#captain Persi

[justlikeazzy]

HERES SOME ARTFIGHT STUFF I JUST NAILED OUT!

I’m going to be on team seafoam! I made little icons for both teams though, har har. I’m very excited for this year! [:<

(Oh by the way, forgot to mention, if ya wanna use the little icons your free to! You don’t have to credit me or anything, just don’t claim that you drew them haha)

[my-magical-oc-s]

Earth-323

Captain Stacy: You know, Spider-Woman--

ArcaneWeaver: It's actually ArcaneWeaver.

Captain Stacy: Riight... You kind of remind me of someone

ArcaneWeaver: I d-- *dramatically clears that to deepen her voice* I do? Maybe I just have one of those faces...?

Captain Stacy: They volunteer with my daughter.

ArcaneWeaver: *sweating profusely* Heh, r-really?

Captain Stacy: Yeah, in fact, *he tries to get a closer look at them* they-- argh!

ArcaneWeaver: *accidently webbed him in the face* S-so sorry, it'll come off in a few hours. Maybe just eat through a straw for a bit? *she says nervously as she swings away* Until next time, Captain!

..Later..

Peter: You webbed Gwen's dad?!

Persy: It was an accident! 😭😭

[raurquiz]

#remembering #persiskhambatta #actress #illia #startrek #themotionpicture #happybirthday #averybrooks #actor #captainsisko #deepspacenine #ds930 #startrek57 #actionfigures @PlaymatesToys @TrekCore @StarTrek @StarTrekOnPPlus

[john-bracket]

Who shall win Jack Harkness's hand?

Alrighty, while the final of the John Variants bracket is running, I want to have some fun (read: be chaotic and a Torchwood nerd on main), so we are going to run what is basically a prototype of how the Love Interest bracket would work if you all select it for our next proper bracket.

Except in this case, Jack Harkness has a lot of canon love interests. Like a Lot. So I put together this list of people Jack has had romantic interactions with, and we the people shall decide who is the most worthy of his hand. (Honestly, Jack is big polyamory vibes and this could be a very complex polycule but that's not the point, the point is I'm choosing VIOLENCE)

If you don't know Jack, or you don't know his love interests very well, that's okay. I still want you to vote and participate, so I will be including a brief description of Jack's canon relationship with each potential partner on the polls as well as a picture (if a character is from an audio only medium with no canon pictures, I will use the cover of their audio). This is 100% for fun, and we'll get back to proper John polls next week.

The match-ups are below the cut as well! I'm basically going to just post the polls as soon as I make them today, so that we can get this whole thing over before the final finishes, each round will only last a day including this one's final, and I'll run both sides of the bracket at once. Sorry not sorry about the incoming poll spam <3

Bout 1L: Ianto Jones vs Rex Matheson

Bout 2L: Ninth Doctor and Rose vs NJ Redmond

Bout 3L: Angelo Colasanto vs Brad

Bout 4L: Tyler Steele vs Lucia Moretti

Bout 5L: Estelle Cole vs Carys Fletcher

Bout 6L: Rhys Williams vs River Song

Bout 7L: Carla and Persis vs Gwen Cooper

Bout 8L: Lynda Moss vs Alonso Frame

Bout 1R: John Hart vs Davitch Pavale

Bout 2R: Martha Jones vs The Duchess

Bout 3R: Algy vs Jackie Tyler

Bout 4R: Donna Noble vs Norton Folgate

Bout 5R: Unnamed Dead Wife vs Javic Thane

Bout 6R: Original Captain Jack Harkness vs Graham O'Brien

Bout 7R: Stella Courtney vs Caitlin and Trevor

Bout 8R: Chantho vs Tenth Doctor

[lou-wilham]

I'm not saying if you're into steampunk, fairy tales, and like pineapple you need to read The Clockwork Chronicles but I'm not not saying that either. 👀

Rapunzel, the unicorn legend, Beauty and the Beast, and Pinocchio all get a reboot in my new adult steampunk scifi fantasy perfect for loves of Stardust, PoTC, and Tangled!

A tale of espionage, lavender hair, and pineapples.Welcome to Daiwynn where magic is dangerous, but hope is more dangerous still.

For Persinette—a lavender-haired, 24-year-old seer dreaming of adventure and freedom—the steam-powered kingdom of Daiwynn is home. As an Enchanted asset for MOTHER, she aids in Collecting Enchanted and sending them to MOTHER’s labor camps.

But when her handler, Gothel, informs Persi that she will be going out into the field for a Collection, she decides it's time to take a stand. Now she must fight her fears and find a way to hide her attempts to aid the Enchanted or risk being sent to the camps herself.

Manu Kelii, Captain of the airship The Defiant Duchess, is 26-years-old and hasn't seen enough excitement—thank you very much. His charismatic smile and flamboyant sense of style earned him a place amongst the Uprising, but his fickle and irresponsible nature has seen to it that their leader doesn't trust him.

Desperate to prove himself, Manu will stop at nothing to aid their mission to overthrow MOTHER and the queen of Daiwynn. So, when the Uprising Leader deposits a small unit of agents on his ship, and tasks him with working side by side with MOTHER asset Persinette to hinder the Collection effort, he finds himself in over his head.

The stakes are high for this unlikely duo. They have only two options; stop MOTHER or thousands more will die—including themselves.

The unique characters, witty dialogue, and fantasy-meets-steampunk world make this fresh take on the classic tale of Rapunzel a must read for fans of Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles, and Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series.

GoodReads | Purchase

[moonhuit]

Requesting “show me where it hurts” for j7!

prompt from here! thank u anon <3

the captain had the misfortune of still being confined to the sick bay. sitting still and a janeway never mixed well together. chakotay would come by to report and engage in light banter with her–tuvok had brought her one of his calming incense (much to the doctor’s protest). in the dead hours of the ship, b’elanna would make little passing comments—sometimes attempting to prod a little too much inside kathryn’s brain, and then falling asleep after one of kathryn’s lengthy answers, leaving kathryn in company with her light snoring.

the most notable visitor had to be seven of nine–who visits at 0600, 1200, 1800, and 2100 hours respectively. the pattern is lost to kathryn, however, she intends to inquire about it. in a few seconds now that the clock is about to hit 0600 hours.

like clockwork, the sickbay doors slide open and reveal kathryn’s earliest visitor, seven of nine– with a cup of coffee in hand. kathryn attempts to crane her neck to get a glimpse of her visitor—only to wince as she’d once again forgotten about the state of her spine and the stiff neck she now had. these sickbay beds are not merciful to her body at all.

“seven, how kind of you. i didn’t know it was you who brought me coffee.” usually by the time kathryn is up, she supposes that if seven does not see her awake, the ex-borg decides to not disturb her slumber.

there were several reasons that the captain does not know why it was seven of nine who were in charge of bringing her coffee. the most significant was that the replicator (the senior officers are convinced) is biased towards the ex-borg. they had all tested it in the past two days, someone would ask for a cup of coffee for the captain and it would not be in its perfect condition. paris had been convinced that voyager was becoming sentient.

seven’s lips quirk up at kathryn’s inquiry. “well, as i visit you early, i thought it would be prudent to suggest myself for this duty.”

“just the perfect temperature too.” kathryn, with every glee she could muster, takes the cup into her hands and as per her ritual, takes a breath of the aroma of the coffee first before taking a sip. as it turns out, it was too much glee as her stiff neck acts up when she’d shrugged her upper body and visibly winces in front of seven of nine.

“captain?”

she waves her off, putting the coffee down by the makeshift bedside table.

