#use a scope Luke

[yusuke-of-valla]

WE LIVE IN A HELL WORLD

Snippets from the article by Karissa Bell:

SAG-AFTRA, the union representing thousands of performers, has struck a deal with an AI voice acting platform aimed at making it easier for actors to license their voice for use in video games. ...

the agreements cover the creation of so-called “digital voice replicas” and how they can be used by game studios and other companies. The deal has provisions for minimum rates, safe storage and transparency requirements, as well as “limitations on the amount of time that a performance replica can be employed without further payment and consent.”

Notably, the agreement does not cover whether actors’ replicas can be used to train large language models (LLMs), though Replica Studios CEO Shreyas Nivas said the company was interested in pursuing such an arrangement. “We have been talking to so many of the large AAA studios about this use case,” Nivas said. He added that LLMs are “out-of-scope of this agreement” but “they will hopefully [be] things that we will continue to work on and partner on.”

...Even so, some well-known voice actors were immediately skeptical of the news, as the BBC reports. In a press release, SAG-AFTRA said the agreement had been approved by "affected members of the union’s voiceover performer community." But on X, voice actors said they had not been given advance notice. "How has this agreement passed without notice or vote," wrote Veronica Taylor, who voiced Ash in Pokémon. "Encouraging/allowing AI replacement is a slippery slope downward." Roger Clark, who voiced Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, also suggested he was not notified about the deal. "If I can pay for permission to have an AI rendering of an ‘A-list’ voice actor’s performance for a fraction of their rate I have next to no incentive to employ 90% of the lesser known ‘working’ actors that make up the majority of the industry," Clark wrote.

SAG-AFTRA’s deal with Replica only covers a sliver of the game industry. Separately, the union is also negotiating with several of the major game studios after authorizing a strike last fall. “I certainly hope that the video game companies will take this as an inspiration to help us move forward in that negotiation,” Crabtree said.

And here are some various reactions I've found about things people in/adjacent to this can do

And in OTHER AI games news, Valve is updating it's TOS to allow AI generated content on steam so long as devs promise they have the rights to use it, which you can read more about on Aftermath in this article by Luke Plunkett

[hearts4hughes]

ೃ࿔:･ wallstreet!rafe fires the new employee who flirts with you

doug was a nice guy. hard worker. sharp with numbers, even sharper in meetings. rafe had liked him. that was until he looked at you.

the young boy was new, and when he laid his eyes on you, it was over for him. after all, how was he supposed to know you were off limits?

not officially, of course. there was no memo, no HR policy. just a quiet understanding that bounced through the halls like gospel. you were rafe’s. an implicit boundary no one dared test. well, except doug.

you never noticed. you smiled at everyone, laughed when people made jokes, didn’t catch the way conversations stalled when you walked by.

but the others noticed.

they saw how someone would lean in too close, ask if you wanted to grab lunch, maybe compliment your perfume. the next morning, their desk would be empty. cleared out. wiped clean. like they’d never existed. rafe never offered an explanation. and no one was stupid enough to ask for one.

you’re leaning against the front desk, coffee in one hand, laughing. rafe hears it before he sees it. the easy kind of laugh you save for moments when you’re not working, not thinking, just feeling.

it sounds too good. too familiar. and it isn’t meant for him.

doug’s standing close…too close. he says something with a grin, and you nudge his arm, playful and sweet, your lashes batting like you don’t know you’re the reason the entire room slows to a crawl.

you sip your coffee. you smile at him. and rafe sees red. he doesn’t show it, not really. just a tick of his jaw, a subtle shift in his stance. his eyes lock onto the scene like a sniper scope. you glance over and catch his gaze, but rafe doesn’t look away. not yet.

doug, oblivious and riding high on that smile of yours, goes about the rest of his day with a little more swagger. he thinks he made an impression.

he thinks he’s safe.

~

it’s dark by the time doug makes it to the parking garage. he’s halfway to his car when the sound of italian leather cuts through the silence.

“doug.”

he turns. rafe steps out of the shadows like the fucking reaper. his tie loosened, suit jacket off, sleeves rolled. that smug smirk? gone.

“mr. cameron- sir,” doug fumbles, standing straighter. “wasn’t expecting-”

“you weren’t expecting anything,” rafe cuts in, voice low, almost conversational. “that’s your problem.” he stops a few feet away, gaze pinned like a dagger. “you think I hired you for your charm? your banter?” a soft, humorless laugh. “i’ve seen your numbers. average at best.”

“sir, if this is about-”

“you touched what’s mine.” he growls, all mean and possessive. it takes all his control not to use the weapon tucked securely in his waistband.

doug blinks, face beet red. “i-i didn’t mean-”

“you flirted with my assistant like you had a fucking chance. like you didn’t walk past ten other desks cleared out before yours.” rafe steps closer, and doug visibly swallows. “i’ve buried better men for less. you’ll be gone by morning. pack your shit.”

he turns like the conversation bores him “and doug?” he adds, voice echoing slightly in the cavernous space. “if i see you near her again, you won’t need to worry about severance. you’ll need to worry for you goddamn life.”

~

the next morning, you walk into his office with coffee in hand and that same sweet smile. “doug didn’t last long, i see.”

rafe doesn’t look up from his desk.

“shame,” you add, just to push. “i thought he was nice.”

he finally looks at you. slow. deliberate. luke he was seconds away from breaking his composure. “he wasn’t.”

you sit, crossing your legs like you don’t feel his gaze tracing the curve of your thigh. you take a sip of your coffee. “shame,” you say again.

and smirk.

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[hallelujahmeatgod]

How to Ruin a Report in 10 Folds

What happens when you leave a report unattended in Sylus' place with Luke and Kieran lurking around?

: Sylus, Luke, Kieran, Fem Reader

word count: 932

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

“OW OW OWWW!”

“We’re sorry—OWWWWW!”

Their shrieking echoed down the grand halls of Sylus’ home like a chorus of chaos.

Meanwhile, in the calm of his spacious office, Sylus was flipping through documents with practiced indifference—until the doors burst open with a bang.

There stood MC, looking positively furious as she dragged Luke and Kieran in by their ears like misbehaving toddlers. With a huff, she shoved them inside. As soon as she let go, they clutched their ears dramatically like wounded puppies.

“Boss-man!” Luke fake-wept, sprinting toward Sylus. Kieran was right behind him, mirroring the act. They latched onto his arms as if trying to shield themselves with his body.

Sylus blinked, clearly unbothered but utterly lost.

“And what exactly is going on this lovely day?” he asked sarcastically, letting them dangle off him like living accessories.

MC crossed her arms and glared daggers at the twins, who instantly flinched and retreated further behind Sylus' arms.

“Why don’t you ask these mischievous children?”

“We’re not children!” Kieran declared bravely.

“Funny for someone hiding behind Sy,” MC shot back.

And just like that, the banter exploded—snappy comebacks flying back and forth like tennis balls while Sylus sat calmly between them, a helpless spectator to the chaos.

Eventually, he sighed, cleared his throat, and stood up.

“Are any of you going to explain what this is about, or will I just be stuck refereeing this three-way squabble?” he asked dryly. “I do have better things to do, entertaining as this is.” He took a step toward the door.

“NOOOOOOO!” Luke and Kieran wailed in unison, practically clinging for dear life—Luke hugging Sylus from the front, Kieran from the back.

Had this not been a real issue, MC might’ve doubled over laughing at the sight.

Sylus, clearly over it, rolled his eyes and turned to MC, giving her a look that said, please, for the love of everything, explain.

MC took a breath. “It’s really nothing much,” she said, tone heavy with sarcasm. “These two simply decided that it would be hilarious to do some origami today.”

Sylus squinted. “...Okay? So?”

“Exactly! So?” Luke echoed from his spot against Sylus' chest.

MC’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, don’t test me. I might’ve even helped you with your little paper cranes—had you not used my entire damn report!”

The twins flinched in unison. So did Sylus, ever so slightly.

“Your report?” he asked.

“Mhhm”

“The one you stayed up all night working on?”

“Yes, Sylus. You are correct. The report I stayed up all night working on,” she replied with a tight, painfully polite smile.

Sylus exhaled slowly and began to pry the twins off of him. Now that he grasped the full scope, he couldn’t just let it slide.

What the twins didn’t know was that Sylus had nearly cried trying to get MC to take a break from that damn report the night before. The leader of Onychinus—begging? Practically. But MC clung to her keyboard like it was a lifeline. She wouldn’t let it go.

And now… now the report was a fleet of origami birds.

In no time, Luke and Kieran were lined up before Sylus and MC like scolded children. Sylus rested a calming hand on MC’s back and fixed the boys with a stern look.

“Of all the papers in this house,” he said, “why hers? Look at me.”

They lifted their heads, hesitant.

“Nothing to say?”

Luke glanced at Kieran before muttering, “It’s just…”

“…Her paper was the best one for origami,” Kieran finished quietly.

There was a long pause. Sylus and MC looked at each other, both trying very hard not to laugh.

MC wasn’t truly angry—just tired and mildly unhinged from staying up all night printing those reports only for them to be turned into swans or stars or whatever. But their reasoning?

She could barely keep a straight face.

Then Luke mumbled something under his breath.

