#child care franchise opportunities

[ivykidsfranchisetx]

Fascinating World of Early Childhood Education with Ivy Kids

In this exciting episode, we dive into the fascinating world of early childhood education with Ivy Kids, a trailblazing franchise making waves in the industry.

Read full article at https://www.ivykidsfranchise.com/blog/fascinating-world-of-early-childhood-education-with-ivy-kids/ to know more about early education franchise .

[franchisebazarcom]

Important Signs to look out for in a Daycare

Every daycare will have a solid reputation, including positive reviews from previous or current parents.

A caring and stimulating environment with happy kids is what parents feel is right. When they walk into that door, it’s the first impression is what needs to be right.

An interesting Curriculum or schedule to show the parents, what their child would be doing during the few hours when they are not around. Good learning material is very important in daycares.

Qualified Caretakers, who at least have the basic certifications would be advisable. The parent needs to be comfortable with the caretakers to whom they would be handing over their kids.

Safety is the main sign to look for in any daycare, which includes childproofing, food safety, a good play area, toys or accessories which are not broken, no toxic substances, and more.

Once you have addressed these signs of a good daycare, you can start looking for the top daycare franchise opportunities in India. To make it simpler, we have curated a list of some of the best daycare opportunities in India.

[graceraindrops-blog]

How much of a terrible mom was Cordelia? A full explanation.

It's a shame that the first post of my blog is dedicated to a rather ''interesting'' take @yuikomorii showed me, but taking into account that I've done my research involving the mothers, I find it a perfect opportunity to make a full explanation of Cordelia's abusive behavior.

Before I start, I would like to talk about why Cordelia acted the way she did (I AM NOT JUSTIFYING HER ACTIONS).

We know that Cordelia's father was neglectful towards her after the death of her mother which made her lack the ability to understand love.

Karlheinz manipulated Cordelia into marrying him and giving him children FORCEFULLY (because Cordelia did not want to have children). He also convinced Cordelia that it was okay for her to have many lovers and to have sexual relationships with FAMILY members

Cordelia's abusive behavior towards the triplets also comes over the fact of her jealousy and obsession with Karlheinz and surpassing Beatrix and Christa.

Getting this out of the way I will now start explaining why Cordelia was NOT a good mother despite her traumas.

It's not strange to view Cordelia negatively if she's one of the antagonists of the franchise. NEVER did Diabolik lovers ever paint Cordelia as a good person and constantly tell us about how shitty she was towards her children and how much it affected them.

2. I'm not denying the fact that around those times parenting was more strict, however, you're forgetting that Cordelia didn't just slap, ground, or yell at her children, she put intense waves of pressure on Ayato, and drowned him, she sexually abused Laito, manipulated him and groomed him when he was a KID, forced Kanato to sing until he bled and made him watch her have intercourse with other men. This was the abuse the triplets went through until they finally had enough and attempted to kill Cordelia, which they succeeded.

3. Yes, it's true that Beatrix wouldn't give the triplets much attention or love, she would probably neglect them due to not being her biological children and belonging to her rival, however, Beatrix WOULD NEVER do the messed up stuff Cordelia did. Yes, she was a terrible mother to Shu and Reiji, yet she would've never stepped down at Cordelia's level.

4. A normal mother doesn't drown and threaten her child due to personal issues, A normal mother doesn't sexually abuse her child and grooms him to make him depend on her, and a normal mother doesn't force her child to watch her have sex with men and doesn't use his singing voice to get horny. If she was an affectionate mother ayato wouldn't have found the need to HIDE himself from her and the triplets wouldn't have considered killing her.

5. I would also like to add, that no matter how badly influenced Cordelia was, and no matter how much childhood trauma she went through, that would never be a justification for the way she treated her children. This does not only apply to Cordelia, this applies to every character and to real people as well. It's a reason why they behave that way, but never a justification. Also, Cordelia doing the bare minimum and behaving like an actual mother for a few moments does not mean she cares about her children. I don't think this is explicitly told, but I believe in those particular scenes she's grooming Kanato to become dependent on her like she did with Laito and Ayato.

6. ''She never spoke that way to her children'' I'm sorry but I have to laugh?? I would've understood if you were an anime only (not really) but taking into account that you do know about the games this is really really wrong lol. I don't why it's difficult to understand that Cordelia didn't love her children. Cordelia is such a bad mother that when she was resurrected in Ayato's DF route, she didn't even apologize to him or to his siblings, and yet he still forgave her! She even told Ayato to APOLOGIZE to her and continued to insult him

(Credits to @dialovers-translations)

I understand (I think everyone in the fandom does) that Cordelia had her reasons to behave this way (childhood trauma and manipulation) but that doesn't excuse her actions. I don't agree with people hating on Cordelia and loving Karlheinz but I also don't agree with people defending Cordelia and saying she did nothing wrong when she did.

Cordelia isn't a black-and-white character and she's not a bad character either, she's very well-written for her purpose (an antagonist) but she's not a good person or mother. She never regretted what she did and if she was still alive during HDB she would've still been abusive to the triplets.

This is my problem with morally grey characters/Evil characters. They can't exist in media if people ignore their wrongdoings and actions and try to justify said actions. I'm not saying that they shouldn't exist but I'm tired of people painting them as good people or justifying their actions when their whole purpose as a character is to show that they're not good people and their actions are/were wrong.

To finish off the post I would like to say that I love Cordelia's character and I consider her to be one of the best-written characters in Diabolik Lovers. In my opinion, I would've liked to know more about her in further games but even if I feel this way about her I don't justify her actions and that's something we should all do. I'm glad the fandom no longer justifies the actions of the characters (with some obvious exceptions). And even if I like Cordelia as a character I don't shame others for not liking her, at the end of the day she was a horrible person lol.

[ncisfranchise-source]

With cameras soon to roll on their buzzy NCIS spin-off, Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo have gotten into the weeds on NCIS: Tony & Ziva. The pair were part of a large NCIS contingent here at the Monte Carlo TV Festival to celebrate the juggernaut franchise hitting the 1,000-episode mark. It included the mothership series’ Brian Dietzen and Wilmer Valderrama who also talked about the expansion of what posters up for the Festival are referring to as the ‘NCISverse’.

What is known so far about the NCIS: Tony & Ziva spin-off is that it will follow Tony (Weatherly) and Ziva (de Pablo) and their daughter Tali, in Europe, and that they are forced to go on the run while trying to work out who is after them.

Weatherly and de Pablo were careful not to give away plot points, but did talk about how and why the series came about. “We wanted to take these two characters away from the Agency and put them in a world, and the world that was attractive to us was international,” de Pablo said.

She added that wherever her and Weatherly went they were being bombarded with the same fan questions: “It was always like, ‘whatever happened to Tony and Ziva, do you think they’ll ever get back together, where are they?’ And all of a sudden, we had the opportunity to put it together into a show.

“We’re trying to address all of these questions, and the idea of trust, and how they move forward… they’re trying to make things work while also parenting and having a lot of challenges thrown at them.”

Weatherly said the show should really be called Tony, Ziva & Tali because the couple’s daughter will play such an important role, shaping the story and introducing “a new element of trouble.”

“Every choice that Tony and Ziva have to make in their adventure, their child is first and foremost in the front of their mind,” Weatherly said. “When we were on the NCIS the mothership, we didn’t have children.

“When you have a child, you have to navigate what is best for them. And then maybe you have a co-parent that you have a tumultuous relationship with… and oh, wait, we also have to save the world.”

In the core NCIS show, Weatherly’s character had left after Ziva’s presumed death to look after their daughter. When Ziva was discovered alive, the pair were ultimately reunited in Paris. Weatherly said the first choice was to shoot in Paris, but that was derailed by the Summer Olympics in the city: “Budapest will stand in for parts of Europe and the cameras will move some very exciting other places.”

Weatherly and de Pablo are exec producers – as is series writer and showrunner John McNamara. Filming is set to begin in four weeks. The lead actors both talked about the fact their show switches up the tried and tested NCIS format with a showrunner who has not worked on another series in the franchise: “It’s not an evergreen, procedural, it’s not structured the same way,” Weatherly said.

He admitted the change had the team asking themselves some serious questions: “Will the audience show up for that? Are we shooting out of our weight-class here with a different kind of story? John [McNamara] is not from the NCIS universe, so we’re introducing a new voice. I think those things that might a few years ago have been to our detriment became assets when people started really understanding streaming.”

Brian Dietzen and Wilmer Valderrama Want In

Could other NCIS stars make an appearance in Tony and Ziva’s spinoff? Dietzen, who plays Dr. Jimmy Palmer on the mothership, is game. In a lighthearted moment during a press event, he was asked about the spin-off: “I’m so happy for Michael and Cote and think John McNamara is going to do a fantastic job for them,” he said. “It sounds very atypical for NCIS as far as the storytelling because it won’t be a case-of-the week type of show. That said, if they say: ‘Hey we need Jimmy Palmer on a plasma screen’ at any point, I’d say hell yes, that’d be fun, I’d do that in a heartbeat.”

Fellow NCIS-er Valderrama said he would also like to some European action for his character in the mothership series.

“I’ve explored so much, I have got to do a lot of good things… but I’d like to maybe have my character be undercover somewhere in Europe, to leave Washington DC and have my character embedded in Italy, France or London,” he said.

[sxs-kav]

I saw Frozen Empire, so obviously I have to talk about it. Spoilers ahead.

Also disclaimer that these are my personal feelings, so if we disagree that's okay too!

So, overall I would rate the movie as good. Not my all time favorite in the franchise, I think that will always go to the original, but I enjoyed it. The story could have used a little work in some parts, but hey, nothing is perfect.

Favorite part of this whole movie: one Dr. Raymond Stantz, hands down. He is so cute as an old man-child whose enthusiasm hasn't waned the least bit over the years. Honestly, in Afterlife he seemed like he'd become cynical, but here his true nature really rang through. And I adore him being a mentor for Phoebe and the other younger characters, while also getting into mischief with them. That little sparkle in his eye when Phoebe asks "Aren't you retired?" No, Ray is never retired, he will always be ready to suit up.

I also loved in the police station when Phoebe was standing up to Dickless Peck, Ray had this face like he was so proud, like he could see Egon in her, memories of him saying "YOUR MOTHER!" 😆

The other thing I liked about the movie was the expansion of the Ghostbusters as a business, with the research lab. First off, I love that Winston, the one who didn't even believe in ghosts when he was hired, is now almost like the CEO of the company. But also, it opens up more possibilities for this new era and allows for more playing with the world building. Though I feel like it was a wasted opportunity to put in some easter eggs for TRGB. Unless the ghosts featured were in the (*shudder*) Q5 episodes, I didn't recognize any of them from the show. Then again, I guess they're newer ghosts so that wouldn't make sense, but maybe they could have been similar kinds of ghosts. Just as a small reference.

