#// even if they're persuaded by their path

[literaryvein-reblogs]

How to write charisma in different characters? like a royal , a moody teen , a young leader?

Writing Notes: Charismatic Characters

Charisma - a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure (such as a political leader); a special magnetic charm or appeal (Merriam-Webster)

As a Literary Trope:

It determines someone's ability to influence others.

Fairly vague in nature, this influence can take the form of anything from inspiring loyalty to intimidating others, and finds its natural home in checks involving interactions.

While usually not explicitly supernatural, it can nevertheless even work on supernatural entities in some settings. One guide on different levels of charisma:

The character is adept at understanding and manipulating other people, though not outstandingly good.

The character is likely a leader or performer by profession. They have a talent for evoking emotion in others, through speeches, artistic works or possibly just idle taunts.

The character begins to become more influential than almost anyone has a right to be. A paragon of virtue or brutal dictator are both possible paths.

It doesn't matter how good you are. This guy or gal has several hundred devoted followers to match you, possibly even an entire army or country. Negotiation, bribery, blackmail...none of these will have any effect when matched against raw zeal. It's not like you'll be able to resist for long, anyway.

"The Leader" Trope

Every group usually has a leader. When push comes to shove, there's gotta be someone that stands up, takes charge, and makes a decision. Even if it goes unsaid, it's usually obvious to everyone who's calling the shots.

The de facto leader does it out of necessity or their personality type.

The de jure leader is officially agreed upon, and may hold the title or rank.

One type is the "Charismatic" Leader. Defining trait: Likeability. The Face of the team, either because they're the most feared, most skilled, most loved and respected, chosen by destiny, or are the most personally invested in the team's goals. In contrast to Masterminds, their personality is what brings, and keeps, the team together. At an impasse, everyone else is willing to agree to what they want to do and won't argue. The strongest of these are the core of their group, weaker ones are mascots or figureheads. May overlap with or evolve into any of the other three types of leaders (The Mastermind; the Levelheaded; the Headstrong).

The "Universally Beloved Leader" Trope

Everyone loves this ruler.

A simple request — not an order, but an appeal — will get immediate results.

Even their enemies will acknowledge their virtue, viewing them as Worthy Opponents.

The "Magnetic Hero" Trope

Another leader character trope with charisma.

Occasionally, you get a hero with such personal magnetism that he is capable of persuading others, to join him in his quest.

Of course, the new companion has no qualms about killing for, or even dying for, the hero, despite having known him only briefly and facing many people who want him dead.

This is a staple of fiction that may well be Older Than They Think.

Many epics and legends chronicle the process by which a hero gathers a band of motley friends and allies of dubious background but doubtless courage and nobility.

Even if the hero has no special quality compared to his subordinates, this is often his implied "power", their heart.

Charismatic Leadership

A subtype of transformational leadership.

In charismatic leadership, the leader checks all 4 of the boxes outlined below but he or she is also very skilled in communicating with others, especially on a deeper level (Riggio, 2012).

Bass’ transformational leadership style, characterized by:

Idealized influence: the leader is liked and respected by their followers, and serve as a role model.

Inspirational motivation: the leader motivates and inspires their followers.

Intellectual stimulation: the leader promotes creativity and innovation through open-mindedness and non-threatening questioning of ideas.

Individualized consideration: the leader treats each follower as a unique individual with unique strengths, weaknesses, and needs (Bass & Riggio, 2006).

The Greek word charisma means "favor" or "gift."

It comes from the verb charizesthai ("to favor"), which in turn comes from the noun charis, meaning "grace."

In English, charisma was originally used in Christian contexts to refer to a gift or power bestowed upon an individual by the Holy Spirit for the good of the Church—a sense that is now very rare.

These days, we use the word to refer to social, rather than divine, grace. For instance, a leader with charisma may easily gain popular support, and a job applicant with charisma may shine in an interview.

Some researchers suggest charisma isn't enough to make successful leaders. "If leaders are only charismatic, they'd rather keep power for themselves," Stefani Yorges, PhD, a West Chester University psychology professor notes.

Psychologist Robert Hogan, PhD, agrees, suggesting that charisma has a dark side resembling narcissism. 

"People who score high on narcissism are bold, assertive, attractive and powerful - what we would consider charismatic," Hogan says. "But they can fail as leaders because they never admit mistakes. It's a myth that great leaders are simply charismatic. They are also humble."

Charismatic, Moody Teen Character

some related tropes you can combine and borrow ideas from:

A Child Shall Lead Them: A child, often a teenager, leads a group of adults. Youthful rulers are common in literature and history. If children, they are depicted as adorable; if in their teens or twenties, they simply create a sense of awe and protectiveness in their older advisers. Their naive simplicity may in fact make them good (and sometimes ruthless) rulers, as they prefer to cut through the red tape of court etiquette. Because of their youth and inexperience, they are often underestimated by the villains. They usually exhibit great wisdom in the course of the story, thus justifying their enormous power despite their youth.

Grade-School C.E.O.: A minor, often a teenager, holds a high-ranking position in a company. Usually younger than 17 years old, which is just young enough that it seems implausible. Often the age is justified by the fact that their parents owned the controlling interest in the company, so ownership of it fell to them upon their death.

Teens Are Angsty: Teens portrayed as whiny, mopey or self-important. They can be summed up in the sentence "Nobody understands me!". Most works with an angsty teen do it semi-sympathetically, where the character is at worst whiny and judgmental, but fundamentally good. However, it's not considered Age-Appropriate Angst as their complaints feel unjustified for their age.

Charismatic Royal Characters

some related tropes for inspiration:

The Good King: Is honorable, virtuous, wise, and understanding ruling The Good Kingdom. He treats his subjects with respect (no matter how seemingly unimportant they are), governs the land fairly, is a Royal Who Actually Does Something, and feels no need to flaunt his considerable power. The Good King also tends to be soft-spoken, but when he raises his voice, you’d better listen. You might mistake his kindness for weakness, but you would do well to remember that good does not always equal soft.

The High King: A person who even other rulers swear fealty to, but chooses not to hold the rank of Emperor. It is a title derived from historical Britain (with approximate equivalents in several other places), and widely used in fiction. A High King rules a feudal alliance or federation of states; usually he doesn't manifest direct power over all subjects of his vassal kings, which makes him different from a totalitarian emperor who is omnipresent in the daily affairs of his subjects. That's why a High King is likely to be good.

The High Queen: A woman of wealth, power, and near-impossible beauty. She always has a calm demeanor and regal bearing. Her very voice, even if it does not ring with power (and it often does), still lets you know that, in some way, she is probably better than you, even if the lady herself does not look down on you at all. Her beauty and goodness are usually to be admired passionately but from some distance. The High Queen is rarely a love interest, but the few times she is, expect a little warming up due to the charms of the hero.

Reluctant Ruler: Someone who is entrusted with permanent power over others despite desperately trying to avoid it at all costs. It is believed that between a brilliant person who strives for glory and a brilliant person who shuns it, the latter is least likely to abuse the power they are given, automatically making them a passable, if not great, ruler.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Here are some references and related tropes. Choose which ones best suit your story. And modify as needed/desired. You can find more examples and details in the sources linked above. Hope this helps with your writing!

[warcats-cat]

Warm Fuzzies

Summary: Hermes drops by for a visit, and is not at all prepared for what he finds temporarily sharing your apartment. Cuteness ensues!

A/N: This is a gift for @deltathelittleartist (MagicalEevee on Ao3!) for their AMAZING BEAUTIFUL artwork of Hermes in some outfits from First Valentine. (Seriously, go check it out!!!)

UPDATE DELTA MADE ART FOR *THIS* FIC AS WELL OF HERMES MEETING THE KITTIES AND ITS **ADORABLE** GO LOOK AT IT!!!!!

Read on Ao3 Here!

-----

“Uh… what was that…noise?” Hermes' voice floated from your window/door as he carefully shut it.

You beamed, looking anywhere but his eyes. “What noise?” You asked.

There was a quiet squeak from your bedroom.

Hermes took off his sunglasses, “That… noise??”

Another squeak.  Hermes' eyes narrowed, and he turned to the bedroom. Before you could react and move to block his path, he wooshed right to the doorway in a blink and opened the door. You barely had the time to cry, “Careful!!”

The squeaks became slightly louder, now a chorus instead of only one particularly loud voice. A tiny kitten-shaped-blob waddled out of the doorway, and tentatively batted at the hem of Hermes' cloak.

The god of mischief stared down at the kitten blankly.

“So… uh… I can explain…” you stammered. Two more kitten-blobs waddled over to see what their sibling was doing; one climbing onto Hermes' foot and taking a nibble of his sandal strap.

“There are infants in your home…” The god stated, eloquently.

Finally, a cream and brown tortoiseshell cat wandered out, two more babies in tow, and she sat right at Hermes' feet to stare up at him. You moved forward, ready to grab any kittens that decided to continue exploring the room.

“Well, uh, you see - I heard them squeaking last night as I was coming home. They were under my car, ya’know, because it's warm, and I couldn't just leave them in the mall parking lot! So, I ran in really quick and grabbed a box from the back that hadn't been broken down yet and a blanket from my trunk - you should always have a blanket in your car in case you break down - and the mama cat didn't even need to be persuaded! She hopped right in and I piled up her babies and I had to look for the nearest vet because obviously I've never needed one before!” Your rambling was cut off by Hermes pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“Breathe, darling,” he giggled. He bent down and gave the mother cat a soft scratch between her ears, eliciting a low purr. All five kittens now huddled at his feet, playing with each other and the god’s cloak.

You smiled, “yeah. Anyway, the vet said they were all healthy. They had probably been dumped that morning, and of course the mother wasn't chipped. But the shelter in the area was full, and I didn't want them to just be left outside, so I volunteered to foster them for a week or so until they can get a better placement.”

You sat down on the floor and the kittens waddled over to you, mewing and squeaking some more. The mother, content that her babies were with a competent guardian, licked your hand and wandered back into your bedroom to retrieve her food.

“I made a little corral for them but the mom kept escaping and taking her babies into my bedroom, so I just kinda let them waddle around in there. She must have escaped again…” you said, carefully picking up a kitten.

Hermes smiled softly, “ah, a fellow artist.” He carefully moved the kittens off of his feet and walked back into the living room area, beginning to fiddle with something.

By the time you had all five kittens and mother back in their makeshift pen, Hermes was walking in behind you and taking them back out.

