#Once again midnight posting

[yanban-san]

Here's an AU Idea for you all that I dumped into R0's discord a little earlier while I write more demon posts Characters have had massive personality shifts because it's my AU and I get to play with my blorbos

Tags: Very much unwanted arranged marriage, bodice...ripper??, dumb medieval marriage beliefs and problems, Religious and political corruption/intrigue, medieval-fantasy setting. Weird blend of Unovan characters and also Hisuian characters. CW: Unpleasant Non-con/descriptions of unwanted physical contact, Kamado is an absolute bastard, AFAB Reader for this one, And lots of corruption in institutions of power, and mentions/threats of abuse; Vague Religious Assholery as well. If I write a fic for this, it will prob be gen neutral but I made the reader a Lady for this one- However, In this AU it doesn't matter if you're a noble daughter or a noble son or a noble's child, if you've been betrothed by the Church™ then woe be unto you unless you actually like your spouse.

A medeival-esque time period in the pokemon world- In a far off, fairy tale region...

Reader/Darling is a daughter of a noble household, who, for terrible reasons beyond her control, has become the betrothed of the celebrated general Kamado, a distinguished commander in the King's Army.

Kamado may be nice among company, but alone or among his lower ranking men, he's an absolutely horrible, terrible, vile old man- Far older than you, with a penchant for his mistresses and a hundred more vices that would take too long to list- He's quick to anger and slow to calm, taking his frustrations out on those weaker than him.

And of course, you don't want to marry this man. Aside from being much older than you, you've learned of his cruel nature from the very first day you met him- The strangely crude way he spoke to you, the way he tried to isolate you- Separate you from your family and talk to you alone- The way he grabbed your wrist when you refused to look him in the eye- You never wanted to speak to such a horrid man, ever again! And yet- Here you are.

The reasons darling has become betrothed to this general is several-fold. It suits many a powerful person very well- Except for you, of course!

The King offered a reward to Kamado for his exemplary services in battle for the kingdom. He's looked at you many times, but you're not just some common woman he can take for a mistress or a night- No, he'll have to buy you. And so he asks the King to give him you as his prize.

Your (probably not very nice) parents want the prestige of Commander Kamado's name- as well as a claim for their future generations on his title and lands and wealth.

And not only that, but the Church™ has agreed most happily to the marriage- The Sages of the Church™, after all, are very loyal to the King and- Well, he's ordered them to condone it, despite the significant age difference and your own protests. Now, Kamado is aware as well that you don't wish to wed him- He watched you rise in anger when the King and your father declared your betrothal. And he knows for a fact it's been a... problem, before- with young brides and grooms who do not wish to be wed "against their will" or whatever it was that- They'd often take the alliance of pokemon and abscond into the night with some vagabond, or on the wings of their beastly companions-

So instead, Kamado asks the Church™ to ensure that, for the Year and a Day you must wait to be married, that one, you stay "pure" before your marriage to him- And two, that you don't abscond into the night with the Gardener's son or your maid or something like that, and vanish.

And so, the Church™ has a wonderful solution! Enter the two finest paladins in all the land, armed with their beautiful, deadly swords at their sides, to guard you night and day: Sir Ingo and Sir Emmet!

As paladins, they've taken oaths of chastity- And having been raised by the church since they were children, the Sages have no fear that they would break their vows- Or even have interest in a mere little noble like yourself.

And at first, the twin paladins are more than okay to fulfill their holy duties- You're obviously just afraid of marriage, that is alright! Yes, Kamado is... older than you, but- Surely, he'll make a fine husband for you. Won't he?

The paladins try to comfort you, but every night- As they stand guard outside your door, they can hear you sob. More and more frequently as the days pass by, and your marriage to Kamado grows closer and closer.

And they watch, feeling an ever creeping sensation of disgust every time they must follow out of sight when you are with Kamado- Who pulls at your face and demands a kiss from you, and dares to raise his hand against you if you pull away too much- Both the twins can't believe what they're seeing. Kamado, after all, is a celebrated hero of the land! He shouldn't act this way towards the one he has chosen as his future bride! Ingo shudders to think what Kamado would do if they did not accidentally make themselves known- Or use their own pokemon to interrupt the old bastard grabbing you.

