#I get bored too quickly. I don't allow myself to get bored quickly enough. I am too angry but I don't allow myself to be angry enough

[neverendingford]

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[thebenjiblackwoodexpress]

The Blackwood Knight prt.8

Disclaimer: I wrote this because Victoria is a Shakespeare girlie and loves Romeo and Juliet. She also loves Crimson Peak, which inspired the last two parts.

Description: Benjicot resorts to drastic measures to win back his lady's trust and love, having accidentally placed doubt in her mind as to his true intentions.

Part 7

Playlist:

Gold Rush~ Taylor Swift

The Way I Loved You~ Taylor Swift

How You Get The Girl~ Taylor Swift

Adore You ~ Harry Styles

Warnings: female reader. Nothing else I don't think. Robb being an iconic twink with access to the blueprints for Bracken Hall and too much sass for Westeros to handle.

"Let me get this absolutely crystal clear in my mind. You described your union as 'mutually beneficial'!" Robb cried incredulously, striking Benjicot on the shoulder from behind, as he sat slumped onto a desk in the library of his ancestral seat. 

The glow cast by the lit lanterns, attached to the ancient stone walls, cast shadows over his face which bore signs of the deepest distress. 

"It sounds beyond reprehensible when you repeat those words, words which I most bitterly regret. I did not mean them in the way that both yourself and my lady have interpreted them, but it makes them no less acrid when you repeat them." He responded dejectedly, slumping his head once again upon the desk. 

Mumbling almost incomprehensibly so that Robb had to tilt his head down towards his friend to hear him. 

"What can I do to make amends? She hates me. I fear she will never speak to me again." 

Robb cast a contemptuous look at his friend before retorting. 

"You bloody fool. Not only did you make her sound to even my indulgent ears like a prize to be bartered between Houses, but you also did so with the very fiend from whose taunts you once defended her. Can you not see that you have made a shy, sweet girl who loved and trusted you feel as if the one person who she believed cared for her and would protect her above all others was nothing more than a cipher of the bullies she has sought to shield herself from?!" 

Seeing Benjicot's increasingly pained expression, as he roughly gripped his hair in both hands, Robb relented a little. 

"The damage you have done in your carelessness will be very difficult to remedy. You must show her that you love her and value her above all else. Words are not enough." 

Lifting his head, Benjicot's expression became resolved as he turned it to meet his friend. 

"I will, even if she will never again allow me to be in her presence," He struggled to continue, the thought causing him physical pain, "I must at the very least convince her that my love for her was never a lie. I cannot bear the thought that I have only cemented her insecurities. That I have born my own part in making her feel as if I mocked her...just like her contemptuous cousin." 

At this, he began to rise.

"I must see her." 

Perking up at this and slapping his friend approvingly on the back, Robb moved to lift his sword from the table and responded. 

"Glad to hear it. I'll get the Lads together and we can defend your flank whilst you hop over the border and get on your knees to beg your lady for forgiveness, you're favourite past time I know." 

Looking at him with mild irritation, Benjicot rose, placing a firm hold on Rob's shoulder. 

"Whilst I greatly appreciate the support, I must go myself. She's shy and frightened enough of me, after my misdemeanor, and I don't want you and your cronies scaring her off before I can even apologise." 

Laughing at this, Robb retorted smugly. 

"More likely you're afraid of her falling in love with me. Fear not, my interests lie in another direction entirely, but I'll hold off if you are determined. Of course Kermit will be devastated not to have a free shot at a Bracken, but I will assuage him." 

With this, Benjicot nodded at his friend before rising quickly and striding from the room, through the halls of Raventree as he continued to ruminate with anguish on the distressed face of his lovely lady and the part he had played in causing her distress. He would explain that he loved her and valued her above all else. That he meant every word he had said to her. That he would protect, serve and adore her if she would only let him, only forgive him. He would beg for her forgiveness, even if she could never herself love him again. It would be enough if she would only permit him to continue in her presence as a loyal knight.

It had been a day since Y/N had fled from the man she had come to trust and love, the only one she believed had ever cared for her and seen her as more than a shadow in the background of life....mistakenly. After Aeron had carried her back to her quarters in Bracken Hall she had locked her doors and allowed no visitors, barring her handmaiden. 

She spent the intervening hours between that of the previous days events and the advent of night on her balcony, her still pained ankle raised on a cushion on her chaise, as she read of Visenya. She was mentally and physically retreating to the shelter of her room and her books, determined never to open her heart to another person, as she had so foolishly done this time. She was silly to believe that Benjicot could love her for herself, rather than the political promise she could represent for him. She had trusted him where she had never invested anyone else with such trust. She had begun to gain in confidence in her dreams, her beliefs, and in his love, all for it to be shattered in a moment. Her embarrassment at having opened her heart to another person, to revealing herself so freely, where she was always so careful to be a shadowy presence in others' lives, was overwhelming, as she sunk further into her seat and further into herself. 

Wrapped in these painful thoughts, it was a few seconds before she heard a muffled voice calling her name from the direction of the dark expanse underneath her window. Rising carefully from her seat, using the pillars lining the portico of the balcony to balance herself as she moved towards the edge of it, she looked down to see the hopeful and desperate expression of the man she both hated and loved. Seeing her come into view, his face lit up with irrepressible delight, before quickly falling when she began to quickly turn away, book pressed protectively to her chest as she made to retreat to her room. She did not want to speak with him. 

Seeing her retreat, he quickly called out. 

"Please my love, please, I entreat you to let me explain what you overheard in the woods." 

Stopping where she was, she turned and moved once again back to the edge of the balcony. 

Speaking quietly and timidly, but not so much so that he could not hear her, accustomed as he was to listening for her quiet voice, she responded. 

"Please leave, I do not wish to speak with you now or henceforth. I can't understand why you are here now when you have made it abundantly clear that I myself am not what you seek. I would like you to leave."

Taking a deep, pained breath, Benjicot's expression underwent several changes before it became resolute and he stepped determinedly towards the pillar bolstering the balcony from the ground. 

Confused at his movements, Y/N became panicked when she realised he was climbing the pillar, frozen in position. It wasn't until he had swung his leg over the top of the balcony and had landed gracefully that she turned to flee, forgetting her injured ankle in the attempt, causing herself to stumble and hold onto a nearby pillar for support. Feeling gentle hands enclose around her elbows, she heard Benjicot speak quietly near her cheek. 

"Please don't run from me, my love. Your ankle is still injured. Please just allow me to help you." 

Looking down with concern at the ankle in question, he slowly, with great caution lest his lady should be offended, raised her arm around his neck and held her waist, fully supporting her weight so that he could place her on her chaise.  

Distressed to see his lady look away from him, her expression betraying embarrassment as well as displeasure, he knelt before her, bending his head low, before gently, reverently holding her hands in both of his own. 

"I will not disturb you further if you do not wish it, but I must convince you of the truth of my feelings for you and beg for your forgiveness for making you believe otherwise." 

Stopping him abruptly, Benjicot immediately desisted in deference to her speech, so important was anything she had to say to him, even if she meant only to order him away from her forever. 

Speaking quietly, she interrupted him. 

"I already heard what both you and my cousin said of me when you believed me not to be listening. I know that your protestations of love for me were all a ruse and that you were both in league together." 

Benjicot's expression betrayed the deep pain he felt at her response, drooping his head to rest it on her knees. 

"I can never apologise enough, nor beg for your forgiveness enough, for making you believe such a horrific notion. I had never spoken to your cousin of you before that dreadful moment, except when I first had the honour of meeting you. You were never just a bartering tool between us. I would break his legs if even tried to make such a suggestion. I had only meant to convey to him that I would repair the conflict between our houses so that in choosing me as your husband you would not also be choosing to abandon all that you knew. It is my mistake that I so brazenly worded my intent, my love." He added, casting his face down in desperation. 

"I have loved you since I first saw you sitting with your nose tucked into your histories under the Brackentree and have persued your love ever since. I have meant every word I have said to you since, and will continue to prove it to you in any way thay you will allow me."

His lady slightly turning towards him, Benjicot grew at once desperate and hopeful that she would listen to his entreaties, gripping her hands tighter in his as he raised his face to hers, hoping to convey the truth of his feelings in his eyes. 

"You speak very elegantly but I now know that you are so to all ladies and that this charade is not reserved for me alone." 

Reaching out to touch her face before quickly retracting his hand once he saw Y/N move away from him in discomfort, he instead responded. 

"Whilst I would consider myself to be a gentleman, there is only one lady I would traverse miles of enemy land and scale walls to get to." Saying this with a gentle smile, he continued to gaze upon her reverently. 

When she did not respond, he removed a brown leather volume from its place, stashed underneath his cloak. 

"I found this in my library and I thought it might be of interest to you." 

Hesitantly reaching to take the volume from his hand, she examined it before opening it. 

As she did so, he interposed "May I?" Pointing at the book. 

He turned the pages to an earmarked section, coloured with a rich illustration of a knight kneeling in homage before a queen. 

"This tells the story of a knight loyal to his queen above all else, swearing to protect, serve and..." He hesitated "love her for all of his life".

She gazed curiously down at the illustration in her hands as he spoke. 

"I thought you would like to have it, even should you order me away from your presence now. But I should like it to serve as an illustration of the devotion I feel towards you and as a reminder that I will always protect and adore you, even if only as your knight. Without any conditions. Without any expectation for you to love me in return. Just....let me adore you." He faltered staring up at her penitently, anxiously awaiting her response. 

It was a few agonising moments for Benjicot before Y/N raised her hand towards his shoulder, causing him to hold his breath lest he frighten her in his shock. Delicately placing her hand on his shoulder, she placed the other one on his other shoulder, causing him to subconsciously lean into her touch. 

Looking timidly away from him, she began to speak. 

"So you really did not mean that I was a...political tool." 

Leaning further towards her face, he quickly refuted such a notion. 

"I would thrash any man who suggested it. You are my lady, my love." 

Gazing into his eyes searchingly, she seemed to find what she sought in them, and leant her head gently upon his shoulder. 

Shocked, yet rejoicing at her affectionate gesture and in the comfort she seemed to look to from him, he lost no time in wrapping a protective arm around her waist, pulling her into his torso as he held her head gently in his other hand. Closing his eyes in relief, he held her like that for a few peaceful moments, scarcely believing that his love had forgiven him and that she had initiated their embrace. Taking it as a sign of the trust she had reinvested in him to protect her heart as well as her person, he solemnly swore in his own mind to guard it with more sucess than he had yet done as of late.

She pulled away too quickly for his liking, wishing as he did that she could always be so close to him.

"How did you even find your way here with impunity, let alone my balcony?"

Smirking at this, Benjicot threw his cloak dramatically over his shoulder to amuse her with his antics.

"I of course practiced great stealth, opting for a cloak and daggers approach."

Raising a disapproving eyebrow at him but with her mouth turned up at the corner, Benjicot rejoiced to have made her smile and to have amused her.

"In truth i just walked past the Red Ford and straight until i found Bracken Hall, i wasn't too worried about encountering any Bracken men. I'd just run them through if they tried to prevent me from reaching my Love. As far as finding your balcony goes, i was just blessed to see your pretty person upon it....and my good friend Robb also has an encyclopedic knowledge of Bracken Hall, having planned to storm it so many times." He added, slightly sheepishly.

Rolling her eyes at him, lightly swatting his chest.

"You're crazy."

Smirking again he rose to put his arm against the wall by her face, leaning his face towards hers.

"Crazy about you."

"And ridiculous," she added, laughing.

Reaching out to hold her chin gently in his other hand he leaned in further, before whispering in response "ridiculously in love with you", as his lips crashed onto hers, his arm moving to encircle her waist and support her weight as he did so.

Breaking the kiss, he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, gazing up at her as if she were the sun. 

"Can i come and see you tomorrow?" He asked tentatively, unable to fully conceal his fear that she would still order him hence.

"I'd rather you didn't risk your life in such a dangerous attempt. I can always come to meet you."

Frowning at this, he stroked the back of her cheekbone with his nuckle. 

"You think i would allow my darling to cross that distance with an injured leg when i can cross it myself?"

Seeing her blush at his appellation, he smiled and reached forward to increase her blush by kissing the corner of her mouth.

"I think not. I have no fear of your Bracken bannermen. Although I do fear having to inform my disapproving lady love that i've despatched all of them because they tried to stop me from seeing her."

Benjicot walked away from his lady love's balcony that evening, not before blowing her a kiss, and silently rejoicing that she had forgiven him and permited him to remain in her presence and in her heart.

