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vaporvipermedia · 1 year

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THE SIRENS🌊🎶🧜‍♀️

Backstory/Situation:

The Sirens were outcasts in the Coral Sea, regarded as bad omens and invasive creatures due to their ability to read the minds of both creatures and humans in order to lure them to their doom. So their time there was not very great to say the least. The three of them weren’t even close and yet they still ended up being friends. The Sirens more or so became a sisterhood finding comfort in each other’s presence.

How they got into NRC:

After stealing some food from a well known family runned Coral Sea restaurant, The Sirens made it to the surface to hide from the obviously angry owners. While trying to enjoy their soggy wet meals, a human ended up finding them. But not just any human, but a prince from The Aquatius Kingdom, Malachi Fotea.

At first, the trio were apprehensive of Malachi. After all this was their first time encountering a human and had no idea how to deal with them, so they ducked back into the sea. It took a little bit of corasing from the Prince to bring these scared creatures back but his calls ended up making them curious.

From sneaking out of his castle to tell them stories of cultures from different homelands he researched his kingdom’s secrets and even told the tale of two rival magic schools RSA & NRC. Which intrigued the girls most.

They already liked Malachi and considered him their first close human friend. So possibly enrolling in the same school he is, RSA, would not only be fun to hang out with, but would also allow them to turn over a new leaf in their lives by evolving their magic as a sort of middle finger to the merfolk that pushed them away.

So the Sirens decided to go to "Land Boot Camp" and study in order to improve their magic. Even working on their unique magic and entrancing vocals. The girls were finally accepted...to the school they didn't want, NRC, after their final day of boot camp and training.

Unfortunately for The Sirens, NRC discovered their magical abilities before RSA could. After spotting a Black Horse Carriage approaching them at high speed, they all had to learn the hard way. Having to wave goodbye to Malachi promising to meet each other when the time comes.

All of this hard work, only to end up at the wrong school.

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Siren’s Description

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Mitzy (She/They)

Age: 18

Best Subject: Astrology

Birthday: April 19th

Class/Grade: 3-D

Club: Film Studies

Height: 5’6(167cm)

Hobby: Turning everyone into her makeup guinea pigs

Homeland: Coral Sea

Likes: “Cute” or “Cool” people (personality wise/appearance wise)

Dislikes: “Boring” and “Bland” people (personality wise/ appearance wise)

Unique magic: Bizarre Belt

Her songs are able to put people into mass hysteria, making people see illusions and even cause others to attack people they’re allies with.

Mitzy’s UM is pretty much her unique song along with her other sisters. This melody requires loud belting in a hypnotic but strange tone of voice. The tone gradually shifts from soft and quiet to jagged and harsh melodies, as if harsh ocean waves are crashing into someone's ear while they listen to this.

Personality:

When it comes to Mitzy's Personality, she is highly extroverted & loves socializing with people she knows nothing about. They essentially like being friends with people who aren’t “boring”. Mitzy never had a fun or relaxing moment during their time in the Coral Sea. She wants some excitement in her life! So, if your whole demeanor is just bland…they’ll probably won’t be interested in talking to you.

Also she’ll absolutely claw you if you mess up her hair, nails and clothing she puts a lot of time into that. But besides all of that she’s pretty cheerful and loves running up to people she finds adorable or cool.

Mitzy would honestly just ramble about whatever goes inside her head to someone she just met, only for her to give you her number after.

And yes she will be expecting you to answer back.

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Grace (She/Her)

Age: 19

Best Subject: Potionology

Birthday: August 23rd

Class/Grade: 3-C

Club: Science Club

Height: 5’8 (172cm)

Hobby: Collecting different types of mugs and tea sets

(Grace has a whole cabinet in her room filled with her findings. She also just loves having a tea break with her sisters)

Homeland: Coral Sea

Likes: Being praised whenever she completes a task

Dislikes: Feeling useless or Cowardly

Unique magic: Melancholic Lullaby

Grace’s song essentially forces everyone in her vicinity to uncontrollably cry their eyes out making their vision extremely cloudy and blurry.

This melody requires a soft and melodic tone, making the atmosphere around them shift into song full of sorrow and hopelessness. This song not only brings people to tears, but it also reminds them of past experiences that caused them to feel this way at the time. Making them relive a memory they wished to forget and suppress as their tears flow out from their eyes. Often at times tiring out the ones affected.

Personality:

Grace is very introverted and at points tends to be completely silent. Ever since she first met the sirens, she’s always felt like she was in the way or too cowardly whenever they got into trouble with some apex predators. Grace thought that coming to the surface would give her a better chance at changing her weak-willed nature.

From getting good grades, speaking up for herself, helping out whenever she can etc. This is what Grace strives to accomplish in order to reach her goal of becoming a natural born leader and an extraordinary alchemist due to her love of Alchemy & Potion making. And maybe getting some praise for her hard work along the way.

She’s in need of a confidence boost…

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Coco (She/Her)

Age: 19

Best Subject: Swimming

Birthday: January 16th

Class/Grade: 3-C

Club: Track & Field

Height: 5’11 (180cm)

Hobby: Herbalism

(Usually practices this whenever the Sirens are under the weather or just to use it in a therapeutic way to calm herself and her sisters down)

Homeland: Coral Sea

Likes: Making people at ease

Dislikes: Getting stressed

Unique magic: Healing Vibrato

Coco’s song is able to heal others from wounds to poisoning in a matter of seconds.

Her melody is a more relaxing but vibrant tune that feels soothing to the soul. Making the person she’s healing warm inside as if the sun itself is beaming in their hearts. After the song ends, the person affected feels more energized and feels like a weight has been completely lifted off their shoulders.

Personality:

Coco is a very loyal and patient person, even when she is frustrated. She always had that big sister energy that the sirens felt at ease with. Finding Mitzy and Grace was the best thing that could have happened to Coco.

For the longest time, she’s felt empty and hollow since she had no family or friends. If she had a problem, she had to solve it on her own. Injured? Swim it off, Hungry? Steal to save your skin, Sad & Stressed out? Suck it up, you don’t have time for unnecessary emotions. Which made matters worse for her.

Coco had not only calmed down after finding the other sirens, but she had also found a new purpose in her life. Her new sisters' personalities and quirks made her feel warm on the inside, finally realizing she now has a family of her own. Which made her protective of the girls.

Coco promised that she would make their time on the surface more exciting and relaxing. So if they ever had a problem, they would tell her everything and she would handle the rest.

It’s the least she can do for the people who changed her lonely life.

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The Sirens’ Trivia

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Mitzy:

Has a Bestie Journal where she writes about all of the friends she has gained throughout her years in NRC. Each page is full of glitter, stickers, ribbons, whatever else is in her room and of course a picture of the friend in question.

Mitzy dyed all of the Sirens’ hair when they first got to the surface. Of course she ended up needing help from Divus since the TwisTube tutorials weren’t working.

Is not afraid to go for the throat when someone talks shit behind their back. If you start it Mitzy will end it.

Grace:

While Grace doesn’t talk all that much around people in public, she’s super talkative around the Sirens’ and Divus. Especially if it’s on a good day for her! Like getting good grades on her exams, completing a list of chores she made for herself, having nice customers at the Monstro Lounge etc. Grace would talk for hours and the girls don’t mind one bit.

Grace wants to communicate with her fellow science club members Trey & Rook but is too shy to speak to them. Maybe one day she’ll gain confidence.

Absolutely loves cats but is extremely allergic to them and often sneezes 5 times in a row when around one.

Coco:

Loves picking up people shorter than her. If you’re lucky or unlucky enough she’ll show you off to her sisters. “Look at this little squirt I found on my way to the dorms.”

Coco’s room is filled up with smoked plants that’s used for stress relief. That’s why some students love coming by to her room whenever they’re in need of her.

THE AFFECTION MASTER! Coco gives out the best of hugs whenever someone is in need of comfort. It’s nice, loving, and just tight enough to put anyone at ease. Coco often does this for her sisters too so she knows for a fact that it works. Oh, and I can’t forget the words of confirmation she whispers out to the lucky person in need of affection.

The Sisters:

They are under the watchful eye of Divus after Crowley assigned him to make sure their time in NRC is most comfortable. Especially, after an incident where Grace started to cry realizing that she didn’t go to the school of her dreams, RSA. He basically became the girls father figure and even helped them study for up and coming tests/exams. Divus basically adores them for their taste in fashion & quick learning abilities!

The Sisters even asked Divus to tailor their uniforms for NRC since the original uniforms were boring to them. (Mostly to Mitzy)

Instead of the regular “Duo Magic” the Sirens can team up to create Trio Magic called “The Sirens’ Shanty.”

Often sing songs on special events or weekends for that good Monstro profit!

The Sirens actually knew Orval when they were kids but didn’t interact all that much due to his severe social anxiety.

Bonus Sketches/Planning:

Reblogs>Likes

#twisted wonderland #twst oc #oc #twisted oc #twst #my artwork #twisted wonderland oc #octavinelle oc #octavinelle #The Sirens #twst coco #twst grace #twst mitzy #coco #mitzy #grace #divus crewel #orval blackwell #Asks about these girls are always welcomed

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matsaysyes · 1 month

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I’m going feral over Sonic Battle right now. The beginning story intrigued me and while the middle story was fun, it ultimately felt more like filler than anything.

Now I’m in Shadow’s story. It’s my favorite by far. While we don’t get all of team dark we do get a lot of nice friendship moments from Shadow and Rouge. Like Rouge taking him to her house to heal up after he gets hurt and then Shadow calling her his ally (so close to friend).

I’ve been playing this game with my friend and she guessed that Emerl was the equivalent to being Shadow’s adopted brother of sorts. With him being taken in by Gerald and everything. Once we got to the Shadow story our theory was confirmed. They had a bond over both being weapons of mass destruction which neither of us had seen coming.

Afterwards, we get the absolute best conversation in the whole game between Sonic and Shadow. Shadow tells Sonic that he needs to get Emerl because he’s a weapon and giving him all seven chaos emeralds would cause mass destruction. Sonic then argues that Shadow was supposed to be a weapon and he still sacrificed himself to save the world. This is the part where it gets interesting.

Shadow says that was only because of Maria. By her mention alone you can tell this is quickly becoming an emotionally charged conversation. Sonic saying that must have really hit something for Shadow.

Sonic then says that saving the world for Maria shows that that he has a heart just like Emerl. Weapons aren’t supposed to have hearts. Sonic is trying to tell Shadow that whether he agrees or not, the truth is that Shadow cares. And people care about shadow too.

This conversation isn’t really just about Emerl. It’s about Shadow.

Shadow then says, “If the world ever wants peace, they must destroy us.”

That is how Shadow views himself. As a weapon that is dangerous, that doesn’t deserve love, one that needs to be destroyed before it does more damage to the people who he cares about. Like Maria.

You can tell this leaves Sonic in shock because he immediately caves into Shadow and lets him have Emerl, at least before saying that he doesn’t believe that either of them has it in them to kill.

After that conversation you could easily get the wrong impression. The impression that Shadow didn’t care or listen to anything Sonic said. That is wrong. Later in the story, we see him contemplating these questions.

Why did he, someone made to be a weapon, have a heart, a soul, the capacity to love.

Rouge then appears, answering his questions. She had done research on Eggman’s computer. The truth is that Shadow was made to bring happiness and hope to all. G.U.N. wanted to use Gerald’s research to create a weapon of war. That is why Shadow has a soul identical to Maria while seemingly being made with the sole purpose of destroying.

Afterwards, Rouge decides to take my job of psychoanalyzing anthropomorphic animals from a kids game from me. She says that Shadow is afraid of his own powers. The truth is that he never used his power recklessly or selfishly.

This is the truth of Shadow the Hedgehog. A truth that, unfortunately, seems to have been forgotten in recent times.

#sonic the hedgehog #shadow the hedgehog #emerl the gizoid #sonic battle

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teagrl · 2 years

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Andor 10

Amazing to have a show to love every week.

Prison break! Prison break! That whole sequence was truly amazing. I enjoyed it so much more than Aldani, mainly because of Kino. You couldn’t take your eyes off him.

Throughout I kept thinking about how good Cassian is at being a second (the King’s/Queen’s Knight! A figure I love). He knows he doesn’t have the leadership to move masses of people. He is intelligent enough to recognize that his talents are to set up the conditions to make a ploy work. He’s ruthless and observant and cunning. I appreciate that so much, since we get so much emphasis on “leaders” and “heroes” elsewhere. Cassian is a hero, don’t get me wrong, but he’s a hero like Luthen is a hero. His heroism is about working behind the scenes, he wouldn’t be the kind of hero to be lionized and fawned over (and that is even beside the issue of his beginnings not being innocent). I think about Kino’s heroism too, he gets everyone out (I LOVED the bit where he asks the prisoners to help each other!), but then he can’t swim and he knows it throughout which makes that part when we, the audience, find out incredibly wrenching.

Nowhere is it as obvious that this show is deconstructing heroism as it is in the Mon Mothma bits. You see her shocked at Luthen’s plan, but now you see her walking into something that’s worse, because it’s *personal*. Mon’s built her standing on her principles, but principles aren’t enough anymore. She’s being pushed to open her home to this dude she views as a thug so he can launder her Rebellion money. And it’s obvious from what I reblogged, but what struck me about the whole thing is that Mon’s nightmare scenario is not about being forced to present her daughter for a child marriage. It’s that Leida has already grown away from Mon and she’d be open to influences that Mon disparages simply because it would revolt Mon. That banker dude WOULD just have to introduce his son and Mon’s reaction would be enough to make Leida intrigued. In itself, that’s dangerous -- all the more coupled with Perrin who the banker also mentions. It’s all so fraught and fascinating. I wonder how she’s going to maneuver there.

And! Lonnie. If Mon’s segment shows the way even Rebellion royalty have to compromise (haha here I think about that legendary dirty liberal thread), the bit with Luthen and Lonnie shows how the Rebellion have ALWAYS been a bare knuckle fighters. We forget that sometimes because in the OT there’s no space for quagmires of that sort. I kind of wanted that way back when the trailers of Rogue One started coming out and Jynn Erso was depicted in her Imperial get up with Saw yelling, “what will you become.” In Legends we see quite a bit of Imperial spies *ahem*, but I think Rebel spies with the texture we saw today with Lonnie are quite rare. Living a full double life? HATING the Empire but then actively doing its bidding, ie the killings, the torture, etc just to find the most vulnerable spot to stick a knife in? And this is without counting the situation he meets Luthen over, how he has to take the info of Rebels marching into their deaths in stride and sleep knowing it, because that’s what it takes to keep operating one step ahead. They die so he can keep betraying the Empire. So brutal. I love it.

#andor #spoilers

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envihellbender · 1 year

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Same again with BL male students?

Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Next Generation

Dimitri

Name: Aleksey (Aleksandr)

Class: Archer / Sniper

Aleksey was born with what in our world would he called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, in the world of Fire Emblem it was known as simply having extremely bend joints, having dizziness spells, and being rather sickly. As a result he struggled to build up his muscle mass to be anything like his father. He was short and almost skeletal despite his extreme appetite. Other than differences in stature however, he had the same light blonde straight hair which he tied back in a messy ponytail, the same bright blue eyes, and the same soft, feminine features his father had in childhood.

He used to resent not being able to be a strong warrior who couldn’t pick up an axe without dropping it or toppling over. It didn’t help that he found himself being unable to focus, he’d get restless and fidgety during his lessons. Until he picked up a bow, he found his brain finally quietened and he picked it up very quickly. He was soon praised as naturally talented and even by some a “savant” after the rumours got out of control. His father remembers fondly the look of joy on Aleksey’s face when he shot his first bullseye after barely an hour of lessons.

He likes sweets, running, dogs, target practice, naps, and board games. He dislikes tea, spicy food, and he has a phobia of horses from a dicey incident with one when he was young.

Dedue

Name: Apolline

Class: Priest / Bishop

Apolline is fairly tall, a little smaller than her father but reaching past his shoulders. She has long black hair she kept in braids, the same dark skin tone as her father, but she had bright blue eyes. She has broad shoulders and can be quiet clumsy. She’s shy, sensitive, and has inherited her father’s talent for cooking and gardening. She stands out in a crowd to her dismay and much prefers fading into the background. She’s very soft spoken, often has to repeat herself to her frustration. She is happier in her garden, cooking, or in the library.

She hates conflict, and tries to avoid going into the military at any cost. When she enters the Officer’s Academy she despises the idea, having panic attacks before hand which she hides from her father in fear of letting him down. She spends most of her few nights there crying, until she learns about her affinity for magic. She realises the small spells she’d practiced before and medicinal herbs she’d used were actually useful. She quickly becomes the most talented and dedicated priest in her year.

She likes books of any kind - poetry, fiction, non-fiction, textbooks, etc - and of any genre - crime, political intrigue, fairytales, etc. She loves gardening and cooking, but prefers edible herbs, vegetables, medicinal plants and the like to plants that aren’t much use to her. She is also however fascinated by carnivorous plants. She hates crowds, loud boisterous people, and hurting others.

Felix

Name: Glenna

Class: War Cleric

Glenna was almost a mirror image of her father, the same hair, same eyes, same skin tone, same sarcastic demeanour, and the same build. She even had his bigger than average sticking out ears and his dimples. The only real differences were her hair was much longer, wearing it in a single plait down her back, and she was far clumsier and more prone to running head first into danger. She disliked swords, axes, or anything else preferring to use her fists. Surprisingly however, she always adored magic, but preferred using it to help people rather than hurt them. She considered fighting with her fists making it a fair battle, but combat magic seemed like underhanded tactics to her. She excelled greatly in white magic and brawling, and was able to beat and disarm her father in a spar at age sixteen. He had a proud smile on his face.

When she was born everyone expected Glenna to be similar to her namesake, an expectation which Felix didn’t realise was unfair until she was older. He began to realise he was repeating his father’s mistakes, and instead of being overbearing and controlling worked to instead appreciate Glenna for who she was and thus their relationship improved immensely. Glenna had begun to resent her late uncle by this point, everyone told her stories of how great he was and she felt inferior in response. Discovering that her father had been made to feel the same way created a bond in a relationship she’d thought would forever be tainted by the dead.

She likes ghost stories, spicy food, board games, drawing, and magical creatures. She dislikes tea, meat, anything requiring ‘finesse’, and sewing ever since it was almost forced upon her to learn.

Sylvain

Name: Dorian

Class: Dancer

When Dorian was first enlisted in the Officer’s Academy, Sylvain’s reputation had proceeded him. The tales of his father’s romantic dalliances as a young man were all anyone could talk about. As a awkward pale scrawny young man with ginger hair that fell in his eyes, and facial scars from when he had the small pox as a child this was quite the reputation to have over him. It didn’t help that he simply wasn’t particular interested in that sort of thing, or good at it. Women were great but… not where his interests lay. He hated that as soon as any teacher or female student heard the last name Gautier they had a judgement about him. Especially when it came to combat, his father was one of the king’s legendary knights, Dorian could barely hold a sword without dropping it and never had the head for tactics. He almost considered leaving the Officer’s Academy all together until he discovered that his favourite hobby could be used in battle: Dancing.

Ever since Dorian was a child singing and dancing had been his favourite past times. He’d sing when he was helping his mother garden, when he was tending to the horses with his father, and more. He had a beautiful voice reminiscent of bird song and people loved to hear it. Dancing to music felt natural for him and when he was six his parents arranged for him to have lessons. When his professor witnessed him dancing out his frustrations at the Officer’s Academy Dorian discovered that Dancers were frequently used on the battlefield. It would mean more practice with a sword, perhaps a little white magic, but with his skills as a dancer no one doubted he would go far.

He likes music, singing, dancing, fairy tales, books, board games, tea, and cakes. He dislikes arguments, struggling to express himself, the cold, and ghosts.

Ashe

Name: Rowan

Class: Trickster

Rowan had long grey hair that was darker than their father’s and hazel eyes that were the perfect combination of their parents brown and green. They styled their hair into an up-knot with some left down to fall onto their shoulders. Their skin was a light brown and they were taller than their father. They inherited their father’s enthusiasm for everything but didn’t always do so with much success. For example as much as they loved cooking, their food was often barely edible and several fires had been started. They loved gardening but they caused far more harm to the greenhouse than anyone else and was banned from entering.

To their father’s dismay it was soon apparent that Rowan had developed his talent for lockpicking and thievery. He tried to instil as much as possible the immorality of such things, but Rowan insisted they only side it for fun. Lockpicking was a useful talent given that Rowan was frequently losing things such as keys, and they only pickpocketed things they fully intended to give back or that people shouldn’t have in the first place. Their father however worried that it would become a slippery slope, especially with Rowan’s talent for sneaking, hiding, lying, and other such things. He tried to encourage their talent for archery and swordplay instead with moderate success.

They like reading, music, playing practical jokes, learning, and cats. They dislike arguing, being shouted at, serious conversations, and negativity.

#fe3h #fe3h next generation #envi writes #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #dedue fire emblem #felix hugo fraldarius #sylvain jose gautier #ashe fire emblem

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xtruss · 6 months

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Photograph: Humane

Humane’s Ai Pin is a $700 Smartphone Alternative You Wear All Day

If you’re willing to clip the Ai Pin to your chest, you can talk, gesture, and tap to take photos or summon a powerful virtual assistant.

— November 9, 2023 | Wired.Com

For months, an odd sight has intrigued a San Francisco cop regularly stationed outside the downtown offices of the startup Humane. Out of its door have streamed employees with a small, square device pinned to their chests, not unlike the officer’s bulkier, department-issued body-worn camera. “Been wondering what those are,” the officer said when WIRED visited the company last week.

Today, the wondering about Humane’s gadget is over. The company is opening up about its high-tech device designed to be fastened to a shirt or blouse—a fit that Humane hopes can become as accepted among people who aren’t sworn officers as sporting wireless earbuds or smartwatches.

Humane’s device, called the Ai Pin, can take photos and send texts, uses a laser to project a visual interface onto a person’s palm, and comes with a virtual assistant that can be as sharp as ChatGPT. By always being ready to search the web and communicate, it is supposed to quash dependency on smartphones.

The Ai Pin goes on sale November 16 in the US starting at $699, plus $24 monthly for unlimited calling, texting, and data through T-Mobile. Humane revealed the device’s look and basic functions, including web search and object identification, at the TED conference and in a Paris fashion week runway show earlier this year. In addition to announcing pricing and availability today, the company released new details about the Pin’s software and how exactly a laser inside the device turns a person’s hand into a screen. Orders will start shipping in early 2024.

The Pin is one of the first of many wearable devices expected to launch in coming months and years that are built around the kind of ChatGPT-like AI services now used by over 100 million people each week. Famed Apple designer Jony Ive is reportedly among the competition.

Whether any of them can become socially acceptable or withstand the scrutiny of the fashion police is a major question. Members of a Discord group created by Humane for its fans can’t wait to buy their Pins. But people consulted by WIRED who have worked on edgy wearable hardware, including augmented reality glasses, view the Pin as more the latest toy for gadget enthusiasts than a device set to establish a new norm for personal technology.

It’s also too early to tell whether Humane’s hope that the Pin can help people to live more in the moment will prove true, or whether it will simply provide a new way to be unhealthily obsessed with technology.

Constant Companion

Humane CEO Bethany Bongiorno is confident of the Pin’s mass appeal, calling it the world’s first contextual computer. “AI now has become something that everyone is curious about and really wants to know how it’s going to change their life,” she says. “We’re offering the first opportunity to bring it with you everywhere. It’s really touching people from every background, every age group, globally, in terms of what we’re feeling and seeing in feedback.”

When Bongiorno and her husband, Imran Chaudhri, founded Humane in 2018 after long spans working on hardware design and software engineering at Apple, they set strict parameters for their product. It needed to be a standalone device connected directly to the cell network, transparent about when it's recording, and not always listening for wake words like “Hey Siri” or “OK Google” as smart speakers and some phones do. And the whole package should be affordable. “That really set the tone for where we are today,” Bongiorno says.

Humane’s founders view previous wearable devices like smart glasses and AR headsets as barriers to human connection. The Pin is intended to be less invasive, though just as capable, and something people can comfortably wear all day without ruining their hairdo. “We want to have powerful compute with us at all times, and that's really what it's about,” says Chaudhri, the company’s president and chairman. “We want access to more knowledge, more information. We just want it in a way that allows us to remain present.”

The startup has raised $230 million in funding, including $100 million announced in March reportedly valuing it at $850 million. Humane’s investors include OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who holds the largest outside stake at nearly 15 percent; Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff; Microsoft; and the venture arms of LG, Volvo, and Qualcomm.

After ordering a Pin, buyers log in to a website, Humane.center, to sync their contacts and sign up for extra services like music. They use the Pin’s camera to scan a code shipped with the device to associate it to that online account, where recordings, photos, and histories of calls and messages are accessible. Users’ data won’t be used to train AI systems, Humane says.

Unmissable Wearable

With its housing carved from a single chunk of aluminum, Humane’s device is closer to a brooch, a tin of mints, or a cigarette packet clipped in half than the sleeker items that adorn politicians’ lapels or baseball fans’ caps. No one standing a distance away is going to miss it. Chaudhri says the name “Pin” is meant more as a metaphor to evoke the “sentiment of attaching it to your clothing” than as a physical descriptor.

To put on the Ai Pin involves placing a magnetic battery pack on the inside of a shirt or other piece of clothing, and letting a magnet on the Pin itself hold the system in place. It’s altogether about 55 grams, or 2 ounces, nearly the weight of a tennis ball. People with pacemakers should consult their doctors about potential magnetic interference, Chaudhri says.

A clip sold separately makes it possible to attach the Pin to thicker clothing or bag straps, and a lighter-weight magnet included with the device works for silky outfits or workout gear.

Photography was not allowed during WIRED’s visit to Humane, and the company didn’t provide WIRED a Pin to try. But employees provided several demonstrations of key functions.

Chaudhri says, while sporting his Pin on a warm jacket, that he has worn it from rise until bedtime each day for over a year. He says it can hold up under rigorous activity, noting that he’s been biking with it. In testing, the Pin has held firm during running and jumping, he says, and it has been drop tested from a meter and a half on a variety of surfaces.

The Pin comes in three colors that have fancy names but are essentially black all around, black with silver edges, and white with silver edges. The silver-bordered options are priced at $799. Colorful plastic cases dubbed “shields,” sold separately, can add more flair to edge of the Pin. Bongiorno says they allow the devices to be more durable when dropped, which may be a big fear for potential buyers. “I asked Imran to make those for me,” Bongiorno says, describing herself as clumsy.

The Ai Pin’s most distinctive features reside in the curved top of the device, which houses an ultrawide camera, light and depth detectors, and a laser projector. Humane realized when testing that without that curve, a camera resting on people’s chests would mostly be pointing to the sky. “Everyone's built differently, and the optics need to actually be angled downward to account for the different shapes,” Chaudhri says.

Google learned a similar lesson in 2018 after it launched Google Clips, a body-worn camera that used algorithms to automatically snap photos. Female users tended to end up with an abundance of cloud shots when they intended to record what was in front of them, because the device was not designed to account for bodies with breasts, according to a person familiar with the findings. Google did not respond to a request for comment on the now discontinued gadget.

Like Clips and Meta’s smart glasses, Humane’s Pin has a light that indicates to people nearby when the microphone or camera is activated. Chaudhri says this “trust light” is designed such that if it was ever tampered with the device would become inoperable, so it can’t be used for spying.

Candid Camera

The Pin is controlled by taps, hand gestures, and voice commands. A double tap with two fingers on the touchpad on the front of the device snaps photos. The same double-tap and then holding that spot records video, but video capability won’t launch until a software update in early 2024

Tapping the Pin and then moving a palm into its field of view activates its laser, which projects images and text onto a user’s hand at a wavelength that produces a blueish-green tinge, a 720p-resolution system Humane calls a Laser Ink Display. Tilting the hand navigates between displayed options and a swatting gesture swipes to a different menu. Users “click” on an option by tapping their thumb and index finger together and close their hand briefly to return to a home screen. Chaudhri says controlling the projection is limited to one hand to keep it quick and to prevent the other hand from getting in the way of the projector.

The voice assistant, which Humane names Ai Mic, draws on multiple large language models, including from ChatGPT developer OpenAI. Users tap and hold the Pin to talk to Ai Mic and can ask similar questions to those handled by generative AI chatbots or voice assistants like Alexa and Siri, such as queries about current or historical events, requests for help with language translations, and to order up poems.

One demonstration WIRED saw involved asking Ai Mic to “play songs written but not performed by Prince.” It correctly cued up “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinéad O’Connor, an experience powered by the streaming service Tidal, which requires paid subscription.

Humane expects to add navigation and shopping capabilities over time and also to open up the device to developers to build apps, Bongiorno says.

The Pin runs on Google’s open source Android operating system, so it should be relatively easy for developers to work with, though Humane has added a number of customizations to the OS. Some companies who have tried to develop Android devices in the past have encountered challenges due to Google policies that require it to favor the search giant’s apps. Asked whether Humane was limited in any way through its use of Android, Chaudhri says Humane is excited to be partnering with Google.

Ken Kocienda, Humane’s head of product engineering, who worked on touchscreen typing and autocorrect for Apple’s first iPhone, says he often talks to Ai Mic over breakfast with his wife and at red lights on his drive home as questions pop into mind. “It keeps you in the moment with the people you are with and it feels really lightweight and fun,” he says. About 100 of Humane's 260 or so employees worked at Apple at some point, according to LinkedIn profiles.