They silently hope that maybe- Maybe it's just something they don't understand, not being permitted to court any young ladies themselves, given that they're Paladins- Until they have to interact with the old man alone on several occasions- Or worse, they see his mistresses, his drinking, the cruel way he treats his servants and underlings around his castle- And the way he refers to you, no better than a piece of meat, when he thinks he's in company of those with a similar mindset-

They can't stand for this! They must help you. Kamado is not worthy of being your husband! Not in a million years would he ever deserve such a kind, beautiful, wonderful, lovely Lady...

But still, they speak with your parents- Who are aware of your objections, are aware of Kamado's nature- But what does it matter? Marry him, and the wedding gift he'll make to them will be more than enough to keep your family's estate running for several years. Besides, why should they turn down Kamado now? It's not like there's any other suitors lining up to take your hand.

Realizing the futility of the conversation they turn to their beloved Church™- The bastion of righteousness, morality, and courage they've drawn from their whole lives-

And the Church threatens to relieve them of their duties if they allow anymore of their personal feelings to get in the way. If they cannot guard you without getting in the way of your betrothal, then the Sages will just lock you up in the Inner Sanctum of the Church until the day of your wedding- At which point you'll be so happy to see the Sun again you'll be more than willing to listen to anything Kamado says, if he threatens you with confinement again.

Ingo and Emmet's hearts break as they watch you become more and more reclusive- You seclude yourself in your family's library, quietly reading some old fairy tales- Books of innocent youths held captive by evil wizards and salamences, saved by daring heroes on the back of Rapidash and Mudsdales, armed with blessings from legendary pokemon-

Could they not become the heroes you so quietly, desperately yearn for...? Though the twins realize you don't like, or necessarily trust them- Because, they know now, they aren't guarding you.

They're keeping you imprisoned.

So they will do their best, over the remainder of the Year and a Day, to befriend you- To defy their own teachings and their orders- To love you, to win your heart- And free you from your confines.

Other notes:

Ingo and Emmet both have Aegislash- Their noble, royal swords. However, these Aegislash are different than run-of-the-mill ones. Aegislash looks different depending on the blade it's possessed- And Emmet's Aegislash is a beautiful, white-silver blade with a gorgeous, white silver shield- inlaid with sapphires and a beautiful white stone set in the hilt, and it's "arms" are made of a strange white silk.

Ingo's Aegislash is black-iron, and hooked- The shield it bears is heavier than most, and the fabric making up it's arms is thicker, but very plush. It is inlaid with rubies and the hilt has a strange, black stone upon it...

Long ago, Ingo and Emmet were two soldier boys, recruited into the army primarily as a means to keep themselves fed- Where they came from exactly, they couldn't even tell you if they could remember! Just that, when they were free, they would explore some of the forgotten reaches of the King's Castle... And one day found an old, sealed room-

Inside were two blades, long slumbering- Long held captive by a line of Kings they'd deemed Unworthy- Only to awaken to two brave young youths- Who held the spirits they longed to serve. Armed with the King's Blades, No one in living memory knows the true meaning of these two ancient swords- Except the current King. His own daughters had failed to wake up the swords- And his failure of a son- The freak who had a heart only for books and pokemon- Hadn't even been permitted to try.

None of them had been able to awaken the blades that only served those worthy of being Kings. King Ghetsis was furious- His beloved beautiful daughters- Praised as Incarnations of the Goddesses by the Sages of the Church™- Had failed to awaken the ancient Swords, as did so many of his ancestors prior- But these two strange twins, bumpkins from some old mining town, had?

Ingo and Emmet also don't know the meaning of the blades they carry, but they certainly make the two a force to be reckoned with.

Also Headcanon about Aegislash- When it's being wielded by an actual human being, they have a different form they take on, as opposed to their sword or shield form- Their Wielded Forme. Sword in one hand, Shield in another- Their ribbons become armored guards for their holder, or they'll take their sword or their shield and wield it for their master, expertly protecting them from even a hoard of assailants.

Ghetsis's Children are Anthea and Concordia- Absolutely terrible people who bear no resemblance to BW Anthea and Concordia who think they deserve the throne because they want it. And N is here as well; He's a bookworm, and a lover of pokemon and truly wants what's best for his Kingdom, but Ghetsis despises him for his pure and truly righteous heart. If he'd been given the opportunity, the legendary blades would've most likely responded to him, as well- Or at least, one of them would...

