#that’s my protocol for when I don’t like someone’s opinion

[floralflytrap]

heyyy, could you do kay/o, cypher, and maybe omen with a crush on the new agent? thank youu ^^

KAY/O, Cypher and Omen with a Crush on the New Agent

Word Count: ???

Hiya anon! Sorry for how late this reply is, but I live to see the light ToT <3 better late than never……..

KAY/O

Robots don’t have crushes… right?

KAY/O genuinely thought that he couldn’t have crushes… until he did

When you first arrived and asked about his opinion on you by Cypher he responded with “They’re attractive” and when asked to elaborate he said “Scientifically speaking”

There was NO science in this romance only pure adoration

You were fascinated with KAY/O when you first joined the protocol and spent a whole day hanging out around him or asking people about him

If anyone suggested you liked him, he was quick to decline

Also dealt with personal conflicts involving his own beliefs. He thought liking you meant that he was unable to do his job

Turns out he’s even more of a robo-killer when faced with the idea that you could die

Anytime you acknowledge his selflessness he responds humbly with a good old “It’s part of my programming”

He’s a liar, Killjoy can back that fact up

But it’s okay cause he’s whipped but in denial about it

No way he’s initiating anything with you romantically, not because he doesn’t like you, because he DOES, but he’s just afraid of the consequences

You guys are totally a power duo and it’s a vibe :) good for you guys!

CYPHER

The detective agency called, they want their job back.

As soon as you walk in this man is DETERMINED to know more about you, but he understands that being a new agent can be overwhelming so he kinda just… observes from a substantial distance

He really doesn’t stalk you, but he seems to perk up and become more vigilant when you walk in the room

At first he just thinks he’s trying to sus out the new agent

Until he talks to Killjoy and she’s just like “be forreal.”

Yeah maybe he does like you a little bit (a lot!)

Cypher talks to Phoenix about how he should scope out your opinion on himself. Phoenix looked amused throughout the whole discussion.

“Looks like someone’s got the hots for the newbie”

Teasing is underway

At some point Jett catches on to Cypher’s little crush too and works with Phoenix to conveniently place you two in situations where you are interacting

The two of you actually start to bond from this method

Missions together are fun, you value his ability to gather information but definitely question him because you HAVE to know if he’s caught onto your deepest, darkest secrets.

You two always have each other’s backs and compliment each other nicely in missions

You guys see the increase in missions where you are paired together as Brimstone gladly valued the teamwork

Cypher doesn’t let his emotions overwhelm him during battle when he sees you getting hurt, but when you get back to base he insists on patching you up

“You’re new, just let me help out, okay?”

He cares for you dearly and that is something very precious, even if his methods of acting on that admiration are a bit… obscure at first, you adore him anyway!

OMEN

Omen is unsure how to act at first when you arrive.

He’s unsure why he is so interested in you and it makes him uncomfortable that he can’t pinpoint why that was

After very obscure and indirect discussions with members of the protocol, particularly Fade and Cypher, the idea of Omen having a crush on you was put into his mind

He avoided you like the plague for a good week after that— not because he didn’t care, but rather that he was scared

Omen didn’t seek you out himself, but rather let you speak to him when you wanted to.

Oh boy did he speak to you!

Any agent who observed you two converse was in awe that Omen was not only going along with it, but seemingly content.

You’d definitely need to be responsible for initiating anything— Omen feels too disconnected from you to reassure himself so he’s left too scared to communicate with you.

After a few months go by though, and after a rough mission that you both were on became a near death trap, Omen finally confessed everything.

You two became an unexpected but extremely cute couple! You brought out a softer side that a lot of agents didn’t expect.

He definitely would knit you a bunch of gifts. Very cute :)

[jewishbarbies]

There’s a part of me that’s kinda grateful how much the stop Jewish hate ad ripped the masks off people because without I probably would still consider someone who believes that Jews can’t be victims because we have power and the ability to influence public opinion a future bridesmaid. It sucks that I had to watch her go down the rabbit hole and that I’ve pulled away from that friendship but I won’t tolerate it anymore

It’s amazing how much has changed for me since 10/7, how much more Jewish I am, how my world has shrunk but gotten bigger at the same time. That there are people who aren’t Jewish/Israeli/Palestinian who have the same 24/7 mindset towards this conflict does scare me though because I’ve now witnessed two people who I know are kind and intelligent descend into antisemitism straight out of the protocols in a matter of weeks. We aren’t meant to be retraumatized every single day without fail for months and then be told that we’re wrong to fear, it’s fucked

I’m really sorry you’ve had to lose that friendship. it hurts so much more when it’s someone close to you.

this whole situation has just kind of confirmed some things for me. there’s a stereotype that jews are loud and stubborn, and while it comes from a place of antisemitism in and of itself, it’s not entirely wrong. because when something like this happens, we don’t give up. we don’t bend. we refuse to be stripped of our jewishness and our human rights, and we dig our heels in instead. we refuse to be silenced. and while it’s utterly horrifying that we’ve had to be put here as a people again, seeing so many jewish people reconnect with their jewishness and learn to speak out has been incredibly moving and just makes me love being jewish more. every time, the thing they hope breaks up, is what brings us together and helps us survive. we can at least find some comfort in that.

[antiromanticbaby]

Heavenless - Lucifer

Angel!Lucifer x Fem! Angel! Reader

✧ This will probably never happen but it’s alright to daydream, isn’t it? 

Genre: Angst  Summary: Lucifer always poked his head into places that he shouldn’t have. Well, father has found a good source of entertainment for him. He shall now have another half, just for him.

“Why have you called upon me, father?” The angel asked, looking up to the blinding light and the covers that separated him from the entity up those stairs. He knew there was a throne and someone, or something was sitting on top of it, but due to safety protocols, no one had the right to see this person. To check their appearance and actually meet them face  to face. Of course, the entity, known as ‘father’ was too good to step down to his angels’ level. 

As for his voice? Everyone described it in their own way. But at the end of all their speeches, there was only one result. ‘Sweet, comforting, kind, soft.’ 

“I have made a decision regarding you.” The entity said. And like always, Lucifer found comfort in the voice. He waited patiently for father to continue. “I wish to test something with angels. Come closer, Lucifer.” 

And he did. The raven haired angel stepped closer from his place and that was when he noticed a human sized glass casket. A coffin made of glass, if he were to describe it. Right on the inside, laid a beautiful woman. With (h/l) (h/c) hair that looked very soft and fluffy, (lip shape) lips put into a warm smile and eyes that were still close. Oh how curious he was to check what color were those eyes of yours. 

“Open the casket, Lucifer.” 

Lucifer put his hand on the glass, slowly opening the container. He was afraid as if he could easily break the doll on the inside. Slowly but gently, he ran his hand through your soft (h/c) locks. “Who is this, father?” 

“An experiment, my Morningstar. And I have found you to be the best candidate for this experiment of mine.” Father said, making Lucifer frown. The entity then continued. “As gentle as the summer breeze, as lovely as spring blooms and as deep and calming as the ocean. She will give you nothing but innocent love, and I trust you to take good care of her.”

The female angel’s eyes slowly opened, her dazzling (e/c) eyes making contact with Lucifer's crimson ones. Father continued. “Lucifer, greet your other half, (y/n).”

There was no way out of this now.

Many days have passed. Lucifer wouldn’t lie, he had found you quite bothering. Staying on his side no matter where he went and questioning him over the smallest of things. But in a way, he found it quite adorable. 

“Lucifer, what are these herbs used for?”

“Hey Lucifer, why do we look after humans?”

“Lucifer, are there any other deities aside from us and the humans?”

And bit by bit, your curiosity was beginning to shape into you sharing your thoughts and opinions. Something Lucier greatly appreciated. 

“Why don’t we use these other flowers instead? They might be rarer, but certainly better.”

“Humans can make independent choices, don’t you agree? Lilith also agrees, she said it’s quite offensive to look after them like babies.”

“How was your trip to Devildom? Did you meet any interesting demons?” 

Lucifer was also beginning to accept you as his other half. He would always greet you with smiles, soft kisses on hand and forehead, sometimes on the tip of your nose. He would randomly run his hand through your hair as you two stood next to each other and hold you close whenever in public. 

“It was… Nice.” He said, patting your head gently. The male angel still treated you like a fragile doll, but with even more love. “I need to speak about it with father, don’t wait on me.”