“only a stiff neck, seven. nothing that’ll terminate me.”

it does little to assuage seven’s worry, on the contrary, she seemed to be more persistent to do something about the problem that kathryn was experiencing.

“show me,” once the pain has subsided, kathryn finds herself making direct eye contact with the ex-borg—now hovering over her with those bright blue eyes.

“seven, it’s a stiff neck—”

“you are confined to the sickbay because your spine is still not well enough for you to report to duty, captain. tell me where it is stiff, so that i may fix it—please.”

kathryn had always thought an angry seven of nine was the bane of her existence—someone should remind her about today with the development of having seen an endearing seven of nine. she even said please, and when has kathryn ever been able to refuse her anything within her capacity?

she promptly opens her mouth–however, seven was not done yet.

“it is the least i could do to alleviate your discomfort.” the ex- borg’s gaze takes another focus, the cup of coffee on the bedside table or perhaps the computer beside it. kathryn should chalk it up to her delirious state but if her eyes were not fooling her she would swear that seven of nine is flustered–and for the lack of better words, feeling helpless towards her predicament.

kathryn beckons seven to come closer if it were possible, so she could reach and reassure her with a gentle caress. “seven, your company is enough to comfort me.”

“but my company won’t be enough to get rid of your stiff neck.”

leave it to seven of nine’s persistence, kathryn thinks before chuckling. who was she to refuse blessings anyway?

seven moves behind the bed. “here.” kathryn takes the other hand, with the cybernetic implants—feeling apprehensive as to how much it’ll do against her muscle problem. after much consideration, she places them on the nape of her neck. “and here.”

it would have been a tender moment—kathryn’s little stiff neck problem had gone away and seven was no longer breathing down her neck for refusing her care and concern. that was until in the middle of their light banter, the ship’s chief engineer coughed to make her presence known, eyes twinkling in an admission that she’d seen the entire exchange unfold. of course, seven considers this the best time to take her leave, remarking something about her overstaying and saying she’ll be back at 1200 hours.

“interesting, i did not know the sickbay had masseuse benefits and a cup of coffee delivered.”

“where is a binary pulsar when i need it?” kathryn remarks, rolling her eyes as her chief engineer keeps cackling to herself.

“it’s no harm, captain. im just saying, tom is not even doing any of those and we’re together.”

damned b’elanna and her klingon wits.

[batrachised]

How do you feel about the Ford Family?

This question brought to mind the Conan plays video games series, where he rates each video game at the end by saying on a scale of 1 to 166 where 1 is average and 166 is average and 17 is really good, he'd give it a 44XXIV or some equally nonsensical rating. If A is for A plus, and F is for failure, I'd rate most of the Fords an E in that they exist.

Most especially, Owen Ford merely existed to me; his function in the plot was Leslie's new husband haha. Same with Kenneth. He had "captain of the football team in high school" vibes, and to be fair, that's who he was intended to be. Rilla was the popular girl who lives in a bubble only to get slammed with the reality of WWI. Persis always fascinated me because her name is really cool, but I don't think we ever really learn much about her either.

Leslie though...Leslie almost seemed like someone out of a noir film. The first description we get of her IS something out of a movie:

The girl was tall and wore a dress of pale blue print. She walked with a certain springiness of step and erectness of bearing. She and her geese came out of the gate at the foot of the hill as Anne and Gilbert passed. She stood with her hand on the fastening of the gate, and looked steadily at them, with an expression that hardly attained to interest, but did not descend to curiosity. It seemed to Anne, for a fleeting moment, that there was even a veiled hint of hostility in it. But it was the girl's beauty which made Anne give a little gasp—a beauty so marked that it must have attracted attention anywhere. She was hatless, but heavy braids of burnished hair, the hue of ripe wheat, were twisted about her head like a coronet; her eyes were blue and star-like; her figure, in its plain print gown, was magnificent; and her lips were as crimson as the bunch of blood-red poppies she wore at her belt.

Beautiful and hostile--that summarizes Leslie Ford. I've talked about her before, and my take on her is that she isn't a good friend, but she is a good character. Leslie Ford is hard to judge because she's like a skittish wounded animal in a trap who's willing to gnaw off its own leg to escape. She's rude to Anne, including the scene where she tells Anne that since Anne's baby died, now they can truly be friends (!!) even if the narrative presents it as acceptable. She is by far the most interesting member of the Ford family (although, to be fair, she also receives the most attention from the story). She's standoffish, hostile, cruel, and above all, heartbroken. Most of Leslie Ford's actions are explained by the fact that she is heartbroken. Not due to a lost love, like Miss Lavender, but due to traumatic events that would be impossible to forget--such as seeing her 8 year old brother be crushed by a wagon wheel.

To be honest, I always wished for another glimpse at Leslie's life after AHOD. I know we get snippets of her living her best life in Japan and so forth, but I wonder at the radical flip her life did in a matter of weeks. How could you react to something like that? After so many soul destroying things happen to you, would you be able to accept something good? What was that transition like for her? Did she wake up in the middle of the night years later, dully thinking she needed to check on Dick only to realize? I love LMM because of her happy endings, and I'm delighted Leslie got hers, but she's such a rich character that I kind of wanted more. I don't think the things that happened to her are the type you're able to forget, even if everything gets resolved. Personally I'd have trust issues for the rest of my life haha (Esp. after the twist with her husband, I would literally be doubting my entire world forever lmao). I also just realized she's Rilla's future mother in law, which is an interesting intersection of personalities.

So, to the point, most of them are decent but Leslie is a cut above the rest. Of all the characters in Anne, she probably has one of the darkest storylines, from watching her baby brother die a violent death to a coerced marriage. It's interesting to me that Kenneth doesn't seem to have been affected by his mother's traumatic background at all although we do get so little of his perspective, and it reminds me of the Blythe children appear not to know that Gilbert and Anne ever disliked each other or that Anne was neglected as a child (see: Di Blythe being shocked in Ingleside about Anne saying she was very hungry as a child, or TBAQ in which the kids are astonished at their parents referring to old spats).

[chrisitsraining]

btw heres a few excerpts from umbrella conspiracy that mention jills past and her father

When she’d first moved to Raccoon, she’d been under a lot of stress, feeling uncertain about the transfer, not even sure if she wanted to stay with the S.T.A.R.S. She was good at the job, but had only taken it because of Dick; after the indictment, he’d started to pressure her to get into another line of work. It had taken a while, but her father was persis-tent, telling her again and again that one Valentine in jail was one too many, even admitting that he was wrong to raise her the way he had. With her training and background, there weren’t a whole lot of op-tions—but the S.T.A.R.S., at least, appreciated her skills and didn’t care how she came by them. The pay was decent, there was an element of risk she’d grown to enjoy. ...In retrospect, the career change had been surprisingly easy; it made Dick happy, and gave her the opportunity to see how the other half lived. Still, the move had been harder on her than she’d realized. For the first time since Dick had gone inside, she’d truly felt alone, and working for the law started to seem like a joke—the daughter of Dick Valentine, working for truth, justice, and the Ameri-can way. 

.

Her own locker held a number of used paperback true crime novels, a toothbrush, floss, breath mints, and three hats. On the door was a small mirror and an old, frayed photo of her and her father, taken when she was a child and they’d gone to the beach one summer. As she’d quickly thrown the Alpha gear together, she decided that she’d redecorate when she had the free time; anyone looking through her locker would think she was some kind of dental freak.

.

