#but the prefer nicknames their citizens gave them

[tigerdrachin]

huh

whats this?

stripes drawing ocs??

no way D:

anyways

WV and my home region

two coal miners who love(d) their job but desperately need a fucking break

(coal loving idiots)

[poppedbubblgum]

I read these concepts for Prime Silver by @krafterwrites and liked them so much I made designs of my own based off of them

And maybe gave them a few headcanons of my own :3

New Yoke Silver adopted the nickname “Ghost” from the citizens when he would vanish after doing a good deed. The resistance tried to recruit him on multiple occasions, but he refused, choosing to stay on his own, for better or worse. He’s not unkind, but he can get so wrapped up in his missions that it’s hard to get through to him. He has a little bunker of his own, similar to Nine, in the outskirts of the city. He only lets himself be seen when absolutely necessary, as his powers make him a major target for the council. He has the most developed skill with his powers compared to his alternates.

Spending so much time alone on his small boat means that No Place Silver (Skipper) is quite excitable when meeting anyone new. He did have a crew once, but the ship caught fire and sank, leaving him as the sole survivor on his little dinghy. That incident is why he needs the eyepatch too. While his boat does have a sail he crafted himself, he can move the boat while in the water with his powers. His powers help him survive on the open ocean where many others couldn’t, like he can simply grab fish from underwater (with marginal success) to eat. He loves to help but can sometimes go a bit overboard.

Boscage Silver (Sliver) wants to be left alone. Period. Never mind that he just stole your stuff, get within 10 feet of him and you are getting a tree flung at you. Ironically though, he’s really good friends with Mangey. He’s a man of few words, with only the occasional grunt to be heard. He’s terrified of Thorn, but prefers dealing with her to living with the other scavengers. His powers are really bright in the dim of the undergrowth, which means thorn can find him easier, so he doesn’t use them regularly, mostly for fighting and fleeing. Sometimes he disguises himself as a bush with how fluffy his head spines are.

[coochiequeens]

These ladies are Queens

‘Second only to men’ is my name: more Chinese women ditch sexist names from boy-seeking parents amid feminist awakening

Women in China are legally changing their names amid a wider awareness of gender issues and loosened restrictionsThey had names which reflect a parental desire for boys — Zhaodi: ‘beckon to younger brother’, Yingdi: ‘welcome younger brother’

“After an entire week, I finally succeeded in changing my name with the authorities. Let the stars shine in the coming years — It’s never too late!” wrote 20-year-old Chen Xingwan in celebration on her social media account.

For the past two decades, the young Chinese woman has been officially called Chen Yanan instead — ya meaning “only second to” and nan meaning “men”.

According to her father, who gave her the name, it means “a boy is coming after this baby”, while her mother, who had no say in the matter, interpreted it as “you are no worse than a boy”.

Sharing her new identity document on Xiaohongshu, China’s equivalent of Instagram, the university student from eastern China’s Anhui province said she hoped it would end a long period of self-doubt and start a new chapter in her life.

Chen is just one of many Chinese women who want to change the sexist names their parents gave them to reflect a preference for sons.

The trend has gained momentum over the past year amid a wider feminist awakening and loosened restrictions on legal name-changing for adults in mainland China.

At the start of last year, China enforced its first Civil Code allowing adults to choose their own names, as long as the words used are, “not against fundamental social values”.

Due to the traditional preference for a male heir in Chinese society, girls names which convey a family’s wishes for a boy were popular both before and during the one-child policy.

The policy, which wasn’t completely abandoned until 2015, limited all urban couples to one child, while those in the countryside were allowed a second chance if their first child was a girl.

This resulted in many parents giving their newborn daughters names such as Yanan: “second only to men”, Zhaodi: “beckon to younger brother”, Yingdi: “welcome younger brother” and Aidi: “love younger brother”.

Another is Sheng-nan which means “better than men”. This is usually interpreted as “despite the fact that you are a girl, you are better than a boy”, which is based on the sexist presumption that men are normally superior to women.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, of female citizens bearing the three most common family names in mainland China — Wang, Li, and Zhang — almost 32,000 are named “second only to men”.

More than 13,000 women with these family names are called “beckon to younger brother”.

“Since childhood, all my teachers would ask me the same questions when seeing my name for the first time; ‘Did your father want a boy? Do you have a younger brother?’,” said Chen .

Her younger brother came three years after her and was given the name Yongkuan, “It is a very normal name that won’t bring any trouble to him,” she said.

Chen, however, said she suffered significant social stigma because of her name.

Her classmates gave her nasty nicknames associated with the word men, such as “men’s room”, she said.

“I’ve hated my name since I was young. When I was asked to introduce myself, I was always unwilling to say my name,” she said.

“For some people, their names are just a symbol and may not play an important role in their daily life. But for many others, they may have been hurt because of their names. There could be some bad outcomes psychologically,” Chen said.

Many women in mainland China share Chen’s sentiments and have posted about their name-changing experiences with photos of their new ID cards attached online.

They include 22-year-old Zhang Yingdi from Tianjin who became Zhang Yuge, and a 24-year-old Lin Aidi from Guangdong province in southern China, who herself Lin Lisha.

Huang Chunyu, a retired professor in Chinese culture and history, said a person’s given name often conveys the giver’s expectations and understanding of what constitutes a good life.

“

After the era of the one-child policy, women became more independent and confident. They refuse to be subordinate to men and believe they are as good as, or even better than men,” he said, adding, “so this trend is a true reflection of social development.”

University student Chen said she was happy that her parents’ attitude had changed over time.

They were supportive when she told them she wanted to have a new name, she said.

“As they grow older, they are not as rigid as before. They not only agreed with my decision, but even helped me pick my new name,” she said.

[mcmookiemeal]

Could you do a dk x easily flustered reader?

Donkey Kong x Easily flustered reader

You lived in the castle of Mushroom Kingdom as the princess’s personal maid.

And you were happy with your job, you and the princess were good friends and you got paid well.

Some days you had to run errands for the princess and do a little bit of traveling outside of the kingdom.

Today was one of those days.

But today the princess decided she wanted to accompany you on your journey today.

Mario and Luigi were pretty booked today and she didn’t wanna sit around the castle doing nothing all day.

You personally preferred to travel alone but you couldn’t turn down one of your only friends.

You two were heading over to the Jungle Kingdom to pick up some flowers and foods for Peaches birthday party which was coming up soon.

You had been over to the Jungle Kingdom many times before due to running errands, you were actually very familiar with a lot of the citizens there.

After a few hours of traveling with the yoshi’s you and Peach borrowed from the local stables, you finally arrived at the Jungle Kingdom.

You tied your’s and peach’s yoshi’s to a tree and gave them both a little head pat.

“We’ll be back soon.” You said to the Yoshi and approached the doors to the Jungle Kingdomz

Knocking on the doors with the secret knock you had created with the guard.

The doors opened and you were met with the blonde monkey who operated the gates, you still didn’t know his name after all these visits.

But he was nice to you so you called yourselves friends.

He drove you and Peach over to Cranky Kongs throne room.

It was a pretty crazy ride since apparently none of the citizens in the Jungle Kingdom know what traffic laws are.

But he got you to your destination and you thanked him for that.

Cranky Kongs eyes set on you and the princess and he hopped up from his chair, excited to have familiar guests over.

“Nice to see you two again, I’m assuming you’re here about the flowers.” He says looking between you and Peach.

“We are, but we might need a little help loading them up.” Peach speaks up.

“I’ll get my son to help, (Y/n) really enjoys his company.” He winks at you before telling one of his guards to go get Dk.

A blush tainted your cheeks and you looked down at your feet to avoid the stares from everyone in the room.

Cranky knew you and Dk were together, you tried to keep it a secret but Dk wasn’t the best at secrets.

But you had successfully kept it away from Peach which is why you didn’t want him to help.

Suddenly Dk rushes into the room obviously excited because of your arrival.

“BABE!” He yells to you and begins charging towards you at full speed.

Your face got even more red at the nickname, not to mention he used it in front of Peach which exposed your relationship to her as well.

“No wait-!” You try to stop him but he already had his huge arms around you, squeezing you tightly and swinging you around.

The princess stared at you two with wide eyes and her mouth hung open.

“Babe?” She asked.

Dk dropped you back onto your feet and you both turned towards the princess.

You felt really embarrassed since you just got smothered with affection by your boyfriend in front of your best friend.

“Yeah we’re boyfriend and girlfriend. We’re like super serious.” Dk confirmed in a cocky tone.

You hid your face in your hands because you didn’t think you were able to face Dk or Peach.

Seriously what was he thinking?!

“Woah are you okay? Your cheeks are like really red.” Dk asks you sounding legitimately concerned about you.

“You weren’t supposed to tell her.” You whine.

He raised a confused brow at you but as he realized why you were acting all shy, An evil grin grew onto his face.

“Is someone embarrassed?” He teases getting right in your face.

He was clearly amused and it annoyed the piss out of you.

“N-no I’m not” You tried to sound confident but your voice failed you.

“You are! Oh it’s adorable!” He aggressively smooshed his cheek against yours and hugged you tightly.

Peach laughed softly watching you two have your moment, she wished she could take a picture because your face right now was unrealistically red.

“So this is why you’re always visiting the Jungle Kingdom.” Peach joined in on the teasing.

You stopped squirming in Dk’s grip and just accepted that both him and Peach would torture you about this whenever they had the chance.

“Can we just stop and get the flowers?” You asked sounding hopeless.

“I would say yes but this is just too fun to watch.” Peach giggled as she watched Dk squeeze the life out of you.

It was gonna be a long evening.

A/N: Hope you enjoy!❤️

[elvenbeard]

OC INTERVIEW: Vincent "V" Ezaki

Tagged by: @pinkyjulien @chevvy-yates @wraithsoutlaws and @v-eats-bugs thank you so much!!! <3

I'm gonna steal the idea some of you had and let him answer in character, but I'm gonna put some more context (and/or the truth xD) after Vince's reply where I see fit!

Tagging everyone who sees this and hasn't been tagged yet :3c I think most of you have done this at this point, but do please tag me if you do, I wanna read about your blorbos!!

■ NICKNAME ■ "Just 'V'."

100% going with the "only people that know me really well can use my real name" canon, because I love that scene and moment so much (and the lil nod to it again in the Tower Ending with Johnny ;_;). In my hc, Jackie gave him the nickname "V" on the day they met. Up until then he had always insisted on the full "Vincent" with everyone, and Jackie was the one to urge him to be careful with whom he shares his full identity. Meanwhile it's the other way around and "Vincent" is reserved for friends only... and "Vince" exclusively for Kerry really xD

■ GENDER ■ "Could say I'm a self-made man." ;)

This highly depends on who is asking the question here, if it's a very casual setting he'd say the above, if it's something to go into a screamsheet or whatnot he'd be more like "well, take a wild fuckin' guess" or just "male". He doesn't hide the fact he's trans, and he's proud of his journey and identity, but it's still not something he'd want to publically discuss with strangers without anything to gain from it.

■ STAR SIGN ■ "Gemini I think, but I gotta say, astrology isn't exactly something I have deep knowledge or opinions about."

