#I am at the same time fascinated and horrified

[asmuchasidliketo]

Apart from the "if you're feeling depressed suck it up and remember you must always look your best" this is pretty good. However, I find a big (and surprising, giving the source) problem with this: there is no talk about sanitary products.

I mean. Kotex. You sell them. Why not use this edutainment video to advertise your brand?

Especially if it can help young girls plan their days.

Thinking of the graphic novel Pucelle (sadly not translated in English, afaik) by Florence Dupré la Tour - the biographic story of child and teenage years of a girl with little to no sexual education... despite being born in 1978.

...Okay, here's a terrifying concept. A co-production between Disney and Kotex.

[dcxdpdabbles]

It's all Fun and Games Kids! Part 2

#HolidayRequests First off absolutely love your work and I'm so happy to show that by sending my support. I am not at all requesting all three just one of them. So dealer's choice. Congratulations! It's Triplets!, It's all Fun and Games Kids, or the Missing Half

Danny was buying some groceries when five armed men rushed in and demanded everyone to get on the ground. He stood by the milk, watching in fascination as the men gathered everyone near the back.

It didn't seem any of them were affiliated with big rouges, which could mean this was either a gang-related power grab or a couple of men looking for a quick buck.

They were likely taking hostages because they had messed up their big getaway and were now trying to make desperate leverage against law enforcement.

"I said get on the ground!" A man shouts behind Danny seconds before he is smacked with the butt of a gun. He hits the ground with a slight oof, but otherwise, he is okay. The same can't be said for his milk carton.

It splats in one large puddle, landing on the side and ripping a hole in the bottom corner. Hmm, that was a cheap carton. He should consider switching over to a different brand. He is then dragged to his feet and led towards a group of cowering people.

They were pushed against the vegetable bins and ordered to sit right under them so their backs were against the wood and the guards could limit their movement. It was brilliant, too, as being under the bins made it harder to see them for anyone attempting to rescue them.

Danny is shoved next to a trembling woman under the tomatoes, holding her hands against her mouth, muttering something low in Spanish. He doesn't know enough to translate what she says, but he figures it must be a prayer.

He offers her a smile. "First time?"

The look she sends him could have curdled dairy. He gives a small laugh, crossing his legs and getting comfortable. She returns to his prayers, and the two don't speak after that. Danny watches the armed men and realizes they're not new to this but aren't good at it.

These are the type of men who joined gangs for glory. The kind that would report violence at the drop of a hat and didn't care who they hurt in the process. Or worse, they enjoyed when they hurt people in the process, even if those people had nothing to do with them.

Danny frowns after a while, realizing that the men haven't looted them or emptied the cash registers. What were they after?

The store employees were all moved from the back of the store, their matching lime green uniforms an eye sore. They all wore the same horrified expressions as the group was forced to sit between the tomatoes and the onions.

The youngest one, a teenager who looked no older than eighteen, was wearing a black shirt with stripped lime lines, and Danny quickly figured out he was the manager. He was sobbing quietly, bruises on his face and around his neck indicating that the armed men had identified him as well.

Danny felt a spark of protective rage.

The manager sat beside Danny, so the Halfa scouted over, eyeing the men with the guns as he carefully slid his hand into the boy's palm. It was a testament to how scared the poor kid was when all he did was curl his fingers around his, tears rolling down his beaten face.

It made him wonder why, seeing as the other shoppers and employees did not have any indications that they had been attacked. It couldn't have been retaliation for trying to be a hero. No offense to the teenager, but he didn't strike Danny as someone brave or stupid enough to try to fight back.

If anyone, he looked more like someone who would hide in situations like these.

That's it. He realizes, watching how the men make head gestures at the manger. This isn't some off-chance hostage situation. This is a revenge plan. The kid's the target and these idiots are too low in command to realize it. No way they would have brought him out here if they did. Someone will come for him soon.

The teen had dark raven hair and the same pale skin as Danny, but his eyes were as black as coal compared to Danny's aqua blue. It might not work, but he was better equipped to handle whatever they threw at him until the bats or the police arrived.

He carefully lets go of the hand in his hold, running his fingers up the arm of the teen, keeping his eyes trained on the gunmen. He's doing it slowly, worried any sudden or fast moves will convince them to pull the triggers on their assault rifles.

The boy's breath hitches but thankfully doesn't blow their cover. The tremble in his limb has increased, and Danny wouldn't have felt bad about it had he not been on a time crunch. Eventually, his fingers brushed against the short sleeve of the manager's uniform.

"Listen carefully. You were just here to buy some groceries. You never worked here." He whispers, curling his fingers around the fabric and turning the polo shirt intangible. He pulls it right off the teenager's body in one quick swipe.

It slides off the boy's skin like water, and the second he slides it through him, Danny returns it to solid, letting it settle on top of his clothes. He quickly covers the teenager's naked chest with his own long-sleeve shirt, using the same method.

The boy's mouth drops, but he doesn't get a chance to respond before the armed men walk over to them. Danny pushes his head down, hoping to hide the bruises while hunting his own, using his hair to curtain his face.

Just in time, too, because the Halfa is yanked to his feet by two of the men, who sneer at him, and he lets the proper amount of whimpers when they backhand him and bang his head on the bin.

Danny is dragged out of the room while the third man threatens the people. He'll come back for them the second he has a chance.

"You thought you could hide in Gotham, Eric?" One of the men hisses, "After what your Daddy did? Half of my boys are rotting in cells for life because of him! "

Eric was likely in witness protection or had wronged a powerful man he shouldn't have. Maybe he was in an organized gang and had ratted someone out. There was no way Danny was letting these men get away.

They drag him towards the back, where a group of similarly dressed men and women are waiting. Glances at everything through his hair, wondering how long he had before someone realized they got the wrong person.

Maybe they wouldn't notice before they shoved him into the ain't oven; they were obviously planning on burning him in. Which would be the perfect place to shift into Phantom out of prying eyes. He had spent months chasing Batman as a regular love-stroke citizen.

He couldn't let all those dramatic swoons and pathetic flirtations go to waste by revealing he was a powerful meta now! Plus, how else would he be rescued by a hero if the man knew he could just do it himself?

He was forced to stand in the room with two guards gripping is his shoulders hard enough to bruise. Danny doesn't raise his gaze away from his shoes, so even though he knows someone is standing near the oven to give him a dramatic monologue, he won't look.

A minute passes before someone clicks their tongue.

"Nothing to say, brat!?" A kick to the back of his knees has Danny falling to his knees, gritting his teeth to stop himself from going ghost immediately. "Do you know what I'm going to-"

Whatever the man was going to say was cut off by a figure launching itself from the ceiling railing and kicking him in the back of the head.

Danny flinches as a body drops right next to him. There is a splash of blood as one of the men wails. Danny offers him a cheeky grin once the man rolls over and looks up into his face.

His wide eyes are stomped on by a dark boot surrounded by a fluttering cape, and the second pair of hands on his shoulder vanishes. Danny listens to the sound of battle, keeping his hair in his face and his eyes on his folded knees. He could get up and hide, but where would the fun be?

His favorite pass time has arrived.

"Are you alright?" The familiar voice growls, but Danny doesn't respond. It was too far away. The man needed to get closer.

Eventually, the boots and the cape returned to his line of vision, a hand slowly reaching for him, and Danny flung himself toward them. He must have caught the vigilante off guard because when Danny wrapped his arms around the legs, he did not dodge in time despite the jerk that indicated he was moving.

Dramatically, Dann wailed, still on his knees, pressing his cheek against a muscular thigh. "Batman! You saved me! I was so scard but you came to rescue me!"

A hand landed in his hair, pushing Danny away. That only made the ghost in him grin as he fought to hug the man closer. It must have been a shock to find that Danny had a lot of strength despite his young appearance.

"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I was so scared!" He bawls, hiccuping for good measure as he rubs his cheek against the meat of Batman's left vastus laterlis. The man must do insane squats.

"Get. Off." Batman grunts, now using both hands to try and push Danny away. It's too bad for him; Danny has super strength. "Let. Go!"

"Mr. Fenton, everything is alright! You don't have to be afraid. Please let Batman go." Spoiler shouts, appearing in Danny's line of sight. He almost breaks character to pout at her intrusion. He can't, though, as that would ruin the game. So he lets her gently pry off his arms and helps him to his feet.

He shoots Batman with looks of undying devotion, though, which might have actually made the Dark Knight shudder, and that was all he wanted in life.

"You have real bad luck, huh?" Spoiler comments, rubbing his back like a small, scared child.

"I just wanted some milk for my Oreos." He hiccups, wiping at his eye. He then ends a watery smile towards Batman, who is helping Red Robin and Robin secure the gang that had snuck into his city. "But I did get to see Tall, Dark, and Daddy, so today is not a total bust."

"I'm going to be sick," The girl in purple mutters under her breath, and Danny nearly loses it right then.

He is distracted by Eric rushing towards them, a look of hero worship on his face as he slams into Danny with a loud but sincere "Thank you!"

Phantom purrs from inside his protective core. He should shop here more often. This place is a riot.

[lenaellsi]

One thing that really gets me about the opening with angel Crowley is that he's not just excited by how beautiful his stars are, or how fun the process of creation is, or how impressed he's made Aziraphale. He’s not in it for the glory or the aesthetics. He’s actually horrified by the idea that the universe will just be "fancy wallpaper" in the future, even though Aziraphale assures him that humans will "marvel" at his creations.

What Crowley loves about his stars is their potential. He is building, essentially, a nursery. Most of the universe's stars, he explains to Aziraphale, will come pre-aged--but his are just starting out! After they're given time to grow, who knows what could happen! Good or bad, black holes or new constellations—there are so many possible futures ahead of them, and Crowley can’t wait to see what happens.

And then Aziraphale tells him that he knows what will happen: those stars will never grow up. They will never shine or burn out or implode or become anything new. They’ll be destroyed before they get the chance.

"You can't kill kids."

“Whose side are you on?” “God’s, of course!” “Same God that wants me to whack the kids?”

"People die." "They do, don't they?"

“Great pustulant mangled bollocks to the Great blasted Plan!”

"Don't test them to destruction."

"It's always too late."

"Nothing lasts forever." "No, I don't suppose it does."

This fear has been chasing Crowley since before the beginning. It’s what caused his first doubts, put the first traces of gray in his wings. He’s been raging at the futility of watching beautiful, complex things be damned or destroyed for his entire existence, and that’s why he seems to the audience and to Aziraphale to be a mess of contradictions.

He loves to follow the trends of the times, but he clings to his classic car in an era of planned obsolescence for vehicles. He lives in an ultra-modern flat, but finds his greatest comfort in the unchanging security of aziraphale’s old shop. He hates the idea of killing children, but is willing to see a child die if it preserves the rest of the universe and foils the Great Plan. He “goes too fast,” but his most unique and notable power is that he’s learned to stop time.

Crowley hates predestination. He hates divine intervention and the removal of agency. Crowley, the architect of free will, is constantly torn between his love of change and choice and potential and his terror that everything will be destroyed by an unstoppable, incomprehensible higher power. That’s his driving conflict in the way that Aziraphale’s is learning to find his own path without following Heaven’s rules, and I am fascinated to see how it resolves.

