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alicentsgf · 1 year

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Let's talk in depth about book Alicent. because even though i read the book 3 years ago I didn't engage online about it until the show's release and um. wow. some people have a very different interpretation of her to me. and also... some of those interpretations show a fundamental misunderstanding of the text, a tendency toward indulging the misogyny present in Fire and Blood, or both.

People are saying the writers changed a lot about Alicent's story and 'made her a victim'... they didn't. It was always possible to read the book and perceive that she was in many ways a victim. Honestly the biggest thing they changed was her age, probably to assist the interpretation they'd chosen, but the larger elements all stay the same; in both versions she's worked in service of the crown since she was young (as a type of companion either to Jaehaerys or Rhaenyra) and she and Rhaenyra initially have a good relationship (according to one source in F&B - this supposedly changes when Aegon was born and not named heir). So making it Rhaenyra we see her close with just makes the emotional tethers that might have been there anyway more visible. After all, Rhaenyra Does spare Alicent's life in F&B, and whilst she says it's for Viserys sake, Alicent at that point had been at the very least complicit in the deaths of most of Rhaenyra's children. Rhaenyra having such a strong former bond with Alicent is going to give this event in the show a lot more weight. It's not hard to see why they made this change, because it adds to the tragedy of the story immeasurably.

The fact is everything we see of Alicent in F&B is up for debate to some extent. Like, for example, did she seduce Viserys? of course certain sources tell us yes, but Fire and Blood is brimming with asoiaf-typical misogyny; it all reminds me somewhat of the story of Anne Boleyn, her story molded into something unrecognisable by history in order to make her the instigator. In truth, we have no way of knowing if Alicent wanted Viserys or not, but we do know she probably didn't have to seduce him. She was widely regarded as being the most beautiful woman - it wouldn't have taken a lot for Viserys to notice her. People, characters and readers alike, assume that because she wasn't a good political match he must have been persuaded, but Viserys was a selfish man, (that is indisputable, we see it in many of his provable actions), so it fits with his character to choose a slightly unsuitable wife on the basis of his own lust. The age gap in the show only serves to demonstrate visually the power imbalance that was at least somewhat present in the book anyway. And yes, this like most things in the book is up for interpretation, but I will say this: I seriously do not respect people calling her 'evil'.

The text never presents Alicent as evil. Even in the worst of her actions she is never legitimately shown to revel in the pain and suffering of others. At most you could argue she was ambitious, but I don't even believe that on the basis of one specific thing: it was her, not Otto, who asked Viserys to betroth Aegon to Rhaenyra. This was not a crazy suggestion in the book, as it was presented in the show; they were only a decade apart, and it was the Valyrian custom that the eldest son would marry his eldest sister, as Aegon the conqueror married Visenya. Alicent wanted this without stipulating the expectation that Aegon would rule instead of Rhaenyra. Viserys reportedly dismissed Alicent on the basis of believing she only wanted Aegon a step closer to the throne, and it can be read that way, but personally I don't think so. I think she was exhausting options to try to protect him after she realised Viserys was never going to name him heir.

Ultimately, Alicent would have been stupid to ignore that her children's lives were at stake. Especially in Fire and Blood where she was much less familiar with Rhaenyra. Nothing in Rhaenyra's actions suggested she wouldn't be capable. She reportedly had no affection for her brothers where she doted on Helaena, suggesting she already saw them as threats. She had demonstrated herself willing to accept physical harm to them in favour of her own sons. She was later thought to be at least complicit in the death of her husband Laenor, who had by all accounts been a good, kind husband to her… and then she married Daemon. Even before this he had been an obvious threat to Alicent's children; a violent man who'd always lusted after power, with a known hatred for Hightowers and who'd never been kind to his nephews by Alicent. Even if Alicent didn't believe Rhaenyra capable of murdering her sons, she would have been stupid not to believe Daemon able.

The truth is even in the book this crisis was set in motion by Viserys. Once he'd refused to marry Aegon to Rhaenyra the bomb was built and ticking away, it was only a matter of time. Even if Rhaenyra's heirs had been indisputably trueborn, Aegon and his brothers and any descendants they had would have been symbols for those who wanted to oppose the Crown to rally behind as soon as Rhaenyra or Jacaerys disappointed them, no matter if Alicent's sons had personally bent the knee. The situation only became more dire when it was clear that Rhaenyra's heir was not trueborn.

Fire and Blood isn't even really quiet about Rhaenyra's first three sons being bastards. To me it read like Rhaenys' Baratheon blood allowed those who wanted to believe otherwise to delude themselves, as Viserys does in both versions. After all, in the book Laenor being gay is an open secret. But the thing is… it doesn't even really matter if they were or not. With so many people believing they were bastards, they were pretty much as good as. Eventually, and most definitely after Rhaenyra's death, there would have been some form of conflict. Because if Jace, an assumed bastard, ascended the throne it would throw into question the claims of almost every lord in Westeros, many of whom would have older bastard brothers. and if a bastard who didn't even look targaryen could sit the highest seat in the realm over a trueborn silver-haired son of a king like Aegon, what's to stop the bastard brothers of any lord from laying claim to their seat? Aegon would have become a rallying point for that dispute whether he liked it or not, and Jace would have been forced to dispose of him if he wanted to maintain power.

In light of this, it's really no wonder Alicent repeatedly voices her animosity over Rhaenyra's sons questionable births. It's very telling that in F&B every cruel comment she reportedly makes about or to Rhaenyra references it. and I say "reportedly" because one of the worst of her quotes, her saying 'mayhaps the whore will die in childbirth' about Rhaenyra, people quote as fact… if you do this I will laugh in your face and ask if you read the book. because Alicent did not say that. or rather, if she did, Fire and Blood would not be able to tell us either way because the quote is attributed to her by Mushroom, one of Rhaenyra's supporters who (apart from being a famed liar) was with Rhaenyra on Dragonstone at the time.

The other two quotes used to argue her supposed evilness are from slightly less questionable sources, and honestly, yeah, it does seem likely to me Alicent implied to Rhaenyra her bastard sons' blood was worth less than that of her own trueborn sons'… but at that point, with the horror she'd experienced on account of Viserys upholding Rhaenyra and her sons' questionable claims, her reacting in this way is perhaps cruel and prejudiced, but not evil. And almost justifiably cruel in my opinon; for all she knows the woman she's talking to directly ordered for her six-year-old grandson to be brutally murdered in front of her, her daughter, and her other grandchildren, directly leading to her daughter's madness and later suicide. Was she going to be respectful? Is it fair to expect that from her? This focus on the term 'bastard blood' overshadows the rest of the quote: “Bastard blood shed at war. My son’s sons were innocent boys, cruelly murdered. How many more must die to slake your thirst for vengeance?” Why is Alicent being a bit of a bitch treated as a worse sin than Rhaenyra ordering the brutal murder of a toddler, or at the very least excusing it.

The last quote mentioned to back up claims of alicent's 'evilness' is her telling her granddaughter Jaehaera she should slit the throat of her husband Aegon III in his sleep. By this point it seemed to me Alicent was no doubt consumed by bitterness and would have attacked Aegon herself given the chance, but even without condoning her words or actions we can see how she became like that; all of Alicent's sons are dead and she wants all of Rhaenyra's gone too. Wasn't it "an eye for an eye, a son for a son"? - Rhaenyra's side set the precedent, the idea that it is justifiable to take one innocent life in exchange for another, no matter if its the life of a child who just happens to have been born on the other side of a war.

Alicent by the end of her life had certainly been driven to cruelty in her grief, twisted into something ugly by the world and locked away to rot.

And yet her final words weren't steeped in bitterness or violence. When the fever sets in she accepts death, even welcomes it. She speaks of seeing her children again, and King Jaehaerys. So doesn't that say she was never driven by hatred at all? That there was never any kind of innate evil nature? At least that's my interpretation. This is the same girl who spent her youth reading to a dying king for no clear reward, and felt such affection for him that she mentioned him at the end of her own life, perhaps pining for the time before her marriage. (No doubt in the show she will mention Rhaenyra instead). This is the woman whose daughter and grandchildren visited her with such reliable frequency her grandson's killers knew to wait in her rooms for them.

So what was so evil about her? That she quite understandably saw Rhaenyra and her sons as a threat, and preemptively acted to protect her own? As much as people like to project ideologies onto these characters, neither Alicent nor Rhaenyra's motivations were ideological, that much as clear.

I may have many reservations about House of the Dragon's execution of it, but the decision to present Alicent as a victim of the world she inhabits was not only the right choice, but also kind of the only choice. HotD is presented as objective truth, where F&B is a collection of biased accounts dripping in the misogyny of the men relating them, and so HotD had to be a critique of its own source material. I admit to having my own bias, and my analysis is at least slightly skewed in Alicent's favour because I'm responding to the most negative interpretations of her. And they are all just interpretations. But in my opinion, those adapting the text looked at Alicent and saw her, where clearly many readers didn't. They asked "what if this woman is misunderstood?", "what if this woman had no real choice?", "what if the men of this world just chose to ignore her complexity, because she was a woman?" and those were absoutely the questions to ask.

#alicent hightower #book alicent #house targaryen #house hightower #fire and blood #f&b spoilers #pro alicent hightower #hotd #house of the dragon #hotd meta #anti viserys i targaryen #fire and blood meta #alicent apologist til death #yes even book alicent

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hellomynameisbisexual · 3 months

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Bisexual Basics

— Karin Baker

THE MOST BASIC thing about bisexuality is that it unlinks what most cultures see as a fundamental connection: sex and gender. If you can understand that for some people sexual attraction is not tied to a specific gender, then you understand the most important thing about bisexuality.

At least in the United States, separating sexuality and gender is difficult. While public attention—negative and positive—has recently been focused on homosexuality, the idea that it is not the only alternative to heterosexuality is less often recognized. This is not surprising, given that here as in most western cultures, there is a tendency to organize concepts dualistically, to see only opposites.

Heterosexuality and homosexuality as related ideas are one example. Thus, even while homosexuality is not an acceptable alternative to heterosexuality for many people, it is clearly fixed in their minds as the other option. Few conceive that there could be a third option, or even a continuum of possibilities.

This or That

Bisexuals sometimes refer to society’s tendency to dichotomize as an “either/or” approach. You must be attracted to either women or men, be either heterosexual or homosexual—what bisexuals sometimes lump together and call “monosexual.” Similarly, in our society, no matter what your actual racial background, you are seen as either white, or a person of color.

In contrast, some of us see bisexuals as having an approach to sexuality that could be called “both/and.” We are heterosexual and homosexual, both at the same time—which actually adds up to something completely different.

The woman whose parents are respectively white and African American is not racially or culturally half one and half the other. She is a blending of the two, in which neither aspect can be separated out. Similarly, bisexuals are not “part” queer, or “part” straight—we are what we are.

The Continuum of Sexuality

Maybe the idea that sexual attraction actually falls on a continuum, rather than clumping around homosexuality and heterosexuality, seems obvious. As a bisexual person, it is certainly obvious to me. However, I have come to realize that some are confounded by the idea.

This inability to imagine that someone could truly be attracted to more than one gender is probably the origin of myths such as “bisexuals don’t really exist,” and “bisexuals just haven’t made up their minds yet.” For some, sex means desire for women or men, but never both.

In a recent example, a bisexual friend of mine overheard a conversation between a lesbian and a gay man in which both commented on how confused bisexuals were. One of them said, “sooner or later bisexuals have to make up their minds!”

I wish I’d been there to ask them, why? Can you explain the basis for your reasoning? Why can’t we have already made up our minds—to be bisexual?

It seems to be hard to escape the assumption that there are only two choices, and everyone must ultimately settle for one of them. I have never heard a logical argument, or any biological law that explains why this choice is so unavoidable.

I have an easier time with this when I think about how hard it is for me to grasp attraction to one gender only, whether gay/lesbian or straight attraction. Because sexuality and gender aren’t linked for me, I’m surprised when I hear about people who are only attracted to women, or only attracted to men.