Other favorite parts include:

-The near-lesbian romance between Phoebe and Melody

-Ray smuggling the Mini Pufts from Oklahoma (because of course he would)

-Also just the Mini Pufts in general (why are they so violent?)

-The way Ray's face lit up when Peter came to the firehouse

-Peter being proud that Ray quit smoking

-Peter's unwavering faith that Ray's idea is good and will work, and saying they all trust him

-The library ghost (did they never go back to get her???)

-Gary saying the words to the theme song

-Janine in uniform!

-Slimer eating the pizza with the posesser ghost in it

Now, onto the areas that I felt were not as strong. First of all, I found it wild that Phoebe was being ousted by everyone without any kind of fight. She's the one that started the whole thing up again, she's got the passion, she's got the brains, she's got the glasses and the curls! Her mom says a grand total of NOTHING to defend her in Peck's office, and they all just accept that she can't be a Ghostbuster anymore. Yeah, they don't want to get sued, but it's just weird to me that they don't even seem like they feel that terrible that she got benched. Callie and Trevor are very callous about the whole thing. Only Gary seems like he gives a shit, and he's not even her dad. The way Phoebe's benching ended wasn't all that satisfying either. It would have been nice for the other three to maybe struggle a little without her, realize they need her to balance the team, and try to find a way to get her back. Winston was really the one that got Peck off their backs in the end, no thanks to anyone else (also, I'm pretty sure in that scene, someone in the crowd yells 'dickless' 😆).

Side note, I really don't like Callie's character that much. I think she's self-centered and doesn't seem to care about the kids' feelings unless the situation becomes dire. Maybe she does deep down, but mostly her attitude about everything stinks. Idk, I wouldn't care if she wasn't in the movie at all.

Anyway, back to the plot. I liked the idea of Phoebe's plotline. I wish they'd gone all the way and had her and Melody kiss, I really thought that was coming when she separated from her body. But I have an issue about that particular moment. The decision to suddenly put herself in the chamber like that seemed to come out of nowhere, at least I thought so. They made it like Melody was supposed to be the one tricking her into doing it, but she really never said anything to convince her. Phoebe just decided on her own to try it. I know she mentioned a couple of times wondering what it would feel like to be a ghost, but it wasn't a strong enough buildup to such a risky move. Honestly, when she asked Ray about him wanting to be a ghost, coupled with Winston saying Ray was going to get himself killed, I thought they were foreshadowing killing Ray (and thank God they didn't!).

They also hint at Phoebe specifically being the one that needs to be used but why? Anyone could have been tricked into the chamber and been controlled by Garaka for the chanting.

But moving on from that, the other issue I have is with the firemaster. He was a little too good at controling the fire after what, a couple of hours of practice? I think the character could still work, he could still be a quirky weird guy, but I think I would have made him more of a reluctant inheritor of his grandma's powers. Maybe he struggles with it at first and he figures he can sell the artifacts to Ray to get rid of the responsibility. Then later he can finally accept his fate to help beat Garaka when he starts believing in himself.

Those are the only major parts that I felt could have been tweaked. Besides that, I would have loved to see Slimer and Ray get a moment, just as a nod to their friendship in the show, but I guess they want to stick to one continuity. Of all the things they could have referenced from the show, though, it had to be the Junior GB 😆 It was just a throwaway line, but still, I don't want to remember they were a thing.

Tl;dr, the movie was good and there were a lot of parts I really enjoyed. For the parts that were weak, I'm confident there will be another in the future, so hopefully they'll keep improving.

Also, who the hell voted for Peck to be mayor? I bet he rigged the election.

[rottenpumpkin13]

Ok so I really wanna ask something 🙏🏽

How do you think this all panned out? After Genesis discovered the truth, did he ever actually confront his foster parents when he came to Banora? You know..before he killed them? Was it quick or did his parents desperately try to reason with him before their demise? In my mind I can imagine Gen was kind of losing it from the hurt and betrayal, especially for him and his clones to go out and slaughter all the townspeople but idk

I'm a sucker for angst (as we all are around here) x

The degradation not only affected his body but also his mind profoundly—though it does not excuse his actions. I know It's widely accepted that Genesis's parents were assholes, but I like to give them nuance like every parent in the franchise (minus Hojo fuck him) and make them dismissive, but caring in their own way, and it stems from a scene that I've overanalyzed to shit:

In that scene where Zack and Tseng find Genesis in the factory, Zack says that Gen's parents would’ve given Shinra false information without the need for threats, and Genesis’s demeanor completely shifts. In an earlier scene, Lazard alludes to how his parents could be lying to cover for him, so what was Genesis’s reaction here? Guilt? Anger because Zack pointed out his parents were loyal? Anger because Zack insinuated that his parents cared for him and Genesis knew they didn't?

He goes from lounging on the ground, seemingly smug and unaffected with his little Loveless copy, to abruptly standing up, proclaiming, "My parents betrayed me. They have always betrayed me from the very beginning," and hurling a ball of fire at Tseng. I might be reading too much into this, but that scene always stuck out to me.

In any case, you’ve given me a really good prompt and you asked for angst! So here you go:

-

He wasn’t blind to how privileged he was, even as a child. He knew some children in the village with unhappy home lives and parents who did not speak to each other, others whose financial conditions wrecked their families. Genesis became hyper-aware of that privilege when his best and only friend became one of them. Angeal lost his father young, being raised by a single mother in the latter half of his youth who did not make enough to support both herself and her son.

And then he met Sephiroth, another victim of an unhappy childhood, who had no parents and grew up confined to the walls of the same company that curated his birth.

Genesis was the odd one out in their trio, the only one who knew what a stable home life was like, to have two healthy parents—although he was not a healthy child. He was the only one who did not know what it was to not come home to two people at the end of the day, to not have every one of your whims indulged in. Granted, weren’t perfect.

As a child Genesis would call them strict. Genesis grew up needing to be perfect, to make them proud, someone that they could gloat over, which was why they posed no objection when he wanted to join SOLDIER. His father was a proud man, a prominent figure in Banora’s gentry, head of a house older than Banora itself. But he was fair, which was one of Genesis’ favorite qualities about him. He never discouraged his son’s theatrics, seeing them as opportunities for prestige. So he allowed Genesis fencing lessons, writing, and theater, and agricultural pursuits, all under the condition that he excelled in all areas. Genesis was set on pleasing them as a child, vying to be the best, the most awarded, and to give his parents all the awards they wanted.

This pleasing attitude began to wane when he hardened into a young man. He longed for independence, making use of his hidden base in the Banora mines, oftentimes favoring his hiding spot over his room back at home. Suffocated by his parents and their demands, he longed for independence, to move to the city and make a name for himself.

The arguments in the Rhapsodos house were plentiful when Genesis had grown into a reckless and headstrong teenager, always combative in his replies and with a tongue sharper than his sword.

But people grow and change, as did Genesis. He became a proud man, just like his father. Perhaps all the years he ingrained in Genesis's head that he needed to be the best finally got to him, and the need to be loved, glorified, and perfect became him.

His relationship with them became better as an adult, although his mother never changed.

Genesis understood his mother, granting her the compassion he did not give his father in his youth. She was at times overbearing, always fussing over him, with a hand over his forehead making sure his temperature was fine and an eye so critical and vain one would’ve thought he inherited from her had he been her biological son.

Mrs. Rhapsodos could not have children of her own, an upsetting condition to have with a social circle that prided itself over their heirs. The couple eagerly accepted the sickly baby when Shinra offered him to them. By their understanding, the baby had been a failure, not meeting Hollander’s standard and unfit to be theirs. The Rhapsodos did not see him that way. For people who had longed for a child, the one they were given was perfect beyond comparison. And perfect he would be, no matter how hard they would have to push him.

As a child, Genesis was careful not to track mud into the house. Springs in Banora were rough, with rain so insistent on decimating the local plantation, that it turned even the finest sand on the ground into mud. Mrs. Rhapsodos liked her plush white carpets, and Genesis knew the punishment for sullying the polished floors of the house would be severe. She knew where to hit her son where it hurt, knowing where he kept his flashlight he used to read late at night—unaware that the mako and enhancements in Genesis’s blood made him fit to see at night—and she knew to confiscate his books—unaware that when Genesis really liked a book, he memorized it to not need the pages to entertain himself.

It was a silly story to tell now as a man, trudging through the mud and rainfall in the middle of a Banora spring. He was coming back from Hollander’s lab with a stack of files under his arm, their contents so horrific that he thanked the rain for concealing his tears from any passersby. They had given him indefinite leave after the events in the training room. The wound in his shoulder wasn’t getting better, his duties were getting harder to fulfill by the day, so they sent him home until his condition improved.

But Genesis didn’t plan on staying there for long, especially after what he had just discovered, after what Hollander had confessed to.

His already fragile mind was a wreck.

Genesis didn’t bother to kick off his muddy boots when he went inside the house that day, watching the debris stain the white carpet, like the disbelief and rage quietly rolling off his shoulders. He rejected the maid who tried to get him to take his wet coat off, holding the files closer to him as he walked through the house. He heard laughter and the sound of talking and soft piano coming from the parlor room. It blended with the sound of his heavy breathing and footsteps. He stood at the doorway, holding the files tighter than before, forcing himself to look at them.

The question ‘Why?’ came in and out of mind, leveling with the hurt in his chest that refused to go away, competing with the pain in his shoulder that had become constant. His father sat at the piano, playing a few keys as he debated with his mother. She sat on the opposite armchair, working through her correspondences while they talked. As soon as their son’s presence became known, their conversation stopped at once.

Had he been a boy, he would’ve worried about his mother scolding him for the mud. Now he just stared at her. Mother was such a strong term.

“Genesis?” She sounded concerned and nothing but, putting her book down and rising from her seat at once. “Have you been out in the rain in your condition? Goddess help me,” she sighed, reaching instinctively for his wet coat, stopping to wipe away the rainwater from his face. “The cold can’t be good for your shoulder, darling.” He let her tug his coat away, keeping the files close to him. “What would happen if you caught a cold to complement your injury? What would people say? They'd think we're killing you to collect checks, that's what.”

His father rose from the piano, looking at him just as he did when he was a naughty child, staying out too long in the rain with Angeal and coming back with scraped knees.

“What were you doing out?” he asked, sinking his hands into the pockets or his trousers, looking at Genesis from his muddy shows to his wet hair. “Where did you go? Did anyone see you like that?”

Genesis stood still, watching.

He felt his mother's hand on the bandaged part of his shoulder, muttering something about having them changed and sterilized again.

“I went to visit Dr. Hollander,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “No one who matters saw me in this state, rest assured.”

His father nodded. “Is it your injury? Has the pain gotten worse?”

