#but still wont show up on most common tests

[doebt]

I dont think i have to take one for my position but im soooo paranoid now AHHHHHHH

#I didnt even think abt it until kaylas mom mentioned it and apparently it can stay in yr system fkr like 90days #but still wont show up on most common tests #Im sure its like fine LOL

[sillyandquiteawkward]

Haiii I wrote a big essay on the Bayley family a while ago but I'm still insane about them so I'm assigning them pigeons I think they'd be based purely on vibes

Artemus – Strasser pigeon

The very reason I wanted to start this was because I was reading up on the smartest pigeons in the world, and lo and behold, it fits VERY WELL with our good (?) Doctor Bayley. Strasser pigeons are one of the most intelligent birds out there, being able to easily observe patterns and formulate extensive escape plans even under stress, with one of the websites I was reading about them in saying "From the moment they hatch, these [birds] are likely thinking about how to escape from their nest", which is just the Artemus mood ever. I like to think this bird is a side project for Dr. Bayley to relax from the Other, Bigger projects, but then he ends up attached much like every other project he does <3

Octavia – King pigeon

For Octavia I wanted to go with a primarily 'utilitarian' bird, given her workaholic tendencies and need to show off how good at working she is, and Kings perfectly fit that description because they are the show offs of the pigeon world. They can be used for racing, messaging AND for therapy, which I think would be right up Octavia's alley in terms of . Everything. She could use a fluffy feathery friend in my head and these guys are great for anything you need them to be, and also very clever if you're willing to spend some time teaching them stuff. Octavia is the kinda gal who would probably go to beauty competitions with her bird in my head (because 1 her bird is the prettiest one and 2 she would like to win thank you very much) <3

Ignatius – Lahore pigeon

I chose Lahore for Ignatius because I remember seeing you talk about once how he's the most 'successful' one out of the Bayleys despite not being as practical so to speak, and that immediately made me think about this breed of pigeons. Not only is their contrast really nice and fitting for a sleek personality like Ignatius, but they are also one of the most popular pigeon species in the world, praised for their beauty, sociability, and high adaptability rates compared to other such birds– much like Iggy is 2 me <3

Sorry for no pics im. Shy but you can look em up and tell me if I got it teehoo

omg hiiiiiii ilu. speaking of the bayleys and pigeons. they are pigeons in my wing au. ouhg this art feels so old (four years ago)

my thoughts about this is i wanted art to be a common pigeon, bc hes got that little bit of iridescence that is akin to him thinking hes hot shit. i cant remember what breed oct was, but she was just a light brown pigeon type, maybe shes not as flashy but gets stuff done. and i wanted iggy to be very very plain, but pretty in his own right as a white dove (peace love etc)

but i really like the species you picked out too!! i really like the idea that the bayleys keep pigeons, i think that pairs well with their trading company background.

i think art could get really into breeding pigeons and he would tend to the smarter breeds i think, although hes not terribly fond of cleaning up after animals. the delight of genetics could just outweigh the animal care. hed have fun drawing them too. old man sits on his clinic rooftop next to his birds when the insomnia hits but his brain wont let him Work on his science. also would pair well with the thought hed breed animal test subjects :(

i think oct would like the utility of the king pigeons, but she wouldnt bother to raise the birds herself at all. thats not in her wheelhouse to care about, but shed still call all the company birds HER birds, even if she didnt raise and care for them. she knows all their names (as a good leader should) and probably has a strong affection for just one in particular. definitely a fan of the prettiest/most useful bird of the bunch.

ooo and i really like the lahore for iggy, they kind of also just Look like him with its long feet feathers and different shape. [ignatius voice] i just think their neat (hiding how much he relates to them)! iggy would be the one to be arms deep in the flock at all times (oh to escape paperwork and management by hiding in the barn with the animals (not to mention sending off the carrier pigeons and watching them leave with a bit of yearning)

#YAY YIPPEE #octavia #doc bayley #ignatius #silly art tag

[fipindustries]

weird inchoate throughts incoming:

i noticed the way i infodump about something im deeply into tends to be a bit different from how other people do it and this might be a product of me masking, i dont know. but now a days i tend to be more reserved about this stuff than i used to be when i was younger. i try to stay away from just word vomiting everything i know and/or might find interesting about the topic, but rather try to curate the information and the way im presenting it as if i was pitching it.

rather than merely exposit im almost trying to sell the concept, im trying to make sure it has at least a shadow of the same emotional impact that it had on me when i first discovered it, im almost trying to reverse engineer the experience i had learning about the thing for the first time. so that they can GET IT, so that they can feel it in their bones what i felt, so that they can see not just what it is but WHY i care so much about it, so that they care a little bit as well and they dont think im a weirdo for talking non stop at them about something they dont care about.

im trying to get them invested

in order to do this i try to stay away from merely rapid fire exposition, this isnt an oral exam or a memorization test, this is a story that i am about to tell. i will keep firmly in mind what is merely tecnical minutia that wont contribute to selling the idea and what are the emotional keystones to get the listener hooked, i will try to cold read my audience a bit to see what tone to strike, how much energy to put into my tone, what thing to emphazise, what things to leave by the wayside.

the first thing ill keep in mind is that i will try my best to make this a conversation, which means that instead of launching on a 40 minutes long monologue, ill try to structure it as questions and answers. every time the conversation goes back to me and i launch on a fifteen minute rant about something i am directly and very pointedly adressing the question the other person asked. this helps the whole thing stay focused, structured and most important, interesting for the person listening to me. they are getting something they want from me and i get to feel smart by being able to explain whatever the other person wants to know about this vast world i hold inside of me.

there is a downside to this which is that im very dependant on the other persons full willingness to paticipate and keep the conversation going. but the upside of that is that the times it happens i know for a fact the other person is actually paying attention and interested in what i have to say

when i introduce the idea for the first time i try to reduce it to its most fundamental essntials, as quick and succint as i can make it while still communicating the very core of the concept. i try to make it concentrated and flavorful, promising depths and complexities beneath if the interlocutor is ever interested in plundering its dpths with me and if they bite, that is when the dumping starts.

a common mistake i see is people going on and on about details that are not relevant for the overall conveyance of the experience, it will just dizzy and confuse the listener trying to keep all details straight without knowing what is the main take away from it all. i will forego using too many names, opting for general labels like "this dude" or "the blue chick" or "the weird one i told you about". ill refer to previous events like "the big fuck up" or "that party" and so on and such.

i will make liberal use of hands and body gestures, ill put on a fun one-girl theatre show extravanganza, ill make voices and faces. ill re tell certain bits in a much more exagerated and overacted way because that way its a bit funnier and more engaging to listen to when coming from a person talking. ill pause, ill create dramatic tension, retell my own reactions that i had when i got to a certain part.

i will also try to highly structure the whole thing, if im about to embark on a tangent or a quick aside that is vital to get context i will make sure the listener knows this, ill put a pin on what i was saying, lay some sign boards on the ground and once we rejoin the main narrative ill make it explicit that that is what we are doing.

i have been told im really good at explaining things, i like to think is one of my talents, definetly is a thing i had a lot of practisce in. this is the first time i actually sat down to examine what is it that i do to get these results

[xtoomanytimelinesx]

Sinday asks: 10 (or the closest thing to it), 13, 15, 22, 24 (for 16... obvs)

Sinday Asks

10. Describe their expression when having an orgasm.

He can't actually reach an orgasmic level of pleasure by normal means, the most common pleasured expression that someone can get out of him is caused by controlled overheating. Android 16's eyes would be unfocused with blown pupils, mouth partially agape to draw in short breaths. Android 16 tends to look pretty out of it in moments like these. If his partner were actually able to figure out some way to help him achieve an orgasmic-like sensation, his expression could vary. It mostly depends on the situation, being able to feel any intense pleasure would always be a shock at first and result in a more dramatic o-face. Wide, watery eyes and clenched teeth with brows upturned and pulled tightly together. Fun fact: feelings of intense pleasure last as long as whatever is causing it continues, so he can feel what can be equated to a perpetual orgasm. If his partner were to decide that they wanted him to feel like this for prolonged periods of time then his expression would be more akin to what was first described but more expressive.

13. What’s their favorite sex position(s)?

16 isn't very picky, he just wants his partner to be happy. Really though, it's a 50/50 between two things. He loves being able to see his partner's face but he also loves maneuvering them himself and testing their flexibility. An easy answer would be any position that he picks to give oral since he also has a thing for giving oral. He doesn't have much in the way of pleasing his partner so he loves the fact that he can still give them pleasure through oral.

15. Tell us about their sex fantasy? Things they want to try and do, but haven’t yet.

There are a surprising number of fantasies that he has, he is someone that doesn't find sex that enjoyable unless he knows the other person well and likes them (at least to some extent). Android 16 still has a fair number of fantasies though, most of which can be blamed on Pota and unrestricted internet access introducing him to the idea of some things. There are two that he finds himself thinking about the most. Being bound and left with restricted movement while his partner is free to explore and use his body as they see fit is the most common one. Next is the result of his anxiety about not being as experienced with sex, he wants to do almost the opposite as the first with a slight change. He would make sure they are alright with it first, but he wants to feel his partner's body while they are asleep to avoid any paranoid thoughts of judgement, especially early on in a sexual partnership. He has a tendency to feel paranoid about performing well so he'd like to take some time and familiarize himself with their body.

22. How does their foreplay go down?

His usual foreplay consists of a lot of kissing and soft touches. No matter who engages first, he tries to prolong foreplay and usually ends up accidentally turning it into a long session of make outs and teasing. He likes to make sure that his partner really wants him. Now if it starts off more heated, it can become a wrestling match for dominance. He is usually very passive but in a scenario like that, he tends to attempt being more dominant. Foreplay wont last as long but it is still gonna take a considerable amount of time, he is very eager to get into sex though if someone can get him into this mood.

24. How does their afterglow look like?

The honest answer is that he is usually a mess, his hair is tossed around and his makeup is smudged or runny. He tends to be very relaxed afterwards though and it shows. 16 is also very cuddly, he knows that they need a shower and all but some aftercare comes first.

#●° asks °● #●° headcanon °● #✦ kindhearted killing machine ✦ «android 16» #he has some complicated and sometimes conflicting thoughts about sex #also i am drawing some of his o-faces and no one can stop me #●° n s f vv °●

[justindrewblaza]

To my greatest love,

Just like stars in the sky, i look at her and i see just her, shining bright within the darkness of the sky i call the world. That feeling of catching something in the corner of your eye but when i look she is there, not my imagination. That feeling of holding a light bulb or a glass cup while my mind races thinking “how much pressure can i apply before it breaks” but not wanting it to break. Its a small adrenaline rush. I feel that when I’m with her. Something very common, yet precious at the same time. She adds meaning and a different perspective of how i can enjoy life. Its hard to believe sometimes that she is here in my life and chooses to be around me, chooses to be with me. On the other hand i feel I deserve it. Like a nice car or an award. You just want to show it off. You wear it with pride. Like a good show or movie, you just cant stop thinking about or talk about. You enjoy talking about it to anyone any time of day. You look at what you have and just think” wow, this really is mine”. wether or not people agree or have their opinions about it, in the end its yours. She is mine. There is commitment involved which I’m not afraid of. I have a locker full of time, love, affection, happiness to give to her, to cover her like a thick blanket on a cold Christmas night. She is Very interesting, like you want to know more about it. Its so weird. Like walking into an unfamiliar place with an adventurous heart. All worry and danger is no longer a thought. I’d go out of my way for her. Do anything for her. To The moon and back just for her. Sail around the world just to have one last touch, one last hug, one last kiss, just for her. She is amazing, she takes my clouded mind and thoughts and just rearranges them so clear. She laughs at my jokes and she makes me tear up from laughing so hard. Her cuddles are so warming, makes feel so secure. My body always feels so relaxed when I’m with her, holding her. Just knowing that I wake up and go to bed knowing she is my girlfriend is truly a blessing. Honestly a gift I wasn’t expecting but want to keep with me forever. She is worth it. She is worth the fight. Worth the struggle and the pain. Worth the time of day. She deserves the world. She is poetry in a world thats still learning the alphabet. Between the sea, galaxy, and moon i was lucky enough to have stepped on the same land and dreamed under the same stars as her. I wont always have the words to pull her back from the dark but i will always be here to sit with her in it and take her hand or wrap my arms around her until it passes for every day of sunshine there will be a night of darkness, but i want to spend both of them with her. She is all i ever wanted love to be. I wake up each day with the belief that I’m so lucky, to have someone like her. I’ve never had someone who just cares for me like she does. Worries about me and even annoys me at times which i love but tests my patience in a funny way. When i look at her im pulled back to all the memories like a museum just for our memories. I just sit at each one, watching on repeat as the stars sparkle in her teeth when she smiles, the sun glares from her eyes so beautiful i can see the sunset in her pupils, the warmth of holding her hand, the butterflies when we kiss, and just feeling happy and safe next to her wherever we are. All myths and worries about love is debunked and removed because of her. I will most definitely look back and confidently say that she was and still is the best thing to ever happen to me. May she never steal, lie, or cheat. If she steals, then steal my sorrows away, if she lies, then lie with me every night, and if she cheats, then cheat death because i couldn’t live another day without her.

Much love, Justin

[baxndaid]

hii could i ask for like scaramouche, venti and maybe albedo cuddle fics? like short ones lol tysm

#CUDDLES

characters ; VENTI, SCARAMOUCHE, ALBEDO

prompt ; how they like to hold/cuddle you

notes/warnings ; fluff, swearing ye, emojis bc its like 12 idk, kinda crack fic?? not rlly lmfao

not me hitting 132 followers tysm !! kinda short bc this is my final year so i have a lot of studying to do ;vomit;

i. albedo

the alchemist is always indulging himself in his work, but alas, working so frequently on an icy cold mountain can get to him sometimes. which is where you come in.

normally, he would place a hand on your waist with a soft, lazy grip while reading sucose's notes about her latest tests. or, (his personal favourite) just wrapping a singular arm around you while handling brightly coloured chemicals, you being trapped in between him and his desk.

though he is a very busy man, he does try and make time for you, spending time with you and klee when he isn't preoccupied will be something he treasures. when it comes to sleeping, he just doesn't sleep 🤣👎 you have to physically drag his ass to bed while he whines about it, like shut up its 2 in the morning we all see your eyebags nerd

he isn't very clingy, so he likes facing you in bed, tenderly holding your hand while you drift off to sleep. though, we all know once you fall asleep he gets back up and finishes off his work 🙄

ii. venti

clingy asshole doesn't let go of you. you just have to live with him now, he is a extension of your very being. taking strolls with him in monstat is pretty common, his hand intertwine with yours, and his arm swinging back and forth obnoxiously while everybody looked at you with concern.

