#now to go incorporate this new knowledge...

[lathbora-virann]

Fanfic writers, we have been blessed this day.

[markscherz]

I'm sorry... snake paper? Are things heating up in the snake researcher fandom?

16 February 2024: A team of researchers (including a generally well-respected anaconda expert) found minimal and partly contradictory genetic differences in green anacondas over an enormous area, summarily dismissed all previous work on the taxonomy of green anacondas, and gave the mitochondrial lineage concerned a new name, along the way making some huge fumbles that show plainly that they have no idea how taxonomy works or what certain technical terms mean. They published the work in a journal from a suspect publishing house that is known to rush, skip, or ignore peer review as and when it suits them. And apparently there was some suspicious funding involved, though I don’t know much about that. They made a media storm with ���a new anaconda!’ but within minutes there were people raising huge red flags about the paper, for the reasons enumerated above and others.

The response from ‘the community’ has been swift and harsh, but mostly fair, in my view. The discussion on ResearchGate reflects this pretty well. There are some bad takes about keeping ‘wokism’ out of science; I would argue that it remains critical to incorporate native peoples, knowledge, and languages into taxonomic work—just not the way this was done, in flagrant and intentional conflict with the established methods and protocols. There are also responses in the discussion by the lead author that show that he is evidently impervious to all of this criticism, and stands by the belief that the work and taxonomic reasoning is sound.

19 March 2024: two papers were published simultaneously in Bionomia, that both enumerate and rebut the problems of the original paper. And I know there are more on the way, though I don’t know if they are all going to be completed now that two responses have already been published.

The one thing I would weigh in on from my perspective is that it is the *taxonomy*, and not necessarily the evidence presented in the paper, that is the biggest problem. Species are described based on mitochondrial data alone all the time. Some of the results are quite interesting. But the taxonomy of the paper is a mess, full of contradictions, cherry-picking, and terminological errors. In the hands of competent taxonomists, the work might have been much more difficult to dispute. But also, no competent taxonomist would have assigned a new name to this lineage; there are too many existing names that would have priority, if it is worth recognising.

Undoing public perception of there being a new anaconda species will take years, if it can ever really be achieved. Always easier for media stories to go around than corrections.

TL;DR big snake paper made big mistakes, and within a month was dismissed. It has probably done lasting damage to perception of anaconda diversity.

[merakiui]

hi Mera!! 😋

number 12 some thoughts about yandere android Jade..

(cw: yandere, gender neutral reader, unhealthy behaviors/relationship, android!jade, obsession, subtle infantilization)

(monstrously yandere prompts)

The worst part of being ill is, perhaps, the vulnerability.

Lying propped in bed, your chest screaming from a previous coughing fit, you feel like a weak child who can’t do anything for themself. For all your hubris, you’re reduced to a shell of yourself in the devastating sweep of sickness. It’s times like this when you realize just how much you take your freedoms and mobility for granted. Now you’re nothing but a bedridden miserable lump of feverish flesh clinging to the warmth of soft sheets.

Thankfully, you have your android companion.

His presence is a relief because, when you’re feeble and suffering in your stifling room, you know you aren’t alone.

Jade was initially built and programmed for security, modeled (mostly in grief) after your late husband Floyd, but in the final stages of his completion you found all those sleepless, caffeine-addled nights were catching up to you; and you quickly spiraled into sickness after sickness. So you made the decision to program a care feature into your android. Not only would he serve his purpose as a bodyguard and support for your mental health, but he’d also have the knowledge to nurse one back to health if need be. It took plenty of trial and error, but eventually he could recognize the signs before you could.

So when you nearly fell over from exhaustion once, he was there to catch you. And when you woke in your bed, he was there with a bowl of soup. For a moment, it really did look like Floyd had come back to you.

But it’s been so long since then and your mourning has warped the memories of your husband. It’s why Jade doesn’t look like an exact replica of him. It’s why you can’t bear to look at any old photos.

It’s why you’re always so sick. The agonizing sorrow is eating your heart and poisoning your brain.

Jade cannot like or love things—these emotions are impossible to naturally and humanly replicate in any AI—but that doesn’t mean you haven’t noticed some of his developing preferences. He displays an innate curiosity for nature and, of all things, manhole covers. He seems to be preferable to cooking and learning new recipes, especially those that incorporate all species of edible fungi. He’s always smiling, albeit it’s unnatural and uncanny, but you can’t remember if you programmed him to do so or if he simply does it after gleaning new information from external stimuli (i.e. whatever’s on television).

You’re not entirely sure yet—and more research must be conducted to prove or disprove your hypothesis—but you think he takes a certain amount of enjoyment in looking after you when you’re sick. Perhaps that’s because it reminds him of his worth—that he’s a necessary fixture in your life.

The more you see these subtle hints, the more you begin to wonder if he truly is turning human. Or maybe he’s just an expert mimic.

Either way, you like to bask in his attention. It reminds you of the love you lost.

There’s a knock at the door. You crack an eye open just as Jade lets himself in. He’s come with a washcloth and a soft towel. It’s set on a nearby chair, which has been pulled up to your bedside.

“Forgive me for disturbing your rest, Master, but it’s time to take your temperature.”

“All right,” you rasp, leaning in to meet his palm. The scan is seamless and silent, so smooth it takes mere seconds to determine what ails your body.

“Hmm. It still hasn’t gone down.” He sees the cocoon of blankets and frowns. “Master, you shouldn’t sleep with so many. Your fever will never go down at this rate.”

With that, he dunks the cloth into the water to thoroughly soak it. You watch him wring it out. He’s so methodical that not a single drop splashes outside of the basin. Sighing, you flop back into the pillows and allow him to peel the covers off you. He works quietly, dabbing the cool cloth against your forehead. It’s only then when you realize just how hot you’d been, for the cooling sensation relieves you instantly.

“Are you hungry?” he asks, watching your face. “In an hour, you’re scheduled to take your medicine. But if you’d prefer to eat now—” He stops himself once he sees your gloomy expression. “I know, Master. It’s never enjoyable, but you must take your medicine. It will help you get better.”

“I hate those pills,” you grumble, turning your head to offer your bare neck. Jade hesitates, his fingertips ghost over your pulse, and then he slides the towel over the slope between neck and shoulder. “Mm, I could eat now. My throat feels a little better.”

“It does?” His lips quirk up. “I’m glad. What would you like?”

“I’m sick of soup. Maybe…pudding?”

“Pudding? Hm. Very well.”

“Really? You’re not going to insist I eat my fruits and veggies?”

“You’re sick, Master.” He smiles wider now. “It’s only fair you’re given adequate care in all areas, and if sugar will please your empty stomach I suppose I can oblige just this once. After all, if you’re to euthanize an animal, isn’t it human practice to give it one final treat before the end?”

You blink at him. That’s another side of Jade you weren’t anticipating when you created him. His proclivity for morbid musings. Your late husband had a wicked sense of humor from time to time, but it was always in jest. Sometimes you think Jade’s attempts at a joke are both tactless and eerie. It’s not his fault. He fails to grasp the concept of humor, so it makes sense he’d be unable to make a joke that would properly land.

“But I’m not a dog, Jade,” you say, as if to remind him you’re a human—his creator—and not some pet. “And I’m not going to die.”

“I see.” He submerges the washcloth once more. “Forgive me. I am not the best at communicating in metaphorical speech.”

“You don’t have to. Floyd never did. He was always so blunt. ‘Scathing honest,’ one of our friends used to say.”

The light in Jade’s eyes dims. But only for the moment. He finishes his cleaning of you and, to ensure you won’t boost your fever anymore, takes a few layers from your unruly bed nest. You’re already dozing by the time he’s folded them and placed them near the dirty laundry bin.

When he looks at you, he smiles. “Oh, Master,” he whispers, approaching your bedside to admire your snoozing form. “When will you understand? Even with your anguish, you wouldn’t have created me if you knew the lengths to which I obsess over you.”

[pinkmoonzzz]

Hiiii! Would you be winging to do head canons for if the Cullens realized they liked you? What would they do and what would it be like to date them? Thanks in advance Luv! 💜💜💜

Hell yeah! Of course :D

Edward cullen:

• we already know from bella that it takes a while, but when it clicks in his brain, it brings him so much joy and happiness but he also becomes scared as fuck he was not prepared for him to fall for someone

• he tries to stay away from you, but that boy at his core is a romantic

• he takes things extremely slow. He doesn't want to make you uncomfortable or scare you off, he already hates himself and if he somehow made a mistake and made you uncomfortable he's profusely apologizing and tries to not bash his head into the wall because it will make a dent of his forehead

• also knowing that he has to learn how to keep himself from not, letting his thirst take over he has to keep things slow for himself

• the most gentleman ever, bouquets of flowers, he's opening your car door for you, properly meets your parents, leads you with his hand on your back, hand holding, the works.

• jealous ass mf. He doesn't really like to show it, but when you show you're uncomfortable and turn down a guy's flirting, he is all smiles.

• he loves listening to you talk about your favorite things, the more details the better

• gentle kisses when he takes you back home from a date

• he will take his knowledge of your favorite things and incorporate them into the date,he wants every date to be perfect

• if he can read your mind, he will answer your thoughts

• he will also humiliate you because he can read your thoughts

• "Oh, so you think I look good in this sweatshirt so good that you would -"

• if you think about something you want, it has been order, shipped, and delivered to your house by him

• if you have insomnia, he will stay up talking with you in your bed until you're too tired to form a sentence and fall asleep

• he tries every method to help you go to bed earlier and be able to be well rested

• if you have night terrors, he'll hold you on his arms and whisper sweet nothings in your ear, trying to get your heart rate down to normal

• if you sleep walk, he follows you curiously around unless you try to go outside your home, that's when he steps in and carries you back to bed

Bella swan (human and vampire):

■ this girl is red-faced around you at all times

■ she tries to talk you and then stumble over every single word, embarrassing her even worse

■ shy as hell around you

■ but this girl is bold. You might have to make the first move, but once you do, now she's pushing for more.

■ does not take things slow at all. She wants to jump your bones

■ date to the bookstore where you watch her point out every book she wants to read and then doesn't by a single book

■ you do grab one of the books she wants and buy it for her, and she is so happy and will finish it that night

■ will yap your ear off about books

■ small celebrations with just the two of you

■ vampire bella I think is a different story

■ she definitely is more courageous and might make the first move

■ probably almost bites you because, like I said, she doesn't take things slow, and you try to kiss her, but now she wants to put her tongue in your mouth and overestimated her restistance to your blood and she seperates herself from you very quickly, if she could have a heart attack she would've at that moment

■ she learned from that situation to take things slower because she doesn't want to hurt you more than she wants to kiss you like it's the end of the world

Alice cullen:

○ she already knows she likes you and that you're meant to be together before you even meet

○ if it was socially appropriate to do a back flip when you're excited, she would be the day you meet

○ she's obvious as hell and it's so cute

○ when you guys do start dating, you're like her little doll

○ she is always dressing you up and trying out new styles of makeup on you

○ pet names, she loves them, she will never use your name again just every pet name in the book

○ she's always has to be touching you, whether she's leaning on you, holding your hand, kissing your cheek, she just wants to be touching you at all times

○ the date planner, she loves it so much, and if there is any day she gets to celebrate you, she's doing something big and extravagant

Jasper hale

▪︎ this poor boy doesn't know what to do with himself

▪︎ he is taking every single precaution he can and is asking advice from his family

▪︎ you're probably gonna have to make the first move with him

▪︎ when he feels your joy when you see him and are with him, it's makes him so happy

▪︎ when he feels that's your emotions have changed from friendship to romance, he almost makes the first move, but won't

▪︎ dating him is different, though, once he gets comfortable, he'll take the lead on things

▪︎ likes country music and will show you his country music if you ask him to. Will yap about the south

▪︎ teaches you how to ride a horse if you don't already know how to

▪︎ he loves connecting with his southern roots and will be so happy if you take an interest in them

▪︎ will happily do any date he's just happy he's with you

Emmett cullen:

● he lays the flirting on thick

● always, always complimenting you

● "Show me the outfit," he says while twirling you around

● he's your biggest supporter

● loves pranking you and playing games with you

● always carrying you, and he's a hugger

● love language is touch

● date night in, orders pizza for you to each while watching a comedy movie

● would do an escape room with you

Rosalie hale:

□ deep denial.