@lovebabe18-blog @poppyflower-22 @ithilwen-blackwood @spinachtz @lady-callisto @twistytimesandthoughts @abookloverlawyerfan-blog @mymoonempress @drwho-ess @dancingbaek @aemondslove @cheendrella

[snail-migraine]

Requested by: @elysiumrealms

Sure! I did think some fleshing out on how the rest of the family acts around them would be cool to write. Sorry this took so long btw, my inbox gets stuffed pretty quickly and it was finals week. Anyway thanks for the ask!

-

Anon-Yan 💌‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.

Platonic Yandere Malleus

Pt.3

For you, the time before your punishment was nothing but a blurry mess.

Genuinely you don't remember all your horrible habits and manipulative tactics, you just remember acting on your insticts and not really thinking before you acted.

The few things you do remember is the interactions you had with your other family members.

The most memorable were the ones with Grandpa Lilia, when you were younger he loved cuddling you upside-down. Even if his grip was iron-strong it still felt so warm that you didn't want to leave.

When you got older he would allow you to play with some of his video games, he was always so sweet and helpful. Making sure you never got too frustrated at one certain part before taking the controller from you and completing whatever challenge had you stumped.

Lilia just loves babying you in a way he never got to with either of his original children.

He never failed to make you feel like the spoiled little brat you were.

"Ooh! Don't cry Darling, there's no need for that. Here, do you need Grandpa to help you? Okay sweet-pea. Don't worry, grandpa's here for you"

Then there's uncle Silver, who whose probably the most boring person to hang out with out of everyone in the family.

Don't get me wrong, you enjoyed his company but nothing even vaguely interesting happened whenever you hung around him.

He always really apologetic about it though, even going as far to bring you a little toy everytime he was allowed alone time with you. Typically is just a teddy bear, so that at night when you fell asleep you would think of your uncle Silver.

"Sorry we weren't able to play today. Here, have this. It's so when you fall asleep at night, you'll always remember your uncle Silver."

Your uncle sebek on other hand, he was hard to forget.

He was always loud, his voice commanded battalions after all. So a voice like his would definitely need for job like that.

You and him never played together, in his own words "WAKA-SAMA'S CHILD DESERVES A MUCH BETTER PLAYMATE THAN A LOWRANKING OFFICER SUCH AS MYSELF!"

Or whatever that was supposed to mean. You never really understood his way of thinking. While he was screaming his head off about not being good enough for you, you had sit and listen to him whilst daydreaming of all the video games Grandpa Lilia would play with you later.

It was boring, and eventually as you grew older you learned to tune him out.

Though I guess that wasn't the greatest idea, because within a week of learning how tune out his voice he came to you sobbing on his hands and knees begging for forgiveness.

"PLEASE FORGIVE ME WAKA-SAMA'S CHILD! WHATEVER SLIGHT HAVE DONE TO YOU, I BEG FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS AND MERCY! JUST PLEASE STOP IGNORING ME MY LEIGE!"

But I guess that all leads you to where you are now. Stuck in a boring old rickety tower. Stuck studying and doing chores all day. At least Father allowed for your family to visit from time to time.

Their faces and voices make the endless cycle you've been going through day-to-day slightly more bareable. But to be perfectly honest, with every passing moment that you're stuck here; in this damned tower made to be your prison, you lose a small peice of your sanity.

A peice of your mind that can never be returned to it's owner.

Trully a cruel thing to do, especially to your own child. Isolating them from everyone and everything they've ever known to prove a point, when it wasn't even truly their own faults that caused such a mess? Foolish, and downright cruel if anyone asked you.

Ah, but what can you do?

You did do this to yourself after all, might as well own up to your mistakes and pay the price.

[thatwritterbeach]

one messed up bat .4

Dc masterlist

Batfam x reader x Jason eventually

Summary: The batboys sticking close to y/n

Warnings: self harm, self hate, angst, short sorry

A/N: I do not own dc

"Let's take a little trip around the room and you can tell me where all the sharp things are, or, you can be moved to an unused room and only come in here with supervision," Dick said with his hands on his hips.

"It'd be faster to move rooms, after all I have vigilante stuff in here too."

"I was afraid you'd say that, alright well, grab your pillow and anything else you need. Phone charger or whatever. I'm gonna lock the door when you're done and I will have to let you in-"

"This is ridiculous all my games and books and stuff are in here, not to mention my sewing supplies." (because I said so you now know how to sew, Y/n designs leather goods, handbags, fancy wallets etc. and has dreams of people actually knowing they exist)

"I didn't know you sewed," Tim said looking up from his phone to take in her room.

"I've had a machine sitting in the corner for years now, I thought you were supposed to be smart," she said walking over just so she could flick his ear.

"Hey, ow, I thought it was just girly decoration?"

"I suppose to giant shelf of supplies next to it is also decor," she asked with her head tilted.

"Sewing shears are sharp as hell, no way are you allowed around them without somebody's eyes glued to you," Jason said holding a pair of Italian knifes edge shears.

"Hey put those down they were three-hundred-bucks!" He nearly dropped them at her shout but caught them and set them gently back in their case.

"For scissors," Dick asked in disbelief.

"They could cut your arm off. They're Italian and I love them more than I love any of you."

"You're sleeping in a different room but you can be in her during the day, with one of us here."

She rolled her eyes but kept her mouth shut, whatever he needed to tell himself but she knew how this was gonna go. They'd say they were gonna take shifts, but stuff would come up, they would get bored. Tired of following her to the bathroom and sitting outside awkwardly. She'd be a good little pet, keep her skin clear of even a bruise from bumping into something and they would get complacent and lazy, checking up on her once a day. She gave it two weeks before they were leaving her alone again, and a month before they couldn't be under the same roof anymore and she only had to deal with Tim, easy the kid slept and drank coffee, and Damian who she could distract.

"Fine, anyone up for a snack?"

They nodded and she led the way to the kitchen, it was well into the night so it was dark aside from a few motion sensor lights she'd put in herself. (after the boys had said every curse word under the sun from bumping into stuff) She pulled out some chips and the other grabs various foods and drinks.

"We eating in here or you wanna go watch a movie?"

"Movie,"Tim answered starting to pour himself a cup of coffee.

"If you drink that at this hour-in fact if you drink any caffeine after four pm I'll start breaking picture frames to cut myself with the glass," she said snatching the cup from him and dumping it down the drain.

"Oh my God," Dick gasped dropping the bag of popcorn he'd just taken from the microwave.

"But...my coffee," Tim whispered looking at the drain like she'd just flushed his stash.

"Me no slashy you no caffey," she said pulling him into a hug. His arms came around her quickly and held her to him tight enough to make her back crack but neither of them moved. Her eyes welled with tears from the comfort and she tried to pull away but he held on.

"If you don't let me go I'm gonna cry," she warned.

"Go for it, you deserve it."

"If I start I won't stop."

"Oh, Y/n," Jason and Dick said in unison putting down their loot to add their arms to the hug. She was fully surrounded, encased in shear muscle, Tim's arms around her ribs and hands on her back. Dick's arms on top of his more hugging Tim than her but it was fine. Jason's arms were circled completely around her waist and they all took turns placing kisses on her hair. The need to cry and the urge to get away battled inside her but the only way out was teleportation.

"We love you," Dick said finally backing off.

"I second that," Jason said also stepping away.

"Thirdsies," Tim said stepping back to grab her face in his hands. "If you don't want me to drink coffee I won't drink it."

"Nice try, I said caffeine, energy drinks and tea included."

"Damn."

The moment passed they all grabbed their stuff again and headed to the theater room. A half hour into the movie she was the only one awake and she rolled her eye at the predictability, she started to sneak out of the room but Damian came in and snuggled up on her lap in the reclining seat she was in. (picture the Lego Batman seats the red velvet cushy looking ones)

"Tt, so pathetic they couldn't even be trusted to watch you for one night. He was so cute in his little batman pajamas she couldn't help but laugh at him squishing his face in her hands.

"Good thing I have you to look after me then huh?" He batted her hands away like and angry cat and grabbed the remote to change the tv, putting on old cartoon reruns instead. Dick was snoring like a freight train and she felt guilty for keeping him up so late, poor guy hadn't slept since birth. Tim was talking in his sleep something about mergers and 'no you can't sit there you little twat' he watched way too much British tv. Jason was silent and still as the dead next to her on hand stretched out in her direction as if he was offering her a lifeline even in his sleep.

@stormz369 sorry love forgot 😘

9-28-24

[kaemixx0]

I'm bored so why not some tips that have helped me (:

☆ The motivation is strong, but the discipline is more; You have to resist even if you don't want to. Search thinsp0, look in the mirror, think about the progress you've made!

☆ At first it may sound difficult, but once you fall in love with the feeling of being hungry, of being tired, of feeling like you haven't eaten enough, everything gets better, as I said, it's about discipline more than motivation.

☆ Drink a lot of water; that helps me a lot with the craving, feel full and just for distraction. Although I don't know how healthy I am in this regard, I usually drink more than two liters a day :)

☆ Don't forget your goals. Every time you feel hungry, think about all the previous times you have felt it and that didn't mean you ate, you have to be in control, it is your decision.

☆ I don't know how good this is, but I know it's horrible that you like sweets so much and can't eat them because you're ⭐️ving. Resist as long as you can, but if you really crave it, you should eat a small amount, enjoy it, and forget about it. Once in a long time of effort will not be bad, is much better than the frustration make u binge.

Personally, there is always one day a week when I usually eat more than my limit because family gatherings, I have to eat enough so they don't worry, so you too and could take it as a meta day –I have read that it helps maintain in control of your metabolism– and most importantly don't immerse yourself in guilt and frustration about this!

When you eat more than your limit bc you went out with friends, or your family, or maybe you had a good time with someone you love, forget it, our little happiness matters; tomorrow you will do it better.

Adding more:

☆ Download games that keep you focused; I usually play cod mobile, sometimes also while I walk around my house to increase my steps taken haha.

If your parents / family worry about u / u are afraid that they will notice:

☆Of course, if you can, try to eat before or after ur family so they don't notice how little you eat.

☆ Distribute your meals well according to your calorie restriction and how many times or how little your family allows you to eat, for example; I eat two meals a day, my limit is 500 kcal, so I try to make my breakfast very low in kcal because lunch is prepared by my mom and it usually has a lot of calories —you will realize that to achieve this you have to start observing and planning more, hun.

☆ Personally; I usually tell them that I want to take care of myself, being healthy and that I will not eat ultra-processed foods, junk food, etc., they understand that; I don't tell them that I want to lose weight, just want to eat healthy.

☆ Fix your attitude; Idk about you, but after the first week I radically start ⭐️ving myself, they noticed it by my mood; I was constantly irritated, upset and looked very tired, now I try to pretend normality.

☆ It helps me a lot to be active at home, at least now that I'm on vacation; I mean, there are some chores that I do every day —it helps me stay active and my parents think I'm fine :)

☆ In my case, I lost weight in a very short time, it wasn't much but it was noticeable, my parents noticed it, so I decided not to wear tight clothes anymore, normally only oversized t-shirts and loose shorts, that way, they won't notice so easily when I lose weight quickly and they won't worry.

♡ I hope this helps you even a little, stay safe

[lostbetweenvampiresandmusic]

Worlds apart

Telling his mate about his true nature didn't go as planned.

____________________

I felt terrified, standing in front of the sign. "Welcome to Santa Carla!" It said, in bright yellow and red letters. Pictures of the boardwalk, the rides, and the traintrack - things I hadn't seen in so long.

I wasn't terrified of going back to Santa Carla. In fact, I had been anxious to. I needed to get back, I needed to come home. I just didn't know if home wanted me back.

You see, about eight months ago, I met this boy. Well, he was a bit too old to be called a boy, but you get what I mean. He was this early twenty-something year old, with the prettiest eyes I'd ever seen. With stories, I could listen to for hours without getting bored. A sense of humour that matched mine. Looks that were to die for. I had met him the day I moved to Santa Carla, preparing for a new start after losing the last family I had left. Within two weeks, I had completely fallen for him, and lucky for me, he had also fallen for me.

David was everything. In such a short time, he became my safe haven, my home, my best friend and lover, and I couldn't imagine spending my life with anyone else. It scared me a little how quickly everything went, but he always reassured me that we wouldn't rush into things if I did not want to. Those six weeks were absolute heaven. I honestly believe that I have never been happier.

It was only when I spent the night at the cave, their home, that something shifted between David and me.

"I need to tell you something."

"Are you alright?"

"Sit down," he said, his voice more distant than I had ever heard before.

"David?"

"You know I love you, right?"

I nodded.

"I need to near you say it."

"I know. I love you too. David, what's going on?"

"I'm a vampire."

I was quiet for a moment before laughing. "Yeah, right. That's a good one."

"Love," he looked at me, "I am not lying."

And he wasn't. His eyes turned yellow, his face turned into a batlike shape, and his fangs seemed sharp enough to tear me in two.

"Y-you're not joking?"

"No."

"You're - you're a vampire? I- you kill people?"

