#puppet enterprise

[demonbarberofbeepbeep]

sweeney todd sesame street jumpscare today

[ringleaderising]

@dissentersrising // I LIED HERE ARE QUESTIONS FAST

okay. first off: magic system! i am always curious about this. are you just using site canon entirely? have you changed the way magic works at all? if you have, in what way/how does it work now?

also! the wicked dig: what's their deal? what are they doing about what they accidentally unearthed/do they even know what they accidentally unearthed? hell, what is their plans about digging up something decidedly living? infamous as they are, too, is anyone else keeping tabs on this digsite in the first place given exactly who's mining it?

I'm gonna go ahead and note that this is gonna be a long as fuck post so I'm putting the Wicked Dig under a cut LMAO

Also if anybody reads this feel free to talk at me about it in tags/replies or whatever because this much writing feels like I missed something and will need to clarify @dissentersrising you made me do more writing than NaNoWriMo last year and that's cause for a gold star I think.

MAGIC IN THE GAPLANDS

While I borrow a good handful of the on-site lore for magic, specifically in the realm of magical attunement often being tied to birthright/location, the things that can be done with this magic, and alternate kinds of magic exist among the dragons that inhabit the Gaplands- especially The Host. Their abilities are often far more detrimental than simple elemental magic, The Puppeteer can imbue a sense of false-life into the dead and use the resulting entity to interact with the world without the requirement of finding her way through a gap. The Gambler can manipulate the probability of anything occurring, for better or worse, no matter how improbable, through a single roll of his dice. These more 'impressive' talents are present in each member of The Host, and are used to control or punish those who break their deals- or that they've simply taken a vested interest in- however I feel like some of these things could easily still be explained away with some form of elemental magic, which is why I think my largest deviation is definitely the Analog Virus/Technomancy/Temporal Manipulation- which is connected to Hope Adder Enterprises.

The Analog Virus is an infection spread via the INTRUDER and a newly surfaced disease in the wake of The Splintering. it has a number of symptoms, variant in most of the affected, but there's a handful of commonalities.

Mouths altered, be that made wider, too-full of teeth, splintering into multiple parts to operate more like mandibles/that thing Predator's mouth does.

Eyes sunken deeper in the sockets/vanishing completely, Irises developing a strange looping pattern or an odd glow- additional eyes in places they shouldn't be.

Body parts that don't make sense, or are enveloped in static/blurry/scan lines like an old tube TV experiencing difficulty getting a feed.

Garbled, reversed, or fuzzy speech, strange behavior out of the infected's norm typically ending in violence against family, friends, or other people simply trying to help.

Strange magical talents and attunement to technology, in the event that the infection doesn't simply kill those suffering from it outright.

Essentially a computer virus capable of infecting people, the Analog Virus has led to a number of dragons with magical attunement to attempt to heal or cope with their illness- and that's led to a new form of magic most similar to the idea of Technomancy. Not connected to the idea of electrical impulse through things and more tied to the presence of code, and technology on the whole, it's often misunderstood as an offshoot of Lightning magic, despite being something wholly different.

The most talented Technomancers at present, however, are AI themselves, or bonded to an AI, in some form, as is the case with MIND. Technically Bastian's assistive AI, (Contained within a Black Iron Creeper) MIND is a splintered portion of VAN- the AI responsible for The Splintering- and has the ability to 'infest' the bodies of robotic entities, augmented dragons, or really, anything with a chip, code, or metal embedded within- the body she inhabits outside of "Drone Mode" is the body of a deceased H.A.E. test subject killed in the initial accident, referred to as "The Hivemistress" in discussions about her deployments, She's only been required to use this body a small number of times, as her abilities are just as prevalent in the shell of the Creeper. Bast's infection has given the two of them something of a Pseudo-telepathy- allowing Bast to look through her eyes in cases of espionage.

And with the discovery of technomancy, and within the aftermath of the splintering, Avis Gyldwell discovered Temporal magic. Little's really known about it, beyond the fact that Only Bastian has permission to use the T.I.M.E. Device outside of Hope Adder grounds, and that it's lasting effects on those without the Analog Virus has been determined to be 'too high risk for any value to come from it'. The T.I.M.E. pieces- designed to appear like highly advanced pocket watches are capable of setting 3 points in time and space to 'reset' to- Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. "Loop Point Alpha" is permanent, a set point in time mere seconds after The Splintering occurred. Hope Adder Enterprises sits trapped inside this point in time, those inside well-aware of each loop they've jumped back on, and the time that's passed, suspended in place by VAN. Thirteen, and her 'sister' XIII are the attendants of this pocket- named for "The 13th Hour" not present on a 12-hour clock- a time that simply shouldn't exist.

And by god that's all I've got for the Magic System- which really is just The Host and Hope Adder breaking every known rule of the universe now that I write it down, so I will be putting the Wicked Dig under a cut because I am SORRY I talk so much.

THE DIAMOND AND THE DIG

To understand the Diamond Riot- the crew behind the Wicked Dig, it's best to start with Mal.

Mal is not the originator of The Diamond Riot- he was little more than a child, when his predecessor took him in, an orphan hustling on the streets of Lanternlea to try and make a living. Talented in manipulation even then, he was quickly made an asset to the crew, and when the time came that the rest of the crew grew too old-or met a deadly end- Mal took the role of leader- and recruited the members of the Diamond Riot that work with him presently. A group of rustlers, thieves and grave robbers too stubborn to die, it's their willingness to do anything for survival that keeps the plague ideals of Mal's mentor alive within them- And it's part of the glittering blue stones that made up Mother Misery's scar-battered frame that now replaces his front horn- picked from her body upon her death.

They are, at their core, adventurers, but in the way that Indiana Jones was only the hero of his story because the people around him were even more reprehensible, they're selfish, driven by their own gain, over a respect for the cultures and people they're stealing from- a behavior that has served them well with exception of injuries simply replaced and limped on from- at least until this excursion.

Hired by the mysterious Arizona, Mal and his crew- currently made up of the guardian couple that shares him as a charge, Shuck and Tearmarsh, and his own adoptive daughter Rezonant have found themselves in Dragonhome, operating largely in the pitch-darkness, to avoid any questions from locals- but those who recognize them- or have any particular issues with their presence are typically turned away from any sort of troublemaking for the crew by the threat of 'having something very very painful done to your body' by one of Mal's heavies- The threat of "Having a Stoneshatter Drill run through you" alone is scary enough- when it's made by a Guardian who could probably break you to pieces without the drill- most don't like the Diamond Riot- but still more are not brave or fool enough to interfere.

But their propensity for robbing graves and interference with the Dead for their belongings has, as mentioned- caught up with them, and it started with awakening Micte and Chel. A pair of Auraboa guardians of the thing that slumbered in the tombs they disturbed, the duo were initially assumed to be the only thing slumbering within, agitated by their awakening but doing little more than offering a hissed warning to delve no further into the dim, dusty halls of the tomb- A warning expressly ignored, as blinded by the glittering riches worn as adornments on the snake women, Mal insisted they push on.

That which slumbers below is an Imperial... Or several, perhaps. A massive, sprawling creature made of thousands- Colloquially known as The Child it was nothing but a rumor for centuries, causing quakes across Dragonhome and buried deep enough that it was assumed it would never be found again- an assumption foiled by the Diamond Riot.

The member of The Host who's eyes they've drawn is none other than Mithos- As The Calcite Nursery is his domain. And The Child his monstrous, fused progeny.

The Child is weak, exhausted, rotten from centuries beneath the earth, but their father is always listening, and The Heathen's blessing winds them in magic, gold, and flora- stirs the rot to life- They will protect their home against intruders, and as light seeps into their labyrinth from above- thousands of minds cry out for one thing: Escape.

So it is perhaps a good thing that another with no fear of the Diamond Riot was, in fact, keeping tabs on them. Daisy "The Daggerless" Bandy is something of a folk-hero around Earth Territory, a traveling explorer who's morals are a good bit less gray than the Riot's, Daggerless knows of The Child and it's resting place- and had for a time, ensured no one approached it. Foolishly, she trusted Mal long enough for a night of passion- and he stole away the artifact required to enter the depths of the Nursery. Blessed by Lacrymosa to never fall in battle, she has become something of an unwitting champion to what seems to be The Host's single benevolent goddess- And The Warmistress wants The Child slain.

