#And be someone else rather than just mold of her parents

[solar-nightengale]

And finally... PLEASE spare a Grace? Spare a Grace with 16?

HEYYYY ngl you had me laughing when I saw the song this number (and character) corresponded to BFGJHDFKVYTIU

Taking a shot at a moodboard this time around so without further ado:

spotify wrapped game: send me a number from 1-100, optionally with a ship or character, for a moodboard based on the song it corresponds to!

16. The Fairy is Grown Up - Dario Marianelli

[guess-my-next-obsession]

endure & survive | i. endure & survive

pairing: post-outbreak!joel miller x single mother!reader

chapter content: MINORS DNI, written in dual POV/first person POV, no description/name given to reader, reader is a single mother, age gap (twenty-ish years), grief, gun talk/threats

word count: 2.1k

series masterlist | next chapter

READER

Everything was brutal in the wild open land that used to be this country before the world as we knew it crumbled before us. 

I’d spent fifteen years in the Denver QZ before I’d had enough. Food was scarce and often tainted with mold, animal droppings, or just plain inedible. Hunting and growing food wasn’t an option either, not in the crowded, dilapidated, concrete confinements of the QZ. The powers above tended to hoard all of the fresh shit to themselves anyways and hand out the scraps as if it was a blessing rather than a betrayal of the system they were put in place to uphold. But when you’re starving, even scraps and trash become appetizing. Sickening, most often, but appetizing nonetheless. Luxuries like new clothes, fresh sheets, a decent pair of shoes, and a place to take a warm shower were non-existent. All we had was all we had. You either made do, or you took from someone else. Someone dead, or someone you planned on killing. People like me--people who couldn’t stomach the violence against my neighbors as easily as some of us--chose to just make do.

It was a miracle that I made it out of the QZ alive. 

It was even more miraculous that I’d been able to survive out here in the open for as long as I had. 

Eight years, to be exact. But I hadn’t been alone for all of it. 

I used to have a partner, someone willing to brave the unknown and dangerous at my side, until a nasty bout of pneumonia we couldn’t treat took him from me. Kit and I were as close to married as two people could be in this post-apocalyptic world, and we’d made it longer than most people did outside the supposedly safe walls of the QZ. Together, we rebuilt the dilapidated cabin nestled somewhere in Wyoming that I still call home and built a secure perimeter, shielded by thick evergreens and overgrowth. He was with me for a little under two years out here, but even though he’s gone now, a piece of him remains with me. 

Our son. 

As I lay on the threadbare mattress tucked in the corner of the open cabin and count each of Colt’s breaths, I feel a familiar pang of longing and grief. Longing for his father. Grief that he’ll never get to meet him. 

He’s six now. Just entered that stage of troublemaker and explorer and everything that would stress out any parent in a normal world. But in this world—a world where one slip up could mean the end, or worse—it’s more than stress I feel. I’m terrified. 

It’s been months since anyone has gotten close to our safe haven, and even longer since I’ve come across an infected, but the threat is always there. When Colt was younger, it was easier to manage the thought of having to pull that trigger when someone—or something—got too close. But now I worry about what it’ll do to him to have to watch me kill in order to protect us. I worry it’ll change him, mark him for a dark and violent future he should have never had to chance. 

But I’ll do what I have to do in order to keep him alive. 

I’ll trek across the entire country, chart a boat and sail to new worlds, kill and fight and give my life if it means he has the chance to live his. 

For now, though, he’s safe and sound asleep in my arms, soothed by the rise and fall of my chest as I prepare for another sleepless night. 

JOEL

The mileage is wearing on me. I know it. The pain in the ass teenager besides me sure as hell knows it, if her snarky comments about needing to find me a cane or a walker are anything to go by. 

My boots have seen better days, but it’s been that way for years now. Usually, I’d have found some way to snag a newer, less worn pair off a dead man or tucked away inside some crumbling building, but I haven’t been able to take as many chances with Ellie with me. 

We’ve already had enough encounters with danger between Boston and wherever the fuck we are now. Clickers, tyrants, and more death than either of us would like. Kansas City alone was almost enough to take both of us out. I have no desire to test our luck all for the sake of warmer feet. Besides, Ellie’s shoes are alright. No holes, no soles coming apart. If she’s good, I’ll find a way to manage. 

But there’s no denying the limp in my walk, no matter how hard I try to hide it. It’s cold as hell out here in the woods, and at my age, with my past injuries, it’s taking a toll on me. My joints scream with every step, my back aches like it’s on fire, and that’s only the physical. 

My mind is feeling the wear and tear of this journey more than I’d like to admit. I’m panicky and exhausted and paranoid as all hell, and I can’t be any of that if I want to keep us safe. 

The kid’s gotten pretty good with a gun, but given our limited ammo supply, she hasn’t gotten as much practice as either of us would like. But at least I know if it comes down to it, she’ll know what to do. I cling to the hope that she’ll never have to put that knowledge into practice, but I know better than that. She’s already had to bail my ass out more times than I’d like. 

“I can see steam coming out of your ears with all that thinking, old man,” she says as she sits across from me at the campsite we’ve claimed for the night. There’s a fire crackling between us, big enough to ward off some of this icy chill but small enough not to bring too much attention. “Whatcha thinking about?”

I heave a sigh that has little to do with her and everything to do with the fact that I’m thinking about too fuckin’ much these days. 

Safety. 

Food. 

Warmth. 

Sarah. 

“Thinkin’ how much longer I’m gonna have to put up with this twenty questions shit you like to play,” I say instead of the truth. It’s easier if she doesn’t know what’s going on in my head. She’s just a kid, whether she sees it that way or not. She doesn’t need to add my shit onto her plate. 

“Well, we’re like…what? Only a few hundred miles away from Salt Lake now?” she asks, tracing her finger over the map on her lap. “All goes well, me and my charming commentary will be out of your hair in a few weeks.” 

Doubtful, but I don’t voice that thought. I still don’t have much faith in anything related to those goddamn Fireflies, but a plan is a plan. Tess made me swear to see this thing through with Ellie, and as much as I hate the fuckers, they’re still the only people that might be able to point me in the direction of Tommy. 

“What kind of music did you listen to back in the day?” Ellie asks as she folds her map back up and into her backpack, seemingly content to move onto another subject. “Wait—no, let me guess. Something old and boring like the Beatles.”

I scoff out of amusement. “First off, the Beatles aren’t boring. But no. More of a country music guy, myself. Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Marty Robbins. That kinda thing.”

She shrugs. “Never heard of ‘em.”

“They were before your time,” I say, shifting my legs so that they lay outstretched along the thin blanket I’ve got beneath me to keep the snow from dampening my clothes. “Before my time, truth be told.”

“So you just like old shit, then,” she says, and I shoot her an unamused look. 

“Y’know, it’s been about twenty years since we’ve had any new shit come out, so anything you like listenin’ to is pretty damn old, too,” I reply before tacking on, “Smartass.”

“How old’s Nirvana?”

“90’s.”

“Pearl Jam?”

“90’s.”

“Shit. What about Metallica?”

“Jesus, that’s what you like listenin’ to?” I ask, shaking my head. “No wonder you act like that.”

“Like what? Totally fucking cool and wise beyond my years?”

“Was gonna say feral, but yeah, sure,” I say, fighting a chuckle. 

Despite the exhaustion, despite the fact that I’d long since forgotten how to laugh, this kid almost brings it out of me. She’s the total opposite of Sarah, and yet I can’t help but think the two of them would get along like peas in a pod. After all, their favorite pastime is the same—busting my balls. 

“Y’should get some sleep,” I say, ending her game of twenty questions before she talks me to sleep. “Sun’s gonna be up in a few hours, and we need to get a move on. Storm’s comin’ in soon, and last thing we need is to get stuck out here in it.”

“A little breaking and entering in the books tomorrow, then?” 

“If we can manage it,” I reply with a sigh, watching her as she rolls onto her side and stuffs her backpack beneath her head like sleeping out here in the wet snow is completely normal and not fuckin’ miserable. “Y’need an extra blanket over there?”

“No, mother,” she sighs. “Youth keeps me warm. Too bad those days are long behind you now.”

I roll my eyes and look up at the dark sky, counting stars to keep myself from chuckling. “Shut up and go to sleep, then.”

READER

A crunch outside wakes me from my sleep. I’m a light sleeper at best these days, a raging insomniac at worst, but that’s what’s kept us alive this long. My ears have trained themselves to detect even the slightest of unusual noises around the cabin. Even in my sleep, I’m able to distinguish the sound of an animal crossing our land from an intruder—or worse. 

Thankfully, this doesn’t sound like an infected or a clicker. I don’t have the mental or physical energy right now to deal with a rabid creature, for lack of a better word. 

I shift my weight carefully so as to not disturb Colt as he sleeps beside me, and climb out of our bed. My boots and clothes are still on, as are his—you never know when it’s going to be time to run, and the few minutes it takes to get ready might mean the difference between staying alive and becoming a monster. Grabbing the shotgun I keep beside the bed, I carefully step across the wooden floorboards of the cabin, avoiding the loose ones I know creak under even the slightest bit of weight. I don’t need Colt waking up and asking questions. Not when I don’t know who’s waiting outside. 

All of the windows are boarded up, save for a few peepholes I intentionally left for moments exactly like these. I’d be an idiot to swing my door open without getting a peek at what waits for me on the other side, shotgun or not. Sticking my eye up to the sliver in the old wooden boards, I scan the front of the property, taking in the thick blanket of snow covering the ground and looking for footprints marring its surface. When I find none in the front of the property, I move to the window on the side of the cabin, searching there, too. 

And that’s when I see our intruder. 

