#I think a good amount of the problems would be solved with more time to properly pace episodes and breakdown scenes

[draconym]

so I don’t know you but i’ve followed all this discourse and I first want to say I heavily relate to you and think everything you’ve said and done is valid and justified. and I honestly really hate the internet’s tendency to respond to almost every problem in any kind of relationship with “you should cut them off and find better people.”  I feel like they don’t understand that for a lot of people it takes a tremendous amount of time and care and effort to get close to people and that cutting everyone off at the first hiccup just leads to being sad and lonely. also, being told to be less kind to others is quite frustrating and never really solves…anything? it doesn’t mean your needs are more met just because you are doing less for others. the problem isnt not wanting to put in work, it’s wanting to have others support you back. cutting out the first part of the equation might “balance” it but it would just make me more unfulfilled. leaning into the relationships that make you feel most valued is good advice, and so is communicating with people you care about in regards to your wants and needs. I just feel the internet is far too trigger happy about ending relationships. and maybe this generation in general is. I kept having people tell me to break up with my partner when mental health and medical issues meant they had a really hard time communicating with me and needed far more support than they were able to give. which, fuck that, I should be allowed to express that I’m having a hard time without everyone jumping to “you should abandon them they’re treating you unfairly.” I’m so glad I did not. Instead we realized we both needed to lean a bit more on our wider support networks. Sometimes solutions do indeed exist. And it’s funny how the people who say “you deserve better” are rarely the people who actually step up to support you…

Anon, thank you. It's been disappointing that almost all of the online advice I've ever received about my mom is "go no contact" because she is sometimes selfish or immature. I don't want to go no contact with my mom. I want us both to grow as people and learn to talk to one another like adults.

"Go no contact" is not a conflict resolution strategy, it is a danger avoidance strategy. And it is sometimes the best solution, but ... actually addressing conflict is kind of essential if you want any of your relationships to other people to last.

[thanks--for--listening]

my kingdom for 10-12 episode PJO seasons with hour long episodes 🧎🏽‍♀️

[waywardsalt]

dungeons in linear loz games made you feel stupid because you’d sometimes be wandering without a clue until stumbling over a little detail you’d overlooked; dungeons in totk make you feel stupid because they hardly seem to trust that you have any more than very basic problem-solving skills

[kianamaiart]

"Pretty Pretty Please I Don't Want to be a Magical Girl" Bios!

NAME: Aika (she/her) AGE: 15 Main Protagonist CV: Anairis Quiñones

BIO:

Aika is an easily excitable and energetic girl. She's generally optimistic and very friendly. She's always eager to try new things as long as it's not her fulltime job of being a magical girl.

As soon as her magical girl duties are brought into the picture, her demeanor changes. She checks out, and often looks for the quickest solution to solve the issue. No flashy transformations and special moves here. She's good with a metal baseball bat or a rocket launcher.

All Aika wants is to live a normal life, make friends and go to school. Unfortunately, like every main protagonist, trouble manages to follow her wherever she goes.

___________________________________

NAME: Zira (she/they) AGE: 16 Love Interest Best Friend CV: Bennett Abara

BIO:

Zira is everything Aika wants to be. Painfully average, under the radar and a self proclaimed loser.

She's a smart girl but has a hard time applying herself. Instead of paying attention in school, and doing extracurriculars, Zira would much rather be reading her favorite magical girl manga "Moon Sailor".

After Aika forces her friendship upon them, Zira now has to tag along on all of Aika's escapades and experiences new things. Ew. However, they admire Aika deeply and admire her even more after Aika's magical secret comes to light.

___________________________________

NAME: Hoshi (any/they/them) AGE: unknown Magical Sidekick CV: Christine Marie Cabanos

BIO:

Hoshi is a magical star being sent to Earth to find the chosen one. They made a great choice with Aika, as she's amazing at her job. The only issue is she hates it and is often trying to dodge responsibilities (and Hoshi).

When Aika first started, and still had her heart in it, Hoshi was definitely more neurotic and acted as your typical mentor/magical sidekick. But over time, they gave up on trying to tell Aika what to do and also became a little more apathetic. Aika was getting the job done at least, so what's the problem?

Hoshi still has to make sure Aika doesn't completely give up on being the Star Guardian: Guardian of the Stars, which Aika finds annoying.

___________________________________

NAME: Eclipse (he/him) AGE: 15 Minor Antagonist CV: Aleks Le

BIO:Eclipse is a flamboyant and theatrical individual whose showmanship is out of this world. He refers to himself as

"Eclipse: Servant of Darkness".

He was a D-list antagonist that Aika and her team would fight on occasion. Mostly just saving citizens from him being a nuisance. Eclipse has deluded himself into thinking that he's Aika's rival, main antagonist and love interest. Their love is simply forbidden as he's chosen the path of darkness and her, the light.

After Aika ran away, he managed to find her again. However this time he actually has powers??? Where did those come from? It's as if he's made a deal with darkness itself.

___________________________________

NAME: Lady DeVoid (she/her) AGE: Old Main Antagonist/Big Bad CV: Shara Kirby

BIO: Lady DeVoid is darkness itself. She's a mysterious being with an incomprehensible amount of power. Power that is currently weakened and that she actually has no idea how to use. She can't seem to remember for some reason...

All she knows is that a long time ago she was defeated and banished by a Star Guardian and that she now wants revenge. The only power she has at her disposal is creating particles of darkness that she can use to possess animate or inanimate objects to create monsters. She prefers others do her dirty work.

She enlists the help of Eclipse to spread these particles with the hopes that it'll eventually destroy the Star Guardian.

___________________________________

NAME: Miss (she/her) AGE: 39 Side Character CV: Michele Knotz

BIO:

Miss is Aika and Zira's very tired teacher. Looking at her, you might assume she hates her job, but it's quite the opposite. She pours everything into her work and into her students, leaving very little time for her personal life.

She's recently started trying to get it together (after her ex-wife left her) but is still struggling to find that work-life balance.

Prior to Aika enrolling, Miss was Zira's only friend at school and, though she'd never admit it, Zira's probably the closest thing she has to a friend also (oof). She's subsequently become a secret Moon Sailor fan too.

[gamingavickreyauction]

I think people delude themselves about how effective intellectual property is. In the pure world of intellectual property you can patent a discovery and sell it for all the value it adds, or use it to make that much profit, but in reality the value of intellectual property corresponds very loosely to how much value it adds.

It's relatively easy to read a few books and write a pop history book about a topic which makes ten times as much money as what the academic history books made, even though those books may each have taken 10 times as long by more skilled workers, and amount to the vast majority of the work that went into your book. The incentive structure is clearly wrong if you want books like your pop history book to be made about more topics.

If you do basic research that leads to an important new drug being developed 20 years down the line, you will get nothing- the organisation that actually gets the patent is the one that does the last step. And many kinds of valuable research don't lead in any immediate way to a marketable product in the first place.

The reason the neoliberal argument fails here is because people are getting patents intellectual property that doesn't just capture the value they added, but all the work others put into the idea before them, which no intellectual property was awarded for. So there is a huge incentivise to focus on the last mile, the marketable part, to the neglect of everything else, even though that's most likely to be the part that anyone could have done.

The neoliberal might reply that this is actually a problem of incomplete property rights- the neoliberal's model works if the basic research was patentable too, so that the person who brings it to market pays for the basic research, gets paid the value of the market product, and pockets the difference- the value they added. But the reason that isn't done is that a world like that would be unlivable. It would be impossible to get any research done because the web of how ideas feed into each other isn't simple, and the negotiation of how much to pay for each idea would be arduous. This is why patents cannot work in the 'ideal' way they do in economic models, and why they will inevitably have this serious flaw in the real world.

The neoliberal might argue that this is a problem solved by universities- universities can do the basic research, which becomes commons, and the researchers are paid salaries because paying them based on their value added would be impossible, and the applied research is done by businesses, who are paid their value added, because it's close enough to the market that that is possible. Aside from neoliberals cutting universities, the problem with this is that it allows private companies to capture the value of research done by universities if there are only a few ways to apply that research effectively. If a company uses X basic research to make Y product, and there are no profitable alternative ways to apply X to make a competitor product, the company hasn't just been given a monopoly on Y, they've been given a monopoly on X- they have captured a piece of the commons, created by a university researcher for the good of everyone, and they're extracting rent from it. This also creates a strong incentive for reinventing the wheel, because if you can turn X into Y in a way different enough to fall outside of that patent, you get half of that economic rent.

