#especially since most of them don't have much info on them yet!!

[valkwise]

Hi! Today I want to introduce you to my husband and I's dear friend, Abdelrahman Hajjaj.

This campaign is verified by the Butterfly Effect Project. Click here, find the "Verified Campaigns" tab, and check line #947.

Abod is 34 years old, and lives in Al Maghazi camp in Gaza. He is raising money to evacuate himself, his wife Aya, his daughter Leen, his parents, and one of his brothers. Leen was born premature and needs special care. His mother has blood cancer, his father uses a colostomy bag, and his brother is diabetic. Abod is desperate to leave Gaza and build a better life for his family elsewhere.

Abod's life is extremely dangerous. Something I especially want to highlight is the condition of his house. He lives on the top floor of his building, which has no doors and is missing walls. Thin blankets are the only thing separating him and his family from the elements, and the occupation's ammunition.

His daughter Leen just turned one on September 2nd, and she's able to crawl around more every day. What should be an exciting milestone also comes with a lot of dread. Abod has built barriers around the house to try and prevent Leen from crawling where it's most dangerous, but anyone who has young children knows it can be difficult to keep them out of trouble. Parents should not have to worry about their baby falling off the edge of their house, three stories to the ground below. Yet, this is just another everyday terror for Abod and Aya.

Abod and my husband are very close. They talk for hours every single day, sharing their hopes and fears with each other. A couple of weeks ago, gfm flagged Abod's campaign for verification, something you have probably seen happen to a lot of Gazan campaigns (this often leads to them being arbitrarily shut down). My husband assisted Abod with gfm's intense verification process, and thankfully it was successful. His campaign is also finally connected to a friend's bank account so he can receive funds.

Abod's campaign has not received much attention since it was created in June, and donations have been very slow. Abod does not have much hope for his campaign's success. Please help my husband and I prove him wrong.

He has only reached €7,112 of his €30,000 goal

Please share this post, and give generously and consistently to Abod's campaign. Even small donations add up quickly, so please don't hesitate!

I'm mailing mystery prints to anyone in the US who gives at least $10 (or the euro equivalent), and if you donate any amount and send me an email, I'll send you some comic PDFs (more info here).

Thank you for reading. Here is a video of Leen and her grandfather's cat :-)

[bluegekk0]

Finished designs for the FPK Dragon AU! Very happy with how they turned out, I'm definitely going to draw more art for this side AU in the future

Some short info and close-ups below

General AU stuff:

I don't have many story or world details yet, but in general it would be quite simplified and changed in a lot of ways

The vessels are not a thing, though The Radiance does exist and the infection would still happen in some shape or form (I haven't thought of the details yet). Holly's purpose would still be to put a stop to it, but the whole aspect of emotionless void beings is not included

Humans don't exist in this world, so the one above is simply to get an idea of their scale. The dragons in that world are sapient and live in communities, a lot of them can use magic and similar powerful abilities

More info to be added as I brainstorm it, and I might design more characters for the AU in the future

Character specific stuff:

Vyrm - a lot of his backstory is very similar to the main AU, his kind is considered extinct (the reason would most likely be different), though he never changed his form to be smaller, which means his large wyrm form does not exist here. His relationship with WL was also basically the same, as was his journey of discovering his love for Grimm. And just like in the main AU, he ended up losing his status as a leader and hibernating. Unsure whether he would also lose all his powers, since I want to keep his workshop hobby and I like the idea of him having powers that he learned specifically for that purpose (not to mention, doing any kind of precise engineering would be difficult with his dragon anatomy). So we'll have to see.

Grimm - once again a very similar backstory to his main AU counterpart. He is one of the most powerful dragons to exist, and The Radiance is still his sister in this AU. He was banished from his homeland and stripped of many of his powers, losing his status as a higher dragon as a result. I'm still brainstorming how NKG comes into the AU, as of now my idea is that it would be closer to a god-like beast form than a being in another realm, but it may still change. And I'm still thinking how to reconceptualize the ritual to fit this version. Even though he's much weaker than in his prime, he's still more powerful than an average dragon, especially in the NKG form (if that is the direction I take with him).

Lewk, Asta and Milo - basically the same as in the main AU. Lewk and Asta can fly just fine, Milo however is incapable of it (and will likely remain that way even as he gets older, with his wings being too small and weak for flight).

Hornet - in most aspect she's the same, though her half-spider origin would be changed to something else; Herrah is not a spider in this AU, though she would still be quite beastly and unique in her appearance. She has two pairs of wings, which are a trait inherited from her mother's side. She knows silk magic, which she learned as a young dragon.

Zote - he's the most unique here body plan wise, I based his design on pterosaurs. I loved the mental image of him being this annoying, bird-like dragon. In basically all aspects he's the same as his main AU counterpart, though being a dragon I imagine he would have a more impressive lifespan than an average bug in the main AU. He's a herbivore dragon, his mouth resembles a beak, and he has no powers, only a nasty attitude.

Holly - as mentioned before, they are not a vessel in this AU, nor a void being. Instead, they're a hybrid of Vyrm and WL, who is a powerful higher dragon, and were trained to stop The Radiance and put an end to the infection from the day they hatched. Though they did end up learning void magic to aid them in the fight, I think that would be a nice way to preserve at least some of that aspect and it would explain the color of their body in this version. They have a mouth, though they are still mute, likely as a result to battle damage. Like in the main AU, they lost one of their eyes and a limb, and I'm considering designing a prosthetic wing for them at some point to mirror their counterpart.

[shima-draws]

I've been teasing her for months!! But at long last her ref is complete 🌷

I actually DON'T have a 5 page essay on her backstory this time (like I did for Ilari LMAO) but I do have some info about her if anybody is curious!

Name: Ione

Age: 25

Hair color: Silver

Eye color: Orangish-yellow

Element: Light

Grabbing info from the few posts I've talked about her already, Ione was originally a very famous singer, pretty much an idol within the world of ATS. She'd hold huge concerts that were always sold out and people from around the world would flock to see her perform. Eventually tho all of the attention started to attract the wrong kinds of people, and sooner or later Ione was "scouted" by a very rich man who wanted her all to himself. She was manipulated and blackmailed into signing a contract with him that would essentially end her touring and make it so that she would become a private singer for him. He basically chained her with this contract and so she disappeared from the public eye.

Ione soon discovered that other people with similar talents had also been gathered and trapped by this man's contracts. Among them was a prodigy violin player who she grew very close with. The two of them struggled under the demands of this man, and eventually violin boy started to get physically abused by him 😭 Things escalated to the point where Ione decided she wanted OUT and was determined to do anything to escape. This led to a very...traumatic event that caused her to go mute by choice.

When Ione finally makes her escape, thankfully she's changed so much that people don't recognize her in public (mostly her hair! It used to be short and didn't cover one of her eyes before). Shortly after she runs into Nahu and his group, and is unceremoniously recruited to join them lol (Nahu can be VERY persuasive). Ione communicates with them through sign language, which luckily a couple of them are fluent in--Ezio and Sage to be specific. They then teach the others in the group sign language too. It takes Nahu a bit to get the hang of it bc he has like, no attention span whatsoever, but being a dragon elemental helps since his senses are super attuned all the time, so he can generally tell what Ione is feeling and what she's trying to convey when she talks to him :")

Over time Ione grows closer with them, and like everybody else is hit with the Found Family, and realizes that yeah. She'd do absolutely ANYTHING for this group of crazy weirdos. She starts to fall in love with Nahu (bc who WOULDN'T), and slowly gains the courage to use her voice again. This leads to secret meetings with Sage, who helps her relearn how to use her vocal cords.

Eventually her past catches up with her, of course, but the group all bands together to set her free from it. She has to face off against violin boy, who thought she'd abandoned him and got Messed Up Mentally as a result, so THAT'S a thing she's gotta deal with. But she's able to reach him by singing for the first time in over five years, and everyone absolutely loses their shit at how beautiful her voice is and they all cry and it’s very emotional!!

Even after regaining her voice she still prefers to stay quiet most of the time, as that is what she's comfortable with, but she's totally okay with speaking when she needs to. Also I need to mention this but bc she used to be like. An idol. Obviously her routines consisted of both song and dance so she's a pretty good dancer. Out of everyone in the group, Ione is the ONLY person Ezio will dance with (and he is a very VERY good dancer himself, but will only dance with someone who can keep up with him, which Ione can). Everyone is very jealous of this, ESPECIALLY Nahu lol bc he wants to dance with Ezio too 😂

Ione's a light elemental! I haven't given a LOT of thought into her powers yet but I do know that her singing makes her stronger and also gives her powers a boost, which in turn helps the rest of the group. She also can ride on these light waves--I will have to draw them sometime bc I can't really explain them in words, it'd be better to show them visually lol

And that's her!! My flower light mute girl <33333

[edgeray]

Hi there!

I just finish to read the rules for Arlecchino request, and I saw no specific illness/disease, so I will try to make my situation for everyone:

I have horrible knee pain to the point I'm close to faint because of it sometimes.

But to put it more accessible to everyone what about that:

Reader hurt themself during a mission but it was an intern injury, they hide it but Arlecchino noticed how they start walking weird and many other sign.. until Reader faint from the pain? How will Arlecchino react and what would she do?

Sorry if it disobey the rules and for any grammar mistake since English is not my first language ^^ (and I'm writing this while it's 12 am where I'm from ;/ )

Thank you if you are making this request, if not I still thank you for reading it until the end :)

I Am Fine in Your Arms

(Arlecchino x GN! Reader)

A/N - Hi, there anon! If you choose to request anon again, give yourself a name/emoji 🫶! I really appreciate you pertaining to my rules; not only do I want to make my x Reader's accessible to as many people, but I also don't want to misrepresent anyone or their experiences with that illness/condition especially since I myself most likely won't have them, so thanks for the consideration. I'm assuming by ‘intern injury’ you mean ‘internal injury,’ so that's what I'm writing based off. You're not breaking any of my rules but your concern is appreciated! Don't worry about it though. Your English is good, especially since it's not your first language :). Little bit rushed because I am tired and ti's 12AM. Thank you for your request! Content warnings / info - reader goes by ‘mother’ but gn! reader, semi-graphic details about injury, this weirdly had actual plot for some reason, 1.5k words

Although the vast majority of your duties was primarily serving the House of the Hearth and the Fourth Harbinger, as a member of the Fatui, it was mandatory for the Fatui to ensure you still held loyalties to the Tsaritsa. Typically, proof of your fidelity was through completing the occasional reconnaissance mission assigned to you every couple of months though this time you were given a different type of operation: direct action, specifically, assassination. 

Assassination wasn't necessarily your forte, but it was doable. In a few weeks, you'd stop scrubbing your hands incessantly in hopes of washing away the stained blood, and you would stop receiving dreams painted in red. At least, with reconnaissance, blood and violence could be avoided. Why you were assigned this particular assassination mission when there were much more suitable candidates, you could only assume. You had an inkling it had to do with some of the other Harbingers’ grudges and suspicions of your husband, and perhaps the chink in the Knave's impenetrable armor  would be you. Failure in this mission could quickly spiral into considerable consequences for you and Arlecchino, regardless if the designation was influenced by more untrustworthy Harbingers, so you couldn't afford to fail this anyways–not with how high profile this target was. 

You return to the House of the Hearth, splatters of blood still visible on your appearance despite your best attempts of cleaning up. At your arrival, some of the children rush to greet you, only to pause as they take in your exhausated form. You give them a weak smile, bending down and extending your arms to accept their eager embraces.

