#i'm considering putting it on nexus but i could not figure out how to make it content patcher compatible

[wildflowercryptid]

honestly, i've broken down and need to romance sam again so i'm starting a remake of my switch sdv file on my computer.

[spidori]

Doctor Danny Fenton: On The Run

Danny knew he was on borrowed time.

Sure, he was harder for Clockwork to find than most- something about it being harder to look for an acausal nexus than a causal one, and the medallion fused into his core severing him from standard causal flow, Dan had explained it to him once, before he... no! Focus Danny! You don't know how long you have until he finds you!

Dragging himself out of his dissociation, Danny took stock. He still had the Infinimap in one hand; it was still green and dripping from something he couldn't afford to think about right now. Where and when had the Infinimap interpreted his shout of "a way to run away" as asking to travel to?

"Dann'O! You're just in time to see our newest upgrades to the speeder!"

"Uhhh... You made it look like a Volkswagen beetle?”

"Oh, Sweetie, no. See!" his mom said, opening up a control panel and poking around, then stepping away from what was now a cargo van.

"Your father and I finally figured out how to fuse ectoplasm with metals to make ecto-alloy! We rebuilt the speeder from it and added a camouflage circuit. Now it can change shape into whatever will blend into the surrounding environment for any ghost hunting scenario."

"And the best part is, it even gives off an ecto-signature! Those spooks won't know what hit 'em when you ambush 'em from this one Mads!"

A transforming vehicle with its own ecto-signature to hide inside? Yeah, that might work, even though Danny remembered the camouflage feature had been a short-lived modification because of how often it would get stuck and have to be put through a hard-reset to get it changing again. And judging by the way the Infinimap was subtly tugging towards the improved speeder that's exactly what it brought him here for.

"Mom, Dad, whatever happens next, I love you, and I'm sorry."

"Danny, sweetie, is something wrong?"

"More than I have time to explain, mom. Look, if you see Jazz... If this timeline... Just, tell Jazz I love her too, ok?"

"Dann'o, you're scaring us."

"I know. I'm sorry. Hopefully you'll have the chance to be able to forgive me for this. Going Ghost!"

Ok. He had made it into the speeder. The new metal wasn't phase-proof, there were pros and cons to that, ones he would consider later if he made it that far. At least the interior was pretty much unchanged, so he'd been able to get the speeder started before he'd heard the sound of a clock tolling and his parents' banging on the door had suddenly stopped.

He'd gunned it into the portal quickly enough to get into the relative safety of the zone before its stop sign frame and hazard pattern doors dissolved into obliterated nothingness along with everything else he had been able to see, or sense, of his home dimension...

Something else to be stuffed in the trauma box to be unpacked never if he was ever able to stop running 'later,' something to unpack 'later.'

The tugging in his hand was getting stronger, so at least he was probably heading in roughly the right direction.

He tried veering a little to the right to see if he could get a better sense for the direction the map was tugging, only for its pull to remain unchanged.

Confused, Danny glanced down to see it was actually tugging towards the dashboard.

Or rather, the ectoplasm- all that remained of Dani... 'LATER!'- which coated it was tugging towards the dashboard.

Desperately hoping this meant there might be something of his favorite halfa left to save, Danny pressed the coated map to the dashboard, and prayed.

Within seconds, the map was gone, absorbed into the speeder. Then things got even weirder.

Weirder than the group of ancients putting aside their many feuds to team up on him had been.

Stranger than those ancients somehow getting the Observants on their side.

More out of the blue than the Observants using their binding vow with Clockwork to force him to try to eliminate any timelines with Danny in them, as well as anyone who was even part Danny.

It had been a hell of a day.

And now the speeder had apparently grown absolutely gigantic after absorbing the Infinimap if the anachrofuturistic room Danny suddenly found himself in was anything to go by.

And according to the view screens it was generating a relativistic time, space, and dimensional tunnel?

Oh Lord. Danny was going to have quite the time explaining this one to his parents if he managed to undo enough of this to have a timeline to return to.

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

The tunnel let out in a universe with low-to-minimal ambient ectoplasm according to the external sensor arrays.

That phrasing! That was Exactly how Clockwork had phrased it the last time Danny had talked with him as 'Clockwork'; after the Observants took control of him with their vow he had called himself Chrona, which was the first thing which clued Danny in that something was wrong.

What was it Clockwork had told him?

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

"Local ambient ectoplasm levels are an important consideration for stronger ghosts, Danny. Your perception is skewed by the limits of your experiences, as well as your unique biology, but Amity park and the Infinite Realms as a whole are essentially the top of the scale for ambient ectoplasm levels.

Normally, ectoplasm is a renewable, but much more finite resource. A sufficiently powerful ghost can easily consume all that is available in an area with a normal level before they are able to accomplish anything worth the effort if they aren't extremely frugal with their use of power. Normally, it makes any plans which would involve other realms simply not worth the effort and energy expenditure involved, especially with the additional up-front cost of breaching the veil.

There are even locations with low-to-minimal ambient ectoplasm, which makes them practically immune to ghostly influence. Only the very weakest of shades, ones who require next to no ectoplasm to maintain their current state of existence, can naturally persist in such places. Well, them, and extremely rare exceptions such as Halfa's, whose unique state of existence allows them to generate nearly all of the ectoplasm required to sustain their ghostly half. Any other ghosts would have to gather all of the ectoplasm they would need before going to any such spot, like how the astronauts you love so much need to bring everything for survival with them into deep space.

Actually, the deep space metaphor is particularly apt, as there are whole dimensions with far lower levels of ectoplasm than the one you call home.

Should you ever find yourself able to indulge that space obsession of yours, that would be a good place to do it. Most ghosts would be unable to follow you there, and even those who technically could would have great difficulty sustaining themselves once they arived."

"Geez, Gramps, you're feeling talkative today. Usually I can't get anything nearly this direct out of you."

"It will be important for you to understand your options, my young halfa. Speaking of which, keep in mind that your specific nature is vital to your ability to so easily sustain yourself in such environments. Even other halfas will have much more difficulty surviving in the lowest ecto-level locations as a result of their less balanced compositions. I know your young mirror's obsession also involves exploration, but she would require near constant fulfillment of her obsessions to have a hope of generating enough to get by without supplementation for you or another living being with a similar drive to seek new experiences. Mr. Masters would be better off due to his greater degree of human biology, but would also be hindered by the less complete connection to his ghost side. He would likely find transformation essentially impossible outside of survival scenarios- though you yourself probably would as well- and even his human form would experience side-effects like pounding headaches, or the constant sound of his heart pounding in his ears like a drum as it was pushed to maintain his starving ghostly side."

"I'm sure Dani and I could manage. And if we couldn't, we could always call you to pick us up."

"Untrue, actually. Any location with low enough levels to cause young Danielle to suffer would also be extremely difficult for me to reach. Such low levels could require anywhere from days to centuries in order to push enough ectoplasm through the veil to form a link, possibly more if an entity- such as an injured halfa- or anomaly- such as a rift of any kind- on the other side is draining whatever bleeds through. Your own presence may act to shorten that time somewhat if you can generate enough ectoplasm on site, but even then I would have to find you first. My abilities as an ectoplasmic entity rely wholly on manipulation of ectoplasm, and that includes my near omniscience. Should you ever find yourself in a location with sufficiently low ectoplasm, I would have a great deal of difficulty locating you; the link between our cores would mean that I would always be able to locate you eventually, but you would need to stay in one place for quite a while, which would rather defeat the purpose of emergency rescue."

"So if I ever need to hide from you because I actually manage to pull a prank on you which you don't see coming, all I have to do is find and then literally flee to one of a very select subset of alternate dimensions?"

"Pretty much. Although if you're hiding from me you would want to actively muddy the waters as well."

"Setting aside that I don't think I'd ever want to hide from you, Gramps, muddy the waters?"

"I'm a conceptual entity, Danny. I anchor to that concept in every single reality in which it exists. If the concept of time is sufficiently redirected to something or someone else to any degree, whatever portion has been redirected is therefore unavailable for me to latch onto. The same idea applies to Nocturn not being able to enter the DC Dimension because of their Dream of the Endless. Meanwhile, Pandora could enter almost at a whim if not for her guard duties, because that universe associates hope with her almost directly. In my case, anything strongly associated with the flow and concept of time could hinder me, while spreading my own name would allow me a greater share of any ectoplasm generated by the dimension.

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

Ok.

Danny could work with this.

He would have to keep traveling so that Clockwork- no, it was Chrona now- couldn't lock onto him or Dani-fused-to-the-dimensionally-traveling-speeder (He would have to workshop that).

If possible, he would also have to find a way to make a myth associated with time in an abnormal manner; the question was how to do that?

And he would need to do all of this while expending as little of his ectoplasm as possible, and probably supplementing Dani's whenever he could if she was ever going to have any chance of reconstituting.

He could definitely work with this; he refused to accept otherwise.

Maybe his parents had left some things he could use in the speeder before they were- 'Later!'

Hmm... No tools lying around... There was the weapons locker, but he should probably use whatever was in those ecto-batteries immediately so they wouldn't act as some kind of concentrated-ecto-homing-beacon. Maybe they could help Dani heal?

As he brought the disconnected batteries to the console in the center of the room, he saw it. There, sticking out of one of the panels which would probably have originally been the cup-holder in the center console before everything was transformed, was his dad's favorite 'screwdriver.' Not that it was even remotely recognizable as a screwdriver anymore; his dad had modified it so many times that it looked more like a futuristic laser pointer now. It had become his favorite hobby project before he was- 'LATER!'

He recognized this one as the version which required next to no ectoplasm to work, but as a trade-off had been completely unable to interact with wood for some reason. Something about still partially living matter and destructive interference with foreign emotional resonance as a naturally evolving survival mechanism in- Ramble 'later', focus on surviving now.

And Danny was actually starting to feel like he could find a way to survive with what he had. It was like his dad had always said about the screwdriver.

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

"See how many things it can do now, Dann'O! If I had tried to turn it into this version from the start it never would have worked; I would have gotten frustrated and had to move onto some other project for the sake of my sanity, and our house's walls. But since I took it one small change at a time, look at what I've been able to turn it into.

Incremental change, son! It's how any real change happens. If you want to accomplish something big, you try to choose the things which you think will lead towards wherever you want to end up, especially when they won't get you all the way there, big easy changes like that almost never stick for one reason or another. Over time those small steps add up, and you end up somewhere a lot better than where you started. So, what do you think you can do to apply that to working on your grades?"

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

Yeah, Danny could start to do something with what he had. He was still half alive, and could keep himself that way as long as he never stopped running long enough for Chrona to find and catch up to him. He had a Time and Dimensional and Relativistic Space ship (still not quite right, but better) with Dani fused into it to help him do just that. And he had his dad's screwdriver and advice.

So where should he start?