Additionally there is no clear delineation between basic and applied research, so there is a balance that must be struck between not letting things too basic be patented, as that would be devastating to all the research that might build on it, while allowing applied research to be patented. But it is difficult to tell early on how far an idea could be taken, and patent assessors are generally not well placed to do that, so it is easy for them to hamstring any attempts to build upon a crucial idea for the duration of the patent- 20 years in the UK. Potentially this creates an incentive to veer away from more basic lines of inquiry.

And there is no such thing as a terminal creation, that there is no point in trying to improve, so counting research as applied and giving a patent is still cutting off the possibility of future improvements being made for 20 years, except by people at that company. This is particularly devastating with arts and writing, where works want to iterate on each other rapidly. Maybe someone made some important discovery, but they're a bad writer, so you want to rewrite their article so that people will actually read it, but you can't do so because that would undermine the incentive to read the original article, the copyright of which is owned by the publisher, so it's illegal- and has to be for the intellectual property regime to function, stifling the spread of ideas.

This capturing of value added by others isn't the only problem. Monopolies are an inefficient way for industries to be organised, leading to higher prices, so less sales, meaning less people are able to actually make use of the innovations, both applied and basic. The number of people who can access a drug is slashed to make sure the value from those who do access the drug can be captured by the market. But even when there are several variations of a product, patented by different companies, this creates the same problem, because of fixed costs- the companies have to charge above the marginal cost to make back their investment, reducing the number of people who can access the product. And this is a drastic effect when the marginal cost is often near zero.

This of course exacerbates inequality, and means that there is a strong incentive to create innovations that are aimed at the affluent, not the poor. Invent Ozempic, not a cure for malaria.

And finally there's the problem of the institutional structure actual people are innovating under. In theory everyone is a lone inventor-entrepreneur who chooses what they research and gets paid by their results, and aims to maximise profit. But really people are employed by a corporation, and when they discover something the shareholders capture most of the value, not them, so after this elaborate, expensive, destructive system to create a financial incentive for innovation, a tiny fraction of it gets passed on to the actual innovators, in the form of increased chance of a promotion or pay rise. And yet the innovations still get made, so clearly this is enough, or people are motivated by the desire to make the world a better place, not just money. Either way the patent system we have is patently excessive.

And if you aren't a researcher at an existing company and you want to get any money at all for your discovery, you're going to have to found a company yourself to extract the surplus- an arduous task, and one that you might not be any good at, and that in any case will take you away from making further discoveries. To be rewarded as an engineer you must remake yourself as an entrepreneur, or accept that someone else is going to take most of your reward. And it may be half your lifetime before you get that reward.

There are additional problems with access to educational resources, incentives for black/grey markets, deadweight loss from litigation, etc. but this is more than enough to show intellectual property is very inefficient at incentivising innovation. So when alternative models are also criticised for being flawed, economically inefficient that shouldn't kill those alternatives- because it would take a lot for them to be as flawed as the existing system.

A panel of experts awarding a payment for a discovery might get its value drastically wrong- but so might investors buying a start up, so might an unwilling, untalented entrepreneur failing to price their product correctly and losing money from their creation. And at least they can go on inventing/writing/innovating instead of changing careers, and the valuation will be based on opinions of people who know what they're talking about, and based on the value of their innovation to everyone, not just the wealthy. There might be political pressure to reduce the value of payments, but there's also political pressure to cut university funding- at least it would mean there is some connection between output and compensation for university researchers, and there isn't an incentive gradient driving people out of basic research and into applied research, and at least all of the value of the payment would be going to the actual innovator.

[anim-ttrpgs]

something I don’t get about the disability metaphor is that for eureka monsters obviously it harms another person to eat them. the help a disabled person needs doesn’t actively harm or kill another person. Maybe it’s a difference in perspectives that cannot be resolved

(What I’m about to write could potentially sound very fucked up at first so I’m going to need to trust everyone to read the whole thing before forming an opinion.)

Also this message and response references these two posts.

Eureka’s stance on disabled people is that they (including myself writing this) are, or at least can often be, burdens.

Disabled people often require more resources to live than they are able to “give back,” which, in our capitalist and artificial-scarcity-based economy, is just about the worst thing a person can do.

Anti-ableism sentiment often focuses on the idea that “disabled people aren’t burdens, that they’re just as good and capable as everyone else,” but if they were, they wouldn’t be “disabled” would they? When you say stuff like that, you’re conceding that a person’s worth is determined by how capable they are at doing work, and then having to bend over backwards to justify thinking that a person without arms is just as valuable as a person with arms. Eureka is asking you to decouple a person’s value from how much net resources they can produce.

Often times also, the resources that real disabled people consume are human resources, and those human resources are very much capable of suffering for it. Nurses are overworked, around-the-clock care is absolutely physically and mentally exhausting, people who have to care for their elderly or otherwise disabled relatives on top of their regular jobs don’t get to have social lives or hobbies, etc.

To this end, we wrote the monsters in Eureka to be unquestionably people who “cause damage” to society by literally eating up human resources, because they have to to live, they have no other choice unless they want to just die. Your friend is gone from your life because he has to spend all his free time caring for his comatose wife after a freak car accident. Your friend is gone from your life because a vampire randomly ate him. Providing a metaphor isn't all the monsters are doing, they just work well through that lens.

And then Eureka forces you to look at these people as people, and make up your mind as to whether they have value and a right to prologue their own existence. We can’t force you to agree that they do, but if you think they don’t, then you’ll have to make that argument looking at an intelligent person with a life rather than a pure hypothetical or statistics on a chart.

There are some monsters in Eureka where, if the economy or societal structures were changed, they would stop being such severe drains on resources and could exist harmlessly within society, and there are some monsters where no imaginable amount of societal change would solve the problems they cause. This is true of disabled people IRL as well. Some of them would require no further assistance with living if certain things about society changed, and others would still require a massive amount of human resources.

And even when it’s not necessarily human resources, the extra resources that disabled people need also cause huge energy expenditure and create huge amounts of plastic waste, which are things that contribute to global warming and pollution, which do have significant harmful effects on everyone’s lives. Despite this, they are still “worth it” to keep around.

As for actively causing harm, that happens too. I randomly scrolled past this post after we got this message and saved it so I could link it here.

This person and their family had to cause a big stink in a restaurant just to get an accommodation that they needed, and to us reading it from their perspective, we’re obviously on their side, but I can assure you that the overworked staff at that restaurant didn’t see it that way. They saw the disabled person as an aggressive Karen whom they would never in a million years want to have to provide customer service to. The disabled person & family had to get aggressive, and ruin the staff’s day, to get what they needed. That’s actively causing harm - harm we all agreed was justified to cause - but harm nonetheless.

Plastic straws aren’t that big of a deal for global pollution, but even if they were, the point is that this person still would have needed a straw. It doesn’t line up one-to-one, because metaphors rarely do, but a vampire asking if they can drink someone’s blood, and being told No, may find themselves in much the same position. (And if you bring up that some people find vampires really sexy, you’re missing the point. “I would give them a straw if they had sex with me.” is not actually a great thing to announce about yourself.)

I can also come up with an example from my own life. I personally am very sensitive to noise and noise pollution. If there’s music playing at a public space, I usually can’t handle it. (Earplugs don’t work for other reasons I won’t get into - plus, if I just deafen myself to all sound, how can I socialize with anyone in this public space?)

If I want to exist in this space, I will have to actively cause harm to everyone there, or else stop existing in that space. I will have to go up to whoever is responsible and ask them to turn off the music, actively taking it away from everyone else who was enjoying it. I have to take action to ruin their good time if I want to exist in that space at all, and they might, very understandably, be pissed off at me for doing that. Because, like I said in this other post, the people that monsters eat do have a right to prevent themselves from being eaten by monsters. We aren't proposing that the solution is everyone has to line up to be mauled to death by monsters or else they're a bad person.

Who has a greater right to enjoy themselves in that space? That’s the kind of question that Eureka poses, and makes you consider both sides as human being rather than denoting one as just an ontologically evil villain to be destroyed.

We actually don't know of perfect solutions to all the problems presented by the existance of monsters in Eureka, we just know that "exterminate all people who are parasites and burdens to society" ain't it.

[bitchy-craft]

PICK A CARD: What is beautiful about you

Hello and welcome to this reading! Here I will tell you what is beautiful about you. I hope you enjoy this reading!

