#a different kind of tenderness

[valeechtine]

I am going to be so fr I hate that certain sects of tumblr act as if like. Basic dietary facts are ableist. Like I understand sensory issues and samefoods bc I also have them but at the same time its an objective fact that like. You need your vitamins and nutrients. You need a vegetable or at least a multivitamin or something now and then and it isn't a personal attack for someone to tell you this. Like gout and scurvy and anemia are all very real

#Once again this is not me getting mad at fake people this post actually has like 4 different ex friends in mind #Like be a picky eater all you want but also if you are only eating chicken tenders mac n cheese and bread like #yeah dude you're gonna have anemia. thats kind of how that works idk what to tell you 😭 #chittering

[aprilblossomgirl]

Not Friends (2023) | Screenwriter & Director Ta Atta Hemwadee

There are two things I love the most. Friends and films.

#not friends #not friends movie #(not) close friends #thai movie #thai cinema #southeast asian cinema #filmedit #movieedit #filmgifs #moviegifs #*gifs #april.gifs #tw: flashing gif #this movie is such a healer #a very tender reminder that there are real people and their love of any kind behind every little piece of media. #the creators. the director. the writer. the cinematographer. the editor. the actors. the muse. the reason. the love to express. #and also. the other audience. the enjoyer. people who connect with the media regardless. might as well differently than how we do. #there's a shared space between a media. its creator. and different groups of audience. #which might not be universally agreed upon. but what about it. a shared space is still a shared space.

[maeevel]

Testing the waters with this project. Just a lil' snippet of it:

"I'm not mourning, son," Apollo decides to say. He stops playing his lyre and looks at Will intently. His son looks too much like him at times. Too little like Naomi. Perhaps that is why Apollo made him immortal all these years ago. "I've had ... a vision."

Will contemplates his words. Prophecy is not something Apollo has given on to him, and he often has little patience for the riddles of Oracles and premonitions. "What did you see?"

"A mortal." Apollo hesitates for a second. He doesn't want to understand it, even as he does. "A stranger. A girl."

"Someone you know?"

"Not at all."

Will's frown deepens. A flash of regret passes through his eyes as he says, hesitantly, carefully, "Maybe you should just ... ignore it, Dad. Let it pass. Visions come and go as they like, you've said so yourself once."

Something squeezes around Apollo's heart. He knows the core of Will's concern. When Apollo sees someone he doesn't know in his visions, someone who has probably not been born yet, it usually implies someone of importance will come his way. Someone of importance to him.

It could be an enemy. Or a companion of sorts, a friend. It could also be a lover.

Someone he could grow to have deep feelings for. Someone whose life string the Fates decided to attach to his divinity.

And that just ... it opens too many wounds, tears into too many scars that scream of laurel and hyacinth, reveals too many fears and wishes and sorrows.

"Maybe," Apollo agrees, even as his heart grows a tender hope. "Maybe."

#perpollo #featuring a darkish simp apollo #yes it will be kind of dark but in a different way than they’ll name a city after us #think of something like a grimm fairytale #but a bit tender and bittersweet #featuring god!will #and mermaid!percy

[thevenstar]

How could I ever be so unforgiving, of a heart that loves this kind? How could I think its softness too marked, when it can reach you, and hold you this tight?

I know no sensation ever stands on thin air. It needs a leading hand, a fist holding its sword, a back sustaining its wings, to make its journey begin, rise high into the sky.

And if I loved you this way, this sunshine-bright, then perhaps, that is me. It’s been me all this time.

- “I loved myself through loving you” (original poem)

#strenght is feather light strenght is not set in stone strenght is kindness strenght is how a river flows #this is a special one #the writing process for it chewed me up and spat me out a different person idk #but yeah / if you ever need evidence of how good you are / just look at how good you love #carlos is just so hard on himself sometimes #this is me grabbing his cheeks and telling him i love you i love you / you and your tender heart #tarlos #tarlosedit #carlos reyes #carlosreyesedit #tk strand #tkstrandedit #original poetry #myedits #tk x carlos #lonestaredit #911 lone star #911lonestaredit #911lsedit #911 ls #911: lone star #911 ls edit #my poetry

[tswwwit]

What would happen if instead of being hostile Other!Bill would try and see what made OG!Bill so happy with this living situation

So he tries and romance dipper, hugs him sometimes (although it grosses him out, but he realized it's nice once is a while), and just stuff he'd think OG!Bill would do.

In the end OG!Bill comes back to see Other!Bill curled up cozily under a blanket in PT's lap while PT is reading a book and PT is even petting his head softly, thinking what the fuck?? That's supposed to be me

If Bill saw Other Bill doing that with Dipper - settled comfortably in his lap, relaxed and being petted, cuddled and pampered -

He would experience white-hot, visceral jealousy. Like a shard of neutron star went right through his chest.

Killing another version of yourself, for a Bill Cipher, is very gauche. It's the reason he didn't do it to Other Bill in the first place, even though he was a total douche!

But for this, Bill will make an exception.