"Yes."

"How long?"

"Almost eighty years."

My eyes grew wide as I felt panic wash over me. This wasn't real. This was just one big prank from the boys - there is no way that vampires were real. David wouldn't lie, not ever. He hated liars, so why-? I began to focus on my breathing, trying to calm myself down.

"Why didn't you kill me?"

"I couldn't. I could never hurt you."

"Why not?"

"You're my mate. We belong together."

And that's when I fully panicked. I got sick, I threw up, I whimpered and cried and avoided his touch out of fear. I didn't dare look at him, both scared that this was some sort of cruel joke and at the same time scared that this was real. That vampires were real.

"I- David, I- I love you, I really do, but this - how can this be real? I don't believe - if this is real, if you are speaking the truth..." I fell silent, not knowing what to say.

"I am not lying to you, love."

I nodded, tears in my eye. "I need time. I - I don't know if I can deal with this right now. Not without being unfair and mean and cold to you. Im scared, and I..." The first teardrop fell. I - I'm sorry."

David nodded, getting what I was hinting at. He reached for me, holding my hand before letting it go with a soft squeeze. After losing my family and not actively dealing with that, the news of my boyfriend being undead was the final drop in the already close to overflowing bucket.

"You need to take your time and space. Just-" he took a breath, "Please stay in touch."

I had nodded, and I had left him there. Six months ago now. In that time, I had taken my space, literally. I had been afraid still and had gone to Sweden - enjoying the days where the sun wouldn't set. It felt safe. Safe from vampires and monsters, and it allowed me to deal with things. Two weeks after I had left, I wrote my first letter. I had it delivered at the videostore, hoping that David would get it. And he did, because after a week I had a response from him.

In the letters I sent him, I told him where I was, what I had been up to. I asked questions about him being a vampire, and slowly but surely, I came to terms with it. Still, I felt rather confused. I got why he hadn't told me about it from the start, and at the same time, the lying also hurt. But, in the end, I dealt with my family passing, I dealt with my mixed feelings about him being a vampire, and I was ready to go back.

And now, six months later, I was ready to go back home. I realised I had been unfair to him, that I definitely hurt him - which was not what I had wanted, absolutely not, but back then, I had been certain that I needed the space - and I was terrified to see him again. What if he didn't want me anymore? Or what if he moved on? Honestly, if he had, I couldn't blame him. I had been the one to leave.

With a deep breath, I started the short walk to the boardwalk, spotting David when he left the videostore.

"Nothing?" I heard Dwayne ask.

"No. I shouldn't have let them go. I should have gone to bloody Sweden as soon as I knew they were there."

He stomped off to the beach, and I quickly followed. Seeing him now made me realise not only how much I had missed him but how much he had missed me as well. I walked after him, stopping quickly as David turned around angrily.

"Why are you following -" his expression softened, and disbelief flashed over his face. "You're here?"

"Hi," I whispered, not trusting my voice to let any louder noise escape.

David hugged me tightly, and I broke down - crying as I held onto him. "I'm sorry I left, I'm so sorry I was so stubborn. I missed you so much, I-" I gasped for breath, sinking down to the ground. David held me, and I saw some tears burning in his eyes.

"I thought you'd never come back. I was scared you wouldn't."

"I was scared you'd be angry," I said softly, looking at him. "I'm sorry for how I left."

"I'm sorry I scared you so bad."

"Can we start over?" I asked. "Just try to rebuild what we had? If - if you want me still, that is."

"Yes," David smiled, kissing my forehead softly. "Nice to meet you, love."

I smiled shyly. "I promise I won't ever run off to a place with no nighttime again."

"Next time, I'll just follow you. The burns will be a testament of my love."

I kissed him, softly and gently, smiling when he returned the kiss. Nothing could show him how much I regretted leaving, how much I had missed him - but being here felt right. Being with him felt right. I just hoped he felt the same.

[linkspooky]

Bohman is a good character you guys are just mean

Yu-Gi-Oh Vrains is one of the better received spinoff series. Though, like any of the Yu-Gi-Oh spinoffs it's not without its faults. Usually I'm the first to admit the flaws in my favorite silly card game shows, even while I myself take them way too seriously. However, there's one common criticism I can't bring myself to agree with.

That is calling the main antagonist of the second season Bohman "boring" or "badly written." I've noticed fans unfairly blame Bohman for season 2's writing flaws.

Forget for a moment about whether or not you find Bohman's stoic attitude interesting or likable. If you look at characters not as people, but as narrative tools the author uses to say something about the story's themes then Bohman has a lot to say about VRAINS cyberpunk themes.

Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction that tends to focus on "low-life and high-tech." As I like to put it, in Cyberpunk settings technology has greatly advanced while society itself lags behind unable to keep pace with the rate at which technology changes. Yu Gi Oh 5Ds is an example of a cyberpunk dystopia because despite having what is essentially access to free energy, and living in a society with highly advanced technology resources are hoarded by the wealthy and an unnecessary social class divide still exists.

In other words technology changes quickly while humans tend to remain the same.

The central conflict for all three seasons of Vrains are actually based on this very cyberpunk notion. That technology changes, updates, and becomes obsolete at a rate too fast for humans to ever adapt to. For Vrains, the conflict is whether humans can ever coexist with an artificial intelligence they created that can grow and change faster than they can keep up with.

This is well-tread ground in science fiction. The idea itself most likely emerged from I,robot. A science fiction book that is a collection of dirty stories that details a fictional history showing robots growing slowly advanced over time. The framing device is that a journalist is interviewing a "robopsychologist" an expert in the field of analyzing how robots think in their positronic brains.

One of the major themes of the book is despite the fact that robots are 1 - intelligent and 2 - designed by humans, they don't think the same way humans do. Hence why a robopsychologist is needed in the first place. One of the short stories is the first appearance of Asimov's three laws of robotics.

The First Law: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

The Second Law: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

The Third Law: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

This is just one example. A robot no matter how intelligent it is will be required to think in terms of these three laws, because robots aren't biological, they're programmed to think in pre-determined patterns.

Of course clever enough artificial intelligences are capable of finding loopholes that get around the three laws, but even then they're still forced to think of every action in terms of the three laws.

Robots and humans are both intelligent, but if AI ever becomes self aware it will 1) be able to process information better than any other human can and 2) think differently from humans on a fundamental.

Vrains is themed more than anything else around "robo psychology" or trying to understand the ways in how the Ignis think and how that's different from it's human characters.

Robo-Psychology is actually a common reocurring theme. "DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?" fearless artificial humans known as Replicants who need an empathy test known as the voight kampff test to distinguish them from human beings.

There are other Cyberpunk elements in Vrains. There's a big virtual world where everyone can appear as custom designed avatars, that's taken from Snow Crash or of the most famous and genre defining cyberpunk novels. There's a big rich mega conglomerate that's being opposed by a group of hackers.

However, the central question is whether humans and AI can coexist in spite of the fact that AI are much smarter and evolve faster than us.

Revolver's father believes the Ignis must be destroyed in order to avoid a possible technological singularity in the future.

The technological singularity—or simply the singularity[1]—is a future point in time at which technological growth becomes uncontrollable.  According to the most popular version of the singularity hypothesis an upgradable artificial intelligence will eventually enter a positive feedback loop of self-improvement cycles, each new and more intelligent generation appearing more and more rapidly, causing a rapid increase ("explosion") in intelligence that surpasses anything humans can make.

Basically your computer is smarter than you, but your computer isn't self aware. It needs you to tell it what to do. Artificial intelligence already exists but it's programmed by humans, it doesn't program itself. The technological singularity proposes that eventually a self aware ai, will be able to program itself and improve upon it's own programming- therefore ridding itself of the need of it's human programmers.

This is what leads us to Bohman, an AI designed by another AI.

THE THIRD LAW

Before digging into Bohman let's take a minute to discuss his creator. Lightning was one of the six Ignis, created by Dr. Kogami through the Hanoi Project.

The Hanoi project involved forcing six children to duel in a virtual arena repeatedly, and using the data collected from that experiment to improve the AI they were working on, creating what became known as the Ignis. However, after Dr. Kogami ran several simulations and found that the Ignis would one day be a threat to the humans that created them Hakase decided instead to try destroying the Ignis before that future ever came to pass.

We later learn that this isn't the complete story.

Kogami and Lightning both ran simulations of the future when the Ignis were in their infancy. Kogami's simulations showed him the Ignis would inevitably go to war with humans. Lighting however, ran more in-depth simulations and found that he was the one that was corrupting the data set. If you ran simulations of the five ignis without him, then the projected futures were all in the green, but any simulation with Lightning counted as a part of the group projected a negative future for both humans and AI.

Which means that if Kogami knew that the bug in the program was Lightning, he'd likely respond by just getting rid of Lighting and letting the rest of the Ignis live on as originally intended.

This is where the third law comes into play - a robot must protect its own existence as long as it does not interfere with the first and second law.

Now, I don't think Kogami used the three laws exactly, but artificial intelligences are programmed in certain ways, and Lightning was likely programmed to preserve itself.

Even a human in Lighting's situation would be driven to act as they did. Imagine you're in a group of six people, and you fid out that YOU'RE THE PROBLEM. That if they removed you, everything else would be fine. Wouldn't you be afraid of your creator turning against you? Of your friends turning against you and nobody taking your side?

Lightning is a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Ai asks him at one point why he went so far as to destroy their safe-haven, lie and said the humans did it and pick a fight with the humans himself, something that might have been avoided if they'd just stayed in hiding. It seems that Lightning is just defective as his creator declared him, but you have to remember he's an AI programmed to think in absolutes. AI, the most humanlike and spontaneous of the AIs ends up making nearly the exact same choices as Lightning when looking at his simulations later on - because they're character foils. As different as they may seem they still think differently from humans.

When Ai explains why he made his decisions based around lighting's simulation, he tells Playmaker that he can't dismiss or ignore the simulation or hope for the best the way Playmaker can because he is data, he thinks in simulations and processes.

AI even admits to feeling the same feelings of self-preservation that Lightning did.

While Lightning may seem selfish, he's selfish in the fact that he's thinking of his own survival above all else. He's afraid of 1) his creators turning against him, and 2) his fellow Ignis turning against him.

To solve the first he decides to make a plan to wipe out his creators. To solve the second, he needs every ignis on his side when he goes to war. The first thing he does is destroy their safe haven and frame the humans for it so the Ignis are more inclined to take his side. He's so afraid of his fellow ignis turning against him he even completely reprograms one of them - a step he doesn't take with the others, he just imprisons Aqua. He probably thought having one more ally would make it more likely for the others to pick his side.

Every step he takes is a roundabout way of ensuring his survival and the other ignis- eve when he actually goes to war with the other ignis he intended on letting them survive. Though his definition of survival (fusing with Bohman) was different than theirs.

So Lightning seems to be working out of an inferiority complex, but what he's really afraid of is that his inferiority makes him expendable.

At that point you have to wonder, what does death mean exactly to a being who is otherwise immortal? Ignis won't die of age, they'll only die if they're captured and have their data stripped apart or corrupted. Kogami made an immortal being afraid to die.

Some part of me thinks though that even after taking all these steps to preserve themselves, the simulations were so convincing that Lighting accepted their death as inevitable. Which is why they made Bohman, to find some way for them to keep on living afterwards.

After all AI are data, ad having their data saved in Bohman is still a form of living by Lightning's definition.

Ghost in The Shell

Bohman is the singularity. He's an AI designed by another AI to improve upon itself. Unlike the rest of the Ignis who were copied off of traumatized chidlren, Lightning basically made him from scratch.

Ghost in the Sell is a famous anime cyberpunk movie directed by Mamoru Oshii. The title comes from "Ghost in the Machine" a term originally used to describe and critique the mind existing alongside and separate from the body. Whereas in the movie the "Ghost" is the huma consciousness, while the "shell" is a cybernetic body.

The protagonist of Ghost in the Shell is Major Motoko Kusanagi, a human that is 99% cyborg at this point, a human brain residing in a completely mechanical body. The movie opens up with a hacker namd PUppet Master who is capable of "ghost-hacking" which is a form of hacking that completely modifies the victim's memories utterly convincing them of their false memories.

There's a famous scene in the movie where a man tells the police about his wife and daughter, only to be told that he's a bachelor who lives alone and he's never had a wife and daughter. Even after the truth is revealed to him, the fake memories are still there in his brain along with the correct ones. Technology is so advanced at this point that digital memories (hacked memories) are able to be manipulated, and seem more real than an analog reality.

Anyway, guess what happens to Bohman twice?

Bohman gets his memories completely rewritten twice. The first time he believes he's a person looking for his lost memories, the second time he thinks he's the real playmaker ripped out of his body, and playmaker is the copy. He's utterly convinced of these realities both time, because Bohman is entirely digital - and simulations are reality, and so simulated memories are just the same as real memories.