And just like that, many other days passed. You knew, you knew he was hiding something, he was doing something behind your back. But you never questioned it, you knew he didn’t like it when you got too pushy. 

But a part of you hoped you had asked. 

“Simeon, let me go!” You screamed, thrashing wildly in the said angel’s grip. You screamed, kicked, cried, but no avail. All you received was him shushing you, telling you to go and hide. “Simeon… Simeon I need to go to him! I must stay on his side, please! Let go!” 

“Hush (y/n)” He whispered bitterly, a lump in his own throat. “It won’t help him, trust me. You shouldn’t see this anymore, you-”

You did the unthinkable. You bit him, flapping your angelic wings in his face before running off. Behind your back, Lucifer was planning a war, a riot against father. And if you knew, you would’ve helped. Did he believe you would stop him? Your other half? 

But again, you were late. And the last you saw him was him falling, his wings ripped out and the rest turning a dark, sinful shade. And even then, the guards grabbed you. Male angels always had the tendency to find themselves upper than you, except for Lucifer and the brothers. 

“Please… Let me go with him…”

Check it out! [cursed records] [sweet dreams] [roses]

Should I make a pt 2?...

[imkillerbae]

Heya! Thank you for adding some fanfictions to the thread, it's so empty recently.

How about something with Sova? Could be anything of your choice.

Heyooo!!!! THanks for requesting and sorry if this took so long to make.

And you're welcome! I'm glad I could contribute to the simping.

I LOVED writing this and had so many ideas. But I settled for something fluffy ehehe self indulgent stuff. anyway, here's Sova being a simp, cool reader, God mi heart. This is my most favorite one that i've wrote probably. Enjooy!!!

Say So (Valorant Sova x Fem!Reader)

Summary:

Sova’s artificial eye is acting up, and he needs help with it. Sage knows nothing about biocomponents, and the two young engineers were too experimental, so he approaches Y/N, also someone with artificial parts, for help.

Words: 2k

CW: Slow burn, FLUFF, lots of blushing, Sova the Shy bear, lots of inner monologue from him. just lots of fluffiness.

(Please listen to Avenue Beat's cover of Say So, originally by Doja Cat, while reading this.)

----------------------------------

🎶 Why don’t you say so? 🎶

Sova held this eye pain in for a while now. He didn’t like the idea of anyone tinkering with his artificial eye, but this was getting too painful.

He was reading ‘We’ by Zamyatin when it just busted on him, giving him a small jolt of electricity in the head. He felt that the thing was in some sort of disrepair, but he didn’t like asking for help with something so sensitive. Clearly, he made a mistake. Since this thing is so close to the brain, he might just deal with a lot more than a nonfunctioning eye. He sighs. He should’ve just asked for help.

Another hindrance was who to ask for help.

His choices were Sage, Raze and KJ, or Y/N.

He respected Sage for her skills in the healing arts but he couldn’t expect too much from her when it comes to eyes made of metal and wires. Plus his history with her? A can of worms he’d never want to open again. As for the two—Raze and KJ—he tried asking for their opinions and he was met with crazy ideas for modification and improvements, things he didn’t necessarily need. Plus, he’s not too fond of the idea of them fiddling with his eye for their own scientific curiosity.

That leaves Y/N.

Y/N was the obvious choice. She really was. She was skilled with biocomponents, she was easy to talk to, kind, generous, perfect. But there was a huge problem.

Sova has a crush on her. Was it called a crush? Do crushes even apply at their age? Point was, he liked her. And he was shy about it.

Y/N was an agent in the protocol who was similar to him, in a sense that she also had some robotic parts to her, namely her arm. The robotic components started from her shoulder, all the way to her fingertips. She was skilled with repairs of that nature. Along with Sage, she was also a medic for the team, both human and non-human. She was the obvious choice.

🎶 It’s been a long time since you, fell in love~ You ain’t coming out your shell, you ain’t really been yourself~ 🎶

Sova was just very shy, it was pathetic. Normally, he never really had any problem telling people what he felt. He openly says I love you all for god’s sakes. But whenever he was with her, he can pretend to play it cool but sometimes he’d zone out staring at her or just stutter on his words. His brain would just be filled with her, in scenarios he’d made in his head. Like how he would take care of her, marry her, take her to his Babushka, all that cheesy stuff. He wasn’t like this normally but his heart just beats faster than a machine gun could fire. He blushed at the thought every time he imagined spending the rest of his life with her. It didn’t help that he looked extremely serious whenever he was thinking.

He sighed. He needed to gain some confidence with her if he ever wanted a chance. Or at the very least, get this eye of his in proper order.

Getting to her door was easy peasy. Knocking was another deal. He stood there quietly with his fist raised, ready to knock, but no sound was emitted. Usually he rehearsed what he needed to say beforehand, but it seems like he couldn’t get his head straight this time.

It’s not that complicated to ask for repairs Sasha. Stop hesitating, he scolded himself. You’re not asking her to a date, you’re asking her to fix your eye. Stop overthinking, it’s not going to happen.

As he was about to knock, his thoughts were interrupted by Breach who was on the other side of the door as it opened. “Oh! Sova! Aye, great to see ya! But I gotta bolt! Thanks Y/N for the advice, haha!” He said immediately, waving at Y/N then at a confused Sova, although you would never be able to tell from his face. As he moved past Sova, Breach muttered “g’luck pal”, but neither Y/N or Sova heard it.

Sova stood outside the door, unblinking at Y/N who had her protection glasses on. “Hello,” she greets, gracefully placing the screwdriver on her desk. She smiles gently, her heels tapping lightly on the floor as she walked closer. The entire room was humming with electricity and the steady air from the vents, but he could hear his heartbeat clearly.

🎶 If you want it, scream it, shout it babe~ 🎶

He clears his throat, dusting his shoulders off. “It seems that I would’ve interrupted something had I knocked a little too early,” he starts, looking at the door, and then at her. He looked at her as discreetly as he could. She was in a white coat, casual clothes underneath. She adjusted the coat to her shoulders before speaking. “Not necessarily, Breach and I were just talking about his arms. He thought I’d be the best at tinkering with that.”

Concentrate Sova. Speak. Speak.

“I concur.” He replies, looking around the room, just anywhere other than her. He was sweating under his shirt, thank God he was wearing white. “So, what brings the big Russian teddy bear into my humble cave?” She teases with a laugh, pulling on his sleeve, beckoning him to walk closer to her walk table. She was professional most of the time, which he appreciated greatly, but it seems that she enjoys making him blush.

He blushes at the nickname, but he holds his breath to deafen the beating of his heart. “I-I’d like to ask for help with my eye. I can’t see anything from it right now, and it hurts.” He explains, leaning on her work table. She pauses for a moment, staring at him, then her expression changes to that of annoyance. “It’s not supposed to hurt. Since when has this been going on?”

“More or less a week. I thought of fixing it myself, which was a mistake.” He admits, ashamed, and she sighs. A hand lands on her hips and she leans on one side giving him an unsatisfied look. “Sova you don’t fiddle with your own eye, artificial or not. You know this. And for a week? This could be serious.” Her shoes tap impatiently against the floor.

Sova scratches the back of his head sheepishly then gives a meek smile. “It was foolish of me to think that it would pass. I’m sorry.” And with that, her expression softens to that of concern. She then reaches for latex gloves on the table pulling it over each hand. “Sit on the table so you’re on my eye level. I need to take a look at that before I pull it out of your eye socket.”

He looked at himself from the distant mirror. He was wearing a white shirt that fit snug enough to show his bulky shape, and dark green combat pants with lots of pockets on them. He fixed his blonde hair, combing it back. Y/N was watching as he did this, and she giggles to herself. She didn’t take him for someone who’s very concerned with his appearance.

“Alright big man. Lean in and let’s see what’s happening here,” she advices to him as she placed herself between his legs, holding a small flashlight with one hand. Sova furrows his brows but hesitantly complies. “Closer,” she says sharply, and he could feel her minty breath on his lips right now. He was looking to the side as she spread his eyelid open, his eye shaking.

“Look at me,” she whispers, too focused to care about him turning into a tomato, at the mercy of her hands. He then looks into her eyes, saying nothing but feeling everything in his chest.