It had been just under five minutes since their last contact with Bravo, they’d made excellent time... so where the hell was Valentine? He [Wesker] hadn’t interacted with her much since she’d come to Raccoon, but her file was a rave review. She’d gotten high recommendations from everyone she worked with, praised by her last captain as highly intelligent and “unusually” calm in a crisis. She’d have to be, with her history. Her father was Dick Valentine, the best thief in the business a couple of decades back. He’d trained her to follow in his footsteps, and word had it that she had done quite well until Daddy had been incarcerated... Prodigy or no, she could stand to buy a decent watch.

.

Only fools accept the obvious and go no further; use your brain, Jilly.

Jill smiled a little; it was her father talking, remind-ing her of the training she’d had before the S.T.A.R.S. One of her earliest memories was hiding in the bushes outside the rickety old house in Massachusetts that her father had rented for them, studying the dark, empty windows as he explained how to properly “case a prospect.” Dick had made it into a game, teaching her over the next ten years all the finer points of breaking and entering, everything from how to re-move panes of glass without damaging them to walk-ing on stairs so they didn’t creak—and he’d also taught her, again and again, that every riddle had more than one answer. 

also this is how shes introduced 

JILL WAS ALREADY LATE FOR THE BRIEFING when she somehow managed to drop her keys into her cup of coffee on the way out the door. There was a muted ting as they hit the bottom, and she paused in mid-stride, staring in disbelief at the steaming ceramic mug, the thick stack of files she carried under her other arm slid smoothly to the floor. Paper clips and sticky notes scattered across the tan carpeting. “Ah, shit.”

[liamhaydn-blog]

An Arsenal Fan’s view on what the club need to do this summer to compete on all fronts next season.

The Summer of 2023 promises to be one of the most important ones in recent memory for Arsenal. For much of the last decade plus they’d sleepwalked themselves into becoming something of a sleeping giant. Perhaps understandably at first given the financial restraints of paying off their new stadium, a time where Arsenal spent most of their time anxiously guarding their world class talents. Rather than being able to look around the market and buy more, they instead had to settle for the more mediocre and year after year their best players were plucked from under them and Arsenal had to endure watching them lift the big prizes elsewhere. 

The signing of Mesut Ozil was added to Santi Cazorla, and the following summer when the trophy drought was ended, Alexis Sanchez was also brought in. Arsenal appeared to be waking from their stupor. However, just as in the days of Fabregas, Nasri and Van Persie, Wenger was either unable or unwilling to pay up for a support cast that could turn Arsenal back into real title contenders, though the prospect momentarily flickered from time to time.  

Next Arsenal gambled and went big with the signings of Lacazette, Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe. There was short-lived success in the shape of another FA Cup, but things quickly lurched to disaster. Arsenal went from finishing 2nd in 2016, to back to back 8th placed finishes by 2021 under fledgling new manager and former captain Mikel Arteta. Transfer policy shifted with Arsenal identifying young talents such as Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Martin Odegaard. This added to a special young trio of talents, that of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe. Despite narrowly missing out on Champions League football, the confidence and feel good factor was slowly returning to Arsenal and they then added Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Champions Manchester City.

Those summer additions helped Arsenal produce a starting 11 so good they won 23 of their first 29 league games. However, 2 defensive injuries to the colossal William Saliba and back-up right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu have laid bare the lack of depth that still exists in this Arsenal squad, in terms of being able to actually win the league against one of Sport’s most dominant ever teams in Guardiola’s City. Those injuries have meant Arsenal have had to turn to Rob Holding, a player signed from Bolton for £2M, who peaked in his 1st season for the club as a 20-year old, since then he’s only gone downhill. Arsenal exited the domestic cups very early, they exited the Europa League at its first knockout round, they didn’t have that many players involved at the World Cup as starters for their nations, and STILL injuries have once again derailed their season. It simply must stop happening, the time is now for Arsenal to build a squad which can compete in both the Premier League and the Champions League.

Arsenal have a brilliant, ambitious young manager, a fantastically talented young team who with meaningful additions in the right areas this summer can set themselves up to be the kind of team that produces the consistency of say Klopp’s Liverpool at their peak. They really can. But it requires those at the top to continue being bold and not resting on their laurels. The thinking from the board under Wenger was: “So long as we get the Champions League money by making top 4 we’re happy.” Such thinking can not be allowed to return. That kind of thinking damaged Arsenal for years, damaged United in recent years under the Glazers, and is damaging Spurs under Dan Levy now. 

Arsenal could be on the precipice of doing special things at home and maybe even abroad, but they are not there yet. But they must not hesitate, the momentum is with them. They are one of the biggest clubs in the biggest league in the world, therefore they are one of the hottest destinations for talent in the world, and they also happen to play in what is regarded as one of the best cities in the world, the City of London. Having woken from their slumber, it’s time for Arsenal to no longer be a sleeping giant and begin to throw their wait around like the big club they are. Can they go and ruthlessly take West Ham’s captain and best player? Can they go back in for Caicedo, and actually get him this time? The outcome to these questions will surely tell us more about whether Arsenal can once again produce glory years akin to those with Pires, Henry and Vieira or if it will be another era of nearly men, of ‘if’s’ ‘but’s’ and ‘maybe’s’.

In this piece I will lay out what Arsenal must, could and should do this summer to ensure they don’t stand still and continue to evolve.

Goalkeeper

No movement required in this area for Arsenal this summer. Ramsdale had an impressive debut season at Arsenal and he’s gotten better in his follow-up campaign. Up until recently he was having a brilliant season, best exemplified by his stellar performance away at Anfield, earlier on he was also outstanding away at Tottenham. In recent weeks his form has dipped, which has led some to question whether he is good enough to be the number 1 keeper in a league winning team. This in my opinion is harsh and a consequence of recency bias, if all Arsenal players were judged on their performances over the last few weeks, they would all need to be replaced as none of them have played like league winners. He’s also one of the best around with his feet which is of course essential to the way Arsenal build-up, so his number 1 spot is assured at the moment. 

And at 24, he’s still a baby in goalkeeper years with plenty of room to grow over the coming seasons. If he can keep making small improvements the potential is definitely there to become one of Europe’s top goalkeepers, however he is still a way off the finished article. He hasn’t been commanding in dealing with corners this season, his confidence is usually one of his biggest assets but it has been wobbled slightly at times, and his confidence with passing has occasionally become over-confidence which has caused big problems for him and his side. Overall though, Arsenal can be optimistic that this promising young goalkeeper matures into a really great one. 

Matt Turner as USA’s Number 1 isn’t a bad one to have as your back-up keeper, but he will be hopeful Arsenal go much further in the domestic cups than in his first season, or else his game time could be severely limited. At 21 it could be a good time for 3rd choice keeper and Estonian International Karl Hein to get first team football on loan somewhere. 

Conclusion

Sell: N/A.

Loan: Hein.

Sign: N/A.

Defence  

Gabriel and Saliba have formed what is the most complete centre-back partnership Arsenal have had since Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure, they are excellent together and Arsenal fans will be hoping they stay together for a long time. However an injury to Saliba exposed Arsenal’s lack of depth at centre-back and this summer needs to be the end of the road at Arsenal for Rob Holding. As the player’s at Arsenal have got better over the last 12 months, the extent to which he has been out of his depth has been further exposed. I think he lacks the speed, physicality, decision making and technical ability to be even a solid mid-table level Premier League defender and would instead be better suited to Serie A, where he could build his career in a way similar to Chris Smalling, who also struggled massively in the Premier League. Holding is obviously a popular dressing room figure, who is liked and trusted by Arteta, but to compete with the likes of City and other strong teams upon their return to the Champions League, they simply need better strength in depth than what Holding can muster and he must be sold. 