[revelboo]

Invisible Monsters Pt 2

Lost Light Megatron x Reader-forgiveness

• One arm still cradling the empty cube, the other stretched out over the bar so his cheek can lay on it, you’re caught in a mix of pity for Trailbreaker and indignant anger that Swerve had just kept serving him. You hadn’t known what to make of the fact that they could get drunk or that Swerve and Whirl both find drunk Trailbreaker hilarious. Most of the time. They’d both lost interest as soon as he made the inevitable buzzed slide to depressed muttering. You’d watched the whole mortifying show with the same horrified fascination usually reserved for truly awful train wrecks.

• And at some point, Whirl had ditched you. Leaving you with Trailbreaker since there’s no way to get off the bar top Whirl had plopped you on without a broken neck. The big mech’s been silent long enough that you think he might finally be recharging, but you still keep well out of his reach.

• Neck craning to stare at Swerve on the other side of the bar, you wait for him to remember you’re still trapped. Because the only way to get to him is by climbing over Trailbreaker’s arm and hoping you don’t get swatted in his drunken stupor. No thank you.

• You’re relieved as soon as you spot Rodimus entering the bar and you lift an arm to get his attention. That grin as his optics light on you makes your stomach drop, though. You know that look. Sure enough, the red and orange mech was looking for you. Probably for something you’re not going to like. A certainty that grows with icy dread as he comes over, reaching for you.

• For a heartbeat, you tense and seriously consider taking your chances with the passed out drunk. Shoulders slumping, you allow the co-captain to scoop you up. “There you are,” he says, voice cheerful which set off all sorts of alarm bells. And then he’s walking with you trapped in his servos.

• “I’m not going to like whatever this is, am I?” You ask, clinging to his servos as his quick stride almost makes you fall. A grin is your only answer and you groan. It’s going to be bad. Definitely bad.

• As soon as you spot the massive, intimidating form of Megatron on the bridge, you wilt. Especially as Rodimus heads right for him with a cheery, “Hold this for me,” and thrusts you at the huge mech. Heart nearly stopping as Megatron instinctively reaches to catch you as you fall a foot or so into his hands with a yelp.

• Surprised to say the least, Megatron cups his hands around the tiny form that’s just been dumped into his hands. “Rodimus,” he growls, as the human glares at the younger mech.

• Backing away toward the door of the bridge so Megatron can’t try and give you back, he folds his hands behind his back. “Remember that asteroid field I piloted us through?”

• “The one I specifically said not to fly through?” Megatron asks, servos starting to curl into fists when a little hand lands on one. Startled, he glances down at you in his palm and forces himself to relax before turning his attention back on Rodimus. “Yes. I remember.”

• “Oh, good. Great,” Rodimus’s optics dart to you in Megatron’s hands. “So on a completely unrelated note, apparently one of the engines is now inoperable. Gotta go.”

• And he bails, leaving you in the former warlord’s hands. That jerk. “Seriously?” You growl, anger faltering as Megatron looks at you. And sure, he’s been gentle with you so far, but he’s huge and Whirl’s told you stories. Horrific, traumatizing stories that don’t quite mesh up with what little you’ve seen of him so far. This mech isn’t some bloodthirsty monster. He’s just a perpetually exhausted adult having to deal with nonstop stupidity. And he is tired if the way he vents with a soft growl is any indication.

• Casting about, Megatron isn’t sure what to do with you now. Set you down and let you wander the halls or just wait until Rung or someone else remembers to look for you? Anything but hold you in his palms as you look up at him with wariness, but not hate. You should despise him for what he’s done to your kind and your world. So why don’t you?

• Seeming to resign yourself to being stuck with him, you curl your legs up under you. Make yourself comfortable in his grip. “He looks up to you, you know.” The soft words surprise him as he frowns down at you in his hand before heading to his chair. It feels almost blasphemous to cradle your warm, little body and feel the steady beat of your heart against his servos. Something soft that was never meant for him.

• “Hardly,” he says, tensing as you jump lightly from his palm onto the arm of the chair to look around. “They’re all afraid of me.” Like you should be. Such a fragile thing, you shouldn’t fearlessly meet his optics. The almost sympathetic, wry twist of your smile as you spread your arms and walk to the edge of the flat surface, cuts him.

• “Everyone makes mistakes,” you tell him, head tipped up to study the empty vastness of space. Huffing softly, he sinks back in his chair. You dare sum up all the wrongness as just a mistake? He can’t understand how easily you can forgive and move on, but maybe, short lived creatures have to be able to let go because of just how short their lives are. Maybe they can’t afford to cling to old grudges. Or maybe it’s just you in particular.

Previous Next

[misseviehyde]

SHADOWS

My ex-boyfriend James is sooooo fucking weak and pathetic. I hate and despise him with every part of my soul. He is everything that is wrong with men these days. Indecisive, overly sensitive, small and pathetic. What a fucking loser.

His twin brother Jason by comparison is a God. He is the man I now desire. Once I despised and hated Jason, but now he is everything I seek in a man. Tall, strong, rich, dominant... he makes me so fucking wet. My new boyfriend is a total Alpha. The longer I stay around him the more feminine I feel. I love what he does to me.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me explain how this all started...

Once I was the nerdiest girl at school. It seems insane to say it now, given how popular I am, but there was a time when I couldn't name six fashion designers or contour my makeup or suck off three boys at once in the cheerleaders locker room. I was a fucking loser.

Terrible skin, flat chested, nerdy glasses and goofy teeth. No. I was once plain little Melanie. I even had ginger hair. No wonder everyone bullied me. Popular rich bitch Madison didn't even exist. I was a fucking nobody.

My life consisted of science fairs, anime and role-playing games. Not the fun role playing games where you dress as a sexy school girl and get railed by a hot guy... no... the loser ones where you pretend to be an elf.

To my shame I was even into LARPIng. Live action role play. Each Friday night, me, James, Jason and our other buddies would go into the local woods to play.

We would run around the woods pretending to be on adventures. Fuckkkk it was so pathetic, I feel a major ick just thinking about it.

Jason wasn't the God he would later become at this point. He and James basically looked the same. I don't know why I had chosen James as my boyfriend. I guess he was slightly more confident and had asked me out first. He and Jason basically looked and acted the same though. Many people couldn't even tell them apart. Even me sometimes.

Then Jason found the shadow and everything changed.

As part of our role playing experience we sometimes brought props along and Jason had found this creepy looking glass bottle in a charity shop. It was opaque and stoppered with a wax cork. Perhaps it held a liquid of some kind? Sometimes it looked like there was something dark swirling inside, but it was kind of hard to tell.

We needed a prop to represent an evil demon that was trapped in a bottle so Jason had brought out the bottle.

As usual the group had split up. It was dark now and I was on my own. I had on my favourite druid costume (ughhh so fucking fugly) and I was creeping through the woods under the moonlight.

Suddenly I saw Jason through a gap in the trees. He was on his own too and carrying the bottle. I headed towards him, he hadn't seen me... in fact he wasn't really paying proper attention to his surroundings, which is maybe why he suddenly tripped over a tree root.

The bottle span from his hands and smashed against the ground with a musical tinkle.

I had a perfect view of everything. Jason was lit by the moonlight, his scrawny body shivering and his eyes wide with fear as a rolling mass of black shadows erupted from the smashed bottle and flowed towards him.

I wanted to scream but my voice had left me and I could only put my hands to my mouth like a parody of some dumb anime girl as the shadows flowed into Jason. Black smoke forced its way down his throat, into his nose. It wrapped and enveloped him, melting and merging into his body.

Then it was gone.

But the scene was not over.

Jason let out a cry, or maybe it was a moan. I watched in horrified fascination (and now I'm happy to admit a little bit or arousal) as I watched him change. Jason... my God... was being born.

Muscles rippled and swelled under his skin, causing his shirt to rip and his fantasy style breeches to bulge. He tore his top off to reveal a rippling six back and toned muscles as his skin flowed like wax and he changed and transformed. He grew taller and bigger, more handsome too as his face became more masculine and his hair cut more stylish.

Grunting and grinning Jason ripped off his pathetic role playing costume and stretched confidently. He was entirely naked now and I gasped in arousal as I saw his magnificent ass and his perfect cock. As I watched it was growing. Ten inches of thick white meat now hung between his huge thighs and I almost salivated as I beheld his perfect manly body.

Jason confidently stretched his body, clearly enjoying how it felt. He grinned perfect white teeth and his eyes, once mild and nerdy shone with ambition and dark desire. He clicked his fingers and there was a wisp of smoke as a stylish black shirt and designer jeans encased his new perfect body. He now looked like a male super model and he strode off through the woods chuckling, leaving me breathing heavily and wondering if I was losing my mind.

***

I ran through the woods. Back then I was ungainly and lacking athletic ability. Whereas now I hit the gym daily and can bend into nearly any position (especially when fucking) I was a fucking loser, so I made quite the noise as I crashed through the trees.

James and the others soon found me and I garbled what I'd seen, but they all thought I was still role playing.

"Babe, it's a cool story, but one detail that doesn't work. My stuck up bullying brother doesn't play with us. He thinks we're losers."

I gawped at James. I thought he was joking at first, but as we spoke it became clear he was serious. The shadow had changed Jason, but it also seemed to have changed everyone's memories of him.

I had no idea why I hadn't been affected. perhaps because I had witnessed his transformation directly or something.

James and the others couldn't understand why I was so upset and worried. The shadow had looked evil and I was worried my boyfriends brother was now under the control of something wicked. I decided I'd have to confront Jason directly and see if I could aid him, so I told the others I felt sick and left to go immediately to James and Jason's house.

James started after me, but I quickly lost him in the woods. I didn't want him to see what had happened to his brother. I was sure I could find a way to save Jason.

Haha, what a fucking idealistic moron I used to be.

***

I arrived at Jason's to find the house had changed. There was now a pickup parked at the front and the house was larger and clearly more expensive. Entering the house I found it was better decorated and I nearly had a heart attack as I entered the kitchen to find Jame's Mom and Dad.

Michael, the Dad was now a handsome looking business man wearing an expensive suit. Linda, James Mom had transformed from a homesy kind Mom into a haughty and beautiful MILF. She looked stunning!

Neither of them paid me much attention, they clearly recognised me as James girlfriend. The sneer and look of disgust Linda gave me left me cold. I can't blame her. Linda is now a major icon to me and we are the BEST of friends. She loves me like a daughter and I've learned so much about manipulating and using men from her. But back then I was a dork dating her loser son James.

But that was soon about to change.

I found Jason in a room I'd never seen before. A personal gym.

He was stripped to the waist, his muscles rippling as he pumped iron. He turned and grinned at me as I entered.

"Well well well. My brothers dork girlfriend? What the hell do you want Melanie?"

"I saw everything Jason. I saw that weird shadow enter you. We have to get it out of you. What have you done to your Mom and Dad? This isn't right."

Jason grinned. "Ahhhh. So you saw it? So you remember the old me? Haha you have no idea Melanie. No idea how good this feels. The shadow within me hungers for power and pleasure. It serves no other purpose but to give me what I want. It can change things, people too. Anything that falls under my shadow can be twisted to serve my whim. I am a fucking God now."

I watched nervously as black shadows seemed to spread around Jason as he spoke. The air rippled with potential and a cold numb feeling spread through my body and my soul. Jason grinned as the light seemed to be sucked out of the room and I was drowning in darkness.

"You could be so much more Melanie. You're such a fucking dork, just like my pathetic brother. I always wanted you to be MY girlfriend and now I have this power you can join me. I won't force you, I want you to join me willingly. A taste of this power and I think you'll want more."

