#now his strategies don't work and he has to confront them and that's not a bad thing

[the-wayside]

I think we need to think back to what Payu said, Pai is falling in love for the first time and that kinda...gets missed.

Yes, Sky has a horrific trauma and his fears feel justified because everything that happened to him previously. But at the same time, his worldview is corrupted by his trauma. Pai isn't his ex. Pai isn't one step away from leaving, he's all in.

Pai isn't in this with a full deck of cards. He doesn't understand why Sky would pull away at the first sign of anything rather than talking to him. Just that he's falling in love, he's happy, he thinks they're happy together and then...he's being ghosted and then he's broken up with.

It isn't a far off assumption to think that Sky was mocking him but Pai has faith but he needs Sky to confirm it, that his instincts, as new and fumbling as they are, are right. They're in love, not just him.

The thing about trauma no one likes to admit is that you develop maladaptive coping mechanisms. You act rashly and without cause to protect yourself which feels safe but isn't beneficial in the long run because Sky loves Pai. He's consistently self-inflicting pain because how he copes is all jumbled up.

Sky, in his own way, has always wanted and needed Pai to read between his lines and to push him. His journal proved that. He didn't want to allow himself to love Pai, not that he didn't. He didn't admit it until he thought he lost him and even then he still was telling him the inverse. Sky is trapped in his trauma and he needs Pai to make the steps inside his circle.

What I'm saying is there are no right answers when humans hurt each other like this because humans are humans. Messy, illogical and self-preserving. But they were both hurt. They both did things and said things and received pain. They ended it with honesty and finally breaking the cycle of Sky's maladaptive but protective coping strategy.

#phayu technically but we're adhering to the subs #love in the air #text #skyprapai #a thing about therapy is that you learn a problem is only a problem when it impacts your life #sky was fine and getting by until he met pai #now his strategies don't work and he has to confront them and that's not a bad thing #pai is also not wrong for being hurt and devestated #sky is his first love and the way sky shut it down was devestating #hoomins are hoomins

[425599167]

Fallout: New Vegas is all about rebuilding society in the Mojave, and the three given factions all attempt to do so by recreating the past. The NCR models itself on the now-destroyed United States, with all the problems involved. Caesar created the Legion in the image of Rome because he believed it could best thrive in the wasteland. Mr. House is arguably the most forward-thinking with his focus on technology and eventual interplanetary travel, but he still rebuilt New Vegas from his nostalgic recollections of the city. Building on the past isn't wrong, the problem is these three factions don't appear to be learning from anything that happened.

NCR characters never directly acknowledge that they're following the example of a society that destroyed itself. Caesar criticizes them for this, believing the republic functioned best while under the quasi-monarchy of Aradesh and Tandi. But Caesar ignores how 1) Rome also fell and 2) he's confronting the same problem as a brain tumor is on the verge of killing him. Even if you treat his tumor, he's still mortal. Caesar was given an education, and his knowledge of strategy and history let him build the Legion, which he then made anti-intellectual and revisionist. The society he created cannot replace him, and will fragment when he dies. House is more contemptuous of the pre-war world, but he still brought it back, and specifically assigned the Omertas with the role of ruthless mobsters who will kill anyone in their way. Apparently he thought that was a good idea.

This extends into the DLCs, too. Elijah plans to use the Sierra Madre to wipe the slate clean and restore the Brotherhood of Steel to their position of unrivaled power, with himself back as Elder. Every day, Joshua Graham feels the pain of being burned. The Think Tank scientists are all stuck in loops, stuck in the past, stuck with their flaws centuries after believing they overcame their humanity. For all my grievances with Lonesome Road, it fits the pattern, as Ulysses saw a new society forming, saw it burn, and couldn't move on. If you let Ulysses live, he has similar criticisms of the NCR, Legion, and House. They're all idealized recreations, like the Vera Keyes hologram. Let go, begin again.

Benny may be a weird mix of dangerous and absurd, but he contrasts the other factions well. He jumped at the chance to join House, fought his tribe's previous leader to make it happen, then planned to take down House, too. House dismisses Benny as not understanding complex technologies due to his tribal upbringing, but he built a computer lab attached to his suite and studies technology as best he can. Benny doesn't want to relive the past, he wants to move forward, he wants something better. You can kill him and take his role, or, when facing certain death at Caesar's hands, he'll explain his vision and ask you to see it through.

After replaying everything, though the other endings have understandable support, I think the Independent route fits the story's themes best, the only one where something definitively new is being built. The Courier isn't remaking anything. Part of this is simply open-ended roleplaying, allowing the player to imagine the character's completed goal. If you choose one of the other three, the Courier can work to correct their faction's flaws and counter the destructive nostalgia affecting them. The Independent ending isn't necessarily the "best" for the Mojave, the Courier's morality and a hundred other decisions determine that, but it is the most compelling conclusion to the story.

#fallout new vegas #fallout #courier six

[trailblazethegalaxy]

Falling Asleep ~ *Blade*

Summary: You've been looking for the cure for Blade's insomnia for ages now. It's beginning to impact your sleep schedule as well. And Blade doesn't like you losing sleep over him.

Pairing: Blade X G/N!Reader

Genre: Fluffyish Drabble

Word Count: 906

Warning: N/A

Masterlist

A/N: Part 2 to Can't Sleep. I strongly suggest reading that one first.

You couldn't tell how much time had passed. Was it weeks? Was it months? You weren't sure anymore. You've been working day and night for so very long to try and find a cure for Blade and his insomnia. But nightmares were a hard thing to fix. And nightmares that came from trauma presented a whole new kind of problem.

At first the answer was simple, he just needed to confront his trauma and then he would be able to sleep through the night. But you knew Blade. He wasn't going to deal with the trauma he faced. Because of this, he was stuck in a perpetual loop of bad dreams each and every night. So you decided to focus on a different strategy. Anything to get his mind off of the pain he faced every night.

As you worked and tried new idea after new idea, Blade watched as you slowly succumbed to madness. At first he was bitter. He told you it was impossible to solve his sleepless nights. You were only hurting yourself in the process. He was angry at you for allowing yourself to be dragged under because of his problems. 

His frustration with you slowly melted into worry. It wasn't a strong feeling, but he knew what he felt. He knew he was making your life miserable because he just couldn't get to sleep. He wished there was a magical cure you could find so that you could finally stop worrying about him. He began to find that he couldn't bear to see you in such pain because of him anymore.

"It's not working, doctor." He said when he was called into your office once more. "Nothing has worked."

"Then we'll try something else." Your voice was short and curt.

He shook his head. "No, we won't. We're done. You're done."

This caused you to snap your glare from your research to him. There was a wild fire in your eyes and if he were a mortal man, he would've flinched under its intensity. "We are not done. We will never be done until you fall asleep."

"Doctor, you tried your hardest. But things don't always work out. You need to give up." Blade wasn't very good at being comforting, so he stuck with being terribly honest.

You slammed your notebooks onto the ground. There were dozens of them, all filled with research that you thought would help him get to sleep. Something flickered inside him. Was it hope? Was it pain? Was it compassion? He wasn't sure. All he knew was he felt something he hadn't felt in a very long time stir within him.

With a sigh, you slumped against the counter. "I have been trying for who knows how long. I've studied sleep and dream theory. I've looked into every possible avenue for something to fix this. And I won't give up until I have found your cure. I owe you that much."

"You don't owe me anything." He muttered, an edge of hatred to his voice. "Besides, you're only doing this because you have a problem you can't fix. It's unfortunate I'll be your first basket case, but you need to let it go and get a grip. It's over. We're done. Find a different problem to solve."

He watched your jaw drop and tears well in your eyes. That strange feeling inside him flickered again. You looked so tired and so broken. Your research has really put you through the wringer. And he felt... bad.

"It may have started out that way, but that's not how I feel anymore." You whispered, your voice cracking as the tears began to fall. "You are not a problem in need of fixing. I care about you so much..." Your voice trailed off.

You didn't even need to finish your sentence and Blade understood.

Standing up, he took your hand. "You need to go to bed."

"I- what?" You looked up at him, confusion and exhaustion clouding your eyes.

"C'mon, let's get you to bed." Before you could protest further, he walked you out of your office and up to your upstairs apartment. Upon bringing you to your bedroom, he pulled aside the blanket and gestured for you to get into bed. 

All you could do was nod, as you shucked off your lab coat and kicked off your shoes. When you crawled into bed, he pulled the blanket up to your chin and stared at you for a few seconds.

"Have pleasant dreams, doctor."

As he turned, you called out. "Wait. Stay."

He glanced at you from over his shoulder. "Stay?"

You nod, your eyelids beginning to droop. "Please stay. I want to try another experiment."

"No, you need to sleep-"

"Trust me. I want to try this experiment." You hold out one of your hands while the other pulls aside the blanket. "I want to see if this will work."

Again, from your actions alone, Blade understood. Taking off his own boots and jacket, he climbed into bed with you. Unlike the other times he tried to sleep, this felt different. He felt warm, comfortable, and relaxed. Your arms around him seemed to be helping.

As you rested your cheek to his shoulder, you whispered, "Have pleasant dreams, Blade."

And for the first time in so very, very long, he felt like he would. And when sleep overcame him, he was pleasantly surprised to find that he did.

#Honkai: Star Rail #Honkai: Star Rail Fanfiction #Honkai: Star Rail Drabble #Anime #Anime Fanfiction #Anime Drabble #Stellaron Hunters #Blade #Blade X Reader #Blade Fanfiction #Blade Drabble #Blade Angst #Drabble #Angst #Fluff

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for slowly ghosting a fwb instead of confronting him when I found out he's been stalking people again?