As a feminist I can understand why some women would choose not to be with men. I can also see that a person might want something in a sexual relationship that is more typically found with one gender or the other. But how could one gender always fall outside the boundaries of sexual possibility?

I believe that it happens, because people tell me that it’s true for them. It’s just extremely hard to imagine.

In fact, we bisexuals have a tendency (which I resist in myself) to think that all people are potentially bisexual. If they haven’t acted on it yet, monosexuals must either be repressed, or they just haven’t found the “right man”/“right woman” yet.

I suppose this is the bisexual equivalent of the monosexual perception that bisexuals are just going through a phase and haven’t made up our minds yet.

Gender in Bisexual Attraction

Although gender is not a limiting factor for bisexuals, it does sometimes play a role in bisexual attraction.

Some bisexuals that I know are attracted to women and men for gender-specific reasons. For instance, they like women because they see them as: easy to talk to, or nurturing, or soft and curvy; and they like men because they find them: straightforward, or more assertive, or hard and muscular (or some such gendered reasons).

So in this case, gender is part of the formula, but not a limiting factor.

Other bisexuals I have spoken with are also attracted to women and men differently, but they turn the previous specifications upside down. These bis say they find they like butch women and effeminate men. In a way this comes down to appreciating people to the extent that they escape genderedness.

But there are also many bis, such as myself, for whom gender has no place in the list of things that attract them to a person. For instance, I like people who are good listeners, who understand me and have interests similar to mine, and I am attracted to people with a little padding here and there, who have fair skin and dark hair (although I’m pretty flexible when it comes to looks).

“Male” or “female” are not anywhere to be found in the list of qualities I find attractive.

Monosexual Misconceptions

Bisexuals in the United States often experience hostility from lesbians and gay men, as in the incident described above. Lesbians and gay men, like heterosexuals, are often uncomfortable with breaking out of a dualistic way of looking at things.

Bisexuals blur boundaries thought to be fixed in stone, and this is disturbing.

Actually, bisexuals may appear to pose a more direct threat for lesbians and gay men than this general social disturbance. Lesbians and gay men who a in our society have almost always gone through a long process of leaving their family and heterosexual friends, as they leave the closet.

The community that rejected them is replaced by the one they join when they come out; the lesbian and gay community becomes their new family and friends, the place where they feel security and belonging.

Bisexuals who pop up in their new community blur its boundaries, making it feel less safe, less apart from the rejecting heterosexual community. Especially for those who believe that a bisexual has a fifty-fifty chance of finally choosing heterosexuality, a bisexual may well appear as the enemy within their midst.

Bisexuals often face misconceptions shared by lesbians, gay men, and heterosexual people. One of these is mentioned above: that bisexuals are confused people who havent made up their minds yet.

Undoubtedly some bisexuals are in a transitional phase between heterosexuality and homosexuality, but this is not necessarily so. And even when it is true, why should transition be seen as problematic?

Another common myth is that bisexuals are not committed to the struggle against queer oppression. Like many stereotypes, this may have some basis in reality. There are bisexuals who stay in the closet, who gravitate toward opposite gender relationships, marriage, and whatever else it takes to fit in.

Of course, many gay men and lesbians also never make it out of the closet. In fact, the lesbian and gay movement has always included bisexuals. Some have been openly bi, while others haven’t felt it worth the struggle to be open in the face of disapproval from the community that is so important to them.

Today, some bisexuals, like some gay men and lesbians, are not interested in getting involved in political struggle, but many others are very active within the queer community.

Another misconception is the idea that to be bisexual you must be sleeping with both women and men, and along with this, probably cheating on your partner. This is like saying that you cannot call yourself a lesbian (or gay, or straight) if you are single and celibate.

I believe that you’re bisexual (homosexual, heterosexual) if that’s what you call yourself. Your orientation stays the same, you still feel attraction, whatever your current actions.

Now it’s true, there are bisexuals who feel more fulfilled if they have relationships with a woman and a man. Some of these may have an agreement with their partner(s), and some not, but bisexuals are not the only sexual orientation where unorthodox relationships can be found, or where some cheat on their partners.

Bisexual Oppression?

A lesbian once told me that bisexuals experience oppression only to the extent that we “are homosexual.” She used this as an argument for leaving the name “bisexual” off titles of marches, community centers, newspapers, etc.

Who is included in group names has been a controversy for years (going back at least to the time when including the word “lesbian” was controversial because “gay” could supposedly count for both).

I don’t agree that bisexuals face only homosexual oppression. It’s true that when we are in same-sex relationships, one of the things we experience is heterosexism (and also, in our opposite sex relationships we do not as directly face the oppression gay men and lesbians face, although if we are openly bisexual we never completely escape heterosexism).

However, bisexuals confront forms of oppression that lesbians and gay men do not. Bisexual oppression includes compulsory monosexuality and the invisibility that is a result of monosexism. We are made invisible when people can’t conceive of sexual attraction that isn’t tied to one gender or the other, thereby denying our existence.

Even face to face, there is nothing about us that says we’re bisexual—if we’re with the same gender it’s assumed we’re lesbian/gay, and we must be straight if our partner is of the opposite gender.

Unless we happen to be holding hands and kissing a woman and a man simultaneously, an either/or way of seeing things means most people will automatically categorize us as either homosexual or heterosexual. This is monosexism at work.

In recent years some things have changed for bisexuals in the United States. We have started to find each other and form organizations and small communities. Conferences happen regularly in different parts of the country, and a national network exists.

Books about bisexuals multiply, as we tell our stories and develop theories about how we fit in. Much to the discomfort of some lesbians and gay men, we have been increasing the pressure to have our presence within the queer community acknowledged.

It seems inevitable that we will have an impact on how the people of this country view sexuality. Will this go further and affect the fundamental tendency toward dualistic categorizing, the either/or mindset?

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vasito-de-leche · 29 days

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Hiii! I hope you’re doing well!! I’m just wondering if i could request some yandere Forget Me Not headcannons? If not, some general romantic hcs would be fine!

That said, don’t overwork yourself and feel free to decline this if you feel like it!

;R1999 FORGET ME NOT - Yandere Headcanons

Compilation of headcanons about Forget Me Not as a Yandere.

I am doing well, ty for asking! and ty for the yandere request, I love writing this type of stuff <3

warning for yandere content and everything it entails. as well as self-harm and suicide themes

Forget Me Not as a Yandere would be pretty standard, I think─at least from the beginning.

I want to say that his lack of experience and proper, healthy examples when it comes to relationships and interpersonal skills is the basis of his Yandere profile: he's hindered by even more twisted impulses and intrusive thoughts, and thus would cling even HARDER to his self-imposed restraints because the stakes are higher now. The consequences would be even more severe should he lose control.

From an outsider's point of view, perhaps he appears to be meaner than usual, there's more bite behind his words as opposed to his elegant way of serving backhanded compliments. While those who spend more time with him would notice that he's unbelievably tense and high-strung. Essentially, it's the same fight between indulgence and restraint that I've been portraying in previous FMN posts, only ramped up to 200%.

The thing about Forget Me Not as a Yandere is that he would be extremely malleable and reactive to his darling. He's so very easy to influence, for better and for worse─the attention he pays to every single detail about you, your habits, your gestures and every little "tell", borders on predatory. It's very ironic, the way he can't understand his own feelings nor thoughts but he actually can read you crystal clear, that he may know you better than you know yourself. The dynamic of your relationship would be determined in your first interactions with him, and it AAAAAALL depends on you. But it's not as binary as who gets to be the "dominant" party and who gets to be the "submissive" party!

When I say Forget Me Not is malleable, I mean it.

In the context of entering a relationship with him, yes, there is the chance that, if you show any signs of "submission" (a more timid and meek personality) Forget Me Not will take advantage of it to the fullest─either through force, coercion or manipulation. We all know he's not below playing dirty and acting to get what he wants, after all. And there is also the chance that, if you show the opposite (a more stubborn and combative personality, to go against him whenever possible) that he will meet you with as much vitriol as you show him, or that he will become even more obsessed with making you submit to him, to blur both love and hatred together as mentioned before. You know, all these classics traits in Yandere content!

But the secret third option is that, if you play your cards right, he will be at your absolute mercy as well.

You can play the exact same mind games he plays and have him eating out of the palm of your hand. After all, he's just looking for ANY excuse and justification to unravel and let loose─you taking the reigns is just as good as him taking the lead. At the end of the day, as long as he gets your undivided attention, the dynamic doesn't matter. We're talking about a guy who pretends to be a poised gentleman and a functional member of society. A cowardly snake who doesn't want to face the consequences of his actions and would absolutely prefer to double down on his awful behaviour and then die at the end than think of apologizing to a single person.

This guy? As a Yandere? Yeah, he will adapt to you, but he will also allow you to manipulate him if you have the courage to reach out and tug at his leash, to take advantage of his obsession. I would even go as far to say that THIS outcome would be the best one for him, as it means that he doesn't have to take responsibility for his own life: that burden is now on you, you own him now. Good luck!

For this post, I'll talk about this secret third option since it's the most interesting in my opinion!

I'm not sure how to format my headcanons and thoughts properly, so I'll do something new and rate the general Yandere traits I think are relevant for him! Obsessiveness is one I specifically left out because it's the most basic requirement for Yandere characters, it feels unnecessary to discuss it. That shit must be cranked up to the highest setting or else there's no Yandere in the first place!

Possessive: ✦✦✦✧✧✧

In this context, he perceives his life to belong to you and only you─the nuance of the situation and whether it gets worse or a better for him are up to you, there's literally endless possibilities─and so it makes sense for him to be possessive, but not in the traditional sense that we're used to, so to say?

Because one of the important aspects of Forget Me Not as a character is the self-loathing. To me, this is one of the few core aspects that must remain in every AU or iteration for him to feel in-character. He's defined by revenge, self-loathing and a delusional mind. And it's this self-loathing that leads Forget Me Not into a very, very insecure mindset─because he's fully aware that YOU could aim for a better lifestyle, a better partner, someone who wants what's best for you instead of wanting to drag you down, deeper and deeper into the mess that is his life. Of course, this is something he won't allow now that you've so gracefully let him latch onto your side like a parasite, but it's a possibility that will continue to haunt him forever.

And so, he's possessive of your ownership and control over him, what he perceives to be the bond that ties you to him or viceversa. It's not quite "You're mine, and no one else's", it's more of a "I'm yours, and no one else's".

No matter what you do to him, he will remain by your side. The idea of you favouring someone else, or choosing to be with someone else and keep him by the sidelines, well, it will ruin him, of course! But Forget Me Not has been waiting for the other shoe to drop his whole life, and so NOTHING you can do can convince him to leave or do anything to "get back at you" in a direct way─aside from manipulating the world to leave you behind instead, perhaps. I like to think he'd still be a pretty pathetic, soggy and miserable guy. Desperate to prove to you that he's going to stay no MATTER what you do or say to him.

It's fine if you hate him, it's fine if you love him. But at the end of the day, you should at appreciate his loyalty and treasure him. Forget Me Not wants YOU to be the possessive one, to want him despite how awful he is, all while accepting the fact that you will never truly be his, because he doesn't deserve you.

Not to say that you keep the guy on a literal leash 24/7, of course! But to if you were to flirt with someone else in front of him, chances are Forget Me Not won't move a single finger. He would stay there, glaring daggers at the perpetrator, and then whine and guilt trip you into paying attention to him. But if someone were to flirt with him instead, he would be pretty ruthless in his rejection, proud and loudly declaring who he belongs to.

Perhaps it would be better to describe him as clingy instead? I think as indulgent as Forget Me Not can be when it comes to his vices, being by your side would be his utmost priority in this context. He won't follow you around like a lost puppy like other characters might do, but he would instead pull a few strings here and there behind the scenes to ensure you always happen to be within his line of sight.