“Hey! They're supposed to be close together! I don't want them to make a huge mess of my apartment…” you said, following him.

There, in front of the tv, was a proper little corral, complete with a new blanket he had summoned from somewhere. It was built with a sturdy-looking baby gate, and there were plush pillows and even a heating pad and scratching board in the middle.

You stared.

“Where did you get a baby gate in two minutes?”

“One minute, fifteen seconds.” He mumbled under his breath, and then shrugged. “I had one in my bag.” He placed the last kitten in the new corral, and you decided not to ask further…

“What are you going to do about work?” Hermes asked. You frowned, trailing a hand around the edge of the pen and watching a kitten waddle after it.

“I asked for the week off. I can use some PTO hours I've been saving. My manager wasn't thrilled but didn't complain since I got the days covered.”

You felt Hermes lean against you, warm and solid, and he put his head on your shoulder.

“Did you pick a name for any of them?” He asked softly. You blushed, looking away.

“Ah, well. I don't want to get too attached, and the kittens are still too little to do much. I didn't know what to call the mother cat, and the vet suggested a name but at the time I was only half paying attention.”

“What did they suggest?” He asked, leaning more into your space with his stupid mischievous grin. You blushed harder.

“W-well, they thought a cute name would be Molly…”

At the sound of her ‘name’, the mother cat chirped and looked up.

Hermes snorted, breaking into a giggle. “Wait, that's hilarious!”

You batted at him teasingly, smiling yourself. “It's a total coincidence!! I didn't even realize it until I got home and said it out loud!” you insisted.

“Oh, suuuure! I'll be sure to keep that in mind!” he laughed. “I can't wait to tell Circe some of her moly escaped!”

The kittens began to waddle over to investigate the commotion while Molly-the-cat kneaded the pillows, making herself comfortable in the new bedding.

“Whatever!” You said, still smiling, “Don't you have somewhere to be, anyway?” Hermes stuck out his tongue at you.

“What, I can't come visit my partner?”

In a quick bid of mischief, you pinched his nose, making him squeak. “Sure, you can visit whenever you want, but I didn't think you were able to stay tonight.” You said.

“Well, now I've found out my partner has infants to take care of! So, I'm going to be a good boyfriend and help them!” He retorted.

You sighed, rolling your eyes, and leaning over to kiss him. “Well, thank you, I guess.” You teased.

The rest of the evening was easy; you and Hermes sat on the couch and could both watch TV and watch the kittens at the same time. They were so tiny and squirmy; you remembered seeing some post a long time ago about the name bumper-car kittens for the stage when the babies were round and unsteady on their feet, and walked with their tiny tails straight up to help them balance. Their mother, meanwhile, seemed happy simply to watch them; occasionally she would nab one and give it a thorough washing, but otherwise she lay there enjoying the warm pillows and heating pad.

-----

You must have dozed off about midnight, leaning against Hermes, because suddenly your alarm was going off and you found yourself in bed, still in the tee shirt and sweatpants from the day previous.

Absolutely nothing could have prepared you for the sight just outside your door.

“Help…” Hermes, laying flat on the floor. One kitten curled up on his chest, close to his shoulder. Two kittens cuddled on his stomach. One kitten trying valiantly to fight the wing on the left side of his head. And Molly with her last kitten tucked close to his side, almost near his armpit.

You did not help, instead giggling and taking many photos of the god who had apparently been bested by a family of felines. The kitten playing with his wing toppled over when it tried to jump and swipe it at the same time, and you carefully picked it up, adding it to the cuddle pile with the other two on his stomach.

He gave you a big pout, widening his eyes and silently begging for rescue. “You're just gonna leave me here?” He asked with a whine.

“Are you kidding? Those things are vicious! I'm not coming within ten feet!” You giggled, stepping carefully over him and heading to the kitchen.

“They ambushed meee!” Hermes whined again, and you laughed.

“Oh, yes, I'm sure! They sure look formidable! What did they do, cry until you laid down?”

You heard a mumble from the living room as you put some pop tarts in the toaster.

“What was that?” You called.

“One climbed up my pant leg when I tried to feed Molly…” he said, slightly louder.

“Uh-huh. And how did that lead to your current situation?” You asked. You could imagine him blushing now, and pulling his wings to cover his eyes like he did when he was feeling bashful. The pop tarts popped out of the toaster, and you carefully set them on a plate. The pair of you could share.

Perhaps…

Stepping carefully back into your living room, you set the pop tarts where the kittens couldn't easily get to them (and hopefully Molly would leave them alone…) and sat next to Hermes' head. None of the kittens even bothered to look at you, too happy to be napping on their oversized heater. Hermes made another face.

“No, really, how did this happen?” You asked again, giggling. You reached and carefully broke off a small chunk of pop tart, waving it in the god's face.

He frowned, trying to lift his head enough to reach the treat before letting it flop back down with a huff.

“Mean to me,” he mumbled; “I told you, the little all white one started climbing my leg.”

“Uh-huh,” you smiled wider, “And?”

“I didn't want her to fall, obviously, so I picked her up and set her on my shoulder for a minute while I went to get cat food, and then she put her little paws in my feathers and it startled me. And then Molly chirped at me like ‘if you hurt my baby’ and hopped out of the gate. And then all of the kittens started crying, and Molly stared at me like ‘see what you did?’ even though it totally wasn't my fault!

So, I was like fine, you little furball and I brought all the babies out and sat down with them on my lap, but then they started climbing to attack my feathers!!” he rambled through his totally accurate and believable story. You snorted, feeding him the chunk of pop tart.

“Uh-huh. Sure, love. Whatever you say.” You giggled while he stuck his tongue out at you.

The pair of you sat like that for almost an hour - him on the floor with a cuddle pile of kittens on his stomach, you feeding him chunks of pop tart in between bites of your own. It was nice. Quiet.

At some point, you also laid on the floor, taking a few kittens to lay on your chest. They squeaked in protest only a moment before settling right back to sleep, and Molly purred loudly between you and Hermes. There was a soft haze to the day; a sleepy day off. You had soft blankets and pillows, soft sleepy kittens, and a soft silly boyfriend to snuggle up to. You and Hermes chatted quietly about his work this week, where all he had to go and why. You rambled about customers at work and the book you had been reading in your downtime.

About noon, the kittens decided their nap was complete, and they waddled around Hermes' torso, looking for a way to get back down from such a great height. The god tried very valiantly not to squirm, but it was clear the tiny paws wandering his abdomen were hitting every ticklish spot he had. The wings on his head flapped once or twice, and suddenly Molly was there, sitting just next to him and sniffing in his hair.

You quickly moved to grab the kittens and put them back in their pen, much to their displeasure if the squeaking and mewing was an indicator; and you watched, as if in slow motion, as Molly carefully lifted a single paw and brought it right back down on Hermes' forehead with a thwap. The god looked stunned, staring at the cat in confusion. You giggled to yourself, wishing you had that on video.

Molly raised a paw to do it again, Hermes still making no move to stop her, and you swooped in and gently lifted the cat away. Thankfully, she wasn't upset, apparently, but she did make her own sound of confusion at where the floor had suddenly gone. You gently cradled her in your arms, realizing now just how warm and solid she was. After a few moments of confusion, she settled, rubbing her face against the underside of your chin and purring loudly. You hummed, cuddling the cat, waiting for Hermes to stand up.

He didn't stand up.

You turned around, and found your boyfriend now staring at you. His typically silver eyes had the faintest tinge of green. You giggled.

“Is someone envious?” You teased, nudging him with your foot.

He looked away, “nooo…”  You could almost hear him blushing. You laughed a little harder, carefully settling Molly into the pen and watching as she gathered her kittens for lunch.

“Oh, no? Not even a little bit?” You pressed, crouching down next to him and poking his side.

Without answering, and faster than a blink, you found yourself laying on top of Hermes (while still on the floor!) with his arms around you.

“Don't know what you're talking about,” he said, though it was muffled from his face being tucked into your shoulder.

“Oh suuuure,” you teased, carefully threading your hands into his hair. You gently moved his head, and placed a kiss on his forehead. “Are we feeling a little un-cuddled then?”

He squirmed, and rolled so you were both side-by-side now. “Maaaaaaybe” he drawled. You smiled.

“Well, then, I’ll have to fix that.” He rubbed his nose against yours, now smiling.

“Mm’kay,” he hummed. You wiggled free of his arms and the pair of you moved to the much more comfortable couch; Hermes waved his hand and the tv blinked to life.

The next morning, you would receive a call from the vet office, saying they had found a foster for your little fuzzy family. You were sad to see them go, but happy to know they would all be well taken care of.

And a month or so from now, if a familiar cream and brown cat and small horde of kittens showed up in a selfie of Hermes while he visited his friend Circe, it would just have to bring a smile to your face.

(If you enjoyed, please reblog!! And don't forget to reblog Delta's art too and give them some love!!!)

[ukiyowi]

𝐏𝐄𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐎 (𝟏𝟏𝟖)

𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑢𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

Peitho is the Greek goddess of persuasion, seduction and charming speech. In my opinion, wherever Peitho is in your chart, it shows in what way are you persuasive and seductive, what areas can you persuade people. 

Masterlist

⟲ Houses: 

Ⱄ 1st - So determined and have very high self-esteem, may feel empowered through sexual liberation, you use your confidence and authoritive aura to seduce and get people to do what you want, honestly low-key can make anyone listen to you, you may notice a lot of people getting easily swayed by you, may embody traits of Peitho to a certain extent. 

Ⱄ 2nd - Can easily get money from people around them, may get a lot of material gifts without having to ask for them, can influence people's choices about financial decisions, good at talking business and getting people to spend, sensual and sweet, extremely feminine and may have slow elegant movement. People may not agree, but femme fatale energy as well. 

Ⱄ 3rd - Charming speech really charming, they can get people to do whatever they want using a few sweet words. Silver tongue, great sales people, can sell and pitch ideas really well. May be the type to be an academic, use their intellect and knowledge to seduce people, also good at spreading rumours. 

Ⱄ 4th - Welcoming and warm, persuade people through making them think it was their idea on the first place, manipulative, make people feel at home and get your way through creating a comfortable space, nurturing instincts that can make people imagine having a family with you may garner a lot of suitors who want to start a family.

Ⱄ 5th - They're really creative and their originality is what gets people to listen and makes them curious, great teachers, kids always listen to them, big movements, their way of doing things is grandiose, could be a bit of a tease, I've seen these people dance and they look very attractive and in their element. 

