#Anyways I kind of earned this. Don't really want revenge?

[defender-of-jouvente]

Aww, don't worry about your face. It looks like you just came back from a county fair - in a good way, of course...

You'll get your revenge on stardust at some point, don't fret your little fighting head~.

Y'really think so, random stranger on the internet?

Wait, star what now?

[barblaz-arts]

Ok I lied, one more Hazbin character ask.🙏

Thoughts on Lucifer, Carmilla, Rosie, and Adam?

Lucifer

I love love love him. Terrible dad tho! Lmfaoo

Genuinely think Charlie let him off the hook too easy for all the neglect imo. It's kinda weird how most of the fandom suddenly thinks he's a great dad. He's okay at best, tbh. Just because he has a gorgeous singing voice(Jeremy Jordan is the fuckin BEST man) and a silly personality doesn't mean everything's swell. I hope the second season further tackles this. I remember someone saying before that Lucifer resembled a dad who accidentally had a baby as a teen and doesn't actually know how to be a father and I haven't forgotten about how accurate that is. Still tho! Great character! I'm not even exactly mad about him being popular, just a little bothered by how he's viewed by most people. I hope the show has him do more than sing a musical number to EARN Charlie's forgiveness

Carmilla

I love her, even if the way her character is written is a little, um, how do I say it? Weird? Doesn't make sense sometimes.

Like how she's a demon Overlord who sells weapons but has a line that goes "I always thought that I would keep blood off my face". So does that mean she's never killed anyone before? Or maybe she swore off killing at some point? If she's only ever taken a life to protect her daughters, what sin did she commit to get her to end up in Hell, with her daughters no less. I have my speculations, but with how little we know about her, speculations don't change the fact that Carmilla is a strangely written character. She has some moments that are just questionable choices from the writers too. Like, how they had Carmilla point out how obvious Vaggie's nature is, making Charlie's feelings of betrayal look a little stupid on Charlie's part. Or how Carmilla sang to Vaggie that she should focus on love and not revenge, even though all Vaggie has ever thought about is protecting Charlie while never showing any signs of even thinking about getting back at Lute. Such a strange character. I hope she makes more sense next season when we get to see more of her, because I truly do love her. If this is never tackled though and I just happen to be overthinking, it's fine. I still like her anyways.

Rosie

A really sweet lady for a, um, cannibal. I can never get behind the fact that she and the other characters eat people RAW though! No matter how beautiful she is, the hotness factor is knocked down as long as you don't clean, cook, and season your food, maam. Nasty.

I hope we see more of her relationship with Charlie though. People keep talking about how Carmilla and Vaggie are similar, but I feel we should talk about her similarities with Charlie too. Throughout the show Charlie is ridiculed and given no respect by her people because of her sweet nature and jolly disposition, but here Rosie is being all those things and yet has a whole town to lead! I hope them meeting is set up to have Charlie learn even more from her.

Adam

Oh man he vexes me lol I don't completely hate him, because he has some funny moments, and kickass songs, and the OG Broadway Beetlejuice voices him, but he's suuuuuch an asshooooole. He's not even the kind of villain that you still like to see and romanticize even when he's evil. At least to me. I think my brother explained accurately why. He hates Adam in fact, and that's because his attitude and personality is too accurate to incels that you can see in real life. I enjoyed him as the first season's villain, but I do NOT want him coming back somehow as a sinner like others want. I want him to stay dead. It's Lute's turn to be the new big bad. I still have Pentious if I want more Alex Brightman anyway.

[class1akids]

lmao because someone said dabi won, he is the true hero of the todorokis like shoto ?? what kind of win is this when it’s full of regrets

I wouldn't mix winning and being the hero - even if Hori somehow plants this idea that a true hero always wins and saves with All Might and then further muddles it with the "perfect victory" stuff, where he has to twist the story in illogical ways to achieve that rather than have the hero side earn it.

Like when Bakugou dies - Edgeshot sacrifices his life to save him - this is framed heroic, but in the end he doesn't die, just becomes a worm - because the story said that Bakugou will get a "perfect victory", not because anything Bakugou did to save Edgeshot.

Counterpoint: Kudou frees and saves Yoichi only for Yoichi to die anyways a month later and Kudo himself losing and dying when he tries to take on AFO. AFO wins - so is he the "hero" all of a sudden? Is Kudo any less heroic because both him and Yoichi are dead?

But back to Touya: I'm glad that Dabi, the villain gets to kill Endeavor, the hero - his creator. It's fitting I've pointed this out in the initial chapter reaction.

But I don't think the framing is heroism, but rather retribution / consequence that Endeavor never would have gotten from the world. Dabi's actions are motivated by revenge, rage and he doesn't care at all about how those actions affect his fellow victims or the by-standers. That's why he's not a vigilante.

What's more, the Todoroki family was on a path of healing already when he intervened. Shouto already freed himself from Endeavor's abuse and mindset and was building bridges with his siblings and mom, Rei was already on her way out of the hospital and Endeavor himself already regretted his past actions and was trying to atone. The family likely would have chosen for Endeavor to "get away with it" and move forward.

Dabi's revenge takes that choice away from them and makes sure that Endeavor is utterly destroyed in the fire his selfishness created. But Dabi's goal was to destroy more, not just Endeavor himself, but everything and everyone he held dear, including fellow victims and civilians.

Shouto's actions (assisted by Rei, Fuyumi and Natsuo's intervention also) help to stop Dabi from taking anyone else with them, when he saves the family and the civilians. But he doesn't reach Touya's heart until it's too late. Still, he's acting selflessly the whole time, trying to save everyone, without choosing who gets to live or die. He reaches for everyone, the villain of the family (Dabi), the abuser (Endeavor), the fellow victims, the civilians. To me, this is what makes Shouto's character really heroic - that he's able to continue to reach out in compassion and without judgement, even to people who really hurt him.

In the end, the two people who end up worst off are Endeavor and Touya himself. Endeavor's hero career is destroyed, Enji is in a wheelchair and Touya's body is completely destroyed as well and his future is to look every day in the eye the man for him he destroyed himself. It's really tragic. Especially because they have both moved away from their past selves: Enji already felt the weight of his sins and wants to atone and Dabi's rage is slowly washing away, his hatred is subsiding, leaving there only Touya who at heart was a good kid and wanted to be "enough" for his family.

To me, it's a really bitter ending (with not much sweet) where everyone loses. There is already so much damage in the past that the family can never be fixed into a happy family, but it is not lost completely either. The siblings will keep in touch with each other and with their mother. Enji will try to step up as a father for Touya and likely will keep ties with Fuyumi and (maybe a bit with Shouto). But unless a miracle happens, the 6 of them will never sit down and have a dinner together.

I think Shouto is still the hero - both in the sense of winning the fight and saving lives and hearts, but also in the sense that he tried to save his family with mundane acts of kindness like visiting his mom and giving his father a chance to be better.

In the end, he has more family than he had at the beginning of the story. But with the narrative focusing on Shouto's "found family" in conclusion

I guess Hori wants to express the original "emancipation" idea of Shouto's arc. That he doesn't have to be defined by his origin. Even if the family in the end is not an ideal picture, but is broken, Shouto himself can move on. He has made friends and allies and has an emotional support system in place to help him through whatever the future holds for him.

And while he's not cutting out his family like Natsuo did, he's distancing himself now. He paid his dues (not that he was obliged to - he could have walked away from the start). He's letting his parents to step up and carry most of the weight (as it should be) from now on, while he can focus on his own goals and be released from the curse of the family hero.

He will carry with himself the pain of "what-ifs" and "could-have-beens", but he faced every single member of his family, made sense of it as much as he could, tried to reach for them with an open heart.

[yandere-fics]

Ok so just from 5 minutes of pondering I've had to ideas plop into my head

1: Little sister who Bibi has provided for her entire life, you both grew up in really hard times and Bibi has always wanted to protect you, but you wanted to join the royal guard so she wouldn't have to steal anymore to keep you two fed, and she hated that idea because it was sooooo dangerous (there were so many hot women that would steal you away from her). The two of you have a fight and you join the guard, you go a while without seeing eachother before you're reunited. All the time away from you has made her much, much worse. She's gone borderline insane, she's always had a few screws loose but now she's downright terrifying. But she's kind of sweet. In a weird way. I kind of like the fiancè idea with this, maybe you were due to be wedded, when you meet Bibi again you tell her this and she silently loses her shit. Only for your fiancè to be convicted of treason and due for execution. But Bibi will be there to be a shoulder to cry on! It'll be okay, you nearly made a mistake and married the wrong person! You're so distraught you may as well drop out of the royal guard to grieve, she earns enough to support the both of you now anyway. You can even move into her quaters, just like old times!!

2: Manipulative younger sister who always gets what she wants. Ever since you were little Bibi would steal for you if you kicked and screamed enough, that habit slowly turned into subtle manipulation as you got older, knowing which buttons to push to make her obey your every whim. However one day the idiot goes and gets arrested. Maybe you don't even visit her in prison and assume she's been executed, until you wake up in the cells yourself to your delirious sister staring back at you. You left her ALL alone!! She was so worried about you!! But now she has a fancy new job, and the princess in her back pocket. So now she's gonna get what SHE wants. (I'm fishing for some gross noncon revenge fucking here. Bibi kinda snapping and realising you have been so mean to her for so long. But now everything is gonna be perfect, you'll see!)

-girlfailure

♡ Bibi With A Manipulative Sister Who Tried To Abandon Her ♡

(Already did number 1 a while ago so today I will do number 2)

You cursed the world for giving you such a terrible failure of a sister who clung to you every second of the day, she was basically useless to you which made going through life extremely difficult which is why from a very young age you learned to put your useless older sister to work, she couldn't hold a stable job to provide for you and she spent her days telling awful jokes, none of which you ever really found funny, but at least she could steal and at long as she could do that for you, you would humor her and laugh at her jokes on occasion, still the moment she got arrested you saw your opportunity and booked it along with all the money she had been saving under the floorboard at your room in the inn, selfish girl had been putting away money instead of just giving you everything she had, well that didn't matter now, she was gone and you had all the money you would need to hire a carriage and start a life outside the capital, and your useless sister would be dead by the morning finally. Your luck would finally turn around.