Chaudhri says while the Pin supports Bluetooth headphones, its built-in speakers are designed to create a bubble of sound around the user that provides an intimate experience when turned down low. “People in the office use it and we can’t really tell,” he says. A voice call demonstrated to WIRED between Kocienda and Bongiorno’s phone sounded clear on his Pin.

Photos taken with the Pin’s 13-megapixel camera, and automatically enhanced by its algorithms, can be previewed using the palm-top Laser Ink Display. Images appear grainy, and the palm makes for a bumpy and creased screen, but the feature provides a way to check whether a photo shot from the chest captured the correct subject. Users can’t get Ai Mic to post the snaps to Instagram for now, though Humane hopes to partner with the social media service at some point.

From early next year, the Pin’s camera will power an AI calorie counting feature. A Humane staffer showed how the Pin could track the amount of protein someone consumed throughout the day by capturing bowls of almonds and potentially other food they ate.

The Pin comes with a phone number and also supports international roaming, GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Depending on how people end up using the device, Humane could charge additional fees for “capacity,” Chaudhri says. Some services such as unlimited web searches through Ai Mic and unlimited media storage on Microsoft’s cloud are free.

Chaudhri wouldn’t say how long the Pin’s battery pack lasts, but it ships with two of them and he encourages users to keep the spare around in the provided portable charging case for all-day power. The Pin also ships with a proprietary wireless charging pad and an accompanying USB-C charging brick and cable.

Still Looking

Mark Lucovsky, a former software executive who oversaw augmented reality projects at Google and Meta, gives Humane credit for not creating another pair of smart glasses. But he worries that finding a Pin design that a wide range of people find wearable or fashionable will take considerable time.

Humane’s emphasis on privacy also could dull interest in the Pin by shutting off potentially groundbreaking features, Lucovsky says. If the device’s camera was always actively analyzing a person’s surroundings, it could help people find their misplaced keys or remind them while at the store whether there are eggs left in the fridge at home. “We already have chatbots available through phones,” he says. “What’s the unexpected compelling value you get from your Pin? I don’t think we’ve seen that yet. But I’m excited to watch this evolve.”

Bongiorno and Chaudhri say they are techno-realists as much as they are techno-optimists. They don’t expect the Pin to entirely sideline smartphones and recognize that the Pin could raise novel ethical questions. “We talk about not only the amazing, potentially potential upsides, but also what can go wrong,” Chaudhri says, declining to offer a breakdown of time spent using his phone compared to the Pin.

The Humane founders say they haven’t tried any other AI-first gadgets, but that it’s a positive sign they are not alone on the frontier. They have talked about developing integrations for the Pin for homes with LG and for cars with Volvo. For now, anyone wanting to give Humane’s vision of the future a try will have to settle for looking a bit more like a cop.

#Mobile Phones | Camera #Smartphones | Artificial Intelligence | Wearables

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celiabowens · 4 years

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Adult SFF edition

High/Epic Fantasy

The Lies of Locke Lamora: heist fantasy following a band of misfits! It has morally gray characters, fun banter but heartwrenching moments and a pretty complex plot. It’s a classic to say “if you liked Six of Crows and want to try adult SFF try this” and it’s probably true.

Kushiel’s Dart: a political fantasy tome loosely inspired by Europe in the Renaissance. Pretty heavy on romance and erotica (with BDSM elements) as it follows a courtesan navigating the political scene. It has an amazing female villain.

A Darker Shade of Magic: probably the easiest way to approach adult fantasy. It has multiple Londons and a pretty unique magic system and concept, plus a crossdressing thief, knives and great banter.

The Poppy War: grimdark fantasy (TW: abuse, self harm, rape, drug abuse), inspired by Chinese history. It’s adult, but follows younger MCs and the unique blend of different historical periods/inspirations makes it extremely interesting. The characters are extremely fucked up in the best possible way, plus the use of shamanism is awesome.

The Sword of Kaigen: if you liked The Poppy War you could like this one. The Sword of Kaigen is an Asian-inspired militaristic fantasy, with elemental magic, a badass housewife dealing with her past and hiding a sword in her kitchen’s floor. It has interesting and nuanced family dynamics and a great reflection on propaganda and the use of narratives.

The Priory of the Orange Tree: high fantasy, featuring dragons, a F/F romance and pretty complex world building. The author reuses typical fantasy tropes and roles in a fresh way. Very readable in spite of its length.

Empire of Sand: inspired by Mughal India, this one focuses on culture and religion and has great slow burn romance (TW: abuse, slavery). It’s pretty slow paced, but the payoff is great. Also a good "YA crossover”.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms: first book in a companion novel trilogy, following a young woman who finds herself at the center of a vicious political struggle, as she’s suddenly become the heir to the throne.

Black Sun: first book in a new series by Rebecca Roanhorse, inspired by pre-Columbian societies and cultures. It mainly focuses on religious and political conflicts. TW for abuse, mild body horror and suicide (not very graphic). Nice inclusion of lgbt rep across the whole cast + one of the main characters is blind. Great world building!

Historical Fantasy

The Night Circus: perfect transition from YA to Adult for a reader, The Night Circus is a gorgeous historical fantasy romance. The author’s writing is amazing, the descriptions and the subtlety of the main characters’ relationship are to die for.

The City of Brass: political/historical fantasy tome featuring Middle Eastern mythology. It follows younger MCs (honestly another series that could be a good way to approach adult SFF) and has great character growth throughout the series. The first book has some more trope-y elements, but the payoff is worth it.

The Golem and The Djinni: historical fantasy (if you loved The Night Circus you could like this one), following two mythical creatures as they navigate New York in 1899. Slow burn romance, rich descriptions, fascinating combination of Jewish and Syrian folklore.

Gods of Jade and Shadow: a fantasy bildungsroman set in Mexico during the Jazz age. Another great way to approach adult SFF as it follows a young girl on a life changing adventure. It features Mayan mythology and a god slowly becoming human.

The Ghost Bride: set in Malaya in 1893, it follows the daughter of a ruined man as she receives the proposal to become a ghost bride. Lovely setting, rich in culture and extremely atmospheric.

The Bear and The Nightingale: a coming of age story inspired by Russian folklore. Another great way to start reading adult SFF: it’s very atmospheric and fairy tale-like. Also frost demons are better than men.

Queen of the Conquered: first book in a fantasy duology(?) set in an alternate version of the Caribbean at the time of Scandinavian colonisation. It follows Sigourney, a biracial woman (her mother was a slave, freed by her father) and the only islander who is allowed to own and use kraft and therefore has a position of privilege, which she constantly abuses, while telling herself she’s doing it for the islanders’ benefit. The book is hard to read, because the MC is no hero and her POV can be quite challenging to get through, but if you’re up for it I’d totally recommend this. (TW: slavery, abuse, death).

The Lions of Al-Rassan: this one has minimal fantasy elements, much like other Kay books, as it reads more like an alternate history. Using Moorish Spain as a template, it deals with the conflict between Jews, Muslims and Christians. Much like Under Heaven and most of his historical fantasy it shows common people being swept up in dramatic events.

Urban Fantasy

The Divine Cities trilogy: starting with City of Stairs, it follows a female diplomat and spymaster(!!). The whole trilogy features an interesting discussion about godhood, religion, fanatism, politics, without ever being boring or preachy. It has complex and rich world building and a pretty compelling mystery.

Foundryside: heist fantasy following a thief as she’s hired to steal a powerful artifact that may change magical technology as she knows it. Also, slow burn F/F romance.

Jade City: a wuxia inspired, gangster urban fantasy. Great family dynamics, very interesting political and economical subplots.

One for My Enemy: sort of a modern Romeo and Juliet, but set in New York, starring two magical gangster families. The female characters are to die for.

Trail of Lightning: inspired by Native mythology and the idea of subsequent worlds. It has a kickass MC and a good mix of original elements and typical UF tropes. You could like this if you liked the Kate Daniels series.

American Gods: a classic of the genre, pretty much brilliant in how it reuses old mythology in a modern setting.

Retellings

Spinning Silver: a very loose retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, with a gorgeous atmosphere. It mainly follows female characters from different social and economical backgrounds and reuses the original tale to challenge the antisemitic ideas around the role of the moneylander.

The Queens of Innis Lear: fantasy retelling of King Lear, very atmospheric and gorgeously written. Slow paced, but very satisfying build up, lots of backstabbing and miscommunication. (heads up though, one of the MCs is coded as aroace and I found the rep pretty bad on that. The book does feature casual bisexual rep though, which was great)

Lady Hotspur: genderbent retelling of Henry IV, set in the same world as The Queens of Innis Lear. Lesbian and bisexual rep. Heavy on political subplots, features ambitious women growing into their roles.

Deathless: sort of a retelling of Koschei the Deathless set in the first half of the 20th century. Brilliant reuse of Russian folklore to weave together politics and history. It does have pretty brutal descriptions of war, morally gray characters, unhealthy relationships and overall a lot of mindfuckery.

Space Opera

A Memory Called Empire: space opera inspired by the Mexica and middle period Byzantium. It focuses on topics like colonialism and the power of narratives and language. It has one of the best descriptions of what it’s like to live in between spaces I’ve ever read. Also very interesting political intrigue and has a slow burn F/F romance (and a poly relationship recalled through flashbacks).

Ninefox Gambit: a Korean-inspired space opera with a magic system based on math. It’s honestly quite convoluted and difficult to follow, but it also features some of the best political intrigue I’ve ever read. Plenty of lying, backstabbing and mind games. It also features lesbian and bisexual rep and an aroace side character (TW: mass shooting, sexual assault).

The Light Brigade: militaristic space opera set in a not-so-defined future in which corporations rule Earth and space in general. The book follows a newly enlisted soldier as they go through gruelling training and experience the side effects of being broken down into atoms to travel at the speed of light. It’s a heavy book, featuring raw descriptions of war, and quite difficult to follow (non-linear timelines...) but it’s also an amazing critique of capitalism and political propaganda (TW: death, mass shooting).

Gideon the Ninth: pretty much lesbian necromancers in space. Very loose world building, but a fun mystery full of banter. Can be quite confusing in the beginning, but a relatively easy and fun way to approach science fiction.

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet: character driven space opera featuring a found family journeying through space. A fun read, that also deals with topics such as sexuality and race. Quite easy to go through, as the world building and plot aren’t particularly complex themselves. Also features a F/F romance.

Science Fiction-Fantasy that I can’t fit anywhere else

Vicious: college roommates put themselves through near-death experiences to obtain super powers, only everything goes wrong. Follows a great band of misfits (and pretty much everyone is morally gray).

Middlegame: a brilliant and complex tapestry of alternate timelines, following telepathically connected twins trying to escape the alchemist that wants to use them to obtain godhood (TW: attempted suicide).

Piranesi: the long awaited return of Susanna Clarke, Piranesi is an odd, mysterious book set in a house with infinite rooms and endless corridors, apparently inhabited by only two people.

Bonus Novella recs: novellas are amazing and don’t sleep on them!

The Empress of Salt and Fortune: an Asian-inspired fantasy novella, it gives a voice to people usually silenced by history. It follows a cleric (non binary rep) as they chronicle the story of the late empress, retold through objects that she used in her life. It focuses on bonds between women and the power that lies in being unnoticed.

The Black God’s Drums: an urban fantasy novella, based on Orisha mythology and set in an alternate, sort of steampunk, New Orleans.

The Haunting of Tram Car 015: alternate steampunk Cairo populated by supernatural entities. It has a compelling mystery, starring a great lead.

This Is How You Lose the Time War: epistolary set during a time-travel war, F/F romance and gorgeous prose.

The Citadel of Weeping Pearls: a novella set in the Xuya universe (a series of novellas/short stories set in a timeline where Asia became dominant, and where the space age has empires of Vietnamese and Chinese inspiration), but can be read as a standalone. It’s a space opera featuring a disappeared citadel and the complex relationship between the empress and her daughter as war threatens her empire.

To Be Taught, If Fortunate: an incredibly heartwarming and yet meaningful novella about research and the meaning of it. It’s the tale of 4 astronauts on a crowdfunded mission to explore space, to observe and report without conquering. It’s written in lovely prose and is very casual in its lgbt rep.

The Deep: very good novella set in an underwater society built by the descendants of African slave women that were tossed overboard. It’s not an easy read at all, as it deals with trauma, both personal and generational ones.

Bonus short story collections recs

A Cathedral of Myth and Bone: 16 short stories featuring myth, legend and faith, that mainly focus on women reclaiming their agency.

The Paper Menageries and Other Stories: features plenty of different fantasy and science fiction subgenres. The Paper Menagerie in particular is an extremely moving tale.

Conservation of Shadows: science fiction-fantasy short stories that focus on topics like colonisation and the role of art and language.

Graphic Novel

Monstress: series set in an alt 1900s matriarchal Asia, following a teenage girl who survived a war and shares a connection with a monster that’s slowly transforming her. (TW: slavery, death).

#book rec #book recommendations #adult sff #book list #book recs #science fiction #fantasy #may add more later on rip #also i hope there's no typos lol #also this one will flop skjnkf

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kallypsowrites · 3 years

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Midnight Mass--What’s in an Episode Title

All right, this is the first of the Midnight Mass metas I’m putting out into the universe because it’s probably the thing that made me nerd out the most as a religion minor. I wanna talk about the episode titles of the show.

I was intrigued from the start to see why they were titled the way they were. Obviously there are many books of the bible and they had to choose seven of them. They went with:

1. Genesis

2. Psalms

3. Proverbs

4. Lamentations

5. Gospel

6. Acts of the Apostles

7. Revelations

First, I appreciated the fact that the books here are sorted in the order they appear in the bible and I also like that the first four are old testament references and the last three are new testament. This fits with the length of the old testament compared to the new.

Obviously Episode 1 and Episode 7 titles weren’t surprising. Put the first book of the bible as the first episode and the last book as the last. That’s sensible enough. And Psalms, Proverbs and Lamentations all featured key passages from the referenced book in the episode as the major theme. But what REALLY got me jazzed is the naming of episode 5 and 6 and how it matches with the content.

So, for those of you who aren’t particularly familiar with the bible, the Gospel is ‘the good news’. But specifically there are four gospels in the bible and they all tell the story (though it varies a touch in every version) of Jesus. His birth, life, death, and resurrection. The resurrection is the key part here. That’s the good news. The idea that Jesus died for our sins and stuff and then rose from the dead.

BUT the Gospel I want to spotlight today is Luke. Cause he actually wrote both the Gospel of Luke AND Acts (the Acts of the Apostles). His gospel ends with Jesus being taken back to heaven and leaving his disciples with a mission to spread the good news. And Acts shows the journey of those Apostles. Their lives spreading the news of Jesus and their various deaths (most of them met violent fates).