I think part of the reason that people find Bohman boring is because he's a little strange conceptually to wrap your head around, as an AI produced AI he's the farthest from behind human. If you use the ghost in the shell example I just gave you though - imagine being utterly convinced that you had a loving wife and daughter only to find out in a police interrogation room you're a single man living in a shitty apartment. imagine after the fact you still remember that they are real, even though you know they're not.

That's the weird space Bohman exists in for most of Season 2 when he's searching for himself. He's an AI designed by an AI so he can be rewritten at any time according to Lightning's whim until Lighting decides he's done cooking.

The Ignis at least interacted with the real world because they were copy pasted from traumatized children, but all Bohman is is data. So, why would he see absorbing human memories into himself and converting them into data as killing them? He is data after all, and he is alive. He has gone through the process of having his own memories rewritten multiple times, and he's fine with it b/c he's data.

Nothing for Bohman is real, everything is programmed so of course he thinks saving other people as data is just fine. He even offers to do the same thing to Playmaker that was done to him.

If Lightning is following the path of self-preservation however, Bohman is following his program to preserve everything in the world by merging with it.

His ideas also follow the idea of transhumanism: the theory that science and technology can help human beings develop beyod what is physically and mentally possible. That technology exists to blur the boundaries of humanity, and what humans are capable of.

Ghost in the Shell isn't just a work of cyberpunk, it's a transhumanist piece. Motoko Kusanagi is a character who has had so many of her human parts replaced with mechanical ones she even posits at one point it's possible for her to simply have been an android that was tricked into thinking it was human with false memories just like Bohman, and she has no real way of knowing for sure. The only biological part of her his her brain after all in a cold mechanical shell.

Bato, who represents the humanist perspective in this movie basically tells Motoko in that scenario it wouldn't matter if she was a machine. If everyone still treats her as human then what's the difference? His views are probably the closest to the humanist views that Playmaker represents in VRAINS.

Motoko Kusanagi meets her complete and total opposite, a ghost in the machine so to speak. The Puppet Master turns out to be an artificial intelligence that has become completely self-aware and is currently living in the network.

The Puppet Master much like Lightning, and later Bohman is gripping with the philosophical conundrum of mortality. In the final scene of the movie, The Puppet Master who wants to be more like all other biological matter on earth asks Motoko to fuse with him, so the two of them can reproduce and create something entirely new. The Puppet Master likens this to the way that biological beings reproduce.

Bohman like The Puppetmaster thinks that merging will fix something that's incomplete inside of him because he's so disconnected from all the biological processes of life. Bohman doesn't have anything except for which Lightning already prepared for him or programmed into him. I mean imagine being a being that can have his memories reprogrammed on the net, that in itself is existentially horrifying. It's only natural he wouldn't feel connected to anything.

Motoko accepts the Puppetmaster's proposal. Playmaker rejects Bohman's proposal. I don't think there's a right answer here, because it's speculative fiction, it's a "What if?" for two different paths people can take in the future.

However, in Bohman's case I don't think he was truly doing what he wanted. Puppet Master became self aware and sought his own answers by breaking free from his programming. Bohman thought he was superior to the Ignis, but in the end he was just following what Lightning programmed him to do. He'd had his identity programmed and reprogrammed so many times, he didn't think of what he wanted until he was on the brink of defeat by playmaker and then it was too late.

When Playmaker defeats him all he thinks about is time spent together with Haru, with the two of them as individuals. Something he can no longer do anymore now that he's absorbed Haru as data, and something that he misses.

He's not even all that sad or horrified at the prospect of death as Lightning was, and he even finds solace in the thought of going to oblivion with Haru, because if he were to keep living it'd be without Haru. In other words the one genuine bond he made with someone else by spending time with them as an individual was more important than his objective of fusing with all of humanity - which he believed was also bonding with them.

This is really important too, because it sets up the Yusaku's rejection of fusing with Ai. Yusaku's reasoning has already been demonstrated to be the case with Bohman and Haru. Bohman was perfectly happy being two individuals, as long as he had a bond with his brother. When he ascended into a higher being he lost that. Ai and Yusaku might solve loneliness in a way by merging together into a higher being, they might even last forever that way, but they'd lose something too.

Once again the problem with AIs is that they think in absolutes. That's important to understanding Lightning, Bohman and even Ai's later actions. Lightning can't stand any percentage chance that he might die, so he kills the professor, destroys the ignis homeworld, pulls the trigger to start humanity himself, he even reprograms his own allies all to give himself some sense of control.

Bohman's entire existence is outside of his control. He's rewritten twice onscreen, probably more than that, and he thinks merging with humanity is the thing that will give him that control - by ascending into a higher being than humanity. However, the temporary bond Bohman had with his brother Haru, was actually what he valued the most all along. Moreso than the idea of fusing with humanity forever.

Even Motoko making the choice to go with the transhumanist option is something that's not portrayed as 100% the right choice. Ghost in the Shell has a sequel that portrays the depression and isolation of Bato, the Major's closest friend and attachment to her humanity after she made the decision to fuse together with Puppet Master. In that case, just like Playmaker said to Ai, even if she ascended to a higher form, and even if she might last forever now on the network, something precious was lost. Motoko may exist somewhere on the netowrk but for Batoto his friend is gone.

Ai exhibits the same flaw as the previous two, he ca only think in absolutes, he can't stand even a 1% chance that Playmaker might choose to sacrifice himself for Ai and die, so he decides to take the choice entirely out of Playmaker's hands. However, no matter what Ai would have lost Playmaker one day, because all bonds are temporary. It's just Ai wanted to have that sense of control, so he chose to self-destruct and take that agency and free choice away from Playmaker.

It's a tragedy that repeats three times. Ai too just like Bohman, spends his last moments thinking about what was most precious to him was the bond he formed with playmaker, as temporary as it was. A tragedy that arises from the inability of the Ais to break away from the way they're programmed to think in simulations and data, even when they're shown to be capable of forming bonds based on empathy with others.

All three of them add something to the themes of artificial intelligence, and transhumanism that are in play at Vrains and none of them are boring because they all contribute to the whole.

Which is why everyone needs to stop being mean to Bohman right now, or else I'm going to make an even longer essay post defending him.

[sunnycanvas]

Could you make one of Balwin's girlfriend? He comes from the future, but he decided to stay in the time of Balwin Haci, who to celebrate their union they travel to the sea and his girlfriend decides to put on a very revealing swimsuit for the time and everyone watches her, making the king jealous.

I had been bored after Baldwin IV left for battlefield. I wanted to further accompany him but Baldwin IV denied saying that it would be dangerous for me to further accompany him. He kissed my forehead thanking me for support and asked me to wait obediently in tent before leaving. I sighed bored as I came out of the tent. I wasn't worried about my boyfriend since I knew according to history books that he would win battle of Montingsard. I sort of guessed that I would be left alone in tent. So unknown to my boyfriend. I had already packed a bikini. Once I was sure that I am all alone. I decided to wear bikini to swim in the sea nearby

I was happy to feel cool water against my skin. I properly submerged in water ensuring my hair cooled down as well. I was so engrossed in water that I didn't hear the sound of knights coming. As they walked they were stunned to see me in bikini

"Isn't that the king's mistress"

"Look at her, she is practically naked"

"Such a woman like her isn't fit to be queen of Jerusalem"

I was stunned when I heard those words. I slowly came out of water and saw knights looking at me. Some looked in disgust while some were shocked but maximum had lust in their eyes. I looked all around me and saw that I was surrounded by knights

"She has such a beautiful body"

"Look at her chest, this is the first time I have seen a woman's chest"

"It's like she is naked in front of her"

I heard their comments. I suddenly felt very scared knowing how different people's mentality is compared to future. How could I be stupid enough to wear bikini in medieval era I thought

"What's going on here"

I immediately recognised the voice of my boyfriend. I was happy but also but scared knowing how easily jealous my boyfriend can get. I could see few knights in front of me making way for my boyfriend. As my boyfriend made his way through the crowd he was shocked and angry at my display and maybe bit aroused? I couldn't tell I was to scared.

"Get a blanket" he called in his authoritative voice. "Every one look away and go back to your tents". Soon the crowd slowly dispersed as someone handed my boyfriend blanket. In his controlled voice he called me "Come here" but I could easily detect his anger. As I neared the end of the sea. Baldwin IV quickly covered me in blanket and tried moving me towards his tent. I could feel some knights trying to peek on me but one glare from my boyfriend was enough to send shivers down their spine and make them look away.

"Ouch" I said in pain. "I am so sorry my grip must by too tight" Baldwin IV quickly apologized and was being gentler. "No" I replied. "It was the sharp rock which I stepped on" hearing this Baldwin IV quickly lifted me in his arms and carried me to his tent. Once we reached there he put he down.

"How could you allow yourself to go naked in front of everyone" "Do you have any idea how much have you not only embarassed yourself but me as well" I got up and tried defending myself saying"But honey, it was so hot outside" "I wanted to cool myself off".

"In that display" he yelled back. "Why don't you understand that you only belong to me" "I am the only one who has a right to see you like this but now my men have seen you like this even before me" "Now they will have sinful thoughts and dreams about you and I have to live with this fact". "Not only that they will probably start mocking you, or spread lies in your name"

"Honey, please" a single drop of tear fell down in my eyes and Baldwin IV grew quite. "Please this how people in future dress when they go to beach". "I thought nobody was here and kind of forget about the culture of clothes"

"Unbelievable, you want me to believe you that people dres- I mean you were almost naked out there"

I knew Baldwin IV knew some where deep down that I had told the truth but was unwilling to believe me. He was jealous and hurt. I could tell as a man of honour he was worried about my reputation as well. Baldwin IV rubbed his forehead in annoyance and let out a frustrated sigh. "I will see what can be done and ensure that gossip of today doesn't spread and soon gets forgotten". Baldwin IV suddenly looked back at me. He started to check me out. I knew for sure that he wanted to tear off my bikini and take me right here but his anger and hurt was stronger. "I am going to sleep now, quickly change back to normal clothes and please don't disturb me" I slowly feel down on mat again with tears coming down on face. Fearful of what have I done to his heart and if we can go back being same as before

"Please don't cry love" "I will pray to God for some miracle" "Even if miracle doesn't happen I will ensure that rumours spread in your name will be punished" "And please don't go out like that" I looked at him suprised prompting him to further continue. He looked away embarassed saying "I hate others seeing you like this, this is only my right to see you like that" I giggled at his response "But don't forget I am still mad at you so sleep on another mat" I smiled in response and quickly wore my normal clothes and went to sleep on my mat

[wososage]

I don't need a babysitter: USWNT x Reader

Request: hi! i really appreciate your fanfics, they honestly make me super happy and give me something relaxing to do especially with stressful school season. I was hoping you could write something, like “It’s Not a Big Deal: USWNT x Reader” but like the r sneaks out during camp and everyone but especially carli gets worried and angry that r didn’t tell anyone where she was and scolds r and they make r room with carli so they can keep a eye on r?

Word count: 1936

A/N: I changed this a little bit to better fit with the current team. 

(Y/N) POV

I ride my board around town just taking in the scenery. It is such a nice day. The sun is out, there is a slight breeze, perfect conditions for riding my board. The only issue is I am not supposed to be boarding right now. The training staff isn’t too fond of me boarding so much because ‘my body is still developing and it makes my muscle growth disproportionate’. I am also supposed to be doing my school work during our break in between training sessions. But that is boring and will still be there for me to do later. I’ve been gone for about an hour and there is no way the team hasn’t noticed yet. There is some hope of being able to sneak back into the hotel but not much. 

By the time I get back to the hotel, my phone has been blown up by everyone and most of the vets are waiting for me in the lobby. I try my best to sneak past them, but Pinoe sees me.

“Where have you been Y/n?” she asks. 

“Out,” I say shrugging. I try to walk to the elevator but she grabs my arm and guides me to the conference room with the rest of the vets.

“Where have you been?” she asks again, this time clearly not happy with me. 

“I was riding my board around town,” I say, making it known I am annoyed with the situation.

“You know you aren’t allowed to leave the hotel without one of us knowing where you are going,” Pinoe scolds. “On top of that, you broke the rule about answering phone calls and texts messages. You are supposed to be doing your school work right now.”

“I don’t care,” I say with a raised voice. “I didn’t want to do my school work today. I just wanted to ride around town.”

“Don’t raise your voice,” Kelley reprimands. “These rules aren’t in place to make camp horrible and boring. They exist to help you balance everything in your life and keep you safe.”

“Whatever,” I say. “I don’t want to talk about this right now, I need to go get ready for training.”

“Y/n, we are not done with this conversation,” Kelley says, raising her voice.