He celebrates his birthday June 10th, but his real birthday in in September, so he's actually a Libra xD

■ HEIGHT ■ "5'6."

■ ORIENTATION ■ "Sorry ladies." ;)

Again, highly contextual on who is asking, and depending on that his answer might be more evasive or he'd just decline to answer. The less details about his private life are in the public's eye the better. But if the context is a fun night out with friends and he feels safe, he'd definitely give a more cheeky response and, to not get anyone's hopes up, just straightforward let them know he's gay.

■ NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY■ "Born and raised in Night City and a proud citizen ever since."

He doesn't talk about his family because he's cut ties with them long ago. His mother, Marcella, was also from Night City, your average NUS citizen with mixed European heritage. His father, Kousuke, was Japanese. He and Vince's mother met through work for a certain corporation that wasn't necessarily welcome in NC at the time (but I bet my ass still very much present in one way or another).

■ FAVE FRUIT ■ "When I was a kid, I once had daifuku with real, straight-from-the-ground strawberries. Somewhere way out there on the Japanese countryside, couldn't tell you where exactly anymore. Still got no idea where they even got the strawberries from, but no RealFruit ever matched those."

■ FAVE SEASON ■ "Don't think I have a real preference here, 'specially cause Night City's warm all year round. I like it that way. Could do with less sandstorms though. I like it when it rains now and then, the steam on the asphalt, everything is just... quieter, in a way."

■ FAVE FLOWER ■ "One made from plastic."

Vince doesn't have a green thumb and no mind to care for plants either. He's far from an outdoorsy, nature-loving person XD Do not gift him flowers, he will not know what to do with them. That being said though: he has two big stylized lotus flowers tattooed. The first one he got shortly before he left his home, when he began his transition. The second after his top surgery, when he already worked for Arasaka, as a reminder to stay true to himself on the inside, especially whenever he couldn't outwardly. He just likes the lotus aesthetically, the shapes and symmetry, and that it symbolizes rebirth and transformation.

■ FAVE SCENT ■ "Clean bedsheets and freshly brewed green tea."

And the odd mix of Kerry's overpriced bodywash and favourite cigarettes XD

■ COFFEE, TEA, HOT CHOCOLATE ■ "Yes, in that order please. Coffee with milk and sugar, tea is fine just plain, green or black."

He's definitely more of a coffee than a tea drinker, and whatever it is, it's gotta be a little fancy xD Vince is the kind of person with a long-ass signature order at the coffee shop, and I 100% see him loving bubble tea in any combination and variation in existence. The only time he drinks his coffee black is when he accidentally orders "the same as him" in a moment of distraction at Caliente's with Kerry. But tea he occasionally likes just plain, but then it has to be high quality organic real tea leaves. Hot chocolate is a nice special treat, too.

■ AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP ■ "Even in my line of work a regular sleep schedule is possible - and necessary, to stay sharp. I try to get my 7 hours of sleep in."

The somewhat regular sleep schedule is really something he values and tries to stick to, although the Relic and Johnny's presence really mess it up for a long while. But especially because his lack of sleep while working at Arasaka contributed to him developing a drug addiction to cope with the stress and sleep-deprivation it's something he doesn't want to fall back into.

■ DOG OR CAT PERSON ■ "Defintiely cats."

■ DREAM TRIP ■ "I'd like to return to Japan one day for a short vacation - see if I can find that daifuku shop again, haha. Would also love to visit Europe more extensively than what I've seen of it so far. And, who knows, maybe the Crystal Palace one day."

And the Phillipines with Kerry <3

■ FAVE FICTIONAL CHARACTER ■ "Ooohhh, that's a hard question, let me think for a moment... [insert long analysis of different movie and video game characters and why they're good or bad and why he likes them or not]"

Evading this a little bit because I don't wanna dive into a rabbit hole of seeing what canonical fictional characters there are and why Vince might like them or not xD He is a big nerd and a gamer and knows so much more than I do XD Also, he'd 100% be the kind of person who's rooting for the evil guys, because often their motivations and goals are much more complex and interesting than the "hero's" in his eyes xD and he's fascinated by the concept that they're doomed to lose by the narrative usually (because the good guys usually win), but still fight tooth and nail to achieve their goals and safe their own skin. He can relate to that a lot more than the selfless goodie-two-shoes who just want to save the world and make it a better place.

■ NUMBER OF BLANKETS THEY SLEEP WITH ■ "In this weather one is more than enough. Sometimes none is better."

■ RANDOM FACT ■ "It takes around 7 seconds for someone to form a solid first impression of you in a face-to-face conversation. It takes my Kiroshis' scanners half as long to additionally supply me with all the data on you I need to permanently ruin your life for good."

[dumbass-tumbler-cryptid]

Would Spider in the games use a bow as his weapon of choice, like in the movie, or an ax, or maybe something else? And what about Kiri's weapons? (If they decided to fight instead of hiding)

So I went back and rewatched Hunger Games last night (and wow did I not appreciate that movie as a kid. I'm so excited to rewatch all the other movies now) so I've got a lot of new ideas for the Hunger Games Avatar A.u.

First I learned from an explainer video that kids aren't actually allowed to train for the Hunger Games. The career tributes get away with it because they're training to be peacekeepers but everyone else is just out of luck. So every character I mentioned training would have to do it in complete secret. So for Spider, since his parents live in victors village and are filthy rich after winning the games, they have a training room in their basement. It's not nearly as fancy as anything from the Capital. In fact Quaritch built most of it himself. And if anyone asks Spider isn't allowed down there. The training room is just for mom and dad. The room is stocked with every weapon under the sun, so Spider would be well versed in any weapon that could be put into the games but yeah he'd prefer a bow over anything. I could also see him with a knife or a spear but I think an ax might be too brutal of a weapon for him.

I think Kiri would also go for a less brutal weapons, bow, knives, those sort of things but really I think she'd get by more like Peeta, and Rue. Making alliances, using the environment to her advantage (I'm thinking of the trackerjackers here, which even though Katniss was the one to cut down the nest it was Rue who gave her the idea) and basically just surviving since they said in the movie that most kids die from exposure, dehydration and starvation.

Also after watching the movie I realized they kinda couldn't just hide the entire time because the gamemakers would push them towards the action. I guess the scene with Katniss and Peeta in the cave just took up way more of memory then it did the actual film. So yeah let me revise hiding to being stealthy, camouflaging themselves to blend with their surroundings, setting traps for career tributes but never going after anyone that's not down with the child murder games. I could even see them setting out food and clean water for less capable tributes.

Bonus thoughts you didn't ask for but I forgot to put in my original post because I was insanely sleep deprived when I wrote it:

In my head like how Katniss was nicknamed the girl on fire, I thought of Paz being nicknamed the spider queen after her arachnid trap won her the games. The Capital is obsessed with the fact that she named her son Spider ( and as I write this I'm realizing she pretty much named her son after herself instead of Quaritch which I kinda love) and low key I bet all the kids would be mini celebrities.

I started watching Catching Fire and in that Haymitch says flat out that the show never ends. That each family would get dragged out every year, there lives constantly watched for entertainment. Which was kinda what I was thinking when I wrote about the quarter quell. The citizens of the Capital would have watched each of these families grown. They would have seen the parents grow from teenagers to adult, probably cheered for them as they had their kids and built "happy" lives (i remember in an explainer video that averaged capital citizens actually didn't like the 75th Hunger Games too much because they had such an attachment to the past victors. Now imagine that, plus you watched their kids grow up, and now you're probably going to watch those kids die. I imagine the emotions of the watchers would be at a fever pitch)

Anyway this was a really long winded way of getting to what I really wanted to say and that is that I had outfit ideas for Spider and Paz's chariot entrance in the quarter quell, lol. They wouldn't be dressed up like trees or lumber jakes like most tributes from district 7, they'd be decked out in opulent spider motifies. I imagine Paz with a spider web vail fixed to her long dark curls by a silver circlet that has one ruby teardrop that hangs in the middle of her forehead, blood red lips, sharp red nails, and a tight black dress. Spider is high key uncomfortable because he can see everyone lusting over his hot mom, and he matches her, like her little spider prince, with an off the shoulder spider web capelet, a spider shaped cravat with a ruby in the center, and fitted black suit (like world war 2 dress uniforms. I couldn't find a better name for it) his hair pulled back tight and tucked into his collar. He fucking hates it and so does his mom but they have to play nice for the cameras soo...

I'll probably get more ideas for this au as I keep watching the movies so if you like this au send me ideas! I've got some thoughts on how to go about an ending now (who gets captured, who dies (though I don't want anyone to die)) but I do want to actually watch Mockingjay so I can fully form these ideas.

[kinrypu]

Nervus

In some dirty old book said about a certain imperial citizen - Ichabod Vailent. Day 3, Second seed - He probably was died of a fever, with some strange symptoms. They were similar to something like serpentine dementia. The local priestess Odri, his nurse, wrote: ( Day 25, Rain’s Hand ) «Master Vailent more emaciated in last time. He doesn't speak much now, and looks at anyone somehow... not kindly» ( Day 27, Rain’s Hand ) «It gets worse every day. At first he completely refused go to the temple, and now I had beg him to take the medicine for an hour. I have never seen such a terrible heat, master eat with difficulty...» ( Day 29, Rain’s Hand ) «He claims that lose teeth, but new will surely grow in their place, completely different. Just need to rip out them, as he put it – excess. Hot delirium. Calmed him with big luck» (Day 1, Second seed) «Vailent is delirious again. He screamed that his skin was covered with fish scales and it needs to be rip off urgently. I had to tie his hands, so sorry for him» (Day 3, Second seed) «I only went away for a couple of hours! Merciful Mara, and his body is already quite cold. I just wanted to close the master's eyes, but Ichabod… Ichabod smiled. So snide. I have never seen anything more creepy then that in my life» (Day 4, Second seed) «Vailent’s body was lost this morning. We wanted to perform the last ceremony, but the coffin was empty. The brother shouted about vampires, the handmaid begin to talk about necromancers and other blasphemers. The lost dead was discovered by the guard only on evening. In the city pond. Face down. Someone just dumped the body there… »

Ha-ha! What a nonsense, isn’t it? How can someone be dead who right now, in front of my eyes, walks imposingly along overgrown flower beds and dilapidated benches. Lives dubiously healthy on Drowned Street. From sewer canal up stairs (I don't remember exactly which of the twelve). On left, near a small fountain depicting a wounded Baliwog. A fancy carved gate with a large knocker, the ring of which is gripped by a predatory fish. Here is just another name carved above them. Nervus Delirium. Remember? And now forget it, you don't need this. We definitely not go to visit him. Oh, how long has he been here? Lost in time. The walls are crumbling, reshaping and them are being erected again. Although there is no difference, people get stuck in every sense here. I remember how we met, he always chatted about how someone once forbade levitation. My friend is a nasty man, like many who exist so miserable. A week earlier, honestly, I saw this piranha at the ball. He got into a knive-fight and came out the winner. Yes, they beat him well. It's a pity, the frock coat was so beautiful. Stains cannot be removed, what a shame. Suits fit so well on everyone, no matter who says otherwise. Tall, thin, always keeps so-o straight. Step by step heard how chains is strumming. A lovely sight! Not immediately notice but only porridge remained in the skull. He is not cheerful person, I assure you. You would prefer not to see such gentlemen at all. He spoiled all the fun with his sour face! Why do we keep inviting him? I, uh, dunno. Sometimes he comes. He almost always comes. I don’t know about the others, but I’m just glad! We have a lot of time, the poor fellow must while away, right? Oh, are you wondering… what is he doing now? I’m not a chatterbox, certainly ( try not to be ) but it's really so interesting. Have you seen the skinned mongrel outside the walls? And ON the walls? Or IN..? Should be. Can you imagine do the same things with rats? Scary and vile creatures. But he always love scary and vile creatures, so he got himself one. Hilarious. By the way, not a villain. The Fish loves the strange and interesting things, does not shy away from the walls, the saber is with him. Once I picked up a tiny tadpole in the swamps. Under human care, he quickly grow up into a hefty fat Grummite. This toad, I'm sure, eats a lot more than poor Nervus. Gave nickname Buben. Cutie-Buben. Comedy! I have no idea how it got into his strange head. Well, the soul of another is a dark forest.