She really was useless for everything, it was only a matter of time before the bitch got caught stealing, oh well now you wouldn't have to act nice to her just so she'd steal a necklace for you, maybe in the next town you could find someone who would actually do what you wanted and not fail so you miserably. But that bitch just had to drag you down with her, maybe she was pissed you didn't even visit her before her execution and decided to accuse you of being her accomplice, stupid spiteful bitch. Either way you woke up in a cell with Bibi's stupid face hovering above you, pushing your hair out of your face and acting like she loved you just like she always did.

"Pookie, it really wasn't a funny joke to pretend you were going to ditch town, my joke is much funnier, don'tcha think?" You glared at her, what part of getting you arrested did she think was a joke and- how did she known you were going to ditch town, why would the guards have told her that? Or did she just suspect that because you didn't visit her jail cell? Honestly you still couldn't believe they didn't just execute her already, you were sure she was supposed to die this morning yet here she was petting your hair in a jail cell.

"Hehe it's really funny when you pretend to be mad pookie but I'd like that joke to be over now." She gripped your hair, tugging on it until it hurt as a way to tell you she was sick of the joke, she always did that when she wanted you to stop your 'jokes' as she called them, they weren't jokes though, you really did find her completely useless and hated every moment you spent with her.

"Anyways, I know you always said we had bad luck," You said you had bad luck but I guess she assumed you were including her, "But look! I got a job! The princess hired me to be her court jester!" You laughed, god the princess must be so stupid to ever hire this dud to be the jester, your sister can't do a damn thing right.

"The princess must be a dumb ass to hire you, you're such a failure, you can't do a single thing correctly and I'm so unlucky to be fucking stuck with you." Bibi yanked on your hair, now getting on top of you, one hand wrapping around your throat.

"Pookie, I already told you, your jokes aren't funny, leave the jokes to me you bitch." You froze a bit when she called you that, she'd never been anything but nice to you but you guessed you'd pushed her past her limits finally, still she was a weakling, it's not like she could actually do anything to you. "Here's a much better joke, you're going to fuck me."

"...w-what? Eww no that's not funny Bibi." You tried to push her off you but she stayed firmly in place already grinding her small bulge against your leg, her other hand moving away from your hair and starting to try to pry your pants off you.

"I think it would be really funny to pretend I'm forcing myself on you even though we both love each other so much, that's way funnier than you pretending to abandon me, now get to work."

[dragon-communion]

I'm bored and the acquisition of the legendary armaments bothers me so let's do something about that.

1. Dark Moon Greatsword- flawless, no notes, ideal wedding present.

2. Bolt of Gransax- flawless presentation. However, it feels weirdly easy to acquire, especially since it's been sitting in the middle of Leyndell for a few hundred years minimum. I don't know how I'd fix this.

3. Grafted Blade Greatsword- it's a gimmick blade and I really hate that I have to take it seriously. The weak stapled-on lore is a decent attempt at making it remotely relevant, and I like the fact that the Misbegotten stole it. I feel like there could be better presentation though, especially since it's a clans' worth of swords. Make me fight a coordinated clan of Misbegotten for it or something, drill in that theme of unity and revenge. Or ride the blatant reference and involve a dragon somehow. A fucked up grafted-scion style dragon maybe? That'd be fun. Why don't I have to fight a grafted enemy to get this thing?

4. Devourer's Scepter- It's just really weird that I can get this in Limgrave by killing a friendly NPC. If Bernahl's that important to Volcano Manor, maybe make him less vulnerable to our merchant-killing impulses? Give us a motivation to not instantly wreck his face for having bad stock, y'know. Some compelling dialogue. Maybe the ability to teleport out if we get him to half health. I don't know how I'd fix this but I want to at minimum have to work for a legendary armament rather than accidentally step on it. I didn't even know the scepter was supposedly special, I just went "huh cool" and shoved it in my chest.

5. Sword of Night and Flame- Speaking of accidentally stepping on weapons! Considering this one is pretty famous in PVP (and why aren't Moonveil and RoB on this list anyway???) I find it weird I can just trip on this sword. I don't even have to kill a guy for it. Give it to Moongrum or something, at least. Hide it behind a cool wizard puzzle, maybe add some kind of fun lock involving throwing an ice pot and a fire pot at a wall or something. I can respect having it in a chest. What I cannot respect is the utter lack of security. Make me use a braincell please.

6. Ruins Greatsword- I like that it's in Caelid, home of Gravity Fuckery and also Dragons. I think more could be done with that. Put it in some kind of research facility in Sellia, maybe earn it from Gurranq somehow, or even have it as an optional challenge for crazy bastards who want to continue Radahn's funerary games. I guess I don't mind collecting it from a Crucible Knight, or even that it's a missable item, but I just feel like it could be positioned somewhere better than Radahn's yard.

7. Marais Executioner's Sword- I approve of this. Am I entirely sure why the executioner's sword is legendary, and Godfrey's axe or Marika's hammer aren't? No. But in terms of acquisition, ripping it from the cold dead hands of the last guy slated for execution is pretty cool. The Shaded Castle is a cool setting too.

8. Golden Order Greatsword- It's lore-significant, looks incredible, and is directly involved with one of the endgame bosses. So please explain why I find Radagon's personal sword that he modified himself in a random cave. I don't care how cool the cave looks, did he drop it off a cliff after Marika accused him of cheating or something? The fact that we don't get this weapon in some sort of setting associated with Radagon is insane to me. Stick it in a fort behind a couple of guards at least. Y'know what would give this sword more impact? Receiving it as a quest reward from Miriel. Radagon's messy divorce sword, a traditional Carian betrothal gift twisted into a monument to Golden Order ideology- receiving it from Miriel, or showing it to Miriel, would be fascinating for character exploration. I wish we could've done more with the turtle pope in terms of exploring and investigating Radagon. Failing that, stick it in some kind of secret room in a library or study in Leyndell. Show me Radagon's office where he pored over Golden Order Fundamentalism and stick this thing behind a bookshelf somewhere like he's ashamed to own it.

9. Eclipse Shotel- I like the setting where we get it actually. I wish it wasn't five seconds away from a very angry ghost so I could appreciate the setting more, but the Church of the Eclipse definitely sets the tone. It could set more of a tone, but at least it's something. I want to know more about Castle Sol and this eclipse, because the ghosts are delightfully spooky and set the ambiance and I enjoy fucked up necromancy, but we don't really get much information. I would've put some sort of death blight enemy next to it, like one of those giant more priestly Wormfaces, along with some sort of astrologically significant structure for getting an eyeful of the moon. Make me believe they're doing weird celestial rituals up there. Who used the shotel, how, and for what? Human sacrifice? Back scratching? I am willing to forgive them for just leaving it on a table, since there's an exposition ghost nearby, but I can't quite figure out the relevance of the shotel in the grand scheme of everything else going on. Is it for killing the sun???

[system-of-a-feather]

The parent that turned my did into pdid is showing signs of dementia & is in denial. She failed her memory test at the doctors & it’s only getting worse. Its funny, I spent a lot of my childhood being ridiculed by her for symptoms of my DID & now she will likely have some of my formative experiences in her last days: not knowing where she is, confusing reality, etc etc. This is the kind of woman to laugh at panic attacks. my siblings are making themselves scarce before it gets worse.

It feels like poetic justice, but I see a train wreck waiting to happen. She’s POA for my other older relatives. My question to you is if you’d try to help this person if you were in my shoes. Part of me wants to do a family intervention. Part of me wants to watch her to crash & burn.

The irony is that if she had shown me that grace & empathy as a child, this wouldn’t even be a problem. But she set up this toxic dynamic in the family and so she feels the need to double down & pretend it’s not happening. And now it’s gonna bite her in the ass.

Would you stage an intervention now to head this off with senior planning or let the chips fall where they may?

Honestly? I don't really have a "I would do this" sort of response to this. Even putting aside how I don't really have the full picture, context, history, etc to navigate the nuance of the situation, I honestly just don't think this is really something where there is a clear answer and it's really one of those things that you have to kind of just come to the conclusion on what will sit right with you. Whatever path and direction you go, I honestly wouldn't blame you or judge you in anyways tbh.

Personally though, I generally default to neutral or slightly positive non-engagement. If there is a situation I'm torn on, have mixed feelings over, or find myself largely emotionally charge (especially if its simultaneously in opposing directions), I tend to default to respectfully doing the minimum necessary to keep issues from arising due to the lack of action (or sudden decrease in action) and typically continue whatever baseline I have been doing.

That tends to allow me to postpone any significant decision long enough for me to 1) sort out how I feel a little more clearly 2) see how things progress with me doing little to nothing different than what I'm currently doing and to see if that works for me and 3) removes a sense of time pressure and a sense of responsibility over others that is either not possible or not necessarily sustainable for me to take on

I understand the irony and schadenfreude of the situation, cause honestly, I do get how its kinda funny and there's a sense of karma at the whole situation. But in my experience, chasing that schadenfreude / sense of revenge often kind of kept me in a space of trauma and hurt and honestly kept me from exploring and experiencing opportunities in life that were better and/or possibly better spent elsewhere.

That isn't to say that you have to forgive, or that you have to care for her either. People tend to put revenge and forgiveness as a black and white binary, but honestly, you can not-forgive but also choose to not put yourself in a mental space centered on trauma and past hurt by also choosing to not seek revenge.

If you don't feel like she has earned / deserves care that she didn't give you, you aren't obliged to give it to her. It's not your responsibility and I wouldn't blame you if you took that approach. It's your right to go and live on your life apart from negative influences in your life and if she was and is currently a negative influence on your life, I don't think you are a bad person for just walking away from it.

But if that's the case, I'd also just check in with yourself and just make sure that - with the situation regarding the POA and all for other relatives - you are okay with the potential risks that might pose for any relatives you might like and make sure to weigh your care for those individuals against your lack of interest in helping address the situation.