Actually, now that I'm thinking, Forget Me Not as a Yandere would have EXTREME separation issues. This guy would ABSOLUTELY be the type to watch you sleep, because he just can't fathom the idea of being, what, 8 hours away from you? All of this being tied to his anxieties and codependency. I don't see him being very vocal about his love for you, or if he is then the sort of shit he spouts could easily be misinterpreted as thinly veiled threats, or just self-affirmations for himself.

Delusional: ✦✦✦✦✦✦

I'm giving him full points in this section because aside from the aforementioned anxieties, paranoia and self-loathing that gets him to be so, so very miserable, Forget Me Not is pretty much Delusional with a capital D.

Regardless of the path that led you to him and this situation, Forget Me Not would cling onto the fact that you currently own his heart, his mind and his entire life─this OBVIOUSLY means, in his book at least, that you care or love him just enough to take on such a burden. It's pretty much everything I discussed up until now mixed into one big cocktail of delusion and desperation. There's no takebacksies now!

Regardless of your treatment of him, Forget Me Not wholeheartedly believes that you love him to some degree, and that is more than enough for him to fuel his delusions, to overthink every action and every gesture as an act of love. He can still read you like an open book, he knows whenever you're nervous, whenever you're scared, whenever you get angry at him─how else can one explain such reactions, if love isn't at the center of it all? If you didn't love him, you would treat him with indifference, you would discard him like a broken toy!

Of course, if you WERE to treat him with indifference or attempt to discard him and get him out of your life, he would just find more and more ways to come back, to twist your words and their meaning to something that fits his narrative, to worm his way into your life the same way you've done, worming into his own heart. There's no point in trying to make sense of his logic, there is none, it's just the nonsensical, lovestruck fantasy he's built for himself.

Whether you kick him in the mouth or hold him close to you, the only truth Forget Me Not will stand for is your love for him.

But I think it would be fun if this is something he only made known to you? To the outside world, he makes them believe what they want to believe, make whatever assumption about your relationship with him─the muddier the truth becomes for the rest, the easier it is for him to trap and isolate you. Forget Me Not has a talent for acting, to play every unassuming role required for whatever schemes he's got under his sleeve, he might be a pathetic, desperate excuse of a man, kneeling and clinging onto you, but he still retains his cunning mind when it matters. And when you're not around to cloud his vision, he's dangerous.

No matter what others might think, Forget Me Not would find a way to profit─it doesn't matter if your best friend has an inkling about the true nature of your relationship, he will capitalize on it to ensure they remain far, far away from helping you escape. If your coworkers or classmates or what have you believe you two are an odd couple? Then that's what you two are! It's not like they know any better!

Forget Me Not knows more than anyone that there is no fighting the perception of others. There is a group of humans who simply decided he was the Devil himself, based entirely on his heritage rather than his actions. So he plays his part and lets their own biases do their thing, easy.

In that same vein, if you've indulged or pampered him a lot, then he would be more ready to believe anything you say. Sure, Forget Me Not knows that you may lie to him, you might've done that already many times before, but how can he say no when you've been so sweet to him lately?

Manipulative: ✦✦✦✦✦✦

You know what. Self-explanatory, I don't even have to ramble about this because I've talked about how manipulative Forget Me Not is in pretty much all of his posts. He rarely chooses direct confrontations,

I'm inclined to believe that he would only do so in extreme situations, and even so, he would only dirty his hands and confront whatever obstacles in his path─but confronting you? He's too much of a coward, he would never dream of confronting you without ensuring that you will deliver the answer and reaction he seeks, out of fear of hearing the truth from your own lips. I insist, he's not afraid of digging himself into his own grave with his schemes and manipulations if it means maintaining this whole status quo.

So, instead let me talk about how you can manipulate him instead, to level the field a little!

Physical touch in any way is the easiest way to force Forget Me Not to listen. From pulling on his hair to caressing his cheek─I don't think he will ever get used to having you touch him. Again, he thrives with whatever you throw at him, so it's up to you to choose.

I think lying to him and getting away with it is very difficult. In fact, if you think you've successfully lied to him, it's probably because he decided to let you believe he's none the wiser. so instead you would have to appeal to his emotional side. It's as easy as bringing up the whole ownership/possessive aspect, any reminder that he's all yours is enough to get Forget Me Not to comply after some minimum reluctance and pushback from him. It doesn't matter if you're guilt tripping him or threatening him, he thinks it's so romantic that you would go out of your way to reassure him of his position.

Sadism ✦✦✧✧✧✧ / Masochism ✦✦✦✦✧✧

Lately, I've been seeing Yandere content being slowly portrayed as a watered down version of what it used to be, like, to call a character who is just possessive a Yandere and that's it.

But I'm a fan of dark content, and to theorize about everything that comes with these themes─this includes physical harm, something that people are more sensitive towards, which is fair and I understand if this isn't everyone's cup of tea!

So far, most of the violence towards the reader has been emotional and psychological, with physical violence being directed instead to third parties. Here, there will be discussions of potential physical violence towards the reader and Forget Me Not.

That's why this section is at the bottom, so that you can opt out of it!

Something I forgot to bring up directly is the themes of idealization and religious parallels when it comes to the way Forget Me Not interprets his relationship with you.

Despite all these things, he still considers you way above him, a holy figure deserving of everything he can offer─so I don't think he would be physically abusive nor be threatening in this way either. He finds zero pleasure in the idea of physically harming you, and would very much prefer to chip away at your mental stability and vulnerability by hurting himself. Hell, he would prefer to have YOU hurt him instead, to have physical proof of your influence on his body. It aligns perfectly with his self-loathing. If you could scrape off all of his scales with your nails and replace when with the scars you leave him, he would be so, so very grateful.

Or to have you pluck his scales off one by one as punishment, he would absolutely love that. I think that, in those days in which he cannot tolerate nor deal with himself, when he cannot drown his sorrows in alcohol, he would become an active nuisance for the very small and off chance that you lash out at him. It's very cathartic to him.

This post focuses on a very specific outcome of the whole Yandere situation with Forget Me Not, but even so, I believe that every other version in every other situation would still have Forget Me Not being more of a masochist than a sadist. At least when talking about his darling. Given the type of person that he is and all, he would still prefer more mental games.

#reverse 1999 #reverse 1999 x reader #reverse 1999 forget me not #forget me not #yandere #this feels a little like yandere x yandere #but thats partially bc FMN is a fucking freak #phew i think i got the whole dark content for FMN stuff out of my system now

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forumgamer · 8 months

Text

A Jane Austen moment

I am currently re-reading Northanger Abbey (not my favourite Austen, but also not my least - probably rank 3-4 I'd say), and I was struck with the realisation how ODD the notion of Catherine Morland's trip to Bath would be to many modern people.

Here is a young girl (17), going on a trip to Bath with a rich older couple that are neighbours to her parents - not as an au pair or governess or whatever, but as a guest and companion. Taken along to have fun, as a kind gesture of favour and goodwill. And they aren't even her godparents or relatives or something!

And I find that notion so very charming.

Catherine is not like poor Fanny Price, rather abused than cherished, used as an indispensable companion for a very silly and lazy lady (though Mrs Allen certainly has her share of silliness and indolence...). From how their relationship is presented, the Allens seem genuinely motivated by wanting her to enjoy herself. They don't mind her meeting new people and spending time with them, and she in turn refers to them when she is unsure about how to behave in this to her completely new and exciting world. And rich as they may be, they also seem to spare little expense in taking her to Bath and there to balls and plays.

We have today a weird aversion to inter-generational friendships, or so it seems to me. Yet when I was growing up, in a semi-detached suburban house, I was always welcome at our neighbours' house and table. Sure, mostly because they had a boy my age who quickly became my friend, but even now, when we have both moved out, I rarely visit my parents without also checking in with their neighbours, who are like an uncle and aunt to me.

And as for myself, I have no children of my own, and will never have any either. Yet working as a teacher, I get to interact with younger people on a daily basis, and you guys, young people can be amazing company. Sure, some of their concerns appear trivial to me, but I remember they weren't that way when I was their age - just as some of my views or hobbies might seem odd or boring to them, yet they also know I have seen more of the world than they, and apply to me for insights into issues that they feel unsure about.

And guys... I get it. I get what the Allens feel. I might still be a bit young to QUITE get it (I assume the Allens to be in their 50es or so, which I am not for another decade), but... imagine taking a seventeen-year old teenager, that has never been able to travel so far, to a prime holiday spot! Showing them Paris, London, Prague or Rome, seeing their amazement and delight, presenting them the art, cuisine, culture and pleasures of such an unfamiliar site... to find new enjoyment in these things yourself by witnessing their effect on someone younger and more excitable than yourself.

I doubt I will ever have the option to do so, because a) times have changed and b) if Mr Allen had been a bachelor/divorcee like me, the book's plot could not have happened back then either, but... I think I might like it. I really would.

#jane austen #northanger abbey #long post #personal #intergenerational relationships

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abybweisse · 6 months

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I like your idea about Druitt and Unny still in cahoots. It fits well with them both involved in what occurred at Weston. Redmond called on uncle Druitt so he knows the secrets of the Music Hall and the school. And of course none of it would've been possible w/o Unny, and there they both are on the Campania. I never did buy Undertaker's excuse for refusing to reap Druitt or let him be killed. Your idea makes much more sense. Toboso makes us laugh at Druitt so we won't suspect him 2 much, right?

⚠️ long post ⚠️

Undertaker and Druitt connections

I suspect that -- unless they are somehow related, and they might be -- Undertaker first became interested in what Druitt was up to when the viscount began selling off children and young women at auctions, if not sooner (and I'll get to that later in this reply).

If Undertaker was called upon to remove remains from any of the buyers, or from Druitt's estate, he'd want to know what they were doing to those victims/bodies. We know he's picked up remains from Phantomhive Manor on numerous occasions; Sebastian has the other servants pile up the remains from the circus troupe attack and cart them to some back or side gate for Undertaker to collect them. Most likely, this was done whenever there was a failed attack at the manor, even before our "Ciel" became earl and master. The Phantomhives, going back however far they go, would have been common targets to anyone who wanted to get rid of the queen's watchdog. And we know that before other servants were even hired by Sebastian and our earl, assassins and thieves were showing up on a nearly nightly basis. Somewhat regularly, in any case.

We now know quite a bit about how our earl ended up with his current servants, but we've learned very little about how he ended up with his various connections; we don't even know how he connected with Vincent's old, remaining network. I imagine that one of the first reconnections he made (besides Madam Red and Tanaka, of course) would be Undertaker. People would show up to the manor, Sebastian would kill them, and then what? Sebastian would have asked his young master how he wants to dispose of the bodies. At first, our earl might have suggested to bury them on the vast estate. But, as the numbers mounted, this would have taken more time and space, plus it could open them up for investigation, if remains were found (by others) that weren't proper burials in the family cemetery. Another option would be to dump them off the grounds, as far away as possible. This could still become a problem. Our earl would remember the creepy undertaker that popped up around the manor (and possibly also the estate grounds) from time to time, back when his predecessor was in charge. During the instruction both boys received about being earl and watchdog, Vincent might have already explained why he has Undertaker in his network... at least the professional reason, though definitely not the personal reason.

I don't know whether Druitt was ever in Vincent's circle, a member of the evil nobles. They probably attended Weston together, but we don't know if he's the Scarlet House prefect. Either way, Druitt might have actually become a subject for investigation before. There's even a scene during the curry arc that could be a hint to that. The jeweled lady that Druitt recalls might actually be Vincent in drag, at some event years ago, there to investigate Druitt or someone else in attendance.

We have no idea how long ago Druitt started trafficking humans, so perhaps it was related to that... and he just got away to do it again and again... much like we've seen him get away with the things he does while our earl is watchdog. Even when Druitt is arrested, he goes free. Probably bribery to corrupt officials. Some of the higher-up ones might be clients/buyers. Yana-san really drives home how much corruption and fraud and abuse there is in her Victorian England. Sadly, it's not too far from reality.

