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zhongrin · 2 years

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◇ tags ◇ purely self-indulgent, "me" / "i" used instead of "you" (very different than my usual format), not "x reader", selfship (zhongli), long post

◇ a/n ◇ this is a submission for the selfship collab hosted by @suyacho and @albedxs! when i tell you purely self-indulgent, i really mean it. be respectful and dni if you're not into selfshipping!

ps. fellow selfshippers, feel free to take this format and make your own if you want ❤️

pps. this was so much fun to write yall lsdklfjsdlf

❦ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ❦

mutual pining (our friends are facepalming at our obvious adoration to each other and are praying to rex lapis lmao to hitch us up already jokes on them now we can’t shut up about each other)

enthusiastic protective simp gf x calm bf

“i-will-kill-you-if-you-hurt-him” (actually can't, at most will just nibble you) gf x “murder-is-bad-dear” (but can actually kill you) bf

the married couple who will forever act like a newlywed couple

❦ 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 ❦

★ say you won’t let go | james arthur

I'm so in love with you / And I hope you know Darling, your love is more than worth its weight in gold We've come so far, my dear / Look how we've grown And I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old Just say you won't let go / Just say you won't let go

tenerife sea | ed sheeran

Should this be the last thing I see / I want you to know it's enough for me 'Cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need I'm so in love So in love / So in love / So in love, love, love, love / So in love

shinpakusuu #0822 | cover: soraru

[EN Translation] You know, every minute / My heart shouts "I'm living" 70 times But when I'm with you, it's in just a little hurry / And shouts "I love you" 110 times As long as my heart is still beating, I want to protect you / That's enough of a reason for me to live As we bring our feelings together, over and over again / We will understand each other a little more

baik baik sayang | wali

[EN Translation] I ask only one thing / For you, for your life Be well, my love / I'm here for you I ask only one thing / In your days and nights Be well, my love / Because I'm here for you

★ 月亮代表我的心 | teresa teng

[EN Translation] You ask how deeply I love you / And just how great my love is Consider this / And look above The moon represents my heart

★ (reincarnation!au) a thousand years | christina perri

And all along I believed I would find you Time has brought your heart to me I have loved you for a thousand years / I'll love you for a thousand more

★ (yandere!au) blood sweat & tears | bts

[EN Translation] It doesn't matter if it hurts / Tie me up so I can't escape Hold me tight and shake me up / So that I can't come to my senses Kiss me on the lips / A secret just between the two of us / Deeply poisoned by the jail of you I cannot worship anyone but you and I knew / The grail was poisoned but I drank it anyway

golden hour | JVKE (ty hoshi ily sjdlfjsldf)

For the love of my life / She's got glow on her face / A glorious look in her eyes / My angel of light

❦ 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 ❦

mei → zhongli ⟐ ★ xiànɡ ɡonɡ / hubby, ★ lónglí (mashing character for dragon + last character of his name), li, 'yang, darling, dear, ★ love

zhongli → mei ⟐ ★ lǎo pó / wife, tiánxīn, nik, meimei (a common nickname for a girlfriend but also a play on my name), ★ darling, ★ dear, ★ love

❦ 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 ❦

┗━━┫⦀⦙ 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘶 ━━━━

we love taking long walks along the plains / shores of liyue + talking over tea (or sometimes coffee for me)

i buy rex lapis merchandise just to spite him (he is secretly embarrassed but endeared)

i can't cook to save my life so i refrain from stepping in the kitchen unless zhongli is cooking (it's not that i burn down the kitchen or anything but everything i make just tastes…. bad ;;)

i collect lots of accessories and jewelry. they go missing sometimes, and i just know to go to zhongli for it because it's probably his dragon-hoarding instinct flaring up again (he has a special drawer where he keeps his little stash, it's adorable)

zhongli is big spoon 95% of the time, but on the rare 5% where i get to coddle him i will suddenly have no work and urgent responsibilities. no regrets 🤞🏻

when he has a day off but i don’t, i go to work with him in his littol dragon form wrapped around my neck. makes a very warm scarf if i do say so myself.

”is that a dragon-” “it’s a scarf.” “it’s yawning.” “it’s a scarf :)”

zhongli is always, always there whenever i have to take off my glasses for some reason, because he knows i’m blind as a bat without them. the first time this happened, i was waving my hand around trying to make sure i don’t bump to any glass panels and stuff - he completely misunderstood and thought i wanted to hold hands, so he gently linked our fingers together. and we just. stared at each other.

“i-uh-i just-i can’t see very well right now.” “…. ah.” “BUT IT'S NOT LIKE WE CAN’T HOLD HANDS OR ANYTHING!!! i mean. you can be my eyes and guide me… if you want to…” “of course, darling. i don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

tldr; since then, whenever i’m missing my glasses he would automatically guide my hand to grab onto his arm.

whenever we eat, if i forget to bring my hairclips/scrunchies, zhongli lends me his hairclip. this is a secret but i purposefully forget them sometimes because the sight of this man with his hair down? and the way he elegantly eats despite the inconvenience? it’s a sight to behold.

“mei? is something wrong with your food? you haven’t touched it for a while now.” “h-huh. wha? oh. r-right.”

at first, i was constantly hissing and snarling at childe for threatening the very thing zhongli treasures most… but after what has been said and done, we slowly began to get along, and now zhongli has to deal with the headache of a fatui harbinger enabling me and my chaotic tendencies. welp.

“dear, why are there bags of catnips on our doorstep? they seem to have been sent by…. the northland bank?” “oh, don’t you mind that! aaaanyway, mind transforming into your dragon form? i want to test something~”

on the rare occasion when zhongli isn’t home and i’m too sleepy to wait for him, i would take out the humongous rex lapis dragon plushie from the closet to cuddle and surround myself with the smaller version of them so i can fall asleep. but they always mysteriously return back to the closet when morning rolls around, and i find myself cuddling the real rex lapis himself. hmm. how curious 🤔

zhongli always scolds me for being too lazy to make the bed in the morning.

“tapi 'yang…. it’s just going to get messy again at night!” “my love, do you not fold your laundries after they’re dry?” “… that’s different.” “it is not. come now, i will help you.”

on the other hand, i always nag him for buying too many tea leaves. his collection is starting to flood into my coffee cabinet and it is driving me nuts.

he gives me forehead and hand kisses, i give him jaw (if he refuses to lean down) and nose (when i catch him leaning down) kisses. it’s a fair exchange!

he might be the dragon but i’m the one getting more head pats, chin scratches, and back scratches on average (he jokingly asks me from time to time if i’m secretly a dog and i always answer him with an uncanny bark that could pass for a real dog).

doing haircare for zhongli is a normal evening routine for me. i’m clumsy with my hands but he will keep the braid until morning comes (where it inevitably loosens - and he always looks a little sad about it), no matter how messy it looks. in exchange, he helps me with drying my thick mane of a hair because he knows my arms would always get sore if i try to dry them by myself.

zhongli knows about my terrible social anxiety when it comes to strangers, so he takes the lead in almost every social interaction involving those i’m not close with. but when it comes to people i’m comfortable with? he just sits back and watches as i gush and zoom around like an overexcited pomeranian.

man knows his voice turns me into a puddle and will resort to using it to get me to stop procrastinating. it works a little too well.

┗━━┫⦀⦙ 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘶 ━━━━

zhongli will always come for me to help with any technology he’s having trouble with. 98% of the time i will help him but there are just some times when i just. don’t.

“meimei, could you help, childe keeps telling me to install this application called tik tok-” “no.”

since i work from home and my schedule is pretty lax, i do most of the chores and would visit his office from time to time, bringing lunches and snacks and coffee. the security guards and receptionists are my best friends at this point.

candlelit dinners are a must at least once a week. zhongli gets two glasses of wine (since it’s most probably a course meal set) while i order something lame like a virgin mojito - either way, he always always makes sure i don’t have to drink alcohol because 1) he knows i loathe the taste of it, and 2) he doesn’t want the date to end early because i fell asleep onto my food (happened once at the beginning of our relationship, never again)

he has absolutely zero ideas about video games and coding but will always listen to me fangirling about the latest installment of the series or the little side project i’m working on. additionally, i have zero ideas about stonks and business managements but i will always listen whenever he muses and brainstorms about it out loud over his morning/evening tea.

zhongli took a video of me talking to my "duck" (which is a hedgehog) one time while i was working and could not understand why i got so embarrassed and angry.

“but you save videos of me attending conferences and seminars. is it not unfair of you to deny me the sight of my wife hard at work?” “you look immaculate in full decked-suit or semi-formal wear in all those videos! look at me! i look like a cat who’s just returned from outside and got drenched in a downpour!!” “a very adorable kitten nonetheless.” “don't try to sweet talk your way out of this!!” “is it working?” “.............. yes.” “:)” “you've been hanging out with that blue-haired ceo friend of yours too much-”

he indulges in my hyperfixations a little too much.

“you’re interested in experimenting with your makeup? i see. of course you can buy all the eyeshadow palettes you want, tiánxīn.” “you said you were interested in this company’s tea leaves, yes? i ordered a few more boxes for you to try.” “wife, remember how you said you wanted to cook more? i took the liberty to replace our cookware with a new set; i heard they’re better than what we have and they certainly look easy in the eyes, don’t you think?”

he’s the favorite grandson-in-law candidate on the block. all the elderly are smitten by him and treat him like their own grandson. probably tried to introduce their granddaughters to him too. the way he kindly smiles as he shows his wedding ring to decline them will forever make me cry i don’t deserve this man

❦ 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 ❦

𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴

“xiànɡ ɡonɡ.” “yes?” “come watch the rain with me?” “a wonderful suggestion. give me a moment and i’ll fetch us some osmanthus tea.” “don’t take too long now!”

𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳

“this is easy. mei’s teasing becomes a lot more frequent whenever she feels lonely.” “who, me, lonely? psh, ridiculous.” “and when she’s truly embarrassed, she always tries to distance herself from the situation with cold words.” “>:|”

“lonely lónglí - hehe that sounds so cute - is adorable. like a little puppy, he hovers and sticks around me until i pay attention to him, and sulks if i don’t coddle him. hm? how does he sulk? you see, he gets a little petty in the subtlest ways - if i greet him, instead of greeting back and asking whether i needed something, he’ll just hum and nod. or if-” “ahem. lǎo pó, i think that’s enough.”

𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯

“drop dead gorgeous. way out of my league.”

“timid and reserved. very guarded. i did not think she enjoyed my presence at all.” “are you kidding me? you had me in a chokehold the very moment you started speaking???” “… tiánxīn, please take no offense to this, but you looked like you wanted to murder me in cold blood.”

𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴/𝘰?

“his face and his voice. hmm, his personality? why’s that important?” “….. dear, i think people might not understand that you’re joking.” “ehe~!”

“everything about her is endearing. she is a wonderful companion and partner.” “li, you’re making me look bad.” “her mischievous side is, of course, very amusing to watch too.” “h-hey!!!”

𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 (𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨) 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳

“i would destroy the world for you.” “… but you said i was your world the other day.” “ZHONGLI I WAS TRYING TO BE ROMANTIC-”

“thank you for coming into my life.” “…. no, thank you. for everything.”

❦ 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 ❦

@abyssmal-skies ◆ psy and al haitham ◆ 𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒏!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ lovesique | zwei

[EN Translation] Ever ever after / Actually I'd been expecting this meeting for so long Never ever before / Just a little more... / I wanna be embraced by those arms of yours. Hey, like this / Please gimme your sweet kiss Softly whispering / Please gimme your tight hug I want to look at the eyes I gaze at forever, always Please just be mine, baby / Going round and round, love addiction

this couple lives in the same building as us, and we constantly interact with each other. psy discusses complicated ceo things with zhongli while i exchange household chores tips with al haitham. the men try to not let their wives interact too much because 99% of the time either 1) chaos ensues, or 2) we both brag and shamelessly simp over the two men out loud and it’s just plain embarrassing (to them).

shopping trip double dates are a common reoccurrence. what kind of things do we usually go shopping for? oh, you know. just the usual. groceries, other essentials, clothes, furniture…

@seelestia ◆ lia and ayato ◆ 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ better together | jack johnson

Love is the answer, at least for most of the questions in my heart Like why are we here? And where do we go? / And how come it's so hard? It's not always easy and / Sometimes life can be deceiving I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together

invites us to inazuma regularly after the sakoku decree is lifted and is the only reason why we rented a flat with one extra bedroom in liyue - just in case they want to visit.

”we can always pay for their accommodation when they visit. it’s just not cost-efficient, love-” “N O”

most of the time when we hang out it’s just two girls (+hu tao sometimes) being chaotic while their respective partners stand by the sidelines contentedly, making sure we don’t get in too much trouble.