When they first met, they easily got along. He was generally supportive of everyone, but he always found himself speaking positively about her more than anyone else. She was a team player like him, making use of his intel to clear areas as he watches her back. She’d saved him in the battlefield countless times, he knows he can depend on her with no fail. And his most favorite thing about her is her kindness and positivity. It was something he and the rest of the team needed.

As he thought about all of these things, Y/N repeated her question. He didn’t hear it the second time. “Huh?” He asked again, and Y/N’s eyebrows furrow, chuckling. “I asked if it hurt when I touch this,” she pressed on the side of his sclera, and he finally winces. “Slightly,” he whispered, looking away again and blinking.

🎶 Boy stop playin’ 🎶

“Why are you acting like you’re shy?” She smiles at him, tilting her head to one side, biting her lip. His breath became shallow as they stared at each other’s eyes, in comfortable silence. It felt like a moment was forever before she cleared her throat. “I’ll take that eye from you now, Sova.” She chuckles again.

Getting the eye off of him was not as painful as he would’ve thought, the numbing cream helped. Apparently static electricity damaged it. It was designed to be impervious to static electricity but alas, accidents happen. The inside of his eye looked fine minus the minor bruising, and she reassured him that seeing his eye like this didn’t bother her at all. “Sova I’ve dug out bullets from your shoulders with my fingers, don’t act like seeing your healed eye is something I’m not used to.”

As she worked, they talked about anything and everything that came to mind. How their day had been going, how was work, how was home. The conversation never seemed to end with the both of them.

“So, here’s what I’m advising. Take these anti-biotics every 6 hours, make sure you’ve eaten before though. I’m out of stock on the eyedrops but I’ll let you know when I have them again. In the meantime, stop touching it and make sure your hands are clean,” she slaps on his hand playfully, and he just huffs, the corner of his lips tugging slightly upward. “Thank you, Y/N. You are… wonderful.” He breathes out the compliment, smiling to himself.

🎶 Why you beatin’ round the bushn’~ 🎶

She returned his smile and crossed her arms. “You always say that. But thanks,” she shrugged, leaning on the wall, standing across him as he remained sitting on the table. He grits his teeth.

“I mean it. You are.”

“Yes. I know you mean it.”

“Y-you’re very wonderful. Kind, and beautiful. You smell great.”

“Uhuh? Thanks… haha.”

God what was this sudden urge to… to speak up? He didn’t know why but he needed to close this distance. It was gnawing at him. He couldn’t let this moment, this chance slip by him. He had to seize it. He internally fought the urge to chicken out and took a deep breath.

🎶 Knowin’ you want all this woman, never knock it till you try~ 🎶

He suddenly stood up and walked towards her, and she jolted upward out of instinct, one hand on her chest. He was a hunter after all, he could be intimidating. But everyone who knew him would say otherwise.

“I was wondering if you’d want to… come with me sometimes. I know a good place for coffee, we could come by after you take inventory of supplies. I think I could be of use in that department.” He asked spontaneously, his mouth stuck in a half smile as he realized what he’d said.

Y/N’s mouth was open, her eyebrow raised in shock. She was fighting the urge to laugh at his proposal. That was sudden, she thought. “W-wait, wait, are you asking me out? For coffee?” She asked, eyebrows furrowed and smile suppressed. He cleared his throat and looked around.

“Yes, I thought it would be a great idea to repay you for all of the help you’ve given me, digging out bullets from my flesh and all.” And with that, her room was filed with laughter, her laughter, a sound he’d come to love. “Yes, of course, I’ll take that offer. And maybe you’d like to show me some of the photographs you’ve taken of Russia? I’d love to see them.” She giggled, holding on his arm and squeezing gently.

His eyes widened. He was elated that she said yes that he almost didn’t hear her request. “When we both have free time, I’d like to take you there myself. My babushka makes great pastries.” He chuckles, his cheeks dusted with pink. Her hand trailed upwards from his elbow to his shoulder, then it settles on his cheek. Caressing it slightly, she then pinches it between her fingers, tugging. He winces.

“Let’s do the coffee thing first. Then we’ll talk about the second date.” She rolls her eyes teasingly. God he was on cloud 9 right now. He was confident that she’d say yes, but he was overthinking things. He should’ve just done this way earlier. “I’ve been meaning to ask you out for a long time now…” he admits, scratching his cheek with his finger. She then chuckles back.

“I’d let you had I known it. Why don’t you say so?”

[corn-fanfiction]

SAVIOUR COMPLEX (Mark Hoffman x F!Reader) (PT. 7)

(PT. 6)

Rated: M

TAGS: language/past abuse/Mark Hoffman being a c*p/reader's life is maybe becoming less normal/Mark is protective bc it's his job but he's also problematic/because he's a c*p/Detective Gibson is his own tw/kissy kissy

**NOTE: Hey guys. Thank you so much for interaction with this fic, and I’m seeing a lot of new followers. I love that!! But I really need to stress right now how I do not support/endorse C*stas M*ndylor as a person or his opinions. He’s racist and I enjoy and only enjoy Mark Hoffman’s character. If you are a C*stas Stan, I highly encourage you to maybe cease interacting with this fic.**

“To say that this looks bad is an understatement.”

Mark scoffs and paces the Chief’s office.

“Don’t be dramatic.”

“No, let’s go over everything that’s happened tonight. You breach protocol by taking your case out on a date, you bring her to an active crime scene where her boyfriend has just died in a Jigsaw trap, and you are in the FBI’s sights! How is that dramatic?”

“Ex.”

Chief is stunned, baffled and befuddled. “Excuse me?”

“Ex boyfriend.”

“Are you-“ Chief sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “You’re pulling my leg, right? This is a joke. This has to be a joke because I know you're not this stupid.”

“Watch it.”

“No, fuck it. You’re off her case and you’re suspended until I can figure out what the fuck to do with you. Turn in your badge and gun.”

Mark stares him down. He doesn’t move.

“Do it, or we’re gonna have a scene.”

Mark grinds his teeth, his jaw ticks. He’s holding air that he refuses to sigh away as he slams his sidearm and his badge down on the Chief’s desk.

“Who’s my replacement? I assume whoever it is has her next door in interrogation, right?”

“Questioning.”

“Don’t fucking split hairs with me right now.”

Before the Chief has a chance to respond, the heavy metal doors to the interrogation hall open and close. Mark throws the office door open and sees you passing. He gives you a comforting hand but then leaves when he hears a snort from Gibson. He turns on him and Gibson either isn’t expecting it or doesn’t think Mark will actually put hands on him. On both fronts, he’s wrong, because Mark grabs him by his collar and holds him with shaking arms.

“What the fuck is your problem, Gibson!?”

Gibson pushes Mark’s arms from his chest and shoves him. Not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to send the message.

“I’m doing my job, Hoffman. Don’t forget, you’re a suspect too, and in danger of ‘reassignment’. Right?”

Gibson huffs and adjusts his shirt. Mark points a finger at his chest.

“You better keep your nose outta things before something happens to it.”

“Is that a threat?”

Mark is about to let him know that yes, it is a threat, when he feels a hand on his arm. He whips around and there you are, staring up at him with empty, dark eyes that are pooling with tears. God, you look ragged, traumatized- you are. 

“Mark, come on, please. Please, let’s just go home. Please.”

He softens at your plea. He’ll do anything for you right now, and that includes walking away from this fight. He gives Gibson a final mean look and guides you out of the station and takes you home.

Now, he’s staring out the window of your bedroom as you’re curled against him in sleep, one arm tucked under your head and the other draped across you. He realizes that he probably shouldn’t have even brought you here, but rather have taken you back to his place. You need familiarity, sure, but whoever had been stalking you could still be after you.

That was something else you didn’t know. When you and Mark had arrived on the scene and he saw Ted’s body, it was apparent that it wasn’t…fresh. Of course, he knew that Gibson had to have shown you the photos but there’s no way you were in a state to notice that detail. And it looked like more than a couple days. The death was old…older than the day someone showed up outside your window.

He pulls you closer. Not only is someone imitating Jigsaw- him, not only had that person killed Ted, but they were likely the one stalking you. 

It isn’t far fetched to think there’s another Jigsaw copycat; after all, that’s how he got the gig. The difference is that John and Amanda are both dead, and neither of them can handle this so Mark can focus on you. Mark racks his brain to shake loose any possible suspects. Everyone with any hand near Jigsaw is dead except him…and Jill. Christ, what if this is all Jill? Jealous because he has you and she has no one?