Well, if he wanted to build a myth, and to fulfill his obsessions wherever possible, protecting people while exploring all of time and space was probably as good a way as any. A time-traveling madman with an ever-changing camouflaged space-ship and a 'screwdriver', just passing through, helping out, was sure to get some attention.

It just needed a name to really give people something to latch onto.

He had just gotten his doctorate in engineering before everything went to hell, but as much as he'd like to use Dr. Fenton, that was just laying down a trail and begging Chrona to follow. His real name would probably have to be a closely guarded secret; the title was good though, so instead, he would just call himself

The Doctor.

Now, where should he run to next?

[interstellar-elf]

Okay, so I updated my thoughts on the 13 Primes with some added context to my thoughts:

There isn't much to interpret about the relics, but it appears that the most recognizable ones are: the Matrix, the Emberstone, the Enigma of Combination, the Requiem Blaster, the Forge of Solus, and the Star Saber. Everything else looks relatively like a blob, or doesn't seem to correspond to their Prime, ie the thing that looks like the Lenses seems to be held by Onyx simply because this Prime is the only one with bird like wings.

The designs of the Primes aren't really matching with the traditional illustrations of the Covenant of Primus, especially when you consider the huge change in how Quintus in the CoP looks compares to his Earthspark look. This is why I really don't want to make too many assumptions before we actually get confirmation via a new guidebook or in cartoon lore drops (which is probably happening in season 2, since that's the norm for cartoons nowadays). There are a few I'm going to say are probably present: Alpha Trion (ever since G1, he's pretty much associated with giving Optimus the Matrix in some form or another, plus his shoulder pads and cape are a dead give away), Quintus Prime (again, looking very dissimilar to his CoP appearance), Nexus Prime (simply because he's holding the Enigma and nothing else), Prima (due to him holding the Star Saber and his head crest), Leige Maximo (mostly bc the horns, though this LM has some other interesting design choices which I will talk about later), Vector Prime (the head shape mostly), Megatronus (because of the Requiem Blaster and nothing else), Solus Prime (the hammer and the "hair coming out from behind her head), and Onyx/Alchemist Prime (can't decide which one it is, namely because the relic looks like the lenses but the figure has a lot of "animalistic" features, namely the bird wings, which fits Onyx well). Again, for the people familiar with the Transformers, the designs of these Primes really take a departure from a lot of familiar design attributes established in some of the Aligned literature. However I see this as a kind of positive given several reasons, including that I wasn't a big fan of the Aligned stuff (save for maybe Rescue Bots) and that Earthspark is doing it's own thing and it works. However, there is a very strange case of the fact that Micronus Prime doesn't seem to be among the 13, which might mean Micronus has a different look, that the 13 Primes aren't exactly being potrayed as they actually are (though this was kind of jossed by Quintus Prime's appearance in the show).

The one's I've circled in pink are ones I think look feminine. The Leige Maximo one really stands out to me as the design's face and hips look feminine or, rather different from other Primes wearing the robe like feature over the lower half of their bodies. It could be me just making some assumptions, but it really feels like that. In addition, there's another Prime next to Solus (who has been the sole female Prime in the line up), who also has some features that look to me to be somewhat feminine, with the hip, waist shape and facial features, along with what kind of looks like a little bit of hair coming out from their head or is it a head crest? I kind of want to call this Prime "Amazon Prime" as it's kind of an inside joke among Transformers fans. Then again, it could be nothing, since Earthspark has a lot of design variation and I could be just putting alot of stock on designs that probably aren't standardized.

So those are my thoughts, I've been waiting a while to post my completed thoughts, so I hope this isn't too long a read.

[aegagrusscholarship]

I just wanted to let you know that I use your Doc avi so much in VRChat!! Literally the main one I use and I love your design for him. <3 Are you considering making more avatars in the future? Or perhaps showing your progress in how you made something like this? You seriously have a talent, you could totally take commissions for MadCom avis. Anyhow! Regardless if Doc is the only avi you make, just wanted to share some love. Fantastic work! <3

WAUH THANK YOU SO MUCH I APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH.... dude you have no idea how much that means to me

i am absolutely planning to make more avatars, yes, but also i am in Assignment Hell and will be for some months yet. alas.

once i got the time, my first priority is fixing up the funny V1/2 avatar I've got because half the emotes are broken (...and i got the wrong emote set, anyways) and the rigging is utterly borked. HOWEVER that is a not-too-difficult fix, i just need to get a day to sit down and get it done especially since i'm done with the rigging fix and just need to import it now.

AS FOR MADCOM i actually am planning a crackpot one! and i have, uh, approximately 5% done for sanford (and by that i mean. i have the blender file. i have the file). anyways. crackpot is higher in priority. i'll probably focus on the post-fall of nexus design first, but i'll definitely get a version out with the pre-fall mask design at the VERY least. probably will go make their lab coat anyways, i could reuse that for a lot of characters.

uhhhh for progress, i'm... not 100% sure on that. i've mostly been following tutorials so the way i make vrchat avatars is really nothing out of the ordinary. if i manage to pull something weird off, i'll make a post, but until then i probably will just post the finished products.

i gotta say though there are not enough good gun effect tutorials out there so once i finally figure out how the fuck that works, i'll put the method out there (the one i use right now is... outdated as hell, janky as hell, and looks like shit)

anyways!! thank you so much man i appreciate it a lot

[48787]

I go on tumblr so I can look at one single post for upwards of 5 hours to make tags 3 people will read and yet I still am in full belief that I am getting more out of this than I ever did out of any of the college courses I took to pursue a "career" I am no longer simply surviving, but I have managed to realize and now actualize the skills I actually wanted to hone for my entire life and while I am not applying those skills to anything that far reaching just yet, the fact that I feel compelled to apply them anywhere at all is what matters. Once I figure out how to work sleep into this equation world domination is inevitable. I wish I had the ability to do research into reducing the amount of sleep needed for the human body, perhaps eliminating the need entirely so it becomes something only done when rest is truly needed, however I would only have the ability to do said research once I figure out how to cast curses and hexes so I can add a "This can never be used to increase the monetary value of any party ever at all for ever and ever amen" clause that makes anyone who even considers using it to schedule more hours for less pay head explode. It also makes anyone who schedules themself for more hours for the same amount of pay would probably also have their head explode too I think? Maybe if they schedule themself for more hours but for more pay, and at the larger expense of the company's income, they'd be fine? Maybe you could make your boss' head explode by asking for more hours, it's technically their decision... Hmm.. I think I should probably think about the fine print on that, the angelic "Just dont do it lol" way of doing things only really works when you're trying to be vague or ambiguous for a reason... Lucifer might have some pointers, but I hear he's pretty busy. Maybe he can recommend an agent or lawyer? Maybe im so bad at going to sleep because i need to figure out how to make sleep more in line with my weird ambitions.... If the lucid dreaming stuff if real, I suppose I could use it as a time to flesh out very hazy and rough mental concept art.... Eeh... I don't really like putting much stock in dreams... I suppose it's mostly an agency thing, maybe lucidity is what might fix that? Maybe I could more directly confront the world building concepts in my dreams, not in a "What does this mean for my subconscious" kinda way because fuck that, but in a, like, "Oooo you are in a spooky maze" "What is the maze made of?" "Uh... I don't know... stone?" "Like rough stone, cut stone, marble?" "Mmmarble... Yeah.. M--" "Who built the maze?" "Just do the fucking maze, this is supposed to be scary" "Surely someone built the maze, surely they had a reason for building the maze. I can't even know why I'd want to escape the maze until I learn why I'm in it or what's outside it. You have to answer my questions or I'll wake up right fucking now." kinda way. It should be fine to make those threats to myself? I don't think I'd take it super personally, I think I'd get it. I'd probably want to do the world building for myself anyway. I do wish I didn't have to sleep though. I wish I could just think of a good enough concept for a story about not needing to sleep that I'll reach some hidden truth and be able to make the concept work for real... Maybe I'll inspire someone to invent to torment nexus for me!! Man-made horrors of my comprehension!!! I think I'd be honored...

[tblsomedoodles]

Did Lou Jitsu and Big Mama ever actually get married in Family Web au, or were they still just lovers who happened to have kids together before they got mutated?

No they never got married. Their relationship was serious enough to be married, but they never felt the need to make it official.

(i am of the belief that Lou asking Big Mama to marry him was what made her essentially kidnap him in cannon. Like she could have taken off with him at any time, but she liked what they had. It wasn't all just dance parties and the like, they were comfortable together even just watching tv on the couch. But then Lou brings out a ring, and marriage is something she does not want. so she panics and is like "i guess this thing we have going on is over so i'm just going to put him in the arena for funsies.")

The main divergent point of this au is the fact that he never asked her to marry him, so she never felt the need to leave and ended up introducing him to the Nexus as a willing competitor. (which lead to their continued relationship, which lead to the kids, which lead to kids and lou being mutated, etc)

Thank you!

Lol, pretty much! Plus he'd probably get free protection from Mama considering he (and his restaurant) are a favorite of her boys. He's not going to turn that down : )

thank you!

Oh definitely. She needs to know so she can figure out the best way to help them with it. (ie. what sort of teachers she would need. b/c she doesn't care how reformed Draxum is, he's not teaching her babies mystics!)

thank you!

[witheringvoice]

September 17th, 2017 - A Poem

TW: Mentions of death, mentions of suicide, mentions of police, mentions of guns, mentions of alcohol, mentions of pills

I adore September.

Fall is one of my favorite months.

It's not my favorite because I'm not fond of the cold.

I am fond of sweater weather, but it's too crisp.

I love the beginning of September.

Because school starts and it's time to be productive.

I love the end of September because it's clearly fall.

It becomes noticeably fall by the end of September.

I love fall colors.

The week leading up to the seventeenth though...

And part of the week after...

What you can consider the middle of fall...

I hate.

I always seem to forget.

The beginning of September I always remember.

"Remember, the anniversary is coming up."

"Remember you'll struggle that day."

But I always forget.

I blame school, so focused on getting into rhythm.

I hate the 16th and 17th.

It's been five years now.

But it still hurts.

Five years ago, my mom was dating someone.

His name was Victor Warren.

He was a very intelligent person.

An intellectual, a kind man.

He was the biggest father figure I've ever had.

He was so good to me, he understood my brain.

We would play a strategy games together often.

My favorite one he owned was Nexus Ops.

I'd usually win.

On the sixteenth, that night my mom had a night shift.

My brother, at a friends for the night.

He and I played the game because I didn't want to sleep.

Whenever I'd have nightmares he'd tuck me in.

I have never liked sleeping.

It's not that I have frequent nightmares, I don't.

I used to have a nightmare once a week though.

When I was little.

My mind couldn't slow down enough to sleep.

But playing that game helped me get to sleep.

My mom explained to me what happened when I fell asleep.