A man--older than me by a decade or two--carefully scans the clearing around the cabin, no doubt searching for traps. He’s lucky he’s managed to get this far without running into any. That, or he’s simply done this enough to know exactly what to look out for. 

When he nears the side of the cabin, only a few feet from the window I’m pressed up against, I force my breath to steady and carefully move back to the front door with my shotgun cocked and in hand. I don’t give him time to find his way up the steps of the front porch--that would be too close to Colt for comfort. Instead, I slowly, silently, open the door and step out into the icy cold. Tiptoeing across the snow-damp wood, I round the corner and lift my shotgun just like Kit had taught me all those years ago, aiming directly for my intruder’s head before issuing a single, clear warning. 

“You’ve got five seconds to turn around and forget you ever saw this place before I shoot your fucking head off.”

[hemonoir]

Tell me more about hotdog

hhHOh boy, okay, I'm just gonna start this off with a brief recap.

TL;DR: "Hotdog" Aka. Damara Lalonde, or "Mara" for short, is the adoptive daughter of Roxy Lalonde.

She is the same Damara raised by Doc Scratch who would later become The Handmaid, but was spared this fate when Roxy plucked her directly off the meteor using her void powers.

But I take it you're explicitly not here for a tldr so-

LONG AS FUCK EXPLANATION BELOW

Due to the bizarreness of her situation, a lot of the surviving cast post-game had some part in her upbringing. But most prominently were her mom's (Roxy and June), and Dirk, who served as an uncle of sorts. The latter being where she gets all the Stridisms in her design.

Personality wise: She's still extremely crude like Beforus Damara, but it's from a more direct ironic place meant to catch one off guard or to be absurdly overdramatic, rather than attempting to scare people away. A lot more snarky and confident, but not jaded or mean unless given reason to be.

Her interests include: Godzilla and similarly campy kaiju franchises. Practical effects in general, but mostly anything big dumb and explosive. Any Shonen slop Dirk showed her. Parkour and any reckless dangerous physical activity that would nearly give her friends a heart attack seeing her attempt. And starting sudden random indie projects in a medium she never returns to once she's finished.

Mara lives life fast and doesn't take time to dwell, especially as she's well aware of her own lifespan in comparison to her peers and her family. After highschool, she didn't want to bother with anything academic or to pursue some grand project to leave behind in her wake. Aside from flings, she doesn't really want to pursue a committed relationship either, as the last thing she wants is someone else fussing over her being careful, or bemoaning her short life in the last years she has of it.

It's her's, and her's alone. And she intends to live it to the fullest.

As for the concepts behind her character and creation-

In the shortest terms, Mara is a direct foil to the faults in Rose and Dave's upbringing. As well as an optimistic look to who Alpha Roxy and Dirk could have become despite who they were in the Beta Universe.

Both getting a chance to take supportive parental role's in Mara's life, Roxy more directly in being her mother, and Dirk more indirectly as someone Roxy could depend on to look out for her daughter, and who saw himself in another "out of place" kid.

Mara never had to wear the scarf of her dead mom, or mourn the fact they never truly got to know eachother due to her addiction. She had a loving mother who she knew for a fact supported her interests, and didn't keep things from her.

And instead of a shadowy violent figure that made her feel like she was never good enough, and without Cal's influence, she had someone to teach her to protect herself and who felt more like a trusted friend than another parent.

The parallels continue when brought back to her original upbringing under Scratch, a fate she narrowly avoided in this timeline due to Roxy pulling her off the meteor.

The idea for the whole AU actually initially came from the fact that Damara and Rose have a lot of direct parallels:

-Both use Needle-kind.

-While Rose would threaten suicide, Damara has a parental figure that actually would push her to suicide.

-John makes a comment about Rose seeming more "witch-like" in comparison to Jade, being a Seer and Witch respectively. However Damara actually is a Witch of Time when looking at her role in Beforus.

It makes it almost seem like Scratch will directly fit anyone he manipulates into a specific mold, but that's beside the point.

There are also parallels in Hal/AR being a piece that makes up Scratch/English, despite his initial role being one of sacrifice. But instead of knowing a sliver of Dirk that got ultimately corrupted and morphed into something cruel and unrecognizable, she got to know Dirk in full who never mutated into some kind of sick beast.

Lastly, though this is more of a side note:

Initially, I actually planned Mara to be raised by Scratch for a brief period, but taken before she could serve English. I.E. Instead of spawning green boxes, Roxy pulling a girl out of a green box.

I'm still mulling it over, but me and my wife most of the time lean towards her never having to suffer under Scratch bc Roxy with her stupid hotdog baby is nice fluff. But the narrative of a kid narrowly avoiding a grizzly fate and having severe repressed trauma she can't remember despite her currently good life, is a story element I still gravitate to as someone with DiD, who also headcanons Dirk as having DiD.

So it's sort of up in the air at times whether or not, Troll named Hotdog. Ever actually was. Hotdog shaped.

At least under Roxy's care.

[starryevermore]

the house of snow (5) ✧ coriolanus snow

the house of snow ✧ a royal coryo au | pinterest board| ao3

pairing: king!coriolanus snow x fem!reader

series summary: the king of panem is in search of a bride. and, for reasons you can never understand, coriolanus snow has set his sights on you. it would never be a happy marriage, you’re sure of that. but none of that matters, because when snow decides he wants something, he will do everything in his power to ensure it is his. 

chapter summary: snow does not like the idea of others playing with his toy.

word count: 2,665

series warnings?: 18+ MINORS DNI, royal au, regency au, arranged marriage, rivals to lovers, obsessive!coryo, jealous!coryo, protective!coryo, eventual smut, eventual pregnancy, more tags to be added later

chapter warnings?: jealous!coryo, pet name (petal), not proofread

“How does it feel to be Mrs. Snow?” Clemensia Dovecote asked as one of the maids poured you a cup of tea. 

You watched the maid glance at you, curiosity evident in her eyes. Though you trusted your own lady’s maid with much of your thoughts and feelings you thought best to keep hidden from everyone else, you knew that maids in general liked to talk. Or, rather, people liked to talk. You had little doubt that your concerns in marrying Snow had spread throughout the working class. Had it been a mistake to even discuss your feelings, or lack thereof, for Snow with her? Perhaps. But you couldn’t keep silent about it. You had to talk to someone. 

“I am hardly Mrs. Snow yet. I am only engaged, Clemmie,” you said. 

Livia Cardew reached for your left hand. You allowed her to take it. She examined the ring Snow had placed on your finger with much scrutiny. It was a silver band with leaves snaking up to the center, where the silver was molded into rose petals. At the center of the flower sat a large, glittering diamond. Livia loved jewelry and all the finer things in life. She could appreciate a nice ring more than you could. “With a ring like that? The King is making a statement.”

“That I am his?” you clarified. It took everything in you to not roll your eyes. If Livia thought that you were not pleased with your engagement, it would spread through Panem faster than maids�� gossip. Who knew what Snow would do if that happened. Livia nodded. “I was already well aware of his interest, as was the rest of the ton.”

“Perhaps you should remind Lord Plinth of that, then?” Livia said. 

Your brows pinched together. Had she someone found out about how you once argued that you would rather marry Sejanus? Had word somehow spread? You knew Snow would say nary a word about it. At least, you would assume so from how he acted when you only mentioned Sejanus’s name. You tried to think back. Were there any maids or butlers around when you talked to Snow about this? When you talked to your parents? None came to mind, but the mark of a good servant is to not be noticed. (Or so your mother says.) It could be possible that you simply missed them?

You decided to feign ignorance. “Lord Plinth? What do you mean?”

Clemensia laughed. “We all saw how he looked at you while you danced at his mother’s ball! That man looked at you like you were made of diamonds.”

Livia crinkled her nose. “You may as well be, at least compared to him. I can still hardly believe the Former King Ravinstill ever granted that family a title. A dukedom at that! It just wasn’t right.”

You decided to ignore Livia’s ramblings. It was true that the Plinth family did not have the same sort of respect the rest of the ton, who had been born into their titles for generations and generations stretching all the way back to the formation of Panem. It was why your parents were so adamant that you not marry Sejanus. But he was a good, and kind, and gentle man.  “No, that cannot be. Lord Plinth is only a friend. He was the one who told me that…” You stumbled on the word. It felt foreign in your mouth. “…my fiancé was interested in courting me. Why would he do that if he would want to marry me himself?”

“Oh, you poor, naïve thing. It’s a wonder you even got this far in your courtship,” Livia teased. “He was hoping that you would swear off the King and marry him. An act of true love, or whatever the fairy tales say.”

Could that be true? Could that be why Snow was so irate at you speaking of Sejanus? But why would Sejanus ever reveal that to Snow? Snow was so possessive. He would hardly let such a slight go by unpunished. And, yet, Sejanus still lived and breathed. Maybe, then, Snow had deduced this all his own, just as Livia and Clemensia had done.

“Well, it hardly matters now. I am engaged now.”

“If the King is as smart as he was at the Academy, he would marry you soon. To dissuade Lord Plinth from arriving with any last minute confessions that might steal you away,” Livia mused. 

You looked out the window, where Coriolanus the Cat perched. In the distance, you could see the Royal Carriage being pulled down the road. It was nearly time for your daily luncheon with Snow. Though you would always dine at the palace, he insisted on picking you up from your home. To anyone who knew of the routine, it seemed like such a romantic ordeal. A man so desperate to spend time with his love that he would do the silliest things. To you, it was merely another way for him to attempt to control you. 

“That would hardly change anything,” you said. The carriage stopped outside of your home. The coachmen stepped down, then opened the door. Snow stepped out, his eyes immediately seeking yours as he looked up at the window. Despite the distance, you could see the smirk on his face. It made you feel ill. 