If you do step in, make sure you know what and why you are choosing to step in and stage an intervention. Know what matters to you and what is at the core of your actions and just try to keep that in mind when you decide to step in as it can probably help in persisting when it might not feel like something you want to do.

At the end of the day, its one of those situations where you just kind of have to find where you draw the line and if you feel she deserves that act from you. Do what works best for you both now / in the present and with what you feel will genuinely make you feel the best in the long long run.

Either way, I've done and been on both sides of the coin with similar situations - particularly with my dad - and I honestly get both perspectives.

It's a non-answer, but I hope it helped you nonetheless.

[cherokeegal1975]

Still promoting my work. I can't make myself completely give up on it, even when it goes mostly ignored for years at a time. Maybe I'm too stubbornly optimistic about it. Half of me wants to throw up my hands and give up and the stubbornly optimistic part of me won't shut up and it's louder than the part of me what sounds perfectly logical when it tells me to just give up. That and I'm bored and really want to talk to some nice people...earn some honest feedback. I've had a really shitty week, one of my very worst. What's wrong isn't over yet. So, some people taking the time to really give my work a chance would be lovely. My books are available on Amazon as a paperback or as a ebook on Kindle. I'm aware the audio isn't the best, so that's why it's only on YouTube...it's been a long time since I've listened to it on the account that I can't stand the sound of my own voice on a recording.

This is the link to it on Amazon:

Unexpected Cargo: Smith, Meriah: 9781537355238: Amazon.com: Books

I'd love some honest feedback there. I got one comment in...I don't know what language that was alright and another from my grandmother which was kind, but I don't think that one counts because she's family and probably wanted to spare my feelings. Earning some feedback from someone more objective would be nice. The more the better so I can get a broad spectrum feel for what people think.

Anyway, this is the synopsis:

Johnathan was a family man and cargo runner and had no interest in getting entangled in royal affairs. So, when a deposed and fleeing princess arranges a meeting to give him a package to keep safe, he was reluctant to take it. But she convinced him to hide the royal seal until she needed it back despite himself. Unknown to him, she had also tricked him into carrying another precious cargo. When

Johnathan learns of the trick, he’s furious. When he confronts the princess about it, he learns it’ll be impossible to return it before it’s appointed time. Then she tells him of an unbreakable bond between them and ends a long search for someone he had lost as a boy. So, instead of revenge, he does what he can to help her. He must also avoid capture; the King would execute Johnathan if he ever found out about his secret cargo.

One person called this novel a wholesome movie and I'll treasure that. One person commented in a langrage that I didn't recognize that translated out as, "This is shit." Won't forget it, but I'm not going to spend a lot of time and energy thinking about this troll's comment.

The point is, I actually read your comments and keep them. Honest feedback is always appreciated forever. Even when sometimes the feedback is less than glowing.

Certainly I'd love it if you all bought my book...or books. I have five published on Amazon. I'm having a lot of trouble finding work so the support would be of great help...but only if I sell a lot of books because I've never earned more than $2 from a sale and most times when I make a rare sale it's around .64 cents. I know how to remedy this problem thanks to the information I've been gathering, but it all costs a pretty penny. You have no idea how much I'd love to see my work get the full treatment to get off the ground and selling...even be converted into something Netflix would stream. I'd be over the moon if they said yes. It's the goal I have in mind. Unfortunately, it all takes money I don't have. So, all I can do as ask for feedback and hope to make a sale once in a while.

[hiruzensux]

concept: Hiruzen giving Enma subtle misinformation about human culture to further his own Horny Agenda™️

(like i'm sure when they first met he already spoke the language and had a decent understanding of the more basic stuff; i don't know how different the culture of wherever it is he lives actually even is to begin with (i haven't given it much thought at all tbh) so it could all be pretty familiar to him... but regardless of how broad the overlap between the two cultures is, if he doesn't have much actual experience in the human realm, then it's totally believable from his end for certain stuff to be slightly or totally different)

this has some EXCELLENT potential re: pranks or practical jokes, but where my mind immediately went with this is misdirections of lustful intent

ex.:

Hiruzen: "ok this next one is called 'french kissing', and it's a human gesture of friendship and mutual respect"

Enma, interrupting him: "i do not respect you"

Hiruzen, internally, trying not to cry: alright yeah i totally deserved that

(Hiruzen maybe has a special advantage in this particular subgenre (claims in the format "[insert sexy activity] is a Normal Friend Thing"), bc if Enma's skeptical, Hiruzen can just be like "no, really! watch, i can prove it — hey Kagami—")

see also: how it's standard protocol amongst humans for comrades-in-arms to sleep spooning ("that's what the 'in-arms' part is from"), or the time-honored human tradition of Underwear Sparring, and of course the Post-Spar Massage

his success is limited though bc Enma just isn't very gullible

however, alternatively... maybe Enma isn't buying (ex.) mutual masturbation as a conventional team-building exercise... but if it happens that he's into it anyway, all he has to do is play along, and then he gets what he wants without having to admit any embarrassing feelings 👍

(honestly though, if he did succeed in a more substantial deception, i think Hiruzen would likely end up feeling too bad to continue with it very long before confessing anyways... so i'm not sure how far this would actually get either of them)

returning to that first example... in that case, if Enma believed him, then when Enma DID finally kiss him (frenchly), it would be an EXTRA meaningful first kiss scenario, since it would mean Hiruzen had finally earned his respect... ohh... that's kind of sweet...

...except Hiruzen would DEFINITELY have to tearfully confess his lie then, in which case Enma would probably be like "oh yeah well. good bc i lied just now too. about respecting you" (the potency of this comeback slightly diminished by the implicit admission that he just wanted to kiss him)

i don't know if Hiruzen ever got to visit Enma's realm, but i hope so, so that Enma gets his turn to use this same mechanic in revenge! idk if he'd go for it or not since it seems less his style... but if he DID, he'd probably be much meaner about it and go straight for that full public humiliation potential that Hiruzen mercifully left mostly alone

[the-mist-striders]

Episode 7: Party Bonding

So we made it to Vallaki, the City Ismark wanted us to deliver Ireena to. Our quest was to drop her off at the church, however we stopped by the inn to hang out and have some character bonding ✨️

Fauna buys Kai a drink; it's water because she refuses to drink alcohol the reason given being "I was born because of alcohol"

After some confused silence she elaborates that her mother was drunk when conceiving her.

Kai then says "ok, so we'll be traveling together a lot so I should tell you guys to never let me go anywhere alone with a guy. I am asking you all to be the biggest cock blockers in all the land"

"Second, if my hole gets bigger..” she pauses, realizing that sounded dirty “-I mean if my face hole gets bigger- I will start losing self control and may need you to restrain me."

Meanwhile at the same table Sofya is drinking the booze™️

Lucerian is there too and Fauna. Amahlia is passed out on the table. Probably tired from all the fake smiling and forced friendly demeanor she's been having to do for the -checks watch- last 5 minutes

Fauna starts talking up Lucerian to Kai. Saying that he's strong, reliable, and a provider

Kai: my curse makes me super fertile 

Fauna: he'd make an excellent father 

Kai (deadpan): if I have a child I will die

Nobody asks to elaborate they just go #oh

Lucerian does first try to make a pass at Kai, and while Kai is interested in him, she is on a mission to not get fucked.

She see's Sofya sitting next to Lucerian

She has the galaxy brain moment of "if those two got together he'd be easier to resist"

Kai then nudges Lucerian to go hit on Sofya.

Lucerian is flirting with Sofya now, she's nervous and is clearly into Lucerian but doesn't know he's flirting with her.

Uses her telepathy to speak into Sofya's head "he's flirting with you btw"

Causing Sofya to blush and start to drink a bit more to get herself tipsy, unable to flirt unless drunk

Sofya while drunk is like (Slurred @ Lucerian) "Youu stabbed me"

This would be confusing if everyone at the table didn't already deduce that Sofya has Cinderell’s memories.

Kai asks Fauna what was up with the fortune teller talking about "self discovery" when going over Fauna's fortune

So back story time for Fauna and Lucerian✨️

So a thing in elvish culture is that there's a ritual they do to earn their second name. Their original is the name given at birth, the second name by some kind of rite

Fauna never got hers, because their entire clan was wiped out while Lucerian(the older brother) was out hunting for his ritual. He came back with everyone dead and a baby Fauna laying in a tree trunk. Because of this Fauna never got her ritual because the clan is dead

Lucerian is driven by rage and revenge, while Fauna is self discovery

"And that's how my entire clan died" is the line Amahlia wakes up to from Fauna, followed by Kai saying in deadpan "my dad killed my entire family"

to which Fauna's player said "trauma bonding!" And we all clanged our glasses together

At some point Lucerian and Sofya are making out at the table.

Kai is like "fuck yeah girl. Make him unavailable to me" as she streams "careless whisper" into Sofya's mind

#an excellent use of Psionic power

Fauna does ask Amahlia about what her deal is and Amahlia says she doesn't really know who she is either. We all failed our insight checks so we all are just like "Yeah that checks"

Anyway Amahlia starts trying to hit on Fauna and it's fuckin weird

Amahlia is like "wuzzuppp"

"I normally want to kill things, but you I don't want to kill"

peak pickup lines

Kai is still at the table btw

Fauna expresses some interest in Kai and Amahlia gets weirdly competitive and it's the most one sided thing ever 

Amahlia:  "ok but I don't have a weirdly shaped head"

Kai: "Ouch. That's a low blow"

Amahlia: "I atleast have eyes" 

Kai: "Why are you being so competitive, I'm not taking Fauna from you" 

Lucerian and Sofya start getting up from the tavern and Fauna- not having it- grabs Lucerian's sleeve

"Don't do it." Fauna says with a stone cold glare at a drunken Sofya, Lucerian himself is also pretty inebriated. He opens his mouth to protest, but stops himself, agrees its a bad idea and sits back down.

Fauna is like "I'm going to take a bath, if you want to help wash me ;3" At Amahlia, Amahlia however has 1 brain cell and doesn't realize she's hitting on her

Kai slips into Amahlia's mind like "Hey idiot, she's flirting with you"

Amahlia- who was previously sitting there confused screams “OH SHIT” before taking off after Fauna.

