#i know a lot of them are incorrect but that still doesn't stop me from feeling utterly useless in every sense of the word

[singing-bones]

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[dropthedemiurge]

Let Free The Curse of Taekwondo: Things you didn't notice #1

Isn't this another K-BL where I'm internally squealing because of every single detail? You bet it is. You can read my other meta/cultural detail/Korean language posts for Love for Love's Sake, Time of Fever, Grey Shelter and Boys be Brave on my pinned post or hashtags^^ (I really need to organize it under one singly hashtag tho...)

I already talked about how impressed I am with the fact that this series has done their preparation job well, with props, settings, language, history etc.

It is about a countryside/small town in Southern province of Korea - because a lot of characters use satoori (southern dialect), almost all of them except for the main two guys. There is also a distinct contrast/conflict between 'fancy Seoul rich guys' looking down on 'Southern town'. Juyoung even was surprised Dohoi doesn't use satoori.

To which, he responded with 'You'll be uncomfortable if I use it". And Juyoung said there are plenty other uncomfortable things around here, beside understanding/listening to everyone using other accent xD Confusing Gaga translation errors, we meet again!

Actually, it's interesting because Dohoi's name is written 이도회 in Korean, which typically would be written as 'Dohoi' but pronounced as 'Dohwe' (think of surname Choi that is actually pronounced as Chwe), yet in the first episode I clearly heard them actually say 'Dohoi', letter by letter. Now I wonder if it's also related to satoori... I wish I could speak it, it sounds so cool tbh.

He actually said 'I'm not in a good condition', meaning his physical form. What do you mean, mood, when was that ever an excuse in sports..?xD

By the way, what is it with boys trying to get closer to other boys by buying them unusual ice cream?:') Okay, garlic sounds more weird than red bean one :D

Also, I tried to find the Hasong town they talked about but failed - maybe because of incorrect transcription or maybe they made up this town based on Uiseong - a small town close to Daegu which is famous for being the most famous garlic town, they produce a lot of it and garlic fame would be seen everywhere - so who knows, I bet they allude to this when Juyoung said 'why can't there be a vanilla garlic ice cream? It's like a collaboration!'

Another thing, I thought the time of this series was somewhere around 1990s-2000s (because I watched a movie in similar setting that was called 1997 year but they still used pagers, now that I think about it). It was also still the time where teachers could use physical punishment on their students, it's heavily highlighted but I don't actually know around what time they stopped... Probably in Seoul, they already were getting rid of it but in small towns it was old-school teaching, which is again why Dohoi tried to tell Joyoung out of it.

I'm not familiar when small laptops and phones appeared in Seoul but I think the series is actually somewhere around 2005-2010! Which would make sense, Juyoung got the 'cool' flip-phone and a laptop with Windows XP (released in 2001) but small town is still far from that, as they use landline house phones to make a call.

He also has mp3 player and as other tumblr folks figured out, he was listening and dancing to Jewelry song released in 2005 :)

And another thing that convinced me about the time era... the final scene!

Do you want to know why at the end of Ep 1 Dohoi smiled and laughed and ran to Juyoung even after so many exhausting days and neverending small miseries and a new loud housemate?

Because Juyoung not only came to pick him up with an umbrella in the acid rain, he also reenacted the famous umbrella scene from the classic romantic K-drama called "Temptation of Wolves" (늑대의 유혹) which was released in 2004! To make Dohoi laugh.

(Yes, when Juyoung intentionally put the umbrella down and the camera cut the shot to the framing when the umbrella slowly lifts up, showing smiling Juyoung, I was like 'you did nooooooot' xD)

(last screenshots taken from @heretherebedork post, I'm sorry I am very lazy and cannot take a good screenshot for life :'))

So that was already our very first romantic teasing-implication!

Another cute thing: optimistic Joyoung wrote a diary entry into the fake old Korean "Facebook" (they had Cyworld instead) to share his first selfie with Dohoi:

"[Excited Shin Jjuyoung]" (typing in a popular back then teenage style) "I miss you guys... But here it's nice too hehe ^___^ Come to play with me!! Together with my friend Dohoi too~~!"

Aren't they the cuteestttttt? I mean, this dynamic is not new but I love how unique the setting is. And I can't wait to watch the second episode, I'm waiting and savoring the first one for now but I'm going to make notes about other episodes as well so stay tuned! If you reply/comment in tags, I will put you in my tag list^^

Tag list: @benkaben @pickletrip @troubled-mind

[another-goblin]

I've seen a lot of interesting opinions about Dr. Ratio. Some of them I disagree with. So I decided to compile a little list of why I disagree with them. The first part will be about things that seem factually incorrect, and the second part is about things that are rather a matter of interpretation and context.

As always, I might be wrong, so feel free to correct me.

1. Things that seem factually incorrect. 

"Ratio is an egoist and does everything for attention and recognition" - I don't remember him ever saying or doing anything that would indicate that. He saved these researchers secretly and made our TB take all the credit. He later even calls himself a "supporting character". He gets angry if we ask him for an autograph.

"He doesn't care about people" - yes, if you skipped his passionate speech to Screwllum about how much he cares about people. But also, everything he does in the game is helping people (saving these researchers on Herta station, offering us his help later in the express dialogues and messages - offering us to enroll in university, participate in devates, turn the express into a weapon, later helping Aventurine with his plan, helping him to find information, and so on).

"He hasn't achieved anything in science" - the list of his scientific achievements is easily available, I wouldn't say it's nothing. But I'll also leave this here:

Even his dedicated hater disagrees with this.

"Ratio's note did nothing to convince Aventurine to stay alive, it was all Acheron" - from how I see it, he was fully determined to end his life up until he read that note. Otherwise, why would they introduce the note at all? Why did Acheron feel the need to remind him of it?

"He never wanted to draw the gaze of Nous" and "He still wants it" - we can deduce that it isn't true from different parts of the game (he actually wanted it in the past but doesn't anymore), but that is a direct confirmation:

(I trust Screwllum's opinion.)

"Everybody hates him in-universe" - this is interesting because I even heard this from his fans. And it might sort of feel intuitive, but I don't remember any evidence of that. He literally has an in-universe fan club. People who knew him closely talk about him warmly in his character stories. The only person I remember ever expressing any negativity towards him was some shcolar in the Simulatred Universe, but I don't think it counts. I'll talk more about his students in particular later, but short version: I don't think they hate him either.

"I hate it when he tells me 'Zero points, get out' and throws chalk at me, that's mean" - that's so weirdly specific, but I've seen it a dozen times already. And, like, why??? He tells it to his enemies, not to us. I mean, nobody's angry at Serval for electrocuting her fans with her guitar just because that's what she does in her fighting animation.

Speaking of combat voice lines, if we wait too long, most characters get irritated and try to hurry us up. Meanwhile Ratio:

'That's okay, take your time, it's a turn-based game after all.'

"He's physically abusive to his students, he throws chalk at them" - similar to the previous point. I don't remember any mention of him doing that. The only case of him using physical force against a (potential) student was when, as a TA, he threw away a rich asshole who tried to buy a degree. And yes, in the boring real world, I wouldn't approve of that, but in the world of the game - well done, good ridance!

"He doesn't tolerate people disagreeing with him, he thinks he's always right"

"He's responsible for the crisis at Herta Station" - how though? I saw this opinion several times, and I'm really curious what people mean by that. Did he himself endanger these researchers by teleporting them who knows where, then faked the video from Duke Inferno, and so on? But why stop here while we're at it , maybe he also impersonated Ruan Mei, left the bug on the station, abandoned the poor cat-creatrures and drugged us with a cake?…

"He's worse than Dottore from Genshin" - technically it's a matter of opinion, but I think nobody will mind if I put it in the 'just wrong' category. But yeah, that's an opinion I've heard. I've got no idea what they meant, but it made me think, how many people did he help and save, both in the game and in his past? Probably more than most of the characters we've met so far. And he doesn't seem to discriminate, it's not 'I'll save my people'. He cured that disease for everybody's benefit, he saved Herta's researchers, he helped TB unravel the events on the station and then proceeded to pester them offering his help, he cosideres some troubled IPC executive 'his responsibility' and so on.

"He actually betrayed Aventurine" - no comments. Come on, play the game, read the dialogues.

1.5. A little intermission.

The thing that's hard to deny is that he definitely doesn't mince his words. Whether you see it as him being a rude asshole, being justifiably angry, brutally honest, sarcastic, or snarky, or showing tough love, or just being incapable of expressing himself in an adequate and socially acceptable way, it's up to you. I can understand how some people might be uncomfortable with that. I personally find it an interesting character trait. (I mean, he isn't even capable of expressing positive feelings in a normal way, what did you expect of him?):

There is also a very interesting (but rather confusing) thing that can be missed if you are unwilling to see further than the initial shallow impression, but it is impossible to unsee once you've noticed it. He sees himself as a teacher in two very different ways. It can be missed at first because both ways are described in very similar words. These ways are: 

a teacher in a traditional sense (let's call it 'academic teacher'); 

and as something akin to a 'life coach', just helping people and making them realize that they shloud (and can) rely on themselves.

The thing is, we never see him in his 'academic teacher' role. As far as we know, he only acts this way with his university students. We never see him teaching anybody any scientific stuff, or berating people for their lack of knowledge and education. Yet he says that he considers everybody his students. But what does he mean if it's not about knowledge? He means it in the second 'life coach' meaning. Therefore, he sees literally everybody as worthy of his help and support.

BTW, I feel like his main problem as a character is that people tend to settle on the first impression they get of him and are unwilling to see further than that. Meanwhile, the game continues to explore his personality, revealing that most things about him are actually the opposite of what they might seem at first. That's why so many people think that he calls everybody idiots for being less smart than him, that he's egoistic and unfeeling, that he values knowledge above all, and so on. So if you actually have interest in him as a character, I'd encourage you to look at him more closely.

2. Now to the things that are more open to interpretation.

"He uses mean words" -to be honest, I'm not a big fan of writers making him use these words (idiots, fools, stupidity, and so on) because, first, they are usually used as just empty insults. (I'm curious whether he uses similar words in Chinese or something more nuanced). So I can understand how it can put some people off. And the second problem is that it feels like he means different things every time he uses these words. It's quite confusing. Here is a post where people helped me find different cases of him using these words; you can check it out yourself.

Let's look closer at some of these cases: 

-'While geniuses wander among the stars, the ordinary can't even trace their footsteps. Those less gifted have no choice but to walk alone, enduring a lifetime of tumbles and triumphs. But even a life marked by failure is a life worth living — it is only in moments of solitude and despair, when help is absent, that fools grasp how to pick themselves up' He seems to contrast geniuses with fools here, so fools are everybody who's not a genius. So if you are inclined to see him this way, if you squint, you can technically see it as him insulting people based on their intellectual abilities, right?… Except, he includes himself among these fools, so no:

So it's basically 'all who are not geniuses are fools, including me'. Which is an interesting way to put it, but it definitely doesn't mean ''you are all fools for not being as smart as me''.

But he mostly uses these words when he talks about his fellow scholars:

-'First, with the headpiece on, isolated from my five senses, I can think without interference. And second, I don't have to set eyes on stupid people' - we only see him wearing the plaster head on Herta's Station, a place full of the most brilliant minds in the universe. We never see him using it again with normal people, so the word 'stupid' here can't be about people's intelligence.

There is also an interesting little detail:

He admires her intelligence (although in a sarcastic manner) in his 'about Herta' voiceline. He doesn't wear his 'anti-stupid' mask when he's with TB or Aventurine, but he always wears it with Herta. Which is very telling, and indicates again what he means by 'stupid'.

Some other examples:

-'(…)the fools from the Guild with ambitions beyond stars should be banished from my sight and thereby mind' -'Don't invert priorities like these dolts from the guild' -'I cannot stand fools, idiots, or imbeciles. Seeing them fills me with dread. Regrettably, this space station is just like the Intelligentsia Guild — devoid of geniuses and filled with mediocrity' -'Ah, the Technology Department. Charming little place, isn't it? Madam Yabuli does possess some semblance of competence, but her subordinates? Oh, they're a riot — brimming with enthusiasm yet utterly devoid of intellect. It's as if evolution halted prematurely for them'

He is absolutely RUTHLESS when he talks about scientists, because he expects a lot from them.

So no, I don't think he'd call you an idiot for not being an A student, or having learning difficulties, or just lacking an interest in learning. He absolutely would though if you were a brilliant scientist, priveledged with great education, resources, and a personal lab, squandering your talents and funds on a useless vanity project, or hoarding potentially life-saving knowledge for yourself, to use as a commodity.

"But he does call people idiots!" - I've noticed that most of the time he uses these 'insults' he talks about some groups of people.

I could only think of 3 times when he called an individual an idiot. He calls Aventurine an idiot because he 'lost' the stones (but it doesn't count because he plays a role and pretends that he hates Aven). A scholar in an event in SU complains of Ratio calling him an idiot (I'm not sure it actually happened, it's just a story in SU).