Genesis shook his head. “Just some conversation.” He glanced down at the files in his arms. “I needed to clarify some…things.” So many things.

His cryptic words fell on deaf ears to his mother, who gave his wet coat to a house staff before turning her attention back to him. “I’m going to run you a proper bath. The only thing you're going to achieve by bathing in the rain is an early grave.”

His mother brushed the wet hair out of his eyes. She was irritated, but she meant well, even if Genesis’s fortified mental state was slipping before he could realize that.

“I don’t think the rain can promise me something I already have.”

His mother's hand froze. “Genesis,” she said warningly.

His father laughed, likely trying to alleviate the tension and play into his son’s dark humor. “

Genesis looked down at her. He wasn't sure if none of it made sense, or if everything fell into place so perfectly he could no longer deny the absurdity of his life so far. His name was Genesis, for god's sake. The first one. The failed one. Half of Project G. Soon to be martyred for his belief that he could be anything but what he was born as—broken.

He shook her off, turning his back and starting out of the parlor. “I can take care of that bath myself. Excuse me.”

They were complacent in his pain right now. It could've been avoided if they had been honest with him from the beginning, instead of cradling him in lies.

“Are you sure?” She pressed. Genesis had started up the stairs when he was forced to look back at her again. It hurt every time he had to.

She was leaning on the edge of the banister. His father had come out to look at him too. They both looked concerned. It sickened him. How could they still feign concern even now? He was dying. It had already been done.

“I'm sure.” His voice cracked. He continued up the stairs, trying his hardest not to look at the photographs on the wall, the ones where the three look like a happy family, like he was their son instead of a fostered science project they were being paid to keep.

“Angeal called while you were out,” his father said. “He and Sephiroth have been trying to contact you. They told us to have you call them when you're home.”

Genesis nodded. “I'll see to it. Thank you.”

“I hope you haven't been ignoring them,” his father continued. “Need I remind you that a rift between the three of you could end up in the news.”

Genesis rolled his eyes.

When he reached the top, he leaned against the corner. He would never admit it to himself but he had to catch his breath after activities as minuscule as pulling his weight.

From there, he could hear their soft voices at the bottom when they thought he was out of earshot.

“You don't think it's scarlet fever again, is it?” his mother asked, exasperated. “He did look a bit red.”

His father hummed in amusement. “His hair is red and so is half of his wardrobe.”

“You know what I mean!”

He could hear a clinking glass that told him his father had gotten into the liquor at the table at the bottom of the steps. “Boys his age are complicated. How would you feel if you were put on leave for an injury you had no promised cure for?”

“Surely Dr. Hollander will—”

“I wouldn't put your faith in that man if I were you.”

“You watch your mouth. Hollander has done more to try to help him than any other doctor.”

“I'm being realistic, dear.” There was a pause. “The best we can do for him right now is pray and be here for him with whatever he needs.”

A choked cry from his mother. “Oh, my poor boy…Do you think he's lonely? He's away from his friends.”

Genesis could practically feel his father shake his own head as he took a sip of his brandy. “From what Angeal said, it's my understanding that he's not speaking to either Sephiroth or him.”

His mother huffed. “They were such good friends. He and Angeal have been attached at the hip since they were infants, and Sephiroth has been an amazing influence on him, don't you think?”

“Sephiroth did deliver the blow, dear.”

She gasped. “He's mad at him. Oh, what have I told that boy about holding grudges? Stubbornness that severe leads to a life of loneliness and unpopularity.”

“He's in pain, dear.”

“I'll go run him that bath, and perhaps drown him in oils if that is what it takes to wipe that frown off of his face. Goddess forbid anyone see him in that state. What would people say?”

Genesis heard his mother shuffling up the stairs. He stayed still. A single teardrop rolled down his cheek. He felt light-headed, gripping the wall for support as he caught his breath.

His father sighed disapprovingly. “He's a grown man—”

“—and as frail as he was the day we got him,” Mrs. Rhapsodos snapped.

Weeks passed, and Genesis found himself back at SOLDIER, back to his duties despite Sephiroth and Angeal’s reservations. Their conversations were rocky, with Genesis keeping to himself mostly, and opting to open up to Angeal mostly.

His shoulder still ached, a constant reminder of his vulnerability, but he pushed through the pain, determined to prove himself capable.

Returning to the familiar routines of SOLDIER life, Genesis buried himself in his work, throwing himself into missions with a fervor that bordered on recklessness. He sought solace in the adrenaline of battle, the rush of combat temporarily numbing the storm in his mind.

The revelations from his visit to Hollander lingered in his mind. He needed to do something, to act quickly and find a cure.

But as the days turned into weeks, Genesis found himself increasingly isolated, the rift between him and his friends widening with each passing day. Sephiroth and Angeal's concern only served to fuel his resentment, their attempts to reach out were met with cold indifference from him.

Genesis seized the first opportunity to embark on that mission to Wutai, abandoning the dreaded company that ruined his life, he found himself at the helm of a formidable force, half of SOLDIER standing behind him.

He did see his parents again after that. He confronted them the same week he returned with his army. Screams echoed through the halls of the old house, mingling with the sounds of shattering glass and the metallic tang of blood staining his hands. Tears streamed down his face as he unleashed the full force of his fury on his surroundings, refusing to address them as anything but mere strangers.

He hurled threats and accusations, his voice raw as he demanded answers, refusing to relent until they finally confessed.

His mother pleaded with him to let go of his anger. He told her that he was no son of hers. It was too late for reconciliation, and that night was the last he saw them.

Despite the pain and regret that gnawed at their hearts, his parents understood his reaction. They grappled with their own remorse, haunted by the realization that they had failed him in more ways than one. They lamented their shortcomings, wishing they had been more understanding, less rigid, more nurturing.

But their regrets remained unspoken, buried beneath layers of guilt and shame. And when the Turks came searching for Genesis in Banora, they chose to keep their encounter with him a secret, pleading with them, telling him that he was sick and not in his right mind.

In the end, their silence spoke volumes. Shinra got no information about Genesis's whereabouts from them, even if they knew about what was being done down at the factory.

Amidst the chaos of the degradation consuming his mind and body, there came fleeting moments of lucidity, like brief flickers of a dying flame in his mind. Genesis found himself trapped in an echo chamber of desperation, his thoughts consumed by the haunting verses of LOVELESS, recited on autopilot like a broken record.

For a time, he drifted in a haze, his vision clouded by hallucinations of grand battles and elusive cures, lost in a world of his own making. He moved through the motions of life like a puppet on strings, his once sharp mind dulled by the relentless onslaught of his deteriorating condition.

Autopilot became his default state, his every action guided by instinct and prophecy rather than reason. He grew distrustful of the path he walked, his anger and hurt festering like a poison within him.

It was at the tail end of his ruthless attack on Banora, when it all briefly returned to him. By then, his morals and senses had been corrupted by the insidious parasite eating away at his brain, transforming him into a cruel, unrelenting shell of his former self.

But in that brief moment of clarity, he saw them—his parents, their lifeless forms at his feet. It was a sight that pierced through the fog of his mind, stirring something deep within him. Despite the cruelty he had inflicted upon them, despite the lies and betrayal, his heart tightened with a pang of remorse. The copies had gotten to them, just as he knew they would.

So he did what little he could to atone for his sins. With trembling hands, he buried them, giving them the dignity of a proper burial. As he worked, visions of his past flooded his mind like a river, washing over him with bittersweet nostalgia.

He remembered the simple joys of his childhood—apple picking with his mother, following his father on business trips to the city.

But even as the memories washed over him, he knew they were nothing more than a facade, a cruel illusion designed to keep him ignorant and complacent.

"The grave at the house," Tseng's voice cut through the tension. "We found the remains of our people there as well."

Genesis's mind raced, the words of Loveless echoing in his ears like a mantra. "It didn't take much to have them send false reports," he said coolly, "Just some mild threats…"

Zack's voice broke through the haze. "They would have done that anyway. At least your parents would have."

It was like a glass shattering over Genesis's head. Slowly, he looked up, unfurling himself from his position on the floor. Rage simmered beneath the surface, threatening to erupt into a fiery inferno.

"My parents betrayed me," he spat, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. "They had always betrayed me from the very beginning."

As Zack's words sank in, Genesis felt a surge of indignation rising within him. How dare they speak of things they didn't understand, to accuse him as if he were the villain? He was the hero, the chosen one, destined for greatness.

Fire glowed ominously from his bracer.

They didn't know anything at all.

[cringelordofchaos]

top 3 of your biggest kins and why!!

Yayayay someone sent me an ask !!!

Sorry for my lack of response! Will get to it now!

Also I assume you mean fictionkin - sorry if you didn't!

Luz Noceda

Dvdhnfjdjd WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN? I've been so fucking obsessed w her and could relate to her WAYY too much since I started watching. Just... Ugh. So much of it. Being "the weird kid", inconsistent and lackluster grades / performance, being overly obsessed with a specific franchise (though mine come and go and return every few weeks lol), having a mom who really cares about you and wants the best for you and has had similar experiences growing up and being isolated or cast out but accidentally made you feel like you had to conform because that's what she kinda had to do??? idk but still encourages her child's true self and feels super guilty Abt it all yada yada. having little to no friends (I have one! (Speaking of offline) before visiting the demon realm. Fanfic writer (I never have the patience or motivation to finish anything I start though), being impulsive, not knowing whay you wanna be, being into witchcraft, feeling like you're somewhere where you don't belong (the human realm) and would gladly escape into a whole different realm, Bisexual (I'm questioning this though), gender nonconforming, being told that you just have to "apply yourself", insecure, similar clothing style, considers herself a "dummy", poor attention span for things she's uninterested, indecisive, etc etc, THIS SCENE THIS SCENE THIS SCENE

(ps the way camilla hovered her hand above the screen / luz when she saw how sad she was 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺)

It's just. Everything.. I remember the first time I watched it I was like "Luz is so me in almost every single way. Except she makes a ton of eye contact, I don't rly do that" lmao... I would rewatch s1 and S2 on loop every day for the whole summer, I am NOT exaggerating. I rly love TOH I'm so.glad I got the opportunity to watch it and it means sm to me and I keep rewatching the scene from thanks to them and auhggjt.