”oh dear, is that a grey hair, mr. zhongli?” “a what now-” “my apologies, it seems like the sun was playing tricks on me :)” “.... i see. a result of a self projection from your own worry, perhaps? do take care, your job must be very stressful indeed.” “……….. thank you for your concern.” *both sips tea elegantly*

@the-travelling-witch ◆ holly and childe ◆ 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ i’m yours | jason mraz

So I won't hesitate no more, no more It cannot wait, I'm sure There's no need to complicate, our time is short This is our fate, I'm yours

zhongli and i find entertainment (+ concern in zhongli’s case, for the unfortunate souls that catch their eyes) in watching this couple in their natural habitat. i find holly’s witch shenanigans wondrous although sometimes she scares me and will go to her whenever i need her specially brewed potions. also childe is basically zhongli’s wallet so does that mean they’re our sugar daddy and sugar mommy???

“hypothetically speaking, can you magic a tea cabinet so it will be practically endless?” “of course! it would cost... say... two million mora :3” “🥺 e-even for me...? 🥺😢” “..... alright, alright, i suppose i can do it for free~” “yay!” “i can't guarantee any side-effects though. like opening a portal to another dimension and such...” “wait what”

before being in a relationship with zhongli, i was a regular patron of holly’s shop and i kept pestering her for a love potion.

“please ma’am just one bottle ;w;” “i’m telling you right now - you don’t need it, just go and confess already >:|” *cue holly making a frustrated sound as she sends me away for the 50th time that month*

@clovcly ◆ milo and al haitham ◆ 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ everything you do | m2m

That everything you do / Everything that you do Makes me wanna go / Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh Everything you say / Everything that you say Makes me wanna go / Ooh-ooh, ah-ah

“proud grandparents watching over a young couple bumbling about and being so in love“ dynamics.

“i hate him so much.” “milo you literally said you love him like, thirty seconds ago-” meanwhile, zhongli and al haitham, sitting on the side (pretending) to read their books: 👀

please stop fighting and making out in our bathroom thank you.

“do you think he loves me? do you think i annoy him??” “i saw al haitham smile when you cuddled him the day before and i saw him nuzzling your shoulder while you were asleep on his lap last week, literally what the fuck are you talking about-”

@ainescribe ◆ aine and zhongli ◆ 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒍 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ kiss me, kiss me | sarah geronimo

A kiss me, kiss me in the morning / Kiss me, kiss me in the night Kiss me, kiss me in the day time / Kiss me, kiss me all the time

spiderman meme ensues.

the two zhonglis conversing with each other over tea, talking about the wonder and inner workings of parallel universes and realizing they have a type: devoted simp who is lawfully chaotic. meanwhile, me and aine are chilling and gushing about what we love about our respective zhongli.

aine tells me sad mythological gods' stories and it always ends with me bursting into tears. cue my zhongli swooping in to try and calm me down and aine giving me a wink and a thumbs up - all according to plan.

@silentmoths ◆ moth and zhongli ◆ 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒍 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ starving | hailee steinfeld, grey, zedd

I didn't know that I was starving till I tasted you Don't need no butterflies when you give me the whole damn zoo By the way, right away, you do things to my body I didn't know that I was starving till I tasted you

spiderman meme 2.0 but in moth’s absolutely adorable artstyle.

“hey moth, i wonder who the me in your world is dating.” “why?” “idk. so we can, uh, go for double dates?” “…. ;)” “;)” *cue us turning teyvat upside down to look for each other in our own worlds*

moth shared that zhongli, being the attentive lover that he is, has continuously proven this fact by always trying to fulfill any cravings she has. we decided to test the theory out by sending him on a 'weird food' errand. so far he has yet to fail, but i think moth's one whole month of 'roast beef sandwich bonanza' broke her zhongli a little bit. roast beef sandwich going to his list of 'least favorite food' i guess

@genshinparty ◆ kat and zhongli ◆ 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒍 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ magnetic girl | got7

[EN Translation] Come to me, you're so magnetic I'm attracted to every part of you / I'm getting shaken up I'm falling for you more and more / You're so fantastic My dream is to have you / You're the end of my decision

cringy newlywed couple (us) meets adored newlywed couple (them).

all around peaceful. picture a picnic scene on one of liyue’s mountains, me snoozing on my husband and kat weaving flower crowns for all four of us. that’s it that’s the vibe.

@thestarsofenkanomiya ◆ haku and heizou ◆ 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ sorega, ai deshou | mikuni shimokawa

[EN Translation] Because I have you, because I have tomorrow / because I can't live on all alone I feel you so close by me, I guess that's love Because you know how much pain tears can bring I want to find a smile in your transparent eyes / as I search for a definite meaning in them

zhongli is particularly fond of these two, despite the mischief they occasionally get into. i think it’s mostly because he’s able to hold intelligent and brain-stimulating conversations with the two of them (and he finds the cases heizou works on very interesting). i’m just there for moral support and to dreamily stare at his pretty face and bask in his velvety smooth voice, really.

“'zou, this is my little sister mei-” “hey wait i’m-” “-as i said, little sister, meirin.” “:|”

@ajaxstar ◆ hoshi and childe ◆ 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ sparks fly | taylor swift

The way you move is like a full on rainstorm / And I'm a house of cards You're the kind of reckless that should send me running / But I kinda know that I won't get far

both me and zhongli are always very amused at how childe is just a total simp for hoshi. it’s very amusing (and also a little embarrassing) seeing the fatui harbinger shamelessly serenading his beloved in the middle of the street. makes us look at each other and shake our heads because ‘ah, young love.’

“so how long did you sleep last night?” “……….. neigh.” “…” “…” “TARTAGLIA-"

@dawndelion-winery ◆ acco and diluc ◆ 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ something just like this | the chainsmokers, coldplay

I'm not looking for somebody / With some superhuman gifts / Some superhero / Some fairytale bliss Just something I can turn to / Somebody I can kiss

our husbands are very confused because we keep trying to slander each other but also apparently it’s how we bond???

“you’d kiss al haitham, i know you would.” “pffff and you wouldn't???” zhongli and diluc, thinking: “who is this al haitham person???”

they invited us to stay over at dawn winery one time, and we were so lost in watching the beautiful crystalflies fluttering about the vineyards under the vast starry sky and were so lost in the atmosphere, we almost kissed. almost.

"wait acco, i don't think we should-" “NOT IN MY VINEYARDS BITCHES!!!” oops.

since zhongli kept talking about osmanthus wine diluc created a whole production line and added it to angel’s share menu just to shut him up.

@silkjade ◆ jade and al haitham ◆ 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ the middle | zedd, maren morris, grey

So pull me closer / Why don't you pull me close? Why don't you come on over? / I can't just let you go

the thing is they’re not a couple yet, but it’s so obvious that al haitham has a soft spot for jade?? and she most definitely is interested but she’s in denial??? any idiot would be able to sense the mutual attraction in the air like jfc just kiss already.

while zhongli thinks we should just sit back and let them figure things out, i am actively trying to push al haitham to confess. but he keeps bamboozling me with fancy words and complicated lingos. for the usually so straightforward scribe, to be this difficult? he’s so down bad.

@queen-belial ◆ queen and capitano ◆ 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ adventure of a lifetime | coldplay

Now I feel my heart beating / I feel my heart underneath my skin And I feel my heart beating Oh, you make me feel / Like I'm alive again

zhongli is, at first, very much concerned at the fact that i’m befriending the infamous fatui harbinger’s secretary-slash-lover… but he backs off when i point out how he’s basically friends with lil ol’ tartaglia who is a fatui harbinger lol

me and queen regularly keep in touch via letters and childe is our mailman because he secretly wants to be in queen’s good side. hmmm… a puppy crush perhaps? i should ask her the next time we visit zapolyarny palace.

@dustofthedailylife ◆ dust and zhongli ◆ 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒍 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ make it mutual | olivia ong

This is how you make me feel. / When you're here, I feel your vibe And I hope I don't fall into deep too fast You're not the type, / Who'll rush into things. / And let it slip away. Yeah, I like your type. / Caught up in this ride. / It's kinda silly but I'll say In this nice cool breeze, / Yes I am all at ease. / When I gush. / And this sweet feeling comes to me. Can't deny, can't lie, can't really face the truth. / And I wonder if you're feeling the same way too

we're both shy and find it hard to initiate talking to new people. thank archons our significant other doesn’t mind doing it for us...

the way her zhongli would make sure that whenever we dine, our destination has to have an extensive vegetarian menu so dust can choose what to eat is absolutely endearing!

@foxic ◆ wren and albedo ◆ 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ you and me | lifehouse

And it's you and me / And all of the people And I don't know why / I can't keep my eyes off of you

it's such a heartwarming sight to see these two interacts. albedo might be stoic for the most part but whenever he speaks with wren his voice is softer and more expressive. it just shows how much comfortable he is in her presence. i have overheard him asking zhongli for advice about how to make wren happy one time but you didn't hear that from me.

“hey 'bedo since you're... well, you, your height will probably be the same regardless of time, right?” “i suppose. why the sudden interest?” “i mean, wren likes short men so-” “MEI”

@sonder-paradise ◆ ariel and diluc ◆ 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ way back home | shaun ft. conor maynard

You just say the word and I'll go / No, it doesn't matter how far / 'Cause your love is all that I know Baby you just stay where you are / And you know I won't be too long Hold on / Hold on Remember when I told you / No matter where I go I'll never leave your side / You will never be alone Even when we go through changes / Even when we're old Remember that I told you / I'll find my way back home

double dates in angel's share because then, diluc can tend to the bar and spend time with ariel at the same time (we get counter seat privileges hehe). plus, zhongli sticks out like a sore thumb and attracts more customers (people talk about "the good-looking liyuean man" who's visiting mondstadt currently and tries to spot him), which means more revenue for the tavern! it's a win-win situation! and i know ariel secretly thinks her boyfriend looks really good doing his mixologist thingy heh

around the same time, diluc's wine business starts getting bulk orders from overseas nations, which is quite mysterious seeing as dawn winery itself doesn't try that hard to advertise their products there. i had my suspicions and subtly asked zhongli about it. "just a little a repayment for their hospitality", he says with a chuckle.

@j0succ ◆ nat and diluc ◆ 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏!𝒚𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ save me | bts

[EN Translation] Today the moon shines brighter on the blank spot in my memories / It swallowed me, this lunatic, please save me tonight (Please save me tonight, please save me tonight) Within this childish madness you will save me tonight I knew that your salvation / Is a part of my life and the only helping hand that will embrace my pain The best of me, you're the only thing I have Please raise your voice so that I can laugh again

honestly, it's a miracle that we were able to meet and know each other with the way our husbands are insistent on keeping us from exploring the 'bad' world outside. zhongli probably saw how lonely i get whenever he has to be out of the house and thought he'd give me one reprieve: penpals. and who else could be a better candidate than the ms. ragnvindr who lives far, far away in mondstadt, who is apparently just as lonely and whose husband is frantically trying to look for every way possible to make her happy and yet selfishly unable to give the thing she desires most: freedom?

of course, they regularly check the contents of the letter and make sure any objects that were to be included in the letter wouldn't aid the other in their attempts to escape. little did they know we had the same thought of continuing this whole play to create a chance to escape... that is, if we still feel like escaping when the time comes. why do they have to look so soft and happy whenever they see us writing the letters and making little trinkets to keep each other sane?

@merzkihstuff ◆ kiki and cyno ◆ 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ euphoria | bts

[EN Translation] I hear the ocean from far away / Across the dream, past the woods Following this clarity Take my hands now / You are the cause of my euphoria

ok ok listen i visit kiki a lot bc she has cats and a dog for a bf how fitting amirite haha *is stabbed by an electrified spear* and they are so so so cute??? somehow the felines avoid zhongli though... his slightly offended face is so cute...

me and cyno exchange bad jokes all the time much to kiki's delight and zhongli's exasperation amusement. we love supportive lovers indulging their significant other's weirdness 🤝

"hey cyno, as fellow polearm users who do you think is more out-sand-ing, you or my husband?" "...." "if we're dune here shall we get moving to our next destination?" "...."

@thelost-in-time ◆ lost and xiao ◆ 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ when you say nothing at all | ronan keating

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me / There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me / The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall You say it best, when you say nothing at all

is there a more wholesome couple in teyvat besides these two? the answer is none. because they're just??? so wholesome??? the trust and support they have for each other are immaculate and awe-inspiring. you know the couple who can have a full-blown conversation with their gazes alone? t h e m.

zhongli is just so happy that his adoptive son adeptus is experiencing the joy of love again, so he visits them regularly just to check in and make sure everything is okay like a doting grandpa.