Doctors were largely detested during the era because of some shady practices that many engaged in. Practitioners would be hired to have people committed to asylums... or even to examine girls to see if they were still virgins, so their families could prostitute them out and charge more for their first assignations. Surgeons (for practice) and anatomists got their human dissection subjects through various means; some were acceptable and others were downright despicable. They prescribed dangerous substances as medicines; sometimes the "cures" really were worse than the conditions.

Though Druitt doesn't have a medical practice, he has a medical license. Before he even got into selling live humans, I wouldn't be surprised if he was involved with supplying and/or buying corpses for study. It would be interesting if Druitt cut out the grave robbers by going straight to undertakers for a supply, because he seems like the sort of person who would do a lot of studying on his own, particularly since he's an aristocrat with no intention of opening a public medical practice. Druitt's connections to Undertaker might go back quite a long way, maybe even back to Druitt's Weston years... when Undertaker would have likely re-entered Vincent's life. Who knows, but I'd be very interested to find out.

When Sebastian investigates all the people with events for the social season, narrowing down the ones that might line up with Jack the Ripper, we don't know where he gets all of his information. It's entirely possible that some of it comes from Undertaker, particularly about people like Druitt. Which supports the idea that Undertaker might already have a history of dealing with the remains of people who have passed through Druitt's doors.

Well, they definitely meet before the events of the Campania, since they already have some sort of dealings with each other, including the Aurora Society. Druitt could easily be the one who introduces Undertaker to Stoker. I very much doubt it would be the other way around, with Stoker making introductions between Undertaker and Druitt.

I'm sure there was more I wanted to get to here, but this reply has been sitting in draft for ages, and I've forgotten whatever else I'd wanted to say. 😬

But Druitt has got to supply more to Undertaker than simply laughter. Knowledge and/or experimentation that leads to medical technology would be very helpful for his current activities.

And we can't ignore the possibility they are also related. Particularly if Undertaker ends up being Cedric K. Rosewood, Rosenthal, Rosedale or any other last name that would make him sound right at home in Scarlet House....

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chimerickat · 10 months

Text

Chapter 2

When you caved in and agreed to help Mokuba with his plan, you never expected him to actually have a plan of action. You figured you would “help” for long enough for him to feel like the entire thing was pointless and then try to find another way to help his brother.

You didn’t expect him to drag you to the campus Duel Monsters club.

“They all have a shared interest with my brother!” he’d said.

Well, sure they did, and by that logic, you should go around meeting all the MBA candidates, too.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” was the only response you received to that suggestion.

In the end, you caved to Mokuba’s insane plan, and joined him in checking out the Duel Monsters club members. The club met up in one of the lecture halls on a weekly basis, and when you walked in with Mokuba, the two of you sat toward the back of the room. You watched as people noticed Mokuba Kaiba and then they began pointing him out.

You leaned over to whisper to Mokuba, “Maybe I should have come alone. These people seem interested in you.”

“That’s how we weed out the groupies.”

You frowned but gave him a nod.

The meeting started with announcements and some information about some upcoming tournament. You looked down at the list of questions that Mokuba had given you. Could finding someone for Seto Kaiba really be so simple?

Once the announcements ended, the social hour of dueling and comparing cards and discussing strategy began. You moved away from Mokuba and let him attract people.

Before you had time to decide who to approach first, you found yourself approached by the leader of the club. At least, you assumed he was the leader since he had been doing the announcements. He held out his hand and welcomed you to the club.

“Have you been playing the game long?” he asked.

The truth came out before you had time to think. “Just a little while, but I’m not very good.” You left out the part where you had tried picking it up to attract the attention of a certain CEO.

“How could that be true? I noticed you came in with Mokuba Kaiba.”

You wanted to laugh, Mokuba knew how to play Duel Monsters, but didn’t love it like his brother. He had other games that he preferred. “I guess I’m just not smart enough for the game.” Or rich enough to really invest in the cards needed for an amazing deck.

“Well some of our members enjoy teaching others. Let me know if you want me to introduce you to any of them.”

His statement sounded like a goodbye, but as he turned away, you reached out and put a hand on his arm, stopping him. “Actually, I’d love to know, who’s the best player here?”

“That would be me.” He winked. “But I’m not accepting students.”

“Oh what a shame!” Well, he had the arrogance to go with it, but you would verify that statement with other members of the group. You wrote his name down in your notebook. Since you couldn’t assume Kaiba was into women, you might as well get some options from both genders. “Thanks for your time!”

You stepped away from him, eyeing the rest of the club members.

There was a girl that you couldn't help but notice. You weren't sure if your eyes gravitated toward her because she was beautiful or because of her outfit. Either way, you could see her standing next to Kaiba.

And you hated the image.

You recognized the ugly emotion that you were feeling. Envy. If you looked like that, Kaiba might notice you. But knowing that your feelings were shameful didn't stop you from deciding to avoid the girl. She was paying far too much attention to Mokuba anyway. (A little voice pointed out that she wasn't paying very much attention at all compared to most of the people here, but you firmly squashed that voice.)

Now the girl currently involved in a duel looked promising. Her hair was tied up, and she seemed to be ignoring anything beyond the cards in front of her. Kaiba could appreciate an attitude like that.

You approached the duel. It was easy to pretend to be interested in the game when you were trying to figure out if this girl was any good. You smiled at the other people watching the game, sizing them up. They might be contenders as well.

Then Mokuba broke away from the group surrounding him and approached the girl you’d noticed earlier. Darn. He’d noticed her, too. He smiled, and she smiled back at him.

You tried to refocus on the duel, but your eyes kept drifting Mokuba’s way.

They were laughing!

You looked around for someone else. Anyone else. An alternative to that badass Kaiba bait. You focused on a cute girl with bows in her hair. She was pretty.

So you approached her with a smile, intent on introducing yourself, but as you got closer, you overheard her conversation. She was telling the girl next to her about her boyfriend. Well, a girl with a boyfriend… that was big nope.

You retreated before getting her attention and turned back to the duel. It was almost over, and you felt like the serious girl might be your best bet so far.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Mokuba approach with his new friend. You turned toward him, avoiding eye contact with the girl next to him.

Mokuba gestured to her, forcing you to look over. “This is Machiko!”

“Nice to meet you!” She smiled, and you hated to admit that she was even prettier up close.

You smiled back, but before you could say anything, Mokuba said, “I’ve invited her over to the mansion to check out the duel system that we’ve got.”

You raised an eyebrow at Mokuba. Was he going to go after her himself?

He caught your expression and shook his head. “You know, during that gaming party we’re throwing?”

You’d play along, but you weren’t sure if he was really planning a party. “Oh, yeah. That.” You turned to Machiko with a smile. “You should totally come to that.”

She pushed her long hair back over her shoulders. “I guess now that midterms are over it would be nice to get out.” She looked at you and then Mokuba. “I was just telling Mokuba that I’m in my first year here, and I haven’t had the chance to meet anyone yet.”

You looked at her outfit. She looked like she’d just stepped out of a fashion magazine with her high heeled boots and belted sweater dress. Bangles chimed every time she moved, and her makeup looked professionally done. You would assume that she or her parents had serious money. “Where’d you go to school before Domino?” you asked.

She waved a hand. “Oh, nowhere local, but Domino U is such a good school I was surprised I even got in.”

You wanted to interrogate her more, but duel that you’d been watching ended in a victory for the girl. “Mokuba, you should invite them too,” you told him, nodding toward the girl specifically.

He made a face, clearly second-guessing your opinion, and you glared at him. Then he rolled his eyes as if to say, fine, I’ll waste my time with her. “Yeah, absolutely.”

Once Mokuba walked over to the others, Machiko moved closer to you. “Can we exchange numbers?”

“Sure.” You got your phone out, surprised that she would want your number. Was this just a ploy to then get Mokuba’s number?

The two of you exchanged each other’s numbers, giving you the chance to get her last name. You’d creep on her over the internet later. Then she surprised you by putting her phone away without asking for Mokuba’s number.

She looked over to where Mokuba was talking with the two people who had been dueling. “Are you and Mokuba dating?”

“Ugh, no.” The truth came out before you could really consider your answer. Then you thought about why she was asking. Could you let her go after Mokuba thus ruining any chance that she might catch Kaiba’s eye?

“Oh, are you related then?”

“No just friends.” You gave in to your better impulse. “He did recently start seeing someone though.” You studied her face for a reaction. “Just in case you were thinking about it.”

She laughed. “I suppose it did sound like I was interested.”

“You’re not?”

“Not my type.”

You didn’t believe her, but since she was a stranger, you let the subject drop. Besides, you had more digging to do. There had to be something that made her incompatible for Seto Kaiba. “Do I hear an accent?”

She covered her mouth, surprised. “Maybe. I did spend part of my childhood abroad.”

Oh. Well, that was no good. You would probably find a beautiful instagram with thousands of followers. She probably had lots of experience with different cultures and spoke multiple languages fluently.

She was a nightmare.

You didn’t have energy for socializing anymore. “Well, it was nice meeting you!”

“Yes! I’ll text you.”

You just smiled at her before turning away to grab Mokuba. Now that he had the perfect girl for his brother, surely the two of you could leave. Instead of crashing his conversation, you stopped short of the group and caught his eye. Once Mokuba was looking at you, you pointed your thumb toward the door. It was a silent, can we leave?

He shook his head. Rude.

So you ditched him. You didn’t need to stick around for the rest of his social act. The questions that he’d given you had been dumb anyway. He probably hadn’t even bothered asking Machiko a single one.

He caught up to you soon after you left, which meant he must have noticed you leaving. “Party tonight!” he announced, wrapping an arm around your shoulders.

“Is that when you told Machiko to come over?”

“Not just her! I invited plenty of other people, too. Gotta give Seto some options, right?”

“I guess…” you said. “Machiko is really pretty though.”

“Jealous?”

“NO!” Your answer came out too quickly and was far too loud. You hadn’t meant to shout. You backpedaled. “I don’t have anything to be jealous about. She’s not in the running to be your best friend.”

The arm wrapped around your shoulders squeezed you, pulling you in closer to Mokuba. “You’ll always be my favorite.”

You leaned your head into his chest. “You too.”

And then he had to ruin the moment. “Now time for a party!”

You groaned. You knew you would end up attending the party, but that didn’t stop you from wanting to whine about it first.

“Also, you’re part of my plan to get Seto there.”

You stopped walking. Your head twisted so you could glare at Mokuba. “No. Nope. Never going to work. No. Hard pass.”

“It’s a perfect plan. Listen…”

So you let Mokuba convince you that he had a great plan. Of course, Mokuba was able to convince anyone of anything. Knowing how he worked should make you immune, but it didn’t.

And that was how you found yourself knocking on the door to Kaiba’s home office later in the evening. He called out for Mokuba to come in, and you assumed that applied to you too and opened the door.

You leaned into the doorway, poking your head around the partially open door. “Hi, um, sorry to bother you. Uh…”

He looked up at you, and you tried not to melt when you saw the glasses perched on his nose. Somehow those glasses were attractive on him. He arched an eyebrow. “Where’s Mokuba?”

“He’s not here, and I… oh…” This was so uncomfortable. You felt like you were one word away from incomprehensible stuttering. “He said I could try out the demo, but I think I did something wrong. I tried calling and Mokuba isn’t answering. There’s smoke?” You wanted to run as you watched a scowl take over Kaiba’s face. “I’msosorry!” You resisted the urge to bow, but your hands found their way to your thighs.

“Remind me why my brother allows you to roam around unsupervised?”

His sharp question made you flinch. You weren’t a disobedient pet. He held up his hand, palm out as if to stop you from speaking. With his other hand, he pinched the bridge of his nose. His eyes shut for a moment.

Then he removed his glasses and dropped them on the desk. “Fine.” He stood up. As he walked out of the room and down the hall, he didn’t even glance your way. Nobody made you feel small like he did, but as you followed him to the gaming room, you still found yourself studying him as discreetly as you could.

