#it isn’t solely responsible but it was a huge part of it

[seresinhangmanjake]

Only For You

Thorn x female!reader

Summary: Thorn hides a huge part of his life from you and he's constantly leaving for long periods of time. You're not sure you'll ever know all of his secrets, but you know you're tired of saying goodbye.

Notes/warnings: angsty/fluffy, but nothing else really. mistakes, I'm sure. I did my best.

Words: 1354

---

“Going where?” you ask, rubbing your hands up and down your arms to shield your bare skin from the cold. He shrugs out of his nylon, sorry-excuse-for-a-coat and wraps it around your shoulders, but it’s a useless effort. In a thin t-shirt, he’ll be frozen in no time and you’ll be left to trade the coat back and forth as he stands on your front porch in the winter’s stinging air. 

His hands slide into his jeans front pockets. “I can’t tell you.”

“For how long?”

“I don’t know.”

With a huff, you ask, “What do you know, Thorn?”

He flinches. A hand comes out of his pocket to run over his buzzed hair. You can’t count how many times you’ve asked him these questions, and you kick yourself for bothering when the answers have not once strayed from their cookie-cutter precision. He never knows. Or he does and refuses to tell you. Wherever the truth lies, it doesn’t make its way to you. But the hurt in his mossy-green eyes is not for the secrets. It’s not for the disappearing act he forces you through. It’s reserved solely for the brand new weariness in your tone. 

This is not what you do. Your pattern with him has been consistent from the beginning. A month after he first kissed you, three weeks after you first slept together, you received the same pieced-together speech: ‘I have to leave. I can’t tell you why. I don’t know for how long.’ And you provided the same response you always do; a response you weren’t aware at the time would be commonly leaving your mouth; a response he’s not once requested, but with every feature of his face, pleads for: ‘I’ll be here when you get back’. Then he smiles, as always, and kisses you, and you pull him into your bed only for him to be gone by the time you wake. 

But you just broke the pattern with that tone of yours. It’s less welcoming, offering inadequate reassurance that when he knocks on your door in one or two or three months it’ll open. 

Thorn swallows hard as he fidgets in place, and you feel tendrils of guilt spread throughout your system. Thorn doesn’t fidget. Fidgeting means nerves. Nerves mean anxiety. And anxiety is not a well-worn jacket on the man who weaseled his way into your heart. It doesn’t fit. That jacket isn’t made in his size and it feels no different than when a toddler is squeezed into an outfit their parents refuse to accept they’ve grown out of. 

“What I know is that I want to come back to you,” he says. A beat passes and the cloud of nervous energy is shoved aside, likely a required skill for whatever the hell he does when he leaves you. He steps closer. Your heart beats harder. “I will walk up here and knock on this door and wait for you to let me in. Like I always do.”

Lips parting, you sink further into the scent of cologne that long ago seeped into the interior fibers of his coat. It’s an instinctual comfort while everything inside of your body fights your mind.

Fingers twitch to reach out and jerk him inside, but if you do that there’s no chance you’ll resist him; no chance you will even make it to your bed. With one foot through the door, he’ll have you against the wall or on the floor with the hallway runner serving as the only barrier between your back and the chill of the hardwood. With his tongue on your neck, you will forget how tired you are of his rollercoastering in and out of your life. His fingers digging into your flesh will crack your icy determination to no longer miss him until it’s a melted puddle beneath you. His cock deep inside of you will demand you let go of letting him go. 

Well, it’ll demand you let go of considering letting him go. It’s not what you want. If you had your pick of clichéd happy endings, your wicked-smart, tattooed-up, former—you question—criminal would settle in with you. But, no matter how hard you try, you can’t form that image in your mind. Thorn with a ring on his finger, you with his baby growing in your belly, a house you can share—if that exists somewhere, you’re losing hope that it’s on your timeline. 

“Thorn, how long is this going to last?”

“I told you, I don’t—”

“No,” you interrupt with a shake of your head. “Not just this time. All of it. When does it stop? When do you stay?”

His shoulders slump the slightest with his heavy sigh. “Sweetness, I made promises. I’ve got people relying on me.”

“And what about me? What am I supposed to do?” you ask, praying the struggle of holding back your tears has slipped under his radar despite that not being a possibility before. The only tears Thorn doesn’t catch are the ones he isn’t around to witness. “What if I left you all the time for reasons I refused to tell you about? You couldn’t find me, you couldn’t contact me, you didn’t know if I was safe, you wouldn’t be able to sleep wondering if I might be dea—”

“Stop!” he snaps, then quieter, repeats, “Stop.” His eyes fall from yours to the stone of your porch and enough seconds pass that there’s an awkwardness to the silence. “I would lose my mind if it was you, Ok?” he says, connecting to your stare. “I’d go fucking crazy.”

“And somehow you expect me not to.”

His hands move to cup your face, thumbs stroking back and forth over your cheekbones. “I don’t expect anything of you, sweetness. I can't, because it wouldn't be fair. But it doesn't change the truth that you don’t leave my thoughts. When I'm gone, every free second I have is spent thinking about coming home to you.”

Except coming home often means adding to your worries. There’s not one instance in the time you’ve known him that he has returned to you without bruises at every stage of healing scattered across his body. But you don’t speak of them. Neither do you speak of the split lip, cut eyebrow, sliced skin, and the worst of them: the hole in his arm that was shoddily stitched up, leaving a permanent reminder of the secret life he keeps from you. 

Often, when he is asleep, you run your finger over the raised skin, simultaneously thankful that he made it back from such an ordeal and cursing that he left to begin with. Then, from the twisted mess those feelings cause in your head, you find that your pain at seeing him hurt always develops a branch of anger.

Despite all of the blows you know he takes, you're not quick enough to stop yourself from throwing one of your own. “Assuming you’ll be able to come home at all…right?” 

His eyes widen before they squeeze shut. Sharp jawline sharpens more as teeth clench. Thorn takes a deep breath, then proves that his forehead resting against yours is all it takes for your anger to fizzle. 

Wrapping your hands around his wrists, you finally allow the tears to spill. They pour with abandon, overwhelming you the way a tidal wave might overtake a small ship in its ocean.

“I know whatever you do is stupidly dangerous,” pushes through your sudden sobs and sniffles. 

“That’s why I don’t tell you what it is,” he whispers as his nose nudges yours. “But I’m careful, sweetness. I’m careful because of you.”

Your lips freeze from the tears that reach them. The salty liquid under the chilled air bleeds away all moisture until his mouth claims a kiss. Not soft, not sweet, but beautifully burning. And from that burn, you find your calm. From familiarity, you find peace. From him, you find home. 

When you separate, your breaths form a puff of heat that shoves away the cold. “I won’t let you down,” he promises. “And I’ll be back before you know it.”

---

A/N: there is very likely going to be a part 2 to this, assuming people would want to read it.

tags: @wkndwlff @blackwidownat2814 @kmc1989 @sagittarius-flowerchild @dempy @oliviah-25 @rosiahills22 @xoxabs88xox @matisse556 @hardballoonlove @ssa-sadboi @lynnevanss @pono-pura-vida @tgmreader @amgluvsbooks @ravenhood2792 @djs8891 @shakespeareanwannabe @sailor-aviator @penguin876 @tgmavericklover @athenabarnes @emilyoflanternhill @wretchedmo @mamachasesmayhem @shanimallina87 @crowsreadsarahjmaas @sky2nd @jessicab1991 @rosedurin @averyhotchner @horseshoegirl

[strawberryforks]

better than hemingway // damian wayne x ironrot!reader

summary: you and your boyfriend have WEIRD sleep schedules, your nemesis is a bird, you’re a thief, and this is part one of a new series.

warnings: swearing, blood, violence, criminal activity (idk man, you’re not a good guy)

a/n: reader and damian are 18/19. requests are open <3 feel free to spam

word count: 1174

it’s pitch black in the apartment–all of the lights are off, and you, making your footsteps featherlight have no intentions of turning any of them back on. your boyfriend, who you’re certain is an insomniac is up at all hours of the night and the lightest sleeper you’ve ever met. it’s because of this that you two don’t usually sleep in the same bed. you were friends and roommates before you were anything more so aside from the occasional sleepover and exchange of clothes (damian has less sweaters then he started with, tee shirts too as you love to sleep in them) not much has changed. your room is still decorated with posters, flooring comprised solely of dirty clothes, empty water bottles, pins and stuffed animals, and his is still perfectly organised. you’re opposites and it shows. but in every way it counts? it doesn’t matter a bit. you creep through the hallway with your pastel pink slippers on. they’re fluffy and don’t click against the ground. you step over the creaky floorboards, having memorised them, and make it to the living room. your eyes have adjusted to the dark, so you look around, and when nothing is amiss, nudge the door open.

the bellman has retired for the night, so it’s up to you to let yourself out. and you do. after ducking into an alleyway you put on your suit and fish your phone from your bag before stashing it behind the green bin. “hey dae. esti called and needed me. i’m sleeping over.”

then, you send a text to esti, “hey girl. if damian calls you tell him we’re together. thanks in advance xoxo.”

god only knows why she was awake at 2am, but your phone dings and there’s a response almost immediately. “and if he shows up like last time?”

“spam me and tell him i went to pick something up at our fav 24 hour gas station. i’ll book it there and boom. anyways wth are you awake???”

“was bingeing supernatural. sue me.” (you couldn’t blame her)

“well try to get some sleep sometime. I’ll stop by tomorrow. for real. want anything?”

“would love a new necklace. not too memorable tho.”

“i was thinking icecream but sure. ly.”

you pocket your phone, sticking it into the most secure pocket in your suit. after glancing at the green bin to confirm that nothing’s visible–not your bag or damian’s sweater. your hands find purchase in the crevices between bricks, molten iron helps to stick your fingertips to the wall you scale. then , on the rooftop, the wind picks up. the night air is chilly, perfect foreshadowing for the crime you’re about to commit. no, you’re not going to steal ice cream. that’s tomorrows problem, a cone is only $3, and the woman who runs the shack is the sweetest ever. it’s more tempting to gift her things than to take from her.

you run across the roofs until you reach your destination. then, you lower yourself down to the ground and make quick work of the doorknob. “someone hasn’t been robbed before,” you muse, pins slotting around easily, latch clicking open. shouldering through, a grin splits your face as you look around. everything is dusty and allergies are a bitch, “ACHOO!” your sneeze startles a cat, and the tortie stretches out and walks over to you, angling to be pet. the pet flops down and when it isn’t given the expected attention–hisses and walks away.

after stuffing a few watches, some costume jewellery, a wooden beaded necklace, some first edition books (damian’s birthday was coming up and they would make great gifts so long as no one made a huge deal about them being missing), a map (it looked cool) and just about everything behind the glass wall you broke with a few well places thumps of your fist. finishing up your haul, he arrived.

just in time because what was a night without your nemesis making his incredibly irritating presence known.

robin. fucking robin.

he’s your nemesis. nope, you couldn’t get batman so there’s a teenage boy, nearly as unhinged as you are, tailing you and constantly foiling your plans. (you’re a teenager too, but still, it’s embarrassing) even this heist he interrupts and you weren’t even doing any real damage. this excursion was more for fun than anything and he was here to ruin it. “how many times are we going to have to do this?”

“well, until you give up, obviously, bird boy. and you’re a persistent little shit, so forever, probably?”

