#I know people might not enjoy an au where an abuser and victim aren’t in that role but I think it makes sense | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

qqueenofhades · 4 years ago

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Hi. I’m curious. What did you mean by “women who read fiction might get Bad Ideas!!!” has just reached its latest and stupidest form via tumblr purity culture.? I haven’t seen any of this but I’m new to tumblr.

Oh man. You really want to get me into trouble on, like, my first day back, don’t you?

Pretty much all of this has been explained elsewhere by people much smarter than me, so this isn’t necessarily going to say anything new, but I’ll do my best to synthesize and summarize it. As ever, it comes with the caveat that it is my personal interpretation, and is not intended as the be-all, end-all. You’ll definitely run across it if you spend any time on Tumblr (or social media in general, including Twitter, and any other fandom-related spaces). This will get long.

In short: in the nineteenth century, when Gothic/romantic literature became popular and women were increasingly able to read these kinds of novels for fun, there was an attendant moral panic over whether they, with their weak female brains, would be able to distinguish fiction from reality, and that they might start making immoral or inappropriate choices in their real life as a result. Obviously, there was a huge sexist and misogynistic component to this, and it would be nice to write it off entirely as just hysterical Victorian pearl-clutching, but that feeds into the “lol people in the past were all much stupider than we are today” kind of historical fallacy that I often and vigorously shut down. (Honestly, I’m not sure how anyone can ever write the “omg medieval people believed such weird things about medicine!” nonsense again after what we’ve gone through with COVID, but that is a whole other rant.) The thinking ran that women shouldn’t read novels for fear of corrupting their impressionable brains, or if they had to read novels at all, they should only be the Right Ones: i.e., those that came with a side of heavy-handed and explicit moralizing so that they wouldn’t be tempted to transgress. Of course, books trying to hammer their readers over the head with their Moral Point aren’t often much fun to read, and that’s not the point of fiction anyway. Or at least, it shouldn’t be.

Fast-forward to today, and the entire generation of young, otherwise well-meaning people who have come to believe that being a moral person involves only consuming the “right” kind of fictional content, and being outrageously mean to strangers on the internet who do not agree with that choice. There are a lot of factors contributing to this. First, the advent of social media and being subject to the judgment of people across the world at all times has made it imperative that you demonstrate the “right” opinions to fit in with your peer-group, and on fandom websites, that often falls into a twisted, hyper-critical, so-called “progressivism” that diligently knows all the social justice buzzwords, but has trouble applying them in nuance, context, and complicated real life. To some extent, this obviously is not a bad thing. People need to be critical of the media they engage with, to know what narratives the creator(s) are promoting, the tropes they are using, the conclusions that they are supporting, and to be able to recognize and push back against genuinely harmful content when it is produced – and this distinction is critical – by professional mainstream creators. Amateur, individual fan content is another kettle of fish. There is a difference between critiquing a professional creator (though social media has also made it incredibly easy to atrociously abuse them) and attacking your fellow fan and peer, who is on the exact same footing as you as a consumer of that content.

Obviously, again, this doesn’t mean that you can’t call out people who are engaging in actually toxic or abusive behavior, fans or otherwise. But certain segments of Tumblr culture have drained both those words (along with “gaslighting”) of almost all critical meaning, until they’re applied indiscriminately to “any fictional content that I don’t like, don’t agree with, or which doesn’t seem to model healthy behavior in real life” and “anyone who likes or engages with this content.” Somewhere along the line, a reactionary mindset has been formed in which the only fictional narratives or relationships are those which would be “acceptable” in real life, to which I say…. what? If I only wanted real life, I would watch the news and only read non-fiction. Once again, the underlying fear, even if it’s framed in different terms, is that the people (often women) enjoying this content can’t be trusted to tell the difference between fiction and reality, and if they like “problematic” fictional content, they will proceed to seek it out in their real life and personal relationships. And this is just… not true.

As I said above, critical media studies and thoughtful consumption of entertainment are both great things! There have been some great metas written on, say, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and how it is increasingly relying on villains who have outwardly admirable motives (see: the Flag Smashers in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) who are then stigmatized by their anti-social, violent behavior and attacks on innocent people, which is bad even as the heroes also rely on violence to achieve their ends. This is a clever way to acknowledge social anxieties – to say that people who identify with the Flag Smashers are right, to an extent, but then the instant they cross the line into violence, they’re upsetting the status quo and need to be put down by the heroes. I watched TFATWS and obviously enjoyed it. I have gone on a Marvel re-watching binge recently as well. I like the MCU! I like the characters and the madcap sci-fi adventures! But I can also recognize it as a flawed piece of media that I don’t have to accept whole-cloth, and to be able to criticize some of the ancillary messages that come with it. It doesn’t have to be black and white.

When it comes to shipping, moreover, the toxic culture of “my ship is better than your ship because it’s Better in Real Life” ™ is both well-known and in my opinion, exhausting and pointless. As also noted, the whole point of fiction is that it allows us to create and experience realities that we don’t always want in real life. I certainly enjoy plenty of things in fiction that I would definitely not want in reality: apocalyptic space operas, violent adventures, and yes, garbage men. A large number of my ships over the years have been labeled “unhealthy” for one reason or another, presumably because they don’t adhere to the stereotype of the coffee-shop AU where there’s no tension and nobody ever makes mistakes or is allowed to have serious flaws. And I’m not even bagging on coffee-shop AUs! Some people want to remove characters from a violent situation and give them that fluff and release from the nonstop trauma that TV writers merrily inflict on them without ever thinking about the consequences. Fanfiction often focuses on the psychology and healing of characters who have been through too much, and since that’s something we can all relate to right now, it’s a very powerful exercise. As a transformative and interpretive tool, fanfic is pretty awesome.

The problem, again, comes when people think that fic/fandom can only be used in this way, and that going the other direction, and exploring darker or complicated or messy dynamics and relationships, is morally bad. As has been said before: shipping is not activism. You don’t get brownie points for only having “healthy” ships (and just my personal opinion as a queer person, these often tend to be heterosexual white ships engaging in notably heteronormative behavior) and only supporting behavior in fiction that you think is acceptable in real life. As we’ve said, there is a systematic problem in identifying what that is. Ironically, for people worried about Women Getting Ideas by confusing fiction and reality, they’re doing the same thing, and treating fiction like reality. Fiction is fiction. Nobody actually dies. Nobody actually gets hurt. These people are not real. We need to normalize the idea of characters as figments of a creator’s imagination, not actual people with their own agency. They exist as they are written, and by the choice of people whose motives can be scrutinized and questioned, but they themselves are not real. Nor do characters reflect the author’s personal views. Period.

This feeds into the fact that the internet, and fandom culture, is not intended as a “safe space” in the sense that no questionable or triggering content can ever be posted. Archive of Our Own, with its reams of scrupulous tagging and requests for you to explicitly click and confirm that you are of age to see M or E-rated content, is a constant target of the purity cultists for hosting fictional material that they see as “immoral.” But it repeatedly, unmistakably, directly asks you for your consent to see this material, and if you then act unfairly victimized, well… that’s on you. You agreed to look at this, and there are very few cases where you didn’t know what it entailed. Fandom involves adults creating contents for adults, and while teenagers and younger people can and do participate, they need to understand this fact, rather than expecting everything to be a PG Disney movie.

When I do write my “dark” ships with garbage men, moreover, they always involve a lot of the man being an idiot, being bluntly called out for an idiot, and learning healthier patterns of behavior, which is one of the fundamental patterns of romance novels. But they also involve an element of the woman realizing that societal standards are, in fact, bullshit, and she can go feral every so often, as a treat. But even if I wrote them another way, that would still be okay! There are plenty of ships and dynamics that I don’t care for and don’t express in my fic and fandom writing, but that doesn’t mean I seek out the people who do like them and reprimand them for it. I know plenty of people who use fiction, including dark fiction, in a cathartic way to process real-life trauma, and that’s exactly the role – one of them, at least – that fiction needs to be able to fulfill. It would be terribly boring and limited if we were only ever allowed to write about Real Life and nothing else. It needs to be complicated, dark, escapist, unreal, twisted, and whatever else. This means absolutely zilch about what the consumers of this fiction believe, act, or do in their real lives.

Once more, I do note the misogyny underlying this. Nobody, after all, seems to care what kind of books or fictional narratives men read, and there’s no reflection on whether this is teaching them unhealthy patterns of behavior, or whether it predicts how they’ll act in real life. (There was some of that with the “do video games cause mass shootings?”, but it was a straw man to distract from the actual issues of toxic masculinity and gun culture.) Certain kinds of fiction, especially historical fiction, romance novels, and fanfic, are intensely gendered and viewed as being “women’s fiction” and therefore hyper-criticized, while nobody’s asking if all the macho-man potboiler military-intrigue tough-guy stereotypical “men’s fiction” is teaching them bad things. So the panic about whether your average woman on the internet is reading dark fanfic with an Unhealthy Ship (zomgz) is, in my opinion, misguided at best, and actively destructive at worst.

#long post #anonymous #ask

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asterekmess · 4 years ago

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I’m fairly new to the Teen Wolf fandom (Dylan O’Brien is the only reason I even bothered to watch the show), but I couldn’t help to notice that there’s a scary streak of abuse apologism in the Scott McCall Defense Squad. Scott can repeatedly gaslight, belittle, victim blame and dehumanize his best friend, assault rape and abuse victims to prove how much better and superior he is, and treat everyone like shit to his heart’s content. But it’s okay! Scott did it out of love! Scott is a True Alpha!

Oh well welcome to the fandom! I’m sorry that your introduction doesn’t seem to have been all that pleasant. I’m a bit torn here, because while I know that there are fans of Scott who truly, honestly believe these things and think they’re okay, I’m also very much aware that the show is built to make them think that way.

I think I made a post recently where I talked about the show’s framing telling us repeatedly that the ends justify the means, but only when Scott is the one doing the means. When we see Derek bite the teens and train them to fight by hurting them and generally treating them like crap, in order to have a pack that could protect itself so that he wouldn’t be killed by the Argents when they come to town, it’s very clearly portrayed as bad. As it should, because however much I love Derek and the Betas, his behavior with them was inexcusable. Explainable, but inexcusable. However, when Scott does similar things, like lying to everyone around him including his best friend, and putting the same teenagers he swore to protect because “they’re innocent, that makes them my responsibility” in serious danger by working with the man who wanted them dead, or in a slightly more recent note ducttaping a terrified teenager into his bathtub, this behavior is explained AND excused. Yes, there is sound (awful) logic behind Scott’s choices both in S2 and what he did to Liam. But that doesn’t make any of it okay. Except that, the show Does say it’s okay. There are fans of the show who are Scott Fans (tm), but there are also a LOT of fans of the show who only like Scott because he’s the ‘protagonist.’ They aren’t entrenched in fandom and meta like we are. They don’t want to look past the surface and that’s okay, because just wanting to enjoy a fun show about werewolves isn’t an unreasonable request.

And for those people, there’s no reason for them to feel that Scott did anything wrong. The show Constantly tells them that he didn’t. That what he did was Just and Correct and the Right Thing to Do. While to some of us it might be incredibly obvious that what he did was awful, other people (usually people who don’t have experience with these toxic behaviors/traumas) don’t instantly make the connection between Scott making Derek bite Gerard, and the abuse Derek suffered under Kate. They just see the climax of the episode and the Plot Twist of Scott being one step ahead of Genius Gerard.

Now, for those that DO entrench themselves in fandom, who spend all that time looking at meta and examining the characters to find their motivations/construct personalities and lore about the characters and STILL do not see this behavior...them I try not to interact with. It’s toxic and it’s horrible, and it’s upsetting to deal with. It’s frustrating to know that I can look at my favorite characters and acknowledge that they did some fucked up things. Sure, I usually blame the writers, but I also accept that it DID happen and the characters aren’t perfect. I can change all I want when I write au’s or make hale pack shitposts, but I know what is canon. And for some reason, these people can’t do the same with Scott. They cannot look at him and see his flaws and toxic, disgusting mistakes, while also liking the character. If I’m being really salty, I’d say that it’s because those behaviors and that mindset is so much a part of Scott’s core being that if they ever acknowledged it, their entire view of Scott’s sweet puppy personality would crumble, and they aren’t willing to lose it. For some people, I really do think it may be about his race. Representation for mixed race kids is rare. And So Often they’re this half an episode character who dies or is the kid that peer pressures others. The villain. And Scott, however much we dislike him, IS portrayed as Teen Wolf’s Hero. I don’t blame people for wanting to see a hero in him. For clinging to that representation that they Deserve. But doing that involves outright refusing to acknowledge canon elements of Scott’s story.

I would highly suggest just staying out of that fandom space. Don’t interact with it, don’t get in fights (this is hypocritical of me bc i’ve been blocked by more than one scott fan for getting in arguments with them), just avoid it entirely. Curate your online experience so that you can enjoy fandom and feel safe with the fans you interact with.

If you ever wanna talk Sterek, my ask box is always open. XD

#personal #anti-Scott Mccall #meta ramblings #Anonymous #go for it

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mlwritingprompts · 4 years ago

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submitted prompt: Gamer au; A really weird battle royale

Gabriel gets the idea to Akumatize some poor girl who was teased mercilessly about the fact she enjoys battle royale games, instead of Max.

She gets the name of Game Master, and her ability is to drag almost everyone in Paris into a huge magical arena where everyone will fight.

She declares the rules:

Everyone has 100 life points(like in most games), and when it reaches zero, the person will be teleported out of the arena, and the goal is to be the last one standing. There’s no death here and no one feels pain if they lost some life points, but can feel the loss of the points, and instinctively know how many they have.

For the sake of fairness, everyone who is younger than 13 or older than 50 are not to participate unless they have magical power, and it can NOT be given by a magical item such as miraculous, but from their own body (like superman, starfire, spiderman, etc), and they also need to explicitly state that they want to participate or they won’t enter.

Anything even remotely close to harassment or worse, even if it was to get ‘an easy win’ will be an automatic disqualification, no but, if or and about it.

The last one standing will be granted one thing from her, as long as it is not a broken superpower or the like, but she makes it clear that abusing their gift will end up in the winner losing it. But they can ask her to give her akumatized object if they wanted to.

For the sake of entertainment, the miraculous holders have their superpowered side and civilian side separated, so they kinda have a higher chance to win, but as a price, if the either side lost/got disqualified, the other side lose, and they also lose their miraculous. So theoretically, the winner will also get a miraculous or two or more.

So imagine the surprise of Marinette, Adrien and gabriel (the akuma’s power affect the entire city, and Gabriel’s age is in the limit imposed so yeah) when each see their superhero/villain sides with them. And they don’t have their kwamis with them either.

Ladybug already knows her wish, and marinette is more or less on the same wavelength.

Adrien here might have quite the trouble trying to contain Chat Noirt’s attitude because it will be very strange that 'sunshine boy’ Adrien lost at the same time Chat Noir lost or got disqualified due to his less than proper antics.