When he pushed open the doors to the gaming room and saw Mokuba with a small crowd gathered around the dueling station, he turned to shoot you the dirtiest glare.

“I really am sorry,” you said.

He turned to leave, but it was too late, Mokuba had spotted him and was coming over to physically grab his brother. “Seto! So glad you could make it. Meet my new friends from the Duel Monsters club…”

Mokuba pulled him away, relying on his brother’s desire to keep him happy. However, Kaiba was a ticking time bomb. He would tolerate Mokuba’s nonsense for only so long before losing patience. So Mokuba led him straight to Machiko to start off.

Machiko, for her part, seemed to panic. You watched with growing curiosity as Machiko’s eyes roamed around as if she were looking for an escape route. It was unexpected. The girl in the skintight dress with red lipstick and perfectly done hair seemed to want to get as far away from Kaiba as possible.

In her heels, she was almost Kaiba’s height.

They looked good together, but he barely looked her way.

Then she was backing away from the Kaiba brothers. Mokuba seemed to try to keep her talking but she was shaking her head. Then Machiko beelined straight for you.

She grabbed your arm and looked back over her shoulder at the Kaibas. “Was that what I think it was?”

“A rare meeting with the great and powerful Seto Kaiba?”

She just stared at you, and her stare told you that she was on to your bullshit. “Mokuba just introduced me as if we’ve been friends for years,” she drawls. “Years.”

Mokuba must have gone over the top again. He clearly hadn’t heard a word you’d said earlier. “Interested?”

She scoffed. “Still not my type. Rich men make terrible husbands.”

“You know from experience? And husband?”

She just shrugged as if it should be obvious why she would make such a statement.

You had to wonder how much of Machiko was real and how much was an act. You’d helped Mokuba creep on her prior to the party, and just like you expected, she had an Instagram full of beautiful travel shots. Her family had money.

“So how many failed marriages have you had so far then?”

She smiled at you. “Four, but who’s counting?” She giggled, and you couldn’t help but join her.

Then you looked over at Kaiba and Mokuba. Kaiba’s patience seemed to be wearing thin. You could tell from the sneer on his face that he had either said something rude or was about to say something rude. Either way, he was going to storm out of the party within the next ten minutes.

Machiko still seemed to want to talk, and you were pretty sure that you’d missed part of the conversation, but you excused yourself, pretending that you had to use the bathroom. Then you left the party.

You didn’t have the nerve to go inside Kaiba’s office when he wasn’t around so you waited in the hallway outside the door. Sure enough, you didn’t have to wait long before he stormed down the hall. He paused to glare at you once he noticed your existence. “Your friends or Mokuba’s?”

“Neither.” It was the truth.

He scoffed, and then walked past you and into his office. He left the door open, and you took that as an invitation to join him. As you settled into one of Mokuba’s couches, you wondered if there was any way to ask Kaiba about those bags under his eyes. Was he unable to sleep or choosing not to sleep? Was it stress? He looked less unwashed today but his face still seemed a little zombie-like.

Instead, you stole a book off of Kaiba’s bookshelf and settled into the couch to read. Mokuba would find you here easily enough once he’d ended the “party”.

#the best intentions #The Best Intentions (Full)#dragonsilk #Chapter 2

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dj-of-the-coven · 9 months

Note

yo dunno if you've been asked this question before or not (sorry if you have) but where'd you get your tumblr theme? and are the colors customizable or at least have theme variants (like royale or maybe royale noir, but i honestly have never been able to find anything for the latter)??

Hey, I'm always open for questions like that! So, when you say theme, there are a couple different possibilities you might be referring to: either the colors of a basic tumblr blog (the small popup window you see via Tumblr directly) or the desktop site you receive automatically upon acquiring a URL. You should get everything you need for the in-site customization when you first make a tumblr blog--and I'm most familiar with this on desktop, so forgive me for not providing details on mobile--but anyway, it would be discoverable through your blog editor in the same place you go to edit your description, title, pfp, etc. As for my desktop blog, this was made using customizable HTML (hypertext markup language), or a basic programming language for websites used in tandem with CSS (cascading style sheets). There is also a section of JavaScript on my blog which is for the sparkles that follow the cursor on my page. All three of these languages can be used to make your blog virtually whatever you want, but considering the question, I'll operate on the basis that you don't know how to code. How can you get a customizable theme?

Follow these simple directions:

go to settings

select your blog on the right sidebar (should look like this but with your blogs instead of mine)

scroll until you see this setting

if not enabled, enable custom theme

click edit theme

At this point, you should see an editor much like this, but with your desktop site, which is likely going to be a generic model.

I will be proceeding in this guide assuming that you don't know HTML. To get a custom theme, select the icon on the left sidebar that says browse themes.

You will then see the sidebar change to feature Tumblr's generic theme and probably one or two paid ones. Look to the bottom of the sidebar to find this fun lil guy:

Then do me a favor and select it.

On the new page that pops up, you should be able to find hundreds and hundreds of themes made both by professionals and amateur programmers, some of them with price tags, but plenty of others totally free! To install a theme onto your blog, first find one that fits your tastes about right. Don't fret too much about colors and images, because the vast majority of themes will allow you to customize that--you just need the computer to know where to put things. Let's take a look at some of the featured selections here.

Let's say you want to try the first theme! Select it so this window pops up on your computer.

Preview and install do exactly what it says on the tin. For now, let's scroll down a little bit to check this theme's stats...

Take a look at all of this stuff to make sure that it does what you like, and make sure that you understand what you're signing up for. It's totally reversible in the sense that you can install the generic theme again at any time, but remember that whatever theme you already have WILL change when you install this. Always check for accessibility features as well! Depending on your needs, you might need to know if the programmer whose code you're borrowing has put any flashing lights or gifs in the layout before you download. Better safe than sorry.

Once you've decided on a theme, go ahead and click install.

It shouldn't take long afterwards for your blog to finish rearranging itself. Once it's finished, mosey over to your desktop site to check out how it's changed!

Most themes that you can download will include their own customization options that you can find using the same method we used earlier to open up this part of the blog editor:

Just use the left sidebar to make any changes you might want to make to your theme in there. The theme description should've listed everything you can customize before downloading, and it'll all be right there in that menu! Most themes will let you change the color, images, backgrounds, links, music, or any other custom features to your heart's content through those controls. And if you're still unsatisfied, you can open up your blog's HTML file by clicking the edit HTML tab at the top of the left sidebar. Make sure you read some basic guides on code insertion if you do, though. It can be a little tricky to reverse garbage code if you put it in the wrong place.

Let me know if I can do anything else, anon! Good luck and happy customizing!

#asks #web revival #surfin' the web

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f0point5 · 7 months

Note

this is not on topic & i don’t mean to stir drama but my canon event was Brasil 2022 and all that unfolded with checo & max and i love ur opinions on the drivers and their psychology and wanted to know what u thought about what happened there

I have two theories.

1. Verstappen knew Perez deliberately crashed in Monaco (or some other instance of skullduggery on Perez’s part) and had known for a while. This was either common knowledge in the team or within Verstappen’s side of the garage and he has said in advance that on that basis Perez would not be receiving help from him in the future. Either no one took him seriously at the time or they thought he would bend considering the stakes were second in the championship but obviously he didn’t.

2. There was no prior big inchident that led to this decision but it was a scenario they had discussed as a team and Verstappen had said he was having no part of handing Perez a place on principle. This, to me, is less likely considering Perez had handed places to Verstappen before, I see no reason why he wouldn’t return the favour and why he would be so snappy about it on the radio.

For me, option 1, though it’s a conspiracy theory, is the most likely. When they asked him to let Checo through, Max didn’t say anything. He didn’t argue his point, he just ignored it. For me, that says he was confident the team already knew why he wasn’t going to do it. For me, the way GO said it over the radio, he knew he was either in for a fight or that Max wasn’t going to do it which again makes me think he knew why. Then, GP says “Max what happened”, again the tone of voice made me think he knew. Then Max says “I told you already last time, you guys don’t ask that again”. So they’ve had this discussion before, and more than one person was involved in asking Max to, at some point, concede position. Now, this could be like, in the briefing they said “we may need you to help Checo once your championship is done” and he said no, but I can’t see Max grandstanding on principle like that. Even the way he talks over the radio seems quite emotional, like, “how can you ask that of me?” Which makes me think he’s been ticked off by something specific. His “I gave my reasons and I stand by it” doesn’t even get a response. Honestly that whole conversation with GP made me think GP stands by Max’s reasons as well and just asked to say he tried. Even Christian doesn’t come on to say anything, which I honestly think he would have if he didn’t know he had a weak case for getting Max to comply.

I honestly think Checo either didn’t know that Max had said he wouldn’t help him, or he didn’t think he would seriously cost him second in the championship over it. That “it shows who he really is” was like, okay I fucked up but he’s a champion now, he’s really still bitter? And yes he was.

That’s why I think to a certain extent they recovered their relationship. Because to Max, it was all even after Brazil, and Checo knew he didn’t have a leg to stand on having started it, so they both just drew a line under it. I think if Max had done that just because he could, those two would be way more awkward than they are.

Also, Max taking the step to actually talk about the hate he got for it and how he wishes people knew his reasons makes me sure there’s an actual incident. I think if he didn’t want to let him pass because Max Verstappen doesn’t let people pass him, he’d have said it on the radio and in the media. There’s a reason he couldn’t share.

I don’t know where the Monaco theory came from but from the telemetry (at least what I understand of it) it seems plausible, I believe Carlos made a sly comment about it as well, and it did ruin Max’s race and cost him a win so for me that’s the only thing that could make him angry enough to cost Checo a place in the championship.

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fanworldbuildingfun · 1 year

Text

I’m 35% into Valhalla and I need to vent a bit I have such a... Love/hate thing for this game??? I mean. From the “Mythology set” it would be my second-favorite, after Origins

(Which is an undisputed leader for the perfect mix of lovely world, lovely protagonists, and heart wrenching story which - most importantly - ties in to the Assassin lore)

Valhalla gets #2 after Origins for a very simple reason: while I may have issues with Eivor (not the writing; I find them pretty fleshed out, but for the moments when story decides to sod your dialogue choices and defaults to prideful hothead), I did not click with Kassandra, whom I decided to start Odyssey with. A little over 15% in, and I switched to Valhalla. I fully intend to see if Alexious would click better, after I’m done with Valhalla

(and just to clarify: I’m playing the “Let the Animus decide” option for Valhalla, co Eivor is female in main parts of game)

Now. One thing I have to mention: I’m a completionist and I’m easily sidetracked by non-mainline quests. Which means that, while I’m doing main plot quests in power level order and I’m only on Oxenefordscire Arc right now, I have a lever 5 settlement and 200 power for Eivor. Which means, I am at this point invested in the role playing aspect of game

And had a lot of time to tinker Eivor to my preferences Now, the thing I am having issues with: I have, as I mentioned, a love/hate situation for Eivor. I*like* how I got them acting at this point, and am managing to rock, more or less, the Hidden One aesthetic and behaviors now. Which yeah, comes with its own issues since you can’t really join the Brotherhood Point is, my Eivor isn’t going in guns blazing. They also aren’t going to get into your face and will consider other options if it’s beneficial for the situation. Even if it doesn’t exactly go with the “Dane” attitude to the problem Which makes the moments where the game goes more linear a problem Case in point, the start of Oxenefordscire. And the dialogue with Sigurd and Basim hit me right into the face. Because my Eivor isn’t going to toss accusations straight at Basim after seeing them act so odd. Not after having spent time running errands with Haytham and exploring old bureaus. The more likely option they’d entertain would be that someone got to both of them But instead, you have Eivor going all “Odin and Loki” in this situation - without any obvious reason?? I mean it would make sense if you play Eivor as the more aggressive type, but I did not. This kind of defeats the purpose for giving us the option to tune Eivor’s behavior - and in a scenario where, subjectively, Sigurd is the one acting more sus than Basim! (Subjectively because, at this point, one can either see Sigurd as being influenced by sus Basim who has Agenda OR, as Sigurd being unreasonable and Basim appeasing him to avoid confrontation) Anyway. I’m hoping there will be some shifts further on because this has been frustrating me something awful Moreso than Dag being forced as a critic on Eivor while I’m busy running Eivor around and securing us alliances, and making exactly zero claims at being a Jarl (And I did get a bit spoiled beforehand, so with how the entire Dag situation is supposed to play out? I feel like I’ll be feeling all “sod it, I quit, peace out” by the end but without actual ability to do it. Would have been lovely if there was an option to at least have a talk where you seriously consider joining Hidden Ones but alas) ...This is going to get frustrating won’t it. RPG but not quite. I’d say they should have kept RPG elements at Origins level - at least when it comes to dialogue / personality. Call me spoiled but my basis for good RPG dialogue-pick comes from Bioware’s Star Wars games / Dragon Age series. And those won’t fit into Assassin’s Creed, unless we are talking Alternate Universe / Modern Time line game

#assassin's creed #Assassin's Creed: Valhalla #A bit of venting #Raven branch Eivor #Cautious Eivor #Let me keep them as such if you are giving me options #Don't make me act like Odin when my Eivor is being super sus of Odin (at least in my head)

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reds-corner · 11 months

Text

Happy super late birthday M!

