint him, so of course he's shocked beyond all logic that Traffy himself went against it. He didn't have much choice, at least that's what Law believes. He would never take an alternative: backing out, because then full attention of Doflamingo would focus on Luffy's group.

And here we go, Luffy's reaction to Law passing out from the lead bullets. Flashback to Ace and Marineford definitely played itself inside Luffy's head at this moment.

How dare you, Mingo, indeed.

Screaming after him, trying to leave and forgetting seastone bars make it impossible for him, very distressed but calmed himself down because he can feel Law's soul didn't yet leave his body. That's probably the first reference to Luffy's skill of being able to tell when someone is just passed out and when they're dead or close to dying (it's the last option in this case btw).

Despite all the chaos and worry, Luffy is still focused enough to realize that the plan did go astray and is so very taken aback. He might even wonder if it's somehow his own fault here, after all he did go to the collosseum, if he didn't then maybe the situation wouldn't evolve the way it did. He probably thinks he could have destroyed that factory super fast if he just wasn't so obssessed with flame-flame fruit.

Nami seems to get it. First it was Zoro who understood how surprisingly important this thing is for Luffy, now Nami understood it as well. And Nami helps Luffy come up with the best option: how to not destroy Law's plan any further by making sure they have the winning hand, because at the end of the day, that's the most important thing, right? Law wanted to keep Momo, Caesar and Smiles away from Doflamingo, so even if anything else about the plan fails, they will make sure this part succeeds no matter what.

Nami does it for Luffy, not for Law, because she realized Luffy cares a lot. She's always there supporting his decisions and wishes, no matter how reckless they are, even if they scare her, just like she does when she's navigating: making sure her skills will bring them anywhere Luffy wants and needs to go. She does the same for him here, just on different level: navigating the plan.

For Luffy, respecting Law's wishes and goals is important. He doesn't want another Ace scenario in which Law sacrifices everything, his dreams, people important to him, his ambitions, just to keep Luffy safe. Those two truly understand each other on a very intimate level, it seems.

And so Luffy makes his decision. Keeping Law safe is more important than sticking to the original plan, but he will leave it up to his crewmates to gather the scattered pieces together so that Law's wishes are fullfilled. He entrusts that with them, meanwhile focusing on what he wants to do the most. And what's that again? Helping Rebecca? Destroying factory? Exposing the darkness of Dressrosa and beating Mingo? Oh no, wait. He says it here: to get Torao back.

Are you disgusted already? I am a bit lol <3

Luffy worrying for his crewmates. On the surface level, nothing unusual right? Because he cares for them, it's to be expected. Except Luffy never worries for them, instead he trusts them. In Punk Hazard when his crew barely made it to escape the gas he didn't worry openly like that, he trusted in his crewmates instead. Usopp even points it out that he wishes Luffy sometimes didn't have that much faith in them, because it can get overwhelming how he needs to meet up his expectations.

But here instead Luffy just worries about his crew. Must be because now, after seeing Law defeated by Mingo, he takes his words about how strong Mingo is even more seriously than before. He believes Law to be so strong after all. He doesn't even have to face Doffy himself to know what Law's defeat means. He's willing to take a bet based on someone else's experience, which is also rather unusual in Luffy's case - he normally always needs to test things out himself, doesn't believe other people's opinions or rumours. Again Law proves to be a rare exception.

I dunno how you all feel about this panel, but seems for Luffy, shit just got very personal. In the frame before (I won't put it here because it takes full page) we see three figures: Toy Soldier (symbolizing Franky's wish to help tontattas with the rebellion), Rebecca (Luffy's debt over the food) and Law. Those are the three reasons that push Luffy to make his decision. He wants to beat Mingo's ass for all of those reasons: because his crewmates want to, because he wants to help Rebecca and... because he wants to get payback in Law's stead. I mean, why else would Law be one of Luffy's reasons here? Beating up Mingo was still not part of Law's plan, so he's not doing it to respect Law's wishes in any way. No, if someone messes with Luffy's crewmate, then they mess up with Luffy, that's just how shit goes.

Wait, didn't you mean to write "friend"? Law isn't Luffy's crewmate! We will get to it in part 2 ;)

Now, after finding out about Sabo being still alive, Luffy can't stop crying or calm himself at all. Zoro's getting super annoyed with him, scolding him, hitting him and nothing works UNTIL he drops Torao's name. Suddenly Luffy gets his shit back together enough to actually say what? "I'll save Torao!" geezas so gross Even his face grows more determined. Reuninting with Sabo was important, but so is saving Torao. They're probably on same level in Luffy's mind and that alone is honestly insane to think about.

Damn, seeing how this post covered only 30 chapters, you can all expect there will be like 3 more parts just focused on Dressrosa alone.

Do let me know if you got convinced with my analysis or not :) or do you still think Luffy didn't care even for a moment about Law and his plan in Dressrosa?

[7hrsh]

𝑴𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒌 | 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒖𝒆

Pairing: Lucifer Morningstar x Angel!OC

(note: this story was inspired by @saturncodedstarlette 's lucifer drabbles)

Whenever a human soul is born on earth, they are automatically assigned an angel to guide and guard them throughout their lives. A guardian angel can only guide them in choosing the right decision to be on the correct path in life but of course, not every human can pick the best choice for themselves. Guardian angels are present to record and witness how a human chooses to control their lives, with this they will be able to put them under divine judgment to see if they are to be put in heaven or hell.

Unknown to the humans of today’s earth, the angel who was tasked to guide the first man and woman, failed and had to face consequences.

There’s only a handful of angels that God himself acknowledges, most of them being seraphims. One of his sons, Lucifer, is a seraphim himself. An angel with an explosive personality, beloved by fellow residents in their realm. His love for animals is as big as his heart, passionately telling and teaching the angelic residents how amazing those creatures are, especially his favorite, which are adorable winged birds, one he cannot seem to avoid talking about. Lucifer indeed is a charming lad no matter what he does. He has his way of enchanting people to listen to him.

With this, most of the angelic residents know of Lucifer. Another one of the seraphim, Yvaine was captivated by his natural charm. An Angel beloved by many, one who is also acknowledged by God due to her kindness and how the heaven-born residents can rely on her most of the time. The two of them met through mutual connections which is by Sera, being close in age and as two of the youngest seraphim, the both of them instantly clicked and became friends.

The two of them spent most of their time together as they talked about how the earth probably has different kinds of creatures.

“Thank you for watching over the little ones, Yvaine. They seem to be very fond of you and enjoy your presence.” one of the heaven-born elders flashed Yvaine a smile as the children ran around the place. It seems as if Yvaine voluntarily goes to this facility to teach the little ones about heaven and the goodness of oneself. “It’s no problem, I like taking care of these little angels. They are very attentive listeners despite being an energetic bunch,” she answered as she knelt down to match the little one’s eye level while pinching their cheeks and patting their head making the little angel giggle. “Will we be able to see you again, the next day, miss?” The little one asked, Yvaine looked at them, shook her head, and gave them a sad smile. “I won’t be able to visit you all the next few days, unfortunately, I have to work on some of my duties but don’t worry I’ll visit you once I get free time.” she smiled.

“Oh, it seems that my friend is here. I have to go now, I’ll see you soon!” She looks at the entrance of the place and sees Lucifer standing there patiently as he waits for her. The little angel waved goodbye to Yvaine as she sauntered towards her friend. “Lucifer, you’re just on time. I see that you have your book with you. Did you teach them about the winged creatures on Earth?” she asked, chuckling and showing him an adorable smile. “Well, It seems that there are more unknown creatures on earth that fly and crawl around it. So, I had to check it out with my magic.” Lucifer replied, giving his book a tap as he lifted it up to face her.

“Really now? Why don't you talk to me about it as we go on our way?” She asked, looking at her friend who's eyes sparkled and grin growing bigger than ever. He's always been a curious one, fascinated by the beauty and mystery of such creatures that marvel on earth. Never has he not talked about them without any hint of passion in his voice, he adored them clearly.

Eons passed and their bond remained stronger than ever, some even thought of them as a couple seeing as they were glued to the hip. Even God himself found it intriguing, witnessing the blossoming relationship between the two.