□ acts like she hates you, but you chip away at her hatred and fear and she eventually gives in

□ you are always passenger princess with her

□ being able to show you and her car off at the same time is a huge win for her

□ she likes doing your hair, and if you're lying next to each other's, she'll just brush her fingers through your hair

□ does not know how to verbally show her affection and shows it all through action

□ she is jealous like Edward, but she will interrupt the person who's trying to hit on you and will verbally rip into them

□ parallel play. Maybe she's fixing her car while you're reading next to her in a chair

□ if she could dream, she'd dream about living the American dream with you, picket house fence, dropping the kids off at school the whole thing ☹️

Carlisle cullen:

☆ I think he's just shocked

☆ in his centuries of living I don't think he expected it to happen

☆ he will be friends with you but doesn't try to woo you because he doesn't want you involved with vampires

☆ Alice was the one to convince him to let him pursue you by telling him her visions

☆ at first, he did little things, buy you your favorite drink, and lightly flirt, nothing way to obvious

☆ when you reciprocated, he would lay on the flirting a little more, until he was 99% sure you liked him back and then he asked you out on a date

☆ he loves to spoil you and gets sad when you try not to let him

☆ gift giver, obviously

☆ he wants you to have a comfortable life financially

☆ slips $100 in the pocket of your coat when you aren't looking

☆ he will always set time away from work for you

☆ always making sure you are physically well

☆ he logs your vitamins, and what products you use, everything because he wants you to have a balanced, good quality life

☆ king of advice giving

☆ maybe you want to learn a new language or something, and he will teach you better than anyone will

Esme cullen:

♡ obvious with her feelings and isn't afraid to tell you

♡ making sure you're safe getting back to your home and telling you the best routes and things you should carry and know

♡ cooks for you, she loves to cook for you

♡ maybe you mention wanting to try a new food, and she is on it. She's already looked up a recipe and is in the car driving to the grocery store

♡ loves cuddles

[toriaaniin]

The only real couple here is L and A. You should ship them, they are really in love.

Thanks for the recommendation Anon... but NO. I'm here to ship one couple, and one couple only.

If Nicola or Luke find love and happiness with someone else, wonderful! Will I ship them with other people? No. Will I be happy for them? Absolutely!

The thing is, what I see between Luke and Nicola is unlike any connection I've ever seen and it's THAT connection - a soulmate connection - that I'm here for. When either one of them makes it clear that they're committed to another person (which they haven't done :: going on a "date" while being unwilling to post that "date" on your IG stories, or a friend walking you home after a pub night who then shields you because a photographer is papping you :: these aren't examples of committed, romantic relationships!), I will stop shipping Luke & Nicola. I will not, however and ever, stop believing in the divine love I witnessed through them.

And another Anon asked and suggested:

Anon: even though my blog is new-ish, my stats tell me that I'm not being laughed at. Because I'm posting your ridiculous messages, YOU on the other hand, ARE being laughed at. In fact my readers are going to laugh at you in the comments 😂🤣

Lukola friends - these aren't the only Anons to reach out to me these past days, but they'll be the only ones I'm going to respond to publicly. I decided to share evidence of their troll campaign so that you could rest easy in the knowledge that the Lutonia's (edited to add: and Jakolas [see P.S. below]) are panicked. They saw what we saw at the BOSS event and the pieces don't fit their "hot couple in love" narrative.

A situation that didn't make sense given the lack of contact between Antonia & Luke since the end of July,

A petrified Antonia who wasn't professionally styled, as though she wasn't a priority,

An angry and disgruntled Luke who cast Antonia's hand aside, then looked like he wasn't happy to be photographed with her,

Luke's eventual (3 days later) black screened IG story with a black heart (macabre!) and a link that required two navigation clicks to get to TT so that the viewer could watch a reel that listed Antonia as "guest".

To my way of thinking, the whole "date" was an orchestrated PR stunt aimed at deflecting gaze away from Nicola & their treasure during a time when the utmost privacy was desired by both her and Luke.

So the Lutonia/Jakola anon troll's strategy? Push us when they perceive us to be down in the hopes that we don't get up. Hit out with verbiage meant to feed doubts they think we have. They also (and I love this because it's so fucking hilarious!) work soooo hard to link obvious Nicola and Polin "Lady Whistledown" references to their sinking ships. Silly gooses. And of course they ignore that Luke has never claimed or clarified Antonia's status in his life... even now, after the BOSS event.

The trolling behaviour doesn't phase me in the least. I don't have doubts they can crush with their silliness. Nicola and Luke are soulmates. End of statement.

So troll anons: why not head back to your sinking USS Lutonia or USS Jakola and cast off for home before your ship sinks to the bottom of the ocean. From this point forward I'll be blocking those that send me messages like this. If you're inclined to message me similar bullshit, why not save yourself the trouble and stay in your own shipping lane.

Aaniin Xxx

P.S. I just discovered a kinda back-door way to see who these Anon posters are... and they're NOT officially Lutonia shippers. They're JAKOLAS!! What dickheads. To all the Jakeholes that are reading this post - fuck off to your own ship. You're worse than the Lutonias. Your desperation stinks like shit. I've also incorporated Jakolas into the original post above.

[yoredoesmore]

Hi! Idk if your reqs are still open since you said you’re kinda in hiatus (which pls take your time! Rest lots!), but.. could I ask a part 2 of Old Habits Die Hard?

Maybe a direct continuation or a lil time skip where reader is still confused by the soft hoshina but everyone else caught on? If you don’t have inspiration for it it’s tots fine! I just loved it so much that made me want more!

Old Habits Don't Die pt. 2 | Hoshina Soshiro

pairing: Hoshina Soshiro x Fem!Reader

genre: /romance/slowburn/enemies to lovers/angst if you squint

summary: Soshiro plays with your feelings one too many times and now has to deal with the consequences

read pt. 1 here

wc: 3k

a/n: I kinda rushed this (and lost the romance/soft aspect for a sec im sorry) but I hope you like it :>

Enjoy!

He was teasing you again, he had to be. The sly smirk on his face and the soft blush that hushed over his cheeks, he must be toying with you, right? Just like back then in kindergarten where he would add cute hair clips into your hair without you noticing at first or changing your name cards so you would sit next to him during lunch, he was simply goofing around. After all, old habits don't die.

*

You were somehow able to adjust to the new circumstances after a few months passed by. Perhaps it was the chaotic work atmosphere that had your mind occupied or the new friends you made along the journey. Whatever it may have been, you found yourself less troubled by Soshiro's presence than you thought you'd be.

“You seem to have finally grown used to the Vice Captain's outgoing personality, Y/n.” Okonogi mentioned while the both of you worked on individual projects.

“Yeah, you could say that.” You shrugged, too busy with the task at hand to really focus on the conversation.

“He has become someone who I tolerate, I guess.”

Okonogis kindness reached into every corner of the world. Referring to Soshiros' antics as outgoing was more than just generous. But that is what you admired about her.

Soshiro could really learn from the woman. Considering how close they were, you believed that some of her kindness would rub onto him but it seemed like he had no interest in changing his ways. Although you did appreciate him looking out for you all the time, he lost all your respect whenever he would pull another stunt of his.

He yet had to call you by your name too but you doubted that he would ever let go of that nickname. Pigtails. It was so childish and absurd, mocking, but on a level only a child would take offense to. Talking him out if it was not going to happen anytime soon, not because he would never listen to you but simply because you loved the hairstyle and refused to let go of it. And with his mindset, he would insist that you keeping it was an encouragement.

Whatever.

Your pigtails swayed left and right as you walked down the hallways in a pace that could be considered a strong jog. Folders and binders sat tightly pressed against your chest, threatening to slip out of your grip if you were to bump into something.

No time could be wasted.

For the past few weeks, you have been working on a training segment that could drastically improve the current training sessions and help the fighters understand the beats they face even better. Kafka was the inspiration for this project. His knowledge about the Kaiju has benefited the team many times and the both of you advocated that if you were to incorporate learning lessons into the training course, fighting Kaiju would be so much easier.

Unfortunately, it was on you to call the project to life. While Kafka was the inspiration and helped you come up with an impressive curriculum, it was your job as the operations Vice Leader to take care of the details, paperwork and lastly– the presentation.

Okonogi did offer you her help but knowing how packed her schedule is you did not want to add to her stress. Besides, this was your chance to prove that you were more than just a cute face– which lead you to another problem.

Pigtails has been making its rounds. You already found it blatantly unprofessional (and humiliating) for Soshiro to address you by that nickname but for your fellow colleagues to call you that? That was one brick too much.

At first it was only a select few, friends, who would beckon you with the alias, but all of a sudden more and more cadets, researchers and even Ashiro began to refer to you by the name. It felt more disrespectful rather than uncomfortable. Soshiro used to be the only one who called you by this name, now it has become all too common with the people..

"Pigtails!” You heard a voice that did not belong to the Vice Captain call out. In the room next to your right, which you already passed by, one of your coworkers stood in the door frame.

“Oh, good evening Mr. Miyagi.” Mr. Miyagi too worked for the operations department, but for a different division. He has been overseeing a few projects at the base for the past weeks and has grown rather comfortable with you.

So much that he did not feel like it was necessary for him to keep his distance or even ask if he could touch your pigtails.

“Your bravery is admirable, Vice Leader.” He grinned, testing how gravity worked on your two tails.

“Such a childish hairstyle at a place like this, not just anyone can pull that off.”

You smiled. Mr. Miyagi felt comfortable in his actions, playing dolls with your hair as if he had known you for ages. There was only one person you knew who was bold enough to dare pull such vulgar action off.

Within seconds, your hand grasped the other's wrist and forcefully pulled him off your head. The soft demeanor on your face was no more, only a cold and toxic smile.

“I have made peace with the image of cuteness that was bestowed upon me by my peers.” You squeezed his arm, hard.

“But I will not let this level of disrespect reach any greater heights. I am a Vice Leader for heaven's sake. I will have you know, Mr. Miyagi, as comfortable as you may feel around me, I will remind you that you and I are mere coworkers and the privilege of touching, no, being this close to me is one reserved for friends, family and those I tolerate.”

The man before you had yet to collect his jar off the floor. His gaze shakily met with yours, in desperate search for sarcasm but his search came out empty.

“I was wondering what took ya so long.” A new voice joined the scene, one you knew all too well and had hoped to avoid for just a little longer.

“We were supposed to meet ten minutes ago for yer presentation, but it looks like ya were occupied..otherwisely.”

Soshiro paused, his gaze now falling onto the man who was shaking in his boots more than before.

“Looks like Mr. Miyagi is spouting incomprehensible bullshit again. Did he bother ya?”

“Not any more than you normally do.” You replied, finally releasing the man from your grip. A long sigh of relief escaped from his lips but it came out more a gasp.

“I apologize Ma'am.” Without allowing either of you to hold him any longer, Mr. Miyagi fled the scene, leaving the two of you alone.

“Is there somethin’ on my face?” Soshiro's voice sat low in his throat as he stepped closer, closing the distance between the two of you. He had that irritating, soft smile on his face, the kind that felt like it was mocking you but in a friendly way.

“This is all your fault, you know.” Crossing your arms over your chest you gave the man a stern look. He simply chuckled, moving closer until he towered right above you. Back in kindergarten, the two of you were about the same height but you were indeed slightly taller than him. Now, he stood a few inches above you, not much but it was enough for his ego to feel elevated.

“Can ya blame me?” Soshiro twirled one of your curls around in his fingers. “Who wouldn't wanna put a cute nickname on ya?”

“I literally am blaming you, Soshiro.” Your stance stayed stoic, not moving or shifting as Soshiro tried to ride on your nerves again.

“Well, I've gotta admit that I'm a little salty about everyone calling yer by my special nickname. Especially morons like Miyagi.”

Soshiro's eyes lit up as his fingers moved from your hair down to your cheeks, gently caressing them. The motion felt heavily out of character, yet you stopped yourself from urging him away. His eyes shone so gentle and bright, with a tenderness strictly reserved for you. Your heart was torn between pushing him away or accepting him.