I gasped falling to my knees as the shadows surrounded me. All the warmth and kindness and love inside me was suddenly numbed. It was like the shadow was feeding on my positive emotions... perhaps it was.

The dark shadows enveloped and wrapped my nerdy body. Tempting whispers invaded my mind and I felt Jason's presence beating down on me and willing me to give in. The shadow wanted to change and corrupt me, but it would only do so if I wanted it to. Jason hadn't lied.

I don't know if you've ever been offered something so fucking delicious and perfect that even if it came at the cost of your soul you'd jump at the chance... but when that moment finally arrives, it's pretty hard not to succumb.

I'd seen what the shadow had done to Jason. It had turned him into the perfect example of masculine perfection. It could probably do the same for me, but make me the ultimate girl. All I had to do was let it in and surrender to the darkness.

I'd seen girls in magazines, on TV, on teenage drama programs. I'd always wondered how it would feel to be a Queen Bee... a head cheerleader type. What must it be like to be so pretty you can get whatever you want? How would it feel to be a bitch?

"Yes... change me," I groaned. "But only a little... I just want to be a little prettier."

I gasped as my body suddenly ached and I felt the shadows begin to change me. I ripped my dorky glasses off and felt my brace snap as I spat out the metal to leave perfect white teeth. My red hair turned a sexy black and my pale spotty skin tanned as my body toned.

It felt so fucking good.

"Don't you want more Melanie? Don't you want to become a real fucking bitch? If it feels this good to go a little of the way, why not let the shadows take you all the way?"

Jason had a point. The more I transformed the more I wanted to transform. As I felt myself become more popular and beautiful, the further I found I wanted to go.

"Yessss mmmmore," I gasped feeling the shadows pour down my throat and into my body. I could feel Jason in my mind now, his fingers manipulating my pleasure receptors and his thoughts becoming my own.

"That's right Melanie. You don't want to be a dweeb anymore. You want to go all the way. You want to be a fucking bitch. Say it."

I shuddered as delicious throbs of pleasure pulsed through my body. "I... mmmmmh, ohhh yes, I want to be a bitch."

"That's right Melanie. Let's picture a girl. Let's call her Madison. She's everything you want to be isn't she? Thin, pretty, bratty and spoiled. She's the kind of girl that has a new outfit every day, that all the other girls bow down to. I want you imagine how hot she looks. Nice tits, a toned body, ultra-feminine body language. So different to the dork you are. Are you picturing her?"

I was picturing her. I was thinking of every mean bad girl and bitch I had ever know in real life or in the movies. I was picturing Madison and boy was she fucking hot.

"Now say it. Say you want to be Madison. You want to be the bullying popular Alpha girl."

My pussy was wet, my already partially transformed body felt so good. I needed more... I needed the shadows to corrupt me completely.

"Yessss I want to be Madison."

I screamed and orgasmed as I said it, feeling the shadows flowing into me and destroying Melanie forever. All the kind gentle nice parts of me were consumed and the shadows pumped me full of evil, mean bratty thoughts.

Melanie died in that instant and I... Madison... took control.

Long bitchy nails shot out from my fingers. My face became meaner and even prettier, soft pouty lips curving into a bratty grin. My clothing became designer, my handbag expensive and my personality became that of a spoiled rich bitch.

Reality rippled and changed. Only Jason and I would remember the old me. It was as if Melanie had never existed and only I had been born.

The shadows withdrew, but they left their mark. I was a fucking evil bitch now, devoid of mercy. I only cared about myself... oh and Jason of course.

"How do you feel baby?" he grinned, towering over me in his Adonis body.

"I feel amazing baby," I grinned. "In fact I want to thank you for being the best boyfriend ever."

I giggled and sank eagerly to my knees. My long nails looked so hawt as I unzipped Jason's fly and his huge ten inch dick flopped out.

Moaning I began to pump and suck his cock. This was who and what I worshipped now. Jason had taken me from that loser James.

"Yesssss, good girl," grunted Jason as he put his hands gently on my head and pushed me deeper onto his cock. "You're my slutty bitch now and I have everything I ever wanted."

I just gagged and gargled happily, I fucking loved my man's big cock.

I couldn't wait for him to cum. I needed to taste it...

***

And so that is how I ascended from being a fucking pathetic loser into a Goddess myself. Jason is the Master of the Shadow and so long as he holds that power I am his willing accomplice.

Soon after the transformation James came home. He no longer remembered I had ever been his girl, but that didn't stop me and Jason fucking loudly next door and laughing about the little simp jerking off in his room next door.

I felt so evil and perfect. Being Madison was like a perpetual state of orgasm. The meaner and nastier I was, the better it all felt.

Sometimes I wondered what would have happened if James had smashed that bottle instead of Jason? Perhaps he would be the Alpha stud with the delicious bitchy girlfriend.

But it was just idle speculation. The shadows answered to Jason...

And I answered only to the shadows now.

THE END

[skullofrome]

Hot take from the JTHM fandom: I don’t think a JTHM movie should be made. Never. Not because of some weird purity nonsense like “iTs NoT tHe SaMe As ThE cOmIcS” because- yeah, that’s the fucking point. It’s because I am terrified of one thing: Incels.

Okay, here’s the deal:

We all know that Nny isn’t supposed to be idolised or looked up to, right? Like there are multiple times in the comic where his way of thinking or philosophy or whatever else you can describe the disastercore crockpot shitstew brewing in his mind as are criticised and questioned. He’s a great and genuinely fascinating character, I love him to death, but in real life he’d be a horrible, horrible person.

With all due respect and appreciation, he’s a dangerous, irrational, impulsive, hair-thin triggered, pathetic, cowardly hypocritical loser who tried to kill Devi, the one person he loved because he was afraid of a possibility he had no reason to worry about or even believe will happen. He is a sadistic monster who knows what he is doing is wrong but does not have the capacity and/or willpower to stop himself from hurting the people around him.

Point is- most of us should understand that Johnny is not meant to be looked at as an almighty prophet or a philosopher equivalent to the likes of Socrates or Confucius or this, that and any of the other. I believe we are meant to look at him as a force of nature: something that is chaotic and horrible and unwanted but is cursed to exist anyway. Something to study and analyse but never to admire or aspire to be. As relatable and funny and, dare I say, cathartic as he is, we must never give into the temptation of being like him. Incels and people like them, on the other hand, absolutely do not understand any of these things.

You see, incels are stupid. It’s why they blame women and minorities for the fact that they’re unlikeable and subpar. This applies to how they consume media, too. Characters like Walter White and The Joker were completely misunderstood and butchered by incels. If a morally grey male character pushed to the edge is even thought of within an incel’s space, they will devour and kill and consume it like bloodthirsty piranhas without giving it a second thought. As “intellectual” as they larp themselves to be, they have none; they don’t self-reflect, or analyse, or do even the slightest amount of critical thinking about anything. Their lack of self-awareness should disgust and horrify you. When those people read JTHM, they don’t see Johnny as who and what he actually is - a force of nature to avoid and only take in from a distance - they see him as a misunderstood genius; a pillar of supreme and almighty intellect; a based Chad among the sea of soyjack virgins that is Society™️. They take him seriously.

They’re literally Jimmy. And nobody likes Jimmy.

[cosmerelists]

Ranking the First Five Stormlight Novels

For the record, this is not meant to be an objectively correct ranking or anything--but it is my personal ranking. I wanted to wait to do this until Stormlight 5 came out!

And I gotta say--I like all of the books. But I can rank them by "least favorite" to "favorite," even if they're all among my favorite books in general, you know?

[Spoilers for Wind & Truth! ...And all the other Stormlight books too!]

#5: Wind and Truth

I feel bad ranking the newest book at the lowest spot...but so it goes. The thing is: I'm a simple woman. I come to Stormlight Archive looking for people with huge fantasy swords fighting each other in the sky. And while I do respect and understand Kaladin finding his place outside of battles and becoming a Therapist to the Stars, I did honestly miss him getting to duke it out against overwhelming odds.

I will say that this was probably my favorite Adolin book--his WAT arc was my favorite. I also loved the new ways that Shallan is using her powers, to say nothing of finally getting the Rlain/Renarin love story. It was also extremely gratifying to finally get a lot of the backstory about the Stormfather and Honor and the Recreance. I'm also fascinated that so many arcs involved oaths being broken framed as a good thing.

Lots of great stuff in Stormlight 5. But my monkey brain really wanted more sky fights.

#4: Oathbringer

I have to imagine that if you are a Dalinar stan, Oathbringer is probably your absolute favorite book. I'm a Dalinar fan but not a Dalinar stan, so that definitely flavors my reaction to this book.

This one does have one of my favorite Sanderlanches--the battle of Thaylen city is amazing (and Shallan single-handedly fighting an entire army does legitimately make me tear up every time). The invasion of Kholinar storyline is also great, and I loved meeting Azure.

Again, lots of good stuff, but not as much good stuff as some of the other books, at least for me.

#3: Rhythm of War

Rhythm of War was challenging for me because Kaladin is having the ABSOLUTE WORST time in his whole life and it's sometimes legitimately hard to read about it. At the same time, we get such great Kaladin fights thanks to the Pursuer, and one of the all-time great Kaladin Dramatic Entrances at the end.

Plus, I mean....Navani and Raboniel? So good! So toxic! Such an accidental toxic yuri horrifying love story. I'm such a sucker for self-sacrifice too, so Raboniel sacrificing herself to save Navani AFTER Navani killed her? That could have been created in a lab just for me.

PLUS this book had Maya and Adolin, both their kata fight and the whole "WE CHOSE" scene.

Incredible book, IMO.

#2: Way of Kings

I go back and forth about whether Way of Kings or Words of Radiance is my favorite, if I'm being honest. At the moment of writing this list, it's turned out this way.

I really love Way of Kings. The whole bridgeman plotline is horrifying but so compelling, and I love watching Kaladin build himself and his man back up. I love seeing all of the ways they manage to survive, from the side-carry to, well, war-crime armor I guess. The scene of Kaladin surviving the highstorm--with Syl in front trying to block it--is one of my all-time favorite scenes ever. The Tower Fight is fantastic all the way through. And the end with Dalinar giving up his shardblade to save the bridgemen is so earned.

On a first read I was less compelled by Shallan's narrative but it honestly gets more compelling the more often I reread which I've done...let's say a few times. She's such a great character from the first line.

#1: Words of Radiance

As I mentioned at the beginning, I am a simple woman sometimes when it comes to my fantasy series. Words of Radiance wins for me because it contains my three favorite plotlines / scenes:

The 4 v. 1 duel. So amazingly fun to read. Such a good scene for Adolin, for Kaladin, for Renarin. "Honor is dead but I'll see what I can do." Come ON.

Kaladin & Shallin fieldtrip in the chasms. I loved the way their relationship developed over the course of this scene. The end when they're huddled in the cave in the middle of the highstorm while listening to the Fused above them, telling each other their true stories--top-notch. Plus I'm a sucker for storylines where people have to both use and hide their powers, and so the fact that they're both Radiant and trying to hide that from each other makes me giggle maniacally.

The Kaladin vs. Szeth duel. This fight has EVERYTHING. They're in the sky. It's a highstorm. They literally run across enormous boulders that were RIPPED from the GROUND by the storm while said boulders are SPINNING THROUGH THE STORM. It's so over-the-top and it's my favorite fight in the whole series.