Arsenal must also part ways with Cedric which seems inevitable, as does the departure of Ainsley Maitland-Niles whom I and many others once considered to have a bright future at Arsenal, due to his versatility. Despite initially winning Arteta over and playing well in Arsenal’s FA Cup triumph, he fell out of favour and having been linked with a permanent move away for some time, surely this is the summer it finally happens. Pablo Mari will also depart permanently for Monza, as per the terms of his loan deal.

Nuno Taveres was signed by Arsenal in the summer of 2022 for £8M but looked out of his depth at left-back in most of Arsenal’s league games, especially at the business end of the season where he was pretty costly in Arsenal’s missing out on top 4. He’s had a resurgent season on loan at Marseille, where he has often been deployed in a more advanced role on the wing. During a particularly good spell it was thought by some that there may be a future for him yet with Arsenal, but I don’t see it. I think he will always lack the tactical discipline and intelligence Arteta demands from his players, and aswell the intensity. The best case here is Taveres finishes the season strong and Marseille want to keep him, in which case Arsenal should be looking to at least make a comfortable profit on the 23-year old.

The subject of Kieran Tierney is an interesting and divisive one. He’s clearly a very good left-back and at 25 is likely approaching his peak. However he is a very different style to Zinchenko, and if the manager wants Zinchenko’s inverted position mimicked by his back-up, Tierney is never gonna be the one to do that well, because he’s not in that mould. Newcastle are thought to be potential admirers, and there’s no doubting he’d likely prove an excellent player for them and improve them even further. So considering Newcastle are now a rival for Champions League places going forward, does that mean Arsenal should definitely refuse to sell to them? Not necessarily, as Arsenal’s top priority has to be Arsenal. 

Saudi-backed Newcastle have got huge money and they’re not afraid to splash it around, evidenced in January by them spending £40M on Everton’s want-away winger Anthony Gordon. He had scored 7 times in senior football and never been capped by his country. Therefore if Arsenal are to sell Tierney they would be fools to let him go for less than that. 

It’s not essential to sell Tierney as he is a solid player, who’s a good option to bring on to replace Zinchenko to help see games out with more defensive solidity, but Arteta has not often used him like that this season, outside of a few very brief cameos. So if Arteta no longer values his importance to the side that highly, it makes sense for all parties for Arsenal to sell, but they would be smart to not allow Newcastle to secure for a low-ball offer, because he’s likely to be very popular on Tyneside, so the Gunners need to make sure they remain firm and don’t sell for below their asking price. Arsenal have struggled in recent years to get good value for their players, for example allowing Leno to join Fulham for just £8M. It’s an area they must improve in this summer. 

Where the money from a Tierney sale should then be invested depends on several decisions Arteta could take. Polish International Jakub Kiwior was signed in January from Spezia for £27M. Given the reliability of Gabriel, and Kiwior being left-footed meaning there is only one CB spot (the LCB spot) available to him I find it hard to believe the 22-year old was signed just as a Gabriel back-up. I feel his profile could be used to replicate Zinchenko’s role in the side as an inverted left-back, taking up the usual central positions the Ukrainian takes. He has experience playing left-back and defensive midfield, so it seems likely this is a role that’s been earmarked for him. Therefore Kiwior could act as first in reserve for both Gabriel and Zinchenko, giving the Pole much more opportunities for game time.

Takehiro Tomiyasu has endured an injury laden 2 seasons with Arsenal, despite mostly being back-up behind Ben White this season. Given Tomiyasu’s 6 foot 2 frame, I believe there could be something to trying to convert him to become a centre-back option. The full-back role demands endless running up and down the flanks, often at speed and I feel trying Tomiyasu in the middle instead could better protect him from injuries. Tomiyasu has experience in the role having played there many times for his country and whilst playing in the Belgian Pro League. 

He is a good passer with both feet and usually makes good decisions with the ball but his on the ball limitations are exposed more at full-back in this Arsenal team, as he often doesn’t look completely comfortable in the oppositions final third, rarely making runs beyond Saka to offer him that option or just to pull a defender away from the winger, as we have become accustomed to seeing from White. Whilst a fine right-back defensively, I can only see Tomiyasu’s body breaking down season after season in the role of an attacking full-back, which at Arsenal you need to be, so if he is to have a future at the club I think it needs to be as a back-up for Saliba and Gabriel, with more sporadic appearances at full-back in cases of emergency. Aswell as potentially taking that option, Arsenal will still need to sign a replacement for Holding and it will be very straightforward to identify a clear upgrade, who is more comfortable on the ball and better suited to the physical demands of the Premier League, potentially one who is already playing in it for a club somewhere down the table. 

In Arsenal’s position I would then invest money from a Tierney sale on a right-back who can challenge for the position with White, and offer the same things White does with security in possession and with the fitness and attacking instincts to offer the overlap for Saka constantly throughout the game. A new right-back would give Arsenal more defensive flexibility and options, as if suffering with an injury/suspension for eg. they could move White to centre-back where he is reliable and play the new right-back alongside him. Or if White and Saliba were both injured, Tomiyasu could come into RCB with the new right-back now next to him. One right-back Arsenal have recently been interested in is 18-year old Ivan Fresneda of Real Valladolid, with the Gunners and Borussia Dortmund both vying for his services last January. Considering Arteta already has 2 solid right-back options, it seems likely his interest in a third would suggest he also sees a future for Tomiyasu in a centre-half role. 

Conclusion

Sell: Cedric, Tavares, Mari, Tierney (if offered around £40M), Holding.

Loan: Trusty (to Premier League club).

Sign: Right-Back, Centre-Back.

Decisions: Tomiyasu as CB option, Kiwior as LB option.

Midfield 

This is the position most rife with rumours when it comes to potential recruits for Arsenal this summer and understandably so. Partey is 30 this summer, Xhaka is already 30 and Jorginho is 31. There are 2 players at the top of virtually every Arsenal fans wishlist: Moises Caicedo of Brighton and Declan Rice of West Ham. Arsenal have already seen a £70M bid for 21-year old Caicedo rejected, but will remain encouraged despite his recent contract extension, due to his initial desire to join the club, which saw him issue a very public transfer request. Since then he has spoken of his desire to see Arsenal win the league, so he seemingly remains interested. 

Caicedo shows similarities to the N’Golo Kante we saw at Leicester and in his early years at Chelsea, a player capable of winning the ball cleanly from all manner of unlikely positions, such players are essential to a team and can be the difference across a season between finishing 1st and 2nd, as Kante demonstrated winning back-to-back Premier League’s with Leicester and Chelsea. Caicedo plays well beyond his years, despite having played less than 100 senior club games, with over a third of them being back in the Ecuadorian league. Less than a year after signing him for an undisclosed fee Brighton unequivocally rejected a £70M offer for him, which shows their confidence that when he does leave, it will be for an even bigger fee. They are right to believe that, especially after getting him to commit to a new contract.  

Declan Rice has been linked with a move from his beloved West Ham for years now, and Chelsea always seemed likely to be his eventual destination. For Arsenal it was probably seen as a bit of a pipe dream, they’ve not been able to offer him Champions League Football and financially could not get into a bidding war with the likes of Chelsea. However the balance of power has shifted quite drastically this season with Arsenal leading the way for much of the season, with an exciting young manager and group of players which would interest any player looking for his next club. 

Caicedo is more of a classic 6 than Rice, though he is much more than just a ball-winner, he possesses a diverse passing range. Rice can excel either as a number 6 or a number 8, so the most ambitious Arsenal fans are dreaming of signing them both and having them in the same midfield along with Odegaard. It’s not impossible, and I think it should at least be the club’s ambition to try. They are the bookies favourites to sign both players, but they will likely face stern competition for these players signatures from Liverpool and Chelsea especially who are both desperate for central midfielders. 