“or until i send you to arkham.”

you snort, “good luck with that.”

he unsheathed his sword and lunged. you rolled to the slide, dodging his blade but–the sack slung over your shoulder split, stolen items spilling out. he wasn't trying to cut you–just your score. goddamnit, you could be dense sometimes. robin picked a book up, “you enjoy austen, do you?”

you scoff, eyes wide as you look at his other hand. the other items are all over the ground, some underfoot but he managed to save the books from being damaged. good, because you wanted them for your boyfriend. “better than hemingway,” you throw a ninja star, one you’ve forged yourself, and send it sailing his way. robin sets the books down behind a desk and you take note of their precise location, scooping a handful of discarded loot into your pocket. esti was going to love that necklace. you stuffed it down the front of your suit, sliding across the floor and ducking under another swipe of his sword. something pierced your suit and you winced–it wasn’t even robin, just a fucking splinter of something you’d broken earlier. springing back up, you crafted another ball of iron and threw it his way, the molten liquid glowing orange. when it landed on the wood floor and began to smolder, you had your distraction. you decided to come back for the books later and robin attempted to smother the growing flames. “you should get that checked out,” he said, slapping an old sued jacket over the glowing orange and red. you looked down at your thigh, at the piece of glass sticking out of it. it was larger than you’d thought. “and check myself into the hospital so you can find me? no thanks.”

“or pull it out and die. either works for me” he slams the jacket into the flames again, in an attempt to smother them. as it’s working, you decide to make your leave, sprinting through the door and down the street.

you stop by the alleyway, grab your belongings and actually head to esti’s. she’ll patch you up and you’ve got something to pay her with–the necklace.

[darcytaylor]

As someone with ADHD, like Luke, and the rejection sensitivity and anxiety that comes with it, I don’t have public social media profiles. So on one hand, I have some empathy for him. I really understand the low self-esteem, high levels of self-criticism, people pleasing tendencies, overwhelm, executive dysfunction, and stress. But he chose to go into film/ TV acting rather than theatre, knowing that the recognition and scrutiny that comes with it would be worse. He chose to go into acting even though it’s known that rejection is a huge part of the job. He has chosen to keep social media. He could have totally deleted all of his profiles when he deleted Twitter. Many actors aren’t online, including his own cast mates. I find it hard to believe that he solely kept it to please the fans, since he doesn’t post snippets of his life like he once did. He also chose to share that his profile is just for work now. Yet, he has been caught liking his girlfriend’s photos within minutes, even though he has a private account to do that, while Nicola posts about Bridgerton and he can’t even be bothered to throw her a like or a comment- let alone posting something himself. It’s been months of this. If he’s already online, it doesn’t take a lot to screenshot a news headline and share it to his story with a “thank you, these numbers are incredible”. So, on the other hand, I understand where the frustration is coming from. Is this a work account or not? The timing of some of those online-but-not-for-Bridgerton incidences coupled with the timing of the InStyle and premiere stunts was not a good look. It makes him seem ungrateful and like he wants nothing to do with the show. It’s his bad luck that Nicola is the internet’s darling. He won’t ever have her social media savvy and I do feel for him there. She outshines him in interviews and online. But the bar is really on the floor for him and a lot of fans are handling him with kid gloves (not you by any means). A lot of the criticism he’s facing is fair. He’s in an overwhelming situation right now, but he has the financial means to tackle it through therapy and by handing over his social media account to the publicists he already pays. I was jealous when he mentioned he has coping strategies for his ADHD and dyslexia in Bowral- it’s still a struggle for me. Unfortunately for me and women everywhere, we weren’t adequately included in ADHD research until the 90s and there wasn’t even a long-term study until 2002. I’ve been in weekly therapy for 5 years now, following a major breakdown coupled with grief, and for 4 of those years, I was waiting for an appointment with a covered psychiatrist to get *any* diagnosis, since I didn’t have the thousands needed to pay for my own private testing. If I have been able to prioritize this within my meagre free time and budget (rather than trips, nights out, restaurants, unnecessary shopping, etc. and with some debt), he can easily do the same. That lifestyle isn’t quite how I imagined my young adulthood would pan out. One Soho Farmhouse weekend of his could pay for a few months. And he’s had months on end since season 3 wrapped filming when he could have done intensive daily therapy, especially after his break up, rather than pursuing 20 year olds online or jetting off to another holiday. Maybe he did- I don’t know his life- but maybe he needs more right now. When he turned on Nicola’s notifications and started liking random posts she was tagged in by brands, I already assumed he had handed over his account. If so, his team should extend that to story posts for Bridgerton news. All of that to say, my empathy has its limits. The barriers currently holding him back have solutions.

Thank you for your response and taking the time to write in an ask. I appreciate you!

I do understand the frustration/disappointment of how Luke is handling some things (especially his social media). It seems like this is an area of his life that could be an easy fix for him (hand it over to someone more capable) and he just can't seem to take that step.

Luke is overwhelmed (as he has stated multiple times) and while I can also say it is the life he chose, I think it could also be a case of not realizing exactly what his industry entails.

It's easy to say that he's the one that chose it, but if he's doing something he loves to do, it was probably worth the risk in the end. Maybe he truly believed he could handle things like this. Hindsight is 20/20.

I am sorry that you weren't able to afford the proper health care and it has taken you so long to get a diagnosis. I hate that things like that are unattainable without money. It should not be the case.

Luke is privileged in that aspect for sure and it sucks when it seems like people take that for granted. Although hopefully, like you have also stated, he has been able to seek the help that he may need. All things like this take time and is also very personal (I don't want to further speculate on that matter).

I always strive to look at situations empathetically (and sometimes even to a fault). I always like to look at and come up with multiple reasons why someone may be doing what they are doing. This has let me see some situations in a different light, allowing me to be empathetic or sympathetic to situations. I know that with most situations it is never the case of being black and white (life is nuanced, people are nuanced). So many things can be at play at one time, and most of the time I can see valid reasons why someone is doing what they are doing (even when they are making bad choices).

Obviously I don't know what is going on with Luke at the moment, or where his head is truly at. But I have faith that he will come around and straighten himself out. I don't think he has done anything that is completely unforgivable, so I'm giving him a little bit of grace.

[ladylooch]

i can see nico being distracted and not helping around the house and they argue

or nico snapping one day at lexi cause of hockey. we know he never takes it out on them but i’m there have been a time or two where he has

or maybe one of them keeps saying no to sex and the other isn’t sure why and they just get into an argument about being disconnected or something

A/N: I’m going to go with the first one here with a spin. 

As gently as he possibly can, Nico Hischier lays his youngest, Sophie, down into her crib. 

The transfer is seamless. She barely notices she is on her mattress instead of her father’s chest. Nico carefully balances the bottle in his hand, not wanting to drop it and wake her. Tonight has been a pretty easy night, which Nico has needed. He has team related things he needs to get to, so he is thankful all the girls went down without a fight. It helps that they had a fun day at an amusement park with the Meier’s, so all three were extremely tired. Even their almost one year old had fun watching the older kids play games and experience the rides. 

Nico carefully closes the door, then double checks the monitor is working before he joins his wife downstairs. She sits at the kitchen table with her laptop, scrolling through Pinterest. Bright purple, pink and teal images cover the screen. He smiles, knowing what she is working on.

“For Soph’s party?” Nico asks after kissing her. Then he heads to the sink, rinsing out the used bottle and putting the separated parts into the dishwasher. He puts in a detergent pack, then runs the machine on a normal cycle. 

“Yeah! Do you have any thoughts on a theme?”

“Whatever you want, sweets.” 

“She isn’t just my child.” Lexi jokes. 

“I know.” Nico laughs, thinking about the huge dimples that were out in her cheeks all day. “I’m sure you’ll come up with a great theme, baby.”

“Well… I was hoping we could…”

“You don’t need me. Pinterest is way more creative.” He shrugs. “Plus I really need to get working on our pre-season team outing. I gotta reach out to a few places and ask about renting out their spaces.” 

Lexi doesn’t respond. Across the room, she watches him clean the kitchen counter. He doesn’t seem to notice her silence. Her eyes drift back to her computer screen and she continues her scrolling. Fine. I guess she is doing this whole party on her own. He clearly has bigger priorities than their daughter’s first birthday. Her shoulders tense and a deep frown pulls her lips down.

“What did you decide we are getting her?” Nico asks as he moves to the sink, starting to scrub the inside. “She really is liking the bubble machine the twins have. You should consider that.” Lexi purses her lips, feeling her body get heavy with the burden of responsibility Nico is pushing back onto her. Why does she have to come up with the gifts for Sophie? This was another thing she assumed they would decide together.

“Sure.” 

“Alright.” Nico murmurs as he tosses the used sponge in it’s holder. “I’m going to go to my office and get some stuff done.” He kisses her cheek, then leaves the room. Lexi rolls her eyes as he strolls down the hall to his office.

“Thanks for the help.” She mumbles after him. 

They reunite in bed a few hours later. Lexi comes out of the bathroom after removing her calming face mask. It may have soothed her irritated skin, but it hasn’t cured her mood or frustration with her husband.

“Can we talk?” Lexi asks as Nico folds open the covers on her side for her to get in. He drops his phone, turning his attention solely on her.

“Of course. What’s up?” He murmurs. He reaches for her hand, folding their fingers together. 

“I am feeling… frustrated.” She settles on.

“Okay? What can I do?”

“I need you to help me with Soph’s party.” Nico’s eyebrows furrow and he tilts her head at her.

“You have never wanted my input before on the girls’ party.”

“Yeah, I know. But I really need your support for this one. I am feeling overwhelmed and, like, overburdened with responsibility in our family already. I’m concerned about that because the season hasn’t started yet. I think if I could have your support right now, that would really help.”

“Okay. Absolutely. What can I do?” 

“Can you sit with me tomorrow night and help decide some key details?”

“Yes. We could drop the girls with Timo and Emma, make a whole night of it just me and you?” Lexi smiles, then leans into him. Her arms weave around his body, relaxing into his chest at how sweet and wonderful he is being about this.

“That would be amazing. More than I asked for.” She murmurs. 

“I know. But I want you to know you’re a priority to me too. If you’re feeling like this, I want to step up and help. You do a great job around here, baby. Sometimes I think that means you always have it handled. That isn’t fair.” He kisses her forehead. 

“Goodness, Nico. You’re so damn sweet, I’m getting a cavity.” Lexi chuckles, feeling so relieved and heard by him.

Perfect Nico Hischier always knows exactly what she needs to hear.

[paragonrobits]

tbh i think the whole ‘Midna’s true form doesn’t look enough like a gremlin so her imp form is better’ is kind of a ground zero for a particular type of discourse in character design that ultimately boils down to a single question:

should a character’s design be a visual summary of their personality?

there are pros and cons to this thing. on the one hand, i always appreciate a design where a single look at it goes ‘oh yeah you know EVERYTHING about this person’. a lot of the most iconic villains really lean into this (though a lot of heroes don’t, for a particular reason), and these designs are a very effective way to instantly communicate character.

The flipside issue of this, though, is that while it doesn’t INHIBIT nuance, it does make it harder to convey it, or at least if you assume that a design should always communicate the fundamental facet of this character, it also means that by default those facets will have greater significance to an audience than more subtle or less obvious traits revealed through characterization and plot. For example, if your character is a huge and brutish monster with a soft side, and the former is what their character design communicates (because the soft side is a subversion), than this approach to character design can be more of a hurdle.

Character design as character thesis also creates a problem with audience response; if the audience overwhelmingly makes assumptions about a character because of the way they look, even if that’s not at all what you intended, they can and probably will warp that character to fit their preconceptions. (For instance, all the male characters who happen to be attractive by the standards of the audience and get reimagined as brooding bad boys whose pragmatism and ruthlessness is them being dark and mature, even if the actual character is an explosive dumbass with zero maturity and too selfish to consider that other people have goals independent of what they want.)

This is where you run into another big issue with this whole idea: remember when i said that heroes and protagonists often tend to have less interesting designs, or at least that their characters are not often communicated as well? This largely boils down to a desire to have characters that you WANT people to like to be broadly inoffensive; if you’ve ever created OCs and you shied away from a particularly unpalatable character trait or design feature because you thought it would turn more people away, than you know EXACTLY what i mean. Heroes are often compelled to be more broadly likable, but this also means flattening out their potential concepts in favor of something more... marketable. Which sucks. It fucking sucks. Its why so many heroes come off as boring compared to villains, and while you can get some fun ideas by making your heroes just as extreme as villains, its very easy to screw it up and create unlikable characters. (You can honestly study a lot of discourse this way.)