Obviously catholic references and imagery are frequently used as a vessel of horror in this show. But it’s not that simple. Because many of our good characters, the one’s we root for, are religious (some catholic and some muslim). The show is not a condemnation of religion. And this is shown in the fact that the episode titles don’t reflect the journey of our vampiric priest or Bev. They reflect the journey of Riley and Erin.

At the end of Lamentations, Riley appears to have died. In Gospel, he returns miraculously to life. He stays only long enough to pass on his knowledge to Erin so that she can do something to help the town. And then, as a demonstration of who he is, he lets the sun rise on him and ‘take him up into heaven’ as it were. The Gospel of Luke ends with Jesus ascending. Gospels ends with Riley’s final death. And just as the disciples are left to spread word of Jesus, Erin is left to spread the truth of the thing that is poisoning this town. She is the apostle in Acts, along with the other characters she tells. The truth she bears is “unbelievable”. And yet it is no less true.

Midnight Mass focuses a lot on imitation. A vampire that imitates an angel. Vampiric blood imitating communion. And Bev imitating a good person when she is rotten to the core. And yet through all of the lies, our heroes are the one’s actually bringing the truth. They are the ones actually sacrificing. Actually trying to help people even those that have hurt them. Trying to save people they have never met. They are outcasts--an addict, a prodigal daughter, a lesbian, a muslim man--but they are the ones who truly understand the meaning of the gospel. That it is not about them. It is about everyone. And this is clearly intentional based on these episode titles.

The gospel does not come from Father Pruitt. It comes from Riley. And the good news isn’t spread by the “apostle” Bev. It’s spread by Erin.

And I just think that’s pretty neat

#midnight mass #midnight mass spoilers #midnight mass meta

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thecarnivorousmuffinmeta · 3 years

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Thoughts on what Renesmee thinks of Jasper and vice versa? And if she finds out how much Edward hates Jasper, do you think she'd start hanging around him a lot out of spite?

Thoughts on Renesmee's relationship with her family and thoughts on her relationship with Edward.

Interesting question, anon.

Renesmee's Thoughts on Jasper

I imagine Renesmee's not quite sure what to think of Jasper. Given Edward, I'm sure Edward all but forbid contact between them. Jasper has the worst control of the lot of them, WHAT IF HE ATE HIS DAUGHTER?! Whether this is a possibility is moot point, it doesn't seem to be from Bella's newborn reaction and Renesmee's pleasant but not mouth watering smell. The real issue is that Edward despises Jasper and doesn't want him to be a potentially corrupting influence.

I imagine the very large elephant in the room, that vampires in fact eat people, is something Edward doesn't wish to acknowledge and tries to hide from Renesmee to the best of his ability.

That girl's going to have one weird, sheltered, and very fucked up childhood.

And Jasper was once the most vampire vampire around, participating in never ending wars over territory. Edward barely tolerates this guy in the house, I imagine he gives Jasper a similar talk that he gave when Bella was human on how he should give Renesmee wide berth.

That, and I imagine Jasper's never quite sure what to do with Renesmee. She's this weird, alien, creature who changes every time he blinks. What are they even supposed to talk about?

So I imagine Jasper's on the periphery of Renesmee's life. She's distantly curious about him and how he came to be with the family (neither Edward nor Bella will give her details and say something about coming from "... A very different family, sweetie") but she doesn't really know him and he never seems all that interested in talking to her.

He's not a pillar in her life. He's just kind of around, included with the Cullens because of Alice, and just part of the weird backdrop that's her general life.

Jasper's Thoughts on Renesmee

I imagine he finds her to be an extraordinarily strange person. Oh, he likes her, loves her even, but is not quite as caught up in the "IT'S A MIRACLE" that everyone else is.

I imagine he's more consumed by thoughts of what Renesmee represents.

First, the relief that he didn't have to take her out into the woods and murder her as an infant. Had she been an immortal child in actuality, he would have done it, and he both knows that and knows he'd have been the one who had to do it.

He really dodged a bullet with that one and I imagine that haunts him to this day.

Otherwise, there's the question of what happens with the rest of the world.

Children are something that vampires have not only died for but murdered for. Immortal children are against the law not only for their devastation but because it was that common. Multiple covens have died for this. And now, a miracle has occurred, vampires can have biological children.

I imagine Jasper realizes what this means.

Renesmee's birth, the publicity of it, and the Volturi not outlawing it then and there means there will be a wave of rape and murder as vampires try to beget their own children. Human women are going to die en masse in agony as vampires both try to impregnate them and fail and when they are successful.

But his family's so enraptured in the little miracle that is Renesmee, the fact that Edward and Bella could have this child, that he doesn't want to be the one to bring this up. Especially since it doesn't really affect them, what of the outside world to the covens?

And it's hardly Renesmee's fault and she shouldn't feel guilty for her own existence, no matter the consequences.

This, combined with Edward being Edward, means that Jasper probably keeps his distance as he contemplates deep thoughts. He likes Renesmee, enjoys having her around, but doesn't need to be especially close to her in the way some of the others do.

Besides, Jasper likely believes himself unworthy of raising children and that he somehow would, in fact, be a corrupting influence. Best to stay out of the way.

Renesmee Finds Out How Much Edward Loathes Jasper

As much as the Cullens might wish otherwise, the charade they undoubtedly put up for Renesmee will crumble bit by bit, and all the little bits of truth will leak through.

She'll realize that Aunt Alice and Rosalie don't actually like each other that much, that Edward not only left her mother but is a horrifying creep, that Jake was once in love with her mother and only feels the way he does about her due to imprinting, that Carlisle lived with the Volturi not just for a few years but decades, Jasper's past, and everything else.

That Edward likes some family members more than others, that he loathes Jasper, is just one of these secrets that will some day bubble to the surface.

I imagine this would intrigue Renesmee, she'd likely try to find out more about him, either through the reluctant Jasper himself or through one of the others (my money's on Carlisle).

She might hang out with him for spite but I imagine she would not hope for much success.

Before hanging out with Jasper, to get the family/her mother's attention, I imagine there's a lot of acting out Renesmee does. At high school, Renesmee makes herself the problem child: she skips classes, shoves kids in lockers, and just gets into general hijinks that gets Carlisle called into the principal's office.

Ironically, this makes the Cullens look like a more normal family as their children aren't all weirdly perfect. However, it likely doesn't get Renesmee the attention she actually wants and instead two seconds of pouting from Edward and Bella who are "so disappointed in her".

Renesmee hangs out with Jasper, they're probably not even going to notice.

#twilight #twilight meta #twilight headcanon #twilight renaissance #jasper whitlock #renesmee cullen #edward cullen #anti edward cullen #meta #headcanon #opinion

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retrievablememories · 3 years

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what happens at night | taeyong

title: what happens at night

characters: vampire!taeyong, reader, BP jisoo, side character ocs

genre: vampire!au, fantasy, angst

summary: There has been a vampire sighting in a nearby town. You and a few other amateur vampire hunters flock to the area for fun, but are soon in over your heads when you come face to face with a real vampire.

word count: 2.6k

warnings: some violence, use of weapons, mentions of blood and blood drinking, cursing

a/n: i got the prompt for this fic from this writing prompt post

writing vampire fic just reveals that i am maybe a little too intrigued with finding different ways to describe blood, lmao

also, this picture...are you fuckin kidding me

"Y/N, look. You aren’t gonna believe this.”

Adrienne holds the digital ledger out in front of you, and you look at it with tired, uninterested eyes until your brain registers what you’re seeing. Your eyes light up as you recognize whose face is on the screen.

“Taeyong.”

You take the ledger from her as she offers it to you, holding it tight with both hands.

“The Vampire King?” Jisoo perks up and gets up from her seat to rush over to see the ledger, peering wildly over your shoulder. Likewise, Percy makes his way over to the rest of you at a slightly speedier gait than his usual unaffected amble.

“Can’t be,” he says, shaking his head in quiet disbelief even as he looks over your other shoulder.

“But it is.”

The ledger’s screen displays the seal of Hawthorn Academy and its vampire registry, which holds the name, age, suspected location, and family lineage of every registered vampire in the world, along with a plethora of other pertinent details. On Taeyong’s profile, there is the familiar portrait of him you’ve always seen—his hair styled perfectly and curling over his forehead, and his eyes dark, piercing, and shining vermillion.

Under the list of Status Updates, there is a new entry from yesterday—a sighting nearby in the city of Dresden. Within that entry, there is a blurry, zoomed-in photo of a man in a dark trench coat and black boots, walking away from the viewer and down a shadowy street lit up with lampposts, almost too vague to be worth deciphering to the average viewer; but that silhouette is unmistakable.

“When was the last time Taeyong was seen out in public? I can hardly believe it,” Jisoo says, her voice practically trembling with awe.

“If he’s letting himself be seen, he must have specific intentions...whatever those are,” Percy notes.

“Let’s go pay Dresden a visit,” Adrienne announces, darting off to her desk and starting to gather up her essentials—phone and silver staff among them.

“Go? Pay it a visit?” Percy echoes, his mouth rounding on the word go and his eyes widening.

“Of course! Why not? Isn’t this exciting? A sighting of the Vampire King so nearby, and so recently,” Jisoo replies, grinning with all her teeth.

Percy narrows his eyes at her, uncertainty marring his features. “Yes, but what about dangerous?”

“Come on Percy, it’ll be fun,” you chime in. “Think of it as a field trip for baby vampire hunters. Dresden is huge, anyway, there’s like zero chance we’ll actually find him.”

“Just take it as more skills training,” Adrienne adds, grabbing her backpack and heading off to her quarters to get the rest of her things. “Except this time, we’re actually in the field instead of that same boring facility.”

Percy grumbles to himself, but he knows there’s nothing much left to argue about; when the three of you outvote him on a topic, he has no choice left.

By the time the four of you arrive at Dresden, it’s dusk. The perfect witching hour for the vampires to be out, with the last bleeding streaks of the sun fading out of the sky. The lack of sunlight unnerves Percy even more—you can tell by his disturbed countenance—but he says nothing. He quietly follows you out of the train once it stops.

On the outside, you all look like four regular sight-seeing young adults, taking a trip from the next city over and ready for a night on the town; but most of your weapons and gear are concealed within your clothes and the backpacks you wear.

“There’s a slight blood scent here,” you note, taking in a deep lungful of air once you notice it. Indeed, there is the lingering hint of sweetness and iron, and something more musky and earthy underneath it—like decaying organic matter. The smell every vampire hunter is trained to be able to recognize—the odor of a vampire who hasn’t taken their scent blockers.

“There is, though I’m just barely picking up on it,” Jisoo agrees, waving her hand across her nose and screwing her eyebrows up. “God, I’ll never get used to that.”

“Do you think he’s been here?” Adrienne asks, leading the pack as you all walk through the train station.

“I would think a high-ranking, old-ass vamp would know better than to leave their funk trailing everywhere,” Percy disagrees. “Maybe it’s a younger one.”

“Maybe we could get an actual kill tonight, then. Our first,” Adrienne suggests, and though her tone is nonchalant, her expression betrays her enthusiasm.

You chuckle. “Wishful thinking, but maybe that would make the seniors stop treating us like children for once.”

Your group ends up bouncing from the train station to a pub and then to a nearby park, where a festival is being held. There’s bright lanterns, food, dancing, singing, and little kids running around galore, which makes you think these citizens either don’t know about the recent vampire sighting in their area or don’t care.

You all spend an hour mingling around and checking out the festival’s fun-filled offerings, chatting in low tones about the recent vampire appearance and trying to put your skills to the test to scout out any other vampires that might be hiding in plain sight within this mass of people.

“Hey!” Adrienne’s shout rings across the area, and you whip your head around in shock as you watch her take off running behind some teenage boy, maybe 12 or 13 at most, who has managed to nip the digital ledger from her belt and take off with it.

“What the fuck?” Percy barks, and you all shoot each other a wild, surprised look before you and him follow behind her.

“Guys, really? Don’t leave me here!” Jisoo calls out from behind you. “You don’t need three people just to get the ledger back!”

You and Percy round the alley corner that Adrienne disappeared behind and spot her farther up ahead, still hot on the boy’s trail and cursing him profusely. He’s a lot faster than he looks. Just before you can get a good look at him, he’s turning down another road with her behind him.

“Maybe we can cut him off. I’ll go down one of the connecting streets,” Percy suggests.

“Wait, what? Shouldn’t we stay together?”

“That ledger is too important to lose to some street urchin, and the seniors will never let us leave campus again if we come back without it. You go that way, I’ll be down here.” He’s ducking into an adjacent alley before you can even respond.

“Shit…” you sigh and shake your head before running down the road he indicated.

You unstrap your silver staff from a hidden section of your pants and extend it, just to be safe.

This land is not overly familiar to you, with you only having been to Dresden a couple times before. You carefully navigate your way through the maze of interconnecting streets, listening for Percy’s and Adrienne’s footfalls, which have become distinctive to you by now, and the sounds of Adrienne’s yelling. There are few people on the streets, most of them at the festival or in their homes, which makes it easier to navigate and watch for the others as you catch glimpses of them rushing past neighboring alleys.

Percy bursts into the same alleyway Adrienne is running down, finally trapping the boy between them on either end of the narrow passageway. However, the boy remains undeterred from Percy charging toward him as he deftly jumps up onto a nearby closed dumpster and uses it to launch himself over the older man.

“Shit!” Percy makes a mad grab for the end of the boy’s shirt, but the boy is a few seconds faster and narrowly gives him the slip.

“Are you serious? You can’t catch a damn kid?!” Adrienne shouts; Percy only curses again and whips around to follow the boy.

You hear the commotion from a few roads over, and you make a beeline for the area.

Just before you make it there, Adrienne screams. The sound almost startles you into dropping your staff, and you tighten your grip around it. “Adrienne?! What’s happened?”

You reach the alleyway, your shoes skidding on the ground as you nearly overshoot it, but Adrienne is nowhere in sight. You look around confused and alarmed with your chest heaving, but there is no trace of her — when she was there only seconds ago. “Adrienne?” Repeating her name still doesn’t bring her out, and you see nothing as you walk farther into the narrow back street and search every shadow and corner. Something dark and distressing settles in your stomach, and when you catch a whiff of that blood-decay smell on the night breeze, your unease turns into an avalanche of fear.

“Percy,” you whisper, and you take off again. “Percy!”

Your heartbeat rushes in your ears, nearly blocking out all other sounds, and your legs and arms burn as you run. You are abruptly stopped in your tracks as there is another shorter sound, like someone suddenly being cut off in the middle of a scream.