But there is one case of him calling somebody an idiot and actually meaning it. And who is this poor victim of his terrible verbal abuse? It's himself. Whoops. (speaking of how he's supposedly full of himself and thinks that he's better than the others.)

"He would call me an idiot because of my supposed lack of knowledge/education/intelligence" - I showed in the previous point why I think he wouldn't (he never seems to use these words to mean that).

But also consider this. During his interactions with Aventurine on Penacony Ratio mostly plays a role for Sunday, pretending that he despises Aventurine. That's why we can't draw any conclusions about his personality from most of their dialogues. But the moments when he breaks the role are extremely telling.

Let's look at one of them from the beginning. They argue; Ratio calls Aventurine an idiot for 'ruining their plan'. And then Aventurine mentions that he didn't go to school and lacks formal education. If there ever was a good time to call someone an idiot for being uneducated, that's it! That's what Sunday expects to hear (because his plan hinges on Ratio valuing knowledge above all else).

And what does he do? He fucking apologizes! Even for the role and for the sake of their plan, he can't bring himself to insult someone for being uneducated.

"He's mean to TB" - it's a matter of interpretation, but his behavior with us didn't strike me as mean or demeaning. He was just being sarcastic and snarky as always (and I understand that it's not everybody's cup of tea).

The situation was time-sensitive and precarious. We don't know how much control he had over it. He tried to make us realize what's going on as fast as possible, pretending that he himself is clueless. Because his goal was to show the recearchers that despite the presence of 2-3 geniuses on board, none of them were able to save them. If he just publicly saved everybody, it would be just another genius appearing out of nowhere and saving the day, which would go against his goals and his philosophy.

And later, our TB seems to regard him with a mix of respect and amusement (calling him Professor, asking for an autograph), no resentment here. So TB didn't think he was mean either.

"He values knowledge above all, he's obsessed with teaching people stuff, and he doesn't understand/accept that other people might have other priorities" - I'd argue that literally the opposite is true. He doesn't impose his knowledge on anybody against their will, and we never see him berate anybody for their lack of knowledge or education.

Sunday isn't the first person to misunderstand him that badly, and he's not having it. Even though at this point in the story, his and Aventurine's plan hinges on Sunday's misunderstanding. But I think his position is very clear: pursuit of knowledge above all is a matter of petty pride.

He says it when we ask him why he doesn't nag us about getting our act together, before a party. So basically "if learning makes you feel bad (doesn't enhance your living) then you are doing it wrong, go and have fun".

This probably isn't considered canon, but it illustrates how he sees knowledge. Here is an analogy. If I had an apple orchard, and I thought my apples were awesome and they'd make a great gift, and you should feel free to ask me if you want some. It doesn't mean that I shove my apples into people's mouths against their will and then call them idiots and spit on them when they don't like it.

"He's a bad person because he didn't help us fight the big bug" - he knew who we are. It's not in his habit to directly involve himself where he's not needed, it would go against his philosophy ('you should count on yourself; you can do it'). It's not like he left us to die; he must have known how capable our TB is. BTW, he was still looking after us, seemingly ready to come to our help:

Besides, currently nothing indicates that (outside of the turn-based gameplay) he's anything more than a normal human being. He would be a hindrance in a fight. 

"He's a bad teacher" - (first, here is an interesting post about this from the point of view of an actual teacher)

So yeah, it's about the 3% passing rate. Yes, it can mean that only 3% of his students end up learning something. It's possible that he's such a bumbling idiot of a teacher that he doesn't even understand how bad he is. It's possible that he's somehow still allowed to teach despite being THAT bad.

But I think it's much more possible (and consistent with his philosophy) that he just has very high standards. A 3% rate doesn't mean that only 3% know anything. Students might benefit enormously from his classes, even without passing. They still have all their valuable skills and knowledge.

But also, let's not forget that he doesn't teach children. He teaches at the university. And I don't think it's some 101 basics; it's likely something related to his research and discoveries, some extremely advanced cutting-edge stuff. So his students are already extremely well educated adults, who want to achieve more. He would probably see lowering his standards as a betrayal of his students.

"His students hate him" - I didn't get that impression. On the contrary, they seem quite interested in him (some times in really creepy ways):

The only indication that they might have something against him is this:

It's either a literal roll-call of actual adults who shed literal tears during his classes, or it's just students being their normal cheeky selves, being overdramatic about a strict teacher. 

An example that came to mind: I can whine about how ruthless my gym trainer is and how I couldn't walk for a week after the last leg day. And his other clients would agree. But everybody understands that it's an expression of approval, not contempt. And maybe a bit of a humble brag.

Besides, if we decide to take that post at face value, then we'll have to take this literally too, meaning that his students consider him an actual God. And I don't think it's true:

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

There are still a lot of hot takes I disagree with that I haven't mentioned, but I'm too tired. This took WAY too long. Other cases are mostly quote-mining and deliberatly taking what he says out of context, which isn't very interesting to argue against (just read the full dialogue and consider the context). And also different variations on 'he's an asshole, he hates people, he thinks he's better than others, he'd call you an idiot for this or that, he's elitist, he only values knowledge and intelligence' and so on, but I think I addressed it sufficiently.

So yeah, that was my little character research. This wasn't written for his haters (I dislike some characters myself, and I wouldn't probably read 3K words about how I should change my mind). It was rather for the people who kind of like him, but who feel sad thinking how he'd probably call them idiots or something. I hope I was able to help you see him in a different way. He wouldn't call you an idiot, he'd support you.

[hurtmemoreplease]

The part of your "find one of Those tgirls" posts that's like "if you're not enjoying yourself she WILL know" ... stuck in my head forever

I think that a lot of people like us tend to feel like we're failing if people put effort into making us happy. We need to be convenient to the point of forgettable, because we view our own existences as a burden that needs to be made up for. It can actually be incredibly stressful when someone puts effort into you, because it feels like a deficit that needs to be made up for, or else everyone will abandon you.

The first thing to understand is that this is wrong and incorrect and you shouldn't think of yourself like that. I can't really offer any advice here; I'm not any better and it's something I'm still working on.

The second thing to understand is that just because its wrong, doesn't mean you can instantly stop thinking it. It's not a bad thing to have those feelings or emotions, and they're another thing that you and your partner should take into account for sex. Yes, it does mean that you and your partner(s) have to put a little more work into communicating how sex will work for the 2+ of you, but that's good! That should be happening.

So, yes, for people like you and me, and the countless others like us, it can be really hard to enjoy sex, period, because we're hyperaware of our partner's pleasure. We'll notice little cues that they're not enthusiastic, or sometimes even imagine them from whole cloth. On the other hand, this can be a good thing! Your partner(s) showing enthusiasm or intense lust for you will be even more exciting, and that's something that the two or more of you can factor into your sex lives.

Try to be a little bit easier on yourself, okay? You're allowed to want things from other people.

[doberbutts]

(Some other guy entirely here) I do think there's not much of a reason to be so against the terms tma/tme though, and I don't really understand why some people are? Like, in the same way we want a word to describe our experiences so do transfems, and while I do believe that all trans people are affected by transphobia and misogyny, it's obviously also true that we're affected by it differently depending on how we present, cause otherwise we'd all be satisfied with just the term transphobia (not saying anything new here so far)

So, since it just so happened that the term transmisogyny was coined to mean specifically the oppression transfems face (regardless of what anyone might feel on the matter, that is what it means in practice), what's really so wrong with having terminology to specify whether you're affected by it or not in online discussions of specifically transmisogyny? I'd think that would be relevant enough information, and you're not obligated to share it unless you want to.

I think what's really bothering a lot of people is that these terms exist for half of our community but there's no acceptable equivalent for the other half, and there's constant backlash against attempts to fill that void in the language. But that's not the fault of anyone who advocates for the use of tme/tma, or rather, they are separate issues that I don't believe should be conflated even if the proponents of tme/tma are the same people who are against specific terms for transmasc oppression.

When we do this, from the pov of trans women we are the ones rejecting their terminology and trying to silence them when they talk about their discrimination, and since we know exactly how that feels, I think we as a community should take a step back on the matter and just let it be.

Just because we feel dismissed when it comes to a similar matter doesn't mean we should dismiss in turn.

Not that anyone needs my permission or anything for this but:

I don't really have any problem with the words transmisogyny or trans-misogyny, as I think they are valuable labels to discuss a specific intersection of transphobia and misogyny.

I am not sure I necessarily have a problem with the terms TMA or TME themselves, outside of that I think it is not possible to be exempt from oppression because it will apply to you even if the label itself is wrong. This is also how hate crime and discrimination law works in this country- it is both your label and what the offender thinks of you, not just one or the other.

In other words, the guy who screamed at me about how I'm a Mexican is incorrect because I'm not Mexican, but it is still considered to be discrimination against Mexicans because it was his hatred of Mexicans that fueled the attack. It doesn't mean that actual Mexicans aren't the actual targets or this, but it does mean that it's not possible for me to be exempt from anti-Mexican sentiment. It doesn't mean that hatred of Mexicans doesn't exist, it does mean that if I want to stop getting screamed at for saying non-English words while visibly brown (I said pate, which is FRENCH and not Spanish, in reference to a can of dog food he was buying), then I need to ally myself with Mexicans and see what I can do to help decrease this hatred of Mexicans within my country.

What I do have a problem with is how these words are used and applied.

Caster Semenya is a "TME" intersex woman who was caught by transmisogynist Olympic rulings intended to hurt trans women, and to this day is still not recognized as a woman. How is this exempt from transmisogyny? She is literally being affected by transmisogyny- and interphobia, and misogynoir, and lesbophobia. And there are more examples than that, but this will already be a long enough post.

Moreover, I'm finding a lot of hypocrisy in the theory itself, labeling certain instances of oppression as things only TMA people experience and then refusing to listen when TME people say that they experience it too. I don't really care what or how people talk about their own experiences, but I do think it's a little ridiculous to be told that someone else who is not me can tell me what I experience better than I can. And then refuse to listen when I say that I have felt the hurts they're saying don't apply to me.

If TMA/TME had stayed within the limits you've set, being about descriptors of your own personal experience rather than trying to apply theory to entire demographics in a way that very little other theorycrafting does, I wouldn't have cared. Unfortunately that's not how it's being used and I don't like that.

[directdogman]

Hey there's someone trying to say you said you were pro Israel on discord? They're anonymous and say you blocked them before they could get screenshots so I don't really believe them, but still :[

Mhm. Nice bit of news to wake up to, this.

Yeah, so this person's a troll and they're more than likely lying on purpose in order to try to me look bad because I blocked them on Twitter for being unpleasant, something I rarely even do and they're still seething about it. The block had nothing to do with Gaza, the person was just being annoying and I thought it'd be healthier to block and move on. I'd really prefer not to have to give this person energy, but if there's a rumor going around, I'd like to nip it in the bud, since it's very easy to disprove in this case.

To explain what this person's blathering about: Earlier this week, on a Phonegingi plush advert, this random user that doesn't follow me (and actually instructs fans of mine not to interact with them in their bio) made a dramatic QRT decrying me for posting a DT advert during a strike week, which I honestly had no clue it was, especially since my own timeline was (and still is) full of accounts posting normally.

Given that the person seemingly encountered one of my posts in the wild and ended up seething because of it + likely didn't want anything to do with me on their timeline (as their bio indicated), after thinking it over briefly, I did the healthy thing and just blocked the person + moved on. Makes sense, right? I'll admit: Even if the way the person approached me was regrettable, if I'd known it was a strike week, I'd have participated (as I'd participated in the last one), so I stopped posting teasers for the week anyway, only resuming again yesterday.

I'll also say: I checked my own timeline btw and looked at the accounts posting, and nobody else had anyone acting like this in their replies, even the much larger accounts. Nor did anyone else contact/reply to me in any way stating any disapproval.

Given that I've only blocked one account recently that isn't a replybot (and ofc, given the subject matter of that tweet), I'd have to assume that this is the anonymous person spreading stuff.

I'd understand where this person was coming from if maybe I'd stayed completely silent about Gaza, (which a lot of accounts I follow have) but I haven't. I had a Palestinian aid post pinned on my Twitter for weeks, I've talked about Gaza's child population and my support for South Africa's Hague suit in my discord server, I've engaged in the boycotts, wound down posting during strikes, donated a pretty substantial amount of Dialtown revenue towards sending money/esims... I have 4 bucks in my bank account right now and when my next DT check comes in, you'd better believe I'll be giving more. That's my right as a private citizen and one I'll continue to exercise.