He (twenties, M) and I (twenties, X) knew each other from college. He's genuinely a fun guy. Also, a cis person being into you as a nonbinary person (as your gender, not despite it) in a non-fetishy way is frankly too powerful. So yeah, we started talking more some time after graduation, and it turned into a digital-only friends-with-benefits situation.

I was wary of him in college, but willing to give him a second chance. It was an open secret among our friend group that he'd stalked a couple of people he was into in college -- resulting in court ordered therapy and a restraining order and everything. I was still mentally/emotionally recovering from an abusive relationship years prior that the ex stalked me after for a few years. So you can see why it was a big deal that I gave this distant friend another chance, willing to get as close to him as I did. I guess I thought that like, the therapy had worked?

Well, fast forward to us being close after college. He doesn't know that I know about his previous two times getting nearly expelled for stalking people. I have not told him anything about my years-ago abusive relationship, but it's possible he has some awareness of it due to mutual friends. I kept firm with a boundary that he will have no more specific geographic information about me than my city, and he's certainly never learning my address. He has no way to know about my more "personal" social media like Tumblr. I am protecting myself.

But a few months into us being fwb and having fun and me repeatedly asserting my boundaries regarding irl interaction. He complains to me that someone is claiming that he's stalking them. I casually ask about the situation, assert that yeah what he's doing is shitty, he should stop, and it does sound like stalking (even though he insists it isn't). We never talk about it again.

He started showing up in my trauma nightmares, and suddenly the second chance I gave him seems like a terrible idea. So, over the next few months, I make a planned retreat. I respond less frequently, less promptly, and with less emotion. I planned out my strategy by the week to look like a natural loss of interest, or a natural "got busy with other stuff."

My logic is that he clearly has not learned to stop stalking people. I am not willing to continue exposing myself to that personal risk. But I am also not willing to say "I refuse to remain friends with an unrepentant stalker." I'm afraid that if I do that, he will get the wrong lesson: that he needs to never admit to any other friend what he's done, or else he'll lose them. The right lesson obviously would be: don't follow people to their houses after they've cut contact and don't send them letters asking whether they're living alone again yet, what the fuck. I am afraid that if I tell him why I'm ghosting, he will simply never talk about this pattern ever again, thus removing the ability of future friends like me to make informed decisions about who they're spending their time with.

We're now one year into when I fully ended contact. I did not block him. I still get two texts a week from him -- sometimes "are you okay" sometimes life updates, usually just "hey". He has made no indications that he has visited the city where I live, thank god. I have not explained to any of our mutual friends what I did. I have not talked to anyone, not my therapist not my spouse, about what I did. I am not going to speak to him again, but I am not going to block him, because I need my cutting contact to look natural.

So yeah. AITA for not making a bigger deal of his continued stalking of other people? In my mind I'm protecting myself, and reducing the likelihood he'll start hiding his nature from future friends, so this way they can be informed and protect themselves as needed. But AITA for lowkey ghosting him instead of having a serious conversation about his behavior? I know he sucks. I just don't know if I also suck.

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

[jamiesfootball]

Today on the wheelodex of things I'd like to discuss regarding Mom City / the Finale-

It's fucking weird that Ted's mom didn't come to the match. I also understand it completely.

(And I don't just mean writing weird, although I do think the decision was in part made so that they wouldn't have to spend a whole character-centric episode's B-plot revolve around introducing a new character around. Which is another complaint on the overall pacing of s3, but i digress)

But I'm talking about the 'meeting someone's mom is like getting a manual on why they're nuts' of it all. Ted's mom:

Flew in from the states, without letting Ted know she was coming

Proceeded to stay at a hostel for a week, hanging around 'near' his place for ??? amount of time until he happened to walk past her

Did the 'oh no, I couldn't' dance with him regarding staying with him (conceded)

Did the 'oh no, I couldn't' dance with him regarding going to work with him (conceded)

Did the 'oh no, I couldn't' dance with him regarding going up to Manchester -- and was left back at his flat.

Like. Holy fucking shit. That was all in the span of like 1-2 days.*

This is what Ted grew up with. Someone who constantly refuses to outright ask for anything or confront anything without making it an exercise for the other person. She's so passive aggressive that makes Ted seem like a direct person in comparison.

But what's interesting to me is that when it came to coming to the match in Manchester, that's the one where Ted folded in the towel and went 'yeah just stay here then'. Because that is the antithesis of Midwestern hospitality, isn't it? To leave your guest--your mom--back at home while she's visiting while you go off and do something else, something interesting, for a long stretch of time. It certainly makes my learned southern hospitality shudder in social faux pas. That's just not done. It's rude. Ted does it anyways.

With passive aggression, it's about what's not said--not what is. Both parties tend to know that the person being passive aggressive actually wants the opposite thing. The 'polite' way to tell them 'no' is to pretend you accept what they're saying. Ted's insistence that she tag along is noticeably weaker than when he's telling her to take his bed or come to work with him. It's not that her counter-arguments are any better; it's that he does the courtesy dance in a way that gets him out of the situation by giving her what she's asking for.

So Ted, Ted, does something people could consider rude. Because the alternative is doing this goddamn song-and-dance with his mother again. And I think that's fascinating. Not just from a character perspective, but for how it shows Ted's priorities in that moment. He says it backwards, he says it in an absence, but it's implied all the same, I don't want you there.

His team is facing off against their white-whale. They've been chasing Pep's team and his strategy, and now they're going head to head. If his mom came to the match, he'd be focused on her. On making sure she was taken care of. He doesn't want that.

For him, that's about as close as we ever get to him saying that he wants something (that has nothing to do with Henry.)

Of course then, just like Jamie's dad hovers over him even when he's not there, Ted's mom follows him to Manchester in his head. When Ted talks to Jamie, he's got one foot back in his kitchen at home. He's there, but he's not there. He's talking to Jamie, but he's talking to himself.

And it makes me wonder how often this was the case--how often did he throw in the towel and give her what she asked for because he just couldn't take being the one who had to handle all the decisions. It's a backwards negotiation, making his mother show up for him. She does love him, but god you can see how much strain reassuring her that he loves her too takes.

If I may be so bold, I think Ted also deserved to say 'fuck you' to his mom without attaching a 'thank you'.

*(SIDE COMPLAINT - The timeline of Mom City expands and contracts to fill the narrative space as needed, and it was goddamn infuriating to write about just tell me when things happen damnit)

#there was more because I also do feel like this ties into his need to be there for henry without henry ever having to ask him for it #but whoops I've got to go to work now #ted lasso #dottie lasso #ted lasso meta

[thehufflepuffavenger1]

What are we? The Grid Angel 4/?

(filler chapter next chapter is in the works!)

The next race weekend arrived with an electric energy in the air, a charged atmosphere that mirrored the dynamics within the Formula 1 paddock. As cars roared on the track during practice sessions, the off-track drama continued to unfold like a captivating subplot to the main event.In the aftermath of Max's confrontation with Charles, a palpable tension hung in the air. The pit crew, always attuned to the nuances of the team dynamics, exchanged uncertain glances. The Grand Prix season, once solely about the pursuit of victory on the circuit, had transformed into a complex tapestry of emotions and relationships.

You, caught in the crossfire of the brewing rivalry, navigated the paddock with a sense of trepidation. The post-race dinner gatherings had taken on a new level of intensity, with the unspoken tension between Max and Charles palpable to everyone around.

As the sun set over the paddock, casting long shadows on the asphalt, you found yourself approached by Charles. The awkwardness of the situation lingered, but Charles, ever the diplomat, attempted to address the elephant in the room."Y/N, about the other night, I hope it didn't complicate things for you," he began, a sincere look in his eyes.

You sighed, appreciating Charles' attempt to clear the air. "It's been a rollercoaster, Charles. The paddock has its own set of rules, and I'm just trying to navigate them."

Charles nodded understandingly. "I value our friendship, Y/N. And I want you to know that I didn't mean to create any tension. If it makes things easier, we can just be friends."

The sincerity in Charles' words reassured you, and you smiled gratefully. "I appreciate that, Charles. Let's keep things simple. Friends it is."

As the weekend unfolded, the dynamic within the paddock shifted once again. The post-race dinner gatherings became more subdued, with Max keeping a watchful eye on any interaction between you and Charles. The pit crew, ever observant, couldn't help but feel the weight of the unspoken tension.

During a team meeting, Max's frustration reached its boiling point. "I don't want any distractions during the race. Keep your focus on the strategy, not on unnecessary drama," he barked at the pit crew, the underlying message clear.

The tension in the air escalated as the race day approached. The drivers, including Max and Charles, prepared for the battle on the circuit, their minds occupied not only by the quest for victory but by the off-track drama that had become an integral part of the season narrative.

As the lights went out and the cars thundered down the straight, the intensity on the track mirrored the charged atmosphere within the paddock. Max, fueled by a mix of determination and frustration, pushed the Red Bull to its limits. The pit crew executed flawless strategies, but the unspoken tension added an extra layer of complexity to the race.

As the checkered flag waved, and the roar of engines subsided, Max climbed out of the car with a clenched jaw. The race had been challenging, but the unresolved tension off the track weighed heavily on his mind.In the quiet moments that followed, Max sought you out in the garage, his frustration evident. "We need to talk," he said, his tone cutting through the post-race chaos.You followed Max to a quieter corner of the garage, away from prying eyes and curious ears. The pit crew, sensing the gravity of the situation, exchanged concerned glances.

"What's going on, Max?" you asked, trying to read the emotions etched on his face.

"I don't get it, Y/N. We had something special, and now it feels like everything's falling apart," Max confessed, his frustration giving way to vulnerability.

You sighed, recognizing the complexity of the situation. "Max, we're in the fast-paced world of Formula 1. Things are bound to get complicated. But I value our connection, and I don't want anything to jeopardize that."

Max, still caught in the whirlwind of emotions, shot back, "I saw you with Charles. I thought... I thought there was something between us."