You desperately want to call out for him, and the syllables of his name crawl up your throat though you struggle to contain them. The blood-decay smell still inundates your senses, and whatever vampire is skulking around this maze of streets with you is likely still present somewhere. You don’t want to call any attention to yourself with a shout, though it may already be too late.

With a spiny chill driving itself down your back, you realize everything is suddenly silent. No insects, no night birds, no other people on the streets surrounding you.

Pushing the button on your staff ejects the silver blades from both ends, and you hold it for dear life as you stand in the middle of the dim alley, shivering despite your sweat and waiting for any hint that the monster is approaching you.

It happens so quickly that it’s almost outside of your perception.

The air around you grows significantly colder even with the existing chill from the early-winter season, and you shudder once more, your jaw clenching and molars chattering against each other. When you blink again, he is standing in front of you.

Taeyong.

Melting out of the shadows and becoming one with them all at the same time, a strange liminality similar to his existence—being alive and dead in the same time and space.

His mouth and chin are wet and red from blood, presumably that of your friends and teammates, which sends an intense ache through your stomach. The newness and excitement of the vampire sighting has drained out of you, replaced with stone cold dread. You’re not sure what any of you were thinking. Percy tried to warn you, but now he is likely dead for it.

Maybe it’s a foolish move. All your training has gone out the window in your panic and fear. You make a sloppy, sudden swipe at his front with the blade of your staff; and the next thing you know, it’s flying out of your hand and clattering feet away. Behind him, and out of reach.

It takes a second for you to realize he’s knocked it out of your hand without even touching it or you; his own hand is still raised with the movement of telekinetically shifting the object. “You came terribly unprepared. I guess I shouldn’t expect anything more from you fledglings.”

Your sweaty palm slides against the other leg of your pants where a smaller silver dagger is concealed in a tearaway pocket, but that idea is useless. In the time it’d take to get any weapon out, he could kill you.

“The Academy has really been in decline the last few decades. This is the caliber of hunters they’re putting out now?” Taeyong sucks his teeth, and he takes a step closer to you. Your entire body is on high-alert, but you feel too stiff to move a muscle, and you vaguely wonder if this is somehow his doing, too. Only in the stillness of this moment do you realize that you cannot detect any of that blood scent coming directly from him, though the putridness of it still lingers in your nose. It’s coming from somewhere else, then. This confuses you more.

When he realizes you aren’t going to speak, he stops approaching you and takes a moment to really study your face, his big and curious eyes blinking slowly. The redness of his irises and the shiny, pale quality of his skin from the moonlight shining on it make him look just as surreal as he truly is.

“You’re a pretty thing. Maybe I could make you one of mine.”

“Never,” you blurt out, and it’s the first thing you can bring yourself to say to the Vampire King.

“Oh, so you can speak.” Taeyong reaches for your chin. His fingers brush the underside of it, the coolness of his skin freezing you, before you snatch away from his touch, stumbling backwards. A flash of irritation sparks on his face.

His hand reaches for you again, this time clasping at the back of your neck, and it is impossible to move away quickly enough. “Don’t waste any more of your time fighting. This will all be over soon. Well—this life, anyway.”

His teeth in your neck are sharper than needles, making your nerves twinge with stabbing pain; and then it’s strangely pleasant, like having painkillers injected into your veins. You can’t feel anything anymore except warmth and endorphins and his fangs inside you as the alley around you smears into a bunch of incomprehensible shapes—bricks, streetlights, strewn trash, Taeyong.

When you wake up, you’re in an unfamiliar place. An unfamiliar bed. You startle out of unconsciousness sweating and frightened, but with barely enough strength to push yourself up on your elbows. Looking around doesn’t provide you with many more clues; this space is murky with darkness, and your vision is foggy. You think you can make out the rectangular shape of a large curtained window, but it’s unclear.

You’re still wearing your clothes from the trip, although your backpack is now gone. Your throat has never felt drier in your life, and the pounding in your head threatens to split it clean apart.

You feel sick and feverish, like your body is trying to fight against some virus it’s picked up, but you haven’t the slightest idea where you could’ve contracted anything—you didn’t even eat at the festival—until you remember—

A door opens with a bang somewhere in the distance, and it isn’t until the footsteps grow nearer and a blurry figure approaches the bed that you realize the door is the entrance of the room you're in.

“You’ll want to feed soon.” As soon as those words break the quiet, you’re struck by the pungent smell of blood. Unlike the relative lack of response it would elicit any other time, its aroma pokes at a sudden and peculiar craving inside of you, and you find yourself futilely scrabbling on the bed to reach the source. “Lucky you. I have just what you need.”

There is a cold hand tilting your face up, the press of equally cold glass against your bottom lip, then the tang of blood entering your mouth. It is the best thing you have ever tasted, and a slowly dying, still-human part of you is horrified.

You finish the blood quickly. It doesn’t really seem like enough, but it does make you feel a little less like you’re actively decomposing. Despite your hazy vision, there is no misreading the small smile on Taeyong’s face.

“Happy Birthday, little one.”

#taeyong scenarios #taeyong imagines #taeyong angst #nct vampire au #vampire au #nct imagines #nct scenarios #nct fic #taeyong fic #nct angst #superm fic #superm scenarios #superm imagines #superm angst

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alicenttully · 3 years

Text

“sansa’s feminity is defined by social constructs that the man made world created. its materialistic and performative and restrictive. it harms all women. thats not to say women can’t... enjoy certain aspect of it but the objective is female subjugation and that cannot be disregarded.”

There is just a.... lot with that statement.

First off, you can really tell that OP does not understand Sansa as a character (or girls like her) when they say her femininity is “performative”.

Sansa’s interests in particular things aren’t her attempting to put on some kind of “performance”, it is a natural part of who she is. it would exist regardless of whenever she is canon Westeros or in a modern AU. Could you argue that Sansa has been shaped/influenced by the women around her (Catelyn, Septa Mordane, Margaery, Cersei) Yes, to a certain extent. Because Sansa “being a lady at three” (and going by normal developmental stages, would have been in diapers not that long ago) again suggests to me this is who she is inherently. Using words “performative” suggests falseness and that doesn’t work because a proper look at Sansa’s chapters would understand that her interests/desires/behaviour is sincere.

Regarding her femininity being “materialistic” …. In that same post, the OP defines Sansa’s femininity as “fancy dresses, pretty embroidery, floral perfumes, dainty desserts, slippers on polished floors, music and dancing, love stories, traditional marriage, courtly intrigue, smiling when you want to cry”

I look at the statement above with OP’s own definition of Sansa’s femininity… and I’m like, where’s the bridge?

This is where you actually need to understand the words that you are using instead of just throwing them in to make yourself sound revolutionary. The word “materialistic” means “excessively concerned with physical comforts or the acquisition of wealth”.

None of that really applies to the things OP listed. First off, a lot of the items they listed “floral perfumes, dainty desserts, music and dancing” could actually be considered a form of self-care- that is to maintain “one’s emotional and spiritual health.” Looking after yourself doesn’t just mean keeping a proper sleeping schedule or drinking water because self-care is unique to the person. Self-care is about that person making themselves feel good. It is not materialistic.

Let’s move onto “fancy dresses and pretty embroidery”. I don’t think liking “fancy dresses” makes you materialistic. If it is, then why are so many Arya stans insistent on arguing that Arya actually likes dresses? Because being materialistic is defined as being “excessively concerned” so in other words, “overly, extremely” – so basically obsession. Sansa loves pretty clothes, but not to the point of being obsessed. She understands the need for her to dress in simple clothing in the Vale, even if she resents it. She was genuinely surprised by the dress fitting because Cersei neglected her clothes.

“Pretty embroidery” … I would argue (and somebody correct me if I’m wrong) but embroidery is related to sewing… and that’s actually a really important, practical skill that transcends class lines (something I’ve talked about before)? People in Westeros – even the rich- simply do not have the luxury where if they were me, the local shopping centre is 10 minutes away by car and at this centre, I have thousands of dresses to choose from right then and there (if money wasn’t an issue) Instead, the clothing that Sansa and Arya wear (both at the beginning of their stories and throughout), as well as the clothing of Catelyn, Cersei, Arianne, Margaery, Daenerys, Beth Cassel, Jeyne Poole, to the small-folk (i.e. Pia) also took the time to make- but the difference lies in that Westeros hasn’t undergone a textile revolution where clothing can be produced at a mass-scale. That dress Sansa wore for her wedding? Took weeks to make, and if something had happened it the day before- they would not be able to get another copy of it elsewhere.

Furthermore, there’s also the fact that sewing circles/doing embroidery together can actually be a way for women to bond, share conversations, perhaps hatch plans because it is done within a feminine space that their husbands/brothers/fathers don’t cross.

“Music and dancing”. How? Why? Loving music and dancing don’t make you materialistic. Loving music and dancing- things related to the arts, is deeply human. It brings joy to people, helps us to connect with others. People often use music as a form of self-healing. The same for dancing, which enables people to express and tell entire stories/send messages through movement.

Fuck off with this “materialistic” bullshit.

“Love stories”.

LOL, what? How is liking love stories “materialistic”?

And if it is… then why are Arya stans also huge Gendrya shippers? (Which I also ship btw, although I definitely wouldn’t say I’m invested. I can take it or leave it.)

“it harms all women. that’s not to say women…can’t enjoy certain aspects of it but the objective is female subjugation and that cannot be disregarded.”

The issue with that statement is that it is IMO putting the blame entirely on women/girls who happen to enjoy these things naturally (for example, I like to wear pretty clothes because it makes me feel good) rather than the men in their society with the actual power.

Ned Stark might have indulged his 9year old with sword lessons but it is abundantly clear through his POV that he saw it as a passing interest. “She would tire of it soon”. Tywin wouldn’t even consider doing the same for Cersei. Selwyn Tarth finally relented after Brienne broke three-four betrothals.

Sansa or any girl liking “pretty dresses, perfume, music, dancing, love stories” is not the thing driving female subjugation. You know what I tend to think of when reading the books? I think of how girls can be forced into marriages they don’t want/have their entire futures decided for them at the age of 11/12, be subjected to marital rape, queens being abused by their husband’s Kingsguard, a sex worker being murdered in bed, an eighteen year old girl’s virginity treated as a contest, that same girl being told by Tarly not to look to him for justice if she gets raped, the fact that smallfolk women if Kingslanding had fallen would have been at most risk of violence/rape, the fact that women can be excepted to keep having more children even though it would be dangerous for them to do (Naerys, Alysanne)

Just… the amount of conscendation and arrogance in that statement (as well as the entire post) is staggering. imagine thinking you’re writing some sort of feminist post only to degrade women/girls like sansa because they don’t fit your way of being. you do realize you are no different than the adults in arya’s life who keep trying to force her to be someone she’s not? smdh

#sansa stark #asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #game of thrones #got #anti arya stans #anti arya stark #not really but to be safe #anti gendrya #ive often seen this post floating around and its always made me cringe #anti asoiaf fandom

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bigskydreaming · 3 years

Note

Tom is already rehashing some things, like too many homages to the nineties run, Zucco's daughter plot point, Beatrice had ideas for societal reform he's taking that and giving it to Dick. It'll probably be half hearted, but it stings that Beatrice left just a few issues ago and she's already completely forgotten for the sake of DickBabs or a love triangle.

Like the thing about the nineties runs is I mean, as much flack as we give various elements of them, there’s so much from that time period that was good? Great, even! Just....myself and the writers seem to have very different opinions on what the most interesting elements of the nineties comics were, oh well.

And omgggggg I’m still so mad about Bea, and its literally Shawn Tsang all over again. The writers keep introducing new, interesting characters, investing just enough time and focus into them to have us interested in them and wanting to see more.....and then they toss them aside to go back to drawing from the same well as always.

And the thing is, this isn’t even about me not really being a Dick/Babs shipper, because honestly, I’m not enjoying the Dick/Kory stuff in what I’ve seen of Titans Academy either, and for the exact same reason:

When they create new characters like Shawn and Bea, they KNOW they’re starting from scratch and need to build interest in those characters from the ground up. So they’re forced to put their best foot forward. There’s no short cut there, if you want people to care about a brand new character you have to give them REASONS to care. You have to make those characters likable, you have to make people WANT to root for them, you have to hook them with intriguing backstories that don’t feel formulaic and new angles that don’t feel just derivative of older characters, and that’s how we got stuff like Shawn’s history as a former sidekick to a villain and now running a support group for rogues trying to turn their lives around, and Bea’s work in societal reform.

But then the second they stop having the patience to build the new characters up enough that the interest in them can actually start to reach the levels that lets older characters last and grants longevity....they just toss them aside and move on....except they never really move on, just backwards. Because the problem with so MANY superhero couples, far from just Dick and Babs or Dick and Kory, is just....how lazy it seems to make so many canon writers. They just fall back on rehashing the same old tropes and just updating popular moments that resonated with fans in the past, now just recreated with a slightly more modern twist but without ever really being anything new.

Even with ships that I’ve never really been sold on in the past like Dick/Babs, I’ve always said, there’s usually nothing stopping me from GAINING interest in them.....its just....the writers have to GIVE ME A REASON TO. And so many of DC’s writers just aren’t even trying. They’re just moving parts around and pushing characters together in various arrangements like everyone’s just a puzzle piece that you can mix and match however you want......and then just basically expecting readers to be interested purely because of who the characters are, or because it hinges on a nice moment that they then milk the hell out of without ever expanding that into building actual STORY around these moments but rather just squeezing each one til they get everything they possibly can out of it and moving on to the next as though its all just about chasing the next soundbite...because it is! LOL.

And honestly, this problem extends far beyond just the Nightwing title or the Batfam or Taylor’s run or writing in particular.....its a company wide issue right now. In fact I would bet just about anything that its a matter of editorial edict, that even before Taylor started his run DC said okay here’s the approach we want everyone taking with their stories right now:

And that’s like.....its all about banking on nostalgia and the comfort of the familiar right now. I think Taylor is drawing all these elements straight from the 90s Nightwing comics, like Blockbuster and Dick having been a cop, etc, because these are the elements of past Nightwing stories that are so well known. Its the same reasoning behind why they put Tim back as Robin and so many of their new characters are just new spins on old faves like Punchline and Harley Quinn, and why they’re pushing all these older ships that haven’t been together in ages and why specific team lineups are reappearing....its because nostalgia is the name of the game for DC right now, and all their writers are just pulling together threads of classic stories that have stood the test of time, figuring anything that landed particularly well with fans in the past will sell with people here and now, and weaving these threads together and brushing over them with a modern social issues veneer.

As an approach, its basically all just about repackaging previously successful story moments and elements with just enough changes or in just new enough a configuration that readers aren’t likely to complain en masse that like “hey we literally already read all this. We’ve already BOUGHT these issues. When we were kids.” Its minimizing creative risk while maximizing monetary profit. Spend as little creative capital as possible outside of anything that’s already been successful in the past and as such is a relatively proven quantity, instead of testing new material that’s an unknown and runs the risk of falling flat and thus not being profitable.