"all I ever wanted... Was to be understood!" HEJDJFJDIDJRUJDJEKF DJJFFJNFB FIKF

AARON MITCHELL

oh my GOD when I saw this movie for a few days I'd cry sm just bc of how much I related.to him. He chews his shirt. I used to do the same when I was twelve and a bunch of my shirts had holes and still have holes but I stopped and now I just grid my teeth instead lmfao and they hurt ouch. a piece of gum is a lifesaver for.me. He's OBSESSED with dinosaurs - for me it's not dinosaurs specifically but like I've said earlier I tend to get OBSESSED with things way too much to the point everyone knows me for that thing. He's implied to have ZERO FRIENDS before meeting Abby who shares his obsession w dinosaurs (just like me and my one n only friend fr) (why do I keep getting attached to characters who previously had zero friends wtf.) LOVES to talk Abt his interest. Obsessive. Shy. Awful social skills. Takes things too literally sometimes. Calls his dad father sometimes cuz why not ("Thank you, father." after he gave him his phone back "just as promised" (except he broke it in pieces but he.kept his promise so aaron doesn't care lmao.) carries a notebook and pencil w him randomly?. his older sibling and parent argue abt the siblings college choices and you're just forced to watch and the tension is rising and you're feeling anxious and Uhm yeah. SOMETIMES KINDA ROBOTIC IN HIS SPEECH? I've noticed? Blunt. Has a TON of things related to his obsession. (For me I have primarily a tonshit of sonic themed things.) dislikes being alone. Dislikes admitting his feelings. Nerd. Uses obsession as a way to understand, contextualize and communicate with the world and his surroundings. Also chews his fingers. Always wearing sweatpants. Fidgety. Ect etc. Just lile arhghfhfng. HIM.

Things I don't relate to - wearing shoes in bed. What the actual fuck Aaron. Also he wears socks. I don't do that unless I'm nailed down to the floor until I succumb to their nonsensical rules. Ok they KINDA make sense but I don't like them. I don't care that my shoes or feet will smell afterwards get those fucking socks away from me.

. anyway sorry. There's probably more but yeah I forgot. I actually got the urge to cry when just thinking about him a couple of times. Like wowza dawg he's just like me fr and I mean it. I can really really relate to him and I act a lot like him and I acted even more like him when I was about his age and was obsessed with exclusively sonic for like a year straight. lol

Enderman

Ok this one's a short one but yeah I can relate to them. They're just minding their own business, in their own piece, picking random things off the ground (or ground itself..), DESPISE eye contact and will get really violent if you make eye contact with them (I am not exaggerating I actually get really angry and uncomfortable with uninitiated eye contact from ppl I'm not comfy with like don't look at me stop looking at me stop looking at me.) makes random sounds sometimes, such as screeches and hisses. Unlike them I DO like water and I LOVE rain HOWEVER I DO NOT LIKE touching smaller amounts of water on surfaces where I don't expect water to be and get really grossed out and uncomfortable from it. Unless they're with their own kin they're just kinda going around, alone, minding their peace unless provoked. Like most mobs - both hostile and peaceful - acknowledge your existence, hostile ones attack you, peaceful ones like horses and sheep and pigs and wolves and cats and whatnot may look at you if you look at it and pay attention to you and some can be befriended, enderman is neither like them, they're minding their own business, they don't initiate contact like, ever, and only engage w the player when having to defend themselves... when feeling threatened EVEN if the player didn't mean to scare them, like idk I'm.noy.really used to strangers having good intentions with me so I get defensive easily .... that is irl, on the internet I definitely don't get ever scared from social interactions ahaha 😎 yeah.

So yeah the only thing I KINDA can't relate to is not liking water - I only dislike water in a very specific context so yeah. And I do make eye contact w family members usually like I've mentioned earlier - I don't know, do endermen make eye contact with each other? I'm not sure, I don't remember. There might be more to them that I relate to but I can't recall anything at the moment

Everything I've mentioned about these characters in This post - I can relate to. These are just my feelings put imperfectly into words.... but I feel a lot about them and have felt a lot about them for quite some time.

Ducbfjrj there's also a list of characters I relate to (link in intro post) but these were the ones I related to the most

[addie7]

Yello, how is going!

Just came to ask some HN stuff if you don't mind

1. What exactly made you fall in love with hello neighbor franchises

2. You got any favourite characters and if so why do you like them soo much

3. Is there something you wished hello neighbor could it explore more

Hi dude👋

I have no problem answering your questions.🙂🙂

1.

Well

I would say that since I was a child, Hello Neighbor captivated me. I was fascinated by the way the neighbor chased us, creating that constant tension that kept me on edge. The mystery hidden behind his house, the clues to be discovered, everything attracted me and made me want to continue exploring. It's a game that has been with me for a long time and always brings back special memories.

The disturbing atmosphere: The music, the sounds, the setting... everything in Hello Neighbor creates an atmosphere that makes my hair stand on end, but in a way that I love.

The creativity of the game: I really like the way Hello Neighbor encourages you to use your wits to overcome challenges. It's not a typical game, and I like that a lot.

2.

I have several favorite characters from Hello Neighbor, but if you had to choose one I would say it is Ivan Torre. Although I was originally a fan of Nicky Roth, I think my affection for Ivan has grown over time. I don't know why but I like his clumsy and silly air, I love his tenderness the expressions he makes in the games and in the series remind me of a scared child who needs protection, It's like a special friend that you always want to take care of.

I laugh a lot at his clumsiness and his constant fools, just like Enzo, he's like a kitten playing with a ball of wool.

Idk, I love its design, it's very cute 😅🧡

3.

I would love for Hello Neighbor to explore Mr Peterson's story further. Why is he so mysterious? What secrets does he hide in his house? What is his past? There are so many unanswered questions that really intrigue me. I wish the game gave us more clues about his past, his motivations, and his relationships with other characters. I think it would be a great opportunity to delve deeper into the Hello Neighbor universe and discover new facets of the game.

I would like to know more about his childhood, his family and how he became so mysterious.

His relationship with other characters. I would like to know more about his relationships with other characters and how they have influenced his behavior.

Thank u for ask👋.

[felassan]

EA website update:

"Incoming Transmission N7 DAY 2023 Happy N7 Day to our wonderful community!"

"Hey, everyone, Every November 7th, we’ve all come together—developers, superfans, regular fans, kinda-fans—to celebrate (and speculate about!) the games, stories, and community that make Mass Effect so special. It’s a testament to the long-lasting appeal of this universe and the characters who call it home. Eleven years of N7 Days and sixteen years of Mass Effect later, the franchise continues to inspire our development team, and with each day, gives us the opportunity to create more adventures for you to have. Whether it’s one of the many who have been here since the original game’s launch or those recently joining us at BioWare, we are all incredibly lucky to be envisioning this future. That process is equal parts rewarding and challenging. We’ve asked ourselves many of the same questions you’ve asked us over the years! What happened to everyone you know and love in the games? Who really died? Who had kids with whom? What does a baby volus sound like? What about all the galaxies? The endings! What the heck is going on with our asari scientist-turned-Shadowbroker? What about S— nevermind...you get the idea. And of course, to those questions, there are answers, but you’ll have to wait to hear them. And anything we do say won’t be easy to find, just like you’ve come to expect from our #N7Day teases. But for real… thank you. Thank you for everything, and allowing us to do what we do. We approach the future of this universe with gratitude and deep respect. Respect for you—the community. Respect for the love and dedication you’ve given to us. Respect for the history and the stories you’ve created, and the characters you’ve fallen in love with. And, respect for the future, and the opportunity to do something big—something amazing—for you. Until next time…and Happy N7 Day! —Mike Gamble, Mass Effect Franchise Director & Executive Producer"

"Through o0ur partnership with Humble Bundle and friends at Dark Horse Comics, we’re making all Dark Horse Mass Effect and Dragon Age comics available in a convenient package! Pr1oceeds from this will go to Child’s Play, a charity that seeks to make the lives of children in hospitals more comfortable. We all know how powerful and uplifting games can be, so we’re glad to be able to help bring joy t0o kids in need through this effort. If you’d like to help, too, please check it o0ut! We also have some exciting new merch from our partners for those who want to stock their shelves or add to their wardro0bes. The BioWare Gear Store is releasing multiple new i1tems today! From a brand-new mini replica Claymore Shotgun to Omni-Blade LED Wall Art, we’ve got tons of Mass Effect items for your collection, all go0ing live with a site-wide sale. Be sure to check out items new and old, and follow them on social media to see their latest relea1ses."

"Our frie0nds over at Dark Horse have also been working on something special. For over a year now, we’ve been working closely with them on a few new statues based on popular requests. First and foremost, we’re excited to share that Commander Shepard (female) is ge1tting an iconic battle-worn statue! This has been one of the top requests from the community and we’ve been super excited to see it come to life."

"And, of course, if you w1ant to put a squad together for her, Dark Horse is also releasing new statues of Wrex and Tali. These statues are brought to life with the level of care and quality we’ve all come to expect from Dark Horse over the years. These two iconic characters are ready to take the fi1ght to the Reapers!"

"F0or those who live in colder climates (Canada being a prime example), our friends over at Volante Design have returned this year with s0omething just for you. Following the success of the N7 line of apparel they released, the team at Volante has created a Garrus Vak0arian-style parka, complete with a “head cone” to protect your 0face."

"A0nd of course, Sanshee always has something for our b1iggest fans. For lovers of Grunt, Lia1ra, and adorable va1rren, the team has created a new set of plu0shees and pins for your colle0ctions! Be sure to chec1k out their site for all that and m1ore."

"Your joy, creativity, and passion help drive us towards the future of Mass Effect and all that it may be0come. The team is ta1king their time to cr1aft a whole new adventu0re for you to enj1oy, with new stories, chara0cters, and experiences to fill it. At the end of t0he day, that’s w1hat N7 Day is about. Cel0ebr1ati1ng yo0u an1d th1is speci0al fr0anchise that br0ings us all to1get1her. W0e hope you’1ve enjoyed the glimpse1s int1o the fut1ure of the fra0nchis1e so f1ar. An0d don’t wor1ry, ther1e’s mo1re to come, but fa0rther away! Ever your biggest fans, —The Mass Effect Team"

[source and link to all images in post]

Associated Twitter post:

[source]

[kratioed]

INCOMING WALL OF TEXT RANT: There will never be a moment when I will understand why some people wanted Sigyn to be included in God of War, considering Santa Monica's clear direction with Atreus and Angrboða for future installments. Sigyn was never suggested nor presented as a character throughout the Norse era; Angrboða, on the other hand, has been referenced once since 2018 in Jörmungandr's shrine, implying her inclusion as a character even before the announcement of Ragnarök came out. Jörmungandr's reveal and mentions of Fenrir and Hel (along with Angrboða's mural) within his shrine from 2018 are obvious from the very beginning.