“Hm? Didn’t catch that,” Sylus said.

Luke sighed, defeated. “The other paper was too flimsy.”

MC stared at them. Her frustration was practically gone by now.

“How am I supposed to stay mad at you two?” she asked, exhaling with a soft smile. “I’m still a little upset, sure—because I really worked hard on those reports. But thanks to your dad here, I’ve learned to embrace the whole ‘what’s done is done’ mindset.”

She softened. “Just… be careful next time, okay?”

The twins nodded and muttered apologies.

Once the dust settled and Sylus gave them a few parting warnings, the boys retreated to wherever they went to pretend they were sorry.

Later that evening, Sylus walked into his room to find MC lounging calmly—completely opposite of her earlier rage.

“You had backups, didn’t you?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

MC smirked. “Obviously. I basically live with you three. I’d be a fool not to.”

Sylus chuckled. “You’re terrifying.”

MC raised a brow. “Is that a complaint?”

He looked at her for a moment, then smirked. “Not even a little.”

That night, MC returned to Sylus’ office and found a neat folder on his desk. On top of it sat a lone paper crane and a folded note with her name on it.

Inside the folder was a freshly printed version of her report, along with a clumsily handwritten message:

"We’re sorry. Please don’t set us on fire. Love, Luke and Kieran <3"

In the corner of the last page, someone had scribbled:

"P.S. We made you a new swan. It doesn’t bite."

MC rolled her eyes and took the new crane, looking at it fondly. “…Idiots,” she muttered with a smile.

[mayormimii]

I don’t use ‘the character of all time’ lightly but that’s what Luke Triton is. He’s a plucky, precocious, newsboy cap-wearing English boy. He’s the coddled son of a mayor. He’s an orphan for 6 years because he hates his dad. He forces his apprenticeship onto his master. He’s been arrested. He’s the sweetest little angel. His first instinct upon meeting a law officer is to assault him. His first instinct upon meeting his future self was to beef with him, too. His solution to a casino shootout was to construct a machine gun. He pauses on the street to scope cabaret dancers. He’s a gentleman. The other kids can’t stand him. A terrorist impersonated him. Logic is his religion. He receives prophecies from rats. He spent an acid trip mistaking a grown man for a little girl and didn’t let it go for ten years. The Loch Ness monster almost killed him and he never spoke of it again. He’s been at the counsel table for witch trials and never spoke of it again. He unearthed a lost civilization and never spoke of it again. By age 8, he’s ready for the world to end. By age 13, he’s bright-eyed and full of beans. If you’re nice to him, he loves you for life. If you’re mean to him, who the hell knows what’ll happen

[amordixon]

𐔌 ⊹ ࣪ ˖ 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑, 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐍 .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

୨ৎ 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 after getting out of jail, luke shows up at the house looking for jj, and more than just old feelings are brought out into the open when he stumbles upon your secret. 

୨ৎ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 jj maybank x girlfriend!reader. established relationship. living together. swears. pregnancy. mentions of consensual sex. physical abuse. luke maybank ew. 3.1k words .ᐟ

of all the despicable and outrageous things you had witnessed and heard about luke maybank, from robbing stores and abusing his son, busting a pharmacy only hours after being released from jail really shouldn’t have surprised you. and yet, as you opened the front door of the house he used to once occupy, you couldn’t help but be stunned when you saw him standing there, gasping for air with blood-stained knuckles.

“what the hell are you doing here?” you sneer, venom in your tone as you narrow your eyes at the older man.

“y/n...” he says your name with surprise and a look of disappointment. you were the last person he wanted to see right now. “i, uh, i didn’t realise you and jj were still... together.” he laughs nervously, knowing exactly how to get under your skin, before backing away.

it was no secret that luke didn’t like you, but it also wasn’t a secret that you felt the exact same way. you loathed the man for everything he had done to jj, and you weren’t afraid to let him know exactly how low you thought of him – that he was the scum on the bottom of your shoe, and you hoped and prayed that he would get what was coming to him tenfold.

“aren’t you supposed to be in jail?” you ignore his comment, reaching for the phone in your back pocket to make a point of how easy it would be for you to call the police if he wasn’t careful.

“about that... is – is jj home?” he peers over your shoulder, but you pull the door towards you to cut off his view of the inside.

though in your attempt to hide the fact that jj was just in the next room, he gives it away when he comes scuffling down the hallway. he doesn’t look your way as he races around looking for his other boot, forgetting where he had slipped it off the night prior.

“hey, babe, have you seen my other shoe?” he calls out, and before you could respond, he continues, “never mind. it was under the couch...” stopping in his tracks the second he sees his dad, and immediately rushes to step in front of you.

jj was very aware of your hatred for his father. he was always aware of the fact that you would stop at nothing to see the man rot in hell. even if it meant doing it yourself or getting him sent back to jail.

“what - how did you get out?” he panics, taking notice of the blood.

“work release. good behavior. can you believe that?” the man chuckles before looking down at his own knuckles. “busted a pharmacy window. busted that pharmacist too.”

“what the fuck, luke.” you shake your head, lip curling with disgust.

“look, i gotta get out of here. that pharmacist can id me.” he pauses for a second to scope his surroundings. “i gotta get off this island. so you’ve gotta help me. i'm taking malcolm’s boat, and i need to get to the other side of the island.”

jj grits his teeth and tries to close the door, but luke stops it before the lock can clasp and pushes himself inside, grabbing jj by a fistful of his shirt. you're knocked into the wall from the sudden outburst, and as you try to get luke to let go, jj raises his hand, stopping you from interfering.

“you’re really not going to help your own blood?” luke leers toward jj, and you shudder, knowing that there’s nothing you can do to stop him from manipulating his son that was going to end well.

“absolutely not. no. no way.” you try to shut the whole thing down.

“you do this, and you will never have to see or hear from me ever again. isn't that what you want?” luke sneers in your direction, and while the idea definitely intrigues you, you didn’t want to risk getting caught by the cops.

you could see the gears turning in jj’s head as he looks from you to luke, and then back to you, running a hand through his hair out of frustration. there was a glimmer of contemplation in his eyes, but ultimately, he looks to you for guidance.

this was something that could potentially ruin your lives if you were to get caught aiding and abetting him, but it was also something that both you and jj wanted – to have him out of your lives forever.

blowing a sigh through your lips, you take in a deep breath and shake your head, unbelieving of what you were about to do. through gritted teeth, you turn to luke, “fine. what do you need?”

“you’ll help?” he looks to you with the same disbelief, and though reluctant, you nod, and he releases his grip on his son’s shirt.

“before we do anything, i want to make one thing very clear,” you step toward him, putting a divide between him and jj, who grabs a hold of your arm for safe measure. “we are not doing this for you. we are doing this for us. so don’t for a second think that you’re in control of the situation because if you so much as step one foot out of line or lay another finger on jj, i have the stations number on speed dial. got it?”

you watch as the man tenses his jaw and fights back a snarl, but he doesn’t argue. he nods before making a beeline for his bedroom to grab anything he’ll need, leaving you and jj alone.

the second he’s out of earshot, a shaky breath escapes your lips, and you suddenly feel heavier. like the weight of the world had fallen onto your shoulders and not just because of luke.

for the first time in forever, you had more than just you and jj to protect, and you were scared as to how this was going to play out.

from your side, jj’s hand brushes across your skin, and he threads his fingers through yours. he pulls you towards him, arms wrapping firmly and securely around you, “i know how much you must hate this, so thank you.” he whispers, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“hate isn’t anywhere near a strong enough word,” you both fall into a soft fit of laughter. “but, i'd do anything for you. even if that means helping your convict piece of shit dad get off this island.”

“i seriously don’t deserve you,” jj smiles down at you. his fingers dance across your jawline before he straightens and looks toward luke’s bedroom. “i should go see if he needs help.”

he presses another soft kiss to your lips and starts to walk away, your fingers still locked together until he’s too far and they fall apart.

it's not long before the two of them re-emerge, luke with a bag thrown over his shoulder and jj heading straight out to the shed to find a torch and some rope. you stand there in silence, arms crossed over your chest, and the entire time you can feel the man’s eyes on you - as though to be studying you.

“y’know, you really shouldn’t get your hopes up,” he almost snickers, and when he sees the unimpressed look on your face, he adds, “i’m just saying, all maybank men have a tendency to run when things get... real.”

“what the fuck are you talking about?” you ask, irritated by his crypticness.

this time when luke speaks, he stops what he’s doing and stands up straight, “nothing. i just - i take it jj doesn’t know about the pregnancy tests hidden in the back of the bathroom cupboard. y'know, the ones with the two blue lines... clear as day-”

“that is none of your business!” you cut him off as the panic of him telling jj sets in, and a shiver of fear rolls down your spine.

“like hell, it ain’t. jj is my son and that thing growing inside you is my grandbaby.” he points to your stomach.

“no, you see, that’s where you’re wrong. this baby is going to have absolutely nothing to do with you. we’re making sure of that right now by helping you leave,” you argue, your heart racing as your blood boils. “and you couldn’t be more wrong about jj. he is nothing like you. he is strong and protective, and he actually cares about those he loves. he doesn’t sit around getting wasted and taking his anger out on an innocent child, and he will certainly be a better father than a deadbeat, good for nothing, piece of shit like you!”