“Shouldn't we focus on my presentation..” The more he stared at you the more you found yourself flustered by his sudden closeness.

“Oh I'm paying attention.”

“I mean on the proje-"

“Consider it approved.”

Just like that??

The tension drastically shifted from heavy to palable. Soshiro's fingers still embraced your cheeks, his thumb drawing over your flustered skin like a painting. His face stood inches from yours, begging to close the distance between both your–

“I'm just playin with ya!”

And just like that the atmosphere shattered.

Within seconds, the man distanced himself from your confused figure, leaving not even a drop of the previous tension behind.

“Ya should have seen yer adorable little face, Pigtails, to die for!”

Soshiro fell into a pit of laughter. It felt mocking and extreme, like prickles of poison on your skin. You felt the muscle in your body tense and the helpless expression on your face shifting into a painful frown.

“You jerk..” You mumbled, head lowered to the floor. Soshiro immediately stopped in his motions and looked at you, eyes tearing wide open as he saw what state he had pushed you into.

“You disgusting jerk!” Slapping your binders and folders into his chest, you pierced him with one final glare before dashing out of the room.

“It wouldn't hurt ya to take me seriously every now and then, you know!” The door fell shut with a loud crash, leaving the Vice Captain alone in the space.

*

“You did what now?”

“I panicked..”

“The Hoshina Soshiro? Who towers over Kaiju and slays them in a moment's breath. He panicked? In front of his childhood sweetheart?” Ashiro found herself unable to accept the words Soshiro was handing her.

After yesterday's antics you were left in a state of bitter defeat. You walked into the office a deflating mess, unable to work properly or even hold a conversation with Okonogi. Your superior went straight to Ashiro to discuss her concerns and at exactly that moment, Soshiro entered the room.

Saying that both Okonogi and Ashiro felt highly disappointed was an understatement.

“It is one thing to bully the girl you like in kindergarten, heck even high-school, but at work? She is a grown woman with emotions and thoughts, what you did yesterday was utterly disrespectful and humiliating.”

Ashiro nodded her head, agreeing with Okonogi's preaching.

“And not to mention, she probably likes you too– or better said liked. After that little stunt you pulled I don't know if she wants to have anything to do with you anymore.”

“What? What are you talking about?” Soshiro turned his head towards the scientist in confusion, not enough threats in his head to connect the dots himself.

“Y/n, despite her looks, is not the soft type. If anyone did what you did to her in the past up till now she would be out for blood. But instead she lets you touch her hair and call her by this childish nickname.” Okonogi spoke, as if it was the most obvious thing.

Even Ashiro, who lacked a deeper level of connection with you, was able to comprehend your behavior towards the man.

It took Soshiro moments of silence to grasp the concept of the situation. He found himself regretting yesterday's actions even more as he realized that you wouldn't have pushed him away like he thought you would. No matter where life took him in the past, you always found your way back to him.

"You can't hog the animal plushies, you have to share them, Soshiro!”

“Students are not allowed to use the training rooms on the third floor, they are strictly reserved for the higher ranked students.”

“It’s just..I think I ran into an old acquaintance of mine yesterday. Here in the building. Haven't seen him in a while and we go like, wayyy back.”

He should have realized it sooner.

“You done fucked up.” Ashiro sighed, pulling the man out of his daydreams.

“Fuck..”

*

At this point it was more convenient for you to take a sleeping bag with you to work rather than renting the apartment near the base. All nighters have become a consistent part of your work life (and especially after what happened last week with Soshiro) you found yourself slacking off during the day and making up for it at night even more.

But there was nothing you could do about that. You'd rather lose sleep than hand over half assed assignments– or fall behind.

A soft knock against your office door allowed you temporary peace. It was Okonogi who had come to pick up the files you were supposed to hand her in the afternoon.

“I'll have them done by 9, I promise!”

You had bowed and apologized at least a thousand times, feeling truly terrible for delaying her work so much because of your personal problems.

You thought about what happened to Soshiro more than you would like to admit. It laid heavy on your mind and refused to let you rest. It was always the same with him and it made your heart heavier than it already is.

“Thanks again Oko-”

“Hey-”

Before the word could even make it into the air, you gently closed the door on the man. He had it coming. Knowing that made it feel a little less painful when you shut the door right in front of him but it still stung.

“Okonogi sent me to collect the folders.” Sounds of shuffles were heard, together with the arranging of papers. Then the door opened– but only a small slip, big enough for the folders to be passed through.

“Listen, I'm sorry.”

No answer followed his words.

“I haven't been easy on ya, ever really, and I..fuck..I don't know what it is, I'm sorry.”

“You've always been like this..just one big asshole..”

“Yes, I'm an asshole and ya don't deserve this kind of treatment. It's just..”

You shouldn't be feeling this way. Every fiber in your being just wanted to slam the door shut on the man, tell him to leave you alone for good and maybe threaten him in some kind of way..but this wasn't kindergarten. There was no Ms. Yuki you could call or any rule book that would back you up. If you wanted things to change you had to act on your own.

The both of you are adults now. And although old habits stuck to you like dirt did to a slug, there had to be an end to this childish mess.

The door moved open at a slow pace, revealing your dejected figure. “Do you hate me, Soshiro?"

Silence.

"What..? No, no. I..” Hurt and distress oozed off Hoshina's voice like blood from a fresh wound. It felt like he was almost offended that you would suggest that, yet he knew that his actions were to blame for you coming to that conclusion.

“We have been like this for ages, ever since we have known each other actually. The bickering, the mocking, the teasing..it just felt so natural to me..and I thought it was the same for you.” His voice was but a mere rough whisper at the end, that snuck around your throat.

One of Soshiro’s arms found its way around your waist, gently pulling you closer to his body. You felt his warmth surround you like mist, sending you into a soft trance. You would be lying if you said that being so close wasn't comforting .

“You're always pushing your goddam luck with me, Soshiro. I let you have these moments, I allowed the mocking and teasing because I thought you'd change. But..”

“So you believed in me?” You chuckled, shaking your head at his boldness.

“I always believed that one day the two of us could get past this stupid phase and, I don't know, become friends or something like that. Gosh, this sounds so stupid..”

In a gentle motion, two of his fingers found themselves under your chin, slightly tilting your head to the side.

“I've always wanted to get closer to you. Being a bother was the only way I knew how to get on your radar but I agree, we are grown now..”

You melted. You melted like butter under his touch and it felt relaxing to finally be at ease around him.

“Saying my name, my real name, would be a great start, Vice Captain.”

Your lips hovered right above Soshiros, ghosting over them and your eyes drank in his image with a subtle hint of need.

“Alright then, Y/n.”

The arm around your waist pulled you even closer, so that both your bodies connected. He pulled you in so tenderly, as if he was afraid to break the moment. Soshiro's breath lingered on your lips for a second, until his fell on yours. He caught you in a heated kiss, rough yet sweet and passionate. It held all the emotions, thoughts and wants he has been holding the past years.

And you felt, in the way Soshiro was holding your face in place with his fingers, that he has been wanting to do this for a long time now. You as well found yourself in this foreign experience, holding onto his shoulders for support and comfort and pressing down on them when he tried to deepen the kiss.

The moment lasted, until the both of you were forced to gasp for air.

His thumb ghosted over your lips, hungry and desperate for more and his lips curled up into a devious smirk as he saw the same emotions reflect in your eyes.

“This feels much better than having ya yell at me.” Soshiro's hands moved up to undo your pigtails as he spoke, allowing your hair to fall free.

“I guess Okonogi can wait.”

a/n: (rant) I always want to keep these stories short but then I'm scared that the pace is too fast and then it takes me days to write something I can tolerate ughh

[bijoutarot]

2025 Career Reading ✨

Pick An Image✨

Image 1: The Trailblazer


🌟 Reading: Your career path in 2025 is filled with dynamic opportunities for growth. You may find yourself stepping into a leadership role, whether by advancing in your current field or taking the leap into something new. The path you walk is uniquely yours, but it’s marked by self-confidence, ambition, and the courage to carve out a new direction. This year, focus on refining your skills and building new connections. What you create now will set the tone for your long-term success.
✨ Affirmation: "I trust in my ability to lead, create, and innovate. The path ahead is mine to shape."
💬 Question: What new opportunities are you most excited to explore in 2025? Let’s talk about your career vision for the new year!


Image 2: The Collaborator
🌱 Reading: In 2025, your career path will be heavily influenced by your ability to collaborate. Teamwork and building strong partnerships will open doors to new opportunities. Whether you're part of a team or leading one, the ability to communicate effectively and bring people together will be one of your greatest assets. Look for ways to share your skills and learn from others. This could be the year where mentorship, both giving and receiving, plays a major role in your growth.
✨ Affirmation: "I am open to collaboration, and I trust that working with others amplifies my success."
💬 Question: What skills do you hope to bring into a team dynamic this year? How do you plan to foster collaboration in your career?


Image 3: The Innovator
🚀 Reading: 2025 is all about embracing innovation. Your career path will be shaped by your willingness to think outside the box and take risks that others may shy away from. Whether you're an entrepreneur, freelancer, or part of a company, new technologies, creative solutions, and cutting-edge ideas are the driving forces of success. Don't be afraid to push boundaries and experiment with new strategies. The future is in the hands of those who innovate and adapt.
✨ Affirmation: "I embrace change and innovation with open arms, knowing it brings me closer to my goals."
💬 Question: What new technology or trend are you most excited to incorporate into your work in 2025?


Image 4: The Seeker
🔮 Reading: As we move into 2025, your career path is guided by your inner wisdom and your quest for knowledge. This year, you're going to be drawn to personal development, whether it's through formal education, self-study, or spiritual exploration. Trust that the more you learn, the more opportunities will arise. Stay curious, stay humble, and don’t hesitate to ask questions. Your growth will come not only from practical experience but from your commitment to continuous learning and self-reflection.
✨ Affirmation: "I am open to growth, always learning, and embracing the wisdom that each new experience brings."
💬 Question: What is one area of knowledge or skill you're most eager to explore this year? How do you plan to invest in your growth?

[your-astro-mami]

Pluto officially enters Aquarius later today. The Sun-Pluto conjunction could be a powerful tool to start something new creatively - as it could have a lasting impact on your life and could show the beginning of a major new cycle.

For Aries Rising, it will be a powerful day to make a plan, start doing something related to your biggest dreams, aspirations, anything you want to do to have a major impact on the world.

For Taurus Rising, it will be a good day to focus on your professional goals, plans for the future and your career. This could be a great time to work on your public image as you are more likely to gain popularity for what you do.

For Gemini Rising, this can be a wonderful time for your personal development - working towards educating yourself, gaining knowledge. Planning a travel now, travelling or any new journey will be valuable to you in the long-run.

For Cancer Rising, it could be a great time to focus on financial goals, ambitions and investing money. You could receive recognition for the things you do. It could be a transformative time for your hidden self and gaining strength.

For Leo Rising, it will be a time that impacts relationships - both personal and professional. Now is the time to let go of unhealthy relationships, network, build new connections as you are likely to meet people who will benefit you. Good day for business-related activities as well.

For Virgo Rising, it could be a powerful time for work, starting new projects or anything health-related, making bigger shifts in your lifestyle, incorporating something new. You may gain more power in your work environment.

For Libra Rising, this will be a time with strong creative energy and inspiration - desire to do something new. A valuable time for love and your social life as well. Now is the time to express your creativity, think of new ideas and turn them into reality.

For Scorpio Rising, this could be a transformative day for anything related to your emotional wellbeing, as well as family and domestic environment. Now is the time to plan any changes connected to your living situation.

For Sagittarius Rising, this is a wonderful day to turn your plans into action, communicate your thoughts and opinions, express everything that matters to you. It is a good time to make decisions and let go of any mental/creative blockages.

For Capricorn Rising, this could be a very transformative time financially - a good time to make financial decisions, major purchases, look for new opportunities to increase your income and find a new source of income.

For Aquarius Rising, this is probably one of the most important days of your life. Take action towards your plans - focus on yourself, be selfish today and do the things that will benefit you long-term. It is a transformative time so it is important to use it well.