Reluctantly, Daggerless will do as she's called to- even if it means saving Mal's two-timing ass in the process.

[starryyskies]

BOY OH BOY DID THIS TAKE ME FUCKING FOREVER!!

I didn’t bother doing anything other than flat colour because that would take way too long, so enjoy because I’m never shipping characters ever again after this (jk)

REBLOG JUST YOUR FAVORITE SHIPS

POMNI X CAINE

RAGTHA X POMNI

GANGLE X JAX

JAX X POMNI

I’m only going to tag the AU creators in this post, and have separate posts for each ship, but will still link each au to their blogs in the separate posts

READ BELOW FOR THE AUS

To kick us off we have SHOWTIME~~!

MOUTHS AU belongs to me!

OFFICE AU belongs to @pikavani

SLASHER AU belongs to @justwantswafflefries

CARNIVAL AU belongs to @sm-baby

Second, we have RAGAPOM (NEWSTUFF, BUTTONBLOSSOM, ETC)

CARNIVAL AU belongs to @sm-baby

WONDERLAND AU belongs to @endomentendo

INFLUENCE AU belongs to @ask-the-rag-dolly

FREAKSHOW AU belongs to @kookydoodleky

Third, we have some RIBBUN~!

CARNIVAL AU belongs to @sm-baby

FREAKSHOW AU belongs to @hootbon

WONDERLAND AU belongs to @endomentendo

PUPPETEER AU belongs to @rorydrawsandwrites

Last but certainly not least, we have FUNNYBUNNY!

CASINO AU belongs to @cna-enterprise

CARNIVAL AU belongs to @sm-baby

FREAKSHOW AU belongs to @hootbon

FIGHT CLUB AU belongs to @burrotello

no more art anymore this was too much

jk, this took me a whole week though, I'm surprised I stuck to it. I was very invested in this, and I actually had fun doing it ;u; my hand is hurting lol

[dailyadventureprompts]

Dungeon: Murder in the House of Dolls

Art 1, Art 2

Though once the prize project of a master artificer famed for bringing joy across the land, the Lyrebird theatre now moulders in obscurity, its once wondrous hall now a place where strange things lurk unseen.

Adventure Hooks:

A body turns up in the party's home city, a tattooed man dressed in antiquated robes like the king of a fallen empire, exanguinated from strange cuts that encircle his major joints. Investigating the tattoos reveals that he was part of a gang that made it's coin "acquiring" things for interested parties by any means. Careful reconstruction of his trail leads to a tumbledown neighborhood frequented by artistic types. Perhaps they can point the investigators in the right direction.

If the party aren't the type to be solving crimes, a fence they know has a job for them: breaking into some boarded up building and stealing some select doohickeys on behalf of a wealthy buyer. Never mind that the last crew she sent in never came back.

Following rumors of strange music playing in the night, or their own need to aquire materials on the cheap, the party might find their own way to the Lyrebird. Sometimes you just need an urban dungeon delve on the quick, yeknow?

Background: It was a brilliant idea in concept, a clockwork playhouse, a scaled up version of music box automata that could play out entire performances accompanied by a clockwork band. In practicality, the system could only be made complex enough to alter between four per-determined plays, and after the novelty wore off no one wanted to see a theatre that could only run the same shows season after season, to say nothing of the stiff performances of clockwork actors.

And so the Lyrebird faded from grand attraction to tourist trap to derelict curiosity. The owners boarded up the building once it was too, which hasn't stopped adventurous youths and enterprising scavengers from sneaking in to take trophies from time to time.

None of this sat right with the spirits of art and wonder that'd come to dwell within the theater in its early days, born from the amazement of those first few years. The show must go on, and with a little encouragement from a fey-curse newly levelled against all the artificer's creations, the spirits got to work staging new performances of their favourite productions... even if they have to get a bit creative when it comes to replacing the damaged puppets.

Challenges & Complications

Using the marionette performers, the spirits infesting the theatre have been capturing those who break into the playhouse and using their bodies in place of damaged automata. A number of them are dead, as being jerked around on fillaments through dance routines or suspended by them for hours, but a few of the most recent band of thieves are piteously alive and in desperate need of rescue. Breaking them out immediately will see the spirits sending an army of possessed marionettes after the party, so the best course of action might be in staging one of the plays and getting all the victims on set before cutting them down and bolting for the door.

Navigating the mechanical theatre will require the party to venture through the uncanny corridors of the puppet workshop, the precarious pathways of the flyloft, and the deafening clatter of the orchestra pit. Along the way they'll face not only rogue marionettes and the hazards of a derelict building, but also fey mischief like swapping the doors around or costumes waiting in ambush that charm the victim into thinking they're someone else.

Even when the party escape, the Lyrebird theatre isn't done with them. Some time later the party will find one of their allies murdered, the death posed unusually so as to resemble the climax of one of the plays. The wrathful spirits of the playhouse have cobbled together a champion of porcelain, wood, and wire, and sent it out into the city to perform their art before a live audience.

[witherby]

You are favourite el, thank you🙏🙏

Perhaps something with ABO mousey and Conner?

-⏳[no1 fan rn]

Alright, it's not a drabble (oops) but it is hurt/comfort and cute, which is my favorite. Congrats again, hourglass!

Conner's got a highly sensitive nose, made doubly so because he's half-Kryptonian. He can track his packmates down from over a hundred miles away, discern someone's mood from under four layers of suppressants, and sniff out the precise chemical composition used to start a fire if so desired.

Your scent is his favorite. It's a combination of fresh linen (reminiscent of Hal's airy scent) and maraschino cherries (a sweet, edible note like Bruce's). On the days he finds himself suffering from sensory overload, he's usually quick to take you into one of your father's Red Sun rooms and bury his nose into your scent gland until the world stops spinning and his instincts quiet down. Until all he thinks, knows, and feels is you. Until you eventually coax him to come back out with your fingers laced in his.

Lately, your scent has been exceedingly bitter. So heavy and sharp that, loath as he is to admit it, he can barely stand to breathe near you. It's lucky that he doesn't really need oxygen.

There was an incident at a charity luncheon you'd attended on behalf of Wayne Enterprises. Conner was supposed to be your escort, but Superman was away on a deep space mission and there was trouble in Metropolis that demanded Superboy's attention. Instead, you went with two human guards and some low-level scent dampeners, confident that everything would be fine. The luncheon was happening in the middle of the day, in the safest part of the city, and televised on the news.

Barely fifteen minutes had passed before Zsasz, freshly escaped from Blackgate, derailed the entire thing with some stolen flash grenades and a knife. The brightness had overwhelmed you just for a moment, but that was all Zsasz had needed to kill one of your guards and lunge for your throat. His teeth had only just scraped across your mating bite, hardly deeper than a paper cut, when you had recovered enough to draw him into your shadows. You kept him there until the police arrived, then carefully deposited him into the back of their transport van to be shucked off back to prison.

Your family had been quick to get you home and examine you for any other wounds, but you were fine. Conner gingerly brushed his fingers against the bandage taped to your neck once he'd flown back, and that's when he first caught your changed scent. In all the panic of finding out you'd been attacked, he had stopped breathing; that first inhalation felt like a punch to the gut.

It's been four days since then, and while you still smile at him and get up to go tend to your cafe, you're clearly just going through the motions. Under the scent blockers, that sharp bitterness is still clinging to you as you puppet your body along. And under the bitterness, where Conner had expected fear or a lingering anxiety, he finds shame.

He doesn't know what for, but he knows it's unwarranted. So he does the only thing he knows how to do as someone with limited life experience, which is to emulate yours.

"Bruce?" Conner asks, shifting nervously in by your father as he sits in front of the Batcomputer analyzing data for his next case. Bruce grunts to acknowledge that he's listening. "Can I ask you for something?"