Gabriel might probably wonder how he will win this as he is sweating from worry along with Hawkmoth, because now, not only is Gawkmoth in the open, but Gabriel cannot simply help someone who seems to be a butterfly themed magical person, especially if the entirety of Paris simply decided to gang on either him or the obvious supervillain as there’s no rule against that. Especially since both of them have enemies that want to knock them a peg or two.

For possible challenges or if you just want to, you can have every holder-less kwami participate as a weaker(but still very powerful) version of themselves because they are literal magic, and have their wish be the ability to ignore/destroy the magical shackles put on them(have the akuma’s power allow the kwamis to ignore the indoctorination of the Order if you want to).

Honestly, there’s a lot more ways to make the show interesting, and I wish they make something like this.

Or any of the prompts in this site.

There’s so much drama and plot here that it’s nearly a sin that they are not being animated.

Without the misogyny and victim-blaming of course, but hey I know that might never happen.

Which is a shame.

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

Oh my god this sound SO FUN.

I would suggest--the lower your HP, the less energy you have, to increase the stakes, and so that if there aren’t any floating health bars, you can still tell who’s weaker and who’s at full HP. It would also give people the ability to pretend to be low on health, or have full HP, if they’re good at acting.

Rules for the blog - send a prompt

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takaraphoenix · 4 years ago

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Trying to put thoughts from a conversation on Discord yesterday into a coherent post. About another danger of the fandom purity cult, one that I’ve not really seen addressed yet.

The big danger, aside from the attempts at censorship, is the vilification of everything that isn’t 100% pure, despite just how impossibly ridiculous that is because not all media can be a fluffy coffeeshop AU.

But there’s a consequential danger that comes from that. It’s when the people of the purity cult themselves start shipping impure things.

Because their warped perception doesn’t allow them to ship impure things and instead of... just... not shipping that impure thing, they do brain gymnastics to justify why their ship, that is completely in line with the vile things they condemn in other ships, is actually pure, healthy and unproblematic.

I ship a lot of fucked up things, I know a lot of people who ship a lot of fucked up things, and usually there is different mentalities behind it - “this is so fucked up, I love it despite that”, for say the potential “what if” of how something could have turned differently, or maybe it used to be less fucked up before things took a turn, or there is a hope of redemption in the future, whatever, or it’s “this is so fucked up, I love it because of that”, because it’s fun to enjoy twisted, weird things. Because it’s fiction.

But this take of “I love it, therefore it can’t be fucked up” is... quite frankly... way more unhealthy than anyone comfortably engaging with fucked up things and being aware of the content they’re consuming. And it becomes dangerous when those people start publicly defending it, with voices of “authority”.

I’ve now seen it multiple times on ships where their canon relationship to each other is toxic and abusive and shippers defending it with “I am a therapist/psychiatrist/social worker and I work with real abuse cases and you see this isn’t abuse!” - and that’s where the danger lays. Because those people are really out there, pointing out how abusive storylines aren’t actually portrayals of abuse (and their, as I assume fake, claims of working with real abuse victims put aside, because that’s a horrifying thought all on its own), which might just make real people who are in real relationships that mirror the behaviorial patterns shown in these narratives think “oh... so I’m not being abused, this person clearly has authority on what real abuse is, I’m just blowing this out of proportions”.

I’m not saying - will never say - that any of those people have to stop shipping that fucked up thing they like. Go on, have fun with it, live in that AU where the abuser doesn’t abuse their victim, live in that canon divergent where there is a happy ending, or... if that floats your boat, dive right into the narrative as is. Because it’s fiction.

But the moment you start treating fiction as reality and start claiming that that fucked up shit you enjoy in fiction is actually not that bad because you, a professional in the real world dealing with real abuse victims, can assure that this behavior between partners would not qualify as abuse, that’s when things get really fucked up.

And... the thing that really rubs me the wrong way about it is the hypocrisy? Because usually, the same people who justify why they, as professionals, deem this behavior as normal and non-abusive between that queer ship they like will have a post, just a couple scrolls down, where they call a straight relationship abusive because the guy raised his voice once two seasons ago...

So, I can’t believe that this is still needed in the year 2020 but I guess some people really still need the Pronoun Test on their abusive storylines, huh?

If you can’t see the problem, then try this neat litte test! Take the character people call abusive and use the pronoun “he” and then take the character people call their victim and use the pronoun “she”. Now go through the plot - if your memory fails you, consult wikipedia - and see if it still doesn’t bother you.

Have an example of the Pronoun Test, on the very narratives that I have seen defended as “not actual abuse, I know, I’m a professional!”, broken down into the skeleton behavior between the characters:

He deliberately manipulated her emotionally. They have a years long bond that he is using against her. She holds back because of that. He never pulls his punches because of that. Both physically and emotionally. There is both physical and emotional violence being inflicted by him; she fights back when he attacks first, but she never goes against him first and she always pulls her punches. She still hopes he’ll stop. He doesn’t. And he repeatedly lets her know that that’s her fault, that she pushed him to do this.

I’m not a therapist/psychiatrist/social worker, but... I really, genuinely don’t think I have to be to see that this isn’t just... banter, or a bad phase, or even a normal “villain/hero” dynamic - because the hero doesn’t pull their punches and the hero fights the villain on their own account too. If you take this dynamic and project it onto anything, it’s your Domestic Violence 101 case.

And, let me stress this once more, go and have fun with that fucked up shit you enjoy! Because it’s fiction. But how are you going around, defending this exact canon dynamic as not being toxic, unhealthy and abusive, based on you being a “professional” who can give a certified stamp of “this behavior is not abusive, it is not abusive in the real world so it is not abusive in this fictional ship so I am allowed to ship this!” - what in the world is wrong with you?

Just be like any other weirdo and enjoy your problematic faves, problems and all. You don’t need a justification to ship it! It doesn’t have to be pure and healthy! You don’t need to take an abusive narrative and twist it around with words of your (fake) authority to deem them unproblematic so you can be “allowed” to ship it! You don’t need to justify their behavior! They’re fictional characters.

The purity cult goes around pretending that pro-shippers would condone the fucked-up actions of their problematic faves in the real world while they themselves literally go around loudly proclaiming that they, in fact, do condone the fucked-up actions of their problematic faves and it blows my mind.

#Purity Culture #Shipping #Fandom Problems #I just-- this baffles me #you don't NEED to twist #your thing to be pure #and you REALLY don't need #to pretend that that thing would be #pure and healthy and good #if it were real #this take genuinely terrifies me #just enjoy your fiction and calm down??

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alternateafterthought · 4 years ago

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Arcane - Part 2

ARCANE

Ø Meaning: Secret, Mysterious, Understood only by few. MAGIC

Ø Pairing: Panther Hybrid Min Yoongi x Reader

Ø Summary: Some secrets are kept for the good of people. Some secrets are kept for abuse or power. Yoongi had been a victim of abuse and power, and he wasn’t going to let anyone else use secrets for that purpose. So, when Y/N comes into his life with secrets, he doesn’t want to fall into that rabbit hole again. He doesn’t want to give all his trust to someone who will abuse their power over him. But maybe Y/N’s secrets are a good thing.

Ø Genre: Hybrid!au, fluff, angst, eventual smut

Ø Warnings: None

Ø Word Count: 2176

Ø A/N: Hey guys… here is the next part of my Min Yoongi fic!! Thank you to everyone who has showed interest in the first part! I hope you really enjoy the next part of this fic!! I would really love your feedback!! So, I really hope you guys love and support this fic like you did with GOLDEN TIME!! If you want to be added to a tag list, message me or leave a comment or ask!! Thank you so much!!

PREV / NEXT

J-Hope had started with the oldest. Introductions to the fox hybrid, who called himself Seokjin, was quiet and welcomed by Y/N.

He had sat down across from Y/N and they simple spoke. Y/N had asked how long he had been in the shelter.

“8 months.” Jin had nodded, with a small sad smile on his face. “My previous owner was an elderly couple who treated me like their grandson. They have passed since then.”

Y/N had held his hand and they spoke for a few more minutes before J-Hope came back. After Seokjin was the German Shepard hybrid who was much taller than Y/N and wearing a pair of thick glasses. He seemed so put together as he introduced himself, offering his large hand, but ultimately his foot caught on the chair leg, causing the large man to trip a little.

Somehow, Y/N caught him, helping him to steady his feet as he started to blush. Y/N helped him to stand, fixing the shirt he wore to be a little straighter, flattening the hair that stood up.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s okay. Everyone trips sometimes.”

The hybrid smiled a wide dimpled smile and introduced himself as Namjoon, a hybrid who until recently was a police hybrid. He didn’t exactly what to share why he was no longer on the force, but Y/N knew when never to push a subject.

Namjoon was there for a few more minutes before J-Hope came for him, leaving a very bright, highly active Golden Retriever hybrid. His boxy smile and bright eyes caused Y/N to return his wide smile, offering her hand but instead being wrapped in the hybrid’s arms.

His deep voice introduced him as “Taehyung”, his enthusiasm for life was refreshing. He was so warm and lively; his stories were so active that Y/N couldn’t help but to be completely interested in what he talked about. He left no room for awkwardness and it was honestly something Y/N loved.

“I’ve only been here for 2 months but they let me paint and draw and take photos like my old owners used to.” Taehyung’s energetic response only made Y/N that much happier to be around him.

J-Hope came to collect Taehyung a few minutes later, Taehyung saying bye with a hug again. This time Y/N was left with J-Hope only, no other hybrid, at least not yet it would seem. J-Hope sat Y/N down, obviously needing to have some type of serious talk with Y/N about something.

“So, I just wanted to check in with you, make sure you’re okay?” J-Hope sat on the edge of his seat.

“I’m doing well. They are some amazing men aren’t they.” Y/N smiled widely, not as wide as J-Hope though.

“They are amazing men.” J-Hope emphasised the word “Men”, like it wasn’t something normally heard about them. “I would like to give you a bit of a warning for the next one though.”

From the look of J-Hope’s eyes scanning over to where the files sat on the opposite side of the table to them. The final hybrid that hadn’t been in to see her yet sat on top; the feline hybrid was always a concern for J-Hope. Not in a bad way, but more in a way that if anyone was to be adopted today, J-Hope would hope that it was him.

With a raised eyebrow, J-Hope continued to speak; “There is nothing wrong with him, he’s great just like the others. But I do have to legally tell you that if you do not adopt him today, he will be sent away to a breeding facility.”

“But he isn’t the oldest. You said Seokjin was the oldest right? So why is he not being sent to a breeding facility?” Y/N asked honestly.

“Seokjin is the oldest but he has not been here long, and with his past he is someone easily adopted by the elderly.” J-Hope looked Y/N in the eye. “Yoongi has been in and out of here his entire life. He has spent more time in this shelter then he has in a home.”

“Is there something wrong with him?” Y/N had to ask. “I only ask so I can make a proper decision today.”

“He’s quiet and a panther hybrid. So, people usually think he’s mean or scary and really…” J-Hope shook his head as he thought about the next hybrid. “He’s the sweetest guy.” He smiled. “I’ll bring him in.”

Y/N waited all of 30 seconds for J-Hope to return to the room with a feline hybrid behind him. Said hybrid trailed behind, before J-Hope smiled and bowed his head slightly before leaving the room, his ears stood tall, his tail, the same opal black as his ears and hair swayed behind him.

It seemed this shelter was a lot freer when it came to what they were dressed in, Y/N had noticed that all three previous hybrids had all been in something different. She liked that even though they were all in black, white, and grey, they all seemed to have a different personality, even with clothing. Like Yoongi, who now stepped into the room, black jeans, black sweater, and black shoes. Everything matched, his ears, his tails, his clothing, everything except his eyes.

His eyes practically glowed, even in the well-lit room, his eyes seemed to completely glow. Y/N noticed his eyes were gold, almost like honey from where he stood next to the window by the door. He honestly looked bored, his eyes heavy lidded, like he had trouble keeping them open, his mouth sat in a straight line, though his lips were slightly parted. Most of his bangs seemed to cover his eyes and still they were the most striking feature of his face.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Y/N offered her hand, just like she had with the others. “I’m Y/N.”

“I’m going to stop you right there.” Yoongi raised his hands, palms up as the door was closed. “I don’t want to know your name. I don’t want you to adopt me. I will be honest with you; I am here against my will.” He saw Y/N’s raised eyebrow as her hand dropped back to her side before he kept talking. “I talked to J-Hope, I told him I didn’t want to be adopted again and would be find to just live here the rest of my life.”

“You really think they’ll let you stay here?” Y/N had to ask, thinking of the note on his file, the one letting her know he wouldn’t be able to stay here.

“I’ve been here long enough. J-Hope will let me stay.” Yoongi was determined to stay it would seem. “I’m not some pet you can just adopt for fun.” Yoongi seemed to look Y/N up and down. “You seem young and… adventurous,” He made eye contact with her again. “Why would you want a hybrid anyway? For sex?”

For a moment Y/N just stared at him, before bursting out laughing. Yoongi was shocked to see the women in front of him full body laugh, her hand holding onto the table as her legs gave way. She laughed hard and loud, curling in on her knees as Yoongi just stood there watching her.

When she finally composed herself, she wiped away a few stray tears as she stood, giggling a little still. She hauled herself off the floor, fixing her dress before facing Yoongi again, still slightly giggling.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh that much.” Y/N held her hand out for him again. “Trust me I don’t want a pet and I don’t want a hybrid for sex. The least you can do when you meet someone new is shake their hand.”

Yoongi was hesitant at first but his large hand eventually enveloped Y/N’s smaller one; “So why do you want a hybrid? An older hybrid at that.”

“Freedom.” Y/N pulled her hand away from Yoongi’s, offering him to sit with her. “My parents are kinda overbearing, and I need a way out. A hybrid would give me that freedom to just… live.”

“Why can’t you live by yourself?” Yoongi boldly asked.

“Why do you want to stay here?” Y/N countered.

Both of them seemed to just stare at each other, waiting for one of them to say something. Both of them could see that neither of them were going to be the first one to talk so Y/N picked up his file before sitting it in front of him. Yoongi looked down at it before away, only to take a double look at the note next to his picture.

“So, what, your showing me this to make me beg you to adopt me?” Yoongi pushed his file back towards Y/N, who was quick to catch it.

“I’m give you a way out.” Y/N spoke honestly. “We can help each other. You get out of this…” Y/N tapped the file. “And I get out of overbearing parents.”

Y/N would never have admitted, but as amazing as the first three hybrids were, she had chosen Yoongi already. He was in a similar situation to her, he needed a way out, to live on his own terms. So, they could help each other, they could be the reason both of them could survive in this world. She hoped he would take the opportunity to help himself as much as her.

“And what? I live with you as your pet? As some sex hybrid for you?”

“Seriously, what is with you and sex?” Y/N asked. “Are you in heat?”

