#But (Clearly) Neither of Them Like to Talk About it

[ellecdc]

grovelling under an old oak tree

prompt from @redeyesthicthighs: I have been thinking about our girl Vix & craving some good ol’ hurt/comfort with a touch of groveling from one of the boys... I feel like we tend to see Sirius or James be the ones to step wrong and then have to fix it but… I know we are all obsessed with Remus and he truly is an angel (I KNOW! YOU KNOW I KNOW!) but how do you think he would grovel?

poly!marauders x vixen!reader who Remus needs to apologize to [1.3k words]

CW: fem!reader, Remus yelled at her/told her off off screen, Remus-centric, begging for forgiveness, hurt/comfort and fluff

“Sirius, I think you ought to at least pretend to be a little less happy about how upset your girlfriend is right now.” Remus scolded instead of acknowledging the fact that he was currently in the wrong.

Sirius simply snorted at him. “Of course I’m not happy about my girlfriend being upset, Moony. I’m just thoroughly enjoying the fact that it’s not my fault.”

”It doesn’t hurt that Moony was the arse this time.” James added rather unhelpfully. 

“I wasn’t an-” Remus started as he stood straighter, cutting himself off and taking a steadying breath. He really was sort of an arse. It was the day after a full, Remus was feeling particularly sorry for himself - his hip seemingly giving him more problems today than it had in months - and you had been your normal, vibrant, effervescent self. 

The way Remus spoke to you probably had you thinking that was a crime worthy of Azkaban. 

You’d taken off - of course you had - because who would want to stick around to be spoken to like that?

It probably hadn’t helped matters that the other two boys were so thoroughly shocked by Remus’ outburst that neither of them thought to say anything to you, and Remus himself was too simultaneously proud and full of self loathing to retract his earlier sentiments.

The last thing any of them had seen from their dormitory window was a small red fox bolting into the forest. 

“I was an arse.” Remus admitted in defeat.

”Fuck yeah you were!” Sirius cheered, earning him a high-five from James as though the two of them had been watching a quidditch match and not Remus simply pull on a jacket, hat, and scarf to go out in search of you. 

“I need you to enjoy this a little less, please.” Remus sighed.

”No can do, Moonbeam; I’ll be riding this high all week. Can you imagine!? I wonder what it would be like to have Remus grovelling at our feet, eh Jamie?”

“Fuck off. The difference between the two of you and Vix is that you’d actually… deserve it...” He joked, though the atmosphere immediately fell flat when he remembered that he had, indeed, been an arse to you. And what’s more, you didn’t deserve it in the least. 

“Fuck; I was an arse.” Remus reiterated.

”Do you want us to help, Rem?” James finally asked, clearly taking pity on Remus who, in his defence, was not at all used to being in the dog house. 

“No… no. I- I’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.” Remus decided; whether he was convincing himself or his boyfriend’s, he wasn’t sure as he ventured out of his dormitory in search of his girlfriend. 

…

He supposed that, all things considered, he should be thankful for the mixture of rain and snow that was currently falling from the sky. If nothing else, it served to leave a definitive trail of paw prints in the soft ground leading Remus to where you’d gone and hidden.

From him.

You were hiding from him.  

Fuck, he was an arse. 

There was a small hole in the earth under a tangle of roots beneath a grand old oak where your paw prints came to a decided halt. 

“Dovey?” He tried carefully; he heard an exhale and a shuffle. “Sweetheart? I’m sorry…” 

He received no response. 

Remus didn’t think he was in a position to ask anything of you; not to hear him out, not to come out and talk to him, not even to come back inside so he’d - at the very least - sleep knowing you were indoors and warm. 

So, screaming hip be damned, he lowered himself to the ground, the layers he was wearing doing nothing to protect him from the biting cold of the muddy ground as it seeped into his front. 

He wondered for a moment if he should feel embarrassed should a passerby notice a student prostrate beneath the trunk of an old oak tree, but he decided pleading for your forgiveness outweighed any potential embarrassment. 

“Vix, I’m sorry, love.” He pressed earnestly; a small white muzzle appearing near the entrance of your burrow. “I didn’t mean it.” 

You let out a huff and moved to turn your face back away from him. Yes you did, you seemed to argue.

”I didn’t, sweetheart. But I shouldn’t have said it, and that doesn’t excuse that I still did.” 

You kept your face turned away from him. 

“Dovey, I-” Remus paused and bit in a breath, using his elbows to pull him that much closer to your burrow and streak that much more mud up his front. “Pads and Prongs…they saved me. But…but you- you brought light back into my life, and you manage to do that even on my darkest days.” 

He waited a few beats before he continued. “Even when I don’t deserve it.”

One of your back legs twitched as though you were itching to move but actively fought against it. 

“Even when it’s the pain that’s talking, and not me. Even when I know it’s the pain talking for me and I let it anyway. Even when all I want to do is sit and wallow and feel sorry for myself you-” He felt embarrassingly close to tears. “You never fail to share what little light you might have to offer; to me, to Sirius and James, to everyone around you. It’s one of the things I love most about you, and I berated you for it.” 

More silence.

”I’m sorry.” 

He didn’t push. He simply laid on his stomach beneath an old oak tree in the Forbidden Forest under the light of the waning moon as he watched your fur fall and rise in time with your breathing whilst you refused to look at him. The only movement other than the infinitesimal twitching of your legs and ears. 

“Okay, that’s alright.” He sighed after an unknown stretch of time, turning his head to rest his cheek against his folded arms. “I’ll be here, okay? Whenever you’re ready.” 

Remus’ blinks became sticky with the moisture gathering along his eyelashes between the cold and the sleet quickly soaking him through the top of his jacket, leaving him damp on all sides. 

He was just about resigned to spending the entire night out here, perhaps being found by a rather smug Sirius or slightly less smug but no less pleased James covered in a thick layer of frost not unlike the heather bushes lining much of the landscape come morning when he felt a wet, warm nudge to his cheek.

He peeled his eyes open to see a small red fox standing above him with a curious tilt to its head.

“I’m fine to wait out here if that’s what you need, dove.” He assured you, shifting his head to look at you though never lifting it from his arms. “Don’t worry on my account.”

Your ears twitched again - towards something deep in the forest behind you - but you kept your eyes dutifully on him before pressing another boop to his cheek. 

“Ready to go inside?” He asked, daring to prop himself up on his elbows. A definitive yipping sound told him yes, you were. 

Remus finally moved to stand, hip cracking audibly though he kept his face painfully neutral so as not to have you feeling inadvertently guilty. Remus thought he probably deserved to spend more time on the cold wet ground for the way he spoke to you.

“Hope this doesn’t mean you’ve gone and forgiven me yet, Vix.” He declared sternly, bending slightly to pick you up when you stood on your hind legs to press gentle paws into his thigh. “I have much more grovelling to do.”

You made a fox-like laughing sound before shoving your nose into his neck, nuzzling closer to him in as much of a hug as a fox could manage. 

“And if Sirius or James ever spoke to you that way, I’d expect you to leave them begging for days.”

[adorerio]

Whatever you say captain

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haikyuu ! captains and how they plot on fem!reader because who doesn't love a guy that puts in the work

fluffy fluff ~ word count: 1.8k

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Daichi he first met you during 1st year and was instantly hooked. Maybe because it was how you carried yourself or your personality but he knew for sure he would make you his girlfriend. Now just because he met you during 1st year didn't mean he made his move then. Nope, he made it during 3rd year.

Daichi He started small (with the help of Kiyoko and Hachi) first it was compliments.

"your hair looks lovely l/n"

"you gotta tell me how you always make people smile"

"you really are funny l/n"

Daichi then started inviting you to practices because he wanted to show off needed a 3rd opinion on his new move. This was all part of his plan which was to impress you sooo much you would ask for his number. Did it work?

nope

Daichi showing off didn't work neither did his constant compliments so now what was left?

"KIYOKO PLEASE LET ME HAVE HER NUMBERR"

"No, ask for it instead. She likes a guy who has confidence."

and so that's what he was going to do man up and ask for it himself.

Daichi who after class sprinted to your class to catch you and ask for it. When he did make it he saw you talking with your group of friends

"excuse me ladies may I borrow l/n for a moment?"

your friends who started teasing and whispering about how you actually pulled

"shes all yours"

After your friends left it was awkward for just a moment he was trying to put it into words I mean it was supposed to be simple right? But-

"Is there something you need Sawamura?"

