#I mean granted I've already heard people like that before

[blimbo-buddy]

Oh also going on about the california stuff, as much as I genuinely have the most mixed feelings about california, a part of me gets really worried that one day I'm gonna run into someone on here whose post bashing it has weirdly racist undertones towards latinos

[georgeweasleyslostearhq]

SHOULD HAVE KISSED YOU

Pairings: Eddie Munson x Fem! Summary: when made to participate in a school fundraiser, Eddie finds himself actually having fun. Warnings: none

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series masterlist

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"Mister Munson, you have to be a part of this school!" Principal Higgins exclaimed to the boy sitting on the other side of the desk, protesting

"I've been apart of this shitty school for 6 years" Eddie hummed lowly

"what was that?" the older man raised and eyebrow, his hands on his hips as he looked down at the rebellious teen in front of him

"what do you want me to do?" he got in response

"Miss Kelley is holding a fundraiser- u-an auction, of sorts.. you'll be participating"

Eddie frowned "an auction? what you want me to go up and hold items for people to bid on?"

"you'll be the item"

Eddie scoffed "what's that supposed to even mean?"

he stared at the principal and almost laughed, was this a joke? he fails a few times and is now being punished

"it means you'll go up and girls will bid on you- a date with you"

oh Eddie definitely laughed at that, does he think he's funny? he must because that was the funniest thing Eddie's ever heard

"yeah, right" he snorted

"Mister Munson, do you want to graduate this year?" Higgins asked rhetorically.

this wasn't a joke, this was serious

"what's a stupid fundraiser going to do to help me graduate?!" Eddie raised his voice before looking away when the man scolded him

"well, lucky for you, Edward, this school will do just about anything to get rid of you-" The older man started before getting cut off by Eddie

"-How flattering" he hummed

"-so, we'll be granting you with extra credit if you do this, and if you get at least a C in Miss O'donnells, it will be enough for you to graduate" the man finished, crossing his arms

"what type of fundraiser activity is that anyway! I'm no help, I can assure you no body is bidding on me, Higs" Eddie rolled his eyes

"well, lucky for you, you don't need to be bidded on to participate, just showing up is enough"

"this is ridiculous" Eddie mumbled, slumping down in his chair

there was no way he was going to do this.

"oh please, Mister Munson, It's not the end of the world, just a simple date to the fun fair is the most you'll do" Mister Higgins shook his head, deciding this was the end of the discussion.

he shooed Eddie out of his office after telling a few simple details about the night he should be ready for

"and please, have some school spirit" he said before closing the door behind Eddie.

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You sat in the school gym with your friends when Miss Kelley announces the boys up for auction

you had already seen the list a week prior and and had no interest, unlike your friend, Becky, who was more than excited to bet on a handsome mister Mike Lewenski.

your opinions on the fundraiser were mixed.

although a great way to make a few bucks, it was more of a way on telling which girl liked who. but even so, if they won the guy, it's a free date without the definite rejection most of them would face if they had just asked the guy out

so, while it saves a few rejections here and there, and could be seen as a trial run for a relationship, it's also a pit of thirsty women who want to dig their teeth in to a free date with a cute guy, especially if it's Gary McKlaren.

so to say you were the least interested was correct, but you were open to any changes if proven wrong.

The boys walked in the Gym single file and lined up behind Miss Kelley

you snorted at the sight of Eddie Munson 2nd last in line

you had browsed the list at least 3 times, you think you'd notice his name on the paper on the notice board. he must have been a last minute addition, which is pretty smart if you look at how many girls there are in school ready to bid.

but Eddie Munson, the freak? were they having a laugh?

you'd spoken to the guy a max of 5 times this year, he wasn't actually as bad as people made him out to be.

you weren't friends though; you wouldn't go that far. you'd be metaphorically killed if you were associated with him, so God forbid that ever happening.

Eddie huffed, looking out to the Gym seats.

he'd rather be doing anything else right now other than being at school, on a saturday afternoon, ready to be humiliated in front of what looks like 100 girls he's never spoken to (and doesn't plan to)

he frowned at the outfits the other boys had dressed up in, adorned in button up shirts and trousers, some even had a bowtie around their necks.

He mentally shook his head at the effort, because as they all dressed up fancy, like the organisers of this stupid even told them to, Eddie was still dressed in his normal attire, Black jeans and a dio shirt, his leather jacket hiding the cut off sleeves Eddie had fixed it up with. it's not like he was here to impress anyway

he would be here for 30 minutes max before driving back home alone.

"lets bring up our first boy of the evening, shall we. Toby Glover, everybody!" Miss Kelley claps.

She went on to describe the boy, hobbies, likes and interests before looking out to the crowed

"starting the bid at five dollars!" she smiled before a girl put her hand up, then a few others

Toby was baught at 20 dollars to Tracy Dekert.

then the next boy was up. Dylan Mantella.

it took a few seconds for a girl to put her hand up. but then another one did.

Dylan was bought for 10 dollars by Gracie Moore.

Jason Carver stood tall as he took a step closer, immediatley being bought by Chrissy for 5.

Then it was Mike Lewenski.

"He likes to play Football and the band Queen" Miss Kelley smiled

Becky's hand flew up as soon as the teacher announced 5 dollars, and glared at the girl on the other side of the bleachers when she outbidded her

"15!" Becky yelled out before the other girl said "17!"

they went back and fourth a few times before the other girl huffed and ran out of money

Mike was bought for 23 dollars by Becky, who cheered beside you

Then it was Gary McKlaren.

Miss Kelley didnt even get to describe his hobbies before a bidding war broke out. at least 10 girls fighting for him

yeah, he was popular. it made sense

Gary was bought for 50 dollars by Denise Weller.

Brian Gibley was bought for 5 dollars

Matthew Schneebly was bought for 25 dollars

and then Thomas Smith stood there for a few moments

that was when 2 girls put their hand up

you weren't sure if that was out of pity or they were just too shy to put their hand up, But Thomas looked like a whole bunch of weight lifted off of him when he was bought for 8 dollars

"now we have the...lovely Mister Edward Munson!" Miss Kelley announced, she looked nervous as she said his name, trying to find a praise but had to lie through her teeth

Eddie stood forward and clicked his tongue, looking out dully to the seats of girls and young women.

"E-Eddie likes um- Metal music? and uh- is a owner of a club" she spoke, she didn't know anything about Eddie, only that he was a satanist.

"5 dollars?" She announced with a tight smile, looking out to the crowd

you looked down at Eddie from your seat

his hands were in his pockets, he definitely didn't want to be here, but you could tell by the silence in the room he was...insecure?

you looked around the room, did no girl want him? did no girl see anything in him?

surely there was one girl to look past the scary demeanor of his figure and see something to like, but the only thing to hear was an awkward cough

you frowned, you felt bad, you really did.

Eddie looked down at his feet when Miss Kelley spoke into the mic "no bidders?" she asked as if she didn't know no body wasn't going to buy him

you closed your eyes and slowly lifted your hand.

it was just because you felt bad

"oh, we have a bidder! 5 dollars going once, twice, SOLD!" she banged her gravel on the wood. surprised.

Eddie munson was bought for 5 dollars. by you.

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Eddie was surprised when you put your hand up.

but Eddie was very Surprised to see you walk up to him afterwards, a smile on your face, a tight one, he knew it wasnt real

"hey" you greeted

Eddie looked at you confused, like you had grown two heads or that something was wrong with you, but he replied nonetheless

"hi" he said

you looked around the hall, seeing the floods of single girls walk out of the hall, glaring at you with the same look Eddie had a second ago.

"so um-" he licked his lips, sighing

"we don't have to go on the date.." you spoke in a rush, looking back at him

of course, Eddie thought to himself, of course you wouldn't want to go on a date with him

Eddie kicked himself for thinking you would for a split second.

"if you don't want to" he shook his head

this was awkward.

so awkward

"it's not that I.. don't want to. i do...but you- you probably have better things to do so..." you hummed, rolling on your ankles as you looked away from him

"I dont...and I don't want you spending money on me for nothing.." he mumbled sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

you were probably the first girl to talk to him, Willingly, without buying drugs- the first girl to be nice to him to his face.

Eddie doesn't get that often, or at all for that matter, so you were...special. you could say. to him.

you weren't friends, you probably didn't want that. and he doesn't blame you, but it still hurts deep down, where he wont admit it

"it's fine.. it would be embarrassing to be the only person who didn't get bought so..."

yep, that was the only reason you bidded on him, you both thought to yourself

"yeah, I guess you're my saviour, then" he joked, though he didn't find any humour in it

Because you had told him you bought him out of pity, thats not funny or you being nice, thats just sad.

you agreed to the joke and looked around, the hall was empty now, all the girls gone, a few out to their date and all the rest on their way home, alone. some going to the fair with their friends.