@astrxlis ◆ fox and xiao ◆ 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏!𝒂𝒖

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 ⟐ bleeding love | leona lewis

But nothing's greater than the rush that comes with your embrace / And in this world of loneliness, I see your face Yet everyone around me thinks that I'm going crazy Maybe, maybe

tall x short couple, times two. me and xiao lamenting over how we have to basically ask for a kiss because our significant other is just??? too fuckin' tall?? seriously what did yall eat?? zhongli literally eats rock how is he so tall

the first time fox pulled a 'bratty' attitude in front of zhongli (“so should i call you great-great-great grandfather?”) xiao looks so horrified it's hilarious. he's trying so hard to apologize and salvage the situation while i'm just wheezing in the background and zhongli is just standing there like 🧍‍♂️

💌 ps. yes this is an invitation to gush about your selfship with me - regardless whether you’re on this list or not 💞 also if you're my moot and i missed you i am so sorry sldfjsldf i probably either forgot (i do that a lot these days *grandma voice* i'm old) or don't know who you selfship with!!

#genshin impact #zhongli #rin selfships #zhongrin #yandere #goodness this is so long #i hope you lot didn't mind the tag #pls let me know if you don't want to be tagged in things like this in the future!! <3 #i think this is my first time writing & posting such a long and 100% pure self-indulgent post publicly.... *sweats nervously*#if you're reading this after all that then 1) congrats you've reached the end give urself a pat on the back and know that im smooching you #and 2) ily <3 <3 <3

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stormyoceans · 6 months

Note

The dark season is nice for some, but quite hard for others.

To tackle this, we're launching once again this year's "Secret Helpers" and everyone is invited to join in!

How does it work?

It's very simple!

Choose 5 fan works. It doesn't matter whether they are gifs, video edits, fanarts, metas, analyses or fanfictions. Do you have something that has completely changed, inspired, destroyed or touched you? THAT'S what you need!

And now it goes on

Step 2: Write feedback to the creator of your favorite. No matter how long, how short, no matter what language, no matter if anonymous or under your official account, write what you liked and why. Jump over your shadow and let them know that this work of theirs has given you a good time.

Step 3: Spread "Secret Helpers" anonymously to others. No matter who you come across on tumblr or elsewhere on the internet, whether mutual or random, send them the instructions and let them keep spreading good news.

A lot of things are not going well lately. So we try to let those who give us a little break in the chaos know that we're glad to have them.

FAQ:

I have only seen one fan work that I liked. - No problem, write to the person anyway.

Isn't that weird? - Nope. (We are on the internet. Everything is kinda weird and ey, you don’t have to use your official account to send the feedback)

There. Are. TOO MANY! - 5 is a minimum number. If you have the time, write to as many as you want, everyone will be happy to get some compliments on their work!

The creators I like are all totally unknown - Especially for fanartists who don't get much feedback yet, each of those is worth its weight in gold. The fanfiction is amazing, but only has 2 comments? Become number 3! The fanart has 36 likes, but looks like a fucking work of art? Write that to the creator! Motivation is all babeyyy, regardless of whether it's the fandom favorite or someone completely new.

Have fun and good luck Secret Helpers!

THIS IS SUCH A LOVELY PROJECT!!!!!!!!! it's so important to spread positivity, especially to content creators who often have to deal with a lack of feedback and their works getting stolen, so im glad you gave me the chance to do this by sharing it with me, anon, thank you!!!!!!

i think that to follow the rules of the project i should probably write to the creators in private or by sending them an ask (?), but to try to give them more visibility and help them reach new people who maybe aren't familiar with their works yet, i thought i could talk a little about some of my favorites here (not that i have that many followers but you know. also for the two creators who aren't on tumblr i WILL make sure to leave them a nice comment too), so here we go!!!!!

in no particular order:

the entire vice versa web weaving series by @daymork. i tell you i wish i could have all these edits collected in one of those fancy ass art books with a hard cover that cost almost a hundred bucks just so that i could flip through it at any given moment to contemplate the beauty of said edits and cry myself to sleep holding it to my chest as i think about puentalay. i have no idea how jessi did it but every single quote she used for these is so perfect that no matter how many times i reread them they never fail to reduce me to a sobbing mess of a woman who is in dire need of receiving mental health care provided by professionals in an institutionalized setting. my point is. i love them. i love them a lot.

the quote by ocean vuong last twilight edit by @morkofday. i could literally put any of vish’s vice versa edits here because it’s like they’re all specially crafted to deal as much emotional damage as humanly possible to me personally, but in the end i decided to pick this one because, to this day, it’s still my favorite last twilight edit ever made. there's just something about it that stayed with me since i first saw it a whole year ago (im not even kidding when i say i think about it an average of twelve times per day) and even if it was done based on the mock trailer alone, vish was somehow able to perfectly capture the spirit of the show, not just by using that particular quote (which is incredibly spot on like when day and mork were talking about tenderness in episode 4 i thought of this edit right away and had to go punch through a wall to cope) but also because of the colors and the pictures that she chose.

the the man who can't be moved puentalay gifset by @seatawinans. you think episode 11 of vice versa has already reached the pinnacle of life altering emotional devastation and cathartic experience, and then you see this gifset and suddenly you find yourself decaying into subatomic particles to cope, committing grand scale larceny and arson to deal, and doing daily affirmations like 'this is affecting me a normal amount! :)' in front of the mirror every morning to survive. truly i have no words to properly express just how much the 'thinking maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet/and you'll see me waiting for you on the corner of the street' lines over the glasshouse scenes make me sick in the head, it's the parallelism romanticism soulmatism of it all and somehow cassi managed to make it worse (read: better).

the underneath the stars by the cure morkday fanart by twitter user @bleu1te. i honestly love all of bleuité's puentalay and morkday works so much, there's just something so soft and tender in the way this artist draws them that every time i look at their art it gives me the same feeling of safety and comfort that i so deeply associate with these two pairings. i picked this one in particular because i fell in love with it as soon as i saw it, i love the colors, i love the starry sky behind them, i love their expressions, and most of all i love the hand placement. idk how to explain it, but i think the way they're touching just really conveys how much they adore each other.

the enchanted by taylor swift morkday video by twitter user @jimmyseagatitos. you know when someone punches you in the stomach and it hurts so much that you just start laughing hysterically? this is the closest description i can give to try to explain what this video did to me on a psychological emotional spiritual mental and physical level. and because apparently im a masochist i've been rewatching it only like 92649626 times in the span of three days. i also think it's pretty damn genius to end the edit on the 'i'll spend forever wondering if you knew' line of the song because it leaves everything unspoken just what mork never got to say.

this is obviously very far from being a comprehensive list (especially since my memory is pretty bad and my main interests are currently very limited ;;;;), so for the next couple of weeks i will try to reach out to my favorite creators (in private this time, i promise) and give them some love!!!!! and if anyone sees this, please consider doing it too!!!!!

#im not good at writing comments and i should have probably waited to do this on a day where i felt better about my english and my words but #i know myself and i would end up procrastinating this so i still wanted to try to do something #i've also never done something like this so please let me know if i did something wrong!!!!#secret helpers #m: ask #last twilight the series #vice versa

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jgmartin · 11 months

Text

MISTER GALLOWS

[TW: child abuse]

"I don't like him," Liam says, staring a hole into the ground. "Mister Gallows hurt my sister, and he tried to hurt me too."

The kid's young, younger than most subjects I've dealt with. He's witnessed an Event, and not just any Event, a serious one. It's something that could have massive implications. My bosses are calling it a situation, and they're telling me that I need to get his story, and I need to get it quickly because people's lives are on the line.

I'm an Interviewer for an organization known as the Facility. I specialize in working with juveniles who have crossed paths with the supernatural. Liam Hanesworth is one such kid. He's just shy of twelve years old, but he looks worn down. His eyes are framed with heavy bags, and his skin is tight to his cheekbones. He's also missing at least three of his teeth.

"How did he hurt your sister?" I ask. The room we're in is brightly lit, with cartoon animals nailed to the walls and faded imprints of Looney Tunes on the carpet. It's designed to calm kids down.

"He pulled out her teeth."

I write down his words on my clipboard. As I do, I record details about Liam. His expression. His tone of voice. It's all important in some way or another. All of it swims together to build a picture of whether what he's saying is true or false. Sometimes it's both, and the minutia helps determine where reality ends and the lies begin.

"Why did he do it?" I ask.

Liam shrugs, rubbing his arm. It's an expression of discomfort, of nervousness. He's not sure he should be talking so much. He's not sure it's safe to say. "You want to know why he pulled out her teeth?"

"That’s right." I already know Liam’s sister is dead. She’s been dead for several months, so it seems strange that he would fixate on the monster pulling out her teeth, as opposed to the murder. “Do you know why?”

He shakes his head. There's something there, though, in his eyes. There's something that says he isn't telling me the full story, so I press him. "Does he ever talk to you, Liam, this Mister Gallows?"

He nods. He still won't look at me, but that's okay. Kids are nervous at the best of times. After what he's been through, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't look another person in the eye for years.

"What does he say when he speaks to you?"

Liam opens his mouth. His lips are pale, and they tremble. "He tells me I can't talk about him."

"It's okay," I say. "I'm one of the good guys." I pull out my badge, with the howling wolf inlaid in gold, and I show it to him. "See? I'm like a police officer, except for kids dealing with scary things. I can make that stuff go away."

It's a line I've used a hundred times before. I'm not sure it's ever worked.

"I'm not a kid," Liam says, folding his arms. "I'm almost twelve, and I don't think anybody can make him go away."

Liam's smart for his age. Top of his class. According to my preliminary research and the discussion I had with his father, he's never felt at home around other children. 'They bore him,' his father said.

"What if I can make Mister Gallows go away, though?" I lean back in my chair, and its legs creak under my weight. "Don't you think that's worth a shot?"

There's a moment of silence between us, and I let it stretch into eons. Time works differently for kids. It feels longer. More tiresome. Soon enough, it stretches on long enough that it wears on Liam too.

"I guess so," he says at length.

"Good," I reply, swallowing my smile of satisfaction. "I'm here to help, remember. It's my job."

He chews his lip for a second, and behind his mop of black hair, I catch sight of him glancing at me. "Okay," he says. "I just want him to leave me alone."

"Me too." I run my pencil down the sheet on my clipboard, pausing under the heading that reads ORIGIN APPARATUS. "When did all of this begin?"

"A year ago… pretty much. I was ten and a half."

"That's a long time for a young man. How often does he visit?"

"Lots. Almost every night."

Almost. I make specific note of that term. It's a throw-away line, but one potentially valuable. "The first time he visited you, what happened?"

"I was sleeping," Liam says. His hands are tugging at the strings of his hoodie, and he's staring at a smiling ostrich on the wall. "It was winter. I remember feeling really cold. I had all of my blankets on, but I was still shivering. I got up to turn on the heat, and I noticed my window was open."

I nod along with his words, my pencil scribbling across the form. The cold could have been a ghost or a spirit, but the open window is the more likely culprit. I try not to cast judgment quite yet. After all, my bosses seem to think this kid is the genuine article, and his mutilated mother does a good job supporting that.

Still, I didn't get this far by cutting corners. "Did you leave it open when you went to bed?" I ask.

"I don't think so."

I make a note on my clipboard. "Please continue."

"I walk over to close it," Liam says, and his voice starts to stutter and die. "… And I see something on the other side. Somebody's out there, watching me, far away by the fence."

"Is your bedroom on the ground level?"

"The house is just the one floor," he explains. "My bedroom faces the backyard, and I see a man out there, just past the garden. He's waving at me."

"Waving at you?"

"Yeah, just like this." Liam raises his hand and slowly moves it side to side. His expression is deadpan, and his lips are twitching. "It makes me uncomfortable, so I go to lock the window, and then the man shuffles forward a bit. I realize there's something weird about him. It's dark, so it's hard to see, but it looks like he's hunched over on all fours."

"Like a dog?"

"Yeah. As he shuffles forward, he calls out to me. He tells me to wait. 'Don't close the window,' he says. 'I have something for you. Then, I want something for me.'"

Something moves across Liam's face. Disgust, maybe? Self-loathing? It's quick, whatever it is.

"I listen to him," Liam continues. "I don't know why. I think it's because I realize he isn’t human, or maybe I'm in shock. All I know is closing the window feels pointless now. It feels like it's more likely to piss the thing off and make it want to come in even more."

I listen to Liam's words intently. His story is compelling enough, but his vocabulary is more impressive by far. It's no wonder the kid skipped a grade.

"Understandable," I tell him. "What happened next?"

Liam squirms in his seat. "As he gets closer to the window, he reaches out a long, skeletal hand. There's blood on his boney fingers, and now that he's only a few feet away, I notice he's wearing this burlap sack over his head, with a little hole cut out for his mouth. Except his mouth doesn't have any teeth. He tells me he's hungry. He says he really needs something to eat.