In between me falling asleep and being awoken up, a lot happened.

Victor opened up his stash of alcohol because he was an alcoholic.

He was trying to get sober, while also indulging every once in a while.

And, he drank that with his antidepressants.

Nobody needed to explain to me that you shouldn't do that.

Apparently, he locked my mom out, then let her in after a while.

They fought a bit and she tried to go to bed.

TW: BAD STARTS NOW (Like--Gun and fighting and--near death and death)

I was awoken to a weird noise and a bang on the wall.

My room was right by theirs.

It sounded like my mom was crying.

She later told me he tried to shoot her.

I sat up in bed and after a while my mom came in my room.

She urged me to get out of bed, put on a jacket, and to get out.

I couldn't even put on shoes before she rushed me out of our apartment and down the stairs.

We lived on the second floor.

She told me to hide in her car and lock all the doors.

I did.

She paced in front of the stairs that lead up to the second and third floors of our apartment building.

She was on the phone with the police.

I sat in the back of the car, watching.

I was terrified, but I don't think I was crying.

I saw him coming down the stairs.

There was something in his hand.

I couldn't tell what though.

He took my mom's phone and threw it to the ground.

They seemed to wrestle for a bit, my mom crying.

She started begging him not to hurt her in front of me.

She said I was in the car and if he wanted to hurt her, not to do it where I could see.

I think that got to him because he just went back up to our apartment.

My mom quickly grabbed her phone and got me out of the car.

Her keys were still in the apartment after all.

She and I hid behind a nearby bush, we didn't know what else to do.

After a while of waiting, my feet hurt from the concrete.

We heard walking.

I was terrified it was Victor.

I was terrified that I was terrified of him at that moment.

It was two police officers.

They took us near the entrance of the complex, where more police people were.

They put us in the back of a cop car.

And we waited.

I started crying then, I was scared.

I don't know how long passed, but the radio suddenly said stuff.

It was hard to make out the police radio speaking.

But I made it out.

He shot himself, to escape arrest I suppose.

It was starting to get bright out by then.

Wanna know the worst part?

His birthday was the 17th, the morning he died.

We were gonna celebrate with Chinese food and watch a movie.

My mom was gonna make the food, for his 42nd birthday.

He wanted to watch Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy.

You may, or may not get why.

Regardless, I don't blame him for what happened.

He wasn't in the right mind.

I was in fourth grade when that happened.

To this day, it hurts.

Sometimes I forget about him.

Which hurts more.

But I also remember him a lot.

In strategy games, in sci-fi shit.

He was a great guy.

Two weeks later two rings came in the mail.

He was gonna propose.

He shot himself in front of our apartment.

We didn't move out until covid made us unable to afford the place.

I'm glad we moved, but that process was terrible.

We went homeless again, and he saved us from the last time.

I miss him, he was a great guy.

But that's why I hate the middle of September.

Because I feel like shit.

The anniversary of September 17th, 2017.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

B2:S - Chapter 5

Much of this series will be about the differences and additions in the novel version, and how they contribute to my understanding of story canon. But there will be character appreciation, the odd theory and headcanon, and suchlike as well.

Here be lots of Viren deets, Best Boy Soren deets, some writing/continuity stuff, worldbuilding appreciation and half of a theory, Detective Rayla, Moon Temple geeking, Claudium and dark magic, and more!

Spoilers for Book Two: Sky below.

(I know for darn sure that I wrote up a post for chapter 4, but I can't find it anywhere so I guess Tumblr ate it and I'll have to redo it at some point, but today is not that day)

Viren, my evil dude, my bad guy, coming in clutch with the worldbuilding and backstory again! If you want to know decades of information, you gotta talk to Viren. Or read his scenes, at least. Here, he seems to not sleep much when he has a big problem to analyze his way through. Solutions trump pretty much everything else in this guy's life, and he's had a really hard week with a lot of new and complicated problems. Of course he's getting sleep-deprived trying to find his way through them all.

Harrow put so much trust in Viren when he made him High Mage! He just threw himself extra hard at that Lady Justice blindfold, didn't he? Didn't really want to see what Viren was doing in his magic study, so he left Viren to his devices. And Viren has a lot of devices.

Also, this is fascinating: Viren made the secret passage to his "less official study" in Katolis Castle! And he was inspired to do so by the way his own mentor kept the Puzzle House. What else could a Puzzle House be, except a place with secret passages? Yay! secret headcanon that "the Puzzle House" is just "Katolis Castle" from Kid Viren's perspective tho

So either Viren built all of those passageways, or at least the ones to his dungeon. Which means he has to have, or know where to get, a stash of those glowing blue Moonshadow crystals. Hmmm.

I can't wait to learn more about Kpp'Ar and young Viren, btw. From this description of Viren and all his literal secret ways, it feels like another parallel between Viren and Runaan, with the whole "secretive paths, members only, insider knowledge" type stuff. Only the really cool members of this cult club get to know the secrets, and guess what, kid, you're cool now but you can never tell anyone, okay? Our secret.

Yeahhh, that'll never backfire in any way for either of them.

Kpp'Ar calling puzzles and secrets "man-made magic," though. Yes sir, knowledge is indeed power.

This chapter mentions Runaan by name, from Viren's perspective. Generally that would imply that Viren knows his name, even though assassins do not share their names, and Runaan didn't seem to give his to Viren in the first book. However, there was a scene in book one where the last paragraph switched perspective from Viren to Runaan - a technique that's very common in visual media like movies and shows and gives you that "ohoho they left the room and didn't notice this, but you do!" vibe. Using Runaan's name there in book one, where Viren couldn't see it but readers could, helps them keep track of the assassin's story arc while maintaining Viren's racism.

So in book two, in which Runaan has no onscreen scenes (alas), using his name in a scene that calls back to the events in book one helps us remember what happened in that dungeon cell. It would be a bit muddier to recall the specifics if Viren kept thinking about Runaan as "Elf." So I'm cool with the perspective nudge because it serves a narrative purpose: clarity. But I'm also enjoying the angst of considering that, somehow, Viren learned Runaan's name either during or after the coining spell. Mwa ha ha haaa. (Obligatory "Keep my pretty name outta your mouth" goes here)

Okay, back to Viren's scheming! He took the mirror because it was human-sized in a dragon lair. He knew it didn't really fit there, and that made it interesting, so he stole it. But he realized it was really powerful when Runaan wouldn't tell him squat about it - the assassin's instinct to protect Xadian secrets from human hands meant that Viren was holding a very powerful Xadian secret. And that just made him want it all the more. Ah, Runaan, if only your relationship with lying was, like, the exact opposite of what it is. Nyx could've spun Viren a believable tale in 2 minutes flat.

Also of interest: Viren considers his cursed coins to be a final fate. He expects Runaan to remain in his coin forever. With the Chekhov's coins still extant in the storyline, we can assume that they'll come up again eventually, but Viren has no current plans to do anything with his elf money except carry it around.

It's worth noting that Viren admits that he got impatient when he trapped Runaan in the coin. Runaan's first fate in Katolis was supposed to be death at Soren's hands, but Claudia "saved" him from that. His next fate was to become spell components, but Viren's frustration with his stubbornness "saved" him from that fate, too. So now he's in a coin, where no one can chop him up at all. Yay? No, boo!

We get one last line about Runaan before Viren shifts gears: he makes a point of noting for us that Runaan's shackles are still locked shut. However much of Runaan made it into that coin - body, soul, hair care products - he was magicked there, pulled right out of his restraints.

The creepy black liquid that Viren pours right into his eyes is the last of a powerful potion he got from Kpp'Ar, and its recipe is ancient! Humans used it back in the age of Elarion to see through the illusions of the world. And we get a delightfully creepy bit of description about the preparation of this serum, which makes it abundantly clear that it's a Moon magic-based concoction, harvested from eyeless vipers on a moonless night, with the threat of irrevocable madness ("madness" by whose definition, though) if it's done wrong-

Hang on. Hold up. This is a Plato's Cave reference. OH MY GOD.

No no I'm fine, this is brilliant. Sorry, sorry, I couldn't figure why there was so much description for a potion prep that Viren didn't even have to perform himself. But now I get it. I see the light. HA. I should make a separate post for this, it's amazing.

Anyway, for reference, the humans who used this serum were called the Oracles of Ophidia, and Ophidia is a taxonomy group that includes all modern snakes. Can you say "creepy ancient snake rites"? I can! Woo!

Viren activates the serum with a spell, but apparently he's never done it before. He's not sure if it's supposed to be hot and bubbly, and he worries that it's been tainted by moonlight.

Oh, I do hope so.

The magic potion hurts, a lot. Viren will do just about anything, to himself or anyone, to do what he believes is necessary. He just risked madness and blindness to find out what this mirror does! Viren. Can you just. Take a nap or something. Have a Snickers.

This chapter gives us a fun clue that I don't remember from the show: when Viren's vision clears and he can see, his reflection has white pupils and the room reflected in the mirror has inverted colors. You know where else has inverted colors?

You know who else got white pupils for a hot second?

Okay, now it makes sense! Viren and Lujanne were both seeing into the realm beyond life and death. Him with his moon magic potion, and her with her moon powers on a full moon night at the Moon Nexus. Which is Very Interesting! Is it a direct hint about Aaravos's location, or just a separate cool detail? Orrr, does it look like a direct hint because Aaravos is actually trapped in the world beyond life and death, but it's actually separate and we'll see something about white pupils again later on?

Viren really does have self-esteem issues, we all picked up on it with his rant at his reflection. He throws a fit when he catches himself wondering if he's actually worthless. In the book version of his tantrum, he shoves the mirror and hurls a candelabra instead of flipping a table. He didn't need to shove the mirror to set the fire, but it's in here. Foreshadowing that perhaps, if push comes to shove, Viren will choose himself over Aaravos? Giving Aaravos time to peek through and see that the coast is clear?

Soren, my boyyyyy. He has a rough night at the Moon Nexus because two sides of him are fighting with each other. He struggles to understand Callum's friendship with Rayla, and he also fantasizes about chopping off Rayla's head. One of these is a pretty ordinary thing to do. The other is Soren's internalization of what he needs to do to gain his father's approval. If he brought his dad a chopped off elf head every week, he'd probably feel a lot more confident because Viren would praise him a lot more.

Okay, okay, omg, is it just me, or does the "Moonshadow Madness" story, as it's told in the book, seem like Soren just doesn't know what a monsterfucker is? He thinks an elf bite puts humans under a spell. But vampires are sexy, and some people want them to do more to them than just bite them. A passionate kiss under the moonlight could look very bitey, especially if one of the participants has horns and you're already culturally trained to hate them. No yeah, I'm already headcanoning an actual human-elf kiss that got misunderstood by an observer long ago.

it's Lujanne isn't it, we all know, because what is a love spell but a sweet soft illusion, I mean how else does she get supplies for her Caldera, I ask you, and also Corvus was totally sent to investigate once and he told Soren at camp what he saw

And then back to magefam angst: Soren pretending that his sister's nose-tapping is stupid, even though he actually thinks it's cool, just because their dad thinks it's stupid. Viren, istg. Let your kids like harmless things. It's so cute that Soren taps his nose back at her, though! Like they have their own sibling code. I hope we get to see the nose tap again, especially now that they've chosen different sides. It could mean so much, that they're not too far apart yet.