#answers #Bill would be surprised at his own reaction. Afterwards #In the moment he'd be too stunned. Like he'd been shot. Bullets don't matter to him but THIS matters to him a LOT #Then pure and absolute rage #It's one thing for someone to want to fuck Dipper. That just shows they have good taste! #There's thousands of beings who would *try* even if they're dumb as shit for thinking about trying #It's another thing to get *Intimate* #Even Dipper's family doesn't get this kind of treatment. That lover-level of gentle attention. Of quiet reverence #A thing Bill has never had from another lover and definitely something *Dipper* doesn't do with anyone else #The only thing Bill could make a metaphor of relating it to is a robber might steal your wallet and probably stab you. That sucks #But a *bastard* will *also* take your wedding ring and flaunt it in front of you as he forcefully kisses your husband #Bill's assumption - and he's right - is that Other Bill couldn't draw that out of Dipper without tricking him #If Dipper knew this was A Different Bill he'd be too creeped out to get into cuddles #Part of Bill - though he hasn't recognized it - really really REALLY likes that the moments of tenderness they share are ALL HIS #Does this BASTARD even KNOW what he had to go through to get even A TENTH of this and NOW HE'S HOGGING IT ALL TO HIMSELF #((Does he know that Bill had to make himself *vulnerable* in a way to get this. Does he know what he had to *say* #To even get the *beginnings* of this - he DOESN'T the ASSHOLE; there's no WAY He appreciates it other than on the PHYSICAL level)) #And then he kills him

[an-architect-of-words]

Remembering once again how much I dislike Edelgard von 3H as a character, and how I don’t think she’s a good example of morally grey writing at all and how when I was full force in this fandom, it felt like you weren’t allowed to hold that opinion. It was very “you can dislike her but admit she has good writing.” But genuinely— I have writing objections.

I low key think that Rhea is by far the best 3H/W3H ever did a morally grey character but has it been long enough to voice such a thing? Will I get pounced???

#Edelgard has inspired my own writing because I dislike how she was handled #my issue is that she’s transparent manipulation of pathos #I was starting to feel so defeated by the moe being used in place of earned tenderness #the writing was like ‘take these war crimes now she’s going to be uwu shy about her Byleth fanart and aw scary rats’ #it felt cheap #her characterization is so good in ‘Edge of Dawn’ #I wish that was stuck to more #But I just felt like they were trying to force me to like her with waifuness #plus I really found the weird political rhetoric of W3H in particular objectionable #there was this sense that people prolonging war by defending their homes were just as bad as the aggressors #good gracious me #this is not a personal attack on anyone who likes her #remember when I posted about someone telling me you can’t criticize characters people deeply love? #it was her #I’m opinionated #FE3H #fire emblem #three houses #you can’t say it’s misogyny because I like Rhea as a powerful flawed woman #her being both kind and ruthless at different moments was done well #Rhea was dumb in CF but it felt like 11th hour scrambling to make Edelgard retroactively right #fudge nuggets I’m remembering how awful it was #CF is like ‘let’s see how much we can poke people with sticks’ #and then ‘look! they hit back! proof the poking was justified!’

[yoakenouta]

guys. foca.llette is the gui.li we never had

#✦ WHEN the dawn is buried. (ooc.) #TELL ME IM WRONG #THEYRE VERY DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND HAVE DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES BUT LIKE #ITS THE ROMANTIC TRAGEDY FOR ME #these kinds of ships are so tender and break my heart so much ... i die inside

[fist-amidst-the-hands]

having stripper izzy thoughts... he has a pair of regulars who like to book a room and request him for a private show. the leather daddy looking one (ed, he's learned) always settles back against booth first, one leg extended to rest on the bench and the other bent at the knee, foot planted firmly on the floor. the colorful polished one (stede) follows and sits in his lap, getting the perfect view of izzy while his boyfriend (at least izzy assumes ed's his boyfriend at this point, they've made this a bit of a habit) gets the perfect view of him

it's not that unusual for izzy to perform for a couple, though more often he's requested for groups (friends, coworkers, strangers, sometimes he can't tell). mostly he prefers it that way - all the more satisfying when he can make everyone in the room feel like they have a personal connection with him. that's the name of the game right, to make them want and feel wanted?

but this couple... they're different in a way that pulls at izzy's gut and makes him ache. stede watches izzy with devotion and izzy's learned what makes him bite his lip, what makes his eyes flutter, and how to get his head to tilt just so. his gaze is intoxicating, full of open adoration izzy wants to drown in

while stede watches izzy, ed mostly watches stede. sometimes he's leaned in close to stede's ear, whispering words izzy can never quite make out. what he can make out are stede's reactions, expressions unrestrained and on full display for both of them. sometimes ed leans back against the wall, one hand or the other resting on stede's thigh or hip or lower back. one time izzy notices them hold hands, fingers laced together, and it makes something else in him ache. other times ed actually does watch izzy, with his chin resting on stede's shoulder and something deep, something hungry in his eyes consuming as much of him as they can

if stede's gaze is the thing he wants to drown in ed's is the thing he wants to pull him under

#he just wants to be doomed and redeemed in the same breath okay babygirl is feeling all kinds of things at work and it's hard to focus #ofmd #ofmd hc #steddyhands #izzy hands #edward teach #stede bonnet #this was my second coherent thought after waking up #the first was about sex worker izzy but that's for another post #the best way i can describe the difference between how izzy feels about each of them watching him is this: #from stede it feels like gentle tender focused worship but the kind that has an echo of a smirk to it. the kind that holds confidence and #power and dominance in its care #from ed it feels like fiery deep consuming desire. the kind of pain that leaves a spreading warmth in its wake #i'm so curious how izzy deals with this in his mind because he's damn good at his job and he knows they both like coming to see him #specifically but he has other customers like that too. maybe the difference here is that he's also fighting with wanting them too #he's so used to drawing that boundary and defining the roles of himself as the desired one. even uses it as a measure of success - if he can #be the focus of someone's attention and pull their longing in his direction he's done well and that means good money and the boost of #pride and satisfaction that comes with it #but it's his job and yeah he has regulars but it's a one way street. be desired. make them want him and keep them wanting #he's not supposed to be the one who ends up seduced #i think the first few times izzy performs for ed and stede he thinks they're hot just like he would some other customers but it's a passing #but the more they keep coming back and he gets to know them or at least gets to know what they want from him and what they respond to best #well i think it gets harder for him to stay on his side. but he will. he always will because that's the agreement. he's seen what happens #when people have crossed that line and most of the time it ends up messy for everyone involved #but i think ed and stede would want to date him. court him even #maybe one time when they come in they ask if he can just sit with them and talk for a bit and they bring it up #izzy almost gives his default response that he's married (which half the time is met with a 'so what?' anyway) but stops himself for reasons #he tries not to look at too closely. instead says something about how he doesn't sleep with customers and stede saying 'we're not asking you #to hop right in bed with us' (and ed jumping in with 'but also we're not... not asking' and stede elbowing him so ed adding 'eventually') #basically stede explaining they'd both like to get to know him outside of work and see if the three of them get along as well as he thinks