Kai goes to her single person room like “woo i successfully failed to get laid. Now it's just you and me mammoth tusk :)”

They reconvene in an hour to head to the church to drop off Ireena

The party observes that they seem to be setting up for a festival, and they seem tired of festivals. Apparently the Duke is throwing festivals twice a week or some shit. The people are tired as fuck of festivals

Even more odd, whenever a city guard walks by-the people tense up and fake a smile

Implying that happiness has become mandated here 

They find the church that they would drop Ireena off too. The church looks like shit, as if a single attack would probably knock the bitch down.

Priest asks to speak privately with the cleric, apparently the church had some holy relics stolen and the church was no longer being protected by their deity fucking gods man.

Sofya wants to- after mass - go investigate who took the relics so that she can peacefully leave Irene there. Otherwise she will attract Strahds attention and he will likely burn that church down

But while mass happens we go shopping

Kai is like "I want a helmet. -looks around, sees a ton of wolf heads on spikes- ah. Perfect." -takes it off the pike and calls Fauna over to help make a wolf skull helmet-

#just girly things

Got us some silver weapons, and some warm clothes. We go to a apothecary (potions shop) whose clerk doesn't seem to know anything about alchemy or what the potions do- but god damn he's going to upsell it

The party decides to haggle for it, Fauna decides that this by itself isn’t enough so she sleight of hands some extra gold.

Afterwards they then for funsies go to the toy shop because why the fuck not

Meet Blinksy

It’s Him

A heavy set man who's speaks in a heavy Russian accent with a pet monkey

He also sells the weirdest fuckin toys

We got a toy executioner +guillotine

A marionette of Strahd (whom Kai looks at and goes "ehe. See I knew he was ugly")

The dolls all look uncanny, realistic with their mouths and eyes stitched closed

There also a doll that has a striking resemblance to Ireena

Apparently someone keeps commissioning the doll, he makes one for each month and probably had an obscene amount of Irene dolls

He does it because he's singly handedly keeping his shop open. His toys don't sell well for some reason :(((

Fauna requests a top hat for 3B

He takes the executioners hood off of the execution toys set and gives it to her

Fauna keeps rolling to successfully put it on the bats head. He's loudly complaining in a jersey accent (that only Fauna can hear) like "why are you doing this to meee"

Amahlia commissions a 3b plushy

oh Amahlia is feeling sofft

They do commission an actual top hat

We also try explaining to him that he could in bulk make plushies of 3b and his own pet monkey Piccolo

He's like "oh I make piccolo with an executioner's mask?"

Sofya : noo. Uh. Make it look just like Piccolo. Nothing else

Blinksy: ohhh so I make him like this? *gestures at the dolls that have their mouths and eyes stitched shit

Kai: no no no, make it look cute. Children love cute things

Blinsky:

We single handedly revolutionize how this man makes toys

They do buy Kai the Strahd marionette so that they can burn it later 

Lucerian gets a bat-mobile

By that I mean a mobile like the ones above baby beds. It's all bats flying in a circle

We tip him handsomely and agree out of game that we would burn the world for Blinsky

Blinsky also is going to make toys of us, asks us what the name of our band is

They all put their heads together and come up with a name

“The Mist Striders”

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[Episode Directory]

[chubbycatsupremacy]

can i ask for a Yandere Little nightmare seeing your s/o crying? your Yanderes stories are perfect... I need more!! (sorry for my bad english, english is not my first language)

❖ Yandere Headcanons: Little Nightmares —《When they see you cry》❖

I'm so sorry to reply so late! It's been quite a while since I last used Tumblr and I didn't know about your messages.

Anyway, thank you very much! I'm glad you like my works!

Read more about my Little Nightmares fanfics at:

☞︎ My AO3 ☜︎

☞︎ My Quotev ☜︎

☞︎ My Wattpad ☜︎

______

☆『Mono』☆

♡ Mono isn't the type to panic easily, but it's easy to put him into a state of fear when he sees you cry. You are one of the few people who can make Mono lose his temper, just because Mono cares so much about you.

♡ If Mono is the cause of your crying, he will frantically apologize to you and find a way to make you forget the bad things that just happened, maybe he will give you some nice things he earned from somewhere or take you to a place with beautiful scenery. Mono will be very self-blame, he will probably stick around for days after that just to make sure you really feel okay.

♡ In case Mono isn't the one to make you cry, he'll be extremely worried when he sees you crying. Anger appeared at the same time and would quickly burn his composure like a great fire. Mono will try to suppress his boiling anger and calmly ask you why you are sad. You are so important to Mono and he really can't stand it when someone makes you so sad. Just telling him a name is enough, Mono can take care of the rest by asking people he knows.

After comforting you with a tight hug and holding your hand, Mono will wait until you're asleep before proceeding with his revenge plan. He would find the culprit no matter where they were hiding, punishing the culprit with the cruelest means. Mono has no mercy for anyone who dares to upset you.

No one will know about their deaths, not even their bodies will ever be found. People will only assume that they have disappeared or perished at the hands of giant monsters like many other unfortunate people.

Mono will casually come back to you and distract you with interesting things he finds, you'll soon forget the bad guy who made you cry, you'll never know that Mono killed that person just to avenge you. Mono won't let you find out.

You are the one Mono loves and anyone who upsets you will pay dearly!

______

☆『Six』☆

♡ She will be very worried even if it doesn't show it too clearly on her face. Six herself is a quiet person and rarely smiles, but she will still try to be as gentle as possible so as not to make you feel worse.

♡ If Six is ​​the cause, she'll probably freak out when you burst into tears. Six isn't good at comforting so she can be pretty clumsy when it comes to this. Six will hold your hand and awkwardly apologize, possibly adding a hug if you don't turn it down.

Six will also bring back a lot of food, according to her, eating can help people temporarily forget sadness. She will continue to bring you all kinds of food whether you touch them or not. Six won't stop doing it until you assure her over and over again that you have forgiven her.

♡ If Six isn't the cause... Oh, pray for the culprit who made you cry, hope they don't die too painfully, because everyone knows Six isn't a benevolent person.

Six will silently hug you and pat you on the back, letting you cry comfortably on her shoulder. Six won't ask you about the culprit, she won't even mention a word about it, like she doesn't care. Oh, that's not it! Six has her own way of catching the culprit, she just doesn't want you to know about the brutal things she's going to do and she doesn't want to upset you any further by mentioning the culprit.

Six will do everything silently, she will make them die in excruciating pain while no one knows anything about it. It is possible that some time later, the rotting corpse of the perpetrator was found by someone in a stinking sewer or garbage dump. If it had been found earlier, perhaps people would have found a carcass being devoured by hungry wild animals.

______

☆『Seven/Runaway Kid』☆

♡ Fear would be Seven's first reaction, the boy would try not to sound too panicky, but his stammering words and flailing limbs showed his emotions all too well.

♡ If Seven is the cause, he will blame himself and rush to apologize to you. Seven will awkwardly wipe your tears while still apologizing. He will surreptitiously place gifts next to you when you go to sleep, hoping they can make you feel better.

For a long time after that, Seven will creep around behind your back and act like a child who upsets his parents, he will continue to act fearfully like that until you assure him that you were fine.

♡ In the event that Seven wasn't the cause, he would go on a rampage, but his anger would be carefully concealed by Seven behind a mask of no crevice. Seven hates when you're sad, he always wants to keep your smile on your face, but someone dares to destroy your happy mood!

Seven will stealthily find the culprit, gathering information about them through extensive connections. Seven can be gentle but he will be ruthless when needed. Seven can throw them into a place full of leeches, or push them to the center of the table where diners are dining, then watch as The Guests devour them like dessert…

Depending on whether you think it's luck or bad luck, you won't be able to detect what Seven did because he hides it so well. With a gentle smile and a harmless expression, you would never think about how cruel Seven has done, just because his love for you is too much.

[honeydazai]

hii could i request some headcanons or drabbles for a reader who does this tiktok trend where they say they paid like $600 for an oil change on chuuya, dazai and fyodor? Love ur writing!

reader telling them they paid $600 for an oil change

characters: Chūya Nakahara, Dazai Osamu

you decide to tell CHŪYA while you're cooking dinner, stirring the food while he's shrugging his coat off

you're like

“babe, I got the oil of your motorcycle changed today! are you proud?”

he doesn't really react at first, only nods and presses a kiss to your cheek as a thank you

but, of course, you need to elaborate on that exciting experience 👍🏻

so you continue

“it wasn't even as expensive as I had expected it to be, the guys there said they even cut me a special deal because they liked me!”

Chūya grunts in response, frowning a little

like

huh?? 🤨🤨 back off weirdos

oblivious, you continue;

“it was, like, $600 only. They also told me they fixed something else? Something about wiper fluid, not sure though. They did say it was hella important though, so this was a great deal!”

at this point, Chūya is just staring at you, dumbfounded

HONESTLY he can't believe his ears 😭😭

like, he knows you don't have any clue about motorbikes and cars, but??

