#thoughts aren't set in stone and everyone is always learning

[ao3topshipsbracket]

prompted by nothing in particular, things I learned that I'd pass down as advice to anyone intending to do a large multifandom bracket tournament:

Imagine your bracket inspiring wild enough discourse that someone makes a Hall of the Mountain King edit. No, really, imagine it. Imagine that going down in your activity feed. Imagine being known across the site for that. Does this prospect fill you, on some level, with delight? If not, you may not be cut out for a large multifandom bracket tournament.

Do not try to do a large multifandom bracket alone. You need a team, and the bigger your audience gets the more of a team you need. You especially need a team if you're potentially working with a bunch of things you've never heard of. For a smaller bracket with an activity feed that's more reasonable to keep track of, you don't necessarily need multiple blog admins, but you at the very least need a groupchat so you aren't making all the decisions alone.

Your guys might lose. In fact, your guys will probably lose, since there can only be one winner. The sooner you accept this the better for all involved.

You are the mod. It is your job to be impartial, no matter what. You can hate and rage against one of your options in private. In public? The things you hate are valid contenders exactly like every other. If you really can't bring yourself to be at the very least neutral about something in public, just don't include it.

This also means that you have to be evenhanded. You can reveal your personal biases once finals are set in stone but if you're perceived as making policies that favor your guys that shit gets ugly and it gets ugly fast. Remember: everyone can see the vote percentages perfectly well on the post! The winner of the vote gets highlighted! People can see these things!

Keep anon off. If it looks like it's going to get at all heated, turn blog comments off and keep them off. Don't publish any type of ask you aren't okay with getting more of.

DO NOT RESPOND TO THE TAGS. You can respond to asks, if you really want to, and you've thought through the consequences, but do not respond to the tags. This is the other reason that you need a groupchat, ideally a groupchat full of likeminded individuals who have good takes and are fairly levelheaded: bringing bad or annoying or even just funny takes to the groupchat will give you the strength to not respond to the tags, the serenity to not respond to the tags, and the wisdom to not respond to the tags.

You cannot prevent voter fraud. You can accept voter fraud, or you can have a meltdown about voter fraud. In a small bracket (votes in the triple digits) you can ask people nicely not to fraud, and this will probably even work if you're not in mcyt fandom, but once you get to the tens of thousands it does not work at all. Even if nobody actually frauds, it's easy to accuse the other side of fraud and difficult to prove innocence; people can and will abuse this. Accepting fraud is literally always going to be less stress for you and I highly recommend it. Also, it's funny.

Try to establish policies before things come up, rather than reacting in the heat of the moment. Once you have made a policy, stick to it. Relatedly, when you are making policies, ask yourself very seriously if they're policies you're willing to stick to. Things you will likely need policies on: Do you publish propaganda? Do you reblog propaganda? What is the line for being an asshole beyond which you block? What do you do in case of a tie?

"There can't be that many fans of [whatever]" is always wrong. There can always be that many fans of whatever.

[danceworshipper]

In the Shadow of Sebastian

Alexis and Ominis come to terms with the knowledge that Sebastian has gone too far off the deep end after killing his uncle, and make one of the easiest, yet most difficult decisions they've ever had to make. Alexis/Ominis, pre-ship. Hints of one sided Alexis/Sebastian and Ominis/Sebastian. Set immediately before The Choice at the end of Sebastian's quest line. Useful context: Alexis is a werewolf and an unwilling soldier for the Minister

It was cold in the Undercroft where they sat defeated, resting their backs against the stone wall and letting the chill soak through their robes. Cold, and still, and silent.

Alexis was grateful that Sebastian had left them alone. To hear anyone's heartbeat but Ominis' right now would have been too much. His, even, was testing her nerves, but at least Ominis' heart was slow and strong. Sebastian's hadn't stopped beating irregularly ever since he'd cast that blasted spell.

That heartbeat proved what Alexis already suspected: Sebastian was gone. Not physically, not really, but he was gone. He was a shadow of himself.

Broken.

Your first real kill hit you hard, as she had learned all too soon upon becoming a witch. Killing someone you knew was so much worse than killing a nameless enemy, or a dastardly foe who had earned it through wicked deeds. The adrenaline alone was enough to have you coming down for hours, but the guilt... Solomon Sallow had deserved a lot of things, but not this, and somewhere Sebastian knew it. He made a mistake that he couldn't take back. Now Anne, his one tether to sanity, was unwilling to be found, and he was lost.

Alexis never should have helped him.

"Ominis."

"Yes?" His voice was made rough from the tears she was kindly ignoring.

"I'm sorry."

"You should be."

Alexis let her head hang. Ominis had warned her that this was going too far, and she hadn't listened. She hadn't even listened to Anne. Weren't Anne's wishes the only ones that should matter in a situation like this? Just because Alexis would never stop trying to cure herself didn't mean that that was what everyone would want.

"I understand, though," Ominis continued. "I'm to be blamed as well. I never put my foot down the way I should have. Salazar, we share a dorm room and I never even thought to check his belongings. I knew what he was doing; I simply couldn't deny him."

"He has that effect on you too?"

Ominis huffed, amused but deflated. "Has it not been obvious?"

It hadn't been, though Alexis couldn't truthfully say she'd ever thought about it - ever considered that maybe Ominis gave in too easily for someone as against the Dark Arts as he was. Now it was easy to see. Hindsight was always clear.

No, Alexis had never paid much attention to Ominis' actions, because she'd been far too concerned with her own.

I could teach you, Sebastian had said, three different times, and Alexis had said yes each time despite seeing what havoc the curses could wreak. Something about how he'd offered, so eager to have someone who understood the pull toward Dark Magic, had had her tracing the wand movements he showed her, greedy for his approval.

Eventually she would have learned them anyway, she supposed. Minister Spavin had plans for her. The dark creature, wielding the Dark Arts like no other could. She would never be locked in Azkaban for murder - so long as it was no one the Minister cared for.

Knowing that didn't make it better. In fact, she was certain it made everything worse.

Ominis inhaled shakily. "Aren't you supposed to be convincing me that we mustn't tell anyone what he's done?"

"I told him I would," Alexis said.

She turned her eyes toward him. His head was gently inclined toward her, but his eyes were downcast as he wiped at them. They didn't even work, yet they showed despair as well as anyone else's. Oddly, Alexis found it pretty.

"Well?"

She swallowed and remained silent. Sebastian had begged her, saying that Ominis listens to you. I don't know why, but he does. Yes, Ominis did listen to her, and that was a large part of the problem. Alexis knew without a doubt that if she said that Sebastian should walk free, he would. But did he deserve to?

It wasn't fair for him to be punished when she never would be. But...

"He won't stop," she said noncommittally. "He'll never stop until Anne is either cured or dead."

Ominis laughed, bitter. "Even when she's dead, he'll never stop."

He was probably right. Death be damned: Anne would know no peace.

"If only you could have seen the madness in his eyes, Ominis. I don't think I've ever been more frightened of him."

"Of him? Not for him?"

Alexis winced - of course Ominis had caught her slip. She sighed, and shook her head out of habit, though she knew he couldn't see. "No," she said, like a confession. "Of him."

Silence fell again. Alexis squeezed her eyes shut. Her clothes felt restrictive all of a sudden. She felt trapped, like she was back at the Ministry being held down. The blasted gloves were buzzing, stronger and stronger, responding to her distress and forcing her magic to freeze in her veins, and she reminded herself to breathe in, hold it, and breathe out, until the buzzing stopped.

That was the difference between her and Sebastian, she supposed. Self control had been beaten into her. Never would she cast a curse like that on impulse. Sebastian had proved he had no control whatsoever.

"You know," Ominis said slowly, "I'm not feeling very convinced."

In spite of the situation, Alexis choked on a shocked laugh. "I'm not making a good case, am I?" she asked.

The smile on his face was painful to look at with how close it was to breaking. If only she could fix it.

"You aren't," Ominis agreed. His voice cracked.

"I'm not sure there's any helping him," Alexis said, sobering. "If he never stops, who's to say he doesn't get worse? What if he hurts someone else? What if one day, he decides that if he kills her and reanimates her, she'll be cured?"

Ominis shook his head. "He'll get worse. I'm sure of it."

"Then we have to turn him in," she said, wishing she could convince herself otherwise.

"They'll throw him in Azkaban, Alexis," Ominis protested weakly. "He's close enough to adulthood that they'll do it. You've been to Azkaban, haven't you? Even if they give him a lighter sentence because of his youth, Sebastian will never be himself again, you know that."

Her visit to Azkaban with Helen Thistlewood had been a maximum of thirty minutes, but Alexis had felt that she'd never be the same - and she hadn't been the one behind bars. It had made her ironically grateful for her own imprisonment deep in the Ministry, with horrible people rather than Dementors. But that old woman in Azkaban had been innocent. Sebastian was not.

"We have to," she said again, and hated herself for it.

Ominis' head thunked against the stone. "I know," he whispered. His eyes squeezed shut - Alexis wondered if the pressure felt grounding or if blocking things out was simply a human instinct.

Whichever it was, she followed suit, pressing her knuckles against her eyelids until she saw stars and then having to yank them away, because the stars were a beautiful green that had crackled at the tip of Sebastian's wand for one long, long moment after he'd dropped it. It was a green that might be woven deep into her own soul by now, never to be cleansed.

"I should be in Azkaban too," Alexis said softly.

Ominis made a noise of distress. "Absolutely not."

"I've killed too."

"You've killed horrible people, Alexis, and you didn't do it of your own free will."

"The noble thing to do would be to refuse," she argued. "That's what Natty says."

"And be put to death?" Ominis exclaimed. "No. You should never be at fault for protecting yourself."

Alexis felt the corner of her mouth twitch, and she couldn't stop herself from pushing her luck. "The same logic doesn't apply to you, I see."

She turned her head to look at him. He knew, of course, what she was referring to. His mouth opened as though he wished to argue, but shut again. How could he? If there was no blame on her, there could be no blame on him.

Could they use the same logic with Sebastian?

Alexis desperately wished they could. If there had been a single sliver of worry that Solomon would have killed one of them first... but no. He had attacked them, hurt them badly, but she knew deep in her heart that he would have stopped when they fell. Getting them expelled and ruining their lives wasn't enough to deserve death. Even if it was, now Anne, cursed and miserable, had no one. That alone made the curse truly unforgivable.

The only instance that could be justified was the Cruciatus, since if Sebastian hadn't cast it in the Scriptorium, they all would have starved to death. Self preservation: simple, easy. The Imperius could have been justified under better circumstances, but Sebastian's logic had been flawed. He'd had ample time to react. He could have used any other spell to save Anne, but he hadn't.

I had to, he'd said.

You wanted to, she'd thought, but agreed with him anyway, because that was what friends did, wasn't it? Supported them in public to criticize them in private? She'd just never had the time until it was too late.

Ominis sobbed beside her, burying his face into his legs and shaking.

Alexis' heart ached. Before she could wonder whether he'd want to be touched, her hand was on his shoulder. He cried harder, leaning closer, and though Alexis was about to break too, she pulled him close to her and held him.

"He was my best friend," Ominis said miserably. The use of past tense sounded like the slamming of a cell door.

"I know," Alexis said.

By the end of the day, Sebastian would be taken away. It was over.

[the-whispers-of-death]

Team-Up?

A/N: It's just this post before the reunion!! Whooo!! After this, the next time we see Stone, Ladder, and The Lions are when they are al together. This is just a set-up to the reunion, the reason why they're reuniting. This isn't going to be too long, I don't think.

*****************************************************************

Stone sat at his desk, the black cat known as Monster on his lap as he wrote a letter to Kali.

Dear Mufasa,

I miss you profoundly. My dream last night was of you right beside him, your hand holding mine. It was like I could feel your breath brushing against my cheek, feel your body so close to mine.

I'm doing well, save for the fact that I miss you. Ladder and I have gotten into a routine with the 141 and you'd be so proud to learn that I smiled while reading your most recent letter. Everyone was so shocked to see me smiling beneath my muzzle mask, and I was too.

I didn't even know I knew how to smile!

Though I suppose that's in part thanks to you. You've given me reason to smile. You were the first to ever look at me and find me worth befriending. You showed me kindness and care for the first time.

Speaking of you, Ashok, I have something to confess. Something that's been on my mind lately.

I didn't really realize it over the years, but now that I have healed enough to finally understand my emotions, I've realized something. I've realized my exact feelings for you.