So that's me! I know there are tons of "What's your favorite Stormlight book" polls out there, but if you want to put your ranking in the tags I'd be interested to see it!

[gallifreyanhotfive]

Random Doctor Who Facts You Might Not Know, Part 20: Academy Era Edition

Please note that some Academy Era info is dispersed throughout the other parts as well; I just wanted to make one dedicated to these nerds. I am not repeating stuff from other parts (purposefully, there may be some accidents, but I'm trying not to repeat things like Koschei teaching Theta hypnosis or like the hyperball team) or including some basic info I think are decently well known (like Torvic or the Gallifrey Academy Hot Five). ;)

The Master's real name is 32 letters long.

As students, Theta and Koschei enjoyed building time flow analogues to mess with each others experiments.

Koschei once gave Susan a toy which was actually a communication node that he could use to find the Doctor and Susan if they ever left Gallifrey.

Theta and Koschei also used to sneak out of the Academy to drink with Shobogans. On one such occasion, Koschei picked a fight with six drunk Shobogans.

Theta's name day and Otherstide are on the same day.

Koschei often hypnotized people as a joke. He was never punished for it.

Drax had a home-made skimmer that he would often use to go to his House rather than stay in the Academy dormitories. He'd also give Jelpax rides home because they lived close by.

Koschei was in charge of organizing the end-of-term parties, but the Eighth Doctor remembers that they weren't very good.

While at the Academy, Theta and Koschei traveled to Gallifrey's past in search of Valdemar, an ancient entity and Old One, but they found nothing of Old Ones. Theta was horrified by Valdemar's power while Koschei was fascinated.

When Vansell broke his leg while climbing Mount Cadon, Theta created a localized time bubble with a sonic wrench and two lengths of twine. This accelerated the healing process, and it was healed in two minutes.

Koschei and Theta also once traveled to Machasma and used sonic agitation to get out of a tight spot.

Theta Sigma came fourth place in the Time Lord Academy Sprint Championship.

Millennia had a natural gift for temporal engineering, and Theta believed she would one day make great intellectual achievements.

Tebediatroculozan attended the Academy at the same time as the Deca. He was incredibly clever but also envious of the Doctor for the adventures he had. The Eighth Doctor helped him move past this jealousy.

When Koschei stared into the Untempered Schism, he noted with much contempt that the Time Lords who had taken him there all refused to look at it themselves.

Mortimus is likely about 50 years younger than Theta Sigma.

The Second Doctor recalled that Koschei enjoyed being scared of the dark too much.

The Toymaker had Theta play Capture the Flag and thought that Theta had cheated.

When the Toymaker was using Rallon's body, Rallon had enough influence over his personality that the Toymaker had a sense of "good and evil." When the Toymaker went against the Fourteenth Doctor, he was no longer using Rallon's body, so this was not the case.

Theta was Borusa's teacher's pet, and Borusa favored him over other students. Later on, the Doctor would believe this was why the Master was bitter towards him.

In fact, an unproduced story's original script originally had the Doctor’s grandfather be named Borusa, but it was later changed to Pandak.

While at the Academy, Koschei befriended Salyavin and manipulated him to gain access to the restricted libraries. He wanted to steal The Worshipful and Ancient Law of Gallifrey but could not find it, and Salyavin took the blame for his wrongdoing.

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

[naazaif327]

So, I was initially kind of disappointed by the reveal that by the time we get to the Pit Girl Hunt from the pilot, most of the girls have still not fully given in and still don’t “want” to do any of cannibalism or hunting besides Shauna. There was never a point where they really shifted into wanting to hunt and eat without the direct threat of starvation, and most of them don’t seem to really believe in the “religion” behind all the costume and ritual by the end. And I’ll be honest, I still kind of am a little disappointed because I feel like that was telegraphed for quite a while in the show. But then looking back to the beginning I honestly think they were pretty successful at answering the big question of the show: “how could a group of normal teenaged girls from American suburbia descend into a vicious cannibalistic cult that hunts and eats each other?”

There were a lot of possible answers the show put forward. Was it supernatural? Was there a dark wilderness god or the ghost of the cabin man influencing them into evil? Did the threat of starvation and exposure and proximity to death push them past the point of no return? Were they so horrified and angry at their unbearable circumstances that they started taking it out on each other like when Shauna beat up Lottie?

But the real answer is given in the pilot by paralleling their cutthroat behaviour in highschool to Mari’s hunt. It’s the vicious social hierarchies that teenagers, especially teenaged girls, find themselves trapped in by society and their peers. A vicious queen bee (borne from a combination of the repressive shackles of society, an underlying cruelty, and the catalyst of violence and trauma after the crash) finally blooms after spending most of her life as a wallflower and uses her social power to strong-arm them into doing things they didn’t want to do, because she revels in having this newfound power over her peers.

It’s Regina George making Cady tell Aaron that his hair looks sexy pushed back, it’s David from The Last Of Us convincing the small religious community he leads in the apocalypse to partake in cannibalism (when it’s implied that they might not need to) with a sadistic little smile because he likes making them do things they don’t want to do.

And not to absolve Shauna or make it seem like this is entirely the fault of society or misogyny or something, but these power dynamics and hierarchies were in place before and after the wilderness. We see it in the team freezing out Allie, with Lottie still going along with it even though it “doesn’t feel right”, we see the ways in which Shauna feels compressed into roles that she doesn’t fit into, wife, mother, sidekick; and the same society that pushes her into those roles is also the one that grants her the tools to take over and abuse the power the way she does.

Absolute power does not necessarily corrupt absolutely though, as we see Natalie reigning over the group without ever taking stepping down on the others like Tai who slutshamed her and ridiculed her drug issues back in the real world. This is important because it’s not just that “it’s society’s fault that this happens” or “everyone is corruptible” or “Shauna is a completely unique monster” but rather that certain social hierarchies and societies that consolidate power for certain people are very easily exploited by people have a desire and capability to harm and dominate others.

Idk, I’m rambling a lot at this point but I just think it’s so fascinating that after all the twists and turns of what would turn the Yellowjackets into monsters, this was (at least a big part of) the answer.

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 3/4/2025

my desktop has Kicked It™️🫠 so this is shorter and worse bc it comes from my ailing phone. the tuesdaypost is generally a multi-tab multi-window affair and i completely forgot about the ten-image limit on mobile

listening

i bought this cd months and months ago to fill out the 8 items for $1 sale at my favorite religious thrift shop with the worst vibes, bc i saw the name and thought “oh i like the guy”. i was in fact thinking of nick cave. i would describe this as crunchier than nick cave. also janglier. my most deeply held american trait is that i am a sucker for a song about a road trip.

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reading

i struck out with Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistle Stop Cafe bc it made me desperately, desperately miss my maternal grandmother and we simply don’t have time for extra emotion this week.

bad news from the zone tumbleweeds i hated this one too. this is a fourth (!) 1997 printing of the 1992 novel by Claire McNab, Under the Southern Cross. 180p, it’s the same physical quality as all the other Naiad Press softcovers. i did not look up anything about Claire bc copying and pasting shit on my phone is horrendous: however, the frontispiece notes that she lives in LA “for love” and misses Australia. the draw and strong point of this book are the vivid and immersive descriptions of various tourist points down under by someone who really loves the country. it’s an effective travelogue!

The vast, forbidding Australian Outback… the grandeur of Ayers Rock… legendary Alice Springs… the Great Barrier Reef… the primal beauty of Cape Tribulation…

Two women, from different continents, with different values, collide with spectacular results… UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS.

American Lee Paynter has built her small travel agency into an international tour company. Brash, confident, openly lesbian, her great love is her business. Women? They’re to enjoy and let go.

Alexandra Findlay is pursuing a career in Australian tourism with quiet focus and determination, convinced that her career is the best she can hope for in her arid, closeted emotional existence.

Now Alex has been assigned to accompany Lee on the American woman’s visit Down Under, to win Lee’s company over to Australian tourism. Suddenly Alex’s quiet life explodes… And Lee is challenged by a woman unlike any she has ever known.

there were a lot of components i did not enjoy about this book, but the actual construction and hitting what felt like what the next emotional beat in a relationship Should be was there. nobody said anything outlandish and nobody’s crotches were engorged. the first lesbian romance in this project ive read in first person.

i find it extremely funny when someone is in a gorgeous location and having a fucking miserable time. just seething in competitive rage. alex at one point states that her family will never forgive her if she comes out and lee goes “oh? you’re super close with them?” and alex has to go “😠 no 😠”. their relationship is at its best when lee is like “you know you don’t have to live like this?” and kind of mentally drop-kicks alex into enjoying herself. unfortunately these moments are few and far between.

i mostly hated this book bc i hated alex, but it was sort of fun (though not really what i personally read romances for) watching in horrified fascination for 180 pages as she sort of train-wrecked her way through the book. i HATE this kind of sanctimonious unpleasant gay. someone who is extremely pushy about your boundaries (lee doesn’t want anything serious and says so from hour one) but doesn't want to do any work at all on her own boundaries or emotional growth (in only one example, pitches a fucking fit at the airport after lee has been very firm about how she loves to fuck and had a great time with alex but doesn’t want anything serious). this is cutting a little too close to home bc this is nearly all baby (and a lot of grown/post college) western mass queers. i had enough of that in real life and enough roommates like that. i also don't typically enjoy the divorced woman discovering her latent lesbianism storyline. the coming out storyline deserves its own graf.

this book does a good job of portraying alex as believably prickly for her own reasons, and not just out of contrariness or to fit a trope. she was very badly scared by watching her lover get fired and her almost fired at her post divorce job! that makes sense! i wish the arguments for and against coming out that she comes up with for herself rang less true today! however, she doesn’t come out in the book as a big emotional gesture to join lee in scary freedom, she comes out to stop her boss hitting on her and to prevent her coworker from blackmailing her. her coming out is such a significant point of tension and happens with such a fizzle! I think I would be giving the book too much credit to agree and say that sometimes coming out isn't a big deal and is kind of a fizzle, be she is constantly thinking about how her first lover was fired for being a lesbian. it can happen to you!!!

there is a very contrived, unnatural ending that requires lee to betray all her most deeply held relationship beliefs/make a lot of bad decisions and a deus ex concussion for alex. not that i expect every book to be a Victorian morality fable, but i didn’t want her to have a happy ending that felt so unearned. I didn’t want her to be rewarded for being such a pushy bitch while doing zero work on herself!

at least the sex scenes were some of the less awful ones ive read in this project

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watching

HOUSTON MENTIONED

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playing

look at my beautiful little bitches

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making

i am a firm believer that anything worth knitting is worth knitting well and as heirloom quality as you can make it, bc it takes the same amount of time to knit something in garbage single ply that will fall apart in one wash as it does to knit something in yarn that’s actually good. however, sometimes you need to produce an acrylic baby blanket bc a baby’s one job (as i have previously stated in this series) is to produce fluids and crumbs, and you love their parents and want to make their lives easier without adding a wool blanket to the mix.

this baby blanket is completed, only two years late. i did not measure this or even really unscrumple it before throwing it directly in the warsh. nineteen repeats across and twelve up of the tumbling blocks baby blanket, applied icord edging on the short edges which took six! total! hours! to apply. i think this yarn is bernat softee in mint? some sort of oil byproduct. phil is on my lap i cant find the band to check. i got very tired of this one and its 200 stitches across and am glad to see it out the door and to the tender graces of the toddler recipient. next on the docket is some socks for a grown person. i hope i still remember how to make socks.