“you watch your mouth when you’re speaking to me,” he steps toward you, anger seething through him just as jj rushes back in through the door and pushes his dad away.

“what the hell is going on?” he demands, looking between you both but directing his words at his father.

“why don’t you ask her?” luke nudges in your direction.

jj looks at you, confusion tangled in his features.

“your dad’s just proving he is what everyone says he is...”

“and what’s that darlin’?”

“oh, i think i already covered it.”

luke urges another step towards you, but jj holds him back, “okay, that’s enough. dad, why don’t you just go wait in the car.”

“gladly.”

the two of you watch as luke disappears out the front door and slinks his way towards your car before looking back at one another. jj pulls you into his arms once more, his hands nestling the back of your head into his chest, and he heaves a sigh.

“are you going to tell me what that was about?” he asks, his voice low and soothing as he runs a finger across his brow.

“it’s nothing,” you hold him tightly before pulling away, “now, let’s get this over with.”

the drive to the docks isn’t long, but it is silent as luke sits in the back, making sure not to be seen by any pedestrians. being that it was early on a weekday, most people were at work, and so getting through to the marina wasn’t as hard as you thought it would be.

once you pull to a stop, jj climbs out of the passenger seat and quickly checks the status of the dock to see if the coast was clear, leaving you along with luke once again.

“listen, i know you think you’ve got it all worked out, but i promise you, i'm right on this one.” luke inches forward from the back seat. “the second he finds out that there’s a baby involved, you may as well start looking for a new baby daddy.”

“you know nothing about me or jj, and what type of man he is. but what i do know is that he doesn’t give up easily. he's stubborn like that, and he’s going to be the best father for this baby. i promise you that.”

“you keep telling yourself that, princess, but we both know that whatever it is that you two have going on is going to fizzle out, and you’re going to wish you had listened to me. hell, you probably got yourself knocked up just do he would keep you around-”

the anger from before boils up within you again, and in a swift movement, you wretch your elbow back into the man’s face. watching as he recoils from the blow and tends to his noise, but before he gets a chance to react, jj gives the signal for him to make his move.

“get out of my car,” you smile passive-aggressively.

luke groans as he exists the vehicle, fingers pressed to his nose to stop the bleeding as he meets jj halfway down the footpath. he takes in his father’s bloody nose and looks at you with wide eyes despite the fact that he wasn’t really all that surprised. you simply shrug.

“hey, luke?” you call out before he makes his way to the boat, and when he looks back to you, you shout, “go fuck yourself.”

he turns on his heel to walk back towards the car, annoyance sprawled across his face, but jj stops him and pushes him in the other direction. and the second you’re alone, you let your head fall to rest against the seat as a large sigh leaves your lips.

fifteen minutes pass, and there was still no sign of jj, though you could see him in the far distance at the end of the dock watching as the boat disappeared into the horizon. despite knowing how much jj hated luke and how he wished he was dead, he was still his father, and having to watch him leave for good was going to be tough no matter the circumstances.

you clamber out of the car, pulling your hood over your head and make your way up to the docks as jj remains still, his gaze unwavering from the water before him. and when you meet his side, he smiles though his eyes are filled with sadness.

“you okay?” you ask, wrapping your arms around him from behind, pressing a kiss to the back of his shoulder.

he nods, a slight chuckle leaving his lips before he sighs, “y’know, it’s funny how badly i wanted this, and now that it’s happened, i just... i feel weird.”

“it’s always hard having to say goodbye, but if it makes you feel any better… you’ll always have me.” a soft laugh falls from both of you before jj lifts his arm up and around you, pulling you in front of him.

“y’know, before he left, he said something that really got me thinking, and i know it’s probably going to sound stupid, but i have to ask. otherwise, it’s going to literally eat me up inside.” he scratches the nape of his neck, a nervous smile present.

you already knew what he was going to ask, that your little secret wasn’t so much a secret anymore, and you turn away from him. you should’ve known better than to expect luke to keep his mouth shut, but he knew this would be his last opportunity to get back at you, and he took it.

jj notices your reluctance to look at him, and with gentle movements, he cups the sides of your face and moves your gaze back to meet his. running smooth circles along your cheeks, he stares you with curious eyes, “babe... are you... are you pregnant?”

tears pool in the corners of your eyes, the guilt inside beginning to claw its way up your throat. your heart speeds up, and breathing deepens as you stare into the eyes of the boy you loved and shakily nod your head.

a soft gasp leaves him and he licks his bottom lip as his brows furrow in the center of his forehead, “how long have you known?”

“a week. a bit more,” your tears fall freely now. “i’m sorry, j. i should’ve told you the second i found out.”

he nods in a way that was him processing what you had said rather than agreeing and then returns his gaze back to the water. he remains silent for a moment before a small chuckle leaves him, “i mean, it kind of makes sense now that i think about it.”

confused, you sniffle back your tears.

“you have been a little moodier lately, and you demolished an entire pizza, and garlic bread, the other night,” he says, laughing, and you can’t help but smile.

once the laughing dies down, you ask, “you’re not mad... or freaked out?”

“are you kidding? you’re having my baby!” he looks at you with glistening eyes. they're so big you can see yourself reflected in them as he brushes your hair from your face. “this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

a sigh of relief sputters from you, and your eyes glaze over with tears. the thrill of it runs down your spine, all the way to your toes, and his hands come up to brush your cheeks. “you’re sure you want to do this?”

“of course, i do. there's nothing i want more than for us to be a family, and we’re going to be the coolest parents ever. oh my, god. we can teach them to fish, and surf, and take them on rides on the hms pogue.”

it's heart-warming to see him so excited about, but he quickly stops after realising he had been rambling on while you stared at him adoringly. he clears his throat and shrugs, trying to play it off nonchalant-like, but your giggle tells him that it hadn’t worked.

“come here,” he kisses your forehead before meeting your lips, and everything you had been holding back erupts into a long, passionate kiss.

when you pull apart, he wraps an arm around your shoulders once more, leaning his head against yours, as you watch the sunset, and after a moment, he chuckles to himself. “so, i must’ve been like really good in bed, huh?”

“oh my, god,” rolling your eyes, you shrug his arm off and give him a little shove. “the quality of your performance has nothing to do with the fact that you got me pregnant. but... for your ego’s sake... yeah.”

“my ego thanks you,” he presses a hand to his chest before intertwining his fingers with yours at the same time tiny droplets of rain begin to fall from the sky. “okay, c’mon preggers. let's get you home before it starts to pour.”

“as long as you never call me that again.”

“no promises.” he scrunches up his nose as you make your way back down the dock, leaving behind all of your worries and doubts, and stepping into the next chapter of your life knowing that you and jj were going to be okay.

[fantastic-nonsense]

I think people who genuinely wanted Percy to rebel against the gods and overthrow the system kind of...miss the whole point of the series

The question is not whether or not the gods deserve to rule; the books are kind of unambiguous that they don't! That the gods are generally undeserving of their children's loyalty is the one thing that Percy and Luke both agree on! But PJO is less about divine right to rule vs. ruling via consent of the governed and more about improving dysfunctional family systems. It's not about whether unfair rulers deserve to continue ruling; it's about forcing the gods to be better, fairer rulers and a better, fairer family given limited alternatives.

Because what are the alternatives, as presented to us within the scope of the original PJO series?

Option 1: allow Kronos to topple Olympus and take over. Clearly not a viable alternative for all of the reasons the books show us.

Option 2: the demigods overthrow the Olympians and rule the world themselves. Okay. How's that going to work out long-term, given demigods are mortal and cannot control or protect their parents' domains? Demigods will die out within a generation or two, so that's potentially a one-generation short-term solution, and then everyone's right back where they started. Except worse, because now the world has been out of divine balance for a century and the gods have a completely legitimate bone to pick with all demigods. Materially worse outcome.

Option 3: demigods ignore the gods and their will entirely. They integrate into the mortal world, refuse to participate in quests or talk to their parents, and pretend prophecies don't exist. Except that's clearly not a viable option, since we see that demigods usually can't safely exist in the mortal world without monsters coming after them, the gods are cruel enough to use blackmail and engage in hostage situations to get demigods to act as heroes, and prophecies have a way of coming true regardless of everyone's best attempts to circumvent them. Again: materially worse outcome.

And for Percy, for the demigods at Camp Half-Blood, for Luke and for everyone else who defected....for the most part, they don't actually have an inherent problem with the gods ruling them. They just want to be acknowledged, valued, and loved by their families, to be treated as more than a tool for their parents to wield whenever their services are needed. That was the core thesis of the demigod rebellion, which was wholly separate from Kronos' specific motivations for overthrowing the Olympians, and it's why Percy's asks at the end of TLO were what they were.

The point was always that had Percy grown up in a slightly more dysfunctional family environment...had he grown up with Frederick Chase's seemingly conditional love or May Castellan's madness instead of Sally Jackson's steady, quiet, unconditional love...he could have turned out like Luke. Like Ethan. Like the dozens of demigods who defected from camp to join Luke's cause. Percy could have turned out just as a bitter and angry and vengeful. Just as ready to tear down the system. Just as willing to betray and kill his own family for the sake of making a point.

