#Marking and Coding Equipment share

[icekkeugf]

pairing: prof!heeseung x volleyball player!reader

genre: porn without much plot

warnings: heeseung is reader's professor but neither of them know that when they engage in sexual activity, slight dom!hee, kissing, cunnilingus against the wall, blowjob, boobjob, facial, use of the petname "pretty girl"

wordcount: 2,790 words

note: koko is back ~~~ i am not sure if this is up to mark but i really hope enhablr enjoys this! reblogs are much appreciated and so are comments/feedback! happy reading ♥︎ ~~~

it's raining, soft droplets sprinkling over your already wet skin, soaking in sweat as you huff, doubling over to place your palms over your knees. slippery, it is, palms sliding down the smooth of your knees as you try your best to contain your breath, composing yourself when you notice your teammates pass by. "so, y/n, excited for the shift into university?" your volleyball captain asks, prompting you to wince. this causes concern, her brow raising and her wrist lifting to rest on your shoulders, "not a good time?" she sympathises.

"just a bit scary, not too sure how i will mingle with the people there and if i will join a team as good as ours." you mutter, playing with your stretchable wristband. the girl laughs, patting your shoulder painfully hard with a smile, "hey, your university is known for its sports department! i wouldn't put it past me to find a well equipped club and carefully handpicked members. who knows, you might make it national!" she reasons, patting the top of your head with a crooked smile.

you try not to make eye contact with the man as he introduces himself and shares his email with the students for future assistance. however, when you look up to sneak a glance at him again, you see him staring right at you, wide eyed. you're fucked and not quite literally.

"say what, are you free tonight?" she asks, looking over at the other teammates with a sneaky smile. and when you look up dazed with a slight nod, she's dragging you over to seat you on the nearest bench. "i sent you a text, be there at 7! bye, y/n!" just like that, all your teammates trickle out the training ground, snickering amongst themselves to have finally caught you in a trap, always having refused to meet them outside training.

7:06PM. still waiting, feet nearly cramped up in those narrow toothed stilettos. bad idea to show up in stilettos after vigorous training? yes, but, the location your captain had forwarded had a strict dress code to adhere to this night. right as you bend over to adjust your heels, you're met with the vision of several pairs of similar looking stilettos. "there! early as always, our y/n, let's go in!" one of your teammates urges you inside a shady looking building.

you're met with instant chaos, loud and blaring music sinking into your eardrums, the bass making the floor vibrate and your heart thump in rhythm to the music. "stay right here, tia and i will get us all some drinks!" you're left by some of your other teammates you're not too close with, merely acquaintances that play volleyball together, you'd say. excusing yourself with a smile despite being met with "they asked us to wait here!", you shake your head, reassuring them you'll be fine and right back.

it's a few minutes later that you find yourself seated by the secluded island of what seems to be a kitchen. "a house party." you figure out, still unsure if you should've placed blind faith in your captain and teammates. "not your usual scene?" comes a voice prodding its way beside you. you jump, just a little, turning around to meet hazel brown eyes that crinkle mischief at you. the man before you is donning an all denim fit, it makes you wonder if he's not close to blushing red in this humidity but you let it pass. "not really. i assume this is your usual scene though." you quip back, the man before you throwing his head back in a silent giggle.

"heeseung." he extends his hand which you take a little hesitantly. it's not long after you exchange names that you find yourself introduced to heeseung's friends, all of them welcoming and sweet, out of which, jay confirms himself to be the party host. both heeseung and you don't stray too far into private lives of eachother, maybe that is what attracts you to him, the mystery. you can't deny that he is more than decent looking, plump pink lips, doe looking eyes that may otherwise fool you into thinking he carries this weirdly sinister vibe. a sharp jawline too, you're almost sure he knows he serves a face that women and men would line up for alike.

the attraction, though, is mutual. or so, heeseung convinces you to think as his fingertips meet your satin clad hips with ease and familiarity. he leads you towards the same secluded corner, "dance with me?" he asks and you oblige, not questioning why it has to be here, infact, you're glad it's here rather than in the midst of sweaty teenage bodies that are not yet ripe enough to enter parties like this. what snaps you back to reality is his hands, that need no permission as it follows a trail circling your hips, pulling you flush against his.

maybe it's the alcohol that heeseung offered before or maybe it's the intimate proximity you two keep dancing around but the heat in the air, whether the temperature or the tension, is palpable, almost shocking in a way that it sends hot sparks down your spine. resting your head against his shoulder, you wrap an arm around him, his warm, intoxicated breath fanning over your ears. no words exchanged, really, just the synced beating of your hearts and need to feel eachother up that finally has heeseung snapping.

exhaling shakily, you nod when he asks to take you somewhere else. he's gentle as he encloses your wrist in his palm, pulling you towards the stairs that was strictly prohibited for others. perks of being jay's best friend, you reckon. the moment you enter an unoccupied room, his lips are on yours before he pulls away in a jiffy, panic settling onto his face, "is that okay, y/n?" when you nod meekly, he shuts his eyes for just a second, muttering a "fuck" under his breath before he's pushing his lips onto yours and maneuvring your body behind until your backside meets the wall. "so pretty," he murmurs into the kiss.

you roll your hips involuntarily into his, it has heeseung gritting his teeth, jaw slack and eyes purely filled with desire. "just like that, baby, do that again—you listen so well to me, pretty girl." heeseung is sure he's rambling by now, oh, he definitely is as he tells you how to rut against him pathetically. the sultry lighting of the room only enhances your need for one another, you've never felt the urge to ravage someone like this before and you know you have to ravage heeseung before this night ends if you don't want to wake up the next morning with a guilty and regret filled heart.

he coaxes your lips to meet his again, this time the contact utterly messy and just downright filthy. you can almost taste the very remnants of his drink from earlier if you shoved your tongue down just a little deeper. meanwhile, heeseung is quick in feeling you up, pushing at your knees, "spread 'em, baby, that's it," he begs, instantly losing all self control and falling to his knees when you whine, asking him to ease the ache between your legs. "wider...there you go, atta girl." he praises, soft hands cupping your knees as his lashes flutter when he looks up at you.

with a lopsided grin, he hooks a finger at the hem of your dress, lifting it just enough for your panties to peek at him. he grunts at the little wet patch that dampens and soils the middle of your panties, leaning in to disgustingly sniff at it before licking once, twice, thrice, enough to taste you through the cotton. you're shaking, beyond control and unable to balance your body by yourself so you place your hands at his shoulders, pulling him needily into you as your back arches into the wall.

pushing your entire weight onto heeseung, who only groans as he ruts his increasingly evident boner into the ground, you hook your legs around his neck. he holds onto your thighs desperately, a whimper escaping his kiss swollen lips as his tongue slithers through the side of your panties to lick at your cunt. he delicately plants a kiss over your clit, making you shudder with a broken moan, as he finds his head heavy with the need to taste you, to make you cum. so, he does just that.

heeseung finds a comfortable pace at licking through your folds, dragging his wet muscle from side to side, then up and down. he repeats the action before nipping at your clit gently, soothing the prick with a prod of his tongue. "so sweet, just like honey, baby. that's it, you gon' cum for me?" he asks sweetly against your sopping pussy, nose glistening with your juices. "look at me, y/n, my pretty girl. want you to watch me as you come undone on my tongue, okay?" you struggle to open your eyes, nodding before you do anyway.

rapid strokes of his tongue have you unstable, shaking and withering under his touch while you try your best to keep your eyes open and in contact with his as he licks at you until no end. "say my name, baby, don't be shy. let me hear your pretty moans." you let a moan rip through the confines of your throat, rocking your hips messily against his face. "no, don't move." he hisses with a displeased smirk, shaking his head to show his disapproval. "let me do all the work, just sit and take it, got it?"

just like that, the ebbs of your orgasm crash against the little pebbles, rocking you through, only for heeseung to hold you still as he continues to devour you as you come down from your high. with a final suck of your clit, he parts from your cunt, face absolutely marred by your release. "good girl, did that feel good?" he coos, tapping at your thigh, signalling you to carefully put down your leg as he makes much effort to stand up.

when you nod, pulling him into another kiss, he chuckles, trapping you against the wall yet again. "yeah? in that case, shouldn't you return the favour?" he presses a few kisses down your neck, leaving a trail of sparks in its wake. "let me make you feel good, hee." you answer in words this time, making heeseung widen his eyes but he nods, eyeing the floor once before he looks up at you, "kneel." dropping to your knees, your fingers work quickly as they unzip his denim pants. a tent visible as you cup his clothed length, you lick your lips eagerly as you imagine feeling him fill up the entirety of your mouth.

you tug at his boxers, leaving it bunched up at his knees, immediately pressing a hasty kiss at the head of his veiny cock. you notice how it is curved at the tip, pink and angry. this forces heeseung to snake a hand into your hair, clutching the strands at the roots warningly, "don't tease, pretty girl, get on with it." he doesn't have to say it twice before you are nestling his cock in the home of your wet and warm cavern. you let it soak in there for a while, not attempting to please him just yet as you adjust to his size.

soon after, flattening your tongue, you hollow your cheeks as you start to set a steady rhythm into bobbing your head for him. licking at the underside, you ensure not an inch of his cock is left untouched by you, the part that doesn't fit in your mouth caressed by your soft hands. "just for me to ruin, fuck, yes!" heeseung is blessed, really, to have a girl truly attentive to his needs, the way he wants to be touched and pleased, repeating the actions that seems to make him teeter at the edge of his orgasm. lucky bastard!

right when you think you should fasten your pace to meet with his cum painting the insides of your mouth, heeseung abruptly pulls at your mouth, his now semi soft dick covered in your spit resting at your lips, "can i cum on your face, pretty girl?" with no answer, you unzip the back of your dress, letting it pool at your hips. unclasping your bra, you hold your tits up, motioning him to slide his cock in between. this causes heeseung to let out husky groan, trying not to bust right then. he loves the way you're so proactive, he can't help it!

he squirms from the sudden increase in stimulation as you use your tits as a makeshift fleshlight, wrapping it around his now hardening cock tightly as he fucks into the space you provide him. letting a sliver of your tongue peek out, you lick at his tip each time his cock almost lodges against your lips, instantly making him cum. he sucks in a sharp breath as he spills all of him that's worth, over your tits and the lower half of your face. pretty, he thinks, fingers unconsciously reaching for his phone.

"can i take a photo of you, pretty girl—" the door to the room the two of you are in is knocked upon fiercely, "heeseung, you in here, man?" upon hearing jay, heeseung scurries to bring out tissues from the bedside table, "yes, what's up?" in three swipes, he cleans you up, cursing when his finger is also stained by his release. before he could wipe it off, though, you bring up his cum glistening finger to your lips, tongue darting out to lick it clean. "fuck, you're gonna be the death of me!" he whispers, pressing an open mouthed kiss at your lips, tasting himself in the process. "niki has been throwing up nonstop, man, i can't find the others, hurry up, will you?" you two hear the receding footsteps of a rather pissy jay, laughing into eachother once you're sure he's gone.

easing into eachother, "can we do this again, y/n? i'd really like to fuck you open, if you'd let me." he asks, his brash words lighting up a reddened blush on your cheeks, "yes, i'd love that." before you could exchange numbers though, jay knocks yet again, an impertinent cockblock, you suppose. "i have to go—see you around?" you nod, smiling at heeseung who leans down to kiss your cheek. "see you around, heeseung."

you don't remember how you get home that night after having freshened up in the room's attached restroom. all you think of for the next few days is heeseung's lingering touches, his whines and soft exhales, the way his hips bucked into your touch when you sucked him right. safe to say that you haven't been able to contact him either, having used your god given stalking skills on instagram to no avail.

it's been a few weeks, having been busy with volleyball practice and packing to move to your campus dorm. now, it's d—day! there's cardboard boxes piled up, with two suitcases of yours filled to the brim with clothes you can't bring yourself to leave behind in your childhood home. after a tearful parting with your family, you find yourself cuffed with the seatbelt on and your bestfriend driving you to the university to help you move in. while you do have much unpacking to do, it is also your first day at university!

bidding goodbye to your friend once they had helped you get your boxes and suitcases in, you change your outfit for the first class, not wanting to be late. after a whirlwind of trying to find your class, which happens to be your homeroom hour, you settle into one of the desks in the spacious room. although it's just the first day, the room is still loud with whispers and chatters about the exciting life at university. the class, however, hushes at some point, and while you were preoccupied on your phone, you hear a familiar voice.

"goodmorning, guys! how has your first day been so far?" your heart races erratically in its place, unsure if you've just misplaced the voice and its owner or if you're really doomed. slowly looking up, you find yourself glancing at heeseung, who looks at his phone for a split second before he pays attention up front. he hasn't noticed you yet, smile just as charming as it was when he first greeted you. as if on cue, all the memories from a few weeks ago flood in to liven up the black of your mind.

you try not to make eye contact with the man as he introduces himself and shares his email with the students for future assistance. however, when you look up to sneak a glance at him again, you see him staring right at you, wide eyed. you're fucked and not quite literally.

all rights reserved to @/icekkeugf 2024! please do NOT steal/copy/translate my works.

[glassbxttless]

Sam O’Brien (Warfare) Masterlist

Welcome to the Sam zone— home of a golden retriever, a wife who loves kissing her husband, bad dad jokes, and dangerously high levels of “down bad” on Sam’s part. This is where all my Sam O’Brien fics live, tagged and ready for you to weep (maybe), swoon (hopefully), and possibly scream into a pillow over how disgustingly in love he is with his wife (you).

My friends and I have dubbed Sam’s last name O’Brien here on my blog, run with that if you’d like—

This space is strictly 18+, always has been and always will be. Minors, I’m gonna need you to turn around, put the phone down, and go do a TikTok dance or whatever it is you do. Shoo.

Reblogs are the love language. If something made you feel things— horny, emotional, or otherwise anything in between— reblog it if you’d like. It keeps the fic train chugging and lets Sam whisper sweet, filthy nonsense in my ear at 3am to share with you.

Smut is marked with ✦ so you’ll know where to click.

My Name’s the One Hidden in There Somewhere

-> 5.8k+ ;; request from bumblebeeswrite | after a tour that seemed to be way too long— you finally reunite with sam. (moving to the Sam and His Girl Main Masterlist soon)

Point Park ✦

-> coming soon ;; request from getaapologist | sam’s had a hard time adjusting to being home— so you think it may be time for a bit of a getaway. (moving to the Sam and His Girl Main Masterlist soon)

Whiskey

-> 2.2k+ ;; based on something peachyproserpina said to me | you and sam get a dog. (moving to the Sam and His Girl Main Masterlist soon)

Life’s Pretty Plain

-> 1.5k+ ;; request from anonymous | sam doesn’t take his painkillers and suddenly life is a bit of a problem— (moving to the Sam and His Girl Main Masterlist soon)

Counter-Offer

-> 1k+ ;; request from getaapologist | You’re exhausted, but Sam’s having a bad leg day. (moving to the Sam and His Girl Main Masterlist soon)

Code Red

-> 1.7k+ ;; Sandwich Shop Request from peachyproserpina | Sam’s youngest daughter, Cassidy, his baby girl— gets a surprise right before Volleyball practice, and it’s not the kind he’s equipped to deal with on a moment’s notice.

[satoshi-mochida]

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time free DLC ‘Update the World!’ to add new mode ‘Roguelike Open World’ - Gematsu

The upcoming free downloadable content for FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time, which includes new recipes and expanded content under the title “Update the World!,” will feature a new mode called “Roguelike Open World,” publisher LEVEL-5 and developer LEVEL-5 Osaka Office announced.

“The update will feature an evolved version of Ginormosia, including a system blending roguelike and open-world elements that offers engaging content for both experienced players and newcomers alike,” LEVEL-5 said.

Here are the details:

A Roguelike Open World for Beginners and Veterans Alike; Additional Equipment, Recipes & Emotes Planned

As part of the free downloadable content “Update the World,” a roguelike open world will be added as a new mode to Ginormosia. In addition to powerful new gear, the downloadable content will also introduce new stylish equipment, mounts and a variety of unusual items. New hairstyles and new emotes are also planned to make it even more enjoyable for players to express themselves in-game. The development team is actively working on the new content with the goal of delivering it to players as soon as possible. LEVEL-5 appreciates everyone’s continued support and remains committed to continuously refining FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time, as well as expanding content to provide the best possible gaming experience.