[bwat5-blog]

Worlds Apart: Vi & Jinx, Part 1

**Spoilers For All Of Arcane**

By the time we begin the story of Arcane, the world we are thrust into is already one stained by oppression, violence, greed and neglect. The people of Zaun, downtrodden and hungry, march on the Bridge of Progress to demand equality. It is in the ensuing slaughter, that we first meet Violet (who we will call Vi for the rest of this post), and her little sister Powder (will start calling her Jinx when she "becomes" Jinx).

Surrounded by fire and death, we watch these poor children stand alone, death all around them, as the gilded Enforcers of Piltover continue to exterminate their people. Vi initially standing tall, holding Powder's hand while the small child sings out into the night, a song we later learn their mother used to hum. The smoke clears enough to reveal the body of their mother herself, and at that Vi sinks to her knees crying, held by her sister.

This incredibly tragic and horrifying moment in time is both our introduction to this world, and to Vi and Powder. Their relationship is one of the central pillars of this story, having an effect on seemingly every aspect of this tale. It has touched people for many reasons, those who identify more with Vi, those more with Powder and in turn Jinx, and those for whom a tale of two sisters trying to hold on to what matters in a world poisoned long before they were born, will be impossible to forget.

As seems to have become my custom, I will be going through what I believe to be the pivotal moments that impact their relationship, good and bad, and trying to delve deeper if I can into how they develop as sisters. These will focus on the impact to Vi and Powder specifically, so for those looking for the more individual impacts or to the broader world, I may have discussed it in other writings. This is very, very long. I do apologize for that. But that's why I am breaking this into two parts. I think as one of the driving forces of this story, cutting corners on my exploration of their relationship would be disrespectful to the people who worked so hard to bring us this story.

A Second Chance:

It is during the sisters short few years with Vander, that we are given a glimpse into the potential of who they could have been. Vi is older, and so is more hardened to the world, but even then so we see a lightness to her during this time that we will never see again. In powder we see a gentle soul, clever and kind. With a fascination in the unknown, before her intelligence is turned to ways to harm. Until the tragic end of this act, even with all the darkness unfolding around them, we are shown two sisters who have found strength and hope in each-other.

Throughout this time in their lives we see the on-going bullying and belittling of Powder, primarily by Milo. And each and every time, Vi stands up for her, picks her back up, assures her that she is not weak and it's her differences that make her strong.

As she is older and the leader of her siblings, Vi is in a stage of her life where the core tenants of who she is are forming. This is primarily illustrated through her lessons at the feet of her adoptive father, Vander. And although we are focusing on the sisters relationship with each-other here, these lessons impact Vi's decision making and by extension her relationship with Powder for the rest of their lives.

They are not all in the same scene of course but for ease I have listed those I see as most important below:

"When people look up to you, you don't get to be selfish.. whatever happens, it's on you"

"Who are you willing to lose?"

"You've got a good heart, don't ever lose it"

"Take care of Powder"

It should also be of note in understanding Vi, that while these conversations were taking place, she gives us a piece of herself that is deeply telling of one her core struggles. She says that she grewup knowing she was lesser, but that she wants Powder to have more and is willing to fight for that. Vi is at most sixteen, and telling us that she wants to be for her sister what she grew up knowing she was unworthy of. To be the shield, and never the shielded.

The tragedy will alter the course of these sisters lives could be said to be the fault of many characters. But ultimately, Silco begins this tragic chain events when he murders the sheriff of Piltover to install his own puppet, murders Benzo, and takes Vander.

The events encompassing the attempted rescue of Vander, ending with his apparent demise, as well as the deaths of Milo, Claggor, and the separation of the sisters, is the second time they will have their entire worlds ripped from them through the violence of those don't care who they hurt. Something I would like to note that is often mischaracterized by fans, is the manner in which Vi left Powder at their home at the missions start:

Milo's dialogue in episode 1 suggests the Vi never leaves Powder behind normally

When Vi instructs Powder to stay this time, yes it is true she says Powder is not ready which hurts the younger sister's feelings. However, Vi has been ruminating on her duty to protect those she cares for since her talks with Vander. She just saw Vander taken, and saw at least the aftermath of what the shimmer mutated Deckard did to Grayson and Benzo. And what does Vi actually say?: "Your not ready... your all I have left, I can't lose you. " she then gives Powder the famous blue flaire, promising "wherever you are light this and I''ll find you.." She is extremely tender with her sister, and clearly does not want to place her in danger.

While on her own, Powder becomes extremely upset. We see her screaming, hitting her head, preparing to destroy a monkey bomb that has failed her. Until she remembers, preparing her pilfered hex-tech stones and setting off to save her family.

Ultimately, it is impossible to know if the rescue really was going to succeed before Powder's intervention. But to all appearances, they were seconds from freedom. Powder was a frightened little girl trying as hard as she could to save her family. She didn't do what she did out of some malice or willful disobedience. It was clear she was terrified of losing her loved ones and not being able to do her part. Her intentions were pure. But intention is irrelevant in the face of extreme grief and fear. and so we come to the incident that changes the sisters relationship forever.

As a triumphant Powder rushes to Vi's side out in the street, declaring her monkey bomb worked, eager for her older sister she looks up to to know that she helped, she is violently brought face-to-face with the consequences of her victory. A sobbing Vi, over Vander's body, Milo and Claggor destroyed. Vi strikes her, grabs her roughly, and calls her a JINX, leaving that little girl who wanted to save her family sobbing in the street.

Vi goes around the corner, ignoring her sisters screams totally lost in her pain and grief. She almost instantly looks, seeing her little sisters blood on her hands, and tries to return, but it is too late. Marcus materializes out of the dark, and Vi vanishes into the bowels of Stillwater Prison. At at most, sixteen years of age.

Much has been said by myself and others, addressing the bizarre anti-Vi sentiments that cropped up since the end of season 2. And Vi's treatment of Powder in this moment is often one of their talking points. Once more, with feeling:

Vi is at most sixteen

She barely survived a fight with multiple armed adult criminals and a shimmer mutant

She has watched her brothers and adoptive father die second before they were free, and all seemingly because Powder didn't listen

I am NOT saying that treating Powder that way was right. It wasn't , and Vi knew that given her almost immediate reaction and attempt to reach her. What I am saying, is placing the blame on a sixteen year old girl for lashing out in a moment extraordinary loss, is lunacy.

Powder, left all alone, sobbing in the street, has had everyone of her insecurities and doubts laid bare. The sister she idolizes hurt her and abandoned her, and because of Powder's own weapon she lost everyone else.. As I said in a previous post, mentally and emotionally, she is an open wound. Leaving her vulnerable and fragile, when Silco arrives.

A World Apart:

Because of the violence and depravity of others, the sister have been apart for seven years. And those seven years they themselves have changed like the world around them. We must have an understanding of who they have become, to speak accurately on their relationship moving forward.

Vi:

Vi has been falsely imprisoned in Stillwater, being beaten and abused for seven years. She went in as a grieving teenager, the loss of her family and the violent ordeal she had just been through still raging in her, and had her entire world frozen in this terrible place. The last time she saw her sister, she was the little girl Vi had left there, bleeding and screaming for Vi to come back. As we discussed earlier, even when she was younger, Vi did not believe herself to be someone people fight for. She is the one who does the fighting. Always the shield, never the shielded. Now lets return to Vander's lessons for a moment in regards to how she believes she has failed:

"When people look up to you, you don't get to be selfish.. whatever happens, it's on you"---- Vi does not, cannot consider her own grief and pain in that moment she struck Powder. It doesn't matter that she lost her father to. It doesn't matter that she was in pain and afraid. She failed Powder and that's all that matters.

"Who are you willing to lose?"--- After Vander's lessons, Vi hesitantly asks her siblings if they know she wouldn't take them on a job they couldn't handle and they answer without hesitation that they do. Even though it is their decision to help. Even though it was Silco who took Vander, and Powder who set the bomb (don't worry we will cover Jinx's suffering over this), Vi made the call to go knowing it would risk lives, and will always carry their loss.

"You've got a good heart, don't ever lose it"--- Vander said this to Vi with pride, when Vi attempted to turn herself in and spare her family and the people of Zaun from Piltover's wrath from the heist. Even though she was so young, she tried to intentionally send herself to prison to spare those she loved that pain, which drew Marcus and Grayson to them. Vander came to take her place and stop her, leaving him vulnerable to Silco's abduction. Vi acted out of a desire to save her people, and lost everyone.

"Take care of Powder"-- Obviously related to the first lesson but this goes so much further. Vi's determination to get to her sister, to be there for her and make things right overrides her judgement in many situations, and when she comes face to face with brutal reality of who Powder has become it is extremely difficult for Vi to make peace with.

Vi's self-perception as having failed her family in these ways drive her transformation into the woman we meet when Caitlyn Kiramman comes looking for answers. And note, I say her self-perception, not reality. Vi was sixteen. The guilt, horrific death, and tragedy she faced can be laid at many characters feet but not hers. She was a child caught in the middle of events that began far beyond understanding or control. But as I have said, grief and guilt are the furthest things from rational, and her internalization of this trauma shapes her going forward:

"When people look up to you, you don't get to be selfish.. whatever happens, it's on you"-- Vi's journey to believing she is deserving of happiness for herself, not putting anyone else first, is one that will characterize her entire arc as we watch her neglect herself in favor of others.

"Who are you willing to lose?"-- Several times throughout the story Vi attempts to take on threats alone when she doesn't have to. She jumps Sevika in the street even with Caitlyn there. She goes after Sevika and Silco alone at the end of the season as well. And even going into season 2 we see her offering to hunt her sister down by herself, before joining the strike team and even then sent away Maddie, Loris and Zeb before confronting jinx. She doesn't want to cause anyone else to die.

"You've got a good heart, don't ever lose it"-- This speaks to Vi's negative core belief: "I choose wrong every time, and because of it it. I've lost everyone" Now we don't hear her say those words until season 2. And it's not as simple to trace to her actions. But ultimately her doubt in this part of herself, in the worth of this part of herself is what feeds into the others. But as the story progresses, we see her shown time and time again that her willingness to believe in people and her love is not a flaw.

"Take care of Powder"-- This is really what we are about to dive into, but I will say this much. Vi's emotional struggle in accepting that "Powder" as she knew her is no more, and accepting that she still has a sister in Jinx is one of her greatest struggles. And it really gets into the idea of Vi trying to do her duty as an older sister, no matter what that might mean

Finally, after years of hopeless suffering, immensely changed, Vi descends into Zaun with Caitlyn at her side. determined to find her sister.

Jinx:

The changes Powder goes through are, undeniably tragic. Silco takes that broken, angry and traumatized young girl into his arms and makes her his daughter. He takes all of her negative feeling, and rather than giving her a way to work through in a healthy manner, he weaponizes it. He tells that sobbing angry little girl "We'll show them all" only moments after hiding the knife he used on Vander. And was planning to use on her. And while it seems clear that Silco did come to love her as a daughter in his way, he did everything in his power to bury Powder, so that all that was left was Jinx.

Jinx herself, is a series of contradictions. For explanation purposes, I will break her down into three sections.