"I'll uh- see you next week then?" you stepped back, going to walk away

"I thought you wanted to go?" he frowned

"i thought you didn't?" you raised an eyebrow

"eh.. i feel like i owe it to you, besides i think Principal Higgins and Miss Kelley will be there and if they don't see us- or at least me there, I won't get my credit cause i left you" he shrugged

that was it, it was just for the extra credit

"ok, sure" you nodded

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you walked side by side into the fun fair, you were a little nervous to say the least but it's not like you were gonna be here for a long time

Eddie had said he owed you and just wanted to be seen, so he'd probably just say a quick hello to the principal and spend five bucks on a quick game before calling it a day

that seemed fair, though.

he brought you over to the little games with various toys hung on the wall

"you wanna play a game? i'll try to win you a bear or somethin'" he looked down at you, pointing to the stall where you shoot at a few cans to win

you shrugged when you met his gaze, his big brown eyes full of the bright colours from the lights flashing from the games, the yellows and reds illuminating his face as he turned to you.

he looked pretty good

"sure" you replied shortly, looking away from him, letting him guide you to the line.

his hands were in his pockets as he looked around briefly. it made you wonder if he wanted to be here.

but on the inside, Eddie was almost shitting himself, cause here he was, in the line of a game with you next to him. this was a date, unadmittably his first date- if it even counted

and it's not just because it's a date, it's because it's with you, the only girl- bloody hell- woman that's ever been nice to him. to look at him like he's not a freak who sold his soul to the devil.

and God, did you have to look so pretty good?

he looked away when you tucked a strand of hair behind your ear and stepped forward, it now being your turn

the guy spoke enthusiastically, explaining the rules as Eddie picked up the fake gun.

you took the time to scan over the plush toys, the big bat hanging upsidedown from the roof of the stall made you smile.

you smiled at Eddie as he lifted the gun to his face, squinting his eyes before shooting his first shot.

your eyebrows raised at his shot, impressed as you stood beside him

Eddie lowerd the gun, putting another pellet in the gun when he caught your gaze, looking over at you awkwardly

you blinked and smiled tightly at him before looking away "did- sorry did you want to shoot?" he frowned, now noticing that he should have let you play- or at least asked you

"oh no, it's ok I uh- I don't know how to shoot a gun" you breathed, letting out a dry chuckle

"it's pretty easy, here" one of his hands let go of the gun to each out for your own hand.

you let him take your hand and you tried to hide the blush rising quickly on your cheeks, looking away as he pulled you closer

he stood behind you, his broad chest against your back as he instructed you, you held the gun with his hands over yours, his arms wrapping around your frame to help you

"Just look through this little hole right here." he pointed to a little circle on the top of the gun, and you slowly raised the gun to your face, quinting to look through the hole.

"aim it" he told you

you lined it up with the can and he took one of your fingers to place it on the trigger.

the feeling of his hot breath fanning on your neck sent shivers down your shine as it contrasted with the cold brisk air, but you were so hot right now.

did he have to be so close to you?

he waited a second before he pressed on your finger, pressing down on the trigger, shooting the gun.

you closed your eyes as the loud bang and the feeling of him pressing up against you. Why did you like it?

"ahh good try, you just grazed it" Eddie spoke, mumbling something that you couldn't here before you opened your eyes

you could see a little dent in the can but it hadn't toppled over or fallen, signifying a miss.

you shoulders dropped and your frowned, looking over your shoulder to see Eddie smiling softly

"you'll get it this time" he reassured you, lowering the gun

you shook your head "i'll let you do it, you obviously know what you're doing" you flushed, smiling before stepping to the side to get out of his hold

it was then when Eddie realised that he was manhandling you and his eyes slightly widened. Had he made you uncomfortable? he really hoped he hadn't. he dropped his hands and let you slip away from in-between him and the gun and looked away sheepishly

you finally felt like you could breathe as you let out a deep sigh you didn't know you were holding

why was he making you feel this way?

Eddie put another pellet in the gun and shot it effortlessly before he put the last one in.

he didn't even flinch at the loud bang! noise it made when he shooted, or lost his footing, he was a natural.

you don't know what you expected though, he looked like the kind of guy who knew how to shoot a gun, he had that look to him

you didn't want to say it but- he did have the dangerous kind of look to him, but throught the few talks you've had with him, you would hightly doubt he would even shoo away a stray cat if it made home on his porch.

he put the final pellet in and aimed it before shooting it, you watched as it bounced off the bar and fall back to the ground.

you smiled and clapped when the guy announced a winner

"so..what will it be for the lovely lady?" he said looking at you as you stood forward.

the long haired metalhead looked over at you, nodding to the wall of toys.

you opened your mouth, and your eyes landed on the bat again, pointing up at it "the bat?"

the man smiled and got the bat down, passing it to Eddie as you backed away to get out of the line, which was small but growing impatient.

Eddie followed after you and handed the bat to you.

"here ya' go" he smiled.

the bat was even bigger than it looked, bigger than your head, at least.

you brought it up to your chest and thanked him before walking awkwardly away from the stall

"you're pretty good with a gun" you said break the silence between you and him, the blush on your face appearing again as you looked over at him

"yeah? well.. my dad taught me when I was younger so... had a good teacher I guess" he let out a breathy chuckle, kicking his feet.

of course. everyone knew the stories of AL Munson. so your weren't surprised when Eddie told you he made him go hunting with him before he got sent to prison

"made me shoot more than just tin cans.." He shighed

you hummed, walking towards the enterance before Eddie stopped you

"Where are ya' going?" he asked, a deep frown covering his features as he looked around

you grew confused too "I- I thought we were leaving?"

Eddie's face dropped at your words, looking down "oh. I mean if you want to. I just thought- I- I was kinda havin' fun. with you so..."

Eddie was having fun with you; it wasn't a lie. he didn't want to leave just yet, he wanted to play a few more games and if he got lucky, get to know you more. he doesn't know exactly why but he knew he liked being with you tonight

but it's probably because it's either this date with you, or a lonesome date between him, his couch and a cold can of beer.

you stepped back to him and smiled "I am too... I just thought- but yeah, let's go"

the sky turned dark as Eddie and you played a few more games and shared a fairyfloss stick.

you were having fun, laughing and getting embarrased when you got shoved closer to Eddie when a few kids ran past you to the rotating tea cups.

"sorry" you mumbled, stepping away from the metalhead as he tensed up at the contact.

"'s'okay" he smiled, noticing the way you hugged the bat plush in your arms

it was night time- and winter. So were you cold?

so he asked you "d'ya want ma'jacket?"

he frowned when you shook your head quickly "no it's ok, don't worry"

you felt your cheeks grow hot again as he began taking his leather jacket off, exposing his biceps arms that were adorned in dark tattoos.

the bats caught your eye.

you had seen them before, of course, but they made you frown

you looked down at your bat plush toy and hid your face in it sheepishly

when it caught your eye, you didn't know why you were drawn to it the way you were

it reminded you of something, but at the time you picked it, you just couldn't pinpoint it

but now, looking at his tattoo, you realised it was that and you grew embarrassed, did he think you wanted it because of him? well technically you did- no, no you just liked it...right?

"it's ok, really" you shook your head as he handed it out to you

"Please, I don't want you to be cold" he pleaded

he was such a gentleman, you don't get why people did see that, there was something clearly wrong with society to shut out this beautiful specimin of a man like him, he's just so kind and gentle. no- snap out it.

you squeezed the fluff of your plush as he draped it over your shoulders, smiling

"what about you?" you wondered

he only shrugged "m'fine" he looked down, putting his hands in his pockets "as long as you're warm"

you chuckled softly as you looked around

"ferris wheel?" he asked after a beat

you looked to the ferris wheel and nodded "sure"

you let him guide you and you smiled as you got the line

the fair music filled your ears as you slowly moved up the line.

the line was pretty long, trying to see the lights from above and the kids thinking they can see the whole town from the top. they were wrong but let kids be kids, you thought.

when you reached the front, you stepped up and Eddie quickly handed the guy a few coins, letting your guys on. you sat down, your bat plush sat on your lap as the guy pulled the bar down, letting it click before leaving you with Eddie in the closer proximity

your shoulder to shoulder with Eddie when it began to move. going backwards

you looked over at him and smiled sheepishly before looking away

he cleared his throat before pointing to the bat you were cuddling

"do you like bats?" he questioned

you looked down and shook your head

"no..not really. I just thought he was cute" you shrugged

he hummed "have you named him?"

you giggled "no, not yet" you looked at him, finding a teasing smile on his lips and you furrowed your eyebrows.