"oh? your face is red! are you bushing, my muse?"

man SHUT YO 🤬🤬🤬 he drags you everywhere, always touching you or holding your hand in anyway (if you consent, of course), and he's pretty much the same when it turns night. at this time of day he's normally extremely drunk, so your gonna have to drag him to bed where he just wraps all of his limbs around you like a koala, drunkenly murmuring and gushing about how pretty his significant other is.

you aren't going to escape from his grip 😇😇🤝 just hold him and wait for his massive hangover tomorrow !!

iii. scaramouche

stupid ass bowl cut mf doesn't know whether to show everybody that your his, or continue to act like he hates you (sometimes you think he actually does). most of the time, he hates public affection, hell, your relationship is still a secret as to not create any gossip or drama among the recruits. just because your his lover, don't think he wont go easy on you 🤨👹 he will 100% treat you just like how he treats everybody else below him. god forbid he gets jealous however. like you know his short ass is gonna stomp over there and snatch you away before childe even opens his mouth. holding your hand isn't really his thing, holding your wrist on the other hand?? hell yeah!!

when it comes to being in private, bro is a whole different person. he lets himself become vulnerable while you rub his sore shoulders from a hard days work and listen to him rant about how la signora kept making fun of him 👺

his favourite thing to do however, is to rest his head on your chest and listen to your heart beat, a reminder to him that your here with him, despite everything, and vise versa

NAVIGATION ♡

#genshin x reader #x reader #reader insert #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #xreader #genshin impact headcanons #genshin fluff #albedo #venti #venti x reader #genshin impact venti #genshin #scaramouche headcannons #scaramouche #scaramouche x reader #albedo x reader #fluff #xiao #zhongli #childe #cuddle #headcannons #oneshots #these nuts #crack fic #genshin impact scaramouche #genshin impact albedo #albedo kreideprinz #albedo genshin impact

[amor-immortalem]

You’re Important to Me part 4

Part 1 | part 2| part 3

Genre: angst/comfort

———————————————————————-

Chat: Troublemaker (affectionate)

Lucifer: Come home immediately. We need to talk.

Mammon: bout what? If its one of your shitty punishments. Think I’ll pass.

Lucifer rested his head on his desk letting out a groan. The second-born was frustrating him to no end. However, the first-born supposes he’s made him this way from everything he’s put him through. Picking up the pill bottle, he rolled it in his hand and watched as the contents slid from one side to the other. He placed them in a locked door in his desk as he thought about how they had been this close to losing yet another sibling.

A soft rapping on the office door pulled his attention back to the present.

“Enter,” he sat up straight as the guest joined him. It was Levi.

“Do you think Mammon still loves us. I-I’ve really been thinking about what’s been going on….. about our family. What if he leaves us? We lost Lilith. I-I don’t want to lose him too…” The Avatar of Envy’s voice quaked. Back when they were angels they were once close- almost even closer than the twins.

“I’m sure he does, Levi.” His response was hollow words. If Lucifer was being honest, he didn’t really know how Mammon felt about them currently. If he were the one in Mammon’s shoes, he would absolutely despise his brothers.“He’s currently refusing to come home, however. It’s likely that he knows what went on today and that’s why he broke up with the human we all know he cherishes so deeply. He didn’t want us to know.”

“I knew it! He hates us and never wants to see our faces again.”

“Leviathan, I never said that.” Lucifer’s voice was stern. “Please calm down before you throw yourself into a panic attack. He has to come home eventually, and we’ll all talk then- if not tonight then definitely tomorrow morning. For now, maybe you should go play one of your games. If you’d like I could join you to help take your mind off this whole debacle.”

Levi nodded his head slowly. “ I would appreciate that….. Actually, I had made this rpg specifically to play-test with Mammon but if you wanted to….we could play it together.”

“That’s a wonderful idea, Levi.”

Finally deciding to make his way home, Mammon pushed open the heavy doors to the house. The last thing he wanted to do was face his brothers right now. He already anticipated their reactions. The teasing and mocking that would be thrown his way- there wasn’t any escape for him now, was there? At least no one was here at the moment- that much he could be greatful for.

As he made his way up to his room, the demon made sure to avoid the places he knew his brothers would frequent at this time of night. Once there, he slipped inside and tossed the bag of clothes he had modeled in today from the top of of the stairs into the walk in closet with practiced precision. When he turned his head, he saw her small, blurry form just lying there on the couch.

“Why’re you in here? Ya got a room if your own dontcha?”

“I just….. sorry. I pushed too hard, didn’t I?” Arella’s voice sounded hurt. “It was just that I thought this might be the only place I could go and you’re brothers wouldn’t come looking for me. I’m still really angry with them. Not that they would anyway, not with how I screamed and yelled at them earlier...”

“And Lucifer didn’t kill ya on the spot? Its a miracle you’re alive after that.” He let out a chuckle. “I can’t tell if you’re incredibly brave or just plain dumb.”

“Maybe both…..” Arella sighed, “I… um… I’ll go back to my room now.” As she stood and made her up the staircase, he could feel the sadness radiating off of their pact mark.

“‘Rella, wait.” He grabbed her by the arm. “Don’t go. I don’t mind if ya stay…. We should talk about earlier, okay?”

He watched as she nodded a small frown on her face. Now that he could see her more clearly, he noticed the puffy eyes and tear tacks streaked down her cheeks. Now he just felt worse.

“I was thinkin’ real hard about this morning and I’m sorry for what I said earlier.” He started, “I don’t… I don’t really think we should break up…. I know you were just trying to help. That you were worried and scared for me.”

“I was…. Can I tell you something?“ she asks as he nods. “Seven years ago, I lost my little brother and then six months later my mother to suicide. One to cyber bullying, the other because she was so consumed with grief from the loss of a child that she saw no way to go on…. Do you know what was like….. to find their bodies? To realize you could have helped them if you had just paid attention and seen the warning signs? It still affects me to this day….They were the only blood related family I had left until I had found a new family here in the Devildom with you and your brothers. A-and then when you were saying all those things last night, I- I flashed back to the night I had found my brother but instead of him it was you and I-I-”

Mammon pulled the human tight against his chest in what could have been a bone crushing hug if he wasn’t careful and she buried her face in his chest. Her body shook with with muffled sobs.

“I’m sorry. I was running my mouth without thinking ‘bout what that might do to everyone- worst of all you….” He leaned down, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I wont say things like that ever again. No matter how I’m feelin’.

He walked her back towards the bed, letting her get in as he went to go change into some more comfortable clothes for sleeping. He joined her in bed shortly after, pulling her close as he wiped the stray tears from his cheeks. Arella moved closer so she could lay her head on his chest listening to his heartbeat, her crying reduce to quiet sniffles and hiccups by this point.

“Ya know, I think you just wasted your breath when you were yellin’ at my brothers earlier…. I think to them, I’ll just always be the family screw up. I’m already dreading the teasing I’ll get tomorrow at breakfast….”

“It had to be done, though. I think I managed to set them all straight….If you could have seen the look on their faces when I lost control of my temper and fried all the electronics in the common room or when I commanded Asmo to sit so hard he crashed face first into the floor….”

“Wait…you did what?” He quirked an eyebrow as he stared down at her before breaking into a soft laugh, “Ya really are something else, Hon, ya know that? I’ve never met someone who would fight for me like this before- who would call my brothers out on their bullshit.”

“Only because I know you don’t deserve to be treated this way…. You… you deserve good things and to be treated well by the people who you love most.” She yawned as she stretched out a little more in his embrace. “And because I love you and I would be lost if anything were to happen to you.” Her eyes were starting to slip closed.

“I love you too, babe.” The demon hummed as he started to card his fingers through her hair. As soon as he was sure she was out like a light he pressed his lips to the crown of her heard once more.

“Thank you for being here on my worst days, for being my little ray of sunshine down here in the dark.”

Once the morning came around, most of Mammon’s brothers gathered in the common room. They were awaiting the entrance of the Avatar of Greed as it was nearly breakfast time.

Lucifer had figured Mammon would be avoiding them as if they had the plague, so he instructed Beel to drag him in here by any means necessary. They all knew he was successful when they heard Mammon let out a surprised yelp and the clattering of a bowl against the floor.

“C’mon, Beel, Let me go!”

“Not until we all talk.”

“Talk? What’s there to talk about? I didn’t do nothin’ so let me go!’

Both demons soon entered the dining room as the sixth-born sat his older on the couch facing all of them, holding him down by his shoulders so Mammon couldn’t escape despite how he squirmed and tried to wiggle his way out of Beel’s grasp.

“Mammon, stop struggling.” It was a request from eldest, a chance to cooperate. “We all have some words we’d like to say to you.”

Mammon froze at that statement. Here it came: all the ridicule and teasing. He wanted to run. He was the second strongest of them, maybe if he tried hard enough, he could shake his little brother off and get away. What good would that do him though? His brothers would just corner him later anyway so maybe it was just best to get it over with now.

He looked towards his brothers’ blurry figures, a million different thoughts rushing his head. He couldn’t tell their expressions from this distance but they had to be smiling, right- ready to laugh at him any minute now. His body tensed as he braced himself for the harsh sting of their words.

“Mammon, we’re sorry,” Asmo was the first to speak up after a short moment of silence, “We love you so much even though we suck at showing it.”

“You did so much for us after we fell,- you still do a lot for us even now,” the seventh-born picked his head up from the table,“And I don’t think we ever told you how much we all appreciate it…. If it weren’t for you, I don’t even think we would still be a family… don’t forget, you’re the one who kept us all in line when Lucifer would lock himself away in his office back then.”

“I know we act like you’re just a burden to us,” Satan started, “but I think all of us would agree that life would be so boring without you here.”

“Yeah, I-I mean who else would take the time to play games with me when I’m down in the dumps?” Levi asked.

“Or risk getting strung up from the chandelier to get me the food that I want from the human world?” Beel cut in.

“Or compliment me on my outfit or hair no matter what form I choose to take for the day. Or is always there to hype me up when I’m having a bad day? Hell, you even gave up the position of DevilStyle’s cover model just for me! Honestly I think you might be the best big brother out there.”

“We know about all the things you’ve done in secret for us- the things you don’t take credit for,” Lucifer smiled softly, “I’m proud to call you my brother for that. We love you and while you may make some poor life choices from time to time, our lives just wouldn’t be the same without you.”

Mammon looks at them in a daze. Was this really happening? His brothers were…. Apologizing? To him of all people? This had to be a dream. There was no reality in which his brothers really cared about him. The second-born pinched the skin on his arm. That’s what you did to check if you were dreaming, right?

Harder, harder he pinched until the spot was sure to bruise. It wasn’t until Beelzebub placed his hand over his that Mammon realized he wasn’t dreaming. This was reality.

Tears welled in his eyes as he processed the words he just heard. One tear fell down his cheek soon followed by another then another until eventually the demon let out a sob.

“Th-This ain’t real! It ain’t!” The second-born yelled, his body shaking as he sobbed harder. “I’m still dreamin’. I-I gotta be! None of this is real…”

His brothers moved to embrace him- first the sixth-born, then the eldest and then the youngest. One by one, the rest of their brothers followed suit until the seven of them all somehow managed to end up on the floor in one giant cuddle pile, his face pressed into Lucifers as they allowed their brother to cry out all the tears he’d been bottling up for all these centuries.

It seemed they were going to be there a while- Good thing Lucifer had called Diavolo to tell him they wouldn’t be attending RAD today. That this was a more important matter to attend to.

“This stops today, Lucifer announced to his siblings once Mammon had stopped crying. “From today on, the six of us will make a conscious effort to change the ways we’ve talk to and treated you.”

“And if we get too out of hand, feel free to put us in our place,” Belphegor chuckled. “We can be blockheads from time to time.”

“The point is,” Asmodeus sighed as he hugged his brother a little tighter, “We all messed up big time. We just want to make you feel loved and appreciated again- like you’re an important part of this family.”

“We lost Lilith.” It was Beel’s turn to speak. “We’re not losing you too.”

Mammon smiled at his brothers’ words. Finally, he had thought, finally they were showing their true feelings to him after all these centuries.

“Thanks guys…..” the demon’s voice sounded cracked and strained from all the crying he had done earlier. “Even after everything that’s happened I wouldn’t trade y’all for the world. I love you guys.”

A chorus of ‘I love you too’s sounded from the group of demons as another family hug commenced. Eventually, as hours passed, one by one, they had all fallen asleep, each with a smile on their face and still huddled together.

Arella eventually found them in that state. With a soft smile she grabbed the blanket they often used for movie night and draped it over them heading back to her room so she wouldn’t disturb them.

———————————————————————-

Taglist: @gallantys

Masterlist 2

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me swd #obey me! shall we date? #obey me angst #obey me mammon #obey me lucifer #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me oc #arella #mammon angst #lucifer angst #leviathan angst #satan angst #asmodeus angst #beelzebub angst #belphegor angst

[bittydragon]

The Ant King

Note: Huge thanks to Bittydragon for inspiring me to write this. I’ll be honest, this is the first fic I've ever actually written, as well as the only piece of creative fiction I've written in like two years so… fingers crossed it goes well hahaha.

TW: tight spaces, darkness, uh,,, bugs i guess. Near death experience

  There are things you have to know about ants when you get an ant farm. Basic fundamentals. What to feed them, how to keep them alive, what type of ants you have, etcetera. Even if your intentions were… torturous. After all, you need to know what makes something tick in order to make it stop.

One of the more common facts about ants is that every colony has a queen. She orders her ants to keep her alive so she can make more ants. Simple biology, the continuation of a species. Every nest has a queen, or it dies.

Apparently, this colony didn’t get the memo.

These thoughts buzzed in grumpy circles around Wilbur's’ head as he followed his ant companion, Tommy, deeper into the ant-farm. They had been wandering these tunnels for what felt like days now, in the center of the farm so there were no glass barriers to show the outside world. They were deep too. Almost at the bottom of the compound. Wilbur was not one to show fear, but even he was beginning to get claustrophobic.

Tommy, who up until now had been jabbering like a toddler the whole trip through the ant-farm had also gone uncharacteristically silent. The whole trip Wilbur had wanted nothing more than a few seconds of quiet from him, but now he missed the carefree noise.