Yoongi gave Y/N a look that made her want to start giggling again, but she kept it in as her fingers tapped on the table. She sighed, covering up any giggle that might have escaped her before opening his file to the adoption forms. J-Hope had told her the forms were in the files for her for sign for whoever she wanted straight away.

Taking the forms out she slid them across to Yoongi; “If you’re willing, I’ll sign them now and we can be back at my hotel in the next hour before my parents find out I’m missing.”

“They don’t know you’re here? Adopting me?” Yoongi’s eyes widened.

“I’m supposed to be in my hotel room in bed. Surprisingly, I’m not as fragile as they believe.”

“But your parents have to give permission for you to adopt right?” Yoongi couldn’t help to ask.

“I’m 24. I don’t need written permission to do anything.” Y/N spoke confidently.

“So why are your parents… ya know?” Yoongi had to ask.

“That is a story for another day.” Y/N looked at the large clock on the wall, she had spent 10 minutes with the first 3 hybrids each, now it was rounding out to be half an hour all together, she was just glad half the adoption was already underway, she just needed the hybrid now. “So, would you like to get out of here?”

“Will we be living with your parents?” Y/N could tell Yoongi had already decided to leave with her, he was simply scared it would seem.

“My grandparents left me their cottage in their will. We will be living on the opposite side of town to my parents.” Y/N nodded, thinking of the cottage she had moved into when she turned 21, even with her parents against it. “I will tell you now that the town I live in is kinda small, but it’s surrounded by forests and rivers and honestly… it’s peaceful.”

Yoongi seemed to think about something, considering all of his options. Even he could see he didn’t have many of them, none in which gave him the freedom to just live. If he ended up at a breeding facility he would regress and had the possibility of going savage. If he ran away, he could be captured or die on the streets or turned in by the HPA or even be killed by hybrid hate groups. But if he went with Y/N, maybe she’d let him be free too.

“You’re not some weird woman who sells her hybrids for sex or something right?” Yoongi smirked.

“Seriously, what is it with you and sex?” Y/N raised her arms in question with a small smile on her face.

“I just wanted to make sure you aren’t some crazy person,” Yoongi pushed the forms back across the table, sitting a pen on top of it. “I need to know who it is I’m going to be living with.”

Y/N signed the forms, quickly scribbling her signature on the bottom of the page before handing it to Yoongi to sign too. With both signatures on the form’s Y/N moved to the door, sticking her head out to see J-Hope sitting outside the door. He stood up quickly, fixing the purple shirt he wore with a hopeful smile on his face as Y/N handed the 4 files back to him.

“Oh… were none of them for you?” J-Hope looked almost sad.

“Just the one.” Y/N showed him her other hand with the adoption forms, signed.

PREV / NEXT

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thekidultlife · 4 years ago

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The Most Convenient Escape | Jihoon Soulmate!AU (5)

⍟ Pairing: Jihoon x fem!reader

⍟ AU: Fantasy/ Soulmate AU

⍟ Genre: ANGST, SLOW BURN, fluff

⍟ Warnings: mentions of abuse, drinking, and sex

⍟ Word Count: 8.5k

⍟ Synopsis: For all your life, you have a deep disdain towards Soulmate Bonds, so much so that you are able to write opinions about it in a local newspaper. However, as life would have it, you wake up one day bonded to a person you hardly knew. Throwing in an investigation, annoying roommates, and a revolution looming just beneath the surface, you had to seek for the most convenient escape.

⍟ A/N: So on to the next chapter! This is probably the longest I’ve written for this series! Anyway, please excuse my tarot reading skills, my knowledge is only limited to watching pick a car readings in youtube and google. Now that’s out of the way, please enjoy! -Hyeri

⍟ Taglist: @shoshishua, @woozisnoots (I also want to thank @minkwans and @oprandomfeels for leaving such a nice messages on the tags in the previous chapter!! I dont want to sound creepy but i do comeback to them if i needed motivation to write! so thank you!!)

CILVEKAN ESPIONAGE TURNS PARLIAMENT INTO A BATTLEFIELD by Jeon Wonwoo and Kwon Soonyoung

The Porta Persa Edition, October 12th

Words that break like cannon shots, arguments that burn like incendiaries, bulwarks of statements that are hardly impenetrable—such is a terrifying and impressive sight to behold upon the ancient halls of the Parliament in these last few weeks. The fate of the two Cilvekan agents who were previously caught in Lower Efendel had been a divisive force upon the venerated legislative body of our nation; rendering them into a heated stalemate.

Armed with wit and sound proofs, Conservatives led by Atlen County Representative Kang Jinho campaigned for stringent travel restrictions, as well as a thorough examination of all Cilvekan nationals entering and leaving Porta Persa. He contends that the security of this powerful nation must not be compromised for simple material gains.

Pointing an accusing finger at the trading and tourism industry which has seen immense growth in profits due to the inflow of foreign immigrants and visitors into the country, Conservatives have been critical of lax travel regulations over the years in which they view, as in Rep. Kang’s words, as a means for ‘alien entities’ to ‘wreak havoc in this peaceful land’ and ‘further their covert operations to diminish and weaken the stability of Porta Persa’. According to Rep. Kang, it is rightfully so that sacrifices are to be made to ensure that no foreign powers would dare to assert their influence over this country.

On the other side of the argument lie Santaragossa Assembly Representative Lee Jihoon, the flagship of both Libertarians and Moderates on this matter, who, with his rapid fire responses, have advocated for softer regulations and an extensive counterintelligence program instead.

In his speech to Congress today, Rep. Lee disputes that economic factors are hardly simple, and should not be diminished into mere ‘increase of gains’. In his words ‘There are people who, if harsher travel restrictions are thus placed, will be left for wild dogs to eat, for the weather to beat and rattle their bones on the cold earth. With no means of a livelihood to provide for themselves, what will become of them? For us who have a roof to sleep in, and food on the table to eat, it is easy for us to say that travel restrictions are a minor inconvenience. Yet for these people, harsher travel restrictions are equivalent to a death sentence.’

He further advocates for a better counterintelligence program wherein proper and stronger defenses are to be implemented only at the appropriate areas, as this is not only cost effective, but also ensures that the livelihood and the human rights of all people in Porta Persa, whether be citizen, immigrant, tourist and whatnots are protected and venerated…

◇

“Lee Jihoon was truly frightening during that session. I swear to god, sitting there feels like he’s attacking me personally.”

Unlike the usual, the three of you were not relaxing comfortably outside the lush courtyards of the Royal Academy, eating carefully prepared lunches and enjoying the view. Instead, late morning sunlight poured from the open windows, illuminating the wooden desk and chair you were sitting on, silently listening to your friends.

To your right, sat said friends: Wonwoo and Soonyoung who were fresh from the printers, the rancid smell of ink sticking to their regal school uniform. On Soonyoung’s hands was the freshly printed draft of your newspaper, which was to be released the next day.

He folded the newspaper and tossed it beside you on the desk.

“He’s been like that for what? A week now, I reckon?”

“Two, in my opinion.” Wonwoo answered, adjusting his glasses. He was the calmer kind of fellow. Soonyoung was more theatrical.

“Oh good god, it’s been two weeks already?” Soonyoung exclaimed, his lips ajar. “No wonder Y/N is here all the time!”

Wonwoo glanced at you, who simply turned away and faced the open window. “Why are you here exactly?”

You continued to grind Alizarin berries on your portable mortar and pestle with a nonchalant look on your face. “I’m making your allergy medicine.”

“Not yesterday and in the last few weeks,” Wonwoo retorted back, giving you an inquisitive look. “Now tell me, is it because of Lee Jihoon?”

Groaning, you continued to pour all of your irritation at the poor powdered berries in your mortar. “Must the reason always be Lee Jihoon?”

“Well, why are you here then?” Soonyoung shrugged, glancing at you with raised brows.

Exasperated, you sighed and left the mortar and pestle alone for once. In all honesty, the reason was indeed Lee Jihoon. After he saw your breakdown two weeks ago, you were avoiding him at all cost because you knew he was going to ask you about it and you were not one to divulge such sensitive topics.

Of course, you wouldn’t let them know. “The way my room looks is just nauseating.”

Soonyoung made an incredulous frown while Wonwoo snorted.

“Right.” They both said.

Having childhood friends has its own disadvantages: you couldn’t really hide anything from them. Yet you wouldn’t tell them anything for that matter. Your room was indeed nauseating, spinning around and around as your vision blur if you just stay in one position for far too long.The way your stomach churns and your legs buckle because of the amount of suppressants you were taking to block your soulmate connection was something you simply cannot express into words.

You stare at the red powder inside the mortar. The smell was making you lurch, reminding you of the suppressant, yet you expertly concealed it with a cough and a broad change of subject.

“Aren’t we supposed to go somewhere today?” you asked, adding more berries to the mortar.

“No, it’s on Friday, 3pm,” Wonwoo replied, checking his travel sized planner. “For some time, Soonyoung and I have been tracing documents from Luce Trading to see if they could give us some clues. But most of them inexplicably got lost or destroyed from last year’s flooding, but thankfully, Soonyoung found some in a novelty shop.”

Upon hearing, you quirked a brow at them. “That is quite interesting. It is possible that something important is in those documents, especially when they had deemed it necessary to destroy them. It seems like fortune is on our side today.”

Wonwoo nodded. “Exactly my thoughts.”

“I reckon, those documents can finally settle the question of who their actual victims are,” the other male remarked with a considerate nod. “We can actually take a step forward in this investigation!”

You forced a smile. Truly, you were elated but the way your heart was palpitating wasn't feeling that great to you. Wonwoo adjusted his glasses once more, a habit he has acquired whenever he was thinking of something.

"Quite frankly, I still haven't forgotten what Jihoon had told me a few months ago," he started, fidgeting with his hands. "And god knows if he's telling me the truth or throwing us off the scent."

"Oh that one..." Soonyoung exclaimed, nodding. You glanced at the two of them, looking betrayed.

"Why have I no knowledge of this?" You asked, eyes shooting daggers.

The two boys quickly exchanged glances and panicked.

"You haven't told Y/N?" Wonwoo asked the other male, who was beginning to pout.

"What…I thought you told Y/N!" He replied, pointing at you.

What seemed like a little misunderstanding was going to become a lot of bickering later on, so as you rolled your eyes, you put yourself between the two of them.

"Alright, enough. Just tell me what Lee Jihoon said," you spoke sternly, hands on your hips.

“It’s not as straightforward as you think,” Wonwoo recounted. “Jihoon kept going in circles about our newspaper, Alex Fireflower—”

“Me?” you exclaimed, furrowing your brow.

“Yes, you. And the Gestalt case,” Wonwoo continued, acknowledging you. “At first, I was under the impression that he was simply inquiring what my thoughts were with regards to the Gestalt case as a fellow classmate, yet as it turned out, he appears to be hinting that it was a suicide case.”

A bewildered look was what you gave him, not understanding how a blatantly homicide case could possibly be a suicide. “I need you to expound further than that.”

Your friend shrugged. “That’s where the problem lies. We know that the Gestalts might be involved in the sex trafficking ring due to the judicial records we’ve discovered before, yet to what extent is a matter we have no knowledge of.”

“Oh, yes, that tax evasion case filed against Luce Trading that was suddenly dismissed by court with no apparent reason…it seems malicious, yet I still doubt that it should be considered a connection to the syndicate” Soonyoung remarked.

“Those things usually happen yet everything involved in this case should be accounted for. Even including the possibility of it being a suicide,” Wonwoo continued.

“Yet logistically speaking, how can it possibly be a suicide?” You asked, clearly unconvinced. “Lee Jihoon is merely giving us chaff.”

“That is the reason why I cannot just stop thinking about it. It’s perplexing.”

“You’re just doing mental exercises, Wonwoo,” you dismissed him. “Trusting Lee Jihoon is definitely not advisable. He’s a politician. We might be unaware that he is in fact a part of that syndicate, and is simply playing cat and mouse with us.”

Wonwoo heaved a long sigh, leaning against the bedpost. “That, I won’t deny.”

“Rather than running on conjectures, we should proceed with the investigation instead,” Soonyoung interrupted solemnly. “We simply do not have the entire narrative.”

"I completely agree," you replied, leaning against the table as you go through another wave of stomach cramps with much composure. "Let's…lay out what we know first."

The two of them nodded at you, which you considered a signal to begin.

"So, we know that some government officials are involved in a sex trafficking scheme. Why do we know that?"

Soonyoung answered. "Because Wonwoo unintentionally eavesdropped a conversation between his father and a parliament member, who was trying to ask him to vote against the amendment of the Soulmate bond."

"He offered my father membership to the syndicate among other things…" Wonwoo quietly continued, perusing his thoughts.

"Right. We know that the Gestalt case is somewhat related to the syndicate. Why?"

"For one, that parliament member who had attempted to lobby for my father's vote was asking him to vote against the amendment which has stemmed from the Gestalt case. It could possibly be a stretch but we should not deny it."

Nodding, you continued. "And the fact that we had found out that Rene Gestalt had already died right after the High Court suspension. And had died under a different name and under a mysterious circumstance."

"If Rene Gestalt was a simple nobody, he wouldn’t have died in that manner," Soonyoung added. "And that tax evasion case shouldn't have been dismissed so easily."

"Luce Trading is more profitable than Kwon International, isn't it?" You asked, but Soonyoung immediately replied.

"Hey now! We had better sales for the past decade!"

You giggled, "Alright, my apologies."

"I still find it hard to fit the pieces though," Wonwoo interrupted. "Why Luce Trading? Why did Himi Gestalt die but not Rene? What exactly happened?"

The three of you exchanged glances.

"We need more information."

You leaned back, sighing as you felt the heaviness of the possible truth you have in your hands. Wonwoo and Soonyoung were pretty much the same. That’s why, more than anything, you didn’t want any sort of distraction, especially those that involve soulmate bonds.

“In the meantime, Y/N,” Wonwoo began, giving Soonyoung a look and then the two gazed at you with concerned expressions. “Are you truly, definitely, a hundred percent, alright?”

You knitted your brows, and immediately replied. “I’ve never been better.”

“No…! No, what we meant is…” Soonyoung was the one who responded. “You…you fought with your father, didn’t you?”

It was a sudden inquiry, you can admit that, but you were not at least surprised they had asked. Your father must’ve gone to Soonyoung’s father and then they informed him of the matter.

“A few weeks ago, yes,” you told them, nonchalant as you added more berries to the mortar. “I have decided to cut ties with him once and for all. He’s nothing to me now.”

You noticed that they were taken aback, but it was an expected reaction. The decision was indeed done in the heat of the moment, yet you didn’t feel anymore remorseful.

“You do not have to worry about me. I have you two, and our newspaper is doing quite well in sales,” you reassured them. “Cutting him off is simply removing dead weight off my shoulders.”

Without any warning, Soonyoung pulled you to a tight embrace and Wonwoo followed soon after. You simply stayed still in surprise, as they continued to console you silently, knowing that you didn’t need any words to make you feel better.