I feel pretty uncomfortable having to put this stuff in front of me to 'prove' myself, even if some of it is public anyway. Charity should be something you do because you CARE and if it wasn't for this person, I'd have been far happier keeping a lower profile and not explicitly calling attention to my own aid, but given this ask, I feel it'd be stupid not to nip this in the bud. The majority of this information could be easily found with the tiniest amount of digging, btw, so it's not like the user couldn't have known any of this. This is the part of having a fandom that creators seldom talk about. You block one person for being a lil annoying, next thing you know, there's rumors that you support genocides! Fun.

So yeah, I'd like you to tell this person to just move on like a normal person (send them this post if you have to) and to stop spreading incorrect rumors about me out of spite. If they insist, I'm happy to pull up receipts to prove everything I've said. If they actually thought I was pro-Israel, they wouldn't be spreading it anonymously, they'd be writing another public post about the subject matter. Also if you see anyone repeating the rumor, please correct them. Thanks.

[muzyoshi]

Miles Edgeworth's Secret

This post is purely for documentation purposes, and also to inform anyone who may not be aware. This post will contain SPOILERS for the end of Phoenix Wright: Trials & Tribulations, so proceed with caution.

During Case 5, Bridge to the Turnabout, while playing as Edgeworth, you are presented the opportunity to peer into Iris' heart. Specifically in regards to a secret she is withholding from Phoenix, someone she was romantically involved with. During which, if the player fails to present the correct evidence specifically for the second Psyche-Lock, an interesting conversation concerning the nature of secrets occurs.

I have seen talk of this dialogue, but no footage or screenshots, so I took the liberty of getting them myself. The full conversation and my further thoughts will be found under the cut.

You MUST present incorrect evidence during the second Psyche-Lock. This dialogue is laughably easy to miss, which is why I could find zero footage of it. (Sorry if the formatting for this sucks)

(Interesting to note: the music stops playing here.)

Incidentally, Iris' secret is that she developed romantic feelings for Phoenix while dating him in college (disguised as her twin sister). Edgeworth affirms her thoughts, confirming that he does indeed have a secret of similar nature deep within his heart and soul; "It takes one to know one." It cannot be said what exactly this secret of his is, but every real plot point behind Edgeworth has been more or less resolved by this point in the series. He found his path as a prosecutor, the truth behind his involvement in the DL-6 incident was concluded, so... What's left? Reading between the lines, this only really seems to lead us to one answer. It has something to do with romantic feelings. I truly can't see it being anything else, even with a critical mind.

Just mere moments ago, Iris had inquired as to what Edgeworth and Phoenix' relationship was. Edgeworth (famously) responds that Wright is a "dear and indispensable friend". Wonder if Iris gleamed something deeper from that comment, then? ;P Keep in mind: she makes these comments directly because Edgeworth avoided presenting Phoenix Wright's profile.

"he just like me fr" - iris probably

Now, just for completion's sake, let's see what happens when you present Phoenix's profile and break the Psyche-Lock.

I have a lot of thoughts regarding this string of text from the two of them. This is a huge reach from an admittedly shipper-crazed brain, but aren't Edgeworth's retorts here... interesting? He does not know this girl, but he knows that the two of them are important to one another. We can assume it's likely that he is pushing for this for Wright's sake, rather than Iris'. At this point it's fair to say that Edgeworth has some basic understanding of her secret (the feelings, at least), and he doesn't benefit from her telling Phoenix her secret. So why is he adamant that she does it? Especially when he's, apparently, holding a secret of similar nature himself? Projecting, perhaps?

"But it's pointless..." "Why would you say that?"

Why indeed.

(EDIT) I was thinking about this feverishly, and I had another thought. What if the "darkness in his heart" and his "secret" has something to do with jealousy? Still in context of romantic feelings... it starts to make sense that this could fit into the puzzle as well. By this point it was already established to Edgeworth that Phoenix and Iris share an intimate connection of some kind, and with all of this pressuring (including the words the two of them share before Edgeworth leaves the Detention Centre), it sort of adds up. "Uncovering the truth" in order to "get rid of the deep-seated darkness in [his] heart" - could this refer to closure? As in, if Iris comes forth to Phoenix Wright with her secret, and there is some level of reciprocation, would this make Edgeworth's own secret/feelings "pointless" to confess? I wonder.

One last note I'd like to make is that this is the first time we view Edgeworth through the 'protagonist lens', and that a great deal of care was put into having the player truly feel like they are Miles Edgeworth in this moment. His mannerisms, choice of words and thought patterns are decidedly very different than Phoenix's when you are in control of them, as I'm sure most people would agree. Therefore, I feel comfortable proposing that a lot of what he says here isn't filler, and in fact is very deliberately worded.

I think this post also deserves a spot here.

Diehard Narumitsu/Wrightworth shippers are likely already aware of this conversation's existence. However, due to the circumstances necessary to see it, I wasn't able to find any screenshots. I hope this was interesting to read, at least... Thanks for reading!

[kalims]

Oh my goddess, orders are open! Ahem, ANYWAYS— I wonder if I could have an Idia with a fem or gn s/o who is introverted and generally closed-faced, being a sweetheart and even shy with him, pretty please?

• Remember to drink water and take care of yourself correctly, kisses <3

– Mel 🌙🩵✨

dress,

premise.

idia forever thought his cause of death would be the permanent termination of his end game account—which in theory, is now proven wrong at the existence of a brand new thing that just might obliterate his heart.

note. thank you mel <3 you too. i, for one will gladly accept kisses from u and idia (he's downbad here LOL)

idia is having a strangely, familiar sensation.

for example—the fact that his heart is palpitating so fast is making him afraid that he'll get the same sense of doom he frequently gets whenever this happens. like when he's the one that the professor chooses to answer a question up front. just his luck cause it absolutely sucks in real life just as much as his chances of winning that rare character.

but no, there isn't an impending sense of doom that sends him to the edge. no cold sweat forming on the skin of his neck, nor does it protrude from his clammy hands. it's weird, he feels warm rather than the cold it usually accompanies.

he needs to visit a doctor.

he gulps thickly. sending a lightning fast glance at your direction then averting it even faster. oh my god, your hand just brushed against his.. was it intentional? no, no—it mustn't be. you wouldn't waste your time doing that.

but you might even look more tenser than he is.

despite the attempt at flushing down the tightness in his throat, his words still break off into a croaky stammer that just sends his face into a grimace because, did he sound like that? "I'm.. I'm really sorry, you didn't have to do this," he says, looking away with those eyes that just screams a mixture of 'I hate it all.' and 'I'm so scared.'

his eyes in comparison to yours, dull significantly in terms of greatness. cause as rare as it is for your eyes to meet, he'll always marvel at the lush hue your eyes are colored with—and god, your lashes. so pretty, so, so pretty.

he sulks. he doesn't deserve this.

"it's alright," you answer in response, voice quiet but it's the only thing he ever hears despite the myriad of people quite nearly squishing the both of you. the crowd is large, and noisy. so he isn't sure why he's suddenly the greatest listener when you speak. "I'm glad you thought of... inviting me along, I know you're quite passionate about it."

passionate is not a strong enough word, it could be an incorrect word to use even. he supposes it's just a nice feeling to excel—be good at something.

but with how hot his heart is probably burning, maybe passionate really is the right word.

for you that is.

most likely idia's ideal type of player two <3 someone he can keep up with, not too fast and certainly not too slow. but either way, he’s probably having a heart attack at whatever you do. literally just sleeping? his heart… playing with him? please match avatars at once or he will combust. (and yes, he is hinting even though you already match everywhere else. had a house in a game, got married in a game.)

don’t even pull out the fact he buys you the currency to match and you feel bad cause he thinks it’s too cute. you need to stop or else he will buy you more.

speaking of more in game terms, he surprisingly garners a lot of attention online maybe because he’s endgame in every single account he’s made and many people like money so… there are many attempts at ‘rizzing’ him up but in the end he’s provoking them to screenshot it and report them as online daters.

^ says THE online dater.

still reports people if they flirt with you, but compared to his. not only is it a file for online dating he somehow dug up the dirt, the monstrous things they did like… 3 years ago and now they’re gonna get suspended. It’s concerning since he was talking with you animatedly during it and he somehow also exposed them all in 10 minutes.

did the see you again trend in secrecy cause he would rather leap down a hole to hell than let people see it. In any case… if it isn’t obvious he’s the lala, you the okok.

deluded himself, is convinced that he’s actually the nonchalant, ‘cool’ one but all he is, is a literal puddle. is still solid when standing but will be putty in your hands in SECONDS.

idia is secretly really proud of himself whilst being like: how did i even pull them. cause when he looks at your face when you’re talking to other people. he’s actually kind of scared cause it’s a really wondrous thing you never once looked at him like that… (please save his mind too. he’s trying to convince himself that you must be like this, soft person he knows to other people too and not just him because that’s just crazy right haha.. hahahaha…)

the type to tell you to stand back during raids, challenges, boss fights, etc…  that all you need to do is be there, and that he’ll solo it for you and you can claim your rewards even though he gave you the rarest, strongest equipment in respective games which won’t be much use at this point cause he insists he do it for you, and sulks all day if you don’t let him.

stay at home couple >>>

will order every single thing you crave during those times he’s too shy to consider date nights, and you too so it’s like an unspoken thing. he honestly plays better when you’re inside his room, even if it’s just laying on his messy bed scrolling on your phone or munching on something.

it’s just complete, comfortable silence.

except for the time one of you accidentally makes an indirect flirty comment and now the room could be considered a sauna from the literal steam only two people emitted. 

really, really, really, REALLY, likes it when your head is on his shoulder.

“─ean.. no one really asked for it, the nerf was completely unnecessary and─” the words poured out of his mouth, something uncontrollable that he couldn’t stop. there is something about you that just kicks down the layer of anxiety on him. comfortable might be the right word, even if you don’t talk that much (which is surprising cause he ends up being the talkative one and you always assure him that you like to listen.) somehow the thought: am i too annoying? doesn’t really pop up like usual.

in fact, he’s excited to ramble all about it. excited to hear your thoughtful hums, excited to see your attentive eyes on him since the first word he’s said─but it isn’t. because he looks up and you’re blinking haphazardly, thrice in a second and before he panics to shut his mouth he feels the soft slump of your head against the curve of his shoulder.

oh my god, oh my god, oh my g─

if idia had half of his mind he would scream instinctively at the weight he isn’t really accustomed to feel. actually, even if he did have his entire brain connected, and his thoughts coherent he still would. but he bites the inside of his cheek cause despite the chaos that just erupted in his mind which is somehow simultaneously blank, and swirling.

and he remembers midst his confusion that you are,

asleep.

you’re asleep on his shoulder

you’re asleep.

asleep on his shoulder.

on. his. shoulder.

he resorts to the screech in his head.

his shoulder─is so terribly stiff right now to the point where he thinks that sleeping on a hard, wooden surface would be surely more comfortable rather than where your head lays. he makes an effort to relax his muscles, tell himself that it’s only you and that there’s nothing wrong but there is something wrong because it’s you! idia dares to sneak a peek at you and your closed lids only confirm your unconscious state.

and careful with each nudge his movement makes sends to your head. idia can’t resist the hands that creep up his face and bury it, to hope all the embarrassment and whatever he’s feeling right now absorbs it right out of his face because god. he knows he looks like he just ate 10 bowls of lilia’s cooking.

he would scream, he really would. a second thought but you’re on his shoulder!

you, who rarely touches him too much.

on him.

him, who gets too flustered to be touched by you.

so he feels pretty obligated to just suck it up cause he’s enjoying the moment even if you aren’t conscious right now and he sure as hell is going to, for as long as he can.

idia releases a deep sigh, long and wistful because he’s gonna die before you even wake up.

[moonbearmeliox]

Basic Guide to Indy Car

I was going to wait to post this until there was actual confirmation that Logan is going to Indycar, but with the recent Williams news, a lot of people have been asking about Indycar and how to get into so here's the Basic Guide I made when rumors started circulating that Logan was going to be out by the end of the year. I started getting into Indycar this year, using it as the filler when there was no F1 on weekends. I'm still fairly new to the sport, and most of the information I got from my dad so if there's anything incorrect, feel free to let me know.

Teams: There are 10 teams currently racing in Indy Car with Prema being the newest team joining the grid in 2025. Some teams have two drivers, some have three, some even have 4. During a race you will not be able to tell who's on what team at first and who's driving which car since a lot of the cars look the same and the leader board shows the driver's numbers, not their team logos(Each team uses a different font for their drivers' numbers, but realistically it's always too small to properly identify what number belongs to which team or the fonts are too similar.) There is no Team Championship so realistically it is better to root for a driver than a whole team(Tho I will say I am an Andretti fan, but only because it's Andretti and 2 of my favorite drivers are on that team)

Drivers: There are 27 drivers each race, except for the Indy 500 which includes around 5 extra driver/team entries. Driver swapping happens more often in IndyCar, so just be prepared if a driver swap gets announced if a driver isn't doing well or if a team is racing at an oval track(teams will sometimes swap in drivers who are better at ovals). The driver's numbers are assigned by what car they are driving/what team they are on. A driver doesn't get to pick their number unless they win the championship(Current Champion is Will Power with his driver number being 12).