Going back to Midna, she’s actually a prime example of a heroic character that does this right, but the thing about her is that while being a gremlin is a big part of her character, it isn’t what defines her. She is, after all, the protagonist (though not the playable one) of this game, she is THE titular Twilight Princess, and this role is ultimately what defines her, and her growing into her responsibility. She may be a gremlin, but its not the sole aspect of her personality.

Personally, I’ve always liked her true form more (though to be honest, she would probably have more facial elements from Imp Midna if she appeared in more games especially now, since the highly mature and regal look of her true form is kind of a stylistic element exclusive to Twilight Princess, while she’d probably look more like Imp Midna but Gerudo-sized and proportioned if she appeared in Tears of The Kingdom), not least in part BECAUSE its such a contrast to her actual personality. It’s very fun to get a character whose design expects you to think one way of them, but they turn out to have a radically different personaltiy, while it does seem limiting for a character’s design to indicate who they are. It might communicate things easier, but it also leans towards a much flatter character; if you convey everything that way, what’s left to tell?

for Midna, when we see her true form’s contrast against the gremlin cursed form we associated with her, its essentially the story of her character development and the depths of who she really is told in reverse.

[forkingandcountry-if]

I'm a huge fan of healing magic systems in books, literature and games, primarily because it offers a fascinating lens through which to explore how a fantasy world operates and sets its overall tone.

In my world, healing magic closely mirrors the practices of physicians, abbots, and other practical religious figures. It’s used to repair wounds, mend fractures, and combat disease by directly targeting and neutralizing viruses and bacteria, rather than relying on vague magical effects.

Healing magic is inherently painful. The process involves physically stitching together blood vessels, cells, skin, and nerves, and accelerating the body’s natural healing mechanisms, which can be intensely agonizing for the patient. Similarly, treating diseases often involves provoking a massive immune response or altering the virus at a molecular level, though practitioners are unaware of the specific mechanisms at play.

The perception of healing magic as a gentle and comforting practice largely stems from the Church and Theological Universities, which train future medical professionals to use minor illusions during healing. These illusions create a soothing experience for patients, making the process appear more pleasant. Over time, this practice has become an expected part of treatment, even for those receiving free care at church hospitals, to the point where it has become almost subconscious for many instructors and students. As a result, most practitioners automatically incorporate these comforting illusions into their healing work, often without conscious thought.

However, this approach is impractical on the battlefield or in emergencies. Healing magic in such situations is more energy-intensive, and casters are often better off focusing all their energy on the healing itself rather than creating comforting illusions. In critical cases, such as severe trauma or significant blood loss, invocation magic—like cauterizing wounds with flame—is more effective than the precise but slow clerical healing.

Moreover, magic isn’t a cure-all. It struggles with genetic diseases, cannot create matter from nothing, and cannot regenerate lost limbs. Attempts to achieve these outcomes are considered dangerous and ethically wrong, subverting the natural order. Attempts at revival or limb regeneration through hedge-wizardry—an alternative to the dominant galder magic system—often result in horrific failures, involving runes, grave-robbing, and invocation.

Ultimately, in this world, using mobility aids or advanced prosthetics that integrate with a person's galder is often more practical and effective than relying solely on magic. These prosthetics can be finely attuned and controlled, providing functionality similar to real limbs.

[marsipanda]

Phoebe! My reploid OC. (She's currently undrgoing a small redesign.)

Phoebe is a Virologist working for the Maverick hunters to look for a cure for the Sigma virus. She’s more often tucked away in the more obscure parts of the hunter HQ and her presence and work detail are top secret. As far as anyone knows beyond Signas, lifesaver and likely X, she is a mundane lab technician in the hunters research operations that occasionally helps out with reploid autopsies and other unpleasant sides of the medical ward.

(Continues in read more)

Phoebe has no currently known combat capabilities but is built as a specialist model for reploid medical science. One of her prime features is being able to modify her body temperature down as much to -80 degrees Celsius temps to handle medical samples without them thawing, while rapidly processing and analysing malicious codes and cataloguing her findings to a heavily guarded database. She has an internal drive built in to keep her research constantly up to date and backed up in case of emergency.

While she isn’t combat capable, she does have very quick reflexes and speed, opting to primarily evade and escape potentially violent encounters with mavericks. She is easy to startle and has an overly cautious exterior to her personality, however this doesn’t stop her from trying to be approachable and friendly, even having a cheeky, endearing playful side to those she lowers her guard around.

Built under the hand of the reploid scientist; Dr Elio, Phoebe is the youngest of 4 ‘Caladrius’ units built as specialist assistants for their father reploid unit. Each being a conduit and a ‘back up’ for the labs precious research data.

Elio however, gathered Sigmas attention by getting too close to comfort towards a huge breakthrough towards the cure. The doctor’s lab having long been infiltrated and spied on by the mavericks, Elio knew he had limited time, thus moved quick to protect his legacy and modified Phoebe hurriedly to act as a tool to do such.

As planned, Phoebe is the sole survivor of the inevitable attack upon the labs, dragged out the ruins barely alive and covered by the remains of her creator who sacrificed himself to keep her intact…. As well as everyone else to keep his research exclusive, unknown to Phoebe until later when she became suspect of being an accomplice to his plans where it was made clear to her that he was also responsible for the death of as many innocent reploids as the Mavericks were to avoid data leaks. Eventually her name was cleared, but of course she had no choice but to continue Elios research under the watchful eye of the hunters.

She strives for some semblance of a normal life and see’s her work with the hunters as a new chance to move on and redeem herself, while coming to terms with her creators actions and struggling with her guilt of being an unwitting tool to a horrible means to an end.

[mass-convergence]

A collarary to the advice of "they'll read it if they want to and they won't if they don't" is - they need to find it. People not reading your work is not a mark against its' quality, it's simply evidence that people haven't found it. As a published author myself I get it, it sucks when noone reads your work. It feels that you have put something out into the world and that it is being ignored. But it is not being actively ignored, it is not being judged as poor quality. It simply hasn't been found. Courage and patience. Don't be scared to send links to reviewers or people in other circles.

Sincerely - thank you.

Long, somewhat disorganized, ramble

It is frustrating, and part of this is my (admittedly ADHD related, though trying to blame it solely on that isn’t really getting the full picture) need for instant gratification and complete lack of patience in anything. And the general insecurity that if it doesn’t get some kind of recognition, positive or otherwise, that I’m just showing my whole ass to the world and people are being too polite to mention it. I also have issues with emotional regulation so it literally feels like someone’s squeezing my heart whenever I get into this state.

And I’ll be honest: I’m frustrated with people who have said they’ll read it or check it out and then never do. And I don’t feel like keeping on poking them and asking them if they are. Because I’ve gotten the “I’m sorry I’ve just been so busy” explanation about a hundred times now (only slightly exaggerating).

And I don’t want to call them liars because I’m an adult with a day job and a mountain of responsibilities that I’m only somewhat keeping up with. There’s plenty of stuff I want to watch or consume that I don’t have mental bandwidth to handle. I’ve read the first paragraph of Gideon the Ninth and I want to read more I just haven’t gotten a chance. Which also is lending to mental health issues but we do not have the time to unpack that rn.

This is something I’m passionate about and pouring my heart into and not even getting the bare minimum of support from people who purportedly said they’re interested is not really a fun spot to be in. (And I know one or two of my friends have been reading and I love you guys). My mom said she was gonna read it which is slightly terrifying because she’s not into queer fantasy but she’s also like unabashedly supportive and has been trying to get me to publish my writing and sell my art for goddamn ages. I’m not on the level of Tolkien or Pratchett or Gaiman (Martin you stay the fuck out of this) and I’m not trying to be them either. But I think I’m like decent.

And I guess I took some of the advice when I was writing fanfic that “well people who aren’t interested won’t read it so don’t worry about posting cringe” and extrapolated it to original fic. Which isn’t a 1:1 - people legitimately do not give a shit about other’s OCs unless they’re given a reason to care.

Side note: Partially the reason that while I could advertise this (and probably should) as a story lead by queer protags, two of whom are POCs, that doesn’t really tell you anything about them. Aside from representation. Admittedly: I’m not too great at self promo because I feel like I’m hyping me and my story telling ability way too much. Which is a self fulfilling prophecy when I inevitably don’t get any bites.

It’s a rough situation all around and frankly demotivating. Part of the reason I just didn’t post on Thursday because I was just so damn tired of posting and having to deal with the pain over and over again. I have a huge buffer of words and chapters and I’m frankly having a hard time deciding if I should keep posting them. I mean my last chapter didn’t get any notes except for the one reblog … which was my own fucking reblog onto this blog.

And I think I’ve come a long way from like not disparaging my own shit. I love my writing. I love my art. I just hate sharing it and not getting the same level of excitement I feel to tell a story I want to tell.

[dearweirdme]

for the people who don’t believe in taennie, i’ve noticed they fall into two camps. one is that he’s being pressured into resigning and so the company is trying to ruin his reputation so that he relies on them. and the second is that it’s a beard because enlistment is close and since last year in paris, more ppl started to really see him as queer. for the first, i’m unsure because yea the comp has been a little weird in how they’ve been treating him but their contracts aren’t up for a while and nothing points to him wanting to leave. and for the second, it’s not like he’s hiding his queerness rn either, walking around smiling widely in his pride hoodie. i know taekookers think that this gives taekook more room to openly interact but if that’s the case how come it feels like they’re still being restricted. personally i’m not sure what to think the motives are, just that i knew something wasn’t right when hybe gave conflicting responses to whether he’d show up at cannes causing there to be the rumor that he’d hardlaunch there. they had the opportunity to shut it down right away and instead purposefully gave clout to her appearance, when tae was actually nowhere near there because the celine private party was at a hotel in antibes not cannes.

Hi anon!

I know the motives for something like this can be hard to understand. Especially for BTS fans, this has not been done before.. so it is strange and it tears at the believe of who the members are a bit. I’ve seen people mad at Tae for possibly lying to them. And I’ve seen many say that stuff like this just doesn’t happen in South Korea.

But I think, Kpop is starting to outgrow SK a bit. Especially BTS (look at Jk right now) and BlackPink are so huge. We’ve heard Jk say that he wants to be a big star. And with that comes marketing beyond SK and strategies that are different from what’s been done before.

I think that’s what’s happening with Tae as well. I don’t think he has the same stardom as Jk in mind, but I do think he wants things for himself and I think it’s to be able to be more himself. You might think, but if Taennie isn’t real.. how is that any closer to him being himself. Well, Taennie is something short lived. It’s a few months of having a rumored ‘girlfriend’, just enough to get the ‘he dates women’ through. It might not even be to make it appear like he isn’t gay, maybe just to show that he also dates women. Which unfortunately is looked upon slightly different than someone being gay. It allows him some freedom in the long run. It would allow him to wear pride hoodies in Disneyland, it might allow him freedom in his music/lyrics. It would take away a but of the ‘gay’ so he is in general able to hide less strictly. Even though it’s a side effect, I don’t think it’s to cover up his relationship with Jk. They manage fine under the shroud of bff’s. But maybe they have personally felt more free to roam around a bit. But I think the intention is solely for Tae’s image. At this point (though I don’t know what is still to happen.. maybe around his album release) I think the promo part was mostly for Jennie’s benefit. It was scheduled around her release(s). But in a way it was promo dor Tae too.. just not for a project, but rather for his image.

It’s about walking a fine line. A bit of fake to be able to be more real in the whole.