A perfect obedient angel with his son Lucifer, he pondered at the thought of the two being together. He knows that Lucifer is often going out and about all his creations on earth, learning and teaching fellow angels about its inhabitants and the peaceful life there is at present. While there is Yvaine, one who is willing to listen to Lucifer's ramblings indulging in his fascination with such mere creatures. An angel who is able to keep up with him and keep him in check. A perfect match, God thought.

Hence, why he decided to put matters into his own hands. Grabbing his quilt, God began to write down a letter to pass on Sera who shall break the news contained in the scroll to both of the younger seraphim.

[dottysdokis]

ykw fuck it. i'm so sick of blaming covid lockdowns for gen z's (especially cishet men's) choice to completely disregard their fellow human beings.

oh boohoo, you missed a year of in-person school. i have a little sympathy for lost experiences like prom and graduation but it only goes so far. my max sympathies lie with the frontline workers who had to go on business as usual.

because guess what? countless disabled and neurodivergent people have fallen through the cracks of the traditional school system all along and missed those experiences without becoming reactionaries.

i was one of them, in a minor sense. an elementary school experience rife with punishment + being taken out of the classroom for having sensory meltdowns. a complete nervous breakdown in sixth grade that resulted in multiple hospitalizations, expulsion from multiple schools due to disruptions and failing grades, and ultimately sitting out the rest of the year at home. a few years thankfully spent at a private school for neurodivergent kids where i learned some masking skills, and as a result was pushed back into the public system for the rest of high school, where i never really assimilated, had to go to summer school one year because i was tardy to gym too much, and barely scraped by enough to graduate with a c average. i was a zombie, academically and socially, just going through the bare minimum motions because that was all i could manage. i went to prom, desperately wanting that Magical Once In A Lifetime High School Memory, but found i knew no one there and the music and space were overwhelming and isolating. i left after an hour.

i'm not telling all of this as a sob story, it sucked and i sometimes mourn the ultimately impossible Normal Life Track i could have had if i just tried harder, if i was wired different, but it was far from a tragedy and i didn't let it polarize me into wanting people cruelly subjugated/denied basic rights. i made it through, when countless disabled folk don't even make it to high school graduation.

the point is that for people like me, that Missed Potential, those Stolen Opportunities have been a constant reality. seeing your peers progress while you are stuck and left behind, having to work twice as hard to try and keep up.

so in light of that, and thanks to my privileged position of having been a college student who didn't need to hold down a job? the pandemic was a relief. suddenly everyone was on pause, not just me. there was leniency given for responsibilities (assignments, rent, etc.) because these were Unprecedented Times and everyone was refiguring how to make things work. it was finally okay for me to go at my own pace and not have a longterm plan.

you can whine all you fucking want about how alienated you were by having to switch to virtual classes, but everyone else was in the same boat as you, you were all alienated together. trust me when i say it feels so much worse to be the odd one out, the loose stitch in the tapestry who just can't fit, who has to watch everyone else make their way while you struggle and have to figure out an alternate, slower way to get by, because there's Something Wrong With You, it can't be the system itself that's flawed, why should it change?

turns out it could, and did for awhile, and a bunch of people had to temporarily experience a microcosm of that loneliness and still can't stop whining about it five years later. after that trauma, they had no choice but to become nazis, obviously!!

[ddarker-dreams]

Lock, your thoughts on penacony in hsr? Or just the last 1.6 with dr ratio and Ruan Mei (the love of my life)

2.0 SPOILERS BELOW !!! BEWARE BE CAREFUL BE SAFE!!! ⚠⚠⚠

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i went in thinking penacony was a far superior former IPC prison planet to live on than eris (from nexus) and left going hm. perhaps the eternal night is preferable to biblically accurate flying killer worms. LOTUS-EATER > the reverie hotel

this update might be my favorite yet. i've always loved dazzling, noire veneers with seedy undercurrents. i'm not sure if i've mentioned it on this blog (i probably have bc i never shut up) but the game la noire is one of my all-time favorites. jazzy music, glamorous starlets, corrupt organizations; those set pieces just do something for me. the environments are gorgeous. the reverie hotel has this larger than life feel to it and its layout reminds me of a panopticon, then there's the dreamscape itself. a city that never sleeps which you can only access by falling unconscious. there's so much creativity in the puzzles and charm in the little interactions littered throughout. i especially loved playing matchmaker with a bunch of bottles.

alright, onto the story itself: the start and end were strong with the middle being a hit-or-miss. i am far more forgiving with this in star rail than i am in genshin, since in the former, i'm subjected to the cruel and unusual punishment of hearing paimon's banshee shrieks. i think they did a good job crafting a compelling mystery. anything involving the unconscious is a writer's treasure trove, there's so much you can explore with it. i'm curious to see the angle they take.

as for the moments that stood out to me the most:

the initial dream sequence ft acheron with her being weird. the seemingly eternal hallways, contorting in physic-defying ways were a personal favorite. it reminds me how in dreams, there isn't always an outright threat, yet uneasiness persists. what's familiar warps into something indifferent and unknowable. very neat. then the shot of her crying blood after cutting down the trailblazer... very iconic of her.

mr aventurine. what was he about to do to the trailblazer?? why must they have stopped him?? let him cook. i was game for anything. zero fear, zero hesitation. he's an interesting player. neoliberal girlboss topaz had some workable parameters, aventurine is a total wildcard. his ambitions are murky at best. i kinda wonder if he might stick it to the IPC by purposefully flunking his assignment, it'd make for great revenge.

sparkle is unapologetically awful which makes her fun. her cosplaying as sunday's recently deceased sister was so appalling that i actually stopped for a moment when i pieced together what was going on. i've always found aha and their absurdist philosophy one of the most interesting among the aeons. it seems like there's a real emphasis on characters that embody their aeon's ideals (black swan + fuli, sparkle + aha, sunday/robin + xipe, etc). i hope they lean into it more.

SAM.................................................. his encounter betrayed my expectations in the best way possible. i have so many questions about his involvement and motivations. the music for his fight had my heartrate ascending. i play with japanese voices so i'm not sure if it's limited to the JP dub, but i was surprised by how polite he speaks?? even as he's about to immolate the trailblazer + her two accompanying girlfriends. it wasn't the cadence i envisioned for him. the stellaron hunters never fail to capture my interest, wtf are they Doing........

[a-simple-imagine]

Monsters on Film pt.2

synopsis: Janis helps you with your last-minute assignment

pairing: janis 'imi'ike x reader

words: 2.1k+

PREV //

It is a bright and early start come Saturday. you had arranged to meet up with Janis at ten a.m in some coffee shop downtown. She insisted if you were going to be meeting so early that she at least needed some coffee first. you didn't mind. after double-checking you have absolutely everything you need in your bag you set off. after that evening in the woods, you expect her to be late but as soon as you arrive you notice her through the window. it's even more surprising because you're ten minutes early. you wonder how long she's been here as you walk inside; a little bell jingles as the door swings open. a bright smile as her eyes settle on you.

"hey," said a little too brightly for this early in the morning. you give an awkward little wave that you almost immediately regret. "do you want anything?" you shake your head. "you sure?"

"I'm fine,"

Janis simply shrugs. "find us a seat." you look around the cafe, it isn't particularly full but far from empty either. you find a spot tucked away in a back corner beside a large window. tossing your stuff down, you take a seat. watching as people drift past going about their day. you sigh softly, gently rubbing at tired eyes. you wanted to go back to bed. this was going to be a long and probably quite awkward day. you're not sure how long it is before Janis joins you with a coffee. it's in a takeaway cup. "how are you?"

"I'm alright. a little tired," you express. "you?"

"Good, yeah," she takes the seat opposite. placing the coffee down. "so, what's the plan boss?"

you hadn't exactly come up with a plan. you were too busy stressing over the amount of work you had to rush over the next two days plus hanging out with Janis was never the most comfortable situation. They were cool but she makes you nervous. "take a bunch of photos?"

"of what though?" Janis asks. "is it like the other day when we just wondered about it? What did you do for the other ones?"

"they were mostly of my mom," you explain. "but from behind flowers?"

"behind flowers?"

you nod a little. watching her take a sip, made you feel thirsty.  "so like the main focus would be the flower but she'd be doing something interesting in the background. I did most of the work while away on vacation so," you root through your bag in search of your water bottle.

"and what were you trying to show?" they wonder. this was starting to feel like you were in class.