Masterpost > Paid Readings > Patreon Masterlist

The extended version of this reading can be found on my patreon, the link of which is here

Pile 1:

You truly are so creative. There is no one the people around you know that is as creative as you are. You have an insane amount of ideas constantly in your mind, and all of those ideas are great for problem-solving. Even if your idea seems absolutely atrocious and you simply made it up to make light of the situation, often times there is still more truth in it than you had ever thought, and often times it will actually help finding a solution to something. Your creativity isn’t only good for problem-solving or thinking of things to do, it also helps cheer people up. You have an incredibly good sense of humour, and you make not just your friends and family members laugh, you make everyone laugh all around you. You have the quickest responses sometimes, and your jokes are often jokes that have not been heard before. You are quick-witted and your brain goes way faster than anyone else’s.

extended reading

Pile 2:

You are quick to call out somebody’s bullshit. When you see some unjust hanging around somewhere you will be speaking up about it. The people around you see you as a strong-willed person, someone who is never going to let anyone walk right over you. You are loyal to yourself and your friends, and if any of the people you care about gets harmed you always know that revenge is going to be bittersweet. You are someone people look up to, even those people you don’t believe ever would do. They wish they had the balls that you seem to possess as long as they know you (for many of you this obviously isn’t true, you have learned to become like this, or forced to become like this, and for a couple this is most likely also a façade you put up. But whether you are actually insecure or not doesn’t matter; you are still a very strong person, with strong morals and a strong sense of justice). You should realise how good of a friend, a partner, and a family member you really are / can be.

extended reading

Pile 3:

You are unique. There is no one like you out there. Some of you don’t believe that this is the case that you are just like anyone else. But there truly is no one like you out there who has the set of interests that you have, the hobbies you have and the dreams that you have. You have a personality no one else has, you have authenticity and some people do not like that. Those people you are insecure about because they are so vastly different from you are the ones who are jealous of you; they do not understand you so they try to dislike you. People are afraid of the unknown, and those people who all seem to be the same? They have that whenever they see you. Not understanding something and not wanting to understand is ignorance, and there are a ton of people who sadly carry that trait. Your uniqueness isn’t the only thing that people find beautiful about you. It’s also because when you want something you truly go for it. Sure, sometimes it doesn’t feel like this immediately; but if you have a goal you will reach that goal no matter how long it takes you.

extended reading

[nabi-unveiled]

My Stubborn has done an excellent job so far of portraying that all of the men want to have sex with their people. But I particularly enjoy how that desire manifests in different ways for each of them.

Sorn's "want" emerges as unbridled, desperate need.

Jun exists. Therefore Sorn must kiss him and possess him. He's not waiting a few hours until the coast is clear before engaging. He doesn't care if it's at work or people will be over soon. He wants it, and he NEEDS it now. After all, Jun exists.

On the plus side, Sorn gets enjoyment out of Jun enjoying himself. The smiles when he realizes Jun is into it get me every time.

Jun's "want" emerges as confused curiosity.

You can practically hear Jun's mind at times. "Like bro..wtf? But...this is fun. Fine, I'll play. Wait, I'm so confused. Does it always feel like this? Are we something? I think I have feelings. I probably shouldn't. Would it feel this way with other people? Never mind. Not thinking about it for now, because this feels so damn good."

As a bonus, I love that Jun is a pretty bratty person. He does talk back to Sorn. He does shut the door in his face. He rightfully kicks him off him. So any time he "submits", it's because he has decided he wants it too. And we get to see it in subtle physical ways like a wrist rub or snuggles into Sorn's neck.

We all know the problem is going to come from Sorn having such a strong, possessive need while being an idiot about defining and clarifying their relationship. Because Jun isn't going to keep submitting if he decides it's not worth the trouble. He seems to like Sorn, but he doesn't need Sorn in the same way that Sorn needs him. He has options.

Tai's "want" emerges as willful worship.

For all their differences, Tai does hold some similarities with Sorn. He's the one initiating and he gets enjoyment by making Champ feel good. Tai may be the one with the power, and Champ may serve him at work. But in bed? Tai worships his man.

Every movement and every action is a soft adoration of the man he cherishes.

And Champ's "want" emerges as fragile hope.

Champ is a bit of a pillow princess, but it's because he's holding his breath. He's not sure he's allowed to want this. How he returns Tai's kisses shows he wants it, and his hand flexes on the couch pillow and toe curls speak of his enjoyment. But Tai is the boss and his best friend, and he isn't allowing himself to forget it. For all of the easy affection and interactions they share, his desire is delicate and fragile.

He is only allowing himself what Tai will give him. In episode 5, he forgets himself for a moment and moved his hand to grab Tai. But then he quickly relaxed it. After all, does he have a right to demand more? He's not sure.

In their scenes, it's almost like he is afraid that the spell will soon be broken and it'll all disappear. He's holding his breath in hope, because he wants it to continue. But he's afraid of what will happen if it doesn't.

And this will likely be where their problem comes from. Because when the fear of losing everything becomes too much, no amount of body worship is going to solve that problem.

For as much as they all enjoy each other's bodies, words are going to have to be said at some point. By both couples.

[clockwayswrites]

City Pigeons Bleed Green, Part 31 masterpost cw: strongly implied off screen murder and discussions about it

“Do you need me to pull the car over so that you can put your make-up on?” Jason asked.

Tim shot him a withering stare. “Do I look like I need you to pull over so that I can do my make-up?”

“See, I know better than to answer yes to that,” Jason said cheerily, “but I also don’t want to deal with you poking out an eye with a mascara wand.”

“I’m not going to poke out an eye putting on mascara.”

“Or bitching the rest of the drive because your lipstick is slightly crooked.”

Tim paused. “…okay, that I might do.”

“And we’re pulling over!”

“Fine,” Tim sighed, “We need to spray your skunk streak black anyways and change.”

“I can’t believe their uniforms are really all white suits,” Jason said as he looked for a convenient side road to pull of onto.

“I know, have they never heard of no white after Labor Day?” Tim asked as he dusted something over his cheekbones.

Jason snorted. “Yeah, cause that’s my problem with the all white suits. Nothing about them being impractically easy to stain.”

Tim hummed. “White is easy to bleach, think lab coats and hotel sheets.”

“That only solves the problem if they don’t have to go anywhere before they can get the stains out,” Jason pointed out.

“It works if they think that they’re immune to any repercussion of having stains,” Tim said. He set the fluffy brush he had been using down. “How often do you think they walked around with Danny’s blood like it was nothing?”

Jason gripped the steering wheel so hard that it creaked under his hands. “Never again.”

“No,” Tim agreed. “Never again. Not any of them.”

“I hate that we can be as final with all of them,” Jason said as he forced himself to relax his grip.

“I know, but the organization is better handled by the Titans and Justice League. Bringing the law into their end will have more lasting effects than bring an end to their agents.”

“Damn bureaucracies,” Jason grumbled. “Always someone else to fill in a spot.”

Tim hummed in agreement. “If taking out agents and bases was enough, the LOA would be long gone, trust me.”

“Oh I do, Timbit. It’s why you’re the one in this car with me. I don’t have any illusions about your hands being clean or worry your commitment wavering.”

“Good, it won’t.”

“I know.”

Jason turned the car down a road and off to the side where it was hidden between tall rows of corn. Tim leaned forward to continue his make up. He really was the best chameleon of them all, even the old man. Jason tried not to think too hard about what that meant for Tim himself. Things were better now, that was enough. He grabbed the can of hairspray from Tim’s bag.

“There’s contacts in there for you too,” Tim said. “And put in the pomade before the spray so that it doesn’t run. You need to slick your hair back for that government lackey sort of look.”

“Glamorous. Is that why your shade of lipstick is so horrific?”

“Bland yet obligatorily feminine,” Tim replied with a flutter of his eyelashes.

Jason snorted as he set about running enough pomade through his hair to make a 1930’s man proud. He stepped out of the car to use the can of spray color and clean his hands off. The dusky contacts were popped in next before he fussed with getting his hair swept over just right and the sides pressed flat against the his head.

Tim finished about the same time with his wig, so Jason grabbed both garment bags and spread the one out on the trunk for Tim. By the time they were back in the car it was like Jason Todd and Tim Drake were never there. Agent UU and Z settled easily into the seats and continued on their way.

“We’re not making a mess,” Tim—or double U— said some time later.

Jason growled.

“I know, but we need to keep this clean.” There was just the right amount of lilt to the voice to sound like a determined woman who had spent to long fitting into a ‘mans’ world. “This is just the GIW cleaning up two assets before they can be picked up and spill secrets to the cops.”