Ⱄ 6th - People always listen to them when it comes to health or routine, for example people with this placement could advice someone to change their diet and the person would instantly agree or try to do as advised, straightforward when trying to persuade someone, mind over matter in terms of seduction, seduces through promises of giving more than receiving.

Ⱄ 7th - My friend has this placement and she's a matchmaker, can persuade people to either get into relationships or out of them, have a great eye for red flags, polite can be a bit condescending, they may use their demure demeanour to seduce people, may have the whole "good girl/boy" "girl/boy next door" thing going. 

Ⱄ 8th - Just powerful in general, convincing in regards to matters related to family property and finances, may be good at persuading people to learn more about the occult and make them interested in it, intense and mysterious seduction, pull people in who like the chase like a cat and mouse game, could pull anyone they want to be honest.

Ⱄ 9th - Make for great academics and can be the type to be able to easily recruit people into a religious organisation/making people believe in multiple religions/gods, good at convincing people to travel with them or accompany them (even if it's to the grocery store) fast paced, see seduction as a weapon to wield, direct and honest, a little clumsy.

Ⱄ 10th - The ability to make or break someone's reputation honestly, whatever they say in a work setting is taken seriously, motivate co-workers to work hard, if they spread a rumour about someone at the workplace people will take it as truth, can persuade people to change career paths, seduce through smizes, bold yet reserved body language and wit. 

Ⱄ 11th - Have such a huge influence on their friend group and community, easily persuade people to be more giving to the community, carry out humanitarian acts, donate, persuade people to alter or change political beliefs and friends, seduce by being different, their eccentricity pulls people in because its unique, fluid in terms of they can make themselves be anyone's ideal type. 

Ⱄ 12th - My friend has this placement part 2, helps and persuades people to move on from past trauma and heal themselves, are able to convince people to get rid of their limiting beliefs and this placement has a healer role almost. Seduction caused by looking/seeming dreamy and making themselves seem unattainable, use fashion to go for the kill. 

xoxoxo

All Rights Reserved Ukiyowi. Do not steal or plagiarise or reword and claim as your own!

[foone]

Along the lines of my previous posts about a "maid that doesn't realize everything is kink" and "other maid that's just tired of all the horniness" and "guy in an all-lesbian polycule and doesn't realize everyone thinks he's got a harem":

Guy who has several people simultaneously trying to feminize him (with varying degrees of force) and he's both unaware of and no-selling their attempts.

They try to talk to him about if he ever liked wearing dresses as a kid and he's like "oh, yeah! I used to borrow on of my sister's dresses all the time when I was a kid, because when you do a 180 in a skirt it swishes like Vader's Cape."

Someone else tries to put estrogen in his coffee and it looks like he drank it... but it turns out he traded with someone else because he was in the mood for a pumpkin spice latte.

His girlfriend gets him to put on a long blonde wig and show him how he looks in the mirror, and he's just like "dude! I look like a heavy metal guy!" and now he's listening to Swedish power metal and headbanging. His dog is confused but trying to join in the fun.

Someone convinces him to try different pronouns as an in-class experiment and he ends up using h3/h1m, because "he used to be a fan of that video game webcomic, home struck".

His mom got worried because he was eating so much soy and she'd heard it can feminize you but he launched into an explanation about how it's an important part of his nutrition if he's gonna build muscles.

(we thought the gym thing might lead him down the path of breast growth through steroid overuse and we could maybe do something with that, but nope. He's all nutrition and hard work, we can't even get him to try steroids. We sent in a guy about the size of a Volvo to try to convince him to try some steroids, and somehow he persuaded our bodybuilder guy to start estrogen?!)

Naturally this is just making his assorted feminizers more angry and determined. They're joining forces. Having meetings. Making plans.

And he's just off living his life, unaware of the shadowy council determined to make him a woman.

[wise-innocence]

LOOK AT THE SU INTERACTIONS

Thinking about Aha and Akivili again </3

[alirhian]

Ascended Astarion is true unlike Spawn Astarion who pretends to be good for Tav

If i see that opinion again i will explode🫠

It's funny because Astarion will only approves if you persuade him not to perform the ritual.

A lot of people don't understand the concept of grey morality and it shows. Many people justify him but this type of AA fan thinks worse of him than he really is. He needs the ritual not because he's a power-hungry villain, but because he needs safety for himself and his lover. Depending on Tav/Durge's actions, he either stays with the feeling of fear (AA is still afraid deep inside, the game files confirm this) or he fights against it and becomes truly free of Cazador and fear (spawn ending). The dialogue with Durge about not being afraid is wonderful and shows difference between SA and AA.

Astarion: This little adventure of ours has taught me that we can't let our lives be ruled by fear. Or else we never really live. Astarion: I'm not afraid. Not of you, not of your darkness, and not of our future.

The point of the spawn ending is that Tav/Durge saw him as more than just an outward image of a power-hungry killer incapable of becoming a better person. But if you can't see beyond that image, he will think that he has no choice but to continue living in the world that Cazador has built for him. If you think that AA is his best ending because he is evil then you have failed to understand his whole personality.

I feel safe with you. Seen.

Despite of his love of killing (he is a vampire after all), he repeatedly showed compassion and guilt for luring people. Before the ritual, he literally convinced himself that he should kill spawn for power. Astarion rationalises this to protect his psyche, because he’s clearly not the type of guy who can sacrifice thousands of people to the devil and not feel anything about it.

Durge/Tav: This isn’t you, Astarion. Not really. Astarion: It should be.

I really like that the player technically makes the insight check and that there’s an advantage when they're romancing Astarion. Tav/Durge could see through the image Astarion was trying to create. They saw an elf whose fear prevented him from seeing all the possibilities.

Astarion: When I look at my future, anything and everything feels possible now.

Just as Astarion saw Durge not just as serial killer, but as someone who could defeat Urge and become a better person.

Durge: I am myself at last. You don't need to fear anything from me ever again. Astarion: I knew you had that sweat heart all along. I was alarmed by you sometimes, scandalised even, but somehow by your side, I still only ever saw you.

AA fans also often ignore the fact that the game has good and bad endings in the companion stories. And it's not about morality. All companion quests are literally about how the desired and obvious path leads to a bad ending. And Astarion is no exception. In a good ending, he gets the chance to heal and finally acceptes himself and his vampire nature, in a bad ending, he gives up and regresses as a person.

Spawn Astarion knows what he wants and says it. SA is ready for a relationship and sex. Ascended Astarion can’t answer the question of what he wants, so he acts as a vampire lord should. AA is literally back to the state of the first act and has started manipulating Tav/Durge through sex again (even repeating the same phrases). This is why he doesn’t really want sex (he approves if you choose the no sex option and he definitely dissociated during the sex scene) unlike Spawn Astarion who initiated it.

Spawn Astarion is the same Astarion who enjoys “murder and terror” and you can see that clearly in his “hero” ending (more like “antihero”). And this is the ending without romance, he chose it himself. And the whole idea of him pretending to be good for Tav is actually meaningless without romance.

Ascended Astarion is the same Astarion, but stuck in a black and white world of fear and domination.

SA scene ends with hope music (instrumental version of I want to live) AA scene ends with chains.

And there’s so much more. Larian specifically showed the difference between good and bad endings in the dialogues, scenes after ritual, recent updates and even the interview so people would definitely understand, but they didn't🙃 Some AA fans (especially on youtube and larian forum) are on a new level of delusion.

[meanbossart]

Love Drow's camp greetings, but now I've got to know-- what would his romance path look like?

(This was a REALLY FUN thought experiment, thanks for asking about it!)

You'd get approval points by: -Picking the joke dialogue options, especially if they're dark or crass. -Succeeding intimidation checks. -Starting fights no-questions-asked with characters that don't immediately show you respect. -Defying authority. -Antagonizing drows, githyanki, mindflayers and goblins. -Being friendly towards animals. -Showing willingness to do what the dream visitor suggests. -Notable boost if you let him take on the Loviatar priest in your stead.

You get disapproval by: -Disclosing to people that you're infected with the tadpole. -Agreeing to help NPCs who aren't offering to get rid of your parasites. -Some deception checks (he doesn't always realize you're lying). -Being distrustful/pushy with Shadowheart. -Siding with the absolute. -Trusting or empathizing with the Emperor at all after he reveals himself (Yes, he will leave you if you bang the squid). -Massive point loss if you don't let him take on Orin on his own.

[More elaboration underneath the cut, CW for terrible relationship dynamics and implications of sexual coercion, especially within the context of BDSM.]

He can be persuaded to allow you to have a one-night-stand with Halsin, but will not agree to a three-way relationship or long-term arrangement.

He will stay with you if you sleep with Mizora without the need to roll for anything, but you will lose a lot of approval.

He will agree to a four-way with the twins at Sharess Caress if you ask him about it, but only after you complete his quest. If he has lost to Orin he will kill the twins during the act. If he has accepted Bhaal, he will ask if you want to kill them with him, but you can refuse/dissuade him from doing so.

In regards to his personal interactions, you would usually get choices between antagonizing him, expressing fear, not taking him seriously at all, or making flirtatious advances.

He's neutral/disapproving towards flirtation prior to triggering a romance (though he still reacts flattered). He's neutral/approving of not being taken seriously and/or being feared, as long as the PC is being somewhat facetious and not expressing outright distrust or doubt toward his capabilities. Basically, as long as what you're saying implies that he's formidable, or makes him laugh, he will like it.

After the romance is initiated, he will enjoy flirtatious dialogue options that put him in the role of the desired, compliment his looks/abilities, or express general affection. You would also get options that paint him in a kind of "sexually predatory" light - he doesn't like those.

You could encourage him to embrace his Urge at the start of the campaign for approval, then he flips to wanting you to discourage it after it grows outside his control. If he accepts Bhaal, this switches it back to where he approves of it being encouraged. If he loses to Orin, he will just agree with you whether you tell him to give into his Urges or keep fighting them.

You can break up with him at any point unless he has accepted Bhaal; In that case, he won't agree to it and say that when he takes over the brain you won't have a choice on the matter. The only way to keep him from betraying you during the ending is to either kill him or staying in the relationship with him and dominating the brain together.

As for the actual romance scenes, it'd be similar to Astarion's route where you get to sleep with him right away, then the following interactions are more focused on other forms of intimacy and developing the emotional side of the relationship. You would get the option to push for more sex every time, which he would turn down out of fear of what the Urge might do if he goes along with it - if you keep pushing even after that, it gets you disapproval.