"I don't know really," you think for a moment. "maybe something about missed beauty or layers. the flower is simple, beautiful and in focus but you miss the magic behind it. or like there are layers to everything beautiful,"

"layers to beauty," Janis repeats.

"the other night in the woods, what was the point then?"

"not fail my class," you joke. a small quirk of her lips that quickly fades. "that was more about unexpected beauty."

"elaborate,"

"like candids aren't about posing or creating the perfect shot. it's just capturing what's going on and you can get some really pretty stuff even without perfecting every factor."

"Why so much focus on beauty?"

"it's just the word I'm using. it's not necessarily the focus," You take a sip of water. "Do you want to be my model again?"

janis shrugs "Whatever will help."

"probably easier than asking a bunch of strangers- less paperwork too," you joke softly. "I need you to sign a form"

"Oh," you grab the paper and ask a server for a pen before handing them both over. janis looks over it. "I have something for you?"

"what do you mean?" Janis reaches into their backpack and pulls out some packs of film. "I asked the dude at the store what was best. if they're not the right ones, we can go back,"

you take the film and inspect it. "you really didn't have to,"

"I definitely did," Janis chuckles. a flourished scribble of the pen on the bottom of the form before she slides it back "fed yours to the well monster."

"thank you but it was an accident," you offer it back. "just get your money back."

janis shakes her head. "no, I got them for you." she pushes them back towards you. "keep them."

you sigh softly. "thank you."

a smile. "I'm thinking we can do something fun and still get your work done,"

"what do you mean?"

turns out she means pottery. you were at one of those places where you paint pottery only they also made you make the pottery as well. there were options to just paint pots or whatever but Janis wanted to do the work herself. you had to ask for permission to take pictures. You assured them it would mostly be focused on Janis and it was simply for a school project. you wander around the place. other than the woman sitting by a cash register painting a tiny tea cup. there was only a man and woman here doing their painting. One wall had shelves of unpainted pottery ranging from simple mugs and plates to little cats and elaborate dragons. tables lined the space. each with mason glass jars and a selection of paint pallets and brushes. a large plastic crate of different paints. gentle pop music plays in the background. you look at the world through your lens. this place was cute. you would have to come back sometime when you had time to enjoy it. Janis, in a little apron, sits with her legs on either side of a pottery wheel a lump of wet clay centre of the wheel and as she gets to work, you start snapping some pictures. mostly from a distance. something else in focus. a mason jar of water. paint pallet. a cup of hot chocolate you ordered after a while.

"how's the... what are you making?"

"mug," you look over the clay being moulded in her hands. "how are the photos?"

you shrug. "they're okay- have you done this before?"

"yeah, what gave it away?"

"you're good at it," you insist. the clay was making a very smooth cylinder.

"do you want a go?"

your brow furrows as you lift the camera. snapping a picture of her looking up at you. "can't, remember?"

"you can take a quick break,"

"I'll just ruin it," Janis laughs a little. looking back down to her creation before slamming her fist into it.

"now you have nothing to ruin," Janis stood up from the stool "Sit," she signals to the chair. you're reluctant. you weren't here to mess about. "come on, it's fine. don't make me grab you, my hands are covered in wet clay." you roll your eyes. placing your camera nearby so you won't get anything on it, you take a seat as instructed.

"what do I make?"

"whatever you want," Janis insists. just spin the wheel with the pedal and put your hands to work. word of warning- feels kinda gross at first." you stare at it. The instructions make sense but you are reluctant. "do you want me to help?"

"uh..."

"here, move forward," you shuffle closer to the wheel and Janis takes up space behind you. you don't know what you were expecting but as you feel her body against yours you freeze. "is this okay? I'm gonna like guide you and it'll be easier this way." you swallow hard some kind of hum in agreement. "I'll let you control the wheel with the pedal while I move your hands." her hands meet yours. "just start the pedal whenever you're ready. you want it to be pretty fast but don't go too overboard." okay. you could do that. just focus. you can feel her breathing against you. wait what were you supposed to do again? not too fast. "you good?" her words bring you back to reality.

"yeah- sorry." you place your foot on the pedal and begin spinning. the feeling of cold wet clay and Janis' warm hands is strange. She guides your hands slowly along the surface of the clay and watch as it moves between your fingertips.

"See, you got it,"

"yeah..." you say so softly you're not sure she even heard it. "I should get back to work,"

"come on, just a little longer."

your break ends up being a little longer. hoe could you say no to such a simple request? you end up leaving her to it and going to wash your hands so you can continue taking pictures but even as the muddy water drifts down the drain the memory still burns on your cheeks. and would continue even as you get back to work.

"so did you get enough pictures?" Janis wonders. brushing her little paintbrush against the pottery. you watch her carefully.

"it'll have to do," you express softly. "I'll have to spend basically all day tomorrow developing and writing so,"

"you don't shoot digitally at all?"

"I do sometimes," you shrug.

"wouldn't it be easier, especially in a crunch?"

"Probably," you reply. "I just prefer doing it this way,"

"fair enough," they dip their brush in some water swirling it around. "kinda sucks that you did that all day while I just had fun,"

you chuckle softly. "it's fine. I still had fun,"

"I am an excellent model,"

"you are," you nod a little. "may have to ask for your help more often,"

"oh," a curious quirk to her smile. "already can't get enough of me huh?"

huff of a laugh. "something like that,"

pencil scribbles across glossy paper as the sun begins to set. your legs dangling off the edge of the old battered stone. a rustle draws your attention and much to your surprise Janis emerges. you haven't spoken since Saturday. 

"Fancy running into you out here,"

"you almost scared me," you express softly. "I nearly ended up done the well,"

"Sorry,"

"How did you even get here?"

"I'm just amazing at directions," they shrug. "and I've been wandering around for a while but yeah."

"so what's up?"

"how'd your project go?" Janis asks. taking up a seat beside you. you close the book you are working on.

"I don't know yet," you reply. "she said she'd take everything into consideration so hopefully I'll at least pass."

"I'm sorry again,"

"stop apologising,"

"I feel like if you fail it'll be all my fault,"

"it was an accident, Janis, it's fine." you offer a small smile.

"so what you working on," they ask after a moment, eyes clearly on the sketchbook in your hand.

"nothing special," you insist. a tighter grip.

"Still," Janis shrugs. "show me," a soft sigh. you open up your book and hand it over. "did you take these?" you nod a little. "you really like monsters."

"our talk the other day inspired me,"

"why draw over the photographs?"

"why sew over your drawings?" you quirk a brow.

"touché,"

"I love photography. there's so much you can do with it but imaginary creatures aren't exactly something I can capture," you express. "I really like drawing strange things. it's cool to combine them both." you reach for your sketchbook which she hands back. "so the top one here," you tap the photograph. "it's the creature I described to you,"

"I see that,"

"but then this one," you move down the page. "is more like a gigantic bat-like creature with massive spindly arms and huge claws." you explain. "and there's no limit to what could be down there, y'know. I'm not finished yet so don't judge,"

"hey- no judgment," they hold their hands up in mock defence. "I really like your imagination. it's cool that you can just describe these grand creatures," Janis smiles softly which you return. at least she doesn't see you as some freak. "speaking of which- I got you something,"

"I don't need any more film. I promise it's fine."

a soft laugh. "it's not film," they root through their bag before producing a small thing of fabric.  they unravel it to reveal a mixture of different shades of black thread and two spots of yellow. "just some art. It's worth nothing so you can't say anything," they continue. it's pretty obvious it's the shadow monster you first described to them

"Are you... serious?" you glance at her. "this is so cool," you express excitedly. "look at the eyes. the way the string falls makes them seem so much more menacing. I'm obsessed."

"you do not have to say all that, it's fine,"

"no no, I mean it. thank you," you express softly.

"do you mind if I hang with you?" Janis asks. you pause for a moment before nodding.

"I'd be happy for the company."

[maxwell-grant]

whats the deal with Doc Savage?

"He's a doctor, okay, but what's so savage about him? That he goes in public without a shirt? Y'know, he's got a caveman in his group and everything, and that guy is a chemist who runs around doing monkey flips and beating bad guys with his bare hands. Why don't they call him Doc Savage? He’s doing more to deserve the name.”