They were on their way to see the ant King. A type of ant that, as far as Wilbur knew, didn’t exist. So either they were on a wild goose chase, or Will was way out of his depth.

The further they went, the more he was convinced it was the latter.

“Tommy do you-” Wilbur paused, his echoing voice in the tunnel almost felt like a taboo. An affront to the maddening silence that stalked them. He lowered his voice.

“Do you think… Will I ever get back to normal? Will the ant king change me back?” He hated that little quiver in his voice. He hated the uncertainty. The waiting.

Tommy continued to march forward silently, pondering the question.

“I dunno big man, I think you’ve changed heaps since you got here.” He turned his head to flash Wilbur a grin “Then you’ll be out there and all nice n shit. It’ll be poggers.”

The tunnel was dark, but not dark enough to hide the flash of uncertainty in Tommy’s eyes.

Wilbur's heart sank. “Thanks mate.” He mumbled, and they trekked on, once more in silence.

  By the time they saw light, it felt like they had been walking for days. Wilbur was almost glad he was about to meet possibly one of the most powerful ants in this colony. They rounded one last bend, and they were there.

Before them stood a huge double door set in the wall. Two vines with some kind of glowing fruit framed the door, shedding light on the small space. In front of the door, leaning on a spear made from a twig was another ant with a pair of large white rimmed goggles. 

“Well… This is it I guess.” Wilbur muttered. He cleared his throat “Hey, um. I-i’m here to have an audience with the King? If that's alright.”

The guard ant didn’t respond, continuing to stare at them with no discernible expression.

“H-hello?” Wilbur glanced at Tommy, who shrugged.

“Excuse me? Anyone home?” Wilbur snapped his fingers in front of the ant's face.

He seemed to startle slightly, before slumping down a bit and letting out a loud snore.

“What the fuck” Tommy said.

Before anyone could do much of anything, one of the massive double doors creaked open and a voice came through.

“George, I swear if you fell asleep again, I'm going to rip off your antenna and use them as- oh.”

Another ant entered the room, this one also carried a twig-spear and had a strip of white cloth tied around his forehead.  As soon as his gaze landed on Wilbur, his expression soured.

If looks could kill… Wilbur thought nervously

“It’s you” The new ant spat “Took your sweet time getting here Soot. Earthquake slow you down? Didja get a taste of your own medicine from your big pals out there?”

Wilbur pursed his lips, and the ant snorted. “Yeah. Thought so.” He walked forward and gave George a hard shove, sending the other ant sprawling with a startled yelp.

“Sapnap what the hell?!” He snapped, before spotting Wilbur and Tommy. “Oh hey. That guy is here.”

“Yeah he’s here, idiot.” Sapnap smacked George over the head with his spear “And we would have known a lot sooner if you hadn't fallen asleep on duty again!”

“OW! Sapnap stop! Get off me!”

Wilbur cleared his throat, drawing their attention “Sorry to interrupt, but me and my friend have been walking for a long, long time, so could we please have an audience with the King?”

Subpoena glared “Yeah. He’s waiting for you. Against my advice, he wants to see you.”

Oh. That… didn’t sound great.

Wilbur tried not to think about the implications of that statement as he approached the double doors. Tommy moved to follow, but was stopped by the guards.

“Hey!” He groused “Let me through dickheads!”

“I'm afraid the King only wants an audience with the great and powerful Wilbur Soot” Sapnap said with a smirk.

“But I want to go too! Let me in! You stupid ugly bitch ill fight you! You may have a fancy stick but just wait until I pull out my knife-gun!”

“Tommy its fine.” Wilbur interrupted “I’ll be fine mate, promise. Just wait here. I wont leave without saying goodbye.”

The last thing he saw was Tommy’s antenna drooping sadly, before the doors swung closed behind him.

  If Wilbur thought the tunnel was dark before, that was nothing compared to the room he was in now. The darkness was so thick, so absolute, that it made no difference if his eyes were open or closed.

“Hello?” Wilbur called “Uh… your majesty? I was told that you wanted to see me.”

His voice echoed slightly in the huge space, but there was no reply.

Wait. What was that? Something rasped ever so slowly across the opposite wall. Something big. As it moved, the moss where it had been standing glowed a dull green.

Bio-luminescence Wilbur reasoned. Trying to distract himself from the fear creeping up his spine. Touch activated, it seems.

He swallowed dryly “L-look, just tell me what you want. I’m not here to cause trouble”

The thing moved again, its raspy scuttle reverberated through the chamber.

“Wilbur Soot, not here to cause any trouble” A thoughtful voice hummed from the dark “Now that’s a first.”

The bio-luminescent moss was lighting up more of the room. If he squinted, Wilbur could make out a... leg. Probably.

Wilbur inches slowly to the side, the moss lighting up his own path. “Okay, I get it, I've done morally questionable things in the past, but I've learned a lot from my time here. I’m sorry.”

“For now” The voice replied. The thing was moving on the other side, matching him step for step. “What's to say you aren't faking remorse to get out of here? And maybe you really are sorry. How can I be sure you wont change your mind the second you're back to normal? It's too much of a risk.”

Wilbur continued to back away nervously “Your majesty-”

“Please, call me Dream. Everyone else does.”

“Right… Dream. I can say with 100% certainty that won't happen. I've seen people die in front of me. That’s enough to change anyone's stance on something.”

“And yet I'm still not convinced.” It was moving faster now, scuttling across the floor, walls and even across the ceiling. Wilbur's head spun with the motion. “And since we’re talking in hypotheticals, riddle me this: Whoever said I was going to let you out anyway? What if I just like to play with my food?”

Dream stopped suddenly, rearing over Wilbur, and with all of the lit up moss, he got his first proper look.

This ant was huge. Twice- no, at least three times the size of Wilbur himself. He looked a bit like a centaur, with a human torso connected to a pure white and thorax and abdomen.He also wore a strange white mask with a blank eyed smiley face drawn on.

Two huge claw arms- similar to those of a praying mantis- extended from Dreams waist and slammed into the dirt either side of Wilbur, startling him enough that he fell onto his ass. The king leaned forward with that lifeless grin, and Will closed his eyes, preparing for the end.

“But…” Dream said thoughtfully “A proper experiment should account and test for all variables, shouldn't it?”

“Y-yeah generally” Wilbur stuttered

“Oh good.” Dream hoisted him roughly to his feet. “I’m glad I asked you. After all, you know all about experiments, don’t you?”

Wilbur chose not to answer, glowering at Dream as the eyes on his mask briefly glowed a dull green.

A moment later, Sapnap and George marched in, dragging a cussing and struggling Tommy behind them.

“YOU STUPID MOTHEFUCKERS!!! Let me go or ill get married in rage!! Fuck you and-! Oh. wow that is a big fella.” Tommy stopped and stared in awe at Dream

“Sapnap, give Wilbur your spear.” Dream ordered.

A flicker of doubt crossed Sapnaps face but he obediently shoved the spear into Wilbur's hands.

“I’ll make you a deal, Wilbur Soot.” Dream purred, circling him. “I will let you go to your old life. You can do whatever you like; kill us, torment us, throw us away… it doesn't matter. All you have to do is kill one ant.” He gestured to Tommy.

“What?” Wilbur whispered.

“WHAT?!” Tommy roared “fuck you! I'm not your dumb-ass pawn, I'm going to kill you! Rrrrrrrrrrr!” he writhed, attempting to bite George who did a surprisingly good job of holding him still.

“Go on.” Dream cooed “It's just one insignificant ant standing between you and freedom. You've killed hundreds. What's one more?”

Spear in hand, Wilbur took a hesitant step forward.

Tommy's gaze snapped up “Wilby?” He asked, his struggling pausing for a moment.

Their eyes met, fear clashing with sorrow. Tommy seemed to see something in Wilbur's expression and hung his head in defeat. As if he had expected Wilbur to betray him.

Oh hell no. Fuck that. Wilbur angrily tossed the spear aside.

“No. I won't.”

“What?” Dream spat

Wilbur rounded on him “No! I won't kill him! Keep me here, kill me, hunt me for sport, whatever! Just leave him out of this! Tommy has been nothing but nice to me since I met him, even though it don't deserve it!” He rubbed his arm. “God knows I don't deserve it.”

“Hmm…” Dream hummed “Are you sure, even if it costs you your life?” One of Dream's massive claw arms grazed his side, a subtle threat.

Wilbur looked over at Tommy, who had a look of hope on his face.

“Yeah.” Will smiled, “I'm sure.”

I probably could have written more, but i wont. I hope you like this fic bitty! Thanks for reading :)

Edit: Fortune, this is amazing! Like, I hadn't really thought about this encounter in a lot of detail, but I honestly like this a lot! And Dream being a big boy since he's the king ant. Just yes. Thank you so much for this.

#submission #fan work #tiny!tommy #tiny!wilbur #tiny!dream #tiny!sapnap #tiny!george #giant!dream? #maybe? #mcyt gt #thank you again! #betmyfortune

[insomniacinserts]

Biology 1

mark hunter x male reader

words- 1621

unedited, not requested.

A/N i hope to turn this into a series. but i am lazy and unreliable so we’ll see how this goes :) enjoy this very awkward first interaction between mark and his future bf. i will hopefully comeback and edit this someday but there shouldn't be anything too bad besides improper grammar, run on sentences, lowercase i’s,  and many many commas. but if there's anything horrific don't be afraid to point it out to me as i will correct it right away.

Descript: marks got a crush on the reader, reader wants to hang out and get to know mark while battling feelings and heteronormativity (god that's a big word) 

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The dull ache in my skull thumped harder and harder as the teacher droned on about something to do with genetics. I look to the clock and rub harshly at the bridge of my nose desperate to get the pain out of my head but reading that i still had under half an hour left of the class (according to the busted clock on the wall) only made my head pound harder, my eyes flick from the clock to the board where the teacher had turned around and was slowly drawing some diagram on the chalkboard behind him, i shake my head just as something glints out of the corner of my eye looking over my shoulder i lock eyes with a kid i had seen around school grounds from time to time, he was looking at me with a far off glint in his eye and a small hue of red covering his ears. I lifted up my hand and did a little wave to him paired with a small smile, the sun must have reflected off his glasses when he turned his head and the light caught my eye. As if someone shocked the kid he snapped back with a flinch, the blush on his ears covering over his cheeks he offered an awkward smile and ducked his head to scratch at his neck “is something more interesting than my lesson Mr. L/N?” I swiveled my head to look at the teacher “no sir. Sorry sir it won't happen again. I'm all ears'' i smiled brightly at the man as he rolled his eyes and the other classmates snickers in the background, i wait for the teacher to turn back around before risking a glance at the kid who i caught looking at me earlier to find him still in the same position; head bowed with his hand rubbing at the back of his neck.

I watched as his glasses slipped down his nose and his soft looking hand leave his neck to push them back up only after doing so did he look up, his flush was gone but when he caught my eyes again it came back full force and his eyes widened i couldn't help the small amused smile that spread on my face i could only bite the inside of my cheek to stop it from turning into a grin, the poor kid looked like a deer caught in headlights, and when he clocked the smile on my face he pursed his lips into a tight line and looked over my head to the clock, i swiftly ducked to peak at the clock as well and gathered my book and notebook as the bell rung. I was gonna talk to this kid, he was too cute not to.

I turn back around to see him taking his sweet time in gathering his stuff “last class of the day? Or do you participate in the clubs?” I got up and (hopefully) smoothly walked toward him “I'm not in any clubs.” his voice was quiet and cut off at the end “what do you do after school anyway?” he pushed past me and left the classroom subtly giving me time to follow “i usually go home” i bob my head “yeah not much to do around here without friends. You got any friends?” he shook his head tugging the strap of his bag as we got closer to what i assumed was his locker “oh no way” he flinched at my enthusiasm when we reached his locker (to be fair i didn't use my ‘inside voice’ and shouted a bit so I can't blame him) “dude sick! Its like destiny or something.” he gave me a quizzical look as i moved around him and down a few lockers “your 187. And I'm 184! See this is my locker” i waited until he was close enough to me to unlock my locker and fling it open he hummed quietly and brushed his fingers over some of the tapes i kept in my locker “you listen to the beastie boys?” he’d tugged a flashy tape out of the collection and thumbed over the colorful scribbles on the case and the clearly scrawled title “uh yeah a little, I like a lot of music” he nods and puts it back and steps away from my locker letting me close it “so you can call me Y/N and i can call you?” his face heated up “mark” he turned to walk down the hallway “so.. Mark.” he pushed his glasses up and looked over at me “you've got no friends. You're not in any clubs. You go home everyday after school. You listen to the beastie boys. I think it's safe to say I'm your friend now, don't you agree?” he bit his lip and nodded'' I guess” he smiled when I fist pumped the air “sweet! So, need a ride home, friend?” I grinned at him as the flush on his cheeks grew to a bright cherry red “uh. Ok '' I bobbed my head and skipped ahead of him to push the door open and hold it open for him “uh its that one over there, the red convertible” he nodded and clutched the straps of his backpack closer to his chest. “Common I'm not gonna kill you or anything. Get in” I opened the door for him before jumping into the driver seat, he awkwardly runs his palms over his jeans and gets into the car with his bag on his lap “so where's your place?” I started up the car and looked over to him before settling my hand behind his head on the headrest and looking over my shoulder to back out and exit the school's parking lot “uh it's just down past there. I'll tell you when we get there” i nod and flick on the radio before i can think into the sharp pang in my chest.