"I don't- It might be childish, but I don't have a lot of them..." you soft quietly, fiddling with your fingers as the ferris wheel went up again

"No.. I.. I don't think it's childish.. I have a uh- I have a bear on my bed.. Ozzy... so. it's cute" he nudged your shoulder softly

you smiled, still a little embarrassed but it made you feel better that he admitted that.

you think it was cute.. that he of all people slept with a teddy bear, you feel as though you've learnt a lot about him today

it's almost like this wa a real date.

it made you hope he thought it was a real date too.

"do you..like bats?" you pointed to his swarm of bats tattooed on his arm

he looked down and nodded

"yeah I guess.. it's more of that they are seen for good luck and uh..protection.. I guess" he mumbled the last bit

you raised your eyebrows "really?" you tilted your head

"yeah.. don't know where i found that but I though i needed it so..."

"cool" you nodded

his eyes met yours again and you saw his adams apple bob in his throat as he looked at you

your bench stopped at the top as fireworks began exploding in the sky, painting the sky in all different colours, but you didn't look away from Eddie, for some reason, your eyes stayed on him

the sprays of colour reflecting in his eyes as he looked back at you. you wonder if he could see the fireworks in your eyes too.

"thank you, for today.. I've had fun" you spoke, wanting to ease this tension in the air.

"Yeah.. I've had fun too... with you" he said

you didn't know what was happening. why butterflies filled your stomach and made you feel sickly.

Eddie was shitting himself again, the look in your eye made him so weak he was happy he was seated. you looked so pretty in this light. it almost made him want to thank Mister Higgins for making him do this. but after this, he woudn't have any reason to talk to him unless it's to tell him he'd be graduating.

he can't explain how he felt in this moment, but all he knew was that he really wanted to kiss you.

but you don't want to kiss the freak? no matter how many times you've told him you don't see him as one, that's what he is, what he always will be.

Besides. You did this out of pity, right?

Amd it's not like he likes you, right?

but all Eddie can think of as he forces himself to look away is that he wants you to like him

he wants to know why he feels this way, why the burst of colour in the sky wasn't the only fireworks in the air tonight.

he had taken you home after that, sadly saying goodbye as he drove you home, the only sound in his van being the metal music he set to low as he thought about how much of an idiot he is.

all while you had felt completley embarrassed, and if you're going to be honest, a little angry, though you're not sure why

you wanted him to kiss you, but why? you didn't like him like that, this was just because you felt bad

but you wanted him to like you.

I should have kissed him, you thought as you walked into your home.

I should have kissed her, Eddie thought to himself as he drove off.

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[autisticrosewilson]

What do the other Wilson family members think of Jason?

I assume you're talking about in the context of him being shipped with one of them, I've shipped him with all of them at least once so I'll go down the list! Tell me if you want specifics on a particular ship or au though.

Suggestive content ahead, the Wilson's aren't exactly known for being normal sex havers

If he's dating Slade:

Grant (if he's alive) - Frothing at the mouth mad. He thought Slade was homophobic this whole time. Particularly upset it's Graysons brother. Sidenote: I don't see Slade fighting the Titans without Grant's death as a factor, so Dick would be Grant's nemesis.

Joey (if he's alive) - dating his ex boyfriends brother should be illegal. He used to babysit that little gremlin. Calling his mom to complain. Shaking crying throwing up. Keeps trying to get Jason to find someone else, anyone else.

Rose - HER EX BOYFRIEND ARE YOU BEING REAL. Betrayal on all sides. She gets over it eventually but that doesn't mean she's happy about it. Her brothers - if they're alive - being horrified by it make her warm up to it. She's a menace first and a person second. She's working closely with Dick to break it up though.

Adeline (if she's alive) - Heard about it from Joey, disappointed but not surprised. Sneers at it being a college boy, but after learning more about Red Hood she's mildly interested. She's impressed that anyone would choose to put up with Slade, but as long as he STOPS FUCKING CALLING HER she'll let it be. Could be persuaded into a threesome far, FAR in the future after a couple years with Jason has made Slade more tolerable.

Billy - smug, he TOLD Slade it would be more than just sex but no one ever listens to him. Also extremely tired, part of Slade being more tolerable is that the jobs he's willing to take slim dramatically. He gets huffy about it but he's definitely lowkey salty they haven't asked him to join yet.

If he's dating Rose -

Slade - Canonically their biggest fan. Jason has barely started flirting back with Rose before Slade is acting like he's already Jason's father in law. 50/50 on whether he's genuine or doing it to fuck with people. Shows his approval by challenging Jason to armed combat routinely and inviting him on jobs. Keeps asking when he's getting grandkids.

Grant - over protective but pretends he's not. GRAYSONS LITTLE BROTHER?!? Abhorrent. Is reluctantly bribed by Jason's cooking. Only starts warming up to Jason when he realizes that Jason is like, made of house husband stay at home dad material. Like an hour into a house call informed him that Jason is so hopelessly in love with Rose it's almost pathetic.

Joey - FUCKING FINALLY!! He's been here since day one, plotting, scheming. Carefully manufactured scenarios for them to spend more time together. Best man at the wedding, he wrestled Grant on the ground for it. Video called Dick with TEARS IN HIS EYES to tell him the news.

Billy - Normal father in law. Takes Jason on fishing and hunting trips. Reconnected with Alfred at the wedding and they're both ecstatic. You'd think it would be Slade who'd be gunning for the number one grandpa title and you'd be wrong, Billy is clawing his way to the top of that list.

Addie - Who? What? Oh. Fine. Reluctantly showed up to the wedding. Admittedly charmed by their dynamic. Mildly jealous at the sight of a non failing marriage but she's got enough self awareness not to be upset over it. Leaves the best gift by far, and she does end up trading recipes with Alfred by the end of the night.

If he's dating Grant:

Slade - Not exactly mad, but he is annoyed. He rolls his eyes but looks away when Red X is chasing the second Robin around Gotham, but he draws the LINE at his son giving up mercenary work to be Red Hood's lieutenant. Especially because it looks,,, serious, and serious means he'll be related to the bat sooner rather than later. 98% sure they're doing it to upset him specifically (he's wrong it's only like 25% for that)

Joey - In counter to Dick and Rose, he's actually pretty supportive. He thinks it's cute and he's glad that Grant has a good influence, but he'll be near the front of the line if Grant fucks it up. He's not as supportive about the pining stage they go through, mostly because he's the first person Grant laments to.

Rose - her bestie dating her BROTHER. Disgusted, betrayed, plotting their downfall. Absolutely thinks Jason can do better. She comes around to it faster than Dick only when she's entirely sure she can't do anything about it. Still bullies them both though.

Addie - Well. There are worse options. The real bonus here is her newfound connection with Talia. World's most controlling mother in law, loves Jason like one of her own sons though. Unfortunately that means he gets treated just like her other sons... Quality of the treatment is debatable.

If he's dating Joey -

Slade - Definitely the most upset in this scenario. That's undeniably his favorite kid and Jason... isn't the kind of person he thinks is good enough. Not that he thinks anyone would be. He doesn't go out of his way to drive Jason away per se, but he does put him through the most vigorous "tests". Begrudgingly respects Jason for passing most of them with flying colors.

Addie - Mother hen in law. Planning the wedding since day ONE. What's the equivalent of like, a sister in law but for the mom's of the spouses? Is that a thing? Regardless, she gets very close with Talia very quickly. Bruce Wayne's third biggest hater, she makes his life HELL.

Rose - Better than Grant. Still not happy, but she accepts it more easily. Maid of honor but she swears up and down they're cringe and she hates it. Complains to Dick about it but they're both secretly fond.

Billy - Never booking a hotel without soundproof walls with them again.

[tk-duveraun]

Cw: some unintentional but really messed up transphobia on SY's part

Cumplane AU where they live in a modern with magic world and PIDW is presented as a historical fantasy power fantasy

SY is a magical teacher turned researcher turned homebody as his body deteriorates due to magical illness. But this means he very much knows how magic works and gets very heated in the comments making corrections.

(airplane desperately wanted to study extinct magical creatures but the specialized classes were too expensive)

SY is extra infuriated bc airplane knows so much about magical creatures and lost habitats but then turns them into set pieces for porn!

At one point, airplane posts an AN about how he's entering the lottery for non-magical people to be granted a wish. Most people get their houses fitted so they don't have to pay utilities or so that they're bigger on the inside, or link their lifespan to their beloved pet.

SY who is both rich and has connections sends airplane a private message asking what he wished for. SY is planning to leverage this into special chapters just about the setting.

Airplane knows that while SY is a hater, he's harmless. People have doxxed SY and he only went on insane copy pasta level rants about not talking online stuff too seriously. So airplane admits he put in for magical gender affirming transformation.