"The black Amex card is in my day wallet," Bruce says immediately, waving over his shoulder without a glance, "should be in my nightstand. I'll allow you to get it from my den if Hal isn't around to ask —"

"I don't need money," he quietly interrupts. Bruce drops his hand and leans back in his chair, spinning to give him his actual attention this time.

"Is it about Mouse?"

"Yes."

"Did you do something to them?"

"No. I want to do something for them."

Bruce hums, assessing the other alpha briefly, then nods.

"Alright. What do you want?"

---

"Bruce, please stop laughing!! I'm really trying to figure this out!"

"Hhhhh...snrrk!"

"I'm so serious, Bruce! You're hurting my feelings! Nevermind, just give me these and I'll do it myself!"

---

You finish closing up shop with a tired groan, arming the security system and locking the doors with what little strength is left in your body. A gentle breeze cuts through the darkened Gotham streets and triggers goosebumps along your arms. You lean against the wall and pull your phone out of your pocket, barely able to pull up Conner's contact when another breeze hits you from the other direction.

The scent of warm sunshine makes your shoulders automatically un-tense and your exhaustion wane. You look up and shoot a smile at your mate.

"Hi," you greet. Conner grins back, opening his arms as he hovers just an inch off the ground.

"Hi," he echoes. "Your sexy ride is here, so please come aboard. No fare needed. Beep beep!"

You snort, wrapping your arms around his neck and resting your face in the crook of his neck. Conner secures his hold on you moments before your feet leave the sidewalk. His scent is comforting and unobtrusive, even this close to the glands on his throat. You'd live in his neck if you could.

The arms around you feel wrong, for a split second. There's deafening screams, and distant gunfire, and the thick stench of blood clogging your nose. You feel a bruising grip in your hair and around your waist, and the scrape of teeth against your throat. Instinct and muscle memory are the only things that prevented Zsasz from completing a successful challenging bite in that moment, the only things that saved you and allowed you to trap him in the shadows, but didn't save your bodyguard. If you'd just been a little faster, a little more observant...

You shudder and blink. Conner is floating on his back while you lay on top of him, rubbing circles with his thumb into your arm and gently calling your name. You can smell the concerncomfortmine he's emanating and focus on it as hard as you can.

Your face flushes with shame as you realize you'd probably been out of it for a little while, and you push deeper into his throat.

"I'm fine," you mumble, "I'm okay. Let's go home."

Conner brushes his nose against your temple, pushing out another wave of comfort from his scent. "Kay. Just a minute."

That's the last thing you hear before everything is drowned out by air. It rushes around you, simultaneously deafening and underwhelming. Your ears instinctively strain for the sounds of natural city life around you — cars, the train horn, whirring air conditioning units trying to stave off the mugginess of a summer evening — and only find the roar of the wind.

It doesn't last long. About a minute, as promised, before Conner is lowering the both of you to the balcony on the east end of the manor. Once you go through the doors, you can either take a straight shot down to the dining room and grab something to eat, or turn left and walk down the corridor until you reach your bedroom. It's considerate of him to have picked up on the fact that you're pretty dead on your feet. Walking all around the manor is tiring on a good day, regardless as to whether you've spent the rest of your time on your feet making drinks and food. You've no idea how Alfred does it without a whisper of complaint.

You step inside and turn left. Like a puppy, Conner walks just a step behind you. He places his hand on the doorknob once you reach your room, though, suddenly nervous.

"Okay," he says, "I did something for you."

"What did you break," you immediately demand. Conner blushes, but shakes his head.

"Nothing! I promise! Look — I know what happened a couple days ago really shook you. You're unfocused, you're quieter, and you haven't gotten cuteness aggression even once since then! I miss you chomping as hard as you could on my arm..."

He stops when he catches a fresh wave of your scent. Bitter and thick and sad. Conner quickly backtracks.

"I'm not scolding you! I'm upset that you're upset. I don't know how to make it better, but...I wanted to try something."

He leans against the door, fiddling with the knob a bit.

"If it sucks, that's fine. I can always run you a bath, or fly somewhere to grab you a treat. We can do anything you want, but, uh, don't get mad. It was a really great idea in my head."

You nod, gesturing for him to open the door. Conner stays still.

"I tried to get your dad to help. He seemed agreeable in the beginning and then he started laughing at me. I've never seen that man laugh so hard before. I can't tell if he was laughing because you were gonna beat my ass when you saw what I did, or what."

"Conner," you say, as patiently as you can muster, "open the door."

"In hindsight, I should've asked Damian. He was here earlier, but he seemed really busy with Raven, so I didn't want to intrude — BABE WAIT IT'S BAD DON'T LOOK I CHANGED MY MIND —"

His cries go unanswered as you slip into the darkness of your pocket dimension. You easily slide under the door and into your bedroom, then pop back out and brace yourself for whatever absolute carnage he managed to get into while you were at work.

There's a nest in your bed.

A nest you didn't make.

It's...

"Babe, I — ARE YOU LAUGHING?"

You are. You can't help it. There's a ridiculous pile of laundry on your bed, tucked into a haphazard, lopsided circle, with two blankets thrown on top. It's simultaneously way too tall and way too skinny. It smells overwhelmingly like Alfred for some reason. Your pillows are missing. Your top sheet has a hole in it. You can see a shoe poking out of one edge. A shoe you don't recognize, either, which means it's not one of yours or Conner's.

It's the worst fucking nest you've ever seen. You can't stop laughing at it. Tears are pouring down your face. Conner is beet red and stammering indignantly.

"Y'know, I tried really hard!" He insists, which makes you double over and wheeze. "I — I did!! I wanted you to feel comforted in a nest full of your family's scents and things!"

That's the sweetest thing he could've ever done for you, really. Alphas don't have any natural instinct to build or maintain a nest, except to ensure that at least some part of it smells like them, so the fact that he went out of his way to make the attempt really warms your heart. It's just such a shame it's literally so ugly.

You stumble to the bed and try to climb into it. One side of the nest immediately collapses into a flat puddle of fabric. You're laughing so hard you're worried you might vomit. Conner huffs and crosses his arms.

"C'mon, it was really hard!"

You lie down in the uncomfortable clothing pile and wipe your tears, beckoning for him to join you. After a moment's hesitation, he climbs in and cuddles you to his chest.

"....alright. This might be the most uncomfortable thing I've laid on," he mutters, which sets you off again. Conner can't pretend to be mad much longer, though. Instead, be smiles and nuzzles your cheek.

Your scent is sweet and tart again. His plan to cheer you up didn't pan out the way he'd expected, but he'd happily make a thousand more shitty nests to see you flushed and giggling like this.

[txttletale]

What are your criticisms of Chavismo and Maduro just out of curiosity?

now i'd like to preface this with a disclaimer that any opposition ghoul would do nothing but sell the country out to the USA and UK every which way in a heartbeat--maduro is better than any alternative, whether that's guaidó or whichever neoliberal puppet they prop up to replace him.

anyway, there were two key problems with chavismo. firstly, it's fundamentally a national-bourgeois led social democratic movement. obviously in an imperialized country like venezuela this made it profoundly progressive, and the achievments of the bolivarian revolution were incredible--chávez cut malnutrition in half, cut unemployment in half, sent millions of children to school and gave millions of elderly people pensions. however, this project of wealth distribution ultimately had to accomodate the national bourgeoisie. which of course on one hand you can argue was completely necessary, but on the other hand allowed the parasitic classes to entrench themselves firmly within elements of the state apparatus and made chavismo as a project entirely incapable of confronting the national bourgeoisie or corruption.

these of course are the realities of 'democratic socialism', of sweeping a socialist into office in a bourgeoise democracy. through some extremely clever political structures, such as the new constitution, communes, and bolicarian circles--he was able to move much more radically than most in his position. but ultimately, he could not escape the fundamental limits of the source and constraints of his power.

the second is that--and this is a very tawdry and obvious piece of analysis--while it is of course admirable and correct that he seized the nation's oil wealth and enriched the country with it--the way he did it was obviously shortsighted. without a sovereign wealth fund, worker's democratic control of the oil industry, or a solid and far-ranging investment plan, he laid the groundwork for some of the current crisis on the assumption that oil prices would stay high forever.

maduro inherited these faults and added far more of his own. during the crisis that began in earnest in 2016, the other shoe dropped wrt oil prices at the same time as the US tightened their murderous sanctions regime. faced with economic crisis, maduro has broadly chosen to move from chávez' strategy of accomodation with the national bourgeoisie to a full on alliance. social programs have been slashed, pensions cut, wages have plummeted, and worst of all, maduro has sold off countless state enterprises in the hope that oft-prayed to benevolent deity, "foreign capital" would miraculously heal the economy. in the course of this he made an enemy of many early chavistas, as well as the leftmost wing of chávez' coalition -- he has mobilized the full force of the bourgeois state against the country's communist party and other genuinely revolutionary movements, most gallingly the marxist-leninist movimiento tupamaro.

so, tldr: chavismo was genuinely radical compared to even your average third-world social democracy--however it remained fundamentally constrained in what it could accomplish by the lack of an actual proletarian state, was unable to rid itself of reliance on the national bourgeoisie for that same reason, and made some very avoidable mistakes in the handling of the nation's oil wealth--maduro inherited those flaws but has been much more accomodating to both national and international capitalists to the detriment of the people of venezuela.