But instead, Percy openly reprimands the gods for abandoning their families and using them as cannon fodder in their own petty disagreements. He forces them to acknowledge and claim their children. He demands that everyone who is part of the godly family be recognized and accepted, not just those related to the Twelve Olympians. He asks for those unjustly punished (like Calypso) to be set free and accepted back into the family. Because that's the point at the end of the day: not forcing bad rulers to step down, but changing an insanely dysfunctional family system that the gods and demigods are all members of into a better, safer, and more accepting environment for demigods to grow up and live in.

Overthrowing the gods wouldn't solve the problem at the heart of the series, which is the gods' shitty parenting and family management skills. It would only exacerbate the massive familial fault-lines that Kronos exploited and leave the demigods open to more godly manipulation. Which is why the series ends as it does, with Percy using his wish to tangibly improve the lives of his family instead of selfishly improving his own life (via accepting immortality/godhood) or overthrowing the gods. Because the conflict isn't about the gods as rulers. It's about the gods as parents.

PJO's core thesis is Percy, who grew up knowing unconditional familial love, looking at this whole world of children who didn't and saying "that's not fair. Gods should be better than this!" But instead of destroying them the way Luke wants to, instead of overthrowing them and putting himself on the throne, he instead challenges them to be better parents and family members. To be part of the solution instead of the problem. And Percy's demands don't solve everything, but they were necessary first steps! Without forcing the gods to acknowledge a bare minimum floor of inclusion, the cycle would simply begin all over again the next time a major conflict popped up.

So that's the problem Percy solves and how he successfully fulfills the prophecy: by believing that the gods had the capacity to change and forcing them to break the cycle of familial abandonment, he preserves Olympus and takes the first steps towards a new status quo, one that is objectively better for demigods than the one he grew up in. That's why he succeeds, and it's why Percy overthrowing the gods would have made for a much less satisfying ending than what actually happened.

[centrally-unplanned]

Since we're back on star wars discussion anyway, I remember you saying something like the prequels messing up by making the time between the fall of the republic and new hope too short. Now I'm interested how you'd solve it instead: Luke would have to be born a decent time after fall of the republic, is that what you mean? Completely new canvas basically?

Yes, Luke should be born a good stretch after the fall of the Republic, and it should be something of a new canvas. This, imo, is not something that needs a lot of world-building, instead a sort of narrative "courage" to kill some instinctive assumptions. In reality, just like the time between the wars is too short, the civil war itself is too short - not really the kind of thing that seems like it would have the "scope" to so radically change society, to make everyone in the Senate & Galaxy so accepting of and complicit in militant authoritarianism. The Clone Wars are only 3 years long! And in the prequels even that is honestly very "word of god" - you would never guess that based on what you see in the movies. Anakin having an entire Padawan-Master relationship with Ashoka in between the 2nd and 3rd films is kinda laughable, events seem much shorter.

It is very easy to envision a much longer conflict, an endless conflict, one that grinds on with new fronts, constantly justifying increasing levels of rising militancy and control (Palpatine himself would be secretly throwing key battles or funding insurgencies in order to prolong the conflict, for example). A whole new generation of military leaders would be raised in the system as true believers. The Rebellion would itself be Just Another Violent Episode until they blow up the Death Star and that whole sequence of events radically shifts the balance of power. This is what A New Hope looks like when you see it.

(You can ofc envision a different approach, one where the war is the length it is - or even one where the time is much less, where the Empire is brand new, a violent coup led by zealots radically pivoting from ideological purge to crushed insurgency. But then the polished, bureaucratic professionalism etc of A New Hope doesn't track)

The reason this isn't the case is that Luke needed to be born before Anakin fell. That is silly for two reasons. One...why? Darth Vader can't fuck? This is the kill-your-assumptions part; Darth Vader did not need to "start" broken and decayed in the suit. That can be a slow process - honestly, I think we all assumed it *was* a slow process in the original films, the Dark Side eating away at him over time. A mid-30' s scarred-but-fit (and hot, obvi) Darth Vader could absolutely have seduced an ambitious, grey-morality rising senatorial star in order to breed an "heir to the empire", who balks at the intensifying level of fascism at the last moment and flees with their children into the Rebellion. Or something, right? This just isn't a problem. Evil people have sex and families. I don't need to explain this.

The other way is that Anakin Skywalker didn't need to become Darth Vader at the launch of the empire. As Andor outlines, there is no one launch of the empire - the Senate is still powerful in the middle eras. Anakin could have been born later, seduced by Palpatine at a key moment in his own life. Or he could have fought the Empire for years, and had his hope chipped away, falling to the dark side as a grizzled veteran. There are a lot of options here.

Now the latter option radically changes the prequels - you can't line up "the fall of Anakin" with "the fall of the republic" and "the death of the Jedi" in one neat line. I don't care about that personally, but I get it, you wanna tell that story. The former option lets you still do that, Anakin can kill the Jedi, it just means he probably doesn't have a love story as his motivating B plot for the whole thing. Fortunately for us, that B plot sucked! Everyone hated that romance; it was coarse and rough, and narratively got everywhere, screwing up the prequels. Ditching it and focusing on Anakin's personal values, ambitions, and relationship with Obi-wan would have been way better. You could even keep Padme and have her just Be Hot And Evil and support Anakin's turn, and they have a kid later! My idea fucks, 10/10, no notes.

[trademarkblue]

I almost didn't post this, but I kinda like having my thoughts organized. It's way too long and very rambly and totally not based on any scholarly wisdom, obviously, because I posses exactly zero of that. These are just my very subjective thoughts based on obsessing over Nick and June. So please feel free to skip right on over this! xx

I understand the individual pieces of thinking June is selfish or she's using Nick, or thinking Nick should have left Gilead a long time ago (based on the show not giving us great reasons that he stayed, beyond hopelessness), or June is cheating, or Nick is cheating, or she should have chosen Nick somehow and left Luke…

But to me it’s just so much more complicated than that that I think it’s not really fair to reduce the scope of what’s happening to those basic traits or emotions. So I'm trying to break them down here to what I see and believe about these characters and what I think adds to the tragic beauty of it.

June is selfish

This one is kinda heartbreaking to me, because I feel like people forget that no one really looked out for June in Gilead except for Nick. Sure the Handmaids helped her after the gunshot in 3x13-4x01, and they did show kindness to her in the Red Center when her feet were whipped, and I'm sure there are a lot of other small examples of them coming together and caring about June during a specific period of time or after abuse. We can assume Rita organized June's escape attempt in season 2, so that's major. And of course she loves all of these women and they love her, but it's Gilead, and everyone was experiencing their own daily traumas. And Lawrence has helped her too. But that's all been mostly physical assistance.

I just think no one deeply cares consistently about her mental wellbeing, other than Nick. And most of the other people she had to interact with tried to fuck with her mental health, actually making it worse. Nick was desperately trying to keep her afloat. So in a way, I feel like she’s also very, very alone a lot of the time, and this continues on into her experience in Canada. She's just spent years only talking to Nick about anything of substance. Opening up to other people after that would be blinding.

So, when you’re the only one looking out for yourself over a prolonged period of time, one of only two options (in my opinion) is to become what looks like traditional selfishness from the outside. And sometimes it is actually just straight up selfish and not self-preservation, for sure - like June thinking she has a right to use the phone first in Alaska 16 times in a row in 6x01, while there's a queue behind her.

And I’m certainly not saying any of this is right or that June shouldn’t examine this about herself now and work on becoming better. She totally should. But I do feel sad for her too, because I wish she felt like she could rely on people who are physically in her life right now when she does need support. So that's complicated.

June is using Nick

For years, she was a woman with no power, with one trustworthy person in her life. One. Of course she’s gonna ask him for help. So that dynamic gets established pretty fast, and other than Nick occasionally telling her he can’t do something, we never see him explaining what he’s actually doing in his day to day life. June is left to imagine - as an Eye, as a Guardian, and then as a Commander - what he’s capable of.

I absolutely think she needs to face the fact that she’s put Nick in this fantasy box where he’s just over there doing “something” and he’s fine, and that’s problematic. I want her to face that this season, and I think she might. I'm really glad that Nick told her directly in 6x03 that he's risking his life and everything he has to save her husband, to help her any time she calls, and this is a Gilead survival dynamic that has to change. But there was so much unsaid in season 5, and so much Nick hasn’t shared with her, ever. I’m not saying it excuses anything, but it’s also complicated.

Nick should have left Gilead

This is so inconsistent within the show that it’s kinda hard to even take seriously. So could he have skipped across the border at any point, or would he have gone to prison? I always thought the latter, though I think he would have been able to secure a deal pretty easily by giving up Gilead intel. But once June was free in Canada, Nick was her only tie to Hannah from the inside. I don’t think he takes that lightly, and I will believe until the writers can strongly prove otherwise that Nick would have wanted to stay largely out of hoping to be accessible in order to help with getting Hannah out, even if it takes years and costs him his life.

But in the meantime, he’s telling June in 4x09 that Hannah is out of reach for now, so if Nick is stuck in Gilead for potentially a very long time, he has to remarry. And he isn’t going to ever tell June that he did this - that he stayed - partly for her benefit.