With Champions League money in their pocket for the first time since 2016, Arsenal should have the financial might to be in with a shout, and it will be very disappointing if they are unable to secure at least one of those two. Should Arsenal secure for eg. Rice and the bidding war for Caicedo reach such a level where the money is close to £100M which I think it might, Arsenal would have 2 options, walk away and try to secure the services of a cheaper player who also appears to interest them such as Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad, or another interesting solution could be to part-fund the signing of Caicedo by off-loading Thomas Partey. 

Now Partey at his best is undoubtedly one of the best in the league in his position, some games he oozes class and looks head and shoulders above everyone on the pitch. Overall he’s had a great season and some brilliant spells in particular but.. there has been times where he has cost Arsenal with some lacklustre play, being too careless and almost over confident. And in a league as fast and furious as the Premier League has now become, he can occasionally lack that real intensity to go alongside his obvious ability. There is also the matter of injuries, he played only 48 league games across his first 2 seasons, this season has been better but he has still missed crucial matches such as United away and City at home, both times he felt sorely missed but it has become an all too regular story. He still has 2 years left to run on his current deal and though 30, he remains young enough that they should be able to get a reasonable fee. 

If an offer came in from a club overseas such as one of the big Italian clubs I think it would be something to seriously consider. I don’t suggest the sale of Partey lightly, but *if* it enabled Arsenal to bring in both Rice and Caicedo, and they otherwise couldn’t do it, I’d be in favour of it. Because the idea of Arsenal having a Caicedo-Rice-Odegaard midfield... let’s just say I’d sell more than just a Ghanaian Footballer for the prospect of that.  

But if not, Arsenal must definitely sign at least one player who can play his position as it’s essential they become less reliant on him. Both Partey and Xhaka can have big roles to play in Arsenal’s future, but they can’t do it for much longer alone, certainly not when playing in 2 elite competitions week after week, when they return to the Champions League. 

Odegaard is the captain and has had a fantastic season, however there are question marks about the strength in depth in reserve there. Odegaard has had excellent fitness in his time in North London and we all hope it continues, though when the Champions League gets added to the calendar next year it becomes unrealistic to expect him to be available and in form for every game. Fabio Vieira was signed last summer from FC Porto, but has really struggled to impose himself on games, especially in the Premier League. 

He needs to have a big summer where he impresses in pre-season and gives everyone reason for optimism, because right now he looks a long way off the required level. And Arsenal really need him to become a capable understudy to Odegaard when they are aiming to play 50+ matches next season. There is a real possibility in my opinion that the best option for Vieira could be a season long-loan to a Premier League team, to get him more game time to adapt to the league. 

He is not going to dislodge the captain from the team, and currently he looks like he could really benefit from more minutes to properly adjust to English football. A good possibility could be someone like Wolves, who have Portuguese players there to help him settle. This depends on how many midfielders Arsenal sign, but if they do bring in 2 and especially if they also keep Xhaka and Partey, by that point Vieira drops really far down the pecking order and there may not be room in the squad for him. 

Another issue that’s emerged is with Emile Smith-Rowe, who has fallen out of favour with the manager and it remains unclear where he best fits into this Arsenal side. Outwide? In Xhaka’s position? In Odegaard’s position? None seem naturally suited but something needs to be worked out because the Arsenal youth graduate is too talented and has too much to potentially offer to be left in the cold like this. With 10 league goals last season, we cannot give up on ESR and need to develop the 22-year old in a way where he can operate in the team’s system. He cannot endure another season like this one, though admittedly it didn’t help he’s spent so much of it injured. 

I believe it’s the end of the road for Albert Sambi Lokonga and we should look to move him on permanently at the end of the season. A season-long loan would not be the end of the world, but I struggle to see his attitude and mentality ever been warmed to by Arteta. And his performances on the pitch for Arsenal always left you feeling cold, like you know he could have given more. Charlie Patino should be given some game time in pre-season, and either given another season long loan, or if he impresses potentially kept around for domestic cup games. 

Conclusion

Sell: Lokonga, Partey (if required to sign both Caicedo&Rice).

Loan: Patino (to Premier League club), potentially Vieira (to a Premier League club) depending on the size of Arsenal’s squad.

Sign: 2 Centre Midfielders are essential, ideally they are Caicedo & Rice.

Decisions: find ESR a role within the system.

Attack 

Arsenal have 2 of the best wingers in the league in Saka and Martinelli, and given they are both just 21-years old, the likelihood is that in years to come they will be 2 of the very best in the world. Arsenal getting both players to commit their long-term futures to the club (Martinelli recently signed a new long-term contract, and Saka’s new contract has reportedly been finalised, just not officially announced at time of writing) is as important for the club’s future as any new signing they could complete this summer. They’ve both been incredible this season and are two of the most exciting and promising players in the world. 

There has been question marks about Arsenal’s depth in their positions though. The signing of Leandro Trossard has eased those concerns somewhat, he is an extremely able replacement for Martinelli, and the Belgian’s versatility in the forward positions is of massive benefit to Arsenal. His impact on the side following his January move has quickly made him a fan favourite, and he’s one Arsenal fans should enjoy watching for years to come. 

However on the right hand side, they are still very reliant on Saka staying fit. Luckily for Arsenal, the youngster has amazing fitness levels, he’s been involved in every Premier League game Arsenal have played since May 9th 2021. But that will become trickier when Arsenal are back playing Champions League Football as The Gunners will need him at his very sharpest to progress in that competition, it stands to reason that at different stages through the season they will need some alternative there. 

One option they currently have is Reiss Nelson, the 23-year old who has had an up and down career to date. He had a very successful loan at Hoffenheim, where manager Julian Nagelsmann was very impressed with him. He returned to Arsenal and appeared often after Arteta had replaced Unai Emery but he lost his place the following season and was later loaned out to Feyenoord. This season has been another up and down one for him, he didn’t impress in his Europa League starts, then he got a chance against Forest after Saka went off injured and took it, but then picked up an injury which meant he wasn’t seen again until the Bournemouth game, where he was excellent getting an assist and later an outstanding game-winning goal. 

Nelson’s contract expires this summer, though Arsenal are reportedly in talks to extend it. I think that would be a smart move by the club, he’s showed enough in his substitute cameos to prove that there is a real player in there, one definitely good enough to be a solid back-up option. Due to the quality and availability of Saka, Arsenal need a right-wing option who is willing to be patient, but who also has the required quality when called upon. I think Nelson fits into that category, as a Hale End Graduate, an Arsenal boy, he is more likely to be willing to wait patiently on the bench unlike a new signing who could easily get disheartened at the lack of game time. The one concern over Nelson is perhaps his injury record. Given he is behind Saka there will be times in a season where his chances of playing time are few and far between, but there will be definitely be moments he will be needed, whether starting or off the bench, and he needs to be fit and ready for them. 

In that right-wing position Arsenal of course still have Nicolas Pepe, who is the club’s record signing after they paid £72M for him in 2019. He has been on loan at Nice this season but has done little to convince anyone there’s a future for him at Arsenal. He is simply too inconsistent. Though capable of hitting real highs, scoring great goals out of nothing and looking very dangerous, just as often he has games where he constantly makes the wrong decisions and is very wasteful. Arteta requires players who even on a bad day never fall below a certain level of technical security and Pepe often falls below that level, so he will never be an Arteta type player. Arsenal should look to move him on this summer, as he is not good enough to push Saka for a place, and will be unwilling to spend the majority of his time sat on the bench. A move is best for all parties, and Arsenal will surely find a willing suitor somewhere in Ligue 1, but should not expect to recoup even half of what they paid out for the Ivorian winger. 