[professor-trevelyan]

✧   ⸻   [  jonathan bailey,  cis man,  he/him  ]     ;     oh, there you are, professor KYLER TREVELYAN! isn’t your DRAGONKIND class supposed to be starting soon ? at THIRTY FIVE years old, and with the notable signet of HYDROKINESIS, you’re a real master at what you do. hopefully your male, GREEN DAGGERTAIL dragon, RYGOR, doesn’t mind biding their time while you’re busy with classes throughout the day. the cadets and the riders really enjoy your COMPASSIONATE and PATIENT tendencies, but the other staff members know just how PARANOID and CYNICAL you can really be. some say you remind them of hot tea with a hint of vanilla & a dash of cinnamon, scars lining his body baring the proof of a long & rigorous journey, and sophisticated attire more suited for balls than war, but it’s hard to say for certain.

pinterest

(tw: death mention)

~The Basics~

Full Name: Kyler Alain Trevelyan Nickname(s): Trevelyan, Professor Age: 35 Date of Birth: March 13th Home: Navarre Current Location: Basgiath War College Gender: Cis Male Pronouns: He/Him Orientation: Homosexual Ranking: Staff - Dragonkind Professor Dragon: Rygor - Green Daggertail (male)

~The Appearance~

Face Claim: Jonathan Bailey Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown Height: 6′0″ Weight: 173lbs Build: Athletic Piercings: Has a Helix on his right ear and a basic lobe piercing on his left ear Distinguishing Characteristics: Various scars among parts of his entire body

~The Signet~

Signet: Hydrokinesis: The user can create, shape, and manipulate water.

~The Capabilities~

Greater Techniques - (More strenuous on Kyler, therefore, the more exertion on Rygor. Used in moderation and situational.)

Water Wall: Can create walls of water from nothing or by shaping a source of existing water. He can shape these walls into any form, but often remain unchanging and immobile afterwards. Tidal Wave: Can call forth huge waves to crash down on his targets, washing everything and sometimes everyone away in a powerful torrent. Drowning: Can drown almost anything within a sphere of extreme amounts of water. This can include parts of an object or body and in dire situations; the person as a whole.

Lesser Techniques - (Other than the basics and general manipulation of water. Requires less exertion from Kyler and Rygor, though continuous use over time will eventually lead to both tiring out.)

Omnidirectional Waves: Can release minor omnidirectional waves at once in a wide area to dispatch many foes. Water Cutting: Can manipulate water to cut and/or pierce objects or persons. Water Beam: Can control and project water in a compressed state. Then if necessary, can manipulate the beam to scatter into smaller ones.

Weaknesses

*The distance, precision, and mass depends on his knowledge, skill, and strength of the power's natural limitations. *Controlling and manipulating bodies of water over an extended and excessive period of time can and will become dangerously exhausting. *May be unable to create water in a given area if dry, therefore being limited to controlling from already existing sources of water.

~The Biography~

1. The eldest of the Trevelyan boys which obviously makes him the first of his siblings to graduate from the school as a rider. When Kyler was thirty, his middle brother failed to bond with a dragon, resulting in his untimely demise. This infuriated Kyler since time and time again he had prepped and forewarned his brother. After all, he himself had endured his own excruciating training and studies. This is something Kyler holds himself responsible for given he'd been appointed the sole caretake of his brothers after their parent's mysterious deaths. 2. (Wanted Connection) With his younger and now, only brother entering the school as a cadet, Kyler did not hesitate at the opportunity to take up a position amongst the school's staff to better knowledge all those following in whoever's footsteps and whatever drives them, while also taking this is a way to keep an extremely closer eye on his brother. Kyler has had so much lose over the course of his life; he cannot lose the only thing keeping him going. 3. Although he's taken charge of teaching Dragonkind, Kyler is quite literally the epitome of 'don't judge a book by its cover'. Though he had been deemed more of a lover than a fighter by his old class and squad mates, he can and will fuck you up. There is a slight pleasure found in proving those whom underestimate quite wrong.4. Has done about everything it took to get this far given that survival is not guaranteed. A lesson Kyler has learned in more ways than one and he's hoping to push those lessons through his teachings. Eventually his students will learn, whether they take his words to heart or on their own accord will be theirs to decide. He can only hope to nudge them in the right direction.

[melishade]

Attack on Prime Hizuru OVA Commentary Part 2

Main Story  

Part 1

Alright, so Part 2 of the Hizuru OVA Commentary. There will be a Part 3, but for Part 2, I’m going to be talking about Megatron v. Mikasa and Mikasa getting gifts for the Survey Corps.

So spoilers.

So Mikasa notices how understandably exhausted Megatron is, being her bodyguard in this city and how much responsibility he’s carrying. Megatron’s feels a tad bit guilty and says that she can repay him for his services. (AKA the Fight)

Now, I’ve always wanted to write a Megatron v Mikasa fight. But I haven’t been able to write it in the first place because of the parameters. If Megatron were to challenge Mikasa on the island, he would’ve automatically been met with resistance, specifically Eren, Armin, and Optimus. Both Mikasa and Megatron are busy throughout the day, and Megatron actively avoids the humans on the island because he’s sick and tired of dealing with humans on the mainland. The only way that the two of them would be able to fight, was if those parameters are removed. 

So after Mikasa follows Kenshin’s daily routine, they arrive at a training room full of traditional weapons. Mikasa goes to change and Megatron and Kenshin are alone to talk, which allows the both of them to figure each other out.

The ex-con made his way to one of the swords and picked it up. He unsheathed it and examined the blade in his hands.

“This is very light,” Megatron commented.

“That’s a fairly standard katana,” Kenshin proclaimed as he practiced some of his strikes, “They originally were used by the samurai, but after advancements in military weapons around the world and civil disagreements in regards to the Eldian Empire, they were officially disbanded. I’m assuming that you use a much heavier weapon.” (Fun fact, this is how the samurai disbanded in Japan. The more modernized the world became, the less need for the samurai.)

“I use a sword,” Megatron explained, twirling the weapon through his fingers with ease, “But not one like this.”

“So what was your combat experience like?” Kenshin asked him.

“A gladiator,” Megatron answered.

“I’m assuming not by choice,” Kenshin said, causing Megatron to look at him in surprise, “We had gladiators on this world, too. And many of them were either slaves, prisoners, or owed some type of debt. No one wants to willingly risk their life for the entertainment of others.” (There’s no way the Eldian Empire didn’t have humans go up against titan’s as entertainment.)

“I wasn’t given many options on my home world,” Megatron explained.

“Even among the stars, beings like you go through the nasty world of politics and corrupt governments,” Kenshin sighed in irritation.

“You seem disappointed,” Megatron remarked.

“I kind of expected an advanced race to have their shit sorted out,” Kenshin admitted, “Advanced technology, could live long lives, but it sounds like it’s all the same wherever I go.” (This kind of eludes to what was said during the coup by Erwin. So long as there is a huge group of humans, there’s always going to be conflict. That same logic can apply to any intelligent creature that has freewill.)

Mikasa comes back and she and Kenshin begin practicing Kendo with wooden swords. Now I had to do a bit of research on this part because I wasn’t familiar with the practice. I had to look up articles and videos on how fights were conducted. So if I made some mistake through my research, I apologize.

Anyway, Megatron comments on how boring it is because it wouldn’t last a second in the arena. Kenshin offers Megatron a chance to fight, and Megatron’s like “Nah, I wanna fight Mikasa.”

“I’m not fighting with this,” Megatron declared as he threw the wooden sword aside, “I’m using the katana, and I’m going to be fighting the Ackerman.”

Kenshin noticed Mikasa’s worried expression and walked up to the former warlord. “Isn’t your sole obligation to protect Mikasa, and make sure no harm comes to her? I would assume that would also mean it not coming from her bodyguard.”

So remember, Kenshin doesn’t know who Megatron is. All he knows is that Megatron is Matthew, and he’s the Flying Titan. That’s all the information he has, along with a few reports of Megatron fighting the Marleyan Warriors. Kenshin doesn’t realize how severe this is about to get, until he sees how scared Mikasa is and tries to disarm Megatron by reminding him of his objective in protecting her.

Megatron then turned his attention to Mikasa. “You said you didn’t know how to pay me back for my services, Ackerman. This is how you can. I want to see what you are truly capable of. No titans, no allies in the way, just two opponents going head to head.” (So I talked with @justawannabearchaeologist about this moment, and I’m glad she made the observation of Megatron’s words as a gladiator mantra, and how Megatron was a gladiator and it was something that he worked hard for and forged his identity. She even added that Megatron invited Mikasa to a gladiator match was bringing her to even footing on his domain.)

Megatron grabbed two wakizashi swords and handed it over to her by the handles. “Prove to me your worth, Mikasa Ackerman.” (It’s a simple line from Megatron, but it emphasizes the point @justawannabearchaeologist​ made. Also additional note, Megatron giving Mikasa two wakizashi swords was not some type of throw away. Megatron is very much aware that the 3D gear requires two swords in order to fight, meaning that Mikasa is the most comfortable dual wielding. He’s making it fair for her.)

Mikasa stared at the swords while Kenshin looked at her with concern. Should she do this? It would no doubt put her in danger. She had seen first hand what Megatron was capable of when he fought Optimus. So why…why was someone like him willing to take the time to see her strength? She knew she wasn’t skilled like him, or Optimus. Eren was still training under Optimus. What could she possibly do with no training against someone who very easily hurt her and no doubt would?

She had no idea what willed her to grab the swords, but she took them both from his hands. Mikasa stared at her reflection in the sword before looking back up at Megatron. She put on a serious face as she put one sword in the other hand and got into a fighting stance. The swords were pointed outward and her legs were spread out. (She is scared. Understandably scared in this very moment. Because she has seen first hand how powerful and ruthless Megatron is. So why would she grab the swords and accept Megatron’s challenge? Pride. Mikasa is a very prideful woman, and we have seen this. Mikasa has talked up about how strong she is when backed into a corner, and even when initially losing Eren. If she were to say no, all that talk about her strength and being strong would become mute. She would’ve just been seen as a coward. And cowards die. She refuses to die when she can fight.)

“This is not a good idea!” Kenshin declared. He raised his hands and took a step back as Megatron pointed the katana at his face.

“Stay out of this, boy,” Megatron ordered.

Kenshin grew fearful as Megatron walked a good distance away from Mikasa. He spread his legs out and raised the katana at shoulder level. Kenshin looked back and forth from the titan to the Ackerman, worried about the outcome of this fight, and realizing how powerless he was in this situation. (Now this is Kenshin understanding the bigger picture.)

So I’m not going to repost the whole fight, simply because it would take up a lot of space. If you want to read it in full, you can check out the chapter. However, during this fight, I did incorporate Mikasa’s style of fighting when she’s killing titans to this fight. Because this is still so new to her. Most of her experience is titans. And she’s pretty much the strongest human around next to Levi. She’s going up against someone she can lose to because her opponent has years worth of combat experience that just can’t be matched.

And Mikasa is still struggling in this fight, while Megatron is having the time of his life. He’s getting out his stress and frustration. Every time Mikasa does land a hit or strike, she does get surprised that she was able to do it, but Megatron automatically takes advantage of that. Because in combat, you can’t slip up like this. It will get you killed. Also, during this fight, there’s a voice calling out to her. Something, or someone, is guiding her hand and giving her instructions on how to fight and survive. Megatron does end up injuring her, and nearly kills her by pressing the katana close to her neck. Kenshin’s prepping arrows to intervene, and Mikasa is just terrified.

Mikasa grew more and more terrified as the blade inched closer. She tried to create some distance. She tried to bend her knees and push the blade upward, but that only made Megatron push down harder. It’s been so long since she’s felt this scared. She was hyperventilating; she was fully ready to burst into tears. She felt like she was going to die.

“You must fight,”

Mikasa head bent downward to the floor as sweat dripped down her face. Mikasa grunted and gritted her teeth. She couldn’t…she couldn’t.

“You must live,”

Mikasa growled as she pushed against the floor with her feet. She could feel it bend beneath her toes.

“Live, Mikasa,”

Megatron noticed Mikasa beginning to push back against him.

“Fight, Mikasa,”

“Fight,” Mikasa spoke.