“Because you are in love?” Clemensia asked. 

You wondered if Snow could read lips from so far away as you repeated, “Because I am in love.”

Livia looked out the window as Snow walked up to your home. “Do you think he knows about Lord Plinth?”

You blinked. You were wondering the same yourself. However, you knew that this was a question you would probably never get answered. You hardly could even figure out how to talk to Livia and Clemensia about this. How could you ever bring it up to Snow, with his quick temper? “It has never come up.”

“And why would it? I’m sure they have much more…exciting conversations,” Clemensia said with a grin. 

Your heart thumped at the implication. Truthfully, you did not know what happened when a couple were married. Your mother only ever told you that, after the ceremony, the union ended in consummation and that that was where children came from. She always said she would tell you more when you were older, but that day had not yet come. “We…talk about our future together,” you said. 

Clemensia’s grin grew, but before she could tease you further on matters you didn’t have a full grasp on, Snow entered the room. “Good morning, Miss Cardew, Miss Dovecote. Good morning, petal,” he said with a charming smile. “What are we talking about today?”

You opened your mouth to answer, ready to say you were discussing your impending nuptials. You knew that would please him enough to put him in a good mood. But Livia beat you to it.

“Lord Plinth’s infatuation with your fiancé.”

Snow’s jaw ticked. For a moment, you wondered if his mask would fall. But he recovered quickly and said in a teasing voice, “Should I be worried?”

“No, they have deluded themselves into thinking he is interested,” you said, careful to not even refer to Sejanus by his last name. “I told them that it would not have mattered even if he was interested because—”

“Because she’s in love,” Clemensia interrupted, elongating the word “love,” making it sing-songy.

A more genuine smile settled on Snow’s face. His eyes flitted to you. “Is that so?”

But, for as much as you were attempting to placate him, you had to have your fun, too. So, you smiled, and said, “Oh? We were talking about you? My mistake, I thought we were talking about Coriolanus.” 

You picked the kitten from his perch on the windowsill, pressing kisses around his face. He purred, curling up in your arms. For a moment, you thought you saw Coriolanus the Cat look smugly at Snow. But, even if he hadn’t, the annoyed look on Snow’s face was joy enough. 

“She teases me too much with that cat—”

“—our son—”

“—our son,” Snow corrected. “I almost regret giving her the little thing.”

Clemensia laughed and nudged Livia. “They already argue like they’re married.”

“Well, as lovely as this was, we do have a luncheon to attend,” Snow said, holding his hand out for you to take. You moved to cradle Coriolanus the Cat in one arm and slipped your hand into Snow’s. He helped you to your feet, then flashed another smile at Livia and Clemensia. “And do let me know if you have anymore theories about Lord Plinth’s affections. I have to ensure I do not have any competition, don’t I?”

“Oh, stop being silly,” you protested as Livia and Clemensia nodded. 

At that, your mother, who sat quietly in the corner of the room with her sewing, rose from her seat and followed you and Snow out of the home. Since the engagement, she had hardly spoken a word when he was around. A part of you wondered if that was because she no longer felt the need to quiet you since Snow put a ring on your finger. Another part of you wondered if Snow had included her silence in the terms of the engagement. You would, after all, need a chaperone with you until you were actually married, but that did not mean that Snow would want to listen to her protest over every thing you did. 

When you reached the carriage outside, Snow helped you climb in. For a second, you wondered if he was going to ignore your mother. But then he held a hand out for her to take as she lifted herself inside, taking the seat across from you. She had learned after the first luncheon that the spot beside you was to always be occupied by Snow. 

Once Snow took his seat, the carriage began its trek to the palace. You tried to distract yourself, looking out the window and petting Coriolanus the Cat, who was curled up on your lap. But then Snow reached for your hand, which you allowed him to take. From the corner of your eye, you saw your mother wrinkle her nose. You weren’t sure it was inappropriate for him to hold your hand, but perhaps she knew so archaic social rule you were unaware of. Or perhaps she was regretting her scheming, you mused. 

“I do not want you to spend any more time with Sejanus,” Snow said. 

This got your attention. 

You turned to look at him, your brows pinched together. “Because of what was said this morning? Lord…he is a friend.”

“I believe Miss Cardew and Miss Dovecote were correct in their assessment. I do not wish for you to be around him.” At your frown, he added, “At least not until after the wedding. It will only be a month. Give me this.”

“I have given you so much already.”

Snow squeezed your hand, tight. You tried to pull away, but he refused to loosen his grip. He leaned in to you, his breath fanning over your face. You did not like how close he was to you. “I cannot tell if his intentions are pure. I do not wish for you to be harmed.”

“Sejanus would never,” left your lips before you could think of what you were saying.

Snow’s face turned red. “What did I tell you about—”

“He is a friend, Snow. He. Is. A. Friend. You cannot isolate me from my friends—”

“—not your friends. Only him.”

“—just because you have concocted this delusion he is trying to take me from you. Sejanus may act impulsively from time to time, yes. He may not always think matters through. But he is your friend, and he is mine. Do you understand? As far as he is concerned, we are in love. Even if he had been interested in courting me, he would not do anything to hurt either of us. He is not like you.”

“Not like…You are toeing the line, petal.”

“I am not going to stop talking to a friend, even if it is only until we are married, because you are insecure. Snow, have I given you any reason to think that I would not follow our agreement?”

“No.”

“Have I done anything, save for admitting that I once considered marrying Sejanus, that would indicate I have feelings for him?”

“You have not.”

“Then why are you acting like a petulant child whose favorite toy has been stolen away?”

You watched as Snow’s jaw clenched and unclenched. But before he could say any more, the carriage came to a halt and the door was opened. Your mother was helped out first, then you, and finally Snow. He said not a single word as the three of you were led into the palace toward the dining room. Not until you had passed Coriolanus the Cat off to the butler. 

“Join me in the library for a moment, petal,” he said. 

You caught your mother’s eye. Oh, how you wished for her to say something. But instead, she took her seat at the table and said not a word. Sucking in a breath, you nodded. Snow smiled and took your hand, placing it around his bicep. You had half a mind to dig your nails into his arm, hoping that it might hurt him. You were already walking on thin ice, and you could not imagine such an act would go over well with Snow. 

When you entered the library, Snow shut the large, oak doors behind you. Your blood ran cold. He had not done that the last time you visited the library. Had you crossed the line? Had you gone too far? You were not sure if Snow was a violent man. He had spent some months after leaving the Academy as a Peacekeeper. He was certainly capable of violence. But would he inflict it? On you? 

“Snow, I did not mean to—” you began to apologize, hoping that it might placate him. 

If you thought Snow had been too close to you before, it hardly compared to him grabbing you, one hand on your waist, the other on your face, his lips pressed against yours. You gasped, trying to pull away. This was not right. This was not…You were not even sure if married couples kissed this way. You had only ever seen chaste kisses, never something so…animalistic. You weren’t sure if Snow was kissing you more than he was trying to eat you alive. When his tongue darted out, swiping against your lips, you finally managed to push him away. 

“What the hell was that!?” you shouted. “You cannot just, just kiss someone! We are not married, Snow! You promised that you would not ruin me!”

“Did I? I only recall saying your reputation would never be harmed.” Snow reached for you again. You could not find it in you to push him away, not when he had such a crazed look in his eye. “And it will not be, I will promise you that. If I wish, however, to kiss my fiancée in private, I shall do so.”

“You only did this so I would feel guilty if I tried to leave you for Sejanus, which I have already told I would not do!”

“No,” Snow said. “I did this because you drive me mad.”

“Then lock yourself in an asylum. Do not kiss me.”

One of Snow’s hands left your waist. He reached up, caressing your face. When you did jerk away, he pinched your chin between his fingers. “You are to be my wife. You are to be the wife of a king. I shall treat you however I see fit. Do you understand?”

When you said nothing, he pinched harder. “Do you understand?”

“Only if you understand that I will hate you until the day I die.”

[motherofdogs1010]

Little Darling IV (Thomas Shelby x Reader)

Summary: Birmingham has received a new club, one that is showcasing a exotic type of dance that is drawing in crowds, but it is one particular dancer that catches Thomas Shelby's eye... one that goes by the stage name: Little Darling

Warnings: 18+ only, eventual pinv sex, eventual smut, stripper!reader, heavy petting, dry humping, language, drinking, cannon Peaky Blinder violence

Banner @firefly-graphics Dividers @vase-of-lilies

Series Masterlist

His lips against hers felt hot, a shiver ran through her at the sensation of their lips molded against one another and she squeezed her eyes as her hand twitched and--

Slap.

Y/N felt a sense of justification when she slapped Tommy, one of her long nails scratched the corner of his lip pretty good during the slap and the man smirked, his tongue coming out and licking the little blood.

His cheek was rosy from the slap and she felt vindication over it as she

"I'm not a whore", she hissed, shoving him away and standing up. "And I will never be your whore."

"Not during the day", Tommy replied, "not yet at least."

Her eyes widen at his response, the way he was making it out that she was going to be his whore and while the rational part of her felt anger, there was a slim, small part of her that reveled in the thought.

"I need you to leave", she demanded, Tommy held his gloved hands up.

"Fine", he said, "but you don't need to worry about your parents."

Her heart stopped as he continued, "I made sure to leave a generous donation to them, they should be getting a good amount of groceries for the next month."

Y/N felt confused, why was he taking care of her parents? Why was he spending all this effort on her? It had to go beyond what he was telling her; she watched as he turnt and left, wondering just what did Tommy want with her.

Y/N was due for new beauty products and it was on her way out of the store did she run into the famous Polly Gray, aunt to the Shelby boys. It struck her as odd since with the amount of money the Shelbys had acquired, they would have someone else do their shopping but here she was, wrapped in a fur-lined coat and a impeccable hat on her head.