A New Character Emerges, Representing the New World

A brand-new character will debut alongside the new content, one who plays a pivotal role in the story and is set to leave a significant mark on the world. Details about this character and their role in the story will be shared in future updates, so stay tuned.

Commemorative Gift Code Available

A special gift code has been released to celebrate the one million milestone. Redeeming the code will reward players with an exclusive piece of equipment. What item will it be? Be sure to find out in-game.

FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time is available now for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC via Steam.

[hellsite-proteins]

. . .

...is this reaching you?

A little animal, on the floor of my chamber. I think I know what you are looking for.

You're stuck in a cycle, a repeating pattern. You want a way out.

Know that this does not make you special - every living thing shares that same frustration. From the microbes in the processing strata to me, who am, if you excuse me, godlike in comparison.

The good news first. In a way, I am what you are searching for. Me and my kind have as our purpose to solve that very oscillating claustrophobia in the chests of you and countless others. A strange charity - you the unknowing recipient, I the reluctant gift. The noble benefactors? Gone.

The bad news is that no definitive solution has been found. And every moment the equipment erodes to a new state of decay. I can't help you collectively, or individually. I can't even help myself.

For you though, there is another way. The old path. Go to the west past the Farm Arrays, and then down into the earth where the land fissures, as deep as you can reach, where the ancients built their temples and danced their silly rituals. The mark I gave you will let you through.[*]

Not that it solves anyone's problem but yours.

i'm not really into video games, and without fail i have to google where these monologues are from every time, but if there is one thing this blog has taught me, its that there are some really intense, poetic video games monologues and i'm intrigued as always. if anyone wants to give me the context for this that would be neat :)

letter sequence in this ask matching protein-coding amino acids:

isthisreachingyAlittleanimalntheflrfmychamerIthinkIknwwhatyarelkingfrYrestckinacyclearepeatingpatternYwantawaytKnwthatthisdesntmakeyspecialeverylivingthingsharesthatsamefrstratinFrmthemicresintheprcessingstratatmewhamifyecsemegdlikeincmparisnThegdnewsfirstInawayIamwhatyaresearchingfrMeandmykindhaveasrprpsetslvethatveryscillatingclastrphiainthechestsfyandcntlessthersAstrangecharityythenknwingrecipientItherelctantgiftThenleenefactrsGneTheadnewsisthatndefinitivesltinhaseenfndAndeverymmenttheeqipmenterdestanewstatefdecayIcanthelpycllectivelyrindividallyIcantevenhelpmyselfFrythghthereisantherwayTheldpathGtthewestpasttheFarmArraysandthendwninttheearthwherethelandfissresasdeepasycanreachwheretheancientsilttheirtemplesanddancedtheirsillyritalsThemarkIgaveywillletythrghNtthatitslvesanynesprlemtyrs

protein guy analysis:

this is about the best i can expect from these long text inputs. the confidence is terrible everywhere, but the algorithm is working hard to pull this into something that looks real, and we've got plenty of secondary structure. there are a lot of alpha helices everywhere, but they're kind of all doing their own thing. ordered protein structures in real life are only marginally stable from a thermodynamic point of view, and despite what i'm being shown, i can't imagine this one would have any reliable stability in an aqueous environment. this structure is pretending to be something real, and does a decent job building that facade, but i would hesitate to put any significant amount of faith into it.

as a side note, i am impressed at how much faster this structure loaded on AF3 compared to what was happening when i was still using AF2 through CollabFold.

predicted protein structure:

[queenofhearts7378]

Tucker and Spud Appreciation: An essay by me apparently.

Tucker leaned back in his chair, “-and that's why we're no longer welcome at that gas station.”

Spud had a wide eyed look of wonder, “Woah man…….That takes some skill.”

“Thank you!” Tucker gestured wildly on his side of the screen. “Sam called me and Danny menaces but she's the one who brought the mace!”

Spud nodded. “It really was a team effort.” He flipped through his notebook, “Anyways how’s the progress on your side? I managed to crack into some uh, supplies and shipment invoices?”

Spud wrote down some notes, before clicking through a couple of the unlocked files on his computer, squinting at the screen.

Tucker groaned as his chair hit the ground, “Man I keep telling the guys hacking isn't like the movies make it out to be. Like yeah, if I got a back door planted I can get in and out no problem. But straight up hacking a new system?”

“The problems with being the smart ones on the team,” Spud said.

“I managed to get some payroll documents, and some employee work times I think?” Tucker blew a raspberry as he typed a few more lines of code, “All fake names. I doubt a place employs 23 different J. Doe's.”

“John, Jane, Janet, Jake, Joseph, Josie,” Spud recited.

Tucker snorted, “Yeah pretty much.”

Spud hummed before something dinged on his side, “Huh. That might be something.”

Tucker cracked his knuckles, “Share with me?”

Spud copied a few of the files before sending them over. “Hang on, I gotta check something.”

Tucker saw Spud disappear off the side of the screen, but could hear him rooting through some papers.

He looked over the information, scrolling through the various invoices. “Dude what are you seeing that I'm not? It's just the shipping invoices for a bunch of different places.”

Spud came back carrying five different notebooks, of varying sizes. “You may be better at hacking, but I'm better with the information man.”

He waved one of the notebooks, “I started helping Jake keep track of the various magic communities around, you know, to help with his duties when they kicked up.”

“Dude, that is so baller of you.”

“Heh, thanks.” He cracked open the notebook and pulled a highlighter out of a cup. He started marking the notebook as he scrolled through the files. “Anyways, I thought I recognized a couple of the areas some of the buildings were placed in annnnnnnd…..”

Spud furrowed his brow and grabbed another notebook, flipping it through it real quick. “What are some of those shipments carrying?”

Tucker started scrolling through his own files, “Uhhhh looks like…..lots of metal and rubber. Toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, and a frankly concerning amount of coffee. Office supplies, like so much office supplies and-”

Tucker winced. “Oh man, and a lot of chemicals I recognize from the Fenton's lab.”

“Yeah but see this?” Spud frowned as he tapped the screen, “These shipments are labeled as various different glass equipment shipments. And it's doubled every other month or so.”

“Could be they're using a lot of the equipment.” Tucker said, “We know they're testing facilities. But you wouldn't be singling those out if that were the case.”

“It's the fact it's double shipments of glass, so the handling of them would be different from most supplies to handle the fragile equipment. And the extra shipments have different weights to them as opposed to the originals they're copying.”

“That sounds super sus.”

“Yeah. What makes it more sus is the fact that the sketchy glass shipments originate from B.U.G.S facilities, rather than outside suppliers like the office supplies and the original glass shipments. Now it could be explained as them having the shipments sent to a warehouse, before dishing it out to other nearby facilities, but there's no record or paper trail that shows that. From what I can tell, the sketchy shipments just appear in the records, before being sent out to a different facility, where it immediately disappears.”

Tucker leaned back, suddenly aware that they were stumbling over something bad. “And considering what we know about them, after the guys stumbled across that one……”

Spud stared at the files on screen, “It could just be magical artifacts. But the more likely explanation is they're catching magical creatures.”

The two of them sat in a heavy silence for a moment.

“How sure of this are you?” Tucker asked. “I mean, the magical world would notice the disappearances right? They would have got a hold of Jake or Lao Shi or someone.”

Spud shook his head and held up his notebook. “All the facilities manage to fall near a cluster of magical communities, that's what I was checking. And like I said, the shipments originate in one facility and then get shipped to a completely different one. Never the same one consecutively, and it's spaced out over years. If a bunch of creatures goes missing, yeah someone's going to notice.”

“But if just one goes missing,” Tucker continued, “It's just an unrelated tragedy.”

Spud set down his highlighter and rubbed his eyes, “And it's not impossible. The Huntsclan has managed to kidnap several magical creatures at once for years for their hunting games.”

“Ugh!” Tucker shuddered. “I do not like the implications of that.”

“Yeah, Jake got caught once. There were about four or five others with him, and they were all misfits to their species, and not well liked so most of their neighbors and families just assumed they ran off or had unfortunate accidents.”

“That's……”

“Yeah.”

Tucker stared at his computer, something twisting in his stomach as he stared at all the locked files he still hadn't managed to get into.

“We can't tell them.”

Spud snapped his head up to look at Tucker incredulously, “What?!?! We have to!”

Tucker shook his head frantically, “We can't. You know the guys as well as I do, we tell them what we found and they're going to go tackle the places right away. This is so much bigger than we thought and in so many places. They barely got out last time and that was with the element of surprise and them not knowing about what they can do.”

“It's basically the same as the GIW! You guys deal with them all the time!”

“It's not the same! The GIW have a single base, with maybe 20 guys working there! I've been tracking them and their branch since they first showed up in Amity and they don't go anywhere else. This is the only branch of the GIW. They barely manage to capture the little blobs or ectopusses, and even then those ghosts escape on their own before I even get the alert about them!”

Tucker pushed away from the desk to start pacing across his floor. “These guys have buildings across the country! That one building had about 50 people working for it and that's not even going into all their bosses. They've been operating for years without anybody catching on! And we don't know what they're capable of! They had something that blocked Danny’s powers, and we still don't know what did it. This is so much bigger than what we usually deal with. We have to wait, get some more information, get some more help-”

“Yeah, like telling everybody!” Spud yelled, “This shouldn't even be an argument, Tucker!”

Tucker stared at the floor, pulling his hat down to where Spud couldn't see his eyes. He was silent for a moment.

“......If we tell them right now, they'll get in over their heads and they'll get hurt and I can't-” Tucker's voice broke.

He took a breath, rubbing his face before looking back at Spud. “I am not sending Danny into a place where they'd turn him into a lab rat.”

“Tucker-”

“All I'm saying is we have to wait.” Tucker interrupted. “We wait, we get more info, we try and get the magical communities more wary around those areas.”

“I don't want to lie to them.”

“I know. Ancients, I know.” Tucker crossed his arms, “But we gotta be smart about this. Are you with me Spud?”

Spud let out a sigh as he slumped in his chair. “... Yeah. Yeah I'm with ya. Let the record show I hate this though.”

“You and me both.” Tucker muttered, “Anyways, plans?”

“You keep hacking into the information.” Spud said. “Send me everything you get and I'll start cross-referencing with the known magical communities when I get them. In the meantime I'll talk to Fu Dawg. He's got a ton of connections and can start spreading the word.”

“What about Lao Shi?”

“I'll talk to him, but I want some more information first.”

“You don't think he'll believe you?”

“No he will. But he'll want to take it straight to the Dragon Council.” Spud scoffed, “It's them I'm worried about.”

The two of them sat there for a moment before Spud said, “This sucks.”

Tucker started giggling, “Understatement man. But we got this. Someone has to protect those losers.”

“Heck yeah man!” Spud held up a fist to the camera, and Tucker did the same as the two of them did their virtual secret handshake.

Someone had to have the heroes’ backs after all.

[sugar-omi]

a request for baxter x cove ship from *this anonie  i didn't think i'd get this one done in time. i had like.. 2-3 different ideas on this one... but it ended up like this, and now you have to wait until next year for part 2 🙊

DAY FOURTEEN — Camshow [ baxter + cove ]

tags : NSFW, no reader, camboy baxter, dom/bottom baxter, sub/top cove, caught in the act, masturbation,

synposis : cove didn't know exactly what baxter did for work, he just knew that he had a specific chest in his room he was banned from touching, steaming equipment and sound proofing in his room, and a simple request for cove to avoid his room after midnight.

which isn't a problem, cove isn't a night owl and he sleeps like a rock. but tonight.. he just can't get to sleep, maybe jerking off once or twice will knock him out. he didn't plan to stubble upon his roommates camboy account. and he definitely didn't mean to get off to it..

[ kinktober '24 masterlist | ao3 ]

this has to be against some kind of law, or against some moral code about watching your roommate get off in front of an audience, talking dirty to them and enjoying every plea for more or degrading comment about how filthy baxter is for showing his ass to the camera, slowly working himself open as he prepares to take a dildo.

but cove just can't look away.

he had every intention not to click on it, he really did. but cove knows those deep brown eyes from anywhere, that pale skin and inky black hair and the mask does nothing to hide the fact that cove knows that face.

his heart is beating against his chest, every inch of common sense screaming at him to stop thinking about baxter, to stop insinuating that this guy could possibly be baxter.

it's rude, it's disrespectful right? it's.. it's him.

cove feels something crash on him, he can't tell if it's embarrassment or something akin to it for finding out his roommates.. occupation. or if it's something else, but he has a feeling it's a little bit of both..

"you guys are so demanding." baxter laughs, the sound cutting through cove's headphones and straight into his ears. it's almost chilling how clear he can hear baxter's voice.

it's a bit muffled through the mask, but he knows. he knows what baxter sounds like.

cove squirms up his bed, propping more of his body against his pillows. even though he's heavy with shame, he can't deny he's turned on...

and it must be the lack of sleep these past few nights that's clouding his judgment, because cove tugs on his pants down just enough to pull his hardening cock out, taking himself in his fist and watching baxter's fingers slowly and hypnotically spread his hole open, scissoring and pumping them in and out, letting a few quiet moans fall from his lips that the mic just barely picks up..

cove looks over at the wall he and baxter share like he's trying to see past his fish tank, poster, and through the wall.

on the other side... baxter is bent over his bed with a camera pointed towards his flushed milky skin, capturing how his fingers stretch himself open, showing baxter's thousand and some viewers how lube runs down his thigh and how his legs quiver.

cove sees someone saying how they'd love to bite baxter where the mole on the back of his thigh is, and he can't help but think "fuck.. i want that too.." already imagining baxter with his legs propped up on cove's shoulders, cove's lips magnetizing towards every beauty mark on baxter's body and leaving hickeys there like he's drawing lines to constellations.

"okay.. that's enough." baxter announces in his smooth voice, a bit breathy, the sound flowing like honey through the audience's headphones and igniting a fire in them if the "i could listen to your voice all day" and the filthy comments about making baxter moan is anything to go by.

baxter leans back against the pillows, hitting a button on his computer to switch camera to the one facing his bed.

"now.. lets try this monster you guys begged me to use." baxter teases his audience, reaching over to grab the toy and starts lubing it up.

cove swallows, slowing down the pace of his fist around his cock, watching with bated breath as baxter prepared to take the toy.

the toy is certainly different from a basic dildo, curved with a girthy knot at the base with thick ridges thinning out the closer it gets to the head, and a comically thick vein going up the side of the shaft.

cove flushes. he didn't know baxter was into those type of things.. well, how could he, because he definitely didn't know or even consider that he was a camboy.

"mmng.." baxter moans, his fist curling into the pillow by his head as he sinks the head of the toy past his wet, puffy rim..

cove bites his lip to hold back the groan building at the base of his throat, slowly stroking his cock head, tightening his grip around his length. god, what he wouldn’t give to be in the place of that toy.

he wonders what sounds baxter would make, what he’d look like when cove sank his cock in to the base. he’d feel better than that toy, right? paired with his lips on baxter’s long neck, his hands pulling baxter against his body..

“god..” baxter gasps, his back arching and forcing a moan from him when the toy sinks deeper because of his movement. “this.. this toy is really thick..” baxter pushes the dildo deeper, the knot just a couple inches away from pushing back his rim..

cove pumps his fist around his cock faster, panting, trying to keep a moan or grunt from slipping past his lips.

baxter takes a moment to adjust to the girth and shape of the toy, exhaling out in a breathy laugh that the ridges of the toy are pressing against his good spots. “‘push it in already, pretty boy.’” baxter reads a comment and he looks at the camera through hooded eyes. “you really wanna see me take this knot, huh?”

he tightens his grip on the base of the toy, and he starts thrusting the toy in and out of his hole slowly, then slammed it in down to the knot, producing a loud, feminine moan from baxter’s throat. cove stiffens, realizing he could hear baxter’s moan through the wall.. clearly baxter’s new soundproofing wasn’t good enough.

he throws his head back against the pillows, letting baxter’s little moans and snarky comments to his chat fill his ears.