“M-mother!” the children exclaim as they swarm around you, their curious and anxious minds surely brimming with many questions. You hadn't told any of the children where you've gone to for the past few days, believing that there was no need to stir up such worries when the mission was going expectedly. You were wrong, however; no mission like the one they had given you should have been done alone, and yet the only one you could depend on was yourself and your vision. It was undeniably a test for you, and you had only scraped by with your life and the mission's success. Now, all you wanted to do was collapse in bed and hibernate for several weeks, your head filled with a dense fog and senses dulling.  

“Mother, there's blood on–” Barely able to hear the statement, you shake your head, dismissing the little girl's distress. “Don't worry, dear… it's not mine.”

With some effort, you pull away from the children and you hobble your way towards the living commons, your bruised ribs impelling pained grunts from you. 

“Someone…” you pant, placing your hand over your forehead. Leaning against the nearest wall, you shut your eyes, breathing in deeply as an attempt to relieve the ache. “Someone go get your Father.” 

Multiple feet scurry away after your command, but the remaining children around you overwhelm you with their burning questions of what they can do to help, what did you need, whether or not you needed medicine, and much more that you couldn't bother processing.  Gently, you push past them, making your way to you and Arlecchino's shared bedroom. 

“I'm sorry, children, I just need to lay down in private for a little bit, okay? Then I promise that I will be up soon, and we can make cookies. How does that sound?” You say to them in an effort to quell their anxiety and it works for the younger children. The older ones, however, you can tell they still carry some distress but they nod along for your sake.

Such good children. 

You enter your bedroom and shut the door, immediately peeling away your clothes caked in blood, not even bothering to go into your adjacent bathroom. After chucking the articles in the direction of the laundry basket, you dig through the wardrobe for your much more prefered uniform, the one you wore as ‘Mother.’ By that time, the door clicks, and your husband enters.

Arlecchino wastes no time in appearing by your side, her blackened hands wrapped around your hips, and guiding you to sit on the edge of the bed. You hoped that you were able to hide your wince in time when she touched you. You know your husband far too well to know that, despite her stoic expression, she is just as worried for you, if not more, than your children. There's that small knit in her brows, and her lips are curled the slightest bit more. She had always been fiercely protective of you. 

“My love, there's blood–” she starts, but you cut her off with a chuckle. “I know, one of the children already pointed it out.”

Then, your tone hardens. There's no need to wait to let her know. “I need to tell you something.”

“You should rest.”

You shake your head. “This comes first, Arlecchino.” 

“You just came back.” 

“Peruere,” you enunciate, quickly silencing the Knave. “I am fine,” you assure her with a stern tone but fond eyes. You let out a defeated huff, resorting to wrapping your arms around her and leaning your head against her shoulder to ease her and to conceal your pained expression as your body protested the movement. 

Remaining in that position, you brief her on your mission and every single detail to it. From the process of researching and finding the opportune time to, to the actual execution of the assassinatin, which proved to be much more complicated and difficult than you were able to account for. This was due to the lack of information given to you once you were assigned. With the absence of partners and the omittance of crucial details, it is, undoubtedly, an attempt to sabotage you and cause you to fail. The two of you discussed what to do, going forward in cases like this, as well as potential suspects, their motives, and wouldbe gains. With each growing minute, Arlecchino held you tighter and you leaned in closer. 

After the conversation finished, your husband quietly held you, without uttering another sound, for around half-an-hour, the two of you indulging in one another's company. You pull away with a kiss to her forehead.

“I promised the kids I would make cookies with them. Would you like some?” 

Arlecchino knows better than to say no. She gives you a curt nod. You hum with acknowledgement to her answer, standing up from sitting on the bed. Almost instantaneously, the moment you stabilize yourself on your feet, your vision grows black and an abrupt throbbing comes to your head. You stumble forward, but catch yourself. 

“Love–”

“I'm fine. Just stood up too fast,” you gruff, staggering your way towards the door but the limp is far too obvious. You only make it a few steps before you stumble over again, nearly hitting the floor if it weren't for Arlecchino’s quick reflexes. Stabbing pain surrounds you, and paired with your fatigued state, you no longer have the energy to ignore the agony. She cradles you in her arms and you glance up at her. Your sight swims, and her appearance keeps distorting before you. Clinging onto consciousness seems to be a losing battle. 

“The cookies…”

“Forget about the cookies. You said you were fine,” Arlecchino scolded through gritted teeth, with some frustration and anger in her voice. Placing her arm underneath your back and underneath your legs, she carries you bridal-style, already rushing towards the medical bay. 

“Stay awake for me. Stay awake,” it is a harsh demand, but you know it is nothing more than a desperate plea. Your eyelids droop and you close your eyes.

Arlecchino lets out an expletive under her breath, quickening her pace as she barges into the room. The specialized doctor for the House of the Hearth is startled, but the Harbinger's intense glower tells the doctor all she needs to know. 

“Find out what is wrong with her, and fix it. Now,” the Harbinger orders, and the doctor goes into work immediately once your body is placed on the bed. 

The Knave soundlessly watches the doctor's each and every action, refusing to budge by your side. Although she knows that medical treatment is not her expertise, Arlecchino cannot help but critique her doctor in her thoughts. Not fast enough, not effective enough, not enough for her darling who could be experiencing unbearable pain now.

The doctor works until she assures the Harbinger that everything that could be done is, and that you will wake in the following morning. Arlecchino wordlessly thanks the doctor but her hand that clasps yours doesn't move for even one movement. Eventually, night falls. Climbing into the small bed, she tenderly wraps her arms around you, unable to be pulled apart from you until she knows your safety is guaranteed. Underneath her skin, seething rage boils for the coworkers who try to deprive her of her authority and power, but most of all, for causing you in this state.

The next morning, Arlecchino's eyes flutter open when she feels the warm body next to her stir. She awakens to your soft smile.

“I said I was fine, didn't I?” You greet her with a twinkle in your eyes. 

Arlecchino's heart swells.

[roz-ani]

Okay, so if I got thing right: It is the Solver, not Cyn, that is now a part of Uzi's body. It just has the stammer for whatever reason. However, at the same time, Uzi is now a hologram? Like Cyn back in the mansion?

I think people in general are confused about who is who in this scenario, because we've only seen Cyn under the Solver's control. She was an improperly disposed Worker Drone, so technically Tessa never brought her home. It was the Solver in a body of a Worker Tessa later named Cyn. It just had some unusual mannerisms and developed a special bond with N, calling him "big brother" and even saving his, V, and J's personalities after transforming them into Disassembly Drones.

But was the original Worker Cyn there in the first place? Were they merged, or was it just the Solver disguising itself all along? The only characters capable of controlling the Solver virus were Yeva, Nori, Uzi and Doll, which allowed them to keep their own personalities and consciousness. I think that for most of the audience, Cyn and the Solver are the exact same thing, while the idea is a bit more nuanced. I've seen some theories on twt thank point out that Doll is also a part of Uzi now based on some data from a few screenshots, and because Solver Cyn ate her core. That is something I haven't figured out yet (and don't really have time to tbh XD).

MD is a series that relies a lot on info hidden in the animation and backgrounds. I think most people will agree that it's quite difficult to fully understand the story without rewatching the episodes and pausing from time to time. Honestly, I just want to dismiss the idea that N is now dating his "younger sister". Especially since Cyn, or the Solver in reality, views him more as a plaything.

But the fact that Uzi no longer has her original body is quite intriguing, AND SOMETHING I HOPE WILL GET EXPLAINED IN THE FUTURE

Edit: I saw someone explaining that since Uzi burned Cyn's heart, she is the Solver's host now. Cyn is dead, no matter how much of her would be left after the mutation took over. But wouldn't that make her the primary carrier? The other characters can control the AI, but we also had Eldritch J. It's normal for the Solver to control a few hosts, but Cyn is the antagonist of the story. And since her heart was destroyed, why was she reaching for the core (the black orb)? I'm guessing that's where the Solver was located, like with Eldritch J? Does every heart have one? Wouldn't that also mean we have a bunch of other hosts out there in SPAAAAACEE?

[leonenjoyer69]

Did someone say sibling/child AU? No? Too bad 😋 I was talking about Roberts childhood with some friends and, while sick and delirious a few days ago, ig I dreamed up designing a tiny Elias? Yeah, well, I actually went through with that design idea the other day teehee.

Also, it's kinda criminal that tiny Jekyll and Lanyon don't get drawn much, cmon guys 💔 /lh

Anyways!!! Below the cut is a bunch of HCs/info on Tiny Elias :3 (and the uncoloured sketch lmao)

CHILD ELIAS STUFF!! (The sillyyy)

Still doesn't like stuffy clothes! His parents try their hardest to get him into "proper" clothes, but he either has a breakdown as he's getting dressed, or if they manage to get it on him, he ends up ditching any cravat and unbuttoning/loosening any collar. Sometimes he ends up taking off his vest completely, especially when he's playing.

Pocket watch!!! He either found it or had it given to him but he is *attached*. He doesn't know how to read it yet, but he likes the weight of it and watching it tick. When people try to take it from him, he has a meltdown :3

He likes to play more messy, digging around in the dirt and picking flowers for his family, even if they don't take the gifts very well. (Robert gets a bit scared taking the offered flowers, but most of the time, if his parents aren't watching, he'll take them and put them in a little vase in his room.) He gets scolded a lot for being messy and getting his clothes dirty, but despite the short burst of sadness that gives him, he ends up doing it again anyways.

Probably tries to climb trees, though after falling from one, Robert now has to watch him and keep him from climbing them (he's not that good at watching tho, and sometimes he just lets Elias do it, especially if he's upset at the other)

Elias has separation anxiety! He prefers to be around his brother, even if Robert doesn't want him to be. Roberts usual lack of enthusiasm towards Elias doesn't tend to bother him, he's gotten used to it, but he gets really happy when he can get Robert to actually have fun with him (which is actually quite often, since Robert likes to dismiss any work he may be told to do to play instead, but he doesn't like Elias knowing he enjoys it most the time. He's seen how his parents scold Elias for his emotional vulnerability)

He's very fidgety, which has gotten him scolded many times, especially when they're dragged out to parties.

Elias gets scolded quite often, for various things, though his parents hold him in higher regards in certain things, mainly his "work ethic", since he doesn't tend to drop things like Robert does.

Elias is usually pretty quick to comfort Robert when he notices that his brother's upset, and can sometimes get him to actually feel his emotions and stuff.

Uhhhh that's all I really have right now, but id like to explore it more bc it's so silly :3

Andddd the sketches

TY FOR READING :D

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA for bringing a fake boyfriend to my friend's party?

to condense as best i can, i (30, transwoman, city of pop. >10million) recently become the mother hen to a brood of wonderful baby queers (8 total, 17-23, boys and girls, all moved for school in the last year or so, most had never set foot in ANY city before). we live on the same floor of an apartment complex, and we've all grown very close over the past months; i help them use the metro, they tell me when they're going on dates and text so i know they got home safe, i cook weekend dinners, and they all slept in my living room for a week when another apartment on the floor was broken into. i think of them as somewhere between friends, younger relatives, or even my own children.

recently, one of the older ones (21) has realized he's also trans and come out to me, and i'm so proud and grateful that i can guide him through his early transition. unfortunately, there's his mother.

he'd first told me her response to his coming out was "better than expected", so i assumed she was tolerant, if not supportive yet. i've since learned she continually misgenders him, thinks this is a "tomboy phase" he'll marry out of someday, and has begun listening to more right-wing podcasts and news sites in order to "hear from both sides".

along with the other 7 kids, i've been invited to stay at the family's farm for his birthday in august, & while he's assured me she won't make a scene with company around, he's implied she has many opinions about my prescense, but said that i shouldn't tone myself down, and that if anything "it would be good for her to learn to be kind to you early, since we're family too now". two of the girls are partners, which the mother knows, but she does not seem to care about this and said that bringing a date was fine.

i have another friend (31) who's much more loudly queer than i am. on top of this, he's heavily tattooed (HUGE taboo here), rides a motorcycle, and is very outspoken and unshakable. i told him about all of this, and he offered to come along as my boyfriend, both to bother this woman, and so i won't be in a tiny (population SEVENTY-THREE!) unfamiliar town alone if anything happens. he's met the kids several times now, they get along well, and the birthday boy has said "that all sounds hysterical. do whatever you want."

my worry here is that the mother is already MUCH worse than he'd first lead me to believe, so i don't know that i can trust the kid's judgment that everything will be fine. i don't care about hurting this woman at all, and both i and my friend have dealt with even nastier people before so i'm not afraid of her, but i DO NOT want to do anything that could put this boy in a difficult position, especially since he'll likely be living with his family every summer until he's finished school, if not longer. i know what i can personally tolerate, but i don't know what he can, especially from a mother.

would i be an asshole to bring my "boyfriend" along? is it best to just go solo? or should i stay away entirely until he's back in the city?