"oh right, well l/n I've been trying to court you all year which maybe it was my fault for not being straight forward but is it possible I could get your number? So we can get to know each other and maybe ask you out?"

He scaratched his neck waiting for your response..

"well I'm free right now if you want to come with me to a cafe.."

"that would be lovely then l/n"

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Bokuto he first met you because you were friends with Akaashi. Now he noticed you really didn't have friends to hang out with during break and lunch. So he started inviting you to hang out with him and Akaashi and a trio was created.

Bokuto after a few months of your new found friendship he started getting that feeling. He was always nervouse around you and definitely always wanted to be in your good graces. Of course he didn't realize it was a crush until he saw another 2nd year try to ask for your number. Now he knew he would not let you give your number away to anyone that wasn't him. Even tho he already had it.

Bokuto now his approach to plotting wasn't the best but it was definitely something- scare off any guy until he was your last option. Did he even realize he was being overprotective? No, but it was bound to work at some point. Or that's at least what he was telling himself.

Bokuto It actually took you a while to find out what was happening. After another case of ghosting you started to question it. Was it your appearance? Or the long distance? Of course you would tell your friends about your problem and how you scared away guys.

"Wait so there just ghosting you? They clearly don't know what their missing y/n"

"Yes they just are! I don't even know why it's happening Keiji"

"Its because of me y/n!!"

"Whatever do you mean Ko?"

"Because they aren't worthy of courting you y/n so I tell them to go away"

"Why would you even do that?"

"Because I want to be the person who courts you not someone from Karasuno"

Bokuto got a talking too after his little confession about how that wasn't the way to get your attention but safe to say you did give him that chance and in the future its something you would never end up regretting.

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Oikawa now he definitely thought something was wrong with you. You were never apart of his group of fans and never reacted differently towards him. Games you attended? You would cheer on anyone BUT him. And this, caught his eye. He was gonna make it his mission to get you to go out with him one way or another.

Oikawa since he had never struggled before trying to charm a lady he was more confused then ever how was he supposed to do this? Well the only thing that came to mind was make you feel special. This resulted in you being embarrassed ever single time.

Oikawa every single set he would do during a game? Point you out and give you a wink. During school he would start ignoring his fans and would only talk to his team or you. He always offered to carry your bag or help you with work but you were still warry about his true feelings towards you.

Oikawa hoping he at least he made his intentions clear to you he would now leave small stuff at your desk. Sometimes it was small snacks with a note, or a small tricket that reminded him of you.

Oikawa the way he finally got you to agree on a date was when he gave you a boquet of your favorite flowers. It was special to you because you had only told him once what flower it was and he had still remembered it.

"Here l/nn its your favorite flowers just for you"

"You still rememeber what type of flowers I like?"

"Of course and I'll keep remembering small details about you - like how when your favoring song plays you start forgetting the worlds around you just to pay attention to the lyrics."

Now this had touched your heart, after weeks of chasing you maybe it was time to allow him to ask you out. Because he had clearly put effort into this.

"Fine, just one date trashykawa"

"You wont regret it l/n!"

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Ushijima he didn't even know he was "courting" you until Semi told asked him when he was going to ask you out.

"You know l/n is a sweet girl why haven't you asked her out yet? I'm sure she already likes you."

"What on earth are you talking about? I havent been courting our manager-"

Lets just say it hit him like a brick when he started connecting the dots that it did LOOK like he was indeed courting you.

Ushijima You were the manager of the team and dealing with a group of teenage boys wasn't easy- so he as the captain of the team decided he would be the one to show his gratitude. He would give you chocolates every day after practice or invite you to grab lunch with him alone.

Ushijima after thinking about it for days about how own feelings towards you he decided he was going to invite you on a real date. Because even if he wasnt completely sure about how he felt he wanted to at least give it a try. So, one day after practice as you were cleaning and packing up everything he decided to shoot his shot.

"l/n are you perhaps free this evening?"

"Yeah I don't have any plans. Is there a reason for asking?"

"I was wondering if you would like to accompany me on a walk in the park. It would be nice having someone - you around"

"Sure! let me go get my stuff and I'll meet you outside."

"Yes absolutely, its a date then."

As he walked away you stood there dumfounded, he finally had the balls to ask you out huh.

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Kuroo now he was crushing on you HARD. But, he always found it hard to talk to you. Different group of friends, different hobbies, different clubs there was practically no way to start a conversation without it being difficult.

The 3rd years were preparing for the English final when your teacher suggested forming study groups within the class so you could prepare. Now this was his chance.

Kuroo had to work up the courage to ask you to be his study buddy and when he did you were almost surprised that he asked you but you didn't say no. You moved your stuff to your left so he could sit next to you.

You started asking him what was his strong and week points in English. When he asked the same thing back he wasn't focused on your answers, more like the view Infront of him. The way you talked and the way you explained things was magical.

Kuroo The two of you exchanged phone numbers so it was easier to communicate. You didn't say it was only to text about the final - so he started sending memes he found funny or goofy cat pictures in hopes of it turning into a conversation.

Of course the way you texted back was short and fast but when he sent you a meme of your favorite video game it was like he had found a cheat code. You started geeking out and explained the story and characters to him. Although he didn't know anything about the game it was certainly working and after talking about it until wee hours into the night you decided to call it off and go to sleep.

"Goodnight Kuroo thanks for listening to me yap lol"

"Of course l/n, I'll always listen to you talk."

You hearted the message and he knew this was only the beginning of a new found frienship and hopefully a relationship.

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Kita he never really thought about dating he was always more focused on his studies and vollyball. You were more like a close friend then anything. Sure he thought you were cute but he believed there was nothing there but pure friendship.

"My parents aren't home I guess I'm gonna have to order food.."

"Y/n you cant cook?"

"Nope, my parents do"

"Well I believe I'm gonna have to teach you then"

"yayyy"

Kita 3 times a week Kita would go over to your house (with your parents permission) and show you the basics + a few recepies. He enjoyed spending time with you outside of school but something had changed inside of him. Maybe the proximity but the way you *preferred hair style while cooking* looked on you was mesmerizing.

Kita Knew your parents travlled alot for work and even days without a lesson he would leave a bento on your desk early in the morning enough for the whole day. Even if it was more work added to his plate he didn't mind doing it because it was for you.

Besides, the best way to get to someone is through the stomach.

I swear I don't have a favorite. Anyways that concludes my first post! I'm open to criticism on my writing!

[brazenautomaton]

...those are not the only accessible sources? the reports on the scandal are public, you can read them.

from here:

Issues of ethnicity related to child sexual exploitation have been discussed in other reports, including the Home Affairs Select Committee report, and the report of the Children’s Commissioner. Within the Council, we found no evidence of children’s social care staff being influenced by concerns about the ethnic origins of suspected perpetrators when dealing with individual child protection cases, including CSE. In the broader organisational context, however, there was a widespread perception that messages conveyed by some senior people in the Council and also the Police, were to 'downplay' the ethnic dimensions of CSE. Unsurprisingly, frontline staff appeared to be confused as to what they were supposed to say and do and what would be interpreted as 'racist'. From a political perspective, the approach of avoiding public discussion of the issues was ill judged.