"I'm scared. I've never seen anything like this before, and I don't know what to do, so I tell him I need to ask my mom. I tell him we have some leftover turkey in the fridge, and that I'll be right back." Liam pauses, and it's like his world is falling around him. His eyes are bloodshot, and I wonder when he last blinked.

"The man grabs me by my arm, and it hurts. He tells me my mom doesn't need to know. He says he came to my window for a reason. He pulls me closer, and his grip really hurts, and when he whispers in my ear, it aches. It feels like it's cutting the inside of me. He says I'm special."

My eyes glance up to the camera in the corner of the room, and I raise an eyebrow. I know my supervisors are watching. "Special?" I repeat. "Why?"

Liam shakes his head. He's back to tugging at the strings of his hoodie. "I don't know. He asks me again if he can come in, and I tell him I have to ask my mom, but at this point, I'm not planning to ask her anything. I'm just going to tell her there's a psycho out there, and we need to call dad and the police and wake the neighborhood up.

"He tells me if I don't invite him inside, though, he's going to add my blood to his hands. Then he runs a finger across my cheek, and it's cold, searing cold. He asks me if he can come inside again. He says he's hungry, and he just wants a bite to eat, and then he'll leave. 'Promise,' he says."

Liam takes a shuddering breath. His eyes are closed. The smiling animals aren't working anymore-- if they ever did. He's alone with his thoughts now. They're tearing at him, picking away at his mental state, and in his expression, I see the grimaces of grief and regret.

"You aren't to blame for this," I remind him. "What happened was going to happen whether you were there or not."

When he opens his eyes, they're soaked with tears. "No, it wasn't!" he snaps. "It happened because I let him in. It happened because I told him he could get something to eat."

I open my mouth and realize there's nothing to say. There are no words that will take away this boy's pain, so instead, I look back to my clipboard. I busy myself writing down the details of the man's request and the boy's reaction. When I'm finished, I have to ask him to continue. I hate myself for it. I always do.

He does.

"I tell him he can come inside, but he needs to be quick. I tell him not to steal anything, either." He shakes his head. There's doubt in his eyes; disbelief. "I thought he was telling the truth. I didn't think…" His words are lost in sobs. “I thought he would leave.”

"It's fine," I say in a soothing voice. I reach out a hand to touch his knee, to comfort him, but he winces, so I pull my hand back. "You're safe now."

"She's not," he says. "She's not, and she'll never be safe again!”

I take a breath. It's hard, these interviews. They always are. Children are supposed to be the pieces of the world that are pure and untouched by the horror that humanity perpetuates. They're meant to be idyllic. Fantastical.

Too often, they're not. "I'm sorry to interrupt," I say. "Go on."

Liam's sobs taper off into a frown and then a snarl. Rage replaces despair. "That's when he told me his name: Mister Gallows. He tipped his top hat to me, and said 'Nice to meet ya,' and then he crawled up through the window."

Liam reaches up a hand, wiping away the evidence of tears. "It was gross looking. His bones were snapping and twisting as he hunched over, lurching through the opening. The window’s not that big. Maybe large enough for me to fit through, or another twelve-year-old, but not a full-grown man, and Mister Gallows was much bigger than anybody I'd ever seen."

"Mister Gallows," I mutter, staring at the name on the sheet. It's not an entity I'm familiar with. My preliminary research didn't come up with any leads either. Whoever this legend was in life, he certainly didn't make much of a name for himself. Once more, I raise an eyebrow to the cameras and my supervisors watching from the other room. I wonder why this Event is so important to them.

"How tall was he?" I ask.

"Tall enough that even on all fours, his back scraped along the ceiling. He had to crane his neck down to look at me, and I could just barely see his eyes through the burlap sack he wore over his face. He asked me to show him to the kitchen.

"So I did. I walked him to the fridge and opened it, and when the light came on, I saw Mister Gallows was wearing this old, raggedy suit that looked like something from the 1800s, covered in dust and moth holes. My hands shook as I pulled out the leftover turkey, but Gallow’s didn’t notice. He was too busy humming. It sounded like an old song, a really old one. I don't remember the tune.” Liam pauses before adding, “I'm sorry."

"That’s fine,” I say, jotting it down onto the clipboard. “These are interesting details.” The intense cold, antique apparel, and out of date song certainly lead me to believe we're dealing with a ghost. "Is the food to his liking?"

Liam shrugs. He looks uncomfortable again. He's shaking. Shivering. There's something about him that's different, like he's having some kind of reaction. "Are you feeling alright?" I ask.

He nods furiously. "Yes, I feel fine. I um– I give him the plate of turkey, and the man asks me how he's supposed to eat it. I tell him I don’t know, can’t you just swallow it? He snarls, clacking over the kitchen tile and putting his face right next to mine. He tells me there's more room for blood on his fingers, lots more.

"I'm whimpering, and I tell him I don't know what he wants. He tells me he wants some teeth so he can eat. He opens his mouth and shows me his empty gums, swishing his tongue around some. Then he reaches up a hand and forces my mouth open. 'You've got a nice set,' he says.

"I’m starting to panic. My legs feel wobbly, and my head is spinning. I think maybe if I change the subject, I can bide my time long enough for my mom to wake up, and then she’ll see what’s going on and call the cops or dad. I don't want to scream, though, or be too obvious, because I think this guy– this creature doesn't have any qualms about murder. So I keep my mouth shut, mostly. I stick to safe topics."

"Like what?" I ask.

"Like what he had for me."

Ah, yes. ‘I have something for you. Then, I want something for me.’ They were among the first words Mister Gallows spoke to the boy; a bargain, one innocent enough.

Of course, to entities like Gallows, such deals are usually deceptions or a means to an end. They allow the creature to broker for horrors too terrible to put into words.

“What did he have for you, Liam?”

Tears slip down the boy's gaunt face. He raises a sweater sleeve, wiping them away before sniffling. “He had a message.” Liam’s nose is running, and he looks sickly. Unwell. “He said it was from somebody he never wanted to meet.”

How curious. "What was the message?"

"Just some words." Liam’s eyes stare at the floor, and he crumples into a ball of hoodie and jeans. He wipes his runny nose on his knees and makes himself small. “I um, I didn’t understand them.”

Some words. I let that roll around in my head for a while. It doesn't mean much now, but when you've been doing this job for as many years as I have, you learn pretty quickly that strange words aren't to be dismissed. Words have power.

“Were they in another language?” I ask. “Or were they too quiet to be properly heard?”

“A different language,” Liam says. He’s squirming like crazy now. I’ve scarcely seen a kid look so uncomfortable in my entire career. “Maybe Latin?” He shakes his head. “I only know French.”

“That’s alright. What happens after he says those words?”

“Mister Gallows gets angry. He tells me now that I’ve gotten what I’m owed, he wants what he’s owed. 'I gave something to you,' he says, 'and now I want something for me!’

"I ask him what he wants, but I already know. He opens his toothless mouth, pointing at his gums with a long, skeletal finger. 'I'll take some of these, I think.' He laughs a bit, and tips his tophat again, adding, 'Please and thank you.'

“He crawls up in front of me and pushes me against the wall. ‘Open up,’ he says. I try to keep my mouth closed, but I can’t. He’s too strong, and he forces it open. Then he reaches in and…” Liam gets quiet. His mouth hangs open, and he reaches a hand up, feeling where three of his front teeth should be. “He pulls them out.”

“He just wanted three of your teeth?” I ask.

Moments pass, and Liam’s face looks tortured. His mouth is being pulled in every direction, oscillating between frowns and grimaces, and his eyes are blinking erratically. I nearly call a break to the Interview, but he starts talking before I get the words out.

“He reaches back inside my mouth to pull out more, but the kitchen door opens. It’s my little sister, Lacey. She’s bleary-eyed and yawning, and then her eyes adjust, and she realizes what she’s looking at. She realizes the nightmare she just walked in on.”

Liam swallows. “She screams for mom. In the blink of an eye, Mister Gallows stampedes across the kitchen and wraps a hand around her mouth. 'Shh, little girl,' he says, using his other long arm to pet her hair. Then he puts his face close to hers, and he opens his mouth again, showing those toothless gums. He whispers to her to be quiet. He says as long as she doesn't scream again, he won't kill her."

My pencil flies across the clipboard. This is likely the defining moment of the Event, the moment that Mister Gallows murders Liam’s sister. I keep my ears open and brace for the worst.

"He moves his hand from her mouth,” Liam continues. "Lacey’s silent, and so am I. Part of me is hoping that mom heard Lacey’s scream, but another part of me knows better. I think Lacey does too. Heck, even if dad were home, I doubted it would make a difference. Mister Gallows was too big. We needed a SWAT team.”

I offer a consoling smile. “It’s likely a SWAT team would have been equally ineffective. You did what you could, Liam, with what you had. You didn’t want anybody to get hurt. That’s very brave.”

He looks down. His expression is despondent, but he doesn’t wait for me to prompt him. He keeps talking like I never said a thing.

"Mister Gallows opens Lacy’s mouth. He slips a finger inside of it and feels her teeth. He's looking at her through that burlap sack, and he's mumbling to himself, but I can't make out what he's saying. Eventually, he turns to me and asks, ‘These are new, aren't they?'

"I know he's talking about her teeth. She's a year younger than me, but she's gotten most of her adult teeth by now. He taps on them, and it makes a clicking sound, bone on bone, and then he pulls away. He looks back and says, 'These will do,' and then…"

Liam goes quiet. His body quakes, his eyes bulge. It's like he's trying to contain something, whether it's a furious rage or tumultuous despair. Whatever it is, it's desperate to get out. He doesn't want it to.

"Mom appears in the doorway, wearing her nightgown. All the color is gone from her face. She’s looking from me, with my mouthful of blood and three missing teeth, to the monster standing over Lacey. She snaps, snatching a knife from the kitchen counter, and runs at Mister Gallows.”

I chew on my pencil eraser. It’s a foolish gesture, but one I can understand. As a new mother myself, there’s very little I wouldn’t do to protect my baby. “Your mother attacked Mister Gallows?”

Liam nods. It takes him a while to get the words out, like he’s trying to do it without letting something else slip. I feel for him. It’s difficult for children to keep their emotions in check, particularly when recounting traumatic events.

“She runs at him and starts slashing and hacking at him, screaming at him to let Lacey go or she’ll call the police or the church or the FBI. Mister Gallows grabs her by her hair and smashes her head down on the floor. It hits the linoleum with a thud, and then she gets really still.

"I remember thinking she was dead. Then he picks her up again and smashes her down a second time, and I hear something crack, and blood starts pooling on the floor. Her leg is twitching.”

Liam takes a shuddering breath. I want to reach out and give him a hug, but he’s already responded adversely to being consoled. Instead, I pay him a look of understanding. Talking about these things is probably tearing him apart inside. His mother survived, of course, but she was irreparably damaged.

“Mister Gallows turns back to Lacey. She’s crying and shrieking, and he puts his hand into her mouth, and she starts gagging. He starts pulling out her teeth, jamming them into his gums one by one, humming as he goes.”

Liam leans forward and retches, vomiting onto the floor. Yellow-brown bile splatters my shoes. I shoot up out of my chair, indicating to the cameras that we need a cleanup crew in here and that the Interview is on hold.

Liam hurls again, and more throw-up spews from his mouth. I crouch next to him, placing a hand on his back. "It's okay. It's okay. You're safe." I say the words, but I don't know what they're supposed to do. How do you make a kid feel better after witnessing his mom’s skull split open on the kitchen floor? How does anything make that go away?

I whisper affirmations into his ear for what feels like hours but must have only been minutes. “It’s not your fault,” I say. “You’re a good person.”

A knock on the door interrupts me. I rise, unsure why anybody would be knocking. All employees with access should already have a keycard granting them entry.

"Hello?" I call out.

"Cleanup crew," a muffled voice calls back through the thick steel. "Can you let us in?"

I frown, looking from Liam to the door. I move toward the video communicator on the wall, activating it and seeing two janitorial staff on the other side. One of them holds up a mop in exasperation while the other flashes her ID.

"Our keycard isn't working," she says. "Can you open it on your end?"

Something about the situation unnerves me, but I shake it off. We're in a secured government compound. Facility agents are swarming the premises. We're as safe as can be, so I disengage the manual lock.

The door won't budge.

I try again, repeating the process, making sure I did it correctly—still nothing. I press the communicator. "Sorry," I say. "It looks like this room's malfunctioning. Can we get a tech team down here to look at it? I can't open it manually."

They grumble and turn away, leaving their mop and bucket behind them.

I look back to Liam. The smell of fresh vomit is thick in the air, but my focus is singular, on him and him alone. He said Mister Gallows had visited him almost every night for the past year. That had only been the first day.

"Liam?" I say in a small voice.

He's sitting in the chair, head in his hands, weeping with bits of puke still dripping from his chin.