What are these acronyms?

[rosemarydisaster]

Magnus Protocol ARG

Im not sure if someone else has already done this (most likely) but I've been re-readin the magnus institute excell with all the kids names. Since the tests where psychological in nature I thought maybe I could figure out if the "Connor" Dyer profile worked for Alice. But I think I've found out something about Sam. This might be the most tin foil hat theory I've had in a while but it makes sense! I've connected the dots!!!!!

There's a couple of things I need to stablish first:

The names seem to be ranked from lowest to highest score on the empathy test.

Sam scored the highest, Gerry the second highest (Dyer is closer to the middle of the list).

The tests seem to relate to cognitive development, especially related to morality and empathy.

The Asch test measures your "conformity" aka, how susceptible you are to peer pressure. Basically, they ask you a question, everyone before you gives the wrong answer, and the test is whether you would give the correct answer or go with what the others said.

The Milgram test measures your obedience when in conflict with your morality. The (very) abridged version is: they tell you tu punish someone by shocking them with increasing voltages and if you refuse they ask you to continue. The experiment goes on until reaching 450 volts or if the participant completely refuses even when ordered to continue.

We know the Institute was trying to find Subjects, Agents and Catalysts (there's an amazing post about this from @alice-apparently )

Okay so I made a little excell with the relevant info:

Both Gerry and Dyer show low conformity and obedience levels. Which, knowing Gerry (and maybe Alice??) makes complete sense. We can assume that they both chose to give the correct answer even if everyone else answered differently, and they also refused to administer the punishment even when directly ordered.

Sam on the other hand, mr "would rather die than complain about being forcefed cake" did in fact go with what most people said instead of the correct answer. He also finished the Milgram experiment, going against his moral compass to obey the instructions.

I think they were trying to find viable subjects to groom into avatars for the eye. Hear me out. The kids with the lowest empathy score show high scores in the Milgram test (makes sense, they don't care as much about hurting people) but from 80% empathy forward no one scores high. No one except Sam, the one with the highest empathy score.

Why not just pick the one's with the least empathy? the least empathetic kids were also the youngest and the ones with lowest cognitive developement (I do not go in deph about the other test but you can see the scores for yourself here). This kids aren't useful yet, because maybe they'll become more empathetic (And as such, more resistent to the Milgram test) as they grow up/develop.

Not Sam. He has perfect scores in every single development test, he has the highest empathy and yet he's the most likely to be influenced to harm other people.

In episode 10 Sam confirms his obsession with finding out why they didn't chose him despite having the highest scores. Gerry was the second highest and he didn't get picked either. My theory is that Sam was indeed chosen, and the fact that he shows no survival instincts when it comes to figuring this mystery out is prove.

His test results show someone whiling to file useless papeworks with extremely personal information because "well, you're supposed to even if no one reads it". Also Teddy leaving for a job that somehow didn't actually exist smells like somebody trying to free a spot in the very Eye-coded OIAR. A spot that Sam is more than happy to accept.

I don't know if this is an incredibly long con to condition Sam into the perfect vessel for the eye or if the Magnus Institute had to change plans after burning down. If it's the latter I can see them being very happy when their specialest little boy signed up for the OIAR and fell right into their laps again. Either way, Sam's fucked.

[yanderes-galore]

Petlike Dramillion (httyd) please and thank you? I love these goofy little fellas. Preferable with one that is well trained, kinda like toothless is

I ended up making this a general concept as I did not see the specific while writing it on Docs, I hope you still like it! I haven't actually seen this dragon in action yet so I read the wiki like usual! I can try a more docile and trained Dramillion in the future I guess.

Yandere! Dramillion(s) Concept

Pairing: Pet/Animal-like

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Overprotective dragon(s), Clingy behavior, Kidnapping, Possessive behavior, Forced companionship.

Dramillions are dangerous dragons, especially since they can mimic dragon fire types.

Dramillions are typically pack dragons, too.

These dragons are highly intelligent and social, making them strategic during hunts.

Although, an interesting trait of these dragons is their loyalty.

If they like an individual, usually a pack member, they will protect them at all costs.

They have incredible memory, allowing them to prevent attacks and probably remember the one they are most attached to.

These dragons are fast, strong, and agile physically.

When having a Dramillion obsessed over you, there's a good chance you may win the favor of the whole pack if not just a few individuals.

Another thing is these dragons are aggressive and territorial in order to defend their packs.

That's some info about the dragon I pulled from the wiki and interpreted into the concept.

These dragons are easy to train and can be protective of a rider they adore due to their social nature.

You'll most likely have at least two or three Dramillions attached to you when it comes to their behavior.

But at first… it starts with just one.

Dramillions can trust a human if the human shows they mean no harm and touch them on the nose.

These dragons act as raptors in a way, although are often compared to parrots.

As they like to mimic, even if they probably didn't actually do this, I can see a Dramillion playfully mimicking their human.

Honestly, befriending a Dramillion seems harmless at first.

Maybe you helped them from Dragon Hunters or gave them food.

Either way, you just think you've helped it and don't expect anything from it.

Maybe you could ride them someday… or maybe not at all.

Your thoughts change when the Dramillion you helped brings back food as a gift.

They often look for spots you frequent due to their intelligence before sitting by them

When you do see the Dramillion face to face again they act very friendly and respect you.

You find it nice, they're great dragons.

Then… another one appears alongside the one you befriended, this one a different color.

It's a Dramillion from the same pack as the one you helped.

You're then introduced to this new Dramillion and given another gift of berries, their favorite food….

You find it odd but try not to think much of it.

Then another day there's three Dramillions waiting patiently for you.

This is what I meant by the fact the pack may grow attached to you.

Dramillions are intelligent and social, the one you helped may remember you and tell their pack about you.

As a result you're considered an ally… and their most trusted human.

Instead of having one dragon, you're given at least three.

The original one you saved often rubs up on you, growling lowly to show that they're happy.

The Dramillion you saved no doubt allows you to ride them, too.

The only way you'd get one Dramillion obsessed with you is if you raised just one from an egg.

Other than that, if they're wild you'll get more.

Since these dragons are territorial, I imagine their pack would either settle around your home or they would drag you somewhere else to be cared for by their pack.

Either situation provides you with protection.

Protection you don't really want-

Dragons don't approach you since a pack of Dramillions quickly huddles close to you.

Expect your diet to be primarily berries as that's what they eat.

Due to being social these dragons may huddle up to you for affection.

You'll be trying to rest only for a Dramillion or two to lay by you and place their heads on you.

It would be hard to escape these dragons as they'll swarm you then drag you back to where they want you.

They'd do anything to protect you, they aren't carnivores but can still be deadly.

The moment a human or dragon approaches you… Dramillions spill into the area with hisses and growls.

Dramillions are great protectors and very social… you'd be tempted to try and befriend them.

However, if you do, then expect more than you bargained for.

[margarine-archives]

General Dating HCs With: Prune Juice Cookie !

part 2 is here !

note: I noticed there aren't anything at all for prune juice which is kinda funny. I don't have much info about him in general so I'm sorry if he's OOC, I'm just noting what I know from the triple cone cup event

- Prune Juice likes making remedies when you're sick, to him, its like making potions (but it heals) its a piece of cake for him

- sometimes when he feels like it, you become his little test subject ! whenever he's created something extraordinary he sometimes have you test them. He barely really does it though, since he doesnt need much testing when he crafts his potions

- He once made a potion for you to be immune to poison, it worked but it gave you a bad stomachache, he apologized with a kiss

- He has low stamina due to the fact he has his potions to do most of the work for him, if you plan on travelling with him then prepare to carry him after walking a few miles

- There are times when his confidence falters, and thats usually when he's REALLY upset, its your job to heal him back up !

- you were with him in his chambers in preparation for the tournament, only you can disturb him when he's busy, because he doesn't really mind (he loves it actually)

- to him, its motivating him to win, and to him, you're his little good luck charm in winning this tournament.

- loves it when you praise him, especially for his successful win in the 1st round, he's quite confident with that.

- as cheesy as it is, you're his motivation (in general), you're partially the reason he's still high and confident, the reason he can grow confidence again so quickly after feeling so low in the span of 5 minutes. He feels quite insecure of not being able to do magic like the other mages, to rely on his potions to do the work for him, and yet he becomes confident again after a few reassuring words from you !

- he loves your presence in general, you could be doing anything while he's busy making potions and he wouldn't mind. Might even offer for you to join him in making another batch of potions to sell

- he doesn't show it much (he probably doesn't even know how) but he's truly grateful for you, even if it may seem like he loves himself more on the outside (he probably does)

[blueberrypancakesworld]

Elijah Kamski x fem!reader - I want your soul

warning : minors don't interact/read, smut, p in v , mirror sex, some oral (f receiving), bondage, fluff/comfort, obsession

Summary : Elijah Kamski the genius behind the androids and their accessories. He was the genius of the most important man. Who was looking for someone to work with him on something. But did a genius like him really need help or was it something else he wanted, sought and needed to create something that would give him something in the end.

Info : Okay I've finally finished writing it I'm not completely satisfied for one thing because I've had this floating around for months and haven't finished it, I'm going to write an extra one with a few more themes that I hadn't done here. I hope the smut is good and the story is not too ripped out as always it should be as realistic as possible. Have fun reading :)

Ps : @thatsthewrongwallcraig I finally did it I hope you are still in your Elijah obsession have fun reading :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Detroid had changed since she was born in 2013, it seemed the whole world had changed. Everything had become more modern, more technological and more efficient.

The whole world wasn't just getting closer to the old movies about the future, it had already overtaken them.

It opened up new paths, more possibilities and development was at a level that made them all but immortal. Until the androids came.

Developed by one man, a genius with an IQ of 171, Elijah Kamski. The young genius who developed the androids became a kind of god to some and the devil to others.

The devil for the people whose jobs he had taken away with the androids. He had everything, at least if you could believe the press and the news.

With the invention of thirium and biocomponent technology, he was also the founder of Cyber Life and the richest man on the planet.

He was the incarnate one. The incarnate one who one day launched a public appeal. Not something for a new project since his retirement in 2028 or an assistant or perhaps a successor.

It was rumors that went around the world but especially in Detroid made waves. Until the announcement came from Elijah himself and it was weirder than they had imagined.

Elijah wasn't looking for a successor, he was looking for a maid to inspire his new projects. It was a headline that the magazines ran with and something that caused a boom, suddenly the whole world seemed to be standing in front of the entrance to Cyber-Life's main building.

No one knew what was waiting for them inside, but they all hoped to work for Kamski. It seemed that only one thing mattered to them all. To see Elija Kamski and his money. Because they all knew he would pay well, or so they said.

The kilometer-long queue that stretched out in front had all kinds of people. Everyone who wanted the job would fight for a place. All except for one person, a young woman who was standing in the queue like everyone else.