Several people interviewed expressed the general view that ethnic considerations had influenced the policy response of the Council and the Police, rather than in individual cases. One example was given by the Risky Business project Manager (1997- 2012) who reported that she was told not to refer to the ethnic origins of perpetrators when carrying out training. Other staff in children’s social care said that when writing reports on CSE cases, they were advised by their managers to be cautious about referring to the ethnicity of the perpetrators.

the individual people reporting crimes were not failing to report because the criminals were Pakistani, but the actual government structure was making it clear to its members Not To Talk About It. according to the investigation of that structure itself.

also, it goes on to describe how another aggravating factor was the (clearly race-focused) desire to address this only through the local Pakistani Muslim community leaders and not through, like, law enforcement. this is a Very Bad Idea for numerous reasons, because those guys have even more reasons to want to cover up the crimes!

this report has extremely confusing formatting (it's interspersed with quotes that are not separated off nearly enough) but also agrees that the racial dimension was a major factor with the Rotherham council, people were afraid of being branded racist, things had to go through ethnically Pakistani members instead of normal law enforcement channels, and law enforcement was diverted for fear of seeming racist:

“We’d be at [community] meetings talking about community issues. When there we discussed targeting taxi drivers and the Pakistani heritage community in relation to CSE, we were even discussing particular families we had concerns about. These members would push back. Neither believed the extent of the problem that we were trying to communicate… They were saying to us ‘it will cause a lot of community tension if they are targeted specifically’… We wanted their support…” A police officer

like come on you put an emdash between the quote and the attribution

Rotherham’s suppression of these uncomfortable issues and its fear of being branded racist has done a disservice to the Pakistani heritage community as well as the wider community. It has prevented discussion and effective action to tackle the problem. This has allowed perpetrators to remain at large, has let victims down, and perversely, has allowed the far right to try and exploit the situation. These may have been unintended consequences but the impact remains the same and reaches into the present day.

these aren't random nazis, this is the independent inquiry report into the Rotherham Council and its followup commissioned by the Secretary of State. the idea that fear of appearing racist was a major factor here is not a fringe thing only being spoken of by nazis, it's pretty goddamn confirmed by the people who did the actual investigating

The Council’s culture is unhealthy: bullying, sexism, suppression and misplaced ‘political correctness’ have cemented its failures. The Council is currently incapable of tackling its weaknesses, without a sustained intervention.

this isn't a fringe thing

Interviews with staff and Members of RMBC highlighted a pervading culture of sexism, bullying and silencing debate. The issue of race is contentious, with staff and Members lacking the confidence to tackle difficult issues for fear of being seen as racist or upsetting community cohesion. By failing to take action against the Pakistani heritage male perpetrators of CSE in the borough, the Council has inadvertently fuelled the far right and allowed racial tensions to grow. It has done a great disservice to the Pakistani heritage community and the good people of Rotherham as a result

this is pretty fucking major. people who are clearly progressive themselves and oppose racism, after doing an in-depth investigation, going "yeah these people did in fact let a child abuse gang go uncontested for decades due to the fear of appearing racist."

Regarding Rotherham, since it's come up again...

If I had a daughter, and a group of men doused her in petrol and threatened to set her on fire, then what would matter to me is making sure that never happened again.

This is what is moral and right. Children are small and weak. Stopping such a thing is what a parent owes their child.

If that requires changing the ideology of the entire country, then my life's work must be changing the ideology of the entire country. This is simply the work that has been entrusted to me. Whether it succeeds or not, I must attempt it.

There are people right now asking others to refrain from criticism in order to protect the reputation of the Labour government.

My contempt for such people is off the charts. But I can now see the empty space. Many of them are morally underdeveloped. What it means is that they consider Labour their tribe, and they are obediently protecting the tribe.

[gf2bellamy]

library — draco malfoy

pairing: draco malfoy x fem!reader ( no use of y/n ) summary: draco joins you in the library content warnings: mention of school stress , eating in the great hall

Charms class dragged on, as Professor Flitwick went over the details of next week’s homework. You slouched in your seat, propping your head on your hand while your gaze drifted around the room. Beside you, Pansy was doodling aimlessly in her textbook, entirely uninterested in the lecture. 

Your eyes landed on Harry and Ron, who were scribbling furiously in their notes—but not about Charms. Judging by their muffled laughter, they were playing some sort of game, much to Hermione’s dismay. She swatted Ron’s arm with an exasperated glare, clearly trying to get him to pay attention. 

The scene made you smile faintly, but your attention shifted again, landing on Draco Malfoy. He sat slumped in his chair, his pale hair falling across his forehead as his eyes threatened to close. He looked like he was seconds away from dozing off completely, the faintest scowl tugging at his lips. 

You found yourself watching him longer than you intended.

“Enjoying the view?” 

Pansy’s whispered voice jolted you out of your thoughts. You snapped your head toward her, and she raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk on her lips. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you muttered, giving her a half-hearted grimace as you straightened up in your chair. 

Pansy didn’t buy it for a second. She had caught on to your not-so-subtle crush on Draco ages ago, though she’d promised to keep it to herself. That didn’t stop her from teasing you at every opportunity. 

Professor Flitwick’s voice cut through your embarrassment. “I’ll see you all next week!” he announced, dismissing the class. 

Grateful for the excuse to leave, you hastily shoved your books into your bag, ready to escape to the Great Hall for dinner. 

“You two coming?” Blaise Zabini asked, stopping in front of your desk. Draco stood just behind him, lazily slinging his bag over his shoulder. 

Pansy snapped her textbook shut and stood, brushing imaginary dust from her robes. “I’m starving,” she declared, already heading toward the door. 

“Me too,” you murmured, falling into step behind her and Blaise. 

Draco, however, matched your pace, walking beside you as the group made its way down the corridor. You tried to keep your focus straight ahead, even as you were hyper-aware of him beside you. 

“Long class, wasn’t it?” Draco drawled, his voice low and smooth. 

You glanced at him, startled that he was talking to you. His gray eyes met yours briefly, a flicker of amusement in them. 

“Yeah, Flitwick really knows how to make time crawl,” you replied, managing to keep your voice steady. 

Draco smirked faintly, his gaze lingering for a moment longer before he looked ahead. “You didn’t look like you were paying much attention anyway.” 

“Neither were you,” you muttered under your breath, glancing at Draco out of the corner of your eye. “Saw you almost falling asleep.” 

He looked momentarily caught, his gray eyes widening just a fraction before he shrugged it off with practiced nonchalance. “Long day,” he replied simply, though the slight curve of his lips hinted at his amusement. 

The conversation didn’t go further as you and the rest of your friend group reached the Great Hall. The familiar buzz of chatter and clinking silverware greeted you, and you slid into your usual seat at the Slytherin table. 

Pansy wasted no time piling food onto her plate. You followed suit, your stomach reminding you how long it had been since lunch. Double Potions with Snape followed by Professor Flitwick’s monotone lecture had drained you completely. 

You sighed heavily, spearing a few fries with your fork before popping them into your mouth. For a moment, you let yourself get lost in the simple comfort of food, but the looming pile of homework waiting for you made it hard to relax.

Draco’s voice pulled you from your thoughts. “What’s up with you?” he asked, his tone casual as he reached for a bread roll. 

“Don’t feel like spending the night in the library,” you mumbled around a mouthful of fries. “Again,” you added with a groan, thinking back to the endless hours you’d spent surrounded by dusty books and half-finished parchment the night before. 

Draco’s gaze flickered toward you, his attention drawn away from his plate. Blaise and Pansy were too busy bickering over the last piece of bread to notice at first, their playful banter filling the space. 

“I’ll come with you,” Draco said suddenly, his voice cutting through the background noise. 

You froze mid-motion, your fork hovering just above your plate before you slowly set it down. Turning to face him, you raised an incredulous eyebrow. “You?” 

Draco met your gaze with his cool, gray eyes, the faintest trace of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. 

“Draco Malfoy. In the library?” you said, your voice laced with disbelief as you studied him. 

“Why not?” he replied nonchalantly, shifting his focus back to his food, though you didn’t miss the flicker of amusement in his expression. 

At that moment, Pansy and Blaise stopped mid-argument, their heads snapping toward the two of you. 

“What was that about the library?” Pansy asked, her eyes darting between you and Draco.

“You’re going to the library with her?” Blaise chimed in, his tone equal parts surprise and amusement as he leaned forward.

Draco didn’t look up, slicing into his food with an air of indifference. “I don’t see why it’s such a big deal,” he said, but his smirk deepened ever so slightly. 

Pansy’s lips curled into a knowing grin. “Oh, it’s not a big deal,” she said, dragging out the words as her gaze flicked to you. “Not at all.” 

You rolled your eyes, ignoring the heat creeping up your neck. “I need to finish my essay, that’s all,” you muttered, trying to downplay the situation as you returned your attention to your plate. 

“Sure, that’s all it is,” Blaise teased, exchanging a sly look with Pansy. 

Draco finally glanced up, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly at the pair of them. “You two should focus on your food instead of other people’s business,” he said smoothly, the authority in his tone enough to quiet them for now. 