As Paladins, both Ingo and Emmet are exceptionally "morally upright" and both very courteous- Selfless, courageous, and slightly naive as to more sinister happenings in the world. Ghetsis realized they'd been recognized as "King Material" by the Royal Blades and handed them over to the Church™, controlled by his Sages, to make the twins into loyal puppets for his own purposes.

Other other notes:

Emmet is actually the better swordsmen than Ingo is; That is not to say he is violent, or uses his sword more frequently- He's just very competitive. His left-handedness can make him a surprising opponent for some people, which can give him an edge in fighting. Rarely. He quite adores taking care of baby pokemon, as well as training younger paladins- He's a popular sparring partner.

Ingo is the more diplomatic of the brothers- And an expert in shield fighting. He will have his enemies either knocked flat or already bashed in their heads with the heavy iron shield of this dear Aegislash- Though the hooked, curved blade is certainly nothing to scoff at- It's considerably heavier than Emmet's white-silver blade, and thus is more unwieldy- But the power behind each strike dents and cracks plate armor, even without Aegislash providing any spectral power to it's blows. A clean hit to an enemy is almost always lethal- And Ingo would rather not kill his opponents most of the time. He likes plants- And especially flowers, despite his seemingly dark demeanor.

[atlabeth]

Girl for one get that glass of water! andddd this is a loose request but I LOVE knight Luke and we just gotta see them have that cinderella live action ball scene like romantic dancing maybe the secret garden as well but either way we gotta see these gals at a ball! Have a great day you're an amazing writer!

under the moonlight

fic about the ball

pairing: knight!luke castellan x princess!reader

a/n: thank you so much for this request it is so fucking cute lmao. i changed it a bit to make it work with my vision (bc they wouldn’t really be able to dance at a ball) but the core is that they're dancing together!!! and it is much more intimate and personal lol. here is the cinderella scene that the ask mentioned (and that i took inspo from because it's a beautiful scene lol)

wc: 2.5k

warning(s): basically all fluff

as usual, a mix of hcs and traditional fic!

ALRIGHT LAST TIME WE LEFT OFF princess was dancing with princes during the ball and luke was sulking at his first ever ball accompanying you as a knight 

and thankfully, that all goes okay. 

You don’t get murdered, Luke only goes slightly insane, and you don’t fall head over heels for any royals. 

All in all, a pretty alright night in retrospect. 

But post-ball is rough on both of you. 

You complain about how much your feet hurt from your heels and how uncomfortable your dress is and how your cheeks ache from smiling so much. 

To your surprise, as Luke follows you down the halls, he laughs. 

You stop in your tracks as you whirl around. “And what do you find so funny?”

“Nothing,” he says with a slight smile, almost private. “Just… good to be back with you, princess.”

A small smile of your own starts to creep on your lips. “It was only half the night, Luke.”

“And you have no idea how much I missed you,” he muses. 

You just shake your head and continue walking. “You’re funny.”

(he’s not joking. he’s just going through it now that he’s not training 24/7 and actually has time to feel emotions again) 

You finally get back to your room—thankfully, you got out of any post-ball events with any princes by citing exhaustion, and it’s very rude to demand more of an exhausted lady—and Luke shuts the door behind you as you sink into the edge of your bed. 

“God,” you groan as you immediately peel your heels off, letting out a sigh of relief. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to those.”

“If it’s any help, you looked very regal out there,” Luke says.

“It is my duty,” you say as you smile inwardly. “You looked very knightly out there.”

“And that’s my duty,” he says in kind. He gets a chuckle out of you. 

You begin to take everything off—you undo your hair from whatever elaborate style it was in, you strip your wrists and fingers bare of bracelets, bangles, and rings (though you leave a certain necklace on), you undo parts of your dress. When you take your nightgown from your chest and go behind your folding screen, Luke clears his throat. 

“Princess,” Luke says, “do you want me to—?”

“You can stay,” you say. “I don’t mind.”

And Luke, idiot that he is, gets all in his head. 

(Does she not want me to leave because she doesn’t even see me as someone who could like her like that???) (We’ve been friends for so long, does she just see me as an older brother???) (Does this mean she trusts me or sees me as like. a painting on the wall.) (what the fuck) 

It’s not any of those, poor boy. it’s just that you feel more comfortable around him than anyone because you’ve been around each other for your entire life—he knows you better than anyone. What’s the harm in him being in the room when you’re separated by a folding screen anyway?

but Luke is dramatic and also so fucking insecure when it comes to your feelings for him lmao 

and he has a reason to be i guess?? because at this point while he knows that he has feelings for you (hasn’t fully realized he’s in love) you haven’t realized your own. you just think you have a lingering childhood crush on Luke and it’ll go away as you get older and start being courted 

(spoiler alert: it will not go away.) 

so he gets all weird and silent, giving one word responses as you talk with him, and when you come out in your nightgown you immediately stare him down. 