“I don’t need a babysitter!” I yell to everyone in the room.

I leave the room pretty quickly even though multiple people called after me and I take the stairs to my room. Once I get there, I see the pile of textbooks on the desk and sigh. Other people slack off on their school work all the time. Why can’t I just have one day where I give myself a break? 

After laying on the ground of my hotel room for way too much time, I quickly get dressed for training and head to the bus, getting there late enough that Vlatko is giving me a disappointed look. I put my headphones and sunglasses on hoping none of the vets will try to start a conversation right now. Eventually, we get to training and we break up into small groups for warm ups, so I quickly insert myself into a group of the younger players. 

“What did you do to piss Kelley off?” Sonnett asks me. “She came to my room fuming and the only words I could make out were ‘Y/n’ and ‘trouble’”

“I didn’t do anything,” I say. “Kelley can fuck off.”

“At this moment right now, I will not say anything about the cursing,” Rose says. “However you need to chill out with whatever mood you are in because I know Alex is pissed at you too. Cursing and being rude to everyone is only going to get you into more trouble.”

“Sorry, Rosie,” I say. “Sorry Sonny. I am frustrated but I shouldn’t take that out on you.”

“It’s okay kid,” Rose says. “If you want to talk about it after training I have plenty of time to listen.”

“Thanks for the offer but I think that might require me to hide from like all of the vets and that task is nearly impossible.”

The rest of training goes fine and I begin to think I am in the clear until the team is heading to the bus and Vlatko calls me and Pinoe over to him.

“Y/n you know time management is an essential part of being a member of this team. You weren’t late today but you were very close to being late. I will let Pinoe take care of this one but if you are late again I will punish you myself.”

Vlatko walks off towards the bus so I go to follow, but I am stopped by Pinoe’s hand firmly grabbing my neck.

“You will go straight to your room when we get back to the hotel,” Pinoe says. “The two of us will be having a conversation about your behavior today. Do you understand me?”

“Yeah sure whatever,” I say with my frustrated mood starting to come back.

“Lose the attitude before you get on that bus. You are in trouble and you know it. Throwing a tantrum is not going to help your situation.”

After a very long bus ride of enduring stares of pity from those who don’t know what is going on besides the fact that I am trouble seemingly with all of the vets and looks of disappointment, anger, and frustration from the vets who do know what is going on, we make it back to the hotel. And I immediately decide to not follow Pinoe’s instructions. However, a hand pulling at my shirt stops me from getting too far. I turn around to be faced with both Kelley and Pinoe.

“What did I tell you to do before we got on the bus?” Pinoe asks with a withering stare.

“To go to my room,” I mumble while looking at my feet.

“So why are you not headed in the direction of your room?” she probes.

“I would really like some apple juice,” I tell her. “I was going to get some from the snack room and then go to my room. I swear.”

“We will walk with you to get the apple juice and then we will be going to your room to have a conversation. Next time, ask for the apple juice and we will allow you to get it.”

Both Kelley and Pinoe follow me very closely, probably expecting me to make a run for it. While the thought of running is enticing, I know that would lead to consequences that I would hate very much. Once we get to my room, Kelley stops me before I go in.

“We love you,” she says. “But you need to be held accountable for your actions. Pinoe will be taking care of this, but she will not hesitate to get others involved if you decide to give her more trouble.”

With that, I am left alone in my room with Pinoe, who has the disappointed parent look perfected.

“Sit,” she orders while pointing at my desk chair.

“Why are we here right now Y/n?”

“Some combination of you, the other vets, and Vlatko being dramatic,” I grumble before I can stop myself.

“Go stand in the corner Y/n. I will set a timer for 15 minutes and when it goes off I expect you to be able to have a respectful conversation with me.”

“I’d rather not,” I tell her.

“You have two choices, Y/n. Either you go stand in the corner right now for 15 minutes, or I call Alyssa in here and she is involved in this conversation after you spend 20 minutes in the corner.”

“Promise you won’t leave me here alone?” I whisper.

“I promise I will be here the whole time, Y/n”

After what seems like an eternity, my corner time is up. And Pinoe only had to ask me to stand still twice. The unfortunate part of my corner time being up is knowing that Pinoe wants to have a conversation that I don’t want to have and there is, without a doubt, an actual punishment for my actions coming.

“Are you ready to talk now?” she asks me.

“Yes ma’am. I am sorry I’ve been disrespectful all day.”

“Thank you for your apology. Can you tell me why you have been rude to pretty much everyone all day? Or why you disappeared without telling anyone while you were supposed to be doing your school work? Or why you did not answer a single text message or phone call?”

“I was frustrated by this situation and I let my emotions control how I was treating people. I disappeared because I just wanted some time by myself to relax. I didn’t do my school work because I just needed a break today. I didn’t answer any text messages or phone calls because I knew that I was going to be in trouble for leaving so I decided it was worth it to dig myself into a bit of a deeper hole if it meant I could be by myself without people bugging me.”

“Y/n, you know that needing a break from school and alone time are completely reasonable. If you just asked for those things we will understand. The reason we are upset is because we didn’t know that you were safe. We were worried that something happened. I think a few of us felt some anger when you came back and couldn’t handle the situation respectfully. I know that emotions are hard, believe me I get it, but taking out your emotions on people is not nice. I want you to apologize to everyone later today.”

“Okay,” I whisper, not happy with the large number of people I’ve been an asshole to.

“Next time you need anything, a break from school, alone time, apple juice, snacks, whatever it is, please just ask someone. It will save you from getting into so much trouble.”

“It's hard,” I say, trying not to cry. “I’m not allowed to want or need anything at home. If I ask for things I get into trouble.”

“You won’t ever get into trouble for asking for what you want or need here. I know that is going to be hard to get used to, but I promise everyone wants you to be healthy and happy so you asking for things will not ever make us mad. Please just try.”

“I will.”

Pinoe then sits next to me and hugs me and after a few minutes I decide to bite the bullet.

“Was the corner time my only punishment?” I ask.

“No Y/n,” she replies. “The corner time was to give you a moment to calm down. You are grounded the rest of camp for leaving without telling anyone where you were going and ignoring the calls and texts. We will be sharing a room for the rest of camp and you will have to be with one of the vets pretty much at all times.”

“Am I going to be allowed to have any fun?” I ask.

“A little bit, but this is a punishment so you aren’t supposed to enjoy it.”

“Am I still allowed cuddles?” I ask.

“You will never be denied cuddles,” Pinoe says while ruffling my hair.

“Are the others still mad at me?”

“They are probably a bit frustrated, but they know that I am handling the situation. I will explain a bit of what is going on. I am very sure that after you apologize everyone will be okay.”

[tirfpikachu]

Fictionkin really did contribute to the trans boom more than people usually give it credit

hahahhhaa yeah man i vaguely heard about.... that stuff..... so dumb....... dumbass kids being trans for tunglr blorbos............

[dabs in detrans kinnie]

no but forreal... kinnie stuff was a HUGE part of me getting attached to the idea of me living as male. it was maladaptive daydreaming taken to the EXTREME and i was allowed to roleplay it online, which eventually became roleplaying irl, and then whenever i felt scared i wasn't trans i'd get reaffirmed right away that there's no way a cis woman would feel this way, and so i'd stick with it. i wanted to look like so many male blorbos in big part bc NO BLORBINAS LOOKED MASC ENOUGH!!! the masc blorbina count was unbearably low, i didn't see myself fucking anywhere. i didn't see myself be celebrated. not all trans-identified people are trans for those wrong reasons, but talking with other detrans folks... yeah, there's a huge link between fiction escapism and being detrans/post-trans. especially if you're already prone to dissociation and psychosis like i was hahahh... what d'you mean, i can reinvent myself?! what do you mean i can be those tumblr sexymen i see women fawn over?? i can be BETTER than what i am? i don't have to be a boring ass hairy ugly dyke? turns out though... hehe... sapphics fucking love boring ass hairy dykes. this is why homosexual culture & non-trans gnc culture needs to be more available to folks. we need a stronger sense of community and reconnect with our history. we also need to be wary of attaching ourselves too tightly to labels too quickly. it's 1000% okay to experiment, and fiction can be a way to explore yourself and all that. but be aware that suddenly calling yourself a different name, using different pronouns, making appearance changes with binding etc actually can induce dysphoria in yourself. it did with me!

get treatment for your non-trans symptoms first. go thru it like a checklist. go slow. have an actual questioning phase not just OMG I CAN BE A SUPER SWAG TRANS GUY/GIRL AND BE SO MUCH BETTER AND CUTER AND MORE RADICAL!!! and don't only talk to people who are visibly excited abt the prospect of you being trans. talk to level-headed folks who are trans-friendly but also nuanced, and will reaffirm that being gnc is okay too & that sometimes dysphoria really can be a temporary episode. it really can be healed in some cases, it was for me. it's good to go through options first, it doesn't mean you can't be trans in the end! if anything it'll just give you more resolve if you know you did your proper research. people rush so fucking much, man. it's not good for us. and kinnie shit can literally drive you insane. especially if you're prone to craziness like i am. be careful with that stuff... it can get into maladaptive daydreaming territory, and that's not actually all funsies. it can genuinely become debilitating and all-consuming. be safe kids 👍

oh, also, vaguely related but... hetero people can have funky experiences with gender nonconformity too! y'all can form really cool communities; the punk scene and hippie scene was always full of you guys and you proved that being gnc doesn't make you gay, which greatly benefits gay rights too. you don't need to be a normie cishet OR a trans/nonbinary person. there are in-betweens. ily gnc people! tomboys, femboys, metrosexuals, handsome girls, pretty boys, i love us so much and i WANT more gnc ppl in the world, het included. you can still have radical anti-patriarchal subcultures. ofc it's okay if you end up being trans, but don't just immerse yourself in it right away. you always have options as a gnc person and they're ALL awesome.

gnc people YOU ARE MY WHOLE ASS WORLD!!! 🧡🧡🧡

[misspoetree]

So the lovely @haahka and I were talking about Tay and how it's a bit sad that the fandom only ever seems to send him on shopping tours or focus on his fashion (you guys know that I'm obsessed with the KinnPorsche Fashion myself, but it's just a little...unadventurous, you know).

And then I got waaay to deep into headcanons with the equally lovely @tumsa (I'm not even sorry for the spam 😌❤).

Now, there are two things I want to do: first, I'd love to hear more Tay headcanons - feel free to throw them at me (as an ask, in the tags, added to this post, whatever you prefer). Because I'm really curious. 👀

And second, I'm going to share a few of mine:

Tay is way more capable than anyone thinks. (But no one needs to know that.)

People treat Tay like a princess within the show - I mean, he isn't even allowed to help in the kitchen at Porsche's. But I don't think Tay IS a princess. I think it's a protective façade. Because letting oneself be underestimated is a (survival) strategy in a world of money and constant power struggle, and a smart one at that. Yes, Tay is really good at reading people in general, but I also feel like people tend to let their guard down around him. Because he's kind, and understanding, and compassionate - and he seems harmless, a bit spoiled even. His 'softness' puts people at ease, makes them talk, makes them more honest than they probably should be. He's not a threat after all. I bet he knows a lot of things he shouldn't. I bet he's smart enough to use that knowledge (to help other people, to help himself, if needed). And I bet Tay could be fucking dangerous if he ever chose to (and wouldn't that be exciting 👀).

I also like to think that Tay has a strong survival instinct that goes beyond 'pretending to be incapable'. He and Kinn have been friends for ages, their families know each other, he basically grew up surrounded by mafia. He probably witnessed Tankhun's kidnapping back in the day. The horror and trauma of it. Tay's family is rich. He's close to the Theerapanyakuls. To the future head of the family. But he DOESN'T have an army of bodyguards following him around. And the downside of 'being harmless' is looking like an easy victim. Tay is too smart to be unprepared. So in my headcanon he knows how to handle a crisis, knows how to deal with danger, knows how to survive. Knows how to get out of the country quickly, how to get money without leaving a trail, how to get an unregistered gun. How to land a mean punch even though he hates it, how to apply (good) first aid EVEN THOUGH HE HATES IT. (I do think that he really isn't a fan of physical stuff, so the princess image is not completely off. Or, well, he lets it work in his favour.)

Tay's reaction to being hurt, being really hurt, is to shut his emotions down completely.