Hello everyone! Have I told you how much I love your comments, likes, and reblogs? Seriously, you guys are awesome, you always make my day. Sooo as a thank you for that, I'm preparing a little something for you.

I'll let you know when it's ready but for now… we have another birthday story. It's M's turn.

You may choose to read Max or Megan's version. Enjoy!

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

"Ink" Max's version

A man rolling his eyes is the first thing Max sees when he enters the tattoo studio. It isn't the reaction he would have wanted but… Oh, well, beggars can't be choosers.

"If I have to get your asses out of trouble again I swear to God I'll-,."

"That's not why I'm here," the young man quickly interjects, and it seems to put at ease the man, at least a little bit.

"Well, I'll be damned. What brings you here now, boy?"

The owner is an old friend from his family. His name is Edward. And he is a tall, gruff man with broad shoulders and astute eyes that catch on details more quickly than the average person.

"Ya looking for Noah, Maxi?

Normally that would be the reason to visit the studio, Noah was one of Max's oldest friends. They'd known each other since kindergarten.

"Came to see you, actually."

"I'm flattered", or so he says.

Funny, how he sounds anything but. "What can I do for ya?"

That's a really good question. Max's been debating whether doing anything at this point would make any difference. Is asking for help even an option?

Either way, he came to get something, so that's what he's going to do.

"I want a tattoo", he answers.

Of course, this isn't the first time he asks for that.

And the exasperated expression that his response elicits from the man is to be expected too.

"Not this again. Look, kid, you're sevente-"

But this time is different.

"I turned eighteen last week", he interrupts Edward as he takes a little plastic rectangle from his leather wallet.

And hands it to the big man while declaring: "Here's my ID."

After inspecting the ID card and making sure this wasn't a fake one. Edward finally concedes defeat and gestures toward a comfortable black chair.

"So what's gonna be, a big bad wolf?"

He knows Ed is just teasing him, but he doesn't even crack a smile. He came here unsure about a lot of things. But to this, he knows the answer.

"September fifth."

Those words make the tattoo artist's eyes go wide. Of all the things he could have said, this is the last one he expected. Memories flood back to him as a turbulent wave.

That blasted day. A year ago. That was the day he knew. He lost his best friend. The man he used to play cards with, one who taught him how to talk to girls. His best man and moral support when they were deployed into that horrible place. They both made it back, luckily.

And after that, Edward was smart enough to get out. But his friend wasn't, he had some kind of hero complex. Fool.

Died in action they said. Saved some woman and her child. That's the kind of man he was. A stupid selfless bastard.

Yes, he lost his dear friend that day. But, this young man… he lost a father.

Jonathan Brown.

"Are you sure, boy?", he needs the confirmation. A tattoo is no joke, least of all, one that will remind him of his old man's death.

"On my wrist."

There's a trace of sadness in the eyes of the person in front of him, but he hears no hesitation in his voice.

"…Alright, kiddo."

When there's no response from the black-haired boy Edward lets one snarky comment slips, "Just try not to cry too much."

And a smile appears on Max's lips, relieving some of the seriousness of the moment.

Finally, Edward gets to work...

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

"Ink" Megan's version

When Megan enters the tattoo studio she sees a man she's accustomed to visiting on a regular basis. He's nice to her, most of the time. Sometimes he can be a little cranky, but she knows he means well.

"Oh, Meggy! how are you?"

"I'm fine, how is business going?", the young girl responds.

They always had a close relationship.

"Good enough. What brings you here now, girl?"

The owner is an old friend from his family. His name is Edward. And he is a tall, gruff man with broad shoulders and astute eyes that catch on details more quickly than the average person.

"Ya looking for Noah, Meggy?

Normally that would be the reason to visit the studio, Noah was one of Megan's oldest friends. They'd known each other since kindergarten.

"Came to see you, actually."

"I'm flattered", he says with a smile, "What can I do for ya?"

That's a really good question. Megan's been debating whether doing anything at this point would make any difference. Is asking for help even an option?

But she's already here. She's decided to do something today, so that's what she's going to do.

"I want a tattoo", she answers.

Of course, this isn't the first time she asks for that.

And the exasperated expression that her response elicits from the man is to be expected too.

"Not this again. Look, kid, you're sevente-"

But this time is different.

"I turned eighteen last week", she interrupts Edward as she takes a little plastic rectangle from her jeans' back pocket.

And hands it to the big man while declaring: "Here's my ID."

After inspecting the ID card and making sure this wasn't a fake one. Edward finally concedes defeat and gestures toward a comfortable black chair.

"So what's gonna be, a Unicorn?"

She knows Ed is just teasing her, but this time she doesn't even crack a smile. She came here unsure about a lot of things. But to this, Megan has the right answer.

"September fifth."

Those words make the tattoo artist's eyes go wide. Of all the things she could have said, this is the last one he expected.

Memories flood back to him as a turbulent wave.

And after that, Edward was smart enough to get out. But his friend wasn't, he had some kind of hero complex. Fool.

Died in action they said. Saved some woman and her child. That's the kind of man he was. A stupid selfless bastard.

Yes, he lost his dear friend that day. But, this young woman… she lost a father.

Jonathan Brown.

"Are you sure, Meggy?", he needs the confirmation. A tattoo is no joke, least of all, one that will remind her of her dad's death.

"Yeah. On my wrist."

There's a trace of sadness in the eyes of the person in front of him, but he hears no hesitation in her voice.

"…Alright, kiddo."

When there's no response from the black-haired girl Edward lets one snarky comment slips, "Just try not to cry too much."

And a smile appears on Meg's lips, relieving some of the seriousness of the moment.

Finally, Edward gets to work...

#my one and only #work in progress #romance #if game #ros #angst #max #megan #birthdayros #personal development

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thessalian · 7 months

Text

Faerun!Alisaie vs the Gauntlet of Shar

But first, a visit from an old 'friend'

Raphael: You ... don't look in the least bit surprised.

Alisaie: Patrons, gods, whatever - I'm epic narrative's bitch. So come on. Out with the offer. And I should probably remind you that we're canny damn people and we're only dealing in a bit of translation work, so price accordingly.

Raphael: You are a feisty one. But no, I don't really want your soul for that. As I said, I'm extremely motivated to help you in that regard. To find out why, kill Yurgir. He's an orthon. Most of you like killing monsters.

Alisaie: And beyond the motivation of Astarion's translation work, what's in this for me?

Astarion: .........

Raphael: Well, apart from him probably sitting on all manner of treasure, him being down there probably gets in the way of your quests, that are obviously leading you in this direction. And if you want something a little more personal ... you don't want Yurgir interfering with your girlfriend running that Gauntlet, do you?

Alisaie: Fair enough; we'll see what we can do.

Raphael: Do better.

Alisaie: Take that to mean "if something else doesn't kill us first" and don't piss us off or we'll dawdle just to annoy you.

Raphael: ...Oh, fine. *poof*

Astarion: On one hand ... rather proud of you for asking about the personal perks to this one. On the other ... surprisingly hurt that--

Alisaie: That helping you wasn't enough? If - and note I say if - it was enough, I wouldn't tell him that. You don't go into bargains too eager. That's how you get grifted to within an inch of your life. C'mon. Let's go.

Astarion: .........I'm actually finding myself liking an altruist. Clearly this tadpole is doing things to me.

And, in Argumentative Undead Vs Sword-Happy Undead

Shadowheart: Why are they attacking? Is Lady Shar testing me?

Alisaie: Lady, I love you, but we're going to find you a dictionary and look up the various meanings of the word 'gauntlet'. Did you think it was an armour glove? Like, the opposite of those magic ones that fit everyone, where it only fits the worthy?

Wyll: All right, that's just a really bizarre concept.

Alisaie: Tell me about it. I mean, you could add more drama, I guess - "The Gauntlet For The Gauntlet". Either a series of trials or, like ... someone finds it and realises it belongs to a prophesied hero, and now they have to find the one person who fits this very specific gauntlet. Throw in some romance options and it's a ballad for the ages.

Wyll: But how would someone drop an armour gauntlet? Particularly just one?

Alisaie: Hrm. Yeah, no, you're right. Maybe take out the armour angle, make it more romance and folk tale, make it a ... shoe, or something. A very specific-looking shoe designed to fit one very specific foot--

Astarion: Could you two do that later? I can't bite these!

Wyll: Sorry. *Eldritch Blasts two umbral wells to death*

Alisaie: Yeah, what he said. *various flourishes taking out the rest of the umbral wells*

Wyll: So what outlandish material would this shoe be made out of, anyway?

Alisaie: I dunno; glass, maybe? Adds a little bit of a frisson when it's possible that the prince might lose his lady-love because someone got careless and dropped the thing.

Wyll: How would anyone dance in glass shoes?

Alisaie: We both have magic, Wyll, and we do five impossible things before breakfast on a regular basis ... and you're balking at glass shoes?

Astarion: You two are ridiculous. ...Entertaining, mind. All right, now what do we do?

Alisaie: You get to do sneak and lockpick practice.

Shadowheart: These are supposed to be my trials--

Alisaie: You clank, hon. Best to leave that one to him. Consider it repayment for your upcoming help in getting his back translated.

And, after Astarion has been sneaking around, a quick change of party

Lae'zel: Why are you bringing me along to this? I care nothing for Shadowheart's worship--

Shadowheart: Just because your goddess is a lying bint--

Alisaie: BOTH OF YOU STOP IT. Lae'zel, I brought you here because this is a challenge worthy of the githyanki. And Astarion deserves some time with a glass of wine and a good book and didn't want to do another trial right off. Anyway! How would you best measure your own strangth?

Lae'zel: ...Fighting one's self, I suppose, if such was possible outside-- *finally figures out the grin on Alisaie's face* ...Wait. Truly?

Alisaie: Yep! Now let's see how easy we are to sneak up on, from first-hand experience!

An unbelievably short time later

Alisaie: We ... are ... apparently very easy to sneak up on.

Wyll: I ... I don't believe Lae'zel managed to take out her duplicate that fast, without being spotted at all... I mean, no one heard the armour clanking?

Lae'zel: I was highly motivated. And your Lady Shar's so-called gauntlet underestimates us all.

Alisaie: *sigh* Do you want to go back to camp to brood over this a bit?

Lae'zel: Possibly. Perhaps. Yes. Shut up.

Alisaie: Fine. Bring back Astarion, would you?

Wyll: Not Gale?

Alisaie: Even with the armour, Gale's a bit of a klutz. And between that and the suspicious aura blocking the door of that library, it looks like someone figured out how best to maintain proper library quiet. He'd be miserable until we kill whoever or whatever's generating that. Miserable and a target.