“Luke,” you said, “what’s wrong?” 

He blinked, as if he wasn’t expecting you to say anything. “Nothing.” 

“Luke,” you repeated. “Come on.” 

“Nothing’s wrong,” he repeated as well. 

You crossed your arms. “Don’t act like I don’t know every single thing about you.” 

“If you do, then you should know that nothing is wrong,” he countered. 

You stared at him for a moment more, then you held out your hand. “Dance with me, then.” 

That actually seemed to throw him off guard as he frowned. “What?” 

“Did you go deaf back there?” you joked. “I want you to dance with me.” 

He managed a smile, though it was slightly awkward. It only made your smile grow. “I don’t dance, princess.” 

“Which is why I’ll teach you,” you said with a nod. “I’ve had plenty of practice.” 

“And I have none.” Luke gestured at his armor. “I’m not exactly suited for it, either.” 

“You can take off your armor,” you said. “It’ll make it all much easier. And a lot quieter.” 

“My job is to protect you, princess.” Luke laid his hand on the hilt of his sword. “I can’t exactly defend you if all the armor’s gone.” 

You rolled your eyes good-naturedly. He really did worry too much. “Nothing’s going to happen here, Luke—not now. I’ll even let you keep your sword with you if it matters that much.” 

He still didn’t seem sure. You inclined your head and took another step forward, still holding out your hand. 

“I’ll count you through it all,” you promised. “And if you like, I can hum one of those orchestra tunes they played earlier tonight. And I promise it’ll make you feel better.”

“...Fine,” Luke relented, and he started undoing his armor. “But you don’t tell anyone about this.” 

“Your secret is safe with me,” you remarked. 

It took a fair amount of time for Luke to get his armor off, but it took just as long for you to get every layer of your ball gown off earlier—and besides, you had endless patience reserved especially for him. The toned forearms revealed as he rolled his sleeves up certainly helped. 

“Are you ready?” you asked as you held out your hand again. 

Luke took it uncertainly. “I feel as if I’m the one meant to be asking you that.” 

“You can lead next time we train together,” you said with a smile. “For now, you’re in my domain.” 

You put Luke’s hand on your waist and reached for his other one, adjusting until it was right, then you looked up at him. “Does that feel alright?” 

His eyes were startlingly dark this close, surprisingly intense. He nodded. 

“Good. I’m going to teach you a few basic steps so you can get used to it.” 

Luke nodded again. You wondered why words seemed behind his grasp. 

yeah girlie I wonder why 

Luke is. not a great dancer 

You’re not surprised, and you don’t say a single word about it as you teach him the basics. he spent his childhood swinging a sword around, and you spent yours learning etiquette and ballroom dances lol 

He steps on your foot about ten times and apologizes like a freak every time, you just laugh and smile and tell him you’re fine. Sure, your slippers don’t provide much protection and Luke’s boots aren’t great against them but you honestly don’t even feel it. you’re too busy getting lost in his eyes lol 

And for someone who spent two years training like an insane person, he gets frustrated very easily when things don’t go his way. 

“How do you do this? It’s impossible.” 

“I learned this dance when I was twelve, Luke.” 

as much as you jest while you’re teaching him the basics you’re encouraging him the entire time because he’s your best friend above all else!!! and you honestly believe he can do anything lmao 

And he’s a quick learner! He didn’t become the youngest kingsguard in history by learning slowly. So soon enough, you’re actually dancing together. 

Luke’s hand on your back feels like the most natural thing in the world, and you can tell he’s actually starting to get a little into it. 

You didn’t have to count your steps off anymore, so you’d switched to humming one of your favorite symphonies from the musicians back in Aurelda. 

Luke is still focused on landing every move, but your lead and the music gives him confidence in this that he didn’t really know he had. He spins you, and you get an idea as you twirl your way to the balcony door. You open it and look back at him. 

“Princess—” Luke starts as he takes a few steps towards you, but you just shake your head with a grin and hold out your hand. 