[gromlyn]

pros of being a bastard: getting to be gay

#I wanted to draw something tender and this happened #shea and aerin are actually au versions of ocs I’ve had for like 10 years #I’ve had an asoiaf au off and on for them since I first read the books in 2015 but this current version is the most developed #no matter what they always end up together. I made them at a time when I needed to believe in happy endings and I’ll stick by that #ik twoiaf is fucked up and dark but it was MY escapist fantasy as a teen and I cannot change that only embrace it #I could ramble about these two for hours #they r my specialest little guys #queerness in the au is a little different than canon #bc there’s been more targaryens there’ve been targs who’ve been gay + played with gender more openly #and got away with it by being targaryens/having dragons #so for the targs/anyone of valyrian descent being queer is kind of seen as like. ok. whatever #especially for people like aerin who’s a bastard so if anything him being queer is a bonus #asoiaf au #asoiaf oc #shea reed #aerin storm #my art #digital art #illustration #procreate #artists on tumblr

[orcelito]

Having lost my cat, my uncle, my great grandmother, my grandma's best friend (& one of the people who helped raise me), AND my dad all within the span of 9 months,

I have little sympathy for people who use deaths as an excuse to be an asshole. I get it, it sucks. Get the fuck over it. Your grief is not an excuse to treat others like shit. What the fuck.

#speculation nation #this isnt anything personal. im just reacting to a post that kind of pissed me off. #to be fair i was never close with my great grandmother so im not particularly broken up about that one #but it's still yet another death in the family within such a short period of time. #my cat is on this list bc he was the first one and it majorly fucked me up. so yeah it deserves to be here. #the others. well. my grandma's best friend makes me sad but at least she was getting up in years #my uncle and dad though. especially my dad. yea those have fucked me up the most. #im never gonna be the same after experiencing all of this in such short succession. #it sucks in a major way. and things are still continuously tumultuous. #but you dont see me lording it over people and using it as an excuse to be an asshole. #maybe i make people uncomfortable with how casually i mention it. but like whatever. it's simply my truth. #that's still just like. me just talking about what ive been up to. that kind of thing. #idk acting like someone needs to be treated with the most tender of touches after experiencing a major death #to the point where you cant even tell them when theyre being a manipulative little asshole? #i dont fucking think so! #yeah okay all grief hits different but ive pulled myself up by the bootstraps and kept my head on straight #even after i experienced death after death after death after death after Fucking Death #whats your excuse? youre Sad? we all fucking are. thats just life. #it's horrible and awful and it sucks that we have to live with this but you CANT let that affect how you treat other people!!!!! #and here i am making my own post venting about it instead of replying to the aita post that sparked this #bc the person the post was about just made me so angry to hear about. #but i am... a reasonable adult who separates themselves from situations before reacting in anger... #and so im making a tumblr post to get the emotions out instead of getting emotional at random strangers lol #anyways i actually had a pretty good day today. but in the way of grief. the smallest things can trigger moods sometimes. #but i am letting the emotions flow... here they are... i have expressed them... and i shall now release them... amen... #negative/ #i guess lol. i sure did rant enough for it.

[darabeatha]

/ Still thinking about that one scene in Paradise Lost where Adam asks Raphael if angels also make love and the text mentions how Raphael is then visibly blushing over the question but basically ends up confirming that yes, angels do that albeit differently, as there's no need of physical contact even, they can simply make that love manifest in a way a person could feel as if it's air entering their lungs

#;ooc #ooc #ITS SO FUNNY TO ME IDK #what an oddly specific angel question #but also like; what left me thinking is #imagine the purest kind of love; like a love that is of a completely different plane of existence #but still this angel wanting to comunicate this pure tenderness in a way that can somehow be comprehended #but he doesnt even need to touch ur muse like; just by tenderly looking at their eyes; they can feel in every inch of their body a #tenderness never ever felt before; like a kiss directly to every cell on ur body; every millimeter of the infinity of someone's soul- #MAN.... #-SITS STARING AT THE SEA- #there was this one myth about a guy whom his wife couldn't see #but she could feel his warmth and him embracing her; like she lit could feel his love #something like that;;; or it manifests in #getting the best sleep ever because the angel in question id guarding ur rest #AAUGHGGGGGHHHHHHHH ITS SO SWEET #i dunno if;; angels in this context can fall in love like; romantically speaking; i feel like their love would be so much more #but for the sake of writing im just imagining the situation in the cintext of falling in love romantically bc im a s.ucker for that #i think the idea of an angel just being near their beloved and filling them with pure love without even the need of any touch is so wowwww #insanityyyy #u know how I mentioned that i like the imagery of infinite things and/or things that are difficult to imagine? #its that but applied to angels now #the cosmic incomprehensible love that would prob fry ur brain so there has to be another way around it

[abrahamvanhelsings]

"And as she so sat she became aware of an aged beautiful gentleman with white hair, drawing near along the lane. [...] When they had come within speech (which was just under the maid’s eyes) the older man bowed and accosted the other with a very pretty manner of politeness."