And now we are behold the fallen, frozen and exhausted man! (but somewhere inside of his soul so-o happy) And what his name was not important. No one will remember anymore. Blessed, like what surrounded him. Hey! Is someone else listening to me? I see! Now would you like to chat with him?! Well, please. Tell Fish you can't swim.

[squadron-goals]

Feldfliegerabteilung 23

17 Mai 1915

How I was looking forward to my old department! Returning was the hardest journey of my life. Because our commander Vogel von Falckenstein, to followed with loyal devotion, never came back from a front flight on the day I was supposed to arrive in January... I always felt as if I had to look for him. My own thinking was obliterated. I flew and flew and worked until I sank down tired, picked myself up again, and the only thing on my mind was: "Didn´t return back from a flight!" ... The fronts did not change over the last few months and are still relatively calm now. The flight reports are almost always the same: "Nothing new before Paris!" We take a lot of photographs. I often flew into enemy rear areas; the area around Amiens was my target. I then tried to get as far behind the enemy lines as possible, because that was the only way to get a clear view of the enemy. Far behind his lines, the enemy cannot hide anything. Only a few of our planes managed to get through to Amiens. I put my pride into it: every flight I have to make a few curves over Amiens. Besides, I never fly without bombs. Their destination is always Amiens. So "Honorary Citizen of Amiens" was soon my nickname ... A French monoplane often cruises over Amiens. I know the guy well, my commander was his victim. Woe betide you if he comes before me! I challenge him almost every day. He always appears suddenly and soon he's sitting behind me or close above my plane so that I can't see him. Since we don't have machine guns on the plane yet, we have to use carbines and pistols; I prefer to rely on my curves until I have him in sure sight. Once I managed to get above him. The observer his hands in the air and the Frenchman goes vertically downwards. But we didn't hit the plane.

4 June 1915

Our reconnaissance aircraft have finally been equipped with machine guns. The French already had this during peacetime. Unfortunately, the MGs only came into the planes sporadically. Now, almost a year after the start of the war, many aircraft still only have pistols. We need attack machines with the machine gun forward, like the Frenchman ... I managed to get Buddecke into my unit. We now have brilliant guys in our unit: Böhmer, Hirsemann, Tütschulte, Schueler, Grüner; all officers of the good old style, iron-clad in their commitment to duty and in their service. Each crew tries to surpass the other in the length of the flight route and in the number of flights. Real flying spirit! All for one, one for all! We also have a splendid chief captain (the name came from me, but was soon adopted generally). Seeberg and Bohnstedt form the head of the unit. Both are constantly striving to get all difficulties out of our way, to always keep the tone and spirit fresh and to raise the same spirit in the non-flying part of the camp (mechanics and crews). It's not easy for them, but they manage it! Von Seidlitz or, as I call him, Seidenspitz, is probably the most magnificent. Although seriously wounded and not yet healed, he escaped straight from the hospital and is desperately trying to take part in the flying competition; He has to be lifted onto the plane... If only fate doesn't tear us apart! In just one month, FFA 23 has become one of the best flying formations in the entire army!

10 August 1915

I was supposed to get a Fokker monoplane in July. I gave up in favor of Buddecke, who had asked me to do so. He knew the type from America. It took a hard fight, then I got the large aircraft, called the "Großer Kahn", which has 2 engines with a total of 300 HP, space for 2 to 3 observers, 2 machine guns and a bomb load of 200 kg. It was the first of its kind to join the army. I fought for it, since I'm the oldest pilot in the army and the best known of us and especially over there... We still don't have a small fighter plane that's easy to steer. It's a shame that you can't attack with the large combat aircraft, it's too cumbersome for that... I take turns flying, sometimes a large aircraft, sometimes a C-biplane, i.e. a normal aircraft. So I can let off steam in every way... When it comes to nerves, I'm still the same as before, i.e. fresh. My breakdown in June was apparently serious, but was soon resolved. Only the stomach nerves aren't quite cooperating. At first the doctor said it was a dysentery attack, but after 14 days it went back to normal.

[crimsonscloud]

on the 12th hour of the first day of october 1989, 43 women around the world gave birth. this was unusual only in the fact that none of these women had been pregnant when the day began. sir reginald hargreeves, eccentric asshole billionaire and adventurer, resolved to locate and adopt as many of the children as possible. brad barrett was not one of them. (and, in brad's opinion, that was probably for the best.)

name: bradley barrett

nicknames: brad (preferred), apollo (by diego), walking glowstick (by five and lila), sparky (by lila)

gender: male

date of birth: october 1, 1989

place of birth: belfast, northern ireland

faceclaim: pascal langdale

affiliation: the umbrella academy (unofficially)

relatives: erin barrett (mother)

biography:

as a young woman living in belfast during "the troubles", erin barrett was not at all in the position to be raising a child. especially not one that she hadn't had the time to plan for. but there was just something that rubbed her the wrong way about the strange man called hargreeves who came to her doorstep asking after her son. when he asked how much she wanted for him, she slammed the door in his face. she was pretty damn sure he was stalking her, perhaps waiting for the right moment to swoop in and steal her baby from her.

but hargreeves did not pursue her. she'd come around eventually, he supposed. and if not, there would be others.

(in the end, he would only get seven.)

brad grew up unaware of the existence of the academy or of the significance of his birthdate. he had an aptitude for business that was noticed early, and in adulthood he found success as the manager of a branch of hotels that catered near exclusively to the wealthy and famous. he was also known for his tendency to throw extravagant parties to keep guests entertained.

it was at one such party that he met allison hargreeves.

while making small talk, they learned that they shared the same birthday. when the conversation turned to their childhoods, brad learned that allison also had powers, and that there were others just like them. when she described hargreeves, he recognized him as the strange man his mother had mentioned but chose not to tell her. he wasn't interested in meeting the man that tried to buy him from his mother, especially not after learning he had done the same to seven others. despite this, he and allison became friends, almost like siblings, and could often be found in each other's company.

however, the two drifted apart after allison lost custody of claire. it wasn't until hargreeves died that she reached out to him again, asking for emotional support; it was the first time she would be reconnecting with her adopted siblings, and she wanted to apologize for being distant and hopefully rekindle their friendship. he agreed, and took what he thought would be a short trip to the city to see her.

thanks to a pair of assassins, a time-traveling senior citizen in a child's body, and an impending apocalypse, his trip is anything but short.

powers and abilities:

plasma manipulation: brad can absorb ambient energy from his surroundings and convert it into superheated plasma. he can shape it into constructs or release it as concussive force blasts from his hands or, if charged enough, his entire body.

dagger creation: brad can generate daggers made of solidified plasma. once generated, he can telekinetically guide them to seek specific targets. if he gets stabbed by his own daggers, they just reabsorb back into his body.

heat and light generation: brad can release stored energy as bright light and intense heat, hot enough to melt objects or leave burns with his touch. he's also unaffected by extreme heat and high temperatures.

healing touch: brad can heal wounds on others by channeling energy into them to speed up their natural healing process. it works better on minor injuries, anything immediately life threatening he can slow bleeding / help it close faster but it takes a lot out of him. (this is also the source of his "apollo" nickname. makes sense right.)

self healing: brad can also heal himself and heals faster in the presence of a light source he can draw energy from, usually sunlight. this is also how he recharges his powers after using them.

flight: when everyone winds up in the sixties, brad learns how to project his energy in a way that lets him fly in sustained bursts. it takes him a few tries before he figures out how to control his landings, since he tends to be a little.... destructive with them.

superhuman sight: brad can see over greater distances and with better clarity than most, and to an extent in total darkness. in season three as the counterpart to viktor practicing his hearing, brad learns how to see a person's life force / aura.

weaknesses:

darkness: brad's powers aren't infinite. spending too much time in dark areas with no access to light renders him powerless until he can recharge.

energy depletion: if brad released all of his stored energy at once, he'd pass out afterwards.

limitations: there is an (as-yet undefined) upper limit to how much energy brad can absorb at once. if he went above this limit, his body would overheat and potentially explode.

other random facts:

his eyes, which are normally blue, turn gold when he uses his powers. the intensity depends on how much energy he's using.

lights also tend to flicker around him when his powers are active. if he uses enough energy he can make them burn out or shatter.

he can speak fluent spanish, understands latin, and is conversational in german. he also picks up little bits of russian from viktor. (i like making my characters multilingual what about it)

when they meet the sparrows marcus assumes brad must be two if viktor is one, since they seem to be the more powerful ones. sparrow!ben is very confused as to why brad hasn't backstabbed viktor yet. no one corrects anyone on this until luther gets captured and asked about it.

sparrow!ben calls him "pretty boy" during the academy fight. brad thanks him and they continue fighting.

brad's parties were wild and involved a lot of drinking and drug use, but that part wasn't public knowledge.

he gets subject to quite a few "drunk irishman" jokes. jokes on everyone else, his powers make it harder for him to actually get drunk.... hence the excessive drinking. ironic.

doesn't bother to use a lighter when he smokes unless he's in public and has to hide his powers. he also tends to smoke more when he's stressed, but stops after the creation of the sparrow timeline. (not me paralleling him with s3!allison here...)

yes, he is named after the character from the listener. i just gave him a backstory and powers and stuck him into tua for funsies so he's mine now. don't ask why, all i did was watch the episode he was in and then my brain took off.

also a note about his fc: i'm aware pascal is older now but i specifically use pictures, gifs, etc. of him in the listener or earlier as references for brad's appearance.

he hates cold weather because it saps his energy faster.

he's bisexual and was already comfortably out by the time he met allison. klaus figures this out about him immediately upon meeting him.

after the events of season two he starts to see the umbrellas as like his family. they only find this out when he tells it to the sparrows once they learn he's not actually part of the academy.

i made the poster using this template, and i was inspired to make an items board by @evienovo's tua oc post!

the fonts i used for the items board label are josef pro bold ultra (first name) and parkson (last name).