The realization hit you, and you gently explained, "Charles and I decided we're better as friends. Nothing more. I didn't want any distractions either, Max."

The weight of the unspoken tensions finally came to the surface. Max, torn between his desire for victory and the fear of losing something precious, admitted, "I don't want you to fall for him. I don't want to lose you."

The vulnerability in Max's words hung in the air, a poignant moment in the midst of the chaotic paddock. The pit crew, witnessing the emotional exchange, realized that the Grand Prix season had become a journey not just of speed and competition but of the heart.

As the paddock settled into a momentary lull, the off-track saga continued to unfold, a complex narrative that intertwined the pursuit of victory with the pursuit of connection. The Grand Prix season, with its highs and lows, promised a conclusion that would resonate far beyond the checkered flag.

Taglist:

@urfavnoirette , @itsjustkhaos

#thehufflepuffavenger1 #f1 #formula 1 #f1 fanfic #f1 imagine #f1 x female reader #f1 x reader #ferrari #charles leclerc x reader #max verstappen fanfic #red bull racing #max verstappen x you #max verstappen x reader #max verstappen #max verstappen imagine

[radioactivepeasant]

Snippets: Free Day Thursday

Adopted Dadmas: Dadmas versus Haven

The red light was blinking on Jak’s talk-box again. Damas was no fool, he knew that meant someone was spying through the floating comm -- or attempting to. Doubtless, the eavesdropper thought they were being very subtle, keeping silent whenever adults were present. As if they believed Jak would keep their presence a secret. As if they believed he would never tell.

Damas tore a circle of flatbread into pieces and used them to scoop a mixture of cooked peppers onto his plate. He pretended not to notice the talk-box hovering next to Jak’s elbow in a terrible attempt at stealth, instead choosing to engage Daxter in a conversation. He was determined to get the kid apprenticed to the head of the merchant guild one way or another. Daxter had a head for business and trade that Jak, simply put, did not. He nodded along when his friend talked, but privately Damas thought it would do Daxter good to be around adults who could encourage his interests.

Periodically, Jak cast swift glances at his talk-box during the meal. He seemed like he was expecting someone to speak at any moment -- or more like he was expecting orders of some kind. His shoulders were tense, and he was shoveling down food much too quickly, like he thought he wasn't going to have time to finish it.

"Slow down, young one. The shrimp isn't going anywhere, and neither are you," Damas admonished.

Jak didn't slow down much, but he did start chewing a little more thoroughly. Small victories. Still, he looked tired, and on-edge. Had Ashelin or the sage been badgering him again when no one was around?

The initial idea had been to lay a trap. To feign ignorance and bait the spy into speaking aloud, thus forcing Unpleasant Diplomatic Discussions with Haven's motley assortment of would-be leaders. But just now, Damas decided, the health and wellbeing of his son took precedence over strategy. And he still had the element of surprise, anyway.

"Talk-boxes off at the table, Jak," he announced, gesturing directly to the lens watching them, "This is a meal, not a media interview."

The boy flinched and looked guilty. He had no reason to; he'd been open with Damas about the demands for labor since he first returned from Haven. But then, he'd been groomed from such a young age to believe that bad things happened because he didn't work hard enough for his "friends". Perhaps he still feared retaliation for establishing healthy boundaries? Better to confront the issue head-on then, Damas decided.

"If your uninvited watcher has an emergency, they are free to petition me directly," he said, leveling a stern glare at the talk-box. "On their own time, not yours. Come on, switch it off."

Someone made a muffled sound, barely picked up by the talk-box's speaker. It seemed they were not expecting to be so casually acknowledged.

"Jak-!" the watcher tried to protest, but Jak reached for the power button.

"Right. Sorry, Pa."

Once the light had faded from the little camera, Damas nodded, satisfied. He picked up a shallow bowl with tomango in it and held it out to Jak.

"Here. You need the vitamins."

Begrudgingly, Jak took two slices, then a third when Daxter gave him The Look across the table.

The ottsel cleared his throat meaningfully.

"Pal, you gotta get better at telling those people no. They can't hurtcha!"

Jak hunched over his plate, frowning.

"I know," he muttered sullenly. "I- I do know that, okay? They just don't listen!"

Daxter sighed and his ears drooped. "Yeah...I know. Old Greenstuff only hears what he wants to hear. Always has."

With a frustrated groan, Jak rubbed his eyes. "After everything he's done, I shouldn't be having trouble cutting Samos off. Why do I keep going back?!"

"He's familiar," Daxter admitted, and not without a touch of loathing. "He was all we knew for like, our whole lives. I hate him -- I'll always hate him -- but I get being afraid to lose that last connection to Sandover."

"....yeah." Jak winced. "I um...I think you're right. It's just. It's hard."

"I know, pal."

"And he knows I have two artifacts that go with those weird pillars in the forest!" Jak continued, "What do I do when he starts asking why I haven't brought them?"

"You end the call," Damas interrupted firmly, "or you give the line to an older Wastelander. Collecting those relics serves the interests of our people, and our people will be working in teams to locate them."

Perhaps this was Jak’s fight as much as anyone else's -- this Daystar and its coming threat -- but Damas was reluctant to involve him. Wasn't losing one son bad enough? He'd never survive losing a second one!

Besides, even someone as talented at sneaking into hidden places as Jak couldn't infiltrate places locked by the Seal of Mar. Whatever the Grand Council of Haven wanted with the catacombs, it was a matter for Damas to deal with, not the boys.

Jak picked at his tomango slices almost glumly. Whether it was his own struggles with setting boundaries that bothered him, or Damas’s advice for dealing with future calls, no one knew. But Daxter and Damas both knew that Jak wouldn't keep it bottled up for long. Sure enough, after a couple minutes of mangling his food without eating it, Jak finally looked up.

"You didn't tell me you were sending other people to look for the relics I told you about."

It was almost a question and almost a complaint.

"No, I didn't," Damas acknowledged, and sipped his tea. "The topic hadn't come up between us yet. Is there something about it that concerns you?"

Jak had difficulty putting his thoughts into words. He started and stopped three times before muttering, "It's dangerous. What if someone gets hurt and I'm not there?"

"What if someone doesn't get hurt and you're not there?" Damas countered. He leaned an elbow on the table and gestured to himself almost self-deprecatingly. "Age does not grace the Spargan who is careless, nor are many years added to the foolish. Do not worry so much about people who were hunting metalheads for sport before you were even born, son."

"Admittedly," said Daxter, "We're still getting used to the concepts of adults who can actually fight their own battles. Am I complaining? Only when they decide it's "Take Your Ottsel To Work Day". But even I still go into jobs expecting to have to save everyone's butts at some point."

"Justified with the monks." Jak pointed a piece of tomango at his best friend.

"Yeah, justified with Mime Club."

Damas threaded his fingers together under his chin and watched the boys a moment.

"How about this," he offered, "If an artifact is located but not yet retrieved, I will give you the option of participating in the mission. Or, you can wait until everything has been gathered, and we will go to the pillars together."

For a moment, Jak brightened. Then he looked pensive again. "What if there's trouble? I mean. I was never really- I never claimed Haven, but they act like I belonged to them. What if me bringing another nation into their forest makes trouble for Spargus?"

"Hmph. Perhaps it is better to settle this now, rather than engage in hypotheticals."

Damas held out one hand.

"Give me your talk-box."

Jak narrowed his eyes. "What are you going to do?"

"Not your concern."

"Papá...." somehow Jak managed to sound both suspicious and scolding.

Damas remained unmoved. "Hand it over, boy."

Reluctantly, Jak did so. He cringed when the device powered on, and Keira's voice poured out.

"Jak? Are you okay? Daddy came in fussing about someone interfering with- you're not Jak! Where's my friend?!"

By the mortified expression on his son's face, Damas guessed this was the sage's daughter. The childhood friend Jak still sort of had a crush on.

"Tell your father to stop harassing my son," Damas said shortly. "Especially during hours set aside for family meals. Was he raised in a barn? In fact, ask him that for me."

"Pa, no!" Jak hissed, making a futile grab for the talk-box.

"Your son?! Who are you? Who- hey, Daddy, c'mere. You know this guy? He says he's Jak’s dad!" Keira became muffled for a moment, stepping away from her own device to drag her father over. "Why's this guy think you're harassing Jak? We've only called him twice since he left. Right?"

"Insisting he keeps his comm on at all times so that you can all monitor every moment of his day is not an acceptable use of Federation communication lines," Damas cut in. "I shouldn't have to tell you that spying on the nation of Spargus in such a way could be taken as an act of war."

"This-! This is bigger than Haven or the Wastelands!" Samos sounded flustered- even a bit nervous. "Surely you understand the claim destiny has upon Ja-"

Damas made a dismissive sound in his throat, cutting the sage off. "Pah. Destiny. I should think the recent Praxis regime and my own continued existence would be enough to call concepts such as destiny into question. As it stands, my claim on Jak supersedes "destiny" -- or more accurately, you."

"The fate of the planet hangs in the balance!" Samos cried, though somewhat subdued compared to his usual confidence. "Can't you see that?! Don't be so bullheaded, Jak is needed-"

Jak recognized the glint in the king’s eyes as mischief. Daxter looked a little too eager to see where this was going. Jak resisted the urge to cover his face in embarrassment. Why and oh why did Keira have to be the one to answer the line?!

"Oh? Are you planning to challenge me for custody of my son?" Damas bared his teeth in an unfriendly smile. "Please, by all means! The Arena is ready whenever you are."

"Pa!" Jak gripped the sides of his head and stared at the man. "Not in front of Keira!"

"Look, old man-" Damas ignored Daxter's delighted cackle. "This planet will survive through united efforts, not by sitting back and hoping one boy alone will get the job done. Now, if Haven wishes to negotiate a temporary alliance to get this done sooner, there is no one stopping them from requesting a meeting with the Wasteland Federation. In the meantime, the Federation intends to continue preventing the apocalypse with or without your participation."