Another right-wing option is Marquinhos, who Arsenal signed from Sao Paulo last summer. He had a dream debut away at Zurich where he hit a great goal and assist, but since then on his rare opportunities he’s looked very raw. In January he was sent on loan to Norwich, where again he scored and assisted on his debut but has struggled for impact since. The 20-year old is still young enough to be afforded time and Arsenal have the option to either keep him playing with the under 21′s for now or find another loan move for him.

At striker, Arsenal have some interesting possibilities. Gabriel Jesus was along with William Saliba, Arsenal’s best player before the 2022 World Cup. He brought a new dimension of quality to the attack, and set a new standard for the team with an insatiable work ethic and ability to fashion chances out of very little for himself and his teammates. At the World Cup he picked up a serious injury which required surgery. Upon his return, he quickly got back up to speed and scored 4 goals in his first 3 starts back. 

Jesus has many strengths, but he also has his weaknesses, the big one being that he isn’t clinical, which is really the only reason he isn’t one of the world’s very best strikers, because in all other areas such as work rate, intelligence, creativity and dribbling he is, but he is not a man who will ever get 20+ league goals a season. Jesus was very wasteful in the games prior to the World Cup, but Arsenal fans accepted it because they were playing so well, they were winning games anyway in spite of these misses. However in recent games, with the absence of Saliba at the back meaning Arsenal are much less solid defensively, they are conceding more goals and now Jesus’ wastefulness is starting to cost them and therefore becoming more of a problem.  

One problem Arsenal have currently is they don’t have a striker who can offer them something completely different to Jesus. The one other out-and-out striker they have is Eddie Nketiah, who other than fresh legs and a fresh mind if Jesus becomes fatigued in a game, doesn’t really offer a different problem to defences than the one Jesus provides. Nketiah doesn’t have an all-round game at the level of Jesus, his hold-up play isn’t as good, even though he’s slightly taller than the Brazilian, hitting long to him is less effective than it is with Jesus on the pitch, and in the box he doesn’t provide a greater threat in the air.

In 9 league starts whilst Jesus was injured, Nketiah played 9 full league matches and scored 4 goals, including that well remembered brace against Manchester United which featured that memorable last minute winner. But in those 9 starts, he fired 6 blanks and didn’t produce any assists either. Nketiah has many good qualities for Arsenal, his attitude is good, he has a serious desire for self-improvement evidenced by the way he has bulked up in recent times, he is a good goal poacher, a reliable cup goalscorer and as a Hale End boy, he loves the club and will be patient for opportunities, conducting himself professionally whilst waiting for a chance, and at 23 he’s young enough to still get better. 

However does he have enough quality to ever seriously threaten to dislodge a fit Gabriel Jesus from the side? It’s doubtful and there lies the problem. A team that is looking to win the Premier League and reach the latter stages of the Champions League should be looking to have a striker who can really push Jesus for minutes. It’s of course normal to have a first-choice striker who is a long way clear of the second, and that’s fine if your striker is Erling Haaland or Harry Kane, someone who guarantees lots of goals. Arsenal don’t have that luxury with Jesus and therefore it’s not an acceptable position going forward that Jesus is just the first choice number 9 no matter what, no matter if he has a long scoring drought. Or that if Jesus is struggling in a game, there’s no point taking him off because the back-up striker can’t really offer a better alternative. 

So to compete in both the Premier League and the Champions League, Arsenal will need to look at a different option upfront. One such option could be Folarin Balogun, the 21-year old striker currently on loan at Reims. He has scored 18 in 30 league games, and appears to at least present a completely different profile to Jesus, being more of an out-and-out goalscorer and therefore a more clinical finisher. This would definitely seem to present a good substitute option for Arsenal and perhaps even a good starting option at times when Jesus is struggling for scoring form. However there has been rumours circulating that Balogun wants to continue being a first choice striker and doesn’t want the competition of fighting for a starting place. At 21-years old he certainly has no divine right to a starting place ahead of Jesus, so therefore the best option could be to sell the striker. If Arsenal opt for this, they should be looking to get around £40M for him, considering he still has 2 years left to run on his contract. To get less than £30M for him would be a failure, especially if he is sold to a Premier League club. 

Given he signed a new contract with the club last summer, I do not expect Nketiah to leave as he appears to have a good relationship with his manager and teammates. Nketiah is one of the better cup competition strikers around so can be relied on to net in the domestic cups. However I view Nketiah as a good mid-table level striker who would be a decent starter for the likes of Crystal Palace and West Ham. Given he has a contract running until 2027, Arsenal could expect to get decent money should they opt to sell him. 

And I think there is a strong argument they should sell him, if an opportunity arose to sign a better striker than Nketiah, who aswell offers something completely different to Jesus. Players who fit into that category include the likes of Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney and Dusan Vlahovic. Given the first 2 names are English and play for Premier League clubs, they would be far from cheap. However the sales of both Nketiah and Balogun would surely raise some not insignificant money to put towards capturing one of those players. Arsenal could really use a striker who is a real handful in the air, whether that’s in the penalty area to score from crosses, or someone who can win the header when the team opt to go long. It would also be beneficial for defending set-pieces, which Arsenal have been bad on recently. It would give the team that Plan B option in attack they do not currently possess.

Taking the best player off Aston Villa or Brentford will not be easy to achieve, but if Arsenal want to get over the line in the Premier League and really compete for the Champions League, this is the kind of quality and profile they need to really boost their attack. The other option would be to keep both Balogun and Nketiah, which atleast would give Arsenal some depth in that area and form between them would dictate who’s 2nd choice in that department. However if Balogun is determined to move, Arsenal must then go in for a striker and if the additional sale of Nketiah is required to fund the move of a really top one, such as one of the names mentioned, then in my opinion that’s something they should opt to do. 

 Conclusion

Sell: Pepe, Balogun (if receive an offer of over £30M), Nketiah (if needed to fund the acquisition of a top striker).

Loan: Marquinhos

Sign: Striker (with a very different style to Jesus).

Decisions: Extend Reiss-Nelson’s contract. 

Conclusion 

Arsenal played just 3 games across the 2 domestic cups and they played just 8 games in Europe, and they still picked up 2 defensive injuries at the same time which has put their outstanding league campaign on the verge of unravelling. Given they have now been knocked out of the FA Cup before the 5th round stage in each of the last 3 seasons it stands to reason they will be looking to progress deeper in it next season. They had a difficult 3rd round league cup draw in Brighton and an easier draw next season could present the opportunity to go further in that competition. 

And after 6 seasons out of the Champions League, Arsenal’s return to the elite European competition is a big moment for the club, they will not want to exit meekly, they will want to make a statement to the world on the biggest stage to show how far they have progressed as a club. The Premier League will be as difficult to win as ever, as it continues to be inundated with quality managers from the top of the league towards the bottom. So assuming that next season Arsenal go further in both cups than they have done this season, the club should be aiming to play over 50 games next season. This will be a new experience for this team, as in recent years they have rotated heavily for the Europa League. Now the team will be expected to perform at a high level twice a week throughout the season and the club needs to ensure they have assembled a squad which can realistically handle that demand. 