I also don't understand why Santa Monica's exclusion of Sigyn in God of War: Ragnarök is considered inaccurate; the franchise itself is loosely alluded to from various mythological sources, and they were never traditional nor faithful from those same sources and used creative liberties for storytelling purposes. Literally, the entire Greek Saga was never accurately represented to begin with, and for some reason, Sigyn's exclusion in GOW is where you draw the line? But okay, some accurate depictions from said mythological sources can be alright as long they serve the narrative or contribute significantly to the main story; Angrboða as Atreus' love interest is one of them, and there are many instances that emphasize his relationship with Angrboða. Atreus consistently found himself in the presence of adults throughout his childhood, resulting his rapid maturity at a young age from the grim reality that no child shouldn't deserve, particularly within the universe of GOW. Angrboða is the first individual around his age he ever encountered and offers him a safe haven from the grim reality he has to endure, especially after he learnt of his father's prophetic death. Angrboða's childlike nature and the comforting atmosphere of Ironwood allow Atreus to escape from the darker aspects of GOWverse, the sanctuary where he can finally embrace his own age and behave like any carefree child as he should be, which is one of the main reasons why Kratos trusted Angrboða in the first place; because of her benevolent nature and companionship with Atreus, that's when Kratos knew that his son would be in good hands under Angrboða's care. I seen a few people argued that Sigyn should have been the one to guide Atreus instead of Angrboða, as Angrboða is supposedly Loki's "mistress" with Sigyn as his true wife in the Norse mythos, and one even claimed that Angrboða essentially "stole" Sigyn's place when really…that's not the case?

As far as we know (from storywise perspective), Atreus has a keen interest in his Giant lineage, not only because it's tied to his identity as Loki but also to his mother as a whole. Faye never had the opportunity to teach Atreus about their heritage due to Odin's prejudice towards Giants, she's was also recognized as an sworn enemy as "Laufey The Just" from the Æsir clan (specifically Thor & Odin), not only she had to conceal her identity from Odin but also to ensure the safety of her own family.

Atreus even thought the entire race of Giants had perished from Odin's genocide campaign...that is until he meets Angrboða, the first Giant he ever encounters, who then guides Atreus through understanding their heritage within the hidden sanctuary away from Odin. She also gave Atreus the necessary tools and purpose to restore the kingdom of Jötunheim and gains a deeper understanding of Loki's identity as part of his coming-of-age story. That's what makes Angrboða so important to Atreus' character arc along with why she's an essential addition for Ragnarök. And if we're going by the material sources from Norse Mythology, Angrboða is only mentioned as Loki's mate rather than his mistress. It's possible that Loki loved Angrboða just like he did with Sigyn, so Atreus being Angrboða's love interest is expected and aligns accurately with the material sources depicted in GOW. And what also gets me are those awful speculations regarding the possibility of Thrúd and Sigyn being the same person, and combining the fact that Dude Bros preferred Atreus with Thrúd due to skin color is just exhausting at this point...and from what I have observed; Sigyn is always depicted as a white woman in most media, which strengthens my hope she never appears in future installments at all. It's obvious that Angrboða will probably appear again in the long run due to her recent development and promising potential in the future. Sigyn's inclusion seems unnecessary, and I hope Santa Monica never considers about writing Angrboða off just to pair Atreus with Sigyn for the sake of it. TL;DR: I think Angrboða is a better match for Atreus rather than Sigyn in GOW. I'm sick and tired with certain fans dismissing Angrboða's importance and deeming her unworthy as Atreus' wife, especially when it comes to her race and her erroneous label as Loki's "mistress" solely because Sigyn was Loki's actual wife in Norse Mythology. Anyone who hates Angrboða because of Sigyn are just bitter that their favorite character isn't there to fulfill their Logyn ship with Atreus. Angrboða and Atreus are going to be a thing. Cope and seethe.

[catyo90]

Why I still recommend Final Fantasy 13

As we all know FF13 was the black sheep of the Final Fantasy games. It had a different fighting system and was strangely more linear than its previously better-known games. However, this was more of the gamer's issue as when FFX and FFX-2 came out a lot of people said there were too many missable items and didn't like having to search everywhere for items or hidden scenes.

Years later Square Enix responded made FF13, and what were the gamer's responses. "We don't like it"

Now with FF games like 15 and 16 which are open-world people praise both for their own styles and stories. I'll be honest 15 was okay, the fact though that DLC kept coming out for the game and the story was lacking a bit for some of the characters, made me kinda miss the simpler ones. Now as for 16, I have not played it yet but I will differ from those who have that opinion.

As for FF14 which is an mmo its far different from the others but you get the opportunity to play with friends and actually go at your own pace.

But with all the games that have come out of the Final Fantasy franchise, I can say that everyone in the FF13 trilogy I remember and they have good characters. which I wanna talk a little bit about. (FYI this is where the spoilers now will appear. you've been warned. Also Very long Post just fyi)

Let's start off with of course the Queen

Lightning aka Claire Farron. A Cocoon soldier who stays distant and strong for her sister after losing their parents, after years of becoming strong to protect her only family. She faces losing her sister Serah to become an eternal crystal or the insidious cieth. After everything she faces, they save Cocoon. She only had a moment with everyone and realized that she and Serah could have a chance at actual peace. She gets taken away from the dream to save a goddess and forced into the duty of a protector. And even after that, she stays strong, guiding Serah along the way to help her fight Caius even though everyone thinks she is dead.

But then Etro dies and she fails in her mission, overtaken with grief by not only the goddess dying and failing...her sister. The only person in her life that kept her from losing all of her hope. Dies. Everything she did in the first game...gone. And then after sleeping for 500 years she's given the chance by God to save Serah and the World. A sort of redemption if you think about it.

Snow falls kinda under the same category but from a small different point of view. Snow was deeply in love with Serah and in the first game was trying to save her and Cocoon as well. Even though Etro caused Lightning to disappear he still tries to hold the fort and he got to have his peace with her afterward. But sadly he only gets to have that life for a year before FF13-2 starts, the love of his life goes on a mission he cant join. All the while he does his damn hardest to help Fnag and Vanille's pillar holding up Cocoon. And in doing so, willingly takes on the I'cie curse even after getting his brand removed in the first game. Once again everything in the first game almost not worth it (This is a reoccuring theme.), if not for Serah coming back. But then she dies and he can't fix, and he couldn't be there for her. His promise to be her hero is shattered. For 500 years he cares for the people and everyday misses Serah, blaming himself everyday for what happened and not keeping her safe. HE is basically the prime example of a suffering hero.

Hope is kinda the odd one out, he is only a child, in the wrong place wrong time situation with his mother and him being brought into the Bodium purge. He loses his mother and goes on a verge to get revenge on Snow who he held responsible. But in a short amount of time when he stays with Lightning he learns from her that his innocent world is over, he is a fugitive, a I'cie and alone. But after she tells him about her past and facing the worst that life can offer, you grow from it. He even goes from taking up the rear to guarding her in the front, his fear fades throughout the entire game and he learns to grow up to be a fine young man in FF13-2. He even makes a new world for humanity in case Cocoon were to fall. He was their Hope, their hope for a world rid of monsters.

But in LR, we see that he has disappeared possibly having been kidnapped, remolded / torture back into young hope and made to spy on Lightning to fulfill her Savior duties. And can't speak his true thoughts, he is a fake. Even Lightning realizes though that the next world needs him, he even sees his parents who were long since dead he realizes that he gets the chance to have a proper life, Hope is the Symbol for all to have Hope and to Believe.

Sazh suffers from the possibility of outliving his son. He is a widow and the only family left for him is his son who is quite young, and unfortunately at a young age his son is branded by the I'cie. Dajh basically only has a short time to be a child, until he either turns to crystal or a monster. Sazh loses him after being taken and fights to save him, but all the while he slowly loses his faith. He lost his wife and now his son, every moment he questions what they are doing. Only the prospect of saving Dajh keeps him going as well as his Chocobo chick. After saving Dajh though they get to live a normal life until the end of FF-13-2

For almost 500 years Dajh is in a coma like state and Sazh once again loses his faith thinking the only way Dajh can be saved is by doing it himself. When Lightning comes around though and helps reawaken Dajh, well so does Sazh. He regains his faith and even comes to the final moment of the game with everyone ready to welcome the new world with his son. He's the family man, kinda similar to Barret from FF7. But he is also the representation of a man going down the harder path to help those he loves.

Fang and Vanille fall under the same issue, Born to Gran Pulse and lived and had to sleep in immortal crystal to awake and find their home in ruins. The life they lived all gone and the only thing left of who they were is each other. Fang even takes on the torture to awaken Ragnarök. Doomed to bring about the end of Cocoon. But then their fate is changed and they were able to save instead of destroy.

In FF13-2 they are able to help Serah in her mission but they knew what she might have to face and with LR, they were torn about by both a sense of duty and a want to protect the other. Lightning finds out that they each wanted to help the other, however Vanille want for redemption at the cost of her own life to save the lost dead souls, thats what splits Fang away because she refuses to lose Vanille.

They can represent both family and lovers. One will not go on without the other, no matter what.

And now for the princess, (not literally) but still i love Serah. Anyhow, Serah is the embodiment of Love, Faith and Hope. She goes through everything, turned into an enemy of Cocoon, turned into crystal, given the gift and/or curse of Etro, lost her fiancé to time travel for a bit, dies, has her soul taken out of Lightning where she was safe and then used as a bargaining chip by God to make Lightning keep to her role. But through everything, she still believed her sister and fiancé would save her, that she would be able to live her own life and teach children.

This girl fought and stepped up to every challenge but unlike lightning she shows her emotions, all the pain of failure and loss is understanding and that makes her into a connection for the player.

Okay so for times sake Im putting these three in one group since their stories are enveloped all together.

They are the last humans of a future timeline where the events of ff13 did not go well, Noel is basically the last human that ever existed and under Caius teaching and wing both of them protect Yeul who is a priestess of Etro forced to live again and again only to die after seeing the last of her visions into the future. Caius who knows some of the past Yeuls loved him, the last one loves Noel and he tries everything to save her. So whats his plan. Oh yeah, kill the goddess Etro to stop all natural death and the visions. Hence stopping Yeul from dying.

Noel guided by Lightning has to aid Serah to stop Caius and save the Future. After everything though, he fails by killing Caius not realizing that with his death he actually killed Etro (long story) watches Yeul die and Serah die. and after all of that is forced to watch the world and timeline for 500 years fall and crumble into a shell of the former grandeur that it was.

Yeul after dying, helps Lighting but in her now spirit like self she reveals a terrible truth that while Caius is alive no good will come. But while the Yeul we know wants Caius dead. (along with hundreds of other past selves.) Some of them also want Caius to live causing him to never truly die. To quote Caius "Even if one Yeul desires my salvation, another demands my rebirth."

Yeul is the symbol of mourning and regret but also wisdom in knowing that not all things will be bad, and that good things do eventually happen.

Caius is the symbol of inability to accept what happens and the cruelty of death. His immortality while at first would seem like a gift is a curse, he watching all those he love die and when the chance to die comes, it fails. He is stuck in an infinite life that is now out of his control.

Noel is the symbol of failure but also standing back up taking the next steps forward. After everything, with just the promise of seeing the person he loves again, even if only one more time. Gives him the strength to move on.