I don't enjoy how Tay's often written as dramatic and over-emotional in his confrontations with Time after what happened at Hum Bar. He isn't sober when he catches his boyfriend shoving his tongue down another man's throat, and well, his boyfriend is shoving his tongue down another man's throat. So of course he's fucking angry. And emotional. Right then and there. But the thing is, Tay had time to think, time to cool off in those other confrontations. And that's just the way to describe Tay's demeanor then: cool, cold, like ice. I like to think that he just freezes over. Turns into a statue of neutral disinterest. Just imagine: someone like Tay, always so kind and compassionate, staring you down with an expressionless face, not reacting to anything you say, looking close to fucking bored. Imagine what that would do to Time, always so full of himself, always so used to getting reactions out of Tay. Walking straight into a wall of ice. Completely out of his element. Really forced to put the work in for once. And it truly is hard work to break through to Tay once he closes his feelings off from you. A little bit of grovelling might be necessary. (That said, dealing with his emotions like that isn't good for Tay either. Of course not.)

There's...'something' between Tay and Vegas, some kind of understanding

I never got over TAY asking after Vegas in the final episode. Or the way Tay watches Vegas as he passes him during the auction. So I'm having a lot of fun wondering about the 'relationship' between Tay and Vegas, or how potential interactions could have gone down.

I mean, Tay 'belongs' to Kinn. We know that Vegas wants everything that belongs to Kinn (I bet he thinks Kinn must have fucked a pretty boy like that at least once. Even though it's not his usual type. Why else would he stick around?). Tay's caring and understanding. We know how Vegas can react...to something like that. (Not him falling in love after one free therapy session or something like that.) Tay is really good at reading people, he is really good at reading Kinn. And we know Vegas is not so different from Kinn (in some ways), even though he would murder anyone suggesting something like that to his face. Or maybe that's exactly what Tay does. Telling that to his face. As Vegas tries to seduce him, in the earlier days. But Tay doesn't try to wound him with that, to be cruel or mean, it's just an observation, spoken in that calm and understanding tone of his. And a younger Vegas is so shocked by that statement that he just...stops? And stares at Tay who just keeps going with that warm look in his eyes and those observations that hit a little too close to home until he can't take it anymore and turns on his heel to...definitely NOT run away like a dog with his tail between his legs.

Vegas keeps his distance after that. That princess isn't worth the effort, he tells himself. Or maybe he doesn't. Maybe he stops trying to seduce Tay, yes. But they end up talking again. And again. Because Vegas desperately needs to know what Tay meant with those things he said. And there's just... something about their conversations that keeps Vegas coming back. Until (stealing some thoughts from @tumsa here <3) Tay tries to convince Vegas that the competition between him and Kinn is dumb. Vegas does keep his distance, then.

And Tay gives up trying to help, trying to make him see how futile all of this is because it's clear Vegas won't listen to anyone but his father. But he still cares about Vegas, and seeing all the things Vegas does to himself without realising, seeing that ever-growing self-destructive obsession with Kinn sits like a leaden ball in Tay's stomach. The knowledge that he can't do anything to help is a bit like its own form of torture.

Anyways, (stealing again from @tumsa) Tay definitely ends up going to the hospital to visit Vegas. In secret, of course. And seeing Vegas and Pete together, seeing Vegas being changed by love, seeing him try to be a better person for Pete, putting all this effort in to make it work - maybe all of this forces Tay to reflect on his own love life for once. To reflect on the things he wants. The things he deserves, after all.

Nearly everyone had a crush on Tay, one time or another

You guys know the thing we do with Vegas? Like how VegasPete is the holy grail of endgame ships but it's so much fucking fun to ship Vegas with everyone and to imagine all his possible encounters and escapades? Because he's manipulation, seduction and psychological issues stacked on top of each other and wrapped in a velvet shirt?

Well. I like to do the same thing with Tay. For more or less opposite reasons. Because he's understanding and warm and compassionate and smart (and really pretty). In a world full of violence and trauma and repressed emotions, only sharp edges. I mean, who wouldn't crave the warmth, who wouldn't want to bathe in the sunlight for a while? I'm pretty sure people are falling en masse for Tay. And I think Tay doesn't always know how to handle it. Or genuinely doesn't realise what kind of effect he has on those poor bastards for doing nothing more than showing them a bit of kindness. Or maybe he's simply choosing to ignore it because he only has eyes for one person and one person alone.

Anyways, a lot of fun directions to go with this last headcanon for now. (And I'm keeping it intentionally vague and without examples because otherwise, this would turn into a multichapter fanfic I don't have time to write just now. 🤡)

[elaho]

Stardew Valley MBTI x Enneagram: Abigail

Following my last post about the Stardew marriage candidates and their MBTI types, I've been learning more about Enneagram, how it pairs with MBTI, and how it changes some of the typical characteristics of each type.

The Enneagram and MBTI complement each other wonderfully, providing greater depth and understanding of how a person interacts with the world [Cognitive Functions] and their motivations why [Core Desire/Core Fear].

Here are my thoughts on Abigail's MBTI and Enneagram pairing.

Abigail - ENFP 7w8: “The Opportunist”

“ENFPs are the campaigners of the MBTI typology. They bring good vibes and excitement that’s hard to ignore. You’ll also agree that their happiness and charisma can be infectious. It’s not a surprise then that most ENFPs identify as type 7 in the enneagram of personality.

[ENFP 7w8s] enjoy a good adventure and good conversations. They can also easily be the life of the party when they are excited. However, having a type 8 as their wing makes things a bit interesting, [creating] a lot of changes in this type of ENFP.” - Personality Hunt

Abigails’s Core Desire: To be happy

The core desire of the ENFP 7w8 is to be happy. ENFPs need consistent intellectual stimulation and external engagement to be truly content.

Bringing their ideas to life is incredibly important to them, and the 7w8 tries to achieve this by reaching their goals and getting everything they desire.

“The birds were happily chirping today. They're too simple to understand the future. It's better to be like them, isn't it?”

“I always loved this place, long before you moved in. Now I can explore the farm whenever I want!”

“There's always something new happening on our farm... I love it.”

"The sounds of the night are louder out here. I'll never stop enjoying that."

“It's pretty cool that we have a cave on our property. It's something I always dreamed about.”

Abigail’s Core Fear: To be deprived

The core fear of the ENFP 7w8 is to be deprived. Because they lead with Extroverted Intuition [Ne] ENFPs get bored quickly and easily if they aren't given enough freedom and flexibility to explore new ideas and chase after their dreams [both old and new].

Because of their fear of deprivation, ENFP 7w8s do everything in their power to ensure they'll never be in that position.

“Hey, this is my favorite magazine! My Dad won't let me have a subscription, so I have to get it on the black market like this...”

"Don't tell anyone, but I snuck into the old community center last night... I think it's haunted!

"I heard you've been exploring the old mines. That sounds like fun! ...I'm working up the courage to go there myself...”

*sigh*... Can you believe my parents were ever young? They don't understand my perspective at all. I know, I know... they grew up in a different era, with different values. It still ticks me off sometimes, okay?”

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

How Enneagram 7w8 changes typical ENFP behaviour:

New Strengths

1. More Direct

"ENFPs are feelers. This means that they use emotions as their first point of call. However, you get another vibe with ENFP 7w8s. While they retain their emotional intensity, they can now express these feelings directly and clearly. This can make the ENFP better public speakers." - Personality Hunt

Abigail isn't afraid to speak her mind or speak up when her values are threatened. Although she can come across as blunt in some instances, her emotional awareness allows her to temper her responses so that she still gets her point across without going overboard.

Examples:

“Hey. Sorry in advance if I say anything rude. I didn't get much sleep last night. What do you want?”

“I felt like making some soup for dinner. I hope it's not too disgusting.”

“I hope you'll still like me when I'm old and shriveled. It's going to happen some day!”

"Stop trying to make me feel guilty. I appreciate that you and Dad are helping me out, but expecting me to dress the way you want is ridiculous. I'm not a little girl anymore, Mom.”

2. More Likely to be Assertive [ENFP-A]

ENFP 7w8s are more likely to be Assertive [A] than Turbulent [T]. Because of their more direct nature, they can come across as opinionated or assertive. This can make them seem more determined and focused in the long term.

More information about the ENFP-A can be found here.

Examples:

"Ew, I hope I don't get a tan this summer."

"I used to think Pelican Town was kinda drab, but lately I'm starting to love some things about it."

“No matter how much we clean, the house keeps getting dirty again. I guess farms are kind of dirty.”

“Congratulations on the marriage. I guess this means Sebastian won't be moving to the city like he always talked about. That'll be nice. I'd be kind of sad if I never saw him again. We've always been good friends.”

3. More Disciplined

ENFPs aren't typically known for their discipline and following through on plans or projects.

Their Extroverted Intuition [Ne] constantly makes connections and seeks out new opportunities, and an idea that once had merit can no longer seem relevant or the best use of time, especially when more information and opportunities are made available later on.

Though ENFP 7w8s also struggle with procrastination and follow-through, this is reduced thanks to their 8 wing; however, the extent of their follow-through will depend on the strength of their wing.

Examples:

"I'm still mad that you beat me at the egg hunt last year. You'd better start practicing..."

"Feeling pretty good about the egg hunt, huh? Well, next year you won't be so lucky...

“Hey, the egg festival is tomorrow. I'm sorry, but I won't go easy on you because we're married! I plan on winning that egg hunt. Go ahead and try to beat me.”

"I guess you're wondering why I'm in the graveyard at this hour... Well, I'm here because it's the best place in town to find some privacy. And I'm all sweaty because I've been practicing my swordsmanship.”

4. More Ambitious

ENFPs are the adventurers and campaigners of the MBTI world. While they have big dreams, they don't crave financial success or riches. This is also true for ENFP 7w8s, but they realize that having money or power is one way to achieve the life they want. Thus, ENFP 7w8s tend to be much more ambitious when compared to typical ENFPs.

Abigail doesn't seem ambitious in the traditional financial sense, but her ambition is clear when it comes to making a name for herself: she wants to do something memorable with her life.

Examples:

“See? You understand why I'm out here, then. I've lived in the valley my whole life, but I've never really done anything memorable. I want to go on an adventure!”

5. ENTP Look-Alike

"ENFPs and ENTPs are cousin types. Thus, it’s only natural that they look alike. However, ENFP 7w8 will look a lot and behave like the ENTP to an extreme level.

They will be more rational, charismatic, and argumentative than your normal ENFP. Thus, a lot of ENFP 7w8 can easily misidentify themselves as ENTPs." - Personality Hunt

ENFPs and ENTPs have the same dominant and inferior functions: Extroverted Intuition [Ne] and Introverted Sensing [Si]. However, the main difference comes from their 'sandwiched' functions: ENFP ENTP

Extroverted Intuition [Ne] Extroverted Intuition [Ne] Introverted Feeling [Fi] Introverted Thinking [Ti] Extroverted Thinking [Te] Extroverted Feeling [Fe] Introverted Sensing [Si] Introverted Sensing [Si]

On the surface, Abigail may appear to be an ENTP. However, when considering the cognitive functions and their application between ENFPs and ENTPs, Abigail uses Fi much more readily to determine and defend her values and Te to implement her values in real life [ENFP], rather than use Ti to ensure her decisions are logically consistent and Fe for external feedback as to whether her logic is taking other people's values and opinions into consideration [ENTP].

For this reason, I believe there is strong evidence that Abigail is an ENFP 7w8 rather than an ENTP, though she does share qualities of both types.

Examples:

“Hey! I'm just debating what I should do today. I'm not used to having this much freedom!”

“Oh, that's right... I heard someone new was moving onto that old farm. It's kind of a shame, really. I always enjoyed exploring those overgrown fields by myself.”

“Disgusting... I love it!”

"Whoa... Where'd you find this? The workmanship is fascinating...It's a little too rusty to use, but I'll add it to my collection."

“Sebastian mentioned that he heard strange music while having dinner the other night...I didn't tell him it was us! It seemed better to keep it a mystery.”

“I may fight with my parents a lot, but I know they're just looking out for me. They're doing what they think is best. I dunno why I'm saying this to you. Don't tell anyone.”

6. More Focused and Determined

"Their wing beings a steely attitude to the ENFP. Thus, they will be more focused and determined. This might show in school, the workplace, or even at home.

ENFP 7w8s are go-getters and will achieve their goals or get close to doing so. You’ll see a clear difference between this ENFP and the stereotypical ENFP you have probably heard about." - Personality Hunt

Examples:

“*sigh*... so I've been playing 'Journey of the Prairie King' for hours and I can't even beat the first level...”

"Hey, I finally beat the first level of Journey Of The Prairie King! Watching you play helped a lot.”

“Maybe I'll boot up Journey Of The Prairie King today... one of these days I swear, I'll beat the whole game”

7. Less Impulsive

ENFPs aren't the best at considering long-term implications when jumping into something.

Their Extroverted Intuition [Ne] is great at taking advantage of opportunities in the here and now; however, their Introverted Sensing [Si] function is the weakest in their stack, meaning they aren't the best at examining past experiences to help navigate potential pitfalls in the future.