"You are?" Keira cut in over her father again, sounding genuinely curious. "You mean there's more people who can get into ruins?"

Jak got up and moved to the head of the table. Damas moved the talk-box out of his reach preemptively, but Jak made no move to grab it.

"That's their whole thing, turns out. You know Krew? Yeah, everything he sold you, he bought from Wastelanders. Even the defunct power cells."

The slightly warped image of Keira on the screen flickered as she leaned closer.

"Seriously?! I could've cut out the middleman and just worked with them all this time?! Ughhhhh. Hindsight is 20/20 I guess. You want to show them my research from the palace library?"

Behind her, Samos jumped. "The what?! Keira, the library was destroyed with the rest of the palace!"

"The building collapsed, sure," Keira retorted, "But the data cores are still mostly intact in there. If you don’t mind crawling through some tight places and bringing lots of Scout Flies, it's a cinch to get the files for Vin."

Samos looked apoplectic. "Keira! That's far too dangerous for you!"

His daughter rolled her eyes. "What? Jak and Daxter can do it but I can't? Don't you trust me?"

Damas stifled a chuckle and elbowed Jak. "I like this one," he whispered. "Invite her to Spargus sometime."

Jak wished the floor would swallow him.

#jak and daxter #fic prompts #writing prompts #dadmas #king damas #jak and daxter au #free day thursday #adopted dadmas au #keira hagai #samos hagai #samos gets all the side-eye in this house #everytime i wonder if I'm bashing the character needlessly i watch the games and go 'o he's actually Worse' #haven is like 'only the kid we tried to kill via sunstroke can save us!' #and Damas is like 'literally every wastelander does the same thing jak does. some of us even channel.' #giving Keira back the characterization that was denied her in Jak 3 #Keira is busy doing Lara Croft stuff when Samos's back is turned #Jak is playing his own game and Keira is playing Uncharted 🤣

[misspoetree]

So the lovely @haahka and I were talking about Tay and how it's a bit sad that the fandom only ever seems to send him on shopping tours or focus on his fashion (you guys know that I'm obsessed with the KinnPorsche Fashion myself, but it's just a little...unadventurous, you know).

And then I got waaay to deep into headcanons with the equally lovely @tumsa (I'm not even sorry for the spam 😌❤).

Now, there are two things I want to do: first, I'd love to hear more Tay headcanons - feel free to throw them at me (as an ask, in the tags, added to this post, whatever you prefer). Because I'm really curious. 👀

And second, I'm going to share a few of mine:

Tay is way more capable than anyone thinks. (But no one needs to know that.)

People treat Tay like a princess within the show - I mean, he isn't even allowed to help in the kitchen at Porsche's. But I don't think Tay IS a princess. I think it's a protective façade. Because letting oneself be underestimated is a (survival) strategy in a world of money and constant power struggle, and a smart one at that. Yes, Tay is really good at reading people in general, but I also feel like people tend to let their guard down around him. Because he's kind, and understanding, and compassionate - and he seems harmless, a bit spoiled even. His 'softness' puts people at ease, makes them talk, makes them more honest than they probably should be. He's not a threat after all. I bet he knows a lot of things he shouldn't. I bet he's smart enough to use that knowledge (to help other people, to help himself, if needed). And I bet Tay could be fucking dangerous if he ever chose to (and wouldn't that be exciting 👀).

I also like to think that Tay has a strong survival instinct that goes beyond 'pretending to be incapable'. He and Kinn have been friends for ages, their families know each other, he basically grew up surrounded by mafia. He probably witnessed Tankhun's kidnapping back in the day. The horror and trauma of it. Tay's family is rich. He's close to the Theerapanyakuls. To the future head of the family. But he DOESN'T have an army of bodyguards following him around. And the downside of 'being harmless' is looking like an easy victim. Tay is too smart to be unprepared. So in my headcanon he knows how to handle a crisis, knows how to deal with danger, knows how to survive. Knows how to get out of the country quickly, how to get money without leaving a trail, how to get an unregistered gun. How to land a mean punch even though he hates it, how to apply (good) first aid EVEN THOUGH HE HATES IT. (I do think that he really isn't a fan of physical stuff, so the princess image is not completely off. Or, well, he lets it work in his favour.)

Tay's reaction to being hurt, being really hurt, is to shut his emotions down completely.

I don't enjoy how Tay's often written as dramatic and over-emotional in his confrontations with Time after what happened at Hum Bar. He isn't sober when he catches his boyfriend shoving his tongue down another man's throat, and well, his boyfriend is shoving his tongue down another man's throat. So of course he's fucking angry. And emotional. Right then and there. But the thing is, Tay had time to think, time to cool off in those other confrontations. And that's just the way to describe Tay's demeanor then: cool, cold, like ice. I like to think that he just freezes over. Turns into a statue of neutral disinterest. Just imagine: someone like Tay, always so kind and compassionate, staring you down with an expressionless face, not reacting to anything you say, looking close to fucking bored. Imagine what that would do to Time, always so full of himself, always so used to getting reactions out of Tay. Walking straight into a wall of ice. Completely out of his element. Really forced to put the work in for once. And it truly is hard work to break through to Tay once he closes his feelings off from you. A little bit of grovelling might be necessary. (That said, dealing with his emotions like that isn't good for Tay either. Of course not.)

There's...'something' between Tay and Vegas, some kind of understanding

I never got over TAY asking after Vegas in the final episode. Or the way Tay watches Vegas as he passes him during the auction. So I'm having a lot of fun wondering about the 'relationship' between Tay and Vegas, or how potential interactions could have gone down.

I mean, Tay 'belongs' to Kinn. We know that Vegas wants everything that belongs to Kinn (I bet he thinks Kinn must have fucked a pretty boy like that at least once. Even though it's not his usual type. Why else would he stick around?). Tay's caring and understanding. We know how Vegas can react...to something like that. (Not him falling in love after one free therapy session or something like that.) Tay is really good at reading people, he is really good at reading Kinn. And we know Vegas is not so different from Kinn (in some ways), even though he would murder anyone suggesting something like that to his face. Or maybe that's exactly what Tay does. Telling that to his face. As Vegas tries to seduce him, in the earlier days. But Tay doesn't try to wound him with that, to be cruel or mean, it's just an observation, spoken in that calm and understanding tone of his. And a younger Vegas is so shocked by that statement that he just...stops? And stares at Tay who just keeps going with that warm look in his eyes and those observations that hit a little too close to home until he can't take it anymore and turns on his heel to...definitely NOT run away like a dog with his tail between his legs.

Vegas keeps his distance after that. That princess isn't worth the effort, he tells himself. Or maybe he doesn't. Maybe he stops trying to seduce Tay, yes. But they end up talking again. And again. Because Vegas desperately needs to know what Tay meant with those things he said. And there's just... something about their conversations that keeps Vegas coming back. Until (stealing some thoughts from @tumsa here <3) Tay tries to convince Vegas that the competition between him and Kinn is dumb. Vegas does keep his distance, then.

And Tay gives up trying to help, trying to make him see how futile all of this is because it's clear Vegas won't listen to anyone but his father. But he still cares about Vegas, and seeing all the things Vegas does to himself without realising, seeing that ever-growing self-destructive obsession with Kinn sits like a leaden ball in Tay's stomach. The knowledge that he can't do anything to help is a bit like its own form of torture.

Anyways, (stealing again from @tumsa) Tay definitely ends up going to the hospital to visit Vegas. In secret, of course. And seeing Vegas and Pete together, seeing Vegas being changed by love, seeing him try to be a better person for Pete, putting all this effort in to make it work - maybe all of this forces Tay to reflect on his own love life for once. To reflect on the things he wants. The things he deserves, after all.

Nearly everyone had a crush on Tay, one time or another

You guys know the thing we do with Vegas? Like how VegasPete is the holy grail of endgame ships but it's so much fucking fun to ship Vegas with everyone and to imagine all his possible encounters and escapades? Because he's manipulation, seduction and psychological issues stacked on top of each other and wrapped in a velvet shirt?

Well. I like to do the same thing with Tay. For more or less opposite reasons. Because he's understanding and warm and compassionate and smart (and really pretty). In a world full of violence and trauma and repressed emotions, only sharp edges. I mean, who wouldn't crave the warmth, who wouldn't want to bathe in the sunlight for a while? I'm pretty sure people are falling en masse for Tay. And I think Tay doesn't always know how to handle it. Or genuinely doesn't realise what kind of effect he has on those poor bastards for doing nothing more than showing them a bit of kindness. Or maybe he's simply choosing to ignore it because he only has eyes for one person and one person alone.

Anyways, a lot of fun directions to go with this last headcanon for now. (And I'm keeping it intentionally vague and without examples because otherwise, this would turn into a multichapter fanfic I don't have time to write just now. 🤡)

#it's a bad idea to post this when there's so many other things I should be doing #and I have to go back to work tomorrow #but that hasn't stopped me before has it 🤡 #and I had way too much fun writing and thinking about this ngl #(was there infj projection involved in this? maybe. MAYBE IT WAS) #anyways - I'd love to hear and collect some more Tay headcanons <3 #and I leave it to @haahka to share that one headcanon with you that started all of this 😂❤ #kinnporsche the series #kinnporsche headcanon #kinnporsche tay #vegas theerapanyakul #timetay #because the kinnporsche brain rot is still real

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Wait, is it true the writers said Marinette and Gabriel are meant to represent individual creative spirit versus corporate greed?