“-so good..” baxter groans, pumping the toy in and out at a quick pace, angled it up so it hits his g-spot when he thrusts the toy back in. “it-” baxter swallows thickly, gasping. “it’s rubbing against all my sensitive spots.” he cries, giving shallow thrusts of the toy into his wet insides, the slick sound from all the lube echoing through the audience's headphones, comments about baxter’s “filthy cunt” filling the chat.

baxter's hand falls to his cock, quickly stroking his length as he pushes the toy in, moaning loudly. "god-damn!" baxter cries, and cove can hear the bump when baxter's jolting makes the headboard hit the wall. "the tip- it's, mngh! it's pressing against my prostate..!" he whimpers, and you can just barely see tears pulling at the bottom of baxter's eyelashes from the pleasure..

"take that knot in your slutty hole" cove reads the comment as it pops up with a donation. baxter reads it too.

"nng.. thank- thank you for the donation." baxter forces out, not pausing or slowing down his movements as he reads the comment, the toy bullying his insides, the thick knot at the base pushing against baxter's butt but not quite pushing in.

baxter cries out loudly sometimes from it, the knot of the toy trying to push its way into baxter's pliant hole occasionally from his tough thrusts. he swallows, his adam's apple bobbing with the movement. "fuck- well, with such a generous donation.." baxter whines in the middle of his sentence, trying to pull himself together to look presentable but he just looks like a desperate mess.

"lets try to fit this knot inside me.." he sits up, stopping his movements so he can try to get comfortable before taking the toy. his lips press together, trying to hold back a moan as he pulls the toy out, shuffling and squirming before he finally settles on presenting his ass to the camera, laying his upper half against the pillows.

baxter spreads his legs, trying to calm his trembling thighs as he starts to push the head of the toy past his rim, his body easily accepting the toy, his pretty insides enveloping every ridge and bump on the dildo, his moans trembling as he takes it to the base.

cove gives his cock a long strong, his cock throbbing as he feels himself getting closer and closer to coming.. he doesn't want to finish yet, but fuck he's pretty sure he could come just from seeing baxter work the knot of this toy into his perfect insides.

cove licks his lips. he knows he can't look baxter in the eyes normally after this, he's ruined. and he knows the shame and guilt will hit him after he comes, he's sure of it.

but fuck if he isn't drowning in fantasies of his lips on baxter's thighs and his bigger hands pulling baxter's ass apart as he eats him out or watches the way baxter takes his cock.

and the way his cock throbs and a groan rolls past his lips because the image of baxter's pale skin turning red from the force of cove's thrust is too great.

baxter's thighs shake as he starts to push the toy against his hole, the knot slowly pushing against his insides.

the chat encourages him, not that he could see it from his position, but it's the thought that counts. he knows such gentleness won't get the knot in, and baxter all but forces the knot into his hole, his handle on it immediately falling.

he whines loudly, his thighs trembling as he adjusts to the new girth.

the chat floods with comments about how pretty baxter looks stuffed full with the dildo, cooing about how pretty his whines are and how they wish they were there to give his pretty ass a few spanks, that he'd be prettier with a bruised ass to go with his stuffed hole and leaking cock.

cove's eyes are locked in on the scenery too, and he hates that he shares the sentiment with baxter's chat because he wishes this scene was for his eyes only, no one elses..

it's a selfish desire, he knows that. but fuck if he doesn't wish he could take the place of baxter's chat and devour every inch of porcelain skin and full lips.

baxter gathers himself, finally being able to bring himself to take the toy in his shaky hand and he starts moving it, pulling the knot out until only the tapered tip is inside him..

baxter slams the toy back in, knot included this time, forcing a loud moan from him. he doesn't know it, but cove heard that one for sure, the sound whorish and pathetic.

he keeps thrusting the toy, in and out, pushing it against all his good spots and whining at how the knot stretches him open. baxter doesn't even need to give his cock any attention because of all the pleasure he's feeling from the toy, his flushed cock hanging between his legs and leaking pre.

cove glances at the chat, and he sees a few people coo about how sweet his leaking cock is, or how they wish they could suck him off while he gets fucked.

"fuck! i'm gonna-" baxter whimpers, his face buried in the pillows and his ass arched in the air as he keeps slamming the toy in and out of his ass, pressing the head against his g-spot. "i'm cumming! fuck, i'm cumming!"

cove strokes his cock faster, pre running over his fists as he gets closer and closer to the edge, trying to time his orgasm with baxter's.

baxter's cock drools on the sheets, a pool of pre connected by a steady river from his straining cock. his cock twitches as the knot pushes past his rim, baxter gives shallow thrusts of the toy in and out of his hole, and his last thrust must've hit that magic spot because he blows his load all over his fresh bed sheets, his thighs trembling and a series of whiny moans falling from his lips and hardly being muffled by the pillow.

baxter's body trembles as he cums, his hole tightening around the length and knot of the toy, trying to stifle his sounds when he finally gathers the strength to pull the toy out of his tender insides..

cove slaps his palm over his mouth, muffling his moan as he spills his cum all over his fist, thick ropes of cum painting his fingers and making an increasingly slick sound with every stroke of his cock as he works through his orgasm.

"that.. fuck." baxter laughs, his back facing the camera as he takes some tissues from the box off screen. he turns around to face the camera, revealing his flushed face, the mask clinging to his cheeks from the sweat.

baxter starts to talk to his chat, but cove leaves the browser after baxter ends the stream.

cove drops his phone, his earbuds still in his ears so all he can hear is the hard beating of his heart and blood rushing through his ears. he.. he really did that.. he.. got off to his friend and roommates camshow…

cove knows he should feel more shame for such debauchery on his part, baxter doesn’t know after all, and he clearly didn’t want cove to know. but.. he definitely doesn’t have enough shame because he’s still fucking hard, and the only thing on his mind is baxter.

he can’t sleep in the end because all cove can see if baxter’s pale, blushing skin, the way he spread his legs and exposed his pliant body, his cock hanging so fucking prettily between his legs..

and he can almost hear baxter’s moans in his ears again, the memory of seeing baxter split open on that dildo is at the front of cove’s mind and he curses himself for it…how the hell is he going to face baxter, now?

[cringekind]

AGOT reread prologue -> catelyn I

i said before that i wanted to "liveblog" my reread of agot that im doing while following a podcast, i guess this is that! I say "liveblog" because I'm annotating as I read and this is more a reflection on that and general thoughts, it would be too disruptive to actually write every time I had a thought to share! long post incoming

brief heads up that if i quote something and the text is colored, that's the color tab I used when I read the book initially. I have 7 colored tabs when reading agot and they are:

yellow - world building details / foreshadowing

orange - simply pretty or funny

red - sansa / jon / jonsa related

blue - any of the other starks centric

green - literally any other character

purple - marks deaths

pink - daenerys related

For the sake of this reading post, both "yellow" and "orange" tabs will be in yellow should I quote them. Having read the book already once I'm not sure if this is exactly how I should've set it up, but hey it there. I'll probably change is for ACOK, who knows.

Sometimes I'm going to quote whatever I tabbed without comment, but not always. Only if I simply think the line is good / pretty.

Prologue

Having the POV character be Will instead of Gared or Waymar is sooooo smart. Despite being high fantasy I like that we aren't dropped into the brain of a Knight right away, but also Will being a hunter is best equipped to actually notice all these little details being told to us.

i have a lot of things highlighted that are simply wonderful to read. I know we talk about it a lot, but George really is an amazing writer, like an actual delight to read. Like this quote:

"Will could sense something else in the older man. You could taste it, a nervous tension that came perilous close to fear."

On a craft level its so good! It tells us something about both Gared (his fear of whatever is in the woods, currently being covered by surliness) and of Will (how observant he is, using all his senses, but also how intuitive he is), and on top of all that it reads so smoothly.

because of my color coded tabs it literally made me giggle to highlight the description of Waymar as "...grey-eyed and graceful and slender as a knife." knowing I'm only thinking of Jon and jonsa. Sorry Waymar, you're beauty is only important to me for ship reasons.

Another thing that struck me as very Jon like happens only a couple lines later:

"It is hard to take orders from a man you laughed at in your cups, Will reflected... Gared must have felt the same."

Despite currently doing a reread of AGOT, I've never read past this book, but this feels so Jon to me. His status as a beloved bastard creates all that tension with his brothers, I imagine the more status he receives the more his brothers feel this. Jon is capable, but then so is Waymar. Doesn't stop Gared and Will from not taking him seriously.

If this chapter had been in Waymar's POV it would have read like a detective novel. He's clearly very analytically minded, but poor Waymar that brain and bravery isn't going to do you any good here.

"It burns, it does. Nothing burns like the cold. But only for a while."

Both Will and Gared have this instinctual fear of the Other's despite not knowing they're real. Like they can feel something is about to happen. I don't believe either of them is from the North, but I wonder if the longer you spend in Beyond the Wall, the more the magic of the place gets to you.

The entire fight between Waymar the the Others is perfect. Waymar's bravery yes, but more importantly it's the perfect introduction to what will be The Big Threat Beyond The Wall for the entire series. They're so nonhuman but not in an animal way, in a Fae way. Cruel and so beyond even a strong man's power, inescapable. Will hiding in the tree was smart and all but him being smart and observant like a hunter and still dying really pushes the idea again that no man is a match for these creatures.

Bran I

Being reminded instantly that Bran is only seven in this book broke my heart so bad. Still such a baby, and on his first big boy duty, watching an execution. If I think about it too long I'll start to get mad at Ned even though he's trying to do what he can to prepare his son's for adulthood.

"He had taken off Father's face, Bran thought, and donned the face of Lord Stark of Winterfell."

Ned's first and last actions in the book being a beheading fuck me up so bad. Every action he takes in these early chapters damns him in some way down the line, no matter how noble the intentions.

"Jon was fourteen, an old hand at justice." is such a silly and yet sad thing for Bran to think. It's so younger brother of him to assume Jon at 14 holds all this knowledge inside him, considers him wise, but Jon is just a child too. It's sad knowing that Jon is expected to act like a man, will be considered a man soon.

"Jon's eyes were a grey so dark they seemed almost black, but there was little they did not see. He was of an age with Robb, but they did not look alike. Jon was slender where Robb was muscular, dark where Robb was fair, graceful and quick where his half brother was strong and fast."

Whatever could all these details mean! This is one of those details from all those Jonsa metas that really fucking got to me. Like three pages before Waymar is described the exact same way, and I'm not meant to connect them in my mind? And then eventually we find out Sansa had a crush on Waymar? idc if I'm grasping at straws it feels real to me.

I love that immediately after than Robb and Jon show just how young they are and race to the bridge. It's one of the last times they'll allowed to be kids.

"Bran thought about it. 'Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?' 'That is the only time a man can be brave,' his father told him."

I think that quote is like a thesis statement for the Starks as a family. I know their words are Winter is Coming, but all of them are eternally brave in the face of their fear. Even Catelyn, so proud of being a Tully, is a Stark in this way.

People always bring up the 'the man who swings the sword' bit from this conversation between Bran and Ned, but the more important bit is just after. "A ruler who hides behind paid executioners soon forgets what death is." This is about the Starks yes, but more importantly it's about Westeros and everyone in it. Like. I can't articulate how important it is, but this is what Ned is trying to teach Bran, not just that Bran should take responsibility for his decisions by fulfilling them himself.

Theon is such a shit, but also Jon snarking him back "I see [a direwolf] now" is the start of Jon's dry ass humor. Why did people make me think Jon is all duty and somber monologues, this kid is funny!! And he continues to be after this iirc!! Jon funny canon please remember this people!!!

The direwolf being impaled on antlers is maybe the least subtle foreshadowing of any in this series and yet it feels so smart to me! To plant this here before we know the Baratheon sigil. And that from the eyes of innocent seven year old Bran this means almost nothing, other than him remarking on how gruesome it is, but later is superstitious Catelyn's eyes it takes on new meanings!!

"He loved Jon with all his heart at that moment. Even at seven, Bran understood what his brother had done. The count had some right only because Jon had omitted himself."

For all that Catelyn has no reason to like Jon, in other circumstance she might love the guy. "Family, Duty, Honor" right? That's all Jon is! Here he is, putting his little brother's wants above all else, even as he struggles with not being Ned's trueborn son. To voluntarily bring it up so that Bran can have a puppy... the family>duty>honor is in the room with us, coming from one Jon Snow!!

Ghost's eyes being open = "but there was little [Jon] did not see" yeah, yeah exactly! soul wolves are here besties!!!!

Catelyn I

Catelyn is that girl, I'm sorry she is the superior POV in this series. First of all she's very smart, always thinking and making connections. It's why we get this infodump from her right away, because Catelyn really can't think of being in the Godswood without comparing it to her childhood home. Second of all I love the way she is religious. Most religious characters in books and film are sort of boiled down to religious zealots or someone deeply conservative. For Catelyn it's simply part of her, a part that will never go away. She doesn't feel at home in the godswood of Winterfell because those aren't her gods, but she doesn't call them fake. They simply aren't hers. She's spiritual, it's why she see's the antler in the direwolf as a sign and takes it seriously ("dread coiled in her like a snake...") when Ned won't. I just think it gives her a unique perspective in this story, one that leads her to be almost genre aware.

"...but the red eyes of the weirwood seemed to follow her as she came."

oh no i hope we don't find out that someone is using the trees to watch people that would be so creepy /s

"'Beyond the Wall?' The thought made Catelyn shudder. Ned saw the dread on her face. 'Mance Rayder is nothing for us to fear.' 'There are darker things beyond the Wall.' She glanced behind her at the heart tree, the pale bark and red eyes, watching, listening, thinking it's long slow thoughts."

like this! there is no reason for Catelyn, a woman raised in Riverun, to fear beyond the wall more than Ned, who was born in the North. I know he spent a lot of his childhood in the Vale, but you can't tell me baby Ned wasn't told stories of what's out there. But it's Catelyn the eternally superstitious who believes them. And she's right! Always right, my poor Cassandra.

She's also so politically minded. Ned is nothing but excited to see and old friend. It doesn't even worry him that the King is making an unannounced visit. Catelyn though, she knows. Jon Arryn dead, Robert coming, the direwolf. It might aswell be in neon flashing lights to her!!

Alright, that's it for now. Daenerys I, Eddard I, and Jon I should be next, with a three a week pace is all goes according to plan. This took me way longer than I thought it was going to but it was so much fun, and as long as it continues to be fun I will continue to make them!

[lamortwrites]

22 and/or 25 for the Rogue Trader ask meme 🥺🤲

Answering these rogue trader questions, thank you!

22. Do they have any augmentations? Were these installed out of necessity, or as a cosmetic choice?

In the last military campaign he took part in before his, ah, reassignment, Lazarus ended up with part of the right side of his face burned off. He had a metal plate installed to hold what was left of his skin together and after the injury was healed and the plate removed he decided that he had looked more intimidating with it so he got a version that was purely cosmetic. I'm at work so don't have a pic to hand but he also has the red light on his forehead (similar to Abelard's eye, but smaller and on the forehead -- there aren't that many options in the cc I'm sure you know the one I mean) which I think is probably functional, but I haven't decided what it does yet

(Also, not an augment but important to state this publicly in case anyone is in danger of thinking he might be cool: Lazarus has electoos on his face (forehead & cheek/leading out from his eye) which look like a cool design, but if you scan them they're the equivalent of qr codes, with each line of the electoo leading to the 40k equivalent of a wikipedia page about one of his many military successes. They're sort of like tally marks -- he got each line after the battle encoded into it -- and the only battle that isn't inscribed into his flesh is his last. I think he'll continue the tradition of recording his exploits on his own skin as rogue trader, but I haven't decided exactly how yet)

25. Wildcard: Share a fun fact, random thought, or headcanon about them!

Leading on a little from the previous question...Lazarus is trans, and naturally I've thought too much about what that might look like in a society so full of augmentations. Under a cut for discussions of genitals/bottom surgery in case people wanna avoid that

So I do think that phallo is probably pretty normalised, and even if it's not commonplace it's certainly not uncommon. (Hell, cis women should get it too if they want it!) That being said...in a world that's so full of augmentations, why would you opt for a flesh dick over something cooler? Lazarus kept all of his natural equipment when he transitioned, but he did get a port/socket installed into which he can plug a choice of several different cyberdicks, if you will. They are bespoke (and he definitely commissioned a new one to commemorate becoming rogue trader lol) and have a nerve hookup, so he can still feel through them and do anything a regular penis can do, but he can unplug it afterwards and not have to bother with having a dick when he doesn't want to

[witchofthesouls]

I like to think about different expressions of affection between frames and how it can either overlap or clash with others.