I take a step forward. "If Mister Gallows gave you his message and then got his teeth, why did he keep coming back?"

Liam looks up, and his eyes are murky. Clouded. "He wanted to say sorry." He lifts a sleeve to his mouth, wiping some of the bile off of his face. "He kept apologizing. 'I'm so sorry, kid,' he'd say. 'I didn't know.' "

“Sorry for what?” I ask. “Killing your sister?”

A howl envelopes the room, and Liam breaks into quaking sobs. The lights in the room flicker. There’s a clatter to the right of me, and I look down and see toy building blocks shifting across the floor. On the wall, the cartoon animals aren’t smiling anymore. They’re slowly melting away.

Liam's face is ugly now, and he's crying as hard as I’ve ever seen. "He didn't know who I was,” he chokes out. “He thought I was just another kid." My heart races as steam hisses from Liam’s eyes, and I realize the tears are evaporating even as they form, dying in the smoldering blaze of his pupils.

A wind picks up in the room, and it tugs at my blouse, whipping about in a gale that tears the posters from the walls and casts toys into a tornado of color. Hands behind me, I stumble backward and try the door again. It won't budge.

I'm trapped.

My eyes drift up to the camera on the ceiling, but the red recording light is off. I'm alone. It's just me now. I take a breath, inhaling the fumes of vomit and sulfur, and I wonder if death is going to be half so bad as all these monsters make it seem.

"Who are you?" I ask, and I'm unable to keep the terror from my voice. “Are you Mister Gallows?” Perhaps the kid is possessed. I’ve seen it before.

"No," Liam whimpers. "I’m a bad person, though. I'm an awful person."

"Why did Mister Gallows--" I'm almost shouting now, as the tempest rocks the entire room. "Why did he feel the need to keep apologizing?" Learning blocks and toy trucks ricochet off the wall, narrowly missing my face.

"He was scared," Liam bawls. "He was scared I would hurt him if he didn't."

"Why?" I scream.

The gale stops. The toys fall with a clatter, and the animals on the wall aren't melting anymore. They’re beaming with the same, fake smiles they’ve always had. My breath heaves in my chest, my legs quiver, and my hair is a mess, but I’m alive. I’m okay.

Liam sits quietly in his plastic chair. He’s staring at Bugs Bunny on the carpet. His small hands are clenched into fists, and whatever fire once burned in his eyes is now extinguished. He’s just a boy again. The broken, trembling boy I promised I would save.

I’m no longer sure I can.

“Liam?” I say, taking a nervous step forward. “Is it okay if we talk?”

He doesn’t say anything, but he nods.

“Why was Mister Gallows afraid of you?” I do my best to maintain a calm tone, but my voice is all over the place. I can barely keep myself from stuttering. “Did it have something to do with what just happened?”

Silence. He’s whimpering again, and his hands are tugging at the strings of his hoodie like his life depends on it. Tears litter the carpet around him. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay,” I say, moving closer to him. My legs feel like jello, and my mind’s still untangling itself from what it just witnessed. “I can tell you’re a good person, Liam.”

Liam turns to me, and there’s fear in his features. He closes his eyes, clenches them shut, and he winces in pain. "It's hard," he says. "It gets harder every day."

I take a few more steps forward, and I'm back to my chair. I sit down in it, brushing frizzled hair from my face and taking a deep breath. My eyes snap up to the camera. It's recording again, and I know they're watching. I wonder if they witnessed the scene that just unfolded.

They probably already knew, I decide. They were expecting it.

"Liam," I say, in a careful tone. "Why was Mister Gallows afraid of you?"

His blue eyes appear, one blink at a time. He looks small in his chair, and when he speaks, his words are faint. I barely hear them.

"He’s afraid I'm here to kill him." A smile plays at the corner of his lips, and he grips his face with both hands. Agony fills his eyes, and his next words leave a mark that no response can fill. They crash around me like a carpet bomb. “I’m afraid I’m here to kill all of us.”

Once more, my eyes dart up to the camera. Is this what my supervisors were after? Is this the real Event? Am I the one experiencing it?

"What makes you think that?" I say, and my words are clipped, breathless. Fear has wormed its way into me.

"I'm one of them," Liam says, clutching a fistful of hair. His eyes pulse with blood, and he groans. "They told me so.” His voice strains against something. It's jagged. Sharp. "They told me I was one of them, that I was born to cast the earth into flame and ash."

"Who?"

"Them," he says, raising his eyes to my own. "The Gods Beyond the Veil." He’s different now. He’s not the boy I knew, and I’m not even sure he’s human. There’s a darkness to him, a suffocating, mighty abyss that’s pulling at me, begging me to join it. “The Eldritch,” he says, and his eyes are crackling again with dancing flames.

I want to run. I want to get out of here, but I know better. The only way out is through. “Your sister…” I say, in an uneven voice.

Police had found Lacey Hanesworth in six pieces. Her arm on one side of the house, her leg on the other. The home was a bloodbath. Liam’s mother had witnessed all of it from her wheelchair, and the scene had driven her mad. ‘A monster,’ she had repeated. ‘A monster killed my baby.’

“Did Mister Gallows kill her?” I whisper.

Liam's eyes flare. “You tell me,” he says.

Agony replaces everything I’ve ever known. I feel my arm lurch to the side, and something invisible is pulling at it, heaving while some other force holds me in place. I shriek for help. I scream at Liam to stop. I do everything I can to move and run, but I’m stuck in place.

There’s a horrible sound of tearing flesh, and my world goes black. I come to a second later, and blood is pouring from a hole in my torso where my arm used to be.

The door crashes open, and six people in robes rush in, casting warding charms and backing Liam into a corner. Somebody jabs a needle into me, and another person starts wrapping me in gauze.

Somebody shouts. "Keep him back! She's in critical condition!"

A blinding flash fills the room, and then the world fades away. Darkness envelops my thoughts, my memories, my mind. There’s nothing to see or hear or think about anymore. It’s just the Void. Unending. Ceaseless. I call out, but I have no voice. I’m drifting, senseless through infinity.

It's wonderful. It's terrifying.

I open my eyes to the bright lights of the medical bay. I’m in a hospital bed, my body is covered in bandages, and there are doctors and people in suits discussing something near me. They don’t seem to realize I’m awake. I try to open my mouth to speak, but it’s too hard. So I just listen.

“He’s the one then, The Conclusion?”

“Seems like it. Didn’t expect him to go nuclear back there, though. Talk about teenage angst.”

A laugh. A woman.

“No kidding. Honestly, it’s a wonder this lady survived. Word is she was right beside the kid when it went down."

"Looking at her, I'm not surprised." Another voice. Male. "I've never seen so much necrosis."

"You remember Jacob? The dickhead from Public Affairs?"

"Oh, yeah. Don't get me started on Jacob."

"Well, he was by earlier giving us all the rundown. 'If anybody asks, the damage was caused by a gas leak, that's all.' But he let slip a few extra details."

"Oh, spill the beans!" There's a clattering sound. Steel on steel. Surgical instruments being sifted through. I'm still too weak to speak. Too weak to move.

"Apparently, they sent in warlocks to deal with the kid, and all of them ended up piles of salt. Now the compound's just a few bricks and a cloud of asbestos."

A woman snorts, then laughs. “What were they expecting? As if warding charms could hold off an Eldritch God.”

“Technically he’s not a god, only a harbinger." A different man. This voice is casual. Teasing. I strain my eyes and see the blurry outline of a black suit. "The Gods come later, Cheryl.”

More laughter.

“It’s a damn shame. I read our patient's file here and if you can believe it, she was the one who sorted out The Boundless Whispers! Smart lady. Great with kids, too.”

“I suppose she wasn't smart enough." The first man again. A doctor, maybe. "It's just like I've always said: most people at Compound 7 are inept."

“That's not fair, Dave." The woman tuts. "They had some duds over there, same as we do here. They were doing important work, though. Pass me the scalpel, would you?"

"Of course."

"Thanks."

Steel cuts into my flesh. It hurts, but I can't move. I can't speak. I'm too weak, too absent.

"I should let the two of you get back to it, then." The man in the suit.

"Don't sweat it, Ryan! We're nearly done here anyway."

The steel digs deeper. A piece of me comes free.

"Anyway, I'm not surprised Compound 7 fucked everything up all over again. With The Conclusion’s power, we had a real shot at ending this invasion before it started, didn't we, Ryan?”

"We really shouldn't be talking about this out in the open, Dave. I shouldn't even have mentioned it."

My brain feels mushy. Slow. More pieces of me are sliced free. I hear the wet slap of my flesh dropping into a metal pan.

"This is hardly 'in 'the open,' Ryan. We're well enough alone. Now the kid is too. He's lost in the wind, apparently. Oh, she’s--”

“Jesus, she’s awake!”

There's hurried movement around me. I see the blur of a face, the white of a surgical gown.

Figures swim in front of me, two of them, a woman and a man. Doctors. Surgeons. They’re saying things. They’re telling me I’ve had a bad accident and that I’ve suffered terrible wounds. They’re telling me they’re going to give me some more morphine so I can get some sleep.

I try to tell them no. I try to tell them I want to know what’s going on.

My world goes dark.

The next time I wake up, I’m alone. The hospital room is empty, save for a desk in the far corner, and the buzzing fluorescent light above. I feel stronger now, more conscious. I sit up with some struggle, and my body feels different. Alien. It’s as though pieces are missing.

I glance down, and memories flood me. My arm is missing. It feels like my legs are gone too. I wiggle and squirm, using my other arm to prop me up into a seated position. Weak-eyed, I look around for my belongings. For my phone.

It’s there, on my bedside table. I reach for it. It's too far.

“Erin?” A groggy voice says from behind me. “Oh, sweetheart, you’re awake!”

I glance back and see my mom, her gray hair wistfully dancing in the air conditioning. She puts a hand on my face, and her eyes are filled with tears. She keeps telling me she loves me.

“I’m sorry,” she says. “I’m sorry this happened to you.”

I tell her it’s okay. I tell her I need her to hand me my phone.

“Why?”

“Because,” I tell her. “I have to tell the world what I just overheard. I need to dictate all of this before I forget it.”

She’s confused, my mother. She’s asking if I’m feeling okay. She keeps talking about things that don’t matter.

“Mom,” I say. “I heard something earlier that I wasn’t supposed to.”

She gets quiet. She recognizes my tone, and she knows I’m not feeling loopy or out of it. She listens.

“I need you to give me my phone. There’s a boy out there with messy black hair, pale skin, and a blue hoodie. He’s the most important person in the world right now, and if we don’t find him, the world might not be around for much longer.”

She passes me my phone. I tell it my story.

Now, I pass that story to you. I’m asking you to keep an eye out for a missing boy with black hair, a blue hoodie, and crackling pupils. His skin is pale, sallow and his body language is small and nervous. He might be upset. He might be agitated.

If you see him, don’t approach. Call the police. Contact me here. Tell an elected official you need to get in touch with the Facility. The boy is important. He’s The Conclusion to everything, and he’ll write the ending to our story one way or another.

Just know that if we don’t find him, it won’t be a happy one.

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owcaunion · 1 year

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Top 5 pnf songs

THANK YOU FOR THIS QUESTION I AM NOW GOING TO BRAINFART

5. CARPE DIEM

I love this sm, this one of those songs that instantly get stuck on your head, I am always such a sucker for PnF musical numbers that involve a large portion of the cast and pays off better if you invested a bit into the series. I wish I got the chance to dance along with everyone when Phineas and Ferb dance party was still running in California Adventure ;-; but I'm so far from the US... And this song rlly just embodies the show's main theme so well aaaaaaaaa

4. SUMMER BELONGS TO YOU

I used to pretend i didnt like this song so I can be "unique" back when I was like 12 or sumn but like I rlly can no longer deny this is such a good song, I loved the harmonies and the dances, and the trumpets especially!!! Such a rlly good ending for s2,,,also really embodies the main theme of the show as well with Carpe Diem! This song never fails to make me stand up and dance along...

3. US AGAINST THE UNIVERSE

I'm sorry my top 5 comprises of a lot of finale songs for specials, they have a higher budget for a reason ok kldjfadjkfl I only watched CATU this year admittedly and I heard of the CATU songs beforehand and the first time I heard this song, it didnt rlly stick with me at first but this song is something that you truly greatly appreciate better once you watched the movie for sure! I loved how CATU explored Candace's stand on the formula of the show and how she has this kind of inferiority complex with her brothers, I'm just glad she is finally getting better explored aside from Last Day of Summer and just, the song embodying how everyone is there for her really hits me in the heartstrings THE WAY SHE AND PHINEAS HARMONIZES,,IT'S SO GOOD!!! ;-; also DOOF AND VANESSA'S ONLY DUET and I especially. Love the visuals that came along with this song!!!