And see, I’d almost guarantee that all THAT, that whole line-wide approach to DC’s storytelling, is because the powers that be looked at the last several years of stories and how many of THEM fell flat with readers, and decided that the problem was they’d BEEN trying too much new stuff and readers just didn’t like it. Because they WERE concentrating on presenting totally new stories and building up new ideas throughout their books.....but readers have been pretty vocal for years now about being disenchanted with most of DC’s major stories. And so DC I think looked at that and came to the conclusion that okay, people just don’t want new right now, they want the familiar.

But like.....DC’s problem IMO was never that they were trying new stuff? The reason so much of their new and original storylines weren’t gaining traction or bringing in readers and kept shedding old readers had absolutely NOTHING to do with them being new and previously unseen storylines, which makes falling back on nostalgia very much a non-solution to entirely the wrong problem.

No, DC’s problem for years has been that they’ve been all about spectacle instead of story. There’s ZERO emotional pay-off to any of their biggest plot twists or character beats, and emotion is LITERALLY what people read stories for. Its all about racing to the climactic action packed finish of every storyline and then immediately resetting everyone back to square one and jumping straight into the next big story, without ever giving the events of any of their stories time or reason to MATTER to the characters.....and if they don’t matter to the characters, our proxies that we’re viewing these stories through, then why should any of it matter to us? Why should any of it linger, dig in roots, resonate with us as moments that left an impact and that we accordingly want more of?

And again, like because I’m a Dick Grayson focused blog I’ve obviously largely been focused on how much I dislike the SPECIFIC reactions or non-reactions to so many of the major beats in his stories.....but it was spread throughout their entire line.

Bruce and Selina almost got married....but why should anyone care outside of Tom King’s title when nobody else seems to, no other characters feel anything about this, and Bruce in none of his other appearances seems the same as ever without any reminder that he just almost got married but then didn’t.....and if the characters don’t ever seem to be affected by or feeling a need to revisit or reflect on recent stories, why should we bother remembering them either?

Jason was dramatically and fucked-upily (yes its a word, I totally looked it up and everything) exiled from Gotham....and then all of that is undone in a single issue with one low-stakes awkward conversation between him and Bruce. Damian quits as Robin and goes off the map and everyone in his family is like “hey don’t we have a littler brother, I feel like we did maybe” for one panel per story arc, and that’s it. Roy’s back from the dead and everybody’s like oh hey cool instead of the kind of return we used to get like when Donna came back and everyone was like oh shit, this MATTERS, because we MISSED you....just like Dick’s death never mattered to anyone but fans of his character because much like I was just saying earlier with them not really giving me a reason TO emotionally invest in Dick and Babs’ relationship if I wasn’t already, same thing with the aftermath of Forever Evil. They didn’t give anyone else reason to emotionally invest in that as something that HAPPENED to Dick and that he was AFFECTED by....because the writers didn’t bother writing him as all that affected by it and it was just like oh he’s a spy now, all that was last year’s content, we’ve moved on, keep up.

And on and on it goes. Ric Grayson was the same problem all over again. Rinse and repeat down the line with everyone from Wally to Donna and etc etc etc.

THAT’S why DC’s stories have been falling flat. It has nothing to do with people not being interested in new ideas, characters or directions, its that’s ALL they were giving us, but it was like just reading wiki summaries of events just alongside pretty art, but no real emotional weight or substance to anything we were reading....and thus, literally nothing that we couldn’t get much the same outcome from if we just...stuck to reading wiki summaries after the stories were over, with no real need to follow along with them. For years most fans have basically just been about keeping up to date with changes in the characters’ lives, but without feeling any real need to watch those changes unfold and play out.

And so honestly I worry we’re just gonna be subjected to a company wide rehashing of old and familiar storylines, directions and character beats, but repackaged and delivered in the exact same way DC was delivering us their new stories and ideas these past years....and its basically going to have the same results, because its the same problem. They didn’t actually fix anything by switching gears, they just shuffled around the actual issue.

And DC’s just gonna be like well now wtf are we doing wrong, we were so sure this would work, everyone LOVES nostalgia right? Did we pick the wrong stories and character beats to bring back?

When really its like......it honestly doesn’t matter WHICH stories and beats they rehash, because its not about them picking the ‘right ones,’ the real keepers, the stories that everyone really WAS eager to see brought back or made new again.....

Its about like, the only reason any of those stories or beats or dynamics stood the test of time and are still familiar and well-known....is because the stories AROUND those moments and ideas gave us reason to emotionally invest in them and retain them as crucial to our view of the characters and things that would resonate and stay with us for a long time.

It was never that any of those ideas or stories were just so innately brilliant that they couldn’t help BUT linger in the overall reader consciousness...it was the fact that we CARED about what happened in those moments and stories.

*Shrugs* But I mean hey, what do I know? I’m just a dude on the internet lolol.

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2-player-game · 3 years

Text

Haikyuu x reader new years HC

Tendo

• "What if they think I'm a monster?" The redhead mumbled to himself, pacing back and forth.

• He was currently alone in his house, trying to work up the courage to ask you out at the Shiratorizawa new years party. All he had to do was head down to the dorm lobby and he'd be there, so he couldn't be late.

• He just didn't want to make a fool of himself if you were to reject him.

• His hands are very sweaty and he fidgets with the bandages around his fingers which he had forgotten to take off from yesterday's practice match.

• He runs a hand through his hair, god why was he so nervous? You were just some person, why did was he overthinking this so much?

• He's snapped out of his thoughts by a knock on the door. He opens his eyes wide, slowly walking over to open the door. He stops in his tracks.

• It was you.

• Why were you here?

• "Hey y/n! Why aren't you at the party?" He asked, tilting his head, he stepped outside so the two of you could talk in the hall.

• "I just hadn't seen you around the party and thought I'd check on you" you spoke, looking up at him. You would have assumed he would have loved the atmosphere. Maybe you didn't know your crush all too well..

• "Oh!! Yeah I was just about to leave. Let's go y/n!!" He said, grabbing a hold of your hand and dragging you back to the party.

• You giggled as he dragged you back to where you once were with such excitement. He was so fun and happy. You wanted to spend every year of your life with him.

Goshiki

• This precious boy is nervous

• He's shaking and he's so jumpy

• You two are at a new years party with Shiratorizawa, you two were hanging out as friends.

• Little did you know the wannabe ace had feelings for you, and at the moment Tendo was hyping him up so he could kiss you at the stroke of midnight.

• Grabbing yourself a drink and sitting down, you look down at your phone and smile as everyone has fun, you looked around, yet couldn't find Goshiki.

• A sigh escaped your lips, your hand running through your hair as you looked around.

• Looking down at the clock you glance at the time

• The clock read 11:56pm, four minutes until the new year. God, would some stranger try to kiss you? Ugh, sounds awful.

• You look up to see a very stiff Goshiki, a pink tint on his face as he slowly sits down next to you.

• A smile greets your face. "Hey Tomu, where have you been?" You asked

• He jumped from hearing your voice, "I uh, I was talking to Satori-san!" He explained, which wasn't wrong but he may not have given you every detail.

• You chuckled, looking over at him, "okay, just don't leave me for such a long time, I got so bored without you!" You said extending your arm over the couch.

• "Yeah, I won't do it again, I promise" he said, you noted how stiff and uncomfortable he looked.

• Roughly 3 minutes passed and you noticed it was 30 seconds until midnight, wow time really does fly by.

• You look at Goshiki, he's twiddling with his thumbs, and he keeps glancing at you.

• You hear people start to count down, mostly Tendo shouting just to keep things entertaining

• 10!

• 9!

• 8!

• 7!

• 6!

• 5!

• 4!

• 3!

• 2!

• You feel lips crash against yours, your eyes widen looking to see who had just kissed you. And.. it was Goshiki.

• You were speechless. You had never considered dating him, but, he was always so sweet to you, and he hadn't done anything wrong. Plus he was pretty cute. You smile into the kiss, playing with his hair. You could hear Tendo snickering from across the room.

Ushijima

• Today was the day

• It was the perfect opportunity to ask out the head of Shiratorizawas volleyball team

• That's right, Ushijima Wakatoshi, the man of your dreams

• Sure he wasn't normally your type, but there was something about him that made him special. There was something to him that made him seem special. He was so.. cool? You never knew how to describe him.

• The Shiratorizawa dormitory was hosting a new years party in the lobby, you put on one of your best outfits, you felt confident in your charisma to speak to your crush, which the male lacked.

• Glancing at the time, you read the clock.

• Shit

• 11:58 the clock read

• Oh shit, you spent so much time getting ready, you had completely lost track of time.

• You rushed outside of your dorm, you were so stupid!!

• As you rushed out to the party, you felt a sudden thud as you collided into a large mass.

• You fell to the ground, looking up you saw him, Ushijima. He stared down at you, an almost unapologetic look on his face.

• "Oh. Are you alright?" He asked, extending a hand, which you eagerly took, he hoisted you up back to your feet.

• "I.. yeah I'm fine, why aren't you downstairs with everyone else?" You asked, looking up at the tall man, you were confused as to why he could possibly be here.

• He was about to answer before you remembered your purpose, "nevermind, what time is it?" You asked.

• "It's 10 seconds until midnight, what is the significance of wanting to know the time so late at night?" He asked.

• "Okay listen Ushiwaka, I need to tell you something. I really really like you, and I'd like to start the new year with you" you spoke, looking up at him. You were embarrassed, but proud of yourself.

• You watched him kneel down to your height, placing a kiss on your lips, he pulled away slowly, but made sure it wasn't too long.

Asahi

• Homeboy is stressed

• Currently Noya is trying to hype him up outside of the gym, since that was where Kurasuno's volleyball team wanted to have a party, and though it wasn't actually going to be a real party at midnight since most had to spend time with their family, they would still have a fun time during daylight.

• He definitely dressed way too formal for this, it was supposed to be casual but he showed up in a fancy suit, his hair all fancy, trimming his beard.

• He was ready to ask you out physically, but no where close mentally.

• Meanwhile you were inside the gym speaking to Yachi and Kiyoko, chatting about your new years resolutions and what you had planned for family. You guys agreed to all spend some time after the party and go out and have some extra fun.

• Soon, everyone had arrived, music was playing loudly around the gym, cheap colorful lights for decoration, Takeda and Ukai actually weren't there, they were getting drunk together somewhere in town.

• The time was roughly 4:30, a pretty good time for teenagers to enjoy themselves at a party. Asahi was standing in the corner, Sugawara was helping him this time.

• You glanced at the two, Asahi was looking more.. intriguing today, he looked nice, but nervous, was he planning on asking someone out?

• You pondered this though, glancing over at the two, Asahi had a bright blush on his face, and Suga seemed confident in what he was saying.

• Asahi was soon pushed out back into somewhere close to the center, Suga laughed as he watched the male walk timidly in your direction.

• You tilt your head in confusion, but before you had time to process what he could ever possibly be doing, he was already right in front of you.

• "Y/n, I need to speak with you in private.. is that alright with you?" He asked, you nodded, allowing him to take you to a more secluded area of the gym.

• "I..I really like you y/n! I'd like to spend my life with you! If.. that's okay of course." He spoke.

• You chuckled. Kissing this tip of his nose, "Asahi, you're really sweet, ya know that?" Accepting his confession.

• You swore his face was red for a whole week

Suga

• Oh boy he's cocky.

• Not cocky in a way that he was bragging, but he was definitely confident in his charismatic ability to woo you.

• At least that's what he said to Daichi

• Don't get him wrong, he wasn't scared like Asahi

• Confidently walking into the Kurasuno Gym where a party was being hosted for the team, he noticed you were off more to the side.

• As Suga entered, you were thinking about how you would ask him out.

• A face dusted in pink once you both msre eye contact, Asahi had dragged the grey haired male off to the corner as he spoke about his crush, giving him some advice he pushed the taller male towards his crush.

• He laughed as he watched Asahi stumble towards his crush, he went off to do his own job.

• Walking up to you, he extended a hand towards you, "care to dance?" He asked, as a very spunky song started to play.

• The two of you danced around, laughing together, people watch, and though no one joined in, no one seemed to laugh or make fun if you.

• After the song was coming to an end, the male leaned in close, mumbling a quiet, "can I kiss you?" You nodded, your lips colliding into a passionate yet caring kiss.

Kiyoko

• Oh my god

• Can I just say

• This woman is the definition of gorgeous

• Btw in this story you're a girl because I think the only man Kiyoko could get with is Tanaka and otherwise she loves women.

• I love her so much

• And so do you, she is the light of your life. She's so pretty, and kind. She inspires you to do things you'd never do.

• The two of you were leaving the Kurasuno party to go to the sauna for an hour, though Yachi had to cancel because her mother was finally home for the day, the two of you decided to enjoy yourselves and have some girl time alone together.

• Once arriving at the sauna, you two rented out a personal bath, undressing yourselves you two got into the warm water.

• A sigh of relief escaped Kiyokos lips, she was definitely stressed due to having to deal with a whole team of volleyball players.

• You noticed her legs were pulled up to her chest. "Your legs, they're covered in scars. I heard you used to do track and field but I didn't think they'd leave that big of a mark." You said.

• The females ears perked up as you spoke. "Oh, yeah. I fall quite often, I used to be so clumsy back then." She giggled, tucking some stray hair back from behind her ear.

• "Well, whether you like them or not I think they're beautiful. Scars make people unique." You said with a smile.

• Kiyoko smiled, looking over at you. "Thank you, y/n. Your way with words really amazes me." She said, turning to face you.

• Time passed, the two of you spoke, laughing and enjoying yourselves. Once you two were about to leave, Kiyoko stops you.

• "Before we depart, we should definitely hang out together a lot more. I like spending time with you alone."

Lev

• Oh boy

• This man

• this stupid lanky man, doesn't even realize he has a crush on you.

• Yaku literally had to spell it out for him and he still didn't understand

• "Wait.. I'm in love with y/n? That isn't possible, I mean sure I get really happy when I see them, and they're really fun to be around! But I don't like them like that."

• Yaku had to go through so much to get it through his thick skull, "that idiot, those two of you are so dumb neither would even notice." He mumbled.

• Now as Yaku mentioned earlier, the two of you are actual idiots, two dumbasses who keep eachother somewhat out of trouble.

• Kuroo was hosting a party at his house for the team, and being their manager you were invited as well.

• Knocking on the door, you were one of the last to show up to the party, as Kuroo opened the door, you walked inside and saw him.

• "Lev!!!!" You shouted excitedly, jumping into his arms, wrapping the Russian in a hug as if you didn't see him yesterday.