[rayofsunas]

baby daddy | kaeya [2]

A/n: so already, in the first five minutes of me beginning to write tumblr decided to delete stuff again, so that’s pretty swag ;-; but nonetheless, I’m alright lmao, I’ve been super happy this week ever since I pulled xiao AND mona after wanting to give up plsss. also, I can’t exactly remember if I gave Klara a age in the last part, so I would just like to clarify that she’s one lol. anyways, here’s part two and I hope you guys enjoy!! it took me four hours to write this

Summary: kaeya wants to set a good example for his children, naturally. so he’s given up a lot of things, one being his excessive drinking. but being a knight is hard, despite how nonchalant he seems and he finds himself slipping sometimes… when you find out about it, you’re less than happy and decide spending time with the children would be a good idea for him. he’s more than happy to spend time with the three little monsters, but, he never realized what a normal day was for you when taking care of them.

Parings: Kaeya/Fem! Reader

Warnings: children, fluff, reader and kaeya are mid 20s, alcohol, Klara and Katheryne are friends because I said so, stan Katheryne she helps us so much-

Word count: 2.3k

The sun was slowly but surely rising, leaving beautiful orange and yellow hues to paint the usually bright blue sky, and Kaeya couldn’t be happier. Unlike the last couple of days, he’d been able to wake up, eat a quiet breakfast with you before the kids woke up though he tried and successfully tried to flirt his way into your already claimed heart, and then when Klara woke up, he got the chance to contently feed the wailing little girl; something he shockingly missed. 

Even if at that moment, the tears and cries were a lot more than he could handle, he was more than happy to do something too trivial, just because he was spending more time with her. And unlike the other days, he’d been able to take her for her morning walk, before he’d have to report to headquarters.

Most citizens were still asleep, though very few could be seen preparing for the days work, a few stall owners he noted, as he held Klara’s tiny chubby hand and helped her walk through the town, though she greatly seemed to like speed, already worlds ahead with her mobility. 

“Slow down, my little Mist Flower.” She was moving as fast as her little legs could take her, straight towards Katheryne who sometimes gave the little girl trinkets, saying adventurers had brought back things they didn’t wish to keep or had no use for. Even if Klara couldn’t really speak, she knew little things, “Thank you” was one of them, so she was always grateful despite not knowing exactly what they were. And although Katheryne seemed to not be human, some sort of machine with a very robot-like tone, she also made sure to let little Klara know how happy she was to give the youngest Alberich little trinkets. 

“Good morning, Katheryne.” Kaeya called, grinning when his daughter’s eyes widened at the mention of the kind receptionist. As the pair approached the young woman, Klara yanked on her father's white cloak, instructing him to lift her into his arms, so she could get a better look, and Katheryne, usually behind the tall wooden counter.

“Oh- good morning, Captain Kaeya!” The woman exclaimed, eyes lighting up when she saw the little girl she adored very much. “And little Klara, good morning.” She was happy to see the pair well, seeing as though she hadn’t seen Klara in days. 

“Hi, Kat...” Klara whispered with a shy smile, Katheryne smiled even more because of the use of the nickname she’d been given.

She was just the most adorable little girl ever, Katheryne couldn’t help but think. 

All three Alberich children were the sweetest, though obviously, Klara had a sweet place in her heart especially. Adrien was an identical copy of you, sarcastic, very stubborn, but very respectable for such a young age. And Elena was a smart cookie, a young girl who enjoyed questioning and correct everyone and everything that she came across. Lastly, little Klara, who had much growing to do was the pride and joy of the large Alberich family. Everyone adored her and she continuously swayed hearts wherever she went, just her cute curiosity alone was enough to bring a smile to even Wagner’s face, who typically seemed grumpy. 

Katheryne felt very lucky to have met them in this lifetime, they were a gift from the Archons, truly. Everyone knew Katheryne as the Adventurer Guild's Receptionist but to Klara? She was Kat, a generous friend who gave her gifts. 

Though a sad frown graced the young woman's lips, Kaeya ever so observantly caught on, something was wrong.

“I’m very saddened to say this, but I’m afraid there aren’t any new trinkets suitable enough for little Klara today...” Yes indeed was the receptionist saddened, evident by every feature on her face. “There’s been a shortage it seems of adventurers and travelers willing to take the commissions.” The brunette stated.

“Why is this?” The Cavalry Captain questioned, silently huffing when the one-year-old attached to his hip kept chewing on his white fur cloak, closest to his neck. Great, another issue added to the mix. Maybe she had begun teething again? Archons, Kaeya really felt as though he’d missed so much, seeing as though he couldn’t remember the last time his youngest daughter had teethed or even if she'd stopped entirely together. In short, he probably hadn’t been there for that either, courtesy of his position and job. 

“From my understanding, there have been more hoards of monsters, and something about a mutation as well,” Noted Katheryne, watching as the curiosity built upon the man's features. “Would you like to take a few of the commissions? To show Acting Grand Master Jean?”

The part bout there being an abundance of monsters did sound familiar, he’d been hearing about that a lot recently, but mutated forms as well? That was new... He’d have to bring that up today at the briefing, maybe Jean would know more than he currently did. 

“None of that will be necessary. I’m heading there now, after I drop Klara off back home, I’ll just forward the information to her personally.” Katheryne nodded, seemingly getting sidetracked and entranced by the bright violet-eyed toddler staring at her, with her father's white fur cloak still in her mouth. 

Adorable. 

She still couldn’t help but feel bad though. The only trinkets that had been brought back from any scarce, but recent missions were partially damaged swords waiting for Wagner to fix or scrap into new materials.

Such a thing did not belong in the hands of a child, nonetheless the ever so gentle Klara Alberich, she was too sweet for this world to be handed a complimentary sword, even if she had heard Kaeya say the countless amount of times that he wanted to eventually teach each of the children how to use a sword, preferring to start earlier, rather than later. And from Katheryne’s overheard? She now knew it had been somewhat of a topic of discussion between you and Kaeya, causing mini spouts of anger and frustration. 

Archons, how she wishes she had something suitable to give the little girl...

Katheryne nervously fidgeted. “Oh and about the trinkets-”

The usual daily gifts Kaetheryne would give to Klara, were absent today. Due to one big factor; adventurers and travelers weren’t taking commissions, therefore, they weren’t bringing back what Katheryne saw as unique finds, but they claimed to have no use for.

“No worries,” He was more worried about the fact that adventurers weren’t taking commissions instead of the usual trinkets Katheryne would give his daughter, nonetheless he offered reassurance. It really was no big deal.

Kaeya indeed was something else entirely, Katheryne concluded. A mind reader, some sort of witch- just different. How had he known without her even saying anything?

She was stunned for quite some time, though still feeling guilty despite his supposed reassurance. The guilt partially stemmed from the fact that Klara was staring so intently at her, with big blue-purple-hued eyes, unknowingly being one of the main stressors of Katheryne’s guilt... 

“Klara has too many nicknacks anyways,” You and Kaeya were sure she’d be some kind of trinket collector when she was older, seeing as though she had so many already. “Y/n says you spoil her.” Kaeya’s statement almost sounded like he was scolding her, but if not for the grin and chuckle he offered that immediately followed, she wouldn’t have known he was being entirely playful. 

“That is not my intention. She’s just so adorable, I cannot stop myself,” Kaeya laughed, glancing down at the toddler. She was adorable, his little Mist Flower.

“If it bother you or Miss Y/n, I’ll-”

“It’s quite alright, Katheryne, no need to worry,” Kaeya announced smoothly, dramatically waving his hand to show he was dismissing her statements of protest and concern.

“Alright...”

Eventually, Kaeya did take his leave, much to Katheryne’s dismay. She’d probably see Klara tomorrow, if he stayed true to his schedule, so she remained hopeful and excited for tomorrow. 

Before he knew it, Kaeya was bringing Klara home, giving you and Elena - who was now awake - hugs and kisses, telling you both to let Adrien know he loved him and that he’d return soon - he was still asleep. And then just like that Kaeya was out the door again and off to headquarters.

-

No one expected him to be at the Cat’s Tail this late at night, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected nor rare by any means, he was a familiar face after all. 

It was unexpected because Kaeya claimed he had given up the incessant and excessive drinking years ago when his firstborn, Adrien graced Teyvat. Sadly, it was expected, because it seemed he’d been in here more in the last week than in the last few years... Though, patrons who often visited the tavern were all betting on the fact that you were entirely clueless to how much he’d been drinking; they were right. You were too busy taking care of the children and training to hopefully join the Knights again, to even keep up with your husband's drinking habits. So, it went unnoticed. 

Diluc though, who was often at the tavern, noticed it unlike you. Kaeya had been a great pretender, a great spy; good at keeping secrets, but when he had secrets, somehow Diluc always found himself finding out first, if not second, closely behind you. And unfortunately - Diluc thought - he was on the more personal spectrum concerning the certain Knight... He was his brother, your brother in law, an uncle... He disliked what Kaeya was doing, greatly. Especially since it felt as though his idiotic brother was going behind his family's back. No, he hadn’t promised to quit entirely, but he’d made it seem that way to you. Probably a fabrication so you wouldn’t worry... 

Diluc should’ve known he'd find himself back here again, trying to get his once again, idiotic brother, to leave and go home. The pyro user couldn’t understand. His brother had everything he didn’t. A beautifully devoted wife, three amazingly easy children, a status many simple Knights and Guards would kill for; Captain. And he’d rather risk it all for a drink or two, maybe three.

You thought nothing of it. Kaeya was out late a lot, more often than not patrol and paperwork held him from returning home, but on the rare occasions that he had a sliver of free time that wasn’t spent with you and the kids, he was drinking. 

You always knew when he wouldn’t be returning, in the form of a letter from Kaeya, stating he was alright but would be staying to do paperwork, etc. It would be brought by one of his underlings, Knights or Guards in training. But when that letter never came, you panicked. 

Was he alright? He never forgot to write... Maybe he was held up?

Thankfully, Lisa had decided to come over for tea earlier and had still been here trying her best to reassure you, after seeing how worried you’d been after not receiving any letter. 

“You should probably return home, I’ll be alright.” You kept reassuring the librarian, though she wasn’t falling for it. She could practically feel the stress and anxiety oozing off of you, it was concerning. 

You could only be thankful Amber had been busy and couldn’t come over for tea or else she would’ve ripped Kaeya a new one when she got ahold of him. He’d never be able to leave for missions again, without getting a reminder from Amber to reach out or else...

“Darling, I’m not leaving until he returns.” She took your hands in hers, hoping to offer you comfort. Lisa had always been there for you, which you were very thankful

She had no prior experience with children, though she was incredible with your own. You figured because she was one of the older members of the Knights of Favonius, she had taken more of a big sister role and the youngers looked up to her wisdom. Though she wasn’t much older than you, only by five or six years, so she was really like an older sister towards you as well. Lisa was a very kind woman, you appreciated her tons.

“Maybe I should go find him? I could ask around...”

“Please don’t stress, Y/n,” Lisa said. “You’re too beautiful to stress. I trust that he’ll be here soon.”

Lisa was in fact right. Kaeya returned soon after she had said he would. Master Diluc knocked on the door close to midnight, hanging off his arm was your drunk husband. When you saw him slumped on his brother's shoulder, you immediately assumed the worst. Maybe he’d been physically harmed. You were under the impression he had stopped drinking. 