Taken from the writer's commentary on the final two episodes

In the next scene, we can see Marinette taking the miraculous that have been standardised and industrialised by Gabriel and putting them back in shape. The writers specify that this is a parabole about craftsmanship vs industrial production. The miraculous will now be adapted to every person, but we can’t see what they look like just yet! In this new world, the powers are all shared, among people who they trust and know will work for the common good. They joke that the "Avengers" shot at the end with all the heroes is something they’d been dreaming of.

There's also that bit from her confrontation with Gabriel where he randomly acts like he's The God of Fashion (taken from S5E20):

Gabriel: I don't think you understand, child, so let me put things differently. Life is like fashion. You think you have a choice, but all you have is the illusion of choice. And I decide what choices are given to you. Marinette: You're wrong! (Shows Gabriel her sketchbook.) Fashion is about listening to people, it's about understanding who they are, what excites them and creating the clothes that will help them express their inner world. Help them connect with others and make their dreams come true. Gabriel:(Laughs and takes her sketchbook, then browses its pages.) No, that's not fashion. That's making dresses for your dolls. Fashion is a product, a marketing strategy, an industry that relies on uninterrupted trend renewal that forces you to either throw away everything you have and buy more or, worse, to be out of fashion. Thanks to the clothes I create, the celebrities who wear them, the advertisements I design and the Alliance rings that broadcast them, I create an idyllic vision. A perfection that everyone aspires to achieve, while keeping it just out of their grasp. You finally understand the difference, don't you? You listen to people's desires and create what they want. Somehow, people make you. Whereas I create people's desires. They buy what I decide to buy. They think what I want them to think. I'm the one who makes people. You think you love Adrien, but you're just under the spell of this world I've created. A world where Adrien is the star, shining high above. A world where you're just part of the crowd below looking up at him. (Shuts the sketchbook.) That is why nothing can ever happen between you two.

So, yeah, this is apparently supposed to be them talking about some kind of central theme of individual creators vs mass production? The problem is that it basically comes out of nowhere. If the writers really wanted to have this be some sort of message, then they needed to establish this a lot sooner because Marinette has had no issues with his fashion company nor has anyone else.

An example of a way to do this would be to have Marinette win the hat competition in season one, Adrien models it in season two, and then give us a series of episodes where Marinette gets to learn about the production process for her hat. She gets to see it mass produced and then gets to learn how fast fashion works and, by the end, she's no longer a fan of the fashion industry even though she still loves fashion. It would be a much better environmental message then the nonsense we've been given, too.

But the show didn't give us anything like that. We've never seen a single Gabriel brand product save for the stuff Adrien wears and the alliance rings, which are phones more than fashion accessories, so it makes sense that they'd have a uniform look. Even if phones were made to order, you wouldn't see much variety in the base product save for color. The customization on a phone is the background and the alliance lets you customize your "background" (aka your Adrien, Lila, or Kagami) as we saw in Jubilation when Socqueline was showing off her alliance.

Side note: I realized that Jubilation takes place before I started writing mini episode reviews, so I wanted to make a quick note of how creepy it is that you can customize your alliance avatar given who the avatars are. Gabriel and Tomoe seriously took their 14-year-olds and told people of all ages to treat them like dolls, which is extra creepy given how many fans Adrien has. That has some messed up in-universe implications that make me shudder. What were the writers thinking?

#ml writing salt #ml writing critical #ml season 5 salt

[thelonelyme]

♡ʏᴀɴᴅᴇʀᴇ ᴛᴘɴ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ [ʜᴇᴀᴅᴄᴀɴᴏɴs]♡

.

𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐞: 約束 の ネ バ ー ラ ン ド [The Promised Neverland]

𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐨 / 𝐢: Norman, Emma, Ray

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭: What type of yandere are they? [yandere Ray x mc] [yandere Norman x mc] [yandere Emma x mc]

𝐀𝐕𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐙𝐄: GN READER, yandere content, usual stuff. Anyways, i know that they're kids, so don't kill me please, that was a request from my Wattpad account, all the characters mentioned in this work are still kids, and mc is a kid as well. Enjoy ☺️.

-𝐑𝐚𝐲-

• Ray is one of the orphanage model student, who constantly gets perfect scores during the daily examinations. He is also known to be an avid reader with high intellectual abilities, frank skepticism and cunning. I do not think there is a way to escape.

• I mean, look at the devious plans that he has come up, and that, I'm not surprised anymore, they worked brilliantly.

• He is known to have an extremely cold personality with everyone.

• Well, at least with others, with you he is the exact opposite.

• All that ice front will collapse as soon as you would start giving him affection and confort.

• You'd probably figure the second mother/father's orphanage, which would instantly have him attracted to you like a moth, because of the bond he personally hideous with his biological mother.

• He would be so good at hiding what he's feeling, the constant feeling of jealousy when he sees you hugging Don, or the thousands of worries that would run in his mind whenever you're not with him, that even Isabella wouldn't know what's constantly in his mind.

And as it should be.

He knew she would use it against him.

• Emma would, however, would've noticed the ongoing fleeting glances of him to you that would be immediately stop as soon as mum would be around. It's such a complete switch to his normal behaviours that she would have connected all the dots and confronted with the boy about of his feelings for you. Eventually Ray would get new aid.

• Norman would have remained neutral, the only thing that interested him was the escape and Emma's safety, and if he had to help Ray to keep you with him to continue to receive important information that the latter had, so be it.

• He's very protective. And I don't blame him at all. With you two being human kids in a Orphange just to be eaten by some disgusting demons, and with your pretty naive nature, he would constantly be afraid that you may have been chosen as the next course by those bastards.

• Never leave him, he could be even more that that.

════════ *. ·: · .☽✧✦✧☾. ·: ·. * ════════

-𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧-

• Haha, you will never get out of him.

• Norman, along with Ray and Emma are the smartest in the orphanage: even if you wanted to, you couldn't get rid of them, especially when they're working together.

• Norman is a math prodigy and a model student, with an intelligence that surpasses his peers and even adults. He is also known for being a brilliant strategist and planner, as well as unbeatable at hide and seek.

• Do you really think you have a chance?

• He would not have been discovered at all. You would never know that he had such dark feelings towards you; which would have helped him immensely as you would never have tried to get away from him.

•You wouldn't expect him to be like that. So weak for you and Emma, so devoted to you to to the point to even wanting to killing all of those filthy beings and eat their bodies. Why don't let them have a taste of their own medicine?

•But he's not that stupid. He knows he's just a weak kid compared to a standard demon, and he's definitely not that deluded to the point to fight one. He needs a little more time and a good strategy, and then all will come to him.

• Now, his priorities have changed: escape from that hell hole that is the orphanage and save you, Emma and Ray from the rot that surrounded you. He doesn't absolutely care about the other kids, but thanks to Emma, he now needs to help them too. If she didn't say anything or if she didn't stopped Norman from following his original plan, they would be all dead in the next few years.

• Norman is a calm, balanced, kind guy who wants to appear as a reliable person to those around him. He's the living represention of the sentence: "Reality is totally distant from appearances".

• He would be suffocating. You would never know why he'd be always around you, talking to you more than with the other kids, touching you, but you still wouldn't do anything about it, feeling somehow special because of him. A guy so cunning and smart as him wants to constantly talk to you, eat with you, wants to seat near you during exams and lessons, and wants to even play with you? And while he could choose anyone else to play with, he did wanted to always be with you? You would've been soo happy.

• He would approach you as he would do to all the other children, but instead of engaging in a platonic relationship as he planned, he found himself having feelings for you as much as he did for Emma, ​​if not stronger.

• And don't even think about counting on the girl or Ray, they won't help at all.

•Or at least not you.

════════ *. ·: · .☽✧✦✧☾. ·: ·. * ════════

-𝐄𝐦𝐦𝐚-

• Emma is an extremely optimistic, loud and cheerful girl, full of life, whose athletic skills and outgoing nature contract directly to Norman's weak physique and Ray's introverted nature. Emma plays the part of an older sister among her youngest and always shows unlimited love and care for her adoptive siblings.

• With her personality extremely cheerful, it would be hard to ignore the fact that she has a huge crush on you.

• Her reputation would be perfect. No one would suspect that beneath the sweet, bubbly little girl was another completely different person ready to pick you up and keep you safe.

• That said, no one would help you. Neither Don, not Mom, Ray, Norman, nobody. They would all be on Emma's side when she casually starts crying saying she said bad words to her.

• So she will isolate you as much as possible.

• She would keep your shirts and trinkets under her pillow, and if mom found out, she would just say she wanted to give them back to you the night before but she forgot about it.

•Even the mum wouldn't suspect nothing.

• One way or another, she will always escape any accusation. And don't count on Ray and Norman, in fact, maybe the latter could hurt you if you hurt her too much. And she would use that affection. Trust me.

════════ *. ·: · .☽✧✦✧☾. ·: ·. * ════════

Remember to stay hydrated! <3

#yandere #x reader #anime #fanfic #my fic #yande.re #yandere x reader #tpn norman #Tpn #yandere norman #yandere emma #yandere ray #the promised neverland x reader #yandere tpn #yandere tpn x reader

[softguarnere]

I Can Read You Like a Magazine

Lewis Nixon x reader

A/N: I heard that @latibvles needed a pick me up, and I was hoping to be of service. I hope you're feeling better, and I hope you like this one 💕🕊️

Warnings: smoking, requited un-requited love

If people's expressions can be read, then Lewis Nixon is an open book written in plain language -- there is never any guess work as to how he feels because every emotion crosses his face for the world to see. It's endearing, honestly. The way his eyebrows furrow and the edges of his lips pull down when he's confronted with something that upsets him; the way his smile is a little sideways whenever he's happy about something but trying to hold it back; even the way his bright eyes become hooded when he slow-blinks through exhaustion -- you know the language of his emotions and how to translate them so well that you consider yourself to be bilingual.