“Everytime it’s something weird and horrifying happening that only he is able to solve. And it's always some guy running a con at the end. Everytime Savage rolls into town, it's like opposite world when it's the doctor who has to save people from being scammed, instead of the other way around.

"I'm just saying, nobody's that perfect. He goes around with guns shooting people with what he calls "mercy bullets" that only put bad guys to sleep. Yeah, they go to sleep allright, and if that fails, I'm sure the compassion grenades do the trick.

"You're saying they rejected your application for the Fabulous Five? That's nuts." "Blew me out the front door, I tell you! Total insanity. Newman was there, he saw the whole thing." "No, what's insane is that you thought you had a shot in the first place. Nobody "joins" the Fabulous Five, it's like the most elite group in the country. What did you think you were adding there?" "Jerry, how hard can it be to play sidekick to that guy? He does everything they do better, I'd just have to sit around playing cheerleader and wait for him to save the day, I already do the first part all day around you. It's the perfect job! What, you think you're too good for it?" "No, but I have a little something called self-esteem. It's the Fabulous Five, George, not the Fabulous Plus Extra. They already made room for that girl cousin of his, they're not making extra for you." "Maybe, shmaybe. Unless I got that Tom guy fired. I mean, he looks like he's on his way out the door as is. "Electrical wizard", pssht, I could do that." "Sure you could. I mean hey, why don't you ask Elaine to set up you two? She got to meet Doc himself last weekend." "No way." "I'm serious! Apparently Doc saved Peterman's life during a mission in Burma and they'd kept in touch since then, and she got some kind of date with him out of it."

"He was a no show?" "Oh, he is all show allright." "So you two -" "No! I mean, I got to see him in action a couple of times and, yeah, I tried. But every date with him was a wash, he always needs to cut things off halfway to go fight some supervillain, and then he never calls back. He barely even looks at me when we're IN the date." "Well he's Doc Savage. He's like Superman, y'know, he's got places to be and people to save. "Yeah, and who's gonna save me? I swear Jerry, it's like he's never even seen a woman before. Him and those five morons around him, bunch of misogynists. Whatever, he's hot, but I'm over him. Miss Savage no more." "I'll bet. Hey, what's this?" "Oh it's from the fitness spa I'd been going near work. There's this girl I'd been talking to lately ever since Peterman assigned me the Hidalgo Trading Company catalogue, she's been giving me the skinny on Doc and his frat boy clubhouse "Oh?" "Yeah she's big, like, really big, really smart too. She's got a yacht, even. Apparently she does a lot of traveling. Anyway, she's this fitness freak with a great tan and bronze hair and, big muscles, and she's got these beautiful gold eyes and-" "And you're saying all that because you think I'd be into her?" "Huh? You? Oh, pfft, no, she's way too much for you." "I'll bet. And, uh, what's her name again?" "Oh everyone at the club just calls her Pat. Mystery lady. I'm meeting her down at her yacht next week." "Yeah. Miss Savage no more, huh."

(SLAM) (audience cheers)

"Hey, how did things go at the Crime College?" "Oh it-it-it was a NIGHTMARE! It-itya it's like waterboarding at Guantanamo Bay, Jerry! Way less fun than it sounds!! I'd heard the name on the street and signed up to learn how to fight crime, nobody told me what it was actually about! "What happened?" "Well, at first it was kinda nice, actually. You sign up at the Hidalgo Trading Company lobby, and they ask you to submit your criminal record. I figured, hey, safest place to leave it, right? You meet some of his assistants and everything, and when they hooked the eletrodes to my brain I thought hey, *click* free brain massage along with crimefighting lessons for free!" "Wait Kramer back up, electrodes?"

----

"Allright so if I get this straight: You signed up for a program Doc Savage's running that nobody knows about called the Crime College, thinking it was gonna teach how to fight crime. You get in there and it's some kind of nuthouse where Doc Savage tries to pry open your brain with a drill." "A-yup." "And he's lobotomozing criminals all over town because he's running a program where he, what, carves their brain to make them stop being evil and gives them new identities outside of town." "Ye-yup." "And they never remember who they used to be? They never come back, not ever, they just become model citizens as far away from here as possible? Are you 100% sure it actually works?" "So they said, yeah." "...Hey pass me the phone for a minute, will ya-"

"Hey Newman, I heard from Elaine that the Hidalgo Trading Company is hiring now."

[dukeoftheblackstar]

Hey I don’t know if you’re taking requests, or know someone that is, but I’m feeling a Plo Koon x timid fem!reader fic, rating is dealers choice! Have a great day!!

Summary: Aboard the Triumphant, your fate is sealed amidst your numerous failure.

Pairing: Plo Koon / Reader

Word Count: 1K

Rating: F for Fluff. F for Foolishness.

Notes: The best means of healing and comfort isn't always through a plethora of words and wisdom — sometimes you just gotta yeet that shit out into space with new found friends and better opportunity. Oh and yeah, trust the force or whatever.

Color thingies because I'm deranged to not use them: Orange: Plo Koon Pink: You/Reader Blue: Commander Wolffe Purple: Sinker, Boost, Warthog, Comet

Perfect divider by @idontgetanysleep with itty, bitty, cutie-patootie Plo Koon face ♥

You did what you were supposed to— or at least tried, for that matter. The instructions were pretty clear and simple even for someone who had just boarded the Triumphant after barely making the cut to be a medic. The choice was either to be retrained under a more draconian approach having failed a shy number of times, had it not been for the strings that latched onto your shoulder for having a guardian with amicable connections, or be decommissioned. Not that you would suffer the same fate as the clones for being an external resource, but to no longer be of contribution to the cause of peace in the ever-chaotic galaxy is no better than death itself.

And you were ecstatic —even for a fleeting moment when news of you being assigned to the 104th came about. You’ve heard so much of Master Jedi General Plo Koon and the Wolfpack that you couldn’t really blame why some clones aspire to be under the warm hand of the highly revered and ‘tamed’ Jedi as opposed to the boisterous bunch of Generals Skywalker and Kenobi. You were beyond elated that you’ve missed hours of sleep as you were finally jettisoned from Coruscant to board the venator-class ship that you’ve become quite a jittery mess.

And so here you are; standing before a box of refurbished datapads with not a single device flickering to life as if the protruding ports smashed and torn weren’t enough to instill how much of a failure you are — how much, a simple task efficiency eludes you as how all the tasks before today had done the same. 

You might as well just step off the ramp right now and float aimlessly in space to mirror the emptiness you bring to the galaxy with your pathetic existence, right? Might as well just step into the sun and at least allow yourself to be a source of kindling that may burn brighter and serve hope to the fallen like yourself. Might as well —

“Might I interest you in a little distraction, little one?”

Plo Koon, in his towering frame that was both intimidating and of a soothing presence, had placed his talon-clad hand over your shoulder; a gentle squeeze to merit your attention as you turn and immediately lower your head with irises shaken in search of words to offer your most-sincerest apologies for having brought the incorrect package.

“I’m… I’m sorry, sir.” Even your apology was barely acceptable by your standards that you felt even smaller. So small that you were a rough estimate of twenty-nine seconds away from welling up for failing so miserably these past few days. It has deterred your morning routines of self-affirmation knowing fully that you are only to fail once more — and you have indeed yet again. You weren’t much of a talker either; you were that of a shy nature, timid on all accounts.

You hear a soft thud and wince — not that you were hurt or anything, but you were so easily frightened when it comes to failure, thinking he would have struck you or at least commanded a trooper to escort you out of the premises and off to the uncertainties of life. 

But no, it clearly wasn’t that at all.

As you gaze up to inspect the sound, you see Plo Koon holding a metallic bat made of scraps, worn of usage with blurred writings and the Wolfpack’s insignia drawn on different angles including the signage on the 104th’s ships, Plo’s Bros.

You watch his wrist turn and swing the bat lightly, testing it with a firm grip at the hilt. 

“When in training…” He began, pausing dramatically like the true, theatrical Baran Do Sage that he is apart from being a Master Jedi. “... the only failure is not to learn from your defeats.” 

Before you could ask, you see him turn, grasp the hilt of the bat with both hands, swing as one refurbished datapad flew over his head and met the bat with such precision that it was out in the vastness of space in less than a second. 

“Nice shot, General.” 