SY is extremely disappointed by airplane's lack of creativity and ambition with his wish and airplane, reasonably extremely offended, blocks him.

Airplane doesn't win the lottery and continues to post chapters as usual but leaves out any and all AN's because he's still reasonably hurt by it.

SY obliviously continues ranting as normal in the comments.

Only, a few weeks later, airplane gets contacted by this semi-underground group that does magical gender affirming transformations for free, sent his way none other than sy

SY wasn't meaning to be transphobic, he just thought airplane would ask for his cat to be made into a hulijing or something.

Anyway cue airplane trying to get in touch with sy and thank him but SY bring a brat bc airplane blocked him "for no reason"

Airplane, very reasonably, blows up at him about it. SY complains to his sister, who is just like "OMG you're so stupid"

Eventually they reconcile and meet up IRL, airplane learns how sick sy is and after hearing the details is like "...I swear I've heard of this before" and sy rolls his eyes bc he knows how rare his condition is, but they become "very good friends"

(airplane: I knew he was in the closet but wow

SY sister: I know right)

Airplane with his kind of sugar daddy starts up correspondence courses on the side and finally remembers where he heard about SY's illness before! It's a magical virus only carried by an extinct creature that most humans were immune to already, but guess whose family has a taxidermy of said magical beast in their main house

This information finally leads to a cure and SY's family make a huge ordeal about accepting their new son in law

"I'm not gay!"

Eye rolls

"We're not together!"

".........."

"we kind of are, bro"

SY makes a noise like a teakettle and stomps off.

[elklounge]

Werewolf Lore Book found in The Quarry Game

Okay, where do I start? A few days ago I was playing The Quarry and trying to get screenshots of Travis. However, while in the Hackett House, I saw this book. I was curious if it said anything. Part of me wondered if it was just gibberish since the player can't really see it and it would just be for dressing the set and making the room look full. However, as I squinted I realized it said Curse of the Moonlight. I began to try multiple different methods to read the two pages of text. I couldn't find it in the game files and searching book didn't get me anywhere. However after some clipping and eye strain through using my glasses as a magnifying glass. Maybe this has already been discovered if so that's okay. I still just wanted to point this out. I am unsure which character was reading this. I want to say Chris Hackett since there are cigarettes present and the only other time I've seen them is in Chris' office as he smokes.

The text reads as the following:

Before the creation of the curse more than 23,000 years ago, the people of the old town, recognized the presence of an evil spirit, which successfully escaped from hell, broke all the spells which imprisoned it since the initial establishment of the Earth. Mankind had been struggling to fight and hopelessly defend themselves before the cruelty and the brutal behaviour of the beast. Finally, through all the tears and bloods, prayers and desperation, mankind lost to the creature and vanished. However, becasue of the vital impact and the destructive damage the conflict resulted, the Mother of Nature abandoned it from the ground, kept it in captivity under thousands of earth layers, for million of years.

The curse is supposed to be timeless. But unfortunately, some unconscious individuals summoned the beast with a deadly ancient magics and spells. Following the guide of the devils, they were forced to wake the monster from the deepest place that the humanity may ever know. Hence, every night when the moon shines the brightest, it will rise and hunt for human lives, as many as he can find, as much as he can fulfill the hunger through so many years, just until the sun rises to the fullest. And that became the story, which is then conveyed and spreaded from ears to ears, about this enigmatic forest.

Once upon a time, there was one said every journey is always full of unexpectancies and moreover, inevitable incidences. Stories have been told through centuries and decades, from villages to towns, from the elder to the youth. But not as the generations pass by or as the time fades, the curse has never been once broken. Whenever the reading is started, the moon will shine and the untamed creature will be released from your worst nightmare. Danger is triggered. And death follows.

Now, one is here in this place, reading these ambiguous is and wondering about everything. But he did not even noticed the wind has begun to blow harder and colder. The surroundings are frozen, not because of the weather, but due to one thing which is coming for the thirst of blood. The shelter is no longer a place to settle. It is now a deadly hunting area, dangerous obstacles, damaged constructions and mysterious blood stains.

In every step he takes, the traces will stay to wait for the beast. Like the last footprint he left during the last moment of his life. His scream will not be heard and his prayers will not be granted. He may survive but the terrified soul will last forever. His curiosity was the cause of the unfortunate event. And now he has to pay the bloody price and no savior would come to rescue.

Every moment he has now is priceless and vital. His life and the journey of survival depends on how he uses his last breaths. Which means now is the time that he needs to start to run.

My most insane attempt to read it which got me 2/3s of the way down the first page.

[ixiot-ghostrebel]

Another sagau reader hearing someone insulting characters and going apeshit but when someone insults reader are like "......hmm shodul I drink hot chocolate or tea today?" This time ganyu( becose I still pissed at one guy who insulted her i her own story quest) bennet and nilou (another chance to make azar feel terror)

COMING RIGHT UP, ANON. THANK YOU FOR REQUESTING OMG 💀 I have been too dead without these requests, fr.

Click Me For Part 1!

When Someone Insults Ganyu, Bennett, and Nilou vs When Someone Insults Reader...

(Disclaimers: Might Be OOC, Mentions of Violence, & Quest/Genshin Impact Lore Spoilers!)

Ganyu

Okay, first of all: Yes, I am adding that stupid idiot cough Xin Cheng cough into this.

You were just following the Traveler and Paimon, joining Ganyu's Story Quest which, for some reason, was not completed yet. So, you decided to tag along to see Ganyu!

You weren't hyped when that beggar came out of nowhere and started to do all that fairytale stuff even you don't approve of—and you were someone that sticks themselves into your own head, thank you very much.

So when this man started to gain the audacity to insult Ganyu, you knew you had to step up and do something. No one, and you quite mean it, was going to insult her and get away with it.

"Hey!" You came out from your hiding spot (you're the Almighty Creator, you know it'll make the situation worse). "Just what the hell do you think you're doing, huh?"

Xin Cheng pales at the sight of your enraged figure. He stutters to make an excuse, but you cut him off. You're having none of it.

"Get your useless self out of here, before I decide to kick it down the mountains myself!"

To say that Ganyu was shocked that you were getting angry over a mortal was an understatement. She was beyond surprised that you even stood up for her.

But she did have to intervene with your threatening—after all, she is still an Adeptus. Protecting the people of Liyue was still her duty.

"Your Grace...Please let him go. I'm sure he already understands his mistake." Ganyu's soft voice only made your anger increase—she sounded so upset!

"Y-yes, please, Your Grace! I understand what I've done wrong, I—"

"Silence." You glare down at the mortal. Your turn back to Ganyu, and considered your choices. While you wanted to wreck absolute vengeance on this man, you also didn't want to hurt Ganyu's feelings more.

Guess you were going down Trauma Lane, then. You sigh, and stomp your feet as you turn around to glare at Xin Cheng, catching his petite form by surprise.

"If I ever see you do this again..." Your eyes narrow. "Believe me when I say it—you will be granted no mercy by any adeptus nor Rex Lapis himself. Now SCRAM!" With that, he was running for the hills. You weren't entirely satisfied, but you'll take it. For now.

What would Happen if Ganyu heard you get insulted? Well, first of all, she would gasp quietly to herself. What was this blasphemy? She's utterly horrified.

Ganyu thinks she might faint once she realizes you were nearby, checking out vendor goods next to where the gossipers were spilling terrible insults of your image.

"Y-Your Grace! Please accept my apology on behalf of the people of Liyue." Will literally run up to you and apologize for them. While she may not be the one who did it, she's still cares about the People of Liyue—and thus her reasoning as to why she's askign for the mercy of the Almighty Creator.

Your puzzled look turns to Ganyu. "Who are you apologizing for?" Ganyu blinks.

"The, uhm—the gossipers..?" You're still confused, until your eyes shine once recognition hits you like Truck-Kun.

"Ohhh, those dudes! Yeah, don't worry about them—they're pretty boring, saying the same thing like a broken record. Say—wanna shop with me? I'm paying, of course."

And that's how you got Ganyu to be more comfortable around you! :D

Bennett

Ah, our unlucky yet optimistic adventurer! This boy—he is good. He's cool, and he's rather awed by most of the kids in Mondstadt.

He was hanging out with Razor and Fischl when someone decides to insult him. this genuinely upsets him—after all, they were insulting his ability and his position in the Adventurer's Guild...

Already, Razor and Fischl were already up to defend him, but what they didn't expect is for the Almighty Creator (aka you) got to it first.