Ashok, what I'm saying is, I lo—

Stone's writing was interrupted by Ladder opening the door to the barracks. Monster was startled as well from the abrupt interruption, meowing really loudly and jumping onto the desk, which knocked Stone's right hand and made him draw a huge line over the words he had just written.

"Shit, sorry, Stone," Ladder said, a sheepish smile on her face. She gave Monster an apologetic smile as well before continuing. "I know I'm not supposed to interrupt you during "writing a letter to Kali" time, but Laswell is calling everyone into a meeting. We're meeting in Conference Room 18."

Stone grunted in response, nodding so that she knew that he was coming. He heard her leave the barracks and he turned to Monster.

"It's okay, I'm not upset that you had a scared reaction," he murmured, petting the cat in case she thought he was upset. He leaned down, kissing her on her furry head. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

With those words, he got up and left the barracks. He walked towards the conference room, barely registering the amount of people who were opening staring at him. It was then that he remembered he wasn't wearing his muzzle-like mask, but the squad was already waiting for him, so he brushed it off.

Stone got inside the conference room, closing the door behind him. Since he was the last one to arrive, the only seat open beside Laswell's who was standing up was next to Ghost, he sat in the seat next to Ghost.

Laswell nodded in acknowledgement to Stone joining them and then she looked to the fullscreen TV in front of her. She clicked a button on her remote and the image of Commander Phillip Graves appeared on screen, making Ghost, Soap, Gaz, and Price all groan.

Price was particularly peeved, crossing his arms. "Tell me we aren't teaming up with Graves, again," he said, his annoyance clear in his gruff voice.

Soap, always the most expressive out of the 141, made an expression of disgust. "He betrayed us, we seriously can't be working with Graves again!" he grumbled.

"You're not teaming up with Graves again," Laswell replied, making the four tense men relax. She then waited a second before continuing. "However, you are teaming up with a squad of Shadows."

"What?" Ghost asked incredulously. "A squad of Shadows? Why?"

Laswell quelled any further protests. "I know it's not ideal, but this was a request from the Marine Corps. A way to help them out with a terrorist organization who has been giving them a headache and the SAS agreed since we are allies," she explained, her voice firm enough to make it clear that there was no point in complaining. "Now, there is a reason you all are going to be helped by this specific squad of Shadows. It's because they've had some run-ins with this terrorist organization and have more knowledge about how they work than we do. They'd be invaluable assets."

Gaz frowned, asking, "What terrorist organization are we going to take down?"

"They're called "Minerva" and they've managed to evade the Corps for a year now," Laswell answered. "That's all the information I can give you at this time, I know it's not a lot, but once the squad of Shadows comes, you'll know more then. You're all dismissed."

Gaz, Ghost, and Soap were the first ones to get up, Ghost leaving first with the other two leaving behind them. Price got up and walked over to Laswell, the two speaking in hushed tones.

Stone got up and so did Ladder, both of them leaving together.

"A squad of Shadows, I don't know Shadow Company well," Ladder said, her eyebrows furrowed. She usually hated not knowing much about an ally. "Didn't you say Kali went into that PMC?"

Stone nodded, weaving in between fellow soldiers. "He is a Shadow, yes. Perhaps I can ask him to inquire about the squad who will be helping us," he replied. "Ashok did say that there were really good men and women there, so hopefully they won't be too bad to put up with."

Ladder's ears perked up at the sound of Kali's real name. "Ashok, huh?" She was smirking up at Stone, laughing underneath her breath. "Does he call you by your first name in your love letters?"

"Shut up." Stone surprisingly got flustered at the question, almost bumping into someone. He growled lowly when they gave him a dark look, the growl making them scurry away. He focused back on Ladder. "They're not love letters. But I was thinking of telling him, about my feelings. Unfortunately, Monster got scared when you opened the door to the barracks earlier and her jumping on the desk made me scribble all over the letter I was writing."

"Aw, look at you. The Stone I knew five years ago would've never even admitted he liked Kali as a friend, much less as more than a friend," Ladder teased, but pride shone in her brown eyes. She playfully bumped her shoulder into Stone's arm, since she was too short for her shoulder to reach his. "I'm proud of you, Stone, seriously."

Stone bit back a smile, but his lips still twitched in happiness. "Don't get mushy on me," he playfully grumbled.

They parted ways, heading to their assigned barracks. Stone walked in, heading towards his bunk where Monster was waiting for him. He sat down and sighed, petting her.

"Tell me, Monster, is it weird that I'm looking forward to meeting new people?" he asked, knowing she wouldn't judge him too much for asking. He relaxed as she leaned into his petting. "Yeah, you're right. It's just a sign that my therapy's working."

His eyes went to the unfinished, ruined letter on his desk. The thought of Kali made his heart ache, so he reached beneath his pillow, fishing out one of the many letters Kali sent him that were stashed there.

"Let's reread one of these together, hm?"

*****************************************************************

A/N: For anyone that might be confused, Stone doesn't know the organization which "killed" Sarabi, Simba, and Nala because that was confidential information Kali and the rest of the superior officers involved in that mission couldn't indulge. So yeah, he hasn't made the connection.

I was debating not even mentioning Minerva here, but then it hit me that Stone probably wasn't told what organization "killed" four of the five Lions (RIP Siddhartha Patel for being the only Lion who actually died in that mission) and so I mentioned Minerva by name.

Anyways, the reunion is soon! Yay!!

Reblogs are welcomed & appreciated! Asks are open, feel free to pop in and request something! (Check the rules in "Rules for Requesting NSFW" before requesting.)

[thenopequeen]

As the dragon descended on the village, one woman left the fleeing crowd and stepped out to meet it. No armor, no weapon, no noble steed; those were for one far above her station. And as she climbed a little outcropping of rock by the road, massive wings darkened the sky above her, and she called out a cheerful greeting

"Hello there!"

The ground shook as the four scaly limbs set down, and the huge wings folded

"And what trick is this that you try to defend yourself with now, little mortal?"

"No trick, I wouldn't even know where to start tricking a dragon. Do I look like some kind of wizard to you?"

A glowing eye surveyed her simple clothes and empty hands

"No, you most certainly do not. Are you so eager for death that you seek it out ahead of your fellows?"

"Not particularly. No desire for a fiery end or terrible teeth here, just curiosity."

A puff of smoke as the dragon snorted in amusement

"And what could pique such curiosity that you would walk out to meet your most certain end?"

"You're curious too? Well, I can tell you, but if you don't like the answer, promise you won't make anything worse than it was already going to be. I'm not going to pretend I'm important enough to make you leave entirely, but promise me that you won't be any more cruel than you were already planning to be."

"And if I am far too proud to bind myself in an oath to one such as you?"

She sat down crosslegged on the stone, leaned back on her hands, and smiled

"Then you do whatever you want, and I die, and your curiosity does whatever it wants to you. After all, if I'm crazy enough to walk out here, I'm crazy enough to hold my tongue even now."

A tremendous foreclaw dug into the stone next to her. She patted it lightly.

"Truly, you are a mad one, and the workings of your mind will be incomprehensible. Very well. I swear to demonstrate no more cruelty here than was already my intention."

"Thank you very kindly, I appreciate it. You must understand, I have a very simple reason for coming out here, actually. I am the eldest daughter of my family. Since I was old enough to hold them without dropping them, I have had the raising of the youngers, any time our parents were busy, or tired, or just couldn't be bothered. I am grown now, and so are they, but the old habits will not leave so easy as moving out of the house we grew up in. I cannot change circumstances, I cannot make things better exactly, but I can give a bit of distance, without making things worse. I was always a master of excuses, of reasons why things aren't as bad as they seem, or of cleaning up a mess before anyone got whallopped for it. And now I've made you promise not to be any worse than you were going to be, while buying everyone else in the village time to run. You can only chase them as long as you would have anyway, and now they have a headstart. And all it cost was me."

"A promise built on a lie is nothing. You came here to trick me, not satisfy your curiosity. The oath is invalid!"

She cocked her head and frowned

"Do you not understand it? I came out here to see if it would be as simple to mitigate damage with a dragon as with my mother. I had to know, I would spend the rest of my life wondering if I didn't."

The dragon rumbled out a genuine chuckle, and pushed her flat on her back with a single claw

"And have you learned, little mortal? Is your curiosity sated?"

"Oh yes, it's actually much simpler, if far more dangerous. She never needed an excuse to change up the rules if she thought I was keeping something from her. You only wanted to when you thought the promise was made insincerely. Thank you for your honest dealing, my dear dragon, it's been an honor."

[foxes-that-run]

Sign of the Times

SOTT is from the POV of a dying mother's words to a newborn. In the 2022 New York Apple Music Live Harry said this 'the first song he ever put out', then repeated that before Beautiful. Harry choose it to set the tone of his solo career, as a message to himself to rely on himself, similar to Taylor's later Your on your own Kid. I hear it as Harry talking to himself, willing him to go on despite challenges and fears in his solo career. To me the theme is both urging himself on and also considering who he is apart from fame. It references Taylor and she it. It is open to interpretation and by no means I am no expert, just my thoughts.

To Rolling Stone in 2017 Harry said: “Most of the stuff that hurts me about what’s going on at the moment is not politics, it’s fundamentals,” Styles says. “Equal rights. For everyone, all races, sexes, everything. …  ’Sign of the Times’ came from ‘This isn’t the first time we’ve been in a hard time, and it’s not going to be the last time.’ The song is written from a point of view as if a mother was giving birth to a child and there’s a complication. The mother is told, ‘The child is fine, but you’re not going to make it.’ The mother has five minutes to tell the child, ‘Go forth and conquer.'”

Lyrics

Just stop your crying It's a sign of the times Welcome to the final show Hope you're wearing your best clothes You can't bribe the door on your way to the sky You look pretty good down here But you ain't really good

To me, Harry is likening his leaving One Direction as a death and his solo career as the new birth/beginning. I hear final show is literal, their final show. He's telling himself to not cry, he can't bribe his way to solo success, it's on him and he has to try his best. He left a lot of once important relationships behind, even though many were already strained he lost the 1D infrastructure, the band friendships.

To me, you look pretty good down there, but you aren't really good to directed at Taylor. Referring to their attraction and reminding himself of their cyclical relationship. Their relationship was at its lowest point when he left 1D as described in Woman and MMIH, at a time he needed anchoring he was telling himself not to repeat it.

If we never learn, we been here before Why are we always stuck and running from The bullets? The bullets We never learn, we been here before Why are we always stuck and running from The bullets? The bullets

To me the second verse speaks to the cyclical nature of his relationships in this time, in the band and also Taylor.

I hear 'stuck running from the bullets' as hiding from camera's. As described in I Know Places "They take their shots, but we're bulletproof / I know places" and Perfect, they constantly hid or ran from press.

They were trapped in a cycle of not learning and repeating a cycle described in Style "when we go crashing down, we come back every time" OOTW as 'we were built to fall apart and get back together.' They sing of a repeating, almost addictive nature of their relationship in many songs.

Just stop your crying It's a sign of the times We gotta get away from here We gotta get away from here Just stop your crying It'll be alright They told me that the end is near We gotta get away from here

Harry is urging himself to rise to the challenge.

Taylor refers to the end in Mirrorball, which is a similar song "Hush, I know they said the end is near"

Harry is hoping he can break the cycle and be happy with (or without) Taylor.

It'll be alright is also similar to Fine Line's "We'll be alright" and WITW "And I know we'll be alright, child"

Just stop your crying Have the time of your life Breaking through the atmosphere And things are pretty good from here Remember everything will be alright We can meet again somewhere Somewhere far away from here

Harry is telling himself to let his past success with the band behind, remember to enjoy himself aside from doubt and fear. Rather than 'you look pretty good' in the first verse it is now 'things are pretty good' he is turning inward to get there alone.

He's setting aside the relationship for the future, he also said a similar idea in Someday (Michael Buble) "We could be in love once more / Till then I won't give my love away / Darling, I'm forever only yours" and in Walking in the Wind " Yeah, you will find me / In places that we've never been / For reasons we don't understand"

We don't talk enough We should open up Before it's all too much Will we ever learn? We've been here before It's just what we know

Harry reflects on their lack of communication, I think with Taylor but also broader in his relationships. Not communicating is another Haylor theme.

Stop your crying, baby It's a sign of the times We gotta get away x5 We got to, we got to, away x3

I love the outtro, and his performance of it in the video above. I'm so happy for him paving his path successfully.