Polly was everything Y/N had heard of, beautiful and sophisticated with eyes that cut you deep as she analyzed you to the bone.

"Y/N is it?" the older woman asked, Y/N clutched her paper bag of things.

"Yes", she replied, "what can I do for you?"

"Walk with me", Polly said, Y/N trailed after her.

After a few moments, Polly spoke up, "Tommy's pretty taken with you."

Y/N felt her eyes widen, had the bastard blabbed?

"Don't worry", Polly said, "he hasn't said anything, but I always know everything that boy does. He is predictable when he comes across a beautiful woman."

"Well, I'd rather he not", Y/N said as they walked.

"The man can't help but think with his cock", Polly said, "he just like every other man."

Y/N wondered what it was that Polly wanted as she said, "No matter, seems like you want nothing to do with the bastard. Much better than the last one."

The last one?

And with more questions than answers, Polly Gray simply turned around and walked away.

Some of the girls wanted to go to the Garrison since Cherry had given some of them the night off as appreciation for their hard work. Y/n had slid into a champagne-colored dress that accentuated her figure, curled her hair into a chignon bun at the base of her neck; her mother's pearls adorned her neck and ears as she finished the look with her usual, deep red lipstick.

"N/N, over here!" Diane said, waving her over.

Diane, stage name Lovely, smiled as she sat with Eleanor (Beloved), Phoebe (Babydoll), and Susan (Sweet Pea). Y/N had felt some apprehension at coming to the Garrison considering that it was prime Blinder territory, but it had been so long since she had gone out with her friends that the risk of running into Tommy felt overshadowed by it.

Walking over, Y/N smiled at the girls as she took a seat. The pub was busy since it was a Friday, the sound of chatter and laughter rang in the place as she slid into a empty seat with her friends.

"What took you so long?" Susan said in a teasing tone.

"You can't rush perfection", she teased back and her friends laughed with her.

Soon enough, gossip began to flow through them as they sat and relaxed, listening to the chatter of the Garrison as Eleanor was gossiping about another one of their co-workers, Beauty.

"She truly thinks that Mr. Lowe will leave his wife for her", Eleanor said with a 'tsk' in her tone. "Poor thing, she really does believe it."

"We all tried to warn her when she first started", Diane said, "just because they're repeat clients does not mean anything."

Y/N sipped on her whiskey as she listened, the cold ice cubes touching her lips as Susan said, "I'm not sure, myself. Y/N here has (Susan looked around before whispering) Mr. Thomas Shelby wrapped around her finger."

Y/N's eyes widened and she had hoped no one else had noticed the preference that he had taken to her, but it seemed it was obvious to everyone.

"Don't remind me", she said with a shake of her head. "He's like a pest that won't leave."

Susan giggled a little, "A pest that brings you loads of money."

"Well, that's the only upside", she said with a teasing grin. "I'm just hoping he doesn't turn up tonight."

"Why's that? It's not like he'd recognize you without the uniform", Diane said, Y/N shook her head.

"Sugar ratted me out."

Her three friends gasped and shook their heads as Eleanor said, "he's been following you, hasn't he?"

Y/N opened her mouth, about to respond when Harry, the bartender walked over and set a drink down in front of her.

"I didn't order this", she said with a frown.

"He did", Harry said as he pointed out the culprit.

And lo and behold, the bane of her days had been sitting in the corner this whole time, just watching her...

TAGLIST

@amanda08319 @crispynutella @neonpurplestars89-blog @forgottenpeakywriter @kxnnxy

[kirarafelis]

Character biographies part 1.5 + art!

DUNCAN

Name: Duncan 

Likes: Wild events. 

Dislikes: His given daily schedule and responsibilities. 

Known for: Being the only one not interested in any sort of justice within his family.

Why TDI?: To get something new and different out of life.

Duncan comes from a long line of cops. His dad is a cop. His mom is a cop. His uncle, aunt, grandma, and cousins are cops. Unlike them, however, Duncan isn't that interested in that end of the spectrum; he'd rather get some enjoyment, and he's the type who probably shouldn't be trusted with any sort of authority anyways. So Duncan's parents decided to just throw random hobbies at him to keep him from doing anything too mischievous, such as but not limited to: fashion, knitting, and sewing. He's already gotten some warnings, which his mom had to talk out. He's also been put into boarding school after several school hops and pretty much well indulged by his dad to keep him from screwing up their family line reputation. Duncan doesn't necessarily care enough to get the full learning experience from boarding school, though, in his words, he'd rather do an "innovative, creative" break in to show his artistic skills than go through another art class. He also has street smarts and isn't afraid to use them. Despite his cocky nature, the therapists who have worked with Duncan will say he has potential and wants to do good for the world; it just isn't shown exactly through his exterior. When Duncan isn't being put through excessive work or lectures, he looks for ways to curb his boredom, like signing up for Total Drama Island. Duncan figured it couldn't be much worse than a day at boarding school. and, who knows, it could be fun to mess around there. It's not like he's doing anything else this summer.

GWEN

Name: Gwen

Likes: Hosting mold breaking parties from the norm with her little brother.

Dislikes: Following trends.

Known for: Putting beef bouillon cubes in the Community Pool

Why TDI?: To have a good time and the money would really help her mom.

The daughter of a single mom, Gwen was a latchkey kid who grew up taking care of her brother. That's cool with Gwen, because she likes helping out her mom and has tons of fun with her brother, too.

Like the time they put a bunch of beef bouillon cubes into the community pool. (At least the neighborhood dogs were happy!)

The only other thing that Gwen is REALLY passionate about is organizing parties. She believes they can be a substantial form of self-expression; she's been told plenty of her uniqueness for it, and she herself hopes to make the most norm-breaking party ever gain traction without having to go by a single trend for it. One day after all, the last thing she'd do is follow a trend. Maybe a Trent, but never a trend. (wink wink!) Although she's pretty popular for her parties, she is the loner at school. At the same time, she isn’t seen much with others; she spends most of her time instead watching and generating new ideas. But ask someone, and they will say that for a loner, she is a pretty rad one.

Gwen heard about total drama from her brother, and after looking into it, she decided it's just what she'd be looking for in an island retreat. Activities, fun, and relaxation.

Plus, if she wins the $100,000, it would sure make life easier for her mom. Gwen may seem tough as nails on the outside, but when it comes to her family, she's as soft as... well, a marshmallow.

GEOFF

Name: Geoff

Likes: Art, camping, and hanging out at the beach.

Dislikes: Parties that get too wild and shallow superficial people.

Known for: Always drawing in his free time at school.

Why TDI?: A experience different from the typical partying, if not that there’s camping.

Geoff grew up in a party town on the west coast. Spring break, long weekends, summertime—people came from all around to party in his town. So it's not a surprise due to the fact that Geoff isn’t exactly the biggest partygoer; he ended up coming across as an odd one out, or just quite literally an outcast. Now Geoff has seen, at a young age, how to really party. REALLY. He's the oldest of five brothers, but being the oldest also leads to the most responsibilities. Usually, when a party is over, he takes on the job of cleaning up the mess. (One time, almost the entire floor was flooded with fruit punch!) Now he doesn't hold any grudge against his brothers or parents for this, though; it is his duty as the eldest, but he isn't exactly happy about it either. And he thinks that at times the parties start to become too repetitive and similar. Even if Geoff says he hates the idea of doing parties entirely, thanks to his bohemian parents (who met, married, and conceived Geoff on a beach), Geoff still has chillaxin' party-hearty DNA in his blood, even if not apparent. He's the star quarterback on his high school football team, and they’ve scored plenty of wins, but the thing that truly highlights Geoff is his passion for art. A fair share of the cool kids are pretty interested in his art and hang out with him for it. He couldn’t care less about if they were “cool” or not, though; he’d hang out with anyone regardless of where they lie. Geoff's goal is to take a bit out of life and chew it until there's nothing left but seeds that he can scatter into the wind to start with a canvas all over again. His eventual plan is to become a professional artist who brings emotion and laughs with his works. He thinks that would be the most awesome career ever. He can't even imagine how great that would be, and he would definitely ace it, too. He wants to be able to make people feel together. Geoff also enjoys spending time at the beach or in the woods on weekends and sketching on his pad. Now, being real about it, Geoff wasn't exactly expecting to be on Total Drama Island this year; his brothers just thought he totally should give the show a try, so eventually he gave in and auditioned. He was surprised to actually be picked though he didn't actually expect to be spending his summer on a reality TV show. He doesn't mind too much, though; it might be fun.

BRIDGETTE

Name: Bridgette

Likes: Strummin’ on her ukulele

Dislikes: People who aren't kind to Mother Earth

Known For: Her sense of humor and creativity

Why TDI?: To spread the message of cosmic love through music.

Bridgette grew up in a small west coast town, and it shows. She’s always enjoyed the simple things, from the rhythm of a waterfall down to the melody of a bird. She’s an expert at riding bikes too; she first learned to ride one before she could even walk! When she’s just on a stroll, though, she's kind of klutzy. She's done her fair share of lead-outs. (And they were all on foot!) Luckily, she's also got a healing touch. Bridgette's strongest attributes are her sense of humor and her creativity. She's a pretty laid-back, go-with-the-flow girl, and her best friend is her mom. They both love flowers, crystals, and everything else that is part of Mother Nature's beautiful bounty. Bridgette's mom is proud of her not only because she's a giving person, but also because she's also on the honor roll at school. She’s also considered pretty cool for her ukulele-playing skills. People will say she can play it in a unique way you don’t see every day. Bridgette signed up for Total Drama Island because she always tries to open herself up to new opportunities. She's already biked off a hill in Peru, helped build houses in a third-world country, and spent a summer making rugs in a monastery in Nepal. Bridgette's goal is to keep the vibe flowing in a good way. That's why she always uses her ability to make soothing music to raise money for charities. She can be seen on social media or performing on the street, but no matter what, she makes sure she stores the money to be put to good use for good causes. Bridgette hopes that her time on Total Drama Island will spread the message of music to communicate nature and cosmic love to a larger audience.