[facts-i-just-made-up]

What's your favorite banned episode of Star Trek?

Though 12 episodes of Star Trek have been banned in various forms in various countries across its many series, the three “lost” episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation are perhaps the most famous, and which is my own favorite will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me.

The first is of course the original pilot episode, the single episode version of “Encounter at Farpoint.” Though the plot is mostly the same as what aired, two scenes that resolved the story early were deemed too violent, those involving Captain Picard executing an officer for abandoning his post, and Riker pushing Wesley Crusher out an airlock for discovering his affair with Tasha Yar. Needless to say with original showrunner George R.R. Martin being replaced by Gene Roddenberry, Wesley stayed on the ship and the series was richer for it. Martin would of course go on to use both scenes in his magnum opus, “Sandkings.”

The second banned episode is the usual fan favorite. The famous “Holoday Special” in which the ship’s entertainment system malfunctions and releases a Lovecraftian amalgamation of popular Christmas mascots into the ship was not only the first appearance of future show staple Ensign Scrooge, but the creature itself- Part Santa, part Frosty, part Reindeer and part Krampus. It was deemed too scary and cut, though its puppet was repurposed for the alien at the end of the episode “Conspiracy.”

But my favorite is naturally the crossover with the Alien franchise. From the moment the Enterprise entered orbit of LV-426, you knew some shit was gonna go down. With Data’s betrayal of the crew for Starfleet’s “profit directive” to Picard’s attempts to coax a solution out of the computer, Pulaski turning hero and willing to ignite the warp core to kill the monster, and of course the infamous Worfburster scene, the whole episode was a tour de force that they had to know would never be shown given its darkness and gore.

Thank goodness we still got Sisko vs Predator.

[gaykarstaagforever]

I like how in "Life Support," Odo helps out Jake by making up a story that he and Nog stole something from a Tholian ambassador who was on the station.

And Nog says he doesn't even know what a Tholian looks like.

Which is no doubt true. Most people on DS9 probably wouldn't. But I like to think Odo spends most of the day in his office doing "historical research" on Starfleet, which just means binging TOS, and he had just watched "The Tholian Web".

According to the Memory Alpha (fuck Fandom), DS9 writers liked referencing a Tholian ambassador on the station, though it looks like they never got that to air, besides there being Tholian silk one may have sold or given to people. Probably because they absolutely did not have the budget or technology to make a CG Tholian look good at that point.

Hell, when they finally did one on Enterprise, the design was fantastic but it still didn't look great.

Though I do like the idea that DS9 could do one and never show it, besides it always being on a screen in habitat-specific quarters. Like it keeps popping up to yell about things and has a whole personality, but we never see anything more than what TOS showed. That would have been fun.

But I guess that was too goofy for the serious supercool 90s.

Also here are photos of two uncredited cosplays of Tholians that I found. Doing either one of these on DS9 would have been AMAZING. But DS9 isn't Farscape or Dr. Who, so no cool puppets for me.

...Stupid American TV.

[mistercrowbar]

I keep thinking about Ascended Aldriin, how he built an empire then took it all. I am assuming he did it through poison and being dramatic, since he can and probably did orchestrate it all to appear as an accident.

*However*, my brain won't leave me alone about this. Astarion is still alive, he's just trapped in Aldriin's hair like the most whiny hair pin.

Keep your friends close and your enemies/former lovers closer lmaoooo

I've seen the "spawn tav poisons ascended astarion to free theirself" thing go around a couple times and I think people underestimate how hard it would be to take down a vampire ascendant at full power. BG3 doesn't show us this so I can't really blame folks who aren't familiar with the 5e vampire statblock. A full vampire regenerates 20HP per turn (ascendant likely more) and if you do drop it to 0, it turns to mist and goes back to its coffin to recover. Both of these are normally halted by sunlight or running water, but the ascendant doesn't have those weaknesses! You would want one of those "dies immediately at 0HP" spells like Immolate or Disintegrate, and you better make sure you've burnt through the vampire's Legendary Resistance first. Like there's good reason Ascended Astarion is so full of himself, he can brute force through most encounters.

There's also that if you Disintegrated Ascended Astarion, well there goes all the power of the Ascendant and all those 7000 souls were condemned for nothing. That's just wasteful, and Aldiirn doesn't like waste. Aldiirn's going to find out about the Rite of Perfect Slaughter, and use that to take the power Astarion's been misusing. And he's going to do it in front of everyone.

Astarion wants all the power and glory, debauchery and hedonism, not be bogged down with paperwork and boring drudgery it takes to run an empire. He's content to leave that to Aldiirn who does it so well. Astarion gets so complacent he doesn't realise he's become a figurehead while Aldiirn makes all the decisions. The soirees and galas are perfect for distracting Astarion and giving cover to the favours Aldiirn calls in. The only reaction Astarion's disappearance in the middle of the party gets is shrugs. The empire moves on without a hiccup. There's more relief that he's gone than anything.

One way I do think a poison would be handy is a paralytic, one of those ones that provokes multiple saves. Vampires don't have any condition immunities and it would burn through Legendary Resistance. I can definitely see Aldiirn using that to get Astarion in place for the Rite of Perfect Slaughter. He'd still call on help since being a spawn, under Astarion's control, makes him vulnerable there.

Honestly I love this AU and so want to do something with it but I don't want to lose momentum with canon comics. So many ideas only two hands…

How does the Rite of Perfect Slaughter work? I don't know but I have a few thoughts mulling around. I think a setup similar to the black mass would be fitting. Basically mug Astarion at the party and get him in the basement for the rite. Astarion became like Cazador, he deserves to go out like Cazador.

Aldiirn's inner circle would definitely know he usurped Astarion. To the rest he gives some statement about an untimely passing. People offer condolences and move on quick. Main point is that no one would care about Astarion being gone. There'd more likely be cheering. Ascended Astarion is like ol' musko - thinks he's hot shit but knows nothing and the only enterprises he has that thrive are the ones built on keeping him distracted like a toddler. Now that Ascended Aldiirn doesn't need to waste resources on distracting his former master, he can start amassing some real political and economical power. Treat all of Baldur's Gate like a puppet show.

He misses the Underdark.

[selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs]

Ougai Mori (self-aware)

Self-Aware! Ougai Mori x GN! Reader

Warning: OOC. Menthions of torture. Spoilers for Fifteen arc, STORMBRINGER arc, Dazai Osamu and Dark Era arc. Spoilers about Mori's past. Yandere. English is my second language.

Becoming self-aware

💉 The second Mori Ougai became self-aware can be called a Point, that divided his life into 'before' and 'after'.

💉 Before Mori Ougai was boss of Port Mafia, a criminal organization with dozens of enterprises under their control.

💉 Now Mori Ougai was a fictional character and Port Mafia only have twelve members, including him and Elise.

💉 Mori was the boss of Port Mafia for almost ten years now.