Megatron was surprised to see Mikasa glaring at him.

“Fight.”

Megatron was startled when he noticed to that her eyes… had a faint tint of blue within them.

“Fight!” Mikasa shouted as her feet pressed into the floor so hard that it broke beneath her. Mikasa then broke the katana in her grip before taking the blade and thrusting it towards Megatron. Megatron didn’t have time to dodge as the blade went straight through his hand and into his his arm. His arm lost shape as the blade fell right through it. Megatron dodged two punches from Mikasa before catching the third one with his stable hand. Mikasa used her other hand to punch Megatron square in the face. Megatron used his remaining arm to grab Mikasa by her neck and pinning her to the ground. Mikasa managed to grabbed the wakazashi sword to her right and pushed it right against Megatron’s neck.

So a few things are happening in this moment.

One: this is a callback to when Mikasa first awakened her Ackerman abilities when Eren was getting choked out, which based on what we’ve seen in AOT, is activated in a life or death situation. So Mikasa is repeating this mantra of “Fight. Fight. Fight.” because it’s her fight or flight response activating.

Two: The faint tint of blue in her eyes, and the summoning of strength to literally break the katana in her grasp and jam it in Megatron’s holoform arm. That hint of blue has been mentioned before. In the Winter Anthology. Specifically, the Snowball Fight. Mikasa activated this ability before and now it’s come back. And a little pop quiz, guess where else we’ve seen blue eyes?

Three: The voice that is guiding her. Who is it? What does it want? This voice is guiding her in this moment of distress. Why? This is definitely not foreshadowing.

So the fight ends with Kenshin destabilizing the other arm of the holoform. Kenshin helps Mikasa with her wounds, and he gets more information on Megatron by Mikasa simply omitting some stuff out of fear. But oddly enough, when Kenshin tries to come up with an explanation, Megatron takes full responsibility and saves Kenshin’s ass from his dad, only to try and kill him himself because he’s mad Kenshin intervened. And Kenshin’s really trying to keep his shit together.

“That doesn’t matter,” Kenshin declared, “She was already at a disadvantage because she could get hurt while you would be completely fine. On top of that, she was putting her trust in you to protect her. Now she’s scared that you’re going to hurt me for getting involved.”

Kenshin sighed in frustration as he ran his fingers through his hair. “This is not how I was expecting today to go.”

“I just needed to blow off some steam-,”

“I don’t care what it is!” Kenshin cut him off, “That doesn’t give you an excuse to use real swords and inflict real harm! You could’ve used a bokken!”

“You better watch your tone,” Megatron warned.

“Or what?” Kenshin demanded, “You have a whole array of weapons. The broken katana is right next to the both of us. If you wanted to do something to me, you would’ve done it by now. I’m a damn politician. I know when someone is selling me a damn bluff.”

Megatron didn’t say a word at that, but he did want to strangle Kenshin. He was right though. He noticed the broken katana on the table. It would have been so easy to end his life for his insubordination.

“There was another reason I’m keeping this strictly between us,” Kenshin explained, “Mikasa is already perceived in a negative light by everyone here. The servants that know her identity see her as an Eldian devil. They gossip about her whenever I pass by, calling her insulting and degrading names. My father doesn’t want her here because she’s a threat to the throne. I’m the only one who’s willing to talk to her. So what you did would have just been an excuse for their insults and justifications.”

Megatron was taken off-guard by that. He had been so focused on keeping tabs on Mikasa that he had no idea this was going on. Primus, he was associated with Mikasa. He should've heard the insults thrown at him when he went through their supplies just by association alone.

“I don’t know your story,” Kenshin continued, “But I did read your associate’s notes on you. Your behavior: not okay. And it doesn’t help you long term because no one would be willing to trust you. I know you hate humanity, and I know you’re here for personal reasons, but do you really want to spend the rest of your life having people hate you and being scared of you?”

“I’m not answering that,” Megatron replied.

“You don’t have to,” Kenshin declared, “Apologize to Mikasa. Now.”

Kenshin immediately drops to the floor after he leaves the room. But again, there’s that theme of trust. Mikasa had been putting her trust in Megatron. Kiyomi has been putting her trust in him. So has Hanji, Optimus, the Survey Corps. They are all putting their trust in Megatron to keep her safe. And what does Megatron do? Personally injure Mikasa himself. The dumbass. But in this moment, Megatron’s not entirely worried about what the island would think. He feels guilty for putting Mikasa in that situation when she’s already in such a high risk situation. He was being selfish and he felt guilty about it, and now he feels the need to make it right because of how he’s feeling.

“…Ackerman, I’m only going to say this once,” Megatron began. Mikasa saw Megatron's mouth form a thin line. He shut his eyes and she could see his eyebrows twitch in agitation, “I…I’m sorry.”

Mikasa was completely shocked by Megatron’s response. “You’re…sorry?”

Megatron sighed in response, not really at Mikasa's confusion, but at the difficulty of the situation. “I nearly caused serious harm to you because of my own selfish reasons. I ended up hurting you as a result. You’re one of the few people I respect, and…I didn’t want you looking at me with fear.”

Mikasa saw that Megatron was struggling to say the word, but he continued. “You put your trust in me,…and I…failed you.”

Mikasa could see the conflicted and the worry in Megatron’s eyes. She could tell, that he was being…honest with her, which was something she never expected out of him. Mikasa decided to take the bag from his hand and opened it. She found there to be three Origini and two sakura mochi in the box.

“I asked the servants to make those for you,” Megatron explained, “I also noticed that you seemed to enjoy the pink desert, so I got you two.”

Mikasa was genuinely touched by the act, but part of her knew she couldn’t trust this, considering Megatron’s track record. “Is this a bribe? So that I don’t tell the Commander or Optimus what happened?”

Megatron rolled his eyes. “No matter what my answer is, I doubt that you would believe me. And you don’t have to. I respect you, and…I…don’t want you to be scared of me.”

I think I only made Megatron apologize once and that was to Eren. But this is very important because he’s literally being vulnerable and giving a sincere apology, while also getting Mikasa a gift, which was the food that she enjoyed while she’s been here. And...Mikasa does ultimately accept the apology, which does make Megatron feel better but he refuses to admit it so he’s going to take his frustration out on Kenshin for his insubordination. How dare the prince talk to him that way.

And then we are introduced to Kenshin and Taisho’s dynamic. Kenshin is someone who actively believes in change and wanting to make the world better, practicing the habit of taking risks and gambling as a Hizuru. Meanwhile, Taisho is someone who value self-preservation and survival and safety. And Mikasa threatens all of that. Taisho doesn’t like Mikasa because he sees her as a threat, and then there’s also the additional mentality of her being from the island. And despite Kenshin being more of an idealist and reflecting the views and feelings of the reader, Taisho is the one who is more grounded in reality. Taisho has a point. The world isn’t going to accept Mikasa as royalty because she is from Paradis and we know for a fact she has Eldian blood in her veins. Again, I won’t post the full conversation the two have, but I encourage you to read the chapter and their interaction to get a better idea of Kenshin and Taisho’s character.

Kenshin ends up leaving, assumes Megatron’s been listening in, and they continue to talk once again. And Kenshin drops a bombshell for Megatron that he wasn’t expecting.

Kenshin laughed. “The worst thing about all this is that Mikasa doesn’t even want the throne.”

Megatron placed a hand in front of the prince to stop him. “What?”

“She doesn’t want the throne,” Kenshin repeated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“And she told you this?” Megatron demanded.

“She didn’t need to tell me anything,” Kenshin declared, “It’s really obvious. She’s a soldier that’s fought titans and now knows that the whole world hates her and her home. She lost her parents, so she’s an orphan. The only thing she wants is to live her life in peace. If she takes the throne, she won’t be able to do that. She’ll be in the spotlight for the rest of her life. She’ll be protected and live a life of luxury. But it won’t be a life of normality.”

Megatron was surprised by this revelation while Kenshin maneuvered around his arm.

“I thought you already knew,” Kenshin shrugged, “Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow. I hope you’ll apologize to Mikasa.”

In season 4, we do learn about Mikasa’s heritage and the Azumabito clan. And Kiyomi does value Mikasa and her safety, but Mikasa values the island she grew up on and her friends more. So we know for a fact that Mikasa would have refused the throne if it was handed to her. It’s just a shock for Megatron because Mikasa is refusing her birthright. Mikasa is refusing power? Why?

Next day, Mikasa spends the whole day getting gifts for everyone with Kiyomi, Kenshin, and Megatron.

Sasha gets a bow and arrow. Jean gets a comes, since he’s been growing out his hair. Connie gets a lucky cat. Fun line to write:

“By the Allspark, how does that look more off-putting than the actual cat?” Megatron demanded.

“Oh my god,” Kiyomi rolled her eyes.

Historia and Ymir get fans. Hanji gets a microscope. Then, the all take a break for Mikasa to try some street food. And Mikasa tries wasabi for the first time.

“Take my water,” Kenshin said as he passed her his water, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Mikasa took the sushi and used it to pick up the wasabi on her plate. She stared at the food between her chopsticks and took a deep breath before eating it. The response was instant. It burned. It burned so much; it felt like her mouth was on fire. It was such a small amount. Why was it causing this much pain?! Mikasa’s faced scrunched up in pain as she hit her fist on the table.

“Mikasa, spit it out!” Kenshin exclaimed, “There’s no shame!”

Mikasa shook her head as she forced herself to chew. But somehow it made it worse. Mikasa quickly swallowed the sushi and grabbed Kenshin’s water before drinking it all in one sitting. Mikasa slammed the cup on the table and began coughing into her sleeve.

“Why would someone serve this?” Mikasa asked in a strained voice.

“At least you swallowed yours,” Kiyomi declared.

“Ha,” Kenshin drawled out.

So I know that this shouldn’t affect Mikasa given her Ackerman genes, and that wasabi made back then isn’t as reportedly as harsh as it is nowadays. But Mikasa’s diet for most of her life has been bread, stew, and rations. She is literally trying new things. Also really fun to write more of Kiyomi and Kenshin’s dynamic because it gives them more depth.

Back on the trail. Levi ends up getting tea, with Megatron suggesting to sabotage the gift out of spite for the Captain. Armin gets a bonsai tree. And Kenshin and Megatron have another conversation about learning more about the world around you and not pushing against it. Kenshin offers to get Optimus a book, since he’s on the list, and Megatron is immediately suspicious. The book thing certainly won’t come up later. And then we get to Eren, and Mikasa’s upset because thinking about Eren, means also thinking about the fact that his time is limited and that she’s going to outlive him. Megatron immediately recognizes this and forces her to take a break before explaining the situation to Kenshin and Kiyomi.

And Kenshin and Mikasa talk more, and he learns more about her.

“You are in love with someone in the middle of a war,” Kenshin retorted, “That’s not the best thing to do.”

“…I’m not even sure if it’s love,” Mikasa admitted.

“You’re not?!” Kenshin exclaimed.

“Matthew found out information about the Ackermans,” Mikasa explained, “And he brought up the notion of fierce loyalty towards a master. Am I truly in love with him, or…am I just a slave following his orders?”

Mikasa’s lips formed a thin line before she used her scarf to cover it. “I don’t want to believe that I’m by his side because I’m an Ackerman, and that it’s my duty.”

“…when you’re with him, what do you feel?” Kenshin asked.

“…safe,” Mikasa answered, “Warmth…welcoming…I want to keep on living because of him. But…every single time…he keeps on running farther and farther away. It’s becoming harder to reach him, and one day…he’s going to leave and never come back.”

Kenshin felt bad for Mikasa, and his gaze shifted towards the scarf around her neck, noting that it was red. An idea struck Kenshin, causing him to stand up.

I then thought it would be nice to incorporate the red string of fate into this. It’s a later concept in Japan from what I’ve researched, but it’s a sweet one personally. Because Eren is still an important person in Mikasa’s life. I can’t just ignore that entirely in a chapter focused on her. So Kenshin helps Mikasa pick out a cherry blossom bracelet and explains the concept. And Mikasa is motivated to buy it.