She wouldn't necessarily walk over dead bodies and would rather take good advice from him that she needed for her studies or a tip for finances because she didn't have any.

To be honest, she was only here to take advantage of this small, minimal opportunity to get the money to pay for her studies and to pay back her parents who had taken on extra debt. A fact that weighed heavily on her heart.

Which is why she could use the money and paying a publisher to turn her script into a book wasn't cheap either and realizing a dream like that would be nice too. But as much as she wanted to, she had to survive the queue first.

I certainly wouldn't be the first to die because of all this standing, she thought, remembering all the people she had seen with tents and chairs. How they came out of the building with their heads hanging or cursing. They had missed their chance.

But she also felt how her feet had been hurting for hours, she had run out of the university as early as she could and yet she was one of the last. But after hours in which the sun would set again in a few hours anyway, it was finally her turn.

Saw how the entrance gradually came closer and closer. She finally had the chance to get to it. Will he notice? the question popped into her head and she became all the more aware of the notebook in her bag.

She didn't know how she should feel about it. Meeting the man who had fascinated her for as long as she could remember.

Meeting the man who was the lover in her book, everything was exactly the same except for the name. Initially in her late teens it was just a model she had used but now. It was more.

More than she perhaps wanted to admit to herself. ,,Miss, it's your turn," a voice snapped her out of her thoughts and her hand slipped into her pocket. Past her notebook and to her wallet and pulled it out.

She thanked the security guard after he had looked at her ID. Before she went into the building with a pounding heart.

She knew it from videos and pictures she had seen in her primary school days. Vague memories went through her mind as she saw an android approaching her.

It seemed as if they wanted to hold back the free spirit and not let people walk around here freely. Like a fake bird in a real cage. ,,Good afternoon, Miss, would you please follow me," he said and she saw the Led flicker briefly from blue to a brief yellow.

He must be announcing me she thought to herself and followed the android with a smile knowing that many others were hostile towards the machines.

Some even went so far as to beat up and kill the androids that didn't fight back. There were unpleasant headlines about severed body parts belonging to several missing androids. Headlines that sent shivers down her spine.

After all, who said that all the androids wouldn't be dead soon? ,,What is it that Mr. Kamski wants from me?" she asked as they walked through the foyer and stood in an elevator. The android stood in front of her and turned his head slightly towards her.

She saw exactly how his eyes avoided hers for a second before he said, ,,A test to see if you are suitable for the job you are looking for," and turned forward again. The quiet hum of the elevator was between them again and her purse had disappeared back into her pocket.

Her heart seemed to compete with her nervousness as the elevator arrived at the top floor of the building. The floor she had never been on before, at least not then.

It seemed almost unbelievable to be back here now. ,,Please, you have to go through this door, good luck," the android said, pointing to what appeared to be a door in the large white hallway with a few modern paintings, plants and bright lights.

,,Thank you," she mumbled and gave the android a small smile before stepping out of the elevator and walking towards the door.

She heard exactly how the android got back in and she was alone in the hallway. She knew she had to go forward. She finally had to go to the door and felt how each step seemed to get heavier and heavier.

But after a few seconds the moment was over and she put her hand on the handle. Opened the door and stepped into the room where she found the man who would give her a job.

The light in the room was dimmer, not so bright that it stung her eyes, it was most like a foggy afternoon with dark clouds hanging in the sky and the threat of thunderstorms. Her eyes fell on the occupied armchair that stood behind a glass table.

The light illuminated the figure slightly and she saw him. ,,Good afternoon, Mr. Kamski," she said, surprised that her voice had held and that she hadn't thrown up from nervousness.

She saw how he leaned forward slightly, the dark strands of his hair framing his face. His bright blue eyes watching her closely as if she were the machine to him and the androids were the humans.

As he briefly pointed to the chair she should sit down on, she obeyed his silent command, her slightly trembling fingers pulling the chair back and sitting down. The slight clatter of her bag seemed to be too loud in the room before she turned her gaze forward.

His eyes met hers and she almost forgot to breathe for a moment. He was everything. He seemed like it came from her imagination, the pictures, videos and articles. ,,Do you think an android can get nervous?" his voice suddenly rang out, so engaging that it seemed to drown out her heartbeat.

The question echoed in her head over and over again. ,,N-no I mean yes" she began to stammer and felt the warmth jump to her ears and cheeks.

Oh god pull yourself together! she screamed at herself in her head, swallowing the lump in her throat and digging her fingers into her jeans. ,,Yes... I do think that androids can get nervous. There are... deviants who show emotions, they are human too," she replied and looked up from her lap to the older one again.

Saw how he had tilted his head slightly. His gaze looked as if he was considering whether he should throw her out or do it himself.

,,So you're implying that androids are human? Are you questioning my work?" he asked, smirking as he could practically see the gears turning in her head. She was apparently trying to guess which answer was the right one.

After a few more seconds of silence, he saw in her gaze that she had found her answer. ,,No, I don't question it, I would say that it shows that the relationship between humans and androids is maybe doing something... maybe human," she dared to put up her tese and saw first to her fear how the small smile on his lips disappeared.

His bright eyes looked at her almost incredulously as if she had deeply offended him. I'll never get a job, she thought to herself and was about to reach for her bag when she heard the sound of paper.

,,Come to this address next week and have your tessellation completed Miss," he said and felt him put a card in her hand. She had it. She had the job.

She had finally got it. ,,Thank you! I mean thank you very much Mr. Kamski, I'll come," she said and grabbed her bags before walking out of the room. The big smile on her lips spoke for itself as the android seemed to rejoice with her on her way out.

But in that time, she hadn't even thought about what it meant to be with him. To move in with him, to be with him for more than just minutes or hours. Forever.

Because a mind infused with devotion and emotion overlooks the obvious. Overlooks the gaze of obsession.

The gaze of possession. The gaze of the rich and their greed for everything. Oh, he would do so much more with her than just have her around.

But she did what he said and came to the address on Monday of the next week. His house was out of town, secluded by roads, woods and rocks.

But when she parked her small car in front of the house, armed only with a bag, she realized once again what this meant. I feel like a little kid at Christmas, she thought as she walked up the stairs to his door. It was the season of winter, snow was slowly falling from the sky and looking behind her she saw the landscape slowly turning white.

Her coat kept her warm and the hat on her head kept her ears from freezing. Ringing the bell, she tried to concentrate on the time in front of her, not the cold.

A smile on her lips turned into a surprised look when a blonde woman opened the door for her. ,,Hello, you're Miss Sun right?" she asked the blonde woman who seemed as perfect as only an angel could be.

An android. ,,Yes, I am Mr. Kamski had given me his address for the job," she replied and saw that the blonde woman stepped aside to let her in. ,,Mr. Kamski is expecting you, please take a seat in the living room," she said, a small smile playing around her lips before she gestured towards the room.

The house was too big for one man to live in. But as she walked through the hallways and doors, the dark walls, saw the colorful paintings and the markings, she realized how different they were.

She was nothing compared to him and yet he had chosen her. He had seen something in her, something that set her apart from the others.

But what? What was it? Putting the bag down next to the table, she found herself in the living room. Didn't know whether she should sit down or not. Instead, she stood next to the table and looked around the room.

Only heard muffled footsteps coming towards her, the door opened and he came out. He came out of another part of the house. A black bathrobe on his body, she saw that his hair was still slightly wet, she could see a little of his upper body.

But his gaze, his bright eyes seemed to focus only on her, despite his appearance, he had lost none of his look. ,,Good afternoon, Mr. Kamski, your housekeeper said I should come here...I can wait too," she said and was about to reach for her bag when she heard his grin.

A smirk that led to an amused smile. ,,No, I wanted you to be here and that's why you're here. I suppose you found your way here all right?" he asked, but his interest was clear. She sensed that it wasn't about her life. It should be about her.

It was supposed to be about her work and what was going on inside her. ,,Yes, I did, I also revised my thesis again... Mr. Kamski could you tell me what the job is about now?" she asked as she watched him make himself a green protein shake, mixing the powder with the vegetables, the blender surprisingly quiet.

But he remained silent as he calmly made his drink before walking past her, gesturing for her to follow him. Grabbing her handbag, she followed him, not knowing whether she should walk beside him or behind him.

But she opted for the latter, not wanting to push her luck too far. She didn't want to compete with him. But why? Do I even have a chance? she asked herself and almost walked into him when he stopped.

,,Your room is all yours, I know it might be unpleasant but I would ask you to stay here. As far as my work is concerned, quick communication is essential," he said, leaning against the doorframe as he watched her. She watched as she looked around the room a little.

The room was three times the size of her own small room. Cave it could probably even fit her entire apartment in here. Staying here? For how long? the question popped up in her head and she looked at him slightly questioningly.

She saw that he knew what she was getting at and took a sip of his drink. ,,I don't think for a few more weeks...it depends on how good you are...oh and please just call me Elijah," he dismissed her with those words, closing the door behind him and taking her nervousness with him.

Her glance at her bag let her know that she had to go back to her apartment to pick up her things, but that she had still taken her book with her.

The words she had written about him, being in his house, working for him. ,,I really did it," she muttered and proudly began to unpack her things, set up her room and took her things with her. She tried to find Elijah only to run into Chloe who let her know that Elijah was at work.

Letting her know when he needed her to get her things. Which is why she found herself back in her apartment less than an hour later. Had walked back to the exit, past the pictures and cameras, past the Chloes and past his gaze without realizing it.

She didn't see what he was doing, she just knew she had to do something to formulate her thesis. And when she came back, she saw him again eating a salad at the table in the living room, but this time he wasn't wearing a coat.

He was wearing normal jeans, a dark shirt and glasses. ,,I see you're back, I'd like to read your thesis the day after tomorrow. To understand what's going on inside you," he said and gave her a slight smile. She felt her heart beat faster again, she agreed and went back to her room with her things. The smile on her lips was unmistakable.

Just as unmistakable as his approval. She did as he said as she joined him in his office, his workroom full of various technical things. ,,Elijah, I have my thesis," she said as she stepped inside after knocking and the door opened, she saw him working on an android model.

It was a construct of wires, metal and the pump that symbolized the heart, yet human features were recognizable.

He looked up from his work and something like surprise flashed in his gaze as if he was realizing something before he gave her a satisfied look and motioned her to his desk.

She handed him her tese and he grinned as he felt the paper in his hands. ,,Old-fashioned and yet not corruptibly good," he said as he took the paper properly before he began to read it. she remained standing next to him, watching his eyes run over the sentences.

He became more and more lost in her work, absorbing her words and becoming more and more absorbed in them. ,,Perfection, your idea of something non-living... very good, I'm proud. I would like you to design a model of it for me more deep thought" he baht she had turned towards her his hand had placed itself on her shoulder.

She felt his warmth, although she had always thought of him as cold, he was warm. He was welcoming and he made her heart beat faster, leaving her proud as he held her tese before giving her a smile and watching her walk out of the room.

Not knowing what his thoughts turned to as he went back to his latest project. Her thesis would help him. Everything would be perfect.

But she did what he said, worked on her work, didn't question him, wouldn't and shouldn't. Ate breakfast, lunch and dinner with him. Caught herself listening in the house to see if he was awake to go to the kitchen and make breakfast.

Usually did it with Chloe, who didn't need any sleep. The two of them talked and laughed and she forgot that the blonde was an android.

Forgetting what was happening around her, what was happening out in the world, what had ever happened. Because what she had was here. A job, a friend and a man who admired her and gave her support.

Or did she? Could she describe her life like this? How long had she been with him - days, weeks or even months? How often had she sat with him, revised her work and written down her inner life? What had happened?

,,My dear I will invite you to dinner and would like you to carry this here" she mumbled the words on the small card that lay on the gift wrapping paper that held something with fabric inside.