“Y/N, please know that we will always be here for you,” Wonwoo began. “We’ve been together since we were children, and we’ll always will be.”

“If you wish to get something off your chest, we are always here to listen. You don’t have to carry everything by yourself.”

You grimaced at this, but hid it easily by burying yourself underneath their embrace. You’ll tell them everything someday, but now, you simply wish to brave the storm by yourself.

“I will.”

◇

"Jihoon!"

Heavy footfalls echo across the marbled hallways of the Parliament. Rows of white columns line up on the curve, the view of Porta Persa easily seen with just one turn of a head.

"Jihoon, please wait for a moment!"

Harsh steps that march through with controlled frustration, and another set which was running after them. Nobody was on sight other than two men who were adorned by their heavy purple robes, billowing with the wind.

"Lee Jihoon!"

"What is it ?!" The other snapped, his eyes piercing and intense.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs sighed, his demeanor tinged with concern. The whole Parliament hearing was tense and unnerving, and Lee Jihoon seemed to be in the middle of the swirling storm.

"I simply wanted to see if you are doing well," Joshua offered, his voice calm, yet the other simply scoffed.

"What do you suppose?" he replied, his tone filled with frustration and sarcasm. "If we lose next week's vote, it'll be all over!"

Joshua reached out for Jihoon's shoulder, trying to help the other through his temper.

"Alright Jihoon, listen to me. We still have time. We can still convince the others to vote against the bill."

"But we need fifty more votes! Where in heaven's name are we going to find those?" He exclaimed and then groaned, resounding through the deserted hall.

"You need to calm down, Jihoon!" Joshua reminded, shaking some sense into him. "You're making a mountain out of a mole hill!"

The dark haired male blinked, stunned by the sudden loudness of his friend's voice. The high had finally subsided in his veins as he huffed and removed himself from Joshua's grasps.

"Jihoon…"

"I apologize. I'm simply exhausted," he replied, sighing as he turned his back to the other. "While this issue has been particularly draining, my soulmate bond is eating my energy away as well."

Joshua blinked, wondering what was the matter this time. They had left Jihoon in his dorm room that day as instructed, yet for some reason after that, he seemed to have become more snappish and gloomy.

Jihoon sighed once more, probably the nth time for today.

"She…she was crying when she arrived, you know. I have no inkling as to why but it did hurt me…seeing her like that," he continued, now more to himself than to Joshua. "I wanted to comfort her or do something, anything…but she pushed me away, both physically and mentally. It's been weighing on me since then."

Without a word, Joshua walked towards him and placed an understanding tap on his shoulder. "I wish I can offer you some help."

At this point, Jihoon simply shook his head with a downcast smile. "There is nothing we can do about it if she doesn't want me."

Those words, as he said it, felt more painful than he had anticipated. Yet that was the truth—she had blocked him, in more ways than one. Jihoon wished he knew why yet he had already spent enough sleepless nights on it that he didn't need more.

"In the meantime, it would be nice if we had those fifty votes before the weekend."

◇

Oct. 14th

Desmere District, Porta Persa

"So, it's here?" You asked, standing in front of a decrepit shop, flanked by two of your friends. "Are you sure it's here?"

You weren’t really one to judge but the way the roof shingles were about to fall, the dull green paint peeling off the door, and the dusty shop window filled by various junk accumulated over the years, was telling a rather clear story.

You could even hardly read the name of the shop.

“52nd Oppleton street, Esmond Novelty Shop….Yes, without a doubt this is the one!” Soonyoung replied cheerfully, grinning ear to ear, “Come on now! No time to waste!”

Wonwoo glanced at you with a knowing look as he followed after Soonyoung through the door. Today seemed to be one of those days where Wonwoo was in a rather irritatingly playful mood. “You heard him. No time to waste now, Y/N.”

It wasn’t new for you to be the victim of their teasing, but you didn’t appreciate it either when it comes. Thus, as you rolled your eyes and pursed your lips, you threw your hesitation out of the window. Following closely behind, you heard the charming bell chime above you as soon as you entered, yet the dust which wafted through the air was not as charming as you had feared.

“Welcome to our shop! Feel free to look around and see if anything suits your fancy!” A male voice greeted you three, though you cannot make out a clear image of him as he seemed to be covered by the centuries old dust.

“Ah, we’re actually looking for someone…” Soonyoung replied, fishing a piece of parchment inside the pocket of his vest. “Um…a Madame Adora?”

While the three of you seemed to be unsure, the tall burly man, which you have now seen after the dust has settled, nodded in understanding.

“Yes, yes. Please follow me. Her shop is at the back,” he replied and turned around, not waiting for you to respond.

Exchanging curious glances, you followed close behind—carefully studying your surroundings as you did. There were a lot of books for one. Stacks upon stacks of leather tomes piled on top of another which was rather deadly if one wrong move was made. The shopkeeper, seemingly used to this dangerous environment, easily navigated his way through the path provided.

There were a lot of miscellaneous items as well: old shoes, typewriters, some ornate desks which were long forgotten. Dirty porcelain dolls, dull grey candelabras, and even a baby grand piano covered with various knickknacks—essentially, this was a shop of extras: once loved, tossed away and buried under the sands of time. Their fate seemed to have given you a melancholic mood, yet there is little you can do to change it.

“Where do you find all of these?” Wonwoo asked, curious as he perused over an old book about outdated potions.

“There are numerous ways,” the man shrugged, dodging a stray pole which was protruding from a pile of junk. “Sometimes we buy them from people who move houses, sometimes they just give it to us, and some just find their way here.”

His words immediately reminded you of the thought that objects do have souls in them. They used to be someone’s important thing; they were once given meaning and context by the people who used to own them. This place had become their new home now, amidst the sea of other objects that were no different.

A light knock on wood snatched you from your thoughts as you averted your attention back to the matter at hand. The shopkeeper had stopped in front of a slightly ajar door, peeking carefully at the space.

“Madame, these people wish to speak to you,” he called out, yet he was met by silence and a rather loud creaking of a chair being moved. A grainy “let them in” soon followed, though you were not as sure since it was just above a murmur.

Nodding, the shopkeeper moved and allowed you space to walk inside the room. With rather modest postures, the three of you silently entered in file, easily spotting a worn out loveseat, which was probably a bright emerald in its youth, to sit on. It was a rather small space, enough to be a breakfast room, with second hand furniture and astrology-related objects littered around to give a sense of mystique.

“Robert, fetch those documents for me please,” the old woman ordered, who you hardly noticed with how she was almost covered by the wooden desk before her. The shopkeeper, who was apparently named Robert hummed and disappeared, closing the door shut.

As soon as he was gone, you scooted on your seat to take a closer look of the old woman. Just as you had anticipated, Madame Adora was petit, but was made to look larger by her bulky dress adorned by stars and moons embroidered in metallic thread. It had the same fabric as her headpiece which was wrapped around her head like a towel. The one which caught most of your attention however, was the large dangling sun and moon earrings which were as big as her head. You wondered if they were as heavy as they looked.

“Um…we’re—” Wonwoo began but was instantly halted by the Madame with just one hand.

“I know what you seek, my dear children,” she began, her voice croaky. Probably from smoking a bit too much; you thought as you noticed the ashtray on her table next to the burning sage.

The three of you raised your eyebrows, wondering what Madame Adora could’ve meant by her words. She seemed to be the eccentric type, and you wouldn’t be surprised if she busted out tarot cards and a crystal ball any minute.

“You are on your path to fulfill a great purpose for humanity. It is a fate neither you nor this country can avoid,” she continued, making you glance at Wonwoo and Soonyoung. You wanted to ask them if she was sane, but out of courtesy, you decided to keep your mouth shut.

“O-Of course…that—that’s what we’re trying to do,” Soonyoung replied awkwardly as he shifted on his seat. “But we do need to—”

“Yet be cautioned. This path does not offer refuge nor solace for the tired and weary. You will be accompanied by danger, deceit and the deep dark evils of this world. You will face adversaries stronger and larger than you had anticipated. Poke the bear, and its claws shall appear. Be strong and always seek for the truth.”

“Uh…yes, of course,” you replied, ending with uncertainty. “So the documents—”

“Ah, yes. Robert will be here soon,” she interrupted yet again. “While we wait, would any of you like a tarot reading?”

“T-tarot reading?” Soonyoung exclaimed, as he leaned forward, not sure if he had heard it right.

What a surprise. You simply smiled.

Interrupting your gloating, Soonyoung suddenly nudged you with his elbow, making you look at him.

“What?” you asked, your voice a whisper.

“Y-you do it, Y/N!” He replied, his expression not betraying the fact that he was a bit afraid.

“What? Me? Of course not! Do you suppose I believe in such buffoonery?”

“Now, now. It’s just tarot cards, what harm could it possibly do to you? Attack you with a paper cut?” Soonyoung immediately replied, even though he was the one who got frightened first.

“Soonyoung is right, Y/N,” Wonwoo joined in, though you knew he was trying to gang up on you. “Besides, you wouldn’t be so cruel to deny this poor woman an income, would you?”

You closed your eyes, and breathed in—incredibly irritated by this game Wonwoo was playing today. However, you just didn’t have the energy to pick up a fight with how your stomach was beginning to churn once again; the suppressants returning with a vengeance after the pain relievers had worn off.

“Fine then! I’ll do it,” you seethed through gritted teeth as you stood up and walked towards the old woman. “I’ll do it.”

Now much closer, you saw Madame Adora smile warmly at you, which made you feel a bit guilty for getting angry. Sighing, you turn your gaze down to the wooden desk, unable to look into her eyes.

“Boys,” the Madame suddenly called in her raspy voice. “Robert is waiting for you in the other room to look at the documents. Your friend will join you shortly.”

At this development, both Wonwoo and Soonyoung glanced at you, asking if it was alright for them to leave you. You smiled at them encouragingly. You’ll be fine. It’s just a tarot reading.

“Please don’t start without me,” you turned to them as they left the room. “I’m looking at you Kwon Soonyoung.”

Your friend simply grinned and gave you a salute. “Aye, aye!”

When the door was finally shut and you were left alone with the old woman, you glanced at her, wondering what was about to happen, or if she was going to do something.

“What’s your name, my dear?” she asked, something you hadn’t expected.

“Uh…I’m Y/N,” you soon replied, fiddling with a stray lock. You tried to deduce what the Madame was thinking, but nothing came to mind. She was eccentric and unpredictable; there was no use trying to predict the next set of events.

“Well then, please take a seat, Y/N,” she offered the armchair beside you which you quickly sat on. “Is this your first time getting a reading?”

“Yes, I…” you tried to evaluate your next words. “I’ve never been to a shop like this before.”

She simply chuckled at you, pulling out a deck of cards from a drawer. “I understand, dear. We readers are few in number, yet believe it or not, just like magical practitioners, it is necessary for us to have proper licenses.”

With the new information, you raised your brows and nodded, wondering why you haven’t known of this field before. As you continue to swim in your thoughts, Madame Adora began waving the smoking sage around the area.

Knowing your curious look, she gave a small smile. “To cleanse the space, my dear. Sometimes we carry residual energy from people, objects or situations. It is necessary to cleanse before we begin the reading, so we can only pick up your own energy.”

Nodding once more, you didn’t really know what she was talking about. You were no magi, and your knowledge of magic was limited to alchemy and potions, which was grounded more into the material world than the metaphysical.

“Alright then. What kind of reading do you wish to do?” She asked and you only gave her a blank look—completely innocent to the kind of readings a reader could perform.

Without you needing to say a word, the Madame nodded in understanding and explained it to you.

“A reading, in its base form, is a medium to provide some clarity. The Universe itself provides the answers. So if there is a question, a situation which you wish to seek clarity on, then we could begin with that.”

Even before the old woman had finished talking, your head was already turning gears and cogwheels. You wanted to ask about the syndicate and the investigative reporting you were doing, yet for some reason, a niggling feeling inside of you was telling you it wasn’t the right question to ask.

So you searched for it, concentrating on the feeling that you knew you could trust. However, at the end, you were surprised to where it had led you. You didn’t want to ask about it. It was done, it was there. It didn’t matter anymore. But you felt it. It was so strong that it made shivers creep under your skin. You know you needed to hear it.

You sighed. It’s just a tarot reading. No harm done.

“I…uh…” you gazed downwards, finding your wrist wrapped in ribbon to be quite fascinating; deciding for one last time if this was indeed the decision you were making.

“My…uh, soulmate bond.”

You were not sure if she had heard you with how small your voice sounded, but there was no way you would repeat yourself. The way you finally said those words out loud felt like some sort of acceptance; an acknowledgement that a soulmate bond existed between you and that person. Before, it felt like it was simply a figment of your imagination.

To your surprise, the Madame nodded at you, smiling proudly. “Then it shall be. Let us begin.”

You nodded back, watching as she began to expertly shuffle the cards.

“I will be doing a simple spread for you. A first card or cards would explain your energy, and then his energy. Afterwards, your strengths and weaknesses, then the state of this connection. Finally, we will be asking for the future of your soulmate connection.”

Unaware of how specific tarot can be, you only stared at her quite agile hands, not fully understanding everything.

“Please be reminded, dear that energies do change. What is shown here is simply the current energy of the soulmate bond. You and your soulmate still do have the agency to change your future, yet for now, this is what it is.”

You definitely liked the sound of that. If tarot had been in any way fatalistic, you would’ve soured on it in an instant. You always believed that you had some semblance of control over your life, or at least you wanted to.

Quietly, the Madame began drawing out cards, mostly cards which jumped out while she was shuffling. As she began to neatly arrange the cards into a grid-like form, you watched out for any reaction or expression from her. As it turned out, the most you could get was a slight raise of a brow.

When it was all done, she flipped the deck over and placed it beside the spread. Peering overing, you saw that there were a lot of cards, some were upright and the others upside down. You wondered what these all meant.

“Well then, my dear,” she spoke to you, glancing all over the spread and then nodded in understanding. “Let us begin with your energy—Eight of Swords, Queen of Swords reversed and the Hermit reversed.”

“Are those good or bad?” you asked, curious, yet the old woman simply tightened her lips.

“What I could say is that, you may seem to be trapped in your situation right now, whatever your situation may be. Look at this woman in the Eight of Swords,” she replied, holding out the card to you. “ She is blindfolded and surrounded by these swords. She seems to be trapped and imprisoned. It could be your thoughts or what you are telling yourself, as swords symbolizes our mind and how we communicate. You could be suffering from self-doubt.”

Taking in her words, you could feel a lump forming in your chest, knowing that she was indeed right.

“And then we have the Queen of Swords, which is you. When she is upright, she is a force to be reckoned with: intelligent, independent and the speaker of truth, however dear, we have her in reverse, which only shows the shadow side of this energy. The Hermit in reverse is telling me the same thing. My dear, I must apologize, yet this is what I see. As you continue to trap yourself with negative thoughts, you are slowly closing off your heart, becoming coldhearted and bitter, leading you into more loneliness and isolation. Whatever has caused you to become like this was incredibly painful that you have been pushed into fear, creating these defensive walls which then became the swords blindsiding you at this moment.”