This can cause them a lot of trouble and lead to repeating avoidable outcomes that could have been prevented with some reflection. Depending on the strength of their wing, ENFP 7w8s will be slightly less impulsive and more considerate of the consequences when putting themselves in a position that may lead to the loss of power or control.

Examples:

“Whoa, that's a creepy looking book... I love it! *Flip* *flip* *flip*... Ooh... It's full of monsters...I'll have to study this before going into the caves... Thanks!”

“If I knew how to use a sword I would be exploring those caves by the mountain lake right now. It's probably nice and cool in there.”

New Weaknesses

1. They Have a Temper

"Type 8s are known for being confrontational. So, no matter how soft and emotional this personality type might seem, they have this in them.

Thus, ENFP 7w8s can have quite a temper. This might only be displayed when they are pushed to their wall or when their feelings have been hurt. It can be quite scary." - Personality Hunt

Examples:

“Hey, I heard you and Sam got together... He's a really good guy! We've been friends for a long time. You'd better be good to him, or you'll see my bad side!”

“Oh, it's because I'm a girl... isn't it? Ugh...Why? I'm just as strong as you! I'm not some fragile princess… I can take care of myself.”

"Mind your own business [Dad]! You think I should be at home cooking dinner because I'm a girl, don't you?!"

2. Manipulative

"This personality type will be more manipulative. Type 7 loves to have influence over others while type 8 loves power.

These two types blend to form an individual who knows how to control or influence people’s decisions.

While this is true, this does not necessarily mean that they might use this to hurt others. However, it is definitely part of their arsenal." - Personality Hunt

Though Abigail isn't manipulative throughout most of the game, when her marriage to the farmer is on the rocks, her manipulative tendencies start rearing their ugly head:

She becomes passive-aggressive, wondering out loud if she'll eventually get bored living on the farm.

She also asks if she could have done better than marrying the farmer and brings up her old flame Sebastian in front of them.

A low blow, if you ask me.

Examples:

“I wonder if I could've done better... I was very good friends with Sebastian before we met. He was probably the one...”

“I wonder if we'll live here our entire lives? I might get bored.”

3. Distrustful

"There’s a lot of talk on ENFPs being naïve. While this personality type loves ideas and wants to trust others, they can be especially distrustful.

They realize that people might not be exactly what they sell themselves as. Thus, this personality type might play the fool but understand exactly what is going on.

You’ll probably know where you stand with them when the chips are down." - Personality Hunt

Examples:

“One thing I've learned living here... everyone stares at you if you look different.”

“I can't trust a person who doesn't like animals...Oh, don't worry! I know you're an animal lover!”

“Hey. I know you're smart, but I still worry about you sometimes. The world is full of monsters. Just promise me you'll be careful. I don't want to lose you.”

“Hey! What... you think I'm too weak to swing a blade? Sorry, I guess I'm getting a little defensive.”

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

Conclusion

Abigail is everyone's favourite goth gf in the Stardew Valley community: she's outgoing, quirky, energetic, and marches to the beat of her own drum.

However, there is a lot more to Abigail than her renegade lifestyle:

Though her character arc isn't as dramatic as other bachelors and bachelorettes, Abigail struggles to find what many of us yearn for in our lives: happiness.

Though she hides it well, Abigail is deeply unhappy with her life and life circumstances. Her parents are overbearing and controlling, demanding she conform to their traditional lifestyle and manipulating her into doing what they want by holding financial support over her head:

"Stop trying to make me feel guilty. I appreciate that you and Dad are helping me out, but expecting me to dress the way you want is ridiculous. I'm not a little girl anymore, Mom.”

"Mind your own business [Dad]! You think I should be at home cooking dinner because I'm a girl, don't you?!"

Even her community doesn't seem to understand her or make an effort to. There are few people she feels she can trust to be herself around, and those are few and far between.

“One thing I've learned living here... everyone stares at you if you look different.”

Her Enneagram type 7 desire for happiness, paired with her MBTI cognitive strengths as an ENFP, leave her wanting more than what Pelican Town can offer her. That is until the farmer arrives and embraces Abigail for who she truly is: encouraging her to follow her dreams, and supporting her in all her adventure-filled endeavours.

“I always loved this place, long before you moved in. Now I can explore the farm whenever I want!”

Do you agree that Abigail is an ENFP 7w8? If not, what type do you think she is? Let me know your thoughts in the comments :)

--------------------------------------------------------------------- References:

Personality Hunt: ENFP 7w8 - The Complete Guide

[beforeiread-studies]

Ballet as an adult beginner - first 6 months

I'm 22 and I signed up for an adult beginner ballet class in September 2023. It is now February 2024 and I have Things To Say.

My background

I've played Just Dance. That's the full amount of my dancing experience. Nor do I have any natural talent. My idea of dancing is jumping in place while throwing my arms around. If I can do ballet, you can too.

My experience

I take beginner adult lessons at a dance studio (no drop-in classes).

After the first lesson, I didn't want to sign up. We did what I can now recognize as extremely extremely EXTREMELY basic barre exercises, floor barre and arm movements. They are the building blocks of ballet and a precursor to everything else, but as an absolute beginner you don't know that and it can feel very boring & underwhelming.

But I realized: the worst that can happen if I sign up is being bored 2 times a week + some muscle gain and an improved posture. I decided to commit to one trimester and reevaluate after Christmas.

GOSH I'M SO GLAD I DID.

At the beginning, it's boring. It's ok. It's normal. Just keep going! In just a couple of lessons, the difficulty level increased and everything started to make sense too.

Our teacher is great. Those first simple exercises slowly built up our strength and coordination and each class became a little bit more challenging, a little more rewarding.

Soon, I found myself smiling broadly every time I walked home after a lesson. I became excited about every little improvement. I realized that I could do it, and more easily than I would have ever expected. Most importantly, I realized that I had always secretly wished to dance but I had never acknowledged it to myself.

And I'm very glad I've finally started.

Class structure

I do 2 1-hour classes a week. We start every lesson with barre exercises ie moving one leg and arm at a time while the other foot stands firmly on the ground and the other hand is on the barre to help with balance (at first, you will probably start with both hands gripping the barre).

Then we might do centre or diagonal exercises or both if there is enough time.

Centre is basically the barre exercises, but without any barre to lean on. You might think you've mastered an exercise at the barre, then get thrown in the centre and find yourself completely out of your depth again. That's ok, it's normal and you will get better. We also do jumps and various pas/ways to walk towards left/right.

Diagonal exercises is walking in diagonal from one corner of the room to another, but you are going to walk in weird ways. So far we've done things like pas de polonaise and preparation exercises for pirouettes.

During the first few lessons, we only did barre and floor barre, so don't worry about centre and diagonal just yet.

Before enrolling I had this idea that we'd do the same exercises over and over again for hours, with no breaks. But it's not like that. There is a "routine" at the barre that we do every lesson, yes, but every exercise is repeated only 1 time per lesson (per leg). That still allows you to improve quite quickly. You'll be amazed at your progress from just one week to the next.

Also, at first, the classes were very light but now they are a full-on workout so don't be deceived.

Other stuff to know

Can I learn ballet on my own? I don't recommend it, especially if you are a complete newbie like me. There are so many things I do wrong that I never even notice until my teacher points them out to me, again and again. If you don't know what you are doing you'll end up in weird positions that will just make the exercises harder + possibly injure yourself. A good teacher is also going to tailor the lesson plan to your needs and goals. If you can, go to live lessons, either in person or online.

What should I wear? Every school has its own rules but they shouldn't be too strict. I simply throw on some leggings, a tight-ish t-shirt and a zipped-up hoodie. It's important that the clothes more or less adhere to your body, so your teacher will be able to correct your posture more easily ie no oversized t-shirts. The only thing you really need are ballet shoes and your teacher will be able to direct you to a shop. Mine cost around 25€.

Will I lose weight? Maybe. I didn't lose weight according to the scale but that's probably because the little I lost became muscle. My arms are certainly stronger and in general I feel better in my own skin.

Will I become more flexible? Yes. We do a lot of stretching exercises.

Will it improve my posture? Yes. Or at least, you'll become more aware of your posture, which is a start.

Do I need to learn the terminology? Depends on your teacher. I didn't, because my teacher is willing to explain again and again what the various French words mean. Perhaps yours will be more strict.

Am I too old/too young/too fat/ too something else to start ballet? No. In my class, I'm the youngest at 22, while the oldest student is 52. We all have different body types. Some of us had previous dancing experiences (as children) and some didn't. Most of us were absolutely inflexible at the start and are slowly improving. And frankly, if anyone gives you shit about your age or body type or skill level, that's not good people and you should get out of there ASAP.

Just go for it!

*check the weblogs for updates*

[los-ninos-tortugas]

Let's talk about the Familial Bonds AU

So I'm currently at home and looking over all the pages of writing and AU's I've made so far, literally don't know how not to be nervous posting about my own AU's but I think part of it was that I wrote this down a while ago. But! Let's do this anyway.

I started writing this post a full year ago. My grasp on long stretches of time is... slippery at best but goddamn. Evidently I wasn't as close to shaking off my anxiety back then as I thought. Which to be fair is still true now. But I've been sick and miserable this past week as well as incredibly bored and I've been thinking about this AU a lot again lately and I've been trying to find a way to ease myself out of my post college graduation burnout and finally posting this seems like a good way to get the ball rolling. So enough about me, let's finally talk about this AU.

So, going from my notes that I wrote a while ago; You're Family Because I Found You, I Found You Because You're Family (I really had a penchant for long and dramatic titles when I first started writing for Rise). Short name: Familial Bonds AU

AU Summary: Stories in this series fall under the head canon that Casey Jones is Cassandra and Leonardo's biological son. So far there are two(?) stories planned for this series.

Something Unspoken: Despite their close relationship and some obvious signs that Casey was in fact Master Leonardo's son, it was never something they acknowledged. Casey spent his first seven years with his mom, moving around constantly to various resistance bases. In those years Casey only ever saw Leo in passing and hadn't yet made the connection himself-- in spite of having some turtle-y features of his own. Casey came under Leonardo's wing at eight years old after his mom died fighting the krang. Living and learning from Leo allows Casey to figure out their connection pretty quickly, but the fact that Leo himself never seems to bring it up* stops Casey from wanting to bring it up himself. Casey is a bit too young to understand or figure out why Leo never seems to want to talk about it so as the years go on they seem to develop this unspoken understanding that it's just something they don't talk about (even though Leo acts as Casey's father in all but name).

Now that Casey is living in the past with a sixteen-year-old version of his dad he has some very complicated feelings about this whole mess and decides he's just gonna ignore the problem and hope it goes away. (Hint hint, it does not.) But of course, it's not exactly super easy to hide all of his more mutant turtle features so he treads very very carefully to make sure none of them realize he's more closely related to the Hamato's than they initially thought. However this becomes harder and harder as a new branch of the Foot clan** starts creeping into New York's criminal underground, and it becomes clear that they also have a vested interest in the key, which the Hamato's are still struggling to figure out a way to destroy.

From here on my notes actually get pretty spoilery so I'll just keep all that to myself for now and go over some other little details.

*A big thing that I actually ended up getting stuck on (and probably one of the reasons I delayed this for so long) was Leonardo's motivation for not talking to Casey about how they're related. For a while I wondered if it was out of character or unnecessarily cruel for Leo to treat him only as a student and eventually I came upon the conclusion that if nothing else, Leo is his father's son and being emotionally stunted is practically genetic in this family. So his reasons I think are more misguided than anything and still come from a place of caring, if still ultimately rooted in fear. I think being in that place of war and loss and seeing the pain that Casey went through at losing his mother I think Leo might have thought to himself "I can't put this kid through that again." In the bad timeline who lived and who died was never guaranteed, and Leo knew he wasn't excluded from that, so I can see his logic as something along the lines of not wanting to give Casey false hope only to then break his heart again. I don't think he necessarily anticipated living to see the end of the war, or that he and Casey would grow closer anyway. And ultimately Leo is wrong anyway, and he can't spare Casey from the pain, and losing Master Leonardo hurts just as much.

**I like to imagine that the Foot Clan has had a few splinter groups form over the years. I mean, they're a few centuries old it's hard to imagine that some people didn't split off. I like to imagine that the group that eventually made it's way to New York that we see in the show is probably the oldest existing sect, hence why they're still deeply into the world of the mystic as well as savvy enough to build a shell company to finance their endeavors. This new group that's coming in is one that I think dropped out of the mystic world a while ago, and didn't really believe in it. They're more strictly focused on just committing actual crime. But with the New York Foot Clan basically wiped out, and with the invasion changing people's worldview a bit, they seize upon the opportunity they see presented to them. Their interest in the key and in post-invasion New York comes from an interest in the krang technology and weaponry. They're not particularly interested in the krang themselves and they're honestly a little smarter than their predecessors so they don't exactly want to open the floodgates again, but they do still want to study the properties of the key and krang tech for nefarious purposes so it unfortunately falls on the weary Hamato's to stop them (poor kids can't catch a break).