“Trust me.” 

And he does, somehow. 

You didn’t know what part of himself Luke had to get to in order to actually go along with this, but he allowed you to fully take the lead. His eyes never left yours as you guided him through one of your favorite dances—sometimes you called out whatever move that was coming next, and he would do it perfectly. His instincts and reaction time, sharply honed by his training, actually came in handy. 

“And lift!” 

Luke braced his hands on your waist as he raised you into the air without missing a beat, and you found yourself actually laughing with pure glee as you landed. You grinned at Luke who had a smile smaller than yours, but that you knew meant the same. He glowed with exertion and the light of the full moon shone down on him. 

Angelic was the only word you could think of to describe him. 

“Princess,” he said, bringing you back to the real world, “are we done?” 

“I see no reason not to end while we’re ahead,” you said, slightly out of breath from his lift. “You’re a natural. Are you sure you’re not a prince?” 

Luke’s smile didn’t fully reach his eyes for the slightest moment—he covered it up before you could fully analyze it. “Thankfully, I’m not. Otherwise I would have had to do that all my life like you.” 

“Oh, it’s not that bad,” you said offhandedly. “Especially when you’ve got such a great partner.” 

Luke suddenly lowered himself into a bow, his arm held in front of his chest as he bent over. You couldn’t stifle your laugh in time, but he was smiling when he rose. 

“The only proper way to truly end a dance, so I’ve seen,” he said. “I wouldn’t be such a great partner if I forgot that.” 

You grinned as you took the skirt of your nightgown in your hands and bobbed into a curtsy. “Thank you for the reminder, my lord.” 

A shiver ran through you and Luke’s eyebrows creased. “You should get back inside. You’re not dressed at all for this weather.” 

“It’s simply a night chill,” you said, and you walked over to the railing and rested your forearms on it. “And it’s too beautiful a night to ignore.” 

“It truly is.” 

You heard Luke walk up next to you, so you glanced over. His gaze was only set on you. 

You felt your cheeks flush and you bit back your smile as you stared back up at the stars. For a moment, you stood together in comfortable silence. 

“Thank you for tonight,” you finally said. 

You could hear his frown in his words. “What do you mean?” 

“Exactly what I said.” You leaned a bit closer to the railing, shifting your balance. “Your presence always… calms me. And I was a bit nervous for tonight.” 

When Luke finally responded, it was more restrained than usual. “Why?” 

“Well, I was nervous tonight because you put the idea in my head that I was going to get murdered,” you said wryly. “And your presence calms me because it always has.” 

“So… I made you nervous and calmed you down for what I made you nervous about?” Luke shook his head. “I’m sorry, princess.” 

“Why are you apologizing?” You finally turned to look at him, the smallest smile on your lips. “Anytime I got overwhelmed on the floor, or felt as if I was going to keel over from boredom, I just searched around until I found you.” You shrugged. “The sight of you alone was enough to get me through the rest of it.” 

“And of course,” you tipped a shoulder as your gaze drifted back to the stars, “you danced with me for no reason. That gives you all the good will you need from me.” 

“It wasn’t for no reason,” he said. “It made you happy. That’s reason enough for me.” 

The chill in the air was a blessing as you felt heat rise in your cheeks, and your smile grew just so. 

“Besides.” You could feel his eyes on you as he continued. “This was my first ball. Anytime I got overwhelmed, I would find you in the crowd, and your confidence got me through it.” 

You chuckled as your gaze fell to the marble railing. You didn’t know if you’ve ever felt less confident at a ball—but knowing that Luke was looking for you the same way you did him made butterflies arise in your stomach. 

Warmth spurned all through you, and the fingers on your forearms felt bumps rise on your skin. You didn’t exactly know what possessed you as you cleared your throat and started back towards your room. 

“It’s late,” you said, perhaps a bit too hasty. “We— we should turn in. It’s going to be a long ride back to Aurelda.” 

You paused at the door, waiting to hear Luke’s footsteps or his voice, and it took a few seconds for him to do anything. 

“...Yes,” he eventually said. “I apologize for keeping you so long.” 

You couldn’t help but laugh to yourself as you opened the door and walked back in. Always so noble—it was no question he had knight’s blood in his veins. 

“It’s not your fault, Luke,” you said. “You were just meant to drop me off—I got you to stay.” 