But then, when you allowed Diluc to step further into the house, you got a huge waft of what you quickly recognized as alcohol. Surprisingly enough for Diluc, you didn’t yell, instead, you just stared at Kaeya with disappointment, gravitating towards him to try and take him from his brother's arms. 

“Thank you Diluc, I’m sorry you had to deal with this so late.”

The Ragnivndr wanted to scold his brother, for making a fool of himself and you, leaving you worried and disappointed. But, using better judgment, Diluc just nodded and offered an understanding and apology, on behalf of his out of it brother. 

“It’s quite alright, I-”

“I’m sorry he had to come home this way,” Diluc stated, glaring at the taller man.

You hummed, helping Kaeya stumble into your living room, both Lisa and Diluc watching with worried gazes from the door. “Don’t worry, I’m just glad he’s safe.”

Diluc once again, realized his idiotic brother did not deserve you or your kindness and understanding. He was one lucky man, that was for sure.

[🏷] TAGLIST (if you want to be removed from/added to this specific taglist let me know!)

@gladly-olus , @kyquu , @craptainlou , @mintydump , @chscklvr , @irisxiel , @minh0ree​

2.10.21, rayofsunas

[lunar-magnolia]

IT'S TIME TO GO ON A SPECULATION JOURNEY @l-tachi​

It's true we don't really know Hua Cheng's past before he fell into Xie Lian's arms as a child, but we do have some things that could help make up a little picture of his human life. I might leave out some things and take them for granted, like his transformation from simple fire ghost to savage:

*putting a read more because Long and spoilery

He was a citizen of the Imperial Capital of Xianle or lived in the vicinity of it. It's possible that he lived outside the walls, because of what Feng Xin said about knowing all the children who lived in the poorest part of the Imperial Capital. He said he had never seen little Hua (or Hong-er) around.

Because of his cursed eye that he kept covered, it's possible that his family was cast out of the city when he was born. Maybe they did live inside the city, but once little Hua came around and voice spread about his curse, they might have been kicked out.

It's also possible that only his mother loved him in the family, and the fact that she wouldn't give him up and doomed them all could have been cause of fights in the household. Thus we have little Hua lying about having parents and refusing to go back home.

It's also possible that he truly doesn't have a name. Hong Hong-er is the way his mother called him, and sounds more like a cute nickname that referred to his red eye (it means "little red"). He never gives Xie Lian a proper name, neither when he's a child nor when he was in his Wuming form. This is completely debatable tbh

However, when he meets Xie Lian again after 800 years, he does give a name that he says he prefers: San Lang. In the notes of the book it says that it indicates the third son of a household. This made me think that he probably had at least two older siblings when he was human. Which is nice, but all things considered he probably didn't have a good relationship with them.

CW: death, suicide mention

It's unclear if he jumped or just fell from the wall during the festival as a child. There's a high chance that Xie Lian is an unreliable narrator and Hua Cheng never told him why he was in such a dangerous position in the first place. It's however safe to imagine that he was going to jump, but seeing the parade he stopped himself. He was either pushed or he slipped.

I say it's kinda safe because of the infamous scene where little Hua is pleading to Xie Lian to tell him why should he continue living when he really doesn't want to. His life has been too hard on him and he wants to die. Xie Lian tells him to live for him if he can't find anything else worth living for. So yeah.

The guoshi of Xianle mentions that the kid Xie Lian had brought to the Royal Pavilion centuries ago was cursed and he probably never lived past 18-20yo. We know that up until 14 years old he was alive and well and in the army, fighting in the name of the Crown Prince. We also know that after the Land of the Tender accident he was booted from the army. At some point after the fall of Xianle, he died.

We see him protecting one of Xie Lian's temples when people wanted to burn it down. It's possible that he died doing exactly that, when he was around 18/19 years old.

In fact, Hua Cheng mentions that dying in Xie Lian's name is the greatest honor for him. And it already happened twice: when he was a human and when he sacrificed himself as Wuming.

Also another possible indicator of the age he was when he died is the age he has in his Hua Cheng form. He is described as a youth in his 20s.

After his sacrifice as Wuming, his soul still refused to leave the mortal realm and dissipate. We can imagine that after that episode mount Tong'lu opened and he went there as a fragile soul to regain his power and become at least a savage again. He knew he needed to become strong again if he wanted to protect Xie Lian, so he risked it all.

We know that while journeying towards the kiln, he gained enough power to have a "physical" form and gauge his own eye out to forge E'ming in a desperate situation. Plus, at the exact same moment, the heaven sent a heavenly calamity and he ascended as a ghost. But since Xie Lian wasn’t there and he had lots of beef with the heavenly officials, he immediately jumped down and continued on his path to become a supreme.

He stayed in the Mount Tong'lu zone for 10 years. In these ten years it's highly probable that he slew as many ghosts as he could to gain as much power as he could get. He also spent his time exploring the ruins of Wuyong and honing in his art skills in the Cave of Ten Thousand Gods.

When he entered the kiln, it's unclear if he found other powerful ghosts to fight inside it or not. In any case, once he was done and still inside, before escaping he carved the giant Crown Prince statue that we see in book 5.

After escaping the kiln, he had all the "physical" strength. But we know that he's also extremely knowledgeable, and that when he challenged the 35 heavenly officials, some were civil gods and he beat them in debates.

So it's possible that after becoming a Supreme, he started his journey to gather as much knowledge as he could. During the years he gained fame and his Crimson Rain Sought Flower title.

With his status and skill, he eventually founded Ghost City and started building his own wealth too, thanks to the Gambler's Den.

It took some time, but when he was positive he could take all the 35 heaven officials down at their own game, he went and became the infamous Hua Cheng, the Crimson Rain that sought the flower.

I think it's important to mention that the guoshi of Xianle also said that the people cursed like Hua Cheng had the worst luck. Instead, we see Hua Cheng being possibly the luckiest person on Earth. This is probably the consequence of Xie Lian changing his fate and giving up all his luck (per the cursed shackle). Among everything, in fact, guoshi said that to survive the curse, fate must be changed.

I think Xie Lian altered Hua Cheng's fate both when he was a human and held onto little Hua when everyone else told him to let him go, and when he gave up his luck just after Wuming's sacrifice. Xie Lian, in fact, says that luck will be transfered to people who lack it. And Hua Cheng, who was in the vicinity, was probably the most unlucky person present. I think he absorbed most of Xie Lian's luck, and that also impacted his fate.

Another possibility is Hua Cheng gaining luck after he forged E'ming. If his eye was the reason why his luck was so terrible, removing it and sealing into a spiritual device could have been the catalyst to his apparently infinite luck.

I think he also spent his time looking for Xie Lian, but the world is vast and he lost track of him after the Wuming arc. So he focused on improving himself to be worthy of one day approaching Xie Lian.

I guess he came to know Xie Lian's whereabouts when Xie Lian ascended for the third time. It's possible that he got word of it from Black Water, and then the rest is history.

Akdhskfhjd I might have skipped some things, please feel free to ask more questions if something is unclear or doesn't make sense. All of this is pure speculation based on the information we have from the book and it's all debatable. Still, I had fun thinking about it! Thank you so much for the prompt!!!

[root-admins]

SINoALICE x NieR Replicant - Weapon Stories

A complete compilation of all weapon stories from SINoALICE’s NieR Replicant collab... well, the ones that has lore to do with NieR anyways.

Whatever grammar mistakes/translation errors belongs to Pokelabo, and you will tell there are some. Most are stories are pretty self-explanatory tho.

Grimoire Weiss

We fought for what seemed like ages. To kill those things that took a twisted human form. To protect those precious to me, with my own hands. We were deceived for so long. Deceived by people in a land we've never been, whose faces we've never seen Issuing orders from a safe distance. We must have been in love. And despite the fact I couldn't save you, but I never got to thank you for saving me. These fragments glimmering deep in my depths... they seem to be the vague memories of people... the faded remnants of human wisdom... H-hold on! I’ll have you know my name is not “Booky Wooky!” You may call me "Grimoire Weiss" I am a great compendium of ancient wisdom. Treat me with respect!

Grimoire Noir

My name is the Black Book. Are you the king who will lead the world to salvation? Don't be so surprised, Your Majesty. For me, it is a simple matter to speak human words. I sympathize with your distress, Your Majesty. On this occasion, however, we have no choice but to let them deal with your sister. When sorrow overtakes you, you may come to me and speak of your tribulations. Reading is an admirable pursuit. Your Majesty--for me?? I shall peruse this volume if it comes on your recommendation... What is that? You think it odd for a book to read a book? Noir? I would prefer to dispense with this nickname. My name, Your Majesty, is the Black Book. I am a grand tome of human wisdom... thus, to refer to me by such a curious moniker is, dare I say, inappropriate.

Kaine’s Sword

She was slender, with smooth, white skin. The hint of a dark shadow in her expression highlighted her beautiful features. But something about the sword in her hand didn't seem to fit the picture. Anger, sorrow, hatred. When emotions overwhelmed her, she would swing the sword, so there was never a lack of blood to quench its thirst. The problem was that she couldn't put the sword down. A heart and body in constant conflict. No one in the world could understand her. And loneliness was eating her alive. The long war came to an end, and darkness devoured her. But her heart remained at peace. Because she faced fate in the arms of the one she loved.

Halua Head

File_25_10: Update Soon twins will be arriving. There is nothing at all in the white-walled, prison-like room except for a white bed. If only there were something to do in there... File_25_12: Update I went to look in on them, and the girl was kindly encouraging her anxious younger brother. The two of them had heavy expectations to fulfill. The weight of all humanity's hope bore down upon them. File_26_06: Update The day of the experiment, the girl passed me a letter. To the very end, she wanted someone to watch over her brother. Once I agreed, she quickly ran away. Report: Human Weapon Development Things seem to be progressing as expected with Experimental Subject A (Sister), but her condition has changed drastically. In her present state, she seems to have no sense of self. I am urgently beginning work on Experimental Subject B (Brother).

Devola & Popola’s Staff

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ Dear Popola, Thanks for that soup recipe! My mom loved it!  －－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ A note received from a child in the village. Does this mean they are developing a sense of self? －－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ Dear Popola, Thanks to the medicine you gave me, I'm feeling a lot better, though I can't leave home yet. Just sending a note to say thanks. －－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ According to our records, humans wrote their feelings down on pieces of paper, and sent them to others. Where did they learn to do such a thing? －－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ Dear Popola, I like you a lot. Will you be my girlfriend? Waiting to hear back. －－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ I simply cannot understand the things they have written on these scraps of paper. I feel an unfamiliar feeling, my heart saying “no”… －－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ Dear Popola, Sorry I couldn't tell you in person, but I'm coming home late tonight. Go ahead and sleep if you're tired. －－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ Ah, Devola. No need to worry about me this way. Tee-hee.

Favorite Pot

Yonah, I learned a special recipe! When you eat it, all your injuries will be gone! Oh! I want everyone to feed it to those they care about!