“you paid how much, exactly?” he asks, tone flat as you frown at him, unhappy with his reaction

of course, you repeat what you just said

HELP Chūya occasionally has some mild anger issues

don't be surprised if the soda can he was holding suddenly bursts because of him crushing it

understandably enough, you're confused

“babe, what's the store's name?”

if you actually paid that much without knowing better, Chūya will, uh, pay those mechanics a visit

and man's mafia

he's SCARY when mad

will get some revenge on them for using you

and will pay you your money back

he earns more than you do anyway

later, he explains how extremely overpriced that was 😭😭

he knows you meant well!!!!

but he kinda wants you to stay away from his motorbike now

JUST FOR YOUR SAKE THOUGH

he's not mad

he's just, you know, still a little overwhelmed at how naive you sometimes are

Chūya does appreciate the gesture though 🙏🏻

which is why he doesn't tell you that he could've changed the oil himself at home

“I know you meant well, I'm not blaming you. I'm just saying, please don't trust any scummy mechanics again before talking to me, alright? I don't want anything bad to happen to you.”

you mention it to DAZAI in the car

while you're fastening your seat belt, you're like “by the way, I went to see some mechanics today and got the car's oil changed”

he's always one to hype you up tbh

so he's excited

“oh, yay, baby, that's great! Thank you so much!!” 😚😚

but, for your prank to work, you of course need to continue

so you tell him just how much you paid for the oil change

and, well, Dazai might not be that much into cars, but he does know that that's way too much

his face kind of just freezes for a second, then he frowns, pouting a little

he's like“awww babe :(( they kind of tricked you”

but, before you're able to act all sad, Dazai shushes you and says it's alright, because: “don't worry, darl, I'll get that fixed for you. Just tell me the place! I bet it's just a simple mixup!”

since it's a prank, PLEASE don't name an actual store

Dazai can definitely be scary and intimidating when needed

please don't doom any poor mechanics

of course, you hadn't thought about making up a store's name

it was just meant as a fun little prank, anyway

so Dazai is quick to realise that you've been toying with him

his lips twitch into an amused smirk as he shakes his head, acting like he can't believe you and your 'childish jokes'

of course, he'll pay you back for this

just await his revenge

you just started a prank war

“Oh, I see what's going on here. You've been teasing me, haven't you, belladonna? You're so evil, making me worry like this for nothing but a joke.”

notes: this was so funny to imagine HELP?? 😭😭

if you liked this, consider tipping me on ko-fi! it'd mean a lot!

[inthememetime]

Hey @shroudthecursedone , have you seen this post yet? It's giving me IDEAS. @max-the-hecker I'm pretty sure you had something similar too.

Vlad dies. A long time ago- I'm talking Maddie and Jack's grandparents were either babies or not born yet young. Anyway, they and their buddy- his name really doesn't matter for this as long as the last name is Masters- work on the portal, right?

Only their buddy is also interested in the occult in a 'capture and control the spirits' sort of way. At the same time they're doing their portal thing, Masters is working on summoning and controlling a ghost from an artifact- maybe something like Freakshow's staff.

At first, it works great. Masters has all the powers of a ghost available for use without the whole dying thing. For whatever reason, he starts to fixate on Maddie. Then something happens; maybe the artifact breaks. Maybe he breaks a rule in his and Plasmius' contract. Either way, Plasmius takes control of his body.

Cue Jack and Maddie trying, reluctantly (remember, at this time the dude is super unhealthily fixated on Maddie. He kind of invited it- I like the idea of Maddie breaking the artifact when she realizes that's why he's able to control her), trying to get rid of Plasmius.

Three possibilities: #1

They think they succeeded, and leave him alone

This explains the 20-year gap- would you want your spouse and kids around a guy who tried to use a ghost to assault you?

When they get invited to the reunion, they think it's by one of Masters relatives- nope. It's by Vlad Masters- aka Plasmius who has maintained control over Masters' body.

#2:

Plasmius didn't want to be controlled, and they come to an agreement. He can inhabit Masters' body for X amount of time.

Also explains the gap nicely. Plasmius' time is up. Queue a horror story of the kids realizing their parents made a deal, in exchange for ghost knowledge that essentially robbed an (admittedly bad) guy of his free will.

What if they just need Plasmius to negotiate with ghosts for whatever reason, so they don't leave him for 20 years.

Nah, the kids grow up with 'uncle Vlad', which makes it infinitely more terrifying. After all, their uncle wouldn't hurt anyone like that. Right?

#3

Masters fucked around and found out before Jack and Maddie were even on the scene.

At first, Plasmius just wants to go home, so he, of course, helps them with the portal.

But then, he realizes how nice having a warm, cozy human body is. And he's not intending to let it go anytime soon.

Well, Maddie figures it out, maybe breaks the possession or controls him for a little while, long enough for them to get away (for 20 years), but also kick-starting his newest obsession; either controlling Maddie as revenge, or maybe he sees her as a worthy opponent, and thinks by 'winning' he'll earn her love.

What do y'all think? Not that I NEED a new WIP under my belt obvs, but it hit me when I saw the original post.

[wrongeddeadthenevermourned]

Stand there as she spoke, as if she did not hear his comment before about how other's look at him, Kai squints "Do your ears not work well? I just told you, why you're being 'beat up'. You're making very judgmental faces and I don't know if you noticed, but my eyes work pretty well." Opening his eyes wide for a moment he scrunched one side of his nose, giving a slow nod "Do you see? Working, very well." He gave her a hard shake "Yes. If you stop being judgmental. I might be inclined to apologize even, as disgusting as that would be for me." He might not though, he wasn't really feeling it.

Continuing to stay there with the woman, he tilt his head as she seemed to be set on this whole thing still, he wasn't oblivious to her sarcasm and the way she had said certain words. She must have thought he was stupid, on top of the other things that warranted that judgmental look plastered onto her face still "Yes, that's kind of the point. I'm going to break your wrist and that will be less fun for you, than it's going to be for me. I've already been to hell, and back and been beheaded, one- or two times. So anything you can muster would just be a walk in the park for me." He shakes her violently again, holding her securely "Takes an asshole to know an asshole, now doesn't it?" Laughing then, he shook his head "As if, you're not going to be my friend, you're going to run off and try and stop me, just like you were attempting to do before I stopped you." Leaning in closer to her face, he smirked "There is nothing you could ever do to me, that is going to convince me otherwise."

What she was however, was lucky he wasn't the kind of psycho running around carrying knives or something deadly like that on him all the time. Even when he didn't have magic. Because he was probably very confident, along with at times being very stupid. A knife would have worked wonders in a situation like this, he wouldn't have to spend his time explaining how he was going to still tear her to pieces because of the stunt she had pulled just minutes ago "No. You aren't, because Bonnie would have stabbed me instead of running off to go find help. She's not afraid to get her hands bloody."

Kai tilt his head a little bit, then. It was nice having her there, in his prison world, though. For a time, not that he hadn't wanted to get out still, and that made him very hard to live with. But she had earned every single wound he gave her. She had fucking killed him in his prison world with a pick axe when he was going to get all three of them out, anyway. All because she wanted to spare his family the revenge owed to them. But he was tired of trying to be understood, and so he really didn't mind not having friends. He would murder his remaining family, if they were against him, weather they liked it or not. He was their rightful leader, and Joshua had gotten in the way of that all those years ago, made him seem insane, abused him day in and day out, with the rest of his family, and now, this no it all bitch, was giving the same disgusted look. He couldn't stand it, the judgmental behavior, she didn't even know him "Hm? I don't have any?" He told her, wondering if she had hit her head a little too hard "Hit your head harder than I think you needed to."

The Darkness had continued to wrap around him, pulling Miso's light out from Kai's body, strand after strand, destroying the light.

==

Her punch only hit air, of course it only hit air, she wasn't a fighter, she wasn't even anybody special.There was absolutely nothing special about Alice, she just ended up in this place one day, met a guy who she thought loved her and finally decided to come back to Wonderland to give him a piece of her mind. Now she was here, being rough handled by some asshole on a power trip, an asshole who caused her to wince as he grabbed her wrist roughly and yanked her arm down.

She hadn't said anything as she bit back the tears forming her eyes the moment he grabbed her jaw and forced her to look at him. She would spit on him if she knew she could get away. "Truce? You want to call a truce? You are the one beating up on me here." There was perhaps one advantage she had over Kai, and that was the advantage of knowing where she was, she had known Wonderland, she had known who and what to watch for - bloody hell was she wishing for a Jabberwocky to wander by right then.

There was however another person that had. Another person that was undetectable to the two humans that shouldn't have been there in the first place. This particular person had just happened to have lived nearby - close enough nearby that she had heard the commotion and came to check on what was happening --- in her dormouse form.

Layla had keep a safe distance, she didn't have to be close for her sensitive ears to hear as clearly as if she was hiding in the grass right beside them. She had picked up on most of the conversation, putting two and two together, after all - she might not have met Alice in person before, but she certainly had heard of her and she had certainly heard who she had connections with. So, while Kai and Alice were having their "friendly" little chat, she had gone off to the Diamond Kingdom, not stopping until she had ended up at Darius's teashop.

==

"Y-your oyster is h-here." Layla had stood in the doorway of Darius's shop, moving aside as one of Darius's regulars brushed past her, holding a vial of emotion in his clenched hand.

"My oyster?" There was no way she could be talking about Alice. Right?

Layla had swallowed roughly as she nodded. "Y-yes, A-A-lice, she is here." Layla had shifted uncomfortably, forcing herself to calm down so she could form a sentence in one breath instead of stuttering it out. "I saw her. She is in the fields with another oyster, but he, he has hurt her. She -- she is in big trouble, Darius."

A heavy sigh left Darius's lips as he rubbed his head. Now, while it was true, Alice and him were hardly on friendly terms, barely even speaking ones, he was probably the reason she was even in Wonderland again and although he wasn't particularly fond of her, he didn't want to see anything happen to her either.

"This oyster you speak of, is he powerful?" He had contemplated telling Asher, informing him of what was going on. Now, granted, Darius was a powerful man himself. His telekinesis was a strong asset, not to mention his ability to throw a punch and nullify powers. Unlike Alice, he was a match for Kai.

Layla had nodded. "I be-believe so. The Oracle, sh-she appeared"

"The ORACLE? No shit."

"Yes, I only caught the tail end of it but she forbid him to use his magic and I think - I think she put a lock on his powers. I-I can't say for certain, I didn't approach them."

Well, that had been enough to go on as Darius stood up from his desk. He didn't have to send word to Asher, Asher had his ways of knowing exactly where he was anyway. "I'll go. I'll tell her to go back home, hopefully I get there before he hurts her more than he already has."

==

Meanwhile, back in the field, Alice was stuck between a rock and hard place. Any sane person would have probably already broken down into tears or tried to run away, but Alice wasn't exactly "all there" herself and while she would have been better off pleading with him to stop, surely, all she had done was stare at him as he applied more pressure to her delicate wrist.

"You're going to break my wrist if you keep doing this. Like it or not, you need me if you ever want to get back home, asshole, and I'm going to be less inclined to be your friend and get you out of this if you break my wrist in the process."