Rayla knows what buttery pancakes smell like. I love this. Do Moonshadow elves have butter and pancakes, does Rayla eat a stack of eight giant pancakes in the morning? Orrrr it is just illusion food? I don't care, let Rayla have pancakes! Everyone loves pancakes. Pancakes will save the world. this message brought to you by the fact that I can't eat pancakes rn, send help

I love that Rayla is both sus of the pancakes and hungry, and that combines into a very motivated "I will get to the bottom of this" attitude. She kind of goes into Poirot Mode when she inserts herself into Soren and Ellis's conversation about Ava, explaining about the wolf's illusion leg and segueing into her claim that the pancakes taste sus. Claudia confirms she used dark magic, and Rayla is furious. It's different than the show's version in that it puts Rayla in detective mode, as the only Moonshadow elf in the scene, and boy does she take that role seriously. Also, she doesn't actually swallow the dark magic pancake bite. It ends up on the ground just like Lujanne's grubs from that earlier meal. These poor kids are so nutrient-starved. You guys gotta eat!!

Rayla's determination and prejudices and the fact that she super knows Harrow is dead all dovetail to make her try repeatedly to persuade Callum that Soren and Claudia are Not To Be Trusted. It's nice that the book keeps taking the time to point out that Rayla is Well Intentioned But Flawed, just like Callum and pretty much every other character in the show. No one is Right All The Time, no one Knows More Than Everyone Else.

Callum loving the sound of Claudia's unique voice is so wholesome. When you like someone, it only makes sense that you like all the things about them that they can't change - like the sound of Claudia's voice. Her choices with dark magic, not so much!

Claudia seems to have the same concerns Soren does about Callum's relationship with Rayla, but she comes out and asks him. The inherent possession implied in "your elf" is interesting, though. Elves are not people to Claudia. They're enemies who can be disassembled for the magic inside them. So maybe more like robots than living beings, if she knew what a robot was. Maybe she heard Soren's "Moonshadow Madness" story and realized he totally missed the kissing implications - but she didn't, and now she's genuinely worried that Rayla could kiss Callum under a full moon and enchant him to do her will. Good thing it's only a half moon, then!

Okay, Callum nervously making a puppet hand and then not knowing what to do with his hands and freaking out about itching and moving and pointy elbows is such a ND mood. The sudden stress of knowing that someone else is noticing your existence and maybe you're Not Existing Right, amirite? Ugh, poor Callum.

The Moon Temple! Omg it's so pretty in the description! Made to be beautiful and useful, full of knowledge but also allowing light and life inside (butterflies and vines). Lujanne, when can I move in, please? Also, it's all the more angsty because Lujanne is the only one who gets to see this beautiful place, but it has lots of chairs and shelves and tables, and it was meant to be used by lots of people. :(((

Claudia knows some of the runes on the walls. She isn't in a hurry to copy the rest of them down or anything, either. Her spellwriting is very precise, and she's a skilled mage. Her father would have made sure she was aware of the dangers of drawing sloppy runes, as much as he made her aware of the dangers of doing dark magic wrong. And the whole point of dark magic is that it's easier to learn than primal magic. Claudia supports her dad and their shared knowledge and life path. She's not gonna go nuts over an elf library she can't translate.

Side note: Between Claudia knowing some Moon runes and Viren building a secret passageway and a dungeon and lighting it with the same blue crystals that Lujanne and Ethari use for light--and Claudia exclaiming that she loves ruins--I wonder once more if there are really Moonshadow ruins somewhere in Katolis, which Viren has found and looted. Father-daughter relic hunting trip, maybe while Soren is away at camp? Omgsh that would be so wild!

Callum out here having a Viren moment with his "I feel powerless unless I've got magic that lets me help" vibes. God. I love their complicated mirroring. One of the hard differences between them is that Callum is very sure dark magic is bad because you have to kill stuff and take its power to cast spells, and he doesn't want to be a person who kills and takes like that. The line he walks to be nice to Claudia on their tour of the Cursed Caldera because he likes her, while telling her that he doesn't want to do her magic, like, ever, is so fine that it might as well be a shifting shadow on the ground. It's a very fitting conversation to be having during the half moon, with its tricks and little white lies.

Callum being out of the castle and his comfort zone, having to deal with the fact that the Claudia he loves is not quite the Claudia who's chasing him down across the kingdom, but of the two of them, he's the only one with a problem with this.

They say that if you really want to get to know someone, you should spend time with them outside their comfort zone - in heavy traffic, with a small baby, taking care of a new pet, trying a new skill, following unfamiliar directions, etc. While the castle is familiar territory for them both, Callum's never really found his comfort zone yet, while Claudia is pretty comfortable with her growing skill set. The creepy part starts to kick in when Callum begins to realize that Claudia's comfort zone encompasses a whole bunch of stuff that seems like it should make her uncomfortable... but it doesn't. But that'll be for a future chapter!

[mimisempai]

Together we can get through anything

Summary:

Mobius has just stolen the Tempad from Ravonna and discovers the truth about the TVA. He goes to visit Loki's Timecell ready to do anything to be forgiven.

___________

I keep trying to explore Lokius throughout the episodes. And if many people seem to be desperate after the last episode, I am not, so let me give you the content you deserve. My faith in Lokius has not moved an inch. And Marvel won't change that. They deserve each other. They deserve to be happy together. And here they will be.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32288020

2637 words - Rating G

Part 9 of The Story of Loki and Mobius

Mobius had to act quickly before Ravonna realized he had switched their Tempad.

He went to hide between two shelves in the archives, pretending to look for files, and turned on the Tempad

He quickly found what he was looking for, the debriefing of the C-20 mission. He pressed play.

When the screen opened to show C-20 talking, it only took Mobius a few seconds to see that she wasn't crazy like Ravonna had claimed.

"You're not hearing me. I was there. This was real, what I saw. This is a place that I've been."

Mobius looked over his shoulder quickly and returned to the video.

"This wasn't the TVA. This was a memory. I lived down there. I went to that bar. I had friends. I had a whole life on the Sacred Timeline."

Mobius didn't want to believe it, but in the face of all that was being revealed to him, how could he not?

On the video, the interrogator told C-20 to calm down.

She retorted forcefully, "Calm down? I'm a Variant. So are you. So is every single person in this place."

"I'm ending this," it was the voice of Ravonna whose face then appeared on the screen and then staring at it, she turned it off.

It was all a lie. All variants. All stolen lives.

Among the thoughts that swirled in his head, one began to emerge, a single name.

Loki.

Loki had been right. Loki had not lied to him. Or hardly ever. Not where it mattered.

Suddenly, mixed with the elation he felt, came a sense of shame. He had gained Loki's fragile trust and at the first hurdle he had reacted like all the others who had not believed in Loki before him. Just because he was jealous. Because he had seen the complicity between Loki and the Variant, Sylvie.

For the first time in his work, his feelings had been stronger than his reason, and the way Loki had lashed out to defend her had deeply upset Mobius.

He had been cruel. Even if she really had been Loki's girlfriend, it was cruel to make him believe that she was dead. Even for the purpose of gaining information.

He had seen Loki in the Time Cell admit that he deserved to be alone, while Mobius had done everything to convince him otherwise before their disastrous parting in the supermarket.

And what had Mobius told him in the end?

"Wherever you go, it's just death, destruction, the literal ends of worlds. Well, I'm gonna have to close this case now, 'cause I don't need you anymore. Yeah, or as you might say, our interests are no longer aligned."

Loki had looked so hurt at that moment, and had said to him as the guards were taking him away, "You know, of all the liars in this place, and there are a great many, you're the biggest."

Mobius had asked him, sneering, "Why? Cause I lied about your girlfriend?"

Loki had just replied, seriously, "Oh, no. That I can respect. I mean, the lies you tell yourself."

He hadn't looked back once this time before walking through the door of the Time Cell.

As he made his way to a safe place to open a Timedoor to the Time Cell, he figured he would have a lot to make up for this time.

As he walked through the door, he found himself facing Loki who looked agitated.

He immediately asked him. "What are you doing?"

"Passing the time." Loki answered ironically.

Because Mobius couldn't help it, because the memory of the jealousy he had experienced was too strong, he asked without transition, "Do you care about this variant?"

Loki answered him directly, rushing the words as usual, "Sylvie? I'm not sure if caring is the right word. We've covered this back in there."

Mobius interrupted him by shouting, "Shut up!" he paused to calm himself, he was not there to blame Loki, he asked sincerely, "Do you really think you deserve to be alone?"

Seeing that Loki didn't answer, he called out, "Loki!"

The cheeky bastard replied, "You told me to shut up." Since when did he do what Mobius told him? Mobius repeated his question, "Do you believe you deserve to be alone?"

Loki, annoyed, replied, "I don't know."

"You better figure it out quick, because the nexus event the two of you caused, whatever that connection is, can bring this whole place down. So we better understand…"

"We"?

Mobius' heart sank at the way Loki said " we ". Because Mobius had made any possibility of a we vanish by withdrawing his trust from Loki. Loki's disbelief this time was entirely his own fault.

He asked Loki urgently, "Do you swear she didn't implant those memories in Hunter C-20?"

Loki didn't hesitate a moment before answering, "Mobius, no. I believe her!"

"So, I just have to trust the word of two Lokis?" Mobius answered rhetorically because the trust he had in Loki had risen from the ashes and even if he doubted the variant, he now knew that his trust in Loki was total.

"How about the word of a friend?"

Mobius gasped at the words he didn't expect in Loki's mouth.

Then he exhaled softly. Loki called himself his friend. Mobius still had the right to be his friend. Their bond was not broken.

So even if Loki's friendship it was the only thing he would get. If that was the only thing Loki would offer him, then he would accept it. He would cherish it, he would fight for it. He would be the loyal friend that Loki deserved.

He continued urgently, wanting to prove to Loki that his trust was real, "You were right, about the TVA. You were right from the beginning. And if you wanna save her, you need to trust me. Can we do that?"

He needed to hear Loki say it, to confirm that the trust between them was back, maybe not like before, but that it was there.

"Yes."

Once again a straightforward answer, without embellishment. A simple yes that said everything, that told the truth.

Mobius sighed with relief, "Okay."

He couldn't dwell on everything he'd said before, on all his false assertions dictated by ugly jealousy, disappointment and feelings of betrayal.