During the scene that locks the romance path (prior to arriving at Baldur's gate) you can persuade him to have sex, and if you succeed he will lose control and try to murder you during the act. The only way to survive it is to kill him instead. You can be resurrected if you lose (he cannot) but he then breaks up with you.

The "themes" of his romance are supposed to allude to the different dynamics of a maso-sado/dom-sub relationship. If you push him to pursue Bhaal you are setting yourself up for a 24/7, lifelong arrangement. the relationship is reduced entirely to your sexual desire for each other, the pushing of boundaries with no limits, and constant one-upmanship. You are no longer allowed (and outwardly mocked) for displaying any tenderness that isn't sexually charged, and he will become angry with you if during your night together following the finalization of the quest you don't pick the aggressive/violent options during intimacy.

If he loses to Orin, he becomes entirely emotionally dependent on the player character, willing to bend to your every will and latch onto the PC as his new master whether or not they agree to it. He is terrified of his fate and desperately wants to please you so you don't abandon him before he loses himself. You can either take advantage of this and revel in the power you have over him, become frustrated, or demonstrate patience and try to encourage him to hold onto some individuality. You can also just kill him, which he will allow you to do through dialogue options at any point. During the romance scene that follows this path, you can only have sex if you restrain him completely first.

If he refuses Bhaal, you get yourself a quiet, cocky, but loving weirdo who enjoys play-dynamics a healthy amount but is ultimately in it because he likes you as a person. He's willing to compromise on the maso-thing as long as you don't put him down for it, and it is implied that while things may not be perfect, you are both willing to work on it through mutual understanding and patience because the relationship is based on more than just burning desire or co-dependency.

[seonghrtz]

𖤐ㅤ 𝖿𝖺𝗂𝗋𝗒 𝗍𝖺𝗅𝖾 𝗄𝗂𝗌𝗌. ๑ 𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗮 𝘇𝗼𝗿𝗼 !

ゾロ + femreader ! after being struck by the power of an akuma no mi, you are doomed to sleep for eternity. ／ fluff & mutual pining.

Being part of the Straw Hat Crew meant not only being a pirate, an outlaw, hunted by the Marines and the World Government, but also being in constant danger in exchange for satisfying Captain Monkey D Luffy's insatiable thirst for adventure.

Not that you didn't enjoy the adventures, you had the chance to meet incredible islands and people ⸻ you and the crew even ended up on an island in the sky! The Grand Line was full of mysteries, and it didn't hurt to unravel them as you continued to make your dreams come true. But some situations could have been avoided if Luffy hadn't been so impulsive in his desire to venture into unknown lands.

An example of this would be the current situation in which the Straw Hat crew find themselves...

You felt your legs betray you as you ran in a random direction through the forbidden forest that Luffy had decided to explore. Even the scary stories of the inhabitants of the small village near the forest, about a monster that inhabited the forest and all those who tried to explore this area never came back, weren't enough to dispel Luffy's desire to discover the true mystery of this place. Kids' bedtime stories wouldn't scare Luffy ⸻ but with you, Usopp, Chopper, and even Nami, it worked a little differently; it was enough to make you think twice before getting into trouble. By the way, if there were stories, it was because something had happened before.

But by some quirk of fate, the crew was trapped in the forest, fleeing from a monster ⸻ the monster from the stories that had turned out to be real. As you ran, looking for the right way out of the forest, you noticed the absence of your companions. You were alone, at night, in that vast, frightening forest.

With your legs tired and sore, you began to slow down until you came to a panting halt with your hands on your knees. You turned around, squinting your eyes to find a familiar figure in the darkness, but nothing. 'I really am alone...' you thought to yourself. As you turned forward again, you noticed a hooded figure standing in the middle of the path.

"I see you lost your crewmembers." A dark voice rose above the nocturnal sounds of the forest.

"Who are you?" you asked, trying to control your breathing.

"I have several names, but I am usually called 'The Witch of the Woods'," the person laughed.

"You're the witch from the stories!" You tried not to sound frightened when you met the figure who frightened the villagers.

"I see they're still talking about me, and there are still those who think they're brave enough to invade my forest, even after being warned of what I'm capable of."

"Look, to tell you the truth, I didn't want to be here." You scratched your head, unashamed of the sincerity in your tone, "This was all my idiot Captain's idea!"

"And to tell you the truth, I don't care whose idea it was for you to invade my property and put an end to the peace that reigned here. Either way, you're all going to pay for your captain's stupid initiative!"

Before you could say anything or prepare to flee, as your fatigue would not allow you to fight for long, you felt your body hit by something and gradually a feeling of drowsiness came over you and the only thing you could see before you closed your eyes was the sinister smile of the Forest Witch shining through the darkness.

Zoro had no idea where he was. Surely he was lost (again) in the midst of so many identical trees. But his main goal was to clear all obstacles, find the crew and get back to the ship. He couldn't remember exactly what had happened to make him run in that direction. The only thing he could remember was that Luffy had persuaded the crew (despite several protests from Nami, Usopp, Chopper and you) to explore the forest, which was technically forbidden, and that he heard a loud noise and Usopp and Nami's desperate cries and ordered everyone to run back to the ship.

"Oi! Who's there?" Zoro asked after hearing the sound of voices. He quickly put his hand on the hilt of his katana and approached the figure in front of him who was standing and looking at something on the ground ⸻ what Zoro soon realized was a body. The boy squinted, trying to see in the dark, when he noticed that the person on the ground was wearing a pink dress that he would recognize anywhere, even without meaning to. "What did you do to her?"

"Well, I didn't do anything." The hooded figure laughed, "She just got what she deserved, just like all those who invaded my forest, she's now condemned to sleep for eternity."

"Stop talking shit." Zoro grunted before he attacked the unknown person and threw them away. They hit something Zoro didn't even bother to look at. He bent down next to you on the ground and put his ear to your nose, listening to your faint breathing. "Hey! Hey! Come on, wake up! Hey, we have to get out of here!" He shook your body, not as gently as he should have. "What did that witch do to you?" Zoro picked you up like a bride and went back to looking for a way out.

The half hour that Zoro wandered through the forest like a ghost in redemption seemed more like an eternity, and with each passing second, though he wouldn't admit it even to himself, his concern grew for the crewmate in his arms who wouldn't wake up. Eventually ⸻ and with a bit of luck ⸻ Zoro made it out of the forest, first meeting up with Chopper and Usopp.

"Apparently she's under some kind of spell." Said a worried Chopper, "We'd better get her to the ship!"

It wasn't long before the others arrived on the ship, and Sanji was arguing with Zoro about his lack of responsibility for a lady's safety.

"Hey Chopper, did you manage to wake her up?" Luffy asked hopefully.

"Nothing so far." Chopper sighed sadly, "I'm going to do some more research on what I can do to wake her up."

In the corner of the room, Zoro let out a discreet sigh and heard the witch's voice in his head. 'She's now condemned to sleep for eternity.' Was it possible to sleep for eternity? How many years was an eternity? You couldn't sleep that long, you had dreams and goals to achieve. Would you never wake up, or was the witch just bluffing? Maybe the witch was making something up to scare him. Maybe you would be up bright and early the next day, ready to train with him. At least you were in good hands, so maybe he shouldn't worry so much...

For a week, you slept soundly.

Apparently, no method Chopper used was enough to wake her up, not even the ones he had learned in his medical books. And your absence made it seem as if something was missing from the crew ⸻ especially to a certain swordsman.

"I thought of something to wake her up!" Sanji exclaimed smiling, "Maybe I should kiss her!" His eyes turned to hearts as he imagined the most romantic scenario of a prince waking his princess with a kiss of true love and they spending eternity together.

"And why would you kiss her?" Usopp looked at Sanji blankly.

"Because that's how enchantments are broken in fairy tales," Sanji replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"And what guarantees that you are her true love?" Usopp asked again, emphasizing the 'you'.

"How much do you want to bet that I'm the love of her life?"

"Stop this nonsense!" Nami shouted, "If a kiss of true love is the solution to wake her up, then maybe she really is doomed to sleep forever." Nami's expression turned sad.

"Why do you say that Nami?" Chopper asked, holding back tears, he couldn't lose one of his friends, a part of his new family.

"What guarantees that she has already found her true love? They could be on the Grand Line, in East Blue, anywhere in the world, and they could be dead at the same time."

"Don't say that! I'll do everything I can to wake her up!" Chopper said with conviction.

"Trying won't kill anyone." Robin muttered so that only Zoro could hear.

"What did you say?" Zoro turned to the woman next to him, confused.

"I was just saying that trying doesn't kill anyone, you'd be a good match." Robin got up from the table with the smile of someone who was in on something and walked out of the kitchen.

Zoro looked down at his empty plate. A kiss of true love? Nonsense! You wouldn't wake up if Zoro kissed you, he was sure of that... But then why was he thinking about what it would be like to kiss you?

Zoro looked at your sleeping figure on the bed. The sight of you, completely relaxed, sleeping soundly without a care in the world, as if nothing could touch you, with no idea that you might never wake up again. Zoro was afraid for a moment. Afraid of never hearing you again, afraid of never looking into your eyes, never seeing your smile. Zoro was afraid to lose you. And Roronoa couldn't accept losing you, you were a part of his life that he couldn't let go of easily, he couldn't let you go ⸻ even though he didn't know why it was so hard to let you go.

‘Trying won't kill anyone.’ Robin's voice echoed in his mind. Maybe he should try to kiss you? Would you mind if he kissed you? Would you like him to kiss you? What if he kissed you and you didn't wake up? What would that mean? That he wasn't the love of your life, or maybe that only works in fairy tales? What if Sanji kissed you and you woke up? Zoro shook his head, trying to forget the image of Sanji kissing you and you waking up. He certainly wouldn't want that to happen...

But what if he kissed you and you woke up?

Were you meant to fall in love and stay together? Were you made for each other?

Maybe Zoro wasn't ready to get romantically involved ⸻ but he wouldn't have minded if it was with you...

He tightened his grip on the Wado Ichimonji, determined to carry out his plan. And if you didn't wake up after the kiss, he would do the impossible to wake you up. And in the end, Robin was right, it wouldn't kill him to try just once.