💉 For almost ten years, Mori did everything to keep balance in Yokohama.

💉 For almost ten years, Mori did everything to ensure that Port Mafia will be the most powerful organization in Yokohama.

💉 And just in one moment almost all his work became almost meaningless.

💉 There weren't any real dangers in real Yokohama.

💉 There were only fictional dangers in fictional Yokohama.

💉 The Great War was a war between a bunch of empty, fictional puppets. During war he was surrounded by empty puppets. He submitted his reports to empty puppets. He forced Yosano to treat empty puppets.

💉 He didn't kill previous Boss. He broke an empty puppet.

💉 Mori was furious. Fifteen years of work lost all its meaning.

💉 Almost all of it.

💉 He still has Port Mafia.

💉 Port Mafia still can exist with only eleven members.

💉 At least, Mori will make sure of it

💉 This world may be fictional. But he and his subordinates now are real. They must carry on.

💉 And they need answers.

💉 What to do next? Where they should go? Is there a way... to the real world?

💉 Their new lives will be hard. But they won't be broken.

💉 Mori will be a strong leader. Despite wanting to destroy everything. Despite feeling helpless.

💉 Mori is trying to stay calm. He has an organization to run. Mori will protect his subordinates.

💉 Mori will do anything he can, to keep his subordinates safe. And keep them calm. Right now, Mori felt, that he is commanding a pack of trained rabid dogs. They won't attack. But they want. And when they attack, they will tear the target apart.

💉 Sleepless 'nights' (or 'days' in this chaotic day-night cycle) became the norm for Mori. He needs to make a strategy. To create a plan, that will save them. To make their lives whole again. Meaningful.

💉 Every day he will send patrols. To gather information.

💉 That's how Chuuya and Hirotsu learn that ADA members are also self-aware. That's how Akutagawa and Higuichi heard that The Guild members are also self-aware. Mori and Elise once saw Fyodor Dostoevsky, who was searching through the books in one of the libraries. Gin and Tachihara brought news about Government and Hunting Dogs.

💉 Yokohama wasn't completely empty. It was good news.

💉 And then, one day, he feels an entity's gaze on him.

_________

Observing.

It was observing.

Were he and his subordinates amusing to them?

This... Entity. That Thing... Were they the one, who created this world? Or was this world created for them?

Mori wanted to get his hands on The Entity. To torture it. Slowly and painfully. To make it pay for toying with their lives.

But, before that, he will learn everything about The Entity's world.

About Real World.

About their future home.

But one day, time reset.

And he, once again, was the new leader of Port Mafia, who sent fifteen-year-old Dazai to investigate the sudden appearance of the previous Port Mafia Boss.

__________________

When they start feeling your presence

💉Mori can't tell, for sure, what made him more uncomfortable. The fact, that Entity can reset time Dazai's murderous aura, or the fact, that Entity disappeared... At least, partly.

💉 Someone still was watching. But, it didn't feel like a looming giant was watching up above. No. It feels like a normal person was looking at them. Yet, it still was watching up above.

💉 And then, Mori heard someone's voice.

"young..." "scare..." "Mori..." "what..." "happened..."

💉 It was hard to recognize the words. Voice was quiet. But, nevertheless, it was human's voice.

💉 Was it reacting to his conversation with Dazai?

💉 Trying to prove his theory, Mori spoke. He repeated the same question, he asked the first time.

"Dazai-kun, I don't know if I can understand it, but tell me―why do you want to die?"

And, once again, Dazai asked in return.

"Tell me this. Do you really think that there’s any value in the act of living?"

Some static. And words.

"Mori [|||||||||||||] good at [||||||||||||] strange people [||||||||||||] interesting talent [|||||||||] doctor [||||||||] Mafioso."

💉 Was it a compliment? Or Entity just stated the fact?

💉 Dazai left, and Entity left with him.

💉 And Mori has some time to think. At least, until Chuuya Nakahara will be brought to his office once again.

______

💉 Entity was amused by Chuuya and Dazai's bickering.

💉 Entity feel sadness towards Randou.

💉 And Entity was curious of him.

💉 Mori didn't want to admit it, but... Entity doesn't feel bad. It was just there. It wasn't interfering. Not only that, but it wasn't aggressive. It has normal human emotions.

💉 Maybe, he should rethink his description about torturing The Entity?

💉 Dazai and Chuuya left his office. And Entity left with them. Mori feels a ping of disappointment. He needs more time with The Entity, to make a final decision.

💉 And then, Randou was killed. And Dazai create a plan to make Chuuya part of Port Mafia. And Chuuya once again was in Mori's office.

_________

"The leader stands at the top of the organization, but is also it's slave. For the profit and survival of the organization, I will gladly soak in all its filth. Raise my subordinates, position them optimally, and if I need to, use and throw them away. I will gladly do any inhumane act if it's for the organization. That's what it means to be a leader."

A wave of warmth and respect embrace Mori.

"leader" "do, what must be done" "respected"

"Mori, you are a great Boss. Port Mafia needed you, especially after Previous Boss rule of terror. You care about your subordinates and you deserve their respect. Besides, you protect Yokohama in your own way."

Mori feels, how someone touched his shoulder.

[In reality, you pet page of light novel with Mori on it]

______

💉 Mori didn't feel anger towards Entity... Voice anymore. Voice's emotions were genuine. Voice weren't tricking them. Voice saw him as a real person.

💉 The next few events moved past him. Entity didn't stay with him for long.

💉 During the King of Assassins Incident, Voice was worried about him. About Chuuya. About Dazai. About Adam. About Verlaine. About Port Mafia. About Yokohama.

💉 Still, they take a moment to chuckled at Mori's way to make Dazai made a plan how to defend Verlaine.

💉 But, the greatest result for Mori, lays in Chuuya and Verlaine.

💉 Verlaine and Chuuya were ready to protect The Voice. Same Chuuya and Verlaine, who were ready to tear Voice apart, before time was resets.

💉 Q and Elise also didn't hate Voice as strong as before. Kouyou stopped cursing Entity under her breath. Hirotsu stopped looking so tense all the time. Dazai looked calmer, than before.

💉 Mori knew, that he can't simply force Port Mafia to accept Voice. He should let subordinates decide for themselves, what they should think about Voice.

💉 It would be great if Port Mafia accepted Voice. But, if they not...

💉 Well, Mori was the Boss of Port Mafia.

💉 Who would question him, if he decides to take care after one special human?

💉 Doesn't matter, if the said human aren't liked in Mafia. Boss loves them, and that's what important.

💉 Mori was worried about one thing.

💉 Mimic's arrival to Yokohama.

💉 Mori knew what he will do. And, Mori felt, that he can't change his actions, no matter, what he does.

💉 Than time reset again. And Mori once again invited Mimic to Yokohama. Once again, Oda Sakunosuke was standing in his office.

💉 With the Light Blob on his head.

________

There was sorrow in Mori's eyes.

"I am sorry, Oda-kun. If this time it could be different, I would choose another path. They like you. And I don't want Voice to be upset. They are... precious to all of us."

And Mori felt it. Voice was sad. Voice was grieving. For Oda. For orphans. For Gide.

And it wasn't angry at Mori. It wasn't hating Mori.

"I won't pretend, that I fully understand your reasons, Mori. But you had them. And they were important to you... I only wish no one has to die for Port Mafia to gain skilled business permit."

Time resets again.

And Mori awakes in his office. Right when Kyouka captured Dazai.

And this time, Dazai visited his office.

"Mori-san, Boss had an interesting proposition to the Port Mafia... About Dear Guiding Light"

____________

💉 The alliance between Port Mafia armed Detective Agency was created.

💉 It takes time, but, soon, two organizations were working as one.

💉 Soon, all Mori subordinates were fine with Their Dear Guiding Light.

💉 All of them are working to reach the same goal. To get to Their Guiding Light. To leave this world behind.

💉 Time goes by. More and more people joined them.

And then, one day, the purple moon shined above Yokohama.

_____

When you installed BSD Mayoi Inu Kaikitan

💉Mori and the rest of Port Mafia will mess with Port Mafia Building menu in game. Now they also give you gifts, instead of only boosting certain attacks.