Season after season, Arsenal’s lack of squad depth has cost them their targets when it gets to April time. They need to reach a stage where they are prepared for the worst case scenario regarding injuries, so they are not in a position where the gap in quality between starter and back-up is as huge as is the case between say Saliba and Holding. Arsenal’s full strength starting 11 is very strong, the one area of the field where there is clear room for improvement is in midfield. Granit Xhaka is a very good player who’s had a very good season, but the difference in the squad’s quality if for example Declan Rice is signed for his position is enormous, as the knock-on effect is that Xhaka would then be a bench option and a very good one as opposed to having Xhaka starting and a bench option like Mohamed Elneny or Sambi-Lokonga, as has been the case at stages this season. 

Arsenal have a great starting 11 and they are not miles away from having a great squad, clearing out the last of the deadwood this summer and replacing them with quality will give Arsenal the strength in depth they need to compete on all fronts. With the money they will receive for being back in the Champions League, Josh Kroenke’s growing interest in the club’s on-pitch performance and the possibility of selling non-essential players for a good amount of money, Arsenal have the funds to take their squad to the next level this summer.  

[da3dalus25]

HEY SO LIKE my DM has been doing some interesting dream sequence stuff having to do with Morea’s girlfriend NPC Persie and an NPC we recently ran into! And let’s jsut say some shit happens! And I am very scared for Strefa! And so is Danael!

_

Danael awoke in a cold sweat, the words of a recently dying nightmare ringing in his ears. His heart thundered as it replayed again, and again, and again.

“Hope you enjoy the fireworks, tiefling.”

The explosion that occurred thereafter still echoed in Danael’s ears. “Fuck…” Danael cursed, sitting up and shivering as dread sunk a pit into his stomach. Artemis- or Ryoma as he was pretty sure his real name was- may have just killed the first person Danael believed he might truly love. To make it even worse, Danael had Artemis right in front of him only weeks, if not months ago. He could have killed him, and easily. It would have been so easy. But he didn’t, because he found Artemis’s character “interesting.” What a fool he was.

Danael cradled his head in his hands, taking deep and steady breaths, trying to ignore the heaviness of his chest. The weight of worry and fear and premature sadness pressed against his gut. Tears welled up in his eyes at the thought of Stefan's death. The burning feeling behind his eyes partially surprised him, but he wiped them away, taking an uneven breath to try and calm his trembling hands and ease overworked nerves. He didn’t want to believe it was true. He didn’t want to believe his recent dreams were true glimpses into the past.

They were nothing but dreams- the stress of meeting with his father after so much time had passed was getting to him. That, and the fact that he wasn’t able to immediately find Maria- seeing her would definitely have helped in taking his mind off of things. She had always been there for him, afterall. Even with how much of a prick he had been to her.

I should have asked for a better ship before I left.

The random thought occurred to Danael. It left him with a sigh, the captain running a hand down his face as he laid on his side again. The worry was torturous.

Please, he prayed for the first time in years, not knowing what else to do. Please, let Strefa be okay.

He has to be okay.

Danael didn’t get much sleep after that.

_

I really hope my DM didn’t kill him off. I am going to cry.

[justlikeazzy]

THE BESTEST SILLIEST GUYS EVER LOOK AT THEM!!!

They are silly guys. Just silly guys.

Anyways, yeah- I love them. (They belong to me and @sophiechross btw hehe)

[bookwermthings]

Quotes from Mighty and Despair that I LOVE live reaction:

And thank you @ultraviolet-eucatastrophe for the introduction and warning for it! Much appreciated!

"I already told you, Captain Jack isn't here!"

:(

"On the other hand, I better not risk death! I'm not the man with a thousand lives!"

Yesss go with the sass

"Because you are Captain Jack, aren't you?"

I thought it would take longer for her to say this actually.

"is that why you're here, to lay to rest?"

"I thought at one point, but I'm far too restless for that."

Sad...

"I haven't spent a lifetime opening my mind without learning how to close it."

Yay!! Go Jack!

"This is what happens when you don't leave me alone."

"this is what happens when you sit on a frozen lake!"

"I told you I was meditating"

Oh Jack...

"Christmas is, was, who knows if it's still going, a festival on my homeworld"

He calls earth his homeworld!!!

"my father had three husbands, eight children with each!"

Wow!! Gay poly rep for the win?

"What about your family?"

"it's complicated. I'm pretty much alone now."

What's complicated about it? Either all of his family and kids are dead now, or they're not. Maybe we'll get more on this later?

"So? You might as well just give up!"

Oh, Jack... You can come to the planet but never leave? That hurts.

"How do you fight?"

"I. Just. Wait."

Jack is fun!

And... Now he's not.

Two immortals, crushing the heart of a mortal...

"why aren't we better? Why don't we try?"

"c'mon, Jack, the hero of the stars, man of a thousand lives. Who are you now?"

I just. Just want to hold them. Jack and Persus mainly, but the Queen I'll probably warm up to

"You're so special. As you are, not how you could be."

Gonna cry

"c'mon I'll teach you a carol or two!"

Damn I wish I could have heard them sing more than just king weseclas (is that how you spell it?)

"The tree is getting big now!"

Aaaw 🤗

"Are you okay, Persus?"

Oh god. She's going to die, isn't she. No, please. This is a rollercoaster of an audio. Agh.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck no she's screaming please this isn't fair

She'll explain away the lights in the ship?

What is it?

Oh...

"does Jack know?"

"but I'm going to die, and my family is dead, and we didn't fight! I don't know why"

Oh, it hurts.

"I can't let go"

Over and over and over

"I reckon Persus was one of life's successes."

"thousands and thousands of years, in the wind, in the snow, and then we have to walk back"

Oh, Jack.

"it's a big ask"

"Damn right it is"

"right then! Let's get this eternity started."

"this looks promising! The torch is lit."

Oh, the callbacks. Persus said that. This gives me the feels.

"we chop off that head and pickle it in a jar, those looks might last."

Laughing, sobbing,no, not a face of boe reference

"but captain Jack has taught me something. How. To. Wait."

AAAAAAAAH

"Carla, that's mass slaughter!"

"They're already dead. I'm teaching them how to die."

"This was your plan??? All those years together, and you lied to me!"

I feel it with him, the betrayal, the hurt, the sadness, the anger

"I've never carried this kind of hate!"

"I did."

Oh...

Or this kind of love as well?

"To see Persis once more."

"this has all been for her..."

"I have thought of her, ached for her, every moment of every day of every year of every eternity we spent here. I could have changed her. She could have been by my side for life."

Ugly sobbing

Ugly ugly sobbing

"I hope you find her"

"so do I. I love you both, Jack. So very much."

Oh god. Oh god. Fuck.

"I die and die again and I never see ANYTHING... this is all I get. And that's maybe the point. Got to leave this place and find the life, the man with a thousand lives. I will never forget you both."

[iiftaa]

mrt

"kamu udah ada plan pengen ke mana?" tanyaku.

dia hanya menjawab dengan gelengan.

"mau aku yang bikin plan atau ka..." belum juga aku menyelesaikan kalimatku, dia sudah menginterupsi terlebih dulu.

"kamu aja. hehe." ujarnya sambil memamerkan gigi gingsulnya.

"yaudah."

"nanti kita ke mana aja?" tanyanya.

"kamu pernah cerita kalo kamu hampir pingsan naik KRL kan?" tanyaku yang hanya dijawab olehnya dengan anggukan cepat.

"kalo gitu, besok kita coba naik MRT dulu aja. gausah KRL." ujarku.

"terus-terus?" matanya terlihat berbinar.

"ini serius semuanya ngikut aku? kamu ngga ada mau ke mana gitu?" tanyaku memastikan yang lagi-lagi hanya dijawab olehnya dengan anggukan cepat.