As he got closer to your face, Roronoa felt nervousness rising inside of him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he couldn't give up when he was so close. And then he locked their lips in a three-second kiss before standing up quickly, incredulous at his own actions. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at you, you were still sleeping...

A sigh left Zoro's lips and he turned quickly with his back to you, ready to leave the room.

"Zoro...?" Your voice came out weakly as you blinked your eyes slowly, trying to adjust to the brightness, and sat up in bed, stretching.

"What?" Zoro turned to you in surprise.

"Huh? What's going on? The last thing I remember was meeting someone in the forest who called herself a witch..."

"You were hit by an incantation, Chopper suspected it was the power of an Akuma No Mi. You slept for a week..."

"And you woke me up?"

"Um..." Zoro murmured in confirmation.

"With a kiss?"

"Um..." Zoro murmured again and scratched the back of his head, feeling embarrassed, something that certainly wasn't in his nature.

"Thank you," you smiled openly. And it was then that Zoro realized how much he missed you, perhaps he had never realized what your absence could do to him. You got out of bed and approached Zoro's still figure with long steps, on tiptoe you reached for the boy's cheek with a kiss. "Thanks for saving me again."

"It was nothing..."

"So... you're my Prince Charming?" You smiled teasingly and nudged Zoro's waist.

"This is no fairy tale and I am no prince." Zoro stared at you, his words carrying no weight.

"Yeah, I know!" You laughed, "But you woke me up with a kiss anyway!"

"Yes, but don't think that I'm going to take it easy on you in training." Zoro smiled sideways as he saw the smile disappear from his face, "And remember, you haven't trained for a week."

"Come on Zoro... don't be so mean! You should be nicer to me!" You sulked, "We're soul mates, you shouldn't be mean to me."

"If you do everything right like a good girl, maybe I'll reward you at the end." Zoro's sly smile made you burn with shame.

Zoro could have awakened you from a deep and eternal sleep, but he would have been the reason for your death.

© seonghrtz, 2024. all rights reserved, please do not copy / steal / translate / modify any of my works !

[papasbaseball]

The Wizard x Reader (Wonderful Wonderful Girl) | Chapter 2

Pairing: Wizard x F!Reader

Rating: Teen (Rating to Increase)

Warnings: Power Imbalance, Boss/Employee Relationship

Summary: Being a maid in the Royal Palace of Oz is not half so bad. Despite the meager wages, everything else is provided for you for an honest day's work. It can be unnerving working for the most powerful man in Oz, but you are able to avoid him most of the time. This changes during Lurlinemas, your paths soon becoming inextricably intertwined.

Word Count: 2,899 of 5,084 Prev | Next

AO3 Link

The Markets of Oz are normally packed during the daytime, ladies coming and going to get groceries and maybe a new dress or two, but they are flooded during the night markets of Lurlinemas. If you have the chance to look without getting swallowed in the waves of the crowd, you can see green lights strung from brick building to brick building (the bricks painted green for lack of renovation funds), newly built stalls in the main square that sold roasted quail for a quarter, and a great Spruce that had been brought in from Winkie Country, its top cresting just past the meager buildings that boxed in the square. Emily tugs me along as I admire the great golden star that was perched atop it, emeralds chiseled into the shape of snowflakes adorning each tip.

"If we move any slower they're going to run out of hot chocolate," she says, pulling me by my elbow.

The hot chocolate in the night market is one of a kind, spiced with warm cinnamon and sweetened to the point that it hurts your teeth. If I could have it year-round, I think I would like that very much, even if I did eventually get sick of it. I follow after her in our immediate quest, trying to shoulder oblivious men and women out of the way.

"How many presents do you need to get?" I ask as we get in line for the cocoa.

Emily pulls her green-gloved hands out of her pocket, silently ticking off her checklist on her fingers. "Six," she says.

I try not to drop my jaw at the idea of such wastefulness. I'm not sure there are six people that I could call friends, much less that I would be willing to spend my wages on for silly presents. In truth, there was one, but she would chastise me if I tried to get her anything. Still, I couldn't help but wish for something to get her.

We order our hot chocolate and sip it as we stroll through the sea, dipping and dodging any particularly rude costume choices. We had stuck to our uniforms, hiding them under the woolen pine-colored peacoats that were standard issue for when we had to lend an extra hand in shoveling off any balconies that got covered in snow during the wintertime. There was no option for us to have extra extra wide-brimmed hats or wired puffy sleeves that were the size of small dogs. Even if we had the option, I don't think that I would have done it on a regular market day, much less in the nights leading up to Lurlinemas.

Emily stops at an ornament seller and takes her time browsing the brilliant sun catchers and rhinestone-encrusted baubles. The glass and “sodering” (I’m sure it’s silver-colored glue) look far too flimsy, so I tell her I'm going to the next booth to look at ribbons and laces. The price of laces haven't gotten any better (in fact they had gone up by 6 cents) but I look at them anyway.

Most clothing could be mended, but there was only so much to be done about laces as they became more and more unraveled. If you had a friend in the mailroom, you could persuade them to let you borrow some rubber cement to stick the frays back together. If you didn't, you had to dip the tips of your laces in the wax of your candle at night. The wax didn't last nearly as long as the cement, usually cracking off within a day or two. I wasn’t friendly with anyone in the mail room, so I had slowly been shortening and dipping my laces until they just barely tied in a regular knot.

My eyes flicked over the shades of olive and forest and moss, until they had reached the box of ribbons. There is a skip in my heart as I remember how the Wizard had tied the ribbon in my hair just days ago. If I close my eyes, I can feel his hands guiding the ribbon up from the nape of my neck and the warmth that radiated from them as he tied the bow in place. If it is true or not, in my mind he has a smile when he looks at me after. I wonder if these ribbons would make him smile like the one I still have in my hair, if they would make him...

I have to look away from the ribbons for a brief moment. The thoughts I had of him since that day have not been pure and kind. They are selfish. I know that they will lead me down a path of trouble if I linger on them. I have my sister to think about and it would not do if I were to lose my job at the palace. I could not save her from the children's home, but they still let me visit her and send her things. I don't send her much, most of it disappears within a few days, but I bring her sweets if I have time to swing by the bakery after I am no longer needed for the day.

Looking back at the ribbons, I can't help but wish I could get one for her. I want her to feel as pretty as I did that day in the Wizard's bedroom. The kids would have a harder time taking the ribbon from her if I braided it into her hair, away from their jealous hands. My eyes flick up to the price card that is held in a coily golden wire stand. 200 cents! It's more than double the price of the laces.

I bite my lip, but my mind is already made up. I look at the shop lady, but she has her back turned attending to the till and adding pennies to it from a green paper sleeve. I snatch a pistachio-colored satin ribbon and shove it into the pocket of my peacoat. Quickly, I slip back out into the crowd of people, heading back to Emily in the ornament booth.

I'm jerked back, my forearm locked in an iron grip as it is hoisted high, so high above my head that I'm afraid my shoulder will dislocate.

"Hey!" I shout.

"There is zero tolerance for stealing in the Emerald City," The man says. I scrape my tiptoes against the ground to get a better look at him and realize that I've been detained by one of the Emerald City's Royal Guards. The green coat with gold trim and accents is unmistakable, accompanied by a sharp green officer's cap.

"I didn't steal," I lie.

He fishes into my coat pocket and pulls out the ribbon that I had stashed in there. "Is that so?" he says. My shoulder burns as he drags me back to the lace and ribbon booth, chucking the spooled-up ribbon back to the shop lady. "Sorry about that, Hazel. Street rat."

I can't help it as the words come flying out of my mouth, “I am not a street rat! I work at the palace!"

"Good," he says. "Then I know where to take you. Lets me get off my shift earlier at least."

He lowers my arm, only to twist it up behind my back, his other gloved hand grabbing hold of the collar of my coat. I shout at Emily, trying to fight against him as he marches us past the ornament booth, but I'm not sure she heard me. She has a confused look on her face as I'm dragged off, but she doesn't do anything to interfere. We may share a bed in this cold weather, but she's never been the type to stick her neck out for anyone, no matter how big or small the injustice. I wouldn't expect her to start with me.

By the time we get to the palace the hand behind my back is numb from the position and the cold air. The shame and fight has long since left my body, my mind trying to focus on how I will provide for my sister and me, or even if I will be allowed to see her again. Do they let criminals into the children's home? Would they even let me stay in the Emerald City? I try to remember what happened to criminals that were detained in the palace. There had been a boy in the kitchen who had been caught with a whole ham hock in his bag when the kitchen staff was closing up one night this past summer. It had been such a scandal -- it was all the staff could talk about for two whole weeks straight -- but in the end, I could not remember what had become of him, only his original crime that had been passed on by those who had been in the kitchen when the joint had been discovered.

We don't go through the main doors, neither the servant's entrance, but rather a side door that I had never seen before. It must have been for guard use only. They crawl the castle like an infestation of ants, so it only seems natural that they, like ants, would have cracks and crevices to aid their coming and going. It's dark, but soon I see that we are in the main entryway. If I can remember correctly, the guards' barracks and offices occupy the left wing from the audience room (convenience for removing unruly guests from the days of King Pastoria, I suppose). Most in the Wizard's personal service have no reason to go there.

The Wizard. There's a sort of heavy disappointment that sits like an oversized and cold jewel on my chest, deep beneath the layers of wool and scarves and uniform. It's not the disappointment that a child might feel under the disapproving eye of a parent, no. It is something entirely unfamiliar: an anger at myself that I might never see him again, that my last impression on him will be one of a thief. But wasn't that what I was? I had stolen the ribbon, no intention of paying.

The guard marches me up through the darkened emerald halls, passing the large pillars, the walls carved with their sharp geometric designs. I take in the sight of all of it knowing that it will be my last time seeing any of it. We're crossing the audience room, the heart of the entire palace, and nearly to the other side when I see him.

He's in a deep green almost black suit. The lapels of the jacket are peaked giving him the appearance of being even taller than he already is. He's talking to a stocky man, at least two heads shorter than him and twice as wide, wearing the uniform of the palace guards with a few additional golden cords strung over his chest that my jailer doesn't have.

I try walking faster, dragging the guard who had my arm pinned behind my back. I don't want him to see me like this. Better to just have all of my stuff gathered and thrown out the back door with me than to disgrace myself even further.

"Uh…Guard," a voice calls. I know it's his. I hate that I know that it's his.

My captor stops in his tracks, spinning us around to address the two men. "Captain," he says, giving a nod to the shorter man.