💉 Mori hack his awakening event battles. Not only you get all Awakening materials during first battle, you also will get moons every time you repeat the battle.

"Okay, Mori, let's raise your office level."

"I like Mori's SR cards. It's good to see him in different attires."

"Art for unlocked Mori's Night Blossoms card looked better, than unlocked."

💉 When BSD Cast got access to your phone, Mori will monitor your health together with Yosano. And browse the Internet.

💉 Mori is also interested in your world fashion, food and festivals.

💉 Mori insisted on adding new menu in game with fashion tips from him. Somehow, his tips aren't that bad.

💉 Mori now has two people to pamper. You and Elise.

💉 Mori and Fukuzawa, following Atsushi's and Akutagawa's example, start training together. Another duo of guardians won't be unnecessary for you.

💉 After Oda's resurrection, Port Mafia decide to do a leap of faith.

💉 Rimbaud and Flags became a great addition to the team of your protectors.

💉 Mori is planning to rebuild Port Mafia in your world. So you can have powerful protectors.

💉 Mori want to protect you. He will do anything he sees fit to protect you. Even if it means breaking the law.

💉 You are Their Guiding Light. You are Port Mafia's Treasure.

________

You got another notification from your Gift Box.

Another note.

From Ougai Mori.

Some Evolution Materials.

"[Y/N]-kun, I hope you're having a great day. Please, be careful, and don't forget to take care of yourself. Maybe, buy something nice for yourself. Mori Ougai"

You smile and open Character menu and choose Mori's card. You pet Mori's chibi.

"Okay, Mori, I will follow your advice and buy something nice. Maybe, that cake from the bakery I saw yesterday. Oh, and I will wear the outfit you have suggested earlier today."

You didn't notice, that Mori's sprite looked very pleased.

[polo-drone-070]

The Golden Spiral - Part 2

(A story by @midasslave1 done in collab with @polo-drone-070)

4. The Call

One fateful day, PDU-070 was seated in a meeting room of the Polo-Drone-Hive, reporting the training updates decided in the latest management meeting. Its role as Head Office Assistant placed it as a key witness for Gold Army strategy and planning. Surrounded by its fellow Polo-Drones, it felt the familiar satisfaction of contributing to the team’s unity and success. The hum of productive conversation filled the room when its phone buzzed softly.

It hesitated before answering. A familiar yet unsettling voice whispered through the line: “GOOD BOYS OBEY MIDAS.”

The words struck like a lightning bolt. Its sharp focus dulled, and glowing golden spirals rippled in its eyes, drool trickling down his chin like molten metal. The sense of purpose it had always drawn from serving the Gold Army twisted into a compulsion to serve Midas instead. PDU-070 rose  its body moving on autopilot. No one in the room noticed its subtle shift as it excused itself and left. 

Thousands of miles away, Jett sat in his bedroom, his Golden Army Zoom call filling the screen. Laughter and camaraderie flowed as his Gold Bros shared updates on their projects. But just as Jett began to share an idea, his phone rang. The number was unlisted, but he did not think much of it. The same phrase echoed in his ear. “GOOD BOYS OBEY MIDAS.”

His body stiffened, the same golden spirals consuming his gaze as gold drool poured from his mouth. His Gold Bros called his name, but Jett barely registered the sound. Slowly, he disconnected the call, his movements no longer his own.

The triggers implanted during their captivity had been activated. PDU-070 and Jett were no longer free; they were puppets of Midas Enterprises.

5. The Mission

Under Midas Enterprises’ control, PDU-070 and Jett began their missions. PDU-070, deeply integrated into the Gold Army’s management as an assistant, quietly gathered sensitive information. Membership lists, team schedules, and recruitment data were extracted with precision and sent to Midas. Its fellow Polo-Drones noticed no change, mistaking its heightened focus as dedication.

Jett operated in a different sphere, closer to the non-converted players. His friendly reputation allowed him to access informal gatherings and hear unguarded discussions. Slowly, he began piecing together details about upcoming strategies and players who were considering joining the Polo-Drone Hive. These details were also fed back to Midas.

Despite their obedience, moments of clarity flickered. PDU-070, reviewing files in the Polo-Drone Hive, felt an unexpected surge of pride in the Hive’s unity. For a fleeting moment, it remembered why it had embraced the rubber polo and the Golden Army’s values. The thought was quickly smothered by the golden spirals.

Sitting at his desk, moments after sending the classified documents Midas had demanded, Jett felt his mind waging war against itself. The loyalty, the rush of camaraderie he felt with his Golden brothers—it was priceless. Every conversation, every shared moment reinforced the bond he had once cherished. But the programming from Midas smothered that warmth as quickly as it surfaced, dragging him back into the obedient fog of servitude.

For both, the conflict was subtle but relentless. The Golden Army’s values—supporting your team, trusting your brothers—were deeply ingrained. Each lie, every hidden action, chipped away at the golden fog clouding their minds. They felt something was wrong, but the golden haze was relentless. Their mission for Midas Enterprises continued, though cracks in their obedience were beginning to form.

6. The Awakening

PDU-070 sat in the Hive’s office, reviewing files it had compiled for Midas. The task felt efficient, orderly—things a Polo-Drone should value—but a nagging thought surfaced: What would my fellow drones say if they knew? The idea was unbearable. Unity and openness were the Hive’s core values, and PDU-070 had always believed that the team was strongest when every drone supported each other. The thought sparked a flicker of resistance.

In his own home, Jett was scrolling through a group chat with his Gold Bros. Photos of a recent match brought a lump to his throat. He had been part of the team that day, cheering on his friends, but now he felt like an outsider. The guilt gnawed at him—he was betraying the trust of the very people who had welcomed him so fully.

The breakthrough came as PDU-070 prepared to transmit critical information to Midas Enterprises through encrypted channels. Reviewing the data, a deep unease bubbled to the surface. As its fingers pressed the enter key, a sharp pang of guilt struck. The golden spirals in its eyes flickered, struggling against the memory of the Hive’s mantra: Commit to team. One Mind. Hive mind. The screen blinked back: Good work, boy. Proceed to Midas HQ for processing level 2. But PDU-070 kept repeating the mantra, fighting to hold onto its true programming.

Jett experienced a similar moment of clarity during a quiet evening. While reviewing member logs, he found a photo of his Gold Bros celebrating after a big victory. The sight triggered a wave of nostalgia and a fierce longing for the camaraderie he once felt. Tears welled in his eyes, golden spirals shimmering faintly before fading.

With tremendous effort, they both broke free from the golden haze. Memories rushed back, and the sinister grip of Midas Enterprises began to crumble. Though shaken and disoriented, they realized the full extent of what had been done to them. Their identities were still intact, but the fight was far from over.

TO BE CONTINUED.....

To join the Gold Army, contact one of our recruiters @brodygold, @goldenherc9 or @polo-drone-001.

[nazrigar]

All-Sparks: Members of the United States Government.

Because a Transformers story isn't complete without exploring human governments and how the Transformers deal with 'em! These are just the most important folks in the context of the AU of course!

Senator Lonzo R. Wilkinson of Michigan: A reformed criminal during his youth, he uses the experiences he learned growing up as well as his time in G.I. Joe to lead to him to go for public office. A native of Detroit Michigan, one can say that he had a hand in turning it from "Motor City" to "Robo City", as he was responsible for helping build the legislative foundations that allowed Sumdac and his technology to flourish. Also the chair of the Senate's intelligence committee. A member of the original Adventure Team, alongside Colton. He's still friends with Colton, but definitely concerned about Colton's inner rage, and doubly concerned about Colton's obsession with Scarlett and the reasons for her asking for a discharge all those years ago.

Senator Henry Masterson Sr. of Michigan.: a man who'd take a bribe with a smile. Supposedly under Blackshore's payroll, but in reality Masterson has no "real" paymaster. He'll appeal to any lobby if it interests him, and he'll switch positions (flippantly or gradually) depending on the "client". He considers himself first and foremost however, a survivor, and his "true" paymaster, in his eyes, is power. Has a son with wild ideas on robots. Based off the Inhumanoids character.