You sat on the side of your bed as Luke put his armor back on. There was no point in it, but he refused to let the implications of him leaving your room at this hour in his underclothes fester. 

“I chose to stay,” he said. “I know better.” 

“You can give it a rest for a night, Luke,” you said with a slight laugh. “I’m your princess, aren’t I?” 

“Certainly.” 

“And you are my knight.” 

“Yes.” 

“Then I don’t see how anyone could have a problem with my knight spending time with me.” You smiled as you leaned forward, meeting his eyes. A smile twitched on his lips for just a moment before he continued to get dressed. 

Soon enough, he was ready to go. Luke paused at the door, fingers on the handle, and met your eyes. 

“Thank you again for tonight, princess,” he said. “I…” 

His breath caught for a moment. His eyes flickered down to your neck. A millisecond later, they were back at eye level, and you allowed a knowing smile. 

“I enjoyed it,” he murmured. “Goodnight, princess.” 

“Goodnight, Luke,” you said softly. 

And you got one more smile out of him before he closed the door behind him. 

[yourprobnowdumdum]

I'm just gonna throw these out here as they are

[housewifebuck]

growing sideways

rated: g | pairing: buddie | wc: 3070

summary:

Eddie doesn’t even try to suppress his laugh, deep and genuine. “Those for me?” he asks, and Buck starts to roll his eyes, but he freezes when Christopher shakes his head.

“One is for Buck,” he says, and the proverbial rug is yanked out so fast from under Buck’s chair that he doesn’t know how he stays upright. 

or: chris gets buck a father's day present.

[casual-socks]

jon sims would eat/drink anything someone gives him. he doesnt always like it, will almost never want it, and to be quite honest he is also not usually all that polite about that fact. but by god if you go through the effort of making him something he is GOING to eat it. “i cant just let it go to waste”, “well, i skipped lunch anyhow”, etc etc.

[bookworm-2692]

Life Tracker updated for Episode 7! This one is much quicker than Episode 6 on account of not being on holiday at the time, even though there were two thirds more deaths this time. Previous posts: Session 6, Session 5, Session 4. Also Session 8 (finale) post!

As usual, close ups and commentary below the cut. I’ve also added another graph for the average time of each team, which will also be below the cut.

There was so much carnage! 45 whole deaths in a single session! Not all deaths were awarded time during the session, but Scott’s video advised that it would be added by next session, so I have taken the liberty to add all the time as I see fit, hence why Scott is back to 7.5 hours. I haven’t seen every episode yet (in fact, other than Scott, I’ve only seen those that have perma-died), so I’m not sure if anyone else’s time is a mismatch, but if so I’m happy to explain where I’m getting my time additions and subtractions from!

Now for some close ups.

First, there was enough chaos that I decided to take a close up of Session 6 and 7 together so we can properly appreciate it:

And a close up of Session 7 by itself:

So many people lost major time, so it’s interesting to see Scott’s uptick of time at the end - he ended on only 30 minutes less than he would have been if he hadn’t died at all this session. Pearl didn’t die at all, and got the kill credit for Martyn blowing himself up in a trap, so she actually ended the session 30 minutes better than she started it. Grian also did very well for himself - he killed and died so many times, but somehow ended on the exact time he would have been on if he had experienced a peaceful deathless session.

BigB, Cleo, and Martyn all ended the session 1 hour poorer than they started, and Bdubs and Scar ended 1.5 hours below where they would have been. Nosy Neighbours are thus doing super well, with Mean Gills and Clockers not too far behind, in terms of maintaining position from the start of the session.

TIES had an awful time this session, with Impulse and Tango both losing a net 2 hours, and Etho and Skizz losing a net 2.5 hours - and obviously Skizz entirely died.

Joel possibly had the worst time, losing a net 3.5 hours this session - though it didn’t help that 5 of his 7 deaths were all caused by the one person. Technically Jimmy didn’t do too badly, given he only lost a net 1.5 hours... but given that he was out of the series only an hour into the session, and also the first out entirely... it really didn’t go well for him either

I also find it interesting the sheer number of vertical lines this graph, the ones representing a death immediately followed by a kill or vice versa. I would love to figure out a way to show only one line at a time on the graph, so we can more easily see someone’s journey, but I haven’t had time to look into it yet.

Now onto the graph of the average times per team.