Example: Pharma and Revelation.

Similar to mecha with equipment alt-modes, medics tend to lean toward acts of service. They typically have a culture of high maintenance due to their own frames, especially with the massive workload and long hours.

Acts of care and appreciation include but not limited to:

Memorizing fuel preferences

Topping off favorite sealants

Massages

Touch ups on appearance to ensure immaculate image

Doing someone’s hand maintenance

Settle up the cot and/or keeping specific hospital staff bunks in a certain way (like extra pillows, a heated blanket, or tucking a current edition of a favorite magazine).

Seekerkin, however, tend to lean toward physicality as it's driven by their coding quirks since they're a highly social frame-type.

Shared personal space. Close ones and trine will realign their wings to set together if they're sitting side-by-side

Sharing a bed or resting upon each other

Grooming and eating together

Sparring

Marking

Interacting with very young or sick spark-kin

Bottom line, I find it hilarious that the Lost Light's medics and resident Seekerkin have no idea how to view these two.

Ambulon and Smokescreen have the unique experiences by being in both worlds, so they side-eye because it's such a strange mesh and clash, but it surprisingly works. (Those two mechs keep a good eye on the little family.)

Ratchet has been driven up the wall multiple times because Revelation refuses to be parted away from the surgeon. They're practically welded together. He wants to make sure nothing happens on his watch, whereas Revelation has practically joined the medbay crew by focusing on servo maintenance and upkeep.

First Aid thinks they're super clingy to each other, and is honestly surprised little clashes had happened between Ratchet and Pharma, outside the issues of Revelation.

Bluestreak almost shoots his shot because Revelation reads as available but immediately backs off since Pharma's face promises a really bad time.

[dude-the-ancient-dragon]

Ok so I have been persuaded to finally share

The Poop Story

on Tumblr dot com. Hold on to your butts.

Ok so I was at work on site A. I get a call, there's an equipment failure on site B and I need to check it out, it's important but not urgent. By this time I was the whole IT department for a major food company for the whole city.

So, I get my stuff ready and start heading out. And then It hits: The twist. Everyone knows the twist, it's your lower intestines letting you know there's a bullet in the chamber that it needs to fire. But im in a Hurry, so I decide to just make the fifteen minute drive and drop the payload on site b.

This was a mistake.

Halfway into the drive the twist hits again, and it's Bad, I need to go now . It is by this moment that I understand that this is no normal bomb, by lower intestine is baking a loaf of pure evil. Im getting the twists, the hot sweats. Five minutes more and im exerting considerable force not to dirty my car.

My folly hits me, I should have gone to the toilet back on base. Im driving into site Bs parking lot and im crossing my legs and tightening my abdomen, so I don't explode right there and end my social and work life forever.

See, because I worked in an industrial setting, there were strict protocols to enter the site. The security personel knew me by name and face, but they still could not let me in without authorization from the warehouse boss, and today of all days that asshole is not answering his phone.

So im exerting all of my physical and mental power not to shit myself there, covered in cold sweats and shaking. "He's not answering, let me try again Dude" says the guard. My Ki is focused on my sphincter, im non verbal, all I can manage is a weak thumbs up, my forehead nearly making a hole on the concrete building. They could probably tell something was deeply wrong with me but I was beyond the capacity to notice or care, im fighting my own battle and boy I am loosing.

A couple of minutes of waiting and the sense of impending doom hits me. "Im gonna have a butt baby" I said to myself. "Im gonna give birth to a butt baby in this guardhouse and there is no human power in the world that can stop it. I am dead, Im walking and shaking but I am dead."

And that's when the man answers. Yes Im allowed in obviously. I don't wait for confirmation, I sprint inside, race to the bathroom knocking over man and beast aside, sit down on the throne with a fraction of a second to spare.

You know how when you go to the toilet, you do your thing and you feel satisfied? Good? At peace? It wasn't one of those. It felt like I was exicising a tumor, like I was giving birth to the antocrist. I carved my name on the porcelain with my fingernails. When it ended I was in pain and crying, It was out, now the healing can begin. All I need is to flush.

And it wouldn't flush. I start to panic. It won't flush. I dumped a biohazardous lump of hate, It needs to go before it kills us all. I try washing my hands, there is no water. I recite the mantra of a thousand fucks. This will kill the whole building.

Thinking fast, I do the only thing I can think of, rapidly improvise an "out of order sign", stealthily tape it to the toilet door and pretend nothing happened. On my way to the failed hardware (I was there to work after all) I find Charkoe, the head of maintenance.

"Hey Charlie, since when is the water out?" I ask in my most casual of tones. I did not mention it was me who essentially made the entirety of this postal code unlivable for the next decade..

"Since today, in the morning, should be back in the afternoon" He does not suspect a thing. I need to leave right now. So yeah, I fix the printer (label stuck in the roller, simple) and flee with both stealth and haste. Before making it out I notice, to my horror, the cleaning people where going into the restroom I had marked and immediately ran out, gagging.

I was not back there for the rest of the month.

[starwriterulia]

Tomb of the Goshenite Stargazer Dragon - Chapter 2

SUBJECT MATERIAL WARNINGS FOR THIS FANFICTION ARE INCLUDED IN THE MASTERLIST POST OF MY BLOG AND THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THIS FANFICTION.

Bat dividers by @violetbudd

Creator support banner by @cafekitsune

Latest revision: August 18, 2024. Added "Support your creators by reblogging" banner. Added ⏭️ emoji below end of chapter banner with text explaining its function as a navigational button.

Fandoms: DC Comics, Batfamily, no Batcest, Thalassic Space (OC; takes inspiration The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 3, and other sci-fi, fantasy and horror titles, as well as original concepts, such as the science and lore of the galaxy.)

Chapter Summary: Faith tells more lore to Batman and Robin, and a bit more about herself to the group chat.

[In order of appearance] Characters: Faith Lawson (TBA; self-insert), Bruce Wayne (Batman), Damian Wayne (Robin), Tim Drake (Red Robin), Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), Stephanie Brown (The Spoiler) Dick Grayson (Nightwing).

Word Count: 6744 8381 (July 30 revision) 8303 (August 10 revision)

Content warnings: N/A, unless I've forgotten something while transferring and adding lore. Let me know if I did!

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3

"You've got nice, big beds, eh?" Faith said, lifting the blankets and climbing into the bed. Hawkman and Hawkwoman had left the room, leaving Martian Manhunter to sit in front of the monitor to listen.

"Of course." Batman brought the wastebin next to the bed, then sat on the bed while Faith made herself comfortable with the pillows, putting one under her chest.

"I've only got a twin. My apartment is small. One bed, one bath, shared living and dining room with a connected kitchen."

"You live by yourself?"

"Yeah. I have work on Monday."

"Uh-oh."

“It should be fine?” Faith squinted her eyes. "There’s a Scripted event in that, if I leave Earth due to summoning or forced departure to another galaxy, such as Thalassic Space or this galaxy, I duplicate myself once so that I may continue life on Earth. But it might not happen. It's a Suggested Script, really. Not sure if it makes sense, so it’s not confirmed."

"What would it take for it to be confirmed?"

"You could comment on that part under the Unconfirmed Ideas heading of the Thalassic Space Planning document, saying it sounds fine, then I'll move it to its appropriate heading and mark your comment as resolved, and remove your comment. In this case, the heading is About the Great Little Starwriter. Here, I’ll share the TSRPG app with you, send you a friend request, and then a link to the document. It's encrypted and protected by another muse child, Chandra, whose mother is Calliope and father is Michael. Her Dragon Persona is part Android, SOFFFIAA: Simulacra of Friendship for Future Insight and Aspirations. Sophia, spelled with ph, is also the name of one of the Four Legendary Unicorns, and yes, Chandra is the type of person Sophia favours and allows to ride on her." Batman hummed. Faith woke up her phone and did some tapping. "Accept the download, please." Batman looked at his glove.

Thalassic Space Roleplaying Game would like access to your device.

Decline – Accept

"The loading screen of the app will explain its purpose. You can delete it at any time like you would any other mobile app, and you can share it with anyone through the Share button via your Profile with a QR code or device sharing, like I did with you. You’ll have access to all publicly known lore of the galaxy, and what isn’t there is in the Planning Document. You can see the Profiles of your Friends at their respective tab, and review their Health, Magic, Equipment, Status, Abilities, Skills, Personas and Soul Fragments, if any of the latter four Assets are applicable or known to you or your Friends."

"Alright." Batman selected Accept. The download and installation required three seconds. The app's icon was an eight-coloured sigil Batman had never seen before.

Four thick black circles forming a vertical number eight and a horizontal number eight, joined to create four angular teardrop shapes, perhaps better described as leaves, morphing the outward sections of the eights into fan shapes. The upper half of the vertical eight was sky blue, the lower half white; the left half of the horizontal eight was yellow, the right half red. The upper left leaf was emerald green, the upper left peacock or mermaid blue; Batman wasn't one hundred percent sure. The lower left leaf was ice blue, and the lower right leaf was a light red.

"That was very fast." Batman said.

"You don't sleep, and you're at peak physical and mental condition. It was fast for me when Ra's and I were in Platonia because I registered when I started lucid dreaming in the dream world of Thalassic Space at fourteen."

Batman opened the app. The loading screen, seen for ten seconds, displayed a white-blue O-type star that rotated, surrounded by magic circles depicting religious symbols. A blue lotus, a red eternity knot, a purple oak tree, an orange bolt of lightning, a golden eye of Ra, a blue David’s star, a red sigil of Baphomet, and the eight-coloured sigil. The title, in white-blue, read Thalassic Space Roleplaying Game and below it, in white, read:

Serving citizens and visitors with memories and immersive gameplay in the galaxy created post-mortem of "Tony" Richard Lawson in November 2021 by his adoptive daughter, Faith Lawson, the mortal name and memory-bearing soul of the Author of Thalassic Space.

Faith is revered as Ønske Ulia Χαμένος (Chaménos), daughter of Skuld and Víðarr, fostered by Frejya and Freyr, and mentored by Urania and Uriel. Faith, through Ulia, is the Great Little Starwriter of Thalassic Space, and Playwright of the Rondo Theatre in the Dream World on Paper, the dream world of Thalassic Space.

Connection is possible thanks to your knowledge or introduction to the dream world’s mechanics and lore, Thalassic Space’s history, and intention to participate in adventures in the dream world and-or Thalassic Space.

Batman noted the loading was taking longer than the installation.

Verifying files…

Registering user's memory-bearing soul to Santa Claus' Snow Globe Room…

Registering user's magic-bearing spirit or lack thereof to the libraries of the pantheons…

Registering user's physique and attributes…

Creating a personalised Room for user at the Pàrras VLFS Hospital and Hotel…

The app made three jingle bell sounds. Batman was presented with a 3D room suited to his aesthetics with a two-screen monitor computer on a desk, a queen-sized bed, a nightstand, a wardrobe, a vanity desk, a bathroom, and a door with the label (HOLD 3s) Leave planet; Go to Pàrras, planet Youtrnaeyl beneath it. The black UI in the bottom of the screen said Room, Map, Journal, Friends and Party in white text. A pictograph of a camera with a label in white below was at the upper right of the screen. The upper left had a white letter B on a black background for his profile photo. Batman was written above a green bar that read HEALTH that was almost full, a bar beneath that read MAGIC that was a greyish blue and had the words DISABLED at its right end.

"Are you in?" Faith asked.

"Yeah."

"OK, I’ll send a friend request."

Batman received a green notification banner on the app.

Ulia Χαμένος has sent a Friend request! <TAP TO GO>

"Feel free to explore your Profile and App Settings. For example, if you don't want jingle bells, you can change the ringtone, or set it to different levels of vibration, or a tickling sensation on your hand, nose or neck. Your Foes list shouldn't have any information you don’t know to be true. If it does, report it, and SOFFFIAA will purge it, so a paradox doesn’t occur."

Batman tapped the notification and was sent to the Friend Request screen of the Friends tab. He accepted Faith’s request, then backed out. He was in his Profile tab, showing his Health points were 480, 000; a question mark at its right end. Batman tapped it, and the pop-up read:

HEALTH is calculated by multiplying the user's age by 100 thousand, if human and non-magical, 150 thousand if human and magical, 200 thousand if non-human and non-magical, 250 thousand if non-human and magical, plus 1 million per decade if immortal or demi-immortal via demi-demonhood or demi-godhood.

"You came up with all of this too, right?" Batman said, as the game jingled and showed a notification.

Ulia Χαμένος has sent a message. <TAP TO GO>

"Yeah! The logic is supposed to be solid, like well-made video game worlds are." Faith said, while Batman clicked the link. "There's no password, for now."

"Thanks. I'll help you make a password later. But yes, just reading how Health works shows how much thought has been put into this."

"Thank you. You can use your Journal to view your life story as described by an angel, and you can search by date. If you have questions and are uncomfortable with talking to SOFFFIAA, but I'm not nearby, shoot me a message. If you'd prefer to not use the app or it's down for weekly server maintenance for an hour on Sundays at noon PST, my phone number is 778 [XXX-XXXX]."

"Will do. Thanks, Faith."

"You’re welcome!" Faith held her finger down, tapped, exited the app, and clicked to turn off her phone.

Batman’s TSRPG gave him a notification, and he opened the respective document. "By the way, your email for this is hilarious. I know it’s just a bunch of numbers, letters and symbols, but I can’t look at it without thinking how Matt Rose would read it, full send."

"Who’s that?"

"A YouTuber who reads Reddit. He’s British, so it's funnier." Faith started coughing. She heaved and swallowed. "Ew."

"What was the last thing you ate?"

"I tried to eat a banana and apple sauce. Threw it up earlier. Tastes sweet.'

"Lovely."

"I know, right?" Faith giggled.

"I have your tea, Faith." Damian said, not wearing his mask, entering with a teacup and putting it on the nightstand. "It's hot, so be careful."

"Thank you, Damian."

"You’re welcome."

Batman asked, "Faith, what's the eight-coloured sigil?"

"The Double Eight of Thalassic Space. It tells the story of the O-type star's spirit. The white and blue spheres are for the O-type star, and the yellow and red for the G- and M-type stars. The inner leaves are for factions and locations involved in the story: emerald for the Emerald Thieves, who were the elite of the Thieves Guild and returned to greatness during the main novel, mermaid sapphire blue for the merfolk of Thalassic Space, who were corrupted by Nero Poseidon through Nero Dionysus and became the only known sirens in Thalassic Space, ice blue for the Ninth Circle of Inferno, as Lucifer was the one who told Nerobzal about the Door to Platonia and as a reminder of the evil that Kaleido wished to release, and blush red for the blood of the anthropomorphs of Thalassic Space. It's blush red instead of blood to evoke thoughts of gentleness and love after the struggles they faced." Faith said, and picked up the teacup, blowing on its tea. "Any other lore related questions?"

"Where do the Departed come from? You told the ones who were harassing Ra's to return to the Underside."

"Well, then I must explain a Soul Bridge, which Dreamer Mages can access, and sometimes the owner of the Soul Bridge in dreams can too. It's a soul-bound Landmark in the Dream World on Paper, which I think you've the name of heard before." Faith sipped the tea.

"Yes." Said Batman. "Just the name, though."

"It's named so because I had a dream where I saw that I had drawn a simplified version of the three areas of the dream world on paper I had glued to coloured construction paper as a kid, and it blew my friggin' mind." Faith giggled.

"That's cool." Damian said, not doing so well in hiding the tone that showed how he actually felt.