[agentem]

Movie Pitch: Rocket Raccoon and Nebula Are NOT Guardians of the Galaxy

Set during the middle of Endgame. Rocket and Nebula are the only two remaining members of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Rocket has fixed the Benatar on Earth. Nebula, who was not able to fix said ship even with the help of Tony Stark and all her android parts, is beginning to see him in a new light. Not just a pet to be kept around by her sister. That he was a real friend worth having.

But he is not her friend. And he is angry with her. He's angry with everyone. Thanos killed everyone Rocket cared about. And that is the one thing he has in common with Nebula, because she only cared about her sister.

While "The Avengers" get back to their lives. Nebula and Rocket have nothing. No purpose. No aim. They could stay on Earth with Natasha and do whatever she wants. But Earth isn't their home and the Avengers aren't their team. (Plus the Earth people keep calling Rocket a "raccoon" and that sounds like something dumb! He's NOT a raccoon!)

Rocket reveals he thinks "Pete's plan" would have worked to stop Thanos if he hadn't gone with Thor. (But then, Nebula points out, the tree would not have been there to forge the weapon that did kill Thanos.)

Rocket feels like Quill and Gamora were the leaders of the Guardians, and they had to tell him and Drax and Mantis what to do. He wasn't the Captain. He was just part of the crew.

Nebula didn't even get that far. She tells Rocket that Gamora invited her to join the team at the end of Vol 2. But she wanted to kill Thanos herself. She was consumed with vengeance for what he had done to her. She thought Gamora would be there to help her stop being an a-hole when she got back.

She would rather have Gamora alive than Thanos dead, something she never thought was possible.

So they decide to give it a try. They be Guardians of the Galaxy. Rocket will try to do what he thinks Quill would do. Nebula will try to do what he thinks Gamora would do.

There are people out there in their galaxy that need saving and that idiot Captain Marvel and her dumb haircut isn't on the strange, outside the powerful Empires plants that they frequent. That's where folks really need saving.

The actual plot would revolve around them initially helping the wrong people in a conflict (sort of similar to the twist that the Skrulls were refugees). Rocket has to trust his instincts about who is "good."

ETA: Possibly something about the Collector. On paper he is "good" because he tried to keep an Infinity Stone from Thanos. But he's also stealing beings and putting them in cages.

Maybe he tells them to retrieve a former being in his collection that was "very dangerous" but it turns out to be Howard the Duck or Cosmo or something.

Nebula learns to be a bit more vulnerable with Rocket and admit her cybernetics have been malfunctioning. She doesn't like asking for help. (Though it shouldn't be the arm that is burned off later or the wifi that causes problem later.) So I guess something with her eye. That could lean into the theme of them literally not seeing that the "goodness" to be "real" Guardians of the Galaxy has always been in them.

Ends with them deciding the Guardians need to buy a place to bring refugees to. Misfits, like them. Knowhere is considered but the Collector has too steep an asking fee. (Oh, I'll get those credits, says Rocket.)

[ohthehypocrisy]

Team Star for Pokemon Unite!

I've been working on Pokemon Unite posts for a while, and I've churned out multiple posts for multiple pokemon. However, I've never made up an entirely new Game Mode, but I figured I'd take a crack at it. And what better start than a mode featuring everyone's favorite group of delinquents?

I've had this idea sitting in the draft for a while, but with Pokemon Unite releasing a new Game Mode featuring Paldean Pokemon, I thought now would be a good time to put this idea out there for fans of Team Star.

The Reveal

The name of the battle mode is called Starfall Street, and it features all 5 Leaders of Team Star versus you and two other players. The battle map is a mostly linear arena where you and your teammates start off in an isolated corner and will have to fight your way through hordes of pokemon. And of course, the banger music is blasting for the entire round.

While you do battle and level up and evolve throughout the round, the fight is treated more like a Musou game where you are strong enough that you can defeat the weakling mobs with just one hit. The 'commanders' are the ones you'll have to worry about as they have more HP and require special conditions to defeat. Defeating them not only gives you a lot of EXP, but you will also gain a permanent stat boost that lasts until the end of the round. And trust me, you'll need it.

The last stretch of Starfall Street pits you and your allies against the Starmobile, a Revavroom modded into a massive vehicle, backed up by little Varooms around its body acting as turrets. Depending on which member of Team Star you've summoned, the Starmobile will use different attacks and have different effects and abilities. Successfully beating Starfall Street not only nets you some sweet loot, but also Star Points specific to the Leader you've defeated. Get enough of these medals and you'll be able to exchange them for prizes like maybe Holowear or a Unite License.

That's about the gist of the whole mode, but if you're interested in learning more about the specifics of Starfall Street, you'll find it under the 'Read More' section of this post. There, I'll explain the little nuances that set this fun little side mode apart from the main battles of Aeos Island. But be warned, there's a LOT to cover.

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Battle Preparations

Since only three players can play in a round, this mode is only available in Quick Battles. Not only that, you and your allies are the only human players in the match, as all of your enemies are all bots.

That said, this mode is similar to Boss Battle mode where some items are less effective than others. Stacking items like Attack Weight and Sp. Attack Specs are useless as you cannot score a goal here, but other items are also not as effective due to the way the match plays out. Because there are always enemies on screen, Float Stone, Assault Vest, and Leftovers are similarly ineffective as you'll never have a moments rest during the game.

Aside from that, the Fluffy Tail item will be super useful as all opposing pokemon are Wild Pokemon. Full Heal will also be useful as it allows you to escape a certain KO a Wild Pokemon might try to trap you with.

As for which pokemon will be most effective, it really depends on the composition you have set up with your allies. Supporters aren't going to be as desperately needed as they were in Boss Battle, as you'll soon find out, but having a player being able to reliably hinder the enemy will be important later.

The Fight Begins

When the match starts, all players will be at Level 1, just like in every other mode. However, players will not get EXP from defeating the Wild Pokemon normally.

First off, you'll run into a bunch of weaklings as you travel throughout the map, which has some slight variations between rounds. The wild pokemon are all similarly weak and can be defeated easily with a few boosted basic attacks or instantly with a damaging move. If they do get close enough, they will use a basic attack, which is shockingly strong and can take a huge chunk of HP out of your frail Attackers if they aren't paying attention.

It should be noted that these 'Wild Pokemon' are actually all Team Star owned Grunts that are sent out to try and stop you from advancing into the map. Also, while they are 'easy mobs', you'll also be running into the pre-evolved forms of playable Pokemon, such as Gastly and Fletchinder.

It isn't advised to split up until you've accrued some decent boosts. While the weakling pokemon will be spawning endlessly, there are set spawns within the map that have 'Commanders' waiting for you. These 'Commanders' are much stronger than the Grunts you've been fighting and have their own gimmick. When you run into them, there will be an icon over their head that shows what kind of Commander they are and how to defeat them.

The Commanders

One type of Commander will have the Basic Attack Button icon over their head. This means that the mob can only be defeated by basic attacks, as any other type of damage dealt will be drastically reduced. On the other hand, there are Commanders with two circles over their heads, with 1 and 2 within them respectively. These Commanders can only receive damage by moves, which shuts out some pokemon from being able to defeat them entirely, like some Supporters. Another type of Commander has a Triple Star icon, which means they are resistant to all damage until they receive a Crowd Control Hindrance. Either Freeze or Stun or Incapacitation will open up their HP bar to damage, and they will become vulnerable for 4 whole seconds, regardless of the hindrance received. There's a Commander with an upwards pointing arrow that signifies that this pokemon can only be damaged heavily by a pokemon powered up by a boost. It could be any boost, not just X Attack, and these are available all over the map in the form of Liechi Berries and Salac Berries. And lastly, there's a Commander with an Evolution icon over its head, which means that only evolved pokemon can damage it. These can vary in a way that these Commanders will require either a 2 stage or a 3 stage pokemon to contend with them, and they will appear in the match if at least one player has a pokemon that can evolve (these will not appear if all players are playing Single Stage pokemon).

Defeating these Commanders is one of the few ways you and your teammates can gain EXP for this mode, as defeating all the weakling mobs won't get you any EXP. However, it isn't a waste of time to beat these pawns up.

The Colors of the Stars

Each Leader of Team Star specializes in a specific Type, and they will be all over the place throughout the match. However, the way luck works is that some Leaders won't be able to appear at all, as that's just how the RNG rolls. But since only one Leader will challenge you at the end of the mode, you can manipulate this by focusing on that Leader's Grunts. For instance, if you want to summon Mela, you'd be focused on defeating all of the Fire Types you see. If you want to fight Atticus, you and your team would need to beat up all the Poison Types you see.

In addition, each pokemon type you defeat gives you a permanent stat boost for the match, depending on the Type of pokemon it was. Defeating Mela's Fire Types powers up your Basic Attack Speed and HP. Defeating Atticus' Poison Types boosts your Movement Speed and improves your Hindrance Resistance. Giaccomo's Dark Types reduces the Cooldown of your Moves and increases the power and effects of your Unite Move when you defeat them. Overcome Eri's Fighting Types and your Defense and Sp. Defense stats are boosted. And lastly, Ortega's Fairy Types boost your Attack and Sp. Attack when defeated.

The weakling mobs give you a very weak boost when defeated, but defeating Commanders gives you a bigger boost to their respective stats while also granting you a lot of EXP. Defeating these pokemon fills up a Star Meter on the HUD which shows how many pokemon of that type you've defeated while also conveying the overall power you've built up from all of this fighting. There is one exception to this grind.

Regardless of which Star Leader is most likely to appear, there will always be Varooms and Revavrooms roaming the map. Varooms are fast little buggers that take reduced damage from basic attacks, but can be instantly defeated by any move. Successfully defeating one gives you some power and speed boosts as well as a mild EXP boost, not as much as a Commander, but is otherwise easy enough to deal with.

Revavrooms, on the other hand, are extremely dangerous and they will roam around the map at high speed. While they are Commanders, they do not stay in their set spawn for very long and start driving around. It's even possible to run into one within the first minute of the game. However, they are not hostile for the most part, and can only damage you by directly running into you. If you hit them for even 1 damage, though, they will turn aggressive and start to harass you relentlessly. They turn their cruise control into a demolition derby and hit for so much damage, you'll be taken out in 3 hits at the least.

The only way to safely defeat them is to bait their charge attack into a wall or obstacle, which is easier said than done. They like to charge up their attack while drifting, and are completely resilient to damage while doing so. If you manage to trick them into running into a barrier, they'll be stunned for the moment and will then take increased damage from all of your moves. Successfully defeating one nets you a boatload of EXP, increases all of your stats by a hefty amount permanently, and drastically increases your attack power and movement speed for a short while. These boosts can be shared with your teammates if they participated in the fight, but the player who aggro'd the Revavroom will get a bigger cut. You could coordinate with your team to patch up your EXP deficiency in this way if you run into a Revavroom, you know, before it runs into you.

One last thing, while Revavroom is part Poison, defeating it and the Varooms running around the map will not add to the possibility of Atticus showing up for the last minute of the fight. These little motors are meant to be big fat EXP buffers.

The Constellation Map

As I've stated before, the maps differ between matches, more specifically, there are 5 variations.

Variation 1 is a wide open field that is mildly circular, with tents and trees acting as obstacles. Variation 2 is a forest where the trees have split the map up into 3 lanes with slight openings between them. Variation 3 is a large oblong field where the Starting Point is set within the middle by the border. Variation 4 is a long stretch of land where most of the Commanders are set to spawn in small pockets off the path. And Variation 5 is a huge field where the only obstacle is the large tent in the middle of the arena.

If any of these maps sound familiar to you, I did base these off of the Base Raid you partake in when you storm the bases of Team Star. They're not totally accurate, as I can't quite remember what they looked like exactly, but I'm more interested in balance than accuracy here.

Something I should mention is that, all throughout these maps there are Vending Machines where you and your allies can run to for emergency healing. While these were free and infinite in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, in this game mode for Pokemon Unite they will have limited uses. Some will only have 2 stocks before they run out while others may have 4.

As such, it is very important to maintain constant teamwork throughout the match, as not only are some pokemon better equipped to handle some of the Commanders, but they also have a greater need to power up their respective stats. An Attacker may call dibs on all the Fairy type mobs, but a Supporter may also need them to boost its Sp. Attack in order to increase the healing they can provide. Different pokemon have a greater need for specific stats, so it's important to recognize who needs what the most.