2. PERRY THE PLATYPUS THEME

THE SEXIEST OST IN THE ENTIRE SHOW I WILL NOT ACCEPT CRITICISM. But I especially love the extended version!!!!!!!!! THE JAZZ....THE INSTRUMENTAL.....Such a step up from what you can usually hear in the show, it caught me by surprise the first time hearing it ever since I got the at2d album back then.

SUMMER (WHERE DO WE BEGIN)

IMO this is peak phineas and ferb song, but at the same time it's kind of different from the songs that usually try to encompass the show's main theme, this one's more chill in comparison than let's say carpe diem and summer belongs to you, but I love how this song takes the time to step back and include the more mundane perspective of Phineas and Ferb in regards to Summer, because most songs in this show encompass the more over-the-top ideas Phineas and Ferb have. It really highlighted how much Summer meant to them but at the same time, a song about summer that finally we can somewhat relate to more ahahahhaa. This song was love at first hear, I love Phineas' voice in this, the lyrics (especially the line "every single story is worth its weight in gold"), the funny inclusion of the theme song, the visuals, and what is stands for,,,, this song makes me the most nostalgic for this show so that's a bonus

honorable mentions!

dance baby

(technically the only perry and doof "duet".. I wish we get more musical numbers featuring them actively participating more in the new seasons!)

OWCA files theme

(Has the same vibes as perry's theme so this gets major bonus points, I always wanted an OWCA spinoff and im kinda sad owca files never got greenlit, it was the chance for them to finally develop perry even further alongside doof ;w;)

Happy New Year

Olivia Olson's voice in this is so..good I also love the lyrics, it's such a nice new year song ok

#ask neek #sorry my top picks are boring and typical af but what can i do? i enjoy what i enjoy sdaljslkad;

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aphroditesacolyte · 1 year

Text

Meryl and Diosia

Ch 2. // Knight in Black Feathers // Read on AO3

Masterpost

Summary: Meryl seeks some alone time out at sea rather than by the shore, and finds that even then he is not safe.

Content warnings: Self esteem issues, implied murder, some crying/breaking down, potentially other unmarked things

~Approx word count: 3,500

================================================

Once more Meryl slipped away and spent the night roaming, enjoying the deep rich colour of blue that surrounded him, and the unobscured nectar of silver light sept into the water, too. Ordinary as it was, and as far away as he trailed from the shore (for although he could be foolish, he knew better than to go after someone who had both the capabilities, and likely the willingness to kill him) he still hadn’t found peace tonight. A little ways out, trudging along, was a massive, black creature that dipped its belly into the water, gliding along the surface in the way of a monster.

Despite how foreign it was, he recognized it well for what it was: a ship.

Those weren’t entirely unusual, however, for its existence he felt a sour distaste, as cruelly and wickedly as it could, it tucked along its scythe: a massive fishing net. Meryl knew very little of the human world, however, he knew one thing, humans weren’t allowed to fish here. It was an area protected from it, disallowed. Yet the black beast, to his dismay, chugged on—in his direction, as a matter of a fact. Yes, it kept moving, moving towards where his family and colony slept peacefully and with great vulnerability, and where fish colonies were rich and plentiful.

These humans were not welcome there, and he knew exactly how he’d deter them. He’d seen it done before, as these certainly weren’t an outlier in occurrences, but he’d never done it on his own. He’d only handled all the cut nets and lines and the disposal of them. His father said he was too weak to take care of it otherwise.

But he could do it. He could chase them away; from what he saw, there was only one net, and even if they had a spare, he could easily get that, too.

So, he headed back home on a mission for passive sabotage and slipped between weeds and coral until he came into the comfortable, caved out spot very close to his family’s sleeping quarters. As long as he was stealthy, he would be fine; They were all heavy sleepers.

Meryl wished he were a heavy sleeper, instead he wandered these unholy hours of the night, aimlessly.

Despite his train of thought he lingered not a moment longer than need-be to acclimate himself to his new goal, and he quickly rushed over to a compartment of carved stone within his den, sliding off its lid. He allowed for the thick slab to sink slowly to the ground before he searched inside.

His eyes happened upon his target quickly.

The gold colour was something opulent and appealing to the eye—most other merfolk wore bronze or silver or metal of other kinds, while his was special, made of rich and most valuable metal. It felt an irony to him, to be treated as if he were better, when he felt he was the only one of the colony worth less.

The metal shimmered and shined as he dared to pick them up, and gazed at the sharp, pointed ends. It was easy to tell from its condition it went entirely unused; it looked pristinely new. Its build (in his opinion) was strange, how there were so many parts that had to click and move to allow proper use of the hands. The armor hugged along the top of one’s fingers and closed together at the base, leaving the bottom edge of one’s appendages unprotected, but the way the claws curved would make it very difficult for someone to hurt his palm or other exposed parts of his hand.

Uncomfortably, he began to slip it on, and felt the ring (sized specifically to his wrist) click onto him like a bracelet or band with all of its suffocating, overbearing weight. He cringed as it bit onto each one of his fingers and fully locked into place. Instinctively, he flexed his hand and stared in a tinge of horror as it became something quite monstrous.

An involuntary shutter came to him as memories of the tool crept into his mind, images burned of how the water had turned itself to a deep, violent red. Under any circumstance but his, they were to kill. “To defend yourself” his father would insist, but he’d rather be killed than do something so grizzly to anyone. That sort of burning grief and guilt, regardless of whom he harmed, already haunted him. And though he’d only have to use it once—and it wouldn’t even be on anyone else—he couldn’t. It felt wrong, so each piece un-clicked and he cautiously, so slowly and fearfully, pulled it off and placed it back into the stone compartment it had come from before he heaved up the lid and pushed it back on. In favour of the murder weapon, he picked up a particularly sharp shell and set off. It would do the job of cutting rope just as well.

Soon enough he was getting close, and his pace died down in favor of motions more watchful, less prone to getting himself caught. High above him was the ship, and as he met eye-to-eye with the barnacles (the closest thing the creature would ever have to eyes) he grasped the shell carefully. His movement was calculated and hesitant as he pressed forward and found himself nearer and nearer to the boat, yet he couldn’t see any sort of lines or nets down yet.

Maybe they had taken it up?

His heart sank.

If they had done that, it meant they already caught all the fish they wanted. It was quiet here, though. They hadn’t come across any of the good spots yet as far as he was aware, though he only found the ship recently. He wondered what made them so desperate to hunt on these waters.

His answer came in a terrifying way as he felt something push him forward, wrapping and encapsulating him entirely. He thrashed and panicked against the net as it yanked his weapon away from him—I should’ve been holding on tighter, he scolded himself in the midst of his struggling.

He pushed and swam against the net, but whatever hoisted it up was far stronger than he was.

How many humans were pulling this net?

It only heightened his fear to realize he’d be in their grasp when it was clear these ones meant harm, if not to him then to his home, and frankly, to hurt his home was to hurt him either way. He fought mightily against it and regretted the fact he hadn’t taken the claws instead; those would be helpful right now. He couldn’t idiotically drop those.

He let out something between a whimper and a shout as he was jostled and tossed repeatedly. Tugged upwards and forced out of the water completely, every droplet began to run away from him and die below, bringing him morning for every bit of water that he lost.

The side of the ship was nothing of note, something he practically missed from the great haste he was taken up with, and even swifter afterwards, he had made it up to the deck to be flashed with violent light. His eyes squinted shut in discomfort and he covered his ears, mostly at the sound of human chatter, but there were plenty of heavy, foreign clatterings accompanying them.

Once he felt the light ease up, he opened his eyes, just in time to watch as a few humans grasped onto the net and shoved him down. He was pressed to a cold, strange floor that was dark and metallic. It reminded him of the feeling of the claws, and what he imagined they’d feel like when they were dry.

He tried to push himself up, but the net still wrapped around him tightly, like a snake eagerly coiling its prey. It did him no use, but he looked around anyways, somewhat frantic to understand how many humans he was with. He could only count about six. Six humans lifted him up with such ease?

One reached over to the net, and seemed to untangle it until another human spoke.

“What are you doing?” They asked the other human, angrily.

The questioning human was a tall and dark figure who loomed over almost the entirety of the human group. They must’ve been the important one, he thought.

The one that had grasped the net stared. “We’re letting him go, aren’t we? They aren’t legal to sell.”

The dark human looked at the helpful human with a grimace as its gaze now pounded down at Meryl. “And that’ll make it sell all the better. Put it away.”

“Dead or alive?” An obscure human asked, and his heart might’ve tasted a brief moment of death as it skipped a beat.

“Alive.” They said bluntly, and began to walk away before it turned back. “You,” they pointed to the helpful human who still clutched the net. He noticed the look of shock on the kind human’s face. “If you like it so much, put it away.”

“Yes sir.” This second human mumbled quietly, then looked back down to him.

He stared up with pleading eyes.

Out of all the humans, this one seemed kind. He hoped dearly he could convince it to save him. Another human or two joined it, but rather than removing the net, they decidedly cut it and sealed it back up with some other material winding around it. It made the net feel like an even tighter space, so he spoke out helplessly against it.

“Please let me go.” He pleaded and squirmed, but the humans only seemed to gaze away, perhaps out of guilt, or maybe it truly was an apathy.

He begged and begged again, and no response was received.

They tossed him onto something strange to secure him, then left him be. He was alone with all but one human as company; it was the helpful human who stared at him pitifully. He could see the gentle roundness and wrinkles of their face, and their white hair that flopped down like strings of seaweed. They looked sympathetic.

“I’m sorry.” They said quietly, compassionately, before they turned and walked away.

He appreciated the sympathy, he felt terribly ungrateful for it too, but… it wasn’t that helpful.

Now he was entirely, completely alone and there wasn’t a prospect of escape anywhere, which left all the room for hopelessness to hollow him out and make its home inside of him. The true direness of his situation began to press into him mercilessly, an erratic beat in his chest and a twisting in his stomach. When he squirmed and thrashed, the feelings only seemed to heighten as the net gave no care to his desperation. He watched humans walk by carelessly, and his eyes began to water. To this he scolded himself: water is too important to waste right now, crying and struggling would probably just make him dry out quicker.

A long time went by, a few hours perhaps, and by then Meryl felt a little lightheaded. His body allowed for him to breath above water to a certain degree, but it functioned best beneath, where the gills along his neck outmatched by far the small pair of human-like lungs in his chest.

The world was dizzying and confusing, and distant noises such as the shouting of men and splashing of water were only vague in his mind.

One by one the crew seemed to disappear.

He knew it was happening, but he had no idea why, and his brain was too blurry to muster a substitute answer for him or otherwise wonder. He let out a distressed whimper at his state. Was there going to be someone who came for him? This was painful and uncomfortable. He was vulnerable and dry and dizzy and all sorts of disorientated by tonight and now he wished he had just stayed home and tried to sleep like a normal mer. Why couldn’t he ever just be a normal mer?

Meryl’s body froze up as he heard the thudding of footsteps approaching, and suddenly the air powerfully whisked by him and made a WHOOSH sound, as if someone had just… flapped their wings.

“Oh my,” came a familiar voice, and Meryl scrambled to look around and place it. In the gross yellow, dystopian, and fake light Diosia looked much different. Scarier. “Why, they even left me a treat.” Diosia purred as he placed his hands down on the edge of whatever Meryl was on.

His narrowed eyes and a smug curve to his lips suggested something sinister, and in the light the yellow of his eyes looked saturated. Meryl was frightened and half-dazed, he couldn’t muster a reply if he wanted to.

Diosia chuckled as he leaned in and studied his condition. “You’re a rather unlucky thing, aren’t you?” He asked as he tugged at the net briefly before he rose back up and brought himself high.

Meryl weakly nodded, laying down and curled up as much as he could be. He’d reply to Diosia kindly if he could, he felt awful for not answering, but he felt truly terrible.

“You’re rather quiet tonight,” Diosia mused as he prowled about the table Meryl had been left on. “Something wrong in particular? Or was our first meeting merely an exception to your typical?”

Meryl realized maybe this was his chance.

“W-water.” He croaked out, so hoarse and faint one might’ve thought they imagined it.

“Ah, you’re thirsty? Very well then…”

Meryl tried to poke his head up as Diosia disappeared somewhere. His sight tried to follow the black of his wings, but those too disappeared behind a corner of the vessel. It was clear the siren misunderstood, but as long as he was brought his water, he’d be fine. He rested his head for a brief moment to be interrupted by the sound of Diosia returning.

THUD and Diosia stood on the surface with him too, a cup in his hand and a sly, plotting look on his face as he bent down to sit. He set himself down and even through the netting pulled Meryl close to his liking, using each strand as if it were a puppet’s string to adjust him to be forwards facing and back pressed against Diosia as his legs looped around Meryl.