After dinner, the chatter and laughter continued as everyone polished off their meals. Blaise and Pansy eventually decided to head back to the Slytherin common room, but not before Pansy grabbed your arm, pulling you aside with a teasing grin. 

“So, the library, huh?” she whispered, her voice dripping with mischief. 

You rolled your eyes, trying to appear unaffected. “Don’t make it weird, Pansy.” 

She leaned in closer, her grin widening. “Oh, it’s already weird. Malfoy volunteering to study? With you? That’s rich.” 

Before you could respond, she gave you a playful wink and flounced off to catch up with Blaise. You let out a sigh and turned back toward Draco, who was waiting patiently at the base of the stairs.

His expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of curiosity in his gray eyes as he watched Pansy retreat. 

“What did she say?” he asked casually as you joined him. 

“Nothing important,” you replied quickly, brushing it off. 

The two of you began climbing the grand staircase toward the library, your footsteps echoing softly in the quiet corridors. The conversation turned to your respective workloads—essays, spell theory, and the looming deadlines that Hogwarts always seemed to pile on. 

Once you reached the library, the atmosphere shifted immediately. The warm, hushed air was filled with the faint rustle of turning pages and the soft creak of chairs as students worked at scattered tables. The librarian shot a warning glance in your direction as you entered, and you both instinctively fell silent. 

Draco scanned the room before selecting a free table near the back, far enough away from the busier sections. He pulled out a chair and sat down. You slid into the seat across from him, pulling out your books and parchment with a quiet efficiency. 

The two of you worked in near silence, save for the occasional scratch of quills on parchment and the soft rustling of pages. Draco’s focus was surprising—he wasn’t just idly pretending to work.

You stole a glance at him from behind your textbook, unable to help yourself. His usually sharp, guarded expression softened slightly in the dim light of the library, and the way he absentmindedly tapped his quill against the edge of his ink bottle was strangely endearing. 

“What?” he asked suddenly, not looking up but clearly catching you in the act. 

You snapped your gaze back to your parchment, your cheeks heating. “Nothing. Just surprised you’re actually working.” 

Draco smirked faintly, his quill pausing mid-scratch. “I told you, I’m full of surprises.” 

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at your lips as you returned to your work. 

You focused on your parchment, the rhythm of writing and flipping pages creating a peaceful backdrop. 

Every now and then, you’d exchange a wordless glance across the table—a raised eyebrow when Draco sighed in frustration at his essay or a subtle laugh when you dropped your book.

“Why does Snape insist on us writing essays on potion theories we’ll never use?” Draco muttered under his breath, breaking the quiet. His voice was low enough not to earn the librarian’s wrath, but it carried just enough irritation to make you stifle a laugh. 

“Probably because he enjoys watching us suffer,” you whispered back, unable to resist teasing him. 

Draco snorted softly, a rare but genuine reaction that made your heart skip a beat. “You might be onto something,” he said, his smirk widening as he leaned back slightly in his chair. 

You returned your focus to your work, but a few minutes later, Draco spoke again. 

“You’ve got ink on your nose,” he said casually, leaning forward with an amused glint in his eyes. 

“What?” You immediately raised a hand to your face, swiping at your nose. 

Draco shook his head. “Not there. Here.” 

Before you could react, he reached across the table, his fingers brushing against your skin as he wiped the spot just above the bridge of your nose. The gesture was so unexpected, so gentle, that you froze for a moment, your breath catching in your throat. 

“There,” he said softly, his voice almost tender. 

You managed a quiet “Thanks,” barely able to meet his gaze as heat flooded your cheeks. Draco didn’t comment, but you noticed the faintest flush creeping up his neck as he returned to his essay. 

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of quiet concentration, shared glances, and the occasional murmured exchange.

By the time you both decided to call it a night, the library had emptied out.As you packed up your things, Draco stood and waited for you, his posture relaxed but his eyes attentive. 

“Ready?” he asked, his voice low.

You nodded, slinging your bag over your shoulder. When you reached the staircase that would take you to your own rooms, Draco paused, glancing at you. 

“You work too hard,” he said after a moment, his tone light but his expression sincere. 

You tilted your head, meeting his gaze. “Says the person who just spent two hours in the library with me.” 

Draco smirked, his usual confidence returning. “What can i say ? I had a lot of free time.” 

Your heart fluttered at his words, and you couldn’t help but smile. “Goodnight, Draco.” 

“Goodnight,” he replied, his smirk softening into something warmer as he watched you descend the stairs. 

[bird-in-the-space]

The Siblings of Fate: Earthspark

Earthspark story version of the Siblings of Fate.

(Author's note: This got longer than planned, so I made separate headcanons. Just to let you know, I've only seen the first season of Earthspark. Also, I decided reader will take Carina's role, but you can use whatever name you want.)

Warnings: mentions of Mandroid's drones, fainting, hiding from GHOST, keeping secrets, con attacking, mild violence, forest fire, mentions of being former slaves, getting hunted, some angst, and fluff.

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

- It would all start with Alex buying a few bottles of perfume for Dorothy from Bria's Perfumes, a well-known perfume shop in Witwicky. 

- The Terrans would know very little about perfumes but love the scent when Dorothy shows them how perfumes work and lets them take a niff. 

- Then the Maltos and the Autobots would get strange readings about Mandroid’s spider drones and decide to investigate it. 

- Twitch, in all her carelessness, decided to chase after one of the spider drones when she saw one, separating herself from the others. She eventually followed the drone to a farm, where it suddenly collapsed when it came in contact with strange flower bushes planted at the edge of the farm. 

- Curious, Twitch came closer to one of these flowers, unknowingly getting puffed by the pollen which then caused her to feel incredibly faint. She transformed into her robot form and fell face-first to the ground, flickering between consciousness. Between light and darkness, a tall figure approached her and then sprayed her with something. 

- Her consciousness returned instantly and she was able to see the tall figure more clearly, who turned out to be a transformer. Bria, who had used some kind of spray to dispel the effects of the pollen, asked if she was all right and Twitch felt very confused by the situation. 

- Bria then explained what had happened and that the flower bushes around the farm were a special type of flower that produced pollen potent enough to mess with circuitry and shut down machinery. She had planted them to keep out the strange spider drones that started showing up on her family’s farm. 

- The two would introduce themselves, and Twitch would be very excited to meet a new transformer, especially one who was neither Autobot nor Decepticon. 

- Twitch would ask several questions and Bria would only giggle at the Terran’s enthusiasm, not minding answering the questions. Twitch would then recognize Bria for her perfumes and overflow with compliments for her work. Bria kindly took the compliments and felt glad that Dorothy liked the perfumes. 

- You and your siblings have actually been aware of the Autobots and Decepticons even before they became public. You decided among yourselves to keep yourself hidden for your safety and the safety of your human family. 

- Bria would then introduce your human family, the Ashwoods, to Twitch. Unfortunately, you were currently at work with your human partner Rory, and Lyra was waiting for your human little brother and friend, Tristan and Dovelyn to finish school. Aunt Julianne was attending the shops. So, the only ones at home would be Grandpa and Grandma Ash, who would not be surprised by Twitch. 

- The two would be very welcoming toward Twitch and the little Terran would get excited to know that their neighbor was also a human transformer family, expressing how she could not wait for her family to meet yours. 

- This would cause Bria to ask her to keep silent about you. You had lived in secrecy for some time and feared you would end up getting targeted by the GHOST, especially since they have become more aggressive toward your kind. You did not want to find out what they would do to neutrals.  

- Twitch would understand and promise to try to talk about your family discreetly. Bria would then give her a fresh sample of perfumes and flowers as a gesture of friendship to bring back to her family before bidding her farewell. 

- Twitch would then return to her very worried family since she disappeared for some time. They would then be curious when she brought back Bria’s gifts and shared about their neighbors, managing to be as discreet as possible, even though her active little brain wanted to spill out the secret. 

- When you and Lyra finally came back home, Bria would share about her meeting with the little Terrain. Lyra would be curious to meet this little transformer, but you would be worried since you knew about the Maltos through your park ranger job with Rory. You worked with Rory as a helicopter and jeep while using your holoform. You knew Dorothy when she first started at your job and found her pleasant, but later found out she worked with the Autobots and GHOST. 

- You suggested caution as it was already challenging to avoid getting detected by GHOST and your sisters agreed. 