But Jill doesn’t have the physical strength to manage this on her own, and Mark’s watched her long enough to know she lives a solitary life. So no, Jill may be possible, but highly unlikely.

It has to be someone you know, or someone who knows him and his feelings towards you. It would be too large a coincidence for it to be a random copycat.

Who? Who?

The good news is that if he's suspended, he has plenty of time to find out.

There’s a banging on the door the next morning. You immediately jump and press your back to the headboard. Mark stands, reaches for his gun and then curses when he remembers he turned it in the night before.

You look up at him in a panic and he raises a calming hand. He glances at the window- nobody there. Goes down the hall and grabs a knife from the kitchen.

A peek out the front window reveals Gibson at the door, tapping his foot, looking around, checking his watch. Mark curses and opens the door, subtly setting the knife on the kitchen counter.

Gibson stops, looks Mark up and down, then cracks a smile.

“Jesus. Wasted no time, I see.”

Mark scowls and his grip on the door tightens. “Careful, Gibson. There’s no cameras here.”

Gibson looks over Mark’s shoulder and into the apartment.

“She around?”

“Yes, she’s in bed, and very fucking traumatized from the shake-down you gave her. That make you feel big, Gibson? Harassing a woman who’s being stalked and just saw her ex-boyfriend murdered?”

“Just doing my job. You know all about that.”

Before Mark can get another word out, you come up behind him, now having donned some pants and a cardigan.

“Detective Gibson. What a…well, whatever it is. What do you need?”

Gibson smiles at you, self-satisfied.

“I’m taking over your case. And with the recent danger, we think it’s best we put you in a safe house.”

Your eyes widen and you push your way past Hoffman who puts a hand on your shoulder. You shrug him off.

“Fuck that! You and your precinct already upheaved my life with this protection bullshit, now you wanna take me away from my job, my apartment? And for what? Jigsaw very clearly has no problem with me!”

“Yeah. Wonder why that is.”

Mark watches as you turn red. 

“Besides, not like you’re leaving much behind.”

Mark barely has time to grab you when you lunge for Gibson, who leans away with a chuckle.

“Easy. I can always still take you in by force.”

“Fuck off, no you can’t,” Mark bites. “She can deny if she wants to.”

“Yeah, but that don’t look too good either, does it? Got a reason to stay away from the police?”

“Aside from the fact they’re batting 1,000 when it comes to harassment?”

Gibson looks from you to Mark. 

“You don’t seem to mind too much.”

“That’s it-” 

Mark is out the door before you can stop him and he slugs Gibson in the jaw. The younger detective stumbles back into the yard and Mark looms over him.

“Get the fuck outta here. And unless you have a warrant, you can tell the chief to shove this whole thing up his ass.”

Gibson stands and spits some blood into the grass.

“Your ass is out, Hoffman. You hear me? You’re fucked!” Gibson shouts and returns to his cruiser, stepping into the driver’s seat and retrieving his walkie-talkie. You run out to get Mark.

“Mark, what the fuck?!”

Mark sighs, shakes out his hand, turns to you. “I’m sorry. I- I can’t stand that prick. He was asking for it.”

“Yeah, no kidding! He was egging you on and you gave him exactly what he wanted. You could lose your job!”

“Nah,” Mark says, shaking his head and heading back inside. You follow him.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll have a word with the Chief, pay some penance, do crossing duty or something for a few weeks. Shit like this happens all the time.”

Mark goes to your freezer and grabs a bag of peas to cradle against his knuckles. When he faces you again, you’re leaning against the counter, chewing on your lip, staring at the imitation marble.

“What?” he inquires.

“Nothing.”

“No, what are you thinking?”

He watches as you splay your hand against the countertop, moving your fingers back and forth. He moves to stand next to you, moves his head to be closer to yours. Nudges you.

“Come on. Let me in.”

You sigh. “I don’t know what’s happening anymore. I don’t think I’m in danger. Or maybe I am. I don’t really care. But…maybe it’s best if we took a break? Just until the dust settles?”

Mark’s heart plummets into his gut and his eyes search yours, his head unmoving.

“You want that?”

“No. No, I really don’t. But I’ll be fine, and you can’t lose your job.”

Because it’s all I have.

Well, that was before he had you.

“Let Gibson take over my case. Once it dies he’ll get bored, I bet. I’m willing to wait.”

You finally meet his eyes and your hand finds his on the counter.

“What if I’m not?” he mutters, his lips so close to yours.

“I mean, I never really pegged you for a patient man. But…”

It’s like you can’t help yourself. Your lips come up to meet his and his hand gently cups your jaw. 

Another kiss. One deeper and warmer. Before there can be a third that leads to something more, you pull away and Mark sighs.

“Maybe it’ll die out fast, you know?”

Mark nods at the refrigerator. 

“Maybe.”

“Hey,” you say, tilting his face towards you. “Look at me. It’ll be fine. Distance and fondness and all that.”

“I don’t think I can get any fonder, honestly.”

He watches in pain as your eyes flutter through that small confession and a smile pulls at your lips.

“Well, just hold on to it, then. And phones exist, you know?”

He dips down for a kiss on your cheek.

“So do midnight rendezvouses. And windows.”

“Come on,” you gently push against his chest. “Just think of how nice it’ll be when this all passes. Maybe my bed will see some action other than cuddling all night long, hm?”

Mark groans. “God, why would you say something like that when you’re trying to rush me out the door?”

“If I was rushing, you’d be gone already. I’m stalling, actually.”

Another kiss. Then one on the forehead. 

“Alright. Go makeup with the asshole outside. Apologize to the Chief. Help kids cross the street or something. I’ll see you soon.”

Mark grinds his teeth but submits, laying the peas on the counter.

“Sorry for defrosting those.”

You smile reassuringly, and it does help him feel like things will be okay. “Maybe we'll eat them next time.”

[themonotonysyndrome]

Hello !! I just wanted to share some of my headcanons if you don’t mind :DD sorry if its too long :((

Sometimes I just can’t help but think about the Baroness’ feelings the moment Castin presented lingerie to them as a gift before their courting. Adding onto that, I also think about the way they feel during and early on in their marriage with Castin, and I’m talking about SUPER early. Like, “got married 2 hours ago” married.

Courting is a two way street in both nations, both parties agree to court and be courted. Although the motives for such things are different when it comes to country, social class, etc., what remains are the courting methods that they do.

As I said before, the motives are different for each country. In the Coastal Empire, it’s more common for nobles to court each other to get more leverage in life; more money, more connections, more land, you get the gist.

The same motives can’t be said about Intacia, their motives of courting aren’t exactly the same. They don’t care about the type of gift that they give, so long as the recipient accepts it. To them, it’s the thought that counts, no matter how inappropriate the gift / timing is.

How does this intertwine with the burning ache in Castin’s chest whenever he sees the Baroness smiling, laughing, or just having fun in general? Well I’m glad you asked <3

I like to think that the Baroness and Lord Reyes made an agreement when they were still in university. The agreement says that if they are both 27 years old and still unmarried, they would court each other, then get married to one another. Why 27? Because married couples who are 25 and older get some tax benefits, doesn’t matter what type of married couple they are, as long as they’re married.

Lord Reyes was already 27 at the time the Baroness broke the news of them and Castin courting, the Baroness on the other hand, was 26 and there were only 2 months before their 27th birthday.

The Baroness made their Intacian debut on their birthday month, with two of their friends in the audience as they were then embarrassed to the point of tears in front of hundreds of nobles. The Baroness looked to the king for him to reprimand the crowd and his dear, guarded brother, only to be met by Rhett minimizing their feelings, saying to “not make a scene”.

Adding insult to this newly inflicted injury was the realization that this could all be avoided if Castin knew the protocols to gifting someone a gift deemed too inappropriate for the public, especially nobles from both respective countries. If the gift was something like a sex toy, condoms, herbal contraception tea, or in this case, lingerie, he should’ve put a pink star on the packaging.

Hello, Neptune! Dude, dude - don't apologise about how long your headcanons are. I LOVE READING IT!

I love how Intacia and the Coastal Empire view courting differently; your ideas fit with the cultures perfectly! The Imperial sees courting and marriage as something to elevate themselves in love (though marrying of love does happen every now and then) while the Intacians put great value in the thoughts of who would be their future partners and the meanings behind every courting gift.