Diosia grabbed his chin, which made the netting cut into him, and forced it to tilt upwards as he pressed the cup to his lips. Meryl hadn’t any sort of energy or power to resist, and regardless of whether or not he did, Diosia would have total power over him as long as he fancied. He obediently drank until Diosia pulled the cup away.

“Better?” He asked Meryl as he forced him to look over to him.

“I-in water.” Meryl murmured back.

With a sudden, great poise Diosia rose and let go of Meryl, and Meryl realized all the support he had provided, how heavily he had been leaning against Diosia. However, he was given hardly any time at all to register or think further as the heaving sensation of gravity tugged his whole body down and pressed him to the bottom of the net. His brain was given just enough time to understand that Diosia was flying before a little short of his entire body was dunked beneath the water and held there.

The sensation of relief was powerful—that was two things checked off. Escape the humans, breathe clearly. But a third problem had so kindly graced him now.

Diosia had him entirely in his clutches—he was helpless still, just helpless to a different name. There would be no chances for running unless Diosia let him go, and why would he do that? He already noticed how the water pushed along, and with the view from above it was clear Diosia was carrying him along towards shore. With a revitalized breath and mind, he battled powerfully against this newly assigned fate.

No matter who it was for, he was NOT going to be dinner.

But by his odds it seemed he was, as now Diosia had scooped him back up out of the water, and they were soaring incredibly high while only going higher. Meryl watched in horror as the sight of water, of familiarity and safety, disappeared below them and was replaced with the rocky top of a cliff, whom encroached closer and closer until (with a surprising amount of gentleness) he was set down to become acquainted with the ground.

His breathing was heavy as he gazed about and tried to seek out the nearest body of water. He found the edge of the cliff taunted him with the prospect of all the water just below it, but that was mixed with jagged rocks, and he couldn’t out-swim Diosia even if he somehow managed to land safely and consciously.

His anxiety crashed down and forced a cave-in, and so he conceded to the fact he was trapped with Diosia, and now he could only cower and hope that Diosia may make it painless for him.

Speaking of him, he approached. Meryl scrambled away desperately and gasped with shock as even though he was already aware, it truly solidified an image of death in his mind.

He was lulled and forced to be tame by the sweet sound of song, and Diosia loomed over him for a moment.

“I will be back soon, little mer.” His wings began to spread as he took a few light steps away. “I’d advise staying still for both our sakes.”

And then again Diosia was gone. Meryl whimpered and clutched at the netting for some shred of comfort, cuddling into the sharp, unfriendly edges as if it were a blanket, for it was all he had, and maybe all he would until he was dead. Tears formed at the corner of his eyes and began to flow easily, and he couldn’t help but tremble. It’s not as though, this time, his crying inconvenienced anyone. It was a long time before something aside from his sharp, sobbing inhales could be heard.

“Meryl.” Came a soft voice, sweet and still harmonic.

He curled into himself more, and didn’t bother replying—which only made his crying worse as guilt sept into him from ignoring someone.

“Y-y-yeah?” He managed to chatter out.

He heard the gentle grating of something against the net, and glanced up to see how Diosia cut it away.

“Are you alright?”

Diosia’s expression was unreadable. It was nothing sympathetic, but nothing cruel or menacing either. He didn’t know Diosia well, but it felt strange, maybe out of character.

The question broke him.

“No!” He sobbed and collapsed into himself in the same way the net had fallen around him now.

Suddenly, he was lifted out of the coils of rope and into something gentle and warm. It wrapped around him entirely, and shielded him from anything but himself. He appreciated the gentle act of sympathy, especially right before he’d be gone, and so thanked him quietly.

Diosia did not sing nor speak. He only breathed, peacefully. Meryl cried a little more, and the emergence of a gentle voice broke him down further.

“I won’t hurt you, Meryl.”

He didn’t question it, he took every word as the truth it was intended to be perceived as, and wrapped his arms around Diosia tightly. “TH-th-thank you.” He whimpered and sniffled.

Diosia sang a few tender notes and calmed Meryl’s mind, chasing away every fear and anxiety that plagued him. Slowly, Diosia’s embrace retracted, and Meryl understood it was time to let go.

Diosia smiled in a way somewhat similar to what he had become accustomed to. “I’m merely repaying the favour. You saved me, and now I have done the same for you.” He leaned in, finally some of the menace returning as his smile grew. “I won’t owe you anything next time though, little mer.”

Meryl smiled warmly and sweetly in the way he always did. “You owed me nothing,” he spoke as calmly as he could, “but thank you. I won’t forget it.”

Diosia chuckled softly as he rose, and with ease scooped Meryl up in his arms to carry him back to shore. It all went too quickly for him, and before he knew it, he was being gently and insistently placed into the soft tempo of waves retracting over sand. By the time he was set down completely and had adjusted himself to turn around, Diosia was already disappearing again—a bleak, almost invisible figure in the night. He dipped his head beneath the relieving familiarity of the water, although he was tempted to simply gawk, and made his way back home as well.

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#original writing #original story #original characters #oc story #fantasy writing #romance writing #acolyte's stories: meryl and diosia #OC: Diosia #OC: Meryl

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thommi-tomate · 1 year

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Thomas about the UCL quarter finals vs ManCity

Statistically, I think the match against Manchester City is probably the toughest one. If we were to play 10 games against each other, the odds would probably be very even. That's not really to our taste at FC Bayern. We like to have the feeling of being absolutely favored.

On the other hand I am looking forward to the Challenge 🏋️‍♂️

And we've already had good experiences with the top teams this season. A special aspect of such matches for us as players are the many desires they arouse in the entire environment. EwT: Everyone wants tickets 😂 Such big matches are simply a pleasure for me.

When I think of Man City, I think of Pep, of positional discipline and team tactical behavior.

You don't often see such a strong imprint of a coach in the direction of a team.

Against Pep teams, you'll be without the ball a lot, more than you'd like. Teams coached by him aren't scoreless with every attack. But they always move the opponent. That costs energy.

A Pep team with Haaland is still a Pep team for me. But with Erling they have an absolute weapon, he is an excellent striker.

In the end, we will do everything to have the nose in front after two games. That shouldn't be a problem with my nose 🤣.

I see a big advantage in the fact that the second leg is back at home in Munich. We got a lot of energy from the fans at the Paris game. That's worth its weight in gold.

So let's do it together in April. It's going to be a great time in all three competitions. I'm looking forward to it!

Source: Die Müller Mail

#thomas müller #fc bayern münchen #FCBvsManCity #Ucl quarter finals #Die Müller Mail

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christophermraerdon · 1 year

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The Influencer Marketing Factory: How to Create a Sustainable and Scalable Business

If you’re thinking about starting an influencer marketing business, or if you want to take your existing operation to the next level, this post is for you. Here, we’ll outline how to create a sustainable and scalable influencer marketing factory. By following these steps, you can build a successful business that will continue to grow and generate profits for years to come.

First things first: what is an influencer marketing factory? Simply put, it’s a company that specializes in creating and executing influencer marketing campaigns. These businesses usually have a team of experts who are well-versed in social media strategy, creative content development, and relationship management with influencers.

An influencer marketing factory is different from other types of agencies because they focus solely on one thing: helping brands reach their target audiences through the use of influential people on social media. This laser-like focus allows them to be more efficient and effective than other agencies that try to do everything under the sun.

So now that we know what an IM Factory is, let’s dive into how you can create one yourself!

youtube

and influencer marketing: a perfect match?

What could be more perfect than combining the reach and power of influencer marketing with the cool, mysterious allure of “none”? Now, before you write this off as some sort of absurd joke, hear us out. We think there’s real potential here.

Sure, on the surface it might seem like an odd pairing. But when you really think about it, “none” has a lot to offer in terms of marketing potential. For starters, it’s unique – there’s nothing else quite like it. And when you’re trying to stand out in today’s crowded marketplace, that can be worth its weight in gold.

But beyond that, “none” also has a certain air of mystery and exclusivity around it. It suggests that whatever is being marketed is special or rare or only available to a select few. And let’s face it: people love feeling like they’re part of an exclusive club. It makes them feel special and valued. So if you can tap into that feeling with your marketing campaign, you’re sure to find success.

So what does all this have to do with influencer marketing? Well, simply put: we think they’re a perfect match! By teaming up with popular social media personalities who already have large followings built up, you can give your campaign instant credibility and reach while still maintaining that desired air of exclusivity.”

Why “none” is the best option for influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is a type of marketing that focuses on using key individuals (or influencers) to promote a brand, product, or service. These people typically have a large following on social media and are considered to be experts in their field.

There are many reasons why “none” is the best option for influencer marketing. First, it allows companies to focus on their core message without being distracted by outside influences. Second, it eliminates the need to spend money on compensating influencers for their participation. Third, it helps create an aura of exclusivity around the company and its products/services, which can further increase demand. Finally, by not aligning with any one influencer, companies avoid the risk of being associated with that person’s negative publicity.

How to get started with “none” influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is a type of marketing that focuses on using influential people to promote a product or service. These influencers can be anyone with a large following on social media, including celebrities, bloggers, and even everyday people.

The first step in starting an influencer marketing campaign is to identify your target audience. Once you know who you want to reach, you can then start searching for influencers who have influence over that demographic. When considering an influencer for your campaign, it’s important to look at their engagement rate and make sure they align with your brand values.

Once you’ve found the right influencers for your campaign, the next step is to reach out and negotiate a partnership. This will involve agreeing on what kind of content will be created, as well as any compensation that will be exchanged. Once all the details are ironed out, it’s time to start creating content and promoting your product or service!

The benefits of choosing “none” for your influencer marketing strategy

As the world of marketing has evolved, so too has the concept of influencer marketing. Once upon a time, brands would pay celebrities to endorse their products in hopes that their fans would follow suit and make a purchase. However, with the rise of social media, anyone can be an influencer – and that’s not always a good thing.

There are now countless “influencers” out there who are nothing more than glorified product placement machines. They will shill anything for a quick buck, regardless of whether or not it’s a good fit for their audience. This often leads to poor quality content and a loss of trust from followers.

So what’s the alternative? Choosing “none” for your influencer marketing strategy might seem counterintuitive, but hear us out. By investing in other forms of marketing (such as SEO or content marketing), you can avoid the pitfalls associated with traditional influencer marketing while still reaping the benefits. Here’s why:

1) You have more control over the message: When you work with an influencer, you are essentially giving them free reign over your brand’s image. With SEO and content marketing, however, you have complete control over how your brand is presented to the world. This allows you to craft a message that is true to your values and resonates with your target audience – something that is much harder to do when working with an outside party.

2) You build lasting relationships with customers: Influencers come and go, but if you focus on creating valuable content, you will develop relationships with customers that last long after they make a purchase from you. These relationships are built on trust and

Tips for creating a successful influencer marketing campaign with “none”

1. Before launching an influencer marketing campaign, take the time to carefully consider your goals and objectives. What are you hoping to achieve? How will you measure success? By taking the time to plan ahead, you’ll be in a much better position to create a successful campaign.

2. Next, identify the right influencers for your brand. Look for people who have a large following and are respected in their field. They should also align with your brand’s values and messaging. Once you’ve found several potential candidates, reach out and see if they’re interested in working with you.

3. Finally, once you’ve launched your campaign, don’t forget to monitor its progress and track those all-important metrics. This will help you determine whether or not it’s been successful and make necessary adjustments along the way.

By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating a successful influencer marketing campaign with none other than the Influencer Marketing Factory!

Case study: Why we chose “none” for our latest influencer marketing campaign

Picking an influencer for our latest marketing campaign wasn’t easy. We considered a lot of factors: reach, engagement, cost per post, and more. But there was one factor that we couldn’t ignore: the quality of the content.

We decided to go with “none” for our influencer because we wanted to send a message that quality is more important than quantity. We want our followers to know that we carefully consider who we partner with and that we only work with those who can create high-quality content.

It was a risk, but it paid off. The response to the campaign has been overwhelmingly positive, and we’ve seen a surge in engagement from our target audience.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt that influencer marketing is here to stay. And as the industry continues to grow, so too will the need for sustainable and scalable businesses. The Influencer Marketing Factory is a perfect example of such a business. By providing a one-stop shop for all things influencer marketing, they’ve created a model that can be replicated by other businesses looking to get in on the action. So if you’re thinking about starting your own influencer marketing factory, now is the time!