"I beg your pardon," you say through gritted teeth. "How exactly is having a bad luck aura got to do with ANYTHING related to being an adventurer?" You're glaring so many daggers you could practically say you were breaking all the walls. "Perhaps we'll see just how lucky you are when I send you to Dragon Spine and watch your dead corpses FREEZE TO DEATH?"

The insulters were paling the more you went on. Razor and Fischl aren't sure what to do—you're already there, dealing with the situation.

But Bennett? Well uh, like usual, his bad luck got the best of him, and he accidentally stumbles towards you (miraculously). He bumps into you, and you shift your gaze onto him.

"Uh—Sorry, Your Grace! I really didn't mean to bump into you, I swear!" Poor guy is scared because his bad luck affected him at the worst time of all. He thinks he might get killed.

You though? Oh, hell nah. Your gaze already soften, and you decided to show favoritism! You pull the boy into a hug, glaring at the insulters one more time as a warning to scram, before you go back to enjoying giving the boy affection!

But when Bennett hears you get insulted? Well, first of all, screw his bad luck because the insulters were quite literally telling him how bad of a Creator you were!

He immediately tries to avoid getting too deep into the discussion, trying to sway the topic elsewhere to no avail, and he pales when he realizes you were literally a few steps away from them!

And it seems his bad luck gets in the way again, because you just turned right as he was staring at you with shocked eyes!

However, instead of being mad, you were actually beaming when you see him. You wave at Bennett, smiling.

"Bennett! Help me choose some flowers, yeah?"

"Uhm—uh, Sure, Your Grace!"

And that's how the insulters were hiding in their homes for the rest of their lives as you merrily dragged Bennett out of that horrendous conversation.

Nilou

Honestly, do I need to say who decided to insult this amazing dancer?

Yes, it was fricking Azar again. What is up with this crazy old man, nobody knows. Perhaps you should put him in prison for a while until he's gained a sense of appreciation for the Arts. ALL of the Arts.

Apparently, when you had drilled fear into this man, he thought it only applied to flipping Nahida. As much as you love Nahida, you are not going to have Azar twists your words and make it seem like you grant him permission to snark down other people—especially the people of Zubayr Theater.

So when Azar finally decides to have scholars gain the nerve to insult Nilou on behalf of his stupid brain, you (of course) just had to get yourself involved with this.

"Excuse me, but since when did you have the audacity to judge someone else's profession of art, simply because it isn't 'academic' in any way?" You spat. "Where I come from, Art courses are necessary in order to move on in your academic life." When Nilou hears you, she, first of all, is grateful of you stepping up for her, and, second of all, very scared of what might be happening next.

The scholars pale, but they seem to have taken your comment as a debate.

"With all due respect, Your Grace, the Arts are anything but educational—"

"Was I looking for a second opinion, dimwit?" You narrow your eyes. "Besides, have you yourself ever tried the Art of Dancing or the Art of Music before?"

"Well—uhm, no, but—"

"Then shut up, then." The scholars begin to panic as your voice becomes low and dangerous. "You don't have an excuse to be judgmental if you haven't even tried this stuff yourself."

"Ex-Sage Azar told us to say this!" They blurt out, and that only increases your rage. Seeing that things might escalate, Nilou steps in.

"Your Grace, let's not be too harsh!" She exclaims, waving her hands frantically. "I'm sure they understand what they did wrong. There's no need to have them punished." You narrowed your eyes in disagreement, for a half second, Nilou thought she made the situation worse.

But when you sigh heavily, she knew you relented. You glare at the scholars again.

"Tell Azar if he does this again, to ANYONE, I'll cut his head off, and there's no more excuses there. In fact—bring me to him. I'll have a talk with him myself."

Yeah, Azar got traumatized again :)

But when Nilou hears you be insulted? Quite literally behind your back? She thought she was going to faint from the gossiper's comments alone! You being there to listen it to it all only made her feel worse.

She was about to confront them, until she saw other people nearby dealing with the situation. So, Nilou decides to check up and see if you were okay...After all, those comments weren't nice.

She was pretty shocked when she realized you were contemplating over wares instead, completely unbothered by the drama going on behind your back. Nevertheless, she was still going to apologize in case you were just hiding your emotions.

"Uhm, Your Grace—I would like to apologize on behalf of all of Zubayr Theater. We should've done something earlier." You look at her, confused.

"What are you apologizing for, Nilou?" You ask. She blinks.

"Uhm, the gossipers, Your Grace..?" Your eyes widen, before you bark a laugh.

"Oh, those dudes! Yeah—don't worry about them, honestly. Say—help me pick: should I get hot chocolate or tea from this lovely store?"

Let's just say you had a fun time hanging out with Nilou for the rest of the afternoon :)

AND THAT'S IT! WE ARE DONE! I AM SO SORRY FOR BEING INACTIVE AND TAKING 30+ YEARS TO FINISH THIS, BUT IT'S HERE! :D I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED IT!

Ghost Rebel Side Notes: To anyone who's waiting for The Lost Shining God of Celestia, yes I have been writing on it. However, due to personal life problems and other IRL circumstances, it's taking a little longer than expected. I am sorry, everyone!

✦ Check out The Ghost Rebel��s Blog Description & Info Page to See if Their Mailbox is Open! ✦

[bigtittiecomitte]

What are your thoughts on this video?? This was recommend to me and I watched it and I didn't really care for it..maybe it's just me but it feels like this person seems more salty about V not getting together with N instead of giving actually criticisms of why he didn't like the finale, in fact I've seen most people act act this way when it comes to the finale..it's been mixed since it released and more people have lately been finding reasons to find Nuzi *Problematic* and a bad ship with saying the whole N is dating is "sister" (Cyn) because of Uzi and the solver being in one together in the same body even though that's NOT the case!! Idk, part of the reasons I was never able to fully ship Envy was because of some of the toxic fans and V fans and how they treated Uzi as a character..even after the finale Uzi is still getting undeserved mistreatment and hate and it's truly unfortunate. People need to see and realize that although Nuzi is canon people are still allowed to ship whatever they want canon or not, and just because Nuzi is canon doesn't mean anybody can be a dick and jackass. People also shouldn't be sending threats to Liam and Glitch because of the finale, yes the finale was flawed but that doesn't make it okay to to doxx or hass the studio or creator, MD is Liam's show and he should allowed to do whatever he wants with this show, I've said this in my own post but I think many in this fandom truly took this show for granted and didn't really deserve it..although I'm grateful for Murder Drones and will forever cherish it as it's my comfort show, this fandom is truly a mess and I know that's all fandoms..but the MD community is just so toxic and I wished it was a much better and healthier fanbase. :(

https://youtu.be/mQ5xnKYHGoc?si=6bSwQpiPV10beX-b

I saw the video and holy fuck Media Literacy is DEAD

I’m all for hearing people’s opinions but it really does piss me off when people just start saying crap without properly understanding the characters they’re talking about

For anybody not wanting to check out the video, basically the guy is saying that N and V should’ve gotten together and N and Uzi should’ve just stayed friends or even have a “sibling dynamic” (pretty much stuff we’ve already heard before lol). The issue is that if you have been watching the show with your two eyes you would know that N and V getting together in the end would actually be WORSE for N and V

N and V’s relationship is very catered to the past, present and future. In the past, N and V had a thing for each other in the manor (maybe even dated) then we have the present where N and V are now genocidal robots with the intent of killing worker drones for oil. N still has a crush on V prior to meeting Uzi while V tries to protect her and N by continuing on their path of death due to her trauma of Cyn and everything that happened in the manor, she tries pretending to forget his name and hides secrets from him, which makes him upset and lash out on her. Then we cut to the future, N and V are now friends and living in the bunker with the rest of the worker drones, they’re healing but they’re doing alright now that there’s finally no hiding secrets from one another

The problem with a lot of people complaining that Envy should have been canon instead is the fact that their entire relationship throughout Murder Drones is all about moving on and the fact that not all romantic relationships end with them being happy together. N and V could never have what they had in the manor again because not only have they moved on from each other but they’re also building up their platonic relationship brick by brick. N and V were never proper friends and never got the chance to rekindle until Uzi came along, which another thing I want to talk about

I see so many people hating on Uzi for being the reason as to why N and V didn’t become endgame but if it wasn’t for Uzi. N and V would’ve never ended up where they are today like if they never met Uzi then they would just end up killing all the worker drones and dying after all the oil is gone, N and V wouldn’t even get to rekindle their relationship because it would be stuck to how it was before Uzi came along. The reason as to why Nuzi became endgame and not Envy wasn’t because Liam favoured one ship than the other but because N and Uzi were actually communicating. They were friends and understood each other’s trauma and feelings, which is what made them work. N and V didn’t have that until N lashed out on her and she got her character growth