Wyll: Um...?

Alisaie: You're the Blade of the Frontiers, not the Eldritch Blast of the Frontiers.

Wyll: *grin* Fair enough.

With everything more or less handled...

Shadowheart: Are you sure it wasn't cheating?

Alisaie: Who's to say Shar didn't guide me to happen to be carrying a Scroll of Flight right then?

Shadowheart: Mmm.

Alisaie: You okay?

Shadowheart: Mmhmm.

Alisaie: You lie like a cheap rug, but... Oh. Hey. Displacer beast.

After following the Displacer Beast

Alisaie: So you're stuck in here because of a demon pact? Hey, hit me; I'm good at navigating through those things.

Astarion: *hiss* Alisaiewhatareyoudoing?!?

Wyll: *murmur* If it's what I think she's doing, you should worry less, Astarion.

Astarion: That's easy for you to say! The way you've been coming on to Lae'zel, I figure you have a deathwish! Me, not so much!

Alisaie: *ignoring all of this* So ... everybody who's heard the song has to die. That includes your minions and your pet.

Yurgir: *orders his minions dead and sadly dispatches his pet displacer beast* ...I STILL HEAR IT!

Alisaie: Ah. You still hear it.

Yurgir: ...That ... ASSHOLE! *self-termimates*

Astarion: ..............................

Wyll: No matter how many times I watch her do that kind of thing, it never fails to impress me. Admittedly, it never fails to terrify me either, but...

Astarion: On one hand, I do like her style, and it took risking our own skins entirely out of the equation. On the other hand ... Alisaie I do not believe you did that! What if that doesn't count as us killing him!

Alisaie: Well, first of all, Raphael is a results-oriented sort of cambion so he's not going to care about the details. And second: would he have done that to himself if I hadn't talked him into it?

Astarion: ...Huh. I suppose you're right. Well done, then.

Alisaie: Right. C'mon. It's been a hard day, and we should rest before we take on the Nightsong or whatever. Also, I figure Raphael will turn up at some point and better to be at camp than trying to be stealthy.

Sure enough, in camp

Raphael: Niiiiiiiice. I do enjoy watching you work. Now. Those scars.

Astarion: Yeeeeeees?

Raphael: Part of a particularly nasty ritual created by a colleague of mine. Effectively Cazador put these marks on all his vampire spawn's backs so he can murder them all in very specific ways in a ritual to make him UberVamp. Now, I'm leery of that kind of new power player on this particular game board; hence my being rather motivated to help you. But that's about what you paid for. Toodles. *poof*

Astarion: ...He's an asshole.

Alisaie: Cazador or Raphael, I figure yes works for both. I'm not letting Cazador do that to you.

Astarion: He's a master vampire already!

Alisaie: Look, for once, my altruistic motives and your self-serving ones align! I want to protect my friends and keep SuperVamp from charging around Faerun, and you want that asshole to die without sacrificing you to become UberVamp. We are both extremely motivated, and very good at killing things, and do you have any idea how much holy water I have to throw at him?

Astarion: Heh. I suppose you do at that.

Alisaie: And what about Shadowheart? Wouldn't it be hilarious if she waited for just the right moment to do that Turn Undead thing and you got to watch him run away screaming!

Astarion: *bursts out laughing*

Alisaie: There you go. Now, you just chill and in the morning, you start writing down everything you can think of about Cazador's habits, hangouts, all that. Forewarned is forearmed.

Astarion: But what will you do without me when it comes to a fight?

Alisaie: I kind of have to take Gale on this one. I've denied him so much in the way of ancient ruins and at least three library areas by now. I kind of owe him some adventure and discovery.

Gale: It's about time! All I get from Lae'zel is a three-hour lecture about being more alert on watch!

Alisaie: Well, start cooking some food, crack open a bottle, and I'll sing you the tale of why she's saying that.

Gale: Why does this have an "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die" vibe?

Alisaie: I'unno; maybe because Temple To Death Goddess?

Gale: Fair. Now please, tell the tale ... and distract yourself from how far Shadowheart's been zoning out lately.

Alisaie: ...... Astarion said it best earlier - I hate how right you are.

#Faerun!Alisaie #Thess liveblogs Baldur's Gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 spoilers

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coquelicoq · 1 year

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How did you get into making crosswords? What your process to start putting one together?

the first few crosswords i made were presents for family members who liked crosswords. so if i thought of a cool theme for someone in my family, i'd make them a crossword of it. that meant that for the first few years of my crossword-constructing journey, i only made a handful of them, lol. then about six years ago i got a volunteer gig making the puzzles for a weekly paper, and suddenly i had to make a whole entire crossword for every week of the year. as you can imagine, that forced me to spend a lot more time on crosswords on a regular basis. but i was mostly making unthemed crosswords for the paper, which are much easier/faster to construct than themed ones. about a year ago i decided to make a themed crossword for the paper once per month, so now i'm working on getting better and faster at coming up with theme ideas and executing them.

for a themed crossword, first i have to come up with a theme. i used to just sort of wait for inspiration to strike, but now that i need one per month that isn't really feasible. so i've made a spreadsheet in which i write up every single nyt crossword that i solve and break down what the theme was so that i can then draw parallels between different themes and come up with a taxonomy of sorts. then i contemplate the different classes of themes to generate new theme ideas. it's working fairly well in that every time i go in and classify several themes at once, i do come up with at least one new theme idea. i just need to keep plugging away at it.

a lot of the time, i think of an expression and then try to come up with a way to make it a pun, and then come up with theme answers related to that pun. i'll give an example of this at the end.

after i have a theme idea, i come up with a list of potential theme answers. ideally i would have at least 10, with the idea that the puzzle will probably only contain 4 (occasionally i'll get 6 in there, but that's rare in a 15x15), to give me some options. crosswords have rotational symmetry, so each theme answer should generally have the same number of letters as another theme answer.

next i'll pick 4 possible theme answers of only two lengths, and then i'll design a grid in which those 4 answers are the longest Across or Down answers.

then i put in the theme answers and see if i can fill the rest of the grid around them with other words. often i can't, which means either swapping the order of the theme answers (putting answer 2 in slot 1 and vice versa) or using different theme answers of the same length. if none of that works, then i have to redesign the grid, either for those same theme answers or for others from the list. this step is usually the most time-consuming.

once i have a fill that's acceptable (not too many words that are hard or impossible to guess), i write the clues. usually by this point i'm pretty tired lol, so i admit to half-assing the clues much of the time. the theme clues though need to be good and also need to match each other in format, so i spend more time on those.

as an example, here's a themed crossword i made last year for the paper. the theme was "theme clues only correspond to their answers after you remove the boy's name hidden within the answer." in my current, nascent theme taxonomy, i would classify this as both a hidden word theme (the names within the theme answers) and a modified expression theme (something is or has been done to the theme answer; in this case, letters must be removed). the way i came up with this was i was trying to think of expressions and idioms related to deleting or removing or taking away. one of the options i came up with was "cut out the middleman", and from there i tried to think of what that would mean in the context of a crossword. "middleman" is great because it tells me not only what's going to be removed (a man) but where it's going to be removed from (the middle of the answer, as opposed to the beginning or the end). from there i had to come up with a list of short names for boys (which some people on tumblr helped with!) and then, the hardest part, i had to come up with words/phrases for each of those names where if i removed the name i would be left with another word/phrase. i could write a whole entire other post about that specific process, but i'll spare you haha.

another example of this type of theme was the nyt crossword on march 17, 2022, by daniel bodily, in which "take out the trash" was the operative phrase. so the theme answers contained synonyms for trash, and if you removed those words, you ended up with a different word or phrase. the main difference between this theme and mine is that in my theme answers, the letters spelling the boy's name were all adjacent, whereas here the letters could be spread out over the answer as long as they were in the right order. i don't remember if i wrote my crossword after solving and classifying daniel bodily's, but it's quite possible that noting that one type of possible theme is "letters must be removed systematically in order for the answer to match the clue" could have inspired me to do another theme of that type.

#great question! thank you!#if you can believe it i restrained myself in answering this. even though it is still very long.#cruciverbs #asks #anon #links

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loopy777 · 8 months

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Whats your thoughts on the way aang, zuko and the earth king who's name i can never recall handled the former fire nation colonies? Cause frankly speaking looking at it objectively, it really does seem like the compromise route and let them become sorta independant was the worst of both sides.

Culturally speaking, like it or not the area had become fire nation dominant, which would be a very strong argument for them remaining part of the fire nation.

On the other hand, the earth kingdom is right that they took the land by right of force, with no casus beli, no marriage ties that bound the fire nation royalty and whoever was the lords of the land together. It was as clear cut a right by conquest and nothing more as you can get.

Finally the independent route seems to have just been a compromise to not allow either side to truly "win", rather than an actual, good solution.

And in the end it ended up with Aang's republic project(good job on being a neutral party aang ;D) ending up as an abyssmal failure, both during his own time as robber barons consolidated power during his reign, and then falling completely off the wayside after he died, then replaced with a just as bad successor after the first election.

While things does seem to kinda be looking up after the last election in the comics, it does seem like aang should have just taken a side, or if he was going to compromise, it should probably have been something along the lines of demilitarize the entire zone on a permanent basis, but allow the Fire nation to keep it. Or allow fire nation citizens to remain but let the Earth Kingdom retake political control(This is what I would have done by the way) over the colonies, with those who remained legally becoming earth kingdom citizens.

Yeah, there were no good solutions, but I feel like there were better compromises possible than what 'The Promise' claimed were the only possibilities. To summarize, here's what those options were:

The colonies go back to the Earth Kingdom and everyone either from the Fire Nation or of at least partial Fire Nation descent is deported back to the Fire Nation forcibly.

The colonies remain under full Fire Nation control and the ruling Fire Nation social class gets to stay on top.

The colonies all become independent, and on a case-by-case basis some of them might choose to hold elections and of those some of them might elect at least one person of Earth Kingdom descent to participate in the local government.

I like your radical and hard-to-conceive-of idea of putting the Earth Kingdom in charge and then not deporting people. Perhaps, in that scenario, we can even reduce the influence of the rich Fire Nation upper class types with taxes on wartime family/clan gains, or something like that. The money would be used to fund local stuff rather than merely inflating Ba Sing Se's coffers.

Or, the colonies could have been made independent, but the Fire Nation is given some kind of corresponding punishment so that it's not perfectly positioned to profit from the situation. Perhaps all Fire Nation residents can be banned from trading with any of the colonies for a century or something, giving the Earth Kingdom a chance to make practical and cultural in-roads. Or, just have the ban last for Aang's lifetime, and now he's the one dodging all the Fire Nation assassins! It would give Zuko a chance to sleep, at least.

Of course, both of those leave plenty of opportunities for cheats and corruption, which is where I presume Aang would have to keep an eye on things and fight the people making a mess of things. That sounds like something more out of one of F.C. Yee's novels, which I would be quite happy with. It's certainly a lot more interesting than having Aang deal with the same Bender Vs NonBender conflict that even LoK couldn't make plausible with twelve episodes and the best voice-acting in the business.

However, I'm not against the idea that the United Republic still eventually becomes a corrupt land where capitalism runs wild, no one believes in spirits, and organized crime is a more effective government than the actual ruling council. But I'd like the steps that lead to that to be framed as the gAang's failures. As it is, all of Aang's adventures in the former colonies conclude with what are presented as happy endings, and things only go wrong when bad people slip in while he's not looking. If Republic City is supposed to be so bad that LoK's happy ending is most of the city being rendered a wasteland, then why can't we see Aang losing when something about the former colonies is at stake? I mean, yeah, the 8-year-olds the comics are aimed at probably would be confused and stop reading, but they probably didn't like 'The Puppetmaster' either, so who cares about them? Give me the 12-year-olds starving for some tragedy in their family-friendly media.

Those are probably the kids destined for careers in politics, anyway, so they might enjoy taxation as a plot element.