“Here it's here.” he points to a quaint looking house, clearly cozy but looked to be empty “parents gone?” I pull into his driveway and park the car. “Yeah, they'll be home in a bit” he gets out of the car and makes his way to the porch before stopping and looking back at  me. I smile and wave at him before going to switch the car out of park and into reverse “wait! Wait a second” he waves for me to stop and comes up to the car “turn it off” he motions to the radio and i turn it as well as the car off “something wrong?” he shakes his head “since we're friends and all. You wanna come in?” this time my face heated up, i pulled the keys out of the ignition and shoved them into my pocket before exiting the car and following him up his porch and into his house, “wow. You've got a nice place here man.” he stops awkwardly in front of me and rubs the back of his neck before making his way to the kitchen to grab two of his dad's beers from the fridge “you drink?” he holds out the can and i take it with a small smile “only on special occasions” the remark forces a flush onto his face and he leads me to a door and down some stairs “this is my room” I nod and look around occasionally thumbing at some of the boosters on his walls and running my fingers over his couch when i pass it “your room is sick man, my parents wont let me hang anything up in mine. I'm lucky they let me have the typewriter I got a while back.” he seems to perk up at the mention of a typewriter if I had half the confidence id call him cute flat out but god knows I don't want to fuck up whatever the fuck is going on right now “you write” I cracked open the beer and held it up to my lips peering at him over the edge before taking a sip “no. not really anymore. Why” he shrugs and bows his head letting his hand come up to rub at his neck I'm starting to think it was a nervous habit instead of a bashful one “I write some. My English teacher thinks I should enroll in a club. Says I've got a talent or something” I not and look at him closer, his shoulders seemed to tense and then relax as he was thinking “you should show me some” he looks up with the same expression I saw in class; his cheeks red eyes wide and eyebrows raised to his hairline “I mean. I might not write some but I do read. A lot” I finish sheepishly and shrug “you seemed to like my typewriter when I mentioned it. So I'll make you a deal.” I slowly stepped a little closer to him, testing his reaction. When he didn't back away I stepped some closer “what.” he stopped to clear his throat “what's the deal?” I grin and nod. “I'll give you two weeks.” I hold two of my fingers up failing to hold back a snicker when he looks at me confused “two weeks. To write the most extravagant thing I have ever read. And if I like it, I'll let you use my typewriter whenever you want.” I set the can down on his desk and wipe the condensation off on my jeans, he brings his hand back up to his neck and shakes his head “I don't think ill be able to write anything that good.” I huff and shake my head “not with that attitude you cant.” 

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like this work? wanna support me? you can send me a tip on ko-fi over here :)

#pump up the volume #mark hunter #pump up the volume mark #mark hunter x male reader #mark hunter x reader #pump up the volume x male reader #pump up the volume x reader #mark hunter is gay and trans #i dont make the rules #Y/N is bio male #and gay #kind of #. #this is the most talkitive ive been in tags #writers block really takes it outta you #i should stop stalling and post this now

[anonymousbaev]

Hi! Could I request a platonic headcanon, where the RFA+Saeran finding out that the MC is a teenager? Have a nice day!

RFA+Saeran teen MC

Hello! Thank you, sorry late upload... (っ; ‸ ; ς)

☆Yoosung☆

“...”

“?”

“MC is a... teen?!?”

Pure chaos would be running around his mind, Yoosung never imagined you to be so young.

He would definitely hold a grudge against Seven and V, they knew your age after a background check, and still dragged you into this.

As for your bond with Yoosung, nothing would change.

Yoosung still wants to protect you, maybe even more now and you’re still a important person to him. 

Your kind words touched his heart, helped him out a state of depression and taught him the proper way to grieve over a lost loved one.

He would never nag you to study, he knows how annoying that is.

But he would nag you to eat well and sleep early, “The more younger you are, the better you should take care of yourself!!!”

☕️ Jaehee ☕️ 

“?”

Jaehee kind of just assumed you were around your twenties.

No, actually she never thought of your age, or even tried to guess it. 

But this... wow this was unexpected.

At first, she might act a bit awkward around you, a couple typos here and there. 

She means no offense, and she’s in no way offended. The woman is a bit shocked and needs some time to get used to it.

It would take her a while, but she would. After all, you’re a big inspiration to her and age wasn’t going to change that.

Though, she would basically turn into a mom and take care of you. But caring for others has always been a big part of her personality.

Like you told her to do so, she would tell you to chase your dreams.

🎤 Zen 🎤 

“WhAt?”

(Zen’s surprised emoji)

Zen would flip out at first, but he’ll manage to calm down and compose himself.

He would be even more protective and caring of you, if that’s possible.

You’re still the amazing person that trusted him though everything.

He wants to do the same for you, he would persuade you to follow your dreams.

He would make sure your school life is good and nobody is making fun of you, overall he wants to be someone you feel like you can lean on, a supportive adult figure he never had in his life.

Now Zen has two people to nag on, and you definitely agree with Yoosung, Seven should make a mute feature.

♛ Jumin ♛ 

“...?”

He’s shocked, but this man is perfectly skilled in remaining calm in the most difficult situations.

He takes care of you in his own way.

And he has to admit, he’s impressed with your maturity from such a young age.

Now, you have one of the biggest age gap with Jumin in the RFA but you would get along with him, fine.

I imagine you to help him explore new “youngster” or “commoner” stuff and he would find it surprisingly fun to do.

You’re basically his adored little sister, he would spoil you.

Jumin would tell you that studying and entering a good college is important.

He might even look forward to taking you in as a new employ for the company when you’re older.

Of course, he wouldn’t force you into it if you show interest for something else. But the spot’s always opened for you.

👓 Saeyoung 👓 

“...”

He would be completely worried for you at first. He’s concerned that you got tangled up in a dangerous place like the RFA from a young age.

He feels hesitant, Seven would carefully watch you and wont let anything happen to you.

Other than that, he would love teasing you for being young, and especially takes pleasure in nagging you like an old man.

Seven is a known genius, a great tutor. Although he gets a bit childish and makes you practically drown him with compliments till he finally agrees.

He probably drops you off to school in one of his babies, whether you like it or not.

Study sessions with Seven are always fun, half of the times it’s just a war of pranks.

He will seriously help you out if you have a test sometime soon.

♧ Jihyun ♧ 

(No chat)

He would be flustered at first, but he’ll be able to calm down.

He’s hesitant to make you join the RFA at first.

But he will go all lengths to promise your safety to the return of your family with not a single hair touched.

When all danger is gone, I imagine him to be a generous dad everyone wants.

V will really allow you to do anything, and if you happen to take an interest towards art or photography... man is more than happy to teach you the beauty of art.

🌚 Saeran 🌚 

Saeran would feel more than guilty for allowing a young teen like you to get involved with dangerous stuff.

And your kind and caring attitude just doubles the guilt...

Aside from that, Saeran would be a big brother.

He wouldn’t really care if you don’t study, if you complain about how hard it is, “Why don’t you just not do it then?”

“Because it doesn’t work like that”

He does want you to do well in school though, and pursue dreams when you get older.

If someone is messing with you at school he’s more than ready to break some bones.

When you hang out with him after school, he always brings you to get some ice cream.

Expect cursed stomach aches the next day from eating so much.

#mysme #mystic messenger #mysme headcanons #mystic messenger headcanons #mm #mm headcanons #mm seven #mm v #mm jumin #mm yoosung #mm zen #mm jaehee #mm saeran #mysme zen #mysme jaehee #mysme yoosung #mysme seven #mysme jihyun #mysme saeran

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

HASO, “The Plan.”

Getting excited for tomorrow. I have had this idea for a while and am pleased to be able to execute it. Building up to something good :)

Dr. Krill, Adam, and Dr. Katie stood in the low ceilinged Vrul council chamber at the center of the city. The entire room was as Adam had remembered it, with large glass windows looking out at all 360 degrees of the city. At one point he had assumed it was just the selfish desire of the ruling class to look down on the citizens, but as he looked, he could now see that there was some utility to the tower, almost a watch tower over the city. The canals and structure of the city itself could be sectioned off if there was ever an emergency, cut like a pie into triangular sections that could be excluded from the force shield if it was ever needed. 

As soon as their historian had put forward her hypothesis, the Vrul council had been called to order, and a few other GA members were now sitting in on the meeting remotely. They would have come themselves, but upon hearing about the horrible creatures that were, even now, clawing at their walls, the council had ordered the shield sup for what must have been the first time in millennia.

Luckily for them, they had never let the shields fall into disrepair, and as he looked out the window he could see the shimmering blue purple nexus of power glistening in the sky above them.

It worried him thinking that the ancient Vrul had deemed it necessary to have a force field that went into the sky as well. Dr. Kell had had a ruptured helium sack when they brought him in, but that gave the assumption that, perhaps, he would still have been able to float in his infected state, which was not something that bare thinking about, though it WAS an important item to consider.

“Yes, all the evidence does seem to point to that.” The counselor said, their head turned towards the GA chairwoman as they spoke, “We have contacted the other cities along the central line and they report their cities are built in much the same way. Satellite imaging shows clusters of…. The nesting sights all over the world, though their greatest cluster happens to be around our city. If each circle has approximately seven of the creatures burrowed below it, we estimate about 49,000 of the creatures possibly burrowed below our landscape. The animals in the area seem to know to steer clear of the nesting sites. The larger animals have moved in great migrations towards the poles where there are few of the nesting sites, and the animals who have a lighter step are prone to avoiding the circle when they can. Zoomed in pictures DO show the occasional skeletalized remains of some creature or another, but it is hard to tell what they died from.

The GA chairwoman was nodding, “So you believe that the cities were built for a different reason than originally thought.”

There was a pause and then the council nodded, “Yes, it seems likely that Vrul lived in open cities before the outbreak began and then built the city in defense against the creatures. The Deltas, we have found are the main spreading vector, since they are stronger and faster, they are more mobile, but the disease affects everyone similarly causing acute aggression and infected pustules filled with sores that rupture and spread a cloud into the air.”

Dr. Krill stepped forward just then to cut into the conversation, “Dr. Katie and I have examined the infection under controlled conditions, and it is clearly a disease that originated on this planet. It does not have the structures you would assume from a viral or bacterial infection common on worlds where the creatures are more animal than plant. In this case the subject does seem primarily interested in infecting our species. The disease is transmissible primarily through respiration where the spores enter the body and into the lungs, as it were, where they are dissolved and the toxin spreads directly through to the brain. It will then destroy most of the decision making and memory centers of the cortex, amp up aggression, and then start germinating more spores in those packets that we have seen.”

“So it isn’t contagious to other species.” The Chair woman asked 

Krill shook his head, “I did not say that.  While it is a disease that is meant for plant-like liforms, any creature with lungs similar to ours are also under direct fire of infection. Humans for example send blood directly to their brain from the lungs, and have cortical centers that are generally analogous to our own. Of course, humans have the blood brain barrier that would be much less likely to allow that to happen, so I don’t see a mental breakdown as part of its affect on humans, but I do imagine they could develop sores that could burst and be contagious.”

“I see, than what is your plan?”

Another of the council members took the moment to step forward, “Clearly we restrict movement outside the city. It worked for us for four thousand years and it shall work for the next four thousand years.”

There was a murmur of agreement around them before.

“You’re not fucking serious.”

There was a pause as the entire council chamber turned to look at him, Admiral vir standing just before the window and staring down at the city.

The human looked on in absolute consternation.

“Do you have a problem with that, human.”

Admiral Vir drew himself up, “Damn straight I have a problem with that. You have an opportunity to take your planet back. You have all the weapons and all the allies in the galaxy and you won’t even fight for your own planet. Living in your air tight cities and using it as an excuse to bring down even greater restrictions on a group of people who have never known any sort of freedom before.”

“Watch your ton-” “No, I am not one of your citizens, and I won’t be silenced for my opinion. At the end of the day it IS your decision, but you have to understand. The Vrul home planet is one of the greatest sources we have of natural gas and yet Vrul economic power is at an all time low, and that is because the group of you wont leave your cities to harvest it. Now we learn that there is a reason, a stoppable reason, and you just want to sit here and do nothing about it always watched by the fear of what if something happens, what if one of them gets in somehow, what if the strain changes, what if what if what if.” He looked around the room, “not to mention that if you took control of these things, you would be able to expand your cities, which would mean no more termination orders for those who are deemed, by the government mind you, to be useless.” he gave a very pointed look at Krill, “You would have had the doctor dead if it wasn’t for my intervention, and then as soon as something went wrong you called him back. I think that is a perfect example on how this system just isn’t working.”

The Vrul council stared at him, and it was pretty clear that they weren’t a fan of the words coming out of his mouth. There was one problem though, there were other citizens in the room than weren’t going to keep their mouths shut. There was Krill of course, who they had already discredited, but the Admiral had waited for the perfect opening, the the psychologist was there, the historian and more than a few other assistants, who he could see were Betas.

He knew from what Krill had said that Betas were insufferable gossips. So anything that happened in this tower was likely to get out.

With grudging slowness the council grinded back into movement, “Than what do you suggest, Admiral? We are not well versed in military tactics which is what this would require. You  can hardly blame us for turning back to the one thing that has always worked.”

Good job hiding behind being pathetic he thought to himself.

“It is a good thing that I am Admiral of the GA armada and have some experience with the tactical side of warfare.” He turned to look around at the others, “We will want to continue doing our tests on these creatures. I want to know what their weaknesses are, and I want to know how to kill them. This is to hoping that bullets do the trick, but I also want to know what they are attracted to. Some of you have suggested vibrations in the ground, in which case, I can use that.

Krill and katie agreed with him.

And he walked with them as they stepped from the room.

“You are really toeing a line the way you speak to them, I think.” Katie whispered quietly

He leaned in, “I have a feeling that the Vrul weren’t always like this. The traditions of government they have now are based on martial law that was present during a zombie apocalypse four thousand years ago. They don’t want to give up their power, but my duty isn’t to their government, it is to their citizens.”

Krill hummed his agreement from Kati’s opposite side, “The Admiral is right, I believe. The more I think about it, the more I have come to a conclusion that we are not as….. How shall we say…. Fragile as the council would make us believe. A lot of what they say is based on the idea that we need to be protected, but I think that ideology is something that was passed down from when we actually DID need to be protected. What other truths about the Vrul don’t we know because we haven’t been allowed to look into it further.”

Adam tapped his fingers against his crossed bicep, “The maximum age of a Vrul for one. I read a paper that said that the average age of a Vrul before termination is only around thirty or forty years, but if what they are saying is true about these zombie vrul, than it is likely they are around four thousand years old.” He glanced over at Krill, “how old does this make you past your termination order/”

Krill shrugged, “I was evaluated early, so I am only considered 35 in your human years, a little bit older in the Vrul reckoning of things, but that does pose an interesting hypothesis. I have never actually seen a Vrul die of old age. But it would make sense with the termination order. If we were forced into cities, than it would make sense that they would do these things out of a need for population control, that is assuming that we can live forever, a thought that seems ludicrous to me, but still.”

Adam nodded, “Starting off though, I want to know what kind of music does what to the creature.”

Dr Katie looked at him skeptically, “Music?”

He nodded, “Music.”

“What are you planning, she said suspiciously, looking him over with a critical eye.

He smiled, “Dealing with the hoard all at once, but if we can do that, and use music against them, well then I would want to use all of my inherent advantages now wouldn’t I?”