I also agree that Nick doesn’t feel worthy of having a life outside of Gilead and that it’s something he actually fears, as in he’s scared to be free. He sees himself as worthless, and the world will also likely see him that way (in his opinion), and there’s no place for him. Gilead and New Bethlehem have made a place for him, as fucked up as that is.

I still wish June would look him directly in the eyes and ask him point blank to leave. Back in season 2, June asked the man transporting her away from the Boston Globe if Nick was coming, and this was well after she'd found out that Luke was alive. So I do think she has a history of wanting Nick to leave with her.

She tried a strained version of asking him in season 5, after he turned down Tuello’s deal. But I also choose to believe that Hannah is one of many reasons that Nick didn’t want to take that deal, because any additional heat on him makes it so much harder to do the one thing he thinks he can still do for June from the inside.

And if this is true, June doesn’t know this, even though I do think she should come to this likely conclusion and ask Nick about it. You don’t just go from “here’s a folder of everything I’ve been collecting on Hannah for you in your absence” to “I’m just staying in Gilead for fun” in a matter of a few weeks or months… But he is telling her in season 5 that he’s essentially moved on, or is really trying to, and that he has a pregnant wife he's not leaving.

Nick also apparently wanted June to come to New Bethlehem, which is still fairly out of character to me, for a few reasons. Why would he want her to risk living so close to Gilead again? Why would he be talking about Rose and the pregnancy a single breath after lamenting that June didn't choose to move into the house next door to him? What's he expecting to come from that?

The only thing I could make sense of before is that Nick was conspiring to get Hannah out and needed June's agreement to New Bethlehem to stand as a distraction for another plan. And now, in season 6, I'm wondering if he wanted her there in the same way that Rita is now, reuniting with her sister, with the promise of that leading to them getting out together in a year or two. It's all a bit naive, because New Bethlehem is a smoke screen that only Lawrence and Nick actually somehow believe in. But I could accept this explanation if the show gave it to us.

But I guess my point is, Nick is fully twisted up in Gilead - in legal, emotional, and obligatory ways. So it’s very complicated.

June is cheating

June thought Luke was dead, started sleeping with Nick, found out Luke was alive, continued the relationship with Nick, assumed she would probably die in Gilead. I’m not saying that’s the reason she kept seeing Nick - I think she would have anyway, because she was already falling in love with him - but it just adds an extra layer to everything. She desperately wants her old life back and to be free, but another part of her must know that’s a long shot.

Then June sends Holly to Canada and tells Luke at her first opportunity that she’s in love with Nick. As soon as she arrives in Canada in season 4, Luke starts acting like June's his uncomplicated wife again and never asks her about Nick until he tries to use Nick to get info on Hannah. June could have spoken up about Nick, yes, but she’s the one coping with her trauma while Luke knows there’s at the very least a complicated emotional connection between June and Nick. So no one is blissfully ignorant, even if they try to act like they are.

I would almost say June sleeping with Luke in Canada after leaving Gilead is more like cheating on Nick. I don’t think any of them see it that way, because Nick has always been fully aware of Luke, and I’m sure he assumed that they (June and Luke) would be together again when/if June escaped from Gilead. And Nick aids in her escape attempts, knowing he’s sending her to another man. I guess he didn't definitively know that Luke waited for June, but I think that’s been his assumption, probably because Nick would have done the same thing in a free world.

Staying with Luke for as long as June has after arriving in Canada is sometimes kinda hard to swallow. But she does still love him, even if she's just now coping with the fact that it's shifted to a different kind of love and no longer a romantic attachment, something she's having to remove the guilt noose about too so she can honestly express this to Luke.

June sways under pressure and guilt, and Luke is frozen in her past, the past she thought she wanted back. So when she's plunged back into that past, it makes sense to me that she would let the current take her for a while. I hope we're nearing the end of that now, and then it will be a lot less complicated.

Nick is cheating

We find out right away in season 5, in the scene where we actually meet Rose, that Nick has told her at least some information about June. I thought this was a bit weird and risky at first, but I think he just wanted to have a sliver of honesty between himself and the person he was probably going to have to spend the rest of his Gilead life with.

Even if Nick sought Rose out as potential Gilead wife material - which seems accurate based on some comments later about how they met in DC - he did so under abstract threat at the very least, because an unmarried, fertile man in Gilead is not only suspicious but pitched as borderline illegal after a certain point. Nick can go ahead and choose someone he can tolerate now, or he can risk being forced into another marriage with a child, or with someone scheming to make a claim for Holly, or with someone who hates him.

But choosing a better option before a worse one is forced on you isn't actually a choice, so this can't even be compared to June, a real relationship, or actual love, in my opinion. He didn't Eternal Sunshine himself to forget June exists, so he's gonna be emotionally cheating on absolutely anyone else for the rest of his life anyway.

So this one is actually the least complicated on the list to me, because Nick's relationship with June pre-dates Rose (not that this ever excuses cheating), he told Rose about June, and to be honest, I think you could even say Nick is cheating on June with Rose if you wanted to stretch the meaning of that further. I don't actually think June sees it that way, both because she's currently back with Luke anyway and because she knows how Gilead works. But I just think it could be viewed that way nearly as easily as "June is cheating on Nick" by being in Canada with Luke.

June should have chosen Nick

How? The options I see are she asks him to leave or she moves to New Bethlehem and risks being taken back into Gilead, executed, or made a Handmaid again. She could have chosen him in a more abstract sense by telling him she’s leaving Luke, but that’s the journey that’s still in progress, in my opinion.

And she also didn’t know until 6x03 that Nick is literally still in love with her to the degree that it’s ruining his life (arguably not ruining anything since his daily life is currently a masquerade and his love for her is his oxygen). She absolutely knew he still loved her and would do anything for her, but I think 6x03 is where she finally sees the depth of how much this is weighing on him and that he still wants to be chosen. I totally think she could and should have guessed this, but season 5 fucked with all of our heads, including June’s, on what Nick was up to or what he actually wanted.

And to be totally honest, I think if we’re saying that June should have chosen Nick - in whatever way that could have been possible - we kinda also have to say that Nick should have chosen June… by leaving Gilead, by not marrying again and starting a new family in a matter of months (a necessity if he's not leaving Gilead, so I do get it based on the long rant I did about that topic above), even at the risk of June not actually leaving Luke... because June would be doing the same thing in choosing Nick, at the risk of him not actually leaving Rose.

The last time June even vaguely attempted to get Nick to come to Canada was the same scene where he told June that Rose was pregnant. So, it makes sense that June would think he’s committed to this new family. Even in 6x03, before he starts slicing open his heart and telling her how he really feels, she’s sadly saying that he has a whole life and a baby on the way. So that’s all very complicated too.

I honestly think one more really raw conversation between Nick and June before season 6 is done could clear up like 90% of all of the above, and then they could really figure out how to be together. And I would give up all my dreams of ever seeing another sex scene between them just to get that conversation.

[airborneice]

sooo I think this ended up being my tribute art to hilda the series? almost a whole year after the show ended but oh well 🤷‍♀️

if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to ramble about how much the show means to me for a bit -

Soooo I really really love this show. It is so delightful in every way, from the heartwarming and funny writing to the insanely beautiful visuals. You can tell that every aspect of this show was made with so much love and care and it truly has a type of charm to it that I’ve never seen in anything else. I’m really glad it exists and got the run that it did.

While I was drawing this I kept thinking back to a recent quote from Luke Pearson about how iconic to the series that little red cabin in the wilderness is, even though it was only there for a couple of episodes/comics - pretty much everything that happened in the show is because the story moved on from there and Hilda found new settings and characters and her world got so much bigger, but at the end of the day, that place is where it all started.

When I was re-watching season 1 clips to get art references it took me right back to 2018 when the show first aired. I remember often putting on the season 1 soundtrack while I was scanning animations under the rostrum when I was at uni late and re-watching the episodes when I was feeling down and needed a bit of cosyness. I was Going Through It in late 2018 for a number of reasons and this quickly became my comfort show, and that’s probably a part of why I still love it years later - things are way better but it’s just lodged there in my heart now.

And uh…not to get all cliché but…this show really did help point me towards where I am now. While I was at uni I’d study clips of it from time to time to see how the animators achieved what they did and I learned some useful stuff here and there. like..someone’s animation breakdown video on Hilda is what introduced me to the concept of arcs (I was on an animation course so I should’ve known abt arcs already but oh well. better late than never 🫠) and a ton of animation stuff made more sense to me after that. I can look at some of my very old animations and pin-point a principle or a little cheat that I learned from studying Hilda. On top of that, at my uni we focused on hand-drawn animation (on paper first and then. photoshop of all things 😑) so that was the whole scope of my animation knowledge, and I was really fascinated by how 2D rig shows like Hilda even worked.