#thekingofwinterblog #lok critical #gene yang critical

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john-smiths-jawline · 1 year

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Association

Summary: Greg Lestrade is coming home when he is kidnapped and taken to a parking garage where a (very attractive) man wants to have a word with him about Sherlock Holmes. Will a dinner change Greg’s feelings about him?

Association

Dealing with Sherlock Holmes was a pain in the ass to the most patient people. Greg Lestrade was not the most patient person. He had almost yelled at Sherlock, the genius junkie playing at being a detective. He had yelled at Anderson, the new forensic, for being annoying. He didn’t care if Anderson and Donovan hooked up. What he did care about was getting home and having a strong aspirin and some steak he ordered. So, when he noticed a sleek black car tailing him, he sighed and rubbed his forehead, his fingers subtly reaching towards the gun in his pocket. He stopped, and so did the car. Someone got out (most likely a butler) and opened the door.

“Look, mate, I’ve had a really bad day, whatever you want, can it not wait until—” his phone rang. A blocked number. Damn. Seeing no other option, he answered.

“Detective Inspector.” The voice on the end of the line answered. If he didn’t know better, he would say it sounded like Sherlock. Now he really was pissed.

“Whoever the hell you think you are—”

“Get into the car, Gregory.”

“Or what?”

“Just get in the damned car, Detective Inspector Gregory Lestrade.”

“Fine.” Greg sighed and slid into the posh-looking car that was even more posh on the inside. If that was even possible. ——— Greg got out of the car in an abandoned parking garage. No-one-can-hear-you-scream type. His hand grasped his gun a little tighter. There was no mistaking who called. There was only one person there. Wearing a fancy, spotless pinstripe suit, leaning on an umbrella like he was God-damn Mary Poppins. He half wondered if the man was going to offer him a spoonful of sugar. The thought made him snort.

“Something funny on your mind, Gregory?”

“Yeah. Who the HELL do you think you are?” the man sighed, running a hand through his hair. Greg had to admit, the man was attractive. More so than his ex-wife. The thought made him think about the bi flag he had pinned to the inside of his jacket.

“That’s not funny, nor was it on your mind.” Both true. Who was this man, Sherlock’s brother?

“Correct.”

“What?”

“You were wondering if I was Sherlock’s brother. And you are correct. I am Mycroft Holmes.” Well, at least the strange names were consistent.

“What can Sherlock’s brother possibly want with me?”

“Do you plan to continue your association with Sherlock Holmes?”

“Why do you care?” Mycroft smiled. At the surface, it looked cold and calculating, but Greg thought he saw a hint of true warmth.

“If you do continue to…call my little brother in, I would be happy to pay you a meaningful sum of money on a regular basis.” Now Greg was suspicious. “Why?”

“Because you’re not a rich man, Detective Inspector.” That may have been true, but he certainly was not poor either. But this was certainly not offering anything for free. Although some might argue that having to deal with Sherlock on the regular would-be price enough, but Greg thought the man had something else in mind.

“In exchange for what?” the man smiled his cold-warm smile again.

“Information. Nothing indiscreet, nothing you’d feel uncomfortable with. Just ... tell me what he’s up to.”

“Why?” Mycroft Holmes did not strike Greg as someone who cared a great deal.

“I worry about him. Constantly.” Now that was a surprise.

“That’s nice of you.” It might have come off as suspicious, but Greg was going for genuine. And judging by the slight flicker of surprise–and something else? — in Mycroft’s face, he succeeded.

“But I would prefer, for various reasons, that my concern went ...unmentioned. We have what you might call, a difficult relationship.” Greg could believe it. If what Mycroft said about worrying was true, Sherlock being frosty, even to his older brother, was not hard to imagine. But still, no matter how powerful this man is, no matter how attractive he is, he thought with a small blush and another glance at handsome-big-brother, he would never sell Sherlock out. He looked into the man’s eyes. Blue, grey, and green swirled together in a mixture of color that had Greg wetting his lips. They were Sherlock’s eyes. But different, because when Greg looked into Sherlock’s eyes, he never felt he was at risk from drowning in their depths.

“No.” Not that Greg could say no to… other things.

“I haven’t mentioned a figure.” As tempting as it was, Greg knew what the answer had to be.

“Don’t bother.”

“You’re very loyal, very quickly.” This made Greg think of his ex-wife and how young they married, causing him to shift uncomfortably. But loyalty isn’t a bad thing.

“Thanks.”

“Anthea?” Mycroft called, and a young girl opened the car door, somehow still texting. Mycroft moved to get in. he paused then he saw Greg still standing stock-still in the middle of the garage.

“Get in, Gregory.” Now that threw Greg for a loop. Get in? Why? But he shrugged anyway and got in the car with Mycroft and Anthea.

“So, Mycroft, where are we going?” Mycroft squints his eyes slightly and roves them all over Greg’s body. Greg knew it was just Mycroft deducing him, but it still made him blush and straighten his tie. It was officially the straightest part of him.

“You have steak waiting for you at home,” Mycroft interrupted his musings.

“Hmm?”

“But it’s second rate. Cheap. Barely worth eating.” He turned to the driver. “Michael, the best steak in London, please.”

“As you wish, boss.” As if this evening couldn’t get any stranger.

“You know, you really don’t have to—” he was cut off.

“I know.” Was Mycroft’s cryptic response. ——— The restaurant was screaming expensive as Greg and Mycroft walked in. One of the waiters walked up to them.

“Ah, Mr. Holmes. Back again, I see?” she steered them over to a table. “Do you have an order?”

“Two orders of steak, please.” The waiter scurried off to prepare the meal.

“Tell me about your work, Gregory.”

“Can’t you just deduce?” Greg asked with a smile.

“Of course. But tell me anyway.” This time, he offered a soft, and entirely genuine, smile, before Greg started ranting about how much he was going to murder Anderson and damn the consequences. Mycroft’s soft smile never left his face until the food came, and they enjoyed a nice dinner of steak and wine. The swirling blue and green and grey eyes never left his, which normally would have been creepy, but it just filled Greg with a warm happiness that swelled inside him, helped with the wine. By the time they walked to the car, Greg was quite sleepy (a combination of the wine and the late hour) and he barely noticed the arm Mycroft slipped around his waist to support him. He didn’t remember when someone told Mycroft that they made a cute couple. He didn’t remember Mycroft’s lack of denial, or the small smile that graced his features. All he remembers is being helped into the car, and his head falling into the British Government’s lap as the car started to move. He was out a couple seconds after he feels Mycroft’s hands carding through his brown and grey hair. He smiled softly and leaned into the touch. And then he was gone. ——— He awoke in his bed, with little idea how he got there before the memories start to flood back. A small sigh ruffled his hair and he turned around to see the British Government, Mycroft Holmes, sound asleep, arms wrapped around Greg’s chest, ginger-brown hair splayed on the pillow and still in his pinstriped suit. Sensing Greg’s movement, Mycroft hugged Greg to his chest and hummed contentedly. Greg, for some reason turned around and inserted his legs around Mycroft’s, and he couldn’t help but notice how they fit perfectly, like they were always meant to be there. Even though he probably shouldn’t, he fell asleep again, comforted by Mycroft’s arms wrapped around him, shielding him from harm. ——— He woke up again when Mycroft shifted, removing his arms and the soft, safe warmth that came with him. He grabbed Mycroft’s hand and pulled him back to bed as he opened his eyes. He saw him blinking (probably much needed) sleep from his eyes and running a hand through his wavy red-brown locks. Greg gave a sleepy smile as he remembers Mycroft’s hands in his own hair.

“I apologize, Gregory. I suppose I must have fallen asleep after putting you to bed.”

“It’s fine, Mycroft,” Greg said, and meant it. In fact, it was more than fine.

“Should I be going, or…” he seemed to trail off in a rare moment of uncertainty.

“You can stay.” He assured Mycroft.

“Good.” Greg looked at the clock. Shoot. He was going to be late for work. Mycroft seemed to read his mind.

“Do not worry about work, Gregory. I have called the police station and informed them that you will not be coming in to work today. It takes you approximately 47 minutes and 16 seconds to get ready, leave, and arrive at work. When that time passed, you were still asleep and I did not wish to disturb you, because you had not slept for 39 hours. I am told a that is a large amount of time.” Well, that was… nice of him.

“Don’t you have a war to stop or something?” he asked. Mycroft seemed at war with himself for a few seconds before sitting back down on the bed. He smiled, but it was different then the soft, sweet one in the restaurant, or the cold, icy one in the parking garage. This was coy. Flirty. Inviting, if you will.

“They can wait.”

“So, what do you plan to do with your day off?” Greg asked. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t for Mycroft to lean in.

“This.” And when they kissed, hair still rumpled from sleep, Mycroft in a wrinkled pinstripe suit and Greg in the clothes he wore the day before, he swore it couldn’t have been more perfect.

“Gregory?” Mycroft asked when they finally break apart.

“Yes, Mycroft?”

“Do you plan to continue your association with me?” This made Greg laugh, remembering their conversation not 24 hours earlier.

“Yes, Mycroft.”

here’s the ao3:

#bees fanfic #mystrade #original posting time: 9/15/21 #this is my most popular work!#which is mildly frustrating since i spent like 3 hours on it compared to like 4 months on some other ones that less people liked

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unimpressivegayarrow · 1 year

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I'm actually super hyped for Tuesday but I've got to wait till Wednesday cause I'm in the uk 😭

[spoiler-ish/thoughts below]

I can't wait to see what happens between iris and Carlos and tk. and I'm sooo scared that iris won't get to sign the divorce papers/doesn't do it quick enough, before all hell breaks loose and we get Carlos!whump.

I don't want the writers to go down the route of iris being a villain, I don't think they should write someone in that way as carlos' best friend. They've not seen each other in a while and I want to get to know iris more, and not have her be something I'm against because she's on a power trip.

I also think from the basis of what we've seen iris and Carlos are best friends and it would be ooc for her to try and stop Carlos from being happy. However I do think that potentially there's going to be an exterior force stopping the wedding from happening in 8 weeks.

we know iris will get hurt so that can impact the divorce papers being signed, we also know that Carlos has a big case this season and he'll get hurt too. potentially both of them getting hurt at the same time or in quick sequence.

maybe iris plans on signing them before she even meets tk based off of Carlos' raving about him. but in good old bestie fashion just wants to have a bit of fun with no intention of screwing them over (which i think is the better option please dont villianise her shes not been there for carlos for the past what seems to be over 6 years) even when they were married it seems like they didnt see much of each other, at least what i can gather from the previous seasons, maybe im wrong. then from the screen grab in ep3 she could go missing or get in trouble and then the wedding storyline get knocked off course.

we know in ep8 that there's going to be wedding planning so either the whump will happen before this (which I think is most likely) or afterwards and more towards the wedding.

I don't think the wedding will happen in 8 weeks because if we're going by the normal timeline (if you can even assume there is a timeline), 8 weeks should, in theory, bring us to episode 8.

but we also know that from episode 1, ep2 will happen the day after. and looking at the promos their still planning the wedding. so there's no real telling how much time has passed.

so it's possible they could still have their wedding in 8 weeks if the episodes have shorter time skips between them but if we're also assuming Carlos is hurt for at least an episode to get some proper angst, there's going to have to be some length of time skip or week by week skip. especially if iris is hurt and can't sign the papers within 2 weeks too.

so there's some of my rambley thoughts stated in no particular order as I write directly from my brain with absolutely no sense. but either way I'm over being angry at the show and I'm ready for some fun shenanigans and quips, and I'm also hyped for Carlos being the one tk has to worry about for once, at risk of sounding like an awful person. but it would be a nice change of pace.

thanks for reading if u read this far

:))

#911 lone star #911ls #911 ls s4 #911ls spoilers #just hope that the writers dont forget how humans function #yes im still salty #but im mostly over it #just come on guys #alot of the theories or fix it fics ive read so far #honestly have more callbacks #and these authors #arent showrunners

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