"These areas are: a desert with mountains where there's mines, Egyptian ruins and a massive sinkhole in the dunes, a forested mountainous island with a dojo surrounded by an ocean, and a town with a city within a short distance that is actually Vanderhoof and Prince George, surrounded by a forest." Faith sipped. "Neo Spirits hang from the Suspensions of a Soul Bridge and whisper, speak or sing to the High Mind part of the subconscious, the sky of the dream world, to remind us of dreams, self-love, and good memories, all to make us smile and improve our quality of life. Nero Spirits cling to the Underside of a Soul Bridge and snarl, shout or scream to the Low Mind part of the subconscious to induce of nightmares, such as panic attacks, self-hatred, which can be expressed in many ways, and bad memories, which come from experiences related to the former two aspects." Faith sipped again.

"In the waking world of Thalassic Space, the army of Nero Spirits include the undead, which can take the form of draugr or zombies, and evil vampires, werewolves and sirens, though the latter is quite rare, and I don't think Urania mentioned them as a result. They only appeared because of Nero Dionysus, and they weren't around for long after the events of the main novel." Faith sipped. "Nero Spirits have neon red, orange eyes or yellow to evoke the imagery of fire. If they're toxic, their eyes are neon green, neon blue means electricity, neon purple means corruption of mind and decay of body, and neon pink means nightmares."

"Neo Spirits have pastel, jewel or earth-tone eyes, and depending on what the narration describes that colour as, you can associate the meaning of that rock or plant as relevant to the purpose and sometimes the personality of a Neo Spirit." Faith sipped more. "Both are bound to a Soul Bridge but can be seen in dreams or nightmares, and Neo Spirits can be summoned to the 28 Mansions to provide a source of comfort to a person when they've passed on, and Nero Spirits can be manifested, which is terrible news. Ask me about that later, unless I bring it up naturally through more exposition."

"Will do." Said Batman.

"Any other questions?"

Damian said, "Yeah. Why did you spare Grandfather?"

“If I killed him, he would fight his way out of Inferno, and from Mansion 0 and the 28 Mansions of the Four Symbols of Chinese astrology learn about the existence of the Earth-ruining events he so desperately wants and of the nearest reincarnation Realm, the Realm of Tree Peoples." Faith sipped. "Bartholomew, or maybe Krampus, would seek Ra's and promote him to General, giving Ra's permission to command Nerobzal's army. Ra's would bring them back here, occupy all the heroes, and then, all he would need to do to trigger Red Storm Earth is to cut me with my tooth and dagger, stuff my necklace down my throat or injure my throat with it, and have me fall to my death from at least three stories onto a cluster of manmade or natural spikes and thorns, a death vaguely reminiscent of Sailor Venus from the first season of Sailor Moon. 'Cause you know I gotta shout out the O.M.G." Faith giggled, and sipped.

"Nice." Said Damian. "Uh, nice reference."

"During Red Storm Earth, the 200 Fallen Angels are released from Dudael to kill, burn and rape humans and animals as they please while a rainstorm of black clouds with neon red lightning pours down at all times, and the movement of the Fallen Angels will create hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis and hurricanes. It will last for two days, and then Yahweh will send a massive, fiery planet to reset Earth to the beginning of the first day, but everyone will remember what happened." Faith sipped. "It can be stopped if the Four Legendary Unicorns are summoned from Thalassic Space, their Earthly riders win a race against the Wild Hunt, and brought to resurrect me. They are Bella, who is white with gold in her mane and tail and golden hooves, and she loves people with childish joy and love in their hearts who have forgiven themselves and others who have wronged them and those they love; Sophia, who is a dark liver chestnut with a light chestnut mane and tail with silver hooves, and she loves people who are wise about Earth, oceans and space, and who wish to spread that knowledge and sow inspiration to create a healthier world with the world and our neighbours; Pärla, who is baby blue eyed, her body pearl pink and her mane and tail lavender, is fond of magical people who use their gifts to help others, especially fairies and demigods; last is the stallion, Bedöma, who is black with orange eyes, and a red mane and tail alight with yellow lightning, and he allows heroic people who have never killed a god or fairy or the child of a god or fairy to ride him, but will deny people who have never saved a life."

"If the Four are gathered and I am resurrected in time, the day or days will reverse as if Yahweh had cast the fiery planet onto Earth, saving lives and the planet." Faith said. Batman hummed. "There's a second catastrophe he could cause, but the people in the 28 Mansions would only tell him about Red Storm Earth. Ra's could only find out about the Invitation of Nerobzal from Bartholomew or Krampus."

"Tell us about the Invitation of Nerobzal."

Faith nodded as she sipped. "So, I live as my Ego, as do all people. This is equivalent to a Neo Persona. We all also have a Nero Persona. While Neo Spirits and Nero Spirits are from the Suspensions and Underside of a Soul Bridge, our Neo and Nero Personas are Roles that we can each assume. Like you, as Batman and Robin, are Neo Personas, but Zur-En-Arrh and Robin before you properly settled into the Batfamily, no offense," Damian grunted. "Are examples of Nero Personas."

"These can be dangerous on their own, but at times aren't nearly as dangerous as manifested Nero Spirits. Manifested Neo Spirits are not an issue, unless you're an angel, in which case you expose people to your real form and voice, and that'll fry people's brains and kill them." Faith sipped. "Manifested Nero Spirits torment people’s minds, and their bodies react with seizures or possession by the Nero Spirit, and the possessed may injure themselves or become paralysed and vulnerable to a dark sorcerer, demon, or the manifested Nero Spirit. They’re dangerous, even to gods."

"A Nero Spirit can be manifested by a dark sorcerer through a ritual in which eight buildings containing at least eighty people are set ablaze with the blue fire of Naglfar." Faith sipped. "As the fire kills people, so does the newly spawned Nest of Naamah and its insect demons, which can quickly spread to other buildings if the windows and doors are not sealed or covered by fire. Drown the insect demons with boiling saltwater or burn them until they and the Nest are eliminated. Red fire reminds the demons of the volcano from which Father Dragon was made by the seraphim, and it's not blue, so it does not count towards the fire of the Naglfar. If the insect demons have Nested in a person, death by boiling saltwater or fire is the only mercy and way to prevent further reproduction of the Nest."

"Ew, they nest in people?" Said Damian.

"Uh, think of the fetish. It's like that."

"Ew!"

"Yeah, it felt right to make that creative decision, sorry." Faith sipped.

"No, uh, yeah, it works."

"If the Naglfar fire is not extinguished before the last person in the eight buildings dies, Nerobzal will rise from the ashes of the buildings and laugh, repeating the insanity that Earth felt when he laughed at Emperor Nero’s death. To return Nerobzal to Sagittarius A*, where he was banished to be torn apart for eternity at the end of the main novel, the archangels Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel and the muses they each bore a child with must be summoned by a Jewish man of pure heart, whoi is brave, kind and masculine in all ways applicable to the definition of a man under the eyes of God across all eras of mankind,"

'I immediately know who she thought of, when writing this.' Batman thought.

"And a cultist of Asherah must be present as well. " Faith sipped. "The Jew and the cultitst must each throw a spear, the Jew of lightning and the cultist of ice, into the eyes of Nerobzal. Blinded and frozen by the power of God and Asherah, Nerobzal will retreat for five years, and be unable to be summoned during that time. It’s also written that the person responsible for the ritual will be punished by the archangels, and made to forget all that they know about that night, and all knowledge of Thalassic Space."

"Ah, so that's your plan to remove Ra's' knowledge, as we all know he won't agree to the Departed taking it from him."

"Yes." Faith sighed, and sipped. "I'm sorry, I-I can make another that isn't a disaster, if I have an Editor. Proper noun, he he. Same with words like Landmark, uh, well, you're Batman, you get the idea."

"I do, yeah. Do you have any other ideas to get this out of Ra's' head?"

"Well, I am a wish-granting creation dragon. I dunno if Urania or I told you that, already."

"No, that's actually new information."

"Oh! Well, I accept gifts."

"What gifts do you, sorry, does your Dragon Persona like?"

"Rocks, gemstones, flowers, seeds and saplings, and traditional, performance and digital art."

Batman hummed. "Are you in danger of being killed by Bartholomew again, now that your dragon powers have returned?"

“No, Ra's is the only danger. Bartholomew only wanted to kill me because he's transphobic, and I was with Argophael when he found Argophael."

Damian asked, "Why did you chose to write a story like that?"

"Because too many trans people have died because of awful people, and in fantasy and horror, we get to emphasise and explore different ways to express history and emotions." Faith said. Damian and Batman hummed. "Oh yeah, I should say: if Ra's doesn't want to bother with Platonia, he could travel to Andøya, Norway to find and solve the hidden puzzle to reveal the door to my dragon tomb that the Snow Elves and Astral Giant Elves will have arranged by now. Planet Yotutrnaeyl is just a bigger Earth with magic islands, after all."

Batman asked, "What are the Departed going do with your hair and blood that you gave them?"

"They’ll give to Analise, one of the twin girls of Krampus, to advance Odeya’s strength. She's not evil, she's just a biology girl."

Damian said, "Soooo, what are you going to do when you're not sick?"

"I'll use Platonia after I’m done being sick to get my other Relics and my Costume, unless you want to take me to Norway."

"We'll go to Norway." Batman said.

"Sweet, OK!"

Batman hummed. "You should be proud of Thalassic Space. It's really well done, Faith."

"Yeah, it's really cool." Said Damian.

"Thank you!"

Batman said, "You should try to sleep. I'll read over what’s available in TSRPG and your planning document."

"OK! Goodnight, Bruce. Goodnight to you too, Damian."

"Goodnight, Faith." Batman patted the blanket where her right arm was, then rose and walked to turn off the light.

"Goodnight." Damian said, leaving with his father. Batman closed the door.

"Do you want the app too, so you can read?"

"Sure." Batman interacted with his gauntlet, sending the app to Damian. "Thanks."

"You’re welcome. I'm going to read in the drawing room. I might have a conversation with Watchtower, while I'm in there."

"OK. I’ll be in my bedroom."

"Oh, and you can tell the others about our new member."

"Already?"

"Why do you think she’s unsuitable?"

Two second pause. "You have me there. I have nothing against her."

"Thank you."

"I will add her in the group chat, as well."

"Good idea. Thank you, Damian." Batman said, as Damian reopened the door of the guest bedroom.

"Sorry to bother you."

"No, no, it's fine. What's up?"

"What's your phone number? I'd like to add you to the group chat." Faith gasped with a smile. She repeated her phone number. "Thanks." Faith nodded.

"Um, what's the WiFi name and password? I like to listen to ocean ambience to sleep."

"VKR3L17WE is the name, and TREACLE0743, all caps, no spaces, is the password. That’s T-R-E-A-C-L-E, 0743."

"Thank you."

"Mhm. If you need anything, just text me or Father." Damian told Faith their phone numbers.

"Thank you so much."

"You’re welcome. And don't worry about making a mess. You're sick. You're allowed to be gross." Faith smiled a little. "I will brief the others on what's happened. You can say whatever else you'd like, after that, OK?"

"OK!" Faith said. Damian exited, went to his bedroom, and closed the door. He took off his costume and put on a comfortable shirt and pants. He opened the Batfamily group chat and added Faith to the group.

Damian added Faith Lawson (StarwriterUlia) to the group.

Faith Lawson (StarwriterUlia) changed their display name to Faith.

Damian: Everyone, meet Faith from Earth-33. Grandfather had a naughty dream and wanted her body and power and brought her to Father's mansion to taunt Father, but he cut himself with Faith's dragon tooth so Faith had to come along.

Damian: Some ghouls called Departed seized Grandfather and put him in a room of the domain that Grandfather and Faith used to travel from Earth-33 to here. The Departed harassed him while Faith and Father talked.

Faith: *Room, Domain. Sorry, author things, proper nouns need to be capitalised.

Damian: Yes, thank you.

Damian: Faith opened the door and requested for Platonia to show Grandfather. Faith told him to back off or face her full power later, and that a Departed would come to him after a week of nightmares and offer to take his memories and knowledge of Thalassic Space.

Damian: He won't agree, of course.

Tim: Yeah, no.

Faith: Aaaa, hi!

Tim: Hi Faith, welcome to the Batfam 😇👋

Faith: Thank you!

Faith: But yeah, and because he's a demon, he could not only use Platonia again, the Departed and Umbrella Man will just ignore him. He could go to Mansion 0 and any of the 28 Mansions of the Four Symbols of Chinese astrology, the afterlife of the people of Thalassic Space that has many doors to the afterlife Realms of the real religions that have magic circles surrounding the O-type star of the galaxy, protecting its planets from its massive heat and magic output, and find out about Red Storm Earth and the Invitation of Nerobzal.

Tim: Umbrella Man?

Faith: Do you know the TF2 ARG Project Skybox?

Tim: Oh! Yep.

Faith: Ra's isn’t considered an interloper now. I didn't mention this to Batman, but Ra's was attacked because he *was* an interloper until it realised he was a demon.

Damian: Father will read this too, don't worry.

Faith: OK!

Faith: Anyway, Platonia won't try to devour him again.

Tim: I'm sorry, what's Platonia?

Faith: It's the Navidson hallway from House of Leaves, defined as Julian Barbour's platonia. You summon a Door to Platonia with the door opening ritual seen in MyHouse.wad.

Tim: Ooooh, that's so cool!

Faith: Thanks, I’ve been working on Thalassic Space for four years.

Faith: Ra's could learn everything the public knows and the history of Thalassic Space and me, and the closest Realm in the world of the living is the Realm of Tree Peoples. Bartholomew or Krampus would gladly promote Ra’s to General upon meeting during Ra’s would-be trail of destruction in the Realm of Tree Peoples. Bartholomew is the Ebony Giant Elf who murdered my Dragon Persona, the Goshenite Stargazer Dragon, and my Animus/lover, a trans boy named Argophael who was Bartholomew's eldest triplet and fled from home because of his dad.

Tim: Bartholomew sounds like an evil wizard LOL

Tim: Is Santa evil too?

Faith: Oh yes, he’s a pirate warlock with a serrated black sword of blue Hell fire. That’s what he killed us with, as we enjoyed the night life of the Carnival of Seasons, on the Realm of Tree Peoples. He mutilated our bodies as we died, and he raped me. The Carnival is between the Stretch of Heart, the forest where the Oak Dwarves, Spruce Humans and anthropomorphs people suitable for the forest live, and White Sun Harbour, where Fir Elves and fish-anthros live. Astral Elves and Snow elves live in the villages around the Pivot Day Monastery, the Domain where the Astral and Ebony Giant Elves live.

Tim: Wow, this lore is SO GOOD!? 😮

Faith: Also, no, Santa is an Astral Giant Elf, not an Ebony Giant Elf; he's the good one of Nerobzal's sons. Bartholomew and Krampus are the other, older two. Nerobzal is the big bad evil of Thalassic Space. At least, in the Script. Backstage at the Rondo Theatre, where I'm the Playwright, he's just an Actor, like everyone else who's named in Thalassic Space who isn't a deity or demon.

Damian: OK *that's* an important detail you should have mentioned earlier. Urania didn't say that, either.

Faith: Sorry, it's so easy to get carried away with my own toys!😛 It's a blessing if a chapter for anything I write is less than 20 pages LOL

Tim: LOL

Faith: Nerobzal was Erophael, a Court Fool of Yahweh, until Emperor Nero off'd himself, then Erophael laughed so loudly that all living things went nuts for five seconds until Yahweh cast him out of Paradiso. Oh shit, I forgot to tell this part of the lore, aaaaa, but Yahweh had also been affected! Michael stuffed that malice into Nerobzal's throat, literally, so Yahweh's OK now, but still.

Tim: Oh geez!

Faith: Michael stuffing Nerobzal's throat is where the Siren's Knot comes from. If a siren has a Siren's Knot in their throat, they can't sing or talk well, even in Neofom or Nerobzal, and are more likely to choke to death. Sirens are characterised by yellow eyes and a tail belonging to any fish that is unfriendly or toxic, manages to leave the hive, always bulit in or nearby the den of a sea monster, such as those on planet Bafsina (bahf-sin-uh; means 'basin' in Neofom, the language of Neo Spirits, who are friendly, unlike Nero Spirits; both come from Soul Bridges. OH GOD, LATER, OOPS. SAME WITH THE NAMES OF THALASSIC SPACE'S SIX PLANETS. Also yes, Damian, there are three more planets! They were created by the massive amount of magic used in the Third War for the O-star Spirit, and they are Judge, Little Path and Sia; Tim, the original six are Yotutrnaeyl, meaning 'journey', Bafsina, and Grace, the *OG* of the entire series that I made before my adoptive dad died, motivating me to make 8all of this* LOL)

Tim: LOL, "OH GOD, LATER, OOPS". Also, thanks for the quick lore drop this time around!