The Wizard has a confused if not irritated look on his face. I can tell that I've made him upset. How poorly must this reflect on the palace if members of his staff are getting arrested in the street? He says, "Are you going somewhere?"

The guard looks to the stocky man who gives him a subtle nod of the head. "Street rat," my captor says. "I caught her stealing in the market. I'm taking her to booking and calling the head of staff for the palace. She said she works here."

"Well, yeah," the Wizard says. "I can see that. Anyone can see that." He approaches me and pinches the thick wool of one of my coat lapels in between his thumb and forefinger. I try not to look too hard at the gold ring on his thumb as he drags it back and forth lazily against the material, stroking it as if to assess the warmth of the garment. "She's wearing a palace coat. Initials on it and everything."

My captor seems tongue-tied by this, I can hear his mouth open, a gasp for air as if to say something but nothing comes out. I dare to look up and see that the Wizard has his eyes locked on him. The way he's looking at him with those amber eyes reminds me of grade school, when we learned about the flora and fauna of Oz in biology. When talking of tigers, our teacher had told us that if you could see their eyes through the grass it was already too late. You had been stalked for hours before even noticing and they never got close enough for you to notice until you couldn't get away even if you tried. Foolishly, he tries, saying, "I need to take her to booking. She is a stain on the image of the palace."

The wizard drops my lapel and walks back to the officer that is now resting his hand on the pommel of his sword. It makes me nervous, but I'm not sure for who. Would they execute me right here in the audience chamber? I wouldn't be the first. The Wizard bends down and whispers something to the officer. I watch his eyes tick back and forth as he processes the secret.

"Guard," the officer says, "Leave her to me. I am sure you are wanted back in the square. Where there is one thief there is sure to be more."

I can't see his face, but I know that my captor is annoyed. He'd been hoping to clock out early and now he had to walk all the way back down to the market square. That brings a smile to my face as I hear the hesitant click of his boots and feel all the blood start rushing back into my arm as he lets me go.

We stand there, the three of us, until we hear the loud echo of the door shutting. The short man salutes the Wizard and makes his exit. The smile drops from my face as I realize what little law and witnesses there were had just walked out of the room, leaving me alone with the tiger.

"Stealing?" he says, cocking his head to the side. Immediately, he sets to pacing around me.

"It was just a ribbon, Your Wonderfulness," I say. My shoes have become infinitely more interesting to me, noticing the way even the stitching of the leather to the soles was starting to fray near the toes.

He laughs and it is quiet and deep, sending a prickling from my shoulders down my spine. "Did you like the first one that much? You could have asked for another."

"It wasn't for me," I say.

I can feel him tug on the braids that wrap my head. I had woven the ribbon into them earlier today. There hadn't been a day where I hadn't worn his ribbon since I got it. It was risky, and eventually Emily or someone else would catch on, but I didn't want to leave it in my nightstand and come back to find it missing, pilfered by someone's sticky fingers. So I had woven it into my hair where no one could take it, where the Wizard was now tracing its crooked and dashed path against my scalp.

"You are a terrible liar, missy" he says. "What are we going to do with you?"

Let me go? Kick me out of the palace? In truth, I wanted things to just go back to the way they were, no ribbon, no staff suspicions, just me and my chores and the shared bed with Emily. My voice quavers as I feel his finger stray from the twisted path of the ribbon, wandering onto the pulse of my bare neck, stopping underneath the corner of my jaw. "I won't do it again," I choke out.

"Oh, I have no doubt of that," he says. "But you can't be trusted. To have a thief in my staff... well, it would just cause too many problems. First ribbons, next other things..." He completes his circle around me and I find myself facing him again.

"Are you going to kill me?" I ask.

He smiles, revealing to me a flash of hungry white teeth. Too late. He says, "Do you want me to?"

I shake my head, my lips stitched together in case any wrong words should fall from them.

"Such a fascinating creature," he says, perhaps to me or perhaps to himself. "I'll deal with you tomorrow. Why don't you go upstairs and get some rest? I have... things to arrange."

He leaves me there in the audience chamber, shaking. If you see them, it is too late. I am standing there, head still on my shoulders, and yet I know that I haven't escaped. If you see them, it is too late.

[grandlinedreams]

|| inspired by the fact that's one of my favorite tropes, I present to you: kisses in the rain, featuring: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Ace [pt.1! Pt.2 will include Sabo, Law, Kid & Mihawk]

Luffy ㅡ It's unexpected, the abrupt switch from bright and sunny to torrential downpour as Luffy grabs your hand and tugs you with him, loud laughter making you join in as you bolt down the path back to the Sunny.

"Come on," Luffy urges and your yelp is half of amusement and surprise as you lose a shoe ㅡ unsurprising, they're not made for the sticky muck the ground has turned into.

"Luffy, my shoe!" You protest, tugging at his hand to make him stop so you can pick up the lost piece of footwear. Bright grin undimmed, he opts to simply pick you up, earning another yelp.

"There," he says, laughter still clear in his voice as he resumes running. It doesn't take long to be back on the deck of the Sunny, and he sets you down on your feet. "Man, that was fun!"

"It was," you agree, eyeing him and the way rain still pelts the brim of his hat before you lean to steal a soft peck. Luffy looks a little bewildered but nevertheless pleased.

"What was that for?"

"Nothing, I just love you." Both of you should undoubtedly change clothes, but the way Luffy lights up at your words is worth it.

"I love you too!"

ㅡ

Zoro ㅡ If he hears Nami's warnings about heading directly towards brewing storm clouds, it clearly slips Zoro's mind in favor of a nap in one of his usual spots. And as such, the rumble of impending rain doesn't wake the swordsman.

One drop hits his face. Two, three, four ㅡ and his eye(s) flutter when nothing else hits his face. Was that it? Not much of a storm ㅡ but soft laughter has him waking further to stare up at you. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure you can sleep," you say, "if you insist on being outside in the middle of a rainstorm."

"It isn't that bad." He'll complain later when his clothes are soaked, but for now? He's comfortable. "You'll get wet too, you know."

"I know." You shrug. "Worth it, if it's with you."

"Idiot," Zoro chastises, but it's fond and affectionate, accompanied by the lift of a hand to cup the back of your head and coax you down for a kiss. The awkward angle makes you giggle, and he grins at the sound of it.

ㅡ

Sanji ㅡ "Regretting grocery shopping with me now?" Standing beneath the overhang of the shop behind the two of you, Sanji turns to look at you, and you shake your head.

"Nope. I make a habit not to regret anything, especially if it's with you." Sanji stares, the lightest dusting of pink on his cheeks at your genuine words.

You hold a hand out, humming as water pelts your skin. "It's not so bad, I think we can make it back."

"You sure?"

You turn towards him. "A little rain never hurt anyone, Sanji."

He steps out from the overhang after you, watches as you hum and spin, arms spread out. "Like it that much?"

"I do," you answer, head tipped back and uncaring of the rain that soaks into your hair, plastering it to your face. "You don't like the rain?"

Sanji blinks, then shrugs. "I don't hate it," he says, and you crow hop towards him, reaching to cup his face before he can react.

Your lips are soft on his, a little cold and a little wet ㅡ but he still stares dazedly at you when you pull away. "And now?"

A slow smile curls his lips. "I'm being persuaded to like it more."

ㅡ

Ace ㅡ "Get back here you littleㅡ"

"Sticks and stones, Ace! Sticks and stones!" You call back, breathless with laughter even as the rain seems to come down even faster. "Don't tell me you're afraid of regular water too!"

"I'm not afraid of either one, but you're gonna get sick!" Ace gives chase despite his initial reluctance, enticed by the bright gleam of your eyes and childish grin on your face.

"So? Small price to pay to live today!" Ace nears you and then overtakes you, making you shriek as he staggers to a stop and brings you with him, arms locked around you. Steam curls off him like a wispy haze, his body heat seeping through your clothes and making you shiver.

"Love you," you murmur into the tangle of his arms around your shoulders, and he squeezes you in response.

"Love you too," he answers, letting up just enough to let you turn to face him before he kisses you. Slow and sweet, uncaring for the fact the two of you are drenched to the bone ㅡ that doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're here, and so is he.

[cybercrym]

So I've been thinking about season 3 of Rings of Power and how we'll get another Sauron/Galadriel scene. How they'll frame that scene and how it'll need to lead us into season 4. We know season 3 will be Sauron's war against the Elves. We know from the books they Elves get pushed back and would surely lose, if not for the Numenorians showing up and destroying Sauron's army from behind. My vision for the end of S3 may seem like crack, but I assure you, it's plausible. To set the scene, the Elves have lost, they're retreating to Lindon. Sauron and his army is approaching head on, because at this point he outnumbers them; they all know where this is going. But the Elves still send their army out. Galadriel has a few paths she can take this season. She can lead the army as it's being beat back to Lindon. She could be sent by Gil-Galad to gather reinforcements from Greenwood, but I imagine Arondir will be given this task if they even bother mentioning it. Gil-Galad will lead the army instead and Galadriel will go to Numenor to see if she can persuade them into aiding Middle-Earth again. But I don't think this is likely. The end of this will surely have Galadriel and Sauron meeting again, but I think this time, it will be a bit different. I think Ar-Pharazon is PISSED Galadriel convinced Numenor to side with Sauron is disguise, I imagine he'll assume they're working together either way or at least, blame her for Numenor's folly of sending men to die for her. The end of the fight will have Galadriel being captured again, by I assume Orcs and brought to Sauron. (He wasn't going to kill Elrond or Gil-Galad at Eregion either) Sauron will have her hostage, they'll do their thing and then Numenor will surprise his army from behind and wipe them out. Sauron will escape in earnest and Ar-Pharazon will only see them in the command tent as allies, I think. He will not believe Galadriel when she assures him she's Sauron's enemy. Now, he's where it gets crack-y. I fully am convinced Ar-Pharazon will demand Galadriel's execution. But Sauron (I can only hope dressed as Halbrand), will come out of the darkness or treeline or whatever. He'll ask Ar-Pharazon to take him as a prisoner instead.(In my mind, this is Hannibal surrendering to Jack-style) To us it'll look like he's trying to save Galadriel this time. Ar-Pharazon will try to outsmart Sauron and take them both as prisoner to Numenor instead. Granting Sauron's request, but also getting to publicly tie them together back in Numenor, I assume he'll plan a trial for them. This will tie in how Galadriel saw Numenor's destruction in the Palantir. It will appear to us as Sauron trying to save Galadriel, but just like every decision in S1 and S2 regarding her, it will also fuel his own ambitions. He's now without an army, he needs to corrupt Numenor to get a new one. This also sets up a great season 4 of Numenorian Hannibal/Clarice style prison interaction with Sauron/Galadriel and it'll be fun to watch them play Angel and Devil on Ar-Pharazon's shoulder the entire season. Sauron and I assume Galadriel will then ask for a trial in the same manner Miriel did, I assume she'll tell them about it before they both get sentenced to death. They very much already passed this trial in 1x2. But I can't wait to see Ar-Pharazon's face when they both pass this test. He'll be forced to release them, to his chagrin.