You were silent, knowing full well what the old woman was talking about. You wanted to be angry at her for speaking a truth you were trying to avoid all this time, yet there was only sadness in your heart.

“I’m so sorry dear, but this is what the cards say, but please rest assured that your energy could still change. Considering the strengths of this connection, I have high hopes that this soulmate bond will succeed,” Madame Adora consoled you, seeing the deep hurt in your eyes.

“It’s fine,” you replied, swallowing the bile forming in your throat. “Please continue.”

Hesitantly, the Madame moved to the two cards beside the first ones she had read. “For your soulmate’s energy: the Two of Pentacles in reverse and the Hierophant.”

“As for now, your soulmate is in an imbalance. Look at how this person is trying to juggle the two pentacles in the card. He could hardly balance them at all. It could possibly be that your soulmate finds it difficult to manage their career and this connection with you, as this is a pentacles card which usually pertains to finances and the material world. Or, it could possibly be that they cannot find the balance between their traditional values and the constantly changing world with the Hierophant. Their views are definitely being challenged by you and your connection. Nevertheless, they seem to have felt your withdrawal and decided to focus on their career instead, which has now become two burdens on their shoulders.”

Making a downcast look, you felt guilty for making him feel that way. If he had indeed felt your pain through the bond, then he was no better than you. He was hurt too and the thought of you unintentionally inflicting pain on someone was something you were not keen on.

“Now then, let’s move to the strengths of this connection with the Chariot and Strength cards, which are incredibly powerful cards to have. Even this whole spread is powerful, considering how much Major Arcana you have.”

You leaned your head to the side. “Oh, is…is that so?”

“Yes. The Major Arcana holds more significance than the Minor Arcana, that is why having numerous cards from this suit could mean that this connection could be life changing for the both of you. With that said, having the Chariot and Strength implies that the both of you have a tremendous amount of strength and willpower. You and your soulmate are influential people who will stop at nothing to achieve your goals. That is why, even through all the pain and difficulties this bond will bring, this connection will survive.”

Not knowing what to make of that, you simply nodded. You were unsure if you do want this connection to survive. You hardly know your soulmate and you had no interest in doing so. You had long abandoned the idea that you will find love in a soulmate bond.

“Well now, look here, Y/N. I have been called upon to draw three cards for the weaknesses of this connection. We have the Five of Swords, the Nine of Swords in reverse and the High Priestess in reverse,” she continued, showing you the three cards.

“At this moment, there is conflict and disagreement in this connection. It could possibly be that the both of you have fought and that was the reason for your stagnant energy and his withdrawal, and with the Nine of Swords in reverse, usually this card means your anxieties and fears, and in reverse, it could be a release of those negative energies. However, in this reading, it seems like the both of you are hiding this inner turmoil in your hearts. Look at the image here,” the Madame pointed at the Nine of Swords.

“The woman is crying on her bed at night while these swords loom above her—she is crying alone, only the night is her companion, when everyone else is asleep and oblivious to her pain. In a way, you both are mirroring each other. You try to keep this conflict in your heart, making you feel disenchanted with this connection. You had lost hope of finding this love you seek. They on the other hand, try to bury themselves in their career or material possessions. They want stability and a sense of normalcy, yet cannot find it. The Universe has been providing divine guidance, yet with the High Priestess in reverse, the both of you cannot hear or perceive the signs.”

“This is further clarified with the Hanged Man and the Tower, both in reverse. These two cards represent the state of this connection, which further confirms the stagnation and fear of change in this connection. I felt this in the beginning when I was tapping to your energy, but dear, have you been blocking your soulmate bond?”

For some reason, you could only look at her and speak no words. There was fear in your eyes and guilt in your gut. It felt like you had done something unforgivable. You cast a glare to your arm, unable to utter any words of admittance.

“Dear, may I see your wrist?” Madame Adora asked softly. You were hesitant at first but eventually gave in, pulling the ribbon that was wrapped around your wrist and placed it on the table.

Gently, she examined the dull black bars on your skin as you watched curiously. You would ask what she was doing if she hadn’t begun speaking once again.

“You are in pain, dear. Deep, deep pain you need to heal from. It’s not a fresh wound, but scars inflicted from so long ago yet continuously being pried open over the years. You keep on ignoring, burying these scars, hoping that time would help it heal someday,” she said, her fingers on the marks.

“Yet when this soulmate bond came, it had forced you to face them even if you have no wish to, even if you were not ready to. This bond is making your fears rise to the surface—the fear of heartbreak and of disappointment. Thus, instead of waiting for someone else to do this to you, you decided to nip it in the bud. You try to convince yourself that you wish to be alone, that you are comfortable alone, yet deep inside you, you long for someone to share the heaviness which weighs down your heart.”

Without even realizing, you had furrowed your brows and was glaring at the offending soulmate mark on your skin. There was a feeling deep inside you which refuses to accept the old woman's words. It was too painful to acknowledge the yearning that was deeply-rooted in your heart. It was too embarrassing to say that you had made a mistake.

You were simply protecting yourself. Those scars had long healed itself. You had already cut ties with your father and that was the end of the story. There is nothing more to talk about. There was no need to face any more of this. There is no need to reconcile with your soulmate.

Gritting your teeth, you could sense anger rise deep inside of you.

“But dear let me reassure you that despite everything, you will come together in the end. For the future of this connection, you have the Two of Cups which signifies a union. It is my soulmate card because as you can see, these two people are sharing, exchanging cups—”

—!!

You slammed your fist on the table abruptly, the cards jumping in disarray. Madame Adora looked at you sadly as you snatched your wrist away, holding it close to your chest. Your eyes were burning with rage, yet the old woman knew that that anger was rooted from deep longing and sadness.

“I don’t want it,” you muttered in a low voice, and then, after a short pause, began shouting as if it would relieve the guilt in your chest. “I don’t want it! I don’t want this! Could you please leave me alone!”

Without waiting for a reply, you ran out from the room, from the shop. You were in no capacity to continue the investigation with your friends when you are in this state of instability. You just want to leave and disappear for a while.

Just for a while.

◇

Back inside the room, Madame Adora was greeted by Soonyoung and Wonwoo, who were surprised to know that you had left running out of the shop.

“Ah, did Y/N lose her temper again?” Wonwoo asked as he had heard you shouting earlier. “We must apologize, Madame.”

“No, it is I who wishes for your pardon. I must have hurt your friend,” she replied. “Please give this to her as an apology.”

The two men watched as the Madame pulled out a small box from one of the desk’s drawers and placed it on the table. They wondered what the Madame had said in the reading that made you lose composure.

“We will deliver this to her immediately,” Soonyoung replied as he took the box and dropped it inside his pocket. “And thank you for the documents.”

“It is meant for you. I had been called upon to buy the desk which it was stored in, and when you came to this shop in search for such an item, I knew it was meant for this purpose,” Madame Adora replied, intertwining her fingers together. “But more than that, please watch over Y/N.”

Both Wonwoo and Soonyoung exchanged glances. “W-we will.”

“Simply watch over her and give her support. She is going through something which only she can resolve.”

As the Madame said those words, her gaze was caught by the single card by her side. It was the card at the back of the deck—usually meant to summarize the energy of the whole reading.

It was the Lovers.

◇

It was already dreadfully dark when you had decided to return to your dorm room.

The wisteria trees were already a midnight grey, the unlit path, a dark purple. Only a few streetlamps offered illumination through the pitch-black night as you waded through the campus in silence.

You took your time alone—wandering on random alleyways, sitting on deserted park benches, watching people pass by as they live their own lives, with their own problems. Nothing seemed real during those hours of isolation in the midst of the crowd. It was like the pain was too far away for you to reach; the events from that afternoon too far away to be reality.

Yet you knew you needed to return somehow. Thus, with eyes exhausted from crying tears unshed, and the ribbon you used to conceal your soulmate bond in your hands, you opened the door to your dorm room and saw its gauche splendor in shameless display.

With a sigh, you wrapped the ribbon on your wrist haphazardly, not caring if not seemed sloppy as long as the black bars were far from your sight.

Walking to the common room, you scanned the area for your roommate, wondering if he was asleep or still at his office on a Friday night. It would be better if you didn’t see him, you thought. There would be less explaining to do.

Yet the common room was depressingly empty. It had occurred to you that you never even spent much time in there as much as you would’ve liked. Was it simply because you were avoiding him or you were just not interested in sharing the same space with him, you didn’t know.

As you move past the wooden dining table and towards the kitchenette for a glass of water, you bumped into something fleshy and soft which definitely made you shriek and fall onto the floor in a painful thud.

“What…on earth?” you muttered, gradually coming down from your sudden adrenaline rush, your sight refocusing.

To your astonishment, you found one Lee Jihoon lying on the floor, obviously drunk by the whisky which was once inside the bottle he was clinging on to for dear life. Apprehensively, you crawled towards him, to check if he was still breathing. Yet before you could touch him, his dark brown eyes were on to you, still cold and jaded as the nights of December.

“Jihoon—“

You were about to reprimand him for bringing in prohibited alcohol inside the dorms and for sleeping on the floor during a cold autumn day, when you realized that his skin was red. Bright red.

Concern immediately shoots up to your brain as you reach out to him.

“Jihoon!” You exclaimed, shaking him to sobriety. “Jihoon! Are you intolerant to alcohol?”

Despite your concern, he could only hum groggily. “It’s…fine.”

“What do you mean ‘it’s fine’? How many bottles have you drunk?!” You asked, looking around and saw several bottles of the same whisky he was holding. “Oh god, you even chose one with high alcohol content! You shouldn’t be drinking this.”

“It’s…fine, Y/N. I only had a few… just a few…”

He simply groaned in reply, lying comfortably on the floor without a care in the world. You only stared at him in exasperation, brushing your hair as you sighed.

You felt an urge to just leave him like that on the floor until dawn breaks. He can take care of himself, and being drunk probably isn’t something new to him. Yet you knew you can’t just do that. Whether or not he was Lee Jihoon, you had the obligation to not leave him to die of alcohol poisoning or of hypothermia.

The last one was a stretch, you admit but still, there was no way you could leave him like that as someone who tries to be compassionate at every point of day. At least, the sofa was a lot better than the cold floor.

Reaching for his arm and placing it around your shoulders, you tried to carry Jihoon to the sofa just a few steps away. Yet you hadn’t anticipated how heavy he actually was as you barely dragged him across the room, huffing and panting. You were not one with the best fitness

“Come on, Jihoon. Hold yourself up! You’re simply too heavy for me to carry!” You exclaimed as you tried not to stumble on the way.

“Mmn…I’m sorry...I’m trying…” he drawled, his eyes half-lidded and unfocused—obvious indications that he has drunk too much for his own good.

Just a little bit…

Taking that one step remaining, you immediately tossed Jihoon to the soft sofa with a long and exhausted sigh. He only groaned, his hair in a disarray. You had only noticed now that he still had his work clothes on: a grey suit piece sans the tie which he must’ve tossed somewhere in the immediate past.

He had his eyes closed as you sat closely to him, watching his chest rise and fall with every breath. Jihoon seemed to be in peace this way, far from the constant creases in his brow or on his lips. Brushing away a stray lock of hair from his face, you noticed the angles on his face, the fullness of his cheeks, the rosiness of his lips. Was he always this familiar to you? It was a question you had no immediate answers to. Yet you had never anticipated to end your exhausting day with a drunk Lee Jihoon, yet that’s where you are now.

“I should give him some medicine to ease the redness,” you muttered to yourself as you stood up, your mind already listing the ingredients you needed to make one tablet, but before you did, a hand had stopped you in your tracks.

“Please…don’t leave me,” his voice, still lethargic, echoed behind you and you were forced to turn, your eyes captured by his unrelenting gaze.

“Jihoon…” you spoke softly, returning to your seat beside him as you helped him sit up clumsily. “But you’re still flushing.”

“Doesn’t matter…” he replied back, leaning unsteadily until you caught him in your arms. Now he was peacefully resting his head on your shoulder, burying himself into your embrace.

“J-Jihoon…?”

To say that you were wholly surprised was an understatement. You were floundering and unable to make anything out of this situation. This was something incredibly out of character for the Lee Jihoon you thought you knew.

“Y/N…I must….must apologize,” he began, which definitely made you furrow your brows in bewilderment. “I’m so sorry… I—I failed you…”

You stared into the air incredulously, not understanding what page Jihoon was in.

“You didn’t fail me,” you replied back. “You didn’t fail anyone, Jihoon…”

However, it seemed like your words fell into deaf ears as he snuggled up to you, wrapping his arms around you tightly.

“I’m so sorry…Y/N…please…please forgive me…”

Concluding that this was probably one drunk confession, you allowed him to find comfort in your presence, placing a consoling hand on his back as he continued to apologize to you.

This was a side to him you hadn’t expected to see. It was vulnerable, raw and unapologetically real—words you never thought you’d associate with Lee Jihoon. Yet there you were, as you hugged him back, finding solace in his arms as well when there was no one in the world you could share your burdens with.

“It’s okay, Jihoon…” you replied to him as you closed your eyes. “At least you tried, and it’s good enough for me.”

“Yet…yet…why can’t I feel you…?” he cried out, his voice clearly in pain. “Why can’t I reach you…? I…I always…alwaysss wanted to know you…to hold you like this…”

“Jihoon…”

You wished there was something you could say or do, yet you didn’t even know what he was talking about. It felt like the two of you were talking in a circle of riddles; finding yourselves in different pages.

“Y/N…please don’t be angry…please….please….don’t reject me,” he continued on as if in a trance. “I’m so sorry….so sorryyy….”

There was something in his words, or the way his voice shook that had pierced right through you. You wondered what you had done to him to plead to you like this. Yes, you did push him away a few weeks ago, yet that was the farthest you had gone to hurt him. You couldn’t understand what was happening, nevertheless, you still felt called upon to take action.

Moving your hand, you brushed his soft locks gently.

“I won’t reject you, Jihoon. I won’t push you away. I promise you.”

◇

PARLIAMENT PASSES BILL CRACKING DOWN ON CILVEKAN NATIONALS by Jeon Wonwoo

The Porta Persa Edition, October 27th

In a historic vote, the Parliament has passed a bill on harsher travel restrictions for Cilvekan nationals as well as an extensive program which allows for the investigation of all Cilvekans in Porta Persa. This bill marks a tantamount win on Rep. Kang Jinho and his Conservative party—warranting a speculation of a bid on the Prime Minister seat.

This soon-to-be law highlights restrictions set on the amount of Cilvekan nationals leaving and entering Porta Persa wherein local governments can monitor their actions inside the country. It is also in the prerogative of the local government to deny entry to any Cilvekan wishing to enter. According to Rep. Kang, it is necessary to be able to detect any sort of preemptive strike against Porta Persa to avoid endangering the security of the people.