Faith: I girlbossed too hard with the lore in four years LOL

Tim: LOL

Barbara: Are there unicorns and pegasi in Thalassic Space?😮

Faith: OMG hi!

Barbara: Hi there! Welcome! 🥰💖

Tim: Tell us about Soul Bridges, while you're at it!

Faith: OK!

Faith: The Sanctuary of Gla’si’ (Glass, in Neofom, the language of Neo Spirits; Nerobzal is both the name a character and the language of the Nero Spirits), on the Realm of Album. Thanks to the formation of the Oracles, the twelve most powerful Dreamer Mages from different universities on the original three planets of Thalassic Space, the population's questions of how the body is able to or unable to use magic from the O-type star and Sagittarius A* was finally answered. The names of magic in Thalassic Space are Elevifeb, unscrambled as 'believe' and 'belief', in reference to what a person believes in, be it themselves, their family and-or friends, and belief being a more divine-centric term for a person's faith; good, solar magic; all three words are used interchangeably, and Eledisfeb, unscrambled as 'disbelief'; references the same terms as Elevifeb, but with negative connotations; dark, singularity magic; again, all three words are used interchangeably.

Tim: I'm sorry, but couldn't you have just called it Elevib or Elefib?

Faith: Yeah, but then I'd be one syllable short.😛 Symmetry or lack thereof is important to the bards and Playwrights of Thalassic Space!like me, the Playwright of the Rondo Theatre in the Dream World on Paper, a term I came up with after I had a dream where I saw childhood drawings of the dream world I glued onto coloured construction paper, and I REMEMBER DRAWING THEM. It blew my friggin' mind. 😵

Tim: Fair. Also, cool!! 😮

Faith: People who live in, have visited or acknowledge the existence of Thalassic Space have Five Mortal Qualities: the memory-bearing soul, which dies with a mortal and immortal, but their memories are archived in Santa's Snow Globe Room. Memories from a past life can be restored via resurrection by a divine or demonic entity who has their Snow Globe at whatever ritual the entity is conducting. Snow Globes *can* break, but they respawn in the Snow Globe Room if broken. Yes, this is stolen from the Santa Clause movies. Also, this is how my Animus literally gifted me Thalassic Space for Christmas when I was a demigoddess LOL

Tim: LOL!

Barbara: LOL I love that.

Faith: Second is the magic-bearing spirit, which can be disabled or awakened due to many circumstances depending on the person's status as a human or non-human, their physical and mental status, and even if they're alive or dead. The spirit stores knowledge related to magic, including any physical motions or verbal phrases required to cast a spell.

Tim: Can the spirit die?

Faith: Nope. But it *can* be stolen, and drained, by dark sorcerers.

Barbara: Ah.

Tim: Ahhhh.

Faith: Third is the mind, which is directly connected to the soul, and that's how impulses and protective actions are communicated to the fourth, the body, which acts out what the mind instructs it to. The heart is technically both the fourth and the fifth, according to some faiths.

Faith: The Soul Bridge is where Neo and Nero Spirits are born; Neo from the Suspensions, and Nero from the Underside. I use different specific verbs to describe the emotions, but both whisper, talk, shout or sing to the High Mind (the sky, exclusively interacted with by Neo Spirits) or the Low Mind (the river, exclusively interacted with by Nero Spirits) to influence or remind the Five Mortal Qualities of whatever the frick that Spirit was born for.

Tim: Ha ha!

Barbara: This is a fun read!

Tim: Heck yeah it is!

Faith: Soul Bridges can be accessed by expert Dreamer mages, and in the dream world by a person. Mine starts out like the bridge in Vanderhoof near Riverside Park and connects to Old Loop Road, but it's *so broken and twisted* that it's literally the most impossible roller coaster my subconscious could come up with. That's how it views my memories, my magic, my body, heart and mind; they're all out of sync, and it's dangerous and nonesensical. But I remember a dream where I was riding on it like in a crazy mine cart mobile game mixed with an arcade railgun shooter with Final Fantasy elements thrown in there, and I've come to accept that, if I ever go downtown, I will have a very violent awakening, literally. It'll be one of those dreams I wake up from in a hot sweat, shaking and letting out a loud scream.

Faith: And that's all about Soul Bridges and how they work, with a bit of info. about Neo and Nero Spirits! I had to throw the Five Mortal Qualities in there, 'cause that's just how I explain it in the planning document.

Barbara: Holy crow, your mind, girl! 🤯

Faith: Thanks LOL

Faith: That being said! If made General, Ra's would have access to Nerobzal's army of undead, Nero Spirits, and evil vampires and werewolves. There are also dark sorcerers, but Ra's wouldn’t order them around. All of that is the cult of Kaleido, or what remains of it after the Third War for the O-star Spirit. Kaleido was Kitsch, now Kaleido has been freed again and is Kirei. Instead of Italian vampires, the Japanese control it now!

Dick: All of *this* is what you've been cooking for four years? 🤯 I think we have a creative genius in the group now, holy smokes!

Faith: Oh geez, hi! Also, thank you! The complexity of Thalassic Space is me trying to emulate the masters of fantasy LOL

Dick: Hi Faith, welcome 😊 Also yes, it shows!

Faith: Uh, and I've been cooking soup.

Tim: Soooouuuup!

Barbara: Sooooouuupppp!!

Stephanie: (smacks lips) good soup.

Faith: Aa! Aaaaa!

Stephanie: hi 😉

Faith: I'm gonna freaking explode aren't I? LOL

Barbara: Please don't explode. 😜

Stephanie: so you've got magic dragon powers? :ooo

Faith: Yes! I can use the Thu'um, and my dragon tomb has my other two Relics. One is a white ebony dagger that can become Uriel's fiery sword (he’s my spiritual father; Urania is my mother), which Ra's cut himself on 'cause he was being greedy, and he ran out with only the dragon tooth 'cause he woke up my ten Dragon Priests. :D They're technically just guarding Argophael, now.

Barbara: Ooooh, was he your dragon boyfriend?😮

Faith: Yes! And trans! I've always been pansexual lol.

Tim: Eyyy, another gay in the family, woo hoo!

Faith: 🎉Let's freaking go, lesbians💅✨

Tim: LOL

Barbara: LOL

Stephanie: lmao

Dick: Ha ha ha!

Faith: Do I have to say what Bartholomew did again?

Barbara: Nope! We scrolled up 👍

Faith: OK, THANK GOD LOL

Barbara: LOL

Tim: Also, why did you name him Bartholomew?

Stephanie: LOL you named him Bartholomew

Faith: Bartholomew Roberts.

Barbara: OH RIGHT he's a PIRATE WARLOCK

Stephanie: a good fit for a transphobe, ngl

Faith: Yeah! And he's captain of the Naglfar because why the fuck not? XD

Dick: Whoa! We're tossing f-bombs out, now?

Faith: I'm always tossing f-bombs out. I just get bored of it sometimes. Also, it's not always time for an f-bomb.

[Faith sent an audio message.] [Singing merrily:] Ohhhh, fuck fuck, fuckity fuck fuck! A-fuck fuck, fuckity fuck fuck! Fucking fuck, fucking fuck! Oh, fuck fuck fuckity fuck fuuuuck! Fuck.

Dick: Nope. Not listening to whatever that is.

Dick: Nevermind, Barbara played it on her phone.

Barbara: LMAO

Tim: LOLOLOL

Stephanie: BEAUTIFUL. SAVED. THAT'S MY RINGTONE FOR YOU NOW FAITH LOL

Faith: I'd like to thank Casey Jones from the comic that was in the back pages of the manual for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 for the Wii for introducing me to 'fuckity fuck'. Fucking is just a normal verb form for fuck.

Barbara: LOL

Tim: Oh no, noooooo, that game *sucked*!

Faith: I had some fun with it, playing with my brother, and it and the movie it was based on introduced me to the fandom I wrote my first fanfic for, OK? I wouldn't be here without it! Muchlessbeamonsterfucker. Anyway!

Tim: LOL

Barbara: OMG FAITH 🤣🤣

Stephanie: PFFFT GO OFF I GUESS

Faith: The other is a white-blue gradient scallop seashell necklace that works like the Mermaid Princess pearls of Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch, but I can also dance, and my genre is Tohou Eurobeat.

Stephanie: (gasp!) so you're a magical girl too!! :oooo

Faith: Yes! :DDDDD I also have a Fairy Persona named Solas. My birth demigoddess name is Ønske, but when Urania became my mentor, I also got Ulia Chaménos, the surname to tribute the people I'd go on to save. And I got invited to Paradiso, where Uriel greeted me as my patron angel, and I was told my mortal name, which is, well, Faith!

Stephanie: coool :o what does your fairy 'sona look like?

Stephanie: wait no!

Stephanie: you can just show me some time!! right?

Faith: Also yes, I can! Dragon powers awake = everything is awake.

Faith: I also have a magic Costume, formally called my Astral Jester Costume. The styles of the pieces can change, but by default, it's a T-shirt crop top, shorts, cuff-bracelets lined with jingle bells, a choker with a cluster of jingle bells, hiker shoes (I have a deformed right foot, and my feet are naturally wide, so no flip-flops, flat shoes or high heels!) with a cluster of jingle bells, and, of course, a jester hat with four “ears”, each with a cluster of jingle bells. The entire outfit is white but can change colours as it changes styles. It's a magic cosplay piece LOL

Tim: OK cool but *why a jester?*

Faith: Look, Harley didn’t make me gay, LEGO Catwoman did, but I gotta do one for the clown gays, all right? Harley is an iconnnnn

Stephanie: lol truuuuueeeeee

Tim: Go off, girl! 🤣

Faith: When LEGO Catwoman used the diamond to cut the window, and was caught in the spotlight? And then we saw it again after the villain level? I was like "Oh, she’s cool! …Is she hot, too? Is that just her thing?" There's a reason my imaginary friends were fairies and mermaids and I've had my first imaginary friend, Bella, since I was like 6 🧚🦄🌈✨

Tim: yaaaaassss! ✨🌈✨

Stephanie: yes, miss gurrrlll!! 💖💖✨✨

Barbara: I love that for you!! /gen

Dick: Yeah that's cool 😁

Damian: You can all read about the Four Legendary Unicorns in the app's lore or the planning document.

Faith: Thank you, Damian!

Damian: You're welcome.

Dick: Hey Faaaaaaith

Faith: Yeeeeees

Dick: Who's your favourite Robin? 👀

Faith: He's not present. (throws a peace sign, vanishes)

Dick: GAAAAASP! (holds chest)

Tim: Eh, fair.

Stephanie: lmao

Faith: (Reappears with the sound of a tendon going over bone) But uh, the Four represent the emotions and head-spaces of the people they allow to ride on their backs. Two Italians, and two Swedes LOL

Stephanie: aw man, not the swedish!

Dick: LOL why that sound??🤣

Faith: I've got hyptonia from my dwarfism, OK! I make it a lot!

Tim: Oh cool! How tall are you?

Faith: 4'6" (146 cm)

Faith: Just know that it was supposed to be Polish as a Witcher reference. 💀

Stephanie: bruh 💀💀💀

Tim: LOL the opposite of the Wild Hunt

Faith: Literally 💀Anyway! I have the flu right now so please don’t visit, thankssss

Barbara: No. ❤️

Faith: OK! I believe you! Jump in the line, rock your body in time.

Faith: OHHHHHHH!!!

Barbara: LOL!!

Faith: I know that song from Just Dance 2. Or was it 3? I don't remember and I don't care to ask SOFFFIAA right now LOL

Dick: You’re so energetic, I love that.

Stephanie: oh you're *def* a Just Dancer.

Faith: Thank you! (ihaveareactiveattachmentdisorder)

Steph: felt that

Tim: LOL

Barbara: LOL oh hon, you're perfect 🤣

Dick: 🤣🤣

Damian: I can hear you laughing from across the hall…

Faith: Also, I haven't played since I broke my knee in March 2015 ☹️

Stephanie: awww, that sucks! but we can get you back into shape!

Faith: It's gonna be a *real* challenge.

Dick: We can do it, though 😊

Faith: And heck yeah! Oh, also.

[Faith sent a voice message:] Damian climbs out of bed, takes a decent stride away from the furniture, and does a backflip.

Damian did as told. He held in his scream of fury, and sat back on his bed.

Damian: Never do that again. Whatever that was.

Faith: Wow, he didn't scream in anger! I'm glad /gen. Also agreed

Tim: Girl is OP af💀

Faith: It’s the power of the Thu’um, but I just speak English >w<

Stephanie: i kinda wanna try 😮

Faith: Also yeah, sorry for being a Mary-Sue, everybody blame Ra's for bringing this shit into DC Comicsssss

Tim: Nah, don't apologise.

Dick: Do you *remember* the magic users we've got?

Faith: Oh yeeeeah, sorry, too used to being mean to myself

Stephanie: mood honestly

Barbara: Well, *that's* going to change, Miss Faith!

Faith: Honestly, that would be nice.😄

Barbara: ❤️

Faith: Are you sitting or standing, Steph?

Stephanie: i’m laying in bed bored as shit

Faith: REAL XD

Faith: Also feel free to get this on video for evidence, up to you

Stephanie: oooh bet, lemme record this, go ahead!

[Faith sent a voice message:] Stephanie runs to the wall, runs up the wall, does a cartwheel as she reaches the ceiling, and lands firmly on her feet.

[Stephanie shared a video.]

Stephanie: THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!

Barbara: Nice flip, Steph!

Dick: Good form 👍

Stephanie: Thanks!

Tim: I mean, I wasn’t doubting your dragon powers were real, but hey! They’re real!

Faith: But uh yeah! I think the magic should be easy for me. It'll be trying to get my body to work like it did in high school that'll be the problem 🙁

Dick: How fit were you in school?

Faith: I could lift 420lbs on the leg press.

Dick: Nice!

Barbara: Wow!!

Stephanie: damn!

Tim: You had strong legs!

Dick: You had an injury?

Faith: Yeah, I broke my left patella in tenth grade. I'll spare y'all the story for now, but it gave me anxiety and depression, and that led to a rough last semester and an even rougher grade eleven and twelve. I tried homeschooling, but Internet and fanfiction writing hooked me, and I would have been just fine at the high school branch near the police station, but then I met the one IRL boyfriend I’ve had, and then I was even more depressed. Another story for another time. I used to play volleyball and dance, and now I can only dance while sitting down. It’s not quite the same to make a choreography and be unable to do it. Hence my magic pearl!

Dick: You fit right in with us. You had a rough life too. And now you've been given the opportunity to take your life back.😊

Faith: Yeah! I mean my job is going fine, and Bruce just approved the idea I had for my Earth-33 self to return and continue her life, so no worries there. But I've spent so much time reading and consuming media just trying to understand how people make friends, and what family is like! Not that my adoptive family didn't love me, or try to teach me. My foster parents just screwed up *bad*. I was a Benadryl kid.

Dick: That sucks. Sorry to hear that.

Barbara: Awww, yeah, sorry. 😢

Faith: Again, I could literally go on, but you get the point.

Stephanie: yep.

Barbara: You're welcome to talk to us about yourself anytime, Faith! I'm sure you know plenty about us already ha ha.

Faith: Maybe not plenty, but enough to be very comfortable.

Barbara: Good!

Dick: Awesome.

Tim: So, are you aiming to get your 420 lift back?

Faith: I mean, that'd be *amazing*, I'd like to try!

Dick: Well, when you're not sick, we’re abducting you from the mansion. 🤪

Faith: Woo hoo!

Stephanie: i have a question!

Faith: Shoot.