Your eyes were drawn promptly to Boost who offered a cheerful greeting and a wink, tossing another broken datapad in his hand ready to putt. Comet and Warthog beside him holding a singular digit of 1 and 0 in solidarity, while Sinker rummaged through the box of unusable datapads you’ve carried.

Plo turns to you and extends his hand, guiding and insisting you take the plunge. 

“Your turn, sweetness.” You hear Sinker from behind you, ushering you towards their beloved General who then welcomed you with a rather secure hold as he positioned himself behind. 

You feel the warmth of his palm enveloping the back of your hand in contrast to the stannic bat that latched on your grip. He guides your other hand to firmly take hold before leaning over your shoulder.

“Remember, my dear, you always pass failure on your way to success.”

With that, Plo steps a mindful distance and turns to Boost with a nod. “Consider this your official initiation to the 104th.”

And right before the turn of events fruition, you hear yet another voice approaching. 

“Ah, Commander Wolffe. How good of you to join us.” Says Plo Koon.

“General. Boys.” Wolffe replies in his stern and gruff note. “You do realize that I have to file a report on this.”

In fear, you turn to Plo whose brow creases were far from being tensed let alone bothered. He turns to Wolffe and motions for Boost to ready his aim. 

Wolffe sighs in both an exasperated and amused manner, arms tucked behind his back as he turns heel and bid farewell. “You best make that shot or you’re off this ship, miss.”

“You heard the commander. I believe in you, little one. Make your mark.”

And indeed you have —with a newfound determination and a steady grip, you’ve allowed yourself to not only trust in the Force, your new comrades, your new General, and your new role, but have also found it within you to trust the most important aspect of existence;

♥̷ ̷Y̷ ̷O̷ ̷U̷ ̷R̷ ̷S̷ ̷E̷ ̷L̷ ̷F̷ ̷♥̷

Welcome aboard the Triumphant, little love ♥ Where PloHours and 104th Foolishness is operational 24/7. I hope you enjoy this and that this was is at least a little close to your ask because oh-my-god, did I have to Google so much meaning equivalents of ‘timid’.

[ssaalexblake]

Even aside from how funny the snw/lwd crossover was, it spoke to me as somebody who has been irritated with the fandom (that i can avoid less and less these days because of algorithms). 

Lower Decks has often been described as what would happen if star trek nerds got to actually be in starfleet. The quad of main characters are Massive starfleet nerds, and they also represent the fans who are more technical about it with their appreciation for ship models and engineering, but also the ones who’re fannish over the characters as well. 

So Boimler and Mariner going back in time to see these characters and being freaked out and disappointed that most of them are not the people they learnt about in the history books was Soothing. 

Pike and Una, the oldest of the bunch were more or less how Boimler and Mariner were expecting. They’ve already Done a lot of the things they’re famous for even if they’ve not done all of them.

But the younger ones whose stories we as the audience already know from other trek shows were not how they thought they would be. They are young, this is a prequel, the aim of a prequel is to explain how the story/characters ended up how they are when you meet them in the original media. Therefore, they’re not done cooking yet and are different right now. 

The differences in Spock and Uhura whom were most focused on were noted in different ways, Boimler was freaked out about Spock’s newfound decision to try and explore his emotions simply because this part of his story never hit a history book. Mariner told uhura how she’s remembered by history and some of it fit and some of it didn’t simply because Uhura’s still really young and she’s not grown to be the person she will yet. 

And Boimler was cut up about this at first, it took some time for him to come to terms with the fact that the stories he’d read about these people did not show him everything about them. Mariner had a different reaction, she saw Uhura is young and has so much to come that maybe she just needs a little help. But in the end they both saw the same thing. 

And i’ve been perpetually irritated by both the ‘they’re trying so hard to be tos and failing’ and the ‘why are they so different to tos this is bad characterisation’ crowds bc both fail to miss the point that A) this show is not trying to be TOS, it’s trying to write a story that will eventually Lead to TOS which is an entirely different thing, and B) no it’s not TOS on Purpose and the stories are as they are because it would be bad writing of a TV show, and in general a poor understanding of human growth and evolution, to do carbon copies of the OG characters and put them in all these situations and not have them evolve at all during the whole show. 

They’re not supposed to be like their future selves. They’re supposed to evolve Into them, which is an entirely different assignment and one they’re not failing at imo. If you judge the show for doing something it’s not trying to do, of course it’ll get a fail grade. 

I like lower decks bc for how silly it is, it is also smart. I think this episode was a very concise addressing some of the unfair complaints aimed at SNW while Also connecting to the SNW characters’ plots and being a wild funny ride at the same time. SNW is a prequel, the thing about prequels is they have to balance being able to develop characters to write a good show with engaging stories in its own right, but Have to end at a fixed point. If audiences won’t acknowledge that they won’t see the people they’re familiar with acting the way they’re used to until the end of the prequel, then everybody is gonna go around in circles. 

It’s a prequel and it’s acting like one, nobody has to Like prequels but it’s doing its job as one just fine. 

[ravendruid]

Be In My Eyes - Chapter 25

You can read the previous chapters here or on AO3. This chapter was inspired by this drabble. If you've read it before, I took the liberty to change things around. I hope you have as much fun reading this chapter as I had writing it. Summary: Keyleth steals clothes, Vax is too stunned to speak, everyone sees the tension between Keyleth and Vax.

Keyleth was so exhausted after a day of classes that had run later than usual thanks to a stupid group project her teacher had assigned, that by the time she got home, everyone in apartment 7B was either already asleep or out partying. She considered going to bed right away without eating dinner but her stomach growled loudly to remind her she hadn’t had anything to eat in almost eight hours, so Keyleth ignored the scream of her muscles as she crossed the kitchen to reach the fridge. According to the calendar on the door, it had been Vax’s turn to make dinner, and if Keyleth knew him well enough, he would have left her serving in a tupperware for her to heat when she got home. Seeing that she was the only vegetarian in the apartment, Keyleth often had to make her own meals on the side whenever it was other people’s turn to cook, but Vax—so kind and caring—always made sure to cook something different for Keyleth so she wouldn’t have to. It never failed to warm her heart to see Vax set a plate in front of her at dinner, not because he made the effort to use different proteins for her—sometimes even going as far as making a full meal for Keyleth—but because Vax went above and beyond to look up vegetarian recipes, seasoning techniques to make the food taste better, and, above all, Vax always cooked without Keyleth asking him to, and most of the time without her knowing (as if Keyleth needed any more reasons to fall for Vax). Just as Keyleth expected, there was a glass container with a post-it note on the lid waiting for her, which she promptly read: Missed you at dinner. I really loved this recipe, let me know what you think. – Vax <3

Waiting for the food to heat was torture, but Vax’s handwriting on the post-it note was worth coming home late. It meant more to Keyleth than just dinner, and she knew it meant just as much to Vax. “Why is he so perfect?” Keyleth mumbled, walking into the laundry room where she dumped her sodden socks in her hamper. She hated doing laundry this late, especially when she was so tired, but she really needed the pair of pants she had bought at lunch the day before. The party at Glorious was the next night, and Keyleth was excited to see her roommates’ reactions—a certain someone in particular—when they saw what she was wearing (although Keyleth still hadn’t figured out how she was going to steal her victim’s clothes). 

The answer came to Keyleth unexpectedly when she was about to switch her laundry. Someone had forgotten to empty the dryer, and just her luck, from the looks of it, it was the person she needed to forget their clothes the most. Keyleth did what any good roommate would do and carefully folded her roommate’s clothes and set them on top of the dryer before she put her clothes in the dryer. What if one of her roommate’s t-shirts accidentally found itself mingled with Keyleth’s clothes? She hadn’t seen it bunched up in the corner of the dryer when she added her clothes, and she especially didn’t notice it the next morning, until she was folding and putting away everything. Only one thing left to steal. Keyleth chuckled. 

It was hard to keep it a surprise once the girls started getting ready, but the good part about finally being able to share the name Keyleth had picked was that Vex could finally help her with the make-up and hair, and Vex even stole the last piece of the puzzle for Keyleth. They had about five minutes left until everyone was meeting in the living room to reveal their outfits, and Vex was finishing the last touches on Keyleth’s eyeliner. A glance at the mirror in the bathroom made Keyleth arch an eyebrow impressed. It wasn’t a look she ever thought she would see on her, but Keyleth had to admit she looked good in it.