The ingredients are deer meat, sea turtle eggs, fresh veggies and herbs from the garden, and lastly tons of scorpion claws! Next, fill a pot up with all your ingredients, place the top on, and let it simmer overnight! The white steam rising from it is just so mesmerizing. ...Oh! I think it's ready! Smell for a soft scent when you take the lid off. That means it's done! I can't wait to give it to grandpa.

Transience

"Rule 0: You have the right to disband a rule by vote." I am the king's aide and second-in-command. Until now, all rules have be absolute, however, a "Voting Rite" was held where citizens could vote to change rules. Now, let's see what sort of ballots were made...

"Rule 451: Consuming alcohol is forbidden during the daytime." And stated as the reason is: because I like drinking... Because it's anonymous, all these votes are based off selfish desires. We need to improve the system somehow that reflects public opinion.

"Rule 356: Royal inquiries are limited once per day." And stated as the reason is: because I long to be with the King more...? Could this Fyra's vote...? No. Of course not. She's not the type to be interested in love. Moving on...

"Rule 68: The King's aides are to forever serve at his side" Reason being: Thank you for all your hard work. You deserve a break once in awhile... Could this be from the King himself? I'm honored to have stood by your side all these years. And the citizens of this country are proud of your work. There's no doubt of it.

Note: After rigorous deliberation, "Rule 451: Consuming alcohol is forbidden during the daytime", the most voted for rule, was repealed.

Grimoire Weiss ver.1.224

My name is Grimoire Weiss. I am an ancient tome of profound wisdom. After awakening from my long slumber, I traveled the world with my most beloved friends. She was a woman lacking respect for her elders. She'd continuously talk down to me, calling me nothing but paper and even set me aflame. However... Her rash words were also the driving force that moved us all. He was a compassionate and gentle boy who loved his friends. His manor of dress was odd, but his kind words warmed everyone's hearts. This I know to be true. I wonder if he, too had felt any relief from his sins. He was a cheeky guy, but not one you could just leave behind. We've been through a number of rough times together. I'd tell ya about it, but... I'm running out of time. If... If only I had an arm... Then I could have...hugged...him...

Grimoire Rubrum

It's the silk of fate. Knowing you, I shall begin living a life of truth. It's the forbidden fruit. Protecting you, I shall sink into wisdom's abyss. Those are the flames of anxiety. Thinking of you, I shall endure eternity's darkness. That is a reunion of bitter tears. Who are they? Why is it not me who's besides you?

Kaine’s Dual Blades ver.1.224

I craved it. Blind violence and blood-thirsty carnage. And I found it. I finally found it. A vessel stained with anger and hatred, seeking vengeance for the murder of her parents. I possessed that woman and gave her "power." That power turned the woman into a beast. One swing of her blade was enough to cut through stone and her grazes healed in an instant. She began downing every foe before her in the name of vengeance. I was delighted to witness the fruition of my desires. The woman's destruction didn't end there. After having her revenge, she continued to exert her "power" for the sake of her friends. Along her journey, her anger and hatred showed signs of waning, however, I gave it no thought. All I desired was to continue bathing in her bloodshed. Because her body has reached its limit, her power has lost control. Still, in the midst of the clashing of blades, I could feel her desire to protect her friends. Yes, this is the violence and carnage I crave. But why is it deplorable and empty?

Devola & Popola’s Spear

Upon hearing an old lady from the village caught a cold, I immediately collected my medicinal herbs with some boiled water, and rushed out from the library. I nursed her and remained by her side until her symptoms calmed down. She was extremely grateful for it.

I read a picture book to a group of children from the village. It was of an old tale about a brave, courageous man who triumphs over evil. I watched their expressions alternated between joy to sorrow to the story's pacing. I'm glad they enjoyed it.

Devola and I performed a song for the people at the village tavern. In addition to the regulars who drank there, elders and children were part of the audience. At the end of our song, the entire crowd smiled and cheered.

Every day Devola and I have been staying late at the library thinking of a plan to make life easier for the villagers. They're indispensable "vessels" for the project, so we need to do what we can for them.

Letter to the Postman

I was in a dimly lit cabin when I met a kind man. He taught me how to write a letter. What should I write on a blank piece of paper...? ―――――――――――――――――――――――――――― ――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

Apparently, a letter should start off with the name of the person you want to give it to. Of course, I'd want it to be his. I hope he'll be able to read my sloppy handwriting... ―――――――――――――――――――――――――――― 　　Hans ――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

At the end of the letter should be the name of the person who wrote it. Of course, that would be the name he gave me. Is it odd my chest feels warm writing it...? ―――――――――――――――――――――――――――― 　　Hans 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Luiz ――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

And in-between these two names, I'm supposed to write how I feel. And tell him what I want the most. I wonder if he'll be happy to receive this...?

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――― 　　Hans, Thank you　Thank you　Thank you Thank you　Thank you　Thank you　Thank you 　Thank you　Thank you. Luiz ――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

[gojira007]

AU: Magical Girl Sally (but good this time)

Hoo boy, so part of the reason it took me so long to answer this is because I had so many ideas about what direction to take it. But after a lot of thought, this is what I came up with. It's pretty lengthy, so you can find it under the cut.

Feel free to send your own AU asks for this meme yourself, if you'd like! 8D

1.) THE STORY: Sally Atkins was just an ordinary High School girl living in Station Square…until the day the Golden River came to the city, flooding the area and plunging the world into chaos. From its shimmering depths emerged The Cursed Kingdom Of Mobotropolis and its rulers, The Court of the Metarex. They began an invasion of the city, seeking to trap its citizens in suits of Cursed Armors that would force them to do their bidding. It was only thanks to the aid of a mysterious lynx-spirit named Ellidy that Sally was able to make her escape. Ellidy explained that she and the Metarex came from another universe, a magical world known as The Mobian Realm, once a peaceful world until the Golden River which gave it its magic became corrupted by an unknown evil that drove its king to violence. Now the King seeks to expand the Mobian Realm into the human world, and only Sally can stop him, for she is the reincarnation of the king’s daughter, The Acorn Princess, reborn into this world after she perished trying to stop her father’s actions in the Mobian Realm. By taking up the Acorn Princess’ enchanted sword, the Emerald Blade, Sally can reawaken the power of the six Chaos Emeralds which, once they are wielded by champions of their own, will help her fight back against the Metarex and save both her world and the Mobian Realm.

2.) OUR HEROES:

* Sally Atkins, Princess of Light: Sally never knew her real parents; they died when she was very young, but they left her in the care of their good friend Julayla, who raised Sally as her own. She might’ve grown up to be a shy, withdrawn girl, but by chance she made friends with a boy who called himself Sonic (because even to this day he refuses to use his actual name) and, growing up side by side, the two formed a friendship so strong that it helped Sally to begin to come out of her shell…so when Sonic was one of the first to be captured by the Metarex, she knew she would do everything in her power to save him. She isn’t sure she entirely believes Ellidy’s story that she is the reincarnation of The Acorn Princess, but she does know that the power of her Golden Emerald Blade helps her to fight back against the Metarex’s forces, and so she marches towards her Destiny in hopes that it will bring about peace.

* Amy Rose, Champion of Love: A friend of Sonic’s (and Sally’s, eventually), Amy is a bright-eyed younger student who loves Tarot Readings and playing Arcade Games (Whack-a-mole is her favorite). When the Metarex came, in fact, she risked her life to help guide citizens to the Twinkle Park Arcade to try and keep them safe, an act which almost saw her captured by the Cursed Armors until Sally intervened to save her. Her Emerald Blade, however, told her that Amy was the one who could wield the power of the Silver Emerald, and so Amy became Sally’s first new ally, the Champion of Love!

* Nicole Ellison, Champion of Wisdom: Nicole is something like the girl Sally would have been if she’d never met Sonic: bookish, withdrawn, shy, soft-spoken. But that suits her fine; she’s happy that way, especially after she and Sally became close friends back in Grade School. She’s happy to spend time with Sally and Sonic, but she’s even more happy studying science or reading books in the library; it was Sally’s trust in Nicole’s knowledge that led her to seek her out in finding out more about the Metarex, which in turn led to them discovering that Nicole was the one to wield the Violet Emerald, becoming the second Champion. Like Sally, she isn’t sure she believes in the story of the Acorn Princess, but she can’t help but notice that she and Ellidy have similar sounding voices…similar looking eyes….

* Bonnie “Bunnie” Rabbaeu, Champion of Strength: After Sonic, Bunnie (her preferred nickname) is Sally’s oldest, most trusted friend…which was what made it all the more tragic when she was one of the first to be captured by the Metarex, who trapped her in the Cursed Armor of Black Narcissus. It took Sally, Amy, and Nicole all working together to free her, and even then some of the Armor remained attached to Bunnie. But her mind is now free, and, wielding the Jade Emerald, she fights with the strengths of Light AND Darkness together as the fourth Champion. An astute fighter and an intensely loyal friend, Bunnie hopes for the day she’ll be fully free of her Curse, but she keeps a strong smile on for the sake of her friends.

* Cristine “Cream” Vanille, Champion of Joy: A cheerful young girl who delights in hanging out with Amy when her mother allows it, Cristine (or “Cream”, as her mother sometimes calls her affectionately) can always be found with her favorite plush-toy Cheese The Chao, ready for a new game of her own making…until the day she was separated from her mother by the Metarex. Terrified and alone, it looked like she might become the next victim of the Cursed Armor, until Sally and the Champions came to her rescue. To their shock, Cream was revealed by the Emerald Blade to be the one to wield the Sky-Blue Emerald, making her the fifth Champion, despite the others’ hesitance at involving a child in their fight….

* Julia Suder, Champion of Courage: Julia might’ve attended the same school as Sally, Sonic, Amy, and Bonnie; she might’ve even spent time hanging out with them on occasion. But she doesn’t like to think of herself as a friend, or someone who HAS friends. Growing up homeless, abandoned by her parents, taught her that it was foolish to trust others. Or at least that’s what she kept telling herself, until the day she found a wounded Bonnie following a bad run-in with a Cursed Armor. Fighting the Armor herself to keep Bonnie safe, Julia realized she wanted to learn how to be a real friend…and once Sally met her and learned that she would wield the Violet Emerald as the sixth Champion, she just might get that chance.

* Rhoda “Rouge” Bailey, Champion of Guile: A drifter who had only recently come to Station Square when the Golden River appeared, Rhoda never intended to get involved with any of this Metarex nonsense; she had much better things to do, like trying to take advantage of the disorder to get her hands on all the lovely jewelry the city had to offer. That’s what led her to steal Amy’s Emerald, which in turn forced a three-way confrontation between her, Sally and the Champions, and a Cursed Armor seeking to take the Emerald for itself. Impressed with Amy’s abilities (and those of the other Champions), she agreed to return her Emerald, leading to the shocking discovery that she was the one meant to wield the Blue Emerald as the seventh and final Champion!