Unwrapping the gift, she saw the dark fabric of the dress and held it in front of her body. She could feel how expensive it must be, it was perfectly tailored to her body.

It was perfect in every way. As she stood in front of the mirror, she looked at herself in it and for a moment felt like she was on the same level as him. Was with him to the point that she meant something to him.

And she caught herself thinking that the only thing missing was the gold ring on her hand. But had she turned like this or had he made her like this? Did he want to make her like this? Or was everything bigger than he thought in the end? Was she programmed from the beginning to react like this, was it her feelings?

Was it his creation? She didn't let her thoughts get in the way and continued by putting red lipstick on her lips. She took one last look in the mirror before leaving her room. Hearing the clack of her shoes in the hallway, she walked into the dining room, finding no Chloe or any of her friends on her way.

She found only the silence of the house and heard the classical music coming from one of the rooms like a rhythm, the sounds played over and over again as she arrived in the candlelit room. ,,You look beautiful, I'm glad you put it on," he said, giving her the appearance of a choice she didn't have.

After all, what kind of woman would she be if she didn't comply with his request. ,,Thank you for the dress and the invitation," she replied, her gaze dropping for a moment before she saw him step into her field of vision, taking her hand and feeling his warmth as he led her to the table.

,,It's a multi-course meal to thank you for your work," he began, placing the first course of food, a simple soup, before reaching for the bottle of wine and pouring them both a glass.

She saw him sit down opposite her and they both ate in silence. But it wasn't unpleasant, on the contrary, the food, the sound of the cutlery and the music in the background created an atmosphere of comfort.

She couldn't see what was hiding behind his gaze as he concentrated on her. ,,Sorry I haven't had so much time for you in the last few days and weeks," he said, almost too suddenly, as he put down the spoon, his look apologetic but his voice seeming out of place. He was inappropriate.

A man who had spent time under machines could show emotion. ,,It's perfectly all right... I'm very glad we have this," she replied and finished her soup, not wanting to break the atmosphere.

She did as she was told before they got to the end of the meal and she didn't know what to do. She didn't have to because Elijah got up from his seat and walked over to her, offering her his hand before she walked next to him for the first time. His hand was on hers as they both walked towards his office.

His gaze was on her, watching her, looking for anything wrong. ,,I've taken the liberty of creating a new prototype...your notes and work helped" he began and walked over to the machine knowing she was listening to him, knowing she would do anything for him from this point on. He handed her the table with the data and watched as she looked over it, fascination in her eyes for his work.

He knew that she would always admire him, it didn't take much but he had read it. He had read her book and knew that she was truly the right person for his purpose.

That his inner self was right, his genius was right, his obsession was right. She let the shapes and processes on the table before she suddenly felt his hand on her shoulder.

He touched her in all the time she had been with him, he had never fully touched her now only when she had done something well. ,,What did I do well?" she asked, turning to him, the device with the thin screen still in her hand.

She kept still wanting more from him, the bond between them still far too strong. He saw her as his and she saw herself as his wife. It was and would be between them. It was her devotion in her brain for him, and it was his desire for her as his wife. For someone perfect.

,,Everything my love...you have no idea...what you've done to me," he murmured and she felt his other hand on her shoulder as he continued to touch her, praising her for something she couldn't do.

,,Can I do something for my existence?" she asked her inner question out to him, hearing his smirk, smelling the metal, the aftershave, snow and wine. Smelled him. Felt him so close to her and yet she didn't move. Stood still like someone waiting for an order.

Something he liked to have her the way he wanted her. Like an android. ,,You can help what you do... tell me, do you want to be free for a moment?" he asked, his hand moving over her shoulder and down to her hand. He gripped the tray and gave her the freedom to decide for a moment.

She could walk away or she could stay and give it to him. And she did. She gave it to him. ,,Free? But we're free, aren't we?" she asked, not knowing what he meant as he took the tray from her. Leaving the first kiss on her neck before he slowly moved her past the.

The office, like everything else, was just a pretext which she seemed to realize but it made no sense, it didn't matter, there was just the two of them and that should be enough. She hadn't been what she used to be for a long time.

But it didn't matter, it was about him and her, not about what had happened. She felt him leave more kisses on her skin as the doors opened in front of them and she felt the warmth on her cheeks, a natural reaction when she saw his bedroom. Dark walls reddish abstract paintings on the walls.

One might have thought that the pictures hid the portrait of a woman, but what did she know. At most, he saw her in the colors. Because he wanted to. Because understanding told him so. She felt him next to her, his hands gripped hers, her shy gaze found his.

Her uncertain, his almost demanding, the glasses helped him to see her better, even if he didn't need them. He would have her anyway. He slowly placed his hand on her side and pulled her close.

On the contrary, the closer he touched her, the more intimate she became. The more she wanted him. ,,That's it," he said with a murmur, apparently listening to her thoughts before she felt his lips on hers, kissing his warmth over her as she clung to him, almost searching.

He wanted the kiss more knew he was getting it. But she gladly gave herself to him. She felt safe. He had given her a job, given her a dress, given her everything.

Now it was only fair that she gave him something back, wasn't it? It was always like that. She only felt a dull sensation as he moved to her back and unzipped the expensive fabric flowing from her body. She stepped out of her shoes as if automatically, not wanting it to be over like this.

She wanted to please him without realizing that she was doing just that. ,,I've liked you ever since I saw you... like a perfection for me," he said, taking away her fear as he went to the bed, leaving her standing there, almost confused and full of shame.

The warmth on her cheeks increased as she felt flattered and crawled towards him on the bed, knowing that he was watching her, not hiding the fact that he found her attractive.

That he saw exactly how her nipples had hardened slightly from the cold. That his hands lay on the fabric and her shaky exhale. He had her body to himself, had her to himself. ,,Elijah you-me...you are everything," she murmured, knowing it was her mind veiled in lust.

The spirit that longed for Elijah wanted more. Wanted more of his touch. ,,I know that... I know everything, my love," he whispered to her, pulling her into another kiss before he let his hand wander over her breast again. He felt her shudder. ,,Poor girl...all these months without touch or pleasure...without me," he said, watching her.

Watched her through his Chloe's or had to know. Had given him lust without her knowing who his cameras were. She had shown him everything he needed to know. Always in the quiet of the night, he had touched himself to see what she had done.

He pulled her onto his lap, feeling her quick pulse as he kissed her neck, beginning to leave colorful marks on it, her warmth mingling with his as she held onto the cover in the dark bed.#

His hand that was not on her breast moved to her thigh. She felt her hips thrust out towards him, full of devotion, needing him. ,,I'm going to make you feel good look" he whispered to her biting lightly into her lobe hearing her shaky exhale feeling her lust could feel the tingling in her body as his rough fingers slipped under her bra.

Moaning his name, she pressed herself against him, feeling his own arousal against her back, yet he focused on her. Wanted to see her fall apart when he actually touched her.

She opened her half-closed eyes and looked at herself and Elijah out loud in surprise. Her own reflection in the mirror built into the closet. ,,Beautiful forever," he whispered to her and she moaned as she let his fingers wander over her center.

It was different where her fingers weren't even close enough, his seemed so much better. He felt her wetness through the fabric of her underwear, took his hand from her breast and let it wander over her body. Leaving red scratches, small bites, marks and kisses.

Driving her on as he repeatedly focused his attention on the little bundle of nerves. As her voice filled the room, the classical music drowning in it, he was also completely hard but with each of her shaky movements his hardness got some relief.

He rubbed himself lightly against her his breathing was slightly shaky and yet it made no difference. Because he dealt with her. Giving her more of what she wanted while his blue eyes were on her. Her gaze on the mirror. The trembling spread to her legs as she begged him for more.

But he knew he had watched her closely and knew when she was slowly coming to the end. ,,Look at you, darling... everything just for me," he continued to murmur, finally wanting to show her. His finger moved out of her only to add another one, keeping her better than her own, her hips in rhythm with him. His praise took her mind away.

His pace increased, her trembling increased and when he heard her murmur he knew she was nearing climax. ,,El-Elijah please," she said, resting her head on his shoulder, finally wanting to let go, her fingers digging into the dark bed. He gave her body more kisses before he gave her the okay.

He took his hand from her breast and gripped her jaw, forcing her to look at herself in the mirror. She fell apart around him with a throaty moan.

He pulled out of her, her heavy-breathing form relaxing to just a sporadic twitch of her legs as she came down from her high. Closing her eyes, he withdrew from her. Licked his hand clean and slowly pushed her away. Watched as she still wasn't completely back, but she didn't have to be. ,,Thank you for your time, my dear," he said, hearing only a murmur, but his gaze went to the mirror.

A flicker caused the android behind it to take away the image of the mirror, the projection disappeared and her image emerged in the form of the android.

,,I have recorded all the data, sir," said the android's voice, turning her gaze away from her human image. ,,Very well, interpret the data I want perfection darling," he said and his hand passed over hers but warmth met cold. The coldness of a machine before it went out. He was left alone with his muse, his darling.

Saw that she was asleep saw that she was unaware. Didn't know what his search for her had driven her to. ,,Sleep well my love," he said and withdrew from her, opening and closing the door. Left her alone.

Until he wanted her again, knowing that she would give him everything. That he had rebuilt her so that when her human shell died, he had her eternally living one. She was his, right down to her soul, she belonged to him and always had.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

I don't know. I think it's unfair to pretend Meghan was not protected only because she was not playing by palace's rules.

From articles, Meghan was not just sending emails at 5 am, she was yelling at staff, making them responsible for failures in her plans well after the end of their day. I remember one saying that they ended their day of work, were out and they kept having calls from her and Harry saying their failure ruined everything, that they were the worst or whatever, not respecting their private life. There was also the story about the ice cream truck where Meghan specified that it was only for her staff and that W&K's staff and children should have none of it. It seems to me that at one point someone even talked about how she was not sending information to someone and then blaming that person for not knowing. Someone even said once that some of her ex-staff ended up traumatised and I don't remember hearing that for anyone's staff. Like, Andrew's staff sound annoyed by him and mad, some of Charles' and Di ex-staff are mad but traumatised ?

I mean that there must be a part of truth but to make it the reason it's a bit big to me. Especially as Meghan was leaking from the get go with those "Kate didn't go shoping with me" and her/her team was sending puff pieces and anti-Kate comparison quite early on. I don't think C/C had much to do to break anything (but I do believe they did things - they always do) and we love talking about it but the Fab four thing lasted from february to december (after that, there were too many rumours of feud to make it really believable). It was not a really established thing as Catherine was in maternity leave for most of it and there was holidays. And I do think Meghan sent many of her staff off and that they were the ones leaking (Melissa Touabti, Sam Cohen, etc). If we don't hear things about Camilla and Catherine it's also because their staffs are loyal. I mean, we don't hear of them, neither Sophie, having let down but they are human, they surely have, so it must not be automatic misogyny.

I mean that I admit a part of it can be true. But there were so many things going on that saying she was fed to the wolves by misogyny only doesn't sit well to me.

(I'm sorry, I know you don't have clear answers, it's all rumours but I like your way of thinking and decoding, so I think I'm asking for a theory ? Or if you have more info clearing what I said ? )

You bring up a lot of great stuff too.

Something to keep in mind is that part of doing analysis or a contextualization is being aware of timing and knowledge. I like to use the Rumsfeld theory of knowledge (or the Rumsfeld matrix), which breaks everything down into:

Things we know or the known knowns - facts that we are aware of and understand. This is our knowledge.

Things we don't know or the known unknowns - facts that we know exist but don't understand. This is the gap in our knowledge that research can address.

Things we know we don't know or the unknown knowns - facts that we don't realize we know. These are things that perhaps we've dismissed or overlooked, or things we know but don't understand yet its importance or relevance.