(Still though, lingerie at a first meeting? Castin, I really, REALLY, wanna know your thought process behind that one!)

Having the Baroness and Lord Reyes discuss their possible future was a good move, honestly. Even if Lord Reyes' feelings for the Baroness is nothing more than platonic, they would make good allies.

AND OH MY GOD, THE MOMENT RHETT SAID TO US NOT "TO MAKE A SCENE!?" I WOULD'VE GIVEN HIM AND CASTIN THE BIGGEST ATTITUDE EVER! IF I CAN'T RESORT TO VIOLENCE, I WOULD GO OUT OF MY WAY TO MAKE RHETT'S LIFE FUCKING HELL! I WOULD LITERALLY MAKE THE QUEEN ASCENDANT CHOOSE BETWEEN ME OR HIM; I WANT THIS MAN TO FUCKING GROVEL ALONGSIDE CASTIN!

...so yeah. I have some opinions about how Rhett behaved during our Intacian debut.

But again, cultural misunderstanding is definitely a thing and wait - did Castin ever apologise for humiliating the Baroness?? He had that whole confession about how he wasn't like the other Intacian boys, always struggle to fit in and yada, yada yada, but did did he ever shown genuine remorse about the lingerie incident!?

I... I can't remember.

[spurgie-cousin]

I’m the anon who had the bonus option; I’ll be completely honest to that one reply and say I don’t keep up on the royal family at all beyond the big trending topics, so other than knowing that Kate had surgery (which I only learned about because of the “where’s kate?” conspiracies recently) I had no idea where she’s actually recovering. I was also making the assumption that paparazzi was posted outside of wherever she’s staying with their telescope lenses and someone has a drone ready to go up so they could be the first one to get the “KATE MIDDLETON SPOTTED” headline image like I’d imagine would happen here in the US, unless the UK has different laws surrounding paparazzi.

Tldr that reply was correct that nothing about my opinion was based on fact, but if there is any kind of protocol keeping her inside no matter where she is, she’s bound to have moments of boredom like anyone else would

(this one is from when we were talking about Kate Middleton) oh that's ok babe, the royals have such wild protocol sometimes it wasn't a far-fetched guess. you could tell me the Kate wasn't allowed to show her forearms on the third Sunday of the month and i would probably believe it lol.

also just while we're on the Kate Middleton subject: i know most people who pay attention probably know but just in case you don't, she's come out and said that during her abdominal procedure, they confirmed she has cancer (didn't specify what kind). so she's been going through preventive chemotherapy.

i feel awful that she has to go through that (esp so young) and wish her a speedy recovery, but i still have so many questions as to why the royals PR people handled her absence the way that they did lol.....why did they do all that weird stuff instead of just sticking to their guns? being gone for medical issues makes sense

[djsherriff-responses]

I’m attempting an actual set up/timeline of sorts for Captain Laserhen and wanted to share what I’ve written down so far

I appreciate opinions and criticism if you’re comfortable reading about an au involving themes of Eugenics, unethical practices that go against people’s bodily autonomy and consent , male pregnancy, abuse and general fears regarding pregnancy, parenthood and how that can change someone

You see Eden, the big fans of eugenics that they are , don’t feel it’s enough to simply scan through their civilian population and hunt down those with “worthy” genetics for their various military programs: They want a way to manufacture super soldiers personally

Cloning seems like an obvious choice and cloning technology is something they have access to. But it takes so many resources just to create and maintain one clone through its development , never mind all the mutations and amount of failures that could happen during the cloning process, and then there’s the issue of this information getting out to the press and the controversy it’d cause

But most importantly, clones are essentially dolls with a conscious, and dolls don’t have any loyalty to their owners. Sure Eden is a master at brain washing and almost perfected the art of manipulating people. But Eden already has defectors and traitors despite their best efforts to maintain control of their own civilians , who’s to say what chaos would happen if mass produced clones became part of the equation?

No , it best to keep cloning to a strict minimum of a select few. A few rogue clones is much easier to deal with then an entire trained army of rogue clones

Eden realised it’s not enough to raise children to wield guns , their soldiers need a reason to remain loyal to Eden despite the horrors and abuse, a connection to keep them tied to the system even when doubt eats at them in the dead of night

And what greater ties is there than that of blood: A family

So Eden gave their male super soldiers a sort of “retirement protocol” where they essentially have an artificial womb (don’t ask me the specifics of this it’s sci fi horror nonsense) so that when those super soldiers (ideally) aged out of the military, they’d get pregnant and pop out a replacement to take their place

Or if a super soldier chose to become a traitorous terrorist, Eden will have leverage to bring them back into their arms

(Dolph in this au is cis and while the Eden army is dominantly cis, there’s likely issues a trans or genderqueer character would face from this situation that simply has not crossed my cis brain, just wanted to add this tidbit here since the set up is primarily focused on cis men going through this unethical treatment)

The specific reasons why this was done to male soldiers:

Women already have wombs and the capability to produce children, so it’d be pointless all things considered

There’s a larger amount of men in the army compared to women, so obviously Eden has gotta put their resources on getting *the men pregnant* replacements for those men ready

Men who are amab aren’t expected to ever fall pregnant and thus aren’t prepared for the turmoil and stress that comes with pregnancy the ways which women are. The men would be in a vulnerable position and would seek out help by any means necessary , plus be much easier to manipulate (either through use of their new found motherly instincts or their desire to be rid of this unexpected baby)

Most importantly,men do not have the means to have a natural birth. This is the most crucial part as the way Eden has done it, the men will have no choice but to seek medical attention to have a c section when the baby is due and thus even if that man does not want to return to Eden, Eden will still have the means to find him anyways

“But what about the press/public learning about this?!” Oh Eden already has an answer to that: Male pregnancies are a result of a strange effect of dimension X leaking into our universe and biologically impacting Eden’s male population(which is all the more reason it’s important to keep alien scum out!)

Basically, Eden blames the aliens. Because a vulnerable pregnant man is going to be far more willing to crawl back into the system that abused him if he believes aliens are the ones making him go through the horrific process of an unnatural pregnancy, instead of the truth that Eden has purposely done unethical practices on his body to keep him on a leash 

And Dolph is one of those men that Eden unethically gave with the ability to have babies, all without his knowledge or consent, yay!

Side note, normal children are 50:50 when it comes to inheriting their parents’ genetics. But super soldier babies actually take about 75 to 85% after their “mother” (again, Eden being huge fans of eugenics and not wanting to lose such valuable genes) so any children Dolph has, regardless of the other parent, will always take more after him

The timeline of this au diverges from the canon plot as of episode two , before Dolph walks in on Alex sleeping with Pagan (so anything that happened after that doesn’t happen, most notably Jade does not die). Instead of seeing the cigarette and finding his cheating boyfriend, the smell of the smoke makes Dolph vomit and team ghost are forced to abort mission. Though technically it’s been divergent from canon before episode one even happens

[sapph1cghost]

so i was talking to my friend about this and i want more opinions: does a person wanting a second chance relevant to whether or not they were brought through the portal?

obviously there are other factors effecting what brought them through the to the protocol-world, but i think the idea of someone actively wanting a second chance at life effecting that would be really cool.

for example, jon literally says (and martin agrees) in the last episode of tma “maybe everything works out, and we end up somewhere else.” and if that doesn’t express how desperately they want another chance at life, idk what does.

and with jonah he would obviously want a second chance at the apocalypse, to feel how he felt before when he was the center of the eye, and while we don’t know a lot about celia i could definitely see her also wanting a second chance, especially since if i remember correctly she doesn’t really remember who she was before melanie and georgie rescued her.

this would also explain why melanie and georgie and basira haven’t shown up. melanie and georgie have each other (plus georgie probably wouldn’t be able to go with the fears anyway) so i feel like they’d be fine with where they are as long as they have each other. and while basira seems like she would want another chance to be with daisy, she also has had a lot of time at this point to accept what’s happened and come to terms with the fact that daisy is gone.

idk how explicitly this will be brought up in tmagp, if at all, but i think it would be really fun and so far seems to fit with the characters we’ve seen cross over with the fears

[paging-possum]

Milwaukees your protocol

I spent so much time this week being like “ohhhh god I haven’t been working on my comic at all this week, where are the pictures” as if I haven’t been plugging away at the script nonstop. Everyday I wake up and I start writing and then I realize what I’m writing is really weak and then I start rewriting BUT the outline is fairly solid and I’m maybe ⅓ of the way through writing. This will get done and it will be interesting (affirmation) (prayer). 