This bill also boasts a program which, in conjunction with the restrictions, shall implement a vast inspection of all Cilvekan nationals present in the country. They are to undergo a thorough investigation conducted by the police and shall be warranted to arrests if ill-intentions against Porta Persa is proven.

With this bill, according to the Parliament, the government shall be able to ensure that the national security of Porta Persa shall not be threatened by any means, even if it meant sacrificing privacy and material gains. Sacrifice is and always will be inevitable on the road to peace…

◇

In the pitch black darkness of the night, echoes of footfalls resounded across the streets of Porta Persa. There was breaking of glass, breaking of wood, and shouts of women.

Fear was high in the scent of the night. The streets of Porta Pera enshrined by men and women—rounded up in handcuffs and tied by accusations. Half the town was awake and afraid, half the town asleep and aloof.

The night had just began.

-Hyeri

#seventeen #svtcreations #caratwritersclub #seventeen imagines #seventeen scenarios #seventeen angst #seventeen fluff #seventeen woozi #lee jihoon #woozi #the most convenient escape

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go-diane-winchester · 6 years ago

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Misha Collins is not the Professor of Slash Fiction

What Misha Collins has done to Supernatural slash fiction, has ruined slash within the fandom and added fuel to the fire of hatred that gay men are starting to have for slash fans. I feel very sad for the teen destiel shippers in fandom, who have fledgling sexualities and instead of letting them explore these things organically and healthily, via slash fiction, Misha wants to school them on slash, a subject he has piss poor knowledge of. Because he is a well known figure, in SPN circles anyway, they assume that he knows what he is talking about. Actors and characters are merely muses, not the foundations blocks for a shipper's happiness mansion. You don’t need their permission or blessing. You don't need their validation. What Misha did was, he made destiel his personal brand. Anything for popularity. And he did it, despite knowing that the other half of the pairing is disapproving of it.

A slasher's sexuality is being exhibited through the stories she writes. Slash fiction is not about an actor, show, character or other external parties. It is internal. It has everything to do with the girl writing the story, and is a reflection of her sexual expression. Once upon a time, women wrote only what they like. If they didn’t like something, they steered clear of it, because that is what people with common sense do. I, for example, can’t read fellatio because it doesn’t do anything for me. I guess its because I am not a man, don’t have a penis and therefore don’t know what it feels like, so I don’t appreciate it. In my stories, my characters don’t fellate each other. If I read a story that is really enjoyable and fellatio makes an appearance, I skip that paragraph. However, I don’t berate the person for writing something I personally don’t like. She wrote it perhaps because she finds it enjoyable.

Today, women are not really writing for themselves. They are writing homosexually appropriate sex scenes, just so that their gay male readers, that are not the majority, don’t scoff at them and go “that’s not how we do it”. Yes, the gay friends in this bubble are happy, but the majority of the slash fans that are mostly heterosexual women are left feeling lackluster. Perhaps that is why there is a general trend for women to “grow out of slash fiction” and even mass media is seeing slash fiction as a teenage girl’s pass time. Women, who are fully grown, and fully aware of their sexuality can’t pretend to like the stories because the stories are no longer appealing. Of course, some Misha fans are A-OK with that artistic injustice because “Misha would love it because he is not a bigot”. It has nothing to do with bigotry. Sometimes, it is best to leave out the sex scene rather than make a select few happy. Slash sex was never meant to be realistic sex. It is, after all, written generally by straight females for straight females. Throw in the bi females as well. Its fantastical, as it should be.

In early slash stories that I read, back in the lord of the ring days, ukes came the way women do, without a hand on them. Why? Because that is how women usually orgasm. They write what they know. However, young sexually inactive girls, listening to Misha and his LGBT slash tirades, endeavor to make stories “accurate”. So now we have lots of young girls, growing up with a better understanding of gay sex than of straight sex. I have even heard a few saying that they wanted to be gay men. Misha is interfering with a natural process and confusing teenagers, which bites because as it is, sexuality is so confusing for young people. Proper slash or classic slash is an artistic manifestation of straight sex. The drivel that we have now is political correct, inclusive nonsense that gay men didn’t ask for and women don’t feel overwhelming enthusiastic about. I don’t know what the ramifications of that is going to be other than women deserting slash fiction.

I would like to point out at this juncture, that as far as SPN is concerned, Misha is a culprit. But there were one more culprit. There was one who communicated with general slash fans around the early 2000s. His name was minotaur. And he tried to school slashers on how to write gay sex correctly because they weren’t doing a good enough job for his liking. He had no business doing that. It has nothing to do with him. Slash fiction is for woman. Gay fiction or bara is for men.

For Supernatural, I like J2 alternate universe. There aren't very many other people left to love on this show. They are all back stabbers. If I write a story, Jensen is always the baby. Baby is the word I used to use during my Lord of the Rings days, before I realized that the word uke existed. Its not the correct way to write Jensen. It is my favorite way of writing Jensen. I like Jensen as the baby. When I write a story where I need the baby to be a kidnap victim or abused stepchild or ethereal unattainable prince, I like to see Jensen in that role. It has nothing to do with him. It is how I like to write. Its about my perception. He is just a muse.

I like seeing Jared as the daddy. Go ahead and laugh. I still smirk about this embarrassing word that I used before I know seme existed. I like when Jared as the savior. I cant see him as a baby because he is so fricking huge and tall, with the rippling muscles, expansive torso and broad shoulders. Its is, for me at least, too easy to write him as a ferocious warrior, then as an abused baby locked away in a dungeon.

P.S.: THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE JARED GIFS.

The Jensen and Jared in my stories are mere avatar of the real actors. They are manifestations of my sexuality and what I like sexually. They have nothing to do with the real actors. That is what hellers fail to understand. They think that whatever they read in a destiel story is a manifestation of the truth. That is why destiel and cockles stories are not imaginative. J2 stories are so diverse because the actors themselves, despite being slash friendly, have never interfered with the genre. They allowed the art form to grow at its own steady pace, organically.

Only the destiel fans do that now. Because Misha turned an innocent art form into a drug, and he is their only dealer. And you know how druggies love their dealers. Reader opinions matter but not about who should be the baby and who should be the daddy. You can't tell others how to navigate their sexual expression. That is what Misha fails to understand. Misha tries to show that he is an alpha. So he is, essentially telling his fans what to write. That is why Cockles stories are one trick ponies. Artistic growth is completely stunted. They are mostly High School AUs with the Jock Dean and Nerd Cas falling in love. Even Twist and Shout was like that. Except that Cas died in the end. From AIDS. No wonder gay men hate slash fans. AIDS has no place in a slash story. Its not a trope or a fetish. Have some respect. And who made hellers think slash was a gay thing? Misha. So blame him.

Mpreg is proof that slash is a female art form. The only other people who write mpreg now, write it as a creative exercise. I used to feel embarrassed by mpreg especially if men found out about it. But now I am fiercely protective of it. Because its one of the last remnants of female sexuality in slash fiction. You don’t see mpreg popping up as frequently in bara, because gay men don’t fall pregnant and therefore don’t have a natural maternal desire. Mpreg is big in SPN. The brothers, Cas, even Kevin have gotten knocked up. SPN is like a regular maternity ward. I realize that Misha might not know anything about mpreg because he hasn’t spoken about it in his panels. If this is true, then I hope it stays that way. I don't want Misha to ruin mpreg, because imagine poor Jensen dealing with that.

I was under the assumption that Misha doesn't know what tin hatting is. I assumed that he thought Cockles is just an RPS pairing. His talks about Cockles has started to make me think otherwise. Misha doesn't realize that he is playing with fire. And the day the penny drops for Jensen, he is going to be furious. He is going to realize Misha is the reason his and Jared's reputation are completely tarnished. He is going to realize Misha is the reason he and Jared get so many threats. That is why, I wish Misha will stop talking about Cockles. Just his interference, by itself, has turned his destiel shippers into a militant group. Notice how his sastiel fans don't do that. It is because he doesn't indulge sastiel. In other words, he neglects the expendable fans, because he assumes, incorrectly, that destiel gives him more clout.

Because he is schooled hellers for the past ten years, they are brainwashed into making slash fiction something it isn't. It is not an expression of gay rights. Its not a sexuality and its not about making the writers do what you want. Even having a civil discussion about slash fiction is hampered because the answer to anything, from that camp, is usually “Well, Misha doesn’t have a problem with it”. Misha is not your father. You don’t have to see slash fiction or anything else through the Misha Collins lens. Use your own common sense. Normal destiel fans understand this. Why cant hellers?

You don't need actor validation to enjoy slash fiction. In fact, in my ideal world, I would hope that the actors never heard about slash fiction. Personally, I find it mortifying. The actors [decent ones anyway] are not there to fulfill your sexual needs. They are not sex dolls. They are only muses because you love them. That doesn't mean they have to approve of your fetishes. The proper definition of slash fiction should be: Slash fiction is an escapist fantasy platform showcasing stories and artwork, by women for women, about male subjects in a romantic setting. Leaving out the words “homoerotic” does away with multiple confusions, because slash is not gay porn. This is what Misha believes and his own shipper fans got angry with him for calling destiel pseudo-porn. Misha researched slash fiction on Wikipedia, like the complete idiot that he is, and it gave him biased, incorrect information. It is the first time I actually saw destiel fans questioning Misha about this subject. Even they acknowledge he doesn't know what he is talking about.

Misha Collins is singlehandedly ruining something he had no business getting involved in. I don’t really bother about what minotaur did to other slash fans, because originally it didn’t disturb my little corner of the internet. Misha had ruined slash in this fandom. When slash was true to itself, in the classical sense, women were still honest with themselves about their sexuality. Bullying was infrequent and slash fiction was not ruined beyond repair. Gay men weren't getting infuriated because women were fetishizing their lifestyle. Now the hellers are bleeding into other fandoms and influencing their thought processes. Misha's rotten influence has had a domino effect. I really wish he would read this and stop.

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noquirk-a · 7 years ago

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anyway this post is 4 future references….but……………………to further emphasize on how i take the au, izu/ku isn’t entirely villainous, what more what he wants is ACTUALLY for the good and i’ve said that countless of times. his ‘killing’ isn’t entirely just killing itself, but rather acleansing as he calls it, similar to stain’s ways except it’squirks in general rather than ‘ false heroes ‘ ( as he theorizes that MORE false heroes will be molded if quirks continue to prevail. ) or be it the great flood. he doesn’t necessarily want to resort to murder, and is trying to find a way to erase quirks through some sort of poison or something that humans can intake to erase those genetics, suppose induce some minor drawbacks but not entirely KILLING them. he doesn’t…. necessarily want to kill, he just wants to kill quirks.

and he doesn’t just hate ‘heroes!’ ( also, he doesn’t hateheroes in general, izu/ku is STILL the hero - loving boy we all know and that’s something about his character we can’t erase. he’s still deeply fascinated about these ‘’heroes’’ and is also a key aspect on why he enjoys his work, he just HATES the label society seems to paint on this. it’s tainted so far to the point that even the NUMBER ONE HERO HIMSELF BELIEVES IN IT. ( even if toshi himself did admit in canon that he was wrong, but ofc he never got to hear this. tho even so all mig/ht doesn’t speak for everyone else and almosteveryone would define heroes the same way ) and that label being a magnificent, powerful QUIRK - USING savior. which, once again, is why most people belittle the quirkless population bc they’re seen as something that could barely help the society that’s built around these days; that they’re only capable of simple jobs and thus erases whatever they wish to become, ESPECIALLY heroes. ) he despises the villains as well. i can’t even properly call himvillain sometimes though it is the closest thing because i can’t call him a vigilante either. he hates the villains for quirks as well BUT the fact that they’re abusing their power and using it for their own selfish wants. ironically, he’s doing the same, but his ideology differs from them and the root of his problem isn’t just some selfish deed to him, he sees it more for everyone.

his thoughts of wrath/revenge perfectly fall into his plan too, specifically abt katsu and toshi; and to him it’s killing two birds with one stone which a) quenches the need to sate his anger that’s been fueling inside of him for so long b) is also included in his project of erasing quirks! the reason why he’s so violent throughout his executions though issupposedly because of his repressed anger issues, or wanting to ‘fight back for himself’ unlike before though far more turbulent.

the… reason for his major personality shift from his canon is due to his belief that it was kindness that hurt him in the first place and let him tumble down. he’s been far too forgiving that he’s only hurt himself in the end and he doesn’t want to feel that way anymore. not only that, all of these problems were risen despite being quirkless and that seemed to be the main root of all his problems, knowing so it’s not just HIM who’s been through this, is going through this, and will go through this.

his character is supposed to do a) prove everyone the fuck wrong, on how quirkless peers aren’t just some ‘victims’ to everyone’s problems: if anything, they can be something FEARED like himself or someone who can be a hero which was the path he failed to choose. iz/uku wants to prove that the discrimination for his kind shouldn’t even exist in the first place, and further more that if they’re able to do so they’re actually far more BETTER than quirk users as they don’t rely everything on their stupid power. b) bring back what was once peace. there is already enough discrimination, inequality and whatnot throughout the world, and adding another layer of this wouldn’t help at all; he also believes that quirks only add fuel to the chaos that the world already burns with, that it isn’t making hunting villains/criminals so much better because the damn criminals mostly have quirks TOO and it just makes the world more … chaotic than before, where more blood is shed because human beings are manifested with these abilities that make their attacks and manners of defense more bloody than before. it wasn’t just guns and knives and whatsoever before; it’s variety of these things that come from their BODY and often it’s way more damaging than what mere objects can do. iz/uku wants to resort the world back to what it once used to be, since in the beginning of the series it’s mentioned that there was INDEED a world without quirks and everything seemed fine. this just made things worse.

not all men are created equal, and some power that for some reason not everyone can have only amplifies that statement.

is he entirely happy with this, though? no the fuck he isn’t.sometimes he regrets what he’s become and most of the time he asks himself what the fuck has he lead himself into. iz/uku is in no doubt a sweet, loving character and he’s just molded himself into a monster despite all the knives thrown on him. if anything, he still wants to become a hero so, so bad and even considers himself one because he’s ‘’doing the best not only for the quirkless population, but everyone else’’. his motives aren’t entirely villainous or so he thinks, he sees it as something that’s still heroic even if it’s bloody and that’s his biggest mistake.

he would…never admit to it, though, nor will he give up because he’s come far too gone and backing down would just waste all of this, and his pride has actually gotten higher which may be a trait he adapted from kat/suki. ( which would be another post ^_^ ) there are instances where this might break though, which would result in either an angry cry or defeated one. sometimes his only idea of ‘saving him’ is actually killing him.

tldr : izu/ku, in the end of his villainous escapade, barely sees himself as a villain but plays the role of it. he sees himself wearing that clothing but is actually doing something heroic for the world. everything he does isn’t for himself or for mere wrath, it’s for the best of the world because he believes quirks only made humanity worse

#long post #here‚ i’ll tell the tale on how your wings burnt.#I DELTED THE ORIGINAL ONE BY ACCIDENT WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH O HMY GOD #THANK FUCKING GODI RECOVERED IT..#p sure tho i missed some parts but w/e LOL

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maychorian · 7 years ago

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Weekly Voltron Fic Recs #53

I am THIS close to actually and totally being caught up on reccing everything I want to rec. Two days behind now. Next week maybe I’ll actually be there.