* Blaze, Princess of Flames: Blaze the Cat, like the Metarex, hails from the Mobian Realm, the Princess and sole survivor of the Sol Empire, a rival kingdom that had been one of many destroyed or conquered by the Metarex. Wielding an Emerald Blade of her own, the Sol Emerald Blade, she seeks vengeance against the Metarex, and though her mission makes her an ally to Sally and the others, her cold attitude and vengeful disposition often makes it a difficult partnership. Perhaps, however, the protective instinct she feels toward Cristine, and Amy’s increasingly-affectionate attitude toward her, might help soften her spirit….

3.) OUR VILLAINS:

* Dark Oak, The Cursed King: Once he was Maximillian the Acorn King, leader of Mobotropolis in a time of peace, guided by the Divine wisdom of the Golden River…until one day, the River grew corrupt, and Maximillian along with it (or was it Maximillian who corrupted the River?). Forged directly from the Golden River’s mysterious substance, he ordered the creation of the Cursed Armors, and became Dark Oak, leader of the Metarex, and laid waste to the many kingdoms of the Mobian Realm. But his conquest was not unopposed; his own daughter led a rebellion against him, and though he struck her down in the end, she was able to injure him so grievously that he dares not leave his Castle, for fear of dying should he be out of direct contact with the Golden River for too long. His heart too was broken by her death, and he now believes that Sally could be the key to bringing his daughter back to life….

* Yellow Zelkova, The Cursed Prince: Once he was Elias the Acorn Prince, second-born and only son of the King; he had always resented how little love his father showed him, and initially joined his sister in her rebellion against him. But upon her death, his heart grew cold and bitter, allowing him to be overtaken by the Cursed Armor of Yellow Zelkova, twisting his anger toward his father into a fire that motivates him to prove his worth as a member of the Metarex Court. After all, how better to get close enough to his father to kill him and take control for himself?

* Pale Bayleaf, Knight of the Wind: Once he was Sonic Maurice, Sally’s dearest friend since the days of their childhood. But when the Metarex came, he laid down his life to save hers, and was taken prisoner. Realizing his bond with Sally, and believing it could prove key in defeating her, Dark Oak chose to trap Sonic within the Cursed Armor of Pale Bayleaf, swiftest and deadliest knight of the Metarex Court. Now he leads the Metarex’s forces, his once-heroic spirit corrupted into an all-consuming Ego that leaves no room for others. Can Sally free him before the curse consumes him completely?

* Red Pine, Knight of Stone: Once he was Knuckles the Guardian Prince, leader of a rival kingdom that was among the first to be conquered by the Metarex in the Mobian Realm. To show others who might try to defy him the fate that befell his enemies, Dark Oak placed Knuckles within the Cursed Armor of Red Pine, the strongest of the knights of the Metarex Court. Unlike the others, however, Red Pine shows no corrupted personality: Knuckles’ spirit is so strong, fighting against the curse so fiercely, that Red Pine shows no personality of any kind, acting solely on instinct and aggression as a result. It makes him uniquely dangerous, but it also means he might be uniquely able to be set free of the curse….

* Naugus, The Witch-Crafter: Once he was the King’s Royal Adviser, whose gift with wizardry made him an invaluable asset to the Kingdom. But when Maximillian became corrupted, he saw a unique opportunity to expand his power, and the power of the Kingdom. And so he continued to serve Maximillian, and offered his magical abilities to the King’s corrupt cause: using his magic in combination with the Golden River, he now forges the Cursed Armors that allow the Metarex to achieve their aims, all the while secretly plotting to harness the full power of the Golden River for himself….

4.) THE MISSION: With the Golden River having flowed into the human world, the Metarex seek to use their Cursed Armors to turn all of its people into their servants. When an Armor finds a victim, it taps into the darkest most parts of their heart, using that power to bind its victim to its Curse, transforming them into a deadly enemy who serves Dark Oak. When the Armor is defeated in battle, however, its Impurities are exposed, allowing Sally and the Champions to use the power of the Emeralds to break the Curse, destroy the armor, and free its victim. This is the fight Sally and the Champions fight each and every day as new Armors attempt to expand the hold of the Metarex across Station Square, but their ultimate goal is to find a way into the Castle Mobotropolis. That is where the source of the Golden River resides, it is where Dark Oak dwells, and only by defeating both do Sally and the Champions have any hope of stopping the Metarex and restoring balance between the two worlds. Entering the Castle is no easy feat, however; not only is it heavily fortified, but its gates are locked by an ancient spell that not even Ellidy knows how to break. However, if the full power of the Golden Emerald Blade can be unlocked, it might grant Sally access to the wisdom of the Acorn Princess, which may reveal the way to break the spell and enter the Castle. With each battle, Sally draws closer to unlocking this power…

5.) THE SECRET: …but at what cost? Is Ellidy right? Is Sally, in fact, the reincarnation of the Acorn Princess? Or could the bond between the two worlds be very different? And what about the source of Corruption in the Golden River? Was it the river who cursed the King, or the other way around? As their quest continues and deepens, Sally and the Champions will be forced to confront these secrets if they have any hope of victory….

[tishinada]

100 Days of Writing – Day 68

First, I want to apologize for the number of typos in yesterday’s post. Probably the most egregious one was typing “Old Town” instead of “Underground” when talking about the old bomb shelters. I hadn’t expected the post to get that out of hand when I started it and I was almost late getting out the door when I posted it, unedited, lol. I edited a little last night, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  This is all for fun, after all.

I want to talk more about Old Town because obviously I’ve thought about it a lot (and it’s the setting for a lot of scenes in Dance that take place in Kaas City.) As I mentioned, there’s a bit of a hierarchy in Old Town itself, a lot of it indicated by geography. Ucevi is somewhat conscious of this; Toth’Onira and her family is much more conscious of it because it effects them more. Ucevi never actually lived in Old Town and hadn’t visited since she was a young teen, so while she knows theoretically a bit about life on the lower plazas and belows, in her mind’s eye Old Town is mostly the upper plazas and above of the Sith-blooded towers.

Vette’s first impression of Old Town was:  “...a collection of diverse towers. Almost the only thing each tower had in common was that they were each girdled by four or five wide, open plazas at different levels. The highest plaza for each tower was open to the rainy sky, but the upper plazas clearly provided weather protection to the lower ones.”

These were the earliest towers built above the bomb shelters. The founders initially built three or four towers, widely spaced so that a bombing attack would most likely only strike one at a time. Later, as they felt a little more secure, they built others in the spaces in between, in-filling (virtually no one lives on the surface in Kaas City.) Each wave of new construction was built to somewhat different specs and improved architecture, and then over time, repairs and alterations gave them each a more distinct appearance. Until they were that very diverse group of towers Vette first saw.

The oldest towers, built with defense in mind, are actually still in the best shape, especially when compared to the last towers built at the edge of Old Town on the opposite border from Cultural Row (the theaters and museums that form one border of Old Town.) These last towers, nicknamed The Barracks, were rather shoddily built and never intended for more than subsistence housing and while they’re supposed to be on the same maintenance rotation as other towers, they mysteriously get missed. This is the only area of Old Town where the reputation for crime might be deserved. While technically The Barracks are part of Old Town, they aren’t part of the informal government or community of Old Town. Ironically, it’s the one part of Old Town with a high percentage of humans (who aren’t Mandalorians.) (The next district past the boundary of The Barracks is technically the Embassy District, but is referred to derogatorily as the Offworld District. It’s location next to the worst part of Old Town was deliberate.)

The most desirable towers (by Sith-blooded standards) start with those closest to Cultural Row through the center of the district. Beyond that, different groups tend to dominate individual towers, though that’s mostly because people prefer to live close to family and friends and others who celebrate the same holidays, etc. Even on some of those, Sith-blooded families can be found living in higher level flats, though usually, they have family ties with the species or group that dominates that tower. So there are communities (neighborhoods) within the Old Town community (it’s basically an administrative unit of Kaas City, so I think we could call it a Ward?)

Unsurprisingly, species-specific businesses tend to be located on the towers where that species is the majority. The owner (or owners) of a business must be a citizen of the Empire, as does the owner of any property. So a free non-human permanent resident who lacks citizenship can rent a fairly nice flat in Old Town and they could even be a fairly well paid employee, but they can’t buy a place to live and they can’t start their own business. Citizenship isn’t guaranteed by birth either, unless at least one parent is a citizen (in good standing.)

There are two ways around this. For a business, they can find a citizen they trust to officially start the business and then the (resident) non-citizen can “invest” in the business and then be the very highly paid manager of the business. The risk here is that the owner-on-paper could sell the business or fire them. Investing in a business in the Empire isn’t like buying stock and getting to vote at annual stockholders’ meetings (and in fact only permanent residents or citizens are allowed to invest without special reviews and approval.) It’s simply putting money in a business under a contract to receive a certain amount of the profits and being able to cash out under certain circumstances. Voting, after all, isn’t really an Imperial thing. And I don’t think the Empire would look positively on the kind of incorporation that allows a person to avoid liability, etc. and they sure as hell wouldn’t treat a company like a person with “rights” but few responsibilities. That’s actually a pretty recent concept.

But while citizenship isn’t for sale, per se, any non-human who has achieved a certain amount of success (i.e. has been a manager of a respectable company for a few years and accumulated some savings or assets, etc.) is almost always going to be able to apply for and be granted citizenship. That’s one of the “carrots” the system uses. So a lot of non-humans in the Empire are very driven to find the kind of employment that shows they can be an asset to the Empire and makes them the contacts to get the three citizens willing to sponsor them for citizenship. And once they have citizenship, they can turn around and use any savings they’ve accumulated to start a business or buy a flat.

In fact, a lot of the mid-level flats in Old Town are owned by the families who live in them rather than leased.

But more about the vertical structure of Old Town communities tomorrow.

(Day 67 here) (Day 69 here)

[nancylou444]

Real life “United States of Al”

(x)

A Stranded Interpreter, and the Soldiers Who Would Not Let Go

Many Afghans who helped U.S. forces in Afghanistan are now in danger. One spoke to us about his battle to get his family out alive as he hid in Kabul.

By Farnaz Fassihi

The Americans called him “Mikey,” and as an interpreter for the Special Forces he did not just bridge language gaps. He did everything from easing negotiations with local Afghans loyal to the Taliban to warning a convoy away from an ambush.

“Mikey wasn’t just a regular interpreter,” recalls Sgt. First Class Joseph Torres, a Texan who served in the Special Forces. “He was our lifeline. He went everywhere we went on the most remote and dangerous missions. It was because of him that we returned home alive after deployments.”

But the day after Kabul fell to the Taliban, the 34-year-old Afghan was on his own.

Determined to get out of Afghanistan, he was making a desperate run to the airport with his wife and two young sons when they were caught in gunfire amid the crush of people who had gathered there to escape. His wife and one son, 6, were both shot in the foot.

As he carried the bloodied and screaming child in search of a hospital, Mikey says, he flashed back to his time on the battlefield with American forces.

“I kept thinking, after everything I did for the Americans,” he said. “After all my hard work and risking my life, now this is what happens to my family? They are leaving us to die here.”

Mikey — who is being identified by his American nickname only for safety reasons — is one of tens of thousands of Afghans who worked for the United States and have applications pending for expedited visas allowing them to resettle in America. President Biden has pledged that Afghan allies will be welcomed to “their new homes” and called the situation on the ground “heartbreaking.”