The Cars: IndyCar only has two Engine Manufacturers, Chevy and Hyundai and there is a championship between them(it's not very thrilling though when it's just two manufactures competing). The cars need to refuel during pit stops, as Indy races are longer. Also the liveries are sponsored based, not team based, and they can look very similar, as they change almost every race. Mid-way through the 2024 season, they switched to a hybrid engine system. From what I can understand, the cars now have the same battery system that Formula 1 has with drivers being able to charge the battery during the slow parts. The battery also seems to provide the power used for Push to Pass.

Push to Pass: DRS equivalent. Each driver starts a race with 200 seconds of Push to Pass they can use throughout the race that is activated after the 1st lap. Push to Pass uses fuel but gives the driver an extra push to try and overtake.

Tires: Two types of tires, Primary(Hard) and Alternates(Soft). Each driver needs to change to a different type of tire at least once during a race. The tires are provided by Firestone.

Races: Indycar races take place in various US States(and one race in Toronto). They run longer and have more laps than an Formula races, hence why the drivers need to refuel during the race. The only way a driver can be taken out of a race is if the car gets severely damaged or will not restart(unless they're racing ovals, no car restart on the ovals). If a driver spins out or crashes, the car will get restarted and they can get back in the race. Also cars that are a lap down do NOT need to unlap themselves, which can lead to some conflict with the leading cars. Every car that starts the race earns 5 points

There are three different types of tracks that IndyCar races are held on: Road Courses, Street Tracks, and Ovals(Oval and Street races are more about survival).

There will be at least 3 yellow flag every race. One of them will almost always be during the first lap of a race.

In terms of which races are the most important during the Indycar season: The Long Beach Grand Prix and The Indianapolis 500(Indy 500) are the most important. The Long Beach Grand Prix is like the Monaco of Indycar, besides the Indy 500 every driver wants to win this race. The Indianapolis 500 is the pinnacle of IndyCar and is one part of the Triple Crown of Motorsports. 200 laps around an oval circuit with 5 extra driver entries, this is the most important race in Indycar.

Where to Watch: Right now, Indycar is broadcasted on Peacock, NBC, and USA. Going into 2025 IndyCar will be broadcasted on Fox Sports. It is important to note that with Indycar being around a 3 hour races, there are a lot of commercial breaks. You'll get 7 minutes of racing before it cuts to a 2-3 minute commercial break and if a yellow flag happens, they will cut to commercial shortly after(this could just be an NBC thing, won't know until the 2025 season starts). In terms of commentators, going in to 2025 it's unknown who will be commentating for the 2025 IndyCar season since they will be switching from Peacock/USA to FoxSports and the commentators will probably change.

Other Stuff: Before each race there's an evocation, the leader board shows how many seconds behind a driver is from the leader of the race, and each driver has their own pit box so teams do not have to worry about double stacking. There are no subtitles for team radios so it may be hard to hear what is being said. Each driver has a spotter(or more depending on the track layout), which is someone that watches the race from a higher vantage point and keeps the drivers and their teams updated throughout the race. Also there is a driver named Sting Ray Robb

[imaginebeautifulworlds]

Loved By Seven | Chapter 3

Genre: Hybrid!AU, Poly!AU, Mate!AU, romance, fluff

Pairing: OT7 x Reader

Characters: Human!Reader, Peacock!Seokjin, Serpent!Yoongi, Hawk!Hoseok, White Tiger!Namjoon, Merman!Jimin, Leopard!Taehyung, Wolf!Jungkook

Summary: Hiking was just an activity to get you out of the apartment, the last thing you imagined was ending in a whole different world by touching a jewel. That not being enough you end up meeting seven hybrids, and they all claim you shared the Connection with each of them making you their partner for life

Notes: Hi! I swear I didn't dissappear it's just that adut life is really complicated and I kinda forgot my inspiration for this series, but after reading the first two chapters I knew I wanted to write again so here I am. I already have the script for the fourth chapter, that actually was going to be in the third but I just wrote a lot for this one so it had to be passed to the next chapter. For those who are still here thank you so much. Likes, reblogs, comments are always appreciated. English is not my first language so pardon me if anything is misspelled or grammatically incorrect. Also the main idea came from a webtoon but I can’t remember it’s name. Enjoy!

Masterlist | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Support me?

While you and Jiwoo are in dreamland Taehyung decides to order a pizza since his pantry is basically empty, which upsets him because he can't take care of you as a good partner would I have to buy groceries first thing in the morning. During the waiting time for the delivery he just watches you sleep, even if he thinks it's creepy, in his eyes you're so perfect and he's so happy he finally found you that he doesn't care, as long as you don't know of course; after 35 minutes the pizza arrives with an ecstatic Taehyung giving a very good tip.

Walking toward his bedroom, the leopard finally wakes you up after having an internal battle about letting you sleep or feeding you. You start to feel light touches on your face, not knowing what they were but liking the warmth they provide, you get closer to the source; awakening more you realize those touches are little kisses on your cheeks, and never been woken up like that you open your eyes a little bit, only to find a boxy smile, brown eyes, dirty blonde hair and a pair of animal ears with yellow spots surrounded by black on top of the head. A little bit surprised, but not scared, you fully open your eyes because of the closeness between you two. "What happened?" Your voice comes out a little bit groggy, something Taehyung finds cute "nothing happened, I just decided to order pizza and it just got here" he says turning towards the bedside table to hand you a plate with pizza on it "Thanks Taehyung" you say staring deeply at the pizza, it surprises you that in this world there is something called pizza and it's really similar too, which only adds more questions about this place and the similarities it has with your own world. However your train of thought stops when your stomach makes a very loud rumble "I'm really hungry, sorry" you say sheepishly looking at the plate but definitely not at Taehyung "It's okay, you've had a long day Beautiful" he says adding the pet name just because he loves this flustered side of you, apparently your stomach was so loud Jiwoo says "Hey N/N, did you buy pizza for yourself again?" And wakes up completely to recognize her surroundings "Oh it's Taehyung" she says looking for her piece of pizza but can't find it "Mmm...Taehyung, did you only bring pizza for F/N" she asks unbelievably "No?...I mean of course not, yours is down the hall" the leopard nervously responds looking everywhere but Jiwoo "I'll bring it immediately" he answers walking out of the room to bring her a slice.

While you were sleeping and then enjoying an awesome pizza someone was climbing up the same mountain you climbed down that day, just with a very different purpose...a more evil one. When they got to the cave they immediately noticed something different...like something is missing, walking inside faster they find that the precious gem, the most powerful thing there is in this world, is not where it's supposed to be. "Damn it" they scream angrily "Who the hell took my precious gem".

After enjoying a very delicious pizza, OMG is possible that the pizza here is better than the one home you couldn't help but think while drinking the soda Taehyung, who left to wash the dishes, brought for you. Feeling really tired from the bizarre and eventful day you ask Jiwoo "Hey, where is all of our stuff…and isn't this room really big for a guest room?" with a smile Jiwoo tells "This is not a guest room, I'm pretty sure it's his room" "What? So when we came in he deliberately put me inside his room?" you ask with surprise and eyes wide open "Yep, I'm guessing he wanted to be with you, but I don't think in a sexy way…yet" "Jiwoo!...don't say that" you whisper-yell afraid Taehyung might hear the nonsense she just said, at this point you feel blushing so much in just a day is going to affect your health "Oh, and I took everything out of the backpacks and accommodated in the bathroom or that drawer I found empty, well a lot of drawers are empty like he's expecting someone to fill them one day" Jiwoo says the last while wiggling her eyebrows at you and the only thing you do is throw the nearest pillow you could find at her, landing on her face. Taehyung couldn't help but smile while listening to the conversation you two were having, it's not his fault his animal ears are very sensitive and have better hearing, and in all honesty Jiwoo wasn't wrong; when he was looking for a place to live he knew he had to have a big space for when his partner moved in which included leaving empty drawers where they could leave their stuff without problem. "No, but for real N/N I think he wanted to stay here with you because after putting you down on the bed he walked out and I think I heard my name, maybe leading me to a guest room, but there was no way I was going to leave you alone with a man we barely know" "Thanks Ji" you throw her a grateful smile, Taehyung hears this and his smile turns into a sad frown Does she not want me? He couldn't help but think No, no…maybe she just wants to feel comfortable with someone she knows…yes, yes that's it…I just have to win her trust and we're gonna become closer…and-and then we can sleep together and I can get to know her and she can get to know me all these thoughts transform that frown into a big smile again.

Knocking on the his room's door, Taehyung finds you trying to get up "Hey hey Beautiful, what are you doing? You heard Nia, you can't put pressure on your ankle" he rushes to your side and grabs your head and stomach to put you back on the bed "Mmm Taehyung? I need to change myself into my pj's" you show him what's in your hands, a pair of pants and shirt, and a tiny smile I think he really cares about me "Oh, uh sure-sure" he takes a step back and touches his neck in embarrassment "Pretty smart huh? N/N is very through, we had a lot of important stuff in our backpacks, who knew they could become handy" Jiwoo says stepping out of the bathroom, Wow…she even knows how to take care of others, my Beautiful is so smart and cute and likes to take care of others it's the only thing the leopard can think after hearing that "So, do you need help to get to the bathroom?" he asks already putting his hands under your neck and knees "Oh no there's no nee…" you start but Jiwoo interrupts "Don't worry big guy, I can help her just fine…you should go and sleep too, today has been a very long day and you should take rest" the smirk she's wearing grows wider when Taehyung unconsciously pouts "Taehyung? Ji is right, you must be exhausted too…you know carrying me today, dealing with us and everything" you smile at him in appreciation and a little embarrassed after saying the carrying part "It's okay I don't mind taking care of you, it's a great honor…but I guess you're right I am a little tired so I'm going to grab my PJ's and head for the guest room" So this IS his room you and Jiwoo think, he walks towards the walk-in closet and exist with clothes in his hand, however before leaving the room he approaches the side of the bed you're in and crouches down next to you "Goodnight Beautiful" he closes the distance between you two and you're thinking OMG he's going to kiss me on the lips he deviates and kisses your forehead, and you feel how that kiss is way more romantic than anything else he could've done. The leopard separates from you seeing how you have your eyes closed and very red cheeks. Opening your eyes you see the biggest boxy smile yet, knowing you now have him in your mind he stands up and exists saying "Goodnight" to Jiwoo, she just waves her hand back at him.

Replaying what just happened in your head you're unknowingly touching your forehead, Jiwoo snaps her fingers in front of you to take you out of your daze "N/N...N/N hey hey!" "Huh? Jiwoo did that just happened? Did he really kissed me?" still with your hand up your head you ask with big sparkling eyes "N/N" she sighs "He just kissed your forehead…let's get you up and into the bathroom so you can change" nodding at Jiwoo's words you grab her shoulder and support your arm on the bed and take a boost to get up without putting your bad foot on the floor. With Jiwoo's help you hop to the bathroom floor "I can take it from here Ji" "Are you sure" "Yeah, I need to do certain things here by myself and when I get out you can help me hop back to the bed" "Okay, be careful" you nod and close the door, turning around you hop towards the toilet and relieve yourself after all that happened today you really needed to go, thinking it would be best to change your clothes while sitting you do it successfully; getting up from the toilet you hop until you're in front of the sink and proceed to wash your teeth with your toothbrush Ji had left ready for you, watching your face on the mirror you see how sweety and dirty your face is I need to wash my face with that in mind you start looking through Taehyung's stuff until you find a face soap and moisturizer Taehyung I'm sorry for going through your stuff but I really need to at least wash my face…I miss my skincare products you sigh and open the faucet to splash water on your face and with a little of the liquid soap you make foam and wash your face, you spend a minute getting rid of all the dirt and sweat from the day and open the faucet again to wash all the soap from your face and then take a bit of moisturizer to apply it to your face. In another room a happy leopard is thinking  I hope my Beautiful is using my products, I know Jiwoo said they brought certain necessities but not everything can fit into those backpacks. Once done you open the door and Jiwoo gets up from the bed and walks towards you, offering you her shoulder you grab it and start hopping towards your side of the bed, laying down Jiwoo puts your foot on top of a pillow and walks for the wall turning off the light and goes back to her side to lay down "Goodnight Ji" "Goodnight N/N"; after hearing you Taehyung also goes to sleep knowing you're now resting, in his house, under his protection.