There are a couple of other subplots that unfold in this fic (I've thought about this a lot) but again, in the interest of not getting too too spoilery for now, I think I'll hold those details back for a bit. Let's get into the second story I have planned for this.

The More Things Change: Buckle up gang this is the "Leo loses his arm" fic. After getting ambushed by the new Foot Clan Leo is critically injured and the gang has no choice but to bundle him off to an actual hospital in the Hidden City. As they're all sat in the waiting room Casey starts to wonder if certain things are just inevitable as he thinks back to when Master Leonardo lost his arm. Present Leo is understandably pretty distressed about this new development considering he just got out of recovery for his injuries from the invasion and is of course now wondering how he'll move forward from this and if they'll still be able to execute their plan for getting rid of the Key. Perhaps a little unsurprisingly I don't have a lot of notes for this fic yet because it is a sequel to a fic that hasn't been written yet, but the details will get fleshed out as time goes on and I do have a lot of thoughts about it.

My notes for this AU overall are a bit incomplete, which I'm kinda fine with since I wrote them a long long time ago now and revisiting them now actually gives me a chance to really think about filling in a lot of blanks that didn't come up in my initial ideation process. Like you might notice that for an AU about Casey Jones being both Leo and Cassandra's son that for some reason Cassandra seems to be oddly missing from a lot of the plot?? I'm not sure why I initially forgot to include her for about 90% of this but now I can think of a way to actually put her in and do justice to her character rather than just being Dead Mom(tm) because she's so much cooler than that. And I've also been working on fleshing out everyone else's roles in this story because since I've initially thought of it I've come up with a lot more layers and subplots that fit into this universe that I really want to explore.

That's it for now, thanks for reading <3

[acesbelovedwife]

I would like to request a Marine Sabo and revolutionary Reader. (Male or Enby please. Maybe smut?)

Reader uses a scythe as a weapon and Sabo still uses a pipe as a weapon, both which are sadistic as hell. Reader is chief of staff and Sabo is an admiral, their scythe’s blade can turn into black fire depending on the situation. Reader doesn’t actually have a reason to be in the revolutionary they just do it for because they want to and because it’s fun and being a marine is boring. (dom Reader & switch sabo please-)

Reader doesn’t care about how dangerous anything is, it thrills them with excitement knowing the risk of danger.

If you would write this I would like that please and thank you!

- Enby Anon -

that took me a while, I read one thing wrong which made me rewrite like... half of it ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ

This is my first request so I hope I did a good job. I hope I met your expectations dear Anon!

You look cute like that

Marine Sabo x Revolutionary male reader smut

5,9k characters

You were on a mission to infiltrate one of the Navy's bases. You were defeating Navy soliders one after another making your way further in when you felt someone's presence behind you, "That's enough Chief of Staff Y/n" you recognized the voice making you smirk "Admiral Sabo, long time no see, you're still as beautiful as ever~" you spoke making him chuckle at your comment "still a flirt aren't you?" Sabo grabbed his pipe from his back making you grab your scythe getting ready for a fight. He quickly swung at you with his pipe. You quickly doged his attack and swung back at him, but just like you he was quick enough to dodge it.

Your fight seemed endless getting you both tired from keep on dodging "couldn't expect less from a Navy Admiral" you panted getting a good look at Sabo, he looked so hot. Covered in sweat panting, looking like he just got fucked. You felt your dick become hard making you curse under your breath which caught Sabo's attention making him smirk. "Seems someone's got a problem" he smirked at you as he got closer and sat on your hips making you groan. He doesn't know what got into him but he caught your lips almost immediately exploring your wet cavern thoroughly as you moaned into the kiss. "Couldn't help myself, you look so fucking hot Admiral" you breathed "just call me Sabo, revolutionary" he smirked pulling on your hair to give you hickeys on your neck making you groan under you "don't get too cocky darling, I'm the one in charge" you said as you picked him up "where's your room?" You asked as he guided you.

You threw him on the bed catching his lips, this time it was your turn to show him what you're capable of. He tried to fight back with his tongue for dominance but lost miserably making you smirk more into the kiss. He quickly pushed you on your back catching you off guard, he was now on top of you "now, now Sabo. Didn't I tell you I'm in the charge here?" you grabbed his neck from behind pulling his face close to yours "though I have to agree, you look very cute like that. Almost as if you were asking to be fucked dumb" you spoke low making him shiver at your words. "P-please do Y/n-" you cut him off pushing him back on his back "you better not regret this gorgeous.."

"A-ah Y/n! S-slower please, it's too much!" Sabo moaned under you as you thrusted into him over and over again with no mercy "sorry, you're just too cute Sabo, it's hard to stop myself from fucking you dumb" you groaned feeling him clench around your dick "Y-y/n I'm close" He whimpered while putting his hands around your neck and pulling you close to kiss you. He moaned as you explored his mouth making sure you taste all of him, your hand reached his dick and started pumping it which made Sabo pull away from the kiss "too much- too much!" He moaned over and over again trying to put your hand away from his length but he was too weak to do anything at this point. You pulled away your hand from his dick and instead pulled his legs over his head allowing you to go deeper inside of him "A-AAH Y/N!" Sabo yelled as he cummed from the pleasure, you pressed your hand on his stomach allowing you to feel your dick going in and out of him, as Sabo's eyes went blank and panted "y-y/n yes yes please more! F-faster please!" he moaned lost in pleasure as you smirked reaching your goal "I-i'm gonna cum y/n please cum inside of me! Fill me up with your seed please!" he yelled through his moans making you spill your load inside of him. The feeling of being filled made him cum hard as his body went limp from the overstimulation panting hard as he kept on looking at you with lust. "H-holy shit Sabo that was amazing, you still here with me?" You panted while looking at his fucked out face. He didn't reply closing his eyes and falling asleep immediately "even when your hole is dripping with cum you look so adorable" you whispered picking Sabo up to clean his body.

You filled the bathtub with warm water and sat yourself in it pulling Sabo with you. You started cleaning his hickey covered body admiring your work as he stirred awake looking up at you "good morning beautiful" you kissed his cheek making him sigh in delight. He tried to move but his body didn't listen to him making Sabo groan in annoyance "Don't move darling, you're tired" you spoke softly into his ear making him shiver "My body hurts like hell, what the hell did you do to me" he groaned making you chuckle "well, I did what you asked for, though you can't say you didn't like can you?" You smirked turning him around so he would face you "I'm gonna clean your hole is that ok?" You asked for permission making him nod in return. You reached with your hand under water and put your finger in his ass scooping the cum out making Sabo moan. You saw his dick standing up surprising you, you thought he would be to tired for that "you want me to take care of that?" You asked "p-please.." Sabo whined making you smirk "how come you still have the strength to do that" you wondered as you went out of the bathtub picking up Sabo bridal style and putting him on the sink counter. You grabbed his chin and pulled him into a gentle kiss as he lifted up his hand and put it on your head petting your hair. You pulled away needing to breathe and looked at his face, flushed with needy look in his eyes "you're really gonna be the death of me" you chuckled wondering how can anyone be so cute and hot at the same time. You slowly started to pump Sabo's dick making him moan and cover his mouth, you grabbed it quickly and pulled it away "I want to hear you, all of you, so don't hide your beautiful moans darling" you said with a raspy voice making Sabo nod. You went back to his dick and put your fingers around his tip massaging it making Sabo whimper "p-please Y-y/n..." he begged for more friction. You licked his whole length creating a moaning mess out of him, he was still sensitive from earlier. You couldn't wait anymore and swallowed the dick in one go bobbing your head around it. "F-fuck, y/n how are you so good at it-" he got cut of by his own moan. You swirled your tongue around his dick sucking it without mercy. You felt it twitch inside your mouth letting you know he's getting close. You picked up your pace making him grab your hair tightly making you groan around his length. "Y-y/n.. I'm close" he said between his moans. You hand reached his balls massaging them, making Sabo reach his peak and cum in your mouth giving you the most beautiful moan you heard from him this day.

He was panting heavily trying to catch his breath while you swallowed his load while smirking at him "you're such a mess Sabo~" he didn't reply, too tired to even stand up. You picked him up and put him in the bed, you quickly got under the covers with him pulling your hands around him giving him kisses all over his face making him giggle "I love you y/n.." He said making you suprised with his words "Y'know it's probably not good for an Admiral say that to a Chief of Staff" you sighed, it's not like you didn't feel the same way, but it was too risky for both of you "you're acting as if you didn't just fuck my brains out, who gives a shit at this point" He nuzzled his head in your chest making you chuckle "I guess you got a point" you whispered petting his hair soon falling into a deep slumber.

Sorry for any mistakes, english is my second language. I hope you enjoyed reading!

[useless19]

I was kinda hoping for a junior birthday edition of days, i loved junior in this series? I thought you were hinting twards it to. Did you have ideas or was it just a way to reasure bowser that luigi would be back?

So was I! I made a space for it in my drafts doc and everything, but I couldn't figure out enough of a plot to hang it together. It might've been because by that point I was starting to wind down my writing in Days with an aim to finish the series off, or it could have been because it would've required a fairly heavy narrative switch and I was already struggling with Bowser's pov for Day 16.

Or it could've been that I didn't want to have to figure out what a spoilt 8-year-old Koopa prince's birthday presents were going to be!

It's Junior's birthday, so it's going to be the most coolest awesomest day of the entire year! -the planned summary

Like King Boo, I left myself the option of writing Junior's birthday just in case. I've honestly found this to be pretty useful for constructing the series as a whole. Things happen that the narrative doesn't show (Luigi thinks about taking Junior Lava Bubble fishing one time, but we never see that), and allowing myself the freedom of not having to write it meant that I managed to finish more other parts than I ever thought I would when starting.

Still, I know roughly where the characters are at on Day 51 (aka Junior's birthday), so let's have a look at them, shall we?

Luigi extends his visit so he leaves the day after Junior's birthday. It's much easier for him to agree to stay longer than it is for him to commit to a longer stay before he arrives. He gets comfortable where he is. He spent the previous day making sure Junior knew he was going to leave after his birthday so that he wouldn't have to keep reminding Junior on his birthday and bring the mood down. Luigi likes a good party and he doesn't have to be the centre of attention, so he has a great time.

Bowser likes a party even more than Luigi and his son is growing up so well. He's way more tolerant of destructive antics than most parents too (he's got minions to deal with mess and rebuilding). He also starts to realise some of Luigi's problems when it comes to visiting; ie that he's very suggestible. It's not an entirely conscious observation, but he's less worried when Luigi leaves and spends more than a week away, despite saying that he was only going for a week. There's always going to be some lag. Email updates help (even if the first one is from a long-suffering Mario).

(If anyone other than me did the maths and figured out that Luigi wouldn't actually be at Bowser's castle for Day 69, assuming a consistent week-in-the-Mushroom-Kingdom/week-in-Bowser's-castle, this is why. It's always a bit more than a week-long visit).

And, of course, Junior. He's more resilient than Bowser in the being abandoned department, though he's still a bratty kid who's used to having his own way. He's very determined to show Luigi every single last one of his presents so Luigi will know what he's missing out on if he goes ahead with his stupid leaving plan. Similarly, the Koopalings also get the full range, but they have to leave in dribs and drabs over the next week too.

I guess part of why I couldn't figure out a plot was because Junior is going to be getting more and more intense and overexcited as his birthday party goes on and that would narrow the focus too much to be interesting.

(Maybe the lesson here is that putting it in Junior's pov was a bad call and I should've been trying to see Luigi's thoughts on the whole thing).

I don't know what Luigi would get Junior. He'd probably play it safe and do some art supplies (which are fine, but nothing super exciting and he gets a bit miffed when Junior moves on fairly quickly). He also delivers a letter from Peach (which Junior initially dismisses as boring), with an invitation to a brand new tournament she's organising (I'd have just picked a random sport that's not a main Mario tie-in game, or maybe one of the less represented sports like one of the Olympic ones). Luigi can't remember speaking with her about that, but he must've said enough for her to do this. Junior's quite excited over this - it's his own invitation, not just his dad's!

I also imagine that Mario sends something, maybe food? Possibly a bunch of hot sauce bottles from the various places he's helped out (they won't stop sending them and, while he likes spicy food, he can't eat this much!)? He puts the same amount of effort into it as he would a nephew. Luigi's also surprised at this and has to deal with the (actually super obvious in hindsight) realisation that he's sort of on his way to becoming Junior's step-dad, not just a regular old babysitter.

(Yeah, this would've been a challenge to properly depict in Junior's pov. Possibly an interesting one though.)

It was definitely set up more as potential day for writing, but it was useful to help reassure Bowser once I'd added it.