- Twitch would be able to be discreet about your family. However, Bria did not tell her she could not bring her siblings to meet her and your family. Bria was startled when Twitch brought Robby, Mo, Bumblebee, and the rest of the Terrans to meet her but could not be angry about the reasoning. 

- Bumblebee would especially be surprised to meet her as she was neutral. However, after hearing Twitch tell how they met and how nice Bria and her family are, he deemed she was not a danger. The two would click and he would get a bit shy around her when she commented on his heroic deeds in the war. 

- This time, Lyra would come home early with Tristan and Dovelyn, meeting the Maltos and Bumblebee. Her sudden transformation would be a surprise, but when she saw them and gushed about how adorable they were, they would ease up to her easily. They would then later find out that she was a famed cover singer. 

- Tristan and Dovelyn were older than Robbie and Mo, but the two easily became friends with them and the Terrans. 

- Bumblebee would ask a lot of questions. Grandpa Ash would then share how he and his wife found you and your sisters hiding in their barn one day. You might have been aliens, but you were so scared that their hearts were turned and they took you in. Ever since that day, you and your sisters have been fundamental members of their family. All three of you participated in taking care of Tristan when his parents decided he would come live with you and his grandparents. 

- To Tristan, you three were his older sisters. 

- The Maltos would be touched by the bonds of your family, and ask about you since they had yet to meet you. Lyra and Bria would tell them that you worked with Rory as a park ranger and that you knew Dorothy. They assured them you would look out for her if something happened during her park ranger job. 

- The visit would be filled with different conversations, but the Maltos would soon notice odd similarities Lyra had with Optimus. Even though Lyra looked significantly different from Optimus, she shared some mannerisms and looks with him. It raised some questions, especially when Lyra said that she knew who Optimus was, but wasn’t related to him. 

- It was a kind of a disappointment to the Maltos as Lyra looked like she could be his secret sparkling.

- When the visit came to an end, Bumblebee and the Maltos promised to keep you a secret from the Autobots and GHOST since they were in a similar situation. 

- However, Lyra’s similarity with Optimus would keep bugging them, long enough to even ask Optimus if he had relatives he didn’t know about. This would both confuse and arouse suspicion in the Autobot leader, especially when the youngsters would not tell him the reason for the sudden question.

- The Maltos would occasionally visit your family farm, especially since Robbie and Mo were now friends with Tristan and Dovelyn. 

- You were often at work, and Lyra would be doing her own thing outside the farm, so Bria would be the one to meet them whenever they visited. 

- Bumblebee especially liked making small talk with her and the Maltos would tease him for having a little crush on Bria. 

- They finally met you when things got out of hand at your park ranger job. It also caused you and your sisters to be discovered by Optimus and the other Autobots. 

- It started out as a calm day, but then one of Mandroid’s drones showed up, causing trouble and making Dorothy take action. In the heat of a moment, a rogue con showed up and caused a forest fire that spread fast. You and Rory managed to handle the situation and the woods suffered minimum fire damage. But when you saw one of the Terrans get targeted by the con, it forced you to transform and save them before they could get hurt, revealing yourself to them and the Autobots. 

- The Maltos would marvel as you endured the hit like it was nothing, also because you looked very much like Megatron. The rogue con would be frightened by your appearance and run away, leaving you alone with the kids and Terrans. 

- “You are the Maltos, right?” you asked as they looked at you. 

- When the situation was finally under control, you officially introduced yourself to the Maltos and the Autobots. 

- Optimus and Megatron would be really shocked by your appearance but when Rory backed you up, telling them how long you had worked together as park rangers. The two leaders were convinced that you weren't an enemy.

-However, they would be full of questions, especially when you looked similar to Megatron. The former deception leader would even question himself if you two were somehow related. 

- You knew the real truth about why you looked similar to him, and since, your existence was already revealed to them, you asked them to talk somewhere private and called your sisters. 

- You would meet at the Maltos and your sisters would finally officially meet with Optimus and the Autobots. 

- You then finally revealed your origins and the reason why you and Lyra looked so much alike to them is because you two were clones from their spark samples. 

- The revelation would shock them, but when Wheeljack took samples from you and Lyra, he told them you were telling the truth. You two were their clones. 

- You explained how you were created by the Quintessons in one of their labs, intended to be used as warriors for their enemies. Optimus and Megatron would then remember the time when they were once captured by them and pieced the timing. You then shared how you and Lyra were considered failures and were thrown into the hunting grounds of Quintessa which you then managed to escape and come to Earth, starting a new life. 

- The bots would feel sympathy since they knew how cruel Quintessons could be and that you three used to be slaves. Your human names were the first real names you had and Earth had been your first real home. You didn’t even know anything about Cybertron. 

- Megatron would feel upset for you due to his past as a miner. He knew what it was like to live and be treated like a lesser being, so he understood what you went through. He would convince Optimus that there was no need to take custody of you or your sisters. 

- The Maltos and your family would back you up, not giving Optimus even a chance to consider following GHOST’s rules. 

- Not that he would have put innocent transformers behind bars, but he agreed that you and your family would be kept a secret from GHOST. 

- It would then start a beautiful friendship between your family and the Autobots. 

- Lyra would easily bond with Elita over a combat training session. Elita would be impressed by Lyra’s fighting skills and start teaching her a trick or two. The two would be good friends and the bots would start questioning Lyra being Optimus’s clone as she was anything but like Optimus. 

- You and Megatron would end up spending a lot of time. When you got over the introduction parts, you would tell him a lot about your passion for Earth’s literary culture. Megatron would listen and share things he knew about Cybertron’s literature, which you listened eagerly as you wanted to know more about Cybertron. 

- Bria and Bumblebee would end up spending a lot of time with each other, but Bria would get excited when Wheeljack showed interest in her energon flower project. He would offer his help and feel impressed with her knowledge of Earth’s flora. Bumblebee would know very little about what was happening when the two got the conversation going. 

- All would be good, but the Decepticons would be worried about the news that there was another Megatron on Earth.

[estuaryghoul]

Ghoul Summoning Lore

The ghouls come from Hell, obviously. Copia was never really sure of the process, at least before he starting leading the band. He was only a Cardinal, he didn't ask questions (lie, he always asked questions lmao). Turns out the process was rather horrifying, especially once he realized Terzo had been right about how /human the ghouls are. Imperator always said they were animals, less even. Terzo's infatuation with them disgusted her. But she was wrong.

They took them as children, Copia learned. He was still unsure of of who They were, but that didn't matter. They were brought to a place in Hell known as The Factory, manmade, at least hypothetically. Here they are trained. Forced to walk upright, be obedient, silent. Master their elemental instrument, but supress the element. They are kept tightly bound (magically), their minds a total fog. The Factory feels like a dream, but also an unending cycle that lasts aeons.

There are two kinds of ghoul, ministry and band. Three if you counted Phil, enigmatic bastard. The ministry are moulded to become Sister's vision, practically inanimate objects. They cannot speak, cannot think, can only obey orders. They help with menial tasks around the church. There are not many, but it's hard to tell. They all look and act the same. Blank. Their eyes have no light, it never used to bother Copia, but once he began leading the band, seeing how lively they truly could be, it was like being surrounded by moving corpses. Probably the creepiest part about them, besides their silent appearances behind you, was their... room. It wasn't a bedroom, more of an old storage room or armory or /something. It was a windowless hall where they were kept when not at use. They would stand in silent, orderly lines. Like a room of mannequins. Looming eerily in the darkness, the only movement the tracking of their dull eyes as Copia passed through. He knew they only watched out or obedience, waiting for orders, but it was creepy as fuck. He avoided that hall.

The band ghouls however, while he was lead to believe they were the same, were very different. Sister said they were like animatronics on stage, just objects pretending to be human, but even she knew that was a lie. They had /personality. They didn't stand silently and unmoving while waiting for band practice to begin, instead silently looking at one enough, tending to their instruments, even messing with each other. Some of them would even playfully ignore Copia's instructions, averting their eyes and flicking their tails slyly. Honestly it was kind of like hearding cats when they got bored, though a visit from Sister or one of her Board was quick to straighten them out. Still however, they could not talk. Hisses, small vocalizations, growls, yes, but words? Nothing. Only the backup singers could "speak", whispery voices that sounded like an eery mimicking of human speech without Copia's voice over it. But still, unless they were singing, they could not speak.