In the end I got so curious that I took a toonboom course after I graduated and started figuring it out for myself. I didn’t really know what to do with myself in the immediate post-graduation job search hell, but I wanted to learn more skills and Hilda looked like the type of show I wanted to be on more than anything, so I made a point of learning the stuff that might get me there. And learning rig anim was extra fun bc it helped me understand how this show was made and appreciate it even more :) It truly lit up an enthusiasm in me for all the technical behind-the-scenes stuff in cartoons that still keeps me motivated to this day. anddd long story short I’m a 2D rig animator now so I guess it worked out! ngl I think it’s very funny that I stanned Hilda so hard it got me a job on a disney show. how does that even happen. (and I’ve even had the honour of working with some of the people who made Hilda so in a way it feels like it’s all come full-circle now :) )

And obviously, it’s been really fun being in the fandom with everyone and being insane together. It’s wild that it’s been 6 years of that. I’m glad for the cool people I met and all those fun times. I’m really glad I got to be a part of that.

Soo yeah!! lovely show. thank you

[estapa-edwards]

MEDIA GIRL - L. HUGHES

paring: Luke Hughes x fem! reader

word count: 2.4k

requested? yes - luke falling in love with the media girl at the new jersey devil and finally asking her out

warnings: use of y/n. multiple pov

*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨*

I've been working closely with the Devils for the past couple of years, crafting content, capturing moments, and sharing the team's journey with fans around the world. It's a job I love, immersed in the world of hockey and surrounded by passionate individuals who share the same love for the sport.

One player, in particular, had caught my eye since he joined the team – Luke Hughes. As a rising star defenseman, he commanded attention on the ice with his skillful play and undeniable charisma. But it wasn't just his performance on the rink that intrigued me; there was something about his infectious smile and genuine personality that drew me in.

As the seasons passed and the rhythm of the hockey calendar dictated our lives, Luke and I found ourselves drawn together by the magnetic pull of our shared experiences. It was during those moments in between the action, the quiet lulls amidst the chaos, that our connection began to deepen.

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During interviews, our conversations would often veer off course, wandering into topics far beyond the scope of the game. Luke's genuine curiosity about my life outside of the arena was both surprising and endearing. We swapped stories about our childhoods, our favorite movies, and our shared love for good food. It was during these impromptu exchanges that I discovered the layers beneath the confident exterior of the hockey star – the insecurities, the dreams, the quirks that made him undeniably human.

Promotional shoots became an opportunity for us to explore our creative sides together. Whether we were brainstorming ideas for social media campaigns or striking poses for team merchandise, there was an undeniable synergy between us. Luke's playful nature brought out the best in me, inspiring me to push the boundaries of my creativity and embrace the spontaneity of the moment.

And then there were the social media campaigns – our bread and butter in the digital age of sports marketing. As the social media coordinator for the Devils, I was responsible for crafting content that resonated with fans and showcased the team's personality both on and off the ice. Luke, with his infectious energy and natural charisma, was the perfect partner in crime. Whether we were filming behind-the-scenes videos, hosting live Q&A sessions, or engaging with fans on Twitter, our dynamic duo captured the hearts of Devils fans everywhere.

But amidst the whirlwind of interviews, shoots, and campaigns, it was the quiet moments in between that I cherished the most. The stolen glances across a crowded room, the shared smiles that spoke volumes without a single word exchanged. It was during those moments that I felt the walls around my heart slowly crumbling, giving way to the possibility of something more than just friendship.

And as the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, I couldn't shake the feeling that Luke Hughes had become more than just a teammate or a colleague – he had become a permanent fixture in my life, a constant presence that I couldn't imagine living without. 

*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨*

As the final buzzer sounded, signaling the Devils' hard-fought victory on the ice, the arena erupted into a cacophony of cheers and applause. Luke and Y/N found themselves caught up in the swell of excitement and emotion, the electric atmosphere pulsating around them like a living, breathing entity.

Y/N's heart pounded in her chest as she watched with bated breath, her eyes fixed on Luke as he skated across the rink, his movements fluid and graceful, his arms raised triumphantly in the air. In that moment, he was more than just a hockey player – he was a hero, a symbol of strength and resilience in the face of adversity.

"That was incredible," Y/N exclaimed, her voice tinged with awe as she watched him bask in the glow of their win. The pride swelling in her chest was palpable, a surge of emotion threatening to overwhelm her as she realized the magnitude of what they had accomplished together.

Luke flashed her a grin, his eyes shining with adrenaline-fueled excitement. "Thanks, Y/N," he replied, his voice filled with genuine gratitude. "I couldn't have done it without your support."

Y/N felt her breath catch in her throat at his words, her heart skipping a beat as she absorbed the weight of his gratitude. It was a simple acknowledgment, a fleeting moment in the grand scheme of things, but to her, it meant everything. It was validation – validation of her hard work, her dedication, her unwavering belief in him and the team.

"You're welcome," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll always be here to cheer you on, no matter what." Her words were a promise, a pledge of allegiance to the man who had captured her heart without even realizing it.

*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨*

It was during one particularly intense game that everything changed. The Devils were down a goal with minutes left on the clock, tension thick in the air as the crowd held its breath. In a dramatic turn of events, Luke managed to score the tying goal, sending the arena into a frenzy of cheers and applause.

Amidst the celebration, our eyes met across the crowded arena, a shared moment of triumph and exhilaration. And in that instant, I knew – I was falling for Luke Hughes.

But as the game ended and the crowd began to disperse, doubt crept into my mind. What if I was misreading the signs? What if our connection was nothing more than professional courtesy? I pushed the thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand as I followed the team to the locker room for post-game interviews.

It was there, amidst the chaos of the locker room, that Luke sought me out. His eyes were bright with excitement, a victorious grin playing on his lips as he approached me.

"Hey, Y/N," he said, his voice filled with genuine warmth. "I just wanted to say thanks for all your hard work. That goal wouldn't have been possible without you."

I felt my cheeks flush with heat, a rush of emotions swirling inside me as I met his gaze. "It was all you out there," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "You played an amazing game."

Luke smiled, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he leaned in closer. "Hey, do you maybe want to grab dinner sometime? You know, to celebrate the win?"

My heart skipped a beat, the world around us fading away as I processed his words. Luke Hughes, asking me out on a date? It felt like a dream come true.

"Um, yeah," I stammered, a smile spreading across my face. "I would love to."

*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨*

LUKES POV

Luke Hughes sat in the locker room, his mind swirling with thoughts of the game ahead. The adrenaline coursed through his veins, his heart pounding with anticipation. But amidst the excitement of the upcoming match, there was another thought that lingered at the back of his mind – Y/N.

From the moment he first laid eyes on her, Luke knew there was something special about Y/N. It wasn't just her beauty or her infectious smile that drew him in; it was the way she carried herself, with a confidence and grace that was impossible to ignore. And as he got to know her better, he discovered that beneath the surface, there was a kindness and warmth that made her truly captivating.

As the seasons passed and their paths continued to intertwine, Luke found himself drawn to Y/N in ways he couldn't explain. There was a magnetic pull between them, a natural chemistry that made every interaction feel effortless and meaningful. Whether they were working together on promotional shoots or sharing moments of quiet camaraderie in between interviews, Luke felt a connection with Y/N that went beyond words.

But it wasn't just her professional prowess that impressed him – it was her passion for the game, her dedication to her craft, and her unwavering support for the team that truly captured his heart. In Y/N, Luke found a kindred spirit, someone who shared his love for hockey and understood the sacrifices he made to pursue his dreams.

And as he sat in the locker room, preparing to take the ice with his teammates, Luke couldn't shake the feeling that Y/N was more than just a colleague or a friend – she was someone he could see himself building a future with. But he also knew that crossing that line was fraught with uncertainty and risk. What if she didn't feel the same way? What if their relationship changed the dynamic of their team?

Luke Hughes leaned against the wall of the locker room, his heart pounding in his chest as he stole a glance at Y/N across the room. She was engrossed in conversation with a colleague, her laughter ringing out like music in the air. For a moment, he hesitated, his mind swirling with doubts and uncertainties. But then he remembered the way she had looked at him during the game, the spark of excitement in her eyes as they celebrated their victory together. And in that moment, he knew – he had to take a chance.

Pushing himself away from the wall, Luke crossed the room with determined strides, his heart racing with nerves as he approached Y/N. As he drew closer, he could feel the weight of his words hanging in the air, a lump forming in his throat as he struggled to find the right thing to say.

"Hey, Y/N," he said, his voice slightly shaky but filled with genuine warmth. "I just wanted to say thanks for all your hard work tonight. That goal wouldn't have been possible without you."

Y/N looked up at him, her eyes shining with surprise and gratitude. "Oh, it was nothing," she replied, her voice soft but sincere. "You played an amazing game out there."

Luke smiled, his confidence growing with each passing moment. "Listen, I was thinking," he began, his words tumbling out in a rush of excitement. "Would you maybe want to grab dinner sometime? You know, to celebrate the win?"

As he waited for her response, Luke felt a surge of nervous energy coursing through his veins. What if she said no? What if he had misread the signs and made a fool of himself? But then Y/N's face broke into a radiant smile, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Um, yeah," she stammered, her cheeks flushing with color. "I would love to."

A wave of relief washed over Luke as he took in her words, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Great," he said, unable to contain his excitement. "How about tomorrow night? I know this great Italian place downtown."

Y/N nodded eagerly, her smile widening with each passing second. "Sounds perfect," she replied, her voice filled with genuine enthusiasm.