It's also really important that your team stays together until you have sufficiently powered up enough where an ally can safely venture off on their own. The more total pokemon you defeat, the greater the score, which increases your rewards at the end of the match.

The Stellar Admins

While the Grunts are everywhere and the Commanders can show up at any time, there's an even more powerful Wild Pokemon called an Admin that you can run into, and they're very dangerous.

Admins are playable pokemon that you can run into during a game, and each one has a modified playstyle and moves that make them drastically play differently from the bot versions you might run into. They hit very hard too, but thankfully they have a predictable pattern.

Mela's Stellar Admin is an opposing Talonflame that can only use two moves, Fly and Flame Sweep, which is its Unite Move. When the encounter begins, it will open up with Fly and will try to attack the weakest member of your team. After landing, it will then use Flame Sweep to target the healthiest ally. Whether it hits or misses, it will rinse and repeat with this attack pattern. Stellar Admin Talonflame is very tricky to fight as it's Fly and Flame Sweep hit hard and is difficult to counter, but it's HP is very low and requires a good clean hit to put down.

Giacomo's Stellar Admin is an opposing Zoroark. It will always spawn in with its Illusion ability active and can hold it indefinitely until it is attacked. Zoroark will disguise itself as a Grunt and patrol the map, but will not attack you and your allies and will always try to run away. If attacked, Zoroark will counter immediately with two different moves. A Melee attack will have Zoroark respond with Nightfall Daze, its Unite Move, and hit really hard. A Ranged attack prompts it to use Night Slash against the attacker perfectly. Both of these counterattacks hit really hard, but if you survive, the Zoroark will then run away. It will not counterattack again for 7 seconds, during which time it is vulnerable. But if it is allowed to move off-screen and out of sight of you and your allies, it will pop its Illusion ability and start the whole process over. If you suspect a wild Zoroark roaming about the map, be prepared for a tricky fight and try to open up with a powerful single hit to take care of Zoroark before it can retaliate.

Atticus's Stellar Admin is an opposing Gengar that starts every round with its Unite Move, Phantom Ambush, always active. When you and your allies are near, it will always circle one of you, with the purple wisp above your head your only hint that it's nearby. Then, it will begin to throw Shadow Balls indiscriminately, dealing heavy damage. Unlike Phantom Ambush as it's used by a player, Stellar Admin Gengar will become invisible again after throwing out a Shadow Ball, making it very hard to track down. It will never perform the final hit of Phantom Ambush, so that's one thing you and your team won't have to worry about. To fend off Gengar, you'll have to get lucky and hit it with an attack, or counter it's attack with a hindrance or a debuff. Stellar Admin Gengar will be forced to become visible if it is under the effects of a hindrance or a Damage-Over-Time effect, making it easier to deal with. It also moves about predictably, as it always circles the ally with the least amount of HP. As Gengar is a frail Speedster, a few lucky hits are just enough to bring it down.

Ortega's Stellar Admin is an opposing Wigglytuff that spends the entire match using Sing. It walks around at increased speed and its Cute Charm ability is always active, making it very difficult to keep your distance. When an enemy is put to Sleep, it stops Singing and uses Double Slap repeatedly. These hits are rigged in that they will constantly hit the highest amount of damage, which is annoying, but is still pretty weak. However, Sing can put you and your allies to Sleep for much longer than normal, which can be very terrifying if you get caught while at low HP. In order to deal with Wigglytuff, there's an exploit you'd have to take advantage of. If you wake up and run away, Wigglytuff will go back to using Sing indefinitely, but if you wake up and stay put, Wigglytuff will keep using Double Slap on the nearby ally, giving your team an opening to rush in and attack. This means that a bulky Defender or All-Rounder has to be the bait to deal with Wigglytuff, but it's the safest and easiest way to deal with Wigglytuff.

Lastly, Eri's Stellar Admin is an opposing Lucario which is extremely aggressive with Extreme Speed and Aura Cannon, it's Unite Move. It will always open up with a big hit in Aura Cannon, which is modified to have a shorter flight distance, but the Lucario will not let up and proceed to use Extreme Speed right after. This attack dashes for much farther than normal, but rather than attack enemies with it, Stellar Admin Lucario uses it to reposition to a better spot where it will immediately use Aura Cannon again. Because this combination is so fast, it's actually difficult to keep your distance and avoid Lucario's line of fire. Your best bet is to get up close and stay close, strafing to avoid Aura Cannon as it's used. The Unite Move slows down if Lucario is hit with a debuff or a hindrance, so it will take a team effort to put this Stellar Admin down.

There is one Stellar Admin per round that can show up and it can be any one of them in any map. Defeating it nets your whole team with a massive boost, even if they weren't in the fight, as well as a massive boost to the respective stat they provide. KO'ing the Stellar Admin also contributes greatly to the Team Star member showing up at the end of the fight, which is great, unless you and your team is grinding for a different Team Star leader's medals. However the fight goes, the boost and EXP you gain will be very helpful in the last minute of the fight.

The Starmobile Descends

After you and your team have defeated enough pokemon, you and your allies are warped to a specific arena where the Starmobile appears. Which Starmobile it is depends on how many of a specific type you defeated during the game, and each one has their own tricks.

Firstly, each Starmobile, regardless of which Type, has the exact same setup. There's a Revavroom at the face of the contraption which receives the most damage from you and your attacks. There are also Varooms attached to what would be the wheels of the mobile, with each one operating independently of the body. These can be defeated and beaten off, reducing the attack power of the Starmobile as a whole. In addition, some Varoom will spawn and move about the field, operating as a distraction against you and your team, though if you take the bait, you gain EXP and a slight boost to all of your stats, which is a decent backup plan if you haven't fully leveled up enough for the fight.

When the fight begins, the Starmobile behaves as a Boss Pokemon, with visible attack ranges and information being displayed on the HUD. Though each Starmobile version has a different ability and differing moves, they all share a few techniques. Since the face receives the highest multiplying damage of the Starmobile's body, the Revavroom will counter with Lick, which Shoves and Stuns all players and gives it enough time to retaliate with a Torque move. It can also launch Sludge Bomb at far away enemies and will do this automatically if you and your teammates are huddled together attacking from afar. The sludge creates a damaging field that also slows you down. The Varooms on the side will also use Sludge and Poison Gas to fend off your attacks, and they can do this while the main body is attacking, making it very difficult to avoid damage in some cases.

The Starmobile is slow and predictable though, it's just difficult to take down, especially if your team isn't fully leveled up yet. It should also be noted that, before the final battle begins, getting KO'd sends you back to base with no respawn time, so it's very forgiving in that sense. But if you get knocked out during the fight against the Starmobile, you'll be warped back into the boss arena after a lengthy respawn timer, depending on your level. Even 5 seconds of respawn can be a death sentence for you and your team as you'll have even less time to defeat the Starmobile.

One last thing to note, each Starmobile has two unique moves that can change the course of the battle, depending on which Team Star Leader you're fighting. Giacomo's Starmobile can use Snarl, which attacks the entire arena with a raucous engine roar. It slows down and reduces everyone's attack power, but it only deals damage at the end of the move if it attacks uninterrupted. Deal loads of damage to the Starmobile to stop Snarl from finishing. Its other move is Wicked Torque, where the lights get shut out and the Starmobile retreats and leaves the arena. For 2 seconds, you can't damage the Starmobile as it's out of bounds, but it will appear randomly from outside the area with its LED lights beaming into the field. When this happens, it's about to charge in and run all of you over, so get out of the way. If you get hit, you'll be Stunned for 5 seconds, which can be really bad if you didn't pack a Full Heal.

Mela's Starmobile knows Overheat and Blazing Torque. When it uses Overheat, it's body becomes too hot to approach without taking damage. After 5 seconds, the body erupts in flames, damaging everyone nearby. This can happen while it's using another move, so watch out. Blazing Torque has it also reverse and leave the arena just like Wicked Torque, except it will always charge in from the left or right. It's not hard to dodge, but the problem starts with the burning trail left behind. The Starmobile will continue attacking while Blazing Torque is active, which can make its normal and easy to avoid moves difficult to evade damage. Atticus' Starmobile knows Smog and Noxious Torque, where Smog summons a poisonous cloud of gas that damages all enemies around it. It deals more damage than Mela's Overheat, but it doesn't explode and hitting the Starmobile shortens the duration of the attack. Noxious Torque has the Starmobile perform a hard drift around the arena and leaves behind a huge puddle of oil. The oil doesn't damage you or your teammates, but it slows you all down and prevents dashing moves from being used, so try to avoid the hazard.

Ortega's Starmobile knows Confuse Ray and Magical Torque. Confuse Ray has the LED lights of the Starmobile light up and flicker in a confusing pattern. If this light show is beamed directly at you or a teammate, that pokemon will be forced to approach the Starmobile slowly. You can fight it by tilting the control stick left or right, since the Starmobile can only shine the light in one direction, or you can aim and use a Dash move to escape the ray. It's also considered a hindrance, so Full Heal or Blissey's Safeguard can block the beam. Magical Torque has the Starmobile retreat and leave the arena, only to reappear moments later falling in from the sky and crashing down. This full body crash is random and can happen after 1 to 3 seconds of delay, so be on your toes.

Finally, Ori's Starmobile knows High Horsepower and Combat Torque. The Starmobile can use High Horsepower at any point during the match and can even interrupt its own moves to use High Horsepower. The move has the Starmobile perform a hard drift and crash into a wall with the entire side of its body, making it a damaging and difficult move to avoid. Combat Torque has the Starmobile pick a target and focus its aim on them. After a brief charge, the Starmobile drives forward and pushes them into the wall if they were hit. Afterwards, the player gets pinned down and receives increasing damage as the Starmobile revs and holds them down against the wall. The attack ends after 6 seconds but can be shortened if the rest of the team deals lots of damage to the Starmobile very quickly.

One last thing to note. The Starmobile is immune to hindrances and debuffs, but they will contribute to a Stun Meter just like in Boss Battle. However, the first hit of your Unite Move will fill the meter instantly, causing it to buckle and stall, which can interrupt its moves and force it to sit vulnerable for a brief moment. You can use this to deal loads of damage or to stop it from using a problematic move, so make sure you pick the perfect opportunity to pop it.

You Get a Gold Star

Once the match ends, you and your team will be graded on your performance. Each player is scored on damage dealt, damage received, HP recovered, and stun contribution. The number of pokemon defeated will also be shown, as well as the percentage of types they've taken down. Good players who understand the role of their pokemon will be focused on a specific pokemon type, like Defenders primarily gunning down Fighting Types, and it will show in a pie chart in that player's performance chart.

Your team will also be graded on the amount of time it took you all to beat the round. The less time you take, the better you score. The Difficulty also affects the score, with the best possible score coming from Extreme Difficulty.

Reach for the Stars!

Beating up specific Pokemon Types doesn't just get you stat boosts for the match, it also adds to a point voucher in the game's special item shop. For the duration of the game mode, you can earn Star Points based on your score after each round. You get Gold Stars for beating the mode, getting more the higher the difficulty you clear, but you'll also get colored stars from the pokemon types you beat up. Take out a lot of Fire Types and you'll come out of the game with a lot of Red Star Points. Fight a bunch of Fighting Types and you'll get Orange Star Points, and so on and so forth.

You'll get loads of these Star Points for beating the associated Team Star Leader, which is the easiest way to get a bunch of them all at once. And when you have a lot, you can then trade them in for special items in the Starfall Street Shop. Gold Stars can get you generic things like Team Star Stickers or Poses for your trainer card, as well as specific Team Star gear like Helmets and glasses, but specific colors can get you articles of clothing based on the Team Star Leaders. Yes, that means you can trade in a lot of Red Star Points to get Mela's Boots for your Trainer Customization.

Now, that's what would realistically happen if the shop items were made by the Unite Devs, but I would also add in special Holowear to the shop if I had things my way. I'd even include a special Unite License for Revavroom or something like that, assuming the pokemon is popular enough.

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And that about does it for this post. I'm really enjoying the Panic Parade mode that's currently ongoing in Pokemon Unite, so I thought I'd take a crack at coming up with my own game mode. Now don't get it twisted, this idea has been sitting in my draft for quite a while, I just didn't have the time or energy to put the idea down and finalize it.

Now, there has yet to be a precedent for Pokemon Unite to make wild pokemon playable, especially ones from exclusive game modes like Panic Parade, so I hope that mold gets broken and we get not only the Tinkaton License, but also Flamigo and Bellibolt. Oh, and maybe Revavroom so that Starfall Street can come to Pokemon Unite.