“What’s the plan then?”

“The pen in your pocket is really a needle with a very quick acting sedative. It paralyzes. Everything.”

Jason nodded. “Okay. Act like we’re extracting, get them apart to gather vital items, stab them?”

“In the neck.”

“Okay.” Jason pulled the car to a stop in front of bland suburban house.

As if they had practiced, they exited the car in sync with one another, slight tug to their white suit jackets and everything, and approached the door in a matching clipped pace. Tim was a step ahead (a woman would be better received) and rang the doorbell before crossing his arms behind his back. Jason made himself breath as the door opened.

“Dr. Fenton,” Tim said. “Agents UU and Z. It’s urgent that we come inside, the GIW is breached.”

[nativegirltapes]

dakotaaaaa i’ve been thinking of military!rafe. think of after the events of season 2. i imagine season 3 and 4 with that fucking buzz🤤🤤. imagine got sent off to military school after ward figured it would solve his problems and make him more disciplined. what do we think. i believe im COOKING💜

no you are cooking ........... HELLA

𐙚 ⟡ ݁₊ . 🪷 ✴︎˚｡⋆

i can sooooo see this because imagine s2 rafe getting sent off to the military and you're both in a terrible spot of your relationship because his addiction has hit an all time low and you're both just struggling with your own shit. you both don't realize how much this no contact is going to benefit you individually and together ♡. and when he comes home you realize how much he's changed, for the better. his hair is all buzzed and he looks soooo good, you want to pounce on him the minute you two are finally home alone (you do, best dick of your life btw). but aside from his physical changes, you see how much he's changed mentally. he seemed to have mature a lot and realize what's important to him, that being you of course. he's so disciplined and wayyy nicer for some reason (because it literally just made him realize he doesn't want a life without you in it) but he's also still the same ole mean rafe, but this time it's the perfect amount of mean.

[seat-safety-switch]

One of the greatest joys in life is using your shitty old car to shut down a legitimately nice car. For any law enforcement folks reading this, I would never endorse street racing. Also, I think I heard someone shoplifting in the other room, and you should go check it out. The best kind of street racing is the street racing the other person doesn't know they're having.

Now, I've had nice cars in the past before. Once, I had a Mercury Cougar XR7 with most of its original paint. Come to think of it, I might still have it somewhere in the backyard. Hard to keep them all apart these days. Anyway, when you drive a nice car, you get this sort of ego boost every time you see a lesser vehicle. How dare you peasants not realize how inferior your base Corollae are? Only a connoisseur can truly appreciate the divine features of this fine automobile.

That kind of mentality is simply not healthy. All of us, each and every one of us, are just a few generations away from being shit-throwing apes. The fact that we managed to make a machine that gets us down the highway quickly is a total miracle, and it's not any more of one because we put a pretty logo on it and charged $20,000 extra to put precision-engineered butt manipulators in the seats. It is this problem that the very fast beater is meant to solve.

When you have a shitbox and that shitbox goes faster than a nice car, whether because of superior driving (not me) or a significant amount of horsepower (not me) or a lack of understanding of your imminent mortality (possibly me) it is a great feeling to shut down those rich folks tooling around in their "good cars." It knocks them down a peg, which keeps them from doing things like going into work and causing another housing crisis. In fact, I'm going to go out and gap some Porsches with an old rusty fire extinguisher filled with nitrous oxide right now. You should come too, so I can get a ride home after the cops bust me for shooting my engine block across four lanes of the highway.

[madwomansapologist]

Please share your headcanon about gale's kinks!!!!

gale's kinks/turn ons

Navigation | More Wizard of Waterdeep | AO3

synopsis: A deep dive into what the smart wizard man think it's hot. Yes, the brain rot is that serious.

warnings: i'm sick so if this isn't good i will blame the pills. testing a new format. this is about sex, don't interact if you're a minor. remember: if you kink shame me i will get horny just to spite you.

PRAISE KINK

That's a man willing to write poetry about your body, mind and soul. His tongue has only two purposes on life, and both of them involve making you see stars. If his mouth isn't in use, he will be praising you.

And when Gale feels so good he can't even speak, isn't that a praise on itself?

But that we all know. His reaction to receiving praise is what makes me want to bite my fingers off.

Gale Dekarios knows his value as a wizard, but not as a man. His ambition isn't a consequence of his desire to pursue more, but to be more. To deserve love, he must prove his worth. As we all know, it often doesn't end in a good way.

I don't think Mystra ever wasted her precious time to assure Gale of the contrary. And when she did, it wasn't about Gale Dekarious: it was about Gale of Waterdeep, her chosen. How his control of the weave was impressive, how he could conjure any sort of images, how his illusions could fool everyone.

So when he receives praise for any other part of his life that isn't his academic pursues, a part of his brain burns. Be as intricate as his poetry or as lascive as one can be, Gale can feel his knees getting weak. Weaker.

FOOD PLAY

Not only Gale loves to cook and bake, but he loves the whole idea of being responsible for making someone stronger and healthier. Hunger is a hurtful thing, that he knows, and he don't want anyone else to deal with it.

It comes hand to hand with his praise kink. When you eat something good, you don't need to use words: your whole body shows it. He would apreciate the compliments, nonetheless.

To spoon feed you would be such a turn on. It's so intimate, such a show of trust and care, nothing but human. The way your mouth opened for the spoon, how your tongue licked it clean. Can you blame him?

After helping you eat, it would be his turn to end his hunger. You don't mind being his plate, do you? Gale promises to lick you clean. You always taste so sweet for him, what's a bit of honey to add to that?

OLFACTOPHILIA

Your scent can turn him into a fucking mess. There is something so human about it. So natural and real about it. Is just you.

After a fight, when you are covered in sweat and blood, he can't help himself. To be around you can make him drool. You fresh from your shower, smelling just as you and not as any perfume. When you spend the day laying around and is too lazy to get clean.

The amount of times his cheeks burned red because he breathed in when you walked past and a companion noticed can't be numbered.

Gale prefers to undress you rather you doing it yourself. That means he will be able to breath deep against your undies before getting them off of you.

Wanna get him as hard as a rock in mere seconds? Give him a underwear you used for a long time. Just threw it at his face and go on with your day. He will be quick to follow.

Gale loves how he can still smell you on his upper lip after going down on you. If you squirt, he will cum on his trousers. I don't make the rules.

FACE-SITTING/FACE FUCKING

Again: his mouth has only two uses. Is almost therapeutic for him. Just get on top of him, use his mouth however you want. The place in between your legs seen perfect for him to die on.

Gale Dekarios is a service top looking for a pillow princess/prince. I VOLUNTEER!

FINGERS IN MOUTH

You know that feeling of not knowing what to do next? Where to put your hands, what to do with your mouth? Since he prefers to be the one doing things, this can be a problem. A problem that can be easily solved by your pretty fingers.

It can hit even harder if he's in the process of casting something and you stop him by just putting your fingers into his mouth. Gale won't even know hot to react. Actually, he might suck them.

Ok, he might have a oral obsession. What are you, Freud?

BONDAGE

Hand to hand with that sort of anxiety about what he must do next. Make sure Gale stays put in place and use him. Remember guys, your service tops also deserve to be fucked around a bit.

Magic restrains or ropes, and make sure to do some beautiful knots. He could break free from them, but Gale won't desobey. Not after you spend so long getting him ready for you.

shadowheart turn ons/kinks

if you enjoyed, please reblog! i promise it makes a difference ♡

BALDUR’S GATE 3 TAGLIST: @citrusbunnies

@ madwomansapologist.tumblr.

[saphronethaleph]

Acting On Instinct

“So… Senator, I admit I’m curious,” Obi-Wan said, that afternoon. “I’ve been hearing a lot about the Military Creation Act.”

Padme looked up at the two Jedi, Obi-Wan and Anakin alike.

“You have?” she asked.

“Yes,” Obi-Wan agreed. “And – I’ll be honest – I’m not particularly sure about the controversy involved.”

“Can you explain?” Anakin requested. “I wasn’t really… any good at politics.”

“During this Separatist Crisis, certain elements of the Republic Senate are of the opinion that we need a standing army,” Padme explained. “And a much more significant navy, as well. I’m of the opinion that… the act is premature.”

Obi-Wan blinked.

“...why?” he asked.

“I cannot condone a course of action that would push us closer to war,” Padme answered.