Music has life, soul. It is an expression of one's self, a way to connect unique to itself. Perhaps that effects the ones playing it, writing it. Perhaps the soul must be freed more than the opressor would like, for the tool to be used. Phil didn't like to speak clearly, preferring to answer questions with questions, long-winding riddles, opaque references. It was a puzzle to speak to him, which Copia secretly enjoyed. He didn't treat him like he was stupid, wouldn't hold his hand to lead him to an answer. If you wanted to understand, truly, you must think for yourself. Phil would provide pieces, you must put them together yourself.

Phil himself was an outlier. If one didn't know, they would assume he was a member of the human staff. The only thing that gave it away was the ghoul mask he wore, just like the others. Copia had never seen his face, but he had heard the long pointed mask was based off of it, though that was legend that Phil pointedly would neither confirm nor deny. He was Imperator's right hand man, the band manager, a connection between human and demon. He was the first to be summoned, before The Factory, before the band. A crossroads demon, the story went, who Imperator managed to trap. Bound to an eternity of service to the church. He was the only ghoul allowed to speak, but that did little for him. Everything he said, heard, did, saw, was subject to be reported back to Imperator. She owned him, he was her spy. Nobody trusted him, not even her. Copia thought this was bullshit however, Imperator had left him with the ghoul while she worked far too many times as a child, and he had grown attached to the curt bastard. He has taught him chess when he was six, by ruthlessly beating him over and over until he learned to strategize. Always encouraged him to read, expand his mind, ask questions. Even when talking to that long-ago child, Phil was not clear. He didn't dumb down his sentences, didn't make his puzzles any easier to understand. It was rewarding to have a conversation with him, Copia felt. When the pieces finally clicked, it felt like winning a game. He was the only one who felt this way. Sister was eternally frustrated with the lack of clarity from her so-called spy. His forced nature as an earpiece was dangerous, no doubt. Many things made it back to her that others would've preferred to die in secret, but when things mattered, when Copia asked questions he shouldn't... Somehow the answers were cleverly twisted when reporting to hide his secrets. Phil pretended not to care about anything or anyone, but Copia was almost certain he at least has a soft spot for him and the band. Yeah, maybe he had a hand in ruthlessly killing them off when Imperator's whims changed, but just maybe...

[lollytea]

I need to watch Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure to reach my final conclusion on if she's even attracted to men

[mcytegg]

OKAY WAIT i am watching hannah's vod and she was the one who broke up w leo omg. she was the first to say that after he died and came back, theyre not teammates anymore. she also aired their relationship issues out by scolding leo and expressing how upset he made her in getting himself banned in front of multiple people who kinda just walked away ToT

[stupidvillainousposts]

YES! YES! YES! I Have Been Waiting for This Question!

So, Fidds brings up later, about two days after the fishing trip. He's reminded about the comment after hearing a character on TV talk about the way another character died. (Big Ol' Trigger Warning for Attempted S**cide/Self-Harm Mention)

Fidds: Stanley, could we talk about somethin', honey?

Stan: Yeah, sure. What's up?

Fidds: Ah, actually, I was hopin' we could have this conversation in private.

Stan: *Nervously Looks at the Pups and Ford* Uh... why?

Fidds: Stanley, please.

Stan: Okay! Okay! *Moves to Follow Fidds Upstairs* So... what important thing did I chew this time?

Fidds, holding back tears: *Whimpers and Covers His Mouth*

Stan, instantly concerned: Whoa! Hey! What's wrong, baby? What happened? Are you hurt?

Fidds, shakily: N-no! No, I'm not... oh, lord, I was hopin' this would be easier while we were alone! *Accidentally Lets Out a Sob*

Stan: *Pulls Fidds Into a Protective Hug* Hey, c'mon Honey Bunches, talk to me. What's wrong?

Fidds: *Through Shaky Breaths* Stanley, I... I have to... fuck, why is this so hard?!

Stan: Why is what so hard?

Fidds: ASKIN' YA WHY!

Stan, now incredibly confused: Why what?

Fidds: Why did ya try t'- Why ya tried... gosh, I don't even know how t' ask! How many times, how many ways, what even pushed ya so far as t'... *Shudders at the Thought*

Stan, suddenly catching on: Oh... Fidds...

Fidds: Please, I need t' know. Who hurt ya, made ya feel like all ya had left was...?

Stan: It... wasn't just one person. Not even one thing, honestly. I had lotsa stuff going on back then, b-but I promise that I haven't tried recently!

Fidds, nuzzling into Stan's chest: When was the last time?

Stan, after a brief hesitation: When the portal first failed. I downed half a bottle of off-brand Xanax I'd stashed for... personal reasons. But I forced it up seconds after, made myself think of how much it would hurt you, how disappointed Ford would be if I... y'know.

Fidds: *Hugs Stan Tighter* Was I doing somethin' wrong? Is that why ya didn't consider talkin'?

Stan: Oh, no, no; baby, I wanted to tell you so badly, but you were already under so much stress, had gone through so much with the transformation and... I didn't want to add on to that.

Fidds: Stanley, no matter what I'm goin' through, I could be pissed off beyond belief, but if ya feel like yer strugglin', I'd drop everythin' t' help.

Stan, slightly uncomfortable: *Chuckles Stiffly* Y'know, I think this is the most I've ever heard you curse. Outside of the bedroom, anyway.

Fidds, sternly: Stanley, I'm serious. Ya don't gotta worry about me judgin' ya or pityin' ya, or anythin' along those lines. I'm here with ya, always. Through thick and thin, t' the moon and back.

Stan: *Trying to Keep a Tough Face* Yeah, I know. And I'll work on it, if it happens again. Not saying that it's gonna! I'm doing better now, with you and the pups and Ford.

Fidds: Stanley, the town forces ya t' wear a muzzle and shock collar anytime ya want t' go into town.

Stan: Okay, so not better, better. But it could be worse. Someone could hire a hitman, right?

Fidds: *Sighs and Kisses Stan's Chest* I think I'm ready t' end this conversation now.

Stan: Yeah, ditto.

Fidds: Just... one last thing?

Stan: Yeah, of course.

Fidds: Try t' talk t' me when it gets bad in any way. Yeah?

Stan: Alright. Alright, yeah.

Neither of them brought up the topic again, even after Fidds caught Stan sitting on their bed with a gun in his hands

[astro-b-o-y-d]

How pissed do you think Shermie was when he found out about what really happened with Stan and Ford???

[thats-a-lot-of-cortisol]

My mom just sent a message to the family group chat suggesting that my siblings download the 'For the Strength of Youth' magazine on their Gospel Library app and talked about how much the youth magazines helped her testimony growing up and like, cool. Fine. Don't know why the 'sending random spiritual thoughts in the gc' thing started out of nowhere when it hadn't been a thing for a decade but this is just another one of those, and you're ofc allowed to talk about things that are significant in your life.

I don't think sending the 'What I Did When Someone Close to Me Challenged My Faith' article right afterwards was strictly necessary though 🙃

[viir-tanadhal]

i was going to post about this but then forgot but anyway i feel like it really is the case that the reason neil and chris have been still going for over 40 years and haven't had a major falling out or break is because of the nature of how much they respect each other both on a personal level and also a working partnership level

[lgbtlunaverse]

I've seen a good number of people ask a question along the lines of "why do characters like Falin and hate Laios when they're so similar?" and i've also seen good analysis on the differences in how the touden siblings carry themselves that would, despite their shared traits, make a person gravitate to one more than the other.

But i feel like we've overseen one very central thing here.

People don't like Falin

Like... the average person in dungeon meshi doesn't like Falin. She was deeply ostrasized by her home village, in magic school she had zero friends before Marcille and the others generally saw her as strange and a bit offputting.

Characters like Namari and Chilchuck like her well enough but not necessarily more than any other member of their party, including Laios. Neither Kabru nor his party think much of her. The canaries don't give a fuck about her. Toshiro's retainers don't see her as anything else than the weird foreign girl their boss has a crush on.

The reason we think everyone loves Falin is because, despite all the indifferent side characters, the 2 most important and central characters of the story are Laios and Marcille. Who are NOT representative of the average attitudes to Falin! But necromancy georg number 1 and 2 are our main eyes into the story and they love Falin so much that it colours our perspective of the whole world.