"...but the moon shone on his face as he spoke, and the girl was pleased to watch it, it seemed to breathe such an innocent and old-world kindness of disposition, yet with something high too, as of a well-founded self-content."

can't believe the maid said gilf rights and the next moment this wonderful man gets clubbed to death. god forbid women think anything.

#writing fanfiction in my head where they share a tender kiss actually. the age difference is part of the appeal btw. #jekyll and hyde #jekyll and hyde weekly #the introduction to the chapter literally tells you a guy gets killed and i still got SO upset abt it bc he seemed so kind. #it's me. im the maid who falls a little bit in love with a random older gentleman she sees out on the street

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

[CN] Victor and MC S2 CH 31 – Part 1 (Eng Translation)

“Victor has his pride, but my pride is Victor.”

⌚Warning⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a chapter that is yet to be released on the global server. ♡

┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈

—

⊳ Let’s start with the name of the chapter, cause it’s very important:

[THE GOLDEN RULE]

“The end of time isn’t death, it’s oblivion.”

“The Golden Rule” – to put it simply – “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” i.e., treat everyone how you’d wish them to treat you, put yourself in their shoes. In short, it delivers the message of being kind, compassionate, virtuous, righteous, etc.

The chapter tagline is the callback to what Zero told Victor in CH 26. The “severe price” due to his actions of changing the outcomes is “oblivion,” i.e., his existence in this world being erased from people’s minds. If you are into MCU, it’s the Spiderman No Way Home ending, more or less—— ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ

–

–

[T/N]: I’ll be adding bullet point summaries for the parts that aren’t necessarily significant or don’t focus on Victor x MC~ (・∀・)

Link to the video: ♡

If you can, please, please, PLEASE do follow with the video!!! ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ

—

✧ [CH 31-1] ✧

IMPORTANT INFOS:

Zehn reports to MC the test results of the mechanical box: it works by transforming human energy, giving one the impression that they have become an Evolver. The continuous use of it can cause one to die from exhaustion.

MC learns that all the deteriorated Evolvers have viruses in their bodies which aggravate the deterioration and destroys the human body’s hematopoietic functions. If it’s possible find a deteriorating person who doesn’t have a blood disorder and is able to eliminate the effects of the deterioration, this might prove that an external virus caused this disease. MC locks down President Zhao through screening who seems to meet all the criteria.

–

┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈

–

✧ [CH 31-2] ✧

MC arrives at the cruise ship looking for President Zhao and gets a waiter to take her to him with her media permit.

MC knocks on the door, overhearing the hearty conversation inside. A familiar voice leaves her frozen on the spot.

She overhears Victor and President Zhao jokingly discussing a bet on “if the one wanting to kill President Zhao has appeared or the one looking for him,” seeming amiable to each other.

MC is invited inside, finding the owner of the voice she’d discerned immediately––

—

MC: Victor...!

Victor only lightly raises his eyes at the sound of my voice, as though not surprised by my appearance in the slightest. He releases a soft sigh, both of relief and helplessness.

Victor: [replying to President Zhao’s words from earlier while looking at MC]  If nothing else, she can run around all over the place.

President Zhao: Not quite, CEO Victor. At the very least, this Miss has helped you win a boat from me.

Victor: I wasn’t going to miss the boat.

President Zhao: That too, and how can be the boat as important as the safety of the Miss!

President Zhao casts a teasing smile. But Victor pays no attention to it. He stands up and walks up to me.

President Zhao: Anyway, the two of you didn’t collude beforehand, did you?

Puzzled, I’m at a loss for words. On the contrary, Victor smiles in a relaxed manner.

Victor: Naturally, I know it in my heart when it comes to what’s mine.

–

[Note]: Yes, he’s referring to MC by “mine.” It’s actually a subtle callback to S1 CH 30, likely unbeknownst to him ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ

–

┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈

–

✧ [CH 31-4] ✧

MC: Victor, I...

Victor: I’ll answer your questions in a moment, but come with me first.

–

Victor brings MC out of the room, and several bodyguards stand guard in front of President Zhao’s room. Then he leads her through a corridor (seeming very familiar with the place) and finally into a utility room:

–

MC: Victor, what are you doing here? When did you get here?

MC: Did you know I was coming? Have you also found out the particularity about President Zhao?

Victor crosses his arms over his chest, the corners of his lips rising in an imperceptible arc.

Victor: You have only four questions this time. That’s an improvement.

MC: ...actually, there’s more. Do you want to hear me ask them all in one breath or one by one?

Victor: We haven’t seen each other for a while. Your efficacy of being loquacious is getting more and more stable.

Silent, he seems helpless as to what he should do with me.

–

Victor says: He’d guessed that MC would come for the same reason he is here. MC asks: whether he’d also discovered that the abnormality of the “blood disease”.

Victor answers: The pharmaceutical companies under LFG regularly report on the market’s direction and new diseases. In the last week’s report, the prevalence of this disease exceeded 30% of Loveland’s entire Evolver population. He’d sent Goldman and BS members to look into the matter.

MC is astonished and asks how he could be sure about the abnormality by relying on just one statistic.

Victor answers: According to the data from 3 months ago, this number was zero, so it’s not a small number. Instead of waiting for someone to cause turbulence and being constricted, taking control of the matter is always the better approach.