So now, sitting across from each other in a room full of officers, listening on while Sobel gives a progress report on Easy Company's training, it's not hard to see that he feels just as stunned as you do. It's no secret that the entire company hates Sobel, but the fact that he can go on and on about them as if he has single-handedly turned them into one of the best companies -- not to mention the way he's continuously slamming Dick's efforts to run the company.

When he's finished waxing poetic, there's a brief silence where you wait to see if anyone will contradict him. No one moves to speak.

Well, someone has to do it.

You draw in a breath and are about to begin when Nixon catches your eye. His dark eyes go wide and he turns his head slightly -- don't do it, (Y/N). Something in his warning is so adamant that you stop yourself before you begin. But most of the room heard your sharp intake of breath as has turned to you expectantly, interest piqued. You cover it up with a fake cough and a half-hearted "excuse me."

Meeting adjourned, you dig your nails into your palms as you head outside. Nix is waiting for you; he always is. Propped against the building's exterior, he lights a cigarette and glances up at you, offering you his lighter in greeting.

Plucking his cigarette from his fingertips, you take a long drag. It doesn't help. If anything, it makes you feel even more wound up. Amused, he shakes his head when you hand it back to him.

"I would have spotted you a light, you know."

"I know."

He takes another deep inhale, blows a smoke ring while watching you out of the corner of his eye. "You're upset."

"Of course I am. How can you not be?" Dick is his friend, too. Maybe his best friend. It was hard for you not to break your silence, but Nixon hadn't seemed to struggle as much.

Smoke pours out as he laughs, making him cough a little. "Oh trust me -- I am."

"But you didn't speak out against him, or speak up for Dick. He's our friend. We should have said something."

Nixon's dark eyes turn curious. "Did Dick look upset to you?"

"What?"

"In the meeting," Nixon clarifies. "Did he look angry?"

No, he hadn't. In fact, he had sat there and taken the whole thing in stride. Anyone else would have been furious, but not Winters. You shake your head.

"Exactly. Because it's all part of the game."

"What game? Being an officer?"

Nixon nods. "It's all a game of strategy, and Dick plays it well. He knows how to keep his cool. Besides, he didn't have to contradict Sobel in front of the upper echelon, because he knows that all the evidence speaks for itself -- which means that he doesn't have to."

"I hadn't thought about that."

"Dick will be okay," Nixon says. "Sink and the others will see through the bullshit, you can count on that." He offers you his cigarette, and this time you accept it. "That's not what's bothering you, though."

You don't mean to laugh, and it comes out wrong -- a hard, empty staccato. You wave your hand dismissively, like that will clear it away, along with your problems. "Just one more issue to add to the stack, I'm afraid." When he reaches out for the cigarette, you try to soften your tone. After all, it's not Nix's fault. "Bad letter from home."

"Oh. I'm sorry about that."

You shrug, feeling some of your tightly held tension dissipate. Funny, how even a little kindness from someone who truly means well can sometimes make a burden easier to carry.

"You know you're one of my closest friends, right (Y/N)?" Nixon's tone is so much more gentle than the casual, light-hearted one that he uses around everyone else in the camp. It makes your heart feel funny, thinking that probably only you and Dick have only ever heard him speak like this, his emotions easier than ever to read. "You've listened to me wax poetic about my own life, but I can shut up when I put my mind to it. If you wanted to talk about it . . ."

It's an open offer. Not just for here, in this moment, but any time. You've never been one to trust many with your secrets and your problems, but something about Nixon's sincerity makes you think that he would carry them carefully.

Nixon is a good friend. But lately, you feel like you can't look directly at him, and you feel excitement flood your stomach whenever he walks into a room. That's a secret that you can't ask him to help carry -- not yet anyway.

You nudge your shoulder against his. "Thanks, Nix."

He smiles, and it reaches his eyes. "Of course." Ashes float from the end of his cigarette as he drops what's left of it and grinds it out with his boot. His tone is somewhere between that soft, sincere voice he uses with you and Dick, and his public, comical tone, "But if Sobel comes after you in a meeting, I won't hesitate to knock him upside the head. I'll forfeit the game if I have to."

You can't contain your smile, and you hope that he can't hear the way your heart trips over itself at his words. A joke or not, it's good to have a friend -- or someone with the potential to be more than that -- like Nixon in your corner.

#peep that one line about kindness making things easier #literally have SO MANY thoughts about that kind of thing #this was originally going in a completely different direction #but you know what? #we need some soft!Nixon content #we deserve it! #lewis nixon x reader #lewis nixon #band of brothers x reader #band of brothers fanfic #band of brothers #band of brothers imagine #tumblr friends #my writing

[exp123mon]

More Frontier stuff

22 - To My Home! Takuya's Lonely Return -okay so I don't even have like a play-by-play feedback to give for this episode it was just so friggin excellent… -it was legit a toss up for me between "it's a metaphorical journey in Takuya's mind" vs. "he's literally physically returned home" vs. "the second thing plus time travel" for a lot of it -honestly it harkens back to one of the best moments for me in Adventure, when Taichi returns to the human world after MetalGreymon defeats Etemon. It's the genius move of bringing the "return home" aspect of the monomyth from the ending to the midpoint. Rather than "have the journey, return home forever changed" and that's that, in Adventure Taichi and Takuya here gets that moment of reprieve from the pains of his journey. But he knows he's changed and is no longer who he was before he left. But it's by recognising his own growth from that journey that he's able to affirm his decision to re-enter the unknown beyond his ordinary life. Before the adventure's start, he had no way of knowing what dangers were in store for him. But now he's returned home and DOES know, he still chooses of his own volition to return. It makes the narrative so much more powerful that way. The character is already changed by the journey and realises this. Even if he returns home, he won't ever be the same as he was before. But what he's learned on the journey is of his importance in the world as well the strength of his spirit--no matter the dangers, he can confront them. And this ultimately manifests for Takuya here in that beautiful moment where, in the end, it's still just Takuya himself who drives himself forward; this journey has always been his choice; even now at his worst when he's utterly alone and confronting potential death in the face of a brutal enemy, it's still his choice to take that journey, to resume it -goddamnit man I friggin love Digimon so much -I'm not sure any of the above is coherent at all though lol I just had a lot of feelings over this episode -Digimon always seems to do solo episodes like this really well, too. The only real speaking roles this episode were Takuya and the Trailmon and Takuya easily carried the entire episode basically by himself -Interesting that he became a Digimon too--I did know Flamemon (I think?? we didn't actually get the name and I won't look it up for fear of spoilers at this point haha) was in Frontier somehow and honestly when I watched the second episode as Takuya's Spirit as Agnimon I was curious that it wasn't this funky little guy. His design makes me think of something out of Final Fantasy. -oh and also that guy who knew Koji was there haha I thought maybe we'd see more of him when he showed up, actually, but I like that we didn't focus too much on him and kept the lens on Takuya.

23 - Feel the Digimon's Power! Takuya's Full-Body Strategy -In searching for his friends, Takuya relocates Bokomon and Neemon, who are under assault from Sepikmon, who is as ever super endearing in a really creepy way. After being befriended Sepikmon says he knows where Takuya's other friends are. "Just follow the boomrang!" …do you… do you know how boomerangs work lol -Ranamon decides to torture the children by tickling them. :| Though I remember hearing somewhere once that humans' pain threshold is higher than their ticklishness threshold, so if you DO ever want to torture info out of someone, your best bet is to tickle them rather than physically assault them. Guess it's easier to keep them alive that way too. -Okay then Ranamon really DOES try to actually KILL Junpei and that's when Koji is like NUH-UH. -THUNDER. WIND. ICE. HEA--oh wait. The "made the elements my allies" thing seemed kinda random to be honest but I guess it's just Takuya's realising that the Digimon Spirits and the elements they control are more powerful than just "I'm the fire guy so here's my fire punch", "I'm the lightning guy so here's my lightning bolt" etc. -Mercuremon retreating into his mirrors is such a cool little animation. I'm putting my Bits on him getting killed by Cherubimon at some point though hehehe.

24 - Confrontation With Volcamon! Junpei's Struggle With His Past -JUNPEI EP LET'S GO -We start off with a litte bit of Ranamon and Mercuremon. Once again something I was wondering about at the end of last episode is illuminated within seconds of the next starting haha. -Ranamon looking into Mercuremon's mirror and being like "wink :3" was like of course but then when he walks away and she's pulling a goofy face actually got me haha. I tend to not like bratty characters (who does?) but it's not so bad to see she has a more goofy side like that. -Duskmon angsts over Koji. -The teasing of Junpei by the others was a nice bit of levity, which I thought was nice after the last two eps were pretty intense… then, uh, everybody gets eaten by Sephirotmon (or whatever its name is again) -Its inside were actually pretty gross! Nicely done artists. -I somehow never noticed Volcamon has a volcano on his back??? I mean he's not a Digimon you see all that often, but still, you'd have thought I'd have seen the dude's NAMESAKE lol. What a dummy I am. Call my Dummymon. (or maybe don't plz) -Aww, Junpei's backstory bit was sad. Like, I get not wanting to be friends with someone just because they give you stuff all the time, but when you're lonely and and don't know how to reach out to people it's hard. -Love the other kids showing up looking for Junpei and seeing all their clones. Like "what the heck is this?!" then they just focus on the fight. Spend long enough in the Digital World and stuff like that ceases to faze you. -I was kinda hoping they'd go the direction of Junpei CANNOT defeat his past self, but nor can the past self defeat the present. Since you can't have the present version of yourself without all the selves that came before. -omg when Junpei's like "I don't care what happens to me if I can help the others!!" and fires his attack at his shadow then we hard cut from the stadium being exploded to Junpei face-down and still in the dirt lol that really made me laugh -Hurray, now the kids can all--aaaaand they got pushed into more eyeball gates whoopsie! -Wait is Sephirotmon Mercuremon's Beast Spirit????