The Warrior-  We see in her immediate introduction after the time skip she has in a way.. become just as strong as her sister told her she would be. She is a ferocious fighter, wielding an arsenal of custom bombs and firearms, and has gained a reputation as someone to fear.

The Daughter- When she is with Silco, she still behaves in a much more vulnerable way. She is very physically connected to him, wanting to sit with him or lean on him, and often speaks without that signature attitude we have been getting so far.

The Fractured- The evidence of her trauma and pain is still very much a part of Jinx’s life. We see her violently break down after thinking a pink-haired firelight is Vi, killing the woman and firing her gun at everyone on the airship. We then go on to see her, haunted and tormented, seeing the specters and hearing the voices of her family who died in that explosion. The guilt of that, still heavy in her heart and mind twisting her and threatening to break her. We get bits and pieces alluding to this not being a new development either such as the one below:

While making the report of Jinx’s breakdown, Sevika says “She’s a problem and we all know it”—Clearly suggesting this is at the very least not a single incident, and more likely part of an-going problem

After losing everyone she has ever had in her life, Jinx is driven by her desire to prove herself to Silco. Her fear of looking weak to him and being seen as not useful exacerbated the taunting specters of her fallen family. In a desperate bid to regain his favor, she launches the attack to steal the hex stone, killing six enforcers and drawing the attention of Caitlyn Kiramman.

Inner Strength:

In another post, I discussed the concept of the strength in this story and the way in which it is explored. When discussing the character of Jinx and her childhood as Powder, a quick review is necessary:

As a child she was taunted by Mylo and Claggor, and teased for being smaller, weaker, and unable to contribute in a fight. They encourage Vi to leave her behind for these reasons. Her beloved gadgets are also insulted and she herself laments that they will never work

Vi encourages and believes in her. Tells her differences are what make her strong. Tells her that while Vi has her fists, Powder has her gadgets, and they will work someday.   

Vi leaves her behind on the rescue. And while from an outside perspective that was absolutely the correct decision, Powders feeling of inadequacy and being unable to fight for her family drive her to go anyway, and in the resulting tragedy she believes that her sister who believed in her, has abandoned her as well.

So in summary: Feelings of not being strong enough to help her family as a child, comingled with her fear of being left behind or abandoned, drive her into a situation where her sister who believed in her left her after she tried and failed to help. Enter Silco.

“You need to let Powder die, so the fear of pain will no longer control you.. your strong now, like you were always meant to be. Jinx is perfect”

Silco took that broken little girl and yes, he made her strong. She learned to fight, her bombs became lethal, her prowess with a gun only grew, she became fearless in a fight. But in telling her to let go of her past when she was never able to heal, he inadvertently trapped her in a cycle of violence and self-delusion trying to live up to a standard she would never be able to achieve

Reunited:

Finally, after years apart the sisters find each other when Jinx lights up her flare, and Vi comes to her out of the mist. It seems perhaps that things will be okay, at first. Vi embraces Jinx who after a moment falls into her big sisters arms crying. Vi finally gets to apologize to Jinx letting her know she never meant to leave. Jinx tells Vi she has changed and done things, and while of course Vi doesn’t know the full details she accepts that and reassures her sister they had to what was needed to survive. It is only when Caitlyn appears that things begin to sour. Now, a few important things of note:

While Caitlyn is investigating Jinx, she has come for the stone primarily, which she did not tell Vi about.

Vi knows Caitlyn is investigating Jinx but never told her they were sisters.

Despite not actually knowing anything about why Caitlyn was with Vi or what their relationship was, Sevika intentionally plants the seed in Jinx’s mind that she has been replaced, and that Vi has not returned to any concern or love for her sister, out of a desire to destabilize her

Things get very tense, Jinx’s fear and her paranoia spin up aggravating her, and just when Vi seems to be calming her the firelights arrive. Resulting in Jinx being left alone, again. And in addition to not having her sister, she has lost the stone she needed for Silco’s desperately sought after approval.

Aftermath:

Vi-

In the aftermath of their reunion, we find Vi taken to the firelight base with Caitlyn. After a moving reunion with Ekko, she learns that the firelights consider Powder one of the fallen. Ekko insisting that Jinx is Silco’s because she wants to be. Not has to be. And confirms that she and Silco have harmed many of their people. Vi for her part resists in every way,  insisting that Powder is still in there somewhere and she can help her.

Jinx-

Having been left alone again, Jinx is in a very bad place. We find her arguing with the voice of Mylo in her head. We watch a heartbreaking and disturbing sequence, in which she is trying to overrule the voice that she knows Vi was there for her, but with every spike of pain she gets more and more manic until she focuses in on Caitlyn’s name.

Also important, is Jinx’s confrontation with Silco. Like Sevika earlier, he poisons Jinx against Vi and Caitlyn, assuring Jinx that Vi does not care about her and has come for the stone. Silco then goes on to remind her that Vi left her, even though it was not her choice, and guilts Jinx over the fact that he raised her and gave her a home. Which is ironic, given that he is the reason she lost her last one.

The Bridge:

Our involved parties converge on the bridge of progress, the site of Jinx and Vi’s first life altering tragedy. Jinx watches from a hiding place as Vi bids farewell to Caitlyn and Ekko, intent on returning to the undercity to continue her search for Jinx. Of note:

Vi once again insisting she can save her sister to Ekko

Despite Vi and Caitlyn’s growing relationship, and Ekko’s insistence that Jinx is beyond help, Vi chooses to go back in alone, ignoring her own wants and feelings and safety.

“When people look up to you, you don’t get to be selfish”

“who are you willing to lose”

As jinx watches from high up, the specter of Mylo taunts her about Vi and Caitlyn’s feelings, with Jinx insisting “it was only a goodbye hug.. she wouldn’t do that. Not again”

It is only once Jinx sees that they have the stone, the symbol of Silco’s approval, that she launches her attack which in turn brings Vi running back. Jinx kills several enforcers including Marcus, and then locks eyes on Vi holding a wounded Caitlyn. Silco and Sevika’s manipulations, coupled with Jinx’s fears and resentment sent her into a spiral, seeing Caitlyn’s face etched with false sinister expressions she opens fire on Cait and Vi, only stopping due to in the intervention of Ekko, and her eventual grenade detonation.

Aftermath:

Vi- After helping a wounded Caitlyn back to her family home and finally having a moment in peace, Vi and Caitlyn finally talk about Jinx. Much is said, but what is important here that even as Caitlyn tries to assure Vi that when Jinx went through and has become, what is Vi focused on? Her failure. Her belief that she abandoned Jinx and left her to the monster that took her. Notice that even after Jinx almost killed them, Vi isn’t angry.  She isn’t labeling her sister a monster, she is lamenting her failing in protecting her sister from the fate that has transformed her.

Jinx- Dying from her wounds, Silco rushes Jinx to none other than Singed himself, who sets to saving her life with Shimmer. This will of course effect her character for the rest of her life, but in regard to she and Vi’s relationship this is what I will point out. During a moment of lucidity, she is hallucinating Vi being there, reassuring her she is strong, telling her how sorry she is. In this moment of extreme pain and fear, even after what just happened Jinx  is emotionally reaching for Vi. Then Caitlyn appears, Caitlyn who has never actually wronged Jinx in any way, but who Silco and Sevika have turned into the boogeyman in Jinx’s mind, and the hallucination turns to hurting Jinx, and she is left terrified and screaming as the procedure continues.

The Dinner Party:

This scene is really all about the relationship between Jinx and Vi, so I hope I do this justice because there is a lot going on. There is a very important exchange in the beginning. Vi is tied up in the dark. Prowling out of sight, Jinx explains to Vi that while Silco always believed he made Jinx through his lessons, Vi made Jinx. But when Vi tries to apologize, Jinx explains that it was Vi’s voice when things were the worst, picking her up, urging her on that kept her alive. People have of course taken this to mean Vi’s lashing out all those years ago in grief and pain is what sent Jinx down this path. But listen to what Jinx is saying. Vi didn’t put her on the path. She helped her live through it.

Jinx has abducted Vi, Caitlyn, and Silco, bringing them to the sight of Vander’s death at a long table decorated with the dolls she has kept of her dead siblings. Jinx seems to have finally seen the light when it comes to Silco, until she makes an offer to Vi. Kill Caitlyn, and you can have Powder back. When Vi refuses there is a violent confrontation in which after hesitating to shoot Jinx for Vi’s sake,  Caitlyn is knocked out by Jinx, followed by Silco and Vi fighting for her very soul, all culminating in Jinx killing Silco to save Vi’s life.

There has been much talk of Vi’s trying to bring Jinx back to remembering who she was as being selfish and harmful. And I will grant you, the animation in this scene alone shows us a new specter rising over her driving her further down. But lets take a step back for a moment and consider a few things:

“Jinx” is a name born of childhood trauma and pain fashioned by Silco into the dangerous young woman she has become. Calling her Jinx is one of the things Vi feels worst about and is in this moment trying to remind her of the people who loved her and that she still loves her.

The “self” Silco is demanding that Jinx actually is, is this violent, fractured, cruel girl. I am not arguing that holding on to who she was is what is best for her. It clearly as not and the show takes care in crafting one its many lessons teaching us that something you have to let go in order to move on. But Vi is trying to remind her of everyone who loved her and that she still does, while Silco is encouraging her to murder her sister and embrace this broken version of herself that he accepts.

Vi is not a psychologist. She is deeply traumatized woman in her early twenties trying to save her sisters soul. And yes, part of Vi’s insistence that Powder HAS  to be in there somewhere is due to her own trauma creating a resistance to change. But her determination to help her sister is not born of her own selfishness. Let’s take a step back here and take an absolutely barebones look the version of her sister she has encountered since she came home, who Silco insists she really is:

Prior to Vi’s release assisted Silco in his criminal operations, exposing people of the lanes to Shimmer and killing firelights for trying to stop him

Murdered six enforcers and stole hex tech, launching the bridge blockade and renewal of open issues between Piltover and Zaun

Stuck a machine gun under Vi’s chin

Killed several enforcers including the sheriff of Piltover, all before trying to kill Vi and Caitlyn and as far as they know killing Ekko.

Abducted Caitlyn from her home and told Vi she “can have powder back” if she kills her

On-going signs of mental illness and disturbance, talking to herself, screaming, muttering

So, while I can agree that Vi’s hardline belief that she was still who she used to be did not help her in the battle of her mind, if you can honestly say Vi was wrong for trying to save her sister from Silco’s vision of her, that is not a point of view I can understand.

This nightmarish dinner party concludes as Jinx “accepts” who she has become, and after a tearful apology to Silco, fires the missile that will take the lives of Caitlyn’s mother and two other councilors, opening the door for things so much darker to come into their lives, as a screaming Caitlyn and horror stricken Vi watch, unable to stop what is coming.

To those of you who were willing to read all of this I appreciate it. I know it's a lot. But I started doing as a reaction to the startling lack of literacy and true understanding of these characters and their stores. How could i phone it in on such an important piece of that?

If any of you are so generous with your time as to care I hope to do part 2 over the next 2 or 3 days depending on my work schedule. Thank you and take care!

[dawnofplumeria]

Is it weird for me to say that I don't ship Shangmei Oubing romantically but I find their dynamic to be fascinating? Like, most of the time I can't take the ship seriously because wdym that infamous commercial was made bc of the popularity of 2019 oubing!? C'mon Shangmei Oubing sounds like something straight out of a booktok dark romance novel! The ship feels so outlandish for me that I'm not too disturbed by its existence. To not go on for too long,Shangmei Oubing is basically the antithesis/dark version of 2019 oubing & that's pretty much the main reason why I'm interested in this dynamic.