On your second day you and Jiwoo wake up next to each other under the sunlight entering through the curtain but also because of the ruckus you're hearing outside the room. "What the hell is that guy doing so early in the morning" Jiwoo says covering her face with her arm to prevent the sunlight hitting her eyes "I don't know maybe we should go and see" once you say that Jiwoo gets up and goes to your side to help you up and walk/hop to the bathroom to wash your teeth. Once that is done you go towards the sound and find Taehyung murmuring "Damn it, I hope she didn't wake up by that pan falling" "I guess that's an understatement, by the way you did wake us up" Jiwoo enters with you to the kitchen, and the boy turns around surprised with big wide eyes "I-I didn't hear you getting up, I'm sorry…Did I wake you up?" saying the last with a sad pout on his face Why is he so cute? Shouldn't he be intimidating being a leopard and all? You couldn't help but think watching his face and sitting in a stool in front of him (separated by the aisle of course) . "Ummm…yes" you say with a nervous smile "But don't worry, I mean after all we are your guests…What time is it?" you say confused "It's 7:30…I wanted to leave you breakfast before leaving for work, but I woke up late since my phone died and everything went downhill from there" "Wait, phone?" Jiwoo asks surpirsed, and Taehyung only shows her an actual cellphone just like the ones you have in your world but it looks way more advanced "Mmm…have you never seen a phone before?" Taehyung asks Where are they from? Because everyone has phone, don't they? "We know what a phone is, I guess we just didn't think you would have too" You answer him "Why wouldn't I have one?" While saying this Jiwoo exists the kitchen and comes back with your phones "Ours don't work here" she shows him Wow these ones are kinda old no wonder they don't work Taehyung thinks but doesn't say anything.

Interrupting his examination on your phones, his own chimes with a new message from his manager Hey Taehyung we are all ready for the shoot, where are you? "Damn it" He murmurs "Do you have to go?" He nods sadly at your words "It's okay we can cook it's no problem, we are already imposing so much to expect you to cook as well" and he grimaces because there's not much to cook with "It's just that there is not much to cook with…I'm sorry, I'm such a bad partner" he ducks his head with his animal ears also down in embarrassment and sadness "I swear I can take good care of you…it's just yesterday was grocery shopping day but I found you and your ankle was hurt and-and…" he's just rambling and talking so fast you interrupt him by calling his name "Hey, hey Taehyung? Taehyung?" he raises his head to look at you, and you notice his eyes with unshed tears and still animal ears down just like a kitty I have to say something to calm him, something that can work, that way he can go to work otherwise I'm afraid he's going to stay here and without a job…whatever his job is "It's okay…not having groceries doesn't mean you're a bad partner…uh…this is a way for me to show you I can be a good partner as well don't you think? I mean proving to you that I can cook…and you're a-a good partner because you took really good care of me yesterday" you smile at him Is she accepting me? Is she falling for him already? There were two kind of thoughts after your words. With a boxy smile and no more tears in his eyes he says "Okay, I'll leave now" "Okay, have a great day at work" you wave while he picks up his phone and keys, once he's at the door Jiwoo talks "Wait Taehyung, what day it is?" "Well, yesterday was the last day of the weekend, today is Alday the first day of the week" with a confused stare he answers What a strange question "Okay, thank you, have a nice day" "Bye Beautiful" he opens the door and turns to you "Please eat" "Bye Taehyung" you say in a soft tone and very bright cheeks, and he closes the door once he got that cute reaction out of you.

"Well we're definitely not in Bastion" Jiwoo says once the leopard is out of the apartment "So are we really considering the possibility of teletransportation" you say observing her walking towards the other side of the aisle facing you "I don't think is a possibility anymore N/N, I mean unless we are having the same lucid dream we're actually talking with people who have animal traits, animal parts and can transform into animals" "Also, it's a world so similar yet advanced than ours" you add "Wait, I'm hungry. Let's make something before we continue this" Jiwoo laughs "Please don't change…ever" you throw her a smile at her words.

Wow he was not lying when he said there was no groceries you smile a little remembering his sad face and I'm not lying about how I almost coo when his animal ears got down just like a kitty…he's definitely making me feel things…but I have to pull myself together I just met him and we're from very different worlds you sigh at that last thought while hopping and looking through the refrigerator and the pantries "Sooooo I can make us meat with tomatoes and onion sauce, hard eggs and milk, is that okay with you?" you turn to look at her "Yes, but you shouldn't be standing up you're gonna make your ankle hurt" Jiwoo says worriedly "First, I'm not supporting my ankle" you show your bandaged ankle at her "and second, you can't cook even if it's to save your life so this has to be on me…hey were are the tuppers from the night at the mountain?" you start cooking the eggs and the meat "Heeey, it's not my fault I'm not particularly skilled at cooking and I took them out yesterday and put them at the dishwasher I guess he washed them" "Oh okay" a small smile passed through your lips while you chop the tomatoes and onions for the sauce "N/N what was that about being a good partner for him by cooking" you turn at her words and watching everything was cooking well, you walk to the aisle and sit to rest your ankle "Well…I mean you saw his face, he was so sad because of groceries and I knew he wasn't going to take any answer so I said something I knew would work…besides he had to go to work" you defend yourself "So you believe him? The whole partner Connection thing?" "I don't know Ji, we are in a different world like you said and it is known that some animals partner for life so what if here it's something like that" "Wait are you saying you are accepting him?" she raises her eyebrows in a sexy joking manner, you stand up when the meat starts to sizzle "I don't know…I do feel something when he looks at me and when he calls me beautiful" you say the last word lower and with your heart racing just by thinking of the he says the word, with so much emotion and tenderness "OMG I can't believe it took for us to be in a whole different world for you to be interested in someone" Jiwoo's tone is like she's offended, and yeah, once you turn to see her face there is an offended expression on it "But who knows if it lasts, maybe is a malfunction because how can we be together when we are from so far away" "I think…maybe…this is the reason we came here" you look at her with thoughtful expression "I mean when you two are looking at each other it's like I'm not even here…and I'm pretty sure you forget about your best friend at those moments" and you can't believe she's pouting "I-I-I do not!" "I can't blame you, he's really cute and hot" she smiles and winks at you, feeling your whole body palpitating at how fast and loud your heart is moving inside you, and knowing the best thing to do to avoid her is turning around, turning off the stove and plating the breakfast. Jiwoo stands up to take the plates and puts them on the aisle, you hop and sit on the stool and start eating with her doing the same in front of you with a teasing smile.

Chapter 4

Taglist: @lovely247 @apathina @kalala22 @singukieee @tinyoonsblog @arantxaglz @btsiguess-kpop @lachimolala22019 @goldeneclipsedragon @sophiaj650 @sukunasstomachtongue @djodjom1 @uarmyhore @to-see-without-eyyes @chatsgotmytongue @kyuupidwrites if you don't want to be on this taglist anymore let me know :), and if you want to be just leave a comment saying so :)

[dekusheroacademia]

Nicholas Light: using homophobia to be cancelled for clout

This is not a call out post, I don't care about that. This is a summary of events that I decided to write because I know how fandom works and behave.

I am tired of seeing people's "The MHA fandom is so toxic!" for events that never happened, and given this youtuber already revealed he is looking for followers through "being cancelled" (as I'll explain), I have no intention of letting the shitshow that happened be forgotten.

So here we go.

Small disclaimer: This is the sequence of events as I remember, with screenshots to add. Please do not harass anyone. Not even Nicholas Light, as he clearly does not want to be involved with the MHA fandom anymore. Block him only and leave him alone, I am serious. The point of this is showing what happened, not confirming his idea of how disgusting mha fans and bakudeku fans are.

Another small point: If I said anything wrong or incorrect in this post, let me know and I will fix it. While I strive to be unbiased, I am only human.

1)Initial tweet

All of this happened in the span of a few hours, the 9th of May 2024, middle of the night at central europe time. All the tweets have since be deleted as Nicholas Light erased a full month of tweets and went private to do so.

Nicholas Light is an anime youtuber with a twitter account (of about 40k followers, this is important later). He posted this tweet:

I saw it on my tl a couple of times, mainly people saying that he should not generalize and people wondering how come someone who has watched MHA for so long does not know about Bakudeku. This tweet per se is kind of bait-y, but nothing too wild.

A lot of his followers were answering to this tweet with homophobic comments like:

And Nicholas himself then wrote he was throwing up under a bakudeku safe-for-work chibi fanart gif that someone reposted:

At this point there were a few comments saying "It is not too bad, Bakudeku has grown a lot as a ship" or "I just saw someone posting Endeavor/Uraraka", and fanart of other ships with an adult and a minor. Nicholas did not reply to any of them, seemingly only focusing on the bakudeku comments.

Here are some examples I managed to recover, as you can see no answer from Nicholas, he was only interested in bakudeku:

2) The video

At this point, a twitter user replied to Nicholas' main tweet with this:

As you can see, the user is very calm and even says "come across as homophobic", so definitely more diplomatic than what I could have managed. Nicholas replied with "Stop with the your queer audience", to which the user revealed that they ARE one of his audience.

As you can see Nicholas repeats that he doesn't want that queer follower in his audience, and that "I SPEAK MY MIND". Keep this in mind, the irony of it, especially, given he has erased everything.

The queer twitter user was the only person he addressed, and immediately after them he wrote this and immediately posted a youtube video:

You can still see his youtube video up, by the way.

This youtuber saw one user replying to him and immediately posted a "I got cancelled for this" youtube video, and a rant of multiple tweets telling his audience "I AM UNAPOLOGETICALLY ME AND I'LL FOREVER SAY WHAT I WANT". He posted another tweet too but I did not screenshot it.

After depicting himself as a victim of being cancelled because one person asked him about how his tweet could be viewed some bakudeku users reacted.

The first to go was the tweet of the video:

The second was this tweet that was written in reply to his main "i don't want a queer audience" tweet:

the tweet is still here.

As you can see if you click on the tweet, the problem expressed is that he built a queer audience to earn money, but is now trying to appeal to homophobic anime audiences to be "cancelled", and earn some followers and money. How do we know this?

Because of this tweet:

This screenshot was taken that same night, so this tweet about "earning from being cancelled" was posted 6 days before he decided to actually try it.

And it is not over. The user andy (the one who revealed about Nicholas' only fans) was immediately blocked, and they were the one finding this "being cancelled= money" tweet and posting it. Imagine what happened: Nicholas immediately deleted this reply from 6 days before. Which meant that he was checking what this bakudeku user was posting to cover his tracks.

3) Lolicon is fictional, but bakudeku is a disease and the fans need therapy

Now let's go back to Nicholas' main tweet in reply to that queer user. You can see how people from his following reacted:

And this was his answer:

You can see that he immediately decides to call the user weird because the characters are "little kids", so the user needs to seek therapy for looking at fanarts of bakudeku kissing.

Except that this is when bakudeku fans and non bakudeku fans found his old tweets in defense of lolicon, fictional pedophilia and people like Mushoku:

Now, the point here is the hypocrisy and double standard.

On one side "loli and fictional children are fictional and cannot be associated with actual crimes", on the other side "gay teenagers being shipped are disgusting and comparable to real life crimes". People were quick to point this homophobic messy double standard.

Nicholas Light himself started to notice that people were finding out his old stuff and he was replying to no one. He first deleted the tweet with the only fans retweet, probably making sure his current homophobic fanbase would not find that, and then replied this to one of the bakudeku fans showing his hypocritical behaviour:

This was the last tweet before he deleted everything. Calling someone an ableist slur, then saying he was watching movies with his girlfriend and then spending the next hour deleting

every

single

reply

and tweet.

And then he went private and when he came back... he had deleted every single reply and tweet of this mess, and he had deleted every tweet that people had screenshotted around, and every tweet he posted in the previous month:

He scrubbed his whole account.

We are not sure what happened to him "being unapologetically myself", apparently his strategy to make some cash from being homophobic and harassing small acounts while pretending to be cancelled did not succeed.

And the reason why I wrote this post is because there is the possibility that he might try this again in the future, maybe even with the same fanbase and strategy. So keep an eye out, do not let him fool you.

[phangneh]

Voice in the Abyss

[ CHAPTER Ⅳ ]

✨Manhwa : Into The Light Once Again

✨Elmir royal family x Fem!Reader

✨Warning : princess!reader, lost memory, yandere elements (both platonic and romantic), protect, ... (will add more)

📌Note: this is just a fanfic, there are many details unrelated to the original story line. English is not my native language, if I make grammatical mistakes or use incorrect words, please forgive me.

🎭Summary : You have a voice that is said to change the world, when you sing, your sweet voice makes people happy and all things flourish. One day, your kingdom was destroyed, you had to live with the pain of losing your family and being severely mistreated. But it seems that you will die in misery, there will be people who will come and take you out of the abyss.

[ Introduce ]

[ Chapter 4 ]

"So... how's that child ?"

The cup of tea that she had just picked up suddenly stopped. Aisha looked at her father when he mentioned you.

“(Y/n) is much better, she is receiving treatment very well,” Empress Iris said and then paused, the smile on her lips gradually becoming lighter. “… Like in the letter I sent you before, she doesn't remember anything that happened. So the royal physician diagnosed her with memory loss.”