This one is super interesting to me, especially TIES’s line - they had the lowest average life right from the start, but somehow by Session 4, through Session 5, and for most of Session 6, they were the team with the highest average time, and then it quite literally went downhill from there. The only thing saving them from being last now is the fact that the Bad Boys are down to only a single living player, and even then Grian is doing far better than most of TIES.

It’s also interesting to me how Mean Gills had a significant time uptick at the end of both Session 6 and Session 7 (the first due to Martyn and the second due to Scott). Scott’s time was so high that it kept Mean Gills’ average time as yellow for all of Session 6 despite Martyn being red for most of it... and Martyn then got enough kills to keep it there. Mean Gills is also the only team in the entire graph to anywhere gain such consistent significant time.

These averages also coincide with the comments I made above about the time offset difference for each player from the start to end of the session. Mean Gills are doing well, but they’ve been doing well for so long that I’m sure most players are aware that they need to be a target. Nosy Neighbours are also doing well but I feel like they’ve flown under the radar, and are not a significant target right now.

Here is a close up of this graph with Sessions 1-4:

And the close up for Session 5-7:

And the Session 7 only close up:

I kept the dead players in the teams’ averages, since I think it is a better reflection of the teams’ strength as a whole, but I also created a version that excluded dead players. In those screenshots you can really see Bad Boys’ and TIES’ time jumping up at a death, instead of falling as it did here.

Here are the alternate averages graph:

And close ups:

This makes Bad Boys look a lot better, because Grian does have a lot of time... but he is also alone. And there is definitely strength in numbers. Two players at an hour and a half each can fend off an attacker more easily than a single player at three hours can... unless nerves and panic get to them, as we definitely saw this session.

Wow and I almost forgot to include the raw data for this session!

The first hour of the session:

The second hour of the session:

There is just so much death! Look at all the box outlines!! I could barely fit this data on two screens on the zoom I was on, and I did not want to zoom out further.

I also obviously have data for the averages, but it was too far away from the column with the times on it that I wasn’t sure if it would still be useful on its own? Let me know if you want to see it!

This has once again been fascinating to see, and I cannot wait to see how Session 8 will go. Will it be the last session? Will they go until everyone is dead? Will they somehow have enough people with enough time to get to Session 9? Will Mean Gills be the final two and get to play fun relaxing games like Scott was suggesting? 

Only time will tell.

[the-lonely-crow]

8 days till protocol

(Or it would have been 8 days if it didn’t take me all freaking day to get this finished) but anyway Annabelle glamour shot bc its what she deserves

[Image ID: digital drawing of Annabelle Cane from the Magnus archives. She is a black woman with white old Hollywood style waves parted on the left revealing a patch of cobweb covering that side of her scalp. She has fully black eyes, white eyelashes and six arms. The top set of arms is lifted with the left hand in a loose fist resting against her face and the right resting lightly on the top of her head. The middle set of arms has the left wearing a dark purple opera glove, slightly bent and resting on her lower stomach and the right decorated with two bracelets (one pearl one little spider webs) and two rings (green gemstone in a gold band on her ring finger and dark red gemstone in a gold band on her index) and resting on the center of her chest. The lower set of arms has the left wearing two gold bangles and a gold ring with a purple gemstone on her thumb. Her hand is pressed against her thigh. The right arm is wearing a matching glove to the left arm in the second pare and is resting on her lower thigh. She wears a tight fitting black dress with a slit up the right leg and a deep sweetheart neckline. Starting at just below the bust line there is a loose billowing partially sheer layer to the dress that buttons up to a high collar and has long flowing sleeves worn on the top set of arms and ends in cuffs at either wrist. Both the collar and the cuffs are trimmed in white lace. There is a very light purple boarder around the image and the Roman numeral 8 (IIX) at the top. /End ID]

[nadjantipaxos]

i just can’t grab onto my old life...and pretend like nothing happened...

[dancefail]

ink!!!! <3

[coolfireguy73]

It is now, 0:35 on the 1st of October in France right now.

As such I can now proclaim this one statement until midnight tonight:

It my birthday :)

[thefrogdalorian]

Sometimes I find myself thinking about Din Djarin a little too much that I get concerned and think that I really should go to therapy...