• "Y/n!!!" The male cheered, picking you up and whirling you around. He was happy to see you, barely even thinking about what Yaku had said about the two of you both having mutual feeling which neither of you even knew about.

• The Nekoma party was going well, Kuroo was chatting with most of the team, Kenma was sitting in Kuroos room avoiding people, Yaku kept to himself, sometimes glaring at lev when he was being an idiot.

• The sun had set long ago, and the team was preparing to count ten seconds to midnight.

• As the countdown began, you and Lev shouted and cheered the numbers in unison, but just as soon as everyone was about to shout "1" you felt a small palm grip the back of your head and push your lips into the silver haired males.

• Pulling away with a laugh, you noticed that Yaku had a grip on both of your heads, the shorter male had forced the two of you into a kiss, which unsurprisingly both of you enjoyed.

• "That was fun y/n! Let's do it again!" He cheered, a large smile on his face.

Aone

• Similar to Asahi, my homeboy is nervous

• He struggled to show it, but he does love you, he just doesn't know what to do about the growing sickness in his stomach when he sees you.

• Luckily he got some help from the internet, telling how to flirt with his crush.

• Though date tech wasn't hosting a party or anything, you had invited him over to your house to hang out for new years. Since your parents were out of town, you two had the night to yourselves.

• You heard a knock on your door, upon opening it you looked up to see the tall male which you had invited.

• "Oh! Hey Takanobu, come inside. You arrived later than I had expected, I didn't think you'd even show up!" You laughed, walking him up to your room so the two of you could relax.

• "I'm sorry, should I have.. shown up sooner?" He asked, and before he could let you answer he remembered he had brought you something. "I brought you flowers, is that okay? I heard most people enjoy them on occasions like this." He spoke in such a soft tone, needing reassurance for his actions. He was stiff, standing awkwardly at the door of your bedroom.

• You smiled, reassuring him that you were very thankful. You gestured him to sit on your bed with you, you hoped he'd make himself comfortable in your home.

• As he sat down, you smiled. The two of you spoke for hours, never once was it awkward for either of you. I guess that's why Aone loved you, you were so easy to talk to, and you could always hold a conversation with him.

• As time went on, neither of you seemed to realize just how late it was, you had spoken for so long that you lost track of time.

• In a small break of silence, the larger male spoke up.

• "Y/n, I've.. known you for quite some time and though I may be scary, and you might hate me, I wanted to say that I like you a lot. I'd like to see you as more than a friend." He spoke, a furiously red blush coating his cheeks as he sputtered out the words that came to his mind.

• You giggle, looking up at him you kiss him on the cheek, "I could never be afraid of you, Aone, you're one of the sweetest people I know. I like you too." You spoke with a smile, looking down you checked the time.

• "That kiss was right on time I guess. It's exactly midnight!"

154 notes · View notes

kaznejis · 4 years

Text

Only Fools- Marco Peña x Flynn!Reader

nialler-tpwk5 said: Can we get Marco x reader but lee and Noah are her bothers and Noah gets in to a fight with him bc they kissed

A/N: Thankyou for sending in this prompt! I wrote this in a matter of hours, so hopefully there aren’t any mistakes- sorry if there is. I really enjoyed writing this; I think the scene between Marco and Noah at the football field is definitely my favourite!

Alsooo, whilst I was writing this I received a request for a ‘making out with Marco’ head canon- so I will have something similar to the opening out in the next few hours ;)

Feel free to send in any prompts. :)

Curling the tips of your fingers into Marco’s hair, you breathed out hot puffs of breaths against his face as you moved your lips against his passionately. Marco’s hands clung to your waist as he dragged you into his lap, running his tongue against the seam of your lips as he pushed back with the same level of fervour.

“We can’t do this for long,” You panted as Marco traced the pliant skin beneath your loose shirt, “My family will be home soon.”

Marco just smirked up at you as his hands moved further north, “You know that never stops me.”

You huffed a laugh as you dragged your lips down the base of his throat, “Yeah well, I don’t feel like watching my brothers beat you up today.”

Marco pulled back, pulling a raised eyebrow as he stared at you, “You think I can’t take them?”

“Lee, definitely,” You both broke into giggles at that, “but Noah is multiple feet taller than you with an added sprinkle of anger issues- wouldn’t exactly be a fair fight.”

“Well, that doesn’t matter because we won’t get caught,” He grinned at you as he pecked the tip of your nose softly, “The older brother will go back to college in a week and the younger one is to wrapped up in his own drama to notice anything.”

“True,” You sighed, tracing your finger along his face- the scar at his hairline, the light freckles beneath his eyes, the stray hairs that trailed the edges of his eyebrows. He really was beautiful. Despite what your siblings could ever think, you truly loved Marco- and you believed that he loved you too with the same level of compassion. The two of you were meant for each other; the sneaking around and hiding had only proved to deepen the connection that formed between the two of you.

Though, you could tell that Marco was beginning to grow restless of this factor to your relationship. You were too- you wanted nothing more than be able to be with Marco in public and get rid of the masses of girls that flocked towards him in school. You wanted to be able to bring him home for family dinners like Noah did with Elle and Lee with Rachel; instead of having to sneak him in and out of your bedroom window as soon as the front door opens.

To say the least, your brothers were extremely overprotective of you. Though, Noah’s protective nature was much more intense than Lee’s- he had gone to the lengths of beating up any guy who even dared to look at you, let alone touch you. Although he had softened slightly since opening his heart up to Elle, you still had no doubt that he would hunt Marco down if you were ever caught together. The thought of the two people you loved most in the world going against each other terrified you and you never wanted to be put in that situation. You just wished your brothers would lay off and stop seeing you as the timid girl you once were.

“Are you still with me?” Marco mumbled softly, pushing a strand of hair from out of your eyes. You just smiled sadly back at him before reluctantly climbing from upon his lap.

“You should probably get going, they’ll all be back soon.”

Marco climbed up from your bed after you, letting out a heavy intake of breath as he listened to what you said, “Alright- but I will forever dream of spending an entire night with you here.” And at that he laughed before giving you a sloppy kiss to the cheek and swinging his legs over your balcony ledge

“Be safe!” You hollered as you leant against the door and watched as he jumped from the tree just below your balcony.

The family sat around the table in comfortable silence as everyone tucked into the food your mother had prepared as usual. Though tonight there were no best friends or girlfriends that usually frequented the seat next to your siblings present tonight- meaning that it was just family.

“Noah,” You inquired, looking up to make eye contact with your older brother, “This is completely hypothetical...but what would you do if I had a boyfriend?”

Noah paused, his fork in the midst of digging into a mound of spaghetti, “Depends,” He brought his fork up and chewed slowly as if he were deep in thought, “If your hypothetical boyfriend were to be someone I know I would beat his ass as they are all assholes.”

“Noah!” Your mum snapped, swatting at him in an attempt to weaken his use of words.

“Sorry,” He groaned, holding up his hands, “I was about to say that if he was someone I didn’t know, maybe I would give him a chance.”

“Moral of the story, don’t date anyone from our school,” Lee laughed as he and Noah high-fived, “Why are you asking that anyway?”

“Oh, just wondering.” You smiled in what you hoped was a reassuring way, but you didn’t miss the intrigued, tilted-head look your mother gave you.

Later that night as you lay on top of your bed covers mindlessly scrolling through your social media and waiting for Marco to message you, a knock sounded at your bedroom door.

“Can I come in?”

“Yeah,” You called as you propped yourself up against the headboard, “Hey mum.”

“Sorry to barge in, I bought you some hot chocolate.”

“Thanks,” You grinned as you accepted it and took an elongated sip, though you noticed the look on her face as you did so, “Alright, what do you want to ask?”

“You always know when something’s up,” She laughed and gestured for you to scoot over on the bed, “Earlier at dinner- that situation wasn’t hypothetical, was it?”

“No.” You gulped, opting to stare down at the chocolate that swirled within the mug.

“Oh, sweetheart,” She cooed, wrapping her arms around you and bringing you in to cuddle into her side, “Why didn’t you just say? I would never get mad at you for having a boyfriend.”

“I know you wouldn’t,” You sniffled, cuddling closer into her side, “It’s Noah who would.”

“Ah,” She whispered as he tightened her grip around you slightly, “I see.”

“Yeah.” You whispered back, finding it difficult to speak through the lump that was beginning to

rise in your throat.

“He’ll come around, I promise,” Your mother let out a small chuckle before continuing, “He can’t really judge your relationship status when he’s dating his brother’s best friend.”

You both dissolved into light giggles at that, the situation really was bizarre, “That’s actually true.”

“So,” She spoke slowly, nudging your side, “Who’s the lucky guy?”

“Promise you won’t tell anyone?” She nodded sincerely, “Marco.”

“Marco…” She mumbled with furrowed brows as realisation slowly set in, “Marco! Oh, he’s a cutie.”

You laughed fondly as you entwined your fingers together in your lap, “Yeah, I would know.”

“You love him, don’t you.” It was a statement, not a question.

You just nodded, smiling shyly as you turned to look at the woman beside you, “I wish we didn’t have to hide.”

“Your brothers will understand eventually, I promise,” and she bundled you up all snug in her arms and kissed your forehead as she spoke.

“I hope so, I really do.”

A few days later, you and Marco were once again hanging out in the confines of your bedroom- though this time the interaction was much less heated as the two of you simply sat with your legs intertwined as you studied and helped each other with homework. If someone was to walk in right now you could brush it off as two friends simply hanging out. But, once again- Noah would beat up any guy who even looked at you. Any interaction could be seen as risky.

“Hey,” Marco spoke, reaching over and rubbing his thumb over your clothed thigh, “Help me with this?” In return you smiled and leaned over to press a slow, teasing kiss to Marco’s lips- which he quickly reciprocated as he looped his arms around you.

Of course, Noah decided to walk in at that moment.

“Hey Y/N-” You and Marco pulled away immediately and froze in place, staring at Noah who was practically steaming with anger, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“Noah, wait-” Though your brother completely ignored you and stormed straight up to Marco, grabbing him by the collar and slamming his back against the wall.

“My sister? My fucking sister? You made a mistake.”

“Noah!” You screamed, running to the side of him and grabbing the arm that clung to Marco, “Let go of him, I’m fine.” Though your pleads fell upon deaf ears.

“Out of all the people in the world you decided to play my sister?” Noah spat, getting up in Marco’s face, “You’re a fucking asshole, bro.”

“I’m not playing her,” Marco choked out, kicking at Noah’s legs and sending them both to the ground, “I love-”

“Don’t even say it.” Noah practically growled, landing a solid punch onto Marco’s face as they wrestled. Gasping at the sight of blood dripping from your boyfriend’s nose, you jumped forward and grabbed onto Noah’s shoulders- digging your nails into his skin in a way to replace the lack of strength you inhabited compared to him, “What the hell Y/N, get off me!”

“Get off of Marco then, he didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Y/N,” Your brother spoke sternly, “He was touching you.”

“Yes,” You yelled back, anger fizzling through every fibre of your being, “Because he is my boyfriend!” You dug your hands into your eyes, “I’m not a child anymore Noah, I don’t need you to protect me.”

“Well, when you’re with boys like him maybe I do.”

“Boys like me?” Marco deadpanned, taking his hand from his steadily bleeding nose as he did so, “The hell does that mean?”

“Assholes that fuck around.”

“Flynn,” Marco spoke calmly, sitting down on the bed, “I’m sorry to say it but I love your sister, more than anything. I would never do anything to hurt her.” You smiled softly at him as he spoke, he returned it once he was done.

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

“Trust me, I guess?” Marco shrugged, wincing as his nose began to sting, “Did you really have to punch me in the face though?”

“Yeah.” Noah insisted, throwing an arm over your shoulder which you attempted to shrug away, “Hurt my sister though and I will fucking kill you- we clear?”

“Sir, yes, sir!” Marco saluted as he walked over to you and looped his arms around your waist, laughing as he accidentally smeared blood onto your shirt.

Yeah, your relationship was about to become ten times better already.

Would anyone be interested in being added to a tag list? If so, please send me an ask or message saying that you would like to be added!

#Marco Peña #Marco x reader #Marco peña x reader #the kissing booth #the kissing booth 2 #marco #oneshot #fanfiction #imagine #taylor zakhar perez #jacob elordi #noah flynn #noah flynn x reader #marco x yn

616 notes · View notes

horrorslashergirl · 3 years

Note

Andrei and Amaria Kulokova 🐺🔪

(This shall be interesting 👀👀 and funny! Lol)

Richard Firewood

For Andrei: Richard might see Andrei as an alternative for business, when there aren't enough clients to his hotel, he might call Andrei to hide him to capture 10 or 20 people. It will be strictly business.

Richard: Cash is King. Enough said.

For Amaria: He might be on neutral territory with her as long as she respects his territory and hotel.

Richard: She better not cover the carpets of the lobby in mud.

Jackson Jasper

For Andrei: He may view Andrei as a cool guy with whom to hang around for drinks and flirt with women.

Jackson: Any drinking buddy is good company.

For Amaria: Jackson loves a pretty lady especially one who isn't afraid to get down and dirty. He likes her.

Jackson: You don't see women like her often. *smirks*

The Hacker

For Andrei: Both are fucked up into the head. Both are bloody disgusting. Both love to stick their cocks into bloody pussies. They might be on good terms... Plus if Andrei needs a certain weapon, The Hacker can provide it wirh ease.... For a good priece.

The Hacker: *looks up from his computer screen* Oh? Him? Yeah... Fucked up in the head but not as much as me. *smirks*

For Amaria: Now that's a dollface that the Hacker might like. She fucks the corpses of her victims from time to time? The Hacker does that on an almost daily basis... Almost.

The Hacker: *whistle* Pretty wild baby doll. Me like~

Dave Anthony

For Andrei: If Andrei thought he was brutal then he sure doesn't know Dave. This poltergeist was casted from both heaven and hell. Try to match that Andrei. If Andrei tries to stab or shot Dave, this evil entity will just laugh in his face and grin.

Dave: *evil smirk* Trying to kill me? *manical laugh* You cannot kill what's already dead, cocksucker... I am gonna enjoy possessing your body.

For Amaria: Now, that's something you don't usually see everyday and Dave would be intrigued by Amaria and her so called Gods. Interesting little human girl.

Dave: Oh? You believe in Gods.... Well.... I am the biggest motherfucking God ever, baby girl.

Samuel Grayson

For Andrei: The moment Samuel senses his aura he wants to puke his guts, because Andrei screams of sins all over and just his presence into the same room will annoy Samuel. Let alone Andrei trying anything with this poltergeist. Andrei will turn into a chew toy for Samuels hellhounds.

Samuel: He stinks of sin and he is a disgusting piece of walking meat on earth. *snarls*

For Amaria: Her aura is so so much more different than her brothers and to say so... Samuel is a little intrigued by her aura, sensing all the sadness from her past and there is just something about her beliefs that he finds.... Adorable?