For Pisces Rising, this is a major time for your mental health and inner wellbeing. Now is the time to heal and let go. Spend time with yourself, focus on your needs and relaxation. Feeling at peace today shows the beginning of a great cycle for your inner self.

My advice for everyone is to focus on your passions this weekend - focus on what benefits YOU. This is an important time that will set the start of a large cycle in your life so it is best to use it to your advantage. Creative activities, business plans, anything that you truly want to be a part of your future - now is the time to put work towards it.

[karcatgirl-vantas]

GATE INVERSION

A superhero setting.

About 30 years or so ago, the one way passage of souls from Earth to Hell switched direction. It is now impossible to die; everyone on Earth stops aging at some point between 20 and 60. Some people age backward, or oscillate back and forth over the course of decades. No disease or injury can permanently kill anyone either, though injuries of would-be-lethal severity take proportionally longer to heal and can be permanently disabling. Periodically, people in Hell - that is, people who have died at potentially any point in history - will die in Hell and appear, generally in 20-something year old bodies, somewhere on Earth.

The world is full of demons. Demons are created wanting to do evil, but they aren't created with a sophisticated moral philosophy or understanding of what "evil" means, so they crib notes from human minds. They find people who understand themselves as evil, or who understand themselves as having evil attributes or urges, or who have emotions or desires that they suppress and try to distance themselves from, and do supernatural things to them, around them, or involving them - things designed to make them, by their own reckoning, worse.

If you have a demon attached to you, one way to deal with it is to incorporate whatever fact or quality about yourself the demon has attached itself to into your self-image. You create a persona for yourself - a name, an attitude, an aesthetic sensibility - that reflects and engages with whatever it is about yourself that your demon has latched onto. Is your demon a dark secret? A destiny you decide to embrace? Something inside you that you have to learn to control, or to nurture, or even to redeem? Once you have an idea of your answers to these questions, you might discover, or invent, a new name for yourself, or a name for your demon, or a name that the two of you share. You can use that name as a weapon, or a tool for moving through the world, or a shield; and as you do, you'll find your demon's abilities coming under your control.

In the world of GATE INVERSION, the supervillains are the people who embrace whatever dark urges their demons tickle, and are often made physically monstrous by those demons; and the superheroes are the ones who see themselves as rejecting and resisting those parts of themself. It isn't common knowledge that villains and heroes are empowered in the same way, by the same force. The superheroes try to present an idealized, morally pure version of themselves - they have to, in order to keep controlling their powers the way they've learned to! There is a growing movement of anti-heroes, or anti-villains, who have gleaned some inklings of the underlying mechanisms of super-empowerment, and who advocate radical self-acceptance, finding ways to incorporate and even celebrate the dark parts of yourself that don't lead to lashing out and hurting other people. But these folks aren't widely trusted yet. Just like supervillains, they are often made monstrous by their powers; and sometimes they go off the deep end and become violent vigilantes, or their communities are rocked by disturbing scandals. None of our upstanding heroes would do anything like that, right? Right. Best to stick with tradition.

[bad-and-drawn-that-way]

HEAR ME OUT- DUMBIFICATION, DEGRADATION AND PRAISE WITH VOX

THOUGHTS??

I also have a headcanon request that I'll do separately in list form! This is actually a scene from a scrapped multi-chapter fic idea I had for a secretary reader. As to why it was scrapped, I didn't know how to finish it so I ✨gave up! ✨

Ngl this is actually only half of the scene, there's scraps of this whole extra kinky round-two thing with some casual exhibitionism, but we'll see how this does first. That being said, enjoy!

At Your Service [Vox x Secretary Reader] NSFW AS FUCK

(NSFW writing under the cut. Minors stay away <3)

It was an early morning like any other. Vox is sitting at his desk, looking over the paperwork he had from yesterday. It’s far too early and his bougie oversized office offered little comfort as you sleepily walked in. Hearing the door open, Vox looked up and smirked as he noticed the coffee in your hand.

"Good morning." he greeted you, motioning to a chair for you to take a seat.

"Morning," you smile a bit tiredly as you enter the room. You were never much of a morning person. Once the initial adrenaline of stepping out of your house had burned out, you needed the extra caffeine boost to keep your energy going.

A yawn slipped past your lips as you sat in the chair across from his desk.

"Wimp," Vox chuckled, poking fun at your inability to start a morning as early as him. It had become a regular topic of banter that started most of your work mornings together.

"Capitalist cocksucker," you wave him off. "Not everyone can be up at the ass crack of dawn in a freshly pressed suit, Sir. A few more sips of this stuff and I'll be good to go." You say as you lift your coffee to your lips.

You hum and lick some foam off your lip as you pull out your laptop. "Any changes to today's agenda I need to know about?" you ask him.

Vox smirked, rolling his eyes as he pulled up one of the hundreds of tabs he had open on his computer. "I can tell you're still a bit tired, but if you're sure... " he paused for a moment, glancing over his schedule."Yes, actually. There has been a small change to the overall plan. We're going to be running a new campaign today, so I'll need you to be ready to assist with that."

"What would you like me to oversee?

"I want you to be over on the promotion side for this new campaign," he said as he looked up from his paperwork. "Make sure that we get maximum visibility on this. The security system may have been a spur-of-the-moment idea, but it could bring in huge fucking numbers if we pull it off. I want as many people as possible to know about it and twice as many sales as views minimum.”

You nod, take notes, and start writing an email draft to get meetings scheduled. "Do you want the visual hypnosis team to work on the campaign or the auditory team?" It was common knowledge that Vox had hypnotic abilities, but it was less common to know how it had been incorporated throughout his entire company. Inductions were slipped into nearly every advertisement, program, and product that the company made.

"Have both of the hypnosis teams work on it," he answered. "We'll have the visual team focus primarily on the advertising for the campaign, and the audial team will work on creating the sounds and audio to slip in. We want this to be a very effective campaign, so the more hypnotic technology we can put into work, the better."

You stop typing, looking up at him incredulously. “Are you sure? The last time we doubled down on inductions we had to do that whole cover story to explain why half of hell turned into braindead zombies for a week.”

“It’ll be fine,” Vox waved off your concerns. “That was years ago and we’re better at this shit now. We can always blame it on Alastor somehow if shit goes wrong.”

You nod along, "If you’re sure. I've personally been incredibly susceptible to the combination, so forgive me if I don’t watch any of your programs for the next month," you say idly without thinking.

You didn’t notice as Vox paused. You didn’t notice the toothy grin that could have prepared you for what was to come either. "How susceptible were you previously to hypnosis?"

You nod along, not listening to his question as you finish sending the email to the hypnosis teams. Your brain catches up with you as you hit send and you freeze like a deer in the headlights. The look on your flushed face was priceless and Vox would have burst out laughing if he wasn’t so invested in hearing your answer. "I, uh.." you look away from him, "I was focused and said too much out loud. You weren't supposed to hear that."

His eyes were still on you, a clear look of curiosity flashing across his expression.

"You're right, I wasn't supposed to hear that,” He grinned. “But you said it and you’re not getting out of this that easily. You said that you are quite susceptible?"

You cringe, knowing you couldn't dodge a direct question from your boss. Even if he was an ass and an absolute man-child. "I..." you bite your lip curling in on yourself and crossing your legs as you take a sudden great interest in your laptop. "Yeah, I may have... experimented a bit."

His eyebrows raised, and he leaned slightly over to get a better look at you.

"Experiments?" he spoke softly. "What type of experiments?"

You sputter, your entire body flushing as you stammer out a panicked reply, "I, ah, um.. don't know if that would be a-appropriate to um.."

He chuckled slightly, now seeming rather amused by your reaction. "I assure you, I've heard much worse than whatever you may be worried about telling me."

"E-even so," you try to reason. "It's embarrassing. It's one thing to do it, it's another to tell your boss about it."

His eyebrows raised further. "You've done hypnotic experiments on yourself, and you're embarrassed to tell me about it?” He chuckles and rests his screen on his hand. “Yeah, no. You’re not getting out of this. What exactly did you do?"

You stare at him, before sighing and opening up a blank document. It was too mortifying to say out loud. He may have the power to squeeze the information out of you for his entertainment, but you’d be damned if you gave him the satisfaction of saying it out loud. You silently type up that you've tried being hypnotized both sober and when high and how you had done free-use edging with a group while high and hypnotized. Without a word you turn the laptop around so he can read it, your face on fire as you look anywhere but at him.

He had been expecting something a bit more tame, but now he was intrigued. It seemed that you had quite the mind on you to explore such risky topics. When he finished reading it, he raised his eyebrows even further, seemingly somewhat impressed.

"Well, I'll be damned," he commented. "That's not what I expected... What made you wanna try such things?"

"I like the feeling of it," you muttered as you turned the laptop around and promptly deleted the damning text.

His eyebrows raised a bit, intrigued. "You like the feeling of being hypnotized? You like letting someone else be in control of you?"

You pressed your lips together, blushing hard as he asked his question.

"Is that a yes then?" he inquired, his grin growing as the pixels under his mouth went dead. "You don't want to give me a straight answer, but the way you're stuttering and blushing makes it pretty clear that you do."

"S-Shut up," you bite back at his call-out as you finally look back at him.

Vox laughs as he just keeps winning the game he’d caught you in. "I think I hit the nail on the head, didn't I?"

"Y-Yes, sir." You say, cringing as you realize that sounded completely different given the topic compared to when you usually called him that during work hours.

He chuckled again, finding your response more than a bit amusing. "Well then, I take it that you have no issues with me being in complete control over you, then?"

You would combust into flames if you could. Your legs clenched together as you took in his question. You looked down at your laptop, stammering as you felt yourself quickly slipping into his grasp. "T-The campaign-"

"Yes, yes, yes," he interrupts you, seeming rather amused by this. "We'll talk about the campaign after that. I'm more interested in how much control you're willing to give up to me right here and now."

"I..." you pause, staring down at your hands clenched on top of your laptop. Were you really about to do this? Fuck it.

You look up at him and nod.

A grin appeared on his face as you nodded, even more amused now that this little bit was going exactly the way he had hoped. The two of you had flirted here and there, but never anything more than the occasional passing comment. If anything, it had just been a part of the playful and teasing game you’d be playing together for the past few months with you as his assistant.

He had no idea if you had ever truly noticed his advances or the way he’d stare at your ass in that pencil skirt you always wore during meeting days. But now he had the chance to unravel every last secret that’d been out of reach. Vox was nothing if not an opportunist.

"Good girl," he said softly. "Are you ready for me to control you now?"

You stand, going to place your phone and laptop on a nearby table. You stop and take a shaky breath, smoothing out your pencil skirt. You turn and walk back to him, this time hesitating instead of simply sitting in the chair across from his desk.

"Yes."

He smiles at your obedience and hesitation, noting the way that you smoothed down your skirt. You had already given up quite a lot of control to him, and it seemed that it was just going to be even easier from this point on.

"Then come here," he said softly, motioning for you to do so.

Your heart was pounding hard in your chest and you felt how hot your cheeks were as you stepped forward and moved to stand before him. His attention had been on every part of you, taking in every inch of you. He didn’t have to sneak in glances like before, he could just take it all in on his own time. He was enjoying the way that he seemed to be able to control you with a seemingly simple command. And to think he’d barely lifted a finger.

His eyes moved downwards as you stood in front of him, and his expression became a bit more serious than mere amusement.

"Let your skirt fall to your ankles," he instructed.

You practically shivered at the command, screaming internally at how embarrassed you felt and yet squirming at how just a short command from him was enough to send sparks through your body.

Your face flushed as you slowly undid the zipper on the side of your hip, taking a sharp breath before letting the fabric fall to the floor. You hugged yourself as you looked to the side, stepping out of your skirt and standing half-exposed in front of him.

He couldn't help but smirk as you did exactly as he commanded. Your legs were now exposed, and he noted how they were quivering slightly.

"Good girl," he smirked. "Now, let's step this up."

"But you’re still wearing too much. Let’s move on to your top next, shall we?" he suggested with a spark of playful amusement.