Katie nodded with some thought and motioned him onward.

They went back to the chamber, while he and some of the marines went back to the wall, where the group of ravening Vrul were still tearing at the base.

“Lower the shields.” he ordered on of the Betas.

The creature looked at him like he was nuts, but the look on his face made clear, in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t going to argue and hurried to do as Adam ordered.

The small section of the field opened, and he leaned out over the drop looking down at the creatures still clambering at the wall.

“Huh, Maverick, come here.”

Maverick trotted over behind him, rifle bouncing in a sling against her chest and she skidded to a halt next to him, “Yes Boss.”

“Think you can shoot one of them in the head from up here?”

She paused, frowned but then shrugged, “I mean…. yeah , probably.”

“Go on, target practice.”

She looked at him a bit confused for a second, before shrugging and leaning out over the drop. He grabbed her by the back of the shirt just to give her that extra bit of security while she got a good angle.

There was a small pause, and then a sharp subsonic crack as the rifle fired. The Vrul flinched at the shockwave and Adam’s ear’s rang. Damn idiot forgot to put in some hearing protection before she did that, but what was done was done. Not even a millisecond later there was a sharp explosion as the Vrul in question shattered into its component parts. It cracked open like an egg and the strange, and deadly pollen ruptured out before falling back onto the ground.”

Maverick drew herself back inside the shield which shut quickly.

“Huh, that worked better than expected.”

“Yeah, but did you see the polen?”

He frowned and nodded, “I did. I don’t think any Vrul should be going on this mission with us, and as for the humans. IT will be full suits and respirators for everyone. I want to see how long these spores can last in the environment by themselves. Hopefully it isn’t long, because if it is then that puts my whole plan out the window. I also want to see how long it can last in the air, because that is going to be super important.

***

When he returned to the lab later on after coordinating his original idea Dr. Katie and krill were waiting for him with their results.

“So, what did we find.”

“A couple of things.” Krill announced, “FIrst of all, the spores last a very short time outside the host, maybe twenty four hours at most, though that is only when provided with the perfect condition. They cannot infect the surrounding plant life or the soil. The spores themselves are rather heavy and so they don’t stick around in the air longer than the wind can keep them up, and they seem to be neutralized by water, or water ruins their infectivity when outside a subject, so that is also good news. His helium sack would still work if it was not for the tear, which means that these creatures can float, and we know that the deltas can burrow to some degree.”

Adam was nodding slowly, “And how about the music?”

“Ah, that we found is interesting. A steady and predictable beat does cause them confusion, so most human songs will get them. Anything without a measured beat isn’t an issue, like classical music for the most part. Songs that have no drumline don’t confuse them as much, and songs where the drum line isn’t as noticeable also don’t affect them as much. A good predictable drumline as seen in many rock songs will get them nice and confused, but your best bet for neutralizing them is a hard rock or metal drumline with additional patterns coming from the guitar and vocal track.”

“Hard rock and metal to save the day then.”

They looked at him with a curious expression as he grinned at them.

“What are you planning.”

“I am planning to kill zombies, and I am planning to do it in style.” 

[sanchoyo]

danny phantom 14-20 thoughts!! I finished up s1 :D these last few eps were actually really really good!!!

-did. did tucker really just say esperanto was a dead language only spoken as a secret code between geeks. google says around 100,000 people actively speak it. oh my god...it being an auxiliary language doesn't mean its 'just for geeks to speak in code' ...it helps bridge gaps between people who don't have a language in common...

-danny really isn't pulling punches when it comes to fighting the ghost-cop possessed people huh. like he SLAMMED KWAN INTO THE CONCRETE SO HARD. HE THREW PAULINA INTO A BILLBOARD. will that...I mean it WOULD carry over to their bodies non-possessed, right? like if the ghost piloting their bodies gets hurt?? itd be so upsetting to be possessed, lose time, then wake up covered in bruises (and possibly, broken bones??) real horror movie stuff im sure wont be addressed in any way

-tuckers parents seem nice! I like them :)

-WULF IS CUTE AND I FEEL BAD. im so glad the gang realized he was only causing trouble bc of the shock collar walker put on him and helped. also, him wearing that big hoodie with the hood on, and thinking its subtle. we can tell youre still a giant wolfie :) THEN GETTING SUCKED INTO THE PORTAL AAAAH :( anxiously waiting to see Him Again....

-DANNY BLASTING HIS PARENTS THINKING THEY WERE OVERSHADOWED LMFAO GET THEIR ASSES. maddie marking how many ghosts she gets with lipstick tallies on the side of her portal gun? kindaaa iconic tho. (ALSO, SHE WAS LIKE, 2 FT AWAY FROM HIM RIGHT AFTER SHE TRIED TO SHOOT HIM. HOW DO YOU NOT RECONINZE YOUR OWN SON??? like sure, he might have diff hair/eye colors. but like, if one of my family members dyed their hair, and was wearing contacts, its not like id be like 'wHO IS THIS STRANGER!!!' ...he still has all his facial features!! same everything!!! I hate it here)

-paulina being #1 girl realizing danny's a friendly ghost immediately. smart queen. lancer and kwan ran away right after he made this sweet baby face at them:

which is hilarious.

-ok. im not saying his bullying is JUSTIFIED, but. dash looked so pleased with the (cute!) poster he just painted, and danny comes thru the wall and spills paint on his nice letterman jacket. his anger is justified maybe 65% of the time so far...(not the way he handles it, but STILL.) at least lancer is stepping in!! and them making a silly little bet was...cute?? until dash pulled out his GROSS UNDERWEAR AND SAID DANNY WOULD HAVE TO EAT THEM???? WHAT THE FUCK MAN. TUCKER WAS SO RIGHT ITS FUCKING WEIRD TO CARRY THOSE AROUND EWWW. THIS KID IS UNWELL. lancer was right, his animatronic setup was SUPER IMPRESSIVE?? hes actually pretty creative. danny meanwhile is stealing the fright knight's design...I hope dash is taking art classes or smth with his sports

-fright knight is the most bestest ghost so far i LOVE THAT DESIGN. I am biased towards knights, and characters with swords, but he fucks so severely. and should sue danny for copyright infringement for stealing his design for his haunted house. if some 14 yr old broke into MY house and stole MY sword, id also be pissed. his evil winged unicorn rules too with its FANGS. and he just CAN SHOVE THE PORTAL OPEN WITH HIS HANDS??? is he the strongest ghost weve seen so far? idk but hes my fav. SOUL SHREDDER IS SUCH A COOL SWORD NAME TOO. ANY NAMED SWORD ALSO FUCKS. 'flaming bedsheets of DEATH' funny king. ALSO he was polite to dash and tucker when just asking for directions and telling tucker 'oh maybe, just a suggestion, maybe be nicer to me and be more respectful :)' I LOOOVE HIM.

-I noticed this in the Ember ep, but jazz has an electric guitar in her room!! talent musical queen!! its cool to see hobbies just in the bg.

-fright knight's murder castle reminds me of the booby trapped murder castle in zexal!! another supposedly 'for kids' show with murder/trap castles! we love that. if you are a dp fan reading this, give yugioh zexal a try. its also got 13-14 year old protags and involves (alien) ghosts. the cardgame is just a vessel for the plot, which is really good. (I just want more people to watch my fav yugioh, man)

-danny. with a SWORD.

-danny doesnt NEED TO WIN this contest, dash didnt STEAL HIS DESIGNS AND STEAL A SWORD. he also got excited to hear lancer got sent to a dimension with his worst fears too just so he could win the contest? DANNY WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!!! BRO MAYBE YOURE 14 AND HAVENT FULLY DEVOLPED YOUR WHOLE BRAIN YET, BUT...THATS FUCKED. this kid casually says the most deranged things, I do worry for my spooky son. once again, therapy needed. that judo toss was great tho. I wonder if he actually did pick up some martial arts stuff from his mom?

-danny can fly 112 mph!!! thats so fast! I love the lil montage of him and his friends testing his abilities and stuff, very cute and a good way to showcase what he can do by now and how much more proficient he's gotten from ep 1!!! I'm sure he's going to get more abilities :)

-im glad...maddie's at least TRYING this ep. I do feel for her because her husband is a man baby. but the fact it took 16 episodes to get a kinda semblance of any kind of real concern or attempts at bonding. hmm. jack's 'BACK OFF SHES A MINOR' @ the ghost trying to attack jazz. also was very funny. and him wanting to make an action figure of her? are the parents redeeming themselves to me? slightly. they gotta Work Harder

-THE GHOST. IS FLYING. THE PLANE.

-fenton machete. but she doesnt carry a PHONE??? ???

-I mean I expected vlad when you namedrop him earlier in the ep, and also the title card picture, and dalv corp being fucking vlad backwards. but seeing him just pull up on a golf cart made me bust out laughing. WITH the gift baskets prepared. why wouldnt you at least be suspicious. also, if he wants danny to be his lil sonboy, why is he so fucking malicious?? dude you are going about this in such a bad way. stop it. get some help.

-maddie not even hesitating to drag danny out. fucking good. danny is so right, go on the internet to date. get a cat. how do you spend...how many years?? has it been since college?? at least 20, right, since the parents/vlad are in their 40s? hung up on ONE girl. my god, man. incel drama queen. her kung fu IS impressive, but dude. 'we both know hes a creep' SO right. it sucks but they do need a phone and shit being in the middle of NOWHERE. also, just stealing his helicopter was great. <3

-'you must be exhausted carrying the weight of that mistake you made years ago' 'well we all make mistakes. maybe I'll make one now!' WHY DID THIS EXHCHANGE SEND ME. AND VLAD WITH THE BREATH SPRAY EWWW BITCH. 'OLD BAIT BREATH' SOO RIGHT. both danny and his mom playing him HAHAH hes so dumb. or rather, I think he thinks with his emotions too too much and is...actually pretty gullible? lmao he believed danny was ready to give in SO fast. (which is sad hes that hopeful, like you have SO MUCH MONEY YOU COULD EASILY GET ANOTHER GIRL WHO HAS A KID. AND WOULD WANT TO BE WITH YOU AND BE SUPPORTED. GET OVER THIS (1) WOMAN ALREADY IM GETTING SECONDHAND EMBARRASSMENT AAAAH)

-GHOST BEAR GHOST BEAR GHOST BEAR. it was also in the title card, but I still got very excited. we love bears here

-SAM'S BAT SWIMSUIT COVERUP!!! her outfits are simply iconic.

-'i'd tell you to go to the mens room, but I don't think you qualify' top paulina transphobic moments. :( and him wearing a tanktop to the swim park? hmmm! (actually I think she was overshadowed by then, so, KITTY top 10 transphobic moments??)

-kitty just piloting paulina around makes me feel SO bad tho, paulina's gonna wake up and be like 'wtf do you mean I was dating this rando' like youre leading danny on to make johnny jealous, and also just POSSESSING POOR PAULINA. dude take your relationship problems ELSEWHERE. last time we saw them, they seemed like such a cute couple!! wtf johnny!! I mean, she sucks for trying to make him jealous, he sucks for looking at other girls...maybe they need a break, but Not Like This. or, you know, just. better communication...

-and the A-listers having a full packet and a stamp system. who organizes this. kwan fucking owning being the new danny though, this is hysterical. THE TUCKER/KWAN FLOWER FIELD TWIRL. UNIRONICALLY ADORABLE. and him giving it his all for the poetry slam. bless his HEARTTTT.

-Star owns. actually, all of the extra characters are shining this ep and I love it.

-INVISO-BILL??? NOOOO THEY DID HIM SOO DIRTY. DANNY SWEETIE IM SO SORRY.

-johnny and danny bein friends and staging a fake fight (which danny takes too seriously, once again this child has aggression he NEEDS TO WORK OUT) I hope these three stay friends, I said it before but danny needs more friendly ghosts to hang with.

-at this point, Danny's ghost enemies are a lot like, I dunno, batman's rouge gallery is the first thing that comes to mind. they all have their own gimmick and unique designs, but most of them are easy to beat after learning the Moral Lesson. I still get excited when any of them show up again, though. 18 is another valerie episode!!!! :D skulker really said you two will get along if I have to handcuff you together <3 and the gym teacher really said, youre married now, have a flour baby! ngl, I'm not really watching this show for the shipping stuff (which I am very scared to look at the fandom for after I finish this watch through- I feel like there's probably discourse/arguing about ships...) but. I'm gonna put my opinion out there. valerie/danny > sam/danny. maybe I just really love the enemies to lovers trope. And the secret identity stuff adds Extra Flavor.

-SKULKER JUST HAVING THE BOX GHOST AND DANGLING HIM BY A STRING. HILARIOUS. and him watching them with binoculars and making his silly little commentary. AND MAKING THE SACK BABY CRY. LMAO. THIS DUDE IS A BABY KIDNAPPER. skulker is super fun

-danny, you just...collapsed the water tower. and then attacked the nasty burger machine...mascot thingy...out of anger..I KEEP SAYING HE'S GOT ANGER ISSUES BUT. HE REALLY NEEDS A LESSON IN MANAGING COLLATERAL DAMAGE!!! So does valerie!! They're both pretty focused on each other. I mean it's good of Danny to say he's trying to make sure PEOPLE don't get hurt, but... (I mean I guess it's not something 14 year olds WOULD worry about, but as an adult im like, who's going to fix that? how much money will that take??)

-TUCKER MAKING BANK. and sam and tucker being super emotionally attached to their flour baby and being pretty good parents. that's cute...also him just straight kissing her and being like. WAIT. O_O JDSKAFHD. his mom baking them into cookies was the funniest possible result. tbh I dont feel like this is on tucker, if anything the other kid's shouldve been more responsible! He was just taking an opportunity to get that $$ which I respect

-Danny being more understanding of Valerie's situation in the end (helping her at her job, too, and trying to keep that a secret for her!!!) And seeing them work together this ep, and also her letting phantom get her out of the ghost zone...was very sweet. LOVE that. more valerie eps pls

-me when I realize vlad's big stupid house exploded because of his own carelessness with changing the ghost portal ectofiltrator or whatever: *pointing and laughing*

-me when I realize it means he's gonna go make danny's life hell for it somehow: >:(

-SCOOBY PARODY!!! I feel like there's gotta be some scooby doo/danny phantom crossover stuff, right? also, 'guys in white' men in black wishes

-'oh, that's right! dad married the love of your life! you're bitter and alone!' DANNNNNYY GET HIS ASS ONCE AGAIN WE ARE POINTING AND LAUGHING AT VLAD

-'jack, you captured the ghost boy!!' UMM. he did nothing <3 'we have a weapon's vault??' YOU HAVE A WEAPONS VAULT??? and jack didnt put a handle on the inside. of fucking course he didnt! why would you leave that to your son!! or expect him to clean YOUR LAB when its where you work with probably dangerous chemicals and weapons and hes 14!! give him normal chores, like, I dunno, vacuuming, laundry, dishes...CMON. I hate it here. But I'm glad Jack is more chill about danny while he's a ghost, and willing to work with him for this ep. AND. I DID ENJOY JACK PUNCHING VLAD IN THE FACE. AND GENERALLY JUST OWNING HIM. the ghost punchy fists are actually amazing. like yeah, just punch a ghost in the face. that rules.