Things we don't know that we don't known or the unknown unknowns - the facts/factors that we aren't aware of, can't predict, don't know. This is uncertainty and risk. These only come to light with the passage of time.

That matrix is further complicated by timing: what we knew then vs what we know now. What we know now will always have more information, knowledge, and facts than a "what we knew then" analysis.

What we knew then essentially boils down to "knowing only what I know today right now, this is what is currently happening." You have to look at the facts as they were known then at {{event}}.

What we know now is essentially "knowing what I know today right now, this is what was happening then." We use the facts, stories, intelligence, investigations, research, etc. that have happened since {{event}} to give context to what was happening at {{event}}.

Let's look at the Fab Four Forum, for example.

The "what we knew then" analysis, using only the facts that we knew in February 2018, is that there was some awkward tension between the two couples (William's laugh at the question if they ever butted heads and Harry's glare), awkward tension between Harry and Meghan (from when Harry chimed in that they needed to plan the wedding first) and awkward tension between Kate and Meghan (Meghan's dagger eyes at Kate). There was also a disconnect between the others and Meghan, given that Meghan wore cocktail attire while the rest wore business attire and that Meghan seemed to do the most speaking. So the analysis is something like eh, no big deal, they were all nervous, it's the first time all four of them were together in a formal public setting, there's a new person coming on board, of course it's going to be a little awkward.

The "what we know now" anaysis, using everything that we know as of March 1st 2024, is that the Fab Four Forum was a disaster: Harry and Meghan had confronted William and Kate for not rolling out the red carpet for her, Meghan had been caught (at some point much earlier) taking photographs of the Cambridge children, Meghan had thrown Kate off-guard by asking for her lip gloss and Kate had upset her by her reaction, wedding planning was in shambles/not going well, the fashion designers were all favoring Kate, Meghan was making demands of the KP staff and bullying people around, Kate was dealing with her brother's mental health crisis, Harry was making demands to be treated like William, etc. and so on. Which is very dfferent from the February 2018 "ah, this is just growing pains from a new person" analysis.

Or look at the wedding. If you were to do an analysis with the Rumsfeld Matrix on the wedding in June 2018, it would be totally and completely different from a Rumsfeld analysis done today in March 2024. Kate's grimace/body language in the official portrait means something very different today than it did six years ago - because we know more today. I remember when the Sussex wedding portraits were released, everyone here was talking about Kate's body language in the photo and there was so much speculation about why she was so visibly uncomfortable. People chalked it up to "she's three weeks post-partum, of course she's uncomfortable, and she's holding Charlotte in her lap to hide that she doesn't feel like herself/her best self."

But six years later: oh, Meghan and Ivy were bullying Charlotte so Kate was in "Mama Bear" mode, Meghan and Harry had insulted Kate over her "baby brain" hormones, there was the quarrel over Charlotte's dress and whether the girls would wear tights/socks, Meghan had slammed the door in Kate's face when she tried to apologize, Meghan was spreading gossip about the Cambridge marriage, Meghan and Harry were throwing wild parties at NottCott that Kate had to keep shutting down, Meghan kept trying to hug everyone, there was a lack of respect from Harry and Meghan for everyone, and she was three weeks post-partum. No wonder she looks disgusted to be there.

Very different interpretations of Kate's body language in that photo, right?

So that's why when you look at everything that's happened, you have to be careful to stay consistent with how you review or look at things. It doesn't really matter if you're looking at it "then" or "now," it's just more important that if you look at it "then," you're not adding facts from "now" or if you're looking at it "now," you're more objective about "then"'s coverage.

If you're looking at something as it happened back in 2018 or 2020 with Megxit, you mainly have to consider only the facts as you knew them back then. In this case, everything we've learned since then adds context that explains why certain actions were taken (or not taken), why certain body language read the way it did. You have to be careful not to mix "now" and "then" events because when you incorporate "now" events into a "then" analysis (or understanding the past by looking at the present), the waters can be easily muddied with assumptions that may or may not be true. For example, William's laugh and response at the Fab Four Forum when they were asked if they ever had any disagreements. Knowing what we know now today, it's reasonable enough to assume that William laughed because of all the "firm" or monarchy-related issues they were having -- but we don't actually know if that's correct. It's more reasonable to assume that William laughed because he was thinking more about the brotherly spats he and Harry get into that has nothing to do with the monarchy or the Royal Foundation at all.

A more effective analysis (or a theory-making exercise, if you will) is when you look at "now" events through a "then" lens. Or, in other words, trying to understand the present by looking at and contextualizing the past. William's hard line and blunt rejection of Harry's attempts to weasel half-in/half-out from Charles is because of the monarchy-related issues, because of the chaos Harry and Meghan caused, because of how they treated their staff and RPOs, because of controversies with charities and the finances, because of their attacks on Kate and Charlotte, because of their demands to censor the free press, because of their exploitation of Diana, etc. And while that still is an assumption (because again, we don't actually know what William thinks), it's a more conclusive assumption and one that's likely to end up validated.

I hope that makes a bit of sense. So getting into your ask...

I don't know. I think it's unfair to pretend Meghan was not protected only because she was not playing by palace's rules.

It wasn't the only reason (and I apologize if that's what I led you to think!). It was probably one of the bigger reasons why she failed, but yes, definitely not the only reason.

From articles, Meghan was not just sending emails at 5 am, she was yelling at staff, making them responsible for failures in her plans well after the end of their day.

Correct. This is what I meant by culture differences in US vs UK. Remember, at the time when all this was happening, Meghan and the palace excused this behavior as "this is how Americans work." (Which absolutely went down like a lead balloon because all the Americans came out of the woodwork saying "no, we don't do this, that's not our work culture." And interesting, the palace stopped saying "it's American nature" pretty soon after this, though Meghan doubled down on it, and has kept doubling down on it.)

I remember one saying that they ended their day of work, were out and they kept having calls from her and Harry saying their failure ruined everything, that they were the worst or whatever, not respecting their private life. There was also the story about the ice cream truck where Meghan specified that it was only for her staff and that W&K's staff and children should have none of it. It seems to me that at one point someone even talked about how she was not sending information to someone and then blaming that person for not knowing. Someone even said once that some of her ex-staff ended up traumatised and I don't remember hearing that for anyone's staff. Like, Andrew's staff sound annoyed by him and mad, some of Charles' and Di ex-staff are mad but traumatised ?

Yes, I remember this too. Either Valentine Low (in Courtiers) or Tom Bower (in Revenge) wrote about this extensively. But again, that's not something we knew back in 2018/2019. We only learned it was this specifically bad in 2022*, which ends up contradicting Meghan's "no one protected me" claims - the palace absolutely did protect her. Not only did it take 4 years for that specific detail to come out, it was also probably discussed in the bullying investigation...which the palace 100% suppressed.

*A lot of people assumed it was this bad before the books came out, specifically because of the "Meghan has an American work ethic which is much more direct and aggressive when you're not used it" defense. There was a lot of discourse around Tumblr then that if you had ever been in a toxic relationship or a toxic workplace, you saw "Americans are direct and aggressive by nature" for the gigantic red flag it was and knew from then that Meghan was nothing but trouble. While there were suspicions, it wasn't as openly discussed until it started being confirmed by the rota and the books.

And also regarding the ice cream story, there's two versions to it. One version is that she was so kind enough to get an ice cream truck for everyone. The second version is that Meghan hired the ice cream truck only for Sussex people and that no one from the Cambridge side (not even the kids) were allowed.

Look at the timing of it. The first version came out in 2018, was promoted heavily by Meghan's PR and KP said nothing. They didn't issue a correction and just let her reap the public goodwill. It wasn't until 4 years later when Low/Bower came along that the second version/the truth was revealed.

Again, the palace protected her. They could've come out in 2018 to say "Meghan bought an ice cream truck and refused to share with George, Charlotte, and Louis" and sat back to watch the public turn on her. But they didn't. They didn't say anything. That's a form of protection.

So because we know all of this now, we can look more critically at why Meghan's attacks failed: because she ignored the actual evidence. What probably happened is that Meghan had certain expectations of how the palace would protect her, and when that didn't happen, she started crying racism and misogyny to anyone who would listen. Now, why did Meghan have certain expectations for what protection meant? Why didn't she understand what she was really signing up for? Why wasn't she appropriately prepared?

Because of Harry. But she can't really blame Harry, right? Not yet at least. She still needs him because he's the one making all the money - Netflix, Spotify, Oprah, Tyler Perry, Jamaica, they don't care about her. They want Harry because through Harry, they get the royal family. But that's all "what we know now." We assumed a lot of this back in 2018/2019, but this wasn't fact yet. These were all "unknown knowns"; things we knew but didn't know how important it was.

I mean that there must be a part of truth but to make it the reason it's a bit big to me. Especially as Meghan was leaking from the get go with those "Kate didn't go shoping with me" and her/her team was sending puff pieces and anti-Kate comparison quite early on.

This behavior of Meghan (the leaking and the gossip, the constant PR and puff pieces, the 'I'm better than Kate' stories) is exactly what I mean by she didn't play the palace's game so the palace didn't do everything they could. I should have been clearer: this behavior/these tactics isn't Kensington Palace's game so of course Kensington Palace wouldn't go to extra lengths to protect her. But this is, to an extent, Charles's game - so Clarence House, and as Charles was the heir then, Buckingham Palace protected her. But I don't think that was what Meghan wanted. I think Meghan wanted William and Kate (but mostly Kate, I think) to protect her or use more of their fame, popularity, and wealth to elevate her to a position equal to them. And when that didn't happen, she turned even more against Kate and started to turn Harry against Kate.

I don't think C/C had much to do to break anything (but I do believe they did things - they always do) and we love talking about it but the Fab four thing lasted from february to december (after that, there were too many rumours of feud to make it really believable). It was not a really established thing as Catherine was in maternity leave for most of it and there was holidays.

True, yes. But again, what we know now vs what we knew then. What we knew then was that Fab Four was the future of the royal family and the Royal Foundation. It's important in the "what we knew then" analysis because of how it was going to influence the monarchy's future.

But on the other hand in the "what we know now," it was just pure disaster - and prematurely rolled out, exactly for the reasons you listed. First Kate went out on maternity leave a month after the Fab Four Forum, which put them back as the Terriffic Trio but subbing Meghan in for Kate (and literally too - remember the ANZAC Day service at Westminster Abbey when Meghan sat between William and Harry in Kate's position instead of on Harry's left?). Then they were launching The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who needed to be able to stand on their own two feet away from the Cambridges which led to the whole Sussex branding effort. Then the public/press turned on Harry and Meghan and William booted them from KP and then William booted them from the Royal Foundation and "Fab Four" was dead before it even started. Now it's a joke, a sarcastic reminder of the palace machinery shoehorning Meghan into a place she didn't belong in because Harry's demand to be equal to William because they were both sons of Charles and Diana, grandsons of The Queen.

So once again...it all comes back to Harry.

And I do think Meghan sent many of her staff off and that they were the ones leaking (Melissa Touabti, Sam Cohen, etc). If we don't hear things about Camilla and Catherine it's also because their staffs are loyal. I mean, we don't hear of them, neither Sophie, having let down but they are human, they surely have, so it must not be automatic misogyny.

I mean that I admit a part of it can be true. But there were so many things going on that saying she was fed to the wolves by misogyny only doesn't sit well to me.

Exactly -- you see it very clearly that the issues are more nuanced than how they were first presented to us. That's the benefit of "what we know now"; we see things much more clearly because we have more facts, more knowledge, more "known knowns" and we've been able to reassess the "unknown knowns."