Pike and Vex were the first out of the bedroom, followed by Grog and Scanlan, and then Percy and Vax. Keyleth heard her friends laugh in the living room although she wasn’t able to discern what they were saying. She was too busy panicking in the bathroom, pacing back and forth, and reminding herself to breathe. It’s going to be fine. She reassured herself. What if they hate it? What if he hates it? Keyleth stopped, looking at her reflection. Her face was pale with fear, her freckles more prominent than usual, and her hands were shaking slightly. They are your friends, she reminded herself. They will not make fun of you for trying out something new. Besides, it’s a costume party, not you trying to find a new style or a new personality. Keyleth knew she was right. Logically speaking, it wasn’t her tonight, so her friends would not be making fun of her. Keyleth took a long breath in, paused, and then released it. With a last glance at the mirror, she exited the bathroom and the bedroom, nervously rubbing at her hands. 

—

Keyleth hadn’t emerged from her bedroom yet and Vax was increasingly nervous with every minute that passed. With everyone else in the living room, it was plainly obvious who Keyleth was going to be dressed up as, but not even the irony of the situation was enough to ease his mind.

Vex’ahlia looked incredibly funny in a yellow crop top, sweatpants and fun buns. Between her legs where she sat on the couch, was a canvas tote bag with painting supplies and a fake stethoscope peeking out from the opening. From all the people she could have picked, Pike was an incredible opposite. Sitting next to Vex was the disciple of the Everlight herself, wearing khaki pants, a white buttoned shirt and a dark blue blazer that looked far too large on her, but the funniest thing about Pike’s impersonation of Percival was the plastic toy glasses that had clearly been hand-painted gold. Vax couldn’t tell which of his male roommates looked the funniest, though. Percy, who dressed in gray sweatpants (that had Vex’ahlia gasp and give the man a hungry look), a tank top, and was carrying a backpack and a soccer ball under his arm; Grog in a flashy purple buttoned-up shirt (that he purposely left unbuttoned until halfway down his torso) with matching purple pants and Scanlan’s beret; or the theater major himself, who was wearing a skimpy black skirt, fishnet stockings, one of Vex’s very revealing tank tops, and, to top off the look, a dark-brown haired wig that he wove into a really bad braid. The only thing right about Scanlan’s look was the faithful make-up. Thinking about it, as Vax gave everyone a second look, if anyone were to win a prize, it would certainly be Scanlan.

When Vax picked the slip of paper a couple days ago, he never imagined he would have to sneak into the girls’ bedroom to rummage through Keyleth’s closet in search of something he could wear. He tried to avoid buying clothes unnecessarily since he and Vex’ahlia didn’t have much money to spare, but thankfully for Vax, Keyleth was pretty lithe like him. He had chuckled at the array of colors in her wardrobe—of course, it would look like a unicorn threw up in there. Keyleth wouldn’t be his brilliant, happy ray of sunshine otherwise—but Vax settled for something dark that he felt still defined Keyleth perfectly. Vax picked a dark green sweater with a large sunflower embroidered in the center and an orange butterfly next to it, and a pair of light jeans with hand-painted daisies along the legs (something else that Vax noticed about Keyleth’s wardrobe was that most of her clothes were altered). He braided two pieces of hair at each side of his head and met them at the back, fastened by a green bow that he had seen Keyleth wear before, and Vex’ahlia helped him curl his hair like Keyleth’s. Vax hoped that he looked enough like her that everyone would give him a break for keeping his boots since he couldn’t fit in Keyleth’s canvas sneakers and couldn’t afford to buy himself a pair. 

Vex’s reaction to his final look had been unexpected. Vax thought his twin would tease him endlessly for pulling a paper with Keyleth’s name, but instead, she merely shook her head in amusement and muttered something about fate and soulmates. It never occurred to Vax that his sister believed in such things, but then again, he also never thought she was going to get involved with someone like Percival after everything their mother went through with their father. Everyone else’s reaction, however, had been as he expected. Scanlan mentioned how weird it was to see Vax wearing clothes that weren’t black, and Grog had pointed out that he needed to eat more protein and work out more because he fit Keyleth’s clothes too well. As for Pike, she had been the nicest one, merely complimenting him for a job well done. From everyone so far, Vax had been the one who wore the most pieces of clothing of their pick.

“Should someone go check on Keyleth?” Vax asked when Keyleth didn’t show up ten minutes after the scheduled time—if Vax knew her well, Keyleth was probably freaking out in the bedroom—but just as soon as Vax spoke, the bedroom door opened and Keyleth turned the corner. Vax was glad he was sitting down because he would have probably fallen on his ass otherwise.

For what Vax assumed was the first time in Keyleth’s life, she didn’t have a single piece of color on her. While it looked strange, it was also incredibly sexy, especially because Keyleth was wearing Vax’s favorite t-shirt (so that’s where it went!) underneath his leather jacket—certainly stolen by Vex’ahlia—a pair of black pants and Vex’s boots that were a cheap replica of his. Keyleth’s nails were painted black, her make-up was a perfect imitation of Vax’s eyeliner, and her hair had been straightened and was tied back in a half-up style like Vax always did. Keyleth looked beautiful in black—but then again, she would look beautiful in a potato sack— but she was also visibly nervous.

“Sorry I made you all wait,” Keyleth apologized, rubbing her hands in front of her in what Vax knew well as being a gesture of anxiety. Keyleth’s eyes shifted to him and she took a step back, aghast. Vax grinned at her and extended an inviting hand that Keyleth took hesitantly, he then pulled her to his side and wrapped his arm around her waist. Vax was perfectly aware that they had five pairs of eyes on him and Keyleth, but he didn’t care about them. All Vax cared about was the pair of bright, stunned green eyes and the smile on Keyleth’s face once she realized they were dressed up as each other.

“Let’s go before you two start making out,” Vex’ahlia rolled her eyes and grabbed the tote bag at her feet. Everyone else followed suit out of the apartment, leaving Vax and Keyleth still standing close to each other for a moment. 

“We should go,” Keyleth mumbled after the last person left, closing the door behind them. 

“You look…” Vax placed both hands on her waist and pushed her away softly to look at her again from head to toe. “Absolutely stunning, Keyleth.”

Keyleth’s cheeks bloomed pink. She looked him up and down, taking notice of everything, then back to his eyes and said, “You don’t look too bad either, Vax’ildan. Green looks great on you.”

“Not as good as you in black, Kiki. Damn,” Vax bit his lip. Keyleth squealed and hid her face in her hands but Vax pulled them away, leaned in to kiss her cheek, and whispered, “You look so hot. Gods be damned.”

Keyleth giggled. Vax had expected her to pull away and hide herself in a shell of bashfulness but she hadn’t done anything to show him she was embarrassed, quite the opposite. Keyleth was staring at him differently, almost as if she was hungry for something she had never had before. Vax didn’t want to assume she wanted him the same way he wanted her, lest he make a fool of himself, so he ignored the urge to lock the apartment door, kiss her, and take her to his bedroom. No, if Keyleth wanted him that way, he would wait until she made a move. He would wait his entire life for her.

“We should go,” Keyleth finally broke away from him, although she clasped her hand in his and pulled Vax behind her. The others were already waiting for them at the atrium, and even though most of them pretended not to notice Vax and Keyleth holding hands, Vex’ahlia didn’t seem to care about hiding it, not with the wink she gave them before she turned around and grabbed Percy’s arm as they all strode out of the building.

But as soon as Vax and Keyleth stepped into the cold autumn air of Emon, Vax felt a weird weight on his chest like something bad was going to happen. Worst of all, he had left his knife behind, safely stored in his nightstand drawer. Shit. Maybe it was just anxiety from going out for the first time in a while. Maybe it was because Keyleth was holding his hand tightly like he was her lifeline. Vax tried to ignore the heaviness of his chest and focus on the warmth and softness of Keyleth’s hand in his and the way she had looked at him before. Relax.Everything will be alright. Nothing bad will happen tonight.

[banemmanan]

GFU Stats #2

Some fun statistics from the TV show The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.

This is a revised, updated, more accurate version of this post.