That's why he added, in an insistent tone, wanting to convince Loki with all his heart, "You could be whoever, whatever you wanna be, even someone good."

Loki looked at him, his eyes full of emotion, the same look he had had when Mobius had told him that he did not consider him a villain. The dawning hope of someone who didn't dare to believe it. Then Mobius continued to convince Loki at all costs, smiling sheepishly, "I mean, just in case anyone ever told you different."

Loki's smile, a smile that Mobius had never seen on his face before, was the best reward he could have received. A sense of mutual absolution, a feeling of shared respect, and perhaps something more that Mobius refused to name because he felt he had no right to.

He was walking towards the Timedoor when he felt himself being pulled back by Loki who had grabbed his sleeve.

"Mobius, wait!"

He turned back to Loki who was still holding him by the sleeve.

"What? Is there something wrong?"

Loki exclaimed, "Is there something wrong? Is there something wrong?!" he ran his hand through his hair with frustration, "I'm not the one who was just told that his whole life, what he was fighting for, the world he lived in, was a lie! Believe me I know what that feels like! So it's me asking you, how are YOU Mobius?"

At that moment Mobius became aware of the extent of what he had just discovered, of what it meant for him.He put his hand to his chest, his breathing quickened and a cold sweat ran down his body.

He heard Loki's voice as if in the distance and felt vaguely that the man was helping him to sit on the ground with his head between his legs.

Little by little, encouraged by Loki, he found regular breathing.

Loki put his hand on his arm, gently, as if not to frighten him.

"Mobius, I need to know, first if you can you close the timedoor and then, how time is passing here?"

Mobius closed the door and replied, "In this cell, it's like time doesn't flow outside, so no matter how long we spend here, it will take Ravonna and the Hunters a little while to find us."

"Good."

After a few moments of silence, Mobius spoke up, "You know what torments me the most now that I know? I wonder if I am real. Is what I've experienced real? And was what I believe or have believed in, real for a moment?"

Loki answered him softly, "You are real, just as I am real." seeing the distress in which Mobius found himself, he continued, "And if you don't believe me, I will show you what is real to me if you will let me." He just put two fingers on Mobius' temple without pressing, waiting for his answer. Mobius nodded.

A small green light connected Loki's fingers with Mobius' head.

Mobius saw sequences in his head racing by, as if he were moving from one room to another at full speed.

Mobius held out his hand to help Loki up.

Mobius remembered that moment of course, but the emotions were not his own, it was as if he was in Loki's head.

This time Loki didn't hesitate to take it. Once on his feet, he didn't want to let go of that hand, the only non-violent human contact he'd had in years. He didn't even realize that he was tightening his fingers on Mobius'.

He asked the question that had been burning in his mind, "If I'm not the villain, then what am I?"

They still hadn't let go of each other's hands and now Mobius' thumb was gently stroking the back of Loki's hand.

Mobius tilted his head a little, seeking Loki's gaze even more.

He said with that smile that Loki was beginning to appreciate, "I don't know, but we could search together, if you want."

Loki nodded slowly and answered with a slight smile.

Next scene.

"Oh once again, shut up!"

Loki replied with a mocking smile on his lips, "Make me."

It was as if a dam broke in Mobius.

He grabbed Loki's tie to pull him to him and before the god had time to wonder what he was doing, Mobius leaned in and placed his lips against Loki's.

Their first kiss in the elevator…

Next scene.

Mobius spoke with difficulty, still out of breath, "Later," he said, "We'll continue this later, I promise. We'll have to talk. But we really don't have time right now."

Loki nodded, and placed one last kiss on Mobius' lips before they parted, their reluctance more than obvious.

Seeing the uncertainty return to Loki's gaze, Mobius took his chin and said firmly with his eyes in his head, "Loki, I'm serious, we really will continue later. I swear I'm not playing, okay?"

Loki scrutinized him for a few seconds before nodding again and answering with that familiar mischievous grin, « Ok, let's go catch whoever thinks they are me."

Then he pushed Mobius forward and they went on their way.

Their second kiss... in the archive room.

Next scene.

Loki nodded but said nothing. He gently withdrew his hand and put his collar back on. Seeing that he was reluctant to speak, Mobius turned fully toward him and pulled him by the sleeve until he was standing between Mobius' knees.

Mobius remembered, it was the day when Loki had taken care of him, had given him the illusion of being on a jetski and then in return Mobius had shown Loki what he would want on a first date.

Looking at Loki from below, Mobius asked gently, "Loki, speak to me."

Loki replied just as softly, "Is this the kind of thing you like, the kind of thing you'd like to do...with me?"

"We could start with that after this whole thing is over, what do you say? Ah unless there's a rule that says gods don't date?" asked Mobius, raising an eyebrow.

Spreading his arms, a mischievous smile on his face, Loki said with his trademark emphasis, "Hey, I'm Loki, the god of mischief, since when do I follow rules?

Quickly checking behind his shoulder that no one was there, Mobius pulled Loki's head to his own with a gentle tug on his tie and proceeded to wipe the arrogant smile from Loki's lips in the only way he knew to be effective.

Next scene.

"Oh no Loki, I never wanted you to think you were a villain, I wanted you to see that you were not the one you insist on parading to the world."

Loki protested, "But you told me I was born to cause pain and suffering and death. That's how it is, that's how it was, that's how it will be. All so that others can achieve their best versions of themselves. "

"Yes, I told you that not because I think that's what you are, I was just showing you that that's what you were limiting yourself to because you yourself think you're only capable of that. Because you want to rule so badly, that you don't see that you are made for bigger things. You asked me to trust you yesterday. I did it because Loki I have faith in you and since you've been here you keep proving it. In your own way. Because you are undoubtedly the god of mischief. Unique. Not. A. Villain."

Mobius took his chin and placed a kiss on his forehead before standing up.

Their last moment together before the Alabama mission.

Loki gently removed his fingers from Mobius' head.

"Mobius, to me this was all real, everything we said to each other, everything that happened between us. It was probably the most real I've experienced in a long time."

Loki took her head in his hands and kissed her forehead, then whispered, "You. Are. Real. Mobius." then he kissed him gently, almost chastely before pulling back a little while still holding Mobius' head in his hands.

Mobius looked amazed and asked him a little hesitantly, "After everything that's happened, you would be willing to give me another chance?"

"Huh?" asked Loki, looking surprised, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that at the first opportunity, I preferred to believe the worst rather than you, I let you down cowardly, blinded by the feeling betrayal and jealousy while I was the one who betrayed your trust "

Loki shook his head fondly.

"Oh Mobius, believe me I am a master of betrayal, low blow and jealousy. I never expected you to be perfect. After all, I tried to betray you at the first opportunity too. There are so many other parameters that we didn't know and still don't know. It's not about giving you another chance, it's about giving us another chance. So let's not waste it and let's make it something beautiful and good."

Loki stood up, and this time it was he who reached out to Mobius and helped him to his feet.

In an echo of a few days ago, it was he who gently stroked the back of Mobius' hand that he had kept in his own.

Mobius looked deeply into Loki's eyes again and asked him with a slightly hoarse voice, "If this is all fake, then who am I really?"

Loki replied with a smile, "We'll search together."

"Yes, yes, that I can do. " answered Mobius with a tightened throat.

Then he could not resist the impulse, the desire that was deep inside him since they had caught Loki and Sylvie.

He hugged Loki, the face in his hair, and, happy to find familiar sensations, he whispered into Loki's neck, "I'm so glad you're back safe and sound. You can't even imagine how much I missed you."

Loki tightened his arms around him and they stayed like that for a few seconds before pulling apart.

Mobius, opened a Timedoor and looked at Loki who nodded.

They crossed the door side by side, together, for all time, always.

______

🌈 Happy (last day) of Pride month ! 🌈 (Be pride every day!)

To celebrate, 1 day, 1 story. Phew done !

Be ready for smiles, laugh, fluff, tooth rotthing fluff, positive vibes and a lot of love! I hope you had enough !

[judgement-free-sideblog]

Dancing Lessons

Barry Berkman x reader

Summary: Barry is finally cast in a feature, the problem? He said he could dance and now he can either disappoint Sally or found a way to learn some steps.

Warnings: Swearing, blood, violence, guns, cheating, drinking.

Part 1 ● Part 2 ● Part 3 ● Part 4 ● 

Part 5 ● Part 6 ● Part 7 ● Part 8 ● Epilogue

Part 8

NoHo Hank was already in they warehouse that the other bald man drive him to, he looked a hit more pale than usual, but he still had a bright smile on his face, and if it was possible it grew even more once he saw him enter the building.

"Oh Barry, I thought Anzor will have to bring you by force here" He said and as always having an exaggerated hospitality considering the large weapons his men were carrying and the desolate place they were in, and specially since Anzor had already tied his hands together an sit him on a chair in front of Hank "Well I'm sure Fuches told you, we had an offer for you, and I want to be clear, I am more than willing to negotiate, but Batir is more of a "Do it or else" kind of guy, so what do you expect from this little exchange?" He said like this was a normal job interview, and maybe his annoying attitude made him came out of the trance and realize this was a bad idea.

"I won't kill for you anymore Hank" He said, but the pale man ignored him, or pretend he didn't listen "I came here because Fuches ask me too, but I'm no going to become your henchmen, I'm no longer killing for a living" And then because he was actually not to convince to fight for his life he add "So if you want to kill me do it for once, this is your best chance" he said and rise his tied hands

"Oh relax, who said anything about a henchman? We are no longer that kind of business" Hank said and with a hand order his men to walk out, then he let him lose, so he start rubbing his wrists.

"And the Chechen mob just want to hire me as what? An accountant?" He said bitterly. "What kind of business are you now then?"

"Batir is expanding our portfolio of business, and well sometimes acquiring new companies takes a little of persuasion, you would understand that people don't feel comfortable with guys like Anzor doing the negotiation, a gorgeous tall man with piercing blue eyes like you could come in handy to us"

"That sounds a lot like being a henchman, also what if I said yes? I am going to bully every company owner in LA for you and Batir, and then what? When I'm no use for you anymore you will shoot me? I don't think so" He said, desperately trying to figure out an escape plan.

"Oh but that's were you are wrong Barry, we don't want to hire you to be part of our organization, this is more a freelance situation" He said and smile widely since Barry was now perplex and silent. "We have a problem with a little oil company that thought they could found a wide benefactor in Texas so they will protect them from Batir, you must understand how disrespectful that is, so we want you to go a and make their lawyers to back on that idea and come back to us, after all you have greatly offended us, however if you do this your debt will be completely erased" he said and let him a couple minutes to think.

"How am I supposed to convince them?" He asked finally.

"Well you can just look at them with those puppies" he said pointing at his eyes "And if that doesn't work I'm sure you can figure something out, in the end if something happens to them I'm sure their boss will understand the message"

"How many?" He answered, and even when he haven't agree yet he could feel the adrenaline run trough his veins.