-ep 20 opens with the coolest fucking ghost lady design. her tattoos can come off and fight. MA'AM. I like ur nose ring and your cape maam hello 👉👈😳

-sam's grandma is hilarious and the most valid member of her family and I love her. thats my grandma now. and tucker covering for sam by dressing as her. thats true friendship <3 also skipping school to go to a goth circus. just bestie things! sam's parents are haters but for all the wrong reasons.

-'my family has controlled ghosts with this for generations!' WAIT. WAIT FREAKSHOW /ISNT/ A GHOST? I didn't expect that...he's just a fucked up guy controlling ghosts? anyway watching danny shoot at police cars and rob banks while mind controlled. its like, the most stereotypical 'bad' things lmao. (tbh an evil ghost circus troupe is a sick concept)

this gives off big deviantart emo edit vibes

(I'm going to assume evil circus reaper danny has a lot of fan content. people love an edgy au, except this one is canon (even tho its via mind control...having the protag go evil otherwise might be hard, I guess?) but au where he stays with the troupe...that has to exist, right?)

ANYWAY. excited to start s2!! lowkey surprised by how many notes some of these posts have gotten. I've gone back and tagged them all with 'dp thoughts' so they're easier to find on my blog! ^^ and I will probably possibly do (more) fanart on my art blog after I finish the watch of the whole show, so like. @sanchoyodraws follow my art blog :)

#sanchoyorambles #danny phantom #dp thoughts

[chrysalispen]

a dream in flight (cid/wol)

for @smitten-miqitten. thank you so much <3 i hope you enjoy!

AO3 HERE

fic under the cut, as always.

===

The morning was a rare one, having dawned clear and cloudless - albeit every ilm as cold and bracing as the one that preceded it. The overbright sparkle of a sun with no warmth bit as strongly as any blizzard, but the crystal and stained glass windows of the great cathedral seemed to filter the merciless glare of eternal winter into something gentle and cheerful. 

Although a bone-deep chill lingered without the doors as ever, it was stiflingly warm in the nave. Folk large and small had gathered beneath the roof of Saint Reymanaud’s, brought together by the common threads that bound them to the Warrior of Light -- she who had ended the Dragonsong War alongside Ishgard’s greatest knights and heroes. The union was an occasion to celebrate as much as any feast-day, and to that end all present had turned out in their finest: city-state leaders in ceremonial dress, various personages of the High Houses using the occasion as an opportunity to display themselves and their sons and daughters to advantage, Brume folk in their best attire. 

Cid Garlond had long since grown weary of observing the still-gathering crowd and now contented himself with staring through a small pane of glass into the body of the sanctuary. Light streamed through the massive arches like golden prayer-ribbons, weaving their way along marble walls and ancient buttresses. The floral wreaths that bookended the hefty spruce pews were a donation from the Gridanian Botanists’ Guild, sprays of color and scent and life (some alterations had been made; he doubted the artichoke flowers lining the steps to the altar dais had been Era’s notion, or Fufucha’s for that matter).

“Hells, you even let them deck the pews,” the sardonic drawl echoed slightly from old stones. “I suppose you really are serious about this.”

That was a voice he knew, and normally one that was wont to cause his hackles to rise- but in this instance the unsettled flutter in his gut left him more inclined to look favorably upon its owner, if for naught else other than long familiarity. 

He let his shoulders roll back as he glanced up at the taller Garlean out of the corner of his eyes, then shook his head. “I’m not sure what gave you the impression I would do anything like this on a lark. Goodness knows there were other venues. More discreet, at the very least.”

“Well, I daresay there’s still some time before the festivities commence.” Nero Scaeva’s shameless grin was all teeth and no small amount of mirth; Cid thought to himself with a sort of sour amusement that his colleague and erstwhile rival was quite enjoying his predicament. “You could always abscond with your lady as soon as she arrives. Make for the Dravanian hills. Biggs and Wedge would cover your escape, no doubt.”

“While you simply sit back and watch, I suppose? Or would you help them?”

Nero offered only a lazy shrug of his shoulders, a lift and a drop and spread hands. 

“Perhaps, Garlond. Perhaps. I find myself feeling oddly magnanimous this morning, as it happens.”

“Well, I’m afraid you’ll have to curtail these passing generous impulses of yours, Nero.” Cid’s lips tilted in a wry half-smile of his own. “I suspect Era would be cross if I let you assault the guests.”

“Spoilsport,” he said. Cid scoffed, though it was without rancor. “In that case, I suppose you are determined to endure, come what may. Stand still, your collar’s gone askew.”

As the other man cast a critical eye on his neckwear Cid fought not to fidget in place. His eyes strayed frequently to the doors of the cathedral, and in the back of his mind he could feel Marques fluttering about like a trapped bird buffeting its wings against an invisible cage. Strange, how the most significant sennight of his life had begun much like any other, and even stranger that he felt so anxious, knowing how long he had felt ready for this very day. He supposed it was public speaking jitters- there were quite a lot of people here, after all: many of them faces he knew as well as Era did. 

But then, he told himself, that was the point, wasn’t it? The other ceremony - the real ceremony, as far as Cid was concerned - was somewhere else. This was a sort of… test run, one might say. 

Just a test run, he repeated to himself, and he couldn’t say why it was that which served to ground him, but it did. Some of the tension in his muscles seemed to flow out of his limbs, like icemelt into a mountain stream. It hadn’t entirely fled him, and he was sure the second the doors opened and all eyes were upon him it would return. But the fluttering in his head had subsided, and that was what mattered. 

He exhaled softly as Nero stepped back to give him space. A frown knitted the other Garlean’s brow: an emotion that looked almost like concern. 

“Jests aside, you’re looking a bit pale, old friend. Are you quite sure you’ve not changed your mind?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. I’ll be fine,” Cid assured him. He glanced towards the entrance to the vestibule. “Once she’s arrived, I’ll be better than fine.”

He didn’t have to wait very long. Three turns about the space later there was a flurry of activity at the doors and a vision in white stepped across the threshold, the long and lacy train of her dress draping the floor at her back like spun frost. 

Era looked as stunning as she always did to his eyes, of course, regardless of what she wore. But as lovely and intricate as it was, Cid took little more than cursory notice of her dress. His attention caught itself upon other, smaller details: the shine of her eyes - just slightly too bright - and the tight curve of her smile, and the white-knuckled way she clutched the bouquet of white lilies in her hands. She was as outwardly composed as ever but he knew her tells well enough by now to see that in truth, she was no less unsettled about the prospect of a very public display than Cid himself. 

So, he thought, it appears I won’t be alone in this either. 

He nudged his companion in the ribs with one elbow. “You see?” he said. “Better than fine.”

“Well then, Garlond, let me be the first to offer my congratulations-”

“Jumping the gun rather, aren’t you? The ceremony hasn’t started yet.”

“-upon your miraculous recovery from stage fright,” the engineer finished. His lips tilted in something that was either a sneer or a smirk, and knowing Nero as he did, it could well have been both. “As amusing as it is to entertain the notion of watching you faint away upon your approach to the altar like some dewy-eyed Coerthan virgin afflicted with the vapors, I suspect the timely arrival of your fellow aspirant to matrimony has just saved me a good deal of trouble.”

“You would actually give up the opportunity to watch me embarrass myself in front of what must be half the realm sitting in those pews? Seven hells, Nero, you are getting soft.”

A derisive snort. “Spoken as if your lovely and more than somewhat terrifying bride wouldn’t simply pluck you from the floor and princess-carry you to the altar herself should it come to that. He'll not escape you that easily, eh, Era?” 

The neutral set of her soft lips barely twitched, but the flash of good humor in her eyes was all the answer Cid needed. Her smile took a genuine turn at last - a soft and slight thing that would have been imperceptible to anyone else - and the cloud-like softness of her tail twitched, nearly hidden in the layers of snowy lace and satin. At the same moment, he watched the tilt of her shoulders relax. Just the barest hint, really, but he suspected it to be a reflection of his own selfsame thought process.

 “He'll be fine, and so will I,” she said at last. She was responding to Nero but her eyes, luminous and wide, were fixed upon Cid's. "We go together."

“Right. Well. Upon that note, I believe I’ll be finding my seat. Away from the aisles, if it please you,” the tall blond shrugged, making a show of turning his back as he strode towards the exit to the sanctuary. “Do make an attempt to remain vertical for the duration, Garlond.”

Cid managed to suppress a mirthful grin of his own until Nero had quit their presence before turning it upon a lily and lace-bedecked Era. 

“He suggested we take the opportunity to elope, but I think that would be a touch impolite- tempting as it might be.”

“Besides which, everyone is already here and waiting,” she said. “It would be a bit rude to elope now. We might as well get on with it.”

He laughed and it would have gone unnoticed were she not looking at him; the sound was swallowed in the ringing swell of a tolling cathedral bell. The sound crashed against stone like an invisible wave, once, twice: the final call for their gathering to take seats. 

Era’s ears swiveled forward at the sudden sound before relaxing back into the wreath of flowers woven into her hair, and lifted one hand midair while juggling her bouquet into her right. He tucked her elbow about his much girthier forearm so that her hand rested just above the back of his wrist. The small ring she wore caught the light with a tiny, delicate sparkle -- a mote of light with a deep blue center.

“I suppose that’s our cue. You will catch me if I fall, won’t you, love?”

“Always. Even if I tear my dress doing it.” Smile steady, her soft eyes flickered towards the nave entrance. The slight weight of her hand resting upon his was warm and secure, a silent comfort. “Shall we?”

Cid took the hint for what it was. 

“Let’s,” he said, and reached for the heavy wooden doors.

~*~

“Era? Sweetheart?”

By ilms the ache began to subside and with it, the Echo vision faded and passed. Her fingertips fell away from the spot where they had lain pressed to her temple.

The sight that awaited her when she opened her eyes was of quite a different venue indeed: no massive flying buttresses or walls of cold and heavy granite to be found here. The tiny chapel of Saint Adama Landama sat on a high point as did the Holy See’s grand cathedral, but that was where the similarities between the two locations ended. The view afforded here was not that of majestic snow-capped mountains, but a small and dusty lichyard. Beyond the box canyon that housed the old Sunroad waystation of Camp Drybone lay malms of flat scrublands and shallow watering holes, populated only by tuco-tucos and herds of wild aldgoats that had taken advantage of cooler hours to graze and water.

At last the day had dawned upon what she considered the real ceremony. 

Today she would in truth marry the man she had loved for so long, in this place which meant so much to the both of them. Of course she had wanted their friends to share in their happiness, and Cid had in turn agreed for her sake. But here, the difference was as stark as night and day. Looking upon the well-worn pews strewn with laurel and desert saffron, the anxiety that had so plagued her in the great cathedral was… well, not what she could call ‘nonexistent,’ not exactly, but there was far more of excitement in it than aught else.

How long had it been, in truth, since they had met? The first time it had been wholly incidental. They had been little more than ships passing in the night -- albeit those ships were ghost-ships, left unanchored and unmoored and empty to drift slow and wide upon deep currents. Newly recruited to the Scions and looking for information, she had instead found him, half-concealed in a solitary corner of the lichyard draped in his borrowed robes and weeding an aged plot. He had been too shy to even look her full in the face while he stammered out a frightened response to her question. 

Then, he had only known himself as Marques. Sometimes she wondered about the part of him that they both knew was still Marques, looking upon the world as it was now: the world that Cid Garlond had helped to shape. Be it for weal or woe. 

She had forgotten for a moment that he was still watching her. When she glanced at him after the sound of his clearing throat caught her attention she saw his brow knotted with concern, eyes cast in brief shadow.

“Era, is aught amiss?”

“Hmm? No, I’m fine.” Era punctuated her words with a faint smile, hoping it would reassure him. The small bouquet of baby’s breath she clutched in one hand was warm, the simple ribbon that bound it ever so slightly damp where moisture from her palm had started to sink into the fibers. “I was just thinking about the day we met.”

“Mmm.” The furrowed crease that had extended nearly down to the bridge of his nose relaxed. “Good old Marques. I’ll wager he never would have dreamed of a day like this.”

(Sometimes she wondered if he wished he could still be Marques. She would hardly blame him.) 

“On a day like this, where would he have been?” she wanted to know.

“Well away from the churchyard.” Cid reached for her, his broad, rough mechanic’s fingers lacing through hers. It was already hot and his hand was as warm as hers, but it was a gentle warmth- one that enfolded her hand much like his steadfast presence had enfolded her heart. His grin seemed to stretch from ear to ear. “Tending some of those newer plots on the high road, methinks.” 

Before she could think about it she had voiced the question.

“You don’t miss it overmuch, do you?”

“What? Being ‘Marques’?” At her nod, that grin turned somewhat wry. “Aye, well... were I to be completely honest, I think I do miss that daft old bugger on occasion. He was a tabula rasa, after all, and that sort of existence does have a certain appeal. Fewer responsibilities, for one.”

“But?” Era squeezed his hand, and his focus caught upon their laced fingers. 

“But all other matters aside, I know full well what I would have missed. There are times… well, I have my bad days, and sometimes being Cid Garlond feels a terrible beast of a burden. I’ll not deny it. But days like this? I can’t say I would wish to be anyone else." He paused. "Or anywhere else, for that matter.” 

Cid's eyes were the precise grey-blue of cornflower blossoms, as guileless and open to the sun as the Thanalan sky. She had always loved his eyes: windows which afforded her a glimpse into a soul that was both noble and incessantly kind, even in those early days when he had not known himself. The worry she had glimpsed was gone, passed across their surface and moved on like a cloud drifting away from the sun. It left them as lovely as ever, and brighter to her own loving gaze than any crystal would ever be. 

Like a crystal, he reflected the light she bore in truth.