Kiyomi gave a small smile as Kenshin was making the transaction. She noticed Megatron staring in disappointment and sighed.

“No matter what you say, it won’t change what she feels,” Kiyomi declared.

“Whatever she feels, she needs to be careful,” Megatron declared, “Love in a time like this is dangerous. Her spark will break when he is gone.”

“Love is complex,” Kiyomi explained, “But it can be very powerful. Many unreasonable and foolish acts can be done in the name of love.”

“Then being in love with this boy is the most foolish thing she will ever do,” Megatron declared.

Again, totally not foreshadowing future events.

So the day is done. Mikasa returns to the castle, and Megatron decides to confirm and aching suspicion the Prince told him about: whether or not Mikasa wants the throne: 

“…I don’t know if I want it,” Mikasa confessed.

“Ackerman, this is your birthright,” Megatron declared as he walked in front of her and gestured to the environment around her, “This all belongs to you by lineage.” (She is gifted power and she refuses to take it.)

“But I know for a fact that I’m not wanted here,” Mikasa declared, as she walked past him, “I’ve heard what some of the people here have said. I know they would hate me.” 

“Who cares?” Megatron pressed as he followed her, “There have always been bad rulers. The servants still obey.” (We know Megatron is speaking from personal experience.)

“But the public would not,” Mikasa declared, “I’m just going to be seen as a devil.”

“Then say, in theory, you had the opportunity to take the throne. Without the devil situation. Would you do it?” Megatron asked.

“No,” Mikasa answered with little hesitation.

“Why not?” Megatron asked as they passed the picture of her predecessor, “You could unite Paradis and Hizuru. There would be no need for the Rumbling. You could build relations between the island and this nation. You could turn public opinion on Eldians around.”

The two found themselves on a balcony and Megatron gestured to the busy city below them.

“All of this could be yours,” Megatron declared, “You could rule all of this. An Ackerman, a descendant of the royal blood line, a powerful soldier. If you took the crown, you would be unstoppable. So why do you not want it?” (It’s almost as if Megatron is the devil on Mikasa’s shoulder. Trying to tempt her into a contract.)

“…If I were to take this title, I would never be able to lead a normal life,” Mikasa declared.

“The Queen has the title on Paradis,” Megatron retorted.

“But Historia’s not living a normal life,” Mikasa reminded, “Levi made her go along with the coup and become the queen. She knows nothing about actually running a nation and had to learn at a fast rate.” 

“You could learn faster than her,” Megatron retorted.

“She has to hide her relationship to Ymir,” Mikasa declared, “The only ones who know were at their wedding. If the public found out, there would be chaos. On top of that, Ymir has less than six years to live as well. They can’t live normal lives.” (Mikasa doesn’t want a life like Historia’s.)

Mikasa rested her hands against the railing. “I don’t want power. I don’t want this crown. I just want a normal life.”

Megatron stared at Mikasa and saw the upset expression on her face. “What would constitute as that ‘normal’ life?”

Mikasa lowered her arms against the railing, watching the birds fly away. “I live in a small cabin, maybe in the woods, or maybe in a cottage. I do remedial tasks like housework, chopping up wood, washing clothes. I would probably grow vegetables like my mother, or hunt like my father. When I come home from hunting, I…I have a family. A family waiting for me. A child runs up to me, and I would give them the biggest hug in the world. My husband would greet me and we would share a kiss. We would have dinner together. I would tuck my child in and kiss them good night. I would go to bed with my husband, and we would fall asleep in each others’ arms.”

“…What a boring, mundane life,” Megatron declared.

“But it would still be my life,” Mikasa smiled bitterly, “A normal life. No orders, and no titans. No Marley or Eldia. I just want that, but I will never be able to have it. So the only thing I can hope for is just to have the people I love by my side as long as possible.”

Mikasa rested her head on the railing. “This world is so cruel, but…it is truly beautiful.”

Megatron didn’t respond to that as Mikasa stood up fully and turned to him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Mikasa told him before walking back into the castle. Megatron leaned against the railing and stared out at the city. He tried to process it, but he couldn’t. He…he didn’t understand. Mikasa would have all that power. She would be able to control what she wanted to be and do. She could use that to start a normal life. Why would she turn that down?

And all of this baffles Megatron. Because the crown is Mikasa's birth right. She should be able to claim it and take it for herself. Part of it because he thinks power is a way to take control of your fate, and the fact that it could help Optimus long term. But Mikasa doesn't want the throne. Sure, she wants to learn about her background and get more time for Optimus to contact Cybertron, but she had no intention of taking the throne for herself. She just wants a normal life because her normal life was taken away from her at such a young, and it was because she was different. That's why she was targeted in the first place. She's tired of being targeted and being important. She would rather spend her days hiding away in a cabin then take one step on that throne. That's someone else's responsibility.

Again, I talked with @justawannabearchaeologist​ about this topic. And she wrote something so phenomenal about Megatron and Mikasa in this moment. 

Megatron: Mr. Destiny himself. Freedom was so important to him that, when he lost his way, he decided that his freedom came at the cost of everyone else’s.

 Mikasa: To Hell with destiny. If someone else has laid your path out for you, whether it’s a path of power or not, it’s still not freedom.

And I just gotta say:

Because it also gives Mikasa more depth. Her desire for a normal life, and her pride of being a strong warrior would never allow her to bend to the will and desire of others.

And then, Wheeljack shows up. And Wheeljack showing up just after Megatron has this conversation with Mikasa is almost like a bad omen. An unanswered question in Megatron’s spark. What is wrong with gaining power? Well, too much power can corrupt. Too much power creates sin. And now, Megatron’s sins because of his desire for power has come back to bite him in the ass and he’s scared.

(Part 3 will focus on Megatron and Mikasa’s normal day.)

[vertechs21]

Use of IoT to Enable Oil & Gas Sector Achieve Operational Excellence

Having an impact on almost all the sectors within the global economy, crude oil is one of the most highly traded as well as valuable commodities in the world. Currently, it is an important source of both energy and fuel that act as the driving force for every known industry. It is due to it that today the oil and gas industry overall is the powerhouse industry that remains responsible solely for exploration as well as refining of crude. Now, such Exploration & Production companies and oil-field service providers, they use some heavy machinery pieces, including wellheads and the pumpjacks, for drilling fluid from the deep grounds. 

Apart from extraction, as part of well completion services, there comes in the transportation of the crude for which the O&G companies are highly dependent upon the huge pipelines network or the 3rd party vendors that can easily transport the oil through railways, trucks, and ships. These oil refineries constitute a downstream segment of the O&G industry and remain distinctly responsible for the petroleum-based products generation from crude oil.

It is all a big system that is known to facilitate the crude transformation to refined products, and to do this, there come several challenges in terms of oil theft, increased complexity of equipment, and also the rise within carbon footprint, which leads to quite severe social, political, industrial and for sure the environmental implications. This is why the companies associated with the O&G sector remain in search of the tech and tools which can help them counter such complexities. So, with the use of the Internet of Things, the one tech that brings in telematics capabilities and advanced analytics capabilities, they can get rid of the complete complexities that are related to the well completion services.

Vertechs- Single-stop Solution for the Oil & Gas Sector

We at Vertechs are the leading force within the IoT sector which developed a state-of-the-art product that presents the O&G industry with the opportunity to make some amazing, ground-breaking developments.

Vertechs is the end-to-end IoT solution provider offering users power for monitoring conditions as well as the performance of the assets from remote locations. It brings in the systematically designed platform, which helps to encompass the high-tech electronics and to configure the IoT dashboard suite allowing users for keeping an eye on the industrial operations and well completion services.

With the implementation of the completion solutions, there come varied benefits within the O&G industry overall. It includes some important features like,

Advanced Analytics

Cognition Capabilities

Telemetry, etc.

With the use of the above and more, there comes in revolutionization for the downstream, midstream, and upstream segments of the O&G industry. As for the remote equipment monitoring when drilling fluid, it helps boost the efficiency of the assets and enhance the plant efficiency.

Operational Excellence with Vertechs-based Asset Monitoring 

Most drilling fluid procedures, they happen within the remote areas which remain under extreme environmental conditions influence. The manual inspection of such oil monitoring machines, including Pumpjacks, Wellheads, etc., isn’t easy at all, increasing the risks to the safety of the workers. Further, such machines, they operate collectively with varied other machinery pieces, and even the last-minute hiccup or malfunction, or breakdown of the single component associated with completion solutions, it can compromise operational efficiency associated with the complete extraction process.

With the help of Vertechs IoT, the companies can get the needed help for the oil exploration and production while they continue enhancing operational excellence. Further, the sensors and meters are used to measure varied parameters, including pressure, temperature, humidity, and much more. Even the thresholds could be again set for the alarm when the particular variable crosses the permissible range.

Monitoring Pumpjack 

As part of completion solutions, the pumpjack remains almost similar to the hand pump that is used for drilling fluids from the wells wherein the oil pressure isn’t high enough to force itself out onto the surface. Using a prime mover or the motor powers, walking beam, and the sucker rod, one can plunge out the oil through the well. However, still there exist varied complexities that remain associated with pumpjack working.

Pumpjacks remain prone to the rod and tubing wear or pump failure because of the pump-off conditions and the fluid pound on the rod string. It can drastically increase the operating expenses and also result in unplanned downtime. 

With the Vertechs equipment monitoring solution, the E&P companies receive the solutions for reducing unexpected component malfunction changes that are associated with the pumpjacks and further ensure the regulatory or the safety compliance.

Final Words

Managing equipment efficiency and assets is an essential task for any industry. With IoT use, one can receive the benefits like the predictive analytics, which allows the industries to monitor conditions and the performance related to machines and assets.

With the help of IoT-based monitoring within O&G, the companies extend the life of the expensive machines, allowing users to monitor varied parameters associated with the machine working from remote locations. It, therefore, helps to reduce the time and cost associated with the random inspection and maintenance task. It also helps the companies enhance the overall equipment effectiveness of the assets and machines. 

So, go ahead and make the pick today. Using IoT solutions within the O&G industry is quite helpful and would help avoid risks and failures.

View Source:- Use of IoT to Enable Oil & Gas Sector Achieve Operational Excellence Read Our One More Blog: IoT-Powered Management System Benefits for Inventory in Oil & Gas Sector

[threelittlepigspro]

How I Scaled a $50 E Commerce Product to $300,000 in Less than 6 Months - Case Study

Here is a case study of how I scaled a $50 e commerce product to $300,000 in less than 6 months. Keeping in mind that our team has to be profitable for every dollar spent and invested into ads. To clarify, I consulted with this company under contract with an agency, so I don't own the company. However, I was responsible for the marketing campaign and strategies.