"oke. nanti kita mulai dari Stasiun Lebak Bulus aja. stasiun ini ngga di underground, view sama lighting alaminya lumayan cakep kalo buat foto-foto." ujarku.

dia masih berada di karpet memperhatikan penjelasanku seperti anak kecil yang tengah memperhatikan arahan orang tuanya. lucu sekali.

"terus kita naik MRT lewat Fatmawati, Cipete Raya, Haji Nawi, Blok A, sampe ke Blok M. nah, di Blok M, nanti kita turun dulu. di deket stasiun ada Papaya. kamu masih suka beli mochi di Papaya, kan?" tanyaku memastikan.

"betul sekali." jawabnya sambil mengacungkan jempol ke arahku.

"nah, nanti kita mampir Papaya dulu. beli mochi sama apa kek yang kamu pengen. terus kita jalan sedikit ke Taman Literasi Martha Christina Tiahahu. kita duduk-duduk di atas rumput, yaaa kaya piknik lah. kalo kamu mau jajan telur gulung atau tahu bulat juga ada." jelasku.

dia hanya mengangguk. masih persis seperti anak kecil yang memperhatikan arahan orang tua.

"habis itu, kalo kamu udah puas duduk-duduk sama foto-foto, kita lanjut naik MRT lagi lewat Stasiun ASEAN, Senayan, terus turun di Stasiun Istora. di sini kamu bisa pilih mau jalan-jalan di sekitaran GBK atau mau jalan-jalan di sekitar SCBD. bebas." ujarku.

"tapi saranku, karena kamu kemarin udah sempat jalan-jalan di SCBD, kali ini mending kita mampir hutan kota GBK. di sini lumayan adem lah. kita bisa duduk-duduk sambil liatin gedung-gedung tinggi SCBD." lanjutku.

dia mengubah posisi duduknya menjadi tengkurap.

"kalo udah puas, kita lanjut naik MRT lagi ngelewatin Stasiun BenHil, Setiabudi, Dukuh Atas. di tiga stasiun ini ngga usah turun lah ya, setahuku ngga ada yang menarik-menarik banget."

dia menjawab ucapanku dengan mengangguk.

"nah, baru di Stasiun Bundaran HI kita turun." ujarku. "nanti bisa jalan-jalan di sekitar sana. kalo kamu mulai kepanasan, kita bisa mampir ke GI. sekalian makan di sana kalo kamu mau." jelasku.

"kita ngga lanjut sampe Monas?" tanyanya.

"nah, kalo mau lanjut ke Monas, kita harus sambung pake Transjakarta. untuk yang satu ini, kita keep buat petualangan selanjutnya. gimana?" ujarku.

"sir, yes, sir! ay ay, captain!" jawabnya sambil mengangkat tangan kanannya memberi hormat ke arahku.

aku hanya tertawa melihat tingkahnya yang benar-benar seperti anak kecil. aku mengusap puncak kepalanya sambil diam-diam merapal doa dalam hati. berharap kita akan terus seperti ini selamanya.

[soccerdailyuk]

Man Utd could now scrap Rasmus Hojlund transfer to sign a new Robin van Persie in Harry Kane

Man Utd could now scrap Rasmus Hojlund transfer to sign a new Robin van Persie in Harry Kane Manchester United could potentially secure the signing of Harry Kane without overspending, even though they initially withdrew their interest during the summer due to Tottenham's high valuation of £100 million or more for the striker. According to recent reports, Spurs owner Joe Lewis has explicitly expressed his determination not to let Kane leave for free in 2024. Bayern Munich has made two unsuccessful offers for Harry Kane, with the latest one reportedly being £70 million plus potential add-ons. However, the Daily Mirror has revealed that Spurs owner Joe Lewis has made it clear to chairman Daniel Levy that allowing Kane to leave for free in a year's time is not an acceptable option. In response to this situation, Levy has been instructed to either persuade Kane to sign a new contract worth £400,000 per week or to sell him before September 1. This opens up the possibility for Manchester United to re-enter the race for the England captain, even though they are currently in negotiations for Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta. Initially, Kane was a top target for Erik ten Hag's Bayern Munich at the start of the transfer window, but Tottenham quoted a steep price of £110 million. If Spurs lower their asking price in the event that Kane declines to sign a new deal, it is rumored that Manchester United is ready to seize the opportunity, as they have been closely monitoring the situation. United had hoped to sign the 20-year-old Danish player, Hojlund, for a much cheaper fee, ranging between £52m (€60m) and £56m (€65m). However, considering Kane's age, almost turning 30, his potential signing could resemble the impact Robin van Persie had when he joined Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson. Back in 2011-12, Robin van Persie's arrival at United from Arsenal for £30 million proved instrumental as he scored 26 goals in the Premier League, leading United to their final league triumph under the legendary Ferguson. They finished 11 points ahead of defending champions, Manchester City. Despite playing for a struggling Tottenham team last season, Kane still managed to score an impressive 30 goals. Throughout the seasons since 2014-15, he has consistently averaged 23 league goals per season. With his ambition to become the Premier League's all-time leading scorer, Kane is only 47 goals away from surpassing Alan Shearer, making him a potential record-breaker in just two more seasons. Kane has shown interest in joining Bayern, but Manchester United may have a chance to persuade him by offering opportunities to compete for trophies and the chance to become the Premier League's all-time highest goalscorer. The striker, who is already England's greatest ever goalscorer, was eager to join Manchester City two years ago. However, Tottenham demanded more than £120m, while City was only willing to go up to £100m and offered players in a cash-plus-player deal. With Kane's contract expiring next summer, Tottenham cannot hold their rivals hostage without facing consequences. Now, Manchester United must decide between Kane and Hojlund. They have already agreed on basic personal terms with Hojlund's representatives. The Denmark international is more affordable and has great potential, but Kane would immediately provide world-class talent as a No. 9, similar to what Van Persie did, helping United narrow the gap to City and Arsenal. Man Utd could now scrap Rasmus Hojlund transfer to sign a new Robin van Persie in Harry Kane Read the full article

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迷宮 Dungeon

ウォーロードの旧跡 Warlord's Ruin

◇Hefnd's Vengeance, Blighted Chimaera

◇Primeval Thressia, Font of Blight 

予言 Prophecy

◇ファランクス・エコー Phalanx Echo

◇ケル・エコー Kell Echo

砕かれた玉座 The Shattered Throne

◇無限の渇望者ヴォルゴス Vorgeth, the Boundless Hunger

◇エターナルリターン、ダル・インカル Dûl Incaru, the Eternal Return

異端の奈落 Pit of Heresy

◇苦悩の媒介者ズルマック Zulmak, Instrument of Torment

強欲の支配 Grasp of Avarice

◇貪欲のフライジア Phry'zhia, the Insatiable

◇キャプテン、強欲のアバロック Captain Avarokk, the Covetous

デュアリティ Duality

◇悲哀のガールランのナイトメア Nightmare of Gahlran, Sorrow Bearer

◇帝国の皇女、カイアトルのナイトメア Nightmare of Caiatl, Princess-Imperial

監視者のスパイア Spire of the Watcher

◇セイレーンの流れ、アケルス Akelous, the Siren's Current

◇原始の破滅者、パーシス Persys, Primordial Ruin

深淵の亡�� Ghosts of the Deep

◇サバスンの盾、エクサー Ecthar, Shield of Savathun

◇ルーセント・ネクロマンサー、シムマー・ユル・ノクル Šimmumah ur-Nokru, Lucent Necromancer