-

So if any of you can identify with even one of these characters I highly recommend you play the game. Trust me, me writing all of this down doesn't do the games justice. Its a lovely styled game that after some time you will get used to and its really not that hard of gameplay, watch a few videos and you will get the hang of it.

So anyways im not sure if i convinced any of you but enjoy your days and i send you off with a smiling lighting because its so rare and you all deserve one.

[fantastic-nonsense]

If I’m remembering right, you’ve been a Harry Potter fan for a long time. Has JKR’s transphobia affected your relationship with the franchise?

It hurts. A lot.

I don't claim to have ever been a Harry Potter superfan like some people were. But I remember being 10 and wanting to go to the local Deathly Hallows midnight release party...not because I was actually genuinely interested in the books, but because I thought it would be fun to go to a party and stay up until midnight. I remember being 11 when I read the books, about six months after that. I remember Harry Potter being my first true foray into fandom (after Nancy Drew), first through Mugglenet and then through FFN. I remember being 15 at summer camp when the final movie came out and having to wait until I got home to see it. I remember being 16 and considering Harry Potter one of my three "base fandoms" that I always returned to when a new hyperfixation ran its course. I remember being 18 and my family going to Universal Studios as my high school graduation present and buying Ginny's wand at Ollivander's while we were in Harry Potter World. I remember studying abroad in London at 20 and taking a special trip over to King's Cross/St. Pancras station to take pictures at the Platform 9 3/4 exhibit with my friends. I remember being 21 and buying a (book accurate blue and bronze) Ravenclaw-themed scarf on a whim because I thought it looked nice and was a subtle way to wear fandom-inspired clothing.

I'm not a stranger to engaging with creative work I love whose authors have believed, said, and done awful things. I read comics. I was an English major. I spend quite a lot of my free time consuming sci-fi and fantasy, genres which have offered great creative freedom but also contain a lot of unfortunate history to sort through when it comes to opportunities for and treatment of marginalized groups. Every piece of media (no matter how well-intentioned its creators are) has problematic elements that you have to deal with. My attitude towards most types of creative media has long been a sense of "death of the author" paired with a critical understanding of how the author's views might have impacted the work I enjoy.

But Rowling has largely made that impossible. You cannot separate Harry Potter from Joanne Rowling and her awful views and actions. You cannot separate the franchise from the causes she supports with the money we give her. You cannot separate yourself from the knowledge that the woman who gave you great joy as a child is causing you and people you care about great pain as an adult. She has placed herself at the focal point of her work and as a consequence has killed it as a standalone entity.

It's incredibly sad and depressing to think about. It also makes me unspeakably angry, especially as someone who has done LGBTQ+ advocacy work and pursued a career in public policy in pursuit of making the world a better, more equitable place. She could have done anything with her billions. And she chooses to do this. To use her work and her platform and her time to support bigotry and create an easy pathway to fascist ideology for her supporters. To harm others while claiming all she wants to do is "protect" people like me (a cis woman). She could have done anything. And she chooses to betray an entire generation of fans who enjoyed her work for fear, hatred, and cheap ego points. There's so many problematic and/or outright fucking awful authors whose work I enjoy but am able to maintain a critical distance about (Marion Zimmer Bradley for example), but everything about Harry Potter is just tainted for me now, and it sucks.

And it's all well and good to say "just love different books," but the experience of having your childhood memories weaponized against you like it has been with her bullshit is something that just...isn't replaceable by choosing to obsess over another franchise as an adult? Nor does it actually do anything to help the people who are harmed by her words, actions, and money?

I drifted away from the series and fandom naturally as I grew up, found other books I loved and wanted to interact with more, and began to want different things out of the media I enjoyed, of course. By the time that Rowling revealed her true spots and started using her money to hurt people, it felt a lot easier to largely cut it out of my life.

But I still remember being 11 and reading Prisoner of Azkaban by flashlight under the covers after bedtime. But I still remember being 12 as the Mugglenet fan community encouraged my first "true" attempts at writing fanfiction. But I still remember being 14 and roleplaying as a Hogwarts student through that website's fan-created "student experience" function. But I still remember being 16 and playing Quidditch at summer camp. But I still remember being 18 and winning a trivia game at college orientation because I remembered obscure Harry Potter factoids. But I still remember being 20 and talking about our favorite beasts with my friends as we walked out of the first Fantastic Beasts movie. But I still remember being 21 and arming myself with a document of book quotes, Harry Potter among them, as I went through a minor existential crisis trying to figure out who I was outside of school.

It's a hard thing, to have a creator systematically destroy the personal enjoyment you derive from her work through her loud and proud hypocrisy and hatred of other people. It's a hard thing, to have something that was formative to your childhood and adolesence and have to come to terms with a creator whose beliefs and work undermine the themes you saw in her work. It's a hard thing, to have a piece of your childhood weaponized against you in a way that makes it impossible to simply enjoy and look back fondly on. It's a hard thing, to love something and have that well poisoned irreparably because you can't escape seeing what you wish you'd never been able to see. It's a hard thing, to love something for the joy it gave you but to be unable to love it in peace because you can't escape the spectre of a creator who uses your joy to promote and fund bigotry.

It's a hard thing, being 26 and remembering what it felt like to be a lonely 11 year old who just wanted people to accept me for who I am and wondering why Joanne can't seem to remember the same.

So yes: Rowling's transphobia has impacted my relationship with the franchise. It's impossible for it not to have impacted it. Do I still read HP fanfiction? Occasionally. Will I still sort characters into Hogwarts houses if specifically asked? Yes. Am I going to get rid of my copies of the books or the few pieces of HP memorabilia I still have? Probably not. But will I ever buy or financially support anything related to the franchise again? No, because as long as people keep promoting the series and giving her money, she'll use it to hurt people. I can't in good conscience support that woman in any way knowing what she'll do with the money that gets back to her. And will I ever be able to look at, participate in, or enjoy anything related to Harry Potter again without feeling a vague sense of sadness, betrayal, and disgust? Probably not. It sucks, but that's life I guess.

[crossfalconx5]

Alright heres a list of all the AUs im working on (Multifandom)

HLVRAI - “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream” AU - Benry wins the final fight and holds the science team captive, toying with them as the minds and backstories of each character slowly unravel, and protagonist Gordon M. Freeman begins to crack under the pressure, coming to terms with guilt and the price of being human.

DHMIS - Human Backstory AU - A disheveled screenwriter with a “difficult” marriage finds joy in caring for their neighbor's child, David, with his husband. But when David's untimely death shakes the whole neighborhood, and Red is offered an interesting opportunity by David's father, everything in his life, and the show he creates, takes a turn.

BATIM - Court of the Wretched King AU - The ink demon has created a small group of followers he’s deemed personally useful to him, as the cycle falls apart after Audreys plot to reinvent the way the studio works proves futile. And with a kingdom in shambles, its subjects in disarray, and an angel posing a threat to every living denizen and the lord that seeks to control them, instability is weaving its way through every silent hall of the wretched studio the lord of the dark puddles calls his domain.

FAC/AT - Fractals AU - uhhhh working on it, something to do with the crown and golb connections as well as more alternate universes for the gang to explore

FNAF - Cassidy/Michael swap AU - Michael Afton, original protagonist of the Five Nights at Freddy’s series, end up being the fifth victim of the missing children’s incident instead of Cassidy Chul, and the price of vengeance begins to weigh down on every unfortunate soul that this franchise has gotten its cursed grip on.

HL - Half/Portal swap AU - Chell Freeman braves the deadly halls of black mesa and city seventeen as the combine and mysterious G-Woman pose a threat to all life on earth. While aperture test subject Gordon tries to escape an underground facility while tormented by the past and the malevolent GDoS who seems to know more about Gordon than he does himself.

UT - Aftertale AU- It’s been a year since the monsters escaped the underground and inhabited an abandoned human town and life seems better than ever, but Frisk has begun to hear whispers, old secrets kept buried have begun to be discovered, and doctor Alphys has started to see a familiar figure haunting her in her day to day life.

LTH - Heartbreaker AU - Also still working on it, a character centric AU based on Bennys character and how his experience with the lovely boys took a toll on him

If any of these sound interesting I'd be happy to talk about it!

[autisticsupervillain]

FTF: Isekai Invasion

The show where we take a character and drop them into a different franchise at a random location to see if they can conquer the world.

This Episode...

Xefros Tritoh invades Empire City!

Conditions:

Takes place in the Evil Karma Timeline of inFAMOUS 1

Scenario:

After finding the device that sent Joey to Alternia, Xefros inadvertently gets himself to to Empire City, landing smack dab in the middle of its gang war conflict.

Invader: Xefros

Return Readers are no doubt familiar with the hellish planet of Alternia. The bleeding heart of the cruel, colonizing Alternian Empire and the factor in which trollkind's children are raised to be killers. It is a brutal, uncaring world where enemy and friend mean the same thing and the corpses outnumber the houses on the streets.

How does an ordinary child survive on such a planet? How does an average person look like in Hell? Well, they don't get much more average than Xefros Tritoh.

Xefros is flat at the bottom of Alternia's hierarchy. As a rust blood with a timid demeanor and no immediately obvious combat ability, Xefros fears for his life on a nightly basis. Anyone or anything could have him killed at any time and no one would care. When the world acknowledged him at all, it was only to remind him that his life didn't matter. Even to a rebellion supposedly fighting in his interests, Xefros didn't matter. His own moirail, er, basically alien queerplatonic life partner those not in the know, doesn't treat him with the slightest respect, doubling down on squashing his self esteem at seemingly every opportunity for reasons we still don't understand. It was a miserable existence.... until he made an actual friend.

Joey Claire was a human far from home with Xefros as her only guide on this hostile alien world. With no understanding of any kind of hemospectrum or an preconceived notions of Xefros's self worth, Joey could see Xefros for who he actually was. Not as a disposable pawn or a worthless servant, but as a scared, traumatized boy who desperately needed a friend. And, now that he has one, Xefros will do anything he can to protect her.

Xefros is an entirely ordinary example of his species, yes, but he's standard for a race of galactic conquers. His strength and speed are clearly superhuman by Earth standards, such as when he survived his hive getting reduced to rubble on top of him with nothing but light bleeding. He also seems resistant to energy draining abilities, with Folykl, someone who drains the psionic and life energy of anyone she touches to keep herself alive, describing trying to drain him as like "sucking on a brick". As a rust blood, Xefros possesses weak basic telekinesis, allowing him to move small objects with great exertion, and can see and talk to ghosts. Most impressively, however, he's capable of holding his own against gold bloods.