25 - Tomoki's Lonely Battle - Asuramon's Trap -HALFWAY POINT BABY!! -"Tomoki's Lonely Battle"… and also Koji is there lol -There were some really nice backgrounds this ep! The fire area Tomoki was in was really nice and the area Takuya was looked interesting. Even if it was only there for like three seconds. I screenshotted them to make some colour schemes later. -We get some more insight into Tomoki's background. -I LOVE the choice of Asuramon to represent a two-faced/manipulative friend. Honestly wish they'd focused only on Tomoki here so they could really expand on the idea. I guess it would've meant the episode dragged too much though. -Karatenmon (who the subtitles called "Karatemon" haha) is another 'mon I've never seen beyond artwork… I THINK?! I have a feeling he's in 02 or something lol I don't remember though -Has Wolfmon used Strahl before?! Just… suddenly, EYE LASERS. -Really like how Tomoki's lesson here is important but not like hugely grand or anything. It feels like a natural and normal kind of thing a kid of his age would learn and understand. If you only think about yourself, you won't make friends. Simples. Though honestly some adults could stand to relearn that lesson, hurhur. -Tomoki escapes and reunites with Bokomon and Neemon, yay!

26 - Ranamon's Tenacity! The Female Digimon's Personal Combat -the icy dread that lurched up my spine upon reading this title lol -Suddenly Digimon Frontier is Snow White now haha. -The Honeybeemon repeatedly getting caught in their own traps and saved omg they're so adorable. -The food they give to Izumi all sounds so tasty… I don't eat honey very much even though I really like it. Maybe I'll make honey cake or something to eat during my next Digimon binge hehe. -A cursed apple that causes hallucinations? Unfortunately Ranamon this is an anime so those hallucinations will only lead to more character development, ergo more power. Alas. -They're really hammering home that loneliness theme these past few eps haha. -Oh and also Junpei escaped Sephirotmon this episode. -"A woman must be kind." proceeds to beat the shit out of Ranamon I actually didn't expect Ranamon to go down this episode but here we are! Seems like Cherubimon might actually be getting some more screentime soon, what with only Mercuremon and Duskmon remaining… -I'd love if the Honeybeemon legit became part of the crew lol. I don't think that's gonna happen though…

#notart #digimon frontier #frontier watching

[agapeeternal]

Latest rumor that may or may not be confirmed in the next day or so is that Glen is the one who ended things once and for all, among some other confirmation that theirs was not the healthiest of relationships.

If that's true.....it puts her actions in a whole new light for me. Things start looking less like an intentional plan to gain more followers and more like a deliberate strategy to gain more followers AND damage his reputation as much as possible.

As has been pointed out in several articles....she knows exactly what her posts implied and what role they played in starting this train wreck, yet she has made no attempt to clarify. Instead she's been fueling the fire whenever she can. (The Jennifer Aniston reel was a nice touch.)

I already felt bad for Glen and how this all may be affecting him on a personal/mental level...and I don't he or his team were expecting her to stir all of this up. But if this is any indication of what the relationship was like? I don't know if he would have ever gotten a clean break, but boy am I glad he got out.

In other positive news....he's back on Spotify making playlists! There's a new one for Twisters!

I'm with you, if it's true, it's kinda game over for me with her. Because now it looks like not only is she milking it for everything mentioned, but she's also being vindictive and trying to gaslight the public, especially Glen's fans, because things didn't go the way she wanted. I feel like, at this point, she's just trying to get as much out of this right now before any clarity gets added to it. If it turns out that she was the one who did a lot of damage, some people will turn on her and other won't admit they were wrong, but either way it's gonna make her look worse than she does right now.

She reminds me of my brother's ex-girlfriend who would post shit about him on Facebook saying he was cheating and not taking care of their kids and when someone confronted her about it she was like "stop making assumptions about my life, you really don't know what's going on" then continued to post.

I fully stand by my opinion that she knew what she was doing them and for damn sure knows what she's doing now. She started the dumpster fire then just stood back and watched it burn and every time it looks like it's dying, she pours more gas on it. It's like, you did the damage the first time, just stop already.

I do wonder and worry about that too, because even if he's putting his head down and working, it doesn't mean it's not weighing on him. He knows what people are saying about him and I'm sure it doesn't feel good, especially if he hasn't cheated, which I don't think he has. She does seem like the type of person who'd deliberately not tell Glen or his team she was planning this and posting that shit to get back at him. And if that's how their relationship was then he's lucky he escaped.

I don't have spotify! Are they good?

#GP #glen powell

[kimium]

For the character ask meme: Claude (Fire Emblem Three Houses), Swindler (Akudama Drive), and Kalim (Twisted Wonderland)💜

(From this ask meme HERE)

Thanks for the ask, friend!!! You picked such fantastic characters and I am excited to answer this!

The prompt to all of these is: "send me a character name and I'll tell you three things I have in common with them and three things I don't".

Rest is under the cut because this is long.

Claude (Fire Emblem Three Houses)

Three things I have in common:

-Claude's entire philosophy of "I just want to break the barriers between us and create a nation where we can accept people for their differences" resonates with me deeply. I love that Claude's entire goal is to bring acceptance and ending racism and prejudice in the world. It is a goal I believe in with all my heart too.

-Like Claude I am a bi-racial child and have experienced what it is like to grow up "not quite" Chinese. I've had people look and not see my Chinese side or treat me like I haven't grown up immersed in Chinese culture since day one. I've had people "impressed" that I can use chopsticks when I learned how to use them properly when I was eight or nine. It's a subtle form of racism, denying an entire part of who I am just because people have decided I'm not "enough".

-I also am someone who tends to sit back and watch how things unfold before making a decision or a move.

Three things we do not have in common:

-As said above, while I tend to wait and see before making a decision, I am no where close to Claude's brilliant tactical mind. I'm not one for complex strategies or planning too far in advance.

-Claude tends to ruffle feathers and tease people frequently. His idea of "having fun" can range from pulling harmless pranks, to pissing people off and waiting to see how they try to "get even" with him. Sine he's always three steps ahead this is fine. I on the other hand have no desire to prank anyone or upset people.

-In the end, Claude can make tough choices and execute a plan without wavering. I can be very indecisive and fret over how my choices impact others. While I think this trait of Claude's is seen more in Three Hopes, it is still a trait present in 3H, so I included it here.

Swindler (Akudama Drive)

Three things we have in common:

-I tend to attract people that "make me slightly uncomfortable because they cannot take a hint and leave me alone" every now and then? Just by being kind and then realizing someone has no idea that "kindness" doesn't always equate to "I want to be friends". Of course, the people that I've attracted aren't anywhere close to Cutthroat, but hey, I understand the discomfort, Swindler. I'm here for you.

-While I think this is sort of cheating since the point of Swindler is to be "ordinary", I really relate to her brand of ordinary. Unlike Makoto who is supposed to represent the "every person", Swindler in my mind represents the person who is comfortable with routine. Swindler's life before meeting the Akudama cast was "go to work, make dinner, go home, sleep, repeat".

-Swindler's overall compassion and kindness through the series is also something I relate to, particularly with Brother and Sister. She sees people who are young, vulnerable, and wishes to help them because "it's the right thing to do".

Three things we don't have in common:

-Swindler's overall resolve through the series is something I don't think I could have. I don't think I could have gone through half of her experiences before breaking down, crying, and giving up.

-When Swindler stood up to Doctor... I definitely do not have that sort of courage. I hate confrontation and coupled with Doctor being extremely deadly... I could not do that.

-This is very specific but the entire scene with her trying to get away from and kill Cutthroat? Oh boy, I don't know if I could have done that.

Kalim (Twisted Wonderland)

Three things we have in common:

-Kalim's sweet, but naïve personality is something I think we have in common. I generally see the best in people and that fuels my interactions with others. Perhaps that's not always good though, as sometimes I miss people's feelings by being naïve because somewhere the line between naïve and ignorant can blur.

-Kalim likes buying his friends gifts and I do too! Sometimes I'm out shopping and I see something and think of a family or a friend. I end up buying the item and gifting it to them. Of course, I don't have the money Kalim has, but the thought is what counts!

-Overall I think one of Kalim's goals in life is to get along with others and that's my life goal too! I want to be friendly and kind! I want people to feel welcomed and not worry when talking to me.

Three things we do not have in common:

-Kalim, due to his upbringing, never had to think of his requests are burdening other people. That's just how things work when he's surrounded by people on his father's payroll and it's their job to be nice to him. For myself, especially after growing up and becoming an adult, every time someone helps me with something I am grateful because I realize they took time out of their day to help me.

-Superficial, but Kalim is a great at dancing and singing. While I'm okay at dancing (I like ballroom dancing), singing is something I'm not very good at.

-Kalim and Jamil, post Book 4, have a strained relationship because the rose tinted glasses are off and Jamil has revealed his true thoughts about Kalim. I would never, ever be able to be near someone if I knew I'd hurt them like that. I'd probably want to disappear and this means both Kalim and Jamil are both stronger than I'll ever be ahaha...

#personal #replies #ask meme #thanks for the ask! #feel free to ask more if you want!

[agentem]

Endgame and passing the torch in the MCU

I think the a lot of the failings of Phase 4 and (so far) Phase 5 have been discussed at length.

But lately I have been thinking of one I haven't seen really discussed, and that is tentpoles/franchises. Iron Man, Thor and Captain America were the big franchises of the first couple phases. As such, they were (I believe contractually) always a big part of the Avengers team-ups.

It's those three characters that enter the battle with Thanos in Endgame together. Just the three of them.

Then everyone arrives and there was a symbolic passing of the Gauntlet to the three heroes I believe Marvel expected to be the next tentpole franchises: Black Panther to Spider-man to Captain Marvel.