The only side character who qualifies as liking Falin and not Laios is Toshiro (at least at first, as he ends the story on much better terms with Laios) and that says a lot about his character, with him drifting to the quiet Falin precisely because of her oddness but being both uncomfortable with and deeply jealous of Laios' much more open expression of that oddness. Because he's a repressed guy from a culture where etiquette is incredibly important.

But like I said, that's a specific aspect of him, not to the world at large.

Because there's also people that click more with laios than with Falin.

Kabru, for one, who is initially distrustful of laios but clearly also deeply fascinated by him and drawn to him.

Minor spoilers, and you don't have to read too deeply into this, because I don't think Kabru particularly dislikes Falin or anything. But it's interesting that when he talks about his distrust of the toudens in ch.32 he's talking about them both. But his big friendship declaration in chapter 76 is aimed squarely at Laios, he doesn't say "you and your sister" he says "you"

And Senshi!! He instantly clicks with Laios, well before he does so with anyone else in the party– who he also becomes friends with, it just takes a bit longer– specifically because they bond over their shared special interest in monsters!! Senshi is kind towards Falin and cares for her wellbeing, but he also... doesn't know her. The reason he is even here, helping to save her, is because he and Laios bonded over monsters and he wants to help his new friends out!

Of course, the theme of neurodivergent isolation is very present in Laios' story. I'm not denying that. He does turn people off, without meaning to and unable to fully understand why! But so does Falin. And just like there are people who like her despite of or even because of those traits, there are people who do the same with him.

In conclusion: "Average person loves Falin and hates Laios" factoid actually statistical error. Average person is neutral on both Falin and Laios. Georcille, Laiorg and Geoshiro, who live in the dungeon and think over 10,000 Falin-loving thoughts a day, are statistical outliers adn should not have been counted.

[somnoir]

My father's secretary

Danny Fenton did not expect to be secretary material but after 7 years of being a hero and having Jazz as his elder sister, he was damn good at it. He needed a job, he knew that, and Wayne Enterprises was willing to hire a 21 year old taking online college classes for aerospace engineering.

And he was fucking thankful for that cause Mr. Wayne was pretty neat and bought him good food and coffee whenever he looked out of it. Half his family were already in Gotham with only his parents in Amity. They were finally reformed and now their research finally advocated for the rights of ghosts and spread awareness on their culture. Good for them.

Jazz and Dante were in Arkham working as a psychologist and guard. Elle was still in school, enrolled into Gotham Academy once Vlad insisted on paying her tuition. To be fair, he was paying for Danny's tuition too.

But back to his secretary duties. His boss was Bruce Wayne, yes, but he did often work with the man's son and the current CEO. Tim was nice and had the same caffeine addiction as him. (Jazz highly discouraged this friendship in case they both made a monstrosity of coffee and energy drinks.)

But Mr. Wayne was the best. He was rather clumsy and a bit airheaded but he was the best fucking boss he could ever ask for. The man's paternal instincts were on point and Danny was almost intimidated when the man started handing him extra cash whenever Danny came to the office looking more tired than usual. When that failed, Mr. Wayne resorted to giving him more material things.

Now, he doesn't want to take advantage of this ridiculously kind man with a lack of self preservation (God, was this what Jazz felt about him?). But Mr. Wayne had given him this amazing coffee maker and then proceeded to give Danny the best toaster ever. And Danny has always been known to resolutely be against Billionaires adopting him. But Mr. Wayne?

Danny had honed his back talking skills to perfection to talk down arrogant elites that kept demanding for his boss. He mastered his customer service voice and that condescending look he saw the receptionists give people like they were tantruming toddlers. Danny was ready to fight for that man (Vlad was choking somewhere as the Fentons worriedly look at him).

Jason has heard about Danny Fenton a couple of times. Tim, Dick, and Bruce had mentioned him a lot. Bruce's new secretary that looked like he'd woken up from a coma and was comparable to a grumpy cat on his best days. He's seen the guy a couple times, noticed how he was almost as tall as Jason. Honestly, he kinda looked like a twig (but then that was because of Danny's suit that he made sure didn't completely fit him).

Seriously. Danny was willing to fucking fight anyone and everyone for Bruce Wayne.

The guy was strange. Very strange. Especially when the pits seemed to either become frantic or calm whenever he was around. It depended on the situation really, but mostly the pits grew calmer around Fenton. Like a cat that finally saw its favorite person. It was so weird.

He was drawn to Fenton, sometimes finding himself walking towards the man before he snaps out of it.

It's on this day where Danny was by Bruce's side, a stylus and tablet in hand. He was furiously tapping away at his phone, cursing under his breath about bothersome and stuck up cialiteses.

"Jason!" Bruce happily greets, "Don't mind Danny for a bit. He's telling of some investors for trying to meddle with the company. Tim is too sleep deprived to handle it."

"Where is Tim?"

"Danny threatened to throw the company's coffee maker out the window if he doesn't take a nap." Bruce chuckles, glancing fondly at his fiesty secretary. "Danny?"

"Give me a minute, Mr. Wayne. Some people are trying to squeeze into your schedule when I specifically told them that they can't." Danny says, clearly irritated but looks at Bruce with an apologetic gaze. "No—Mr. Luthor, neither Mr. Drake nor Mr. Wayne are available on that day—"

And it dissolved into Danny telling of what Jason assumes was Lex Luthor to stop his attempts. In other words, corporate for Fuck off.

"He's good, isn't he?" Jason humms as he follows Bruce down the hall, glancing at the tired employees that looked utterly exhausted and horrifically motivated. "Looks like adoption bait."

"Unfortunately, Danny is a very much against Billionaires adopting him. His godfather is one and has attempted multiple times." Bruce sighs, feigning a sorrowful look as he sends Danny a small pout. "What did you do when he tried the fifth time again?"

"I blew up his car, Mr. Wayne." Danny nonchalantly says, "But that only made him want to adopt me more."

Jason blinks, baffled before he's laughing at the utter absurdity of the situation.

"That sounds similar to—"

Gunshots tore through the air as people immediately screamed. At the entrance of the building was the Joker in all his insanity, guns blazing. Jason froze, sucking in a deep breath as he took one step back. They weren't in costume, they weren't the Red Hood and Batman in that moment.

"Nightwing, Robin, and Spoiler are on their way." Oracle says through the comms but that doesn't comfort him in the slightest.

It's chaos in moments and people are ducking their heads to avoid the bullets. Jason and Bruce look right at each other, taking cover as bullets ruin the walls and furniture. But Bruce is dragged from his spot, pulled towards the Joker who laughs maniacally as he pressed a gun against Bruce's head.

"Mr. Wayne!" Many people yell as they all stared in horror as the Joker threatens Gotham's beloved prince.

Jason immediately remembers an explosion and a crowbar.

(Reminder, Danny Fenton was very much ready to go to war for Bruce Wayne).

A tablet and a stylus was suddenly shoved into his arms. Jason blinks, turning to Danny who tugs at his tie and rummages through the counter for something. The Joker sees this, clearly irritated.

"You! Eyes on me!" The Joker practically demands, hysterical that not everyone was paying attention.

Danny apparently doesn't give a damn before looking the Joker straight in the eye.

"Eyes in me." Danny repeats.

A second later something was thrown and a cutter was cutting through the Joker's eye.

Jason gaped at the seemingly harmless secretary, unable to comprehend that this man had just thrown a fucking cutter into the Joker's eye.

Bruce is set free.

Everyone is frozen in place.

Everyone watched as Bruce Wayne's tired and overworked secretary beats the shit out of the Joker, saying something about how he wasn't going to lose a good boss.

No one particularly knows what to do once Danny pulls out the cutter with the Jokers blood and... Fucking shit, was that his eyeball?!

Dick and Damian arrived at some point, also too shocked to do anything. When Danny was done and satisfied, with the Joker still alive, groaning and whimpering from the pain that Danny inflicted.

As if he hadn't almost killed the Joker, Danny turns to them with a tired smile.

"Mr. Wayne, I implore you not to die. I can't lose the best boss that I've had." He plainly says and takes the tablet and stylus back from Jason.

Jason thinks he might just marry this feral man.

Yeah.

Yeah, he was definitely going to marry Danny Fenton.