“Hm” The Emperor nodded, raised the teacup, and took a sip.

"Isn't anyone going to tell her the truth ?"

“N-no way !” Aisha said hastily, she put down the tea cup. She still doesn't want you to know the truth. It's very difficult for you to get better. If you knew your homeland had been destroyed, Aisha isn't sure how you would feel.

“(Y/n) will have a hard time getting better, if we let her know the truth…”

You are too fragile to face it now. That would be a horrifying truth that could destroy you all over again. Aisha doesn't want that.

Tyrion thought for a while, then sighed, as if seeing right through his daughter's emotions.

“I understand.” The king nodded slightly, thinking. “Anyway, that child has nowhere else to go…”

“Aisha, can we talk for a bit ?”

Finally, the Princess found herself on the balcony with her brother. Tonight, the moonlight is cool and windy, making it very suitable for relaxing or taking a walk before going to bed.

The two talked about many things to each other, as if this peaceful moment would last without end. Isis looked at her, his eyes were so gentle and affectionate that there were no words to describe them. He was talking to his beloved sister, how wonderful this was.

“You seem to care a lot about (K/n)'s princess, Aisha.”

Aisha's smile stiffened slightly; she was confused, her face suddenly turned pink. “Why do you think that ?”

“I saw your face turn worried when dad talked about telling her the truth.” Isis said softly. He wasn't surprised; he knew Aisha was a kind person and had a kind heart.

“Ah, is that so ?”

Aisha giggled, she didn't expect her face to look worried at that moment. But maybe he's right, because she really cares about you. Her mood, when she saw you getting better, became relieved, as if a ton of burden had been lifted from her.

“I feel… She…” She hesitated, seemingly at a loss for words to describe her feelings and what they were about you.

“When you talked about (Y/n) through the letter, my mother and I were very shocked. She reminds me of what happened when I was in Edenburg…”

But it seems like she… went through something even more horrifying than that…

Isis's pupils shrank slightly, he realized something. He pondered, his hands clenching unconsciously. The mention of Edenburg's name made him feel hateful.

Isis was silent for a moment, as if considering something before deciding to speak.

“Aisha… there is something I want to tell you.” He hesitated.

Something made Isis' voice sound more serious than before.

Aisha was a bit surprised. What kind of thing sounded so serious? She didn't take her eyes off him, ready for whatever he would say.

“Edenburg…”

“They have something to do with this war, my sister…”

What ?

Her pupils shrank, her heart skipped a beat. Aisha couldn't utter a word when her brother said that. Her throat felt tight, her body felt numb. Did Isis just mention Edenburg ? She felt doubtful, many emotions mixed and rolled within her, making Aisha unable to find the words to answer him. She wondered: Why is Edenburg involved in this?

What the hell are they thinking anyway ?

“What did you… just say…?”

Edenburg.

"That-… Impossible ! Why is Edenburg involved in this ?!"

Aisha's hands gripped the balcony railing tightly, making her fingers turn white. The image of Marianne unconsciously invaded her mind. The more Edenburg was mentioned, even if she was immersed in boundless joy, it still left Aisha enveloped in feelings of pain and deep hatred, above anything.

“Dad and I learned about it when we questioned Alamasia's soldiers. They said that Edenburg also had a part in this, including the destruction of (K/n).”

“They are the ones who provided information about (K/n) to Alamasia, and they are also the ones who provided magic tools for Alamasia to invade (K/n)…”

Although his voice was still steady and calm, Isis's expression had since become frowning. Edenburg's appearance was something he did not expect when interrogating those soldiers.

"I don't understand…"

“In the end, what did (K/n) do to deserve all that?” Aisha couldn't hide the bitterness in her voice.

From a young age, when exposed to human knowledge, Aisha noticed that the world praised the (K/n) Empire. People all use beautiful words to talk about that place, the country always stands at the pinnacle of prosperity, regardless of time. Along with the fact that music has always been associated with the country's development over the centuries, people call it the name: The country of songs.

People say that place is like paradise on earth—such a beautiful, wonderful place, where people live in prosperity and happiness, light exists everywhere, even in each alley in (K/n). Ancient songs, melodies, stories, and legends about the gods. (K/n) is always a place full of human love and happiness.

But now they are just a pile of ruins.

(Y/n), do you remember what your hometown used to be like?

“Do you know ?” Aisha said this after a moment of silence.

“Even though she doesn't remember anything about herself, she always remembers that she has a place to return to. I feel that it has deepened and taken root in her consciousness and subconscious.”

It seems like your heart is always in that place—a place that nothing can replace, a place that you can't even forget.

The place you call “home”.

Paper cannot cover a fire. Aisha knew you would find out one day; sooner or later, she wouldn't be able to hide the truth from you forever. But… how can Aisha tell you the truth ?

Bang !

The sound came when Aisha's light arrow hit the tree trunk, making a dent there. She adjusted her breathing, looking at the dent that was bigger than the last time she practiced, which meant she was getting stronger. Aisha was happy about that. Although using light spirit power to fight was quite laborious, she would definitely try.

You sit on the side, clapping your hands. Your eyes widened in surprise and admiration. Princess Aisha was amazing. Aisha saw that and couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in her heart and, at the same time, a little embarrassed at the admiring eyes you were giving her.

Today, Aisha took you out to get some fresh air. She was worried that leaving you in the room for a long time would make you feel bored, partly because you could walk again. And it was the right decision! She noticed that you look more refreshed when you go out. The weather today is also very suitable, so you will feel comfortable. Aisha also feels better when she sees you happy.

Worried that you would wander around alone, she let you stay by her side while practicing. After that, you always stared at her curiously. The feeling of being stared at like that was also a bit embarrassing. Aisha would sometimes turn her face away for a moment to hide her slightly blushing face.

But most of all, what the Princess noticed was that you look so adorable sitting there !

This thought may be strange, but it's true! What Aisha means is… You look cute. You are dreamy, and your cheeks are pink, probably because the comfortable weather makes you like that. There's also the way you watch the butterflies flutter around and the way your eyes light up when you clap for her.

“Yeah… even though (Y/n) normally looks pretty and cute…” Aisha thought that while the bow in her hand glowed, it transformed into Rimie, an intermediate light spirit. Lu also transformed, returning from the arrow just now.

“Good job, Lu, Rimie !”

"Master! This time, you have improved !” Lu said excitedly that the little spirit was flying around Aisha.

"Yes! You too! It's been hard for you two."

"It's nothing, it's my honor to contribute to my master," Rimie said. She smiled slightly, placing her hand on her chest, showing sincerity.

“Now rest, Lu, Rimie.”

The two spirits disappeared after her words. Aisha quickly came to you. The two of you had been out for a long time; she wondered if you were tired.

“(Y/n), how are you feeling ?” Aisha sat down with you.

You nodded, your hand rubbing the green grass, feeling the smoothness touching your palm. Everything makes you curious. Suddenly, you feel like you haven't been outdoors for a long time, and the warm light also makes you feel a bit strange. It wasn't just a few weeks; it was longer than that. But you quickly dismissed it and thought that maybe you were thinking too much. Maybe being in the room for too long makes you feel that way.

Aisha silently smiled, watching you interact with everything outside. You looked like a child right now, studying everything in your sight.

Before that, she had taken you to meet her father, Emperor Tyrion; although at first she found it a bit hasty for you, she was worried that you would feel nervous about meeting him. But after that, nothing happened, everything was quite fine. Even though you still refused to say anything, luckily, the Emperor sympathized with you.

Actually, you're not very good about it. Meeting such a noble person makes you feel tense and restless, Aisha and Empress Iris are also noble, but they are much gentler. When welcoming you, he did not show that side but instead showed a gentle side. If you compare Emperor Tyrion with Empress Iris, you can see that Tyrion is stricter and colder, certainly, because he is the Emperor, the ruler of a large Empire and the leader of the people. You understand that; indeed, being a ruler is not easy.

You heard that Aisha also has an older brother, he is the Crown Prince, but you haven't met him.

“Next month, we will have a party to celebrate my dad's return from that trip. I heard it's supposed to last for half a month.” Princess Aisha looked up at the sky. “Hm… There will probably be a ball too."

Even though she said it was a celebration of the Emperor's successful trip, it was actually a celebration of the knights returning victorious from the war. Everyone knows that, except you.

“(Y/n), do you like royal balls ?”

Hearing her question, you drifted off, thinking about balls and royal parties. Many question marks began to appear in your mind. What is a royal party like ?

Aisha looked at your bewildered appearance and accidentally let out a giggle. “A ball is a kind of social gathering, but where people's main activity is dancing.” She explained, seeming to guess your thoughts.

“You can make friends there and dance with whoever you like.”

Having said this, she suddenly stopped and stared at you. If you let yourself attend the party, perhaps you will also attract a lot of attention from nobles, many people will notice your outstanding beauty. Your beauty becomes apparent after the scars gradually fade until they completely disappear. You look like the reincarnation of an angel fallen from heaven. Shiny, smooth hair and crystal-like (e/c) eyes—when you're quiet, people say you're as beautiful as a porcelain doll.

It's just a shame that you look quite... lifeless right now. Every time Iris looks into your eyes, she says that they contain an indescribable sadness that is as deep as the ocean, just looking at it once or twice will not be enough to understand.

Aisha wondered what it would be like when you smiled; it would definitely be very beautiful.

You two don't know that Isis is silently observing you at the window in the palace. Looking at the two of you being so close, he smiled slightly, happy that Aisha had a friend to keep her company. However, his smile suddenly faded, and a thoughtful look shone in his blue eyes as he looked at your back.

What is he thinking ?

Continue to [ Chapter 5 ]

ψ(｀∇´)ψ @heather-hutchcroft @alittlelostmoonchild

[kimbap-r0ll]

Hi!! May I req a fic where the boys accidently say something that upsets the gn!reader causing them to cry(like how they arent home now or something about them failing,etc), how would Malleus,Riddle, Vil and Azul react?

Hi, thank you for the ask! Oof this one's gonna be a bit of an angst. Short fics for these characters too, hope you like them!

Malleus, Riddle, Vil, Azul x reader: Let the Tears Fall

Malleus

He didn't mean to cause you any harm, that was the last thing he wanted to do while you were with him. He mentioned briefly that he was happy you were with him, in Twisted Wonderland of course, saying that he doesn't "mind if you were stuck here." He meant it in the most literal sense, that he would love for you to stay with him forever, never to return back to your world because he loves you so much. But that translated into possessiveness, something you didn't want in your relationship. Malleus laughed a little when he saw your pale face, he asked what was wrong, and you didn't say anything. Instead, you sat there, looking down at your knees as the winds caused the leaves to rustle in the forest. "Did I upset you?" Malleus asked, trying to reach for you but you just shook your head. You smiled, trying to hold the tears in, looking off into the distance as if to focus on something far away. "No...nothing I just...miss my world a bit...this place sort of reminds me of it," you said. A tear slid from your eye, and you were quick to wipe it off before he saw but the fae didn't miss it. He felt a chill run down his spine, he didn't think he could ever be a source of sadness to you. He never wanted to be such a thing, not when you always made him feel warm and loved. "Y/n, I'm...I'm sorry I spoke out of line," he said, wanting to take back his words. You tried to reassure him that you were fine, but your eyes still seemed hurt. Malleus would have a hard time forgetting that.

Riddle

"Once again, rose I told you it's not written in this way," he sounded pissed. Riddle was never patient with anyone, but when it came to you it seemed like he was a bit better at holding his temper. That was until today rolled by, a week before your exams and you were studying with him. You flinched as he slammed his notebook down and walked over to a chalkboard to demonstrate what he meant. You wrote down exactly what he wrote, listened to his words, but his tone kept making your heart race not in a good way. It was a panicked rhythm, something like you knew you were in trouble. This was your boyfriend for Great Seven's sake, what was going on? Riddle shouted your name again when you didn't answer him as you were lost in your thoughts. That was the last straw, you mumbled out the answer, knowing it was incorrect but not wanting to test his patience anymore. "L-look, I don't think I can do this anymore," you whimpered, and that made Riddle stop. His eyes widened, he realized what he just did. He yelled, yelled at you out of all people. He was acting like his mother, the person whom he despised so much yet ended up becoming a reflection of in this moment. "Y/n, I didn't mean to shout like that, I'm so sorry," his voice softened, he quickly went to you to take you in his arms. But you were limp, your eyes glistened with tears. While no words left your mouth, the small drops that fell onto your notebook was enough for him to understand the horrible mistake he had done.