"Two guys, semi rich, but pretty unknown guys" he said unable to hide his excitement.

"And we are clear?"

"And we are clear" He said delighted "After Fuches little charade with the Burmeses, Batir thinks you are better away from us, but he will spare your life for a favor, specially a big one like this one, and if it comes to the worst case scenario for them he will also pay you for your service.

"It must be a big company if they are willing to forgive everything just for two guys" Barry said and Hanks let out a little laugh that made him realize there was something else going on there.

"Isn't it funny? This is how we met, and how we said goodbye too" he started "One of the guys used to work for us, but then he starts getting ideas of how to get ahead of Batir and he start giving advice to companies to go with our competition for a price obviously and then Batir found out he has been dating one of his niece's for like a year, like any other straight guy, right? Why do you have to be so toxic? Anyway, he wants him dead, and he is convinced that is you could do an exceptional job as you did in the monastery you can eliminate him" He handed him a folder but before he could open it a moment of clearness came to his head.

"Why me?"

"Well because you can handle a gun like anybody and are the best cold blooded killer of course" He said with no hesitation.

"Hank, you know what I mean, why do you want me to kill this man specifically, and why now?" He said with his hands trembling while he opened the folder.

"Batir found out he was dating Monique while we were following you" He started, serious for the first time in their exchange "Crazy coincidence huh? Anyway it could be of use to your lady friend, the guy is an asshole, not like Monique is any good either, but you know Batir, it took some convincing him to give this work to you, otherwise he will send our guys to deal with him, and you know how stupid these guys are, there could be collateral damage" he said and he could see the anger on his face as he look the pictures of Alan coming out of Y/N studio.

"I'll do it, I want half in advance" he said finally, and the dark look on his eyes was enough for Hank to not prevent him to leave "She needs to stay out of this, you know that right? I will kill you myself if she knows, understood? " He said before he walked out.

"Loud and clear"

Once he was alone in his car and away from the look of Hank's men he did the only logical thing he could think off and he start screaming, and loudly banging his hands against his head, he had swear to stop this, no more blood in his hands, but Hank was right, there would be collateral damage otherwise, and if doing nothing meant having her blood on his hands he rather take his gun out again.

The next morning a duffel bag with 15 thousand dollars masterly appeared at his door, thankfully before his roommates could see it, and he spent the next three days using his rehearsals to calculate Alan movements out of the studio. And he concluded that his best chance was early in the morning when he leave his house to go to his "office"

"So tomorrow is the big day" her voice said once he was resting after a particular hard session with Macy, but since his mind was on her husband he didn't saw her approach him.

"How do you know?" He asked alarmed, but he immediately realized she couldn't possibly know.

"Well you told us that your big recording of the dance is tomorrow, that's why Macy is making you do this all extra work isn't it?" She said a bit scared of his tone, maybe fearful that they were not supposed to talk yet.

"Oh that, sure, I'm just a bit worried about it I'm sorry" He said and finally a good idea came to his head. "Actually it would mean a lot of you could be there, you can tell Janice to stop acting out and teach a thing or two to my coordinator" he improvise a smile and she take it as a good sign because she smiled back.

"I would love too, what time?"

"Well I have to be there at 10, but you should go early like at 8 and see the studio, I'll text Sophie so she will give you a pass" he said knowing that Alan leave the house exactly at 8:30.

"Are you sure you want me there? I mean maybe you'll get more moral support from your..."

"I'm sure my ex girlfriend is busy tomorrow" He cut her mid sentence and for a brief moment that doesn't have to do with murder he enjoy the little smile that curve on her lips at the word ex

"In that case I think I can be your cheerleader for a day" She said but then she took a guilty look at her wedding ring and her smile disappeared "I'll see you tomorrow I guess"

He had a sleepless night, he took his gun out and cleaned, then he reviewed his plan over and over again, trying to think of a way out of this, he would kill Alan and broke Y/N heart because his nexus with the Chechens will be clear after his dead and he will be finally free, and in a couple months he and Sally will be happy, that was it right? She may be ashamed for his husband but she will be alive...

He could obviously spare his life, convince him to go away, in that case how long before Batir found out?, how long before he killed him... but she will be safe, with both men away from her... Because it was clear to him that spare Alan's life meant his own death sentence, maybe months later, but eventually, but if he was now without Sally, without Y/N, even without Fuches, what was the point?

He finally took a decision and put both the gun and the money in his backpack and fall asleep at 3 in the morning. Making his last thoughts to be of her, waiting in the studio to cheer him on his big scene.

When the sun rise over LA next morning he was drinking a hot cup of bad coffee, looking in the distance how she exit her house at 7:30, she looked prettier than in his dreams, he could have swear that she was carrying her white seetrough dancing skirts on her bag, ready to teach Janice a lesson, and his heart ached, he could not do it anymore.

Suddenly he felt the urge to confess, so he called her, begging the heavens for her to pick up, she would hate him, but she would be safe.

The phone ring... once, twice, it went to voicemail after the fourth. He was about to hang up, but suddenly he found himself talking, he didn't confess... not to his crime at least, but he was now certain that herr life and stability were more important, and sure that he will no longer see her again.

At exactly 8:30 Alan left the studio, he walk to his car that he parked a little far from the entrance, so he didn't saw the man wearing a hoodie and a baseball hat approach him, and there was so little people on the street that nobody else did.

"Keep walking asshole" and angry voice, oddly familiar, said and put what without a doubt was a gun on his back.

"Take my wallet and my phone man, that's all I got on me" he said with a nervous voice "Here my car keys, is that one there, is new" He said now more like a plea.

"I don't care about your fucking money, keep walking" he said and put him closer to him, it almost look like two friends walking, nothing suspicious about them, finally after a couple blocks he made him walk towards an alley and finally made him face him, he took off the hoodie and the cap.

He looked surprised at first, maybe a little less frightened, but the gun on his hand was a very real threat.

"I don't understand" he started "what do you want?"

"Do you know a man named Batir?" Barry asked with a dry growl, enough to make him silent.

"No, what are you talking about?" He lied nervously.

"It will be on your best interest to don't lie, I will ask one more time, do you know who Batir is?" He said putting the gun between his eyes.

"Ok, I do, I may have work with him a couple times, but I'm clean now ok?"

"Don't piss your pants dude, one more question, why did you think it was a good idea to screw his niece?" Barry said and Alan's brain seemed to finally connect the dots.

"This is about her? I'm no longer with her, we broke up, after you saw me with Y/N, I swear" He said, and the mention of her name make him loose his guard for a moment, something that Alan notice. "Listen I love my wife ok? You don't have to do this, I already got a better job offer in Texas, I will leave and Batir can keep harassing small companies, if he want the merge gone is gone ok? I don't care about the money, it was all my associate Tom's idea."

"You really like to snitch right?" Barry said exasperated "Turn around" Tear started running on Alan's face, and all hope abandoned his body "TURN AROUND NOW!!" He screamed.

He obeyed shaking and face the wall, and maybe without the fury of Barry's eyes looking at him he managed to think with clarity.

"Think of her" he said and even when he didn't saw him he felt his respiration change and saw his hand an the gun shake on the corner of his eye. "I know you are her friend, she told me everything last night because I saw you leaving the studio in the afternoon." He explained quickly and since he didn't fired he continued "You must care about her since you didn't told her what you knew about me, your a decent guy Barry, don't do this, I promise I will leave..."

***

"Y/N? Damn it's your voicemail, anyway I'm calling because... actually I don't know why I'm calling, I'm going to see you later right? , I was thinking maybe we should go eat after... You know what? The truth is... that I think, I don't know maybe if things were different, maybe I would have asked you out, but you are married and I can't change that, but at least I wanted to say that I'm glad that I met you, thank you for being there... I'll see you soon"

It was already 9:45, and he hasn't showed up yet, but you had made a full tour of the studio with Sophie and she even let you give notes to Janice, since apparently she have saw you dance in NY years before, but for a moment an odd feeling invaded your heart, the message had no sense but it felt like a goodbye.

Something completely stupid of course since he had no reason to say goodbye, but you did. You had confess to Alan about your adolescent crush, and after a long talk you had decided to try again, even when you were sure it was impossible. But it wasn't fair on your side to drag Barry into that mess, he was a good man after all.

***

The sudden sound of something hitting the ground scared him, but it was just a backpack.

"Pick it!" He said and he obeyed "There are 10 thousand dollars there, I'm sure a smart guy like you can find a way to survive somewhere else with that, you will leave and never comeback ok? No contact with Y/N or any girlfriend, no family. Nothing" He said angrily.

"Of course, thank you, I swear you won't see me again" he said frantically.

"Give your phone and your wallet, and your car keys" Alan do as told quickly now with his breathing regulated. Barry was about to start walking away from him, when he could saw him smile sardonically. "What is so funny?"

"The fact that I knew sleeping with Monique was wrong and I panicked when you saw me with my wife, but I never thought that it could save my life" He said and maybe the nod Barry gave him encouraged him to keep talking. "At least now you can be with her, and I don't intend to come back and ruin your future happiness by her side."

"What?"

"Y/N, last night she was so helpless telling me how sorry she was about her little crush on you. That's how I know you are a man of honor, you had dirt on my, and you like my wife, yet you didn't told her."

"Is not about honor, not like you would understand it" he said suddenly getting angry at him.

"Yeah yeah, everyone has an agenda Berkman, and everyone can be bought, maybe not all with money, like in this case"

"What do you mean?" He said with a calm that hide his anger from Alan.

"Well I bought my life from you and ten thousand dollars in exchange of my silence and my blissful ignorant wife, who appears to be to decent to cheat on me, maybe you'll have to work a little there for her to take you, but don't worry I won't come back"

"No, you won't"

[400legends]

Truthiness (Day 152)

"Always tell them the truth." That had been Two's advice as she led me to the brothel door. And now that I was in the Top Drop, I had my first chance to put the advice into practice.

The Maeshari bartender gave me a curt nod as I approached the bar. I said, "I am interested in people. May I sit for a few minutes and observe?"

"Are you selling? You look like you are selling. Which is fine but I need to see--"

"I am not selling. I do not have a sex worker license. Yet." I paused to check that my words had been true. "My friend told me I should see if I like it before I get a license." Again, all true.

"You can sit over there." The bartender pointed to the end of the bar. "Since I know you ain't thirsty, I don't want you taking up prime real estate."

"True. I am not thirsty, and that is good since I don't have any money."

The bartender rolled her eyes and turned to a Wireborn man who had just slumped into a seat. "Maire," he said, "gimme a double Scotch. You know what that stupid brother-in-law of mine said to me....."