My vision for the next 2 seasons of the main plot for TROP may seem like crack, but I can promise they'll need to do some of this to keep their narrative going along with canon events.

[euporienn]

My creepypasta relationship takes

I've been trying to start my own interpretation of the creepypasta's world for the longest time but I've been kind of afraid of doing so. It's not finished yet and I didn't add a lot of characters but that's just a small thing for now that I would like to expand piece by piece. Enjoy <3

Toby and Clockwork - They're in a healthy relationship for years now, supporting each others and havbing ups and downs like every couple. Even though Toby is still a proxy working for Slenderman Clockwork absolutely hates, they still manage to spend time together. As they grew older, Clocky will change and her murderous tendencies will slowly disappear leading to her trying to persuade Toby into running away with her, away from all the murders and Slenderman's control. Toby on the other hand will get more unstable as he gets older, slender sickness leaving devastation in his mind that results in him becoming more snappy and aggressive. He gets annoyed by Clocky's attempts to convince him to run away but deep down he knows she might be right, he's too stubborn to admit to it though.

Toby, Jane, Liu and Liam - The four of them doesn't really care about each other, Toby and Cody are proxies so they don't really cross their paths with Jane and Liu who are free spirits living in the shadows of Denver pursuing their own goal of vengeance towards Jeff.

Liu and EJ- Jack is someone who tries to live his life peacefully, hunting on his own terms and often helping proxies in exchange of organs from their victims. He doesn't mind anyone that don't break his peace. Liu sometimes comes to Jack for small favors he repays in the same way as proxies so Jack doesn't mind his presence. Liu on the other hand sees Jack as someone useful.

EJ, Clockwork, Nina and Jeff - As I mentioned before, Jack tolerates people that don't interrupt his peace but surprisingly he doesn't mind Jeff's and Nina's presence even though they break that rule quite often. Jack himself doesn't understand where did his sympathy for the two obnoxious killers came for. Jeff sees EJ as someone he can come to bother for fun, while Clockwork doesn't think anything of Jack at all.

Clockwork and Jeff - They get along very well and Clocky sees Jeff as her older brother. Their relationship is like that of siblings, they banter, bicker and pull nasty pranks on each other but on the end of the day they like each other's presence. As Clocky gets older and begins to stray away from killing, her relationship with Jeff will slowly fade away, Jeff will never admit it out loud but he's glad that Clocky wants to get her shitty life together after all she went through. Doesn't mean he will be less of an uncaring and obnoxious asshole around her tho.

Liam and EJ - I don't see x-virus as someone who's into social relations, for me he's a cold scientist that only cares about his experiments. He respects Jack due to his medical knolwedge, Jack doesn't mind him but also holds some kind of respect towards Liam.

Nina, Liu and EJ - When it comes to feelings, I like to see Nina as someone unhinged but social, she likes people that kill and can give her enterteinment. She likes murderers and proxies, even If she herself isn't one. She doesn't mind Liu even If he holds burning hatered towards Jeff who's close with her. She likes to bother him and tries to stick around just for the fun of it. I can't really see Nina as capable of loving someone, that's why I only HC her to just feel sexual attraction towards specific people, like EJ. He doesn't really react to it, even tends to avoid her but still has a small soft spot for her.

Toby and EJ - They get along surprisingly well, Jack is someone that Toby can come to no matter what. He's someone that can ground him and won't judge him. Jack doesn't get mad at Toby when he's purposely acting like an asshole or does everything in his might to annoy the man, instead he just kicks him out giving him a clear warning to cool down. He tries to be understanding towards the proxy.

Liam and Toby - They like being around each other, even If Liam is often annoyed by Toby's explosiveness, sarcastic manner and unpredictableness in his actions. Toby has a sharp tongue and can be insensitive making it hard for him to get along with most people, that's why he likes that Liam doesn't care what he says. It irks him that x-virus tends to act like he's smarter than him (he is) and does only what he wants. Liam doesn't really care who's he paired on a mission, he just wants to get it done or use it to make the most of his experiments but missions with Toby give him more opportunities to test his poisons. He thinks that Toby talks too much and it almost always annoys him but he finds that asshole useful, sometimes.

Jane and EJ - Just like Liu, she doesn't mind him but finds him useful for her revenge.

Toby and Jeff - Their relationship is like a ticking time bomb, due to their similiar traits and habits they often argue and compete with each other to prove who is better. Jeff thinks that Toby is a coward, Toby on the other hand finds Jeff as someone who's too crazy even for his standards. He dislikes the fact that Jeff always drags Clockwork into dangerous stunts (even If he does them himself). They don't hate each other but their relationship is straight up based on competition.

Liam, Nina and Jeff - X-virus dislikes those two and he's glad that their paths don't cross often. Nina is just a brainless girl, chasing fun and pleasure which are useless in Liam's eyes and Jeff is no different to him, just another killer chasing whatever he wants no matter the price. Liam doesn't see himself as someone similar to them, instead he put himself above thinking that he has a higher purpose.

Jane, Clockwork and Nina - Nina doesn't mind either of them and tries to stick around whenever Clocky or Jane are minding their business. Jane is the opposite, she dislike both due to their close connection with Jeff, not to mention that both don't get along at all due to their personalities. Clockwork and Nina are both sharp tongued and hot headed so they don't get along that well, at least from Clockwork's side, Nina sees their banter as something entertaining tho.

Liu and Jane - They have mixed feelings about each other, the only thing that really connects those two is their hatered for Jeff. They see each other as a part of their revenge plan, nothing else.

Liu and Nina - Now that's one hell of a complicated relationship right here. From one side Liu hates how close Nina is to Jeff but on the other hand, he kind of feels bad how Jeff treats her. Liu knows that she's no better than him but he still feels some kind of sympathy towards her that he can't explain himself.

Liam and Clockwork - Liam doesn't like Clocky at all but he just ignores her. He think she's too much like Nina and Jeff, which means he sees her as a brainless killer. He doesn't get near her, nor care what happens to her, he just accepts that she's around quite a lot due to her relationship with Toby.

I don't think I need to elaborate

[redistrictgirl]

As of September 8th, 2024, Kamala Harris is slightly favored (64% chance) in the race for the presidency.

So first, let's talk about that topline.

Some other forecasts have become noticeably more bullish for former President Trump, and that's because they're looking at the polling margins decline and declaring that the convention bump is still declining. But that's not the important part of the picture. Here, my polling "bins" come in handy. Let's look at the week-by-week average of national polling:

Week of August 11th: 47.7 Harris, 45.8 Trump

Week of August 18th (week of DNC): 47.9 Harris, 43.8 Trump

Week of August 25th: 47.9 Harris, 45.0 Trump

Week of September 1st: 49.0 Harris, 46.4 Trump

Notice anything? Vice President Harris held steady through the DNC- the convention bump merely took the form of a dip in polling for Mr. Trump. My personal theory as to why that is rests in the tone of the convention - the organizers clearly attempted a big-tent strategy to reach out to disaffected Republicans. But that makes undecided voters, not new voters for Democrats. And now both candidates are snatching up undecided voters - we are officially in full gear.

Now, let's break down the closest states:

Arizona (51% chance of being won by Harris) - This state had the biggest swing this week thanks to continued gains for Mr. Trump. The fundamentals of this state are still strong for Ms. Harris, however.

Georgia (62% chance of being won by Trump) - Another Romney-Trump-Biden state, the Vice President is keeping this state close, but it may not be enough given that the Deep South isn't known for its abundance of persuadable voters. Fundamentals and polling line up well here.

North Carolina (64% chance of being won by Trump) - The polls have this state being neck-and-neck, but again, the model expects Mr. Trump to have an easier time picking up undecided voters here.

Pennsylvania (67% chance of being won by Harris) - This state has the closest polling average in our dataset, but the model seems to believe we're more likely to be looking at a polling miss like 2022's instead of 2020's.

Wisconsin (69% chance of being won by Harris) - If there's any state the polls could fumble, I personally think it's this one. I just can't buy this whiter, more rural Rust Belt state voting to the left of Michigan. But even just looking at fundamentals, Ms. Harris is still a very, very slim favorite in the Badger State.

Now for some other notable swings:

Nevada (77% chance of being won by Harris) - Another massive swing in the Southwest, but this time it's bad for the former President. The model is now pretty confident that he's locked out of around 48.5% of the state's voters, which... you know... gives a narrow path for victory. He better hope that Ms. Harris doesn't gain any further here.

Texas (96% chance of being won by Trump) - Texas has leaped back off the board for a similar reason to Nevada - all indicators suggest that Mr. Trump is approaching 50% of the vote in this state. It would probably take a genuine polling miss in the Vice President's favor to make the state winnable.

So where does this leave each candidate? The Rust Belt continues to get more important for Ms. Harris, and Mr. Trump still needs Georgia and North Carolina to come through for him. So on a macro level, outside of the Southwest getting weird, things have actually been fairly unsurprising, which you'd expect from a short week. Let's see if there's a shakeup after the debate and in the coming months.

[bird-inacage]

Only Friends: Episode 5 Preview (A walk in Sand's 'Rough & Dusty' World)

I'm really looking forward to where Episode 5 is taking us with Ray and Sand's storyline. This almost feels like the proper start to these two as a 'couple'. Having seen more to Ray last week, we're now getting a better insight into Sand's life, which looks peppered with sweet and spicy moments throughout.

We start with breakfast at Sand's. Can we safely assume this is a morning after scene, which means they slept together again? (How adorable does Ray look whilst he peeks into the kitchen? He's an actual child, I weep).

At the end of Episode 4, Ray seems to have arrived at the conclusion that he's now open to the idea of welcoming Sand into his life, and being more sincere about their (cough) 'friendship'. And with that, he intends to make more of a conscious effort, to show he has taken on board what Sand said.