“Senator,” Obi-Wan said, slowly. “I hope you don’t mind if I speak frankly?”

“I could hardly refuse you, I’m sure,” Padme replied.

“Can I ask first?” Anakin requested.

“By all means, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. “Your apprenticeship is to learn, after all – it’s good for you to work on the areas you struggle with, as well as those where you display great skill.”

“Thank you, Master, that’s very kind of you,” Anakin replied, with a fairly significant amount of sarcasm. “But… Padme, don’t you remember what was happening when we met?”

“...you mean on Tatooine?” Padme said, confused.

“No, not that,” Anakin replied. “On Naboo.”

“I believe what my apprentice is trying to say,” Obi-Wan supplied, helpfully, “is that Naboo was invaded, and was unable to effectively defend itself because it lacked a significant military. Subsequently, you travelled to Coruscant to ask that the Republic do something, and when they proved unable to do something about it within a few hours, you overthrew the government, travelled back to Naboo, and borrowed the Gungan army to solve the whole problem with their army, your security forces, your fighter corps, Anakin in a spare starfighter, and a lot of guns.”

He smiled, pleasantly. “And some Jedi, of course… but what that all means is that I’m very confused about why you’re opposed to the Military Creation Act.”

“Yeah,” Anakin agreed, nodding. “What he said.”

Obi-Wan stifled a chuckle.

“It is precisely because I have seen the damage done to Naboo in war that I refuse to invite it to the Republic,” Padme replied.

“Don’t the Separatists include the Trade Federation?” Anakin said. “It didn’t stop them last time.”

“I respect your ideas, Senator,” Obi-Wan told her. “Please – do not misunderstand me. But I would have expected you to be in favour of the Military Creation Act”

Padme frowned.

“...you do make a good point,” she admitted. “But… to have a peacetime military seems like a bad idea.”

“The problem, I think, is that not having a military at the start of a war is worse,” Obi-Wan said, thoughtfully. “Or is the concern about the idea that this military would allow for a tyranny?”

“There is some of that, yes,” Padme agreed.

“Why not make sure the Chancellor is in charge?” Anakin asked. “He’s a good person.”

“And what about the next?” Obi-Wan asked. “Or the one after him? No, I think there must be a different solution here…”

He considered, thoughtfully.

“Perhaps…”

“The vote on the Military Creation Act to follow,” Mas Amedda said. “Senator Amidala has a speech, and the vote will follow. Senator?”

“Thank you, Vice-Chancellor,” Amidala replied, then looked out into the hall. “Delegates – I recognize that many of you have disagreed with the Loyalist Committee on the matter of the Military Creation Act. I wish to propose an amendment – as follows.”

She cleared her throat.

“The budget for the military will be subject to an annual renewal by the Senate,” she said. “Forty percent of the military will be controlled at the federal level, and the remaining sixty percent assigned pro rata to the funding planets.”

Several seconds of silence hung in the air.

“That’s it,” she added. “I would vote for the Act with this amendment, and I encourage my fellows on the Loyalist Committee to do the same.”

“...ah,” Mas Amedda said, then fell back on procedure. “All members will vote on the Amidala amendment, and then on the Act itself.”

“Mas,” Palpatine hissed.

“What?” Mas replied.

“The Act isn’t supposed to pass,” Palpatine said, tightly. “It’s supposed to fail so that the only way to break the deadlock is emergency powers and the military falls to me personally-”

“Do you have any idea how catastrophic that would have been if I didn’t mute my microphone?” Mas demanded. “Look – you must have a fallback plan.”

“Why do you assume I have to have the fallback plans?” Palpatine asked. “What I don’t understand is why she’s in favour of the amendment, now, I worked hard to make sure she wouldn’t be.”

The vote counts appeared on their little screen, showing the amendment had passed. Then the voting on the Act took place, as well, and it was soon clear that – the act was successful.

Palpatine sighed.

“Well, then,” he said, and took out his comlink. “Dooku. Launch the invasion ahead of schedule. Bring the clones.”

Mas blinked.

“...what?” he said.

“If the Republic is going to get a military, I need to have the invasion happen before it gets one!” Palpatine said, waspishly. “If I can’t get control of the military by emergency powers then I can’t tolerate having it-”

He stopped speaking at the loud roar that had spread from the pods.

“...Mas?” he asked.

“You never told me you were going to have the Republic invaded,” Mas replied – his microphone, clearly, on. “I call for a vote of no confidence-”

Palpatine pushed him off the side of the podium, because at this point he was annoyed enough to take the instant gratification in the moments before everything got quite distressing.

[thatneoncrisis]

ok so im not going to directly reblog that john post with my rebuttal because it is. very long. but i will link to that post for context

here are all the reasons people feel very strongly about john being a shithead, and while reducing him to merely Flat Out On Purpose Evil flattens him as he is an incredibly complex character, the man does cartoonishly evil shit on the daily. it cannot be more obvious, in fact. and if he did all of this with good intentions, we cannot forget what the road to hell is paved with. john has been hurting people for ten thousand years

i cant entirely tell if this is a legitimate defense of him, but im going to treat it as such and offer a good faith rebuttal

"they were already going to die" is not a defense of his actions. it is an excuse. a very poor one in fact. i can recognize the amount of stress he was under, but killing every living person on the planet in the pursuit of revenge- because thats what this is about to him, revenge- is not something you can handwave away. would it be fair if someones entire family was gunned down because they happened to be in the same building as a very bad man? john has a very extremist way of thinking, and often conflates his sense of morality with the only way that is correct

you can recognize that he wants to be good, but wanting to be good and doing good are two entirely separate things. plenty of actual evil is committed in the name of "protecting children," however we can plainly see many cases of bigotry and abuse happen under the umbrella of that supposed cause. if john says he wants to protect the earth and saves humanity, and is directly the thing that kills them, not only with nukes but by snapping the necks of everyone the bombs didnt kill first, is that not antithetical to his entire mission? he killed the entire solar system just to fail to even kill his targets

additionally, he was granted great power by alecto. we see that not only can he prevent the rot of bodies and puppet them among other things, such as curing cancer and other illnesses, he grows roses for his friends wedding. he can manipulate plant matter. he could solve the food shortage if he wanted. he could do any number of constructive things, but instead the only thing he could keep his attention on was what bad people were doing, and how to hurt them the most.

later on in the timeline, we are plainly shown the world hes made when hes left to his own devices. hes crafted a feudalistic system powered by the death of his own people. his armies employ child soldiers, some as young as 11. there is a severe population crisis, many people suffer from furtility issues, the sixth house has to keep close records of their geneology just to prevent too much inbreeding. as a reminder, john has a stash of the dead from earth he kept tucked away, and gave some to harrow when she asked him to renew her house. he could fix this problem at any time, but he doesnt

planets outside the nine houses are routinely killed just so his necromantic soldiers have more fuel for this power. this is is shown to have devestating ecological consequences- every plant, animal and microorganism sentenced to death because necromancy eats through it so quickly. this also results in any people living on those planets to have to relocate quickly, or face starvation or any other number of horrors from one mans actions. oh, and speaking of the people

corona mentions in nona the ninth that she finds it odd that john does not integrate any of the non house people or their resources into their empire. it has been ten thousand years. BOE has guns, cars, televised announcements. our main characters grew up in a world where paper and real wood were expensive novelties because john keeps killing everything that can sustain a renewable resource. in the john chapters of nona the ninth, he makes a glib joke about how him destroying the internet was a good thing, but isnt it strange that in a world with spaceships capable of travel between planets in a matter of hours, no one in the in houses has found a way to wirelessly transfer digitized information? they still have to send letters on shuttles to communicate from planet to planet

with BOE mentioned, his treatment of them is particularly vile. they are a small, disorganized resistance group trying to unclench the fist that has been choking non house people for ten thousand years. the ones we meet on a personal level (mostly wake and pash) are vicious and uncompromising in their methodology- namely reducing necromancers and those who collaborate with them to non people, zombies, but the fact of the matter is they have to be. there is no polite way to resist fascism. there is no asking John to pretty please stop killing planets and illegally occupying our settlements to declare his authority that is only recognized bc he has the history and manpower to back it up. they are fighting an enemy that literally gets stronger the more of them they kill. they are fighting someone who can puppet the corpse of your friend and use it to attack you, or even blow you up. their extremism doesn't exist in a vacuum, and johns dislike of persists because they 1. undermine his authority and 2. are, in the haziest sense of the word, possibly kind of connected to the trillionaires he was mad at a myriad ago. people who are literally fucking dust. their wealth was not passed down to their descendants, their wealth means absolutely jack in the current situation. John is literally the rich powerhungry self preserving asshole he was pissed at when earth was alive. speaking of earth