Anyway, I'm still on break, so I hope this post tides you over. Stay tuned for the results of my Pikmin Poll.

[despair-to-future-arcs]

What’s next Nagi?

Well... time to get to the last one...

*CLICK*

[09/23/17]

*Kazuichi walks in and sits down*

Okay... I think I'm ready...

USAMI: Welcome back Kazuichi... I take it this would be another session?

No, I...I think I'm ready to talk now, especially after what happen recently...

USAMI: Oh and what happen?

...You probably hear this from Nagi but you remember how we excluded her from Hatomi's funeral despite her helping to set everything up?

USAMI: Oh yes... I did hear about that, what you all did wasn't okay...

Yeah yeah, I know... I know I fuck up but look if you wan to blame anyone for that, that was all Nagito! He was going on and on about being in the Reserve Course.

And let's say when we learn what Nagi was from Ibuki, well... you can see why...

...

...

...

Date: September 1st, 2011

Wait so... are you saying that Nagi Nanami women has these connections to Hope's Peak...?

Yeah... I ask my mom about it, seems Nagi's family all were former Hope's Peak Academy students; going from her dad, grandparents on both side and even her great grandma too... like her whole family are all Ultimates...

Yeah... dad wasn't too happy about it either, I even look it up and seems Nagi's family was pretty well known...

Which Nagito, Hiyoko, Kazuichi... you really screw up this time...

...

...

W-We...We didn't know, we just... we thought Nagi was from the reserve course... Damnit Yukio, why did you have to take off and tell her parents?!

Because it was the right thing to do and what you 3 did was not okay, no matter what...

We were all suppose to accept her even if she's from the Reserve Course, she is now with us like it or not and honestly, I could imagine Hatomi rolling in her grave due to what you 3 did!

S-So what! She didn't even know Hatomi, so why the hell does it matter?! We just thought that her being there would be disrespectful!

And yet she help set up the funeral, arrange everything, even help with food and various other things when everyone else was busy, what you 3 was not decided; we would never agree to this!

Exactly, you 3 were not working together as a team! You 3 decided to not include her, you should be ashamed of yourselves!

He-Hey hey it's not our fault, it was all Nagito! He was the one that told us that we shouldn't invite Nagi so if you want to blame anyone, blame this bastard!

Hu-Huh?! What but I...I didn't...!

I didn't know her family was this connected to Hope's Peak! I mean, she's from the Reserve Course! And you all know that I despise them greatly!

Well sorry but we don't want our chance at graduating to be screw over, if the Nagi's grandmother finds out what we did; I mean you know she's the ministry of education?!

Ex-Exactly, if anything this is Nagito's fault! He made us go along with his stupid plan to not include her!

Soooo if you want to blame anyone for that, it's that idiot Nagito - he didn't want to invite Nagi and just use her as a stepping stone; like he always say, geez for such a fan boy of this school you sure are an idiot when it comes to it's history, maybe that girl would be far more useful then the guy that only ever got in by luck or maybe he should of kill himself months ago since he made us look like a bunch of idiots!

...

...

Hiyoko don't say that, you aren't helping matters!

Well hey as say, maybe blame that boyfriend of yours; after all he didn't want to invite the gamer girl so you better do that, anyway I better be off; have a good day!

*walks away*

Sorry about that, I'll deal with her but maybe we should work on our talents and try to be nice to Nagi and try to not do something like this again...

'Yeah, it... we just push the blame on Nagito, it seem easier for us...'

[stfuimprojecting]

Hey, I’ve really enjoyed your 911 posts but your last one was very hurtful and came across as victim blaming. Maddie left due to mental illness, she didn’t choose to leave anyone.

it wasn't my intention to impart blame onto maddie for leaving, i fully understand why she left and the reasoning behind it

but she did leave, and by doing so she does leave buck, chimney and jee yun

that's not to say maddie is a bad person, she's someone who is hurting and is acting on that hurt

we see that maddie struggles with self blame and insecurity and not feeling good enough. she's depressed, she feels alone, she's scared. scared that she's a bad mother, a bad partner. she's scared that she does more harm than good. she's scared of herself. so she runs. and i get why, she thinks that by removing herself from the equation then she can't hurt anyone. and hopefully her time away gives her a chance to recuperate and heal, lord knows it's what she deserves

but that doesn't mean that she's free of consequence, her actions impact those around her and hurt the people around her. we see that her leaving hurts the people she loves, even though they understand why she left

i love maddie. she's one of my favourite characters. i don't blame her for running, i deeply understand the want to run. i understand that mental illness can be so overwhelming you can't think straight, you can't stop to consider the consequences of your actions. maddie's mental illness is the driving force for why she chose to leave. but that's still a choice she made. mental illness provides the context and the reasoning, but when all is said and done, you have to take ownership of the decisions you've made and the subsequent fallout, whatever that may be

[lethargicsunlight]

Dabi X SpookyQuirk!Reader "A Familiar Face" (mini) Part 12

Another benefit from being a member of the League: knowing how to get around.

A new benefit of being a ghost? Not having to pay, hide, or sneak around. Or even use doors for that matter.

Yeah, fuck those doors.

Unfortunately, no amount of humorous mental glib was going to improve your situation, nor silence the hopeless voice in the back of your head.

Getting around certainly was easier, but you had honestly no idea where to begin looking. They weren't at the base, you knew that. But you weren't close enough with Shigaraki or his 'master' to know about any other secret villainous locations, aside from a warehouse that was raided--what, months ago now?

You wondered how they were doing. How Dabi was doing. From eavesdropping, you'd learned that everyone got away relatively safely; but surely once on the other side of Kurogiri's portal, Dabi would realize you were dead. Dead or something.

You stop along the sidewalk to look down at your transparent palms.

The thoughts that come are bombarding, squeezing in and vying for  space against your mortal fears. Some thoughts, rarer than the others, begged to ask the question--why care?

Why care about life?

Why care about the world, when you're here with something so familiar?

…But like always, it's Dabi that pulls you back to the living.

You aren't sure if it was the image of his face in the cemetery before you kissed, or the crack in his voice when he bared himself to you on the roof top of a broken building--but somewhere, you found resolve.

"I want to know you." You say aloud, steeling yourself as you drop your hands and look forward. Something about the memories added a propulsion to your step, and you felt stronger.

You weren't going to accept death until you tried to live again first.

----

"This sounds like a really good plan." "This plan is insane."

Funny, Dabi thinks, For once, Twice is correct on both accounts.

Kurogiri had warp-gated him and Twice to the cemetery where you had practiced your quirk. He still carried you, despite how his burnt skin had remained unattended to. The others, whom admittedly were in worse shape, had gone on with Shigaraki to his contact so they might receive medical attention.

If Dabi's arms were sore, he couldn't feel it right now.

Among the gravestones though, he eventually lays you down before looking out over the field. Above, the sky turned amber as the sun began to set. Honestly, he figured the time of day had little to do with ghosts--but, he considered it good luck, since it was usually nighttime when you had interacted with them.

Thinking about you starts to chip away at his posture, and he has to swallow a lump in his throat as he rises back from the ground.

"Hey!" He starts, hands cupping his mouth. "Hey, you guys remember me right?"

Twice stares at him, as silence answers. He awkwardly glances down at your body then sharply looks away, feeling a twist in his chest.

"I'm talking to the ghosts of this cemetery!" He continues, "I… I really need your help! This person I was with, you remember?"

More silence.

"Yeah, the one that could interacted with you! The one that.. Let you throw things at me!" Emotion begins to pitch his voice. His resolve begins to slip, but he doesn't stop.

"They did something earlier, and I think… I think their soul is lost out there. With you guys! And, we need to bring it back--them back--so they can continue their life!"

"Please! Help me find Y/n!"

Twice looks out over the field, following Dabi's gaze as though hoping to see something. But there's nothing, all cold grass, dead leaves, and tall stones. He wants to hope--the urge to scream alongside his friend causing his knuckles to pop as he grips his own arms.

Dabi's heart thuds in his chest and his throat constricts. He tastes blood, and wipes at his mouth as the staples grow weak along his cheeks, weeping red from the freshly burnt skin. He takes a second to calm down, but Twice can hear his breathing as it grows labored.

"Please just.. I can't go looking for 'em. The area is roped off. Near the Central Park." He's quieter now, head bowing. "I know I don't deserve your help. But Y/n does. They've only ever been kind and helpful. It's only because of them I even know you're here." He chokes on it, coughing through wounded and smoke-filled lungs. "They're in this position because they helped Me. I wanna fix it, but I can't without your help...Please."

"Dabi.." Twice's voice, the lower pitched one, echoes concern as he calls out. He'd never seen this level of emotion from the man before--who was always so mellow, so guarded.

Ignoring him, Dabi lifts a hand and produces a small flame in his palm. "You remember me right? You remember this?"

He waves it in the air, blindly, hoping he was showing it to someone.

"I think Y/n's soul is out there, or spirit or--whatever--"

Twice realizes Dabi is repeating himself.

And he would. Dabi would repeat himself. Over and over, until his voice was hoarse, and the sky was obsidian. He plead and bargained for hours--sometimes asking for sign he knew he wouldn't receive. Only you could make the ghosts strong enough to do that.

----

"No."

"Not here."

"Didn't see anything."

You couldn't sigh like you would in your living body, but you still made a noise of frustration as you came to stand next to a fountain in the park. You had wondered allover the area, speaking to other ghosts on the street in the hopes one of them glanced the League and knew where they might be heading.

Without any luck in that regard, all that was left was to walk.

"Um, hey.."

You flinch, stuttering forward without sound and pressing your hands into the water of the fountain to catch yourself. You fall through it, and feel nothing. An oddly positive thing considering the circumstances. Turning to look back, it's..

A familiar face.

Not that you recalled a name for him, but it was the same teenager you had met at the cemetery. All long and lanky, tussled dark hair that hung in his face. There was a serious grunge phase a few decades ago…

"Oh. OH! Hi." You resettle, rising back up to standing and facing them fully. "It's nice seeing you again." Aside from the.. Being dead, maybe, part.

"…" He stares, awkwardly, head a little tilted so his bangs hang out of his eyes. After a few seconds of returning his gaze, you realize the dark of his irises were dilated pupils. Perhaps a sign of drug overdo--

"You're friend is looking for you."

"…What?"

"That guy. Your boyfriend or whatever."

"Dabi..?"

The teen's response is a shrug. A shrug.

He's kidding right?

[ourlovelines]

pls spare info for clem 🥺🤲 anything and everything!! 💖

ah, beloved !! of course i can share some information about my dear clementine for you ! it's under the cut bc i got a lil ramble-y!

single child to loving, if not slightly overprotective parents

i'm thinking that the reason her parents are a bit overprotective is that they had another child; maybe he and clem were twins… either way he's older by a few hours or a few years, and he was kidnapped - potential for a reveal of one of the staff members took him - and he was believed to be killed by the same people who end up killing clementine's mother years later (@ hooligans 👀 )

her parents gave her the nickname "butterfly" bc a few months after she was born, they were out in the gardens and a butterfly came and settled itself on the top of clementine's stroller and didn't leave until they reached the palace doors again

SOCIAL BUTTERFLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY !!!!! she genuinely loves having conversations with people where she learns stuff about them

she's also v thoughtful and remembers those things bc "you never know when you'll need it"

she always has something nice to say about everyone, especially when she can see someone looking upset

she always tries to wear a bow in her hair bc she thinks it looks pretty (she has a gold-trimmed bow gifted to her from her cousin that she pulls out for special occasions)

she's very light on her feet, and moves quickly too (so good luck to alexei)

her signature scent is something light, usually apple and vanilla

clementine has so much of her father's personality, most think she purely takes after him, but she's just as ruthless as her mother

is a natural in front of the camera and generally knows what the press want to hear

has ! a ! loud ! laugh ! she's a little shy about it, thinks it makes her seem less like a princess, because all the other nobles she's been around have dainty laughs, y'know?

almost always seen wearing a white gold ring with an emerald stone that she got from her grandmother (she can be seen fidgeting about with it when she's stressed)

if she's by herself, or around those that she trusts (alexei), she can be heard singing softly

she doesn't like long silences because they remind her of when alexei left to go to the army / train, of when he left her alone

she enjoys painting her nails, just having that 10-ish minute block of just sitting and doing something nice for herself

competitive little shit

will beg alexei to teach her to spar "because it looks fun, and 'sides, it'd be helpful for any scenario where you're not around!" "princess, you aren't ever going to be in a position where something happens and i'm not there." and he's looking at her all smug

she loves to read! she's got a little section in the palace library that she's set up as her little reading nook, and most know that that is the area to go looking for her when she needs a moment to herself

she loves the rain. she loves having instrumental versions of music playing / classical music playing softly in the background as she sits and watches out the window

each time a member of her pr team tells her that someone has published a rumor that she's dating someone (generally always a noble that she's seen talking and smiling with) she laughs good-naturedly before telling them it's not true

she has a shiba inu puppy named belbel

when her mother was killed, her father kinda retreated into himself, still loving, but not as... present

he initally was one of the few against clementine going to kingsford, but he figured he'd be able to keep her safe by sending her away from home (and because he could see how... off? she was, surrounded by everything that screams "mother")

she tends to try and go to sleep last. she likes to make sure that everyone with her is safe and accounted for before she goes to sleep (she rarely stays up longer than alexei, he always stays awake longer than her)

[morimakesfanart]

Sindria's Prophet #17

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]

[AO3]

*In this house we stan string theory and multiple dimension theory *Also, this chapter gets a little preachy, and delves more into my interpretation of the series so to make up for it I made a lot of art.