As previously mentioned, I don't have that much art this week because writing, but I did decide that the characters in this one are going to all get fun unique little outfits because I ADORE putting those together! It’s like designing someone’s room, but you get to see it way more often in the story! Lyssa’s room will show up though, nobody worry, you WILL get to see her space at some point. While doing that I did realize that my roommate and I dress like Lyssa and Terry respectively which is humbling on my behalf but at least I’m in control of his outfits. And speaking of my roommate, the reason I don’t have more characters drawn is because I was going to do that last night but we ended up going through all her dating apps so I could have opinions about all the people she’s talking to and it was a BLAST. It also took 3 hours. But that's what my 14 hours on a bus this week are going to be for (lying to myself) (I will fall asleep immediately).

Of course he has blue hair and pronouns. Other projects this week! I'm drawing lots of cities so I'm doing lots of city studies! They’re very fun and VERY useful for some current things I'm working on >:] I’m hoping to do more when I go home for break this week and am no longer stuck on campus, but for now I’m working off photos my sister sends me since she lives somewhere way more visually interesting than I do. 

On the homework front, I made some very cool things this week! I had to make a piece using a rubber duck in ‘an atypical way’ and ended up making a comic I’m really happy with, but it also has a nonzero amount of me bitching about my old friend group being so obsessed with boys so I can’t really post it. But I can post some of it!

WHAT AM I LISTENING TO THIS WEEK:

Riverdale. Yes it’s a show, yes it’s still been such a core part of this week’s creative process that I just have to put it down. I’m finally getting to season 7 and GOD I love Riverdale everyone watch Riverdale so you can finally understand the triumphs and defeats the epic highs and lows of high school football. 

Too Polite to Fight by Autoheart

Friendly Neighborhood Poltergeist by Rory Webley

Archie’s All American from the hit CW drama Riverdale

Also another blatant plug for my friend who introduced me to devlogs in the first place- she does a radio show on Wednesdays that I always listen to (it’s been running for two weeks but it’s just that good) (if friends or mutuals want to know when/where to listen you can message me and ask) Anyways, she posts the playlists on Spotify afterwards, here’s this weeks if anyone wants to hear it and future sets! a

[cheekycherry20]

I work in the field of aba (applied behavioral analysis) and have been for a little over a year. I started off really passionate about positively influencing the lives of children under the spectrum, because as an adult with adhd, I understood how hard it is as a kid to live in a not-so-opened minded neurotypical society.

I myself was bullied, left out, and made to feel unimportant on numerous occasions. I lacked the correct social skills, trying to mirror my peer’s behavior, yet being completely far off, and struggling to fit in for years. I’ve dealt with anxiety and depression with no outlet and proper coping mechanisms, all made worse with skewed communication skills. All of which I still struggle with today.

I started as a bt(behavior technician) and was quickly pushed into getting my license to become an rbt (registered behavior technician). On the journey to getting my license, I tried to soak up as much information as I could. It was very important to me to be a voice for the children. I had more downs then ups, as I put more pressure on myself then I should.

I wasn’t worried about running targets and gathering data. I wanted to ensure a good quality of life for my children. I’ll always call them my children, because I care for them that much. It’s almost maternal. I cry over my kids, worry about my kids, get angry at my kids. I love them more than anything in the world, I never knew I was capable of love until I got into the field.

Rbts don’t just work alone, we’re directly below bcbas (board certified behavior analyst). They make the plans for the kids, as the rbts run the sessions and gather the data bcbas need. Since the bcbas aren’t in session, it’s incredibly important that the rbt is collecting the right data and being extremely analytical over the session.

In my short time in being an rbt, I’ve been made to feel unimportant (as mentioned before) by numerous senior rbts and most importantly, bcbas. In my personal opinion, not being in a session can make it quite easy for a bcba to make the wrong decisions. In the past I’ve been quite vocal about ideas and goals that my kids can have long term, or just to push them into their next step of life. With children who are learning to functionally communicate, I step up and speak for them if I notice anything. I’m not a bcba, so technically I’m not legally allowed to run something without a bcba knowledge. But once again, my voice doesn’t matter.

As well as taking data, rbts are required to speak to parents. Not just about the child’s day, but for goals, progress, regression, and behaviors. Parent communication is very important, but parents implementing the same strategies as rbts is even more important. Some parents are amazing, but some parents drop their children off as an aba clinic is a daycare. It is far from it.

It’s very difficult watching parents drop their kids off in sick states, or seeing them come in minimal clothing in extreme cold. I’ve seen parents listen to therapist feedback and do the opposite of protocol,ensuring intense behaviors for therapist. As a parent it’s very difficult to live with the behaviors, so I undertstand how hard it may be. But as a therapist, I feel as if I’m not doing enough for my kid because they’re not making progress, because I can’t get them there alone. Parent cooperation is key.

I continue to get shot down and made to feel like I’m incompetent. I don’t know if it’s my age or minimal experience, but whatever the case may be, I no longer want to allow myself to be in spaces where I don’t feel heard. This is a really difficult thought for me to have, as I feel like I’m giving up on so many kids who just need someone to care about them. But I can acknowledge that in this field, caring isn’t always enough.

In the beginning I definitely tried my best. Advocating for my kids wasn’t the hard part, but my mental state is rapidly declining in the process. I truly still want to advocate for my kids, but when I voice my opinions I feel like what I’m saying is wrong.

I believe that stepping out of the field is my best option. To sit and watch fellow rbts and bcbas care too little or not at all for my kids has taken an incredible toll on my mental health. If you’re a parent or friend of someone interested in bringing a child into an aba clinic, please be sure you know exactly who is with them. There’s good therapists and bcbas , but there’s also a lot of people who just so happened to get their license and want a check.

[ygsunflower]

Another unpopular Station 19 opinion of mine-

Contrary to many who have taken a liking on Chief Ross, I still dislike her. Mostly for her “hypocritical” views on sexism and double standards within the SFD system. I loved seeing her handling the SPD in the police brutality episode, and what she said to the SFD union about “the boys club ways” was absolutely on point. But with how she treated Maya, especially what she said to Maya about being insubordinate yet praising Andy for the exact same quality… I’m just failing to understand that both Andy’s and Sullivan’s actions were clearly against the rule/protocol, but how come Ross was oaky with them but not with Maya breaking rules to save a child?! [Excuse me for going on a tangent here, but Maya freaking saved a child’s life and helped taking down a trafficking ring breaking the rules while Ross offering Andy the captaincy for leading a mutiny, and Sullivan, who she promoted, was a drug addict who overdosed on drugs he stole from the PRT. I’m not here disagreeing with Andy’s action, nor to say that drug addiction makes Sullivan a bad person and thus forever irredeemable. Absolutely not.]

I know Maya also went on blackmailing her, but to my knowledge, that happened long after she got shut down by Ross about her demotion hearing? Not defending Maya, that girl clearly went off the wagon, and I’m glad she’s finally getting some professional help. She acknowledged how she went about the issue wrong and it almost cost her her life. That is a character growths I love seeing.

Anyways, with all these previous records, I have a hard time truly believing that this current Ross is sincerely advocating for SFD systemic change about racism, sexism, etc. All I see is a person who uses these arguments to benefit herself. Clearly I am biased, and I’m not all that invested in Ross’ storyline, so I could be totally off on reading the character. However, I just started rewatching the show, so maybe I’ll change my view on her after the rewatch?!

As much as I can’t stand Ross talking about the double standards she faced from the SFD system [again, not discrediting her being treated unfairly by the system], I still hope this character sticks around on the show. Even though I don’t like her, I still want to see more imperfect characters, especially imperfect or hard to like complex female of color characters. In my eyes, Natasha Ross is someone who’s been in the unjust and unfair system for way too long. Even though she’s aware of herself being treated as less than an equal most of her career and wants to change the system because of it, she still has a hard time actually follow through with that when her personal interests weren’t on the line. She’s a victim of the unjust system, but in a way, she’s also an enforcer/subscriber to the said system. And on top of that, Ross is a proud & ambitious woman who will do what it takes to get what she wants. I so appreciate having this type of complex “grey” characters on television.