Her throat felt suddenly tight, as though there were a lump she couldn’t swallow past, and she blinked furiously to clear the uncomfortable burning sensation that pricked her eyes.

“Come now, darling,” Cid chided her with a soft laugh. “Save your tears for the ceremony, eh? The good Father’s waiting on us, and so are the crew.”

==

She almost held out through the entire ceremony. Almost.

Motes of dust billowed in the shafts of sunlight that slanted through the windows of the chapel - in truth, little more than a meeting-house - as if in benediction upon the small gathering. Small as it was, Era clutched her bouquet until her knuckles turned white as she tried to ignore the small handful of people in the pews. Her free hand, held in his- it all felt so seen, and fame or no, she had never liked to put herself on display.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught the movement of Cid’s lips, though there was no sound. She blinked at him, wondering if he had said something and she had merely missed it, until they moved again:

Relax. Look at me.

That message was unmistakable, followed as it was by a very slow and deliberate wink and the mischievous tilt of a half-smile. She felt her own lips stretch in response and her grip on his hand relaxed ever so slightly - and she caught his faint grimace and felt the flex of tendon and muscle, and realized she must have been squeezing his fingers more tightly than she had intended.

If old Father Iliud had noticed any of that silent exchange, he gave no outward sign, bless him. He merely looked from the bride to her groom, both in their modest attire, Era in her lace, then out upon the few witnesses sitting upon the weathered and somewhat rickety benches that passed for pews. The smile he bestowed upon them all was very much like the sunlight slanting through the dusty windows, gentle and ever-present.

“My dear friends,” he said, his voice quiet and warm and intimate, as if he addressed only the two of them in the comfort of a private parlor, “words cannot well express what a wonder it is, to see all of you who have gathered here today. To share in a day like this, to celebrate love, is to celebrate joy itself.

“We have all weathered many a storm these past five summers. Yet those who endure hardship and emerge wiser and kinder for the experience are the strongest of us- and the secret to their strength so very often lies in the company they keep on their journey.”

As she listened, she remembered.

There had been another time he had clasped her hand like this. The rift, beautiful chaos, an endless sea of stars and a cold to numb the very soul as they were cast adrift in the vast and unfolding eternity of interdimensional space: her only anchor the softness of chocobo down and the warmth of Cid’s hand, fingers intertwined and grasping like tapestry threads. Era had forgotten many things, some more important than others. It was a circumstance she had accepted long ago; for better or worse, a not-insignificant part of her time had been spent trying to assemble the disparate pieces of her life before and after the shipwreck. 

But that she would hold in her heart until she cast away her mortal coil, for the memory of that warmth was also the moment Era had realized she was in love with him. It had been exhilarating and wonderful, that quiet awareness of something that had waited with such patience for her to see it, like the petals of a morning glory unfolding to bask in the full brilliance of the sun. 

The company we keep--

Such a long and strange journey it had been, all of it. And Cid had been there with her from the first step.

“Era,” a voice murmured. “The rings.”

She’d been lost in so much reflection she had nearly missed her own ceremony, she thought with a sort of rueful embarrassment. Cheeks coloring slightly, she set the bouquet aside just in time for Iliud to take her emptied hand and fold her fingers into those of her groom. 

Iliud stretched his other hand first towards Cid, his palm open and facing upward as the engineer reached for the bauble that lay in his hand and lifted Era’s hand with a reverent touch. They faced each other now; the pews were visible from the corner of her eye if she chose to perceive them, but she barely noticed. Her focus lay upon the delicate white gold ring and the tiny jewel settings, blue as his eyes, as he slid it onto her finger with painstaking care.

“Let this be my promise to you,” Cid murmured. He held her hand high, close to his mouth, and she could feel the damp warmth of each soft exhale as he bent over his work. “Be they clear skies or the darkest storms, I would navigate them all with you at my side.”

He lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed them, grave and earnest, a pilgrim paying homage.

“And Era.” 

Thus prompted, she reached for the remaining band. It was a simple piece: the metal brushed and polished to a precise sheen, pleasing to the eye but sturdy enough to withstand much of its owner’s heavy manual labor. Her hands felt clammy with sweat. There was a sort of… no, lightheadedness wasn’t the right word. Giddy, she amended. Reality was asserting itself bit by bit, wondrous and overwhelming-- it wasn’t a fever dream or an Echo vision. 

She could blink once, twice, a hundred times, and this day - the fact of her marriage - it would all still be real.

He held his own hand aloft, awaiting her next move in patient silence and an unwavering smile. Era’s fingers trembled slightly, albeit not from any particular apprehension, as she positioned the ring to slide into place. It caught on the wide point of his finger for the space of a heartbeat before moving downward once more. 

The chapel seemed terribly hot, or perhaps that heat in her cheeks was self-consciousness-- Era had never been one for grandiose speeches or noble vows. Nevertheless, she bowed her head studiously over the much larger hand she cradled, his fingers curled with delicate care about hers, to seal her words with a kiss of her own. 

“Let this be my promise to you,” her words echoed his, a statement bold and simple in equal measure. “No matter the adventure or the quest that leads my steps, you will always be at my side, in word and in deed. We go together.”

The ring shone with the reflected light of the afternoon sun, and she shut her eyes against it just long enough to brush her lips against roughened knuckles. She lowered his hand, still held securely in her own, to see her emotions mirrored in his face. He was still smiling, but his eyes were suspiciously bright and by the knowing tilt to his lips, Era rather suspected she was in the same state. 

Iliud’s hands cast small shadows over theirs as he raised each palm to place upon the crowns of their hands, then their backs, in light and careful benediction. Just as Cid had received foreknowledge of this part of the ceremony so had she; her ears flickered back and then forward again in a small, tight swivel. Still, her fingers tightened their grip ever so briefly, and with silent determination she kept her gaze firmly set even as her vision went dim and she blinked furiously.

“What the fates have seen fit to join,” he intoned, “neither man nor nature may cast asunder. By those powers granted to me and the immeasurable privilege to preside over this union, I bid you take your first steps in life across the threshold of this holy house.”

Heedless in truth of the emotion between them - or mayhap perfectly aware of it - the old priest’s hands raised aloft as the pair turned at last to face the pews. 

“Era and Cid Garlond, I pronounce you husband and wife, and alongside my fellow celebrants in your shared joy wish long life and happiness upon you both. May you go forth in peace-- and may the Twelve smile upon you now and forevermore.”

Her joyful laugh, thin and shaking and half-tearful, was muffled beneath her husband’s kiss. She tasted salt, but almost as soon as the impression was there it was gone and he was grinning at her, the Cid she knew and loved. Sunlight glittered in bright blue, the tears in them fading like a receding rainfall to be replaced once more with eternally fair skies.

“Let’s get out of here,” Cid whispered, taking her elbow in his. They took their first step down the aisle in tandem. “The airship’s waiting.”

“Airship? I thought we weren't-" 

“Aye, you heard right. It's all been arranged. We’ve the whole of the next sennight to ourselves and an open sky ahead.” His wink was all boyish mischief, ceremonial solemnity fled in the wake of what Era saw now was suppressed excitement. “So you just tell me where to go, and I’ll take us there. Just like always, Missus Garlond.” 

“But the Ironworks-”

“There’s no less than a dozen folk who have offered to take up projects in our stead,” he kissed her cheek, and she squirmed at the tickling scratch of his beard, “on both ends. This will be just the two of us.” “Not even Biggs and Wedge?”

“Not even Biggs and Wedge.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” she said, then: “...Oh dear. That... wasn’t quite how I meant that to sound.”

Unfazed, Cid tossed his head and laughed. His hair, that beautiful silver-streaked white-blond, shimmered like his wedding ring band in the filtered sunlight and with that single peal of sound she fancied she could nearly see his soul. He was happier than she had ever seen him, and it had made of itself something tangible and incandescent. Radiant. 

And reflected light or not, she couldn’t help but find him the most beautiful man she had ever seen. My husband. She thought her way around those two words, testing them.

“I’m sure they’d understand,” he said, smiling. “Right! Well then, my fellow navigator, I believe we’ve a course to chart. Let’s be about it. To the Excelsior?” 

Era beamed at him. This, too, was the happiest day she could remember, and it would end with a shared dream, borne aloft and bound for adventure. 

“To the Excelsior.”

The chapel doors flew open on their weathered hinges, and with hearts and hands joined, Era and Cid Garlond set forth into the light of a new day.

#cid x wol #era hess #cid garlond #chrysalispen writes

[ask-a-vetblr]

Hi! How are you all! first favorite cyptids? Now I was wondering if you knew of any vets with adhd? I`m currently an assistant and while I`m doing well, I always need to double check my work (counting pills, getting CCs) and that takes a little more time. The vets have seemed to be getting annoyed by this but let it pass, while the head vet just wont help and walks away, and I`m afraid of reasking. Is there anyway I should bring this up to them? I`m afraid of them firing me for the hassle.

gettingvetted here.

I know many vets with ADHD. I myself have many of the symptoms but do not have an official diagnosis because my healthcare providers write it off as “signs of stress/anxiety.” I will say that in general it does get frustrating to have to consistently repeat myself or always have the same questions being asked of me by assistants/techs. I typically rely on them to do things independently and in a consistent way, unless they haven’t had to do some task on a regular basis so they aren’t as comfortable with it. Having to step in myself or remind them of things multiple times does tend to slow things down. Have you considered writing things down in a pocket notebook so they’re easily accessible and you don’t have to ask? Using a pill counter (typically free from drug reps) so it’s easier to keep track of number of pills? Having a written question list to ask clients when you take an appointment so you’re able to give a thorough history to the vet? In general I find that writing something down the instant I think of it, keeps things from being forgotten later. I’m sure if you’re showing that you’re making improvements, they won’t fire you. You may find more help from a mental healthcare provider!

vet-and-wild here.

I haven’t been formally diagnosed but my psychiatrist was highly suspicious that I have ADHD. I just didn’t have time for the testing process and like GV, a lot of previous healthcare providers just told me I was anxious or being a typical college student. Legally, they shouldn’t be able to fire you because of your mental health. I have found that people don’t really tend to understand ADHD. They just picture hyperactive boys being disruptive in class and don’t realize that it’s different for adults, particularly those of us that are considered “high functioning”. I struggle a lot with focus and memory, so I try to say things out loud in front of my techs to help keep on task and to have them remind me if I forget things. I also make a ton of notes...but I still slip up. Vet med seems to attract people with mental health issues so you may find that people are more understanding than you expect!

I know a thylacine isn’t technically a cryptid but I kind of like to count them because I love the idea of a cool carnivore sneaking around and never being seen.

Ferox here.

Thylacines are a good choice, but unlikely. There’s so much roadkill in Tasmania and free-roaming rabbits in backyards that somebody would have seen one by now.

Since the LSB had his ADHD diagnosis and he started reading more about it, we came to realise that I also have traits of it but exist as a bunch of cooing mechanisms held together by duct tape and chewing gum.

The triangular pill counters are really good, a huge time saver, even if the maths feels weird in your head at first. Sometimes I have also had common drugs in common dispensing numbers pre-dosed out in bottles of 20, 30, etc to just grab and go. Labelled, of course.

I developed a ‘quick check’ habit as a new grad where I would tell people like the senior vet what I was thinking very quickly and then ask “Does that sound right/fair/reasonable?” and most of the time the answer was a quick ‘yes’ so it didn’t take much of their time, but it reassured me. It was the fastest way for me to check my thought process. I have a nurse that does something similar in surgery, eg saying “He’s 25kg so does 2ml of X sound right?” which is just a yes/no response.

I think emergency medicine attracts vets with ADHD tendencies because the case load changes all the time, you only deal with each case for a set time, it can very dramatic, you don’t really have to worry about your consult times or running on schedule, sometimes you have to jump rapidly from one topic to another and there’s minimal long term follow up.

I also suspect blogging is rewarding to an ADHD type brain, as it’s lots of small, fast tasks with near-instant gratification so wouldn’t be suprised to find it over-represented.

#ADHD #mental illness #Anonymous

[sasquapossum]

I just got back from a self-imposed two-week social-media vacation. It was pretty enlightening to realize how many times per day I'd want to share a link or a joke or a thought with someone and reach for Twitfaceblr, only now I had to stop myself. Instead, I started collecting stuff in a "random notes" file, which I'm now going to inflict on all of you, my followers here who can deal with unfiltered rubbish (and don't know me IRL). Kinda long, though, so below the fold.

Random Notes

Ideas released into a group of gullible extroverts will spread more (and be embraced more tightly) than one released into a group of skeptical introverts. This asymmetry strengthens social-media ills.

-- inspired by Atlantic "make FB more like G+" story

Proper FB analogy is not tobacco (common) or tylenol (Wired). It's leaded gasoline. Like automobiles, early FB created - and still creates - great benefits for many. Like leaded gas, the opaque algorithmic feed is an optimization to an existing value-creation system. Like lead, online disinfo affects people's brains and decision making, and makes life worse even for non-users. Final analogy: the solution is to *undo the optimization* and return largely to status quo ante. Breaking up car companies was not necessary or even helpful wrt leaded gas.

Addiction to contempt

https://freakonomics.com/podcast/arthur-brooks/

Jumping to conclusions correlated with other cognitive errors

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-who-jump-to-conclusions-show-other-kinds-of-thinking-errors/

Evangelical church reflects Trump, not Jesus

https://archive.md/dkAhK (Atlantic)

Latest FB revelations are good in that they show how employees are often better than the company itself (which I've been saying for years). It's the leadership, stupid.

Things I Won't Work With: FOOF

https://corante.com/things-i-wont-work-with/things-i-wont-work-with-dioxygen-difluoride/

Many people love unit tests because they're so easy to fool - creating an *appearance* of coverage and correctness without the hard work of replicating real-world failure scenarios. Unit tests that rely on heavy-weight mocks are a cheaters' tool and should be discouraged in favor of other testing approaches.

Extra irony: unit tests proving only abstract/theoretical correctness seem most popular among people who otherwise look down their noses at the abstract and theoretical. "You're wasting time worrying about an edge case we've never seen" ... except that we eventually did, e.g. copyset-strength violations, and sometimes it was very costly. Motivated reasoning at its worst.

Sex toy standards "might not go deep enough"

https://www.wired.com/story/sex-toy-standards/

Centaurs for Disease Control

I love watching the shells fly overhead as the two most entitled generations in history take shots at each other.