Meghan doesn't see it this way. She's still stuck on "I was fed to the wolves because misogyny" because she didn't get exactly what Charles and William got. She didn't understand (or she refused to understand) that she's never going to be equal to Charles and William, but it's not because of misogyny. It's because she's the married-in wife of the spare.

If she didn't get what she wanted, if her expectations weren't met, if she wasn't prepared, if she was sold a bill of counterfeit royalty, that's not Charles's or William's or Kate's fault. It's the fault of the man she married, the man she conned and duped and gaslighted and manipulated with his dead mother's perfume she married, the man she decided to have children with, the man she loves.

But she can't turn on Harry yet. So she blames misogyny. Now, yes, there probably was some misogyny involved, especially in how the press treated her. But to blame the whole kit and caboodle on misogyny?

When all the facts clearly show that "her truth" isn't the truth? When all the facts show that it's because she didn't follow the expectations and rules set by her bosses at Kensington Palace? (And yes, William and Kate were the bosses because they were the priority principals/royals.) When none of the other married-in wives have these problems? When all the facts show that it was her husband, the one person she insists is absolutely blameless, who created these problems?

Sure, maybe back in 2018 or 2019 it was misogyny. But it's not misogyny anymore, no matter how hard Meghan tries to gaslight people otherwise.

I hope this helps, anon, or at least gives you some things to think about.

And as always, apologies for writing another essay. I didn't mean for it to get this long.

[maaarshieee]

OKAY SO I SLEPT ON THIS IDEA AND I LOVE IT EVEN MORE SO IM GONNA THROW IT AT U AND U CAN DECIDE AS WELL

so mr dottore wears gloves obviously. just like literally most of the genshin characters. but what if this;

the reader has been w him for a while, but he’s very adamant on not showing his hands to u. so u decide to ask him about it and basically he trues to brush it off, only to tell u about an accident he had during the akademiya that left his hands scarred and just not good looking.

how the reader takes that info is up to u 🤭 i just love the idea of little things w dottore that make him vulnerable to his partner, whether he believes it does or not

- dottore stan (srry if this was long i typed quite a bit 😭)

⎯⎯ ୨ 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐬 ୧ ⎯⎯

➢ Iʟ Dᴏᴛᴛᴏʀᴇ x Gɴ!Rᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

➢ 1.6k ᴡᴏʀᴅs ┊ Fʟᴜғғ

➢ Mᴀsᴛᴇʀʟɪsᴛ

a/n - DOTTORE ANON I LITERALLY HAD THE SAME IDEA IN MY DRAFTS BUT YOURS MAKES MUCH MORE SENSE THAN HIS MASK,,, cuz scars on his face are not canon but hands??? yes yes yesyesy ily/p, ALSO I DONT MIND IF YOU SEND A LONG MESSAGE! I LOVE READING DETAILED REQUESTS <3 titled "scars", have a good day/night! (i aspire to be the home of soft dottores)

↬ cw: established long-term relationship with reader, mentions of experiments, canon typical violence, usage of 'zandik' for dottore's real name, non canon scars i just had a brainrot at the scars part

You never knew the reason why Dottore had started wearing gloves back then.

While you were away in a different region for a thesis project, as well as a couple errands to complete for Zandik, when you were both back at Sumeru Akademiya, an accident occurred relating to his experiments and his hands.

You never really understood why he hid them from you, but other segments he's made also refused to remove their gloves unless they were created before the accident. Even in bed, on occasions he'd lay with you, he'd have them on. You've never complained though since you liked the feeling of his gloved hands on your skin.

But still, can he fault you for your ever-growing curiosity over your lover? It has been years and he's yet to reveal what was underneath those smooth cloth that hid the scars, you assumed, within.

"Is it really that bad?" You asked one day, exasperated as you watched him write on his whiteboard, completely focused, but also listening to your words. He'd never dare to miss anything you'd say to him. Dottore only threw you a glance, before proceeding to write equations you could barely comprehend. "What are you addressing?"

You gesture at his hands, to which he paused with a small frown tugging on his lips. "I mean, it's been so long since I've seen your hands, Dottore." You stated, curiously eyeing his gloves and taking a step closer to him. "I never knew what happened to them as well, but you don't really have to tell me, I just..." You faltered when he capped the marker he held and hid his hands behind his back, letting out an unamused scoff.

"Is this really necessary?" How stubborn you are, you've never learnt to give up on things that piqued your never-ending interest in the unknown. He marvels at that unchangeable trait of yours, but unfortunately, the only secret he's ever held from you was included.

"No," You admitted, but you were unbothered by his dismissive nature, having grown used to it when the topic relates to his hands. "I am merely curious and quite concerned as to why my lover is ashamed of revealing his hands to me." Each word you've greatly emphasized stabbed through him with annoyance, especially when you've assumed he's ashamed of such trivial matters.

Him? Ashamed? He's done so many things to others that you were aware of and yet you say he's ashamed of his hands all because of his scars? And not because it is the hands of a sinner? Honestly, you're one thing that Dottore fails to decipher.

A scowl formed on his lips, revealing his sharp teeth as he clenched his hands into fists behind his back. "Dear, I must ask you to kindly put an end to spouting nonsense." He hissed through his teeth, glaring threateningly at you. But you knew that glare and the hard tone in his voice weren't genuine. Whenever he expressed anger towards you, they always meant something else. Defensive, if you will.

At this point, the other segments had to pause from whatever they were doing, listening to the words they exchange and observing what would happen. "I see them often tremble when you need to remove them when I'm around, you know?" You stated, his lips now a thin line, which made you regret ever mentioning that to him. "I- well, granted I've never seen them whenever you do, but I notice things, okay?"

You raised your arms and sighed in defeat, taking a step back from Dottore. Well, it has been years. Curiosity will forever haunt you like an irremovable itch but you'll refrain from ever mentioning it if it always riles him up like this. It was time for you to give up. What you didn't catch sight of was the way Dottore tensed when he heard you sigh, a frown evident on your features.

"My apologies, love. See to it in the future that I'll cease ever mentioning your gloves, or your hands, I wish to not further upset you."

It seemed to subdue the growing frustration he's had with the topic for many years now, satisfied with your words. "Very well, then." He didn't say it, but you understood that he wanted to say his thanks to you, a small smile on your lips. And with that, you took your leave for your other duties as part of the Fatui and Dottore went back to continuing on with his projects. You thought that would be the end of it since he's oddly secretive about it.

Until one day, he decided to open up to you out of the blue.

It wasn't often that Dottore— not a segment, would join you in your shared private chambers and shed himself from his thick layers of clothing, leaving himself in his dress shirt, pants, and gloves. It was... certainly odd for Dottore to be this affectionate, especially when he allowed you to wrap yourself with his coat, which he always used in Zapolyarny Palace or his laboratory and would snatch it from you when he spots you wearing it.

Dottore almost turned his heels and left you by yourself once again when you kept staring at him with wide eyes, lips parted in shock whilst you buried yourself deeper into his coat. "Quit staring." He seethes with a scowl and you broke into the biggest grin he's seen for a while, finally seating himself next to you. "Come," Without hesitation, you immediately flung yourself toward him and wrapped your arms around him, pulling him close as you place yourself in between his legs.

"Now now," You started, a pleased sigh escaping your lips when you felt his arms wrap around you as well, fingers tracing the structure of the bones on your back, trailing up your spine and to your nape, "This is quite the surprise, it's only been..." You hummed in thought, cheek pressed against his chest, "A few weeks since you've given me so much love and affection."

Dottore could hear the tease in the tone of your voice, and yet, perhaps just for tonight, when he chose to be a tad more vulnerable towards you? "Would you prefer if I was more affectionate, then?" And you stumbled in your words, giving him an incredulous look, hands now cupping his exposed cheeks. "Oh my, d-did you hit your head? Did something happen!?"

He had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at your exaggerated reaction and pushed your hands away, instead leading your hand to the end of his gloves, encouraging you to take them off. Now you were completely at a loss for words, sitting up and eyeing his masked face, scanning for any reactions that could give away anything to what he feels at the moment.

But you caught no signs of any usual emotions you see he wears on his face on a daily basis. Irritation, uninterest, anger, or any of the sorts. And you've always been graced by his sincerity only for you, but somehow, this felt a little different.

"If you're not opposed to it..." Your eyes went back to his gloves, a little nervous, "Then, shall I?" This time, he couldn't help it. "Just get on with it." He sighed and rolled his eyes, which earned a snort from you, finally feeling more at ease at this much more familiar behavior, and slowly pulled off his gloves.

You observed the scars on his hands— from the tips of his fingers down to his wrist, they faded to a deep shade of turquoise, and scars scattered all across his hands and arms, similar to what they call; "Lichtenberg scars?" You quired, fingertips tracing the patterns splayed on his skin, fascinated. "Just what happened in your old lab that caused such marks? And the coloring— what the hell?"

Dottore would never admit this to you, but he felt his heart still the more you spoke, anticipating unpleasantry from your lips though Dottore found it odd that he never felt this way until you've finally seen them (no, he has, he was merely in denial).

But of course, since when have you spoken badly of him? With the same adoring smile, you always wore, your eyes sparkled in wonder open further observation. "These patterns are rather lovely, in my opinion. Compliments the dark colors of... well, wherever these hues of blue came from." He had unknowingly let out a breath of relief, lacing his fingers with yours, a small scowl once again etched on his lips.

"Don't speak of them as if they were for design." He warned, though, despite his hard tone, his touch was completely different. Soft, warm, and contained gentleness you've never thought he'd have in him. "Have you forgotten I acquired them through an accident?"

"Then, do they still hurt?" You simply asked, eyes gazing upon his masked face, head slightly tilted to the side. Dottore was about to deny it but instead shook his head. "Occasionally, yes. Though you needn't worry since I can barely feel them."

He paused when you leaned down, lips attached to the scars littered on his hands. Baffled, he almost pulled his hands away from you but refrained to do so. Not when your lips feel so divine on his aching skin. "I... what are you...?" It wasn't often he'd falter.

"No one's ever kissed them," You answered, eyes filled with mirth once you saw you'd taken him off guard, small giggles bubbling from your chest. "I'll take any opportunity I get but I can stop if you do not like it—"

"Continue," Dottore said quickly, startling you but you let out a soft laugh, shaking your head at his antics, and peppered his skin with kisses, while his other hand caressed your cheek lovingly, a slight upward curve at the corners of his lips.

"Does this mean I'm allowed to see more of your uncovered hands, darling?" You pushed your luck, and it seems he's rather giving tonight, making your heart race.

"Perhaps, if you hadn't annoyed me before you asked."

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[flowerakatsuka]

feeling silly goofy tonight so it's time to share the oso-san oc that's been banging around in my head for the past month.

more info about them under the cut! ⤵

NAME : Yotsubana, Kuroba NICKNAMES : Kuro, Kurorin AGE : ~24-32 years old ( around the same age as the sextuplets, older by almost a month & a half ) BIRTHDAY : April 2nd BLOOD TYPE : AB GENDER : X Gender PRONOUNS : They/Them SEXUALITY : Bi Demisexual VOICE CLAIM : Mitsuki Saiga (JPN), Khoi Dao (ENG)

The current proprietor of Yotsubana Florals, a flower shop tucked away in the Akatsuka Ward. The previous shopkeeper was Kuroba's grandfather, but after he suffered from a nasty fall while working, they took over day to day operations of the business. Due to the quality of their flowers and the clear care put into their arrangements, plenty of people from within and outside the ward frequent Yotsubana Florals. One of those frequent customers is Karamatsu Matsuno, the shop being the provider of his seemingly endless supply of red roses.