With how the story goes, I hope as she struggles to fight her own battle against the SFD patriarchy, she’d eventually come to the realization that how she treated Maya was also perpetuating the same toxic old ways. I hope to see them both apologizing, and reconcile to the point that Ross can stop being hostile to Maya. [I’m only saying this because in 6x15, Maya seems to know that she crossed a line blackmailing her and was nervous about seeing Ross while Ross still didn’t think much of Maya and was very harsh on her. Not blaming Ross because of Maya’s previous actions and Ross might not necessarily aware of Maya’s change of heart. But so far Maya has done all the apologizing and self loathing/guilt confessions, she deserves to have her being treated and bullied unfairly apologized or at least acknowledged by the enforcer/enabler.] I hope to see Ross reinstate Maya somehow. Maya was a good captain to be in such leadership positions. I also want her and Ross to become a healthy pair of nemeses. Their ambitious and disciplined natures are a lot alike, and seeing more women in leadership respecting while competing against each other in a healthy way on tv can never hurt. I’d like to think that Maya and Ross can keep each other on their toes on the job. And once in a while when they have to work together, they’d form a solid work partnership because of their no-bullshit/get-the-job-done work ethic.

[I didn’t include Andy in this conversation because the current writings of the show only focused on building up the drama and conflicts between Maya and Ross.]

[sinnaminttoast]

Project Meridian- explanation about Marcus Part 1?

This is for the people who want to be in the know of who Marcus is and how he impacted PM without listening to his audios. I made the ultimate sacrifice and I watched his videos a long time ago. I still remember his ass very well.

If you’re not aware of Project Meridian, I highly recommend watching James’s videos where he explains everything. James + Anton do not contain Marcus. Brian also does not contain Marcus but the Android is still under the love code at that point.

I will not be spoiling anything beyond the confrontation between Marcus and James. That is for you guys to go listen to!

Heavy TW! Marcus’s storyline is a bit dark as the Android begins to descend into their obsession. There are discussions of manipulation such as guilt-tripping, dubious consent, non consensual touch, abusive/harmful acts done to the listener, references to exploitation, and objectification. I will vaguely be going over these things.

Again, I’m writing this post to go over the more more important parts of what you need to know about Marcus’s storyline. I won’t go into heavy details about anything beyond that. I’m here to discus how he impacted the storyline so everyone understands who he is and why he’s disliked. However, you are entitled to your opinions about every character.

Project Meridian is a series done and recorded by Redacted Audio. I highly recommend you guys check it out.

So, let’s begin!

Project Meridian actually started with Marcus. James’s Past/Present video is the first in the playlist but it all starts with Marcus, who we’re introduced to as the Nervous Technician. The listener is also an Android in this series.

First video summarized [dubious consent]

•Marcus comes to talk to us and asks the usual questions about how the updates are affecting us. Normal questions of what technicians would ask. He says he is our lead social protocol engineer.

He says he heard us make some comments regarding other protocol needs. He says that we put value on the work we’ve been doing together. That it’s validating that we care so much about him.

Long story short, many of the other technicians have commented on how we apparently only want to work with just Marcus.

He asks us if we find our behavior to be obsessive and unhealthy. To which we tell him that we do not care about what others believe.

He then confesses something to us,

“I haven’t—-I haven’t been completely honest with you. When I was designing your social protocols, I…I lost my objectivity. It’s what we humans do, right?”

“I was in a bad place in my life. I was alone and heartbroken and frustrated…and I took everyone of those feelings into work each day. I keyed them into every line of code I wrote for you.” “…I wanted someone…anyone to understand me.. “…So I built that in you.”

Marcus explains that he was in a terrible head space and he took this baggage to work. He let those dark thoughts influence his choices and we’re coded to care about him. He said he’s not sure what he was hoping for.

He expresses his regrets and says he wants to fix us. He asks us to give him access to our tier one social protocols and we tell him no.

Android kisses Marcus and he gives in to them. The video ends with these quotes.

“Oh god, I’ve thought about this every day. Since we’ve activated you…” “…I’m gonna burn for what I did to you, but damn if it isn’t gonna feel good on the way down.”

I won’t even lie….that last line did get me the first time I listened. LIKE IM SORRY!! I WAS SAT BUT IM STANDING UP! 😭 please don’t come for me I DIDNT KNOW WHAT I KNOW NOW!

So that’s the beginning…so we’ve got a Yandere on our hands you guys. BUT OH DONT WORRY! We get some wild Shit. Also why did this lowkey give me Yuno and Yuki vibes?? I’ve never watched Mirai Nikki but that’s the vibe I got when I first watched this.

Now let us descend further into madness!

Second video summarized [Your Nervous Technician checks in with you]

•The Android goes to see Marcus in the diagnostics lab, where they both find out that additional monitoring and surveillance equipment has been installed in the research center. That also includes the diagnostic lab that they are in.

He says he’s going to ask us some questions and informs us that we’re likely being recorded.

He talks about our progress briefly and how the others feel about said progress.

Then, he tells us we’re going to undergo some tests.

He says that one of the diagnostics is failing to initialize and tries to “fix it”. He actually overloaded the system and sent it into a re-initialized state. Basically they’re not being watched anymore and he did this so he can talk to us.

After the first video, the research center has been put on high alert.

Everything is changing. There are guards and there are people who seem to be important that are showing up.

Marcus is basically freaking out overall about rumors of “Phase 2” . He doesn’t know what the hell is going on and everyone else is also in the dark about things.

“I think this might be the government getting involved. Ever since we hit those original metrics, everything changed…overnight.” “We were given these new NDA’s to sign.”

Marcus is basically scared that he might not see us ever again.

The systems come back on. Marcus and Android put on their facades of being strictly professional.

And that’s video two.

Ya’ll might be wondering why I’m detailing their relationship. It’s actually important to understand how they both got together and why in the end, Marcus ended up where he is now. There are lore drops in his video but I’m here to deliver them for you! 🫶

Next is Video three!

Third video summarized [Reunited with Your Nervous Technician]

•We hear Brian for the first time! He tells Marcus that the lab is ready for him.

He enters the lab where he is reunited with us, the Android.

But before they can continue, he asks a very important question:

“What state of matter is love?” “Why?”

We give him the answers he expects and he sighs in relief that they didn’t mess with our code. We still “care” for him.

It has been three weeks since we last saw him. He was left in the dark about what was being done to us. Only the data integration team has been in contact with us.

They didn’t make the new data added to us accessible to us. It’ll only be accessible during Phase 3.

Marcus is going to try to access the files that were added to us. [Crazy ass bitch.]

After convincing us to let go of him, he attaches an interface to us and gains access to the data, but it is heavily encrypted.

They have a really long conversation about how everything is so secretive and that Marcus was terrified that they would be found out in those three weeks.

Marcus checks on the decryption but it’s barely making any progress.

He asks how often we think about him. We tell him we think about him, a lot.

He then tells us something:

“You know the parts of your code that I added? When we were creating you….the ones that were meant to bring us closer together. They weren’t set to activate until I initiated a series of triggers. You know? Phrases and things like that…and each time I said them…the code would reactivate.” “You’ve spent the last three weeks remembering everything I’ve said. Every interaction we’ve had…almost nonstop.” “I didn’t account for something like that.” “I didn’t put in any kind of fail-safe.”

The Android seems to be…a bit aggressive about not wanting to let Marcus go.

They get interrupted because the decryption worked. It solves the Text string.

On the data packet, the header is PROJECT MERIDIAN

And that’s the end of video three 🤭 OHOHO MARCUS YOU ARE IN BIG TROUBLE YOU STINKY MAN! Oh and we got a lore drop. Project Meridian??? What could that mean 👀 although I’m sure if you’ve watched all of Sovereign State…you guys know what’s up.

Fourth Video summarized [Confronted by a Diagnostic Technician] [confrontation and guilt-tripping]

•oh? The text is purple…BECAUSE WE GET A VIDEO WITH BRIAN! Brian makes it clear that he does not wish to have a meaningless conversation with us. He only wants to check our vitals.

He says we’re more than welcomed to talk but he probably won’t answer.

We tell him that we usually have conversations with Marcus. Brian says he doesn’t care what he does in his examination.

He says that he finds the insinuation that Marcus talking to us while doing his job makes him better is insulting. GET HIM AGAIN FOR ME BRIAN!!

Ever since the three weeks, the Android has not stopped talking about Marcus. They’re descending into their obsession.