This post is based on a series of posts by @commander-kiranerys where they compiled similar data for the series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (e.g. Season 3). All but one of the data categories that I collected can be found in those original posts along with some more that I didn't count.

Explanation #1: why the recount?

As mentioned in my original post, I counted that first set of statistics in just three days. How do you fit roughly ten epispdes into a day? Well, truth be told, I watched them at double speed. I had a whole bunch of assignments due at the time, but this idea had lodged itself into my brain and I had no self-control, so I did it as quickly as I could in order that I could focus on my uni work again. This time, everything was watched at regular speed and I will admit that there was a lot that I missed the first time around. After I watched it through the first time and recorded data, I then watched it through a second time, this time with my sister as an impartial second opinion, and we both recorded separate data. The results are an average of these three data sets and thus I feel that they are much more reliable this time around.

Explanation #2: what's 'S' and 'F'?

For the categories 'Escape' and 'Rescue' the S in brackets stands for Successful and the F for Failed. Escaping entails getting free under their own power and if someone not in the 'captured' scenario got them out then it was a rescue.

Disclaimer #1: objectivity of results

If comparing these results to the muncle stats, bear in mind that they have been compiled by two different people. We might have different ideas as to what qualifies as 'being captured' or 'an escape attempt', etc.

Disclaimer #2: additional data

Due to Mark Slate not appearing in the third episode (instead appearing in the Man from U.N.C.L.E. episode of that week), data was gathered for him from that episode (the Galatea Affair) instead. Thus, all results could still be divided by 29 in order to establish the average per episode. I do not know if commander-kiranerys did the same for Napoleon with regards to season 3. I did not record any data from the MFU episode, the Moonglow Affair.

Observations:

Captured: April seems to be a bit of a damsel in distress here when you look at the numbers, but in fairness to her, she manages to escape on her own slightly more often than she needs rescuing. Considering also that Mark gets himself captured 20 times over the season; he's not exactly got a stellar track record either. Though more than once per episode for April is pretty disappointing and I think probably reflects the attitudes of the time. You may notice that the escape/rescue number for together is higher than the capture together number. This is due to instances where they have been captured individually, but then brought together in captivity and thus are together when they escape.

Arrested: I included this one only because I find it very funny when they get arrested by the regular law enforcement rather than by THRUSH and then have to sheepishly call Mr. Waverly and ask to be bailed out... I did not count these instances as them being 'captured' though, as I feel that requires malicious intent rather than a will to uphold the law.

Knocked out: bashed on the head, tranquilized, and one instance of fainting (surprisingly that wasn't April). Mark alone surpasses even the highest of Napoleon and Illya's combined totals! Suffice it to say, these two probably have near constant concussions (and that honestly explains a lot).

Restrained/chained/tied up: again, April features here significantly more than Mark does. The ratio is pretty consistent with being captured, though. 'Restrained' is just a combination of the chained/tied up categories as that is how I had initially understood commander-kiranerys to have comiled it (I'm less sure about that now though). Retrospectively I think I should have used it as an 'other' category to mean anything not done using rope or chains e.g. leather straps or being physically held (or in one instance a plant). Either way, what I find interesting in these results is that April and Mark were never tied together at any point (though there is a promotional photo that features this).

Tortured: interestingly very even here, despite the writers' clear reluctance to let April get roughed up (unless by another woman). But then again, I think deciding what is and isn't torture might be quite subjective (which is why I left it out the first time around). There were actually a number of instances that were a grey area for me and I wonder now if I should have included them; I erred on the side of caution and actually these figures might be higher if I'm fully honest. It's too late for doubting now though I guess. Feel free to debate!

Drugged: the vast majority of these are knock-out gas/chloroform/sleep darts/etc. so these results overlap a lot with the 'knocked out' category, though there are a couple of instances of drugs with other effects on the body.

Shot: April was never shot in the entire series (very lucky! but also maybe very indicative of the show writing of the time - she can be in peril, but heaven forbid that she's roughed up!) Mark on the other hand was either shot 3 or 4 times. The uncertainty comes when after seemingly being shot during a scene, he is perfectly fine mere seconds later and doesn't comment on the fact at all. So I'm not sure if he was definitely shot. I included a gif in the original post to illustrate the initial incident, so if you want to make your mind up for yourself, you can go and take a look at that. Personally I think 4.

Wet: surpassed only by season 4 in terms of average, but in raw numbers they reign supreme. It's a good thing they can both swim... I guess they are the blorbos that come in 'soggy wet' variety...

The disclaimers and stuff became way longer than I'd expected, but I wanted to be transparent about everything (can you tell I'm on another university degree) anyway, I hope you find these useful or at least interesting! I would love to have any sort of discussion regarding these!

[curiousquail]

Album art by Joey Guthrie

It's been ten years since After the Lights Failed, and that's long enough. We proudly present the sequel

Empty Victories

May it bring you joy, sorrow, solidarity, closure - whatever you'd like it to mean to you. It means the world to us.

Purchase:

Bandcamp - https://curiousquail.bandcamp.com/album/empty-victories

Itch.io - https://curiousquail.itch.io/empty-victories

Mirlo - https://mirlo.space/curiousquail/release/empty-victories

Stream:

Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/album/empty-victories-ep/1750536709

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/album/4MnI5Xuisp0odiSBBWAWBT?si=bT-MZtvSTGqet-_O0_eTxQ

--

Let's dive into the behind the scenes on this record and why it took ten years lmao:

ATLF is a very special record to us as a band and to me as an artist - we were a bunch of little shits making nerd music and thought 'hey what if we tried to use kickstarter' and had no idea how successful that would be.

Once the record was released we pretty much immediately started work on what was going to become the follow-up. If you saw us perform live between 2016-2019, you may have even heard a few of these songs in their early iterations. Hell, our Tiny Desk TWENTY SIXTEEN entry was the title track.

Joyce tracking her solo in Empty Victories - a parting gift to the band before she left the country to join the Queen Musical 'We Will Rock You' as the lead guitarist (hand-picked by Sir. Brian May because of course she was).

Principal tracking for the record began in 2016 at Rhythm Academy - a drum school where Joey taught - they had given us permission to use the place after-hours. Most of the photos throughout this piece are from these sessions.

Getting ready for Drum preproduction at our rehearsal studio in San José. I lost this Life is Strange shirt in 2017 when I moved to the Coachella Valley. No idea what happened to it.

For a story about the future and time shenanigans at the end of the world(s) I think it's fitting that part of this new record was recorded over the span of ten years in between other projects. Some of the songs have drums from 2016 with percussion from 2019 or gameboys added in 2021, Erin or I harmonizing vocal takes with ourselves from nearly a decade ago - Empty Victories has been a process and we're proud to get it out to you now.

Group vocal session - we also recorded group vocals for a Petriform song that night.

Most of the band proper lived in the Bay Area until about 2016; Erin moved to the PNW, in 2017 I relocated to the Coachella Valley and we continued working on music remotely as well as syncing up for live shows when schedules allowed.

Nobody puts Joey in a corner

Except Joey, I guess

In 2018/2019 we put out Twelve Months, a songwriting/video exercise where each month we'd get random restrictions assigned and write a song / film a performance video of it before the month was out - the idea was it would be a smaller, more rapid fire release approach while we worked on Empty Victories in earnest. Rarely were any of us in the same room for these sessions but there was hope that we'd get to do more shows of those songs live - again, while working on Empty Victories on the side.

I was hilariously bad at remembering to turn the fan off during acoustic takes and having to start over

I can't say that we had a bunch of concrete plans (in fact the two concerts we had locked in for 2019 - MAGFest in Maryland and a PDNF reunion in San Francisco - I missed for health reasons, and the band performed with recordings of my vocals) but in my heart, in January of 2020 I put out into the universe that this was going to be the year we finished Empty Victories and got back on the road.

but it turned out both the hard drive with all of the mixing session files for the record and the backup drive....had died.

and then Covid hit.

Lol, lmao

Josh's energy is always infections (on stage or in the studio)

but hey! In 2021 I found an external USB drive that had all of the raw audio tracks from the recording sessions. No mixing, no processing, just the straight-from-the-microphone takes from the various recording sessions we did throughout 2016

The seagate USB drive of hope (sponsor us you cowards)

So while it wasn't quite starting back at zero with everyone needing to re-track their parts, it was a massive step back towards actually having a finished product. A lot of work needed to go into it getting cohesive.