For me, thinking about Shangmei oubing gives me the same feeling as watching ants burn under a magnifying glass or watching a YouTube video of someone torturing their Sims. It also makes me feel like being a nature photographer/videographer watching a helpless prey animal being devoured alive by its predator. It's a horrifying sight but yet I can't help but watch.

To whoever had the idea of creating that commercial: I am intrigued & terrified of your thought process.

[fawnsuga]

The Tragic Case of Nicholas Prosper: A Failed Mass Shooting and Its Consequences

In a disturbing and tragic incident that has sent shockwaves through the community of Luton, England, 19-year-old Nicholas Prosper has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 49 years for the brutal murders of his mother and siblings. This tragic event unfolded on September 13, 2024, when Prosper killed Juliana Falcon, 48, and his two siblings, Kyle, 16, and Giselle, 13, before planning a mass shooting at his former primary school, St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School.

A Chilling Crime

Nicholas Prosper, who exhibited signs of autism spectrum disorder but was never officially diagnosed, was often described as a quiet and "geeky" boy with a strong interest in computers. However, as he grew older, he became increasingly isolated, distancing himself from friendships and engaging with disturbing online content. Investigators revealed that he had developed a strong fascination with school shootings, particularly the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, and had planned to murder around 30 people to achieve a higher death toll before committing suicide. The planned massacre, which had been in the works for over a year, was scheduled to take place on Friday the 13th—a date he seemed to have deliberately chosen for its ominous connotations.

On the day prior to the murders, Prosper purchased a double-barrel shotgun and 100 cartridges from a local dealer for £650, using a fake firearms license he had meticulously crafted. The dealer, believing the license to be legitimate, reported the purchase to the police later that same day, but by then, Prosper's deadly plans were already set in motion. He spent the day conducting online searches related to killing someone with a shotgun, alongside queries concerning necrophilia and the murder of Sarah Everard, a case that had captured national attention.

In the early hours of September 13, Prosper executed his horrifying plan. His mother, Juliana, discovered the shotgun he had bought and confronted him. In a fit of rage, he shot her in the head, then turned on his siblings. Giselle was shot in the face and chest, while Kyle was shot in the chest and brutally stabbed approximately 100 times. The sheer brutality of the murders left law enforcement and the community in shock.

Prosper later revealed that he had intended to commit acts of necrophilia with Giselle's corpse, but his mother waking up foiled his plans. After committing the murders, he attempted to hide from law enforcement, remaining in the vicinity for about two hours before ultimately turning himself in when he spotted a police car. He was arrested around 11:50 AM, approximately 600 meters from the crime scene, where officers discovered the loaded shotgun and 33 rounds hidden in nearby bushes.

The Court Proceedings

Nicholas Prosper was charged with three counts of murder, purchasing or acquiring a shotgun without a certificate, possession of a shotgun, and possession of a bladed article in a public place. Disturbingly, indecent images of children were also found on his phone, but due to the severity of the other charges, he was not charged in relation to them.

During his initial court appearance, his father, Ray Prosper, expressed his love for his son, stating, "I still love you, son. It’s not your fault, OK?" This poignant moment underscored the complexity of the situation, as families often struggle to reconcile their love for their children with the horrific actions they may commit.

On February 24, 2025, Nicholas Prosper pleaded guilty to all charges at Luton Crown Court. His sentencing took place on March 19, 2025, where Judge Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubb condemned Prosper's actions. She described the details of the case as "chilling," emphasizing that he sought notoriety akin to infamous mass shooters. The judge noted that his planning was "cold, deliberate and without sympathy or emotion towards the actual victims or potential victims," highlighting the utter lack of remorse shown by Prosper.

Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubb stated that, despite Prosper's autism diagnosis, it did not significantly affect his decision-making. She articulated the horror experienced by the victims in their final moments, saying, "Each victim suffered the anguish of anticipating or being aware of the deaths of others." She explained her decision to impose a minimum term rather than a whole-life sentence, noting that "a minimum term does not in any way equate to the value of the life of a murder victim, still less three such victims."

A Community in Mourning

The murders have left a profound impact on the Luton community, which has been grappling with the tragedy and its implications. In a heartfelt statement following the sentencing, the family of the victims expressed their desire for Juliana, Kyle, and Giselle to be remembered for who they truly were. Juliana was portrayed as a strong, loving mother devoted to her four children, while Kyle was described as a kind and talented young man with a passion for football and boxing. Giselle was remembered as a caring girl with an infectious smile and exceptional academic abilities.

This case has reignited discussions surrounding mental health, gun control, and the alarming rise of violent ideation among youth. The United Kingdom has not experienced a school shooting since the Dunblane massacre in 1996, making the recent events even more shocking. However, the rise in unsuccessful plots has raised concerns about the potential for future violence.

Conclusion

The case of Nicholas Prosper serves as a grim reminder of the potential for violence that can lie beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary lives. As communities strive to understand the factors contributing to such horrific acts, it is essential to focus on prevention and support systems for at-risk individuals. The memories of Juliana, Kyle, and Giselle must be honored, and efforts must be made to ensure that no other family has to endure the same pain and loss. This tragic event underscores the need for greater awareness and proactive measures to address the underlying issues that lead to such violence, ensuring that future generations can live free from the threat of similar tragedies.

Giselle Prosper [13] (left), Juliana Prosper [48] (centre), Kyle Prosper [16] (right) found dead in a flat in Luton, Leabank, on Friday 13 September 2024. Pic: family pics issued via Bedfordshire police

Julie was a devoted and nurturing mother to her four children, who were the center of her universe. Kyle was a compassionate and witty young man with a deep passion for football and boxing. He demonstrated considerable talent and held great promise for the future. Giselle was an exceptional young girl, known for her radiant spirit and contagious smile. She excelled in her studies and was deeply valued by her peers. Rest in peace to these sweet angels.♡

[lemon-natalia]

Nona the Ninth Reaction - Review

firstly, i just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has taken an interest in and encouraged me in doing these liveblogs! this has been such a fun project to work on, and reading these books for the past nine months or so has been a bright spot in what has otherwise been a relatively tough period of my life. i’ve really enjoyed getting to theorise about all of the lore of these books and make horribly ill-advised emotional attachments to inevitably doomed characters

more fun statistics that no one asked for: this liveblog was the longest, at about 20,000 (!!) words. my GtN liveblog was 12000 words for comparison. i have no excuse other than i like to talk

NtN definitely was an interesting diversion from the other two books so far. it wasn’t exactly a breather, since it was still incredibly heartbreaking and horrifying, but it was fun to see a part of the worldbuilding very different from what we’ve seen before. as much as I missed both Harrow and Gideon, i liked that it gave other characters time to shine outside of interacting with them. it was fun to see more of Palamedes, Camilla, and Pyrrha, and how those characters act in a vastly different environment to the Nine Houses

although NtN was essentially telling two different narratives, John chapters vs Nona’s, it still didn’t feel particularly disjointed - i think it was thematically held together by being a bit more grounded than the other books so far, sci-fi and fantasy elements notwithstanding (contemporary issues like climate change and nuclear war, & John’s world being a setting far closer to our own vs Nona’s domestic life & very real problems of living in a warzone)

i also loved getting John’s perspective in the chapters narrated by Harrow, his point of view and recollections were equal parts funny, terrifying, and fascinating. he’s certainly got a … unique perspective on the world. it was just a slow horrifying journey trying to figure out how the world ended, knowing that it was doomed but not exactly how it happened

Muir really has a talent for endearing you to a protagonist, and Nona was no exception, I absolutely loved her, and just, her whole story and how tragic it was physically hurt me. i also wasn’t expecting to get as attached as i was to Hot Sauce and the school gang - i hope we get just even just a mention of what happens to them in AtN

tldr: 11/10. reading this series is like the emotional equivalent of voluntarily getting stabbed in the heart repeatedly. i have absolutely no clue what I’m going to do with my life now that this is over for the meantime, other than go crazy in a locked room with a red string conspiracy board trying to figure out whats going to happen in Alecto the Ninth

speaking of, obviously its not a pressing issue since to my knowledge there isn’t even a release date yet, but i’m not sure if i’ll do a liveblog for Alecto when it comes out? on one hand the most fun bit about liveblogging has been the reaction from everyone who’s already read the books and we’ll all be in the same boat of not knowing what’s going on when Alecto comes out, so i don’t know how much of a point there is? on the other i would very much enjoy doing it anyway, and i’m a perfectionist so it would be nice to have completed all of the books like that. so i guess it depends on how impatient i am to read the whole book when it comes out lol

[faun-the-fawn77]

Chapter 1 - "𝔾𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕆𝕗 𝕊𝕦𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕝"

"Are we the hunters? Or are we the prey?"ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ Word Count: 2.5k Chapter Warnings: injuries, swearing Note(s) at the bottom! <Previous: Prologue - Next: Chapter 2>

Hanging upside down was only fun for so long. Feeling my blood rush to my head was nauseating. The only thing that kept me from passing out was watching the blurred upside down figures of the spider demon, Rui, fighting with Tanjiro.

Watching the fight between Tanjiro and Rui was both fascinating and horrifying. Tanjiro Is a strong kid but Rui is faster. Demon's are nearly perfect beings. The wounds that Tanjiro inflicted on the demon did nothing as it just healed seconds after. My heart was beating out of my chest and I choked on air a few times thinking Tanjiro was going to get a death blow. I know he lives but it's still scary to see in real time.

I wanted to help somehow. Nichirin weapons are the only thing that can hurt a demon. I looked around the floor for a fallen slayer's sword but no luck. I huffed in frustration. The only thing available to me right now is my pocket knife. It wasn't nichirin and it was too small to cut through even the demon kid's neck but it's really all I have right now.

I maneuvered the arm that wasn't held as tightly as the other, shifting it to reach back. I usually kept my pocket knife in back pocket. I'm actually surprised nothing fell out of my backpack or pockets considering I am dangling upside down. Brushing the thought off, I reached into my back pocket. I felt the metal of the knife graze my fingertips. I tried to reach more in hopes of just being able to slide the blade up so I could grasp it easier.

Finally grabbing hold of the knife, I shuffled my arm up so I could open the knife. I glanced up to see Rui was still distracted with fighting Tanjiro. I can't remember if the demon could feel his threads getting cut but it's now or never. Tanjiro needs help and if I can distract them for long enough for Tomioka to get here then I'm golden.

I brought the blade of the sharpened knife to a thread. I kept my eyes locked onto the spider demon and cut the thread. I waited a bit to see if anything happened and...nothing. I watched as Tanjiro cut through threads, Rui producing more in retaliation.

He can feel threads being broken but because I had cut mine at the same time Tanjiro did, the spider didn't notice. I smirked a bit at that and made sure to time me cutting the threads around me to when Tanjiro sliced the ones attacking him.

The last thread around me was cut, dropping me unceremoniously to the hard forest floor. Pain shot up my spine at the landing causing me to groan a bit. My bandages that I had put on earlier were falling off. I grumbled and swiped them away as I got to my feet. I swayed a bit as my blood rushed back down from my head. I could feel a trickle of blood leave my nose that I wiped away.