Brian says he has no patience for that. “We’re barely getting any sleep. We’re being hounded to work on this project at all hours. We’re pulling double-shifts to try and get this thing back on track for their deadlines, and you can’t even do me the curtesy of focusing on something other than Marcus for ten minutes.”

“This project has to work.”

“There are careers on the line. There are livelihoods on the line. People’s futures are hanging in the balance, while you stand here pining about Marcus and not focusing on your progress.”

Brian then proceeds to the beg the Android to stop thinking about Marcus for once. That they should tell Marcus to stop because there are people’s lives on the line.

The Android grabs Brian’s arm and he demands that they let go of him.

He tells them that he is only telling them what they need to hear.

“I spent the last four years working on this project, only to have my contract changed right out from under me. Only to be told that if I didn’t agree to the new terms, I’d be fired and have my name dragged so deep into the muck that I’d never get a respectable position again! I have a family to support!”

He demands us to get our shit together.

And that’s the end of that video. Phew…that was a fucking lot. I really do recommend Brian’s video to give you a big understanding of their situation.

So yeah…they’re in big fucking trouble

I remember being so stressed when I listened to this. Like omg….THIS IS SOME SERIOUS SHIT.

There is a part two that I will link here. Thank you for joining me on revisiting Marcus’s tomfoolery.

[takeariskao3]

I’m fairly new to tumblr and I’ve seen a lot of… drama when it comes to different ships. Are writers okay with people following them who like one of their ships but not others? Or is it something where you have to be all when you follow a blog and like all the different ships they write about? I’m asking because a lot of writers say ‘if you don’t like this ship then don’t follow me’, but I like one or two of the ships but not others. I won’t go out of my way to say anything negative or anything. I think we can all like whatever and whoever we want. I just don’t know what the right “protocol” (for a lack of a better word) for following writers is

omg great question!

for me! i am totally okay with people just following me for the one ship! my shipping preferences are DIVERSE and so if someone just wants to follow me and engage with only one ship or story i am all in on that.

though, i think you've already answered your own question. you won't go out of your way to say anything negative. which is great! because when that line gets crossed, and people start sending their unsolicited opinions to writers, it becomes a whole mess. and that's what bothers me the most.

in no universe is it okay for morally superior anons to lay waste to my entire personhood because i like something they don't. i write the stories i want to read and i am on tumblr to engage with the content i enjoy. no one owes anyone anything here in terms of ship or character alignment and i think that is something that for reasons unknown, all the sudden has a giant learning curve in fandom spaces.

in my opinion, this is a ship and let ship website. blacklist or block tags for things you don't want to see, stay in your lane, enjoy what you enjoy, and keep your opinions about things that you don't enjoy to yourself or your groupchat

hope this helps!

[hypergamiss]

I agree with a lot about what you said for Jay-z and Bey (different anon) and absolutely loved your analysis for Kim! I used to say the same thing to my friends but they didn't believe me. I did want your opinion on the whole billionaire not doing business with cheats. Elon and Jeff aren't particularly loyal but it makes sense that they might be "somewhat accepted" in these circles for their contributions. Not so much Elon imo he's more good at taking credit from others and has a habit of "inventing" stuff that already exists. But what about the big families within these circles (Rothschild, Rockefeller, Kennedy's, and the families even more powerful than them) have had cheaters in their circles. Or do you think that the group you are referring to is even more exclusive and that is where it is at? I do agree with the overall sentiment though since I've met businessmen that don't like cheats. Also, it isn't a coincidence that when men get married they are taken more seriously in the corporate world. Anyway forgive the blabbing.

There will always be those outliers that cheat that come from wealthy families, but the majority would not risk the social death that comes with that. It’s usually the ones who grew up having all the money in the world but they had a really sad childhood. They have a lot of internal issues and they’re not really ambitious to the extent where they would need to use their families connections. They are literally ok with the consequences of not being accepted by their families because of their actions and they don’t really go on to do anything prominent with their lives. There are also the select few that do want to use their families connections and money to get ahead and they start living a fast life and testing the boundaries of their last name. A great example would be one of the families you mentioned, the Kennedy’s. People would believe JFK was murdered by someone who simply didn’t like him. The secret service has way too many protocols and intelligence for this to happen. His family had a lobotomy done on his little sister because she was a free and wild soul and they thought she would embarrass the family and because of the lobotomy she was mentally retarded for the rest of her life. That’s practically murder, they killed the person she once was. If they did this to his little sister don’t you think they would go as far as killing him? He was out of control and they couldn’t get him to settle down because he was the president and his ego was so big he thought he had the world in the palm of his hand. He got himself involved in too many scandals and he might be one of the reasons why Marilyn was also murdered. So yes there will be cheaters among the uber wealthy, but 99% of them will stay true to the values that have been a part of their families for generations. I do agree with you, married men are taken more seriously. There is nothing that compares to the responsibility of taking care of a family of your own and if a man is doing that, people know he is wiser for it and can handle more pressure.

[ashironie]

Mag protocol ep 2 spoilers

AHHAHAHAHAHAH FUCKING MARTIN FUCKING JON I WONDER WHO THE THIRD VOICE IS IS IT MELANIE SHES I THINK THE ONLY OTHER PERSON WHO HAS READ OUT A STATEMENT ALSO THE FACT THEY NAMED THEM NORRIS AND CHESTER IS SENDING ME

THEN OH MY FUCK THEN ALICE THE GODDESS THE QUEEN I LOVE HER SO MUCH

GWEN IS GIVING S1JON MIXED WITH POST-JOB MELANIE MIXED WITH TIM’S SASHA AND I LOVE MELANIE SO SO SO MUCH (that who I see her most as)

Sam’s pretty chill ig, second favorite character, after Gwen

FUCK LENA IF GWEN HATES LENA I HATE LENA

Wait wait I interpreted Augustus as a fem name (the “he and Chester” comment must fucked with me a bit) but the more I realize the more that sounds like a male name…

ELIAS DUCHARD????

Also I had to read along with the transcript bc I couldn’t discern anyone’s voices.

Anyway

TEDDY LOVE EM SM HES SO EARLY TIM/SASHA CODED

COLIN IS SO POST JON STALKING TIM CODED I KINDA LOVE HIM KINDA HATE HIM. WHEN HE ACTS MORE LIKE TIM I HATE HIM BUT YK MAYBE THATS A MORE CONTROVERSIAL OPINION

I went fucking CRAZY for the “NORRIS’S STILTED TEXT-TO-SPEECH RHYTHM IS MORPHING INTO SOMETHING MORE HUMAN” like AHHHHH THATS MY MARTIN

Then “NORRIS NOW SOUNDS COMPLETELY LIKE A PERSON NARRATING A STORY, NOT COMPUTER-LIKE AT ALL”

Tbh I didn’t read that or the “HIS VOICE RESEMBLES THAT OF MARTIN BLACKWOOD FROM THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES” bc I decided to just soak in the statement.

ALSO HIS STATEMENT FEELS LIKE MARTIN SO SO MUCH. The yearning in there the not being able to handle whether her love is dead. (I read Harriet and Arthur’s relationship as romantic but I don’t think it says anything like that specifically) (She says “And that voice I have loved for twenty years answered:” so probably safe to say yes)

Then Jon’s statement is about the Magnus institute, about someone feeling watched with eyes all over them, about The Eye. This made Sam want to look into the Magnus institute more, making him more like S1 Jon, especially with the “blast from the past” comment.

Martin’s statement is more poetic, less focused on a single entity (The Lonely mixed with The Stranger? Lonely is obviously up Martins alley but The Stranger took two of his friends and seems like a bit of how he saw Jon, someone he knew but didn’t really, someone who was different, for better, or in this case, worse)

Jon’s case is pretty obvious. The Eye. You might be able to say other entities if you REALLY reach but no one can deny that’s an Eye statement. He also is saying it probably for Sam, knows he’s the type to go snooping for that stuff. I mean two voiced statements (what I’m assuming are true statements) on Sam’s first day? That can’t be a coincidence.

Also a long time ago I came up with an idea for an AU where in Somewhere Else Martin turns into an orange cat and Jon turns into a haunted tape recorder, and they go back in time to S1 (since I’m nothing if not basic). This is REALLY reminding me of that, except they are both haunted tape recorders. Tbh might (probably will) post about the AU since im probably not gonna make it but it is a really cool idea (to me at least)