TRENT

Name: Trent

Likes: Collecting seashells as well as everything else the shore has to offer… in pairs of nine.

Dislikes: His dad telling him to become an accountant.

Known For: Being a cool guy.

Why TDI?: It sounded like a good way to spend the summer

Trent is a guy who is very interested in the ocean and he believes it has spiritual secrets if you look deep enough. That’s why since he could barely walk he’s been exploring the shore. In fact He’s proud to call himself the most knowledgeable kid concerning the local beaches. Eventually, Trent's goal is to have his own full fledged rockin’ artifact collection. Trent is also peculiarly good at surfing in edition to that all. Trent has never gone out of his way to "get" people to like him. He'd just rather chill and get a good view of everything going on in the world. He's a straight shooter who tells it like it is. He would never say he's the "cool guy." Trent is the kind of guy who gets girls and has the other guys admiring him. He's just too likable to hate. His surfing and scavenging skills seal his status as one cool compadre. In his junior high graduating class he was voted as "Most Mysterious and Irresistible." (It was later discovered that the Voting Committee was comprised completely of girls, all of whom dated Trent.) Despite his good looks and easy going matter, Trent is smarter than he's given credit for. Though his grades don't reflect it, his IQ is well above anyone's expectations, including his own. His Dad wished he would follow in his footsteps and become an accountant, to which Trent has four words... NOT - IN - THIS - LIFETIME! Trent auditioned for Total Drama Island because it sounded like a cool way to spend the summer...and $100,000 would make a nice funding for that scuba gear and other

Footnote: Wow, this was harder than it should’ve been for me to make… if I had to say out of all of them here, Geoff took the longest to come up with. Even then though I feel like I could do better tried as hard as I could though for right now anyways, anddd I’m hoping to not take as long with future batches. Also I’ll definitely draw very cool shots for Tyler, Courtney, and Lindsay later on the future as well even if I already did their biographies.🤩

[peachymilkandcream]

My Prize|Part 3|Viking Levi x Evelyn

WARNINGS: implied noncon/dubcon, big age difference, kidnapping, slavery, violence, power imbalance, implied somnophilia, forced pregnancies, mind breaking, yandere behaviour, yandere themes, forced exhibitionism, sexual coercion, blackmail, etc.

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

Hange, one of Erwin's closest friends had made it her personal mission to comfort him in this tumultuous time. She knew that Erwin had his heart set on being with Evelyn. Since the moment she had started to blossom into a woman Erwin knew that no one else would do. He had to have her. This is what he had been setting up for so long, to see it all stolen away from him by a impudent brat wouldn't do. More than the personal loss it was a humiliation, he had been entirely tricked and let some outsider steal what was most precious to him right out from under his nose. Such an indignation would not stand.

"I don't see why you don't take the loss and focus on what you can do now." She had been saying this whole time, he was hardly listening.

"And that would be?"

"Find another. There are plenty of pretty girls, I'm sure you could find someone else who is even prettier than Evelyn."

"And abandon her to that brute?"

Hange sighs. "I don't like the idea of it either, but what choice do we have? We don't know who he is, where he is headed, nothing. He's most likely on the other side of the world. Our people have barely set foot outside of the deep forest, and from the looks of it he knew the sea better than any of us."

"I refuse to give up on her."

"Erwin. I'm not saying you have to, but you even said yourself that she's tainted now. Do you really want a woman defiled by such a man as your bride?"

Erwin sits back a moment, thinking. His reasons for wanting Evelyn of any girl was her beauty and pliability. Since the moment she started to have a mind of her own she was bent to one day become the perfect bride for a leader like Erwin, he had made sure of it when he saw her that first time how many years ago. He had instructed her parents to mold her into a wife for him, honored, they had done so without question. Evelyn was entirely devoted to him and prepared to serve him until she had been stolen away. But the truth was plain, she was defiled now. Any child they produced should he get her back might be the bloodline of that bastard.

He would rather die.

"I suppose I can try and find someone else. But that doesn't mean I'll give up on getting her back. Even if it's not as my bride, I won't let one of our own be tied to that fate."

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

All eyes were on Evelyn from dawn until dusk. Levi intended to watch her like a hawk until he was sure her spirit had been broken. He knew that deep down she would want nothing more than to return to her betrothed. Unbidden, thoughts of Erwin filling her womb with his children sent him into a barely contained rage. While Levi had been the only one to touch her, his flaming jealousy was still always just below a boiling point. Every man was a threat, he knew this, he knew how men thought. He knew how he thought. Men saw a beautiful woman and wanted to mark her as theirs, they were all the same, and he would be damned if that happened to him.

So far, she had been good. It seemed that the reality that no one cared for her or knew where she was had sunk in early. Evelyn was utterly helpless and at his mercy, it was her job to decide whether or not she would bend to him. Thankfully, she had chosen to bend. As no less than a barbarian Levi enjoyed violence, but he didn't enjoy seeing the aftermath on the delicate skin of his woman. It was a major turn off.

He wasn't so naïve to think that Erwin wasn't coming for him. If he had been insulted and wronged in such a way he would come for the man who did it as well. It was a matter of pride, of proving masculinity, such an insult wouldn't be taken lying down. So now his only goal was to impregnate Evelyn as soon as possible, a woman pregnant by your enemy is enough to give up the fight. The humiliation of raising another man's child would be too great, no sane person would dare risk it. That was Levi's mission now, to breed her quickly. She was healthy enough, he was sure she could birth him many sons to carry on his legacy, he hoped she would accept his seed sooner than later.

Evelyn on the other hand, did in fact long for her life in the forest instead of by the sea. She longed to be Erwin's bride, it was the one thing she had been preparing herself for since her first bleed. That was when her mother told her that she would be wed to the most wonderful and powerful man in their tribe, her duties would be to care for him and give him many children, a full and fulfilling life. How she wanted it.

But, Levi wasn't as bad as she thought. Evelyn was taught never to complain, so that was most likely part of it. In truth, she had expected him to breed her and then cut out a child from her womb, leaving her to die. He seemed like such a barbarian that she was sure that this would be her fate. However he surprised her, aside from aggressive love making, he was calm and borderline attentive. It seemed what he really wanted was a wife, someone to keep his house and make it a home. He was educated in the things of sea and the world, but it seemed not in love. A shame, her tribe's views on love would teach him how he should go about it, but was it his fault if he was misguided? She began to feel pity for him, so lonely on this cliff all alone, the village avoiding him at all costs. He needed someone.

And that was her. It felt good to be needed in a way, Erwin needed no one, she was just a added gem into his crown of achievements. If Erwin never came for her, she would be heartbroken, but would do her best to accept it. This man needed her, and until the day he no longer did, she would be there.

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

Erwin tried his best to focus on the girls working to please him. They had been taking turns riding him while those who weren't kissed and worshipped every inch of his body.

Some of these girls were betrothed or married, but it was considered an honor for the leader to bless a woman with his seed. They believed it also increased fertility. All lies that he had set up when he once infiltrated this leaderless village and crowned himself above them. It was nothing more than an excuse to defile as many women as he pleased, even if Evelyn hadn't been taken from him, he was considering instituting his right to multiple wives. Now it wasn't an appropriate time, so a lack of commitment arrangement suited him just fine.

However now he couldn't seem to entirely focus. His mind was still on Evelyn. The one who got away, it was driving him crazy. He could have any girl in the village and yet the one he wanted he couldn't have. While these girls were pleasing enough he wanted Evelyn as the final piece in his takeover.

Erwin suddenly held the girl on his lap down, thrusting into her until his seed oozed out of her, her husband would be happy that Erwin had blessed her with his cum, it would mean good luck and many children to come.

The other girls didn't hide their jealousy, continuing to service him in hopes that he would be in the mood to grant them the same honor.

"Great leader! Great leader!" A voice outside his tent called.

"A moment." Erwin turned his attention to the girls. "Return home, I'll send for you if I wish for more."

The tent empties, and once Erwin is decent he comes face to face with another from his tribe.

"What is it?"

"As requested great leader, we searched the betrayer's cabin."

"And?"

"It seems that the barbarian was keeping one of his crewmates alive under the floorboards."

Erwin's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why would he do that?"

"Apparently he wronged the betrayer, and instead of killing him he planned on leaving him alive until he could return home and leave the crewmate to starve to death in the floorboards. Apparently he enjoyed torturing him."

"What does this mean for us?"

"He's willing to tell us all about the betrayer if we give him shelter."

Erwin can barely hide his smirk. "Very well, bring him in."

[hannahwatcheshorror]

PEARL (2022)

A character study about a young woman finding her way through some complicated feeling no one else seems to have. Throughout the film you can see Pearl struggle with her humanity and it is rather fascinating. You get to see how things got set up for the previous movie in the series, “X,” or you can just enjoy this as a stand alone film. The pacing is very good, it wastes no time getting things going or keeping them there. Not a perfect film but a weird one that I think fits nicely into the Horror genre.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Hello Herman” vibes right out the gate, “you’re a superstar, yes you are, yes you are,” but also killing small animals is surely a sign of what's to come in Pearl’s future, I mean, honey… (At least Maxine was just a coke fiend before she met you.) I like that she feeds Theda the alligator but it debunks my “she's a witch” theory from “X” and also I wish she didn’t feed the gator with a pitch fork, what if she stabbed the poor thing and it couldn’t death roll a certain hot blonde in the future?