Part 2 | Masterpost

[femonologue]

Many years ago, I was wandering around downtown Ottawa with my best friend. We ran into a friend of his who offered us some hash (it sucked), then said there was a really good house party nearby if we wanted to go. We were like, yeah, sure. So that's how we ended up at some completely fucking random person's house.

I look around to ask if my friend knows anyone here and he's simply gone, as is his friend. And this isn't some red solo cup hangout; this is a party. There's people counting out pills on the kitchen counter. I am clearly neither as cool nor as drug-savvy as the kitchen people, so I back away and instead wander aimlessly into the living room, which seems to give off more of a chill vibe.

A bunch of people are seated in a circle on the floor. One of them is fiddling with a big wad of newspaper or something. A really cute grunge girl with piercings and tattoos scoots aside to make room for me, so I sit down.

"What's that," I ask her, gesturing at the newspaper wad.

She gets a really big smile on her face. You know the smile. It's the I'm About To Watch This Innocent Soul Get High As Fuck smile. "You've never smoked a tulip?"

"What's a tulip?" I ask.

"It's like if a joint was also a bong," she replies. "You gotta try it."

"Alright," I reply, a little uncertainly. This will not be my first encounter with weed. I am more comfortable with the janky newspaper bong than I am with whatever the fuck is going on in the kitchen. Besides, this girl is really cute and I would like to have a friend here now that my existing friend has turned into vapor or been transported to the Upside-Down or whatever the hell happened to him.

I watch as one person holds the newspaper joint-bong upright and holds a lighter over the top while another gets beneath it, tilting their head back to take a puff. Apparently smoking this Cheech & Chong monstrosity is a two-person job.

"Oh," I say, looking at the fist-sized knob at the top of the wonky newspaper joint. "Yeah, it does kinda look like a tulip." Grunge girl smiles at me.

I watch as the tulip is passed around the circle, along with the lighter, and hits are cooperatively taken. It reaches grunge girl, who takes a huge puff and holds it for an extended moment before exhaling an impressive blast of smoke. She smiles expectantly and holds the tulip up for me, preparing to spark the gigantic meteor of dank that makes up its tip. By this point I have completely forgotten about my missing friend. I only care about making a good impression on grunge girl. I tilt my head back and hit the tulip like a smokestack.

It is the following morning. I am sleeping between a couch and a wall. I'm not positive that this is the same house I was just in. My memories are gone. Someone is yelling at me: "dude! Dude! Wake up, dude!"

I sit up. My mouth tastes like cigarettes. I do not smoke cigarettes. "Wha," I ask the yelling man, who I am quite confident I have never met before in my life.

"We're going on a quest," he tells me, gravely. "You have to come with us."

I look around. Neither my friend nor his friend are anywhere in sight. I also do not see grunge girl anywhere. I shrug helplessly. "Okay."

We embark from this house. I learn that the destination of this quest is Tim Horton's. This is a relief to me, as coffee and a donut sounds really fucking good right now. Somehow, the route to Tim Horton's takes us past the Governor-General's residence, which everyone else in the group loudly heckles on the way past. I do not know what the Governor-General has done to raise their ire, nor do I particularly care. I trudge along with my hands in my pockets, pleased to note that I still have my wallet, phone, and keys. I fervently wish that I could remember anything about last night. Maybe I talked to grunge girl. Maybe she's why my mouth tastes like cigarettes. The tulip tasted nothing like cigarettes.

I am asked about my politics. I voice my frustrations with corporate corruption, the pay-to-win electoral system, the lack of transparency and accountability. This is met with great approval. The guy who was yelling at me claps me on the back. I get the impression that we became friends last night. I don't recognize his face. I do not know his name and he definitely does not know mine. I behave as though we're friends anyway. We are comrades on a quest.

By the time we make it to Tim Hortons, the gaggle of stoners I'm walking with have all run out of energy and/or attention span. People order snacks and break away in pairs or solo, to call for rides or plan the day's events or just vegetate and wait for the drugs to leave their systems. I look around and find that my nameless friend has also gone to the Upside-Down. As I wash the cigarette taste out of my mouth with coffee, I unsuccessfully try to remember whether I saw grunge girl smoking tobacco at any point. I remember nothing. That tulip was so fucking powerful that it instantly sent me a whole day forward in time.

Alone in the city, I try to call my best friend and get no answer. I walk to the nearest bus stop, catch a bus most of the way home, and call up my parents to ask for a ride back. They ask where my friend is. I tell them that I have no idea; we went to a house party and I don't remember anything else.

When they pick me up from the bus station, they ask me some very safe, nonspecific questions, and seem to relax when I describe what little I can remember. It isn't until years later that I realize they were probably terrified I'd gotten rufied or something, and were so relieved to learn otherwise that they didn't even bother chiding me for smoking myself unconscious in an effort to impress a strange woman. In any case, they were probably happy to find out that I did, in fact, like girls; I suspect they had been privately wondering whether I was gay.

After getting home, I finally manage to get my best friend to answer his phone. I discover that he tried the kitchen pills, spent most of the night crossing the entire city on foot, and crashed at his cousin's house. He sounds like shit. I tell him that he should have tried the tulip, instead. He fervently agrees with me.

I never see grunge girl again.

That's okay, though. She got to see a clueless stranger get fucked the entire way up on some ungodly strain of giga-weed, and I got smiled at by a cute girl, and then I got to go on a quest. Wherever grunge girl is, I hope she's happy. I hope she's smoking the fattest fucking blunt and smiling as some kid passes out behind a couch.

[timetravellingkitty]

everyday i see clueless westerners (especially white people) peddle thinly veiled hindutva propaganda which they wouldn't know cause they know absolutely nothing about what goes on in india. so here are some signs that that the person you're talking to is a hindu nationalist:

they either do not acknowledge casteism or claim that caste is a western construct. my personal favourite however is dismissing anyone bringing up caste discrimination by saying that the indian constitution outlaws untouchability. they may also bring up the fact that the prime minister belongs to an other backwards class (obc) so clearly india has moved on from caste and hindutva isn't only for the upper castes. they possess a shallow understanding of caste

harping on about "islamic colonisation" : no, the mughals did not colonise india. when you point this out, they will immediately assume that you think muslim invaders were innocent beings who did nothing wrong, which is very much not what anyone is claiming here

while we're on the topic of "islamic colonisation" they will also refer to the demolishing of muslim sites of heritage and worship and then building hindu temples over them as "decolonisation" (cough cough ram mandir) the hindu right also goes around pretending that they're the indigenous people of india

along a similar vein, they will dismiss islamophobia by bringing up instances of hindu oppression in countries like pakistan and bangladesh. it is true that hindus are persecuted in these two countries, however they are used to fuel their oppression complex, that their upper caste hindu self is under attack in india of all places (think a white christian in the united states). you should be in solidarity with minorities everywhere. it is neither transactional or conditional (note: they will never bring up sri lanka. persecution of hindus exists only when the oppressors are muslim)

claiming that hindu nationalism and hindutva are not the same because hindutva means "hindu-ness". that is only the literal translation of the term. like it or not, they're the same thing

they support the indian military occupation of kashmir. they will call it an integral part of kashmir, one reason which will be "hinduism is indigenous to kashmir." they will also bring up the last maharaja of kashmir signing the instrument of accession as further proof, as if the consent of the people was taken

they're zionists. do i even need to explain this. hindutva is just zionism for hindus

they refer to buddhism and jainism (sikhism too sometimes) as branches of hinduism rather than separate, distinct religions

they condemn any resistance to the indian govt as a burden or terrorism (like calling the farmers who are currently protesting a hindrance or terrorists. funny how sikhs are the same as hindus when they support hindu causes but terrorists when they resist oppression...)

they call you a pseudo liberal or a fake leftist. i'm telling you, they don't know jackshit. they can't even tell the difference between a liberal and a leftist and call US unread lmao. bonus points if they call you a liberandu or a sickular 💀

they call india "bharat" when they talk in english. there are in fact multiple indian languages that call india bharat or bharatam, but if they say bharat while talking in english, that is absolutely a hindu nationalist no questions asked

please do your due diligence. read up on hindutva. hindu nationalists have already started making gains in the united states, thanks to rich upper caste nris. do not fall for propaganda