MC enters the admiration mode and asks if he’s found President Zhao using his deduction skills too. Victor replies that President Zhao has always been LFG’s business partner, and he’s the one who invited Victor on this tour.

–

Acute perception, meticulous intellection, outstanding judgment, and a little bit of good luck––

It’s indeed the “Victor” style of handling matters.

I pout, inwardly exclaiming in admiration.

MC: So, would you like to hear how I got here?

Victor: No need. Your thoughts and methods aren’t hard to guess.

MC: ...

MC: Did it ever cross your mind – what if I couldn’t find this place?

Victor: That’s exactly what I was hoping for.

He looks at me, an imperceptible softness flickering in his gaze.

Victor: I wish you were a little dumber and a little slower.

Victor: Staying away from danger is also a good outcome.

Though the small utility room is extremely quiet, my heart can’t help but quiver softly. Part of me wants to laugh, yet part of me wants to cry at the same time.

All of a sudden, a thought charges into my mind. I promptly sweep my eyes over him from head to toe.

MC: Hold on a sec, have you been affected by the blood disease?

He doesn’t speak, his thin lips pressing together into a sharp line.

Such a silence makes my heart inexplicably panic a little. I look at him stubbornly, waiting for an answer.

After what feels like ages, Victor sighs helplessly.

Victor: I’ve also been affected by it.

Victor: But, it hasn’t reached the stage that you’ve to make the wailing at a funeral face like this.

MC: ...and you’re still making jokes!

MC: Don’t you know that if you start showing symptoms of this blood disease, you will most likely need to rely on blood transfusion to survive!

A wave of panic and anxiety rushes into my heart, my temples pounding heavily.

Victor: Why are you panicking? Aren’t I standing right in front of you just fine?

A burst of warmth abruptly comes from the back of my hand. He turns his hand over, wrapping my palm in his.

Victor: Don’t let yourself get all messed up even before the problem arises.

MC: I- I’m still very calm...

Victor: Are you sure?

In a good mood, he squeezes my palm with amusement.

Victor: Given how you were acting just now, you were about to give me a blood transfusion on the spot.

–

⊳ [ OPTION A: My blood type is A/O. I can give you blood transfusion! ]

[Trivia]: According to his official character book, Victor’s blood group is A.

When he says this, I have an epiphany and promptly straighten my lower back to show my resolve.

MC: That’s right. If anything happens, I can give you blood transfusions at any time!

MC: My blood type happens to be just right for you, and I can give you as much as you need.

–

⊳ [ OPTION B: I suddenly realized I couldn’t give him blood transfusion with my B/AB blood type. ]

When he says this, my heart thumps.

If Victor really gets to the stage of needing blood transfusions, there’s nothing I can do for him.

I can’t help but droop my shoulders in dismay.

MC: I’m afraid I don’t...

–

⊳ [ OPTION C: I’m going to check my blood type immediately! ]

When he says this, I realize I don’t know what blood type I am and bite my lower lip in vexation.

MC: I actually still don’t know what blood type I am...

MC: But don’t worry. I’ll get it checked first thing after we get back.

MC: And even if I can’t give you blood transfusions, I’ll still take good care of you!

–

Victor: Dummy.

The light filtering in through the window crashes into Victor’s eyes, making them look more luminous than ever.

Victor: If you have the time to dwell on the consequences of a problem, why not solve it beforehand?

He downplays his words as though the person affected right now isn’t himself.

And I also know very clearly that to extricate him from danger completely, the nature of this blood disease needs to be determined immediately. With this thought in mind, I steady myself.

–

SKIPPING THE DRAMA: Speeding MC’s initial intention of coming here, Victor informs that he’s already got the medical team on the cruise ship to do President Zhao’s check-up, and found out that the deterioration of Evol and the blood disease aren’t related to each other.

CONCLUSION: [Angry MC, Victor soothing her] The new external virus can not only deteriorate Evol but also cause blood disease. Currently, President Zhao is the only person who can prove these two things aren’t related and bring down the façade of the people deceiving the public with false info.

Victor adds that they have to treat President Zhao as the only one outside Loveland who has been affected because the person who is meticulous enough to scheme such a malicious plot won’t take long to find out the particularity about President Zhao.

–

Victor: If you allow yourself to leave some leeway, you will choose to compromise in extreme situations.

Victor: There is nothing wrong with preparing a way for retreat, but you need to be careful about its nature.

Victor: We are already on this ship. Should I be prepared to abandon him from the beginning?

His tone of certainty tugs at my heartstrings.

MC: Victor, you got involved in this... is it because you found out that the person entangled is President Zhao, an old acquaintance?

Victor: President Zhao is indeed a good business partner and friend.

Victor: But it’s not about him.

He blinks slowly, his serene eyes concealing their depth.

Victor: I just don’t want for things to go according to the wishes of a few that easily.

MC: Don’t want?

I subconsciously repeat his words and see the hint of an arrogant smile spreading across his face.

Victor: Yes, I don’t want.

–

┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈

–

✧ [CH 31-6] ✧

Victor: There are many ways to change the world. Evol, power, conviction, money...

Victor: From the perspective of a businessman, I focus more on how to obtain the maximum benefit in the most rational and efficient way.

Victor: However, I’m also equally concerned about what kind of tables my bargaining chips are going to land on.

Victor’s tranquil gaze descends on the sea outside the window, but it’s as though he is overlooking the entire vast ocean.

Inevitably, countless hands are constantly vying to drive the world to different faraway places.

And I should’ve realized earlier that Victor is originally supposed to be the man in charge of the chess game, the controller who influences the world with the power of ten thousand stakes.