Samuel: She is... Interesting.... But no... I am no God. These are too high words for me, little one.

Azol

For Andrei: Did I say Dave is absolutly brutal? Well Andrei... Meet Azol. This evil entity will view Andrei as the most amusing plaything ever. Ironic, huh? Much like the other supranatural ones, Azol feasts on humans desires and he will absolutly use Andrei's desires against him. He will haunt his dreams and drive him insane.

Azol: Ohhhh... You think you are brutal, piece of sloppy fucking used cunt. *chuckles evily* I am gonna have so much fun with your soul... I am sure after you die... We all are gonna fuck you into hell like the cocksucker I know you are. *laugh*

For Amaria: Azol will be amused by her beliefs into her Gods, teasing and haunting her, making her kill as many people as possible. Azol found himself new entertainment.

Azol: Oh... Never seen a human kill that much and with such a passion. *grins evilly* See that man, little one... He needs to die.... Listen to your new God and you will live on forever.

Bahini Talibah

For Andrei: Andrei is everything that Bahini hates into a man; he is despicable, horrible, disgusting, annoying, sleazy and someone she would absolutly not stand. He better not get near her or else he will suffer a slow, horrible and painfull death that will make Andei crawl on the floor in his own blood. Having your flesh and muscels be slowly melted by Bahinis piercing gaze isn't something to look forward to.

Bahini: His aura is simply making me anxious. He better stay away from me. He pisses me off!

For Amaria: Bahini might find her believe in Gods fascinating since she herself believes in the Egyptian Gods. They might have conversations about their Gods and such. Plus Amarias quiet and misterious aura is very calm and gives Bahini tranquility.

Bahini: She is a fascinating young woman... Also Anubis told me she has a beautiful and lightfull soul.

Azment

For Andrei: This demoness lust will destroy Andrei's for sure... And I advise him to not get close to her because at the end of the night he will be dead by the time he climaxes.... I mean... If he wants a horse dick up his ass that's his problem. Azment will over power him with ease.

Azment: Ohhh He sure is handsome and I can taste his lust... Such delicious carnal and mouthwatering lust.

For Amaria: Azment sees this small but deadly woman as very beautiful and she can appreciate such brutal display for passion of certain things... Like Amarias passion for Gods.

Azment: Beautiful and powerfull young human woman... Such beauty... It gives tingles down my spine. *sways her tail from side to side*

The Shadow

For Andrei: His personality and the vibe Andrei gives off is simply annoying to Shadow. Isn't it enough he has to deal with that idiot of a HACKER maniac? Now he has the stand this Russian Incompetent. He cannot work with these idiots around.

The Shadow: *looks up from cleaning his scalpels* I cannot stand this morron. He better not stick his nose into my business unless he wants to end up on my disection table.

For Amaria: She seems quiet and she keeps to herself so that is good on Shadows books. Her past might make Shadow sad because he has went through abuse too... Different but still abuse. He might be interested into her topics of Gods... Since he is one to feast on information and likes to learn about all type of topics.

The Shadow: She is... Fascinating to say so... But at last she is quiet.

Mitch Carson

For Andrei: This feral man will view Andrei as straight up enemy and he won't hesitate to turn the Russian into a raw steak, considering all that mass muscels and blood. If Andrei knows what's good for him, he better keep off Mitchs territory or else he will be the new target for crossbow practice.

Mitch: *growls, all body muscels ready for him to strike*

For Amaria: Considering her small body stature, he might be intrigued by her but still cautious, like a feral animal of the deep dark woods. If she brings him human flesh or bones for him to chew on... She Might.... Just might turn Mitch into a feral lap dog that will maim anyone who dares to touch Amaria.

Mitch: *growls then purrs at her, tilting his head to the side curiously*

Gerome Montana and Axel Friedrich

For Andrei: Army friends? Maybe? They might share some drinks some army stories. Three mercenaries sharing bloody ideas of killing. I guess. They might be on neutral relations with Andrei, but since they are in Miami and Andrei hates the heat... I doubt it. Down for a one night stand after drinks? Perhaps.

Gerome: Haha Cool Russian Crazy Dude!

Axel Friedrich: His personality is a bit too much. *groans*

For Amaria: You don't see such deadly women that often and they might find her very intirguing, but that's about it. Plus.... I don't know if she would like Miami with the heat and all that.

Gerome: Beautiful badass woman! Sexy!

Axel: *facepalms at Gerome* I suppose I can appreciate a woman who can handle such big weapons like a machete.

Damiano Liberato

For Andrei: He finds him very disgusting with no taste at all and Andrei simply makes Damiano have a horrible taste into his mouth. He cannot stand camo!

Damiano: Isn't it enough I have to stand my creator and her camo army clothing!? Now this man! I cannot believe Richard can be close to this disgusting brute. Ugh.

For Amaria: Very beautiful woman but a shame that she has no style into dressing up. Damiano finds the Kulokova siblings too.... Dirty.

Damiano: A lady shouldn't dress like that. Pants? Seriously... Just no.

Bambi Miller

For Andrei: She thinks he is a pretty cool dude with whom to share drinks and maybe have some knife throwing game. Plus, she thinks she thinks Andrei is pretty badass with his faux hawk. They might have some fun nights with drinking vodka and throwing knife at people.

Bambi: Pretty badass Russian stud. *giggles* only my knife is bigger than his. *winks*

For Amaria: Bambi thinks Amaria is very pretty and she appreciates women who can stand up for themselvs and beat the guys around. Plus her machete is so cool.

Bambi: She is very beautiful... Its true what they say that Russian women are very gorgeous.

Xaviera Lah-Mo

For Andrei: He is her ultimate and only love, so of course she simply adores Andrei. It comes natural. He is her precious and wild Wolf.... And to think that the first day they meet, Xavi wanted to throw his ass into the blizzard outside. Andrei is her soulmate and the only man she has feelings for... And the only man she won't shot with her sniper rifle into his balls.

Xaviera: He is the light of my life, the man that make me be strong with each passing day.... My wild and handsome Wolf..... My beautiful soulmate. My everything.

For Amaria: Being Andrei's sister, Xaviera cares for her and tries to calm Andrei down to think clearly when she is around. Xaviera tries to be the refere between these two without getting between their fights. Both Xavi and Amaria use a sniper rifle and Xavi would love for her sister-in-law and her to have a shooting practice together. Just enjoying some quiet time.

Xaviera: She is a hard person to understand if you don't see through her soul, you need to take your time to understand her because she means well... She is not as bad as one might think. She is just misunderstood like we all were at some point in life.

Akshay Lah-Mo

For Andrei: Andrei is Akshay's best friend and soul brother to say so; they fight, they bicker, they drink, but at the end of the day they are best friends and always there to watch eachothers backs. Akshay might seem that he hates Andrei, but if he really hated him, Andrei wouldn’t be alive.

Akshay: The mutt? Yeah... He is a good man... When he isn't his usual idiot self. *grunts*

For Amaria: Akshay knows she is Andrei's sister and that their sibling relation isn't that good. Akshay hasn't really interacted that much with Amaria but if he has to say his opinion he would say that he is beautiful and misunderstood... And very deadly for such a small woman.

Akshay: It really shows she is the mutts sister... She can maim you and your corpse would just misteriously disappear.

Decebal Avram Chirilă

For Andrei: Decebal has lots of fun with Andrei and they are two knuckleheads and daredevils. Andrei had done so much for Decebal that none has ever done and the Romanian is very gratefull for it, hench his loyality towards the Russian. Decebal didn't expected to get along with Andrei that good but he absolutly adores him... And the moments they fuck.

Decebal: Ohhhh! Vodknockers!? He is like a fun and crazy little brother... He sure has a temper which is funny. Haha *smirks* His libido matches mine and he has a great cock *laughs*

For Amaria: Decebal knows that she is the way she is because of her past and he isn't one to judge or make fun of her believs and such. Everyone can believe in whatever they want. What's the problem with that? Plus, he thinks she is very gorgeous.

Decebal: Oh? That wild woman? She is very beautiful, like hella beautiful that she could put an army of women to shame. *laughs* But seriously now... Just like Xavi said... She is only misunderstood. *soft smile*

Alexander Chirilă

For Andrei: Alexander simply feels very uncomfortable in the same room as Andrei and it doesn't help that the Russian was Alexanders first. Alexander finds it so so frustrating that Andrei has no sense of other peoples personal space, especially his.

Alexander: Oh God.... Not him again. He has no respect, he is an absolut degeranted wanker who doesn't understand the concept of personal space and he frustrates me so so much it makes me so angry. *blushing red face and huffs* But.... I suppose... Like my big brother said... He can be nice... Only I never saw that!

For Amaria: Alexander enjoys that she is quite and she seems to have some concept of other peoples personal space. Plus he is glad she isn't like her big brother... Who acts like a sexual offender. Amaria kind of reminds Alexander of one of the tallest mountains, surrounded by mist... Especially that certain quietness.

Alexander: I suppose she is alright... She seems like a very strong one with a certain specific will... And she is pretty..... B-But not like that! *blushes*

Nadia Nikolina Chirilă

For Andrei: She thinks she is a good man, on certain topics but on other hands.... She views him as a stupid kid with disgusting behaviors and most important.... A coward. If he thinks he is so mighty, why not take someone his own size or bigger, not some small and innocent woman. Andrei is only lucky because of Decebal..... Or else he would have been castrated the moment he meet Nadia. Period.

Nadia: *looks up from her painting* He is a stupid child.... But means well... On certain moments.

For Amaria: Nadia thinks that Amaria is a very intirguing and gorgeous woman, small but with a fierce spirit that will cit through you just like her machete... Nadia appreciates greatly a woman who won't take anyones shit, especially a mans. Amaria reminds Nadia of a pit of big sharp deadly ice icicle, that she saw the first month she moved into Greenland. The pit looked so so beautiful but if you stepped to close you would fall into said pit and a painfull horrible death will follow.

Nadia: Beautiful and Deadly... Such a majestic combination. *paints a womans shadow with mountains into the background*

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chanaihimaa · 3 years

Text

FFXIV Write #8 - Adroit

Chanai drifted away and parked himself against a wall somewhere tucked away from the crowd, a sense of feeling flighty and cantankerous plucking at his seams like a delicately stringed lyre. The meeting of a man with more weight than the mass he carried on his person was in order this night – someone worth striking a deal with – and, damn it all, now he’d gone and let Jace out of his sight. The cogs of his imagination was unkind, painting visions of someone skewering the man in the back with a knife. There was no dignity about it – none at all. But some would feel Jace didn’t deserve it and now… No. No, no-one was going to stab Jace in the back. Not here. But that didn’t stop Chanai from chewing through his cheek and his attempts to cease the sweat accumulating in his palms. Gods damnit, what had gotten into him? As adroit as he was at working these things before, he knew this game like the back of his hand. So what the Hells was wrong with him?

“Are you Chanai?”

His train of thought abruptly stuttered. Chanai glanced once, gave a double-take, and furrowed his brow under a heavy frown at the woman as if he had been outright insulted, his jaw setting. “Feck off,” he bristled bluntly before a far more articulate thought could come to mind. A suitably mortified gasp fueled the woman’s departure without so much as another word. …That was cruel, he regrettably thought, a momentary twist in the low of his belly quicker than the belated urge to wring his fingers. Surely she didn’t mean any harm by it, did she? That woman didn’t deserve being snapped at, even if she probably was no better than the people she surrounded herself with. These kind of people… They didn’t think they’re selfish, but they are. Some might even convince themselves that they, to a vast degree, were good. They may hold charitable events under questionable circumstances with no show for where exactly the gil went other than plump their already fatten gil purses and feel partly moved to spare their leftovers to those in and outside the walls for the sake of making themselves feel better. Just enough to say they’ve done ‘their part’ to help them sleep at night and carry on with their life. It disgusted him, viscerally. Playing this part, being around them longer than he necessarily had to b– “You wouldn’t mind if I stand here, do you?” Fuck me sideways. Chanai barely acknowledged the older man that approached him. “Ain’t no stoppin’ you,” he muttered distractdely, searching the crowd for Jace’s figure. Jace was tall enough that one really just needed to be on the look-out for someone that fit the ‘silver fox’ description. He spied Dina, caught up in conversation with some other halfwit, but Jace was gone. Godsdamn. Probably schmoozing, but– “Cigarette?” The man attempted to offer him. “Not from you,” Chanai automatically quipped. He had more things on his plate to worry about. “Ahhh~ I get it. Not one for things like this, I take it.” the man mused. It was then Chanai felt obliged to at least spare a look, if only to understand why he hadn’t taken the hint yet. He was probably the same age as Jace; blonde, a little shorter with a forgettable face. The man sniffed on a rather dry curl of a soft smirk as he fiddled to light his own cigarette. “Are you sure? You look like you could use a cigarette,” he tried. Chanai’s eyes subtly narrowed. “I’a don’t do small-talk,” he said, shortly. Jace, he thought, almost a little frantically, as he turned his eyes to scan the crowd once more, why’d you have to fucking bring me here?

“I know,” the man murmured, exhaling a small flume of smoke. “I was watching you. You’re quite unfriendly, you know,” he noted absently, letting cigarette ash drop onto the marble floor at his feet. “I like that.” Oh, Gods, a melter. Not now. Chanai resisted the urge to bolt for the nearest exit. “Sounds like a right problem for you t’work through on your own, aye?” He didn’t mean it to be funny. He never meant for it to sound funny in any way, but the man laughed all the same. “I guess it is,” the man chuckled, taking it as an invitation. “You’re the new addition making a muck of things, aren’t you? The one who sold information over for…” A twinkle of intrigue illuminated caramel brown eyes. An annoyed click of his tongue. “M’sorry, and you are?” Chanai asked, irritated despite himself. “Arnor,” the man introduced himself without falter as he turned his body slightly to rest his leaning shoulder against the wall, his sandy hair sweeping along his shoulders. Tobacco smoke curled Chanai’s face with a quiet reverence, tainted and sour. “Arnor Coldren, son of the friend of a friend. I’m afraid asking who is out of the question.” A snort. “Will I, yeah?” “The point is, I’m a wealthier lay than you, without a doubt, will ever have,” the stranger’s head canted softly on a smokey exhale. “What do you think?” For the first time that evening, Chanai felt the soothing wave of calm he’s felt all night wash over him as he stared up at Arnor and straight into his eyes. “O’what? A right-bollix with a face that could drive rats from a barn? Come now, lad. If nothin’ else, ‘ve got standards. Don’t insult me.”

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@roguestly for the mention of her oc, Jace!

#ffxivwrite2021 #my writing #oc: Arnor Coldren #other ocs: Jace Argyle #I will never be consistent enough to keep up #but I WILL hop on when I can

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