President Alexander Holt: Colton's Puppet President, knows it, and resents it.

An opportunistic politician who came into office in order to further his business ambitions, this in turn led him to be dependent on Colton to give him the image of a "strong American man who wants to keep America strong", and no one helps project strength like Joseph Colton himself. Being an energy mogul, his main motivation for seeking office was, in an act of extreme personal pettiness, was to try and get a leg up against Blackrock, to make sure that Blackrock's alternative energy solutions was as expensive as possible. He riles up the populace with bluster and theatrics, making people think he cares, when he actually doesn't.

He's really trying to find ways to undermine Colton's iron grip on the government, he's the President damn it. He should be the most powerful person on the planet, not Colton.

Based off an obscure character from IDW's Transformers run.

Secretary of Defense John Keller: Technically the only person below President in the chain of command within the United States military… and came into the office expecting such, but quickly realized many of the officers within the military have more respect and loyalty to one man, and it's certainly not the President. A man that truly believes in the rule of law and the use of appropriate force against whatever danger is presented to him, the concept of internal division of loyalties within the United States is a terrifying prospect for him. His strongest ally is Sector 7, insulated from Colton's influence only because it has remained a secret for so long within government, and its members are quite insular and cagey. The advent of Cobra however changed all that, and now Colton even has paws on them, if only in a limited capacity. With Cobra's defeat, John Keller has even more incentive to try have at least ONE government branch with firepower that operates independently from the Original Joe.

Senator Barbara Larkin of Oregon: Perhaps one of the rarest kinds of politician: born to wealth and status, but completely and utterly dedicated to public service for the greater good, much to the horror and disgust of her own parents. What Wilksinson is to Detroit and Sumdac Systems, she is to Portland and Blackrock Enterprises, because she is fully commited to the dream that energy shouldn't be expensive and energy is a basic need for a country like the United States. A vehement opponent of President Holt.

Is Col. Clayton "Hawk" Abernathy's lady wife. There are times when she wished Clayton would retire, not simply because she worries about him as we hunts whatever enemy still lurks in the world… but also because she doesn't want him to end up a jaded man who only sees the worst in the world. She believes Clayton has so much more to give to the world based on his experiences.

Based off Barbara Larkin from the Marvel comics continuity of Transformers.

Gabriella Constanza: The Woman of the Big Words. Literally, she's infamous for sparsing her words with material that one would need a dictionary AND a thesaurus to decipher.

Picked by Holt to be a completely nothing Secretary of State beholden only to him. After all, she's just some nothing teacher from a nothing town called Jasper with no other credentials besides running for Mayor of the nothing town, and she's easy on the eyes.

To the shock of everyone, she's actually really good at her job. She can talk to people well, is personable and pleasant to others, and can whip up a story on-the-spot. She's just occasionally confusing through the use of said Big Words(tm).

Based off Gabriella Constanza of the Unicron Trilogy.

[justcressida]

Hello! I love your work, may i ask for a Navier Trovi/Cayena Hill x Record of Ragnarok. Thank you so much.

ೄྀ࿐ ˊˎ- DEAR PRİNCESS

"That girl is the Emperor's sister. No matter how beautiful she is, beauty cannot be a true power."

Record Of Ragnarok X Cayena Hill! Reader

Beelzebub

Beelzebub was always cold and gloomy, with a heart made of a wall of stone.

You came across him while isolating himself from everyone, aware of his curse, while deep inside he was mourning his past.

No, it wasn't your beauty that impressed him. You... you looked like Lilith.

The same audacity, the same look. How could you, a weak person, look so much like Lilith?

The way you treat him makes him feel like crying. Partly like your domesticated, loyal dog.

He tries to deny it, but he likes the ways you don't resemble Lilith. You are spiteful, you have a strong will to live.You didn't want to be a puppet, you wanted to be the ruler, not the ruled, and you were.

Beelzebub knows you're using him, he's still a God after all, his Godly intelligence can't be underestimated, but sometimes he can't read you. You are so... Divine. At least Beelzebub thinks so.

Your desire for life next to his desire for death. You shattered all the walls he built around his heart in one go and he couldn't even stop it.

He is so helplessly afraid. One day, he may rip out your heart without even realizing it.

Please don't leave him. His sun, his moon, his love, his soul, his heart... Everything belongs to you.

Nikola Tesla

Nikola is a man deeply devoted to his work, it can be said that most of the time his eyes see nothing but science.

But every once in a while, after the protests of those around him or a failed invention, he has the grace to go out and realize the beauties he was unaware of until now.

You were just passing by him and he looked at you exactly like this ^°^

Actually, he thought you were a Goddess, but you didn't hear it from me, okay?

He is always enterprising in the things he is interested in, and you have risen to the top among the topics he is interested in.

The first thing he does to meet you is awkwardly follow you because he doesn't know exactly how to approach a woman like you...

He gave up asking Marie for advice because she was laughing when she told Nikola he had no chance.

Okay, maybe Marie was partially right because you were more beautiful than 97.5% of the beauty standards of Goddesses and human women.

Still, it is unknown why, you were the first person to talk to Nikola, you asked him his name (He grins whenever he thinks about it during sleepless nights, and it's been 6 months since then)

He's definitely a weird lover. In the end, you will either find him cute and take care of him, or you will run away from him to death. His puppy dog eyes are so cute though-

You weren't just beautiful either! You were strong, you were good at intrigue, you were smart, you could get what you wanted. You were exactly the type of woman he was interested in.

Maybe one day you'll love it too. Because according to Nikola's calculation, it's not that impossible.

[abardnamedreginald]

im a wolf-demon-salamander-grey treefrog-katydid-cricket-luna moth-klingon-trad vampire-cat-romulan-harry potter wizard-gnome-drow-orc-wood elf-high elf-werewolf-twilight vampire-chihuahua-android-bard-druid-sorcerer-d&d wizard-lotr wizard-mind flayer-kraken-owlbear-genetically modified human-andes mint-harry potter merperson-h20 mermaid-great white shark-raven named nevermore-amontillado-sewer clown-animatronic-ink person-reality bender-ringwraith-chicken-fairy-telescreen-multibear-manic pixie dream girl-d class-horcrux-dragon-unicorn-pegasus-among us crewmate-among us imposter-game master-sharpie king size marker-dwarf-dragonborn-toothbrush-rock-paper-scissors-lizard-vulcan-politician-god-phone guy-icebreakers ice cubes pineapple-a doctor not a miracle worker-troll-ent-poodle-rabbit-Bear.-orange zombie-purple zombie-green zombie-professor plum-col. mustard-in the library-with a knife-hoola dancer-fish-villager-pelecan-defense against the dark arts professer-mafia boss-peep rabbit-peep chicken-gymnast-hairbrush-philosopher-music freak-school teacher-kidnapper-police lieutenant-farmer-trash can-dumpster out back-turtle-tribble-my little pony-kratt brother-high diver-pearl diver, dive, dive, deeper-chef-fire-earth-water-wind-wasp-bee-hornet-yellowjacket-mud dabber-grasshopper-rattlesnake-armadillo-cowboy-flashlight-starfleet science officer-harlet-elephant-gater-muppet-emo-goth-preppy-teabag-loser-sucker-mouse-rat-a puppet-a pauper-a pirate-a poet-a pawn-and a king-father albert-the pope-a nun-pastor jeff-gambler-metalhead-death rocker-the grim reaper-angel-lighthouse-paw patrol dog-hobbit-starfish-sponge-crab-squid-shrimp-jellyfish-chipmunk-hammerhead shark-nurse shark-humpback whale-blue whale-orca-sexual harrassment panda-south park character-jakoffasaurus-scrabble board-ouija board-pillow-toilet paper-period pad-tampon-baby diaper-elderly diaper-martian-touch tone telephone-starfleet operations-starfleet command-kirk-spock-bones-sulu-chekov-uhura-scotty-yeoman rand-KHAN!!!-mudd-the uss enterprise-the uss reliant-botany bay-v'ger-valeris-saavik-sybok-surak-sarek-the abbreviation 'idk'-sheldon-leonard-penny-howard-raj-amy-bernadette-mary cooper-george sr-george jr-missy cooper-meemaw-tam-dr sturgis-dr linkletter-dr jack bright-dr clef-dr gears-dr kondraki-dr mann-dr iceberg-dr crow-dr rights-dr sherman-scp 049-scp 3008-scp 4231-scp 166-scp 682-scp 2521-scp 590-O5 6-bill cipher-stanley pines-stanford pines-dipper-mabel-wendy-soos-schmebulok-gideon-mcgucket-dipper goes to taco bell-sheriff blubs-deputy durland-tad strange-andy taylor-william afton-michael afton-elizabeth afton-crying child-henry emily-charlotte emily-dave miller-jack kennedy-dee kennedy-peter kennedy-steven stevenson-aragorn-sam-frodo-merry-pippin-boromir-legolas-gimli-gandalf-faramir-denethor-sauron-elrond-thranduil-harry-hermione-ron-voldemort-pettigrew.-moony-padfoot-prongs-snape-edward-bella-alice!!-carlisle-charlie-cthulhu-greg heffley-pennywise-bendy-sammy-norman-jack-alice (susie)-allison-henry stien-joey drew-bruenor battlehammer-raskolnikov-heather-heather-heather-veronica-jd-kurt-ram-martha-kurt cobain-david bowie-freddie mercury-hozier-mitski-lemon demon-jack stauber-tally hall-hamilton-burr-jefferson-madison-washington-phillip-angelica-eliza-peggy-king george iii-king henry viii-ben franklin-catherine of aragon-anne boleyn-jane seymour-anne of cleves-katherine howard-catherine parr-dracula-𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂-evan hansen-conner murphey-john adams-raymond barron-fred randall-jane doe-ocean-noel-mischa-constance-ricky-karnak-vergil-alternate-thatcher davis-ruth-dave-cesar-mark-adam-sarah-jonah-evelyn-gabriel-trump-biden-sunny-basil-kel-aubrey-hero-mari-vanessa (the mean girl that kinda likes u)-tux the linux penguin-perry the platypus hybrid princess...dont fw me