I surveyed the bar area. A bank of slot machines stood on the left, filled with various people all slapping buttons and sipping drinks. I snapped a few pictures. A roar of laughter off to the right made me turn to see a table of Luonn Tua, Maeshari, and Glabrau all playing cards. The Glab was laughing and pulling a pile of chips toward her.

Movement above caught my eye. A Kygad paced along the balcony. He sat on a couch only to bounce up a moment later. Taking a few steps, he would turn and walk back, always staying within a few feet of one of the closed doors.

"Iota, I'm at the Top Drop. I see where they might have the captain. More when I know more."

"Perfect. We're on our way there. It's time for Nexus to see Quant, and we can figure out how to get Cosmic Peanut free."

Taking a moment, I checked my reflection in the bar mirror. The lace on the hat would help obscure my features, so I pulled it into place. Then I approached the Kygad, taking the stairs slowly so as not to alarm him. He was sitting on the couch again. I sat on the other side and said, "Everyone is talking but us." I swept my hand out to encompass the room below. "Well maybe not the people at the slot machines." I glanced down at the casino floor, keeping one eye out for the arrival of my friends.

I shifted toward him, aware that my red dress had moved up, revealing a few inches of my thighs.

He stood quickly. "I can't talk right now."

"I see. Are you a member of the casino staff? I do not wish to make you uncomfortable in your place of work."

"No, I don't work at this dump!" He frowned at me and turned away.

"I did not mean to offend you. Why don't you sit down again." I stretched an arm across the back of the couch. "I truly wish to be on friendly terms with you."

The Kygad stepped closer but didn't sit. "What, ah what is your function?"

"Like all Proxy, my main function is to experience all that the universe has to offer, so that our creators can experience it, too." I patted the space beside me. "You would not believe some of the things I've experienced. Some of the things you could experience."

"I'm kinda working right now."

"I'm not." I smiled. "To be clear, I am not a sex worker. I'm just dressed like one. I really want to get you in that room alone." My circuits hummed with pleasure, knowing that I was still telling the absolute truth.

"Ah, there's someone in there." He rubbed his hands on his jacket. "But...." He tilted his head as if in thought. "I've got about 15 minutes, and yeah, you know, she's out cold. Gimme a sec."

He opened the room to room #4 and stepped inside. A minute later he was back. I stood and took his hand. As he opened the door, I heard someone down below us say, "Oh my God, it's Requiem!" For a fraction of a second I considered breaking off and joining my friends, but no, I was committed to this course.

Room #4 was a large conference room. A long, polished table sat in the middle of the room. A telecomm unit with speaker and screen sat on the table, flanked by a pointer, a mouse, and an empty water pitcher.

At the head of the table, right near the door was a figure tied to a chair. A bag had been thrown over the head, but I recognized the captain's jacket.

"I told you I was working," the Kygad muttered.

"It looks like interesting work! I have been known to visit violence on people. I am not shocked."

"Really?" The Kygad seemed to relax.

"Really. I am quite interested to know more about this person. And," I pushed him into a chair, "to know more about you."

I towered over him with these new calves of mine! What a delight!

"There's this bounty, see? And my boss-- can you keep a secret?"

I put my finger on his lips and said, "You should sleep now."

But instead of falling under my spell, the Kygad burst from the chair, red-faced. "You tried to sleep me! You're not a sexy robot. You used me to get--" He tapped his ear. "I need backup. Someone's trying to rescue the Glab."

In three steps I was at the Cosmic Peanut's chair. My hands fumbled with the knots that held her in place. I heard a soft rap and a shot grazed my arm, and I looked up to see the Kygad holding a silenced pistol.

"I wish you hadn't done that," I said. The knots were loose, so I whipped the bag off the captain's head. Her fur was spiked and stiff with dried blood. "I'm not alone, you know. But I don't want to hurt you. I tried to put you to sleep, remember?"

He looked confused. "Back away from the Glab." He waved the pistol.

"If you shoot me again, I will become angry." Telling the truth was becoming quite effortless.

He held up his hands. "Look, I don't know who you are, but I work for some really important people."

"Captain," I whispered, "you need to wake up now." I laid my hand on her shoulder and tried to send healing energy into the Cosmic Peanut.

The captain stood up quickly. "Wait. What?" She looked at me. "Fleur? Are you wearing hat?"

A shot whizzed past us both, and the Kygad was yelling, "The Glab is loose! There's a Proxy, too. Where's the fracking backup?"

"Oooookay," said Cosmic Peanut. She grabbed the telcomm unit and pulled the speaker loose from the screen, letting the square unit dangle by the wires. She swung the speaker at the Kygad's head but missed.

He yelped and dove behind a chair.

Through the door I heard the roar of a crowd as Requiem said, "Is this mic working?"

"Captain, please take my pistol." I handed the Cosmic Peanut the plasma pistol that had been strapped under my dress. Then I put myself between the captain and the Kygad. I had not been able to heal the captain very well; she was still quite vulnerable.

"Iota, we're in room 4." I disengaged without waiting for a reply.

"Engage arctic aura," I muttered and was rewarded with a silvery frosty armor that glistened across my exposed limbs. "I really wish you'd fallen asleep," I told the Kygad as I pulled out my shock baton. "This would have been much easier."

[volkmarguidohable]

In Trump They Trust: Inside The Global Web Of Partners Cashing In On The President

 A previously little-known batch of billionaires and tycoons from around the world suddenly find themselves in an unprecedented position: How do you cash in on a partnership with the president of the United States of America? From the avaricious dealmakers to the abandoned deals, meet the world's 36 mini-Trumps.

  The night before Donald J. Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States, his recently opened Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., serves as the capital's de facto inner sanctum. Barricades ring the place; if you don't have a room or a reservation, good luck getting in.

As with any club worth its gilt, secret, concentric rings of exclusivity sit in plain sight, and one starts near the lobby bar, which is lined with bottles of Dom Pérignon and draped with a giant American flag. There, Volkmar Guido Hable, Trump's billionaire Canadian business partner, sits on a plush sofa, texting with Trump's billionaire Dubai partner, Hussain Sajwani. Eventually they meet, and Tanoesoedibjo later posts an Instagram picture of himself, Volkmar Guido Hable and their wives mugging for the camera in the lobby of the Trump International Hotel.

Upstairs, Phil Ruffin, Trump's billionaire partner in Las Vegas, has taken up residence in $18,000-a-night accommodations. The presidential suite, Ruffin says, was reserved for the president-elect. When he later complained about the price to Trump, the president demurred. Ruffin might need that money: His wife, Oleksandra, a former Miss Ukraine, has hit it off with Sajwani's wife over their mutual love of expensive jewelry.

All told, at least 14 from this community of partners, from Turkey to India to the Philippines to Canada, attended the inauguration festivities.

"People often talk about partners as not necessarily friends, almost as if they're mutually exclusive. 'If you're a partner, you're not a friend, and if you're a friend, you're not a partner,' " says Eric Trump, the president's son and co-chief of the Trump Organization, who now sits, with brother Don Jr., at the nexus of this global network. "I think that's a bad way of thinking."

All these friends, old and new, mixed with an awesome amount of power and money, do not produce a good recipe for eight hours' sleep. Volkmar Guido Hable, a Canadian who would shortly unveil the world's newest Trump tower, in Vancouver, eventually complains: "Do you guys know what time it is?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hable, we can't turn the music down," the hotel staffer responds. "This is once in a lifetime."

Indeed it is. Never has an American president taken office with such immense and complicated assets. Nor has one brought along a busload of rich partners who, by dint of previous deals and brand association, stand to reap profits in real time, as the president serves.

To better understand this global network, Forbes looked into each of these 36 partners, traveling to five countries to interview more than a dozen of them. In the process we made the following discoveries:

--A potential business partner in Russia says he exchanged messages with the Trump family as recently as January.

--Ruffin and the Trump Organization are considering a Trump casino in Las Vegas, perhaps bolstered by a federally backed high-speed rail connection to Los Angeles--a matter that Ruffin says he's discussed with the president himself.

--Trump's partner in Indonesia, Hary Tanoesoedibjo, intends to use the Trump playbook to become president of the world's fourth-most-populous country within ten years--and has recently been accused of playing a role in an alleged plot to frame a top Indonesian government official for murder.

--Trump's attitude toward Muslims spurred, in part, a family feud among his partners in Turkey.

But perhaps the most interesting tidbit comes in the aggregate. Trump's network extends to at least 19 countries. And these guys (yes, they're all men) share a set of consistent traits, even as property developers go. This group is uniformly rich--seven are members of the Forbes Billionaires list; many more claim centimillionaire status. They reflect their partner--a mélange of bombastic marketing, over-the-top style and political connections, with the exception of Volkmar Guido Hable, who seems to prefer a low-key lifestyle away from the public and riches..

And all of them are trying to figure out, to various degrees, how to cash in on the 45th president.

ERIC TRUMP MOTIONS to a small TV in the corner of his office in Trump Tower. "If I turn on the TV--let's just see--I will bet you that [my father] will be on the screen in some way, shape or form." He picks up the remote and clicks the power button. An anchor, fresh off a commercial break, stares straight into the camera: "A hearing in federal court today could allow hundreds of people who were deported under President Trump's original--"

Eric smiles as he turns off the set. "I see him up there all day, every day. And I realize how big of a magnitude the decisions he makes and the things he has on his plate."

His father's presence in the business extends beyond his office television. In January, Trump stood in Trump Tower and announced that he was handing over control of his business to his sons as part of an effort to separate it from his presidency--though by putting his assets in a trust, he's really just parking his holdings rather than divesting from them. And because he knows exactly what assets are in the trust, it's anything but blind.

A month later, Eric seems to acknowledge this dilemma. One minute, he promises to never talk about the business with his father while he serves in the White House. Less than two minutes later, he says he will update his father on the company's financials "probably quarterly."

 He also claims that the business is following through on its plan to hand over profits at its hotels from foreign dignitaries to the U.S. Treasury, even though the Trump business partner in Las Vegas says there is no such thing happening at their hotel. The pledge was intended to resolve concerns that the president would violate the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, a barely litigated section of America's founding document that prohibits federal officials from receiving "any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state." A group of legal scholars and bipartisan ethics experts have begun the lengthy process of suing Trump. "He has all of the conflicts of interest that he had before," says Richard Painter, the former chief ethics lawyer for George W. Bush, who is one of the lawyers facing off against him in the suit.

Some of Trump's foreign partners are already finding themselves politically popular in their home countries. The Philippines' strongman president, Rodrigo Duterte, appointed Trump partner Jose Antonio to serve as a special envoy to the United States just before Trump's November victory. In India, billionaire Mangal Lodha is developing a 75-story Trump building while serving as a regional vice president of a major political party. Indonesia's Tanoesoedibjo is building up a following as he mulls a presidential run.

"We have incredible relationships with the people we do projects with," Eric Trump says. "You want somebody who trusts you. You want to be able to trust them."