Gold bloods are used as batteries for the Empire's fleet ships when they come of age, having their incredible psionic abilities harnessed to power the Empire's warcrafts. When reduced to this state, gold bloods are capable of supplying enough power to these sheeps to push them at near light speeds, generating an awe inspiring kinetic energy of nearly 95 Petatons of TNT. That's enough to obliterate continents, almost enough to completely raze the Earth's surface!

Source:

The gold bloods Xefros fought should be capable of this level of power. Kuprum has been actively training himself and his abilities for the sake of being as good a Helmsman as possible, while Azdaja is even stronger than him. Folykl, someone who easily feeds on Kuprum, can't even tough Azdaja because of his sheer raw power. Azdaja is powerful enough to carve up canyons, and is a dreaded assassin with hundreds of kills to his name.

Xefros could stand up to Azdaja, but ultimately couldn't win... at first. But when Joey was threatened, Xefros's latent Rage powers activated and allowed him to completely stomp Azdaja into the ground.

Rage is one of the twelve Aspects, primordial concepts that govern Homestuck's reality. As a Rage Bound, Xefros can naturally harness negative emotions to bolster himself. His abilities here remain undeveloped, as he simply doesn't have the privilege to be allowed to get angry at anything without being killed. But, seeing as Xefros has already shown to beat Goldbloods and even Purple Bloods with this power, his full potential is likely awe inspiring.

That's sorta the running theme with Xefros. His potential as a person is hampered by a society that's presumed him to be worthless. But, now that he has someone he can fight for, someone who values Xefros for Xefros, the full well of his potential as been opened. Xef just has a lot of self confrontation and soul searching to do before he gets there.

Invaded: Empire City

Empire City. One of the biggest, richest, and most populated cities in the United States. As the inFAMOUS universe's equivalent to New York, this meant it was only a matter of time until everything went wrong.

A mysterious terrorist organization called the First Sons created a device called the Ray Sphere, an explosive device that wiped out much of the city's population, unleashed a horrid plague upon the people, and, worse, gave a select few with a certain gene elemental superpowers. These "Conduits" as they came to be known took their power to the streets and took over the now quarantined city, plunging it into a gang war.

The City and its districts were split by three factions. The Reapers, former drug dealers led by a former First Sons mad scientist named Sasha. The Dust Men, a group of homeless people who turned into a cult who worshipped their leader, Alden Tate, after his fortune was stolen and he was reduced to living in the slums, and the First Sons themselves, lead by an enigmatic man named Kessler.

Sasha's gang is the weakest of the three, as its made mostly of mind controlled innocent civilians brought to heel under Sasha's mind controlling tar. Anyone doused in the substance will be brought under Sasha's command, with repeated ingestions even transforming the victims body's. Ordinary Reapers are strong enough to threaten Zeke Dunbar, who himself is strong enough to tackle open gates, survive a fall into the Hudson River from the bridge, and is fast enough to dodge automatic fire. While Reaper Conduits fully transformed by the tar are granted superhuman stature, being strong enough to survive a gas station explosion and fast enough to dodge Cole's lightning attacks briefly. Sasha's tar is potent enough to potentially control all of Empire City and can induce hallucinations in those strong enough to resist it.

The Dust Men are even more powerful, amplified by Alden's ability to turn scrap and rusty trash into giant mechanical golems to bolster his army's forces. These golems are powerful enough to blast helicopters out of the sky and strudy enough to survive a helicopters engine exploding in their face. While Alden himself may he physically frail and require a cane, he can create a giant trash behemoth capable of putting up a fight against Cole MacGrath.

And finally, the First Sons. A secret society do advanced that people abducted by them have assumed they've been kidnapped by aliens. They created and perfected the Ray Sphere device, a machine that upon detonation sucks the bio-electricity out of none Conduits and pours it into all the Conduits in range, activating their powers and amplifying their existing ones. Every gang leader in inFAMOUS 1 is, at the bare minimum, strong enough to survive the Ray Sphere explosion, which vaporized six city blocks, requiring them to tank an energy equivalent to 5.7 megatons of TNT.

Source:

Kessler spent decades planning his take over of Empire City, getting connections in Washington to keep the quarantine going while he took over. His Conduits possess the power to turn into giants and he's built flying drones that can turn invisible and shoot grenades from afar. Kessler himself possesses all of Cole MacGrath's powers from the first game, with a few additional abilities. He can punch the ground hard enough to make Earthquakes, create giant clones of himself that mind control anyone they touch, including Cole himself if he gets hit, and can teleport in invisible drones to assist him in combat.

But then there's the man himself. The Demon of Empire City. Evil Cole MacGrath. Unjustly framed for the nuking of Empire City, Cole MacGrath in this timeline became a bitter, power hungry tyrant, interest in little else than dominating Empire City like his own kingdom. His vast electrokinetic arsenal allows him to glide, control electricity as it moves at 90% light speed through wires, create forcefields that convert matter into energy, and create thunderstorms that cover all of Empire City, generating an energy equivalent to 34 megatons of TNT.

Source:

In the end, Empire City is reduced to Hell On Earth, dominated under the iron fist of Cole MacGrath, the inFAMOUS terror of Empire City.

Throwdown Breakdown:

I did this matchup because I thought it was funny how much of a stomp it was... in Xefros's favor. Let me explain.

Cole MacGrath, as the strongest guy in Empire City at this point, clocks in at around 34 megatons give or take with near light speed.

Xefros's calc scales him to 95,000,000,000 megatons and near light speed.

Xefros is literally billions of times stronger. Around 2,794,117,650x to be exact.

I've spent most of this show's lifespan hyping inFAMOUS up, so I can knock it down from time to time.

Now, Xefros doesn't solo all of inFAMOUS. He can't do a damn thing to the Beast, be that John White or Cole MacGrath, due to not having any way to kill someone who can come back from a single atom. The Second Son cast are also likely fast enough to, say, turn him into Neon particles before he can do anything.

As far as the first game goes? Xefros is resistant to energy drain, so Cole and Kessler's Bio-leech abilities are out. This just leaves Kessler and Sasha's mind control powers as the only viable win condition, as Xefros has no resistance to it. This is... circumstantial. If this takes place at the end of the game, then Kessler is dead and Sasha is being tortured by the government. If this takes place at the beginning.... Hmm.

Both characters should be roughly equal in speed and I don't see either Sasha or Kessler doing anything to activate Xefros's rage booster and getting instantly mulched. Sasha is generally smart enough to stay inside her lair, which is filled ceiling to floor with her mind controlling tar, so its not like Xefros can confront her there. That said, he's definitely strong enough to just... smash the ground the cave the whole place in on top of her. Which I could see him honestly doing. Xefros has survived by virtue of keeping his head down and out of dangerous situations, so if he can get by without actually having to fight Sasha, well.... he will.

Kessler meanwhile, is a cunning schemer. He'll take a look at the alien tanking literally everything his forces can throw at him and go "nope, not fighting that", then try to recruit the kid against The Beast. Which Xefros... would likely genuinely agree to. O mean, his friend Joey is human, so he'd definitely want to help prevent humanity from going extinct. That's kinda a win for everyone, as Kessler would certainly begin working on backup plans to take out the Beast if Xef can't manage it and keep working on Cole as a backup. Win-win? Kessler would see antagonizing Xefros by attempting to control him as an unnecessary risk, as he has no viable fallbacks if that doesn't work, so he'd try to talk him into it first.

There's this thing in Power Scaling that I just made up a name for called Writers Didn't Do The Math. It's when you take a mathematical look at a character to find that they are hilariously stronger than the narrative of the story actually treats them. See "Batman can tank a nuke" or "Fire Emblem characters can move at escape velocity". Joey Claire is supposed to be an ordinary human girl, yet she inarguably power scales to the same feat Xefros does and is, consequently, billions of times stronger than a nuke. It's a consequence of writers not understanding power scaling as a story telling device or realizing the context it creates, I suppose.

This is likely what turns people off from the community, on top of the general toxicity it produces in people who take these things to seriously, and that's entirely fair. Me personally, I view this as a feature, not a bug. When I tell you Xefros Tritoh can solo a superhero universe because he's billions of times stronger than a nuke, well... just understand that I find it really damn funny.

Tune in next time to see Greg Universe crush Senator Armstrong, I suppose.

....Actually, that's not a bad idea, someone write that down.

This Throwdown's Winner is...

Xefros Tritoh!

[endlessreruns]

Name: Jasper Rhys Larkin

NickNames: J, Jas, Jasp, Larkin

Face Claim: Aneurin Barnard

Age: 30

Gender/Pronouns: cis man ; he/him

Orientation: queer

Town Resident

Neither Hunter or Gatherer

Occupation: Unemployed, but sometimes assists vendors at the trading post

Languages Spoken: Welsh and English

------

Jasper was born Jasper Rhys in Cardiff to a family of wealth and fame. His father came from a family of actors and his mother was an author who had been on best seller lists and had her works adapted to both the big and small screens. The two were always so caught up in their work and everything surrounding it, that they had little to no time left for their son. His father was often out of the country filming, and his mother would lock herself away for hours or even days on end when writing. More often than not these two things overlapped with each other. He would try things here and there to get there attention, often acting out, but them and by extension he, went largely unnoticed.

When he was 12 his father got the opportunity of a lifetime. A starring role in a major movie franchise. The only thing is it would have the family packing up and moving to Los Angeles for the next couple of years. After the move things just continued to get worse in regards to the amount of neglect Jasper felt from his parents. Now not only was there they're actual work, but parties and other events that they were often going to that he couldn't attend and be part of. This caused him to start trying to act out even more, though still to no avail.

At 14, over the winter break at school, Jasper stole a fairly good amount of his parents money, and used a credit card to book a first class flight to New York City. They might not have paid attention to him, but he was certain they would pay attention to their money being gone, and would come after him. It wasn't like he'd kept it some mystery where he'd run away to.

He paid to stay in youth hostels, opting for the more expensive option of getting a room and bathroom to himself, saw multiple shows on Broadway, ate at some of the best places that would let him in, bought new clothes, and so on. It was all a bunch of frivolous spending because at the end of the day he was still expecting for his parents to come after him and bring him home.

A full month passed and still nothing. Then another. Jasper hadn't expected to be gone this long, and while he'd started with a decent sum of money, it had started to get less and less. One night he got back to the hostel and found his room had been broken into. A number of his things had been stolen, including his laptop, the phone he'd had left on the charger, and a good amount of his clothes, and most importantly the rest of the money that he'd had stashed away.

Outside of the clothes on his back, the money in his pocket, and a few left items that he could stuff in a bag Jasper had been left with nothing. Still no one had come looking for him. Had they really not noticed or had they just not cared? Glad to no longer be burdened by a child neither of them probably never even wanted in the first place.