~POV Sinbad~ "If you're willing to talk about the future, does that mean you are finally ready to explain about those calamities you mentioned in Balbadd?" When Ja'far cut in he was in a rush; he didn't want to miss this chance. Sinbad had underestimated Ja'far's concerns; he had been too preoccupied with the Prophet. All the same, "I don't know if this is the time for that conversation. This is Mori's first meal with everyone after all." Wait. He knew that look. Ja'far wasn't actually asking to have that conversation now. He was pressuring Mori so she would have to agree to tell them soon. "I'm fine. I made a promise and I intend to keep it. As long as everyone else is willing to talk seriously for a few mins, I don't see the problem." Mori was wearing the same stern expression she had the morning of the coup in Balbadd. When Ja'far had cut in with his request he could have tried to sound a little nicer but it didn't warrant the cold response Mori gave in return. There had been rising tensions between Ja'far and Mori since Balbadd, but both seemed to get along most of the time. "Wait really? You're agreeing this easily?" Ja'far's shock also spoke for the King. She obviously didn't want to talk about the Calamities even when she promised to tell them, so why now? "A promise is a promise." Mori almost felt like a completely different person compared to the coy way she was teasing them all just moments ago. "Besides, this will just continue to be a point of contention until I explain."

--- King Sinbad was finally eating with his Generals and Prophet, but this was nothing like he had planned. Mori sat straight with both hands on the table interlocked. "The 1st of the 2 calamities occurs in about 2 years. As you know, there's a few countries that currently have rising tensions." Which countries? The Kou and Riem were prime contenders since they were already Empires causing trouble for other countries. There was also Magnostadt which has been becoming increasingly hostile to other nations, and seemed to be encroaching on the Kingdom of Actia. "In 2 years, 3 of them are going to go to war. A massive amount of black Rukh will be released, and the same type of magic used to make the Dark Djinns will be used to make a humanoid monster the size of a mountain." Of course, Al Thamen would be involved. "The amount of black Rukh it will have will make it a Medium for opening a black spot and letting Ill Ilah connect to the world which is Al Thamen's ultimate goal. Once Ill Ilah connects it will destroy all of the white Rukh in the world -bringing death." It sounded just like what Falon had described as her plan all those years ago. The same thing that happened in Parthevia a decade ago is going to happen again in only 2 years? "The Medium is destroyed before that can happen thanks to all of the current Metal Vessel users and assimilated Household Members coming together to destroy it. The world is saved but in the process one of the Magi will have to commit one of the ultimate taboos of this world. That taboo is what will eventually lead to the 2nd Calamity. If King Sinbad and the Metal Vessel users of the Seven Seas Alliance, which were the last to arrive, can show up sooner then that taboo and the 2nd Calamity might be something that can be fully avoided especially since I already know the Medium's weakness." It was clear that Mori knew more. Sinbad would have to talk to her about it later; he wasn't sure how much he wanted to talk about this tonight -they were supposed to be celebrating and getting to know each other light heartedly. However, there was one question he couldn't hold back from asking. "What is this taboo?” Mori sighed like she had expected that question. She looked to the ceiling. "Honestly, I didn't want to think it was a taboo when I first learned it, but after seeing what happens I get it now." She looked back at them. "I hope you can accept me not telling what it is. I don't want to even try to explain the 2nd Calamity because I'm not sure how without explaining the taboo. You see, the taboo involves information, so if I explain it to you I will be committing the taboo myself. I can only hope that the world isn't endangered because I know it." The air in the room felt thick. All of the Generals were waiting for his decision. Sinbad tried to read the Prophet's expression. It was serious, and determined; it seemed like fear and remorse were hiding right under the surface. What information could be dangerous on its own? "Alright," he agreed. "We don't want to take any unnecessary risks. However, if we are unable to prevent the taboo from being committed you will explain the 2nd Calamity." Mori attempted a half-hearted smile. "I was already planning to do that." She glanced around at the Generals. "Are there any other questions?" Sharrkan grumbled. "This is all really complicated stuff." "Yeah. Pretty scary, huh?" Pisti agreed. Drakon and Hinahoho were sharing a look while thinking.

"You still haven't told us where this is going to happen." Ja'far decided he would ask the next question. "Are you withholding that information on purpose?" Mori's expression was blank. "I'll tell you the countries involved after King Sinbad returns from the Kou Empire. I don't want to influence how the negotiation goes by giving him too much information he wouldn't normally have. I'm doing this for Balbadd..." Mori withholding vital information was the entire cause of Ja'far's distrust of her. "You took too long to tell us what was going to happen back in Balbadd, remember? If we know what their next target is then we can stop it before it ever happens." "The 1st Calamity has nothing to do with Al Thamen." "What?” that question was asked by all except the Prophet. Mori explained, "That country has refused contact with them and been building towards this for the past 10 years all on its own. All of the Black Rukh that has been accumulated there is like a trap waiting to be set off. The people currently in charge are not people who would be willing to accept change, or to listen to the arguments of the people here." That definitely narrowed it down. Riem was already having meetings with them, and it was only a matter of time before they formed an alliance. They already had the peace treaty with the Kou, and King Sinbad was about to go negotiate with them for Balbadd. That only left Magnostadt as the center of the conflict -the country they knew had increasing disparity between it's upper and lower classes. Mori was staring at him. He wasn't the one she was actually hiding this from. Since it didn't seem to be an avoidable Fate, she was preventing Yam from learning the Fate of her home country for as long as possible. Mori was trying to be considerate. "How is that possible?” "If they aren't behind it then how could such a thing happen??” Mori gave a sad smile. "It would be so much easier if all of the bad things in this world really were all caused by that organization. I had wrongly thought that was how this world works in the heat of the moment back in Balbadd, but I know better. I've read this world's Fate after all. Even in this world it is a mistake to hold onto the hope of total altruism too strongly." It almost felt like she was calling them all naïve with that last statement. She looked down at her hands. "Sentience, experience and free will make us all imperfect. All people are shaped by their past and everyone has a vice. There will always be people who think they are above everyone else, people who think they are right because of their feelings, people who think that they deserve something just because they want it or that they can do something because it is available to them," she looked back up and made direct eye contact with her King, "people that think that their luck or privilege is a sign that they were chosen by Fate, that they are the only one who can do something because they are special and that that means they are righteous and their failings mere stepping stones when in reality they are all normal people just like the rest of us." ///She knows nothing about being a Singularity. There's no greater proof of being chosen by Fate!/// Since the Fall of First Sindria, Sinbad had been hearing a voice periodically. It was like stray thoughts -many were opinions he didn't really have. The fact that the voice felt the same as him in this made a pit form in his stomach.

Mori gestured at him and continued. "Even his Majesty being a 'Singularity' is only something rare. You aren't the first, and you won't be the last. You know I can read the waves of Fate as well, so it's obviously not the type of thing that you or Al Thamen makes it out to be. There is no 'chosen one.' No one is immune to human fault or failing. 'Fate' is the history of how all of our decisions affect each other.” It was like she was reading his thoughts. There were other Singularities? Mori could also read the waves but- The waves in the room were over flowing. This was greater than when Mori changed things in Balbadd. They were far off topic now, but this was more important. ///She doesn't understand anything. I've read Fate!/// Those stray thoughts hated Mori and how she was changing things since the beginning even though when Sinbad read the waves around her he liked the direction they were going. Her waves wouldn't stop him from reaching his dream. If that voice was this against what she was doing then he had to know more. "Mori, please tell me, what makes you so sure? You say you've read Fate; how can you say there isn't a grand plan? Can you really deny that the Rukh guide us?" Would they have to agree to disagree? Was this something he could afford for the Prophet of his own country to not see his way? She watched him and the Generals as she thought. "There is a 'plan,' but it isn't absolute. I read more than one 'Fate' for this reality. If Fate was already fully decided then in Balbadd Judar would have defeated all of you instead of being crushed by Ugo, and Cassim would have married Princess Kougyoku instead of dying, but that didn't happen, now did it? When I read Fate, I read how it was changed from it's original design by the people of this world. And as I've already said, I couldn't be here if everything was already decided.” ((these are things that are said to be in the og draft of Magi, but got changed when actually making the scenes)) They had been changing Fate's course before Mori arrived? Was that even possible? Mori wasn't the type to lie out right over something like this. Between her demeanor and the waves, he could tell she wasn't lying. He had to know where this new path was leading and asked an obvious question. "Isn't it just as likely that those 'changes' were supposed to happen?" Mori scowled at that. "Anything is true somewhere. There are infinite realities where any Fate is true. Every moment infinitely more form to account for every possibility -every decision, and unexpected change, even an asteroid coming and destroying the planet. If you can imagine it, it is reality somewhere." Sinbad had read Fate in the waves, of course he knew about there being other possibilities. Were there really other realities where he had followed one of the other paths? Mori didn't wait for him to comment. "There's no way to know which destiny or Fate we are following until it's already happened. Being able to read the waves has helped me narrow it down to 2 or so of the Fates that I read for this reality, but it can't account for everything. Since I can't read my own Fate I can't know how my presence will affect things." Mori continued, "When I read this reality's Fate, I learned how it functions on a fundamental level. Everything is made up of Rukh and is dictated by the Rukh and magoi. The Great Flow of the Rukh 'guides' the living but it is also affected by the wants and desires of the living. It sees all those wishes and creates opportunities for people to realize those dreams based on how many want that dream to become real. But it's still up to the living how they react. The Great Flow creates opportunities and makes suggestions, but it can't make your decisions for you. And" Mori paused while looking for the right words, "and the more magoi directed at a certain wish the more likely the Great Flow will try to help." Mori waited for them to absorb the meaning of her words. That meaning made Sinbad nervous. If she wasn't lying... Drakon broke the silence. "That would mean that someone with

a lot of magoi would have a greater affect on the Great Flow." "It does." Mori confirmed. Was that really how the Great Flow of the Rukh worked? How Fate worked? Mori stayed silent again, reading them as much as they were reading her. The waves were still high. Yam was the next to comment. "I know the amount of magoi a person has defines how strong of a magician they can become, but it sounds like those born with a lot of magoi also have an amazing privilege when it comes to the Great Flow." "Exactly." Mori agreed. "The people that Fate seems to favor aren't chosen by Fate or particularly special. They are born lucky just like those born rich." She paused. "All Dudgeon Capturers have an above average amount of magoi. A Djinn won't select a King that doesn't even have enough magoi to use their power. The more Djinns a person has, the more magoi they need to have. King Sinbad, you were born with a rare ability, and the equivalent magoi of a large city or small county -even before all that Rukh merged with you in Parthevia. If you didn't, there would be no reasons for the Djinns to cut you off from trying to capture more Dungeons." "What?" Sinbad's question slipped out of him in an airy gasp. He knew he had more magoi than average, but this would make him no different from those that grew up as royalty thinking that they were inherently better than their poor subjects. He wasn't sure if he could believe her, but the waves of Fate had never lied to him. The Prophet's waves were overwhelming the space, encouraging him to believe her. It was obvious how this information would change things. King Sinbad had more than the waves, he also had a sharp intuition. There was something hidden in her words. Some truth about his future that she hadn't told them yet. Even if he had been intentionally given these privileges by Fate, Mori had already stated that his decisions were his own. When Mori had said there were people that conflated their privilege with a righteous roll given by Fate it definitely included him. But if he wasn't chosen by Fate, if they had been changing Fate all along, then what was what happened in Parthevia or Riem? Mori's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Not being chosen by Fate and everyone having free will is a good thing if you ask me. It means when someone chooses to do right by others it is because they chose to, not because someone is forcing or directing them. I like to think that everyone thinks they are doing the right thing, and only act out against others because of strong emotions and ignorance. The cure for most negative emotions is a stable environment ((including medication for those who need it)) and the cure for ignorance is education. These are things that Sindria and the Seven Seas Alliance are able to provide. "All of you are using your privileges and talents to help people, and to bring peace to the world. Regardless of whatever mistakes you made in the past, this country and the current state of the world are a direct result of your choices. These choices you've all made are even more admirable because you made them on your own. Isn't that why so many have sided with Sindria already? It's also one of the main reasons I chose to become Sindria's Prophet in the first place. With your help, we can greatly reduce the disparity of this world and raise the quality of life for everyone." Her smile was soft and confident. Mori's waves overtook his own.