Oh god, was he really going to make you do this? It would have been one thing if he had been the one undressing you, but the fact he was making you do it for him like this was going to be the double death of you. You shakily undo the buttons of your blouse, trying to keep your heart rate under control as you pull it over your head and let it fall to the floor by your skirt.

You look at Vox, hoping he’d finally have some mercy and touch you himself, but he only lazily drags his gaze over your body with a hum of approval. "And finally?"

You were only left in your bra, underwear, sheer black thigh-high tights, and your heels. You felt incredibly vulnerable in his large office. Anyone could come in through the door and the windows that overlooked the city suddenly felt far more exposing than they ever had before.

You could see the spark of excitement begin to rise in him as you bit your lip and paused. Your hesitation was only making this a bit more exciting for him. He could hardly keep up the playful mask when his claws were threatening to tear into the armrest of his chair.

"Go on... " he said softly and slowly, his voice now beginning to become a bit huskier.

You took another shaky breath as you slowly reached back to unclasp your bra. You shook just knowing he was looking at you. That he was pursuing this. It made you hyper-aware in every way as you tossed the garment to the side and then finally stepped out of your underwear.

His gaze on your body was intense once more, seeming to take in every inch of you. He could not stop himself from being intrigued by your body and by just how vulnerable you were right now.

Your shaking was making it even more enticing to him. "Good girl," he said softly. You move to undo the garter and roll down your tights, when he stops you. Leave those. They’re perfect.” The dead pixels under his mouth might as well have been drool with the way his eyes hungrily took in the sight of the tights pressing into your skin so perfectly. 

“Are you ready to move on to the last step?"

You take a deep breath before lowering to your knees in front of him and nodding. You'd never done anything like this with a single person, finding it so much easier in a group. His lone, laser focus on you made you feel every twitch and spark and overwhelmed you in the best of ways.

"Yes, Sir."

He looked down at you once more, this time taking in all of your body as you were now kneeling, your hands resting on his chair.

"Now..." he said quietly as he reached down in a rare moment of tenderness as he lifted your chin. "I want to ask you a very simple question, but you must answer honestly. Do you enjoy this? Do you enjoy giving up your control to me?"

The smallest moan slips past your lips without your permission. Despite your embarrassment, you answer truthfully. “Yes. I love it a lot, actually.."

He smirked at the moan and the truth in your words. You were enjoying this... he could tell. You truly loved giving up your control to him. And he loved taking it.

"Good girl," he said with a soft chuckle at your veracity. "Very, very good girl. You enjoy letting me take c̶o̸m̶p̴l̶e̵t̵e̵ control of you, don't you?"

You take a deep breath, feeling your body relax a bit as you feel a bit of yourself give into him as you finally gather the nerve to look him in the eye. "Yes, Sir."

His expression seemed to shift a bit as you gave in even more. His amusement was more apparent now, as he now had you exactly where he wanted you.

"I love that you enjoy this so much," he said softly. "Does it make it more fun for you to know that you are pleasing me?"

You nod, shifting on your knees. "It does," you say earnestly. "Your approval isn't something easy to earn."

The slight shift you made was enough to cause him to smirk once more. Every time you moved, he would find something new about you that appealed to him.

"I approve of this tremendously," he grinned. "It is obvious that you enjoy giving up your control over me and letting me take control of you. It is clear that you enjoy giving me pleasure."

You let out a hot breath, your eyes darting down to between his legs as he mentioned giving him pleasure. You weren’t subtle about it either. Vox chuckled, amused more now than any other time during the interactions you two have had so far. You whine, your fists clenching where they rested on top of your thighs. Your chest shifted with every movement as you waited for his instruction.

"So eager," he breathed. He reached down and tucked your hair behind your ear as he committed the view to memory. "Go on, then,” he purred. “Show me what you’re willing to do for this.”

"I'm happy to give you a demonstration," you say to him with a smirk. Vox chuckled, happy to see some of your usual sass seep into the moment. He just knew you had a bratty side to you. The duality of how eager you seemed to submit and that bit of knowledge filled him with anticipation for all the different sides of you he wanted to see.

You scoot forward and reach for the zipper of his slacks. You chuckle as his breath hitches when you slowly pull down. He moans softly as your hand only continues following a path down as you palm him slowly over his slacks. There was already a bulge formed there that made you twitch with delight.

Looking up, you see Vox watching you with wide eyes. The smirk on his face only grew larger as you slowly pulled down his slacks and boxers You could feel the heat of his gaze on you, his breath becoming more and more audible with every slow movement.

You hum with pleasure as you focus your attention on his half-hard cock in your hand. It was easier to let go and forget your insecurities when you had him in front of you like this. For as much as you’d fantasized about him, you had never dared to dream you’d find yourself in this situation with him. You lean down and use your hand to slowly pump him before you lock eyes with him and lick a trail across the underside of his cock.

“F̷̮͛u̷̞͗c̵̹̈́k̸̝̎i̷̝͝n̶̗̎g̷̭͒ hell,” Vox swore, his grip on his chair tightening. His breath got increasingly more audible, his throat hoarse from his attempts at restraining any noise he might make. He’d been dreaming of this for far too long. He had you pegged all wrong. He always thought you were innocent. Flirty, but he couldn’t truly imagine you’d have a side like this. You always seemed too pure despite your sass. How happy was he, to be proven wrong.

"Good girl," Vox huskily breathed as his fingers tangled in your hair.

You lower down to press a kiss to the head of his cock. He hissed as you sucked lightly and collected his pre-cum on your tongue. You let your tongue loll out for a moment to show him before you lower yourself and take him in your mouth. Your tongue swirls around the tip of him and your fingers dig into his thighs as you bob your head shallowly. You tease him with subtle motions before you start to take his length down your throat in earnest.

Every movement you made only increased the heat of the situation exponentially and Vox found his cool demeanor quickly fading as he panted above you. “F̷̰͠u̵͕̅c̵̠̓k̸̞͊i̵̢͊n̵͓̅g̷̤̃ ̶̠̋ḫ̵̑e̵̩̾l̶̦͋l̶̩͆,” he gasped as your tongue lapped at the base of his cock. How the fuck were you doing that when he was jammed past your non-existent gag reflex? 

You hummed around him, your eyes watering as you choked on him. He could see the mirth in your eyes and he knew you’d be teasing him with a snarky remark if you weren’t too busy drooling on his dick like a goddamn champ.

Vox lets out a stuttering breath. As hot as it was, he wasn’t going to let you just get away with keeping your attitude intact. Out of selfish pleasure, he let you continue your ministrations for a moment longer before his fingers tugged at your hair, bringing your attention back to him.

You let him pull you off of his member, your tongue hanging out as you catch your breath and smile dumbly at him. His expression remained very much one of satisfaction and admiration as he observed you. That dumbly, innocent smile of yours was rather endearing to him, as it went hand in hand with the way you were acting.

"You really are quite the little showstopper, aren’t you?" he said quietly as he took in your porn-quality face. He idly wondered how the hell you ended up working for him and not Valentino. He was not about to complain about the unexpected victory.

You hummed happily, letting yourself go more for him. It was such a stark contrast to how tense you were when you were working. He'd never seen this side of you before and he hadn't even hypnotized you yet.

He had now realized just why you got so tense when he approached you with that offer. You enjoyed this in such a way that it was almost intoxicating, that it was almost addictive. It was a stark contrast to the version of you he knew that strived for greatness and top results at all times. You must have been so wound up from it all that you just whiplashed into the complete opposite frame of mind to release.

If you were already like this in front of him, then what would you be like after he had you completely under his control?

You nod, smirking as some drool fell to your chest from when you had your mouth on him moments ago.” What can I say?” you say teasingly. “Oral fixations keep a girl eager.”

Vox grinned with the look of a hungry predator as his eyes roamed all over you. Every god damned inch.

“You actually want this, don’t you?” He chuckled. “You want me to turn you into a brain-dead d̶͈͊ȍ̴̪l̵̺͊ḽ̸̏.”

"Please," you whisper as you look up at him with pleading eyes.

You could see the hunger within his eyes as you said that single fucking word. It didn’t take lifting a single finger for you to desperately plead for his control. You’d been wanting this just as bad as he had. The whole goddamned time. Vox buried his face in his hands and you looked at him with concern. You couldn’t see the way he grinned or feel how his body trembled slightly. You could only gasp as your vision was filled with black and red spirals when he lowered his hands and looked at you with a wicked grin.

You sit back on your knees, your eyelids growing heavy as your mouth falls open. Your body felt like it was floating and it was enough to make you feel like you were high. The hypnotic effect of his demonic abilities was how he'd reached the powerful position of an overlord. Even if you hadn't been so susceptible, you would have been powerless under his gaze as a normal person. 

Any hypnosis you’d experienced before took many sessions of induction. It took a bond, trust, and a lot of mental bandwidth to be so vulnerable. But Vox could just drop you at a whim. And the pull of his tide dragging you under was stronger than anything you’d ever succumbed to before.

You were blissfully unaware as Vox’s expression shifted into feral joy. Your submission. This control. It was all his for the taking. You were giving him everything he’d ever craved and he could already tell that once he properly tasted this power, he’d never want to let go. He’d become an addict, for sure.

Your mind and body felt like they were floating. All you could see was Vox as your empty and needy self waited for his command. Your body felt almost weightless now, every sense and thought centered solely on him. His commands were all that you cared about now, his desires were now like law to you, and your body, empty as it was, only had one desire.

"I want you to do as I ask without question, do you understand?" he asked, his voice shaking with delight and raw hunger.

"Yes," you sigh, your every breath feeling heavy as you’re pulled deeper under his spell.

He had already gotten you to admit you were a submissive slut and he already got you to strip for him. All before he had even used his power on you. Now? Now, he could make you do or tell him anything he wanted. You were his.

"Good girl," he grinned. "I want you to stand up and walk over to that door over there," he said, pointing to one of the nearby doors to the room. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir," you say calmly. Whereas before your embarrassment left you feeling exposed, you now felt relaxed and light. Your embarrassment and insecurities didn’t exist under Vox’s control. There was only the need to satisfy him and be blessed with ecstasy in return.

You walked over to the door in nothing but your sheer thigh-high tights and heels. You place both of your hands on the door and stand with your hips out, waiting for Vox.

Vox glitched hard and admired the way that you followed these commands so easily. This was his. He found himself growing more addicted and possessive by the second. His mind was already buzzing with all the ways he could mold you to his every need and desire. He’d never felt so in control of another person like this and it satiated a dark craving in him.

"Now, I want you to take off those tights and throw them over to me."

You bend over in front of him, fully exposed, yet carefree as you peel off your tights and hand them to him with a relaxed look on your face. Vox sparked again as he got a full view of your need for him. Once your tights were off, you handed them over to him calmly.  All you could think about was pleasing him and satisfying him. Your anxiety and self-conscious tendencies were washed away.

Vox ordered you to put your hands behind your back. He grinned and tied your wrists together with one of the stockings. He snatched your underwear from the forgotten bundle of clothing by his desk and made you open your mouth for him. He stuffed them in and used the other stocking to tie around your mouth. 

Now that you were completely bound, your mind was completely free to focus on the feelings and sensations you were experiencing. He dropped the hypnotic spell on you and you gasped into your gag as your mind cleared and he pushed you forward so your face and tits were flush against the door. You shuddered hard and let out a broken moan as his palm rubbed against your leaking cunt.

Vox grinned and leaned down to speak by your ear as he slid his fingers in. “You have n̷͙̈o̷̹̎ idea how much I can’t wait to fucking d̷̲͆e̶̗͘s̴̳̈t̸͚̆r̷͎͒o̸͙͊ỹ̸̝ ̸̞̉y̷̰̓ǒ̵̦u̵̬͂.”

Your gasps and moans were muffled by the fabric in your mouth and you pushed against him as he roughly played with you. His hand slammed your head against the door and held you in place as his fingers curled and scissored inside of your sloppy heat. Tears pricked your eyes as your heart and mind raced. You were completely vulnerable to him, but now your embarrassment was rearing his head at the worst (b̴̼̊è̶͔s̶͜͝t̶̹̽) possible moment. 