Alice, of course, had no idea who Bonnie was but she was getting sick and tired of being compared to her. "And last time I checked I'm not Bonnie, am I?" While Alice was waiting for him to let go of her hand, her dark eyes were blown wide when she saw the threads of darkness stirring all around him. "I - I thought she forbid your magic, how are you -- how are you still doing that?"

[spongebob-connoisseur]

I can't remember if I've sent an ask along the lines of this or not, but anyway-

I like seeing Squidward happy- not like a sadistic kind of happy, with like seeing Spongebob hurt in one way or another, but happy about something nice.

I dunno why, but there's something about seeing Squidward happy about something good; like in the Band Geeks episode where he proved Squillim wrong. There's something about seeing Squidward genuinely happy that feels unique or something to me... and I dunno why.

Maybe it's cause I sorta relate to Squidward in a way or something.

Even better if he's happy with Spongebob.

Oh yeah you have! I remember! But its alright, I love the topic of Squidward and happiness :)

Squidward genuinely deserves to be happy. He's the universe's punching bag and honestly if he does 1 thibg wrong, it swings back to hit him 10× worse. This mans can't catch a break.

I get originally he was meant to be a snobby mean adult but hes really grown far from that. He has a lot of admirable traits. He's talented at nearly every form of art. He never gives up no matter how much he fails.

He just feels more alone and upset since he isn't where he wants to be in life. Who wouldn't feel upset? Yeah spongebob is an endless pit of optimism but at some point people break down.

Me and my sister were talking about this and I mentioned how I don't think Squidward grew up in as much of a stable and loving environment. His father is estranged, his grandmother is a sociopath, he pretty much fears his mother and willing to do anything for her approval. Yo no wonder he isn't like spongebob. His innocence and optimism for the world was crushed at a young age. I kinda theorized that's why he tends to resent spongebob so much. He used to be like him. A twinkle in his eye, love and wonder for the world around him before it was eventually crushed by a cruel reality. Everytime he looks at spongebob, he just sees the sad little kid who still somehow believed in the world. It feels pretty pathetic to watch if you're someone who has deep-seated self hate.

I think his obsession to he accepted into high society and exclusive art circles is because he wants so badly to be accepted and find a place he thinks he belongs + earning some sort of status symbol, after all the years of his misery, he'd finally be looked up to instead of down upon. He'd finally br able to make his mother proud. Isn't that what he always wanted? He'd finally be able to prove he isn't a worthless little squid.

Its honestly so tragic. Mans deserves true happiness. Not revenge happiness where he gets small satisfaction from punching back at the universe. It's still a reminder of all the pain he endured. He deserves true joy and things to go well for him.

I think all spongebob fans alike can agree, moments where Squidward is happy makes up the best moments in the show. I think that tells you a lot. Its so rewarding to see it. The grumpiest person around to smile? Its so sweet.

Squidward is a massively relatable character. Not everyone can be a spongebob. Some do struggle feeling good about themselves. They feel like their lives are stagnent and not moving. Some wishing they could find circles to accept them. Some feeling like they're not appreciated enough. Some who feels like life is coming for them left and right snd they can't catch a break. We see all of that through squidward and I think we just can't help but get attached to him because of it.

I think that's why we find him and his happiness so special. If it can get better for him, just for a small moment, then why not for us as well?

[onlymexsarah]

Promise pt. 5 || Kaz Brekker

Summary: When the life of Kaz is threated by her presence, she had to make a crucial decision that will bring misunderstanding among the two of them. Now that he has his Fire Girl, will he be able to keep her, or Dirtyhand will mess everything up?

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x grisha!Reader

Warning: angst, Kaz being Dirtyhands for ten minutes straigh, spoiler of Six of Crows, my english.

A/N: Thank all of you for the comments, the likes and the shares. I didn't expected that this little idea would have captured your attention, really you made my writing more enjoyable and easy. I'm so sorry if I'm late but I've been sick these days and I couldn't finish the chapter :( there are a lot of things that I want to tell you, see you at the end of the chapter ;)

PT. 1 - PT. 2 - PT. 3 - PT. 4

MAIN MASTERLIST

Few days passed with the girl lying on her bed recovering from the wound that the fight gave her.

When she opened her eyes after have fainted in Kaz's arms, fear had been the first to come to visit her. Fear of being already tied at some bed on a ship, sold at the Shu that would have been more than happy to make experiment on her. She was scared that the temptation must have been too much for Kaz Brekker to have such a value grisha in his hands, but then she noticed she was in her room at the Slat and a rush of tiredness hit her making her sleep again.

The other times she opened her eyes someone among Jesper, Inej and Wylan was always at her side, changing the bandage and bringing her food.

Inej told her that her father, Jan Van Eck, was now aware that she was part of the Dregs, and she was under Kaz Brekker's protection. Everyone was aware she was a grisha, but neither Jesper and Inej seemed to mind her lie, maybe because they had secrets too, she though.

A morning a letter came for Kaz, a letter from her father.

Mister Brekker

we never had the occasion to meet, and you'll agree with me when I say that I wish to keep things like this. Voice is spread that you have my beloved daughter with you. I hope you understand that she is a danger for this city. I've sent her away many years ago with the only interest of protecting Kerch from her, but I see that I could have done things in a better way.

It is as a father that I ask you to bring her to me so that I can repair my mistakes. She is a danger for all of us if not under control, Mister Brekker, and I am sure you saw it yourself last night. She has to face a trial for her crimes and be sent where she can't be a danger for anyone anymore. If she doesn't come back in seven days, I should consider you and your Dregs as her accomplices, planning to attack Ketterdam and all Kerch using her power.

Surely a smart men as yourself doesn't want those kind of problems.

Hope to see my city safe again,

Jan Van Eck.

Inej had brough the letter at her in the afternoon, and in the evening the grisha girl was already planning her escaping from Ketterdam for the third time in her life.

She didn't want to leave Wylan, hell she had promised him they wouldn't split up ever again, but if her plan worked then he would have been able to follow her after few months. If the Van Eck siblings moved together they would have caught too much attention, and they had to do everything in secrets.

Wylan tried to convince her to stay. He was sure that Kaz would have helped her, Wylan was sure that Kaz Brekker would have sealed all Ketterdam to keep her save, and even if as her brother he didn't like her closeness with the Bastard of the Barrel, he couldn't deny that it was useful.

"I'm putting all of you in danger just staying here. If I go away father will have nothing to threat you with." she said putting her clothes in her bags. Seven days, she couldn't give her father the time to close all the harbours in Kerch. If she wanted to go she had to do it as soon as possible.

"Talk to Kaz! Let see what he says, please." begged Wylan grabbing her hands in his to stop her.

She looked in his beautiful blue eyes and saw hope. "You really think Kaz has the power to keep me here?"

Her brother smirked. "I think Kaz would tear apart this city to keep you save. Talk to him, keep your options open."

Dirtyhands would never fight a battle where he couldn't win money, but Y/n was willing to try. That night after dinner she decided she would speak with Kaz and see if he was willing to keep her.

"Let see what the great Kaz Brekker think about it." she sighed putting her arm around Wylan's shoulder and walking downstair where their dinner waited them.

Kaz Brekker sat in his office, in his gloved hands the red handkerchief and Jan Van Eck's letter. Before that morning the death of Van Eck had been one of the many he wanted to deal with for what he had done to his Fire Girl, but now his death had taken a shape, colours and many details that Kaz's was adding one by one.

Brick by brick, Kaz would take all his enemies down, and Y/n was more than welcome to take her revenger with him.

He went downstair at the second floor walking toward Y/n's room. He wanted to check how she was, and speak with her about how she wanted to deal with her father. He didn't know if she wanted his actual death, but he was just fine with torture.

When he reached the door and looked inside his blood froze. All her things were packed in three bags, all her clothes were gone from her wardrobe and none of her objects were around the room. Neither the little portrait of she and baby Wylan that she kept on her bedside table before falling asleep.

She is leaving you.

These words felt like a stab in his chest, like someone had taken the oxigen from his lungs. Would she, leave him? Yes. Y/n would find a better life everywhere out Kerch, it was reasonable that she was already packing. When she wanted to leave? Where she wanted to go?

He knew nothing about it and Kaz Brekker always knew everything. Especially of what happened in his Slat. But this time the girl was leaving him, again, and she hadn't had talked with him about it. She hadn't advised him. Did you really think she was going to live this life just for you? For a man who can't even hold her hands without hyperventilate? A man who can't give her the love she deserve?

The fear he saw in her eyes when she saved his life with her power wasn't because she was feared of his rejection; she feared that he would have send her out of the Dregs, without protection and away from her brother.

He stormed back in his office, anger filled his boody and what else? Disappointment? Sadness? He was angry with himself because he had been a fool again. He had let someone playing with him again, that's what Y/n had been doing. She had been toying with him. She had made sure to have a safe place where live, a job and her brother beside her. Every little nice things she did for him was just to keep him close, to keep Dirtyhands at bay.

Like a fury he threw everything that was on his desk on the floor with his arms. Documents, the handkerchief, the letters, were all on the floor but he couldn't care less. She wanted to leave? Fine. Dirtyhands didn't care.

A known shiver crossed his spine before he heard a knock at his door.

"What?" he didn't look up when the girl entered, too focus on something in the drawers of his desk.

"Wow, and I though to be the one who had a bad day." she joked looking the mess at his feet.

He didn't smile, or smirked. He kept his eyes on something she coudn't see. "What bussiness?"

What bussiness. Those words were the greeting in Ketterdam when two bussiness men met, but the grisha girl though that she and Kaz had passed that step. He must had really a bad day, and it could have been because of the letter...she though sadly.

Who knew what other problems her father had caused around Ketterdam to earn the attention of Kaz, to push him to hand her in his hands.

"My father...I don't want any of you to be in danger because of me." she said carefully walking closer to his desk. A glimp of red captured her eyes but the pain at her waist made her close her eyes for a second.

"I'd say it's too late for it, isn't it?" he asked coldly. She took a step behind, taken back by his coldness toward her. "You seemed to enoy keeping secrets, didn't you? Do you know how easier it would have been knowing about your being grisha months ago?"