The King had a thought that shook him, but it was Hinahoho that asked it, "You didn't just tell us some of the taboo information, did you?" "What? No." Mori was shocked by that question. "His Majesty and others would have figured this out all on their own in about 5 years -not to mention those that already know it." He could try to deny it, return to the path he was on, but he would know deep down that she was right. And apparently, he would figure this out in the future anyway. There was no reason to hold himself back then. He could see that now -there was no going back. This was one of the changes he had felt in her waves from when he first met Mori. ///How can she say such foolishness?? This woman must die before she ruins everything!!/// A chuckle slipped out of Sinbad. That voice really did hate his Beautiful Prophet. His waves were changing. He was changing. But he still had the same dream: to create a world without war or poverty. Mori's goal was to remove disparity. Even their goals worked well together. Why had he been so sure that being a Singularity made him some special chosen one? When had that started? It was members of Al Thamen that had told him that. They were the enemy yet he still believed their manipulation so completely. Sinbad knew why deep down. If he was chosen by Fate then his actions would be righteous and the awful things he experienced were stepping stones. Like a child learning to take responsibility and step out of the shadow of their parents, in this too he would have to take ownership for his place in the world. He would be thinking about this a lot in the coming days. All of this information was invaluable. Why did Mori choose to follow him if she knew all this? There was no way she didn't know how he viewed himself and the world before this conversation or the mistakes he had made. Was it thanks to opportunities that the Great Flow gave him that he was able to seduce her to his side? No. Mori already knew what was going to happen. She knew the future more clearly than what the waves could show. She knew him and his methods as well. She knew that the Kou Fleet had been on it's way. That meant Mori would have been deciding where she wanted to go and weighing her options from the beginning. Mori made her decision, gave him a slow drip feed of what she was capable of, and made sure each request he had of her was given a price. She wasn't just withholding her help due to a lack of trust; she was leading him to make the best possible offer. She knew that he would try to bring her to his side if he knew her value. He had played into her hands not the other way around. Why didn't this realization upset him? This new information wasn't going to stop him from achieving his dream. In fact, now that he had a better idea of how the Great Flow worked he could consciously use it to his advantage. He got what he wanted and it was mutual -not simply Fate. They both wanted this. This was making him excited. The smile on her face was one he recognized. He had worn it when he was young whenever he had convinced others to his side. Mori was cut from the same cloth. She had agreed to have this conversation not just because of Ja'far's insistence; she was after the opportunity to clear up his misunderstanding about Fate. ((plz ignore that I forgot to draw my freckles in most of the shots and am too lazy to fix it.))

[daring-elm]

laoft but in central germany

ok ok ok i'm very glad to see that this is a Thing now because the town i live in is basically wickhills two (with less supernatural threats of course lol)—general unreality/unsettling content warning for all this, otherwise enjoy

(my town is medium-sized, has a castle, a university, some old architecture and a general fairy tale theme, which includes murals/statues of different fairy tale characters or symbols, such as cinderella's shoe, scattered throughout the older part of town. it's entirely surrounded by forest, and a river separates the old and new town)

strange things await you in the woods. don't step into the mushroom circles, don't climb the ancient staircases that seem to go nowhere. you won't be the same when you return.

at day, you're welcome to visit the castle—its old stones have plenty of stories to tell. once the sun sets, go back into town where it is safe; don't trust the man with the strange eyes who offers to lead the way off the palace grounds. the catacombs are dark and span further than you can believe.

if you are kind, and if you are witty, you may walk along the forest paths—the smaller spirits will play tricks on you, but good nature and a sense of humor will win them over. they're curious about the human world and the things it has to offer and the ruler of the woods will keep watch over them. don't leave the path.

the seelie leave their court easily; the unseelie do not. winter may be longer than you expect, but the following spring is all the more beautiful.

deer aren't as large as you think and the larger things are not deer

the closer you live to the woods, the more likely it is you'll hear music come full moon. if you are lucky, you can ignore it. if you aren't, bring a gift. it's rude to decline an invitation.

they delight in fairy tales. they know them all, how could they not, but storytellers are their favorite. if you recite a tale in front of its symbol, they will reward you. (make sure it's the version they like best.)

the streets of the old town are narrow and winding and never quite the same. they wait in the corners, in bakeries and trinket shops that have been there for longer than anyone can remember. the salesperson hasn't aged a day in the last eighty years.

the good neighbors are just that—they live around us, in the cornerhouses and top floor apartments, behind unseen doors and in abandoned cellars. be a thoughtful neighbor and remember, if worse comes to worst, they cannot cross the river.

you offer an old lady a seat and never miss a bus again. cars never seem to splash you, no matter how big the puddle they drive through seems. the traffic lights are always green just as you reach them. until the favor is repaid, the world seems to revolve around you.

they speak in verse, in dialects long forgotten by everyone but the old men who go out for coffee at the same café every tuesday afternoon. sometimes one will join them for a chat and some sweets (it is said that they appreciate the baker's crown cake).

She watches over the forest. no one quite knows who She is (the witch living at the foot of the tower has suspicions, but he doesn't voice them and no one dares to ask the fair folk)—it's unsettling, to sense Her presence, but there is a deep comfort in hearing Her hum, breathe in and out with the sun, like being rocked to sleep.

don't sleep in the woods.

the spiders are skittish. the spiders have always been skittish. if you help them, set them back outside without harming them, they might put in a good word for you.

it's not uncommon to find them at the university (they prefer the old buildings), listening in on lectures, occasionally joining classes. do not be afraid; they are here to learn just as much as you are

you can win them over with wordplay (the concept of Teekesselchen, literally "little tea pots", has delighted many good neighbors—not so much due to the surprise of Hahn meaning both rooster and faucet, but the joy that humans pass their time with such riddles)

idioms, on the other hand, are frustrating—if you know someone well and they're in a good mood, it can be great fun to explain why understanding train station means to be confused, but their inability to replicate the phrases has turned some moods sour.

sweet woodruff, Waldmeister, pleases the lord of the forest, but be careful when drinking its syrup—we cannot take as much as they can

take my grandmother's recipe; bring them a gift (remember to leave out the cherries) and a message from me, and explore the woods with caution

as long as you return by sundown, as long as you do nothing to offend them, you will be safe

@tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors

[genshinconfessions]

I really hope so too :(. I have seen points be brought up that again, it's for the general audience mostly. But since it took a whole year and another sponsor to get him to make a theory about it, it's just very unlikely that he'll ever get too interested sadly.

My non-genshin friend was asking about Kaeya and Diluc because she saw them on her dashboard and by the time I explained their case I had also explained The Prince Kaeya theory, summarised the lore of the Archon Residue delusions in the manga and a part of the Fatui's story. Simply because their story is connected to said points. (Except for prince Kaeya I'm just sharing my agenda that he's too pretty to not be a prince)

It just felt very cut and dry, as if nothing else was happening and not really inviting to learn more. Why did Yae give up the gnosis? Why were the citizens of Khaenri'ah punished? He made Celestia as the big bad villain as if Khaenri'ah didn't have weapons like the field tillers. Assumed everyone there was dead as if Dainsleif, Kaeya and allegedly Pierro aren't still around and living.

Honestly, if I were someone from the general audience and watching this theory with no other context, I'd be inclined to say the plot seems boring and predictable. Wow the villain isn't really the villain.

Wow I'm sorry I'm just so irrationally pissed at this theory 😭 Matpat you can do so much better.

okay see, i never thought about khaenri'ah as 'omg they have hella advanced weapons so they were probably definitely not in the entire right either' until you pointed it out :OO

i think the problem with theorizing so much so early is that we don't even have 1% of the storyline yet :( and that might be part of the problem with that video. ofc there are other problems like you pointed out, but i think the main reason why i'm always frustrated with videos that try to explain lore is that we Just Don't Know anything. and that makes it really hard to set anything in stone LOL

- katheryne from liyue

[luna-redamancy]

it me. pliz i need. Bifur x reader. Reader is our word and she works with deaf children so she knows sign language and when she falls to middle earth she tries to communicate with Bifur and picks up iglishmek with relative ease. Idk if this is true but maybe for this fic at least we can HC that it's primarily a sign language that is "useful" so there aren't words for things like, ahem, "i love you". So even though they can communicate he can't say he loves them till the axe is out >:)

;o It you! This idea was so freakin cute and I have a new love for Bifur! I hope you like it lovebugggg <3

The conversation/talking through sign language will be in Italics!

The fire crackled pleasantly in your ears, your eyes drawn from the bowl in your lap to Bifur who was having a seemingly heated argument with his brother, Bifur’s hands angrily slashing through the air as he argued, a glare on his face. Drifting your eyes from his face to his hands, you tilted your head as you watched him create symbols and make movements with his hands. 

Setting your bowl to the side, you narrowed your eyes on his hands, mimicking his movements with your hands, listening to Bofur’s responses to try and grasp what Bifur was saying. 

“Lass, what’re you doing?” Oin questioned, eyeing you suspiciously. 

Jumping, you hovered your hand over your heart before you turned to look at Oin. “You scared the lights out of me, Oin.” You huffed before looking back at Bifur’s hands, feeling slightly shy underneath Oin’s scrutinizing gaze.

“I’m trying to learn how to communicate properly with Bifur.” You simply explained, watching as his movements got even faster with his rising anger. 

“Bifur can understand what you’re saying, he just has difficulty responding,” Oin explained, watching his friend proceed to call his cousin a bag of useless ore. “After getting that axe lodged in his head, he hasn’t been able to talk properly since.” 

Nodding, you watched as Bifur broke into a grin after seeing Bofur give up the argument, enjoying the way his eyes twinkled. 

-

It took you around two weeks of closely eyeing Bifur to pick up on Iglishmêk, with the help of Oin who taught you the basic hand gestures and their meanings. 

Deciding to test out how well you learned the language, you sat across Bifur (much to his confusion) as everyone waited for Bombur to finish cooking that night’s stew. 

How are you? You signed with a gentle smile on your face, your hands moving slightly sluggish as you wanted to make the gestures properly. 

Bifur’s eyes widened in shock, looking from your hands to your face before a grin broke out across his face. 

The two of you spent hours chatting back and forth, your movements becoming much more fluid as you began to be immersed in the language even more. 

“How did you learn Iglishmêk so quickly?” Bofur questioned, interrupting your conversation. Pausing your hands you turned to him. 

“Back home I learned sign language to teach my students better, I had a few students who couldn’t hear very well, or hear at all. Some were simply non-verbal, so I did what I could to become the best teacher for them… “ Your smile dimmed as you wondered how your students were doing, if they missed you. 

“It was easier for you to learn because you already learned one form of sign language?” Bofur questioned, still trying to wrap his head around how you learned Iglishmêk without learning how to speak Khuzdul. 

“Sort of?” You didn’t know the answer yourself, “I was already used to talking to people through hand gestures, it is difficult though because I want to use the gestures I already know.” 

Bifur watched you interact with his cousin with affection flooding his eyes. You learned Iglishmêk just to be able to talk to him, to have an equal conversation. Bombur watched the three of you from afar, catching Bifur’s gaze. 

I think she’s the One, Bifur signed to his cousin, fondly watching you continuously explain that you weren’t a wizard to Bofur. 