*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨*

The soft glow of candlelight bathed the cozy Italian restaurant in a warm, inviting ambiance as Luke and I sat across from each other, our conversation flowing effortlessly like a river winding its way through the night. From the moment we arrived, there had been a palpable energy between us – a sense of anticipation that hung in the air like a promise waiting to be fulfilled.

As we sipped on glasses of red wine and savored bites of delicious pasta, the outside world faded away, leaving only the two of us lost in our own little bubble of bliss. Luke's laughter filled the air, a melodic symphony that echoed in my ears like music to my soul.

"So, tell me more about yourself," he said, his eyes sparkling with genuine curiosity. "What do you like to do when you're not busy running the Devils' social media empire?"

I couldn't help but smile at his playful tone, the warmth of his gaze sending shivers down my spine. "Well, I'm a bit of a bookworm," I confessed, feeling a rush of excitement as I shared a piece of myself with him. "I love getting lost in a good novel, especially anything with a bit of mystery or romance."

Luke nodded, his expression thoughtful as he leaned in closer. "I can relate to that," he admitted, his voice low and intimate. "There's something magical about getting lost in a story, isn't there? It's like you're transported to a whole other world."

As the night wore on and the hours slipped away, our conversation deepened, weaving through topics both trivial and profound. We talked about our hopes and dreams, our fears and insecurities, laying bare our souls like open books for the other to read.

And then, amidst the laughter and the shared moments of connection, there was a shift in the air – a subtle change that left me breathless with anticipation. As Luke reached across the table to refill my wine glass, his touch sent a jolt of electricity coursing through my veins, igniting a fire deep within my heart.

"Y/N," he began, his voice soft but filled with conviction. "There's something I need to tell you."

I held my breath, my heart pounding in my chest as I waited for him to continue. In that moment, the world around us seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of us suspended in time, lost in a moment of shared intimacy.

"I know we've only known each other for a relatively short time," Luke continued, his eyes locked with mine, "but from the moment I met you, I felt something special – something I've never felt before."

I felt a rush of warmth flood my cheeks as I listened to his words, my heart swelling with emotion. "Luke," I whispered, my voice barely above a whisper. "I feel it too."

And then, without hesitation, he reached across the table and took my hand in his, his touch sending a wave of tingles dancing across my skin. "Y/N," he said, his voice filled with emotion. "I know this might sound crazy, but I think I'm falling for you."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I gazed into his, the depth of his feelings mirrored in the depths of his soul. In that moment, I knew – I was falling for him too, falling harder and faster than I ever thought possible.

And as we sat there, hand in hand, lost in the glow of the candlelight and the warmth of each other's presence, I couldn't help but feel like the luckiest girl in the world. For in Luke Hughes, I had found not just a teammate or a colleague, but a kindred spirit – someone who saw me for who I truly was and loved me all the more for it.

And as our eyes met across the table, a silent vow passed between us – a promise to cherish this moment, this connection, for as long as our hearts beat as one.

[nickjunesource]

After the screener reviews etc being released how are you feeling about osblaine and nick for the final two eps? I’m trying to stay hopeful but I have a feeling it’s going to end badly….trying to keep my hope!

Hey! We totally understand being anxious. We're feeling pretty anxious despite knowing that we will have some good things coming among the more difficult bits. We've been screwed over before with seasons three and five. Midway into the final season is pretty late in the game to be introducing major issues to a beloved ship and character, and it's only natural to be skeptical about the ability for this to be done right and resolved properly. These writers are very hard to trust considering they're going to redeem Serena (talk about rich white privilege!) and turn Luke into rambo (whatever happened to him realistically fighting back with paperwork and bureaucracy?).

But with that said, our opinion has basically remained unchanged- we expect an ambiguous ending that leans hopeful for Osblaine, hinting at a fresh start. Nick mentioned this hope in 2x12- "Run away somewhere. Start over. Like a real family." So we do have hope for an ending like this is based on a number of factors.

Due to length, the rest of our answer will be under the cut!

When it comes to the screeners, they're intentionally vague and contain info only from the first 8 episodes. They're limited by an embargo list that highly reduces the scope of things to discuss and they're also designed to get viewers interested in watching the season. We're ecstatic to see that Nick and Max have been mentioned so often and as a bright spot in the season to boot! That has never happened before, so it means he's got a lot of interesting material coming and we're excited to see Nick and Max shine. With that said, it's incredibly important to note that very few screeners actually pay attention to Nick and fully understand him. When it comes to the "betrayal", what has been hinted at by the screeners varies a bit, from it being something "we have all been pointing at" to "Nick being in a tight spot with enormous consequences" where he "must choose loyalty". Multiple screeners have consistently pointed out that Nick is guided by his love for June and Holly, and none have hinted at an extremely irredeemable action. So whatever this is likely isn't too big to overcome in the end. Our guess, based on a few factors, as to what Nick's "betrayal" is is that he initially does what he can to help June and Tuello, but ultimately finds himself exhausted and in a situation where his father-in-law is in danger to no empathy or understanding from June, and in order to protect him (which in turn protects Rose and their baby, and Nick himself, and enables Nick to retain power in a role that he sees as being useful) Nick tips off Wharton and a planned attack at Jezebels goes very poorly, and it's then that June realizes what Nick has chosen and she thinks he's on Gilead's side when in reality it is way more complicated than that. There is then tension between them at the wedding, which in episode 8, and those issues remain to be resolved by the end of the episode. Based on a couple interviews stating that ep 9 resolves a lot of plot points, it's likely this episode where we'll see Nick returning to June's side and eschewing Gilead for good. Ep 10 has been described as a return to a classic handmaid's episode. To us that means a combination of the following: Osblaine moments, Nick acting boldly, handmaid solidarity, June/Luke/Hannah flashback, Lydia and the handmaids, and resistance. So we expect to see something similar to this for the series finale.

Based on what we read from Max in the press package, a great deal of Nick's journey will be internal as he navigates many issues that have been hinted at or shown but not yet addressed (his desire for a father figure, his deep insecurity, his need for stability, etc). Every good internal journey finishes with a change in the character experiencing it. So we expect by the end of this for Nick to have addressed at least some of those issues and come out the other side a healthier person.

Now let's take a look at what the show has done for Osblaine in the 3rd last episode of a season and what happens in the final episode:

S1: Ep 8- Nick breaks up with June out of fear and June calls him out about his passivity with his life. Ep 10- Nick and June reunite after the news of her pregnancy and he boldly helps her escape. S2: Ep 11- June gives birth alone after Nick's capture and will shortly have their daughter taken away forever. Ep 13- June tells Nick she loves him, he holds her daughter for the first time, and then alongside Rita and the other Marthas and Lawrence, helps June escape with Holly only for June to stay behind. S4: Ep 8- June testifies about the Waterfords in Canada, with the implication that justice will be served and she will never see her Gilead loved ones ever again, and she takes over Moira's support group. Ep 10- June takes justice into her own hands and kills Fred with the squad and the help of Nick and Lawrence. S5: Ep 8- June gets news that Hannah will be rescued in a dramatic air mission while Nick tries to believe in the virtues of NB. Ep 10- June has to flee Toronto after being attacked by Gilead. Nick upends his life and signs away his freedom to work with Tuello.

As we can see, when it comes to Osblaine the final two episodes consistently upend what has happened in the 8th episode. Who would have expected in season four for Nick and June to see each other again twice and to kill Fred!? Or in the second season for Nick to hold their daughter while June tells him she loves him after Serena cruelly kept them all parted!? Except for the disastrous season three, Nick has always come through for June in the finale. Looking at the writers for the final two episodes, we have Eric Tuchman and Bruce Miller. Both, particularly ET, have a history of writing really good Nick and Osblaine episodes. We do believe that this season will be no exception- Nick will turn things around in ep 9 and he and June will begin anew in ep 10.

That the betrayal and fallout from it seems to occur in the eps 5 to 8 range signifies to us that whatever Nick has done will be upended in the final two episodes. Perhaps Rose and/or their baby dies, perhaps something happens to June, perhaps his attempts at reforming within fail spectacularly. We're expecting something to happen in episode 9 that will trigger a huge shift in Nick's actions that culminate in the finale. There is no way that Nick will not have a final arc to his story in the last two episodes. He's too central of a character for episode 8 to be the end of his journey.

It's also important to note that interviews have consistently and persistently noted how the ending of the show is hopeful and about love. Nick is one of the characters that embodies love most persistently (it is his whole motivation and his reason to live) and Osblaine has been acknowledged as one of the only consistent hopeful elements of the show. It'd be a very poor choice to not have Nick and Osblaine be parts of the hope and love at the end.

We also know from Elisabeth Moss that in the end, June can come to trust Serena. If she can trust that vile woman, then she can trust Nick. Serena has done things way, way, way worse to June than Nick could ever do. If she can forgive that, she can forgive Nick. Otherwise what kind of message would they be sending if Serena gets a good, happy, redemption focused ending while Nick doesn't? Serena is a founder of Gilead. She wrote the laws and was later upset she was subjected to them (and then much later on, upset on behalf of the one victim she can project herself on), not because of any injustice faced by others. Nick was an extremely desperate teenager taken advantage of when he first got involved in the Sons of Jacob, and he has tried to do right by others based on his involvement with the Eyes, Martha network, Mayday, and June's resistance group. He might not always do it right or enough, but he does care about others, his family in particular. To forever condemn Nick (a man of colour from working class origins) for making mistakes, but to then redeem Serena (a white wealthy woman) for deliberately destroying the world for her own gain, would be a deeply troubling note to end on.