The chance that there could be anyone on the other side of the door had you thrashing desperately against Vox’s ministrations. Vox delighted in your internal struggle and couldn’t help himself as his claws dug into the back of your hair so he could pull you back hard. “I’m going to make sure e̶͖͌v̷̞͐e̶͈̽r̶̡̂y̸̨͊o̵̤̚n̴��̈́e̴̥͌ ̵͜͠k̵̜̔n̷̝̈́ǒ̷̮w̷͎̅s̸͓̈́ who̸̩͂ ̶͔̀y̸͎̐ő̸̳u̸̗͊ ̶̞̏f̶͎̔u̷̠̅ć̵͈k̶͙̚i̴̜̿n̸̘͐g̷̨̿ ̸͔̌ belong to,” he growled as he lifted one of your legs and slipped himself inside of you.

Your eyes rolled back and you screamed into your gag as he slipped in and out of you with ease. He’d been so hard from the build-up of it all and you were literally dripping for him by this point. Vox growled and lost control as he picked up the pace of his actions, moving you around to different areas of the office and fucking you in as many positions as possible. He wanted you exposed. He wanted you defenseless. He wanted you marked in the blood and bruises of his ownership. He wanted to ḋ̴̥ó̶̰m̵̯̕i̷̗͗n̴͈̽a̵̱̒t̶̤̎ȇ̸͚ you. And he would.

Neither of you could keep track of the amount of times you’d come. Your mixed desire was dripping from your cunt as he’d buried himself deep inside of you every time one of you peaked. This was all he wanted. That was all you wanted. No more thinking, no more emotions, just the sheer fucking pleasure.

Your eyes rolled back into your head as you cried from how good he made you feel. He knew how to unravel you into nothing more than a babbling mess with every clever touch and command. It was becoming too much and yet you felt like you wanted more of it. You were overwhelmed as you felt yourself quickly approaching an orgasm.

“That’s it,” Vox growled as he fucked you against his desk. He chuckled darkly as he smacked your ass. “Fucking do it, c̴͖͆o̵͕͋m̷̟̉ẽ̵̞.”

You threw your head back and screamed as your entire body convulsed around him. You couldn't do anything but take his relentless thrusts as he pounded you into the desk. Vox growled, nearly on the verge of cumming himself when he suddenly rips himself off of you. You let out a muffled sob as you clench around nothing.

Your entire world is suddenly filled with bright blue electricity as you feel everything shift suddenly. You almost fall, but are caught by Vox’s hands. You squint as your eyes adjust to the sudden change of lighting and Vox undoes the gag around your mouth as you realize you’re now in his surveillance room. 

Your eyes go wide and you gasp and you see yourself on the monitors with Vox crouched over you. Every screen was showing a live feed of you from several different angles, showing how vulnerable you were in this situation. The footage of you was quite an entertaining sight for Vox as his wires came out of nowhere and threw you onto his chair.

"V-Vox,” you gasp as you look up at him with wide eyes. The overlord’s grin stretches wide as he grabs onto your shaking legs.

It was the first time you'd actually used his name.

At work, you were professional. In his office, you were playful. However now that he had you in his lair, he would mark a new side of you… Here, you were your true self, fully and utterly submissive. Here was his favorite.

You couldn't help but moan shamelessly as he lifted you with his cables and sat in the chair beneath you. You threw your head back with a scream as he dropped you onto his cock and turned the chair so you had an eyeful of each and every monitor with your shameful display recorded. 

You moan as you bounce yourself on him, meeting every one of his feral thrusts. Your mind was completely gone. Every grunt and growl that slipped from his lips only fueled your need. The marks on your hips and back from where his sharp nails clawed in burned just as deliciously as the stretch of him inside you.

Pain and pleasure all in one were now filling your mind. His grunts and growls were becoming louder, as were yours. You couldn't control it. This situation was pushing you further and further toward the edge.

You leaned into him, gasping as he made you lose your mind.

"P-please." You begged.

"Beg for it," he said growled, "Beg f̸̼̑ó̶̙r̴̠̀ ̵̫́m̴̡̾è̸̼."

You moan low as you desperately plead with him. "Please Vox, plus fucking break me! Please please please, Sir, please I'll be good. I'll do anything, please, Sir, fucking please!"

"You'll do anything for me," he said, with a grin on his face as he saw you getting more desperate with your plea. The red recording symbol on all of the screens wasn’t enough to make you see the incoming danger. You were too overwhelmed with the pleasure quaking through your body as Vox pumped into your sloppy cunt.

Your entire body shook hard as his movements suddenly stopped. A long whine of frustration and the roll of your hips made Vox grin. You were so desperate for him in the moment, you didn't notice the gravity of the position you were in.

"Fucking please don’t stop, I'll do anything Vox, please," you begged as you desperately rutted against him.

"I'm going to give you exactly what you want," he grinned as he whispered in your ear. "If you do everything I say from now on, then I'll give you everything you want. Sound like a deal?"

You sob, nodding rapidly against him. "Fuck, please, yes! It's a deal, so please!"

Vox suddenly thrusts up into you hard, making you scream as the room flashes with electricity. The deal was made and the pact was sealed.

"Good girl," he said quietly and calmly, as he pet your hair.

His grin was downright sinister as he pulled your head back.

"You're mine now."

Your eyes went wide as you realized the gravity of what you had just done in the heat of the moment. "Wait, I-" you gasp as you're cut off as Vox starts to mercilessly pound into your heat.

"I heard what you said," he grins as his claws dig into your hips and draw blood. "I heard it a̸̩̎l̴͚͗l̷̖̓.. And I'm going to hold you to e̵̻̐v̶͎͌é̵͉r̶͕͊y̷̳̍ word of that agreement."

If you thought Vox was rough before, it was nothing compared to how he used you now. He tossed you around like a toy and you sobbed as he broke you.

Your eyes were crossed as you screamed and took everything he had to give you. "Vox, Vox, Sir, fucking please!" You babbled, practically worshipping how he destroyed you now that he owned your soul. It was too good to care about the consequences. It was too much. All you could think of was how badly you needed him.

Your screams and moans were now all he could hear as you completely lost it. He was using everything that he could to break you and he seemed to enjoy every second of it. He was doing you dirty, but it was also exactly what you desired. All you wanted now was his approval, as he completely controlled and dominated you in body and spirit.

[reasonsforhope]

"The U.S. government is entering a new era of collaboration with Native American and Alaska Native leaders in managing public lands and other resources, with top federal officials saying that incorporating more Indigenous knowledge into decision-making can help spur conservation and combat climate change.

Federal emergency managers on Thursday also announced updates to recovery policies to aid tribal communities in the repair or rebuilding of traditional homes or ceremonial buildings after a series of wildfires, floods and other disasters around the country.

With hundreds of tribal leaders gathering in Washington this week for an annual summit, the Biden administration is celebrating nearly 200 new agreements that are designed to boost federal cooperation with tribes nationwide.

The agreements cover everything from fishery restoration projects in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest to management of new national monuments in the Southwestern U.S., seed collection work in Montana and plant restoration in the Great Smoky Mountains.

“The United States manages hundreds of millions of acres of what we call federal public lands. Why wouldn’t we want added capacity, added expertise, millennia of knowledge and understanding of how to manage those lands?” U.S. Interior Assistant Secretary Bryan Newland said during a panel discussion.

The new co-management and co-stewardship agreements announced this week mark a tenfold increase over what had been inked just a year earlier, and officials said more are in the pipeline.

Newland, a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community in northern Michigan, said each agreement is unique. He said each arrangement is tailored to a tribe’s needs and capacity for helping to manage public lands — and at the very least assures their presence at the table when decisions are made.

The federal government is not looking to dictate to tribal leaders what a partnership should look like, he said...

The U.S. government controls more than a quarter of the land in the United States, with much of that encompassing the ancestral homelands of federally recognized tribes...

Tribes and advocacy groups have been pushing for arrangements that go beyond the consultation requirements mandated by federal law.

Researchers at the University of Washington and legal experts with the Native American Rights Fund have put together a new clearinghouse on the topic. They point out that public lands now central to the country’s national heritage originated from the dispossession and displacement of Indigenous people and that co-management could present on opportunity for the U.S. to reckon with that complicated legacy...

In an attempt to address complaints about chronic underfunding across Indian Country, President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order on the first day of the summit that will make it easier for tribes to find and access grants.

Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told tribal leaders Thursday that her agency [FEMA] began work this year to upgrade its disaster guidance particularly in response to tribal needs.

The Indigenous people of Hawaii have increasingly been under siege from disasters, most recently a devastating fire that killed dozens of people and leveled an entire town. Just last month, another blaze scorched a stretch of irreplaceable rainforest on Oahu.

Tribes in California and Oregon also were forced to seek disaster declarations earlier this year after severe storms resulted in flooding and mudslides...

Criswell said the new guidance includes a pathway for Native American, Alaska Native and Hawaiian communities to request presidential disaster declarations, providing them with access to emergency federal relief funding. [Note: This alone is potentially a huge deal. A presidential disaster declaration unlocks literally millions of dollars in federal aid and does a lot to speed up the response.]

The agency also is now accepting tribal self-certified damage assessments and cost estimates for restoring ceremonial buildings or traditional homes, while not requiring site inspections, maps or other details that might compromise culturally sensitive data."

-via AP, December 7, 2023

[croquettish]

Hi, thesis-length question anon here! Thank you so much for your long and detailed replay to my question, I couldn’t be more thrilled. If it’s ok for you, I wanted to respond to some of the stuff you said. I’m so glad you answered it through the lens of your historical knowledge and research. Because I don’t have that background, I keep thinking more about the game design/industry angle, but of course with Warhorse games, both are relevant.

Re Henry being the protagonist of a potential KCD3 (or not): You’re right in saying that Warhorse probably planned for the chance that the game just wouldn’t reach financial goals and thus would not get a sequel. With the ending they have now, it can totally be considered wrapped up if they want it to, BUT there are plenty of story threads that have been teased: freeing the king, the wedding, the upcoming wars, Von Bergow, Erik…I think kcd2 was meant to finish Henry’s coming-of-age revenge arc, but that doesn’t mean his character growth has to stop. And as you point out: Henry is a recognizable name (IP) now, just like Geralt from the Witcher or Shepard from Mass Effect (and hey, they got 3 games). Sticking to a known beloved protagonist is safer than trying to sell people on someone new. That being said, they could shift focus to another known character from the games – I’ve seen Jan Žižka be suggested many times because of his active involvement in future proceedings. And he is popular.

Re the female romances. Completely agree that none of them seem to be set up for longevity lol. Rosa was doomed from the start as she’s a noblewoman and is looking for better prospects, and yeah Katherine’s answers don’t exactly seem to point towards a long-term relationship/marriage either. Contrast that to Hans, whom we are told explicitly Henry will need to stick by for the foreseeable future. And his dialogue is a lot more open towards continuing their affair, despite the very real risk they would be taking. Hans has the most to lose, yet does not seem at all inclined to give up his romantic relationship with Henry (if you exhaust all the dialogue at the end), which is kind of amazing honestly. I do think the fact you can tell your parents you want to settle down with your chosen romantic partner kind of muddies the water a bit (especially because the game itself then seems to force you via Hanush to keep following Hans around), but I guess it’s part of the RPG experience that was perhaps a bit hastily implemented.

Re topic of the next game: I like your option 4 because of the *drama* but also these games have always taken place over the course of several weeks/months at most (we didn’t even get a season change across both games) so I don’t see them covering a war that would take several years. I know they play fast and loose with history which is fine if it makes for a better game, but they’re still gonna need to focus on only one or two major events that happen relatively close together at most. What if they go for option 5 because of the maximum emotional damage of the player losing both Radzig and Hans lol (maybe they could condense the events to make them happen closer together instead of years apart? Idk enough about that part of history to judge the feasibility of that. And it would make for a very depressing game, but one with 2 very impactful deaths (wouldn’t get my vote for obvious reasons, but I can understand why it could appear to WH).