Tweaks Done: Focus and Landing Page Enhancements

They initially were launching 10 different campaigns on 10 different products. Our team analysed the data and said: "look, obviously your most popular product is X, right? And why not? Let us just focus all our advertising efforts on this product, X, bundled it up, create a great offer around it and scale the company." Instead of focusing on 10 different products and 10 different marketing campaigns, you're now laser focused. They were doing around $10,000 in online sales and our team we blew it out of the water by doing $50,000 a month in online sales. This is all with less headache, and just one product, less management, and better customers. It's insane how much you can grow a company just through making certain minor tweaks. Our team kept things simple, using only one main ad and one landing page, resulting in a highly efficient campaign with a great ROI, focused solely on one product and one offer. The company struggled with too many products and discount-focused messaging. In my opinion, discounted messaging that works isn't really great marketing. Great marketing is creating a desire for people to purchase. You think of all the luxury brands such as Gucci, Prada and etc. They aren't using discounted messaging are they? Our digital marketing agency shifted the focus to creating desire and understanding the customer's needs. This means having copywriting on the landing page that is focused on the customer. Copy that is benefit-driven, that focuses on your customer's desires and pains. Our team team also figured that selling store credits (bundling), Facebook advertising, and catering to specific demographics like pregnant moms and middle-aged women led to a huge part of our success. Therefore by concentrating the ad budget and efforts on Facebook advertising alone, our efforts aren't spread too thin. Secondly, our team also increasing the average order value through bundling. Our team started selling credits so that customers can purchase store credits to be redeemed later. This increases the average order value. The basics are similar: it is in understanding the customer, selecting the RIGHT offers, focusing on ONE channel, and optimizing based on the correct Facebook advertising ad account structure. Our team didn't execute on SEO campaigns, didn't go into Youtube advertising because FOCUS is the key. You got to focus on ONE channel, delegate it out, then move on to another. Read the full article

[internationalrealestatenews]

[ad_1] Lately, know-how has been regularly reworking numerous industries, and the rental market isn't any exception. From discovering an condo to signing a lease and managing day-to-day duties, fashionable know-how has revolutionized your complete rental course of. With developments in synthetic intelligence, cellular purposes, and the Web of Issues, the way forward for hire is promising, handy, and environment friendly. One of the crucial important methods know-how is reshaping the rental market is within the seek for properties. Gone are the times of spending hours strolling round neighborhoods, in search of "For Lease" indicators. As we speak, on-line platforms and cellular purposes supply complete property listings with detailed info, photographs, digital excursions, and even 3D ground plans. This huge quantity of data at our fingertips permits potential renters to discover a number of properties inside minutes and slender down their selections earlier than even visiting in individual. Synthetic intelligence (AI) can be taking part in a elementary position in the way forward for hire. AI-powered chatbots and digital assistants supply customized help to renters, answering frequent questions, offering suggestions primarily based on preferences, and guiding customers by means of the leasing course of. These clever techniques can successfully deal with a number of inquiries concurrently, decreasing the response time and making certain a seamless expertise for renters. Moreover, know-how has made communication between landlords and tenants extra environment friendly and dependable. Platforms and purposes allow safe messaging, eliminating the necessity for time-consuming cellphone calls or back-and-forth emails. Landlords can simply notify tenants about hire funds, upkeep requests, or coverage updates by means of these platforms, making communication accessible and handy for each events. Moreover, the Web of Issues (IoT) has the potential to fully rework rental properties. IoT gadgets, equivalent to good thermostats, keyless entry techniques, and built-in safety cameras, improve the general expertise for renters. These gadgets not solely present comfort but additionally contribute to value financial savings and improved safety. Tenants can remotely management the temperature of their flats, enable guests entry by means of a wise lock, or monitor their properties utilizing built-in safety techniques, all from their smartphones. Funds and monetary transactions have additionally been revolutionized by know-how. On-line platforms and purposes enable tenants to securely pay their hire electronically, eliminating the necessity for paper checks and decreasing the chance of late funds. Furthermore, know-how permits automated hire assortment and reminders, making certain that each landlords and tenants keep on prime of monetary obligations. The way forward for hire additionally hinges on information analytics. With the wealth of data collected by means of numerous technological platforms, actual property corporations can analyze market developments, demand patterns, and worth fluctuations. This data-driven strategy helps landlords and property managers make knowledgeable selections about rental charges, property enhancements, and advertising and marketing methods. In conclusion, know-how is reshaping the rental market, making it extra accessible, environment friendly, and handy for each landlords and tenants. From looking for properties to speaking and managing day-to-day duties, developments in synthetic intelligence, IoT, and information analytics are revolutionizing the best way we hire and lease properties. As this know-how continues to evolve, the way forward for hire holds nice promise for a seamless and optimized rental expertise. [ad_2]

[44gamez]

Our 100 most popular Xbox games of 2023 list shows the power of Game Pass

In any case our weekly charts, this this is the massive one: the highest 100 Xbox Gameplay Chart for the entire 12 months of 2023.By some means, regardless of being in first place for almost each chart of the 12 months, Fortnite is not prime of the chart for the preferred video games of 2023. Minecraft has that honor (it was first for final 12 months's prime 100 chart too), adopted by GTA V in second, after which Fortnite in third. Name of Responsibility is in fourth, with Starfield managing to interrupt in at fifth. Starfield was undoubtedly one in every of 2023's largest launches, so regardless of solely releasing on the finish of the 12 months (and to blended opinions) it isn't an excessive amount of of a shock to see it shoot so excessive. It is received extra deliberate for 2024, too, so it'd handle to carry onto its spectacular participant numbers. Halo Infinite was fourth in final 12 months's chart for the highest 100 hottest Xbox video games however has slipped right down to ninth this 12 months regardless of common updates and new Seasons, whereas Rocket League has raced as much as tenth. FIFA 23 has made a large leap up from fiftieth final 12 months to eleventh this 12 months. 2023 noticed it be part of Xbox Sport Move Final and EA Play, earlier than being delisted forward of EA Sports activities FC 24's launch. The subsequent huge change is Atomic Coronary heart, which is at 18th after launching into Sport Move early this 12 months. One other of this 12 months's huge launches is Hogwarts Legacy, which has made it to twentieth after launching just a few weeks or so sooner than Atomic Coronary heart. Payday 3, a September 2023 launch, has made it to twenty second regardless of all its launch points and patch delays. Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare has fallen from fifth place in final 12 months's chart to twenty third this 12 months, whereas just under, The Texas Chain Noticed Bloodbath (one other 2023 Sport Move launch) has reached twenty fifth of the 100 hottest video games. We then have a spate of different 2023 releases: Wo Lengthy Fallen Dynasty at twenty seventh, GoldenEye 007 at twenty eighth, and Forza Motorsport at twenty ninth. All launched on day one into Sport Move. Black Ops 2, in the meantime, has managed to leap up 40 locations from final 12 months's spot at 72nd. Earlier this 12 months, Xbox 360 Name of Responsibility video games noticed an enormous spike in gamers after server fixes, which could assist to clarify this enhance. The remainder of the chart is riddled with 2023's releases, though they may not all be the place you'd count on. At thirty fifth we've got Occasion Animals (a day-one Sport Move launch), adopted by Stranded Deep at thirty sixth, Monster Hunter Rise at thirty seventh, and Redfall (one other day-one Sport Move addition) at thirty eighth. Redfall was stricken by bugs and lacklustre opinions at launch, prompting Phil Spencer to apologize and focus on his disappointment at letting down Xbox followers. Nonetheless, Bethesda's Pete Hines says the crew will maintain engaged on Redfall as a result of it is in Sport Move, saying, "we all know, as a first-party studio, Sport Move lives ceaselessly."Madden NFL 23 launched in 2022 however makes its first look on the highest 100 chart for 2023 at fortieth, most definitely because of becoming a member of Sport Move Final by way of EA Play. Loads of huge Sport Move day-one launches present up all through the chart, akin to Lies of P at forty first, Minecraft Legends at forty seventh, and Hello-Fi Rush at fiftieth. Then we've got main releases like Diablo IV, which exhibits up at forty sixth. Some huge releases, like Murderer's Creed Mirage, do not store up on this prime 100, however the older Murderer's Creed video games are all falling quick: Odyssey is down from 51st to sixty fifth, whereas Valhalla is down from forty seventh to 82nd, and Origins is down from forty first to 89th. The much-updated No Man's Sky is down from 2022's spot at 58th to 73rd, however Good day Video games introduced a brand new multiplayer sport known as Mild No Hearth, which already seems to be to be vastly formidable. In the meantime, it is fascinating to see Vampire Survivors has solely made it into the highest 100 this 12 months, and at 91st, because it joined Sport Move final 12 months. Nonetheless, it is had plenty of huge updates, which could clarify its sudden look. Rounding out the chart at a hundredth is Remnant 2, which launched earlier this 12 months however joined Sport Move solely not too long ago. Chart compiled utilizing gameplay knowledge from over 2.4 million lively Xbox accounts. Chart info is copyright GameInsights. For particulars on how the chart is calculated, click on right here. Source link Read the full article

[makahimetenshi]

Perfect connection Chapter 9 - Arthur Maxson x Fem Sole Survivor

-Hi honey-yeah please, yesyesyesyesyes honey- you are early today

-Yeah –he said crossing the door and closing it behind him, hopping no one patrolling the corridor in front of his quarters would snitch at the fact that there was a sentinel inside, taking out this coat and tossing it aside in a chair- there’s a lot of humidity today, I cut early, after all for today I just have to wait for some responses.

-Put yourself comfortable if you are done then –that’s exactly what he is going to do.

Nora was…working over the table, he supposed, with a pencilcase and a huge wrap of paper, well, more like little papers A4 joined with old yellow tape, the man moved to the bedroom to change into more simple pants and slippers, not even tshirt, the day was heavy, lot of humidity, not exactly a warm weather but if it wasn’t necessary he wont overdress in his quarters.

-Can you please make me a coffee? –he said and she automatically left what she was doing to go to the hotplate and put some water to heat. Part of her housewife wires acting, Nora would do any mundane an activity that gaves her some sense of nostalgia. The man took the chance to take a look on the table-you know that Quinlan do the cartography for the brotherhood don’t you?

-Yeah  -she answer looking around for a spoon- I also have every single map in my pipboy –on the table left behind- but it’s a good exercise for me, after all this isn’t the same land I know.

-I suppose the shores are pretty different  -he said paying attention to the draws.

-Water eats all, too bad its contaminated water –she said finding the coffee in the counters.

-This isn’t far from here –he said paying attention to the map even if it wasn’t ready.

-Yeah –the water was heating up so she moved were he was,  placing her hands on the shaky paper to reach a place on it with her fingers –this was difficult to draw because I couldn’t imagine what it was

-You were just coping the pipboy map? –ask the man, looking at the spot were her delicate fingers were , then, pay attention to her. Nora was wearing a beautiful Laundered pink dress, lately inside his quarters Nora was dressing cute, it had something to do that it was a good idea to have her legs free to heal faster also but she felt comfortable and free enough to dress like she wished, in a safe environment.

He also liked the view, the way the fabric fall and how it snatched her figure, she looks beautiful. His eyes focused on her exposed neck and he moved closer, closing distances between, making Nora shiver at the sluddlen approach, Arthur stick to her back moving his arms at her sides, chest on top of her shoulders, enclosing her, she gasped at feeling so small.

-What are you doing? –she ask with a little laugh sluddenly feeling so aroused, he moved an arm in front of her pointing out a place in the map, the view of his bare arm coming from her sides make her lick her lips.

-Keep talking about the map –he order, and she nodded with a silly smile, giggling on the insides while both arms  moved forward and positioned themselves on top of the table, bringing them even closer, him pressing his head to her ear so that their lips could whisper closer-did you copy it from the pipboy?

Nora position herself better, loving that strong pair of arms on top of her, he felt warm and firm.

-Not exactly –she hummed and take his hand, moving it slowly around the map, placing his index finger in a place- You see this? This isn’t exactly land on the pipboy, it’s a broken bridge, it can be moved out or destroyed in any moment, I don’t think that’s a relievable thing to draw, to have information on –her breathing was changing, he can feel it.

-I suppose it’s a bit irresponsible draw a map without thrusting if that place its available to walk on or not, good choice –he said moving lightly his lips over her ear, again, she gasped, then, continued moving around his hand.

-This place it’s a destroyed port, you cant even repair it anymore from what I can remember, I wonder where the pipboy takes the data, maybe satelital? –she ask but he cant answer, he knew even less about pipboys and vault tec technology than her.

-You did a good job, but why all the bothers? –he wasn’t even doing much and she was all pent up, they do have a good skin together.

-I wanna work in this area in the future –one of his hands moved around the map to one point to the other, head getting inside her neck to look down  at what he was pointing

–why do you draw libertalia if you are only drawing land? -she exhaled a long breath, Arthur smirked, she liked what he was doing. Jokes asides the map was a really good job.