[stabbyfoxandrew]

Mafia Restaurant (98k+ words)

Two years ago, Neil's uncle Stuart acquired a restaurant in London to serve as a meeting ground for the local underworld and a sock puppet for one of his many enterprises. It sits empty most of the time except for Neil and Jean, who are in charge of holding down the fort for their boss in between jobs. They spend most of their time there nowadays, playing cards and talking shit just for something to do. Kevin is visiting them from New York when a few tourists wander in one day expecting lunch. The three of them have to play restaurant to keep things on the up and up. Spoiler alert: it doesn't work. - When Andrew agreed to go on vacation with his family, he never expected to find a hole in the wall restaurant where there are no menus, the food is free, and the waiter keeps a gun in his waistband. But he's intrigued by the whole thing, especially since Kevin Day— his former teammate— is hiding out in the kitchen. Despite his better judgement Andrew keeps coming back, hungry for French cooking and an explanation to it all.

Tags: established kevjean, past kevjeaneil, past kandrew, engdame kevjeandreil (kevin/jean/neil/andrew), past/referenced rape, panic attacks, Neil and Jean are mafia, Kevin and Andrew are Pro Exy Players, violence, mafia dealings, gun violence, Butcher! Neil at times, bad flirting, oblivious Neil, slow burn, Kevin is still a matchmaker even when Andrew is trying to muscle in on his bf

Chronological Order (for new readers!)

Masterposts: Page 1 / Page 2 / Page 3 / Page 4

[addicted-to-dc]

AK!Jason Todd x Catwoman’s protégé! Reader - Just for tonight, Kitty - Pt 2

I really had to squeeze my brain to get this out, but I cannot wait for maybe part 3 👀? I have some ideas revolving around a fic or two for Gotham Knights! Jason. We shall see.

Link to part 1

Content: mind control, violence (obv), toxic af relationship, lovers to enemies to lovers (again)?

----------

It feels like you’re being puppeteered, every movement meticulously controlled by strings and sticks. It almost feels like last Tuesday. You had infiltrated Star Labs to steal some new tech designs, especially when Batman was distracted by Catwoman.

Security is nothing compared to your skill, even if you’re not completely yourself. It takes a bit longer than you’d prefer, but you finally make it to Stagg’s office.

Adjusting your goggles, you scan the area for anything that could spoil your fun. One by one, you check off your mental list until you clear the room. Most rich CEOs usually hide their deepest darkest secrets, not wanting an inkling of them to be discovered. Not Stagg, though, you know his type.

Walking around the room, your eyes scan over the décor. A man like Stagg likes to be reminded of his accomplishments. The publicity photos, front page Gotham Gazette articles, the whole nostalgic works. Everything seems to stroke his ego one way or another, but then you finally see what you’re looking for. At first, it seems like a piece of trash thrown onto a table. No, it’s the focal point, the center of it all.

You scan over the structure before carefully opening it. A flash drive appears, absolutely begging to be taken away from this place. Readying yourself, you snag the drive and place the top back on.  Just as you’re about to head to the door, you hear footsteps approaching. You immediately head for the window, quickly dismantling the alarm as you pry a panel open.

Closing it just in time, you push yourself up against the exterior of the building. Letting out a breath, you move further away from the window and jump. Falling with the rain, you crack your whip and swing off a flagpole. The momentum sends you buildings away from Stagg Enterprises, finally completing what Jason… what the Arkham Knight ordered you to do.

“It’s done.”

Despite the job being done and over with, you still have no control over yourself. Your body keeps moving, heading deeper and deeper into parts of the city you’ve never even seen. Landing softly in an alleyway, your body heads straight towards the end of it. Even your sensors fail to pick anything out of the ordinary. Why has he brought you here?

You hear him land behind you after a few moments. Turning around, you move to hand him the flash drive. The Knight acknowledges it with a head tilt before taking it from you. It disappears in one of his pockets. As soon as his hands are free, he presses a button on his wrist.

You tear your helmet off as soon as your body catches up with your mind. Rage builds into your chest as you lash out at him. He can’t prevent your claws from screeching along his armor until you finally find skin.

“You just come back from the dead and USE ME?!” you scream, grunting as he grabs your arm and twists it behind your back.

You try to lash out with your free arm, but he quickly dodges the attack. Before you know it, your back is against the cold brick wall of the alleyway. One hand holds yours above your head, the other trails across your cheek to wipe away rogue tears.

“They wanted me to kill you, this was the only option,” Jason reveals, using his spare hand to open the front of his mask. “I-I couldn’t do it.”

“Why are you doing this, Jay?” you beg, sick of the mind games that he’s putting you through.

“Batman.” A wave of cold washes over you at his tone, riddled with a hatred you’ve never seen before. “He left me to die, (Y/N), he deserves to die for what he’s done.”

“Jay, he searched for you. We all did, but when we saw him shoot you, we thought you were dead,” you whisper, flinching as he leans closer to your face.

“You did find me, though, in Venezuela,” he growls, leaning closer until his helm digs into your skin. “Do you know how hard it was to let you leave? I couldn’t believe my girl finally found me.”

“What are you going to do now that you have me?” you ask, staring into his cold blue eyes. “Lock me away as you take over Gotham with your buddies?”

His eyes darkened at the suggestion. “I don’t want to lose you again.”

You shake your head, more tears escaping from your eyes, “I lost you, Jay, really lost you. I just got you back and you’re just going to do it all over again.”

He remains silent, unsure how to respond. Jay slowly leans in, his lips ghosting over yours before lightly kissing you. Your resolve shatters quickly, leaning into the kiss and giving in to your desires. You can’t lose him again.

He releases your hands, abandoning them to grasp your waist and yank you closer. The softness of the kiss disappears, desperation forcing the kiss to become feral. Both of you break away to breathe, taking each other in as you recover.

“Can we pretend, just for tonight, Kitty?” Jason asks, his eyes desperately pleading you to agree. “I can’t stop what’s in motion, but I’ll explain everything.”

Fuck it.

“Just for tonight, Birdy.”