Pearl exhibits some strange behavior from the beginning of the film, it’s hard to tell if it’s mental illness, a reaction to the stressors of life, or if she might just be a little evil. She doesn’t have the easiest life with her husband at war, her strict mother, her disabled father, and her dashed dreams of dancing for an audience, but she isn’t entirely without. When the man working at the cinema encourages her to live her youth, you feel that she is entitled to spreading her wings a bit, but then we get a harsh reality check at dinner when Mama informs us how tight money is.

The only thing tighter than the money was how tight the women in that house were wound up because it came to physical blows very quickly. The worst part is they both had reasonable points but things heated up so quickly. Speaking of heating up quickly, Mama. Pearl accidentally (on purpose) pushed Mama into the fire and her dress caught up and burned her badly. Papa watched the whole thing (remember, disabled). Mama was sent to the punishment basement to die while father got his favorite pillow. Pearl goes to the cinema worker to run away but he takes her home first and gets spooked and tries to leave so she freaks out and kills him, classic Pearl! Here we get to see her iconic pitchfork before it was iconic.

When the church dance audition rolls around, Pearl really hams it up… Which the Church folk don’t want, they want someone cute and blonde like Pearl's sis-in-law. Pearl gets all her anger and sadness off her chest to her Sissy-in-law before taking a lot of Sissy’s chest and back and everywhere off with an ax. Finally, her husband returns to the gruesome stage Pearl has set with her parents at the table, complete with a roast pig in the middle, rotten, maggoty, and molding. He is horrified at his wife, his Pearl, and all she can do is smile and cry. The unease you feel as Mia Goth grits her teeth at the camera while tears roll down her cheeks, the tendons in her neck splaying out, as the screen slowly closes around her in a black circle, evokes just the final feeling we needed. I felt such sympathy for both characters in that moment though after I remembered what they both got up to in “X” I felt much less bad for them. This movie posed the idea that misery breeds misery. The old “If I can’t be happy, no one can be.” Which is a sickening mindset to have but could explain a lot about the events in “X.”

-----------------------HANNAH WATCHES HORROR--------------------

[fayflutter]

Prince Crispin Charming

For those who don’t know, I’ve got a EAH Next Gen Fanfic on AO3 called The Missing Raven. It’s basically a what if Raven disappeared before Legacy Day, never to be seen or heard from again. No one is sure where she went, Grimm spins the tale (a lie) that she poofed for even doubting her destiny. Legacy Day still proceeds though with someone else taking on the Evil Queen’s destiny.

This is Crispin Charming, one of the main characters, son of Apple White and Daring Charming.

Facts about Crispin Charming:

Only son of Apple White and Daring Charming, older twin to Dovelyn White. Only Apple switched the birth certificates so that everyone would believe Dovelyn was the next Snow White. Like the rest of the realm, he’s been led to believe that he’s the younger twin to Dovelyn and his destiny is to be a future Prince Charming.

-While the queen claims that Dovelyn is to be the nest Snow White, many side eye the young prince who has black ebony hair, fair skin, and blood red lips that he hides with concealer. But Apple dismissed such rumors, Crispin couldn’t possibly be Snow White, a boy can’t possibly be the fairest one of all.

-While Daring does his best to mold his son into the perfect Prince Charming, Crispin just doesn’t have the same spark as his father. He’s shy, sensitive, and insecure about not being ‘princely’ enough.

-He is allergic to apples, his throat swells up and even passes out if he even takes the tiniest bite of one. Whether this is a product of his true destiny or just regular allergies is unclear.

-Wears glasses much like his mother did in the books, she always makes a comment about how he should switch over to contacts every time she sees him with them.

-He hides his more maidenly abilities such as understanding animals or his captivating singing voice out of fear of being harassed for being ‘not manly.’ He often feels insecure about not living up to people’s standards of Prince Charming especially with his father’s legacy casting a shadow over him.

-He isn’t close with his parents. His mother focuses all of her attention on his older sister, Dovelyn. While his father does his best to try to be a good father, his expectations for Crispin aren’t realistic.

-He’s not close with his sister either, with Dovelyn being trained since they were born to be the next Snow White. 

-Because of his status as a prince of the White kingdom, Crispin is often pursued by many, many princesses at Ever After High to be their Prince Charming. He hates it.

-He’s gay, though due to his kingdom’s traditionalism (*cough* homophobia *cough*), he’s too afraid to come out.

-Due to his parents constantly away for royal business, he spends much of his time with the dwarf servants and treats them with respect, addressing them by their real names rather than rude nicknames.

-Compared to his sister, he doesn’t have many friends due to his social issues, at least in a royal sense, though he does have several commoner friends and he’s fine with them. He doesn’t need a million friends to be happy.

-Behind his anxiousness, he does his best when helping his friends and has a kind heart that shines through more than any other prince at EAH.

[darkangel319]

WIP Questionnaire

Tagged by @faeriecinna (here) and @wintherlywords (here)

This is kind of late, but I have a ton of tags drafted and I'm slowly working through them when I find my motivation. Here's the response for my current WIP: A Tale of Frost and Flames (still a working title)

✨What was the first part of your wip that you created? ✨

It all started with a knight kneeling before his princess and promising to be her sword and to mow down any enemies that stand in her way. Now it has evolved far past just that.

✨If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?✨

Definitely a powerful instrumental intro with a touch of whimsy.

✨Who are your favorite characters you've made? Why?✨

Taliesin is certainly a favorite of mine because I wanted to create a strong morally grey character who is also a dragon. Although I'm attached to all of them, especially the ones I have yet to introduce. Rhidian because he's a himbo who just wants to be a good person and is stuck being the 3rd son of a king, so his job is to be married off to make an alliance. Despite this he wants to make his arranged marriage work.

✨What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?✨

Anything with a heavy romance element in an in-depth fantasy world. Other Media with political drama, faefolk, magic, and dragons.

✨What has been your biggest struggle with your wip? ✨

My biggest struggle has been with my pacing. Trying to find the right pace for plot points to unfold themselves. Just recently I decided that my pace was going too fast, so to slow it down I'm refocusing book one into more of a focus on where Eirallia is now/who she is rather than pushing her too quickly into evolving into the character that I imagine for her. I'm slowing it down to focus more on her character journey, but it's been a struggle to take a step back and to make that choice.

✨Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!✨

Regular animals so far. There's natural wildlife in the kingdoms. As for Melione...there are a lot of creatures in the wylds. Animalistic and not. There is another character that I have in mind (without a name yet), but she has a secondary form that's cat-like.

✨How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)✨

Horses and carriages in the human kingdoms, along with ships and other vessels. Melione is a special case where there is an abundance of magic. Some have wings and other gifts that can get them around quicker.

✨What part of your wip are you working on rn?✨

After some rough decisions, I split the draft that I had been working with into the beginning and end of book one. So right now, I am working on Eirallia's slow processing of grief while she is being overloaded with responsibilities that don't belong to her in a place where she knows that she isn't wanted.

✨What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?✨

It's my hope that my themes of adversity and overcoming will shine through and draw people in. Along with the progression of growth that all of my characters have to go through in order to find who they're meant to be when not being forced into a mold created by their parents and the society that they live in. There's a heavy theme of grief and trying to fit into a mold made for someone else. Basically, Eira's life is a mess. Her love life, her family life, everything is a mess. She's learning along the way how to be herself while processing big losses in her life.

✨ What are your hopes for your wip?✨

My hopes are pretty simple with this one: To be able to physically hold my wip in my hands.

No Pressure Tags: @fantasywriternimzy, @oodles-of-noodles, @spideronthesun, @melpomene-grey

[ewingstan]

I think what I love about Claw is that the protags don’t feel like they’d be protags in other WB stories.

Mia and Carson would be mooks or lieutenants to Coil, Tattletale, or Cauldron that Taylor and Victoria would barely interact with beyond potentially fighting them if need be. Val gives big sierra/charlotte/natalie/presley energy.

Ditto for Pact, Pale, and Twig (no spoilers because idk how far you are in those stories).

But because of this world in particular, they feel perfect for having the spotlight shining on them, if that makes sense.

I do agree that Mia and Carson have the vibe of people who'd be side characters in another story. I mean, the closest character I can think of to Mia's archetype is the vacuum cleaner guy in Breaking Bad, who's very memorable but is barely interacted with. For wildbow characters, she almost feels more like Piggot than anyone else. Piggot in a story where her startling effectiveness and ruthlessness wasn't rendered useless by virtue of not belonging to a superhuman.

There's isolated aspects of her that fit into the typical wildbow protag mold, particularly her ability to gain and use an incredible amount of information others couldn't (traits shared by main protagonists like Taylor and Sy as well as deuteragonists like Lisa, Jessie, etc.) What sets her apart (outside the obvious context of her being an adult parent) is her limitations. She doesn't have Taylor's powers or Sy's charm, which allow them to adapt to new information on the fly and instantly set new plans into motion. Instead, she relies on being so well-prepared that there's nothing she faces that she doesn't already have a plan for.

This changes the whole mode of storytelling. Rather than "how is the wildbow protag gonna use her wits to get outta this one?", its "lets slowly pull back the curtain on the complex machine of a plan the protagonist has put into place for just such a situation." Its a subtle difference, but it has a big impact on how the protag is characterized and what the audience's reaction to big moments are. Like narrating a tense firefight, vs lovingly describing the design of a complex rifle you made a while back and finally get a chance to use. There's a big difference between "oh wow, she just made a bomb to deal with the guys chasing her!" and "oh wow, she's had a bomb in her trunk the entire time on the off-chance someone started chasing her."