Microsoft Amazon Meta Alphabet = MAMA (just killed a man)

Apple and Netflix might have market cap but not scale

MAMANA? NAMAMA? MANGA would have been more fun.

Whenever someone on the right says "freedom" or "liberty" just replace it with "privilege" to get the true meaning. Ditto with translating "patriot" to "terrorist" etc.

Discussion sites should have an "evidence required" reaction, to request substantiation without crowding up the comments. If a comment reaches N with no response, it automatically gets buried. Also, reactions can't be downvoted, and sites like HN have a significant problem with partisans downvoting reasonable requests for proof. When wild claims aren't risky but asking for proof is, the incentives are wrong.

The idea of hands-free driving in a GMC Denali should terrify everyone else on the road. Ad even showed it while towing. Double eek!

Don't be live-ist. Ghosts and zombies were people too.

[cosmosrival]

there it is! kama interlude analysis by a kama fan!

WELL. LIKE IT SAYS IN THE TITLE: this is just my own thoughts!! youre free to think whatever u want !! i am just putting my own knowledge into words because i genuinely love kama, and i would like for kama’s depth to be understood by the NA fandom a little more!! i try to stay as close as possible to their character in everything i do because i believe that the more in character they are, the funnier/more interesting content ppl will produce. 

and hopefully i understood them well ???!!!! HOPEFULLY ?!

i will be screenshotting the translated reddit post under this read more and stop whenever something i find interesting to develop pops up ! or else it’ll get way too long lol if you wanna read the interlude for yourself heres the link!

with that said, let’s go!!

kama’s interlude begins with guda passing the hell out because of exhaustion and then waking up in a dream sequence where kama treats them to some relaxing adventures, stuff to take their mind off heavy things!! first dream sequence is kama roleplaying a highschool setting where they’re dating.

i like this because they openly admit that its an illusion, breaking the immersion but as long as youre okay with roleplaying, they’ll continue it LOL  at some point, caesar mentions the student council president and arjuna appears behind him 

since this is an illusion that kama made, i’ve been wondering about the fact that the way servants conduct eachother in this interlude is mostly because that’s how kama envisions they would act in a highschool setting, in an amusement park and finally with eachother (mostly for confirmed couples such as siegbryn, consort yu and her hubby etc...). suzuka and sei being gyarus is obvious, but arjuna as the student council president... is so cute???!!! i MEAN IT FITS ?! THATS A GREAT IDEA KAMA!!!! ANYWAY

this is kama’s first monologue and since they’re primarily the god of lust, all of the more vanilla stuff they mentions such as sharing a pair of headphones embarrasses them since its so tame. ITS CUTE !!! kama expects you to be horny in class !! what are you doing thinking about hand holding !!! medusa saves u from that tho with a direct reference to her relationship with kama’s vessel 

this is interesting !! and reassuring !!! i think that kama as a character has a lot of depth and just reducing them to “sakura” would be a waste and this interlude shows how different they are from her. but they’re also similar! sakura went through a lot just like medusa says and kama does have trauma related to shiva. its not the same circumstances but the same kind of suffering which explains the nuance here. and what i like about chaldea is that there’s been multiple instances where its been proven that servants can grow thanks to their relationships with guda (most common example: leveling up your bonds) BUT ALSO, saint graph evolution (alts). and as a kama fan i’d like to see them happy someday and this interlude as a whole is proof of their healing/coping because of the time they spent in chaldea and how they interact with others. more on that later ! here, they don’t recognize medusa which is normal since they’re not sakura (someone else entierly), but...

they care about her ! because of sakura’s influence being a part of the servant called Kama(assassin). the difference here is important !! but i’ll come back on this in a bit. quick mention to the greek cupid <3 kamadusa nation we were fed (i clap by myself because im the only one who has 57575757557 kama rarepairs-----)

kama is a delinquent whos horny in class but still takes a few notes, enough to do well on their tests! and thats tea<3 smart horny lazyass !! theyre a gift

SO ARJUNA WAS OUT FOR BLOOD ????? ANYWAY, this is right after the actual fight against weirdo terrorists, and im happy to know that kama DOES enjoy a good fight (as proven in their voicelines as well) but theyre not a farming unit because it’d be too much work (single target NP..)...!!!!!!! lavish god of love.... 

FINALLYYYYYYYYYYY THE REAL DEAL !!!!!!!!!!!! “it feels wonderful to be your girlfriend” christ, kamadeva was so used to being a husband and a good lover, it reflected in their servant version.... but ree what do u mean by servant version???

I MEAN THE OBVIOUS !! kama explains it very well in the screenie just above ! 

“You know very well how servants work.”

KAMA ASSASSIN (the servant in your chaldea) is neither KAMADEVA or SAKURA MATOU or MARA. they’re a MIX OF PARTS OF THE THREE. creating an entierly new person(in this case, servant) !!!! it might sound like i’m repeating myself, but this is important!!!!!!!!! i will say this multiple times so people remember it !!! and if u already had this figured out: GOOD JOB I LOVE U !!!

Kamadeva (the god) has many stories, ones where he was born from concepts (dharma and shraddha), one where his parents are brahma and sarasvati, one where his parents are vishnu and lakshmi, stories about his reincarnation after his death where his parents are krishna and rukmini, his love with Rati and so on. We all know Sakura’s backstory since this is nasuverse. And Mara is a demon, an entity that tried to corrupt Buddha and prevent him from reaching enlightenment/stray from the path. Kama assassin has parts from all of these entities which explains why they have a vague longing for Rati, why they have a soft spot for Medusa and why they have an affinity with Kiara(and also like talking about corrupting u !). 

they then mention how a japanese highschool setting is fun and all i have to say is: i’m gonna make an indo fam delinquent vs student council au out of this one folks !!!!!!!! i gotta !!! 

OK next

TIME FOR THE SECOND DREAM SEQUENCE WHICH I WAS VERY VERY VERRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYY AFRAID OF BEFORE THE TRANSLATION CAME OUT.

THE PART WHERE KAMA ACTS LIKE YOUR CHILD.

well with their stage 1 it was expected but without the translation i have to say that i was scared shitless! because people hate thinking! and even if kama clearly tells you that it’s a charade, u know a JOKE. A DREAM SEQUENCE. DONT BE A CREEP. KAMA INTENDED FOR IT TO BE WHOLESOME. i know some ppl wont use their brains. but u know its fgo and degenerates are everywhere. 

anyways. family bonding time ensues until another monologue appears!!

exactly like before, kama mentions myths that belonged to kamadeva. Meaning that the Kama in our chaldea isn’t the Kamadeva we know and is not Pradyumna either but the fact that the writers chose to have kama acknowledge it is very reassuring !!! Because it means that they’ve chosen to make it a part of their (complicated) history. Kama says that Pradyumna is the myth about themself they know the least, once again proving us that the Kama in our Chaldea (Assassin) is a different entity and that they were summoned to the throne upon their death, the moment they were burned by Shiva’s flames and became Ananga, in any case they’re still familiar with all of their own myths. it allows us to keep heroic spirits separate from their original myths. Obviously! And in the case of pseudo-servants, it allows us to keep them separate from their vessels. Cuz this is a fanservice japanese game. Andddd the fandom likes forgetting this fact quite a lot i’ve noticed. As a person who loves thinking about tons and tons of headcanons for fun, this allows us a lot of space ! Because this is fate/grand order at its base. Nasuverse. 

I’m glad that the interlude explains it so clearly, it’s very good !! Because the majority of myths from every culture are confusing, family trees are confusing, names are confusing, powers and attributes are confusing... its a mess !!!! the fgo characters we know are just cut from their own respective timelines/historial figures so the writers can organize themselves more easily. Like cutting halves from a big cake. Kama (Assassin) is the Kama that died from Shiva’s flames and became the universe ONLY. In Nasuverse, Arthur Pendragon is a woman. Anastasia Romanov NEVER had a demon familiar named Viy in real life despite the creature being part of russian folklore. u know ! im russian i can testify dude !! 

hopefully everyone got this bc i wont be explaining this any further dude, its exhausting !!!!!! bangs my hands on the table !!!!! 

ANYWAYS kama mentions “eternal pain that turns [them] into ash” being their key element. Their trauma is at the center of their heroic spirit self, what they are as a servant. This suffering is tied to everything they do, why they’re so lazy, why they’re so lax, why they’re so detached from their job.  But they’re not detached from their role. And “job” and “role” have different connotations here. They refuse to work as a cupid because of obvious reasons. BUT. They’re not detached from their role as the God of Love, as the God of Passion. The embodiment of those feelings. This whole interlude is proof ! They’re giving u free therapy because they Love you. Passion. They feel your love. Passion. They acknowledge how much fun you’re having. How passionate you are about certain things. They might seem extremely detached and hateful, but they aren’t. They’re one of the most empathetic servants there is. And their ability to love everything, even the things they hate is what makes them so miserable. Because it’s a part of them. Because the concept of Kama in hinduism is linked to them. Be it lust or simply the passion born from anything you do where you’re enjoying yourself. (quote:  “ the term also refers to any sensory enjoyment, emotional attraction and aesthetic pleasure such as from arts, dance, music, painting, sculpture and nature “. R. Prasad (2008), History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization )

... I’d like to say that this contrast with Mara is interesting. And that i’m glad the writers chose to add in Mara to the kama assassin Beast mix. 

Because the anger Mara feels can become a drivepoint for Kama. I’ve always believed that anger and sadness are two sides of the same coin, it’d explain how layered Kama is and how valid their emotions are. Constantly torn between love and hate. An eternal grudge (i don’t deserve to be hurt like this) and an eternal misery(maybe i do deserve to be hurt like this). 

i wish they were my roommate <3 oh fuck ree got emotional wait where were we.

OH YEAH

i think kama saying that they dislike being involved with other indian servants because theyre linked to shiva is a feeble attempt at trying to keep up a strong front because they still love them in the end. cuz that’s how kama is ! after a while they’ll get bored of bullying ganesha and ashwatthama. they’ll get interested in rama because their respective mythos are linked even if their servant selves have no connection. hell, at the end of the interlude they talk about parvati and how they themself changed and realized things. BUT OH WELL, THATS STUFF FOR ANOTHER POST HEHE thats just ree wanting kama to b happy yall move along !!

.....THIS ISNT A COLLEGE STUDENTS ROLEPLAY BUT ITS A CUTE JAPANESE COMPANY BOSS/UNDERLING SETTING AND ITS CUTE SO I THINK KAMA WEARING A PENCIL SKIRT AND POURING U ALCOHOL IS CUTE. CUTE.

further proof of kama’s overflowing affection and what i detailed above!! hopefully u all knew this one simply from reading this interlude/their profile page and dont need me to write it down for u. HOPEFULLY !!!!!

(I START BEATBOXING VERY RAPIDLY AND RUNNING TOWARDS YOU) KAMA IS A SADIST AT THEIR CORE AND I WILL NEVER STOP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they’re easy to fluster because theyre not used to being so vanilla, but whats underneath is how they truly are !! a beast turned servant, the sweetest sadist !! theyre very mature and this interlude is so well written (wipes my teears

this is directly linked to what i explained above, by burning you away, you’ll melt into nothingness just like they did. When they were the universe, they felt both everything and nothing. 

But was it really relief ... ?

... IT WASNT.

AND PARVATI SAVES THE DAY !!!!!!! phew!! thank u paru, it’d still like to be able to touch kama’s huge titties and i cant do that if i turn into ashes (falls down the stairs

ok she summoned lovey dovey canon couples to annoy kama since they’re exhausted of seein them!!

...............(I TAKE OUT A KNIFE) TAKE THAT BACK. DONT TALK TO THEM LIKE THAT. TAKE THAT BACK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

ohhhhhh im obsessed i love when theyre angry<3 i love when theyre fighty <3 i think they should beat the living shit out of a boxing bag DAILY to let out some of this steam. they’d be a monster on the ring... aaa kama in training boot y shorts aa a .. .uughg hg ouu... (you all shove me into a locker)

ok this is interesting !! i think that the interlude showing us that parvati feels a semblance of guilt is character dev. proof for what i mentioned before!! in ookuu parvati felt quite ..unsympathetic to me, even if kama is a beast who wants to annihilate humanity, when u think about it, at their core their grudge is because of her and shiva’s betrayal. and here, she properly apologizes for making kama so upset. this is heartwarming to me since i dislike thinking that members of the indo fam hate eachother :( same goes for arjuna and karna, at some point i’d like for them to act like bros normally and finally be comfy. but anyways !!

u wake up from the dreams and da vinci, mashu and paru are here to tell u whats going on. But its fine bc u remember everything and u have to go thank someone for helping u out!!!

CUTE !!!!!!! THEY CARE ABOUT U !!!!!! but whether it be because of their role or because theres a deeper meaning is entierly up to your own interpretation because...

of what they say here. 

and here !! 

ohhhhhhhhh this is so important !!!!!!

this is actual proof of kama’s growth as a servant and how servants evolve in chaldea !! chaldea is not the same as a grail war, its a special, cut-off place and thats what makes it even more relaxing to think about. Everytime u summon a servant in ur chaldea u give them a chance to have fun with you, to have fun with other servants, to make amends, to start from scratch, to discover things they would’ve never known in their time (movies, video games, tons of different foods etc...), u give them a chance to relax. to grow !! this is the headcanon that im most attached to and im glad to see it be confirmed in the interlude of a character i love tbqh i had to stop and talk about that.

everyone say thank u kama !! can we roleplay a college roommate coffee shop slowburn au next time <3 

ANYWAYS if you’ve read it this far: thank you !!! im sorry if you expected something very serious, im not that type of person hehe im jus here to have fun and look at things i like, and the interlude itself was quite lighthearted and refreshing. By talking about the myths and all of kamadeva’s stories, the writers basically gave lore nerds a huge thumbs up like... “its ok now !! u can go ape now !! go be insane<3 love u<3″ and all of this kama characterization GENUINELY makes me so happy because i think they really needed that. kama assassin... (i blow a kiss to the sky) is a little mess of a servant... a god, human crumbs and a demon... a total mess... im in love with them...

..............tho now the wait for a summer alt where they interact with the entire indo fam begins (im sitting in a chair unmoving)(i have a gun in case minase begins acting gross

#ree's fgo hcs #kama #WONT TAG THIS ONE AS A WHOLE BC IM... A LIL SHY TO BE HONEST #its just a kama fan rambling bro....... jus a kama fan liking the interlude man..... #like i said at the beginning of the post its just my thoughts<3