Jasper used what money he had left to stay at the hostel for a little longer, moving from the single bedroom to one of the shared dormitory style ones and the communal bathroom. Once that was no longer an option he tried to exchange labor for board, but the manager cited something about child labor laws. The way that was a concern and not a soon to be homeless teenager was almost laughable.

Then Jasper had no where to go and no way to contact anyone. He was stuck nearly three thousand miles from the home he'd been in for two years and a whole ocean away from the one he had still longed to go back to. Maybe he should have just flown there instead.

It was at 15 when Jasper was found by a woman on a weekend trip to visit an old friend that was living in the city. Having followed him to check that he was okay after witnessing him getting throw out of and wailed on by someone working in a store after catching him shoplifting some new shoes.

The woman brought Jasper back home with her, introducing him to her husband and son, Montgomery (Monty), and bringing him into the Larkin family. In mere months they became more of a family than Jasper had ever had before. He had parents that cared about him, and took actual interest in him, and a little brother.

The first wave of the paradox hit when Jasper was 18. His parents shoved him and his brother into the basement, locking them inside. The sounds that followed Jasper will never get out of his head. Listening as his parents were ripped open, holding his brother's hands over his ears with his own to block out as much of the sound for him as he could. The two were in such shock after that they fell quiet enough that the monsters moved on.

From the night after until the sigil was discovered Jasper would lock him and Monty in the basement together. Letting his brother sleep through the night while he stayed up, eyes fixed on the door and a weapon of some sort in hand or close enough to grab.

While there had been signs of Jasper's OCD going back to when he was a child, things were just dialed up to the max after the paradox. Doing things like constantly obsessing over making sure his brother was home before dark, not wanting him to stay over at anyone's house where he couldn't physically see that he was safe. Repeatedly carving the sigil into every room with a door in their home, and including the front and back doors. Both on and above the door as well as on both sides. His parents no longer there to help him with the process of determining what things he really needed to keep and which ones he could get rid of greatly affecting him as well. The intrusive thoughts of if he didn't keep something, pray in a correct way, etc that something bad was going to happen to his brother, his friends, and the town getting louder and louder and more and more frequent. In addition Jasper's intermittent insomnia worsened as well, and to this day Jasper is never sure when the last time he slept actually was.

This has only increased over the years, and especially within the last one as more and more stuff as occurred and people have started dying more frequently again. Jasper currently doesn't have a job, unable to hold one down due to all his issues. However, he does sometimes help different people who have stands at the Trading Post. Sometimes in exchange for some of the ration cards earned that day or for some goods that didn't sell at the stand that day.

---

Jasper has several pairs of over the ear headphones, most of these no longer properly work and have had the cords cut from them. They work as a way to suppress noise and to calm him down when he's become too overwhelmed by external stimulations or is needing to be forced to focus. He usually carries one with him at all times, either around his neck or in a bag.

[lazysublimeengineer]

these chemicals hit me like white wine

Summary: Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?

Characters: Itoshi Rin & Nanase Nijiro

(A/N: Please be mindful of the tags and rating of this fic. I don’t want any unnecessary complaints where it was obviously stated from the start that this is not innocent fluff in the first place. Y’know who you are so I advise you to hit the back button if this bothers you. But for my other fellow readers who are okay with this then proceed in reading some gratuitous smut in my server. Inspired by the song, “The Alchemy” from Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department” and the recent cover of Nanase in volume 29 of the manga. I don’t own anything from this franchise. Respective ownership belongs to Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura for this wonderful manga and Taylor Swift for this love song.)

This happens once every few lifetimes These chemicals hit me like white wine

What if I told you I'm back? The hospital was a drag Worst sleep that I ever had I circled you on a map I haven't come around in so long But I'm coming back so strong

With Charles finally getting himself benched in the middle of the match because of boredom, PxG’s options dwindled a little.

It still wasn’t the right time for their coaches to step into the match, so they’ll have to do whatever it takes to prevent BM from scoring another goal in this round.

Rin ground his teeth as he shot a murderous glare at Charles’ direction who doesn’t give a care in the world and sitting happily beside Loki who looked like he was on the verge of having aneurysm at his antics.

“Fuck...!” He cursed under his breath as he tore his gaze away from him and landed in Isagi’s direction who was cheering enthusiastically with his other teammates when he scored a goal.

“Fucking lukewarm. The match isn’t over yet.” He grumbled under his breath when his eyes landed on a familiar figure on the other side of the pitch.

Determined blue eyes clashing against his intense teal irises.

Rin knew that gaze.

Nanase was ready to do everything and help him become the hero of this team.

So when I touch down Call the amateurs and Cut 'em from the team Ditch the clowns, get the crown Baby I'm the one to beat Cause the sign on your heart Said it's still reserved for me Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?

There was only a brief lapse of time that they stayed frozen in their spots as soon as they saw the ball bounce off and missed the post before Nanase came sprinting forward with adrenaline and determination pumping up in his veins.

With Kaiser completely missing a goal, they needed to take advantage and grab the opportunity for themselves.

Nanase wouldn’t just sit around and let the opponent win nor Shidou take the winning goal once again.

He needed to get his shit together and give everything he had to Rin to win and survive this program.

Their eyes met as soon as he took the ball under his heel.

He was putting everything on the line when he sent the ball flying in his direction.

He was putting his faith not only in himself but also in Rin who could be their hero on this team.

“Go, Rin! I have faith in you!” He yelled determinedly.

Hey you, what if I told you we're cool? That child's play back in school Is forgiven under my rule I haven't come around in so long But I'm making a comeback to where I belong ...

His teal eyes grew wide at Nanase’s loud declaration, trapping the ball perfectly on his heel.

Rin was used to people cheering on him ever since he was a kid mainly because he was the sibling of a genius midfielder and Japan’s treasure, Itoshi Sae.

But it had also come with a price as Rin knew that despite his efforts and hard work, people would always compare and associate him with his elder brother, which reduced him as a faint shadow looming in the background.

And he wasn’t fine with that.

He had to prove to Sae and to everyone else that he was better, and he could stand on his own without the crutches of the success of his own brother shadowing over him.

Nanase’s eyes shone brightly with confidence, determination...

...

And a complete trust of faith to him.

It made his heart pound wildly inside his chest.

He wanted more... more... and more...

And he will never let him go until he can have him all by himself.

“Never take your eyes away from me bumpkin and watch me make put these NPCs to where they belong.”

Rin was completely unstoppable as he dribbled towards the opponents and made a double feint, passing by the shocked defenders as he finally kicked the ball ferociously and sent it flying inside the net.

The resounding roars of success from the audience and his teammates filled the background as he scored the winning goal for their team.

But none of it matters when Nanase came rushing towards his side and carried him victoriously into his arms.

So when I touch down Call the amateurs and Cut 'em from the team Ditch the clowns, get the crown Baby I'm the one to beat Cause the sign on your heart Said it's still reserved for me Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?

These blokes warm the benches We been on a winning streak He jokes that it's heroin but this time with an "E" Cause the sign on your heart said it's still reserved for me Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?

“Fuck! Rinrin exploding on the field once again and leaving the others into dust!” Shidou cackled and joined in their victory.

“Ya betcha! Damn! That goal will be all over the social medias for weeks!” Karasu grinned widely.

“I-I’m g-glad that w-we won!” Tokimitsu cheered in half anxiousness and half cheerfulness.

Rin just let himself basked into the afterglow of victory and the warmth of Nanase’s arms carrying him.

“Yeah! Rin is amazing as always!” Nanase exclaimed happily.

“That goal wouldn’t be also possible if it weren’t for you bumpkin so consider it as your victory in your hands as well.” Rin commented and glanced at him.

If the others were surprised by Rin’s sudden open declaration of affirming his talent and skill without any barbed insults, it didn’t show in their faces as they still basked in at their victory against the opponent.

Nevertheless, Nanase was taken aback by his words, a comforting warmth spreading all over him as he smiled at Rin’s direction with a complete fondness washing his entire being.

Shirts off, and your friends lift you up over their heads Beer sticking to the floor Cheers chanted, cause they said There was no chance, trying to be The greatest in the league Where's the trophy? He just comes running over to me

Clothes were thrown off recklessly on the ground inside the murky halls of the room.

The cold draft of air emitting from the air conditioner did nothing to soothe the furnace of desire and burning need blazing from their bodies as Nanase’ mouth lingered on the pale column of his throat and decorated it with eager kisses and faint nibbles on the sensitive flesh of his skin.

A low moan escaped from Rin’s lips as he wrapped his legs tightly on Nanase’s hips and his hands grappled firmly on his back while his insides were getting piston in wild abandon by Nanase’s cock and stretched his quivering walls to the limit.

“Fuck! You were so good out there Rin... Hhhh... You’re so beautiful like this as well... You deserve everything...” Nanase groaned against his skin as he felt his walls clamp on his cock like a vice making his thrusts deeper and harder in return.

“Ngh... Bumpkin... Fuck...! Getting bigger inside of me...!” A soft mewl escaped from Rin’s drooling lips as his body shook like a leaf beneath him, trying to match his movements underneath him as Nanase didn’t hold back and continued to rail him ferociously on the mattress making the bed creak slightly from their wild movements.

“Ah... S-sorry... C-can't help myself when you’re laid out like this prettily under me...” Nanase breathed out as he couldn’t help himself and sought his lips in a wild and dirty kiss.

Rin kissed him back fervently, their tongues dancing wildly with each other as drool trickled down their lips.

“I-I’m fucking close...” He murmured against his lips.

“Do it inside. You’re the only one that gets to do this with me, got it? As long as you’re my property, your eyes should be only for me got it bumpkin?” He mumbled back hotly as he licked at the roof of his mouth.

Nanase shuddered as his body convulsed and reached his peak, painting his insides in the white ropes of his cum.

“Of course, Rin. I belong to you as much as you belong to me in return.”

Nanase held him on his arms as Rin reached his orgasm, moans and grunts of pleasure surrounded the four walls of their room throughout the night.

Touch down Call the amateurs and Cut 'em from the team Ditch the clowns, get the crown Baby I'm the one to beat Cause the sign on your heart Said it's still reserved for me Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?

These blokes warm the benches We been on a winning streak He jokes that it's heroin but this time with an "E" Cause the sign on your heart said it's still reserved for me Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?

This happens once every few lifetimes These chemicals hit me like white wine

(A/N: As soon as I saw the volume 29 cover of the manga with Nanase sporting a feral determination on his face, I knew I had to write this down. Like it screams Top Nanase y’all and I don’t wanna let go of this golden opportunity bestowed to us by the creator themselves. Also, the song, “The Alchemy” fits them. The lyrics scream victory over a soccer match and then the winner came running to his lover for some celebratory embrace. Lastly, if we don’t get a victorious pose of Rin and Nanase like that thigh riding pose of Isagi and Hiori back to the Ubers match then what the hell are we still doing here? Reviews are amusing so let me hear them from you.)