The only part I can somewhat agree with is that we should have seen V apologise to the real N (she did apologise but it was to a fake N instead) but I’m at least happy that real N was there to know that she was being sincere with her words. They’re all traumatised characters, none of them deserved what they went through

He says that Uzi should’ve stopped having a crush on N which leads to N and V getting together and I just full on stopped the video because how are you seeing the interactions between N and Uzi and thinking that Uzi should have just stopped having a crush on him when N’s feelings for her were also the same, them not being canon would have actually made no sense because of all the moments we had got of them, hell even them implied to be dating in Episode 7 lol. N and V getting together in the end would have been way more rushed than the ship of what some envy shippers actually claim to be rushed

Not only that but him calling V “jealous” of N and Uzi being in love because apparently that’s what she wanted with N, like hell did V tell you that? She’s happy for them even if she doesn’t look like it (I mean I don’t like seeing couples in public either lol)

Nuzi being canon doesn’t mean you have to stop shipping other ships that you find better and it’s totally ok to be disappointed that Envy wasn’t the main ship. But it doesn’t give people the right to just make fake screenshots of Liam’s twitter and blaming Nuzi shippers for the reason as to why Nuzi became canon (apparently we all did a meeting and pay for Nuzi to be canon lmao). Remember that fanfiction and fanart exist my dudes, support your local AU’s too

Basically Envy is a very tragic ship and it was always written that way and guys please stop mischaracterising V it hurts

[ladycatofwinterfell]

Inheritance

Summary: Rhaenys goes into the mountain in search of her Meleys and finds Daemon already there. The cousin she loves and hates in equal measure. Their conversation touches on dragons moving through the family, war, and people long since lost

Rhaenys and Daemon are a set of characters whose relationship has really intrigued me from the beginning and I've been wanting to write fic about them for a while now! Here's a small attempt at exploring part of their long history with one another, about 3000 words :)

She had to venture deeper into the tunnel than she had expected. On and on, into the pressing darkness beneath Dragonstone. She could feel the weight of the rocks above even as the tunnel was large enough for a dragon to pass through it. The air was warm, and unlike in other caves the temperature grew higher the further down she came.

The dragon keepers could have brought Meleys to her, yet Rhaenys had not called for it. She had taken a torch and gone into the caves. Wanting to do it. Wanting the distraction, the thrill of the darkness. There was so much to think about that simply disappeared down there. That didn’t matter anymore as she was surrounded by the stone and the strange heat.

Around a twist in the tunnel she saw the warm gleam of fire and immediately took a step to stand against the wall. If the dragon making that fire was to come her way she would not have much to put against it. Meleys would not breathe fire her way, she knew her scent from far away. It was another dragon, currently laying claim to Meleys’ favourite cave.

Though as she waited there, waited for whatever dragon it was, she realised the sound accompanying the light was not a deafening roar, but calm breaths. Nor did the light ever fade. It was not dragon fire.

And so Rhaenys pushed forward with her own torch in hand. No sooner has she reached the turn before she saw the source of the warm light. She also saw the dragon beyond. 

Daemon sat on the floor, leaning back against the wall of the cave. Meleys was beyond him, seemingly asleep. Her large figure did not move apart from her slow breathing. A magnificent beast she was, her Meleys. Crimson like blood and crowned with sharp spikes.

”This one is not yours, Cousin” Rhaenys said. ”Not once have I ever found Caraxes here.”

Daemon must have heard her before that, her steps had echoed as she walked, though only then did he turn his head to look at her. 

He looked tired, weary. But then who among them was not?

”I know where to find my dragon” he responded. 

”Then how come you are in the presence of mine?”

Meleys had grown lazy in the years past, though like every dragon she was not without aggression. Why did she allow Daemon in her lair while she was vulnerable and asleep?

Meleys had stirred at the sound of Rhaenys’ voice, opened her eyes and lifted her head slightly. Apart from that she did not move. 

”Do you think I mean to steal her?”

The dry amusement in Daemon’s voice would never grow any less irritating. It had always been the same with him. Always.

Rhaenys passed him without another word, approaching her dragon instead. Her beautiful Meleys. The one she had come down into the earth for.

She was careful not to burn Meleys with her torch, held it as far away from her as possible as she put her hand against her scales below her left eye. Looked into the large amber eye, met the gaze of her dragon. There was fire in that gaze, soft fire.

Never did she know peace as with Meleys. Never did she feel whole as with Meleys. No one else granted her that. Perhaps the children had brought her that, once. Though her children were dead and she could not know anymore. She knew only Meleys.

”It’s fitting” Daemon said behind her.

She had a feeling of that she would have to humour him with an answer or he would keep at it until she did.

”What is?” she asked, holding Meleys’ gaze.

She was warm under her hand. Warm as only a dragon could be. Wondrously so. And Rhaenys felt the vibrations of her rumbling breaths.

”That yours should be the Red Queen.”

There had been a time in her life when some foolish part of her had believed they would be queens together. The Queen of Westeros and the Red Queen. Though in the end only one of them was queen, and her cousin was gloating.

”And you ride the Blood Wyrm.”

Daemon only snorted at that. 

”It is a wonder she accepted your presence” Rhaenys continued, unable to help herself. 

Meleys had again closed her eyes, though remained with her head so that Rhaenys could stand with her hand on her.

”You forget yourself, I rode her long before you did.”

Rhaenys remembered that, and had heard the story afterwards many times. Her Aunt Alyssa had put Daemon in swaddling clothes and taken him into the sky on Meleys when he was mere days old. She had done the same with Viserys, though then Rhaenys had not been old enough to remember it even as surely her father had muttered about it.

”And I rode Caraxes.”

While she had not been as young as when he rode Meleys her father had taken her into the sky on Caraxes. She remembered that fondly. Remembered the thrill of her first flight and her father’s smile. And then Father had died and Caraxes had taken Daemon for his rider. Daemon, the very opposite of Aemon.

Rhaenys would have liked to hold both of her palms to Meleys. Would have liked to have her entire body to Meleys, embrace her as well as she could. And so she backed away a few steps, carefully set her torch down on the ground and then did what she had wished to do. 

”They say we claim the dragons, it is not the truth” Rhaenys mumbled, her cheek against Meleys. ”The dragons claim us.”

The dragons were their own. Most of them were under Targaryen control, though they were also very much their own. 

”Did you not choose Meleys?”

”I could not have done it if she had not chosen me. And so I wonder why my father’s dragon chose you.”

What in Daemon was it that had drawn Caraxes to him? Why had their souls bonded?

”Then am I allowed to ask the same question? Why did my mother’s dragon choose you?”

Alyssa Targaryen had not been too different from Rhaenys. She remembered Aunt Alyssa, did not think herself so very unlike her. It was not the same with Aemon and Daemon. Daemon had a rage in him that had never been there in her father.

”Why did my father’s dragon choose Laena?” Daemon went on, his voice rising as anger crept into it. ”Why did Laena’s dragon choose Aemond?”

Why had Laena’s dragon chosen Aemond? Why was it, that should it ever come to fighting between dragons, Rhaenys would have to stand against her daughter’s beloved Vhagar? How happy Laena had been to claim Vhagar. In her final moments it had been Vhagar she went to. And now it was Aemond that rode Vhagar.

”Vhagar was once Visenya’s dragon” was all Rhaenys could say. ”She’s a war dragon. She favours warriors.”

There had been a warrior’s spirit in Laena, even as she was a woman. Corlys would tell Rhaenys that she had given their daughter a dragon rider’s heart. That had always made her laugh, until suddenly they had found themselves gazing upon Laena’s burned remains. Then Corlys had never again mentioned it and the laughter had died.

”Aemond is no warrior! He’s a boy, a pretender that has not known true battle. And a cunt, at that.”

Rhaenys could not claim to know him. Viserys’ sons were all more or less unknown to her. King’s Landing had long since ceased to be the place she called home when they were born, and she had had little interest in them. And rarely had her family come to visit High Tide. Though Aemond’s skill with a sword was well known, she had heard of it. Death he had certainly brought.

”Aemond killed Luke” she reminded him.

Luke had not been her grandson, not in blood. There had been nothing of Leanor in that boy, just as there was nothing of Leanor in Jace and Joffrey. Though he had been raised as her grandson, he had been Corlys’ heir. Lucerys Velaryon, dead long before his time. A boy, sent on a peaceful mission. The poor thing.

”Not by sword, by dragon.”

Had it been by sword then at least there would have been a body to burn. Perhaps Arrax would have lived. Rhaenyra could have remained in Dragonstone instead of going on a pointless search for the lost boy. There was nothing left of him, Rhaenys was certain of it. Nothing left of his dragon, either.