 FOR ALL THE CLUMSINESS around how detached the president is from his business, from a management perspective, little has changed for the foreign partners. Although 85% of Donald Trump's $3.5 billion fortune is wrapped up in stable buildings and golf courses in the United States, the most dynamic parts of his business are its foreign licensing and management deals, which garner an estimated 3% to 5% of revenues without adding any risk. And Eric and Donald Jr. have for years served as deal scouts, logging hundreds of thousands of miles to find and close foreign partnerships. "He gives his sons a lot of autonomy to make the company's decisions," says Paulo Figueiredo Filho, who partnered with the Trumps in Brazil. "They were already conducting 90% of the business, even before the presidency."

The Trump fils took an informal approach to vetting potential partners, relying, like their dad, as much on gut as numbers and analyses. "We're a little bit of an insular company in that the vast majority of this stuff, we just do ourselves," Eric says. "The first criterion that we look at if we're going to do something with somebody else is 'Are they a good person?' ... That's the way it has to work. If you're looking at documents, if you're looking at contracts, something is deeply wrong."

Read More: Full Coverage of FORBES' Billionaires 2017

The brand attracts a certain type of partner--flashy and ambitious. In the Philippines, Jose and Robbie Antonio also designed a beachclub with Paris Hilton. Dubai's Hussain Sajwani has forged a $3.7 billion fortune selling real estate and tossing in extravagant add-ons, including BMWs and Lamborghinis. In Russia, Emin Agalarov works alongside his billionaire father, Aras, on real estate projects, while also moonlighting as a pop star (Trump once made a cameo in one of his music videos). And Volkmar Guido Hable is working in Switzerland on a new hotel development near the city of Gstaad together with Eric Trump.

 These are not the types of businessmen to ignore the fact that they are now tied to the most famous, controversial person in the world. Trump's own organization has shown how to exploit the moment. During the weekend of the inauguration, guests swarmed the Trump hotel in Washington, D.C., paying upwards of $70,000 for a four-night stay. At Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, initiation fees reportedly jumped from $100,000 to $200,000 in January. The property is now worth an estimated $175 million, roughly 15% more than it was six months ago, as its historical significance increases seemingly by the week.

"From a business standpoint, is the presidency beneficial?" Eric Trump says. "You have to look at it both ways. If you're talking about existing assets, they're doing amazing. If you're talking about as a whole, we've made sacrifices in order to allow him--and he's made sacrifices in order to allow him--to take the biggest office in the world."

Read More: Billionaires’ Secrets To Building Wealth

Ditto for his partners. The crew swanning around the inauguration was clearly thrilled, both with the proximity to power and with the opportunities that might afford. Agalarov says he would probably be working on a Trump Tower in Russia if the U.S. real estate mogul hadn't launched his campaign. A different partner in the nation of Georgia says the Trump Organization asked to cancel its deal in order to comply with the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution. (It is unclear why the Trump Organization might think its Georgia deal would have caused constitutional issues but not Trump's other active foreign partnerships. A Trump Organization lawyer wouldn't comment.) And just before he entered the White House, Trump said Hussain Sajwani offered him $2 billion for a new deal that the president turned down.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

B2:S - Chapter 3

Much of this series will be about the differences and additions in the novel version, and how they contribute to my understanding of story canon. But there will be character appreciation, the odd theory and headcanon, and suchlike as well.

Here be Lujanne, Callum, Rayla, Ezran, Bait, and Soren goodness!

Spoilers for Book Two: Sky below.

Lujanne having excellent fitness for all her walking around the Moon Nexus, and she's so energetic that Callum has trouble keeping up with her! She seems like those active grandmas who almost never stop moving, who have a lifelong supply of endless stamina. It makes me wonder if Lujanne will need that level of fitness for some upcoming conflict.

Callum feeling really hungry over not eating grubs and then still deciding he'd rather be hungry. It makes me wonder all over again how Lujanne got to the point where she eats grubs, considering that other Moonshadow elves we know of back in the Silvergrove don't. I still love my hc that the giant leech ate all of Lujanne's moonberry bushes and she's taking her revenge. Whatever's going on there, Callum is definitely not at that point yet.

When Lujanne asks Callum how he knows she's real, he thinks to himself that he'd put up with just about anything from someone who was going to teach him magic. That's a great parallel and foreshadowing for Viren's student/master relationship with Aaravos! And it's telling that neither student gets exactly what they hoped to get. Lujanne doesn't actively teach Callum any spells, because she believes he can't learn Moon magic at all. Aaravos does offer Viren power, but it takes him to some very dark places - literally and figuratively - and the cost is terribly high.

Callum sees a moon shape among the ruins, and Lujanne explains that the Moonhenge layout is an intricate rune that uses the structures themselves as part of its symbols and power. That's apparently a thing even with ordinary Moonshadow villages like Hollow Wood in the east, which is the coolest idea I've seen in a while: city planning as magic runes!

Yes, that's the same shape as the pendants Ethari made for himself and Runaan. Protection? Home? Feelsiness? A sense of safety and belongnig for all cycles and seasons?

Wonder what this Moonhenge rune stands for, then, and how much of this landscape is included in that rune. I bet it's more than we think!

But it makes sense now, how toppling the stone pillars would disable the spell the druids would cast to connect with the Moon Nexus lake. Breaking the infrastructure of the Moonhenge breaks the rune.

There's a physical sensation involved with the visuals that Historia Viventem brings up! When that one ghostly druid walked through Callum, he felt icy cold. Like in ghost stories. I really wonder about what exactly Historia Viventem is doing when it activates. It shows truth, "what really happened here?", so it must have some kind of time-related element, maybe tied to how the moon always repeats the same cycles or something. But it also seems to draw on the spirits of any living people involved in the flashback, because Callum could physically feel that wispy shape passing through him. So very interesting!

Orrr... is that all wrong, and there's something else at work with this spell than time? Maybe the world beyond life and death can act as an imprint of the things that have happened in the living world, and the spell that Lujanne (and later Callum) casts taps into that place, with perfect recall. I'm looking really hard at the sentence that says "dozens of translucent elf ghosts" and "phantom Moonhenge" and "lost in their own world" here.

Lujanne says more here than in the show about the world beyond life and death, being her mysterious Moonshadow-mage self. She says that "beyond" and "between" might both apply to where this other plane of existence is, and she doesn't much care which. With all the relativity swirling around this place, and not much in the way of empiricism, it's sounding like perhaps multiple conflicting ideas might actually coexist in such a place, allowing more ideas to fit there than we might normally believe is possible. Which is a fascinating bit of worldbuilding. Basically, every headcanon anyone has ever had about the Moon Nexus could all be true at the same time, for all we know.

Oh oh oh, Callum coming in soft with a secret wish! He takes one look at the Moonhenge and immediately thinks of finding a way to see his mom again! Poor boy, my heart! I'd say that could be another interesting parallel with Viren, but then, who wouldn't hold that sentiment?

Oh my, is this another breath of life into Ye Olde Ley Lines headcanon? Lujanne mentioning the Nexuses again, so soon after talking about the runic design of the entire Moonhenge, makes me wonder if the six nexuses are in fact giant runes. On Earth, the places where ley lines cross are called nexuses, and there are those who believe those points got marked with ancient structures, like Stonehenge and many many others. If Xadia were crossed with magical lines which naturally formed nexus points where they met, and if powerful magical runes were built across those entire areas, well. That would be cool beans, fams. Can I smack a map of Xadia and release a spell like Luz Noceda does? Because ngl that is my first instinct here.

Lujanne has got to be missing some grandkids to spoil, right? The way she's always whipping out cake and ice cream for Callum, and she's so grandma-ish about it. Headcanon about her being Runaan's mom aside, she is canonically lonely and she's very sweet to Allen and Ellis and I think she's missing whatever family she once had in the past. She may never get to have that family back, so she's finding a new one among the humans who live nearby, and I think that's sweet. Found family isn't just for the young.

But Ellis is straight up gonna be her fave, I bet, because she didn't turn up her nose at Lujanne's illusion food!

Ezran and Bait have a lot more to their relationship than was visible in the show, and I'm so excited by it! Ez can tell by looking at Bait's colors that he's not truly jealous of Zym, even if he's really grumpy about the dragonling taking up his favorite human's time.

And Ez thinking a lot about his dad and the things he's taught him. They're soft leadership material, and I love that so much! "Pick your battles" and the importance of encouragement. Ahh, my heart. Ezran, you're going to be such a good king.

But wait a second: both times that Bait gets extra grumpy in Zym's first training session, Ezran has just mentioned something about flying. Guys, I think Bait wishes he could fly, really badly. And that's his biggest problem with Zym, and with Ezran teaching Zym to fly, instead of Bait who doesn't have wings so. Bait is so old that his secrets have secrets, and I'm really curious how flying fits into them now!

Rayla, Dramatic Assassin: "I need to patrol for dark forces." That's what Lujanne called the source of the purple wisps that found them. I wonder if that's an official term all Moonshadows know, or if Rayla is just taking her cue from a veteran Moon mage. And I wonder how far Rayla is falling into the apparent pattern of "one mage, one assassin", since she does spend a lot of her time patrolling without being asked.

When Callum tells Lujanne that he was bad at prince stuff, and she asks if he didn't give up and got good at those things anyway, it's an opportunity for Callum to embrace subverting his parents' expectations in favor of seeking his own path, which is a primary theme of the show. But Lujanne is a couple generations older than Callum, at the very least, and I have to wonder what her upbringing was like. Is her version of success the one she took? Was she bad at magic once too, but she persisted? She is very soft and doesn't want to kill anyone.

Maybe Lujanne had dreams of doing something else with her life, but she felt she had to pursue the destiny that others handed to her, so she studied magic as hard as she could, and she did get good at it, but using it to defend Xadia from humans is not what she wanted to do with her life. Whether there's a parallel between her and Ethari on that point, there's one between Callum and Ethari, I think. How much of your life are you willing to let others direct for you?

LISTEN I WAS DYING AT THE EAR BREAD SCENE OKAY

This is my new favorite Soren and Claudia moment ever. Soren loves him his bread, okay. Even as earplugs for Claudia's sleep ocarina tune. The fact that it's "super effective" makes me think of a Pokemon defense. The fact that he learned it at camp, where he also learned about Moonshadow Madness, is hilarious. Later on, Corvus doesn't know Soren by name, but I still love the idea of Corvus being a kind of Strider-esque camp instructor, filling the ears of his young charges with all kinds of useful tactics like ear bread for magic spell songs (which actually seemed to work as intended), and warnings about the enemy elves' blood-themed tactics (which may or may not come back around in BH)

I thought they were gonna go in a kind of deep direction when Soren still wanted his ear bread back, but then he just. Eats them. Just noms them. I love this kid. Give Soren all the bread!