Carson's whole "unflappable amoral ladykiller" thing actually is pretty common in protagonists, I've seen bookshelf-filling series that star those types. Whats different about him is that rather than being a hyper-competent one-man army like those characters tend to be, Claw is pretty upfront about the fact that he'd be a two-bit drifter if he wasn't working with Mia. Being that dependent on someone else for your effectiveness bucks a trend not only in shlocky pulp protagonists, but in wildbow protagonists specifically, since wildbow loves taking away his guys allies and resources away only to have them still come out on top and display how they're incredible on their own.

Valentia I might disagree with slightly, if only because she reminds me a lot of Taylor both in her backstory and how her action gets narrated. She fits much more into the "desperate on-the-fly thinking" mold of the average wb protag than Mia "ohoho, you stumbled onto yet another of my landmines" Hurst.

[olive-garden-hoe]

PLEASE SOMEONE LISTEN WHAT IF

“The Moon Will Sing” is ABOUT A PARENT

Note 1: this is in no way supposed to be definitive, it is my interpretation as someone who relates heavily to the song in this context

Note 2: this interpretation is in no way, shape, or form trying to say that the way the singer depicts her relationship with her parents in this song is indicative of her relationship with her parents in real life. It is not my place, nor anyone else’s, to speculate about how accurate this song is to her personal life. Though my wording may seem as though I am talking about the singer’s actual relationship with her parents, I mean it strictly in the context of the song. We must all respect the artist’s privacy.

“Tell me once again, I could’ve been anyone anyone else, before you made the choice for me”

The singer is expressing her disbelief that her whole fate was practically determined by her parents, that she could’ve been so much different if they didn’t mold her to be a certain way

“My feet knew the path we walked in the dark… I never gave a single thought to where it might lead”

The singer was unaware of the path her parent was taking her and was kept in the dark about what the steps her parents told her to take would lead. The fact that she ‘never gave a single thought’ implies naïveté that is consistent with an exceptionally young child blindly following their parents instructions

“All those empty rooms, we could have been anywhere… else, instead I made a bed with apathy”

The ‘empty rooms’ could be a reference to the unfurnished facets of her life that her parents may have forced her to leave empty in pursuit of ‘furnishing’ other ‘rooms’ (I.e. they won’t let her explore music because she needs to focus on grades). The bed of apathy likely means that she had become too tired to debate or fight back, that she opted for inaction and acceptance of her parents’ molding for the sake of ease and because she was too tired from working on furnishing these rooms to do anything besides continue the cycle.

“My heart knew the weight, ten years worth of dust and neglect, we made our peace with weariness and let it be”

This could be saying that the tiredness the singer expresses formerly exists in her parents as well, that everyone is just too tired to address any issues within their families. I would like to note that, while not explicitly stated, this may be referencing ‘The Hand that Feeds’ where her father was established to “work all his days.”

“The moon will sing a song for me, I loved you like the sun, bore the shadows that you made with no light of my own, I shine only with the light you gave me…”

THE WHOLE VERSE IS SO FIRE OMG ANYWAYS The singer is expressing how she relates to the moon due to the way it is completely dépendant on the sun for its light. In the same way, she may be saying that she feels as though all the goodness or impressive qualities are only the result of her parents’ light. In other words, sheath be expressing a deep-seated fear that she is not quite fully a new person, rather just a combination of her parents and/or their actions

“Name your courage now”

Her parents may, in her adult life, be boasting about how good they were to her when she was a child. However, it is only putting a name to ‘courage’ that ultimately may have done more harm than good or have just been the bare minimum

“We could have had anything else, instead you hoarded all that’s left of me”

Now we’re getting into a new facet of the relationship with the parents! It seems that they also were overbearing in some way, stopping the singer from getting the experiences or friends she wanted.

“Swallowing your doubt, like swords to the pit of my belly”

She seems to be internalizing her parents’ cynicism and/or criticism and allowing that to mold her. It seems her parents not trusting her hurts her a lot, meaning she places a lot of emphasis on their approval/trust, which is supported by the first verse

“I want to feel the fire that you kept from me!”

In the story of Prometheus, the god steals fire from Mount Olympus to give to humans and gets punished for it. The reason this may be important is because the Crane Wives are no strangers to referencing folklore (look at the explanation behind their name). We can reasonably assume that they are acknowledging the double-faceted nature of fire that the myth of Prometheus displays. Fire is something that gives advancement, the basis of early and modern technology as well as a major way our world consumes energy. It also provides light and warmth, as well as an opportunity for rebirth (look at why forest fires are beneficial for forests). At the same time, fire is the great consumer, it spreads and burns as it goes, leaving ash in its wake. The Prometheus story not only references the consequences of bringing such a force to mortals, but also why Prometheus thought it was important to risk himself for. In this lyric, the singer references a fire that was kept from her, which from the previous discussion we can reasonably assume includes both the growth fire brings and the destruction it causes. I’m other words, I believe this lyric is saying that the singer desires for both sides of life, growth and harm, that her parents ‘protected’ her from.

[bryonyparkinsons]

( lucy boynton | cisfemale | she/her ) — was that bryony parkinson nee wilkes passing through diagon alley? those close to them say they remind them of children should be seen but never heard, empty promises, hiding your manipulations behind saccharine smiles, your back aching from upholding traditions, the clinking of champagne flutes and a flurry of beautiful ball gowns, welcoming yourself to your own cage which i suppose seems to fit that slytherin alumnus. they’re actually pretty haughty, insecure, and clever for a twenty-six year old, but i wonder if it serves them well when working as a socialite. rumor has it that the pureblood has stayed neutral… for now. i wouldn’t have guessed… but this is a conversation we should be having somewhere else.

Basics

Character name: Bryony Isobel Wilkes Parkinson Nicknames: Bry, B Age & Birthday: 26 & July 27th Zodiac Sign: Leo Gender & Pronouns: Cisfemale & she/her Occupation: Socialite Blood Status: Pureblood Previous House: Slytherin Affiliation: Neutral with a Death Eater lean Wand: Hawthorn Wood with a dragon heartstring core. Rigid. 9 1/2 inches long. Boggart: Bry's biggest fear is being ridiculed and people learning that her family was truly broke, so her boggart takes form of herself holding a newspaper detailing her family's ruin, and her new husband walking away from her. Patronus: A crow. The crow is resourceful, cunning, and ambitious, and are often an omen of dark magic. Once a crow sets its goal it gets what it wants and it doesn't let anything get in it's way. Crows will push things out of it's way.

Biography:

Bryony Isobel Wilkes was born in the early morning of one of the hottest days of the summer to Poppy and Hawthorn Wilkes. Poppy was overjoyed with the birth of a daughter, already having their heir and son, and Poppy immediately set about spoiling and molding her daughter into what she wanted, rather than what Bryony wanted. Growing up, Bryony loved being spoiled, dressing up, and her ballet lessons. Her mother poured everything into nurturing Brynony into being a well-bred and well-brought-up Pureblood daughter, and Bryony never resisted, enjoying being spoiled and having her mothers undivided attention, especially when her younger brother was born.

Her childhood was rather unremarkable, passing by with Pureblood parties, spending time with her brothers and the other children of Pureblood couples, and etiquette classes. She was taught to speak French and Latin, and her mother insisted that she take ballet and piano lessons. Bryony would say that she had a worry free childhood and that she was a happy child.

That all changed when Bryony and her brothers were sat down at the dining room table in late August by their parents and told that their fortune was gone. The tension between her parents had been palpable, and Bryony didn't think that she would ever forget the look of loathing on her mother's face and the shame in her father's words. Hawthorn Wilkes had always been a prideful man and having to tell his children that the money was gone changed him. Her brother's inheritances were gone, and any money that Bryony would have for a marriage was gone too. He had many excuses for what had happened, blaming a muggleborn for the dealing, but Bryony secretly thought that he just didn't want to admit what had truly happened.

Going to Hogwarts should have been her happiest moment, but armed with the knowledge that she was broke, but expected to keep up appearances that nothing would change made her time at Hogwarts difficult. She was sorted into Slytherin, as was expected, but Bryony never felt completely comfortable among her peers. Constant worry about keeping up with the others, about someone finding out the truth took its toll and sometimes it seemed like Bryony was trying too hard.

After Hogwarts, Bryony settled into the role of a socialite. She got very good at charming her own clothing to look far fancier than they were, and making up stories about the places that she hadn't really gone to, but wished that she could. Keeping up appearances was even more important as she and Poppy dedicated themselves to finding the perfect match for Bry. That match came in the form of the Parkinson heir. The match was perfect, and the marriage came rather quickly. Bryony finally has what she had always wanted, and she couldn't be happier or luckier.

[friendofesteem]

What do you think about FF XIII's Lightning and Hope using each other as surrogate sibling/parent?

Nora, Hope's mother, was a strong independent woman who picked up a rocket launcher and took out an airship on her first shot. That's not something a normal person can do, she **must** have military training.

Hope loses his mom and starts to follow a strong independent woman, that has a military background.

Meanwhile, we have Lightning who just lost her little sibling. This was partially because of how detached Lightning was to her. So now she lets this little dude tag along and she goes out of her way to give him stuff and to make sure he learns skills to survive (she lets him lead, gives him a knife, etc).

They both cope with their loss the same way, by replacing their loved one with a new person.

That’s an interesting way to look at their dynamic! Using each other to fill the void of their loss def makes sense!

Personally though, I don’t like using familial labels to represent non-familial relationships—I feel like it can lead to losing a lot of nuance and complexity that comes with a relationship dynamic. I don’t think Hope sees Lightning as a surrogate parent; rather, he initially sees her as a source of strength and someone to follow in order to keep moving forward along the path that he’s chosen (which at that time is confronting Snow). Being with Vanille gave Hope emotional support, but in many ways it also gave him permission to run away from his grief instead of dealing with it. I believe he chooses to follow Lightning because he knows he wants to move forward—he just doesn’t know exactly how to do that, but he believes that physical strength is the first step in that direction.