While it was never very specific, one can interpret that Nick and June are in regular close contact in TT being that June can confidently assert to Elijah that Nick is still well. While they can change elements to that story (as we're seeing by making Hannah more rebellious), it wouldn't make much sense to make one of Holly's parents "evil" when the book made a point multiple times to refute such a thing and for Nick to be included on the memorial statue at the end of the novel.

If they want viewers to return to watch The Testaments, a weaker story, annihilating one of the most popular characters from The Handmaid's Tale (Nick consistently ranks top 3 in favourite character polling on a variety of sites) and most beloved elements of the show (Osblaine always get very high levels of social media interactions and fanworks) is not a way to encourage people to return. We know that if Nick and Osblaine are ruined, we will not in fact return to watch The Testaments and we're certainly far from alone. It would be an insult as viewers of the show and readers of the books for them to ruin a beautiful romance and wonderful character. The last thing anyone should be doing is insulting the very people that let their content exist.

And yeah. We don't think Osblaine or Nick will be ruined, but until we can see it all for ourselves, it's impossible to judge based on an incomplete press release, some reviews, and publicity interviews. That's not to say we're not nervous for Nick and Osblaine, we are, but we've been nervous for them since season three. It's not been an easy road for all of us fans of Nick and Osblaine, but we have faith and hope that things will end well and we will be rewarded for our devotion.

[dreamofmourning]

this is also something i can't fully explain myself on, but i've been thinking a lot about this (the second screenshot in my last post is especially relevant) wrt the criticisms of a little life, specifically because a little life does so overtly make a claim to comprehensiveness: it is "a life", both in its scope / focalizing the missing pieces of jude's chronology as its direct plot, and that it structurally accumulates narrators towards the end goal of being able to "complete" jude's narration - e.g. harold's second person chapters to narrate jude's ending since he can't do it himself. it's interesting to me that in criticizing that so many terrible things happen to jude, i get the sense that these people feel like any individual section of his life/the novel - orphaned in a monastery, sexually abused on the road with father luke, held captive and disabled by the doctor, being the inscrutable prodigious roommate in a group of college students, an abusive relationship in adulthood, his relationship with willem or harold - would all make fine novels on their OWN, but stringing them together in this way is too far, that's what pushes it into gratuitousness or implausibility. well to me clearly these two things are connected. kind of depressing that you could read a story that is so fixated on the conditions that make producing the narrative that you are reading possible, where the reader is identified with the other people in jude's life who are trying to access this narrative and believe achieving it is essential to their relation to this person, also in which she uses two very literal devices where this narrative appears diegetically within the novel (jude's story to willem in the closet + the testimony he leaves for harold to find after his suicide) and not connect them. in a perfect world this would be the focal point of a little life's reception to me... what does it mean to tell a complete life narrative, what does it mean or do to a subject to demand one or force one to cohere around them

[auroramoon-draws16]

Have I done this one before? I hope not

Assassin’s Creed x The Mandalorian

Dadalorian edition

DinLuke (you can keep it platonic if you want, but I’m a sucker for this ship, sorry not sorry)

Din adopts eldritch kid Desmond.

Desmond does his usual thing, aka dies, and gets isekai’d to a whole different galaxy. He doesn’t remember the full extent of his past, but he does remember shitty dad and early assassin training. (Plus ancestor memories in the form of dreams) He’s like… 6 at this point, first grader age.

He wakes up in an ancient force temple where Din was scoping out some kind of Jedi artifact for Luke, Desmond happened to be holding it when he appeared there.

Din finds Desmond and immediately goes “ah yes, a free child, mine now” but in his own way. Desmond is a nervous baby, but he eventually goes “tall scary armored man, he’s blue tho, and has food, so… friend? Friend.”

Din takes baby Desmond and the artifact back to Luke who’s grateful and fond at how sweet Din is being with both Desmond and Grogu.

Cue adorable fluff and domestic cuteness, also angst because Desmond describes how his og dad was like and they’re both just like: “yeah, no, this is our baby now, no take-backsies”

Also force shenanigans, Luke was nervous at first, due to how Desmond seemed so comfortable using the dark side of the force, but ultimately accepted how light side Desmond is about it and how calm he is, so he lets it slide.

Bonus Mand’alor Din

Murder baby Desmond taking out an assassin by himself, Din is both bamboozled and proud while Luke is very concerned but also proud. The Mandalorians adore the young heir, he’s very sweet and also efficient.

[heyitschartic]

I've seen a lot of people complain on tumblr about how Worm fanfic is nothing but altpower Taylors. It's not a complaint without merit, I've been hearing it since 2017. Hell, it's something I complain about a lot too. It's true, the fandom is filled with crappy altpowers that really add nothing. But to an extent, I always feel I should push back a little against it.

Even if I do advocate for just writing your own thing, there's a really good reason so few people do. There are a good amount of Worm fanfics out there that use original characters, niche characters, or do a wild take on the premise. Not a ton, not the majority, but a good amount.

But nobody reads them.

Rank is probably one of the best stories in the fandom. Long, filled with original charscter's, and with an interesting focus on a PRT officer working in San Fransisco. It's got an amazing scope, working from when Leviathan attacked Kyushu all the way to Gold Morning and has so many brilliant setpieces and bits of world building. It's earned its spot as one of the best, if not the best, story in the fandom.

It pulled in a paltry amount of comments and likes over the years it was being posted.

I remember when I first entered the fandom, there were already people warning new writers that, while it would be cooler if you wrote about someone other than Taylor, that you'd be getting a fraction of the views. And it sucks yeah, but it's the truth. I've seen a lot of writers over the years get discouraged because stories they love and put a lot of time into just get ten likes and maybe one comment an update. A good friend of mine will only pre-write her OC stories because the absolute lack of interest is so disheartening its caused her to just give up in the past.

And it's not like people who critique Worm Fanfics for being filled with shitty altpowers even really read this stuff. Say what you will about the Cauldron discord, but it's one of the few places I've seen people push HARD for others to read this niche weird stories, and even then there's pusback or luke warm reception. It's sad to see people talk shit about altpowers, but just not really check anything else out but that in the first place. It's just as bad as if you were only reading them.

Check out stories trying something original! Luz Mala, Rank, Agent of Cauldron, City of Bones and Teeth, Diary of a Professional Knock-off, Fault, Lend Me Your Ears, Mouse Trap, Sunspot, Nightcrawler, Raccoon Knight; and those are just the ones I can name off the top of my head! There are a lot out there waiting for you to find!!!!

And how to fix it? Well, I'm not sure if there is a fix. If anything is going to work though, at least be the change. If you aren't someone whose actively reading and commenting on new fics about OC's or similar, well, what incentive is there for people to write them? Sure, a love of just creating something might push you to post, but if you feels like you're just shouting into a void, it might feel better to just not shout at all.

If you want people to write good stories, give them a reason to actually do it.

[stuckinmymind22]

i feel like music would be a section of ace’s personality, like he loves it and listens to a lot having a wide range but mainly focuses on alt/indie loves small artists.

ace is a 5sos fan and that's final, this one is even more so based off of vibes tbfh. he also knows how to play guitar no arguing.

this is the one i had the most fun making so far and had to stop myself from adding too much (it's still over double the length of the other ones 😭)

see the other one piece playlists

songs on his playlist

well some of them

babydoll dominic fike - it just is on his playlist, song practically screams his name

f2f sza - the song's just a banger how can you not recognize it

bad omens 5SOS

st. paul's deaf havana

female robbery the neighborhood

story of another us 5SOS

starting line luke hemmings.

lost in your love coyler

505 arctic monkeys - would be on a sex playlist

panic attack halsey

i miss having sex but at least i don't want to die anymore waterparks

i knew you were trouble taylor swift

wonderless pierce the veil

me and your mama childish gambino - this song progresses beautifully and compositionally is interesting so i think he’d appreciate that a lot, probably also just likes childish gambino bc who doesn’t love donald glover

something in the way nirvana

all out of luck jet black alleycat - slightly out of his normal scope but song's a banger tbh (my bf said he’d love this song)

no good kaleo

bonus: favorite albums (in no real order)

5sos5 - 5sos

AM - arctic monkeys

the great impersonator - halsey , recognizes this for the fucking masterpiece that it is!!!!!! but probably only vibes with like half the songs

[onlygenxhere]

Logic just ruins good plans

“That’s never going to work.” Alex rolled his eyes. “Playing your mother’s book club for free is not going to get us paying gigs.”

“Stop with your logic! You’re ruining my plan!” Luke waved away Alex’s concern. “Mrs. Anderson’s son works at the biggest music store in the city and Mrs. Martin’s husband works at the Scope!”

“He works concessions.” Alex drawled.

“It’s still an in!” Luke threw his hands up in the air.

“It can’t hurt Alex.” Reggie wrapped his arm around Luke’s shoulders. “And there’ll be snacks!”

Luke snapped his fingers and pointed at Reggie. “Really good snacks.”