”How many have you not killed with Caraxes rather than Dark Sister?” she had to ask. ”I heard that in the fighting over the Stepstones many perished in his fires.”

”And you mean to equal that with the murder of Luke?”

It was as if he misunderstood her on purpose merely to fight. Perhaps he did. It was hard to say with Daemon Targaryen.

Rhaenys left her dragon’s side, took up the torch that had remained burning, and then went to sit by Daemon. It was no comfortable resting place, the floor of the cave. A chamber not dug by human means. Though there she would sit all the same.

”The murder of Luke disgusts me, I’m beyond sickened by it” she ensured him, looking at him for the first time since their conversation began. ”I meant to ask if you take responsibility for those deaths, or if it was Caraxes that killed them?”

Had Aemond killed Luke? Had Vhagar killed Luke? Did it matter or was it all the death of a young boy? A death that could plunge the entire realm into war?

Daemon did not look back at her. He leaned his head back against the cave wall, stared at Meleys.

”Was it you who killed all the peasants when you fled King’s Landing, Cousin? Or Meleys?”

Those deaths had not been by dragon fire. They had been unfortunate casualties when Meleys crashed through the floor.

”You cannot answer my question with a question.”

”I can do whatever I like.”

There was silence then. Or, rather, it would have been silent if it had not been for Meleys’ rumbling breaths. Rhaenys could feel the vibrations even as she no longer touched the dragon. So powerful was her presence.

”That is not the truth” Rhaenys eventually said. ”You are not the king. You believe Dark Sister and Caraxes mean you answer to no one, though you do answer to Rhaenyra.”

Some men believed themselves to be above others. Most men believed themselves to be above their wives. Daemon’s wife was the queen, and he was no king. Merely a consort. How it had to burn in him, how he must have resented that Rhaenyra had been chosen over him.

”Rhaenyra is not here.”

”I know. And so you must follow the instructions already given to you.”

The dragons were only part of their power. The dragons would not be what resolved the conflict. The dragons would be their ruin.

”If you and I were to fly to King’s Landing we could—”

”We could kill Vhagar. Or we could fail in our attempt to kill the largest dragon alive, and so bring dragons into the war for nothing.”

She was tired of speaking of that. He had brought it up time and time again. Always Vhagar. Never Helaena’s Dreamfyre or Aegon’s Sunfyre. Never the small dragons of Aegon’s children. Never Daeron’s Tessarion, the Blue Queen to Meleys’ Red Queen. 

Daemon would not say anything to that, and so Rhaenys pushed forward.

”There are other dragons in King’s Landing. Dreamfyre, like Vhagar, is older and larger than both Meleys and Caraxes. Sunfyre may be young, though he is large for his age and his rider is reckless and dangerous. And while Daeron may not be in King’s Landing he also has a dragon of fighting size.”

Continued silence from her cousin.

”I have no wish to die. I also have no wish to unleash our dragons upon the realm because then the destruction of it will be set in stone and history will be written with our blood.”

She saw how Daemon’s fist tightened around his torch, saw his knuckles whiten.

”Vhagar must die” he insisted. ”Because we cannot move on King’s Landing as long as the old bitch is guarding it!”

He sounded strained, as if he had to force out the words.

”Or because she was Laena’s?”

Because he had ridden Caraxes while Laena had ridden Vhagar and now Vhagar belonged to Aemond instead? Because the dragon, incapable of understanding it, had betrayed them? 

“Because she’s a living reminder of my daughter? Believe me, Cousin, I have mourned Laena. I have mourned her more than you have, more than you ever will."

There was an anger in her suddenly that she had not known would be there. It did not burn, no, the fire had died out years ago. It was a cool anger.

Laena had died trying to birth Daemon’s child. She had died to bring forth life for him. In a city so far away from her home, so far away from her family, she had perished. And then barely had her body cooled before Laenor was also dead and Daemon was wed to Rhaenyra. 

“I watched you walk over the corpses of my children– oh, do not deny it!”

He had opened his mouth as if to speak, she could not listen to it then. Whatever he had to say would not be good enough. It would only serve to anger her further.

“I watched you walk over the corpses of my children for Viserys’ girl” she began again, careful to keep her voice down. “I hated you for it. Part of me still does. So do not disregard Rhaenyra now when she needs you, do what she asks of you. Do not make me believe it was all for nothing. Because gods help you if I should ever get the notion that it was.” 

Her children dead for nothing. Pointless deaths. Disrespected days after having been laid to rest. And for what? For Daemon to place their grandsire’s crown on Rhaenyra’s head with his own two hands and then not follow her orders? For him to try to take the power of that crown for himself?

”I had nothing to do with Laenor’s death” Daemon scoffed.

Not in a way that they could prove.

”You wed his widow before his body was cold.”

His body, almost as badly burned as that of his sister. Rhaenys had not been allowed to so much as look at their faces before they were placed in their coffins and pushed into the water. There had been no features to look down upon.

”Rhaenys.”

The use of her name came as a surprise. When had she last been ’Rhaenys’ to him? When had she not been ’cousin’? Had she ever been anything but that? Not that she could remember.

”Daemon.”

”You and I are all that remain of our generation now that Viserys is dead. Aemma died years ago. There were only four of us, now it is the two of us.”

When she entered the cave she would have laughed at the mere thought of Daemon beginning to reminiscence about their generation. 

”We do have at least three bastard cousins across the Narrow Sea” she reminded him. ”Courtesy of our Aunt Saera.” 

Did she live still, Aunt Saera? Surely not.

Daemon gave a wry smile at that and she felt how she herself followed suit. Even as the anger still simmered in her she smiled. 

”Maybe we should pay them a visit” he suggested. ”Our dear grandsire is long since dead, after all. Who is he to keep us from it?”

As long as Jaehaerys had lived no one had been allowed to speak of Saera. Not within hearing of him. Not within hearing of anyone that could tell him of it. 

”Vermithor is without rider. Perhaps he’ll claim one of them.”

To keep with the dragon tradition of choosing a new rider that would make the previous one start rolling in their grave.

Daemon laughed then. And Rhaenys laughed. She laughed and hated herself for how good it felt to laugh.

Daemon. The cousin she had loved and hated in equal measure. The only one of her true cousins that remained.

”Would you take pleasure in knowing it would have driven Jaehaerys mad to have one of Saera’s bastards ride his Vermithor?” Daemon asked once the laughter had died down a little.

”Had you asked me just after Harrenhal I would have said yes” she confessed.

Though not anymore. Some small offence remained, though not enough for it to be significant. The throne had passed her by and she had learned not to think of it. Corlys pondered it far more than she did. Though just after Viserys had been named Jaehaerys’ heir the indignation had been complete. That the question had been raised in the first place had been an insult.

”Though not anymore?”

”No, not anymore.”

She did not know if that was something he could understand. If he would have survived the slight the way she had. Viserys might have, though there was hotter blood in his brother. They had been different as night and day, Viserys the Peaceful and The Rogue Prince.

Rhaenys' torch would burn out soon. Daemon’s was dying. She had found Meleys, she had been given what she wanted. There was a world outside she needed to return to, a bright and airy world full of concerns that would weigh down her spirit once more. 

”I shall be leaving now” she announced as she began pushing herself up using the wall behind her.

When she stood upright Daemon still had yet to move.

”I’ll stay” he said when she looked at him. ”You interrupted me in my thinking.”

”You’ll be left in darkness soon.”

”I find my way around down here."

For some reason she did not doubt him.

”Good day, then.”

Rhaenys had reached the entrance to the cave when she realised there was a point she had to emphasise. One that might have been lost in their shared laughter.

”I did mean it” she said, turning to face him again.

”What?”

”That if you walk against Rhaenyra after what became of my children I will bring you a fate much worse than dragon fire when we meet again.”

She had not yet decided what that fate would be, though she believed it would come to her if needed. Inspiration would strike when it was necessary. She hoped it would never go so far, she hoped Daemon would for once fully serve someone that was not himself.

And with that she turned her back to him. To Meleys. And began making her way back through the tunnel.

[littlevices]

Mononoke Movie

I wasn't sure what to expect with this movie, but the fact I dove down a rabbit hole of potential lore, including the different medicine sellers, was not it. The surprises are pleasant, but I truly wish to know more. This character and series has me invested now.

I've already talked some about both Ayakashi and it's Spin-off Mononoke. If interested on my thoughts, mostly about Mononoke, you find it here (beware some spoilers). If not, long story short - I thought Ayakashi was alright, I thought the Bakeneko arc was the best arc, then watched Mononoke, and now here I am, lol.

Disclaimer: Spoilers for the first Mononoke movie - The Phantom in the Rain. However, there will be little to no spoilers concerning Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales and Mononoke (2007). Also note, when I say original series, I mean Mononoke (2007). When I mention Bekeneko, I specifically mean the arc from Ayakashi.