That wasn't the boy who had brough her in his arms out from the gala. He wasn't the boy who fought beside her, spied beside her and saved her a couple of time.

"I am sorry, I truly am Kaz. But I know what is the price of being a grisha here...it wouldn't have been easy for me walking with a target on my back. I have done it my whole life."

He refused to look her in the eyes, and it was driving her crazy. Was he really that mad at her that he couldn't bare even the sight of her?

"You decided for yourself, a thing you tend to do often I see." she was sure he had never spoken to her like that, neither in his bad days, and Kaz Brekker had a lot of bad days. "You swore loyalty to the Dregs, to the Crows. If you can't trust us then you shouldn't stay here."

He had said the crucial words, and there was no going back. She wanted to leave, then he would make sure to let her believe that he didn't care. That he didn't care about not finding his hot coffee on his desk again, or that from that day on he wouldn't feel the shivers in his spine anymore. He pretended to not care about not seeing her anymore. She had left him once, he could survive it a second time.

"That's it? That's what you want?" she felt her voice dying in her throat. Was her mistake that big? You knew that once Kaz knew what you were he would have pushed you away like everyone else. 'No one will understand you as the other of your kind', Baghra once told her, but when she met Kaz she believed that her old teacher was wrong. Kaz Brekker had been her safe harbour when no one else would care about her, was she so easily replaceable for him?

"You would have leave anyway at some point, you said it yourself the first time we met at the Club. Today, tomorrow, in five years...I don't see the difference." he shrugged like he didn't care.

He doesn't, her mind reminded her.

"Alright then...I don't want to be of any trouble to you anymore..." she whispered with her hands behind her back. She hated how little she felt, but he was sendind her away. Kaz Brekker, the boy she'd die for. The boy who had let her felt hope again after years, the boy who made her laugh even when he surely didn't mean it. The boy in who she was willing to put the most important years of her long life, that boy was sending her away without looking back.

"Then go." he said fixing his eyes in hers. She could feel the sharpness of his eyes cutting her chest.

"Fine, then I'll just-" she stopped talking when her eyes landed on the red thing she had seen before. A red handkerchief. Her feet moved on their own will. Before she could register what was happening she had the red handkerchief in her hands, her eyes fixed on the three letters on it. W. V. E.

"Y/n don't-" Kaz stood up trying to stop her but it was too late.

"Why do you have my brother's hand-" she was confused, but then her eyes raised to the boy in front of her. His brown eyes, his dark hair and pale skin, and in a second her mind brough her a memory.

The little boy smiled standing before her. He was at the same height of her belly, but his eyes seemed older.

"I have still things to do, and people I need to find. " the last words said with rage.

"Take care of yourself, boy. Don't let the bad days winning your good ones, there is always light at the end of a tunnel; you only have to walk a little more."

And then another.

"What is you name little boy?"

"K-..." he stopped for a long moment thinking about it. He looked the girl beside him and even if he wanted to trust her he just couldn't after what happened. "Jordie..."

"J-Jordie?" she asked, her voice trembling. "I-...You are not him, aren't you?" he stayed silent, looking her like a statue. "You would have told me if you were him...Kaz you are not the little boy I met eight years ago, right?!"

Her voice raised squeezing the handkerchief in her right fit.

She saw him gulped before answering slowly. "Yes, I am."

She took two huge steps back breathing eavily. He had known me all along. "Why you've never said anything? That day when you approached me, you knew who I was and you offered me a...job..."

"Can you keep a secret?" she asked touching his shoulder with her own. The boy, whose name wasn't obviously Jordie, nodded looking her curiously. She smirked bringin her left hand on her right one and rotating them slowly. A flame came out from her right palm, little but still powerful; red and orange like the handkerchief she had given him before.

The boy's eyes shone marveled looking the flame on her palm. "You are a grisha!"

The truth hit her hard. She raised her eyes in his letting him see the betrayal. "You had always knew what I was. That's why you gave me the job...you didn't care that I was new, you didn't care that I was the girl you met when you was a child. You wanted an Inferni to work for you!"

Every words, every attention, every talk they shared were all lies. Nothing of what he said was true, Kaz Brekker didn't need a reason, he didn't need a reason to give a job to a girl new in town, but it was clear that Kaz Brekker always had a reason. She had been only too foolish to not understand everything before.

She thought she was good to keep a secret, but something like her power couldn't pass unnoticed to Kaz Brekker. She had been a fool to believe he didn't know about her power. It was the only reason he kept her in the Dregs since the beginning.

"An inferni would have been very useful, but you have proved to know how to do your job perfectly without your power. Now, if you want to go you are free to do so. Nothing bind you here." he said, his voice cold as death.

You bound me here, she wanted to shout. But it had been Kaz's plan all along. Making her believe she was different, making her believe he saw her.

"Nothing." she repeated before walking away from his office, leaving the boy alone with the loudly silent that filled the room, staring at the handkerchief that she let fall on the ground, the only thing that had always bound them.

***

The next morning Kaz woke up and knew immediately that something was wrong. He took his cane and walked downstairs to the kitchen where he heard people talking out loud.

"I swear Jesper, when I see him I-" Wylan stop talking in the exact moment Kaz stepped in the room. The red haired boy fixed his eyes on him and before he could understand what was happening Wylan was yelling at him with all the rage he felt. "How dare you coming here like nothing happened!?"

Jesper had to put his arms around Wylan's torso to keep him from throwing himself on Kaz. "Last time I checked this was my Slat."

"And you find amusing sending people away, don't you?" Wylan spoke spitting venom from his mouth. "She needed help and you turned your back at her!"

Now Kaz needed few minutes to make his brain, still sleepy, working to connect the dots. It was clear that Wylan was talking about his sister, who seemed to have played the victim with her own brother.

"If you want to know, merchling, she decided her will herself. She came to me to let me know she was leaving." Kaz shrugged walking toward coffee machine. He didn't have the strengh to face an angry boy if he wasn't properly awake.

"As hell she did. She came to ask you what to do and you sent her away." Kaz let his words running in his head for a while, studying them one by one.

He didn't..."When she came in my office she had already decided." he refused to tell them he had seen her bags ready in her room, he refused to let someone know he cared.

"No Kaz, she didn't." This time Inej spoke, he hadn't even noticed she was there. "She wanted to leave to protect you from her father, but Wylan convinced her to slow down and come to you to ask what to do."

No, no, it was not possible. "When she came in your office she hadn't decided yet. You gave her the answer, Kaz." Jesper spoke keeping his hands on Wylan's shoulders, who now was sat on a chair with his face in his hands.

I would have noticed if she was asking me what to do. She had her bags ready...she came to me to tell me...his thoughs were running wild inside his head.

"That's it? That's what you want?"

Kaz tried to put his thoughs together. He tried to find a logic of what had happened the night before.

"You had always knew what I was. That's why you gave me the job...you didn't care that I was new, you didn't care that I was the girl you met when you was a child. You wanted an Inferni to work for you!"

No, no, no. Everything was so wrong again. He though she was going to leave him and he had let her believe that he had used her all this time. He though she was leaving him...that was the only thing he had needed to loose his mind.

"You didn't know..." whispered Inej surprised.

Kaz couldn't trust his voice enough to not break in front of everyone so he just shoke his head slowly looking the Suli girl in the eyes.

"What have you done..."murmured Jesper rubbing his eyes with his hand. "Alright, if you hurry you should arrive before the schooner leaves."

"Fifth harbour?" Kaz asked with raspy voice.

"Yes! Go!" said the Zemeni boy excited. "I love a dramatic romance."

He didn't let him repeated twice, ready to run if he had to he walked toward the door when Wylan's voice stopped him.

"Brekker, bring her back." Please, was the word the boy let unspoken.

He nodded before running toward the harbour. He took just his cloat at the door, leaving his hat behind. He couldn't let her leave again. He had to arrive in time, and if he didn't he would have swim until he'd found himself on the schooner and ask sorry to her for his infinity dullness.

"Alright then...I don't want to be of any trouble to you anymore..."

She wasn't a trouble, he wanted to shout in the air. She had never been a trouble, he was the wrong one. He was the twisted, crooked, problematic who couldn't stop himself from hurt her everytime.

"My father...I don't want any of you to be in danger because of me."

Even when she was the one in danger, she would think about him first. He didn't see it last night, too focused on accusing her of betrayal. Betrayal of what? She hadn't broken any vows she made. She wasn't bind to him, she own him nothing and surely Ketterdam did nothing to earn her protection.

Since the first day she had stayed on her own will, she had stayed beside him even when he pushed everyone away. That's what got under his skin, her perseverence. She kept fighting for him, she kept seeing good in him and the only thing he had been capable of was making her feel used and unwanted.

He saw the harbour and he barely noticed that he hadn't used his cane. It would have just slowed me, he thought already searching his girl with the eyes.

He owed her an explanation, he owed her a lot of apologies, and then she would decide if she wanted to stay. Kaz swore to everyone who was listening that if Y/n chose to stay in Ketterdam with him, he would have made sure to be worth her choice. He would fight everyday to go trought his boundaries for her, with her. He would be the man she deserved.

"The schooner for Os Kervo." Kaz asked urgently to a man. He knew Y/n, she would find a safe home in Ravka at the Little Palace where the grisha were safe and strong.

"The first one left this morning at four bells, the next it's at the berth twenty-four, leaves in half bell." the man answered.

Kaz didn't think twice and ran toward the schooner with his heart in his throat. Please, saints if you exist make sure she hadn't already left.

He felt pathetic. Never in his life he had ever prayed, but he though that if it gave him a chance to see her again that it was worth a try.

He arrived at the schooner, but looking around he didn't see her. She must be already on board, he though and without difficulty he went on the ship.

There wasn't many people, but from what Kaz knew the grisha girl could have been already in her room and there was no way to find her before that schooner left.

He felt a shiver in his spine, telling him that she was close, but he didn't know where to look. Right, left, he looked everywhere. People around him looked him worried.

She can't be gone, he kept reapeting in his head like a mantra.