Listen, if you get the mic's for the violin positioned correctly and you have a violinist who is incredibly expressive and a talented dancer, you have to put down some fucken ground rules

Michael "Gunther" Chiang, the engineer who worked with us at Dirt Room on ATLF reprised his role and came up from Santa Cruz to help with tracking

We had a fair amount of our own gear but Gunther brought his rig (again, a bunch of which we used on ATLF)

And there were some omissions - things that weren't on the drive that caused some panic. Most notably, Joyce had tracked for three of the songs before she left for her Queen journey and the only thing that survived was her guitar solo from the title track.

ERIN WAVEFORMS

At this point she'd moved out of the Bay Area already and so scheduling her time in the studio was tricky but absolutely worth it.

There were fevered calls to members of the band "Hey uhh can you re-track this part" or "I need drums for track 3, we didn't do that in the first session". Everyone was a real sport about the whole thing - and I wasn't entirely on-top of it because we were working on other music or other projects or life was happening.

For frame of reference on how all over the place this was, I had to do Gameboy retracks in 2023, and Erin wrapped her final vocal parts for the record this month - so when I say there are times when she's harmonizing with herself from a decade ago I'm not fucking around.

I don't remember why we had so much New York Seltzer - I think I was bringing it but it became this like ongoing joke. (Sponsor us you cowards).

Since After the Lights Failed, we've put out some music that I'm super proud of - Twelve Months and Branching Paths were a LOT of fun - but due to the incredibly hostile nature of streaming services, most of these have not made it outside of Bandcamp or Itch.io - I don't know if that'll change, but it did feel wrong to not push for this sequel to ATLF to be as available as its predecessor was so it will be. (Just most likely not on release date)

That said, the best way to financially support any artist is to buy from them directly when available, and in most cases Bandcamp is as good as that can get (though Mirlo looks really promising). Streaming a song earns an artist fractions of a cent. I'm not gonna make a 1:1 comparison but I can say if we had more financial stability in 2016/2017 we likely would have finished and released this record much sooner (and hopefully before the drive failures).

Anyway, thank you for reading this far, and for supporting the band even though it's been a weird trajectory for us. This won't be the final Curious Quail release but we are saying goodbye to an era and heading toward the future.

A future that - despite the lyrics of track six - will hopefully come.

[hefty-halo]

Ngl...I feel like the Spartan-IIIs, or at least the ones before Noble Team, were kind of set up to fail by ONI trying to pump out a lot of them for lower cost. Yeah, sure, you get a ton more Spartans...but they're not of the same quality as their predecessors, like John, Kelly, or even their teacher, Kurt.

Their armor was meant specifically for recon assignments, not most of what being a UNSC Spartan calls for.

I mean, hell, in Ghosts of Onyx, I remember very vividly, towards the end of the book, a Hunter point-blanked Kelly and one of Kurt's Spartan-IIIs, a chick named Holly.

Kelly, IIRC, got just a concussion, but was otherwise just fine. Holly, on the other hand, literally ceased to exist.

They basically screwed over Forerunners-know how many kids because they tried to make a bunch of Spartans for less cost, by cheaping out on the armor that keeps them alive.

And I think that's why when they eventually went to Spartan-IV, they realized their mistake and chose instead to use GEN2 MJOLNIR armor for them.

Of course, this is just my own opinions, speculations, that kinda thing, you're free to agree or disagree as you see fit. I just saw that you were talking about MJOLNIR armor and that reminded me of this, so...nyeh

Oh they were absolutely set up to fail, they were made to be expendable shock troops and covert ops that they could afford to lose during or after missions. Just look at how the first two or three companies were deployed, in a huge suicidal frontal assault against a Covenant fuel refinery, where only a handful of them survived. Most of those survivors then went to train under Kurt, because they didn't know what else to do with the poor bastards.

The SPI armour was even worse in terms of the armour capability, they also had no shields at all to enable the cloaking capabilities. Even the Mark V B variant has shielding, despite it being a stripped down version of regular Mark V.

The poor IIIs never stood a chance in an open engagement, but they were deliberately made that way. Kurt could see this, and he hated it, he even reflects on it when one of his IIIs dies in his arms after not realising half his torso was missing, thanks to his brain's pain receptors being switched off due to combat stims.

While I don't particularly like Spartan IVs (especially their armour, don't get me started on the abominations that Gen3 brought about), they are at least good soldiers and well-equipped for the wars they fight in. Main thing I don't like about them is how cavalier they are. They are just stereotype Marine "jocks" in knock-off armour and hardly anywhere near as much augmentation done to them. They tried to make Spartans into an "everyman" sort of thing, but that's not what they're meant to be, it never has been.

Sorry, I'll cut my ranting off there. I just can't stand how they've been written since they first showed up in Halo 4.

[je-taimerai-a-linfini]

The Value of Low Stakes Writing

I was never big into blogging.

You know, the original kind - the "mommy bloggers," the people who write reflective essays on everyday topics and post them to a website with some kind of regularity. I must have missed the height of its popularity by a couple of years. By the time I was an inoculated online citizen, short-form online posting had become more popular, and the web was shifting into a far more participatory space.

So why am I drawn to the concept of blogging now? If you'd asked me five or ten years ago, I would have said that journalling aimless thoughts to an invisible public was antiquated and cringey. As a writer, if I wanted to share my thoughts, surely I could turn to literary journals and magazines, submit my work for publication, craft a manuscript or an essay collection. But this path requires facing near-constant rejection. It requires having the guts to actually try, and then to show that effort to people deemed more important than you, and say "look, I tried at something! I think it's worthwhile and belongs in your space! Do you agree?" And you need to be okay with hearing "sorry, but no," over and over and over.

None of this is anything new. And though I'm still building up my own ego-calluses, I'm prepared to keep trying and keep failing, because that's what writers and artists and creatives do.

When I was in grad school learning how to teach composition, we heard from a lot of educators about the value of low stakes writing. Yes, most comp classes will assign you 2-4 larger-scale writing assignments that will make up the bulk of your grade, but those essays are really just meant to showcase the learning that you've done. How do you show, in all the time in between those big essays, that you're gaining new tools and you know how to use them? Low stakes writing. Sometimes called "process work," the goal is to give students the freedom to try without the threat of failure. Giving process work a higher chunk of the grade percentage tells students that you value effort over output.

When I approach writing with a perfectionistic, all-or-nothing mindset, I become my worst fear: a writer who doesn't actually write. You tell yourself that you're waiting for the perfect conditions under which to write that publishable essay, that life-changing short story, that (barf) next great American novel. Plenty of craft books on creative writing will tell you as much: most writers don't actually like writing. (Coincidentally, these same books are often filled with platitudes like "I write because there is no other form of survival - it is life or death for me to put words on the page.") And it's the fear of failure that makes writing so repugnant. We only hate writing when we know we're writing a stinker. The reason so many of us do it anyways is because we're chasing the high of that ever-elusive flow state, when you're on a roll and you're so immersed in the story you're telling that you forget to care about whether or not it's any good to somebody else.

So, low stakes writing. Blogging. Could this be another way for me to put off the "true work"? (i.e. writing a bunch of stinker paragraphs until I finally get a good one?) Or could it be a step in the right direction, a way for me to try without fear of failure?

But what am I really trying by blogging?

I argue that blogging is the ever-important in between - it's not writing in a private diary, and it's not publishing a carefully crafted essay. It's something public enough that I feel compelled to try, but low stakes enough that the need for it to be "good enough" doesn't paralyze me completely.

I'm thrilled to announce that this side-blog has a whopping four followers (two of which I suspect are bots). The words I post here could be found and read at any time by anyone with an internet connection. The stakes technically exist, enough for me to try and say something at least mildly worthwhile, but they're not high enough that I over-filter myself. In this wiggly little in-between space, with me and the four (or two) (or zero) of you, I get to allow myself to indulge in the play of trying.

My hope is that this in-between writing space will demystify my desperation for "good" writing. Sometimes (particularly the less frequently I write) the recipe for "good writing" seems so elusive, and I embarrass myself with how low my tolerance is to muscle through "bad writing." But maybe the writing I do here doesn't have to be "good" or "bad" at all. Maybe it can just exist.