John has been hoarding the planet earth for ten thousand years. obviously we never saw much of it due to everyone on the first in Gideon the ninth being confined to Canaan House, but it appears hospitable to life. no extreme temperatures, no food shortage, cythereas sitting under a tree outside so there appears to be no issue with vegetation growing. at any point, John could stop having his long suffering populace living in holes on Pluto and space stations next to the sun move to earth and live out more humane lives and he just doesn't. he keeps it as a holy ground. a place he himself doesn't even live on. he hoards it, this innate object, its soul kept trapped in a body it hates billions of miles away, and we can't even say why. given everything else he's done, im not inclined to believe he has a good reason for this, or even a particularly rational one. some people just like squirreling away their favorite things where no one else can touch

the handwaving of johns treatment of the cavaliers leapt out to me as very strange. it is that very lie that condemns him to death in Augustine and mercymorns eyes, his oldest and closest friends besides g1deon (who was dead at that part of the grand reveal, who knows how he would hav reacted). its not just a lie, it is The lie, a lie that exposes how expendable he sees the people around him. based on harrow the ninth alone, its pretty clear John is a terrible friend and mentor. his advice to harrow having a months long break in her sanity is to tell her to get a hobby and some rest. he is interested in the idea of her, but puts no effort into materially helping her (does his empire even have antipsychotics?) she is left alone and terrified for ten months, everyone around her assuming shell die in the conflict with the ressurection beast and he makes it all the worse with g1deon. not only telling him to kill her, but denying any involvement to her face

as for his other new Lyctor, he all but neglects Ianthe, abandoning her to augustines clear contempt. as vile and weird as Ianthe is, she has also experienced a pretty severe trauma. she has no clue where her sister is, is losing her sense of self after the consumption of her cavalier causes him to slowly start integrate into her personality (again, her own fault, but I imagine it feels weird) and she had her arm cut off by a woman who was driven half mad by johns apathy towards any of his lyctors suffering. he may claim to care for his friends, but it is entirely possible he just resurrected them to have some people from his old life to talk to, or to have powerful soldiers to fight his battles, or to have some scientists on hand help him workshop the early days of necromancy. we can never be sure, but what we can see is that he allowed seven people to be killed and eaten when he knew he had achieved the same result in a way that preserved both souls, and told none of them. its possible he thought he was doing this for their own good, whatever that means in this circumstance, but they were all adults, and should have been given all information possible before making their choice

even the way he treats his daughter is very. earnestly misguided. he immediately appoints her to be a soldier and sends her off on the front lines to fight the soul infecting devils crawling up form hell. he(allegedly, kirionas words) also tells her to open the tomb and kill Alecto, thus making her her fathers new cavalier. we have seen extensive treatment of cavaliers in this series- pack mules, batteries, body guards, even partners, but it is usually understood that the life of the necromancy is prioritized even at the cost of the cavalier. it is the foundation upon which lyctorhood is built, why Gideon killed herself in the first place. if he was serious about making her his cavalier, he's allowing his daughter to enter a very dangerous and potentially fatal position for no particular reason. he of course can resurrect her, but using your own kid as a regenerating meat shield is what some may consider scummy. on the other end, there is the possibility he was lying, he just wanted Gideon to open the tomb and face the very real possibility of Alecto killing her on sight. which there is a good chance of- johns power is borrowed from her, we have no clue what she can really do.

so three options here, two John is endangering his long lost daughter, one she was lying about what he said or if they even talked about it and just wanted a go at Alecto. while I do find the third option to be the most incharacter for Kiriona at this point, we've already seen he's named her and ianthe his tower princes and basically have them act as his proxies. he really really doesn't seem to care about actually protecting her

overall. John is certainly a guy who talks about doing things the right way, about caring for people and the world. and in every instance where he was given the chance to, he immediately hard pivots into the most destructive, manipulative route possible. everyone who has ever been close to him is either dead or has attempted to kill him or both. he committed an extinction event on a scale that is unheard of in human history. he gaslit and lied to harrow when he was the only authority she could appeal to, while being hunted by a man John told to kill her. he took the soul of a planet, wrapped it in the skin of some random childhood object, and shut her off and packed her away on a cold dark distant planet to be forgotten about until the end of time because she was too inhuman to control. he's declared a never ending war against people who died thousands of years ago, the now living people who have grown up only knowing the horror of undead soldiers and planets dying under their feet. he's cultivated a culture that disrespects the dead, that cannibalizes it, that uses the bones of its people for free labor

people are harsh on John because John does harsh things, and thats putting it lightly. he IS a deeply complex character, and I think the odd time I see someone trying to reduce what he's doing to basic heteronormative white supremacist ideals is uh. tone deaf. lets not call him a white guy just because he sucks thats insane. but many of the points you make in your post either take what he says about his motivations at face value, when he is a known liar, or presume good will on his behalf.

or the whole "they would have died anyway" defense which is uniquely terrible. you can say that about anyone, were all dying all the time. is it cool if someone kills the elderly or a cancer patient because they were already going to die and the rich people hoarding the resources such as affordable healthcare and housing are really to blame because it could have bought them more time? no. you stabbed a guy, thats murder. John killed ten billion people, most of whom are either stuck in a permanent sleep until he decides to defrost them so his empire can have more people, or who's souls are literally trapped because as htn and ntn heavily imply/straight up show, something is wrong with the river. this is an objectively bad and his motivations for his actions will never outweigh the ten billion he sacrificed while blinded by his own rage. this makes him an interesting character, not a good person

[kannady]

do you remember me too?

pairing: sylus x mc reader

synopsis: love and deepspace was a newfound obsession of yours. you installed the game shortly after sylus was released as a love interest. it'd be safe to say he was the reason you installed the app. however, finals week was approaching and you had to say goodbye to your favourite game. not for long, ofcourse. but you decide to login for the last time to check the new event.

word count: 3.1k

a/n: hey everyone! i actually rewrote and reuploaded this chapter. tbh i wanted to write more now that i have time on my hands. i felt like i may be taking things a little slow, so i tried to fix that. overall, im more satisfied with this version. lemme know your thoughts!

check out all chapters here

Chapter Six

“I can’t believe we actually made it back!” Your sister panted, flinging open the refrigerator and gulping down water while you leaned against the door, lost in thought. Thinking about who was following you, thinking about what to do next.

Your parents weren’t around, so you could talk freely without worrying them. Numbly, you trudged to the living room, collapsed onto the couch, and drew slow, steady breaths. You could still feel the adrenaline rushing through your veins and your head started to hurt. 

After fifteen minutes of silence, your sister sat beside you and handed you a chilled water bottle. You took a sip as she finally unleashed the questions she’d been holding back. “Do you know who was following us? How are you sure they were the bad guys? Why were they following us? Do they know where we live? What if they followed us up till here?” 

The last question freaked her out. Peering the curtains, she started scanning the area for “unusual movement”. Maybe you had acted rashly. After all, how could you be so sure they were the bad guys?

“I honestly have no idea. About anything at all.”

She just stared at you, while you continued. “I’m gonna be honest with you because I think keeping you in the dark would be even more dangerous. I don’t think I’m safe here, okay? And as long as I’m around, you guys aren’t safe either.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look, you said a large amount of energy would be needed to get me here. So, obviously someone intentionally did this. And I think I know who they are. They’re dangerous people, (reader’s sister).”

You could see her expressions change from fear, to confusion, to nothing. Maybe she was understanding the gravity of the situation or maybe she was just too good at hiding her emotions. “So, you think they were following us? Because their experiment was successful?”

“I… I don’t know. I don’t think it was them. Did you even hear them following us? Why would they let us go this easily?”

Frowning, your sister sank back into the couch, lost in thought. “Well, it is possible they were just two random dudes…” She trailed off, abruptly stood up and started pacing around the room. “Then, it’s official. We solve this problem.” She walked out of sight and ran up the stairs.

“Um… okay.”

A minute later, a cacophony of thuds and clatters echoed as she hauled something downstairs. When you got up to look, she was wrestling with a white board, notebook and several markers. 

“Alright. What the hell?”

“That’s how they do it in movies.”

She dropped the supplies, thrust the notebook into your hands, and began scribbling on the board.