So Ray suggests they spend the day together, "Can I stay with you? I wanna get to know you better." (A nice parallel to Ray's usual 'stay with me') It's an immediate indication that someone is starting to take you seriously, because they are initiating opportunities to see your world, to understand your perspective - to better appreciate all the things that make you who you are.

So far, Sand has mainly operated in Ray's world when they've crossed paths. Ray knows very little of Sand's life, other than his job as a bar singer. The fact that Ray is taking an active interest is a huge step. This isn't 'I'm paying or begging you to spend time with me' (aka Ray wanting Sand to keep him company), it's 'I want to spend time with you' (I'm keeping you company). That's a very notable distinction.

This request also means that Sand will be leading the day's activities, with Ray following along. That's another role reversal of how their dynamic has played out so far. Ray is the one who dictates what he'd like to do, and he persuades Sand to agree. Giving Sand full control is another example of Ray welcoming his opinion and preferences. It's a sign of moving towards more equality and balance in their relationship.

(How powerful is Sand in the leather jacket? The whole riding a motorbike together screams boyfriend energy).

Try to stay sane folks, because we should also be getting THIS notorious scene. It looks like they're in a changing room but who knows, maybe Sand has a weird privacy corner in his flat? The shirt Ray wears for the rest of the episode is hanging on the wall. We get Sand changing Ray (because his role as Ray's caretaker reigns supreme), and whilst doing so, he goes in for a cheeky fondle.

Sand continues to open Ray's eyes through music at a gig, which is a nice continuation of the lovely scene they shared at the record store. They also return to the go-go bar, where Ray publicly serenades our resident singer?

And we'll bear witness to Sand falling more and more visibly in love by the second. It's just as Mew called it - Ray should be a ray of sunshine and that's exactly the way Sand looks at him. That gaze is full of warmth and awe. Sand is completely aware of Ray's faults and bad habits, because he saw those first and upfront. And yet he sees Ray beaming underneath, despite all those things.

(As a side note to Ray - the superficial attention of many doesn't come close when compared against the all-encompassing attention of just one. Do you see how that man looks at you??)

After a long day out of playing actual boyfriends, they have a quiet, steamy make out session on Sand's balcony. Having had Ray accompany him all day, there's no doubt Sand is even more head over heels now.

If they did indeed sleep together the previous night and were gunning for 2 in a row, I really don't think you can shirk that off as 'friendship' anymore. I don't care how deep or convincing you think your denial is.

Aaaand OH. It was only a matter of time before this inevitably happened. Either Sand would walk in on Boston/Nick wildin', or they would catch him and Ray doing the dirty. My worry is how Boston is going to react, because not only has Top given him the cold shoulder, Ray is swiftly veering off his plan and how he ideally wanted to manipulate the situation. In a desperate bid to clutch at straws, I really hope Boston doesn't try to stir shit up with Sand instead (in regards to that Ray and Mew kiss).

Boston, you better steer well clear of our unproblematic couple. Let them be happy without the fuckery that is your mind games.

(Ray's expression cracked me up. He looks completely out of it 'Huh? What's happening? Who dis?' Boy was so consumed in kissing Sand, he forgot who he was).

[oh-no-its-bird]

I've never been more persuaded to read "one step three steps" more than via the promise of an Itachi and Ichigo fist fight. let Itachi be feral 2024

LET ITACHI BE FERAL 2024 HE DESERVES IT !!!! I am obscenely excited to write it actually, Ichigo is a pro at pressing peoples buttons and shes ab to find Itachi's and fucking slam them (though in her defence, Itachi found hers and slammed them almost as hard)

I love when characters meet and are pretty friendly at first, look like they're on a solid path to become friends, then one of them (Ichigo) realizes that the other (Itachi) has a similar look in their eyes as someone they admire (Madara) and when they try to point it out as a good thing, it is absoloutley taken the worst fucking way possible and things quickly devolve into a public shouting match where they have to be physically pulled away from eachother ❤️

(Ichigo is ab to be 2 for 2 for getting in brawls with clan heirs)

I think their fight is also made funnier bc Itachi is SO out of Ichigo's league when it comes to fighting, like, literal ANBU agent vs a girl who only just hits chunnin level if you squint. So like the fact that they just fucking go at it in a messy, uncoordinated brawl that they need to be pulled appart from— they're really showing their age w this one huh

Anyways take this snippet I wrote fucking months ago from my fic notes:

"I— Fugaku . . ." Mikoto looked faint. "Itachi got into a fist fight with one of the children today." Fugaku stared at his wife, uncomprehending. "Is that an analogy, or—?" "No, he got into a fist fight. Not even a proper one, I-I think they bit eachother? I . . ."

Mikoto slowly sank into the chair next to her, hand rising to cover her mouth as she said faintly, "Is this what they call a teenage rebellion?" "Our Itachi." Fugaku clarified. "They had to be separated from eachother. In public." "Our Itachi." He tried again. "They nearly got put in holding for disorderly conduct."

Anyways u should totally read the fic I like to believe it's funny and the Itachi and Sasuke chapters (ch 7+8) is honestly some of my favorite writing I've done in the naruto fandom overall

Ooooo u wanna read it sooo baddd

[fullscoreshenanigans]

I wonder how much Sisters are in the HQ. Because even if the selection is hard, a lot much sucess.

Isabella's orphenage ship 6 children by year, so 6 new kids must be given to her.

There are 5/6 orphenages for Grace Field. So 30/36 children shipped by year and 30/36 new given to the orphenage. EVERY YEAR. So even if it's sure that the Sisters gave birth of more than one child (only the Mother can have only on).

Because if 30/36 children must be given by year to orphenages, 30/36 must waiting their turn in the nursery and as much sister must be pregnant. I think that every sister has the right to take a break after a pregnacy.

For Exemple if Sienna is the mother of both Emma and Carol, seen there are more or less 10 years between them, it probably mean that there had at least one kid between them. Maybe more.

So i think that, even if the selection is rude, a lot of girls survives. Because if they need 30/36 new babies by years...

And it's just Grace Field. It must be worse at Great Vallley (especially that Barton must have took a lot of children for his huting ground)

[Response to this ask]

I'm not sure where you're getting all moms having only one child being common from?

From your previous ask:

Isabella is an anomaly when it comes to moms in that she's the youngest one to ever be selected in the history of at least the current incarnation of Grace Field that's been around for roughly 400 years.

(Mystic Code Book Chapter 1 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 181.2 | Chapter 181.3) Her excellent test scores at the farm and later at headquarters combined with favoritism from Sarah led to her placement being expedited. With there being an extremely limited number of mom positions, most sisters (because they're all sisters first, Isabella being the exception and not the rule) are left waiting for years, and this is what results in them having multiple children if they don't retrain for another path, not that moms are limited to having a single child. If anything, you'd think they'd want more children bred from those who reach that position, so the time spent waiting for spots to open up would be beneficial for the demons. Sarah had enough sway to persuade those in charge to get a recent graduate of the sister training in there, though, so Isabella was able to skip to the front of the wait list.

And it's confirmed there's five plants plus headquarters for Grace Field.

(Chapter 29 | Chapter 100 | S1 Episode 4)

So assuming there are no oddities, they're averaging 30 kids per year between the five, and if each plant maintains the same number of children plant no.3 normally does, there's around 190 kids at a given time outside of Grace Field headquarters prior to Isabella taking over as grandma when she reduces the number of shipments beginning in mid-January 2046, which is kind of wild given how low it is already.

(Chapter 181.3)

So I think that, even if the selection is rude, a lot of girls survives. Because if they need 30/36 new babies by years...

The second light novel does say this, yes.

Even if it's hard to calculate exactly how that math works out with how gleeful Sarah seems about eliminating Cecile and Krone's entire class, along with not having any information about how often the moms are recommending girls for sister candidacy.

(Chapter 181.2)

Chapter 166's bonus sketch gives us headquarters' layout, but no listing of how many people it accommodates, though it does look massive between this and the amount of running around the kids do in the Return to Grace Field arc.

It must be worse at Grand Valley (especially that Bayon must have took a lot of children for his hunting ground)

To be fair, those children were going to be eaten regardless, so Bayon Sr. taking some for his hunting grounds isn't altering the general death count, just where it's being distributed.

(Chapter 84 | Mystic Code Book Chapter 7 Series Timeline)

Sometime between 1801–1900, Bayon is looking so miserable some of the staff of the farms he's in charge of start shipping children to him alive.

I'm defaulting to this being at Yverk's or Leuvis' behest—Yverk as a means of keeping Bayon comfortable in order to maintain the status quo of Legravalima's regime, Leuvis as a means of satisfying the hunger he knows still resides in his friend—but maybe they just decided to do it on their own because of how bad he looked, who can say.

Regardless, he's approached by another party to begin his hunts, and it isn't until he's given this push that he gives into his impulses again when he told Leuvis centuries ago he was committed to upholding the promise, in a similar manner to how we see Bayon Jr. adhere to upholding decorum and duty during the gathering for Tifari in 2047.

Bayon Sr. starts off with one human every three months, but after that it's hard to gauge exactly how the numbers ramped up. Over two hundred years, it was in the hundreds to potentially thousands.

I'm assuming it maxed out between five and ten at a time, though. Enough of a significant gap where Bayon accepts Peter's offer to use Goldy Pond, originally meant to be a village of refuge for escaped cattle children in James' plan, as his new hunting ground starting in late 2031 with more humans and supplies being available to him.

(Chapter 98)

63 - 17 (15 Grace Field escapees and 2 adults not counted among the Goldy Pond population by Bayon) = 46 children who escaped from Goldy Pond on January 29, 2046 after a hunt had taken place the previous day. We don't know how many children are killed during regular hunts, but I'm guessing they would keep the population between 50 and 60 at any given time. Enough of a thrill to entice Bayon to take Peter's offer, not enough between the 18 farms he supervised or was in charge of to give unaware staff pause to want to stick their noses into noble business because the yield between them was vast enough to make it negligible.

(Mystic Code Book Chapter 3)

Grand Valley, Glory Bell, and Goodwill Ranch are large enough that the demons don't invest in implanting trackers in the children like at Grace Field because it's too costly, though once the mass production farms begin during Peter's tenure as the 36th head of the Ratri Clan, the minuscule dent Bayon's hunts put on Grand Valley's output is even less conspicuous.