He allows himself to blend into the night and still has the ability to tread on the night whenever he wants to.

I look fixedly at Victor in front of me, feeling the heat unceasingly crawling up my throat.

How fortunate I am that I can be next to such a person – witnessing and changing everything.

MC: So now that we’ve determined the situation of President Zhao, shouldn’t we be transferring him somewhere safe first...

Before the words are out of my mouth, a loud, muffled noise suddenly rings out beneath our feet.

Along with the violent rocking generated by the hull, I’m instantly swept up in Victor’s arms.

Victor: Things are not that simple.

–

With instructions from the broadcasts, the crew sends the panicked crowd back to their rooms.

Victor and MC go into the cockpit. The captain immediately rushes over and tells Victor that “the damage this time was in the thruster.”

While the captain fills Victor in with the details about the severe damage, MC notes that their conversation seems like they have faced similar situations before.

Upon Victor’s questioning, the captain informs something is interfering with their transmission signal with the port, and the rescue team won’t be able to get here. 

Lastly, the captain informs that a red question mark has been painted on the wall of the storage compartment.

Victor gives necessary instructions and brings MC to the deck. MC tries to do the math along the way and asks him if anyone else has found out about President Zhao, deeply anxious.

Victor confirms MC’s conjecture [with the softest of smiles. *the way this man can smile ever so tenderly in the face of death* ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ]. He says that this ship has been damaged in 3 places: the cabin, the propeller, and this time the thruster.  

MC surmises that the person doing this is likely the one behind the blood virus; they want to prevent President Zhao from going back, erase the evidence of the truth and leave no loopholes in the information released by the City Hall.

Victor adds that since the pathway of the virus hasn’t yet been detected, as soon as President Zhao returns to Loveland, he will naturally become one of the infected ones.

Responding to MC’s firm belief that “there must be a reason behind Victor doing things the way he did despite the danger”, Victor says: He’d contacted President Zhao 3 days back through satellite phone to confirm his situation. When all preparations were done to pick him up, he informed Victor about the damaged cabin. Victor sent a Teleporter Evolver to inspect, and soon afterward, he lost connection with everyone on the ship. Then, he arranged for Goldman to stay nearby with the necessary instruction. But as soon as Victor was on board, all sorts of communications were disconnected from the outside world. At this moment, this ship is stranded in a different dimension, where one can only enter, but there’s no way of going out.

Panicked to the extreme, MC realizes the “transaction” Victor mentioned is: The other party wants Victor to hand over President Zhao, or they will keep everyone on the ship trapped in this different dimension.

–

MC: ...did you assess this situation to happen beforehand?

Victor: I’m not God.

Victor: The layout of the other party is equally meticulous, and it was difficult to see all this clearly without getting on board.

Victor: But there is no such thing as a guaranteed success on this earth.

Victor: It’s precisely games like this that possess the value of winning.

His voice is exceptionally calm, as though he is the one in control of the entire situation.

??: As expected of you, CEO Victor.

Suddenly, a burst of applause rings out above our heads. I jerk my head up and see an unfamiliar figure sitting on the railing.

The man looks unbelievably robust, showing a bright but sinister smile at Victor.

In the next second, his body moves, and he abruptly turns his hand over, pressing the tip of a slender and sharp needle under Victor’s throat.

MC: VICTOR!

Victor lifts his hand to stop me from moving closer and calmly stares askance at the man in front of him.

Victor: Showing up now, that’s rather too impetuous of you.

–

┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈

–

✧ [CH 31-7] ✧

The endless waves slap against the walls of the cruise ship again and again, engulfing any nearby sounds.

My throat can’t help but tighten, and my right hand slowly probes towards the back of my waist.

??: Miss, do you think you will be able to move faster than me?

The tip of the needle gleams with a cold, warning light. I turn my anxious gaze towards Victor and see him closing his eyes at me soothingly, causing me to stiffly stop the movement of my hand.

The man sneers. With a light swipe of the needle’s tip, he forces out a thin, bloody trail across Victor’s neck.

??: Since CEO Victor has guessed my intentions hitting all the right notes, how about taking a guess at what I’m about to do next?

??: Although I have a little grudge against you, I’ll reluctantly take it easy here if you guess right.

The salty sea breeze ruffles Victor’s tie, and it curls around the long needle – akin to a tongue of fire.

Victor: I have no interest in what you want to do.

Victor: After all, what you want to do, and what you can do are two different things.

Victor raises his eyebrows gently and glances down at his cuff amusingly as if nothing has happened.

Victor: Besides, you don’t seem to be very smart.

Victor: From the very beginning, I had no intention of transacting with you.

The man gives a low laugh, his sharp gruff penetrating the air. In the next moment, a cold light flashes, and Victor’s tie is abruptly sliced into two pieces. 

??: I see you are not afraid to die.

Victor: Should I be afraid?

Victor lifts his gaze haughtily. There’s a formidable and unquestioning confidence brewing in his eyes.

Victor: Sometimes, even with a weapon in your hand, you may not be able to hurt someone.

Victor: Even if you kill me, President Zhao will still leave this cruise ship safely and complete the inspection.

Victor: And if you don’t believe me, you’re free to give it a try.

An immense sense of oppression sweeps the surrounding along with his voice, making the air seem to thin out.

A vacuous smile appears on the man’s face. He slightly deepens the tip of the needle pressed against the nape of Victor’s neck, his eyes widening malevolently.

As though thinking of something funny, he releases a low chuckle in the next moment.

??: CEO Victor, you’re so confident. It seems that we can make this boring task interesting.

??: After all, if you want to defeat the omnipotent CEO Victor, killing him is only the lowest stage of victory. Am I correct?