“Let’s start from the beginning. You were on your way to…?” She looked up at you questioningly. “To the park.” Nodding, she jotted it down, muttering to herself. “And the you from here was on her way to the doctor.”

“What’s the point of all this?”

“Um, it’s a problem solving technique. You gather all the information you have, analyse it, find the root cause, eliminate it and find possible solutions. Simple.”

“Maybe you should’ve started with that.”

You sat down with her on the floor and narrated everything that had happened, while she described your predecessor’s day. After about an hour, the notebook was filled and the white board overflowed with little diagrams, bullet points and highlighted keywords. 

“Okay, I’ll repeat everything. Correct me if I’m wrong.” You nodded and she continued. “So you left for the park, sat under a tree to play that game, but your phone wasn’t working–” 

“No, it is working. See.” You unlocked your phone and swiped left and right. “Just the app wasn’t working.”

“She corrected the point on the board and continued. “Okay, okay. The app wasn’t working, then you came home and you were here. So, we can assume the soul-switching took place sometime after you left and before you came home. Did I get everything right?”

Your sister had asked you to tell her everything, no matter how trivial it seemed. And just then you remembered something. “Wait! I remember the park was empty this morning. But after I sat down, I saw this woman looking for her cat. So like, there were people then, but not when I got there.”

Your sister’s eyes bulged out and she lifted her lips into the biggest smile you’d ever seen. “So that’s where it happened. Sometime after you sat down and before you saw the woman. That’s probably when your soul was switched!” She practically started prancing around the room. The sight of it made you laugh heartily. 

After your little celebration, she switched back to the work mode. “Now, we have a very important piece of information. Anyway, after that you got home, did the whole drama. Then you went to the doctor. And everything went smoothly there, you say?”

“Yep, the smoothest it could go. Although, Zayne did say the results showed drastic changes. But we know why.” She tapped the marker against her lips, nodding grimly. “Then you got back home. We talked, went to the restaurant and were being followed by these weird dudes.”

“Weird, how? Because they followed us?”

“No, because their shadows were weird. Like there was something on their heads.”

That new revelation put you into deeper thought. Two guys with weirdly shaped shadows? It didn’t click anything, so you just shrugged it off. 

“We have all the information. We analysed it. We also know the root cause. The question is how do we eliminate it?”

“We can’t. At least, not yet. But the bigger question is do they really know their experiment was successful?”

“And why did they bring you here?”

That was something you hadn’t given your entire attention too. Was it because of the aether core? Your predecessor had it too so why bring you here? Was something wrong with her? But the MC had the ability to reincarnate, right? Nothing matched up. Nothing made sense. You weren’t even sure if EVER had brought you here. Maybe it was someone else or maybe it was accidental. But wait, did she have the aether core in her heart? After all, it was discovered as a result of illegal experiments.

“Hey, um… Was there something wrong with your sister?”

She raised her eyebrow and looked up at you. “Clarify.”

“Like, I don’t know. Did she spend most of her childhood in a hospital, you know? Surgeries and all that. Did she have any diseases or was she physically weak?”

She passed a very confused and worried look your way, but replied nonetheless. “We have a family album here somewhere. You can see, she was perfectly fine. And no, she was training to be a Hunter, remember? She wasn’t weak or sick.”

“Ugh!” You sighed and ruffled your hair. “Nothing makes any sense. I do have a few theories, but they don’t line up, considering the fact that your sister was perfectly normal.”

It had been a while since you played the game and now you were surely starting to forget things. You could only remember fragments of the main story. Maybe you hadn’t paid much attention to it? How could you confirm whether the old you had an aether core in her heart or not? After careful consideration, it clicked.

“Zayne!” He knew about the aether core in MC’s heart, but this one knows too.

“What about Zayne?” 

“In the game, the MC had something.” You tried your best to dumb it down for someone who had no idea about things from the get-go and whom you didn’t want to know more than they should. “It was powerful and it made her the target of illegal experiments and stuff.” 

You could see the horror plastered all over your sister’s face. “But Zayne knew about it. And I want to confirm if this one knows too. I don’t know if he’ll just straight up tell me. But it’s worth a shot, you know?”

She pursed her lips and a minute later she spoke up. “So, how will you approach the topic? Hey Zayne. Do I have something powerful and dangerous?”

“I haven’t thought about it yet.” It was true, you didn’t have a lot of knowledge about the aether core. There were memory cards you couldn’t get, so you were just left with your imagination. But like your sister had said, not everything was supposed to be like in the game.  After all, this was the real world. By now, you were aware of some very obvious differences. You weren’t an orphan, although you and Caleb were close, you didn’t grow up under the same roof. And what if…  What if you didn’t share a tragic past with any of the love interests? What if things really were normal here?

But your sister snapped you out of your thoughts. “No, wait. Don’t ask him anything. In fact, just forget anything happened.”

“Why would I-”

“Let’s say some dangerous organisation brought you here. If you go around asking people questions about yourself, it would surely grab their attention. Even if it’s Zayne.”

As much as you hated to admit it, she was right. That earlier encounter had freaked you out enough. You really weren’t looking for actual attention from the culprits. So, now you had to lie low. Pretend everything was alright, that you were really the old you. To convince them that the experiment failed. 

Your fingers twitched at the thought of pretending. Could you really play your old self after everything? Before further worry and anxiety engulfed you, you felt a soft hand on your shoulder. It truly warmed your heart that your sister was doing everything she could to help you out, make you feel welcomed, and to let you know she wasn’t going to let you go through this alone.

A noise from outside startled you and you both jolted your heads toward the source of the sound. Slowly creeping up to the window, your sister pulled the curtain to the side, looked out and rolled her eyes. “That creepy crow again.”

You felt the hairs on the back of your neck rise up.

Was it keeping an eye on you?

“What is Mephisto doing here?”

“Mephisto? That thing has a name?”

“Yeah. He’s Sy-Skye’s pet crow.”

“Who the hell is Skye?”

Now, that rang a bell. You remembered how the MC had that very alias for Sylus. But if Mephisto was here…

“Wait a minute. You said weird shadows. What exactly was on their head?” You turned to look at your sister expectantly. “Like they were wearing cat headbands...” You’d been so oblivious.

“Oh, my god! I’m so, so stupid.” You sighed falling to your knees. Mephisto was right there. You would’ve looked so stupid running for your life earlier. But why were they following you? 

“The dudes we saw earlier were Luke and Kieran! They work for Skye.”

“Okay, but who the hell is Skye? Is he the bad guy?”

You turned to look at her. “No, he’s the fifth love interest. My favourite one. Skye, nickname Sy.” She made a little ‘o’ with her lips as she started understanding everything you threw her way. You were still peering out the window, while Mephisto’s eyes were locked on you. Who knew how long he had been following you around?

“But why is he here? At this hour.”

You didn’t know. Your temple ached as the myriad of questions kept rising up with every passing moment. You did not have the answer to anything at all. But maybe now you knew how to get them.

“We should bring it inside.” Your suggestion was met with utter shock and straight refusal. “What? The crow? Hell, no.” 

“That’s how we can get answers by not getting unnecessary attention.”

She thought about it for a moment then spoke up. “But since we don’t know who brought you here, we can’t rule out the possibility it wasn’t Skye. Remember he’s technically killed two people.”

And way more than that. 

After the explosion, MC though Sylus was behind it, but turned out he wasn’t. Maybe you were going through the same thing. Being made to believe Sylus did something he actually didn’t. But this wasn’t a game! Why did you keep forgetting that? 

Did Sylus bring you here? That would explain Mephisto following you around. Maybe he was checking if the experiment worked. But why would he do that? All you had to do was figure one thing out.

“We need to figure out how much things are different from the game. Because Skye isn’t a bad guy.” Technically, you were right. Skye wasn’t the bad buy. 

“Okay… And how do we do that?”

“I don’t know.” Your gaze once again fell on the crow outside. What could be a harmless way of figuring out if things were exactly like the game? Your sister couldn’t help you on this, so you were really just on your own. Think, think, think!

“Is anyone in our neighborhood a Hunter?”

“Sure. I don’t know his name. But I’ve seen him come and go.”

This was your only hope. You couldn’t help but feel a little relieved, but things were far from done. “What does he look like?”

“Uh, tall, fair skin, silver hair. I’ve mostly seen him in white, yellow or purple clothes.”

At that point, you felt as if you could die from happiness. You wanted to jump around, scream, but for now you resorted to a little ‘yes!’.