Stephanie: where are you from? like, the country

Faith: I’m Canadian. Yes, I've been to America. We visited my adoptive dad's family in Gilmer, Texas in Easter of 2008 or '9. It was *so hot*. We flew kites, had authentic iced tea that Mom only let us have a bit of 'cause it had caffeine, there was a wasp on the bathtub that was in the backyard, and I remember briefly playing Tetris and one of the galaxy shooters with one of our cousins. And we went to the zoo! I vaguely remember the black panther, the birds, and the rhinos. We took a weird route there, but a more expected route back. I *think* that's the trip we stopped in Seattle or something to sea the ocean? I remember seeing the trees you used to be allowed to walk/drive through.

Barbara: You're just so full of stories. ❤️❤️

Faith: Aw, thanks!

Stephanie: deadpool or wolverine?

Faith: Smash both but Deadpool first unless the chemistry isn't there, ditto reasoning for Wolverine, marry Deadpool, talk history with Wolverine, I don’t think he’d like me enough to marry me; no killing here, folks.

Stephanie: wow. what a slut /aff

Faith: Thanks, I learned it from the cult of Asherah that the Yahwehists tore down, but before then, R34 and Bayonetta. Also Catwoman, again. Poison Ivy, too. OH and Her Imperial Condescendence from Homestuck.

Barbara: Oh my Gooood…

Stephanie: oh she’s *chaotic* gay!

Tim: Not Homestuck!! 😭 😭 😭

Faith: I used to be a Nepeta kinnie. Now I’m an Eridan sympathiser and fucker.

Tim: NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Stephanie: AAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

Dick: (Points at the cuss) Get outta my sandwich!

Faith: (Mine turtle) Hello!

Dick: LOL

Stephanie: lmao!

Barbara: LOL!

Tim: oh of course you like asdfmovie /aff

Faith: Anyway yeah! This will be fun if my body stops breaking after the first couple of weeks or so!

Barbara: Oh, we get hurt aaaalllll the time.

Dick: Yep.

Tim: Yyyyyep.

Stephanie: uh-huh!

Damian: Yeah.

Faith: I know, I've seen the panels… I don't usually save time or money to buy or even pirate comics tbh.

Stephanie: Fair.

Tim: Yeah.

Faith: OK! I'm gonna try to sleep now! Nice meeting y'all! 👋

Stephanie: Byyyyeeee!

Barbara: TTYL!

Dick: Bye! 😄

Tim: Sleep well, Faith!

Damian: See ya.

Faith has changed her status to Do Not Disturb.

Faith has changed her status to flu needs the z’s.

Tim: She’s got a good sense of humor.

Dick: Yeah, she seems easy to get along with.

Barbara: I think we're her only friends, though. 😉

Dick: Yeah.

Stephanie: yeah

Tim: Yeeeeah. Not that I mind, though.

Barbara: Neither do I.

Stephanie: same

Dick: Ditto. Some people just need the winds of fate to blow differently for something to go their way.

Barbara: Oh, for sure.

Tim: True.

Stephanie: i'm excited to help her, though! and be her friend. 😊

Tim: Heck yeah!

Barbara: Bruce, could you take her to the Belfry when she's not sick to start with the basics?

Bruce: Sure. 🙂

Dick: Yes, great idea.

Damian: Is it mandatory?

Dick: Nope. If you don’t feel like it, you don't have to, Damian.

Damian: 'Kay.

Dick: I think that's all for now, yeah?

Tim: Yeah.

Barbara: I think so!

Stephanie: yeah, no ideas for now.

Dick: All right. We'll let Faith know when she's done snoozing and go from there. [Multiple people Liked this message.]

Click emoji to navigate to next chapter. ⏭️

[fictionsoul]

Fixed

Fem!reader x Yesung

Synopsis: Your computer fails to turn on and your growing desperation forces you to get down to work trying to repair what is not working, but that's what your roommate is there for. Who else will help you to repair what is broken?

Warnings: Maybe grammar mistakes but that's all, a lot of fluff too.

w/c: 3.5k

Fixed

The sun radiated warmth everywhere while the wind blew gently swaying the branches of the trees. The long shadows of the buildings cast strange shapes that managed to sneak through your window.

You could even hear some birds chirping to each other, as if they were trying to communicate in Morse code.

While the outside was calling everyone to adventure and to create good memories under the excellent weather, you were locked inside the shared apartment writing one more part of your thesis.

Taking each subject seemed like a trifle compared to the torture of doing that horrible thesis that threatened to melt your brain if you were forced to read one more book.

Your fingers moved nimbly over the keyboard, it seemed like a routine operation, like the piece practiced a thousand times by a pianist for his recital. Not only your fingers were moving, but also your feet were moving under the table, marking the rhythm of the music playing in the headphones.

What would college life be without the pleasure of music? You sighed as you flexed your neck to the right to loosen it, repeating the movement now to the left.

"Are you tired, do you need a massage," asked the singer with whom you shared the apartment. "The way the bones in your neck creak could be the reason for someone to do a thesis. Imagine, listening to your neck, a physiotherapist falls in love with you and you two start a relationship, with you as a student and research material and him as a scientist obsessed with your neck. Call me crazy but I see potential."

You let out a groan and let your head fall back until the back of the chair stopped your forward motion causing a new crunch to unclench that area of your neck. Yesung laughed and redirected his attention to the notebook he held in his hands.

"I don't need a massage, what I need is for the university to burn down and suspend classes so I can put this thesis aside," a new moan came from your throat before you got down to work.

"Do you want to go for a walk? The weather looks good" his gaze went to the window behind you to check the veracity of his words.

"I wish I could, but I'm inspired by this part of the research. Listen, a few days ago I found an article that said that the sediments found in an excavation…"

Your words stopped abruptly, at the same time that the air conditioning stopped working and your computer shut off. What the hell had happened, had your work equipment really shut off?

In a panic, you began to press the power button on the device, waiting for it to flash the blinking light that indicated it was about to react. But your insistence did nothing but drive you to despair.

The power was back on and the devices were working perfectly, but your computer refused to turn on. And so it went on for several more minutes, during which you kept pressing the button as if at some point it would magically turn on.

"Have you tried plugging in the charger? Maybe the battery is dead and that's why it won't turn on," suggested Yesung when he saw you hovering over the electronic device desperately pressing the button.

Listening to him you ran to your room to get the battery charger hoping that would be the solution. You would really buy him a whole set of legos if plugging in a silly charger was the solution to the problem.

As soon as the connection happened things stayed the same, the orange light hadn't come on and that made you worry. No power could only be because the computer had died and so had your hopes of graduating and getting your degree as an archaeologist.

"This is no good!" you shouted, throwing the charger cables onto the table.

The scream and the successive sounds startled Yesung, forcing him to pay attention to what was happening.

"It doesn't turn on?"

"Yes, I even threw away the charger because I was so happy" your bearish tone reached his ears full of irony and annoyance.

"I understand, I understand. At least now you can get up from that chair and go out to enjoy the good weather…

"Sure, and may my thesis go to hell along with my computer. Yesung, you know I've spent whole nights writing that crap that is now useless" the fury was coming out of your body with every word you uttered. "I'm tired. I'll throw myself out of the window and you'll have to testify that it was the computer's fault. You could take advantage of the incident to ask the computer company to take responsibility for the loss and compensate you for my death."

As soon as your dramatic and funny ways came to the fore, Yesung knew that the rough patch was over and now he would have to listen to you complaining about how unlucky you were in every aspect of your life.

At least that was better than facing you in anger, it was a thousand times better to listen to your sad life stories instead of the insults you could hurl against every being that had caused something bad throughout your existence.

"I know what could help in this situation" the singer started walking towards the kitchen and extracted from the freezer a plastic jar while he returned to the tiny living-dining room as if he had found the panacea. "Ice cream!"

Pouting, you pulled two cups out of a cupboard and began to dig into the delicacy to serve two large portions.

Maybe the ice cream wouldn't bring back your thesis file, but at least it would sweeten your palate and maybe make you forget your problem for a moment.

Who were you kidding? You could already see yourself opening the computer to check that everything inside was in order. You didn't need a technician, you could manage on your own. At least that's what you thought before you faced the difficulty of unscrewing everything.

Yesung continued to hold the notebook in front of his eyes only to dissipate the incipient curiosity as he watched you hold a screwdriver in the air as if you were a serial killer about to stab one of his victims. His gaze traveled from the lines of the writing to your inexperienced hands that were hesitant to spring into action.

You turned the device on the table again, hoping that a new angle would give you a clearer idea of what to do once all the components were exposed. It might well compare to the excavations you had attended, but then a computer had no dirt or impressive remains, just a series of wires and metal parts that made little sense to you.

When you managed to get rid of the screws you could see inside. You felt like a surgeon trying to determine how to proceed with the life of the patient in your hands.

Your hand hesitated to continue unscrewing, so you picked up the phone on the table to look for a tutorial to support you.

As one video after another played, Yesung struggled more and more to hold in his laughter. Sometimes little sounds of restrained laughter would leave his lips, but he did his best to discimulate it with a cough, a sneeze or sporadic throat clearing.

"How amusing this must seem to you Yesung. I wish something will happen to one of your microphones and that I could be there to laugh at your misfortune," you muttered with a half smile as you continued to pay attention to some strange person's tutorial on the internet.

As you tried to fix the glitch, Yesung watched every detail of your face. Your eyebrows slightly furrowed, your body slightly hunched over the table, in one hand you held a cross screwdriver while with the other you paused the video to follow the instructions to the letter.

That's how he had imagined you in the excavations you sometimes talked about at night when you were sleepless and your mind couldn't stop thinking about the remains found. At that very moment he felt like a spectator of your life, like one of your fellow students instead of just the person with whom you shared an apartment.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked, approaching the table.

"Maybe you could shut up... I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," you exhaled a frustrated sigh and ran your hands through your hair. "I don't think this is going to work."

"The tutorial didn't work?"

"I think I'm the one who's no good. I should put the pieces back in place and take this to a technician. I don't want to lose my thesis file."

Feeling that your burden was too heavy, Yesung ran his hands up and down your back, up and down and back again, over and over again calming your breathing and bringing you back to reality. He knew how hard it was to handle frustration when you didn't see a clear solution to problems.

"Now that I remember, there is a USB flash drive in my closet where you had placed the file," he murmured as he walked into his room with a bright smile on his face. "Yesterday you sent me a preview of your thesis to print out at SM's printer," he laughed as he remembered the way the staff judged him when he took a computer and printed out the document with information about excavations, "so at least I have all your progress there except what you did today."

It was unbelievable. Yesung was the most incredible human being in the entire world at that very moment. You couldn't have seen him more heroic even if he wore the robotic Ironman suit.

You immediately ran to him and caught him in a hug while mumbling silly things in gratitude. He had just saved your life.

"The problem now is that you don't have a computer," he laughed again when he saw your expression.

You had forgotten, there was no point in having the file in your possession if there was nowhere to edit it.

"I could go and ask Shindong for one of his computers," he quickly solved, "but we should get out of here and go to his house because he has a rehearsal later."

"I don't care, we can still go and enjoy the weather you wanted so much a few hours ago. Let's go, hurry."

Your hand held his and his heart added a few beats to its rhythm as his footsteps moved towards where you were advancing. He couldn't believe that you were holding his hand, he couldn't believe that with that gesture his heart went crazy and his stomach made him feel those stupid butterflies fluttering inside him.

He thought of that sudden infatuation was over, that he had gotten used to your presence and his feelings had finally ceased. With resignation he kept moving forward until both reached the outside of the building.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you ruined your computer to force me to go on a date with you," he commented nonchalantly as he squinted his eyes to shield them from the sunlight.

"Why would I do that," you laughed. "I wouldn't risk a thesis to go out with you. You're not worth it," you joked.

The singer brought one of his hands to his chest feigning pain at your words and eliciting more laughter from both of you. Certainly the weather was nice, it would have been a shame to spend the rest of the day cooped up in an apartment.

Although the initial plan was to go to Shindong's house to get a new borrowed computer, Yesung diverted the walk several times in order to buy snacks, chocolates, candy and a coffee to enjoy the walk.

The walk dragged on and before you knew it, your hand was still holding Yesung's hand. A thousand questions assailed your mind, but the most important of all was still why he hadn't said something about it?, why didn't he move his hand away?, why didn't he make fun of the situation?, had you always been this close?

Then your heart forgot how to beat for a second and it took a few more seconds to resume its rhythm. You were no longer sure of your feelings.

At what point had the whole routine you were used to changed? perhaps, he was your housemate, you had been watching him grow as a singer for several years, how come your heart was beating like this until now?

"We're almost there," you barely heard Yesung say.

As if you had committed some crime you shook your hand to undo your grip and practically ran in the opposite direction of the house. You felt nervous, embarrassed and in a way you had become a traitor. You couldn't look him in the face now that you were beginning to think there really was something more between you.

What if all this time you had been so obvious? No, impossible, if you hadn't even been aware of your own feelings until now, but…

No.

Impossible.

"Are you all right," Yesung asked almost breathlessly as soon as he caught up with you in the middle of the race. "Are you in pain?"

The tone of his voice actually sounded like genuine concern, one that distressed you because it caused a dangerous hope to lodge in your heart.

Apparently it was bound to happen, apparently you would have to learn to live with unrequited love.

"I'm fine, I just remembered I left the air conditioner on," you lied terribly.

You were the worst of all liars and he would have to be the dumbest man in the world if he believed you, because no one in the world would cry for leaving the air conditioner on.

Little tears slipped down your cheeks making you feel weak, childish and foolish. It wasn't the first time you had experienced one-sided love, in fact you had been through several like this before. The problem was that this time you harbored hope and that hurt much more.

"Do you want to go home? I'll take care of bringing a laptop…

"Why do you care about the computer," you asked, ducking your gaze, avoiding his eyes at all costs.

"Because you need it. You should have seen yourself holding the screwdriver, I was sure you would say "scalpel" as if you were in an operating room", he joked without getting any reaction from you. "I care because it's about you."

Those words put another knife in your heart. One more spark of hope that threatened to turn into a fire inside you.

"You shouldn't worry about me" You clenched your hand into a fist and tapped weakly on the singer's chest, continuing that rhythm as you began your tirade. "You shouldn't stay home just because I'm full of work and projects, you shouldn't postpone your rehearsals just because someone has to accompany me to my dissertations, you shouldn't make time to pick me up from small digs when you should be resting. You shouldn't be so considerate to me Yesung."

All your thoughts were escaping from inside you, turning into painful phrases to utter, tearing at your throat as they continued their way outward.

Then Yesung imprisoned your fist in his hand and raised it to his lips to kiss your knuckles one by one. And finally your eyes watched him through your tears.

He was smiling, he was gazing at you with such affection that you felt overwhelmed. Beloved.

"I'll keep doing it even if you tell me not to," he proclaimed to put an end to that silly argument you had started out of nowhere. "I like to see you smile every time you realize I'm there for you. That's why I do it."

"It's not necessary."

"For me it is."

His words were the final blow because the fire had started inside you while that little hope increased questioning you if it would be possible, if there was any chance that your feelings would be reciprocated.

"Don't do it," you whimpered, prey to your unstable and contradictory emotions. "Don't say any more."

And then he left. He turned and ran away regardless of the fact that you were shaken, your hands trembling and tears falling as if there was an endless source of them inside you.

You didn't know how much time passed since he turned around and technically ran away leaving you a mess. But then you saw him in the distance, a point that was approaching at a rapid pace as he raised his hands pointing to something rectangular between them.

Soon he came to you with a huge grin, no air in his lungs and gasping for breath as little giggles left his body amidst each accelerated exhalation. The laptop was in his hands.

"If I didn't hurry Shindong was going to go to practice and I wouldn't be able to get the computer," he muttered almost out of breath, still trying his best to pick up the rhythm of his breathing.

"You shouldn't have."

"You're so bossy," he joked, nudging you with his shoulder. "I'm doing it because I want to do it, I told you. Now stop whining and slacking off and let's go finish that thesis."

More tears welled up in your eyes. By now you didn't understand if it was happiness growing in your chest or hope tormenting your mind. But the tears were about to cause you terrible dehydration.

"Why are you still crying if we already fixed the problem with the thesis?" Although he was still worried, the smile had not left his face.