Vil

A perfectionist at heart, he didn't let anyone escape his scrutiny. Even you, whom he always praised as being perfect in heart and body. He didn't care if you didn't have his exact look, as long as you were confident in your fashion choices he loved it. But this time, he wasn't feeling too much like himself, he had seen too many manager texts in a day, a lot of stressful classes, and now you were doing everything but taking care of yourself. You were up late studying for a test, causing not only physical health problems but also mental health problems. He wanted to tell you kindly to stop but he didn't have the energy. Grabbing your books, he snapped at you. "Get to bed, what are you trying to do sabotage yourself? I thought we went over this last week, how quickly do you dispose of my advice?" What he didn't realize was that you weren't doing that well either. You were sick, you were stressed, you were getting over a lot of hardships about being literally teleported away from home. This was the last thing you wanted to go through, and all you could do at that moment was..."Y/n? Are you crying?" Vil reached his hand to your face, lifting it up so he could see you. You tried to look away, but the tears slid down your cheeks and you made a small whimper. "I'm sorry, I don't want to cause trouble but...it's been a hard week," you try to explain. You think Vil would scold you, but instead, he looks at you with wide eyes, almost a look of fear. "No, I should be the one to apologize, it was rude of me to act this way," he wrapped his arms around you. He let you cry on his shoulder, tell him everything you wanted to tell him. Vil wouldn't let you bundle up your emotions anymore.

Azul

Azul didn't have anything against you, but he was quick to make grudges. He could cling onto random actions or phrases people said to use against them when he needed. It just so happened to be one of those cases. You were already in a tense environment with him. He didn't speak to you for a few days, and you were busy dealing with homesickness along with all of Ramshackle's issues. He casually had to bring up how you weren't helping him at the lounge, nor were you checking up on him as you usually did. What a selfish dorm leader, but you didn't have the energy to fight back. "Look, I'm just saying that as long as you're here, and Crowley remains as the headmaster, you won't be going home. Might as well toss that out the window," he said as he walked back into his office, leaving you in the lounge to clean the bar by yourself. This was the last straw for you, the one thing, the one hope you had was home and he had to jab at it. You tried to calm yourself down, but the tears just started. Soon, you were wiping the glassware while letting the tears fall all over the counter. Azul wouldn't have heard you because he usually listens to music as he's in his study, but this time he left the door open to see what you would do. Hearing slight whimpers and sniffles caused him to jump out the door, a worried and panicked look on his face. There was no way he just said something that hurt you, no he was better than those kinds of people. He went through hurtful words, he shouldn't be repeating that! "Darling, is something wrong? Was it something I said?" he asked, carefully approaching you. "Ah, it's nothing," you shook your head, trying to hide it but he wrapped his arms around you. "No, no it's absolutely something I should know. It was what I said wasn't it?" this caused you to cry harder. He started to feel tears himself. As he told you how sorry he was, he wiped your tears away and told himself he would never throw words at you.

[lord-squiggletits]

On the MegOP fandom trend of saying "Optimus should apologize to Megatron"

(Speaking specifically for IDW1, though it applies to a lot of MegOP especially ones that do continuity soup with heavy reference to IDW1)

I was talking to a friend in DMs and they mentioned a common headcanon/fanfic trope that I also concurred with, and both of us said it's something that bothers us: a common take in the MegOP fandom goes basically along the lines of "If Optimus had just apologized to Megatron, the war would've ended" (or other variants including "if he'd tried harder to understand Megatron/work in collaboration with him").

And firstly, this is incorrect for a number of reasons:

There were attempts at peace negotiations during the war, but they fell through. So Optimus WAS trying to work with Megatron to the point of participating in formal diplomatic meetings.

Optimus tried multiple times on page to convince Megatron to just stop fighting and work with him for peace (Autocracy, Chaos Theory) that Megatron rejected. Given that these on-page examples take place at the start of the war and at the end of the war respectively, it makes sense that Optimus asking Megatron for collaboration is something he was trying/willing to do the entire time. So again, Optimus was always willing AND ATTEMPTING to work with Megatron and find a joint solution

Even before the war when Optimus was still Orion, he was very explicitly inspired by Megatron's writing and names Megatron as one of the people who "opened his eyes" to the wrongs of Cybertronian society. So how is it that people claim "the war went on for too long because Optimus never tried to understand Megatron" when OP literally named Megatron as one of his biggest idols, thus implying that OP does understand Megatron's ideals

But the primary purpose of this post wasn't to defend Optimus, actually. Even though I personally think Optimus did plenty (dare I say, everything) to try to end the war, there are some who may still think otherwise, so instead of arguing about whether Optimus did "enough", or who should apologize to whom, or who "deserves the blame" for starting/continuing the war, I'd actually rather talk about this:

No matter who is most "to blame" for the war, it's my firm belief that neither Megatron nor Optimus would even expect/demand the other to apologize to them at all.

On Megatron's side, he would never seek to judge Optimus negatively for the decisions to the point of saying "you wronged me, apologize." Whether it's evil Megatron who doesn't care about atrocities and revels in an opportunity to expose Optimus as a hypocrite, or post-war/Autobot Megatron who knows that his own evil actions are irredeemable, the idea of Megatron judging Optimus and demanding an apology for the war specifically strikes me as out-of-character. Why would Megatron demand or even want an apology from Optimus when Megatron knows fully well that he has his own sins to bear, he prolonged the war for his own selfish/material gain, and that he is responsible for an untold amount of suffering? Demanding an apology would imply that Megatron sees himself as the wronged party and Optimus as the wrongdoer, but by the end of the war, Megatron is too aware of his own part in the war to ever demand such a thing of Optimus. Even if he DID think that Optimus was "equally to blame" for the war (which he doesn't/wouldn't, btw), Megatron's own feelings of guilt would prevent him from trying to seek the petty satisfaction of the moral high ground or making Optimus beg for his forgiveness.

Additionally, Megatron knows Optimus very well as a person: he knows that the position of leadership is full of "loneliness [and] agonizing self-doubt" for Optimus (Chaos Theory) and that "when Optimus hurts others, he hurts himself" (MTMTE). Another reason that Megatron wouldn't demand nor want an apology from Optimus is because Megatron knows Optimus so well that he already knows that being a war leader fills Optimus with immense guilt and suffering. Given that Megatron knows about Optimus' self-doubt and guilt, why would he even need an apology when he already knows how much Optimus regrets the war and desperately wishes/wished for it to end?

Then, as established in the previous paragraphs, Optimus is too full of guilt for his part in the war (both before it started and in being unable to stop it sooner) to demand an apology from Megatron. Again, demanding an apology would put Optimus in an implied position of moral superiority and/or victimhood, but Optimus doesn't see himself as morally superior or as a victim (or rather, he sees himself as being responsible for these bad things happening and internalizes this as a duty to do better/fix wrongdoings). In other words, Megatron and Optimus both share this view of themselves and each other: Their hands are so dirty, and they both feel such guilt over this, and they know each other well enough to know that the other feels this way as well. Because both of them feel blame for the war and are acutely aware of their own flaws/part in suffering, both of them feel far too responsible for the war happening for them to ever blame their archnemesis for "not trying harder" or "being responsible for the war."

Hell, if you even look at the socio-political climate of Cybertron before the war started, neither Megatron nor Optimus were the ones who put this conflict into motion. The corrupt legacy of the Primes, Functionism, class issues-- all of these things existed before Megatron and Optimus did. Even once they started doing things like writing about social issues (M) or fighting against the Senate (OP), both of them were "underlings" in sense that they weren't leaders:

Megatron's writings may have inspired the Decepticon movement, but that movement existed as an independent entity with its own leaders and speakers long before Megatron became the "official" ruler of the Decepticons. He wasn't even the leader of the 'Cons until he took control of the gladiator arena and the nonviolent sections of the Decepticons were (presumably) subsumed into the underground, exploitative battle culture that Megatron created.

Optimus-as-Orion was a police officer to start, but even once he started going against the Senate, he mainly worked in collaboration with others like Senator Shockwave and Zeta (later Zeta Prime), who he either saw as his idols or who were literally superior to him in rank due to government/military structures.

So with this in mind, even from a social level, while Megatron and Optimus may have been "catalysts" of a sort that caused the war to escalate to an outright planetary/galactic level, the scenario is too complex to solely lay the blame for the war at either of their feet. I'm not confident in saying that Megatron/Optimus would explicitly think of this when talking to each other, but what I'm trying to say is that M/OP were just catalysts in a long chain of brewing tension that exploded into a war. Even if one could claim that one of them "started" or "escalated" the war, the social issues that caused the war and the positions of power that allowed them to become leaders in the first place were falling into place before either of them actually BECAME leaders.

In other words, this shared fate of being the final reaction that exploded a societal conflict into outright war... Megatron and Optimus both have that in common. And because of this, I really don't think either of them would even think to ask the other to apologize because they're both in such similar positions, with such similar feelings of guilt and responsibility, that they understand each other's feelings without words. To demand an apology would be akin to taking that shared vulnerability/guilt and stepping on it, attempting to claim that one is right/superior and the other is wrong/inferior, and that the inferior one needs to grovel and take responsibility for the bad things that happened.

[emycantconsentrate]

solitaire Ranttttt

I love this book and I've read it at least 30 times. i just want to say before I start that these are my personal opinions about the book.

I know i said I've read it a lot but i still don't know everything so please don't get mad if i get any facts incorrect.

Solitaire starts as Victoria (tori) Spring is starting school after x-mas or winter break. Tori lives with her mom, dad, and two brothers, Charlie and Oliver. Charlie, who is also in the heartstopper comics, struggles with an ED. I truly think that this effects Tori's life a lot. I know its not Charlies fault but I'm sure tori is almost constantly worrying about him. Tori and her mother don't get along very well. I'm not entirely sure why they don't but i think they touch more on that fact in This Winter. I've read it but it was a long time ago and i really need a reread.

on a different note. I've been needed to talk about this but none of my friends care enough. This is a controversial opinion but i hate Becky. she is such a bitch to tori and i just can't stand her. i know most of the time when tori and her would fight it would be when Becky is drunk but that doesn't make anything she has done right. she dated Ben Hope, one of the worst people in the universe of solitaire. i guess i don't really have a true reason to hate her accept for the fact that i have had friends like Becky. its all fine and its a beautiful friendship, then out of nowhere they go behind you and become friends or start dating someone that isn't a good person. they don't know they are a bad person and you do. and if you try to tell them that they are a bad person they either don't care or they don't believe you. I truly don't get why people like Becky. this is way too much but I'm going to do it any way. I'm going to analyze one of their fights.

pages 226-228 Solitaire

Becky was kissing Ben Hope after 100% knowing how awful of a person he was and still is to her best friends little brother. Tori sees this happening at the Solitaire party and is furious. which is completely reasonable because of how actually nasty he is.

after ben walks off Becky asks tori what she's looking at. in the next bit tori just goes off on her saying stuff like "you are a nasty bitch," and "you just don't care, do you?"

"that's it isn't it? I'm you naive little friend whose sad little life makes you feel better about yourself. well, you're absolutely spot-on there. I haven't got a single clue about anything. But you know what i do know? I know when someone is being a nasty bitch. Go ahead and cry your little crocodile tears if you want to. You don't fucking care at all do you?" this is a rant Tori goes on while arguing. This leaves Becky absolutely speechless.

"well- you- you're the one being a nasty bitch! Jesus Christ just calm down." After Becky says this Tori tells the reader that, i quote, "this is bad. I need to stop. I can't" Tori is now aware that she can't help was she says anymore. She no longer trust Becky. She no longer has a "BFF". Becky has betrayed her.

Tori continues to yell at Becky. "I'm sorry - do you have any comprehension of the level of betrayal you have just reached? Do you have any concept of friendship? I didn't think it was possible for someone to be that selfish, but clearly i've been wrong all this time" Tori is very very upset now and then says " You've killed me. You've literally killed me."

Becky has single handedly DESTORYED Tori. Becky is awful, and of course she just tells her to calm down. she literally was just making out with a boy that SA'd HER BEST FRIENDS BROTHER! and she knew he did it. which is ACTUALLY INSANE!!!!!

just the amount of betrayal and shit she caused makes be fucking sick to my stomach. yeah i do know that its a fake story and they aren't real people. it's just the fact that people like Becky do really do shit like this. I can't believe people are actually capable of stuff like this.

i really need to shut up but i have two more quotes from Tori then I'll stop.

"You have solidly proven that everyone and everything is shit. well done. Gold star. please delete yourself from my life."

" i am gone. I am gone. I guess everyone is like this. Smiles, hugs, years together, holidays, late night confessions, tears, phone calls, one million words - they don't mean anything. Becky doesn't care. No one really cares."

thank you for listening/reading

[wintervalewritersecond]

witchy woman - rowan laslow

requested: yes! requests: open! hii can u make a rowan x witch fem!reader fic about him feelings inscure being her bf because the reader is a popular girl in nevermore. thanks before head!

A/N: i dont know a lot about witchcraft, so please let me know if i got anything wrong! i love rowan though, so i wanted to write it still :) thank you for requesting and i hope you like it &lt;3

wordcount: 2,905 warnings: incorrect witch information, rowan doesn't go insane, insecure rowan </3, she/her pronouns, mean character, might be ooc, cursewords

When Rowan overhears some conversations and gossip, he gets insecure about your intentions.