Well, I'm finally doing that (again) tomorrow... :)

Feeling pretty nervous about it but hoping that because I now know I'm autistic it will help me understand/explain things a little better! Hopefully this is the start of a journey to finally become a healthier, happier version of myself :)

[bowelfly]

grin the gargoyle doing the heron neck thing

artfight drawing for @rowkey

[oswinsdolma]

not a day goes by when i don't think about the parallels between the scene where arthur gives merlin his mother's sigil and the ending when he gives gwen the royal seal, because it's just so representative of their different roles in the narrative, and who they are to arthur; he loved both merlin and gwen dearly, but in different ways.

arthur's relationship with gwen is an interesting one, and i think is probably more demonstrative of character growth within the show than any other. when arthur and gwen first fell in love, they were children, but as all children do, they grew up, going from boy and girl to king and queen. their character arcs are intrinsically intertwined, arthur realising the need for kindness whereas gwen became more confident in herself and came out of her shell, and as they grew, so did the kingdom, fruit pollinated by the best in both of them. as a result, gwen was arthur's love, but she was also his wife and queen, as he was her husband and king, their love becoming synonymous with the prosperity of the state, on both a literal and figurative level. when arthur gave gwen the seal, therefore, he passed on a legacy kept very much alive by the love that existed within them both, and it is stronger for it. in essence, gwen comes to represent arthur's tangible legacy; the people, the castle walls and the good he did for the people, and in his death, she keeps alive the parts of him that were most worth saving under the seal that once belonged to him. this is made particularly pongiant in light of the fact that arthur's trust in gwen was something condemned by uther, and there is a sort of triumphant irony in the fact that their love was not what destroyed the kingdom, but kept it alive. when uther passed on the throne, he did so out of reluctant obligation, clinging onto power as a parasite in arthur's memory that is slowly gnawed away. in inheriting the sigil, gwen provides resolution to this discordant, unfinished cadence, completing the circle and bringing the kingdom to where it was always meant to be.

yet with merlin... while gwen embodies the arthur that is remembered, merlin represents the arthur that never was; while she received the key to a kingdom to finish building, merlin was given proof of a memory that never really existed. furthermore, if gwen and arthur's love resolves the cadence of uther's selfish isolation, we can start to see the patterns of how merlin's translates from ygraine's. because if you think about it, arthur almost loved merlin in the same way he loved his mother. merlin was his friend, his confidant and the person who knew him best in the world, but ultimately, he only ever saw a version of him, a half truth, veiled by secrecy and aborted confessions, which were ironically borne from the actions and prejudices of his father. arthur loved his mother unequivocally, but the tragedy of their relationship is that it existed only as borrowed memories from those who loved her before him, his idea of her founded only on dreams and the space in his soul he left behind. but then you take this and apply it to merlin: when arthur died, it was in the anticipation of a future that could have been built, but was cut down before its time, forced to take root in intangible hopes for a future that might never come. as the centuries passed, arthur became not a king, but a legend, more metaphor than person for anyone but merlin, the sole survivor of an almost entirely fabricated past. in a slightly fucked up way, i suppose arthur giving merlin ygraine's sigil almost foreshadows the ending, with arthur passing on the legacy of a love borne of absence to the only one who will survive long enough to carry it. yes amongst this tragedy, there is that eternal motif of hope, because unlike arthur, merlin does remember, and not only that, but he waits. as gwen resolved the legacy of uther, merlin did the same of ygraine, turning the tragedy of what never was into something that still could be.

and the most beautiful thing about this is that it's all symbiotic: gwen could not have built camelot were it not for the love shared between merlin and arthur, and merlin could not have founded a legend were it not for the foundation laid by the marriage of his best friends. they are all elements of a web of stories, suspended in fragile dreams that need each other to be kept alive, but they endure nonetheless, propelled by an insatiable love of one another kept in perfect balance, because there was no other way for the story to go, and no other version of the world that could ever have been.

[heraldofcrow]

@katyspersonal Every damn time, cannibal

[angelpaperclip]

I'm really brainrotting that Cucurucho's greatest fear is everyone not being happy in the island. Because. They have genuinely contributed with making islanders the most happy. They were the ones that gave them their kids. They were the ones that gave them the tasks that forced them to interact until they all bonded & became one big happy family.

It just made me wonder whether all the more shady, traumatizing shit going on was a means-to-an-end type of situation. That maybe they're only bad because they need to be. To protect the islanders from something even worse.

[barlowstreet]

the last of us text posts - part four

(part three) (part two) (part one)

+ a bonus

I thought the other one worked better in the post but her face is hilarious here.