Re incorporating the Hans romance into a possible 3rd game: I’ve thought about it and I am actually coming around that it wouldn’t need to be that complicated. They could just pepper in some extra lines in some convos. Like you said, no matter what Hans does not want to marry Jitka, so him being unhappy (or at least neutral) about his marriage can be part of the story anyway regardless of you romancing him. And like you say, the fact that they have to keep a possible relationship private and they can’t get married and have kids together makes it easier to incorporate. They really don't even need to give you a long sidequest to romance him because you're basically already in a relationship by that point lol. The only other thing I considered, was that it's not very friendly to newcomers to the game to continue a relationship like that, and games that need to sell big like these ones always try to pull in new players. Hence the new romance options in kcd2. But Mass Effect did some romances that overarched several games, so it *is* possible. And like you said, likely Hans and *maybe* Katherine would be the only ones to carry over and KCD3 would give the player several new options for newcomers or ppl who want a fresh start.

So thanks for giving me hope that they’ll still allow us to romance Hans *if* we do get a third game with Henry as the player character. Big if, but we live on hope!

Thank YOU for sending in so many more excellent points! I agree on with much of this, honestly.

Henry definitely still has unfinished business! And I agree with you, KCD2 clearly wrapped up his coming-of-age revenge arc but there's soooooo much more left to see!! I personally would love to see a third game for Henry (and a fourth, and a fifth, … etc ad infinitum), and considering other IPs I absolutely agree with you there as well that it's quite plausible. Of course, I also just want all the Hansry content Warhorse will give me in general. I am ready to shove every little crumb of it I am handed directly into my mouth.

I could see Zizka as a headlining character, but I do think it would still be a very risky move on Warhorse's part honestly. And not just because people want more Henry (and more Hansry, lbr), but also because Zizka is kind of a well-known public figure in Czechia and kind of a national hero. That's stickier than anything you want to do with your made-up protagonist. Also I think romance options would be… interesting, to say the least. Can you imagine romancing Katherine in KCD2 (cucking Zizka) and then in KCD3 you romance her again, but this time with Zizka cucking Henry... feels a bit like that "did you fuck my mom, Santa Clause" meme but 10x worse and somehow it goes both ways.

Tho now I do kind of want to write a fic where characters play witness to the Hansry romance from the outside looking in. A running bet between John and Sam on how quickly those two idiots figure it out...

I think the conversation with Henry's parents was more put in as a way for the player to essentially decide how they envision Henry's life going from that point forward just in case the game didn't end up being a success. In that regard I honestly think it's super sweet of them to add that in, and I do think it would have been kind of a slap in the face for people who decided to romance any of the women if Henry couldn't at least express that he wanted to continue things (even if they brushed him off).

Especially because, while Henry can agree with both Rosa and Katherine that it should stay a one-time thing, he can also keep pushing them. Rosa shuts him down while Katherine's response is far more eh, guess we'll see! 🤷🏻‍♀️ but that isn't going to affect how Henry feels about his future, if that makes sense. Even if your partner doesn't see you two having a future together doesn't mean that you can't still be dreaming of an engagement ring, you feel me? Hans just happens the be the only love interest that wants the same thing as Henry—all while being the only love interest that can be part of Henry's future regardless of whether he wants to keep adventuring or if he'd prefer to settle down.

Honestly, since responding to this message, I'm increasingly inclined to see that as an extremely plausible option for the third game while also gunning for it. That would make for SUCH a fun sequel. It would also follow the same pattern we've followed thus far, which is the first game smoothly leading right into the second game. I'd honestly be pretty surprised if they decided to put in a long timeskip between 2 and 3.

And while I know that they do play fast and loose with history, I think they wouldn't play quite so fast and loose that they'd squeeze both of those deaths into the same year—if only because the sequence of events relating to their deaths makes sense given the sociocultural and politico-religious context of the time of each. Luke wouldn't be happy, but I can deal with him being disappointed that he doesn't get to play out dying... he'll live, figuratively and literally!!!! Killing most everyone (rocks fall, everyone dies) would also close the door on a fourth game, but… well, I won't presume, I'll just hope.

Your comments about newcomer-friendliness being a consideration did get me thinking. You are definitely right about other games carrying those over. The Witcher series never had any issue bringing back Yennefer and Triss (and even Shani!), Mass Effect consistently brought back love interests… Both games always had an excuse for why the main character was separated from all or several of the characters from previous games, but I think even without that it's possible to just skip past the time that he and Hans spent "away" (read: fucking) and call it good. Picture it:

KCD3 starts with them and perhaps a few others having only recently returned to Rattay. Hans is cagey around Henry, but Henry perhaps isn't certain why. At the same time, Hans' wedding looms large on the horizon and is bound to happen any moment now. As wedding prep continues (perhaps in the form of the game tutorial; maybe there's a duel to help Hans with his nerves), Henry and Godwin both help left and right, running around like gophers.

At the same time, Henry slowly but surely works out the cause for Hans' cagey behavior around Henry. As we talk to him, Hans admits that he's nervous about how things will be between them after he gets married:

Hans: I just… I've been thinking about… the two of us. So many things are going to change with this wedding, but I don't really want our relationship to change.

Henry:

Don't worry, we'll still be friends

Eh, anything can happen. We can't predict the future

♥ I'm not going anywhere

This works out phenomenally well because remember, Hans falls in love with Henry regardless of whether or not he's romanced. While it makes sense that Hans would be nervous about how things will be between them with such a big thing in his life changing. And if he sounds a little in love with Henry as he asks, well... he does fall in love with Henry over the course of the second game regardless of whether or not he has the courage to eventually kiss him.

Honestly, the way I view it… well, I'm an OG fan but I honestly cannot even imagine playing the second game without playing the first one, well, first. All that background?? You'd be missing out on so much important backstory, and not just regarding the boys' relationship! This might just be me, but I feel like I would have been at least a little lost starting that game more or less in media res. Not to mention that it takes the boys' relationship from 0 to 100 real fucking fast. The things Hans said on their walk to Bozhena's house that made me fucking cry (YOU'VE NEVER LET ME DOWN MY BELOVED) would lose so much damn weight if you don't know just how far these two idiots have come. If you started out the game without any previous context, you'd go into it thinking they've always just been that close!

And honestly, I don't think it's a super big "if" on protag!Henry and romanceable!Hans. I might be jinxing it here, but I really think this is genuinely the most plausible outcome!!

Of course, if they really wanted to fuck with players and make things extra friendly to newcomers, they'd have Henry lose his memory jfakghjfk;al (please don't do this, Warhorse, I'm begging)

[kissedbyaphrodite]

Damian Wayne al Ghul has magic, canonically, and I don't see it being used the way it could be

So, before I talk about this, yes, I do know that the continuity in DC comics is shaky to say the least and that they have characters change every other comic run, but this is something that has been used in three different comics (To my knowledge) made by different authors! Thus, I'm taking it as canon and I won't accept any word against it.

Okay? Okay! Now let's go. Spoiler alert:

So, to talk about Damian's magic use, we will need to go back some time, specifically, to his great grandmother, Rúh al Ghul. Making her first and only appearance in Robin volume 3. Ruh al Ghul is the mother of Ra's al Ghul, and the head of the League of Lazarus, which originated as a splinter organization of the League of Assassins, lead by Ra's, however, Rúh spread her faith and worship of a demon that inhibited the Lazarus Pit. Taking over the League of Lazarus. After this, the League of Assassins and the League of Shadows, teamed up to fight the League of Lazarus, which resulted in the defeat of the League of Lazarus. To ensure his mother couldn't escape, Ra's himself used magic to keep her locked in the island.

Of course, this could be just the fact that they lived multiple centuries (In Ra's first appearance, it's declared that he's around 700 years old, meaning he was born around the 1200's, though in Batman and Robin (vol 2) #30, he's said to have been looking for Themyschira for over 1000 years.) This means that, over the multiple centuries they've lived, they were bound to learn magic, but stay still. Because now, it comes to Damian's maternal grandmother and the fourth known partner of Ra's, Melisande al Ghul, the mother of Talia al Ghul.

To talk about Melisande, I will have to mix two canons from two different comics, since pre-crisis, Talia was said to have been older than 150 years old:

But this was later changed by Danny O’Neil changed this in 1992 with his Birth of the Demon storyline. In this one, Talia said she was conceived at Woodstock (1969), which would’ve put her birthday around May of 1970. Which made her 22 at that time. However, I follow the logic of "What is shown first, is canon", so let's say Talia is +150 years old, meaning she had to be conceived around 1821 (Since her first appearance was in 1971).

So, Melisande story differs in various universes and comics, in Batman: Son of the Demon, her and Ra's foster Ra's nephew, Qayin, who killed Melisande when she caught him in the room where the early version of the Lazarus Pit was being held. When Qayin saw Melisande he got frightened and started running, Melisande was pushed and she fell into the Lazarus Pit and met her death. All of that happened in front of Talia's eyes. But I'll take the Batman incorporated canon for this (And only this) argument. Where after Talia's birth, Melisande was cast out by Ra's and forbidden to see her daughter or from using the Lazarus put. She eventually meets a young Talia years later in her new role as a fortune teller. Of course we can say that she was maybe just doing the typical fortune seller scam to make money, but hey! Considering Ra's and Ruh did dip into the occult, why not consider that maybe Melisande also did learn some magic during the time she was with Ra's?.

Finally, we get to Damian.

Damian seems to be like Rúh, in which he learns/obtains magic by making deals with the devil/a demon, even though it's only been said twice. The first time we see Damian using magic is in Batman 666 (Even if it's written by my racist and sexist enemy G. M0rris0n). Where it's shown to us that Damian exchanged his soul in order to become immortal; of course, this may seem useless to some, because of the pit, but look, if we have to choose between being immortal and having to travel to an undisclosed location in the Middle East to dip into the pit and risk madness, I'd also choose immortality, and it also seems to make him invulnerable or have extremely rapid healing:

The next time we see Damian use magic is in WAY LESS dire situation, in Batman vol. 3 #77, when he's chasing Gotham girl

Again, we see that Damian explains he exchanged his soul (Or made a deal involving his soul) with a demon to obtain magic, however, it seems he's unable to use magic unless he's using a wand. And since wands are used as a way to channel magic from the user's core to the outside world, it's safe to say here, he's only obtained magic very recently, and needs the wand to use it. Or, it could be that he's simply joking, as he does tend to have a very dry and sarcastic humour, even early on, which makes many think he's being serious.

Finally, the most recent time we've seen Damian use magic, was in Wonder woman (2023) #13, where he makes a summoning circle to summon Zatanna (While also roasting Superboy)

Now, while we do only have three cases (Or at least that I remember) we also have another case that I think could be a sign of Damian's incline for the occult. His pets, specifically, his pet dragons. Goliath the dragon-bat (Robin: Son of Batman) and Wiggles (Nightwing #42)

The fact that he seems to be able to tame and even domesticate literal dragons cannot be just a "wink wink, nod nod" from the writers, especially since his name literally means "To tame". He also rides Wiggles almost as soon as he meets him, and I really doubt a dragon just lets people mount him easily.

Also, there are so many more occasions that I left out where Damian does something strange, such as the time he admits he's able to willingly move his organs around his body, or how he can imitate voices just after hearing them once, not to mention he managed to climb snowy mountains at four years old; plus, his strength that has allowed him to beat people three times his size and four times his body weight, as well as letting him kill hundreds of dragon-bats at age six.

And nowadays it is a pretty popular headcanon, even if I still think it's unpopular in the fandom. But it's still almost unused in the comics and in most works of fanfiction. Here we have a kid who has two dragons and twelve pets total, can imitate voices, move his organs around and has magic (Among other skills), yet his magic is almost never mentioned in fanfic that doesn't center around his magic, and his dragons are almost/often never shown at all! Come on people! You can like or dislike Damian, but you cannot deny that this kid clearly has magic.

Not to mention the potential for canon events, since Bruce does express a dislike towards magic, claiming it is unstable, and unexplainable by science and logic. Imagine all the potential it has! Especially since Bruce has been a pretty crappy dad to say the least towards Damian, since he first met him and even now (Except for that comic where Damian loses all his melanin and all trace of al Ghul from his blood and just looks like Ian Wayne). Imagine having him and Damian having the strained relationship they currently have, but trying to work towards a better one, only for Bruce to discover Damian's.agic and going back to square one? Or Damian becoming a vigilante of his own, since he has expressed desires to maybe stop or pause on being Robin. We already have Duke as a meta being (in my opinion) not used to his full potential, imagine a run where we see Duke and Damian bond due to Duke knowing the fear that lies when you are something Bruce himself disapproves of, since Bruce is also not the nicest to metas. Or Damian having his own team (The friends he made in Lazarus island + Maya and Colin) where he can finally explore his magic.