The post The Influencer Marketing Factory: How to Create a Sustainable and Scalable Business appeared first on SwiftCreator.com.

https://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png https://swiftcreator.com/influencer-marketing/the-influencer-marketing-factory-how-to-create-a-sustainable-and-scalable-business/

https://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png https://swiftcreatorcom.wordpress.com/2022/12/24/the-influencer-marketing-factory-how-to-create-a-sustainable-and-scalable-business/

#computer scientist #experimental roboticist #university of denver #assistant professor #computer sci

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amaraeshepard · 1 year

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CITADEL - ORDERS TO RESUPPLY, REPAIR AND RELAX - PART TWO

Flux Nightclub Aroch Ward, Citadel

KAIDAN It was usually busy, but tonight half of the crew of the Normandy had decided that a night of shore leave meant a night of drinking, dancing and when the music transitioned, conversation. Though some drank and laughed, the table that Kaidan found himself sitting at was quieter. Not somber but still carrying the weight of their mission. He found himself glaring at the beer bottle in his hand while Garrus, a Turian that he had come to know and respect let his sub-vocals growl in anger even as he kept his words to himself.

Joker on the other hand was vocal. Very vocal. As was Ashley, the other human soldier that had joined the crew after the nightmare that was Eden Prime.

“It’s all bullshit!” Ashley growled, thumping her own beer bottle on the table. “The Commander did everything she could and saved the team so you could get them out and they still-”

“Just another council moment. Be a Spectre and do what you have to do, but please don’t break anything. I mean…why bother giving her a rank if she can’t use it?” Joker growled and sat further back in his chair. “Shepard is good. Good person good. She doesn’t need this shit.”

“She does what is needed to get it done. I respect her for that.” Garrus finally spoke, his own dextro beer bottle hitting the table. “I have never met anyone like her. Selfless.”

“She’s always been like that. Brave beyond reason and kind…” Kaidan absently stated.

“That’s right! You knew her as a kid!” Joker smiled, his attention locking on Kaidan.

The frustration of the conversation vanished and now, Kaidan had three pairs of eyes watching him closely. He had been asked several times for a clarification on the nature of his relationship with Shepard, and each time he had refused to answer by dodging the question or shifting the narrative enough for the answer to be lost in some vague answer he had thought of. It wasn’t lying but omitting. He wasn’t sure how to answer if he was truthful with himself. They had a moment in her quarters the other night. Something that could have been something more but she was still his CO and he was still her subordinate. Once the search for Saren was over, they would have a chance to figure it out. He would leave the Normandy if he had to…She was worth it.

“Come on, Lieutenant, spill! I’ve been dying to know since the launch party! Help us out!” Joker leaned closer as though a secret could be whispered to him amidst the loud music and flashing lights safely.

Music and lights that are going to blossom into a headache soon, I should go back to the Normandy and sleep.

“It’s nothing special. Our families knew each other and-” His words hung in the air as though frozen. He was frozen as well, locked into place as his eyes caught a familiar figure that cut its way through the crowd.

Spectre Amara Shepard, wearing that damn white dress, had arrived. Both her Normandy crew as well as strangers parted before her, eyes widening as they focused on her form while some dry swallowed or let their jaws drop. She was always beautiful to him, but it was her confidence that drew such a reaction from others. She was unapologetically herself and her confidence was just as felt as it was seen. She knew who and what she was in a way that most of the galaxy could only wish to learn, and she never felt the need to demean or bring others down to feel that way. She instead brought others around herself up and helped them find that confidence in themselves.

Her eyes, seas of molten gold, had locked on their table and then on his own gaze as he watched her. He was to distracted to notice anything around him any longer and found himself smiling as she arrived at the table.

“Hope I didn’t miss too much fun.” She teased.

“You look amazing Commander!” Ashley said in near-awe.

“You clean up well, Shepard.” Garrus chimed in, a soothing subvocal accompanying his words. “Good to see you out here.”

Amara smiled, “May as well make the most of it, we are on leave regardless.”

“That we are, Commander.” Kaidan suddenly found himself saying.

“So how many drinks do I need to catch up?” She asked, pulling a chair from another table to her left. She pushed it between Kaidan and Garrus and took a seat. “Can’t have my crew leaving me behind.”

“We are on our second round, Commander.” Ashley finally said. “You have plenty of time.”

“Not as much as you would think, Chief, I plan on hitting the dance floor. I didn’t get dressed up for nothing.” **Sorry posts have been slow this past week. Tis the season of real life issues and seasonal survival runs to stores for food, baking supplies and gifts! Thank you for reading! Hope you like it and be safe out there! ♥**

#amara shepard #mass effect canon divergent #mass effect fanfiction #kaidan alenko #shepard x kaidan #f!shenko #kaimara #joker moreau #ashley williams #garrus vakarian #love these dorks

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gamecrag · 10 months

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IdleOn is a game that is filled to the brim with complex game mechanics and dozens of unique items that give players diverse advantages. To balance things out, most of these advantages are given to the player in the form of small stat boosts, which help out in various ways. For example, you can increase your CRIT rate, HP, damage, and luck by using such items. When it comes to Statues, things are a bit more complicated because they’re not easy to obtain or apply as compared to things like Special Talents and Obols. However, when you do manage to get a good statue – it’s very much worth the effort because it enhances your characters beautifully. And you can sell them too if you need some extra cash. As with everything else, not every statue is equal. All of them provide a decent bonus, but some of them are far more advantageous than others. And it takes a while to try all of them out manually to see what’s the best. Don’t worry, we’re here to save your time with a list of the 10 best statues in IdleOn that you should aim for! Statues may be harder to obtain than other stat boosters in IdleOn, but they are worth their weight in gold. With the right set of statues applied to your team, you’ll be untouchable. 10) Egg Statue Breeding is unlocked quite later on in the game, but it’s an activity that is very fun to take part in. After all, who doesn’t love pets? And it’s even better when they’re just pixels and thus lack the effort needed in taking care of them. The Egg Statue helps you out by giving a %Breeding XP bonus, which helps you get better gains from the overall experience. It’s not a major difference, but it’s still a must-have for those who participate in breeding often. 9) Pecunia Statue If you want to make a lot of money (in IdleOn, of course), the Pecunia Statue is here to help. There is no rocket science involved here, the statue just gives you coins when applied by boosting the %Coins stat. If you sell it, you can get 10 Copper coins as well – which is not very useful but since this statue drops from a lot of random boss fights, you’ll be selling duplicates anyway. 8) Mining Statue There are many useful Skills in IdleOn, and Mining is certainly one of them. It helps you gather many important resources, some of which serve as a prerequisite to great items. The Mining Statue gives you a Mining Power boost, which then helps you mine faster and with more efficiency. It can be found in a couple of different places, so its lack of rarity makes it more accessible as well. 7) Thicc Skin Statue Being defensive is frowned upon emotionally, but when it comes to fending off bodily harm – there should be no second thought. The Thicc Skin Statue boosts your Base Defense, which you can increase later on. It’s fairly helpful and provides a decent stat boost, especially when paired with other items that do the same. 6) Speed Statue Personally, movement speed is very important to me because time is a precious resource, whether in real life or in a video game. And in a game like IdleOn where being faster makes you a better fighter too – it’s a no-brainer that something like the Speed Statue is great. By itself, the increase isn’t massive – but if you improve the stats of the statue or pair it with other items that boost speed, you’re in for a flashy experience. 5) Base Health You may not feel like you need extra health normally, but when you go up against a boss fight with millions of health – you realize the true meaning of ‘almost had him!’. With the Health Statue, your Base Health gets a boost and lets you endure more damage than ever before. 4) Power Statue Power Statue is pretty easy to obtain, but don’t let that undermine its effectiveness to you. It gives you bonus Base Damage stats, which makes your character more powerful than before. It’s nothing fancy or gimmicky – but sometimes you just want a simple increase in strength – and that’s what you’ll get here.

3) Beholder Statue The Beholder Statue gives players a %CRIT Chance bonus, which enhances your likelihood of getting a critical hit in a fight. Given how useful critical hits are, anything that increases the chance of getting them is great. Plus, this statue looks pretty cool in a creepy way – so that’s an added bonus in itself. 2) Exp Book Statue No matter what your preferred stats are, you can never go wrong with a %Class XP boost. The Exp Book Statue makes it easier to level up your characters, and that is a great bonus to have. Not only does something like this come in handy for your existing team, but it never hurts to try out different classes that you hadn’t before too. And with this statue, they will level up faster than before. 1) Ehexpee Statue Legend says that the creator of this statue was fed up with people not understanding his previous statue designs. So, since this statue’s purpose is to give players a %Skill XP boost, it simply spells it out visually too. Although most of the statues provide great bonuses, it’s just undeniable that everyone loves having better Skill XP gain. And that’s why it’s so high up on the list. That’s it for our list of the 10 best statues in IdleOn that you can use. Though the game has plenty of them, we feel that these are the most useful ones for reasons that we’ve already stated. We hope that you found this guide useful, and while you’re still here, make sure to check out many of our other IdleOn guides too!

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freetriumphwasteland-blog · 1 year

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How are Semi-Precious Gemstones different from Precious Gemstones?

What are Precious and Semi-Precious Gemstones? The term "precious" refers to those gemstones that are rarer, more expensive and harder to find. They are also more durable than semi-precious stones, which means they can be used in jewelry pieces that will be worn on a regular basis. Semi-precious stones are less rare than precious ones, but they're still considered valuable because of their beauty and significance in cultures around the world. In fact, many people choose to wear both types of gemstones together so they can enjoy all of these benefits at once! What are the Differences Between Precious and Semi-Precious Gemstones? The difference between precious and semi-precious gemstones is the value. Precious gemstones are more expensive than semi-precious ones because they're rarer, and therefore more difficult to find. They also tend to be more popular among collectors and jewelers, which makes them even more valuable. Semi-precious stones can be just as beautiful as their precious counterparts--but because they aren't as rare or sought after by collectors, they tend to cost less than their precious counterparts. What are the Properties of Precious and Semi-Precious Gemstones? - Physical Properties of Precious and Semi-Precious Gemstones - Chemical Properties of Precious and Semi-Precious Gemstones How are Precious and Semi-Precious Gemstones Formed? Precious and semi-precious gemstones are formed in a number of different ways. The most common way is through magma, which is a mixture of molten rock, gases and other materials that rises from deep within the earth's crust. Magma cools down over time as it moves through the crust, forming crystals that can be mined for their beauty and value. Another way precious and semi-precious gemstones are formed is by being created during volcanic eruptions when hot lava mixes with water or other chemicals on the surface of Earth to create colorful minerals like amethyst (purple quartz), citrine (yellow quartz) or topaz (colorless beryl). How are Precious and Semi-Precious Gemstones Mined? How are Precious and Semi-Precious Gemstones Mined? The mining of precious and semi-precious gemstones is not an easy task. There are many challenges that must be overcome, including: - The location of the deposit (the mine) can be difficult to access due to its location underground or underwater. For example, aquamarine deposits are found deep within ocean floors which makes them difficult to reach by humans without specialized equipment like scuba gear or submarines. - The size of the deposit may be too small for commercial use so only a few miners will work on it at once instead of multiple companies competing with each other for access rights like they do with gold mines in South Africa today where there are literally hundreds if not thousands working at any given time! How are Precious and Semi-Precious Gemstones Used in Jewelry? - Rings - Necklaces - Earrings - Bracelets What is the Significance of Different Colors of Precious and Semi-Precious Gemstones? The significance of different colors- - The color of a gemstone is one of the most important factors in determining its value. For example, blue sapphires are more valuable than green ones because they're rarer and more sought after by collectors. - Other factors that influence the price of a stone include clarity (the absence or presence of inclusions), cut (the shape), carat weight and country of origin. How are Precious and Semi-Precious Gemstones Valued? The factors that determine the value are similar. However, there are some differences in how they affect the price of these stones. The following are some of these factors: - The rarity or availability of a stone (i.e., if it's not easy to find) - The quality of cut, color and clarity (i.e., if it's well-cut or has good color) - Whether it's mounted in jewelry or loose (i.e., mounted jewelry is usually worth more than loose) What is the History of Precious and Semi-Precious Gemstones? The history of mining precious and semi-precious gemstones dates back to the ancient civilizations. The use of these minerals in jewelry can be traced back to the Bronze Age, around 3,000 B.C., when people began using copper and gold as adornments. They would also carve them into beads or pendants and use them as religious symbols or status symbols for royalty or nobility. In Ancient Egypt, there was a belief that wearing certain types of minerals could ward off evil spirits; this led people to create amulets with semi-precious stones like lapis lazuli (a blue stone), carnelian (red) quartz crystal , turquoise , malachite , jadeite , nephrite jade (green) etcetera . In addition, many cultures believed that having certain colored gems on one's person would bring good luck! Read the full article

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maldonadoaagesen04 · 1 year

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barbarewjohnson · 1 year

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The Influencer Marketing Factory: How to Create a Sustainable and Scalable Business

So now that we know what an IM Factory is, let’s dive into how you can create one yourself!

and influencer marketing: a perfect match?

Why “none” is the best option for influencer marketing

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The post The Influencer Marketing Factory: How to Create a Sustainable and Scalable Business appeared first on SwiftCreator.com.

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