I looked up just in time. Threads from Rui's fingertips were surrounding Tanjiro. It was like time slowed as the strings enclosed around the injured slayer. I gripped my pocket knife, the metal design of the handle digging into my skin. My feet moved on their own, sprinting towards Tanjiro who was trying to block with his broken blade. I felt my body jump on its own, gaining air.

My arm moved on its own accord. My knife was held up, the moonlight glinting off the blade as it was swiped from left to right. I hoped that even with this small blade I could cut through some of the threads.

What I didn't notice was the words being mumbled from my mouth.

"Breath of the Dragon. Sixth Form: Tail of Thorns"

A burst of orange light erupted from my blade, blinding for a few seconds. Opening my eyes, I saw a scaled tail swishing through the air. The appendage looked to be made of fire. The heat from it was so much that I felt like I was sitting in a sauna fully clothed. Spikes trailed down the back and sides which led to lethal looking blades at the end of the tail.

My heart was racing and I could feel steam escape my throat, as if I had a fire burning in my lungs. I couldn't feel my nails extend into claws and dig into the palms of my hands. I couldn't feel my canines lengthen either, cutting into my bottom lip. I almost didn't notice my eyesight get sharper, clearer. I could see every ember fly off the tail that sprouted from my pocket knife. I could see every string that the demon kid controlled and produced.

Hearing Tanjiro's heart stutter at the sight almost distracted me. It was beating irregularly from the panic he felt. I could hear Rui suck in a gasp at the sight of the giant flaming tail swish around a bit.

The tail was a bit longer than that of a car. I noticed how it was idling, as if waiting for a command or something. The thought of it cutting through the spider demon's threads crossed my mind and with that thought, the tail raised itself and swiped through the threads, disintegrating them at the touch of the flames. The fire burned through all the strings that were touching, Rui letting them go at the last second to avoid the deadly flames.

Everything was quiet. Tanjiro looked like he pissed his pants and Rui was glaring at me with a frown on his lips. My lungs felt like they were on fire. It was getting harder and harder to breathe with every breath of air I sucked in. My hearing was no longer as good and my eyesight went back to the shitty vision I had before.

"Are you a new demon of Master Kibutsuji?"

The moment that name spilled from his lips, I looked up. Tanjiro looked at the demon before setting his eyes on me, watching me. Why did he say Muzan's name? What was he asking? The anger in the spider demon's eyes simmered to that of confusion. I could see Tanjiro visibly shaking, probably thinking that he'll have to fight two demons.

I opened my mouth to respond when I choked on the steam still coming from my lungs. I coughed and hacked, trying to gain air. I dropped to my knees, a hand holding my burning throat. My eyes were watering and black spots were dotting the edge of my vision.

If I die from this I am going to be so upset.

With the little strength I had, I looked at Tanjiro. His eyes screamed confusion and fright as he stared at me coughing my lungs up. I reached a hand out and that's when my vision decided to go black. The last thing I felt was my head hitting the rough ground of the forest floor.

It was silent. Tanjiro was looking at the woman with alarm. Her head made a sickening 'crack' as it collided with a rock. His heart was racing and his stomach was in knots. She wasn't a demon, his nose caught a whiff of her humanity. He could barely smell it through all the smoke around her. It was so suffocating, like he was stuck in a burning building.

Rui was looking down at the woman with confusion and disdain. If she was truly a demon then she wouldn't have passed out. He also would be able to sense if she was. He watched as the woman's chest rose and fell with shallow breath's. Someone so powerful was stuck in such a weak body. How pitiful.

After a few moments, Rui turned back towards the young demon slayer. He rose his hands and before Tanjiro could even defend himself some way, Nezuko appeared in front of her brother, taking the brunt of the attack. Her blood spurted out. She groaned a bit, still in her stance to protect Tanjiro. Rui dragged her towards him via web and went on his long speech about family.

It was a long fight. Nezuko ended up being tied upside down like the strange female was before. She used her blood demon art to incinerate the strings and Tanjiro used Sun Breathing! His celebration didn't last long when the decapitated demon kid caught his own head and placed it back on. The anger from the spider demon was palpable.

"I haven't been this angry in a long time..."

Rui raised his hands and with the utter of his blood demon art, Tanjiro covered his head. The sound of the strings slicing through the air could be heard as the descended onto Tanjiro. Before the strings could get even inches from him, they were cut.

Tanjiro looked up. Tomioka Giyuu stood with his back to Tanjiro.

"I'll take it from here." And with that, Tomioka was thrown into battle with the lower moon.

Tanjiro was quick to crawl towards his injured sister who happened to land next to the unconscious foreigner. Tanjiro rolled the girl to her side to see if any of her injuries were in need of a bit of help.

Steam was coming from the cuts scattered across her face as they seemed to close themselves up. Tanjiro furrowed his brows at this. When demon's regenerate, steam never comes the wounds that are closing. He also thought back to that breathing style she had used. Her eyes turned slitted, like that of a demon but he could still smell that she was human.

When that tail appeared from her small blade, even she looked surprised. It's like...she wasn't expecting that to happen. The tail was huge and, if swung wrong, surely could've decapitated both him and that lower moon.

If she isn't a demon, then what was this girl?

"Who is that? And why are they dressed so provocatively?"

"And they're arms? They seem to have been in battles before!"

"Look at their face! i have never seen someone so young with that many piercings!"

My head was pounding. The voices around me were speaking in a language I couldn't understand. The ground I was on was rough, like I was face first in gravel. The muscles in my arms were straining from being held behind my back. And my fucking head hurt like a bitch, did I mention that?

I groaned, trying to sit up. When I went to pull my arms forward I was met with resistance. That's when I opened my eyes. It was bright. I was laying on my side, facing an old style Japanese house. Tall trees with bright purple flowers were almost surrounding the estate. When I looked to my left I saw the passed out figure of Tanjiro, also tied up, and being beaten by the kakushi.

Tanjiro...

Oh my lord. I forgot I was dropped into this universe.

I tried more frantically to sit up but with my arms tied behind my back, that made it a bit harder. A set of hands grabbed my shoulder's and helped me sit up. I looked over a bit to see a familiar flame patterned haori.

"I'm so glad you're awake!" God, his voice was even more soothing to hear in real life. He turned me to face the rest of the Hashira. Seeing them all, I almost cried. They were all talking, breathing, and just... alive.

"Are you okay?" I turned towards the voice. Uzui was looking at me with a frown on his lips. I tilted my head to the side, my brows furrowed as I tried to see if I recognised any of the words he said.

"Sorry, I don't speak Japanese." It got scarily quiet after that. I gulped, grasping on to a rock that my fingers could reach as each Hashira stared at me. That's when I heard that growling voice walk into the circle.

"A foreigner? What the hell is someone like that doing here?" Sanemi being able to speak and understand English was a shock. Why would that asshole ever learn that anyway?

"You can speak English?" The Wind Pillar looked down at me with a glare. Nezuko's box was under his right arm. He stepped closer towards me making me want to scoot closer to the bright Flame Pillar who was still behind me.

"Why are you here? What was that breathing style you used back on that mountain? And why in the hell are you dressed like that?" My head pounded more at the loudness. I glared at him from under my lashes.

"My name is (Y/N) (L/N) and I'm about ready to shove my foot up your ass if you do-"

"Nezuko!"

All heads whipped towards the bruised and beaten demon slayer. I watched as Tanjiro tried to free himself to get to Nezuko. I did end up scooting back into Rengoku to try and get away from the commotion as much as possible. A warm hand was placed on my shoulder, their thumb rubbing soothing circles on my skin. My racing heart calmed down at the comfort.

Sanemi brought out his blade, the sun hitting it just right and blinding me for a second. Asshole.

He smiled menacingly at Tanjiro, stabbing through the box that Nezuko was hiding inside of. I watched as he pulled his sword out, blood dripping from it. I frowned at that. Could this guy be any more of jerk?

Tanjiro yelled out at that. He sprinted towards the Wind Pillar and headbutted the shit out of him. When I tell you that the sound from that was deafening, I mean it. I actually felt concerned for Sanemi until I remembered how he treats his brother.

A laugh escaped my chest at the sight. I tried to keep quiet but then I heard Mitsuri laugh as well and that's when her and I looked at each other before descending into full belly laughter. The grip on my shoulder tightened a bit which caused my to shut my mouth. I saw Uzui glancing at Mitsuri which seemed to shut her up as well.

Tanjiro grabbed onto the straps of his sister's box and landed a few feet away from the injured Wind Hashira. He glared at the heavily scarred slayer with anger and hurt.

"If you can't tell the difference between a good demon and a bad demon, then you don't deserve to be a Hashira!" As Sanemi got back on his feet, the pillar smiled evilly. He growled something that I couldn't hear. Before the scarred jerk could make a move, a young voice called out from the porch of the estate.

"The master of the mansion has arrived!"

The girl was quite cute. Her hair was a bright white, whiter than Sanemi's. Her eyes almost looked lifeless but when she caught sight of me, they sparkled a bit. She turned back to look at the entrance of the estate, waiting for her father to step through. I could see the tall figure of Ubuyashiki Kagaya making his way to the porch of his mansion.

Rengoku stepped from behind me and kneeled at my left side. He gently guided my head to bow down at their master. I stared at the rocks in my line of sight and let out a sigh.

Well, let's hope all goes well in this shit show, huh?

SURPRISE!!! I have today and tomorrow off and I wanted to write so I decided "Why not post this chapter?" And that is exactly what I did. Hope you all enjoy! I'm going to be writing up Chapter two now cause that one is gonna be an info dumper.

I'll have to write out battles eventually but considering that reader wasn't part of the last bit of that battle, I decided to skip it. This one was short and I'm sorry but I want to make the next chapter longer with the Hashira meeting and Ubuyashiki meeting Reader. I felt that if I put it in this chapter then it would be too much info at once.

TAGLIST:

@eris-rose-86

[the-way-astray]

Aldella posts. Sort of.

OOH ALDELLA POSTS WAHOO!!!!

first one is so them when they first meet core . . . alden is simultaneously horrified and fascinated by della. second one: alden is a babygirl and a wife. in fact. third one's interesting because it's more complicated than just unwanted to me . . . they are so stuck by their own love that they want it actually . . . they want it to be good and they blame the other person. but also it's so weirdly messed up and bad that they just want it to end but also if it ends then. then what even. you know . . . so it's kind of wanted and unwanted at the same time. fourth one: I DON'T DO THAT I DON'T KILL LADIES LMFAOOOO and della would say that about alden. i am so sorry anyone that claims that alden's not a ladykiller is lying lmfaoooo . . . okay fifth one. unfortunately they are both tens however they are zeros to each other. this i agree with within context. sixth one YES!!!! they want to spiral into codependency!!!! they don't want it so much as they don't want it to end but same difference lmfao. seventh one . . . I WANT THEM TO PUNCH EACH OTHER IN THE FACE!!!! having said that i think they both do respect each other. i think mutual respect is super important in enemies/rivals to lovers dynamics because it shows that each person sees the other as an equal, but anyway. EIGHTH ONE IS SO THEM ACTUALLY please never bring sweet happy perfect healthy aldella within ten feet of me i may spontaneously combust. AND THEY DEFINITELY FUCK NASTY, something i don't talk about that much but they do. ninth one . . . is it possible to be married and divorced at the same exact time. because if so. that's them . . . doomed by the narrative indeed . . .

anyway fin you did not expect this word salad i am so sorry but i have many thoughts