Sadly, the Black Panther franchise was rocked by the loss of Chadwick Boseman. He really should have been the "new face" of Marvel coming into Phase 4. I think Letitia Wright did a great job in crazy circumstances with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. But I am still not sure she is a movie star the way Robert Downey Jr or Boseman were.

There wasn't anything Marvel could do about that loss, but it's felt in the lack of focus in Phase 4, for sure.

Tom Holland has arguably done his job as Spider-man. People still love his portrayal. No Way Home was one of the only huge hits in the COVID era. But now the future of that tentpole is also in question while Sony decides what they are going to do. I think this is something that could have been foreseen, unlike Boseman's death. Obviously Spider-man and the X-Men have been Marvel's most popular comic franchises for recent memory so they want Spider-man to be a big part of the MCU.

But wanting something and the ability to make it happen are two different things. And Marvel should've known there would be kinks in that process. They probably should've been laying the groundwork for a new deal with Tom Holland years ago. (Even if he wouldn't agree to anything before his old deal expired.)

I'm also surprised that they didn't have a Captain Marvel movie in Phase 4. I suppose Ms. Marvel was the entry that was supposed to make Carol's presence felt. And I do think Marvel really wanted that to be a huge hit. (They are going to air it on ABC near the release of The Marvels and I think that's a good idea to reach a wider audience.) I liked that show. And Marvel could totally still land this one by making The Marvels a big deal in November. TBD. But it seems late, and not just because it got pushed back a couple times.

... and then there is the weirdness that is the Thor franchise. This was the one of the "big three" that was continuing through Phase 4. And I think they whiffed it. They could have made that movie about passing the torch to Jane Foster Thor (which would keep with the themes of Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Hawkeye). They could have made that movie a way for Thor to enter the Guardians of the Galaxy world, and help transition the end of both of those franchises. They could have had it tie into Moon Knight and Eternals with the themes of "bad" gods.

This tentpole is holding up no tent. It doesn't serve the greater narrative at all.

Then characters like Doctor Strange and Ant-man were ongoing franchises that were never the biggest stars in Avengers films. And I think there was an effort to make them "matter more" by adding Scarlet Witch to DS, and making Ant-Man the first to confront Kang.

But I don't think the Multiverse of Madness did what Marvel wanted it to do. They could have positioned it as a big smack down between Strange and Wanda, who had grown in popularity following WandaVision and I think that could've worked as a messaging strategy. But the marketing was all about the multiverse and nothing really happened with the multiverse in that movie. I mean they went to two other realities and confirmed the multiverse exists. Except, you know, No Way Home came out first (which it wasn't supposed to but Sony didn't play ball, and they were probably right to do so since theirs worked and Marvel's didn't) so we already knew that. So it didn't add anything new really. Except that fans really want to see all the various Marvel film universes interact, and I think Deadpool will be the beneficiary of that lesson (which I could've told you from WandaVision alone), not Strange himself.

I was pretty "fine" with Ant-Man's showing. But a lot of people thought the third movie deviated too much from the charm of the earlier movies in the franchise. (One of the things people liked about Ant-Man was his more "regular guy" and smaller stories.) I think there was probably a better way to balance the tone of the first two movies better with the third. (Possibly less about the "Quantum People" and their struggle to make more room for Luis, Cassie's mom and step-dad and some of the other characters from the first two. (Glad David Dasmaltchian--Kurt and Veb--at least got to be in all three.)

I'm not sure I know what character is the "heart" of the Marvel stories anymore. They may be waiting for Sam Wilson's Captain America to break out in his upcoming movie, and for the Hulk rights to come back to them (because they are clearly setting something up there with the return of all his villains plus the introduction of She-Hulk.)

Also no idea what's going on with Shang-Chi and the Eternals. I do hope that Shang Chi and Kamala Khan are going to be important to the multiverse sage (see my ring theory post). But we have to wait and see how Loki and The Marvels land.

#marvel ramblings #thor #iron man #captain america #avengers: endgame #captain marvel #black panther #spider-man #sam wilson #ant-man #doctor strange #deadpool

[slightlysuspect]

 All That's Lost

Master Obi-Wan Kenobi learns of Anakin's fate from Master Windu

Obi-Wan Kenobi

"Master you must let me go after him." I insist.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" Master Windu asks.

"Surely he wouldn't try to kill me."

"He is a Sith Lord." I have a hard time accepting this at face value. Even if he was, does that mean he'd try to kill me?

"I just don't think it was a good idea to send him off alone. What if someone else comes along and starts twisting his mind?" I can sense Master Windu losing his patience.

"That's the biggest problem. His mind is twisting itself. We were mistaken. The prophecy of The Chosen One foretold our demise. Darth Vader will ensure the extinction of the Jedi."

"And if that's true, why have we allowed him to live?"

"That was my fault. I underestimated him. Had I been able to kill him, I would've. For now, we've tricked him into leaving us alive. I will handle this, and it would be better if you put your energy into other problems."

"What other problem requires my attention? Master, leaving him in exile to spiral on his own is a mistake! He needs me!" And I need him. I've lost everything to my dedication to the order. I can't lose Anakin too.

"Enough! You want to focus on a problem? How about you contemplate your strategy for removing Orn Free Taa from office?"

"Senator Amidala is in a coma. We can't make a move on the Chancellor without her political influence."

"And what if she doesn't wake?" I don't have any good answers to that question. Padme strongly advised against the Jedi operating against the Chancellor independently. "Undoubtedly losing a political ally like Senator Amidala is a blow." Mace continues. "But we need to move forward with the resources we have."

I can only shake my head. "I don't like it, and quite honestly I'm beginning to feel a little out of my depth. Maybe Master Yoda should confront the Chancellor."

Master Windu sighs. "Master Yoda is unwell. Vader severed his connection to the force.

"What?" I ask incredulously. "How is that even possible?"

Mace Windu gets lost in contemplation. "I don't know." He says. "It's nothing a Sith has ever been able to do before. However, Yoda's 600 year old body is now beginning to fail without his connection to the force."

"He's dying?" I ask. Windu casts a nod.

"Obi-Wan this is a difficult time for the Order. I know your emotions are telling you to go after Anakin, but your presence has never been needed more here. The future seems to have no desire for balance, and would happily see us destroyed. If you abandon us, our demise will become a certainty." I don't appreciate the disasterizing, but begrudgingly I'm forced to admit that I agree. I'm needed here, now more than ever.

"Fine." I say. "But I don't like it."

Windu gives me a somber stare. "Rest assured, neither do I."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"To an end, my time seems to have come." Yoda says. He's gathered the Jedi Council at his deathbed. Despite his incredible age, I never fathomed I would live to see him die. "Listen well my friends," he continues, "very careful, you must be. Only growing, our enemies are."

"Yes." Windu says. "No doubt Vader will start working to gather forces. We must remain vigilant for when he reveals himself."

"So certain are you, that Skywalker is the only evil?" Yoda asks.

"Yoda is right, Master Windu." The soon to be Grandmaster Tera Sinube says. "The exile has been handled for the moment. We can't forget our other, more glaring problems." I still think it would help if I went and looked for him, but no sense in beating a dead horse. However there is one issue I could use Yoda's guidance on.

"Master," I ask Yoda. "What should be done about the Senate?"

"Hmmm," Yoda contemplates, "most careful, you must be. Underestimate them, you cannot." Not overwhelmingly useful advice, but I'll definitely proceed with caution. "My time... at it's end..." I can feel Yoda's life force fading from the room. "May The Force... Be With You..." is the last words Yoda spoke.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The first Jedi Council meeting after Yoda's death is certainly eerie. I look around the room, and consider how much it's changed in just the last month. Mace Windu is once again Master of the Order, while Tera Sinube is the new Grand Master. Then there's Ki-Adi-Mundi, Plo Koon, Stass Allie, Shaak Ti, Oppo Rancisis and myself. Including Windu, we're the only ones who were on the council at the end of clone war. A few short weeks later, and we have Coleman Kcaj, Depa Billaba, Jocasta Nu, and the very new Empatajayos Brand, along with Tera Sinube. Hopefully we won't need to elect more new members any time soon.

"The end of the war hasn't gone the way we had hoped," Mace declares in quite the understatement. "but we shouldn't let our shortcomings drag us down."

"Are you suggesting we celebrate as our fellow Council members are slaughtered?" Master Allie asks.

"Celebration might be a stretch," Mundi says, "but we are making progress."

"Towards what exactly?" Allie asks. A fair question. What is getting better?

"I agree with Master Allie." Master Sinube says. "These are nothing short of somber times, and we must greatly rethink our approach if we want to bring peace to the galaxy."

"The war is over." Madame Jocasta says. "Does the end of the war not mean the beginning of peace?"

"Not necessarily." Master Billaba says. "The end of the war means the Republic is now in sole control of the galaxy, and it remains to be seen if that's a good thing."

"So we should focus our efforts on politics then." Master Brand states. "Personally, I think Own Free Taa is a poor excuse for a Chancellor."

"Welcome to the club." I say.

"Indeed." Windu says. "However removing him is easier said than done."

"Yea but if we just wait around, the situation will only get worse." Brand says.

"Yoda was clear." Windu says. "The Senate is dangerous, and we shouldn't do anything hasty."

"Surely that doesn't mean we're going to do nothing at all?" Brand asks. He reminds me a lot of Anakin.

"Patience, Master Brand." Sinube says. "The force will reveal all in time."

Author's Note

What is an author's note? For me, historically it's been about whatever I just wrote, but at the time I was writing the notes right after I wrote the story. For whatever reason, I didn't do that this time, and am now writing notes from a retrospective angle. And I can positively say that I have no idea what that's supposed to mean, but I'm certain that as we journey through, these notes will be about something.

#star wars #fanfic #alternate universe #obi wan kenobi #mace windu