Rules: You can find past weekly rec lists here, and non-list recs in my general fic rec tag. Also follow @maychorianrecs for individually tagged posts, the easier to search and reblog. This is stuff I like, and I have a huge bias toward Lance, hurt/comfort, and general fluff, in that order. Gen unless otherwise noted. Please comment on the fics if you read and enjoy them!

flambe by againstmygreeleaf Words: 2,527 Author’s Summary: Generally soup does not warrant a fruit’s presence, but this is a space fruit and it has a suitable savory tang. My Comments: What a great Hunk-centric sickfic. There just aren’t enough of them. Not even close.

Cookies are Best When Shared with Friends by Mikiri for MoonlitWaterSunnyRiver Words: 1,459 Author’s Summary: Hunk was used to dealing with Lance, and he was getting used to dealing with Keith. Either way, Hunk was just glad to have fun with his friends. My Comments: Daw, so adorable. I love these three becoming friends.

A Little Voice by ihaveacleverfandomurl Words: 1,983 Author’s Summary: Shiro’s hesitant to touch the kid, to scare him, but he’s even more hesitant to leave him here to shiver in his sleep, cuddled up with nothing next to long-dead blackened logs. So gently, he places a hand on the kid’s head. Not expecting a near-instantaneous squeak and jump and roll away, across the ground. The kid lands in a defensive posture, and his eyes are darting between the two men, now some feet away from his landing spot.Shiro and Matt find a kid on their camping trip to get away from the pressures of being seniors in high school. Keith may be twitchy and scared, but Shiro is ready to help him in any way he can. But Keith might not stick around forever. My Comments: Aw man, poor tiny Keith, but I love how Shiro and Matt just drop everything to help him and pour their hearts and souls into it.

I’m Only a Crack by Anonymous Words: 6,033 Author’s Summary: There’s not much he knows. He doesn’t know where he is, or who put him here. He doesn’t know how long he’s been here, or why he was put here at all. He doesn’t know who he is. He doesn’t even know his own name. The one thing that he does know is that he has to survive. And to do that he needs to escape, before it’s too late. My Comments: Poor Shiro, getting his mind almost completely wiped like that, but I adored how protective everyone was, and cuddly Hunk was so cute. The team protectiveness and eventual solution were great.

Get Down with the Sickness by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) Words: 10,856 Author’s Summary: Catching space colds is nothing new to Shiro. But this particular bug is nasty and especially contagious. The answer: Quarantine My Comments: So indulgent and satisfying, going through all the stages of the prototypical sickfic, from delirium to recovery. Reading this was like sinking into a hot bath.

Late Nights by Sohotthateveryonedied Words: 2,376 Author’s Summary: Shiro is awoken one night to find a bruised and bloodied Keith at his door after yet another fight. My Comments: Aw, poor kids. It would have been very frustrating to be Keith’s friend, I think. But he very much needs one. Good job Shiro for being there.

The Erebrean Period by Mira_Jade Words: 4,752 Author’s Summary: The Erebrean Period: A span of the cosmic timescale stretching from the formation of the proto-sun, to the emission of its first light. Or: A glimpse of a family, as it once was, long ago. My Comments: This is a gorgeous, lyrical fic, beautiful to read, but with an undercurrent of absolute dread and inevitability. It feels like the last step off a cliff. Highly recommended.

The (Not-So-)Necessary Rescue by A_Zap Words: 4,864 Author’s Summary: Lance has been captured by the Galra, and Shiro and the rest of the team rush to save him. Due to a bit of luck, they manage to get there to rescue him but… Well, it turns out that it may not have been as necessary as Shiro thought. In which Shiro learns that he has severely underestimated Lance and Lance is freaking awesome. My Comments: This was a fun break from all those angsty fics where Lance gets captured, much as I love those. Granted, he had a healthy dose of luck assisting him, but he has skills too. It was fun to see everyone’s reactions.

Wings of a Lion by Eastofthemoon Words: 6,120 Author’s Summary: Shiro wanted to strengthen his bond with the Black Lion, but he never dreamed it would go this far. My Comments: Really fun fic in which Shiro gets wings and everyone, including him, has to adjust.

Back in Black by ptw30 Words: 5,584 Author’s Summary: In honor of Shiro Week 2017 - here is a helping of gen fics to celebrate my favorite paladin, Shiro! All prompts, save day 7, are written sometime in season 5 after Shiro escapes his time in Galra captivity. All fics are gen.Day 1: Space/Time (both!) - “Burritos and What They Mean in Space" Day 2: Original - “The Greatest Gift" Day 3: Break/Mend (both!) - "Lullaby" Day 4: The Black Bayard - "The Black Bayard’s True Form" Day 5: Companion - "Things to Do in the Astral Plane When You’re Bored" Day 6: Duty - "A Paladin’s Sacred Duty" Day 7: Free Day/AU - Blade!Shiro Story - "Not Ready” My Comments: Great collection of Shiro-centric ficlets. I think day five is my favorite, but they’re all worth reading.

Mind Games by Rangergirl3 Words: 6,392 Author’s Summary: There’s more than one way to break a person. My Comments: Some really brutal torture scenes here, with Keith as victim. Great job to the rest of the team rallying around him, though.

Worthless by The_Angst_Chronicles for Tidalstep Words: 15,939 Author’s Summary: Lance breaks down after a mission, not knowing that his comm was on. The rest of the team overhears. My Comments: Hecks yeah, Lance having a breakdown and everyone else pulling him back together. I freaking love these fics, and this is a good one. Lots of good cuddling, lots of good reassurance. Maybe a wee bit over the top, but hey, sometimes I like that. I enjoyed this one thoroughly.

Like a Good Pair of Headphones by yet_intrepid for Agapostemon Words: 958 Author’s Summary: Hey,” says Matt, “are those my headphones?” Pidge looks up from flying the wacky green lion ship that she apparently flies, and frowns at him. “What?” “My headphones,” Matt repeats, waving them at her. They weren’t in her bag so much as on top of it, so he wasn’t prying. “Come on, Pidge. The limited edition ones I bought? There’s like fifty pair of these in the entire world, so don’t try and tell me this isn’t the one that was already in our house.” My Comments: This author is absolutely amazing with sibling relationships. They feel so perfectly realistic, antagonistic and comforting by turns, exactly like real life. Pidge and Matt have been through a lot, and they need to reconnect.

Drift Away by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) Words: 2,737 Author’s Summary: After a long series of missions and forming Voltron, the bond sticks as the team goes to bed. Shiro tries to stay awake. My Comments: This is so soft and peaceful and warm, despite the brief moments of fear. It just really made me feel good.

Be Ready and Be Brave by yet_intrepid Words: 4,370 Author’s Summary: “Yeah,” says Shiro. “Your mom seems chill.” “She’s really chill,” Hunk says. “She gets stressed a lot, though. Or she did. She was working two jobs before. But she’s great; I love her.” And then he looks at Shiro expectantly, like he’s expecting Shiro to praise his dad in turn. And Shiro wants to. He does. But he can’t get words out of his throat. My Comments: Mind the tags. This is an extremely tense and disturbing portrayal of an abusive situation, though no abuse in shown on screen, just for Shiro’s mindset and the undercurrent of fear in the fic. But it’s really, really good, I mean amazing, so if you don’t have triggers you should definitely read it. Background Shallura, Shatt, and Hance.

Afraid to Get Close by Cocopops1995 Words: 1,274 Author’s Summary: Keith’s pretty sure it started when his mother left him, but he thinks it was after the fourth or fifth foster family gave up on him he really stopped allowing people to get close to him. My Comments: Aw man, poor Keith. I’m so glad he finally got a good hug. He needs it.

And Still the Stars by Bubblekilt Words: 2,279 Author’s Summary: Shiro has a bad night. Black helps, in her way. Written for Shiro Week 2017, Day 1: Space. My Comments: Aww, Black is a good kitty mama. <3

If I Could Melt Your Heart by Cocopops1995 Words: 2,291 Author’s Summary: Keith is missing. Shiro and the team do their best to find him. My Comments: Alternate perspective on a previously recced fic. This version was even better for those achy hc feels. Love the protectiveness, as always.

What goes unseen by kafeicappuccino Words: 2,184 Author’s Summary: ‘They’re everywhere, Takashi.’ His grandfather had promised, a warm smile on his lips, as though he were sharing something precious. ‘No matter where you go, they’re there, but don’t worry. They’re not all bad.’ — He remembered those eyes from almost fifteen years ago, ones that belonged to a youthful and pale face, and that was exactly the problem.Neither hadn’t changed in the slightest. My Comments: What a cool little fantasy AU. I like the use of Japanese mythology, and Shiro’s POV both as a child and as an adult was completely believable. I would read more of this concept.

Home Is Far; Your Arms Are Here by seekingsquake Words: 1,162 Author’s Summary: Maybe… maybe if they have a sleepover, thinking about home won’t hurt so much. Maybe if Lance keeps him wrapped up, Hunk will have the courage to look out the window. My Comments: Aw, poor boys. Hunk and Lance are both homesick and hurting, but at least they have each other.

I’m Your Captain by EagleInFlight Words: 8,045 (3/?) Author’s Summary: **SEQUEL TO WORDS FAIL** Summary: It’d been four years since Lance has last been home. Four years of war, of pain, of home-sickness, of fighting. Today is the day he’ll see the shores of Varadero Beach, he’ll receive his mother’s bone-crushing hug, he’ll see his big family of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and he’ll see his brother who he left on bad terms with. Only…they can’t know he’s a Paladin of Voltron. This was not the family reunion Lance expected.But it was everything he needed. My Comments: Sequel to a previously recced fic, this is a bittersweet and heartwarming homecoming for Lance. I’m glad Keith is there for moral support, with all the complicated family issues going on. I’ll be following this one avidly.

Under the Weight of Belief by yet_intrepid Words: 3,801 Author’s Summary: Before all this, Shiro used to be somebody. One of the best pilots in the Rebel Alliance. He loved his x-wing and he trained new recruits and he flew missions, so many missions, until one went wrong. A Star Wars Original Trilogy AU for Shiro Week 2017! Day 1 - Time/Space and Day 2 - Original/Divergent. My Comments: Man, the beginning of this is so brutal, but the comfort at the end is so good. It really really hurts to see Shiro as a literal slave, but the rescue and the hug at the end almost made it worth it.

Pride And Joy by prettyshiroic (AnalystProductions) Words: 5,850 Author’s Summary: Keith wears the colour red with pride. Sometimes, he wears it with joy. My Comments: Daww, this is the CUTEST. Happy Keith is so sweet and adorable, and singing to mice? Man, I’ve been there.

Children of the Lion Goddess by RukiaG Words: 5,471 Author’s Summary: Altean mythology claims that the Lion Goddess created the Universe, and that her four children protect Altea of all evil. However, Altea and its solar system is long gone, its people hunted down and slaughtered by order of Emperor Zarkon, its culture eradicated and its gods forgotten. Forgotten, but not dead, and soon the Voltron Paladins will find out that some traces of Altea still remain. Or: Team Voltron finds an Altean temple and somehow Shiro is adopted by a magical space lioness. My Comments: I did not read the summary for this very carefully before I started reading, so at first I thought it was just a fun exploration fic, like an episode of Star Trek or Stargate. Partway through, though, it takes a turn for the AMAZING and ADORABLE. Try it out. I’m pretty sure you’ll like it.

Calls Me On and On by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) Words: 7,614 Author’s Summary: Shiro: Then and now My Comments: This fic is absolutely brilliant, one of bosstoaster’s best works ever, and she’s done some amazing, amazing stuff. I loved the way past and present were interwoven, and the contrast between Shiro then and now and how that eventually flipped on its head. A really, really good read, felt like a whole universe in a tiny fic.

i spy with my little eye, something beginning with squeak by prettyshiroic (AnalystProductions) Words: 5,694 Author’s Summary: “Look it doesn’t - it doesn’t matter just, it’s - what are you doing here?!” The mouse looks up at Keith. It understands what he’s saying, it absolutely does. But it’s purposefully choosing to ignore his question. The audacity. Keith grits his teeth, running a hand through his hair. It’s not like they can go all the way back to the castle now. The planning for the mission is underway and they’ll be taking off soon. Probably as soon as tomorrow, even. The war won’t wait for them. They have to keep going. Mice and all. “You can’t be here. It’s too dangerous it -” the mouse is tiny, comfortably fitting in his hand. “You’re a mouse?!” Keith exclaims, voice low. It’s ridiculous. This cannot be real, but it is. The yellow mouse flexes its arms with gusto, pulling all kinds of poses as if to say it’s strong and perfectly capable of fighting in this war. Keith seriously doubts that. —- Keith leaves for the Blade of Marmora, and soon discovers - in more ways than expected - he’s not alone… My Comments: This is SUPER sweet. Platt’s mannerisms felt very mouselike, and I loved the reason he was there. Keith also has a lovely roommate in a not-dead Regris, which is bonus.

Back from the Edge by Emerald_Ashes Words: 2,603 (1/?) Author’s Summary: The paladins are still recuperating after the events that transpired between them and the Galra. Yet the war continues. They’ve been lucky to avoid battle for as long as they have, but soon enough they will be summoned into the fray once more. And while Lance is healing, he has to learn to deal with his new demons. My Comments: I am VERY excited for this sequel to one of my favorite hurt!Lance fics by one of my favorite hurt!Lance authors. It’s such a good aftermath, and already it’s pushing a lot of my buttons, like a LOT of them, with Lance feeling weak and tired and lonely in recovery and just needing attention but also feeling bad for needing attention. Like I just wanna coo at him and wrap him in blankets and give him tea and cookies. Fortunately he has a loving team to do that for me, but I can’t help the way I feel. Can’t wait for more.

Try to Try Hard by yet_intrepid Words: 4,874 Author’s Summary: “Shiro,” Keith says, and he tries to be calm. “Are you…okay?” Shiro lifts his head a little. Keith has never seen him so pale. The blood is still pumping out and Keith can’t stop staring at it. He should fix it. He should fix it. He doesn’t know how. [Shiro loses his hand, Aladdin AU edition. Written for Shiro Week Day 3: Break/Mend and Day 5: Isolation/Companion.] My Comments: The fic this is prequel to is mostly fluffy and cute, but this fic is very much not those things. It’s brutal and sad, but the second chapter has some very nice comforting and a very cute baby Lance to kinda sorta maybe make up a little bit for Shiro getting his hand chopped off with an axe. Somewhat.