The blood-curdling laughter grows louder and louder. At last, he suddenly lets go of Victor, spinning the long needle in his hand and drawing two steps backward.

??: And so, our transaction begins.

??: To be precise, there should be two agendas––

??: A man and an entire ship of people. Or an entire ship and a whole city of people.

Victor’s gaze sinks, revealing a bit of scrutiny.

Victor: I’ve said before, I’m not interested in trading with you.

Victor: Because I don’t intend to hand anything to you.

??: Then let’s see if CEO Victor has the ability to stem the tides.

The man’s gaze rakes over Victor, slowly lifting a finger.

??: All right then. I’ll help myself and place the first “bargaining chip.”

In the next second, a loud bang resounds from the aft, and the deck shakes along with it, causing me to immediately grab hold of the railing.

??: Transaction begins.

As soon as these words are out of his mouth, the man’s figure disappears into the side of the ship’s wall in a flash.

MC: !

I try to chase after him but am stopped by Victor.

Victor: There’s no need to chase him. He is very familiar with this place and won’t make it easy for us to find him.

MC: But if we don’t find a way to catch him, won’t he keep leading us by the nose?

Victor: The explosion isn’t the crucial point. Rather, it’s the fact that one can only enter this ship but cannot leave.

Victor: The man just now seemed egotistical and arbitrary, but he didn’t say a word about this matter.

Victor: I suspect that this might be the work of his Evol ability.

MC: Then isn’t it all the more important that we must find him first?

The whizzing sea breeze flutters over Victor’s eyebrows, revealing that pair of cold and sharp eyes.

He doesn’t say anything, simply fixing his line of sight on one spot. I follow his gaze and find a few wisps of black smoke rising from the crevice in the aft.

Victor: [half talking to himself] The connection with the people on the ship was lost only after the explosion happened.

His sudden remark causes my eyebrows to knit together. I look at him in puzzlement.

MC: ...what?

The answer I receive is the abrupt ringing of the phone. Hearing the sound, Victor picks it up.

Victor: [on the phone]  All right, I understand.

After hanging up the phone, his eyebrows furrow lightly.

Victor: Water is starting to enter the part of the cabin, and the hull is inclining slightly.

My heart shudders. I can’t help but grasp the railing, probing my gaze downward.

The deep sea is still roiling calmly. It’s just that there is a tiny whirlpool surging at the end of the aft.

–– as if wanting to swallow us up little by little.

–

┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈┈ ◍♡◍ ┈┈

–

✧ [CH 31-9] ✧

Victor and MC rush to the cabin, only to find the passengers circling the captain in the observation deck and panicking.

MC sees the word “ONE” written on the wall in dazzling, blood-red color. Victor surmises that the man is trying to speed things up by creating panic.

Appeasing the crowd, the captain explains the dire situation to Victor – how none of the attempts to stop the leakage is working, and it’s getting bigger, and the few lifeboats they arranged kept spinning in mid-sea, so he had to send them back, etc.

After giving the captain some instructions, Victor leads MC towards President Zhao’s room––

–

Victor: What’s your take on the current situation?

Mulling it over for a moment, I shake my head.

MC: I don’t know…

MC: According to what the captain said, we are now unable to dock. We don’t have adequate food and supplies and can’t even contact for assistance.

MC: The ship will soon be out of order at this rate.

MC: Under the oppressive atmosphere of terror, there is no telling what extreme things the passengers caught up in the chaos will do.

MC: Perhaps this is the transaction that man was talking about.

MC: He wants to see whether we are willing to trade President Zhao’s life alone in exchange for the lives of everyone on this ship.

MC: But on the other hand, the people on this ship are a mere insignificant existence compared to the current situation in the entire Loveland City.

I pause. My inner perplexity is like duckweeds blanketing the surface of the water.

MC: I know I shouldn’t be weighing it like this, but I…

Seeing my miserable expression, Victor hooks the corners of his lips into a soft smile.

Victor: It’s normal to consider the trade-offs.

Victor: But the only thing you must remember is that for everyone on this ship, including President Zhao––

Victor: We are, by no means, the deciders of their lives.

His pace doesn’t slow down, his broad hand grasping the palm of my hand, and his tone is as casual as having a leisurely chat.

Victor: I once made an investment. And both parties carried out a tug of war that lasted for half a year.

Victor: At that time, I became clear about a principle.

He pauses meaningfully.

Victor: Be calm and patient, and have the courage to confront the risks.

Victor’s face doesn’t disclose any emotions, his eyes revealing a bit of chilliness.

Victor: The tug of war is all about observing who can seize the opportunity.

Victor: When you have possession of an advantage, wait for your opponent to give up their baseline a little bit.

Victor: When your capital is insufficient, stall for time, figure out the cards in your opponent’s hands, and then determine your following action.

MC: Then that man…

Victor: He is so confident that the chips are in his hands.

Victor: Therefore, he’s bound to expedite, trying to waver us.

With that said, he stops in his footsteps and reaches out, knocking lightly twice on the door in front of us before pushing it open.

–

Sitting in front of the coffee table, President Zhao tenses up his brows and constantly rubs the teacup in his hand, seemingly somewhat anxious.

When he sees us walking in, he gathers his composure, not batting an eyelid. President Zhao fixes his gaze on Victor as he walks over.

Victor: President Zhao, I’m counting on you to do just one thing.

Victor: As long as you do it, I can guarantee that we will win.

My breathing becomes a little heavier as I listen to him utter the following sentences word by word.

An oppressive silence pervades the room. President Zhao stands up several times, wanting to say something. But in the end, he simply squeezes the teacup in his hand and heaves a heavy sigh.