-Its now abandoned, despite being a danger of infrastructure it’s a valid way to short distances between Croup Manor and the Airport –she must be kidding it was so goddamn dangerous to walk over those boats only joined by rotten planks- I wanna do a bridge some day- uhuhuhuh alert of big project, really big project .

But the kettle started to sound, the water was already ready and boiling, ringing, Nora look aside to pay attention but then a hand wrapped against the back of her thigh from under the skirt, making her moan outloud, Arthur smiled and the hand moved up still under the fabric –look at me –he order and she did, gazing into the other eyes for a few seconds before she open her lips and both kiss passionate, hungry, devouring the other mouth, Noras arms clinging on his neck as this time both of his hands sneak under the skirt, but no directly touching his ass, nono, he was a gentleman, both palms wrapped against the back of her thighs but when he tried to lift her up…

-Not in the table! –she said and then run to the hotpot to turn it off, he felt a bit sad that she left him but quickly Nora took his hands and close them around her waist again- im sorry this map is taking a lot of work its pretty delicate –he smiled and then leave a kiss on her cheek, staying there for a minute as both hands moved down, she let herself fall lightly over him, letting him do, and when he tried to lift her up again this time she jumped and wrapped her legs around his waist, securing herself with the hands to his neck, feeling it warm and sweaty.

Now he gasped, gosh he loved the black widow prewar wife fantasy.

He secured her and take both to bed, when he sat over the matress Nora wanted to pin him down and devour him but…

-Wait –he said moving off her hands from his neck, now she feel a bit sad- Follow my orders Sentinel –he addresses her like sentinel a lot, in work, in the brotherhood, in life, in bed, but in bed it was specifically to play. Arthur laid his legs in the matress and his torso against the head of the bed, placing some pillows behind to be more comfortable.

Arthur was all red and sweaty, but with his baretorso covered in black hair looked delicious.

-Yes elder –she said smiling, unbuttoning a bit the front of the dress

-Come to me –he said a bit anxious about the view in the front of the dress- slowly –he saw her giggle but follow his orders, crawling on the bed until she was on top of him legs aside, hands posing over her legs, caressing carefully up under the skirt, making her tremble –raise your legs –when she stand on her knees his fingers clang to the sides of her panties, so she follow, understanding when he moved down the piece of fabric raising her legs allowing him  to take it off. Still, all under the skirt, never looking, he had such a big restraint just to play sometimes, like to torture himself a lot.

He groaned on the insides, smiling, it was all about the sensation, how she felt and her shape under his touch.

-Don’t loose them this time elder –she said licking his lips. Just playing a bit about the fact that one time her panties never appeared again.

-Sit –he order, and she sat over his hips, still, covered with the skirt like it was some blanket –move –he said and again she did, her hot crotch meeting his  hard one, both moaned, she didn’t expect him so huge and hard and he didn’t so wet!

-You are a bit dressed –Nora close her eyes enjoying as she moved her hips, even when the eyes shut she wasn’t scared when a pair of hands started to unbutton the rest of the front of the dress, liking to feel his hands over her.

She was pretty aware of how much he desired her and she loved it.

Now Arthur started to reciprocate her movement, pinning slowly  raising his knees as a hand sneak under the fabric and grab a boob, Nora felt a hint of pleasure on her belly.

-Leave it that way –the hand on her boob moved to squeeze the nipple between his fingers, making her tremble and close her lips.

-You are just touching the right place…-she said now looking down at him, finding a handsome and powerful man worshiping her, with his beautiful blue eyes locked on her face, his red shoulders and neck, his hairy torso…her hands cupped his cheeks, fingers tangling in his beard as she keep groping against the budge covered in the fabric of his underwear, unsure if the slick was only hers or a bit of both,  she mean it tho, he was hitting the right place, groping against her clit directly.

-You like it? –he asked with his eyes focused on her chest, gosh he wanted to hatch on that nipple

-Yes  -her hands moved down to his neck, slowly, making him moan when both skins meet the difference of temperatures.

-You are not cumming this way–her hands stop on his shoulders, digging her nails, Arthur look up to see her and gosh wasn’t this view gorgeous.

-This is fine now-she mumble but still...

-Raise your legs –he said, she stop on her place and look at him, when their eyes meet Arthur slapped lightly her ass, so she raised, both hands wrapped between her thights, holding them, they were hot and wet, and the more his fingers moved up the more slick they meet- gosh you are wet- a hand raised and used his finger to touch all along her wetness, playing with the tip of his fingers over the entrance, making her shiver entirely –stay that way yes?

Her hands moved down to his pecs, tangling her fingers in his masculine hairs.

-But I want…-his thumb moved to her button, massaging, and she sighted, closing her eyes almost instantly.

-Stay up sentinel –the other hand moved to the side of her hip, wrapping his fingers all around her skin, enjoying the play of the flesh, liking the way the fabric contorsionate over his hands

-Yes elder –she moaned again when  a finger started to play all the way, moving up and down, using the slick to slide over her lips

Arthur groaned in the insides when his thumb sneak a bit where her entrance were, but then use the side of one of his fingers to play with her clit, touching lightly, just tipping slowly, examining the change on her breathing and the movements of her mouth to moan. The tip of his index started to massage her special button, pressing and hitting continuously making her face change. Yeah, he loved to see that, and he liked to knew he was capable of giving her so much pleasure.

His own cock was atching in his underwear, having her on top so warm and wet left him with an awful need of more but nono, he wanted to see more, despite of torturing himself  like that he wished to make her cum so bad, to have the full view.

The hand in her thigh make two fingers go inside, Nora shiver but she was prepared just fine, slide in so easy, the thumb of that same hand started to massage her button so fine, the woman had her lids closed enjoying the sensation. The other hand moved off the skirt and posed on her hip, moving up on her belly at plane sight by having the front of her dress open, slowly, touching her sides and ribs until he fully groped a boob, closing his hand hard and rough around making her exhale a breath.

-You look so hot- indeed, he cant see anything but just the view of her face enjoying and receiving was such a bliss, so erotic and beautiful, it had him nearly at the edge, he felt like cumming but obviously he was a long way far, its just that he was so goddamn excited with just the view of her face.

-More –she ask, so he did, thrusting his fingers faster, so much faster than before, moaning himself at hearing the wet sounds of her entrance and his fingers, moving a bit on the bed to find a better position. Just a few centimeters bellow his hand his cock was asking misericord for some touch, a bit of attention, feeling like it was getting burned between the hot and humidity enclosed in the skirt. And oh gosh the way the skirt moved even if it didn’t allow him to see anything was beautiful, something something was moving down there giving her pleasure and the fact that it didn’t look so explicit even if he was causing it was such a pent up. He knew exactly what it was down the skirt but oh damn it was hot to just pretend he didn’t know what it was causing the elders woman such a bliss.

Oh yes the elders woman, that also sounded hot in his mind.  He didn’t get how he didn’t lusted this much for this woman before,  waste of time, he should persue her sooner.

The hand on her boob groped tighter and his fingers pull from her nipple making her scream, his fingers down there started to move faster, its true that sometimes it gets sloppy and hard to manage, loosing control, clearly he cant thrust and massage delicately at the same time but she was too lost in pleasure anyway.

-Arthur I wanna touch you- so sweet, she thinks on him even in her bliss, it wasn’t his turn tho, he wished to give her only the best, to make her this time.

-Not yet- he said with a graspy surprising voice, damn he was excited, he felt himself wet and full of precum from all the excitement and restrain- Are we good? –she nodded –cool, I wanna make you feel good

-But you…-she said and then he groped the other boob also starts trusting his fingers faster inside, making the sounds bellow the skirt more intense, making Nora loose all concentration- elder…-oh yeah that sounded amazing, his cock ached and damn even he felt himself hard against his own skin, he wanted to touch his own cock, feeling so hot and needy of course gives him desires to satisfy himself but nono.

This was Nora turn.

Besides he loved to fuck her when she just came, all wet and hot, slick envolving his needy hard cock…

-I want to see you cum –a little gasp came out from her lips when he say that. Of course he wanted.

The thumb over her button was moving beautifully, making the woman bite her lip and lean her head to the side, unconsciously she started to pull from the hair of his chest, her fingers were just buried before in the dark hairs but now she tangled them around and use them as a handle.

Oh yes, very much yes.

-Keep like this –oh gosh yes knowing that she was close was such a pent up, he was suffering inside his pants.

-Go on –he wanted to lick her slick so bad from his own fingers.

He was doing a good job, Arthur does good jobs, she didn’t even need to move to seek for more friction, just stay there and letting him work, he knows what he is doing with his fingers and she didn’t want to ruin i

The pain of being pulled from the chest was there but every time she does it is because she was feeling amazing and that was enough for the elder.

The sides of her thighs were wet and hot, her clit was exited and her nipples full hard, making them fun to pull and twist, even just having them around his hand, so good

Nora started shaking a bit –don’t stop- she mumble moaning in the middle, he twitched again in his pants but keep moving his fingers and his thumb –im close

She had her knees tired that’s the truth from being standing but it was a sacrifice she needed to do, if he needed it for inspiration then so be it.

A pinch of pleasure hit her clit, making her lean her head and pull more from the hair on his chest, he groaned and that masculine sound was a shot of excrement to her belly

-Cum for me –he licked on his own dry lips paying attention on her face, she was leaving all the work to him by not moving, fearing that he could slip or loose it and break the mood, its okay, it was working and he had a boob on a hand , nothing could go better.

She was close, in no time she was screaming and breathing harsh, seeking for more even using one of her own hands to press his more in her boob, her fingers wrapped around his and he couldn’t feel more amused.

At first he hoped no one would take a peek a look inside his quarters to find a sentinel hidden, now he hoped no one was trying to distinguish whose voice was coming out, because he coulnt care if someone heard them he wasn’t going to silence her at all. He was there to see her eyes half open and twist in bliss as she came hard on his fingers, he groaned as the slick envolved his fingers down his hand and even when he stopped and moved it down entirely the slick fall down more. Nora stay there frozen just feeling it with the hand still pressed on her boob, trembling, regaining some breath, relaxing.

She cant look more beautiful, a big smile appeared in his face, he didn’t receive anything more than a beautiful view and he was satisfied.

Both hands moved down and sneak in her skirt, posing over her knees slowly, telling her to relax, and she did, sitting slowly on top of his hips, making him moan when the wet hot meet his hard cock. Yes, he was waiting just for this, the slick between both was delicious only slightly touching.

-Sorry –she said with a hand still tangled on his dark hair, he tried to lean forward to kiss her but he cant get up much in this position with his back so down, so she leaned down too reading his intention and both have a lovely little kiss on the lips, wet kiss.

-For what? –he asked leaving smooches on her cheek now taking the chance that she was close. Then, she pulled from his chest hair, again, it hurts but- don’t mind it

-I didn’t realize it, my mind was off –he smiled pleased ahhhhhh today has been a good day for sure.

-You have big shoes to fill sentinel…-he mumble feeling his cock twitch against her wet hot core, it would sneak by its own inside if they were properly sit…

-Don’t worry…-she said with a smile licking her lips, the hand on his chest moved down to  his stomach to balance and raise her hips, sneaking the other hand of her under the skirt to grab his cock between her cold fingers, making the man moan needy for being touched directly for the first time Fuck yes-I wont disappoint.

-You never do –he said as she slowly sit on his cock, a big groan came from his deep throat at being surrounded by her hot insides, hot and wet insides, delicious, soft and easy to move, felt himself twitching inside more, gosh fucking after making her cum was the glory.

-You behave good, have patience…-said Nora getting comfortable on her ankles and knees to start riding him for real. Arthur had to lay his back again against the head of the bed because of how overwhelmed he was feeling after having so much restrain, now everything feel more intense!-now you will have your price.

The elder close his eyes and relaxed, wanting to have every damn sensation on his body just were Nora was riding him.

-Yes sentinel