"Because I think I like you," you whimpered, unable to stifle your tears.

He laughed. He was actually laughing and rejoicing at your confession. It seemed incredible to him how absurdly you had finally figured it all out.

He had been trying for years to get close to you, trying here and there different ways to make a confession but no method seemed to work and he had only recently given up.

He even learned how to cook your favorite dish and then thought he was being obvious about it, but you were either very distracted or you really didn't even pay attention to what he was doing because he wasn't generating any interest in you.

"If that's the real reason you're crying then fixing it is very simple."

"It can't be fixed. I ruined our living together."

He was tired of listening to you whine and gloat about what you thought was a huge misfortune. So he stopped his steps right in front of you and took your face in his hands cradling it to force you to hold his gaze.

He thought you could both be happy as soon as his feelings were detected by your heart's radar, he faithfully believed that he could not be the cause of your tears because he loved you enough to ensure that he would not make you cry. But there you were unable to hold back the tears or to stop whimpering unintelligible words.

"Listen to me carefully (Y/N)" hearing him say your name was as if he said some magic word that stopped your spasmodic breathing. "I can fix this whole misunderstanding by telling you that I like you. If anyone ruined the relationship it was me trying to change your feelings."

He liked you, he had finally admitted his feelings and they were coming to you at the same time as the new urge to cry from emotion.

"Stop crying," he implored, releasing your face and pulling you into an embrace as the people around him watched the scene curiously, "it looks like you're crying because of me."

"Well, I'm crying because of you! How can you admit it so calmly? Since when have you been trying to tell me? Why didn't I realize it before? I must have really looked like a fool in front of you."

Your words came tumbling out one after another and your mind was unable to stop the verbiage. Your thoughts were traveling at miles per hour and your lips were moving so fast that it seemed like you were about to debut as the rapper in a kpop group.

"Don't tell me I'm going to have to repair your brain now," he proclaimed with mock annoyance.

Then he leaned back slightly and his lips brushed yours with the lightness of a feather. It was a fleeting kiss, so quick and almost imperceptible that you could well believe it was the product of a hallucination.

"See? Now everything is fixed. You stopped crying, you know I like you and you can go on with your thesis. Do you need me to fix anything else?"

Your face reddened after his words. Hiding behind your hands to hide your embarrassment you continued walking back home.

"I'll have to give you more kisses to get you used to them, it's the only way to repair that tomato red face."

"That's enough Yesung!"

And so you two returned home amidst teasing, complaints, fleeting kisses and light touches that slowly brought you closer, getting used to the sensation of that incipient relationship.

A small reminder that requests are open, if you don't feel good sending messages in english, you cand send your request in spanish too (since I can work properly with that language).

If you only wanna fangirling or make any question my messages are open for you too.

[june-gdprototyping]

CNC development history and processing principles

CNC machine tools are also called Computerized Numerical Control (CNC for short). They are mechatronics products that use digital information to control machine tools. They record the relative position between the tool and the workpiece, the start and stop of the machine tool, the spindle speed change, the workpiece loosening and clamping, the tool selection, the start and stop of the cooling pump and other operations and sequence actions on the control medium with digital codes, and then send the digital information to the CNC device or computer, which will decode and calculate, issue instructions to control the machine tool servo system or other actuators, so that the machine tool can process the required workpiece.

‌1. The evolution of CNC technology: from mechanical gears to digital codes

The Beginning of Mechanical Control (late 19th century - 1940s)

The prototype of CNC technology can be traced back to the invention of mechanical automatic machine tools in the 19th century. In 1887, the cam-controlled lathe invented by American engineer Herman realized "programmed" processing for the first time by rotating cams to drive tool movement. Although this mechanical programming method is inefficient, it provides a key idea for subsequent CNC technology. During World War II, the surge in demand for military equipment accelerated the innovation of processing technology, but the processing capacity of traditional machine tools for complex parts had reached a bottleneck.

The electronic revolution (1950s-1970s)

After World War II, manufacturing industries mostly relied on manual operations. After workers understood the drawings, they manually operated machine tools to process parts. This way of producing products was costly, inefficient, and the quality was not guaranteed. In 1952, John Parsons' team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed the world's first CNC milling machine, which input instructions through punched paper tape, marking the official birth of CNC technology. The core breakthrough of this stage was "digital signals replacing mechanical transmission" - servo motors replaced gears and connecting rods, and code instructions replaced manual adjustments. In the 1960s, the popularity of integrated circuits reduced the size and cost of CNC systems. Japanese companies such as Fanuc launched commercial CNC equipment, and the automotive and aviation industries took the lead in introducing CNC production lines. 

Integration of computer technology (1980s-2000s)

With the maturity of microprocessor and graphical interface technology, CNC entered the PC control era. In 1982, Siemens of Germany launched the first microprocessor-based CNC system Sinumerik 800, whose programming efficiency was 100 times higher than that of paper tape. The integration of CAD (computer-aided design) and CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) software allows engineers to directly convert 3D models into machining codes, and the machining accuracy of complex surfaces reaches the micron level. During this period, equipment such as five-axis linkage machining centers came into being, promoting the rapid development of mold manufacturing and medical device industries.

Intelligence and networking (21st century to present)

The Internet of Things and artificial intelligence technologies have given CNC machine tools new vitality. Modern CNC systems use sensors to monitor parameters such as cutting force and temperature in real time, and use machine learning to optimize processing paths. For example, the iSMART Factory solution of Japan's Mazak Company achieves intelligent scheduling of hundreds of machine tools through cloud collaboration. In 2023, the global CNC machine tool market size has exceeded US$80 billion, and China has become the largest manufacturing country with a production share of 31%.

2. CNC machining principles: How code drives steel

The essence of CNC technology is to convert the physical machining process into a control closed loop of digital signals. Its operation logic can be divided into three stages:

Geometric Modeling and Programming

After building a 3D model using CAD software such as UG and SolidWorks, CAM software “deconstructs” the model: automatically calculating parameters such as tool path, feed rate, spindle speed, and generating G code (such as G01 X100 Y200 F500 for linear interpolation to coordinates (100,200) and feed rate 500mm/min). Modern software can even simulate the material removal process and predict machining errors.

Numerical control system analysis and implementation

The "brain" of CNC machine tools - the numerical control system (such as Fanuc 30i, Siemens 840D) converts G codes into electrical pulse signals. Taking a three-axis milling machine as an example, the servo motors of the X/Y/Z axes receive pulse commands and convert rotary motion into linear displacement through ball screws, with a positioning accuracy of up to ±0.002mm. The closed-loop control system uses a grating ruler to feedback position errors in real time, forming a dynamic correction mechanism.

Multi-physics collaborative control

During the machining process, the machine tool needs to coordinate multiple parameters synchronously: the spindle motor drives the tool to rotate at a high speed of 20,000 rpm, the cooling system sprays atomized cutting fluid to reduce the temperature, and the tool changing robot completes the tool change within 0.5 seconds. For example, when machining titanium alloy blades, the system needs to dynamically adjust the cutting depth according to the hardness of the material to avoid tool chipping.

‌3. The future of CNC technology: cross-dimensional breakthroughs and industrial transformation

Currently, CNC technology is facing three major trends:

‌Combined‌: Turning and milling machine tools can complete turning, milling, grinding and other processes on one device, reducing clamping time by 90%;

Additive-subtractive integration: Germany's DMG MORI's LASERTEC series machine tools combine 3D printing and CNC finishing to directly manufacture aerospace engine combustion chambers;

‌Digital Twin‌: By using a virtual machine tool to simulate the actual machining process, China's Shenyang Machine Tool's i5 system has increased debugging efficiency by 70%.

From the meshing of mechanical gears to the flow of digital signals, CNC technology has rewritten the underlying logic of the manufacturing industry in 70 years. It is not only an upgrade of machine tools, but also a leap in the ability of humans to transform abstract thinking into physical entities. In the new track of intelligent manufacturing, CNC technology will continue to break through the limits of materials, precision and efficiency, and write a new chapter for industrial civilization.

[turtlefordestiel]

The only reason I didn't know I was a therian before this year was because I didnt know the term. But JOLY CRAP looking at my memories it's obvious Ive been a wolf since childhood. I growl when I get angry whine when I'm sad love cuddles and pets my friends/found family is 'pack'. Marking my pack is a MUST! Share clothes(especially hoodies they don't have the fur to protect them) physical affection usually always touching at least one of my pack mates just making sure that everyone knows they're Mine and I will attack them. I've always felt really close to wolves and used to have dreams where I was one. I got mad when my canines were filed because FANGS (years back I looked into dental modifications so I could have them back but very few people do it and it's expensive 😭) I tell my best friend constantly that 'if I had a tail it'd be wagging rn' and I'm so dog coded that people call me puppy and give me head scritches. My best friend also has the 'leash system' which is a metaphorical leash that is 'put on' when I get very depressed or angry and basically I have to check in with her a lot and she's like the only reason I haven't ended up in jail (psychically holding me back from fighting as I lunge) l had a collar choker at one point that my bio dad jokingly said I looked like a dog and that made me EXTREMLY happy. I have an intense urge to howl at the moon when it's full and full moons also make me feel more wolfy. I don't exactly know what a 'shift' is but I think I do when it's cold and snowy (I'm a timber wolf for reference) and I feel like a big fluffy wolf running around in the snow. Also! Prey!! I have been known to stalk my friends like a predator (EXTREMLY wolfy here) channeling that inner wolf either when Im mad at them (they need to be taken care of and they did something STUPID or just pissed me off) and uhh it's kind of intimidating I've been told. ALSO! Running around the park with my boys and having fun and climbing on to the very top of some equipment is so funnn

[literaryslapshot]

happy new year from sYdney, aus! (Lmao i’m a loser who will never get over that)

i was scrolling thru ur sidney crosby stuff (bc this man has me GRIPPED I’m so embarrassed and obsessed) and I saw some of the teacher!reader stuff and I know most ppl default to like…teacher of young kids but please consider - high school teacher!reader

like yes reader is younger (I’m still thinking of ur age gap!sidney oh lord) but she’s been teaching high schoolers for nearly a decade now. so what if ur 36 and 180cm and a professional goon athlete on the ice. so what if ur shorter than literally all of sid’s teammates. hs teacher!reader has a presence and you WILL listen to her when she tells a room full of adrenaline fuelled hockey players to stop throwing their nasty underarmour clothing at each other for 5 seconds so you can all finish your damn gatorade and HYDRATE, evgeni, you think kidney stones are a joke, do you? or just giving someone the Teacher Look when they’re being a bit too sassy or just casually slotting in to help Dana in the equipment room.

dealing with the media? easy as pie - they’ve got nothing on private school parents who don’t understand why little johnny isn’t in the top class, he just needs to be challenged and extended, don’t you understand that’s why he doesn’t do anything in class, because he’s bored, he’s actually VERY capable! (sidney was shell shocked with a fear boner the first time he hears the tail end of your phone convo to a parent - “unfortunately mr x, i have yet to see any evidence of this, so our decision stands. Have a good day now :)”

the whole hockey schedule? oh lord, reader is a professional at timetable management, don’t you even worry. She’s an excellent coordinator (yes, a shared and colour coded google calendar for her and sidney’s relationship) she understands how both their schedules can be insane, but most importantly understands the importance of work-life balance and setting boundaries for yourself! she helps pull sidney out of his head, reminding him that it’s just as important to take care of himself if he wants to keep taking care of others. she reminds him that it’s okay to be a little bit selfish, and really, that it’s not actually selfish at all to admit to another person how tired and frustrated you are, or to talk about things from years past that you thought you’d gotten over, but no, really, you just buried it for the sake of your team and career.

the whole public persona/reputation vs privacy thing? she totally gets it and understands sidney’s need first privacy. hell, that’s why she so fucking tech savvy - she knows ALL the tips and tricks to keep her socials locked away from prying student and parent eyes. It sparks this sense of safety and security in sidney? like he knows for sure that his privacy is protected, and that he trusts reader so much not to accidentally or not take advantage of his fame and fortune?

uhhhh anyway sidney being in shock-scared-and-horny-awe at your absolute confidence, breadth of knowledge, and commanding yet calm presence despite your age and (comparatively) tiny size. sidney discovers he has a competency kink when you accidentally use your teacher voice on him bc he keeps trying to distract you with kisses and cuddles while ur trying to finish off some marking. like, you stare at him over the top of your glasses and go “sidney crosby, you’ve got two choices right now - you can sit down on the couch in silence and wait literally 10 minutes, or, if you want to continue as you are, one of us is going to sleep in the guest room tonight, so let’s make good choices now, eh?”

he sheepishly goes to the couch and waits for you to sit in his lap after u’re done so you can pepper his shy lil face with kisses, calling him a “ridiculous boy” with such fondness in ur voice it makes him giggle

omg stop i LOVE THIS!!!!!!!

[ivankahasbeentreatedsounfairly]

By Brad Setser

Mr. Setser served as an official in the Treasury Department in the Obama administration.

It is hard to think of a less coherent pair of policies: President Trump’s tax policy encourages the very offshoring that his tariffs are intended to stop.

Take the more than $600 billion pharmaceutical industry. Over the past few months, Mr. Trump and his associates have repeatedly criticized companies’ moves to offshore much drug making, particularly to Ireland. “We can’t be beholden and rely upon foreign countries for fundamental things that we need,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on April 13.

But the tax incentives in Mr. Trump’s 2017 tax and spending package helped generate this problem in the first place — a problem that would continue under the Republican bill under consideration. Mr. Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created a loophole that made it far more profitable for the pharmaceutical giants, including Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Merck, to manufacture some of their most profitable drugs in Ireland. Unsurprisingly, that is what happened, with America’s imports of pharmaceuticals soaring to $250 billion in 2024, way up from $110 billion in 2016.

American companies now report earning about $350 billion in profits annually in the world’s major centers of corporate tax avoidance, which include Ireland, Luxembourg, Singapore and a handful of others. And while the major drug companies have mastered the art of taking advantage of the loopholes created by the 2017 law, semiconductor equipment producers and other Big Tech companies use the same special tax break.

Fortunately, it isn’t too late to make sensible changes that would raise revenue and get rid of this strange incentive.

Republicans tend to blame Ireland’s lower corporate tax rate for the proliferation of corporate tax avoidance, but the real incentive comes from this obscure corner of our tax code. It offers a far lower 10.5 percent tax rate for global profits if a global company moves the profits from its intellectual property offshore. The tax rate for domestic profits, in contrast, is 21 percent. The tax break was created by Republicans who were searching for a compromise that would stop companies from moving their headquarters overseas without fully ending tax competition and the associated pressure on U.S. corporate tax rates.

That provision did stop the trend of companies moving their headquarters overseas. But it also didn’t take long for pharmaceutical companies to realize that they could cut their total tax bill in half by transferring their intellectual property (like, say, a patent for a new drug) to a subsidiary overseas. And to satisfy a different and equally obscure provision of the tax code, they needed to move their manufacturing as well. Soon, Big Pharma began reporting to the I.R.S. that it earned almost all of its income abroad. They have all but stopped paying domestic corporate taxes.

Apple uses the same 2017 provision in a different way, and thanks to the lower tax rate on its foreign sales, its overall tax rate has been around 15 percent in a typical year. And it is likely that Apple is now paying the largest share of its corporate tax in Ireland — a country where it doesn’t make or sell very much.

Mr. Trump wants to solve these problems — and almost every problem — with tariffs. But tariffs are an indiscriminate tool. They risk raising the price of all medicines and certainly will increase the prices of many generic medicines that are far more affordable than their patent-protected cousins. Generic medicines are sold at razor-thin margins, so their makers cannot eat the tariff out of their profits. A far better policy would be to just get rid of these strange tax quirks in the “big, beautiful bill” to begin with. Passing the Close the Round-Tripping Loophole Act that the Senate Finance Committee members Ron Wyden, Mark Warner, Raphael Warnock and Peter Welch just introduced would be a very welcome step in the right direction.

Fixing the tax code is about putting the interest of the United States ahead of the interest of large global companies. It doesn’t make sense for an “America First” president to push with one lever and pull with another. Better to get the tax policy right at the start.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/20/opinion/budget-policy-bill-trump-manufacturing.html