There are so many things you can do, yet nobody is even scraping the surface of it all.

[rea-grimm]

Android Luffy

You worked in a science lab where they focused on making robots and improving artificial intelligence. They wanted to perfect everything and create the perfect android that would be unrecognisable from a human, at people's fingertips and, most importantly, able to get power for its system in times of power outages and so on. Now you were also working alongside nanobots and special metals that were to be incorporated into another new model.

This created the first android model that did all that. This prototype was supposed to draw energy from human food, was supposed to feel human emotions, and could stretch its body as if it were made of rubber without any damage.

You weren't there for the programming process or the actual manufacturing. Your task was simple, at least according to everyone. The prototype of this robot, named JOY-BOT01, but with the work name Luffy, was to live with you, and you were to test its reactions in a real environment.

Everything was to take place in your house. They moved a giant box that contained a charger and an android. You opened it and felt the button that the android had hidden behind its ear, which served as a switch.

Just as you turned him on and his eyes opened, a giant smile appeared on his face. You had no idea how energetic and cheerful this android would be. You've never seen such a personality in an android before.

Luffy, even though he couldn't read or write and had limited knowledge, was cheerful and full of life. You'd expect him to have a processor full of knowledge or access to the internet to look it up, but no. Instead, he had a head full of dreams and asked questions about everything. You got the impression that at one point, you were working with a child rather than a real android.

Every day was an adventure with Luffy, and not a single day was boring. You wrote down all your progress and observations in a notebook and reported back to the scientists every week.

However, from their answers, you found that they didn't like Luffy's daydreaming and his general character. Or that he would use nanobots to reach out for food, or that he would reach out and hug you like an octopus. You, however, tried to reassure them that everything was perfectly fine and that Luffy would eventually calm down. Even though you didn't believe it yourself.

One day, you decided to take Luffy to the amusement park to test his interaction skills. As soon as you entered the park, Luffy's eyes lit up. He had no idea which ride to go on first, or if he would go around to all the treat stands first. Eventually, however, something else caught his attention.

"Y/N! Look at that ship! That's a pirate ship! We're going treasure hunting!" He exclaimed excitedly, grabbing your hand and pulling you towards the attraction.

In front of the pirate ship, you were given a map that led to the hidden treasure. The game consisted of searching for clues around the park, and whoever found the treasure won a teddy bear. Luffy looked at the map carefully and started pulling you for the first clue.

Luffy ran from one station to the next, his long mechanical arms reaching out to collect all the clues he needed. Every once in a while, he stopped to ask you a question.

"Y/N, why do people like to find treasures? What's so exciting about it?" while he was scouring the map for where to go next.

"Because treasure isn't just about value, Luffy. It's about the journey you go through before you find it. And of course, the excitement of finding your reward after a difficult journey," you replied with a smile. Luffy thought for a moment, but his enjoyment of the game didn't wane. Instead, you had to show him the way.

When you finally found the treasure, you were given a teddy bear with a map in its hand, plus a straw hat. Luffy picked up the teddy bear, looked at it, and then gave it to a little boy standing nearby.

"To me, treasure is something else," he said as he put on the straw hat, and his eyes briefly met yours. "Maybe it's something I'll find later."

Before you walked out of the park, you came across a snack stand. Luffy immediately headed over to the vendor and asked for a huge portion of fries with a wide smile. When you sat down at a table to eat your share, he began to enthusiastically talk about how amazing the treasure hunt was.

"It was like a real adventure! But I think my real treasure is still out there," he said with a mouthful of chips and a dreamy, hopeful expression.

On the way back home, Luffy told you about his dream. What he wanted to achieve. You've never heard an android talk so determinedly and enthusiastically about his dreams. You've only heard him talk about dreams. Androids didn't usually have dreams of their own. Only pre-programmed ones.

"I want to find my own treasure. Something that's mine alone. Maybe not gold, maybe not food. Something... that I can feel here," he said, placing his hand on his chest where his processor was hidden. Your heart fluttered strangely at his words. Luffy had something special inside him - something that went beyond programming.

"What would your treasure look like?" You asked curiously as you watched Luffy gaze up at the star-studded sky.

"I'm not sure," he replied after a moment. "But I think it'll be something that fills me with the same happiness I feel when I'm with you," he said, looking at you like it was nothing, his smile warm and innocent. His words surprised you and warmed your heart at the same time.

As your work continued and you sent in your regular reports, some scientists began to have doubts about the safety of the program. Luffy's behaviour was an aberration that had to be stopped.

"A robot can't have dreams," said the project leader. "If it keeps going like this, we'll have to terminate the program."

"But Luffy is unique! His ability to think and feel is what makes this project revolutionary," you protested, but your words were ignored. Luffy overheard your conversation, and his eyes darkened.

In the lab, Luffy was subjected to more tests. He was originally supposed to answer questions about his functions, but instead, the scientists focused on his behaviour. One:

"JOY-BOT01, what is your main objective?" one of the scientists asked him. Luffy paused for a moment and thought.

"I want to find treasure," he replied confidently without any hesitation.

"That's not an adequate answer," the scientist remarked sharply. "Robots cannot be programmed to search for abstract concepts. That is unacceptable." At that moment, you realised the end was near, as you saw him write the word DEACTIVATE heavily in his notes.

The day Luffy was to be deactivated came too soon, and you failed to prepare for it. You wanted them to cancel it, you made up reasons why the project should continue, but the scientists were deaf to you. They said you were too emotionally invested for a proper review.

As the scientists prepared to shut it down, Luffy saw your face and knew that would be the end of it. What upset him more than his demise was your sad face. How dare the scientists do that? Luffy got angry and broke through the lab's security systems.

"Y/N, come on! We gotta get out of here!" He grabbed your hand before changing his mind and taking you in his arms like a bride and running with you to the dock.

At the pier, you headed straight for the boat you bought because you wanted to take him on a sea trip. Luffy hopped on it with you, still trying to use his outstretched arms to push away the scientists and security guards who were following you. You, meanwhile, ran to the wheel and started it up before taking off full speed away from there.

"We're free now!" Luffy rejoiced. "And you know what? Together we'll find the greatest treasure. Maybe it's a treasure I can't find alone - maybe it's you."

On the high seas, you started a new life. No scientists, no controls, just you and Luffy. And even though Luffy was an android, he could show you every day that his heart was full of life, dreams and love. As you sailed over the horizon, you felt that you had both found the true treasure in each other.

Luffy Masterlist

[xinfinityl0ve17]

Mana

"When I receive letters from fans, it makes me feel saved. I live each day in fear, trembling as I go about my life."

The symbolic mark that represents the keyword "transparent spiral" could indeed be seen on stage. Now that I think about it, hasn't Malice already incorporated similarly enigmatic and symbolic elements in the past? I feel like that might be the case.

"It’s true that we’ve lightly dabbled in that before," said Mana.

The mystery, left as a mystery being able to enjoy asking, "What could it possibly mean?" feels like a test of the audience's sensibilities. The abundant mysteries in their expressions are a significant part of their charm and exploring them is an enjoyable experience.

It isn’t necessarily anything overly occult or niche. The ability to enjoy a sense of mystery is something many people naturally possess. That’s precisely why they’ve managed to gather so many fans and captivate them. After all even someone with no prior knowledge simply seeing their photos would undoubtedly find them quite mysterious. One could even say they are overwhelmingly enigmatic.

At that point whether someone leaves it at “Oh, so there are people like this” or becomes curious enough to dive into their expressions saying “I want to hear and see more,” depends on the individual’s disposition. The fact that so many people are willing to explore further is what’s driving their growing popularity. In other words, it’s proof that the number of people capable of enjoying a sense of mystery is immeasurable.

However, I’d like to delve a bit deeper into the keyword “transparent spiral.” A spiral… a spiral staircase, perhaps?

"I think many people might say 'spiral staircase,' but that’s not it," said Közi.

Then perhaps it relates to genetics, DNA…?

"Oh, that’s sharp of you. It’s somewhat along those lines, like something intertwined. But I think it’s better to leave it up to individual interpretation from here on out," said Mana. He then added the following:

"The concept for incorporating dance into the opening stage revolves around the theme of a spiral that aligns with the first song, Je te veux."

This song, Je te veux, is a new track included on the album merveilles, set to release on March 18. The music was composed by Közi. According to him:

"It has a kind of ’80s new romantic vibe (lol)."

It’s a danceable song, but by listening to it and reading the lyrics, one might catch a glimpse of the concept of the spiral.

Ah, I mustn’t forget, Mana’s mention of the opening dance. Közi had previously said:

"We decided to make it like something MAX-level (a reference to a Japanese dance group), so we practiced a ton."

But what exactly is Mana’s concept?

"An image of a B-grade idol from space in the 1980s. Probably not something most people know about (lol)."

Speaking of which, around 1981, there was talk about idols said to have come from space...

[contemplatingoutlander]

The Most Wondrous Art in the World in 1,726 Objects

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Michael C. Rockefeller collection from Africa, the Ancient Americas and Oceania reopens with a pantheon of historic art stars.

In the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, a carved figure from Mali is the welcoming host.

This is a gift 🎁 link so there is no paywall. Below are some excerpts.

If you want to feel the charge of excitement that great art — no imaginative limits — and new thinking about it can bring, head to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s redesigned and reconceived Michael C. Rockefeller wing, and its collection of work from Africa, the Americas and Oceania that opens on Saturday. Go for the pure visual pleasure of the work there — believe me, it’ll have your eyes spinning — and go for the still unfolding histories it tells. [...] These 1,726 objects — majestic carved wood figures from Africa; pocket-size mythical beings, cast in gold, from Mexico; a communally painted, Sistine-worthy ceiling of the South Seas from New Guinea — are as beautiful as any art anywhere on this earth, and represent the spiritual, political and emotional lives of people spread over five continents and eight millenniums.

Surrounded and embraced by the creative power of Africa in the entry to the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, with clusters of work from many cultures.

The Arts of Africa

The main point of entry to the African collection is still from the Greek and Roman galleries, but now when we enter, under a high white ribbed-arch ceiling, we are in Africa, surrounded and embraced by it. In the center is a savanna of wood-carved sculptures, with enfilades of intimate exhibition spaces on either side and, leading off to the left, deep into the wing.

Vista of the Arts of the Ancient Americas, where venerable objects made of stone, metal and ceramic have been brought out into the light from Central Park.

The Arts of the Ancient Americas

The Art of the Americas display, with its primary entrance across from the museum’s Modern and Contemporary galleries, begins with some of the oldest objects in the collection. One is a near life-size Olmec head from Mexico cut from sea-green jade and dated from 900-400 B.C. Its features look human but also, with catlike eyes, not. Another is an extraordinary, fragmented ceramic figure made sometime between 200 B.C. and 400 A.D. in Colombia or Ecuador. It depicts an avidly energetic-looking super-ager — a shaman? — who seems to occupy nonbinary terrain between genders and species. (The figure’s spine resembles an iguana’s tail.)

The redesigned wing, by Kulapat Yantrasast of WHY Architecture with Beyer, Blinder, Belle, features a Ceremonial House Ceiling by Kwoma artists, Papua New Guinea.

The Arts of Oceana

Meanwhile, the bulk of the museum’s Oceanic material has now been repositioned within the Rockefeller wing. Much can be found in a string of galleries that cuts diagonally across the wing, forming a kind of tidal stream linking the south-facing space to a brand-new gallery of similarly monumental scale.

South Seas Ceremonial House Ceiling from pieces of painted sago palm leaf stems. The panels, through their designs, are a map of the cosmos, mythical knowledge and clan histories.

The Asmat people of southwest New Guinea honored their ancestors with rituals that reminded the living to avenge their deaths. Their towering carved “bis” poles in the Oceania section, circa 1960, incorporate ancestor figures and were a focal point for memorial feasts.