Fear Itself by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) Words: 7,277 Author’s Summary: After an assassination attempt, Slav demands asks that the paladins come to protect him. With seven pilots, five lions, and one castle, they end up able to send along one person. Ryou volunteers himself. Kind of. He may not have thought this through very well. Shiro Week 2017, Day 2: Original/Divergent My Comments: I love this fic SO much. Ryou is wonderful, and the Slav characterization is perfect, somehow annoying and endearing at the same time, just like he is in the show. I love how hard Ryou worked to try to understand Slav and meet him on an emotional level, even while he had to hold back his irritation. He did a great job. I’m proud of him.

Through Adversity to the Stars by Sylindara Words: 8,225 Author’s Summary: Hunk bonds with his teammates and learns to fly. My Comments: This is soooo good, and feels so very canon. In fact I’m just gonna take it as canon. Something like this absolutely happened in between the scenes in the first season. I loved Hunk bonding with everyone, especially in the lessons with Shiro. Wonderful fic.

parallel by buttered_onions Words: 5,656 Author’s Summary: The failure of the Kerberos mission changes everything. Posted as a chaptered fill for vldplatonicweek: Day Two: Inside/Outside. Keith and his daemon…adjust. Day Three: Trick/Treat. Pidge and her daemon keep their promise. Day Five: Change/Growth. Keith and Tarryn learn to wait, and to react. Day Six: Distance/Proximity. Shiro returns home. My Comments: My only complaint about this is that it’s just too short. The worldbuilding is lovely and the characterization is spot on and the plot is fun. And I just want way, way more.

Care by bookwormgir1LH Words: 6,840 Author’s Summary: Five times Coran looked after his team when they were sick, and the one time they took care of him.Cuddle number 8: Reluctantly My Comments: This is so very sweet and hearfelt and genuine. I love Coran taking care of all his kids, and I love his kids taking care of him.

#voltron legendary defender #weekly voltron fic recs #fic rec #vldgen

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ladymoonveil · 4 years ago

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I’m honestly super sick and tired of people who can’t take responsibility for their own content consumption lash out at everyone else for not catering to their specific needs. If you think something might be triggering for you, don’t fucking read it. If you are easily triggered, maybe open fandom spaces just aren’t the place for you. Instead of going after content creators for writing things that you personally don’t enjoy, find a like-minded group or community who can heavily curate works FOR you. (Or better yet, create one yourself instead of whining about it.)

Don’t try to police what other people can or cannot do in their fanworks with fictional characters; YKINMK is something that everyone should learn before engaging in fandom. Hell, I’ve been in this space since I was like 14 (back when there was only ff.net/livejournal and minimal tagging), and I’ve had plenty of experiences where I clicked on something then realized that Mistakes Were Made. (YGO was my first fandom and things can be real messed up there.) You know what I did? I closed the tab and read something else because I was the one who made the decision to read that fic. You know what I didn’t do? Go on a rampage accusing the author of being a terrible person for writing something that I personally didn’t enjoy.

While fandom can be used to advocate for things you personally care about, it is by no means mandatory. A 50k coffee shop AU exploring racial injustice is just as “valid” as a 5k PWP involving two serial killers and tentacles. It honestly feels like we’ve gone full circle with the purity police about what’s “not allowed” in fandom, except now it’s even more annoying because people try to bring in “social justice” when it’s really just the same old fandom wank.

Also, I find the constant abuse and pedophilia labels that are thrown around willy-nilly by those people to be incredibly insulting and harmful to actual victims of abuse and pedophilia. There are real people in real life who have suffered at the hands of real humans. What they went through is NOT the same as someone writing dark!fic about a fictional cannibal doing extremely questionable/squicky things with other fictional characters (as an example). Do not equivalate these two things because it diminishes the experience of the real victims. If you cannot tell the difference between fiction and real life, that is YOUR problem, not anyone else’s.

I often wonder if those people have ever turned on the TV, or watched a movie, or played a video game, or read a book. Because for pretty much every other source of fictional content, the warnings that you get before you make a decision on whether or not to consume it are maybe 2-3 sentences of the common triggers, and an ESRB rating. That’s it. Do those people campaign to ban M rated media because they could have “problematic content that’s not tagged properly”? Do they write angry emails to the cast and crew of “Call Me By Your Name” accusing them of being pedophiles and “promoting abuse”? Do they scream for all guns to be banned in video games because it “promotes murder and portrays villains in a sexy way”? I could go on and on.

At the end of the day, if you don’t go after actors/authors/developers/directors for portraying something that you personally don’t like in shows/movies/games/novels, what makes you think it’s okay to go after fanfic writers with these false accusations? Especially since they are often MUCH more diligent in tagging potential triggers, and you chose to read it anyways? There’s a pervasive “but everything has to cater to me and I don’t need to take any responsibility for my own content consumption” mentality in certain sections of fandom nowadays, and I’m not here for it.

It’s so sad to see how many people are scared in fandom spaces. Scared to be open about what they like. I have spoken to so many people that enjoy darker topics and themes in art and fanfiction but they could never support/produce anything like that publicly because they are scared of the fandom’s reaction. And I also think that there are people out there that think that they are wrong for liking darker content. Please just know that we’re here. There’s actually a lot of people enjoying darker content that is deemed as problematique. You are not alone, you’re not wrong for liking what you like, and I’ll keep saying this over and over again until people don’t have to feel afraid anymore.

#rant #fandom wank #I see these posts like every week and I'm so sick and tired of this happening #let people do what they want in fandom space with fictional characters where no one is actually getting hurt #that's what fandom is for in the first place #at this point only coffee shop AUs where everyone is holding hands and singing kumbaya will be allowed

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gradencetrickortreat · 7 years ago

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The Gradence Trick or Treat Halloween Fest prompts are out! See the ‘Treat’ prompts under the cut (and read the claiming guidelines here):

Anonymous prompters submitted:

Prompt: Slutty halloween costumes = roleplay opportunity

Squicks: none

Max Rating: NC17

Claim number to submit: Treat 1 (1 claim)

Prompt: AU where one of the boys is a Halloween spirit/King of the pumpkin patch, and meets the other under creepy, Halloween-esque circumstances - in a mist-filled graveyard, an haunted house, some old forest. He may want to strike a bargain, or crave company (in any form you’d like), or simply decide to play a bit with this mortal - until they fall in love, of course.

Squicks: PWP

Maximum Rating: R

Claim number to submit: Treat 2 (2 claims)

Mod note: all spots for this prompt now filled! We won’t be accepting any further claims on this prompt. Thank-you. :)

Prompt: The magical world does Halloween in style (pumpkins, parties, costumes, etc), because what better way to blend in? Graves discovers that Credence has never experienced the holiday, so he whisks him away to the Graves country estate where his family comes together for the weekend to celebrate. Up to the author whether they bring Modesty with them or if she’s bonding with her new family elsewhere or any other option. The getting-together/confessing their feelings trope would be lovely, but pre-slash or established relationship is also great if the writer so decides.

Squicks: No prejudice or disapproval from the Graves family about Credence, please and thanks. No victim-blaming also. No enslaved house elves.

Maximum Rating: Anything is fine

Claim number to submit: Treat 3 (0 claims)

Prompt: Should Percival be Antony or Julius Caesar to Credence’s Cleopatra? Alternately, Credence is Antony.

Squick: none

Max Rating: M

Claim number to submit: Treat 4 (1 claim)

Prompt: Credence in a kitty costume. That’s it that’s the prompt

Squicks: Painplay, abuse within the pairing

Maximum Rating: NC-17

Claim number to submit: Treat 5 (0 claims)

Prompt: Modern AU. Credence takes Modesty trick or treating, and Mr. Graves’ house is the one with the full size candy bars. Credence comes back later after he takes Modesty home.

Squicks: no calling Graves “daddy”

Maximum Rating: Hard R.

Claim number to submit: Treat 6 (0 claims)

@accio-toffy submitted:

Prompt: On the midnight of October 30-31 the gate between all times opens. Ghosts pour out, skeletons come to life, witches dance under the moon and sometimes people stumble into wrong timelines. When Credence Barebone watches Halloween celebrations out of a small church window in 1920, he becomes a witness to appearance of a man in strange clothes and a glowing device in his hand, which he seems to be talking to.

They have one day to build trust, friendship and love; and when the clock strikes again at midnight of the Halloween eve, they must find a way for one to enter 2020 or another to stay in 1920.

(Magic can be preserved, tooth-rotting fluff, romance and even silliness is highly encouraged).

Squicks: Please no angst (or minor), no explicit child abuse, no daddy kink, no mpreg, no underage. If you are writing explicit, please no actual penetration (aka no anal).

Maximum Rating: anything from Teen to Explicit works just fine

Claim number to submit: Treat 7 (0 claims)

@chryselephantinechaos submitted:

Modern AU, w magic—Percival doesn’t care about Halloween, but this is Credence’s first Halloween, so he invites him over to watch movies, eat way too much candy to find out what Credence likes, and hide from trick-or-treaters. Percival goes All Out with decorating, and even rents a ghost for the day.

Squicks: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Max Rating: absolutely anything

Claim number to submit: Treat 8 (1 claim)

@clockhearted-crocodile submitted:

Prompt: Credence has never been allowed to take part in Halloween before (a pagan festival *gasp*) so living with Mr. Graves is the first time he’s experienced Halloween, and not just Halloween but WIZARDING Halloween.

Squicks: Not really any.

Maximum Rating: Any rating’s good.

Claim number to submit: Treat 9 (0 claims)

Prompt: It’s MACUSA’s annual Halloween ball. All these government officials get to dress up as whatever they really want to be, just for a night; there some pirates there, a few angels, even a couple of convincingly imitated no-maj celebrities. But Credence arrives dressed in the uniform of a junior Auror, and Percival feels a sudden conflict between wanting Credence to stay safe and out of the ranks, and really liking the idea of Credence working under him (in more ways than one …)

Squicks: Nothing to speak of.

Maximum Rating: Any rating.

Claim number to submit: Treat 10 (0 claims)

@meremeduse submitted:

Prompt: Credence takes his little sister trick-or-treating and she insists on going to the scariest house/apartment/whatever in the area — which everyone knows is haunted and satanists sacrificed a baby there thirty years ago or whatever. He doesn’t want to refuse her, so he knocks on the door… And it opens to Percival Graves.

Squicks: No bodily fluids, unless it’s like… spit. Keep it cute!

Maximum Rating: PG-13, maybe a soft R

Claim number to submit: Treat 11 (1 claim)

@nettlekettle submitted:

Prompt: Credence has a long-term crush on Graves which he believes is unrequited (spoiler, it’s not!). On Hallowe'en night, Credence and Queenie (and others if you like!) play lots of traditional divination games (if you google there are lots of historical games such as peeling apples and divining your true love from the shape of the peel - or just poke me and I’ll send some links!). Every single game they play gives one result - Graves is Credence’s true love / future husband. Graves himself confirms that the games aren’t wrong!

Squicks: Credence under 21 years of age, self-harm, any mentions of hanging, mpreg or ABO.

Maximum Rating: G to Mature? So nothing NC-17. :)

Claim number to submit: Treat 12 (2 claims)

Mod note: we now have two claims for fic for this prompt. One more claim for another medium will be accepted, but no more fic claims will be allowed. Thank-you!

Prompt: Lantern carving! Pie baking!

I thought I’d submit something simple and visual which might be fun for both artists and writers, so - Credence carving a pumpkin! If you like, he could bake the pumpkin guts into a delicious pie (perhaps with help from Queenie and/or Jacob)! :)

Squicks: Hmm. Anyone eating raw pumpkin? That seems inadvisable! :P

Maximum Rating: G.

Claim number to submit: Treat 13 (1 claim)

Prompt: “Witches and devils are abroad this night!!!”

Set prior to the events of the film, Credence is still stuck with the Second Salemers, but has developed a bond with real!Graves (your choice of what stage the relationship is at). On Hallowe'en night, Mary Lou is shouting and shouting about how “witches and devils are abroad on Hallow’s Eve!” and how they must all stay in the church praying. Credence is scared to go outside but also terribly excited to sneak out and join Mr Graves, who takes him to see all the joys of the holiday (perhaps all the big Hallowe'en window displays!)

Squicks: Credence under age 19/20ish, anything resembling non-con, suicide (enacted or mentioned), hanging or hangman’s nooses, self-harm, sexual abuse, unexpected use of sex-toys (!)

Maximum Rating: G to NC-17.

Claim number to submit: Treat 14 (0 claims)

@shamelessstudentsdream submitted:

Prompt: Coffee Shop AU (maybe Credence working for Jacob? Percival healing and trying something a tad less stressful for a time?). Cutesy Halloween atmosphere. Golden leaves, oversized sweaters, carved pumpkins and all that jazz.

Squicks: PWP

Maximum Rating: M

Claim number to submit: Treat 15 (2 claims)

@soughs submitted:

Prompt: Setting up to writer. Percival hates Halloween with all of his grumpy heart. The children are too loud and he can’t enjoy his evening in peace. When someone knocks on his door - knocks, not ring - despite the clear “no candies” sign, he’s pissed off. Little does he know that the young man in front of his house is no lost tourist but a leannán sí determined to find a human lover to run away from the fairy kingdom - only a kiss of love can keep Credence on earth.

Squicks: I’d prefer a happy ending.

Maximum Rating: NC-17/Explicit

Claim number to submit: Treat 16 (2 claims)

@sozdanie-gryazi-eternal submitted:

Prompt: Photographer Credence and Rockstar Graves: thats it thats all i got.

squicks: fisting? i guess

maximum rating: nc-17

i already made a graphic but so far have had nada luck. PLEASE BE INSPIRED ANYONE?

Your mods encourage ‘halloweening this up’ ;)

Claim number to submit: Treat 17 (1 claim)

@unicornmagic submitted:

Prompt: Graves takes Credence out of the city for broom-riding lessons. At night. Bonus points for: moonlit autumn countryside, haystacks, sly (or not so sly) dick jokes.

Squicks: Noncon, abuse, pain, blood, a general absence of fun

Maximum Rating: PG-13

Claim number to submit: Treat 18 (2 claims)

Mod note: we now have two claims for fic for this prompt. One more claim for another medium will be accepted, but no more fic claims will be allowed. Thank-you!

@weconqueratdawn submitted:

Prompt: Modern trick or treat AU - Credence takes his little sisters trick or treating, so they pay a visit to the handsome man who lives on their street - Mr Graves. It’s the first time they’ve really spoken and he makes Credence nervous - Mr Graves notices his interest and invites him back later :) Bonus - some kind of a first time sexual experience for Credence.

Squicks: I’m fairly hard to outright squick - I loathe anything to do with feet though lol

Maximum Rating: NC-17 / Explicit.

Claim number to submit: Treat 19 (1 claim)

Your mod @gothyringwald would humbly like to add:

Prompt: It’s Credence’s first time celebrating Halloween and he eats too much candy.