I hold my breath as I sit in the corner for a long time, knowing very clearly that I cannot just continue to sit idly by like this.

I must prepare myself for a future that might get worse.

I look at Victor, who is sitting quietly next to me, and stand up.

–

Passing through the stillness hanging in the air, I walk into the en-suite bathroom and close the door.

My finger pads keep rubbing against the sharp corner of my bag. I slowly take out the mechanical box.

The lustrous white streams of light shine and fade through the black chinks, but my heart is unexpectedly calm.

“The ability is obtained by transforming the energy of the human body. And the continuous use of this ability may, in turn, lead to death from exhaustion.”

Zehn’s words echo in my mind with unmistakable clarity, but this power perhaps may be the one thing that can help me solve the problem at hand.

Suddenly, a realization dawns on me. Perhaps ordinary people, too, have used the “small syringe” previously with this similar emotion, and are using the “mechanical box” now.

Perhaps even if one knows perfectly well that this is a sin, for many people, it’s a hope hanging by a thread.

My emotions are incomparably complex at this moment, an innumerable pair of eyes floating onto my horizon.

Right now, I perhaps have that identical gaze as theirs.

I want to do something, anything. Perhaps by using this ability, I can help Victor control this situation.

–– “Don’t abandon anyone.”

I draw in a deep breath. No longer giving myself the chance to have second thoughts, I press the button on the box.

Suddenly, a very brief tingling pain generates from my fingertips. But I don’t get any time to react. That burning pain rapidly diffuses in all directions, instantly spreading throughout my entire body.

The excruciating pain devours all of my willpower. I stagger uncontrollably, my body slowly sliding down the wall.

I can’t help but close my eyes, praying incessantly in my heart.

Give me a power that can help Victor.

MC: Please...

The gnawing pain gradually recedes. In my blurry vision, a word appears on my retina––

“Extraction.”

What’s that?

Along with the flickering of shimmering light, I feel some kind of foreign body sensation in the hollow of my palm–– a transparent dice lays quietly in the palm of my hand.

—

🌊 PART 2: Here!

—

#okay first of all: WU LEI! WU LEI!! WU LEI!!! the difference after being back to the recording studio!! GOBSMACKINGLY BEAUTIFUL🤲🥺 #Victor stans... your “GODDESS” of kindness-compassion-love-tenderness-righteousness is in motion again 💀🤡 #if you don’t see me throwing hands in tags as usual— 1) still NUMB + digesting everything 2) holding back till I drop the biggest bomb ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ #one thing tho– their flowing intimacy + closeness isn’t a news – but I’M FLOORED at how their hands remain clasped almost entire chapter🥺💘 #mlqc victor #mlqc li zeyan #mlqc spoilers #mr love victor #mlqc cn #mlqc #mr love queen's choice #love and producer #恋与制作人 #李泽言 #mlqc translations

[bbqhooligan]

special kind of hell for "i can fix him" girls who only want the soft core of the "him" exposed to themselves and him to stay the jaded, cold, distrusting person they met to the rest of the world idek like she wanted me to push away all my other friends and tell her "i love you" and send her "good morning" texts girl youre actively against my emotional healing

#mypost #ex wife posting #I JUST REMEMBERED how she would behave when i reported /HAPPILY/ my progress becoming a gentler and more emotionally aware #person with friends and kind and tender moments we might have and she would lose her shit jealousy. GIRL be HAPPY for ME- #i assured her again and again like "WE CALL EACH OTHER WIFE AND HUSBAND YOURE THE ONLY ONE IM SAYING I LOVE YOU TO YOURE THE MOST SPECIAL?? #no she wanted me to have no friends #ACTUALLY gonna start howling gonna start biting people when i remember her. TOXIC and not even YURI #girl. WE LIKED EACH OTHER IN DIFFERENT TIMES IN THE PAST STOP THIS MADNESS #before you tell me stop being mad at this. TEN YEARS. im TWENTY TWO. i spent HALF OF MY LIFE WITH THIS GIRL #I WILL BE TALKING ABT THIS WHEN IM 80. ONE EIGHTH OF MY LIFE SHE WILL HAVE BEEN IN. #so yeah #forever mad at my ex wife

[princefado]

thinking about these two pieces today and 1) laughing at chuchu replacing akio but 2) thinking about the way anthy's hands are positioned in each. stroking utena's hair in the first, stroking mikage's arm in the second.

#personal #idk its very tender #elevatorposting #also anthy's expression is quite different in each! #its like spot the difference but more interesting lol #utena + mikage too... #maybe its unintentional but it almost seems like utena is looking past anthy or is kind of confusing #vs. mikage who is like VERY clearly staring at mamiya and nothing else

[imadhatt3r]

I love it when people criticize cyberpunk by saying "Johnny was a horrible revolutionary! How come he claim that he cares about the people of Night City when all he cared about was himself?!" Like yes babe that's the point that the game was making, good job <3

#hatter blathers #cyberpunk 2077 #johnny silverhand #he sucks and thats the point #the game never props him up as some kind of legendary revolutionary who freed people from tyranny #he fucking sucks at everything he does and only becomes a better person by his brain being tenderized together with Vs #and through what they ho through together #people claim that this game failed at putting forth any sort of radical leftist revolutionary ideas through johnny #babe its because it wasnt trying to <3 #its like being mad that spaghetti isn't tomato soup #you cant just want a piece of media to say something and be mad that it didnt #cyberpunk 2077 said like 50 different things instead #accept it or go find some other piece of art to talk about #idk if this is controversial to say on tumblr i hope not <3