The two of you grew closer over time, your free time filled with him (and the help of Bofur) teaching you more Iglishmêk so you could conversate easier with the animated dwarf. His excitement when talking to you was like a child telling their parent their favorite story, no matter how simple the conversation was he always seemed so excited to get to talk to you. 

Today he seemed particularly eager, nearly dragging Bofur by his braids to translate for you. His Iglishmêk was followed by quick phrases in Khuzdul, making you furrow your brows in confusion, turning to Bofur for help. “I’m afraid I don’t grasp what he’s asking of me?” Your voice was laced with worry and confusion as you watched Bifur’s face fall. 

“(Y/n)...” Bofur sighed, realizing they never taught you anything more complex than simple conversational gestures. “Iglishmêk isn’t designed for full conversations… It’s mining talk, you see, designed for us to talk to each other without needing to find a quiet space, you see? My dear cousin is trying to, terribly trying to, ask you for your permission to braid your hair... To court you.” 

Your eyes went wide, darting between the cousins as a blush began to rise up on your cheeks. “O-oh I see now…” You laughed nervously, a smile growing on your face. 

Yes, you signed, watching Bifur’s eyes light up just like how they did when he won the argument against Bofur, only this time he was winning your heart. 

-

You tried to not let it bother you so much, the increasing gap between you and Bifur due to the language barrier. Nowadays, Bifur would give up on bringing Bofur to translate, his body language telling you he was frustrated by not being able to get across the words he wanted to. As far as Balin told you, you two have nearly finished all the steps of courting besides one thing: impressing you. 

In dwarvish culture, you discovered that the final step before marriage is to show your beloved how strong you are and how well they can take care of you, however, that seemed impossible to do while you were all focused on reclaiming Erebor and surviving the battle that was raging outside these stone walls. This didn’t help the doubt that began to grow in your mind, thoughts of how he probably will find a dwarrowdam once this was all over and Erebor gets rebuilt, you left in the dust while he creates a wonderful family all of his own. If you all made it out of this alive, that is. 

Sighing, you pushed the negative thoughts out of your head, heading toward the entrance of Erebor to find Bifur, only to hear Thorin give a speech about being sons of Durin.

“-We are sons of Durin. And Durin's Folk do not flee from a fight.” Thorin declared as him and Kili pressed their foreheads together before Thorin approached the Company members.

“I have no right to ask this of any of you… But will you follow me? One last time?” Your eyes widened as they all picked up their weapons, silently agreeing to follow their King into battle.

Your eyes locked with Bifur’s, his expression grim as he began to approach you. Silently he dropped his weapon to the ground with a gentle thud, carefully pressing his forehead against yours to try and convey his feelings. 

Feeling his frustration about not being able to talk to you fully, you only nodded, blinking away the tears that were threatening to form. “Come back to me,” Was all you said, your hand reaching up to brush your thumb over his cheek before he got pulled back to the Company and things descended into further chaos. 

Time seemed to move by slowly, hours feeling like years as you navigated the mayhem surrounding you. The battle ended long ago, but the hysteria of the battle was not. Sounds of shouting, crying, and the constant shouts for more healers filled your ears as Gandalf continued to lead you back to the Company. Your proof of fighting was decorated on your body. Blood splattered on your face and clothes, slightly limping from being tossed like a ragdoll by a troll. 

“She’s alive!” You heard Bofur shout as you and Gandalf entered the halls of Erebor, a weak smile stretching across your face as you waved at them, too tired to greet anyone. 

Noticing Bofur’s worried expression you shook your head. “Not mine,” You announced, sitting down to rest, the adrenaline of possibly getting killed finally wearing off.

Bifur approached you quickly, looking over your entire form for any scratches or bruises before he cupped your face in his hands. “M’okay Bifur, just a little sore,” You grinned as he bumped his forehead against yours. Pausing for a split second, you pulled away with shock on your face.

“T-the ax?” You questioned, reaching up to stroke the mark on his head where the blade was once embedded into.

“It got pulled out during the battle,” His voice was gruff from not having spoken full sentences in years, but his grin was as big as you’ve ever seen it. 

“I can finally say something I have been meaning to for quite some time.” Bifur bumped his forehead against yours again, his nose rubbing gently on yours. “I love you, (Y/n).” 

You felt tears swell up in your eyes as a wide smile spread across your cheeks. “I love you too, Bifur,” You couldn’t help but giggle as he began to repeat the phrase over and over, giving you small kisses on the apples of your cheeks. 

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[girl4music]

I'm saving this in my bookmarks. I have a lot more to say about it and need to gather my thoughts on it so I can clearly and concisely express what I want to say without insulting someone else. It's a very controversial topic of discussion after all. But one that must be discussed nonetheless.

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

"but the misconception you must accept that you have an addiction in order to change your relationship with drugs and alcohol, is harmful."

It is very harmful. It's similiar to constantly believing you're mentally ill when you have a mental illness. That's not going to help you get mentally well. Addiction is a mental illness. Maybe 12-step AA programs should understand what's necessary for neurodiversity first before understanding what's necessary for recovery. It makes total sense to me why DEMI LOVATO is fairing better with moderation management methods over total drug/alcohol abstinence. But that's because I understand her well, not because I understand addiction well. I just think... Neurodiversity > Recovery. And, in my mind, associating "recovery" with the term "sobriety" is more dangerous than associating the term "California sober" with "recovery" in my opinion. But what do I know? 😑

"This goes against the popular belief that consuming drugs and alcohol and being in recovery are mutually exclusive, an idea that is deeply embraced by some in the addiction treatment field."

Yes, because the addiction treatment field wants you to be free of your addictions. 🙄 They don't want you to be free of your addictions or your mental illnesses. They want you to RELY ON THEM so that the only "treatment" you can get for your addictions and mental illnesses forces you to continue said "treatment" with them. So that it's a never-ending cycle.

"The idea that recovery is synonymous with sobriety is closely tied to 12-step fellowship programs where step 1 is to admit you’re powerless over drugs and alcohol and the ultimate goal is abstinence."

Exactly. So YOU'RE powerless to make any decisions for yourself that do not include what THEY say is best for YOU. Which is an ultimate and unrealistic goal of TOTAL ABSTINENCE.

"But if you ask your friends, neighbors, or loved ones outside of the addiction field what they think it means to be in “recovery”, most will associate the term with total sobriety."

Yes, and they want to keep it that way because it makes big $$$$$.

Listen people. I'm gonna lay it out in plain English for you

Demi is not saying her "California sober" method is everyone's method. That it is the correct method for everyone dealing with addiction or/and mental illness. In fact she's made it pretty damn clear no one should think or believe it is or should be. All she is saying is that it's a method that she's found to work for her. And is it working? Well, only time and experience with it will tell. I don't know if it will for her longterm but it certainly seems to be working for her at the moment. And that's all that matters for the moment. But, for me personally, I think neurodiversity should be put first over recovery because all people aren't the same and therefore the same method for recovery will not work for all people. There are different pathways to take and different options to try. Some not so popular than others. All Demi is doing is trying those "not so popular" methods out because the one that everybody says, thinks and believes will work did not work for her at all. Sobriety did not work for her and, forgive me for using this metaphor, that's a hard pill to swallow for some people who hold the term "sober" so closely to their heart and dote on it like it's the love of their life.

I have genuine faith that this moderation management method (her "California sober") will work for her. Because, like I said... I know and understand Demi very well. I know that extremes are not right for her. And total abstinence is just another extreme for her to get addicted to on top of her other addictions. The woman needs balance in her life. She knows she needs balance in her life. So therefore she's trying that "balance" with her issues with drug and alcohol addiction. She believes it will work. And I think she's right. Will it work for somebody else? Probably not. But it's a viable pathway to take and option to try in any case. What more harm could moderation management do to some people than the harm total abstinence can do to some people? Because I definetly say the latter is far more dangerous.

We, as a society, need to get more comfortable with the term "weaning" regarding substance addiction first of all. You would not make a baby go without their mother's milk or baby formula in order to get them on to eating solid foods. Of course not. You would wean them into it. So why isn't this area of logic applied to substance addiction? It should be! That's my take on it and I want to develop this area of logic further as I learn more and more about the mental illness of addiction and substance abuse in general. I know very little about addiction. I don't know a great deal about mental illness either but more so than just what little I know about addiction specifically. But what I do know and understand very well is neurodiversity and the relationship between the external and the internal. Meaning the relationship between the environment and the human mind/body. And my argument for what to do for mental illness (and addiction, most likely) is that you must get to know and understand this relationship first before tackling recovery in any aspect of life. The relationship between "I" and "other" is extremely important for interaction of any kind with people, things, substances, ideologies, philosophies, stimulants... Everything. And I just don't believe any "program" or "treatment" for addiction recovery or mental health recovery can be without the knowing and understanding of this relationship. This primary relationship with "I" and "other" and all interactions between them.

Now for someone who lives to such extremes to the point that they are misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder (DEMI LOVATO)... It is quite evident that the key is to lessen those extremes. And the way to do that is by balancing the extremes. Not by completely taking all of them away.

One extreme for her is a total obsession with perfection and with being the best at everything, looking as good/pretty as possible. Essentially constantly setting the bar higher and higher to reach with each grasp. That is an addiction for her.

Another extreme for her is disregarding any and all expectations or goals, rebelling against every law or moral or teaching whatsoever... Basically not giving a crap about anything. Not even her own well being,... to the point where she's results to substance abuse just to keep going. To have some kind of high.

Now throw in a strict schedual of night and day, around-the-clock restriction, limitation and control into the mix and have that happen for 365 days a year and ask yourself will it lessen any extreme for Demi or will it just add another extreme on the top of it? One would absolutely lose their mind trying to keep up with all of this while being expected to perform to any degree whatsoever as a "star". One is going to fail. More than fail. One is going to seriously impact their health. One is going to be on death's door. So even though I don't know and understand addiction or mental illness very well, don't say I don't understand the tremendous effects it can have on neurodivergent people. I know and understand more than any average person would ever fucking know or understand. I know and understand Demi. And I am saying moderation management is the best method for Demi's substance abuse recovery because her addiction is not substances. Or rather - not primarily substances. Her addiction - her primary addiction - is to be PERFECT. She needs to tackle that addiction before her addictions with substances. With drugs and alcohol. And the best way for her to do that is to find balance in every aspect of her life. With her food, with her career, with her music, with her interactions with EVERYTHING. If she can tackle that addiction and wean it down to where she doesn't need to feel like she needs to be so perfect all the time and put herself through the ringer with her career... Then her issues with substance abuse will most likely disappear by themselves because she wouldn't need those substances or stimulants to cope anymore. There's no cause for it. No trigger. So, yes. She's right. Moderation management is the correct method for her. And it's proven to be so far, so let's not villify her for it just yet. Let's wait and see what the results are first. Like you would with any scientific study. And if it does turn out to be that you were right... Then you can make your conclusions on whether it's a method that should or shouldn't be used or associated with drug/alcohol addiction recovery ever again. I personally don't think so. I think she's got it now because, with Demi, it's primarily a mental health issue with her feeling or thinking that she always needs to be perfect. I think if that addiction goes away, then the addiction with the drugs and alcohol will go away on its own. There will be no need for a "recovery plan" at all for it because she's got the stimulants that she needs to remain in a healthy and balanced mindset.

Demi's effectively killing two birds with one stone. She couldn't even kill one before her overdose happened and that was not her fault. It was the fault of the people constantly around her making sure she never had any stimulants whatsoever. Leaving her powerless to ever get "mentally well" in the first place. Her last recovery team left her in one big jam. They took all the stimulants or coping mechanisms away to deal with her addiction issues with perfection and body image and eating disorders. They refused to wean her and it only made the situation worse. I mean what did they think was gonna happen? NOBODY could get "sober" or "clean" or "recovered" or "mentally well" from that level of restriction, limitation and control, let alone DEMI LOVATO, a "star" who was given access to everything under the sun as a child and was taught and told to be perfect at the same time.

Oh yes, I totally get it. And that's why I can say with complete conviction that, this time, Demi's got it now. She's got a handle on every addiction or mental health issue plaguing her because she's gone right to the root to where it all started to begin with and she's weaning herself. 👏 And you know, if you cut the head off a snake, the whole body dies along with it without ever needing to take a second chop. Apply that awfully corny metaphor to all I've just said and you'll totally get it too. Addiction and mental health recovery is not a one-size fits all method. There are other methods. Demi's just trying those other methods and being publically transparent about it. She should be respected, not vilified. I'm done.