"Came here to bring me back to my father?" a voice said from above him. "How much did he offer to you? Must be a lot to affront a grisha alone."

His heart missed a beat and when he looked over his head he though he might start to believe in saints.

She was there, perched on one of the boom. Her hood was up hiding her face like she always did when she was out of their zone. She was a wanted grisha now, and he felt a grip on his heart at the though that she was used to that life of a runner.

You are not alone anymore, Fire Girl, he though vividly.

"I thought you had decided to leave..." he said. It didn't sound like an apologize at all...Damn Saints, there were a bilions things he wanted to say her, and yet his throat felt dry when he could talk.

"I did." her voice was sharped as a blade and cold as ice.

He gulped, I deserve this. "I know..." He had a flashback of their first conversation at the Crows Club, and cold shivers ran in his blood. I will not make the same mistake twice. "I should have told you who I was since the beginning."

"Maybe if I knew I didn't have to hide my power you could have had your personal inferni sooner." it was his fault. He had let her believe that he wanted her just for her power, but it wasn't true. Kaz Brekker kept her with the Dregs because he couldn't bare the though of her being hurt or threated.

"Could you get off from that boom? Please..." the last word burned in Kaz's throat like fire. It wasn't easy for him to say out loud his feelings, but he knew it would have been the only thing to make her stay. He owed her the truth.

She scoffed and jumped, landing in front of him with the lightness of a feather. Crossing her arms over her chest she studyed him from under her hood, waiting for him to speak first.

You want me sto stay, you have to say it, her posture told him.

"I saw your bags in your room, I though you wanted to leave me, the Dregs. I would understand if it what you wish, but you have to know that I was angry. Angry because I though you didn't trust me. You had just packed all your things without talking to me first, I though...I though you..." said those words Kaz brekker, a voice said in his mind. "I though you used me as a protection, nothing else. And when you showed up in my office I though you were going to say me you were leaving. No question, no mouners."

She stayed silent for a bit, surely surprised by his words. He couldn't see her whole face from his height, and he needed to use all his self control to not take it and push it down.

"The only reason I decided to leave was because my father knew about you. I knew he would have used you against me if I stayed, and I couldn't put you in danger just because I wanted to be selfish." her voice had softened a bit, but it was still sharp as she was ready for any attack from him. "Wylan convinced me that you would have helped me, that you would have been willing to fight for me. But when I come to you, I find Dirtyhands planning my departure. And what I find out? That you kept me under your roof just because you knew I was a grisha."

"It's not true." he stopped her firmly. "I knew you were a grisha, but never in my head I though about using you for your power."

"Then what other reason to keep the truth about our first meeting from me?"

Now it's the moment. Don't let your shame eat you alive, put yourself together and take your Fire Girl back.

"Because I was ashamed of the man I became. Because if you knew who I was you would have seen that the little boy you met eight years ago doesn't exist anymore. You would have seen that I failed you..." saying finally those words after a year left him lighter.

She gasped softly. It's not true, I can still see that little boy right in front me... "No, I failed you. You were a child Kaz, you had no faults. I should've stayed with you."

She could see the surprise on Kaz's face when she spoke those words. She had time to think that morning, at the little boy she left alone in the streets of Ketterdam. The boy who had kept her secrets all those years and never blackmailed her.

"I don't think something would have changed. I chose my path." he said with his raspy voice. How many nights he had dreamt about that moment? When he would finally speak with her, when the little boy and the Fire Girl would meet again.

"Becasue no one was there for you. Beccause you were alone. But if someone would have taken care of you, if someone would have showed you another way, maybe everything would have been different." maybe you would have been different.

She wasn't disappointed in what Kaz had became, she knew that everything he did it was to survive at the Barrel. She was proud that he had found the strengh to fight and live; Y/n would change nothing of the man she had in front of her.

The captain of the schooner announced that they were ready to leave and Y/n took a deep breath. "You should go..."

"Come with me." his mind, his rational part stopped working. There were nothing to brake his tongue. "Eight years ago you asked me if I wanted you to stay with me, and I said no. Today I'm asking you to stay in Ketterdam, with me, with the Crows. We cant-...I can't loose you. Not again."

Her heart started to beat faster like a roller coaster. Was Kaz Brekker the one who was talking in front of her? The Bastard of the Barrel was asking her to stay with him. You are going to put him in danger, a voice in her mind reminded her.

She looked Ketterdam behind him, as she could see her father's house.

Kaz saw the shift in her face's direction, and immediately understood what was thinking that mind of her. He rose a gloved hand in front of him taking her by surprise.

"If you wish to go to Ravka I will not stop you, but if you give me a chance I'll try everyday to be the man worth to stay by your side. And I promise you..." he took a step forward making her gasp. "I promise you we will take down everyone who threat us and we'll make them know the real meaning of the word suffer."

That's the Dirtyhands I fell for, she though smiling brightly. She took his hand firmly feeling his fingers closing around hers. "Just one condition." He raised an eyebrow to say 'continue please'. "Jan Van Eck is mine, and he's not going to die until I say so."

She knew that Kaz wasn't the only one who had changed in those years, and there were no reasons to hide it. The grisha girl who lived in the shadows and the little boy who was scared would never meet again, both had died when the world had turned its back to them. Both had raised like phoenix and became stronger.

"The deal is the deal, Fire Girl." he smirked walking with her toward the berth. The schooner was already leaving and there was a little void between the berth and the schooner, so Kaz squeezed her hand and they both jumped. When their feet touched the berth he didn't notice he was laughing with her. Her hood was over her forehead and he couldn't hold it anymore, he stood in front of her with the steady hands of a magician and gently lowered it, feeling the hurge to see her smile again. "No secrets anymore."

"No secrets anymore." she replied keeping her eyes in his.

It was their promise to start from the beginning. Their past was a beautiful story to remember, but they would fight for their future side by side, and little did she know that for all the time she hadn't spoken with Kaz Brekker, Bastard of the Barrel. But the boy in front of her, with the light of hope in his dark eyes was the normal, simple Kaz Rietveld.

A/N:OH MY GOODNESS WE ARE HERE! This is the end of the story of our lovely, brave Fire Girl and our little, cute Kaz. I think I can cry... This is the chapter that most I love of the series and I think you can see why! Writing it was so emotional and still so easy, I knew from the first moment how I wanted their story to end and how I wanted to write it. I have many ideas for a future book with those two idiots, but in the mean time...would you like a bonus chapter where we are gonna see how they're managing they're "relationship"? Maybe where he tells her his real name...👀 but now tell me, what was the part that you most liked? Would have you made the same decisions as them? MY CHAT AND REQUESTS ARE OPEN SOO I'm gonna wait you there ;)

p.s. : who recognize the scene from an old tv series for young I took ispiration for the fight and the departure? 👀

[amchara]

I have finished House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City 1) by Sarah J Maas and it was both the most engaging and enraging book I have read in a long time.

Spoiler-free verdict: If you enjoy gritty, urban fantasy setting with a decent murder mystery and larger conspiracy plot, with some great melding of usual tropes and fantastic plot twists- this is a book rec.

Character-wise and 'ship-wise... ehhh, okay. Sarah J Maas is an interesting author for me - I almost always enjoy her plots, when there is one that isn't being superceded by relationship angst.

I can take or leave most of her romantic ships arcs but I actually usually adore the platonic (sibling, friends, mentors etc) relationships. This book followed that same path - Danika and Bryce's friendship was EVERYTHING, honestly- sooo good, alongside Bryce's relationships with her parents, Ruhn and his friends, and her interactions with Jesibah, Tharion, the Viper Queen, etc. And even her friendship with Hunt, as it was developing into something more.

But somewhere along the way, SJM always seems to fall into the trap of... all male/female romantic relationships must kind of follow A/B/O dynamics or just borderline abusive Dom/sub kink dynamics.

It was less evident in this book than in ACOTAR series but there's still that gender essentialism that creeps in where, once it turns romantic, the man (sorry- in SJM parlance, the male 🙄) must turn into a possessive asshole who only thinks with his cock. And while I can accept that might happen with some of her characters as it seems to be coded into some of the fantasy races societies (ie. Fae), it also tends to rear its head in other characters where imo, it really doesn't make sense.

And it then bleeds into other characterisation and becomes a problem.

Spoilers:

I wanted to like Hunt more than I did. An angel who fell for love and a desire to change things for the better? Who has had 200 years of slavery to consider how he could take his revenge and what he'd do differently? Why then... was he so bland? *cries* Okay, I get traumatic woobieness (and I appreciated that was addressed and I did adore Bryce taking care of him in that one scene and all that...) but I still feel like there should be a ruthlessness and zealotry running through his core. He's a fallen angel so I want to see that grey morality!

Especially... when it was revealed that he had decided to lie to Bryce about the synth. I was so happy to see that twist and I was like YES, GIVE ME THAT RUTHLESSNESS AND GIVE NO FUCKS... and then, it all just fell a bit flat? Argh, I don't know how to entirely describe it except that he felt quite generic love interest™️ and limited personal development in his own character arc.

But that might be because SJM reverts to a lot of tropes (scents her arousal, purrs/snarls, gets overly angry protective over love interest) when she starts her romance arcs.

Maybe I'll enjoy Hunt a bit more now with his slave halo off- and as it seems like maybe the next book we'll actually deal more with the arc-angels.

Bryce suffered a bit from super specialness by the end too but honestly, I thought the reveals about her being another Starborn heir was earned - and intertwined enough with her trauma and history with Danika and foreshadowed enough throughout the book that it felt natural for her to save the city and close the gates with that power.

(that being said- SJM, stop cribbing from the Black Jewels Trilogy lol- the Drop being pretty much the same as when witches descend from their birthright jewel to their adult one)

Last things to mention... it was a kind of slow start but damn- those last two hundred/one hundred pages of the story? Whew- when the city was actually saved it was such a cathartic moment and I actually shed a tear and I did not expect that.

Anyway, overall- solid effort and I'm looking forward to the next book- I guess I'll just suffer through the tropey bs that seems to be SJM's jam.

Tagging @belle-keys because your rec was enough for me to decide to take a look at it.