But the evacuation of U.S. citizens and green-card holders remains the immediate priority of the military operation underway at the Kabul airport. That means that for many Afghans who worked with the United States, there is little to do but wait — and try to keep out of the sights of the Taliban.

Mikey worked as an interpreter for the Special Forces from 2009 to 2012 in Kandahar, and from 2015 to 2017 in Kabul. He was once so badly wounded in an explosion that he had to be airlifted to a field hospital.

The night his wife and son were shot, Mikey got them into a hospital and then went into hiding. Preferring rooms without windows, he switched locations four times in one week.

He was waiting for the U.S. government to give him an evacuation plan. He was waiting for the approval of his visa application.

And he was waiting for the Taliban to find him.

In interviews from his bunkers in Kabul as events unfolded over the past week, Mikey talked about the ordeal of trying to keep himself alive and his family safe in the chaos left behind by the U.S. exit from Afghanistan. With no word from the U.S. government about when or how he might get out, he realized that the bonds he had forged with U.S. soldiers might offer his only hope for safe passage.

That is where Sergeant Torres, who now lives in Pecos, Tex., came in.

He had worked with Mikey on multiple deployments, and now he had a new battle: leading a global operation to get him out.

To coordinate those efforts, Sergeant Torres and a group of about 20 former and current members of the military formed a WhatsApp chat group and an email thread. They reached out to military and State Department contacts, along with members of Congress, to try to get Mikey and his family onto a military evacuation plane.

They say they understand why U.S. citizens are getting priority when it comes to evacuations. The outrage is over the lack of a clear plan for all those Afghans who worked side by side with the Americans, who may have targets on their backs now that the Taliban is in control.

“It’s infuriating,” Sergeant Torres said. “My heart breaks for everyone who doesn’t have the support Mikey has.”

It was not the case that Mikey tried to get out of Afghanistan only when the danger became clear.

He started his special visa application in 2012, when he was in Kandahar with the military. He had his interview, one of the final steps in the process, in November 2018 when he worked at Camp Duskin in Kabul. He is still waiting for medical tests and approval. Emails he has sent to follow up on his application have gone unanswered.

Across the United States, members of the armed forces are leading their own campaigns to pressure the Biden administration to scale up the evacuation of Afghans who worked as their interpreters. They have taken to social media and created fund-raising campaigns such as “Help Our Interpreters.”

Military interpreters are among the most vulnerable of Afghan allies. The nature of their work required that they accompany military personnel in the battlefield and be present during interactions with locals. If residents of the areas where they worked were hostile to Americans, the interpreters could be easily identified for the Taliban.

Mikey was a teenager in Kabul when the United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001. In high school he worked hard to learn English, and his language teacher suggested he work as an interpreter for the Americans after graduation.

He was dispatched to Kandahar airfield, one of the largest U.S. military bases in Afghanistan, and from there to multiple remote outposts, quickly working his way up to become a lead interpreter.

“Mikey was always fun to be around, very open-minded with a very big heart,” said Sgt. First Class Raymond Steele, an active member of Special Forces who has stayed in regular contact with him over the years.

Mikey listened to communications to intercept threats, talking to local tribal leaders in person and on his phone. On one patrol, he got word of an ambush and of insurgents burying explosive devices in their path.

“I felt proud of my job because it felt like I was helping my country,” Mikey said.

Between stints in Kandahar and Kabul, Mikey got married. He bought a car and worked as a taxi driver in Kabul. He and his wife had children.

But the U.S. era in Afghanistan was ending — and the Taliban’s resuming. That left countless Afghans feeling helpless and adrift, as Mikey was when we spoke by phone last Saturday night.

“We are in the dark,” he told me. “My American friends say just wait, wait to see what happens. Be ready to leave when we tell you.”

Then on Monday around 4 p.m. Mikey received an astonishing text from Sergeant Torres: We are going to get you out, it said. Get ready now. Wait for instructions.

The mission to rescue Mikey, with the help of current and former military contacts on the ground, was in motion — and things were moving quickly. In a space of two hours, Mikey and his family were hidden in a car, their documents stashed, heading for a gate at the Kabul airport where members of the military were expecting him.

They welcomed him, taking his family to a clinic so his wife’s and son’s bullet wounds could be treated. The children got candy.

When Sergeant Torres got the call that Mikey was finally in the clear, he broke into sobs. He never cries, he says. Sergeant Steele called Mikey and shouted, “I love you, man.”

On Tuesday, Mikey and his family flew out of Afghanistan aboard a U.S. military plane, his initial destination withheld for security reasons.

It was his son’s sixth birthday.

“I am extremely relieved and happy,” Mikey said during a call from the tarmac in Kabul as he waited to board the plane. “My infinite gratitude for the help and kindness of my American brothers. You gave us a second chance at life.”

--------------------------------

Biden should have gotten everybody out before PUBLICALLY announcing he was pulling troops from  Afghanistan.

This is heartbreaking. 

[suupernovalight]

Addictive Drug

Ushijima W. x Reader

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3) Down To Business

After officially joining the bosses side and becoming a temporary member of the Japan’s Agency, the boss finally told you what was and is happening.

“A drug dealer? Cant you guys easily cut that off?” You said looking at your nails.

“Easier said than done” the boss said getting up and looking out his office window. “My two boys, the best of the best failed to cut them off. We need your help.”

You scoffed. “Maybe they aren’t the best after all” you mumbled.

Ushijima felt his blood boil at your rudeness. Tendō noticed this and pat his friends back. Obviously telling him to “let it go”.

“The drug dealer behind this all has been nicknamed the Big Man.” The boss said giving you a piece of paper. “Also by the looks of it, he has a sidekick with him”

You scanned the paper. It had pictures of what the two people have been doing. It also had descriptions of them. There was also a photo of the big man. When you looked at it, your eyes widened. 

“Are you okay?” The boss asked you.

You quickly looked up from the paper and nodded. You then continued to look at the paper. It reminded you of someone from the past. After a moment of silence, the boss sighed.

“I’ve done some snooping around and found that someone local may know the big man. He works at a car dealership and is pretty successful” He said while showing you three his computer. “His name is Yosho Ayashi”

On the computer it showed the car dealer ship with the guy posing with a thumbs up. After the boss let you guys take a glance, he turned his computer away and spoke again.

“I need you three to try to get that man and bring him back to me. We need as much info as possible. No matter what.” He then gave each of you an earpiece to wear.

“Wear these. You guys should be able to communicate. I suggest coming up with a plan too.” 

You looked at the boys then nodded. When the boss dismissed you all, you quickly took your ear piece and put it on.

“y/n what are you doing?” Tendo asked. Ushijima just stared at you.

“We need the info ASAP right? Lets get going then” You said continuing to do what you’re doing. “Ill be on my bike and-”

“no.” Ushijima cut in.

Everything went silent. 

“What.” You said completely frozen.

“I said no. I need to keep an eye on you cause who knows what you’re capable of.” He said putting on his ear piece.

“Do you even trust me?”

“no. Also it’s the bosses rule”

You groaned and grabbed Ushijima’s tie. His eyes widened in shock and a bit of disgust. You just ignored his expression and begged him to let you ride your bike. After a long pause of silence from Ushijima, he gave in.

“Good, now that’s that settled, we need a plan” Tendo suggested.

While brain storming idea’s on what to do, you had an idea. It was simple to say the least. When getting to the dealership, you would pretend you’re trying to buy a car and lure Yosho into a different room. Preferably where the car of your choice is. While that’s happening, Ushijima and Tendo would be setting up everything to ultimately kidnap Yosho. After lurring Yosho into the right room, that’s where Ushijima and Tendo will come out of hiding.

After getting your plan approved by Ushijima and Tendo, you guys were off. You quickly grabbed your key’s and went on your bike. You already had the address for the dealership so it was ok. The boys car followed behind you.

When you got to the dealership, you parked your vehicle and waited for the boys. While waiting, you dug into your bag and found a lollipop. You unwrapped it and put it in your mouth to keep your busy for a bit. The flavor of it was also pretty good.

When the boys finally came, you quickly jogged to them and talked to them about what room you would be luring Yosho into.

“you guys saw the layout of the dealership right?” You asked them while looking at your lollipop.

“Yeah, you should go to the room where the motorcycles are, there's one in particular that is away from the others” Tendo suggusted.

“I saw that, ill lure him into that room, you guys know what to do right?” You asked them while putting the lollipop back into your mouth.

Both boys nodded. 

“Good, ill see you guys later” You said turning around to walk away.

“Wait.” Ushijima said turning you back around and looking right into your eyes.

The way he looked at you made you have slight butterflies in your stomach. He was so close for what?

“Don’t have that.” He said grabbing your lollipop and putting it out of your mouth. “Its unprofessional” He then threw the lollipop somewhere.

At first you got mad but then remembered it’s not a good idea to have an outburst. So to cope you just mumbled to yourself and walked away from him. This was your time to act like a normal citizen.

When you got into the dealership, you took notice of how many people were there. After searching for Yosho for awhile, you found a guy that fit the discription. Quickly you went to Yosho and acted like a normal buyer.

“Excuse me sir” You said running up to him.

Yosho looked at you up and down then smiled. “Yes how may I help you?”

You batted your eyelashes and looked around. “Well im here for a thing and that thing only.” You said looking straight at him. “I need a new motorcycle. Something that will fit my taste... can you help me?”

Yosho nodded and turned around. “This way ma’am”

You silently cheered to yourself and followed after Yosho. He’s such a nice guy though he could be the devil in disgusted and you don’t know.

Meanwhile, Ushijima and Tendo were already inside the building looking for the room. When they found it, they quickly went inside and hid. While hiding, they got their hand cuffs ready for action.

~~~

“Over here we got the....” Yosho said but you ignored him and looked around for the room you were supposed to go in.

When you found it, you grabbed Yosho’s arm and pointed to where you wanted to go. “That room, can we go in there? Isn’t there like a super cool motorcycle in there?” You asked while titling your head.

Yosho sweatdropped and looked at the room you pointed at. He then nodded and walked away from you. You followed behind, secretly smirking to yourself.

When both of you were in the room, you quietly shut the door and creeped up on Yosho. His back was facing you. At the corner of your eye, you could see Ushijima and Tendo hiding.

When you got close enough, you jumped on Yosho and pinned him to the ground. Your legs were around him to secure him. You then grabbed his arms and put them behind his back.

“Stay fucking silent or ill have my boys do way worse” You said gripping his arms tighter.

Tendo and Ushijima ran out of their hiding spots and cuffed Yosho. After cuffing him, you got off of him and left Ushijima handle him because he was stronger than you.

“So it’s going to be this way huh y/n” Yosho smirked.

Your eyes widened. “How do you know my name?”

Yosho slightly laughed. Tendo and Ushijima looked at you in confusion.

“I know a lot of stuff about you. Even about you and Hayas-”

You cut him off by punching his face. “Shut up.”

Yosho coughed a bit then chuckled. “they are coming. They know you’re here.”

Tendo and Ushijima looked at your face. It was blank with some confusion. Who was coming? Who are they? Suddenly, a loud bang was heard from the door. It was followed by an a explosion.

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