The two met on a stormy day, when Kuroba invited in a drenched Kara to dry off and warm up in their shop, (even lending him an umbrella when the rain lighten so he could head back home.) After returning the umbrella and purchasing a bouquet of roses as thanks the next day, he's been a pest ever since. Miraculously enough, Kuroba finds him pleasant enough that they don't mind Karamatsu loitering in the shop while they're working. They actually find him pretty endearing despite him being himself, (especially whenever he shows the more genuine side of his personality.) It could also be that, for some reason, he seems oddly familiar to them. They couldn't put their finger on why that was until attending their high school reunion, when it all came back to them — not only was Kuroba in the same homeroom as Karamatsu during their 2nd year, he was also their crush back then. Unfortunately, Karamatsu hasn't seemed to have made this connection yet himself so Kuroba is left to navigate these revived feelings by themself.

Due to Kuroba's tall stature and sharp eyes, they can come off as a bit intimidating at first, but they're actually a pretty relaxed and gentle person… For the most part. They aren't one to take anyone's shit and can be extremely blunt and snarky at times, perhaps a result of being fed up after years of being bullied in school. Still, they're generally kind and friendly towards others. They're the type to easily become absorbed in their work and will jump at the chance to explain things pertaining to it, (like horticulture or the meaning of flowers.) They also enjoy playfully teasing people they're close with, (a trait that really comes out the closer they get with Kara.)

Back in high school, they were much more gloomy in appearance and personality. They were often bullied for being "creepy" due to their height and sharp eyes, (this wasn't exactly alleviated by their long dark brown hair and blunt bangs.) Their only real solace back then was being apart of the gardening club and beautification committee, often spending their time tending to flowers around the school's grounds or refreshing the flowers in their homeroom.

The major reason why they developed a crush on Kara back in high school was due to his kindness towards them and his fellow appreciation for flowers. What Kuroba pinpoints as the moment they fell for him was when he complimented them on the care they put into maintaining the courtyard's garden beds, saying that you can tell how loved they are. The exchange really stuck with them, but they admit it's a bit of a silly reason to fall for someone for. (This doesn't stop their ass from slipping right back into those feelings later on, though.)

After high school, they attended an all women's college, majoring in horticulture. Their confidence and self-assurance really improved when they started college, as they slowly started to find their own voice and style. They were actually somewhat popular in their department, (perhaps due to them developing a more princely presence over time.)

They're friends with Ichiko and Jyushiko, having attended the same college. They briefly dated Ichiko in their 2nd year of college, but decided it was better to just stay friends instead. The two still hang out frequently.

They're also friendly with Totoko and often hang around to chat with her whenever they buy fish from the Yowai's shop. She actually remembered Kuroba from high school, despite the two never really interacting in the past.

They own a moped and are often seen riding it around the ward to drop off flower deliveries. (Before taking over the business, they mostly did deliveries for the shop.)

They live in the 2DK apartment over Yotsubana Florals. They're pretty good at keeping things tidy, but they definitely have an slight issue with hoarding houseplants and bonsai. Their kitchen is also rarely touched since they aren't the best at cooking.

They own a bearded dragon named King, who they refer to as the shop's real manager. You'll sometimes find her relaxing on Kuroba's shoulders while they're working.

BONUS : karamatsu after buying the 15th bouquet of roses from kuroba that month

[bookbitchx]

Hello hello here's a lil rant about SJMs writing of Rhys and it driving me crazy :) (CC3 spoilers, ACOTAR spoilers, minor TOG spoilers)

I agree with your post that questions whether or not SJM was being purposeful when she created the dynamics of the IC and their allies. I personally think in order to determine if SJM is doing this purposefully its important to take all her books into account (especially with the crossover in CC3 😭 And because SJM's only finished series currently is TOG, most of my comparisons will involve that series)

I suspect that the IC's emotional journeys are still very far from over. Especially Rhys and Feyre since they have been arguing off page (which is understandable given it wasnt their POVs) and SJM purposefully included Ember Quinlan defending Nesta in the bonus chapter. Now each of these characters have VERY strong personalities, but Ember in particular comparing rhys to someone who abused her is EXTREMELY important for us as readers to note for future books. And i really hope that its because SJM is finally gonna let him be held accountable for being an ass towards his mate's sister and for meddling so much in their relationship.

Rhysand in particular out of all of the IC has probably the most potential for a good redemption arc. Hes traumatized by his families deaths and UTM in canon and it would be safe to assume his childhood in Windhaven wasn't exactly pleasant. So giving us the Archeron POVs to unpack these centuries old characters is bound to get messy due to their own lack of experience, (but it makes for good fan interaction, i see you sjm).

Rhys definitely has better intentions than the Highlords before him did, but he still has some iffy behavior that stems from needing to have control over his surroundings likely due to traumatic events where he felt powerless to save those he cares for. But that doesn't excuse the fact that he has (accidentally) hurt more people while trying to keep control. He withheld life saving info from his mate bc he didnt want her to worry, he threatened and chased Nesta from the city because she shared the info he was hiding, he stole the book from Tarquin despite the fact that he likely would have helped rhys anyway, he locked his IC in Velaris to protect them (when Amren could've solo'd anyone in UTM 🤫). All of which to me sounds like could be control issues.

Now for who I think is the closest character we have to really compare to Rhys, the MC of TOG also struggled with control issues throughout the series. And her own trauma also mirrors Rhys' to an extent, especially her family life and the fact she was also stuck without fresh air while she was in Endovier. She made bad choices throughout her story, ones that affected the people she loved directly. But when her arc concluded, she was able to make healthier decisions for herself and loved ones despite that.

If SJM truly loves rhys as much as she claims, I don't think she wouldn't give him an opportunity to heal like the one she gave to Aelin. Especially after she hinted in CC3 that things are NOT always all fine and dandy in Feysand's relationship, Feyre herself said she was furious with the IC in acosf, and the two of them have yet to discuss how Rhys' actions utm affected her.

Realistically, I don't the highest hopes for Rhys' character arc unfortunately, but a girl can dream of a better ACOTAR 😂 I wanna believe that it'll be a great series when it concludes but im hesitant in putting my faith into SJM tbh 😔 Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful rest of ur day/ night and im so excited to hear your thoughts!

Heyy

I hope you're having a good day/night too!

You definitely make some good points.

I can kind of see similarities between Rhysand and Aelin, but at the same time, I don't.

Aelin, for all her faults and mistakes, had at least tried to do the right thing, no matter how misguided it was. She was selfish and reckless and ended up hurting people close to her, but she owned up to it. She was also young. She was, what like 19-20? Not an excuse, but a factor.

Rhysand, on the other hand... God, where do I even start?

It's weird because ACOTAR is so different from TOG in terms of writing, and I'm just talking about first person/third person POVs.

I honestly believe that SJM tried to make the series black and white. Tamlin Bad, Rhysand good. Eris bad, Mor good. Nesta bad, Feyre good... and accidentally ended up with a controversial mess.

I mean good for her. Publicity is publicity no matter if it's positive or negative (here we are talking about it), but yeah.

Rhysand was supposed to be this morally grey character, but she ended up making him a self praising, self-proclaimed king of feminism, most powerful High Lord with nothing to back it up.

○ He gives Feyre 'choices' only when the outcome is in his favor.

○ He claims he's all for women's freedom to choose whatever they want... yet he lets those Illyrian camps keep women as glorified slaves and praises the leaders for giving them 2 hours of training.

○ He's 'the most powerful High Lord' yet he can't control the HC, and the camp leaders barely respond to him.

○ He, Feyre, and the IC feel entitled to information that affects the whole of Prythian... for what I don't know.

○ I'm not even going to get into the acts he commits against his 'family' bc I would be here for a while.

○ He encouraged his mate to take her petty revenge on Tamlin, destroying his entire court in the process, innocent lives and homes, not to mention making Prythian more vulnerable to Hybern.

○ He got mad at Nesta for giving the mask to Bryce... isn't that what he did with the book? Except he stole it and destroyed Summer Court property while Nesta controls the mask.

You're right about his control issues, though, as was seen with Nesta every time she didn't listen to him. I can see how that would relate to the lack of control he felt UTM, but...

Did 50 years UTM getting SA affect him? Obviously. I don't disregard the trauma he went through, but I also don't turn a blind eye to the things he did UTM.

He assaulted his mate with no excuse. He could've easily left her in that cell instead of making her wear a napkin and get drunk against her will. Amarantha didn't even care when he paraded her around and only got mad when she saw them kissing.

The children of the Winter Court that were killed, I don't know why it was brushed off with no consequences because who else would have done it? Daematis are extremely rare, and somehow, there was another one powerful trapped under the mountain, but he doesn't know who? Another Daemati who was working for Amarantha and didn't call out Rhysand on the Claire Beddor lie?

God, this turned into a rant, I know, and I'm sorry, lol.

I personally don't see a redemption arc satisfying enough happening or at all really. I read somewhere that Rhysand was created after SJM's husband Josh... yk where I'm going with this.

Anyway, if you sat through this, thanks!

[asliceofzosan]

please do continue your thoughts on the hockey player sanji and figure skater zoro bc i am eating it like a feral dog rn 👀👀👀👀👀🫦

with pleasure !! fair warning, i don't know every single thing about both sports. i've retained info from when i was super obsessed with them but i might not be the most accurate HAHAHA this one is about zoro as a figure skater ! mayhaps if u send me another ask, i can talk about sanji as a hockey player :>

when i was thinking about figure skater zoro, the first thing that came to my mind was which discipline would he major in. when he was a kid, i think he was dead set on being an olympic gold medalist and was determined to get it alone. so he wanted to be the best in the mens singles discipline. i saw someone wrote in the tags of my post that sword fighting is akin to figure skating (at least in singles) to not be a team sport. for the most part, it really isn't. especially since early zoro, who was determined to become the best figure skater in the world, didn't think being in a team yet mattered to his goal.

in this au, i envision that kuina just had a major spinal injury that left her unable to skate again. kuina and zoro had the same childhood coach (kuina's dad) and eventually zoro changed coaches when he grew up and decided to switch to pairs skating. (his current coach is mihawk — former 3 time olympic gold medalist. twice in mens singles and once in pairs. debating on whether his one skating partner before retirement would be perona or someone else)

the reason why i think he'd much rather go for pairs skating over ice dancing is due to pairs skating being more acrobatic. which isn't to say he hasn't considered it before !! some of his other figure skating idols are in ice dancing. however, he found pairs skating more appealing to him and his personal goal.

the absolute trust as well that you and your partner have is crucial. zoro entering pairs skating ties into what his philosophy of strength is. he can't be the best alone. he can be the best with nami as his skating partner, who trusts him implicitly to catch her every time she's tossed into the air. there's also so many opportunities to push himself mentally and physically when in pairs. it's not just you on the ice. you can't be the only one who looks good. your partners and you have to be in sync the entire time. this definition from the us figure skating site sums it up pretty well:

"The pairs event combines the athleticism of singles skating with the challenge of unison and the acrobatics of overhead lifts and throws. Each movement is performed in unison, requiring a significant amount of timing and trust between partners." (usfigureskating)

also on a personal note, i have a very self-indulgent headcanon that zoro is very musically inclined. probably took lots of dance and ballet lessons as a kid to strengthen his skillset for skating. he's very strict with hitting beats just right and feeling the flow of the music from his head down to his toes. thats very important in figure skating. zoro considers the presentation score just as important as the technical score and anyone who says otherwise is stupid.

he's very defensive over his sport. he's had to be held back from fist fights before with obnoxious hockey kids who thought his sport was lame and not a real sport. that's part of the reason why he never found interest in hockey. though his best friend luffy is a fantastic athlete in his own right, he can't for the life of him ever find it enjoyable. (except when the teams go into fights on ice. he cheers for luffy to punch people in the face every time)

ofc zoro only really ends up having more interest in the sport when sanji joins luffy's team a few years later. but that's a story for another day ;)