“Okay, that’s good. But I don’t think that’ll be enough.” You needed more, but you felt like your mind was going blank. Why couldn’t you think of anything else? Maybe something minor could help you out. 

At the whim of giving up and as a last resort, you asked, “Is Caleb an orphan?”

“Yes, Aunt Josephine adopted him.”

Josephine. 

As the shock set in, you put your hand on your mouth and slowly sank into the couch. Holy shit!

“What? Is something wrong?” Your sister sat down beside you and slightly shook you when you didn’t reply. But truth was, you’d had enough. You needed answers and the crow outside was your only hope. Yes, you were scared, but not knowing the truth and living in oblivion was scarier. 

Maybe at one point, you wished to be able to live in this fantasy, but now that you were here you were terrified. You couldn’t go to bed knowing an opportunity was right there but you were too hesitant to take a risk. You couldn’t go back, you’d acknowledged that truth. But you weren’t gonna sit back and let those assholes ruin someone else’s life too and presumably get away with it.

 So what was it gonna be? Curiosity had finally killed the cat.

You abruptly got up, opened the door, slowly crept up towards the crow and held it tightly right before it could fly away from your clutches. After what felt like an eternity of struggling, you brought it inside. Held it up till your face, maintaining constant eye contact.

“Okay, listen up, you little piece of shit. Tell your daddy to get his ass here and stop stalking me like a little pussy. I’m scared as fuck and if I find out that he did this, you’ll be sorry. Get it?”

You shook the mechanical crow violently prompting it to let out a low, strained caw.

Opening the door, you loosened your hands and let it fly away. That’ll do it.

“Are you sure that’s the dude you like?”

Lemme know if you wanna be on the taglist!

tags: @zenbutnotreally, @godoffuckedupcats, @noxus123, @madam8, @agustdxjiminx, @liz9898, @lemonn015, @tearydamsel, @diegojeanne, @alyssac9, @dummiebunny, @acesgarden, @bigclownshoes, @sylusgirlie7, @roseyjean, @poptrim, @pillarofsnow, @rxelarailuj, @brekkers-whore, @one17, @cchiiwinkle, @babyx91, @mourning-into-dancing, @yuhuahuaaa, @stxrrielle, @tapiokay, @glassandhoney, @animelover18, @paper--angel, @plzdonutpercieveme, @coffeedragonhobbyist, @likewhyareyousoobsessedwithme, @harbingers-lullaby

[vampirevatican]

Can you do a Judd birch alphabet? You can decide if it’s nsfw or not

I've decided to do both, so here's the...

SFW & NSFW JUDDPHABET

Affection

He's affectionate but it's mostly through actions. (i.e. dinner date from the valentines day episode) I think he'd have his hands on you in public but in subtle ways. Finger in the belt loop of your pants, arm around your waist, arm on the back of the couch when you both sit together.

Best friend

He's a good guy at his core. you can not talk me down from that hill So I think he'd make a great friend. Hell quite a few alt people are and that usually comes from their beliefs.

A great listener, doesn't solve the problem unless you're looking for a solution, would offer to go torch some abandoned building or some other crimes but is only dead set if you are and it'd actually help you feel better.

Cuddles

He's big spoon, loves when you guys get ready to sleep and you get as close as possible without him having to do it.

Dirty secret

He's actually a softie. You can't tell me that he's not. The raccoons, melon ball, Judd has a soft side and it's canon.

Experience (NSFW)

No, yeah, he's experienced. Sexual and Romantic. Two girlfriends shown in the show, or rather at least one girl that he planned a dinner date for that was kinda fancy? Which makes me think they would've had at least a year together.

Favorite position(s) (NSFW)

Speaking of the letter 'E'

Face down, ass up is his usual go to. To get more specific? I think he'd love doing the mating press so he can really drill in. Big boy go deep... However also, rapid fire

69, The bicycle, hoisting you up on counters or bending you over. It depends on the amount of horny and where but one thing is for sure, he wants to bury himself into the hilt.

Gentle (NSFW implied)

I say, he's gentle when he wants to be. Ofc great at aftercare but outside of the obvious I think he's attentive to emotions of others, maybe not empathetic but what is he if not an observer.

Hair (NSFW implied)

So I've been over how he doesn't use a 16 in 1. Now let's talk about how I think he maintains his hair, and... a brief headcanon on the situation downstairs.

So getting general around 6 to 12 weeks he'll re-dye his hair. Probably at the 6 mark and with the sides of his hair, maybe even back, then we have the 2 to 4 week timing of him shaving it again. Notice how I say he does it. Sure he could get someone else too and depending on his schedule he sometimes does.

As for his junk... I don't think he shaves, maybe trims?

I love you

He's not about to say it first, and if he is then it's probably in response to you doing something he didn't expect or some random cuddle session in the back of his van.

Jacking off (NSFW)

Id love to bring in the concept of his own hormone monster but it's not necessary. He doesn't wank it often but when he does it's either built up or an in the moment thing.

Kisses (NSFW implied)

He's such a... good kisser 🎶~

Speaking wild... He's great at making out, imo, very passionate and heated.

Speaking soft? I like to think he'd kiss your forehead if you're small, or like the top of your head?? Before pulling you closer to him. Is it spur of the moment or he notices you being pouty, yeah.

Little ones (is he good with kids)

Again see letter 'D'. I swear he's good with kids. ffs he also helped out Andrew, reluctantly ofc, but i swear this dude is great with kids.

Mornings

Picture with me waking up in his bed, sharing the bathroom together and heading downstairs to a greeting from his supportive parents. Very cute, usually chill, and yes he drives you home or you head out with him. Nice breakfast into little adventures with your punk rock boyfriend, isn't that fun!

Nights

I love to think when it's not spent in his or your bedroom then it's his van or at some abandoned building. Lots of cuddles, maybe some arson or bne of an old abandoned business but if y'all were caught by the owner you'd be in trouble because you're defacing the property.

Open

I don't think he's an open guy, unless he's actually comfortable around you. It definitely takes some time but the more he learns about you the more you learn about him and it starts subtle af too. That is til y'all are a few drinks or blunt hits deep and everything starts to bleed

Pace (NSFW)

What pace do you need or want him to go? Naturally I think he'd have a steady pace and rhythm but if you needed it to be different then he'll adjust.

Questions (does he ask about you?)

See letter 'O'. I feel like he's direct but also would ask others about you if you aren't close enough yet and he doesn't have much of a choice. Mainly out of curiosity or wanting to do something for you.

Remember (and from those questions what does he remember?)

I say everything because again, he is an observer. Any little thing you like, stuff you hate, your fashion taste, favorite food, color, music genres. He knows it.

Stamina (NSFW)

For a dude that exercises, and is built the way he is i think it only makes sense for him to have really good stamina. Which means multiple rounds... if you're up for it.

Toys (NSFW)

For those who've been liking my works from last year about this man. Im going to call the knife a toy, but ofc he's definitely open to using a vibrator or other things in the bedroom

Ugly (the good, the bad and the ugly - headcanon negative traits)

So the canon aside, i feel like if you guys got into a genuine argument he'd shut down or double down. Not a huge red flag, and a better option to calm down and walk away but for those who can't handle that he ready for a breakup and him saying some real mean shit.

I can't see him being controlling or possessive but there's a possibility of it ramping up and if you two don't get to the route of it then... hwoof. especially if you aren't okay with it

Volume (NSFW)

He doesn't get loud... At all. But by god do I want him to be. Mfer can make you scream but him?? He be up in your ear mummering nd shit.

Warning (would be protect you? even from himself?)

Absolutely! If he's going out to do something really bad then he's not bringing you along, no matter how badass you are. Y'all get into an argument? Like I said before. I think he'd warn you or before taking the gloves off he'd address how this is just anger, and if you two wanna continue then he's okay with it as long as you know this is just being genuinely pissed

X exes (what's it like being his ex?)

Friends, friends with benefits if he's not dating someone else and you're okay with it. Things slip back into friend territory if y'all separated on good terms. Bad terms? No y'all do not talk... At all.

Yelling

Again he's not known to raise his voice but that doesn't mean he's not capable of doing so and I'm a firm believer that it'd be scary as fuck. Seeing you scared, if you do get scared, or even tear up bc if you don't do well with confrontation then he'd stop. If he was still mad or irritated then he just walks off to cook down, but if not then he instantly apologizes.

Zzz (going to bed together)

See the letter 'C', but anyways. I swear he's a cuddle bug, i need him to be. But he'd never admit it.