You had said goodbye to Rowan, heading into the woods to clear your head and collect some small plants and other greens to use in your spell bottles. Sure, you could have gone to Jericho to try and find what you needed, but finding it in the woods was more fulfilling. You believed that being in the open air not only helps you to find yourself but also the ingredients that you need.

Rowan decided to stay in the Quad, working on some of his homework while waiting for you to return. It is still early, and some classes are still going as small groups of students walk through the Quad, sitting down to enjoy lunch or also do breakfast.

None of them sit with Rowan though.

Rowan has always been the outcast of outcasts. He didn't really excel in anything. Fencing wasn't his strongest suit, and though he did get good grades for other classes, but it wasn't like Bianca at Botany. No one really hung out with them, especially because they think he is going insane.

Word had spread about his mother that attended Nevermore years ago. Telekinesis had driven her insane as she destroyed her own dorm, luckily being stopped before she could do any more damage. But the word had already reached the others.

"Rowan!" You cheer, running up to the table he is sitting at.

He looks up from his laptop, a smile on his face.

You are unlike the others. Though you are extremely popular amongst the students and teachers, you never treated him any differently. Not in a bad way, that is. You had been paired up with him once for a project, and ever since then you never left his side. No matter how many times he insisted that it might have been better for you and your reputation if you just distanced yourself from him.

"You will not believe what I just found," you open your tote bag, pulling out a small fabric package.

In it are different flowers and other herbs, most of them unfamiliar to him. He has seen some of them before, but the names are hard to remember.

Even if he does not understand anything, he is still happy to see what you find. You can talk to him about any kind of spell or potion you made, and he will listen with all his attention. He would drop anything for you, just like you would do for him.

"Now I only need to buy some small bottles, candles, rosemary," you nod. "What are you working on, Rowan?"

"Nothing big," he awkwardly laughs. "Just some homework."

You smile at him, watching him as your head rests on your palms. He is so mesmerizing to you. The way his glasses slide off of his nose, the freckle underneath his eye, his face when he looks focused. You could go on for hours.

"I might join you," you pull the journal out of your bag, "I don't have too much homework left, but I will stay here. We can maybe even get some drinks at the Weathervane afterward?"

The journal is one of your prized possessions. It is filled with spells you have done or want to do, some important ingredients for spell jars, and sigils that have been drawn.

After making homework in the Quad, the two of you decide to just get some dinner before just hanging out in Rowan's dorm. He would often allow you to mix up all sorts of potions or try out new spells as he would watch or read.

Two hours had passed of the two of you just messing around, taking some small breaks in between to drink, eat, or kiss. A knock on the door before Xavier comes into the room, dressed in his workout clothing.

"Hey Rowan, hey Y/N."

You greet him back before closing your journal, placing everything in your bag before standing up.

"Hey, Xavier," you smile as you turn to Rowan. "I will see you tomorrow?"

Rowan nods with a big smile on his head, pushing his glasses back on his nose. You look at him for a second before taking hold of his cheek, pressing a soft kiss on his lips.

"Good night, Rowan."

"Good night, my love."

-

Rowan is so head over heels for you. Even if you have been dating for close to a year, he often still can't believe that you are his girlfriend. He tends to get a little bit insecure, especially during the beginning of your relationship. He would think that you weren't serious when you said you liked him, or when you thought he was attractive. He had been told otherwise his entire life.

You were sitting next to him in class, your left hand on the table as Rowan scribbled some random shapes on it. He would often feel a bit nervous, and the drawing distracts him. Plus, it gives the two of you a reason to hold hands.

"Oh, Rowan," you suddenly remember. "I have to show a new kid around."

Not that you were looking forward to it too much. Normally, Enid would be the one to introduce everyone, but as she had classes longer than you today, you have been tasked with showing the new Nevermore student around. You were popular among the rest of the students, so Principal Weems found you the obvious choice.

"That's okay," Rowan smiles, still focused on the small scribbles on your hand. "I can wait for you in the Quad when you're done?"

"That would actually be perfect!"

The bell rings, a signal for you to go to the Principals office, and a signal for Rowan that his day has ended. A quick kiss on his cheek and a 'goodbye'.

Classes have ended for him, but that did not mean that he didn't have any plans. He asked Xavier to let him use his bike to go to Jericho so he could pick you up some small gifts. The boy would often buy you small presents; you could say it is his love language.

Though he wouldn't admit it, he keeps a list on his phone with all the things you ever said you liked, wanted, or needed. He would carefully pick some items to buy you, even if you insisted that he didn't need to spend any money on you. But he wanted to.

"Where is the rosemary?" He mumbles, a shopping basket in his hand which is already filled with different items.

Snacks and drinks, but also some objects that he has seen you use for spell jars. Cinnamon, matches, bay leaves, and a bouquet of roses. A smile is on his face just thinking about giving you everything.

Finally, the rosemary has been located. After paying for everything at the register, he puts it in his backpack before leaving for Uriah's Heap. It was the only place in Jericho that sold... strange items. He only needed some incense and thin candles, but it was the perfect place for it.

Once back at Nevermore, he packaged each and every little thing, making sure to put a little note in it as well. He always felt too nervous or scared to say things out loud, and a note was a perfect way for him to express how he was feeling. You never blamed him for it though, you love him exactly for how he is. He is deeply grateful for it; you have never pushed him out of his comfort zone, and instead helped guide him to what he wanted himself.

-

"And this is the Quad!" You smile.

"Wow," George laughs. "And everyone is some type of outcast?"

You nod, leading him around the Quad to walk past the different tables.

"There's werewolves, vampires, sirens," you count on your fingers. "We also have gorgons, faceless people, telekinesis, visions, spells. You name it, and Nevermore probably has it!"

The tall boy nods, leaning against one of the pillars as he looks down at you with a smile.

"And you?"

"Oh," you didn't expect him to ask that. "I do witchcraft. Spells, crystals, candles. All that stuff."

George hums, it's different than his power. He doesn't fully control it just yet, but from what he knows, he can control water. He had told you at the beginning of the tour, but never thought to ask you about what you did.

"Does everyone usually stay grouped together? Based on skills, I mean."

"Sometimes," you admit. "Bianca Barcley is one of the most popular girls. She is a Siren and most of her friends are as well. A few exceptions, including me and Yoko. Mostly, people stick together. There are some smaller groups with different powers, but it's not like the Normie schools. No nerds versus popular people."

He lets out a laugh.

"Good to know. I was actually popular at my old school," he grins. "Where do you fall? Popular, or not so much?"

He surely knows how to ask awkward questions.

"At Normie school? Not that much. But here it's a bit more to the popular side, I guess," you shrug. "I just try to get along with everyone. That's it."

George pushes himself off of the pillar, looking around the Quad again. Something about him feels off. It almost seems like he is looking around for prey. Someone to pick on.

"So, a popular girl then?"

Then, his eyes fall on one person in particular.

"I thought you said there were no nerds here at Nevermore," he snickers, sneakily pointing to something across of the Quad.

You frown, looking at where he was pointing. Through one of the gates walks Rowan, a goofy yet nervous smile on his face as he holds a small basket in his hands.

"Who layers a checkered button-up underneath a zip-up hoodie?"

If looks could kill, then George would have now been dead and buried. He should really watch what he is saying.

"And the glasses- He knows contacts exist, right?"

Rowan gets closer and closer, slowly picking up more from the one-sided conversation.

"George-"

"I know you are more of a popular kid here, but I didn't think Nevermore would stoop this low. I have seen the website, and I thought they only let special people in."

"George, I swear-"

Your tone gets a bit more aggressive every time you have to say his name. Rowan thickly swallows, looking from you to the taller guy. George, as you called him, might be right.

"I don't think studying for eight hours a day is a superpower. Makes you more of a freak-"

"Stop it, George. I'm serious."

Rowan is standing too close to you already, if he turned around now, it would only make him seem weirder. He taps your shoulder softly as your murderous gaze changes into a soft, loving one when you see him up close.

"Rowan!"

With an awkward smile he holds out the package to you, his hands shaking as he tries to avoid George's gaze.

"I uh- Is this a bad time? I have something-"

George suddenly stands behind you, hovering over you as he looks at Rowan, a smirk on his face. He is only a few centimeters taller than him, yet Rowan feels intimidated. It's not like he talked shit about the poor guy earlier.

"I don't think you should talk to her, man," he raises an eyebrow. "You don't seem like the type for a popular girl-"

Your face morphs back into a hateful one as you aggressively throw your elbow back into George's chest. He stumbles back, clutching his chest as he looks up at you with a shocked look on his face.

"What the fuck?!"

You grab his collar, pulling him down to you as you glare at him, your eyes almost on fire. The tables close to you look at you in shock. They have never seen you this aggressive.

"You better watch out," you grit your teeth. "Say one more word about Rowan, and I will make sure you leave here with more broken bones and curses than you can count."

The second you let go of his shirt, he stumbles to the ground. You turn back to Rowan, who is staring at the ground, now shaking more than before.

"Hey, are you okay?" you whisper, stepping closer to him before placing your hands on his upper arms. "Rowan, come on. Let's go."

The two of you walk away to your dorm, leaving behind a confused George and a surprised Quad. Xavier lets out a laugh as he walks past the guy on the floor.

"That was a bad move, man."

-

"I will make sure he has a horrible time at Nevermore," you groan, rummaging through your drawers to find ingredients for a new spell jar. "I am serious, Rowan, if he says one more word about you I will actually kill him."

You turn around to face your boyfriend, but he hasn't moved an inch. He still sits on the edge of your bed, staring at his hands as the small package is placed next to him. Your shoulders slump as you immediately place everything you were holding onto your desk, sitting down next to Rowan.

It is silent for a second before the boy finally speaks up.

"Do you think he was right?"

You turn your head to face him, your eyebrows creased. His voice was shaking and his eyes are full of tears.

"Maybe he is," Rowan whispers to himself. "I-I... What if I am not really your type? George could be- He is taller and more popular-"

"Hey," you look at him, your heart sinking into your stomach. "Rowan, that is not true at all."

He slowly looks up at you, his lip trembling as he blinks to try to keep the tears at bay. What if George was right?

"You are the most loving, the most caring, the most beautiful, and the most perfect person I have ever met," you smile. "You are the only one that I ever want to spend my life with. I don't want anyone like that asshole."

You press a kiss on his forehead before wiping away some of his stray tears.

"I want a boy with telekinesis who just so happens to look extremely good. Especially with glasses."

A small laugh escapes his lips as he nods.

"Okay," he whispers, nodding before looking at you. "I love you."

You pull him close, pressing a soft kiss on his neck before running your hands up and down his back.

"I love you too, Rowan."

He slowly untangles himself from your grip before placing the small package on your lap. The insecurity had gotten to him, totally forgetting that he was going to give you the gift.

"I uh- I got it for you," he sniffles, though a smile is on his face. "I knew you wouldn't have any time to go to Jericho this week, so..."

Your eyes grow big as you slowly unpack the items.

"What?" You exclaim excitedly, gasping as you look up at your boyfriend. "Rowan, I can't believe this!"

You jump up with the small basket in your hands. Everything you were planning to get, was now in your hands. Small bottles, candles, incense, even roses! You retrieve the small note which sits at the bottom. Rowan would often write you notes or letters, and you kept each and every one of them. Some of them were stuck in your journal, others were placed on the whiteboard in your room, and there were even some you kept in your wallet.

"I have the best boyfriend ever!"

-

After trying out some new spells, you had finally fallen asleep. The incense had to wait for later; you knew Rowan was quite sensitive to it. You didn't want to risk anything happening to him.

It was time for breakfast, which means that most of the Nevermore students collect in the Quad. A knock on the door catches your attention and as you open it, you are faced with a smiling Rowan. He would pick you up from your dorm so you could get breakfast together in the mornings.

"Good morning," you give him a kiss before fixing his tie.

"Good morning," he replies before taking your hand.

After a long talk yesterday, he finally felt a bit more relieved. You assured him that he had no reason to be insecure, but that you did understand him. You aren't going to laugh at him for being insecure, not at all.

Rowan and you sat down with Xavier and you couldn't help but let out a laugh. Next to the fountain sat George, all on his own.

"So much for being a popular kid, huh," you giggle as Rowan looks over.

"Watch this," he whispers back, quickly moving his hand.

The movement makes George fly off of the bench and into the water. Your hand flies to your mouth as you try to hide your laughing, letting your head fall onto Rowan's shoulder, hearing George scream in the background.

And though Rowan does sometimes feel insecure, he does have something he can hold onto. Your hands, your words, your reassurance. You are his as he is yours. Besides, if anyone else ever talked bad about him, you were quick to react. Be it by a spell, or by your fist.