In contrast, I definitely do think that Lightning gradually warms up to Hope because of Serah’s influence, rather than because she sees him as a replacement for Serah. I don’t think anyone could ever replace Serah in her mind, but Hope to her (once he stops being a liability in her eyes) almost becomes a blank canvas for her to mold in her image, unlike Serah, who made choices she disagreed with (i.e. Snow LOL.) I know it sounds unhealthy, but honestly their relationship IS unhealthy at the start—she encourages Hope to fight, to get stronger, not knowing she’s enabling a revenge plot. But in time she realizes her mistake and shows vulnerability by admitting her fault and sharing her past, which teaches Hope that fighting the way he has been is just another way of running away from his real problems, and likewise teaches Lightning that it’s important to be vulnerable and honest with others, because sometimes it’s the only way to understand someone else.

Both of these things manifest in later scenes too, where Hope finally confronts Snow and eventually chooses to use his strength to protect Snow instead of killing him like he’d originally planned. And at the Estheim residence, Lightning finally shares her fears with Snow, and they grow a little bit closer as a result. Hope and Lightning not only choosing to protect each other but also bringing out the best in each other in unexpected ways is why I really enjoy their relationship so much, and it feels more complex than just distilling it down to siblings or surrogate parenthood. Mentor and mentee is the best shorthand that I feel describes them in the first game, but even that needs more elaboration, so you get my paragraphs hehe

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me! I always enjoy hearing other people’s perspectives on different relationship dynamics in the game!

[basingstokemercury]

For the short campaign I tested Ava in, I accidentally slipped out of lawful good character by having her manipulate someone - something Rou would do if needed, and Zhalien gladly, but never Ava. Well, maybe never. If it were that or an innocent life... I'm leaving it open to react organically in play.

Anyway, I decided to put some more thought into her characterisation so I don't end up pulling a Rou or Zhalien by mistake if I ever play her again. Adam Cartwright is the foundation, but just playing Adam Cartwright would feel unsatisfying, like I wasn't molding the character myself but trying to follow someone else's writing lead.

The first difference I thought about was "Well, she's not emotionally repressed. She grew up with both her parents, always in the same stable home, and her life was and is very difficult but she's always had strong support (not that Ben doesn't support all his sons but 60s norms don't always let it come through)."

But it didn't feel like it fit to have Ava openly talk about her fear and pain, and I really liked the idea of having her lie about the severity of her injuries in combat so the other players have to catch on (which of course might be impractical in play I'd have to clear it). So I started thinking about how Ava could end up in a similar place from a different start and for different reasons.

...I really need to characterise Ava's parents. And uh write down their names so I don't come up with names and forget them again. Them being good, loving, and protective parents to their daughters is probably as much detail as needed - Rou's father and grandparents never came into play, but it was clear she had a good relationship with them and cared about how they'd feel if anything happened to her.

Bobbin, though, is Ava's main Backstory Person, just as Ava is hers. And Bobbin is not Joe Cartwright. Which is important. She's naive, overenthusiastic, chaotic, always getting in Ava's way because she's grown-up too after all - but sweet-tempered to a fault, and really couldn't care less about chasing romance. She gets annoyed when Ava treats her as a child, but idolises her openly rather than showing any resentment.

So Ava feels very protective of Bobbin, while thinking of her as a naive child (no longer a child, really) who doesn't understand how dangerous the ranch life really is. After all, things have been quieter recently, and Bobbin was still a child while Ava, a decade older, was already facing all kind of threat alongside her parents. And while she finds this perceived childishness frustrating, she does her best to keep remonstrance gentle and avoid personal attacks - which, with Bobbin's slowness to anger, isn't much of a challenge. She does greatly admire Bobbin's mechanical aptitude, sometimes wondering if she ought to try herself but dismissing the idea as impractical.

Putting all this together:

Ava is her kid sister's hero, and, despite a decent modesty, knows it. Bobbin sees her as brave, strong, practical, cunning... Traits that don't mesh well with things like fearing battle, being hampered by injury, or showing emotional pain. In Ava's mind, at least. And Bobbin's more sensitive nature means she wounds easily even though Ava goes through worse, not even realising her unflappable rock is constantly shunting pain aside to focus on her. Well, Bobbin's still a kid (19), right? Adults should be there for kids even if it's not always convenient for them, right?

Oh, yeah, and there's that second sister, born just two years ago. Ava has a baby in the house again, and she's almost thirty years old! Shouldn't she take some pressure off her parents and deal with her own problems as an adult?

And so, with an easier childhood and better relationship with her sibling than Adam, Ava reaches a similar point. Hiding her feelings not due to trauma and parentification, but from what feels like an entirely logical and not entirely conscious sequence of decisions.

I really hope I get to see how this translates into play sometime.

[infintasmal]

Shinobu & Inosuke - control vs. chaos

One of the things I find really interesting about Shinobu and Inosuke's relationship is how starkly different they are. Emotionally, they exist on separate ends of the spectrum and I think that's part of why they work so well together and perhaps why Shinobu takes such a diligent caretaker role for Inosuke. Something something, opposites attract and fill the gaps in each other but in a familial way.

Shinobu is someone who is rigidly controlled in her emotional displays. When she was younger, she was known for being brash, stubborn, a rather rude, with no social grace. She loudly complained about Kanao being 'useless' despite knowing why she acts the way she does. I imagine her as the type of teen to pick fights over any perceived slight and Kanae would often have to drag her back to apologize.

But after Kanae's death, the manor was left without a mistress and the girls residing there had no one else to turn to. Shinobu knows more than anyone how important her sister's role was, both as a caretaker and a slayer. And Shinobu couldn't meet those expectations.

So in order to fill the space Kanae left behind, Shinobu forced herself into that mold. She took on all aspects of Kanae's personality in a sort of masked parody of what she imagined Kanae to be in the eyes of those around her. She even goes as far as to wear Kanae's haori, less of a memento and more of a costume. She always smiles, speaks softly, appears gentle and disciplined. She still has a temper, but it's always disguised as a gentle scolding. Even when fighting the Spider Sister, she's chipper and jovial, her sweet tone contrasting with the brutal tortures she describes to the demon. And no one asked her to take on this role, to change herself from the inside out. What started off as a coping mechanism became a complete disassociation from her own identity. Kanae is the one who should have lived, Kanae would be strong enough to take care of the manor, Kanae could fight Muzan. And since Kanae isn't here, Shinobu will act the part as best she can.

All of this than contrasts with Inosuke. Inosuke is unapologetically and authentically himself. A wild boy raised in the mountains away from human society, who acts on instinct and rarely thinks about the consequences. Fighting demons is fun, a way to showcase his skills and prove his superiority. He trusts his intuition to carry him through and if he should fail, he'll simply get up and try again. Inosuke doesn't lie and hide out of some moral obligations, it just never crosses his mind. He's loud, determined, and strong. He has natural physical talent, sharp instincts, and trained himself to use a sword. And he's proud of it. He is everything Shinobu is not, everything she wishes she could be.

There have been so many nights where Shinobu longs to just stand outside and scream at the sky, to be angry and wounded without shame. She never got the chance to mourn Kanae or even her parents, there was work to be done. She hates the demons, hates her weak body, hates the cruelty of the world. And yet she has to pretend to be loving and kind, a sympathetic ear. Even Giyuu gets to act on his insecurities as a Hashira, running and hiding when it comes to the training camps and yet even he surpasses her as a slayer because he can decapitate a demon.

And so when it comes to Shinobu and Inosuke's relationship, the two learn what they lack from each other. Inosuke learns to be clever, that strength doesn't have to be loud and obvious. Shinobu is someone that in any other situation he would probably look down upon for being weak. But she saves him from the Spider demons, perhaps his first humiliating defeat. And she's able to heal him after, care for his injuries in a way no one ever has. She commands respect in her house because she's smart and focused, not because she's the biggest predator in the forest. She displays to him a different kind of strength, a sense of control. And from the girl who lost her family, he learns what it's like to be a part of one.

And Shinobu finds that despite the trouble he causes, she likes being around Inosuke. There's no trickery or manipulation to him, when he says she's cool, it's with such authentic admiration that she believes it, especially from someone who is physically gifted. She loves Kanao, but she understands that her praise can sometimes come from a sense of dependency, that Kanao is still struggling to identify Shinobu as Sister and not Master. And Kanao is her student only because Kanae died. And praise from others often feels like a slight or backhanded in a way, 'you're a good fighter even though you're so weak'. (she imagines this, she knows) With Inosuke, Shinobu doesn't feel as much stress to perform, it wouldn't make a difference with him anyway. She ends up being patient with him because it genuinely benefits him, not because she feels obligated to pretend. Inosuke talks about the future, about after he defeats all the demons, he'll show Shinobu all the bugs that live on his home mountain. And even though Shinobu knows that won't happen, that she plans to die for her cause, it brings her peace to imagine.

Maybe it's just because Shinobu gets along better with animals than people, but for all the stress he causes, Shinobu feels that Inosuke might be someone she doesn't have to act in front of. He never met Kanae anyway and doesn't understand social roles so he doesn't know what role Shinobu is struggling to fill. To him, her mask isn't an act but a method of survival. Just as an insect might camouflage themselves to trick a predator. And even that is something he finds cool. And in the end, when she will undoubtedly be gone, she hopes Inosuke will continue to visit the Manor and bring some life to it. She grateful to be someone he trusts and hopes he won't be too angry when he learns the truth of her plans.