So, yes, this thing. First off, I am very happy they kept the animation style and look of the original Mononoke series. The style of the 2007 series was one of the reasons my interest was peaked in not only looking into Mononoke, but also watching Ayakashi as whole (even if I've heard people say you only need to watch the bakeneko arc for that).

This style is still beautiful, they kept the vibrant colors and lines, and even the paper textures. They didn't have to do all that, especially for something that was from early 2000's, but they did and the dedication is appreciated. However, it is a little different from the original. The colors seem much more vibrant and bold, whereas in the 2007 series and Bakeneko they had a more muted tone. I'm not surprised by this given how much older the original series is (almost 20 years old, huzzah -_-), so it was probably just limitations back then. Granted, even then the original series was still very colorful and bright with its colors. This is just an observation, though, not a nitpick. It is more or less the same visual style.

Before I point out the elephant in the room, or rather the seller, let me just touch and talk on the main story a moment.

Much like the original series, the movies touches on some fairly dark themes. Despite the rating on netflix being 14+, this movie takes place in an Ooku, a place where many women are gathered to be concubines for the emperor. Okay, there's actually a lot more to an Ooku than that, but it's a lot of information and I tend to ramble enough as is, so I won't get into it here. Just know that's what the basic function, at least, became by the time period the movie takes place in.

A number of the characters were very interesting here, especially when we are given glimpses of what the other women in the Ooku gave up before working there. The dynamic between Asa and Kame is very interesting. I like how at first, Kame was willing to give up what's important to her for a chance at a better status, but Asa wanted to hold onto what was dear to her. The fact this got turned around at the end was an interesting development, and I wonder how that might affect them later if we see them again in the second movie. Mugitani and Awashima giving up a ball and kaleidoscope respectively make me wonder what they were like before the Ooku. Clearly they were characters with a more carefree lifestyle, so in a way it's sad to see them lose themselves as they did.

I wish we'd gotten more about some of the other side characters, such as Fuki, Saburoumaru, and even that Hokuto man, but I suppose I'll have to wait for the next movie.

The horror elements, while a bit toned down I feel compared to the original series, are still very catching. This movie was definitely more geared towards action, but I thought that was fun. Especially seeing Kon Kusuriuri in action. The animation was stunning, and the scene where the characters were falling down the well was a great way to display how they had all let go of something valuable, important, but Asa hadn't lost everything yet. I loved Kon and how he first, uh, "subtly inserted" himself into the Ooku. Yes. Very subtle. I don't even think Ri could be more subtle than that. Nope.

Oh, yes, the local medicine seller.

So, apparently, this medicine seller is different from the series medicine seller (Kon and Ri, respectively). It's a whole thing, and hopefully it'll be better elaborated on in the next movie or even the third, but I found nacch-an's crash course post very helpful, they even have links to source material for extra learning! (Thank you! I really liked this post!)

As far as this medicine seller goes, I like him. He's clearly got energy and seems rather playful, or more openly playful than Ri, lol. I like his design and the moves he pulls are very eye catching. However, I think I still like Ri more, if only because his whole attitude is a mood and I feel for this man. It's also because I haven't known Kon long, and I might become more attached by the second movie. However, he seems to be a bit more energetic than Ri so far. He's certainly a little more loud, lol. I feel like he's a bit more of a little shit, though Ri had his moments in the original series and bakeneko.

Overall, I thought what the movie was going for was great, but I'll obviously have to watch the next movie and, what I believe, is supposed to be a third one, to get the whole story. Not that I mind.

A part of me is sad that I didn't know about Mononoke before, back when the original series released. However, I don't know if my younger self would have like it the way I do now. Ah, well. I've seen it now, and I am definitely going to see this ride through.

[spacelazarwolf]

I mean this in genuine good faith and am asking because my family isn't historically Ashkenazi but has been operating as such since they left France/French Rite died out. How do you go about keeping an Italian rite when afaik there isn't an Italian rite shul outside of Italy and Israel? I'm learning judeo-french and uncovering family legacy via really old siddurim but as far as anyone can tell me I cannot be Zarphatic without a community. Since there is obviously no community anymore, I am told I have to pick a dominant rite instead. Do you do this for shul and then privately do something else? Is there an option I'm missing? I am based in Europe, so idk if that's part of it. I was just curious seeing that you're posting about being a USAm and also italki. I know it's a different situation because there are no french rite shuls outside of some that are influenced (interestingly especially in parts of Italy)!

this is a good question!

i am not as familiar with how jewish communities function in europe, or how your specific community functions, so i can only speak from my own perspective as an american in a primarily ashkenazi community.

you are correct that there are no synagogues that follow the italian rite outside of italy and israel. italki jews make up only about 0.3% of the global jewish population, and our population is pretty evenly split between italy and israel. i don't know of any other italki jews in my area, or at least any that are practicing.

i am very lucky in that my synagogue is already pretty multicultural, as one of our founding rabbis is sephardic, so we don't really follow one specific rite. we have our own siddur that incorporates ashkenazi and sephardi traditions, as well as a bit of our own personal flair. you will often hear things like "please rise or stay seated, according to your tradition" during services. because of this flexibility, it's pretty easy for me to infuse my personal practice into my communal practice.

some of the ways i've been able to incorporate my own rite in shul is to use italian hebrew pronunciation white reciting prayers. it's easy and most people don't even notice i do it. i'm not sure if there's a french equivalent. i'm also planning on teaching our friday night regulars the italian rite kiddush (which is much easier than the ashkenazi one because the cantor/leader does most of the work lmao) and incorporating some italian jewish music into our services. i also have a few projects in the works, including planning an italki seder as well as a weekend/shabbat program where our friday evening, saturday morning, and havdalah services will all be in the italian rite, feature italian jewish music, italian jewish traditions, etc. and of course accompanied by italian jewish food.

granted, this is all pretty easy for me to do, not just because of the diversity of my synagogue, but also because they're chill as fuck. if your synagogue is not as chill and you don't want to/don't have the option to find a different one, you will likely need to follow whichever rite your synagogue does at shul, and your own at home. obviously this is not ideal, but learning about french jewish music, judeo-french, french jewish history and traditions, etc. and incorporating as much as you can into your personal practice will still be very rewarding.

in terms of how you identify, literally do whatever you want forever. i don't know much about french jews and how they identify, but if you want to identify yourself in a particular way regarding being a french jew, you should have the autonomy to do that. people might not like or understand it, and that's ok because it's not their life. others will be very fascinated and excited to hear about traditions they may have never heard of before, and for me those are the best moments.

[not-too-many-eyes]

Fun thing about Eva that I get to notice now that I've finished episode 3 is that her inclination towards nostalgia and romanticization of the past is nicely foreshadowed in episode 1:

Hideyoshi: Now this garden, was it just as magnificent when y'all were kids? Eva: From the time I left the House onwards, it started to really become something. Before that, the garden was simpler, but I'm still attached to that one though. Nii-san fiddled with it too much, with his slightly bad taste. It was better the way it was before. Hideyoshi: Eva, you've gotta think positive! Let the past go, ya hafta admire the prettiness of this garden now. That way, your heart'll be at peace. Eva: I didn't mean it like that… I was just saying that I wanted you to see this garden the way it was before too.

She calls the the garden (the past) simple, before it was tainted by someone else (Krauss.) Even though by all accounts that simple past never existed. Krauss is her Older brother after all, and it's not like Kinoz is a beacon of feminism. However, the simple fact that those events occurred "in the past" allows for distortion of the events within them.

This is also showcased with Evatrice to some extent. Eva conceptualizes the version of her that was a "young girl" as someone filled with magic, someone who is free from the heavy realities of the world and the responsibilities that she now has to face as Ushiromiya Eva.

To borrow some lines from Utena, it's almost as if Eva believes that:

And we get to see this distortion happen In Real Time in episode 3.

Something I harp on a lot on my Milgram (web series) sideblog is that murder is a form of removing someone from the narrative. Deeming their voice as unnecessary to the story that you want told. After all, when someone is dead it means they are unable to exert any sort of control over what happens around them. You can tell any story you want about the dead, and, generally speaking, they won't be able to contest it.

We can already see examples of this in Umineko before Ep 3. After all, Beatrice is "dead," and the ritual here is meant to "revive" her. However the narrative told around her and Kinzo's relationship by the ones alive, who only know it by people who heard it second-hand from Kinzo, is one of a tragic lost love. But when we actually meet Beatrice she tells a radically different version of events that would have otherwise been left hidden.

To return to Eva. We can actually see her rewrite the past, and her relationship with the dead in real time. Eva at the start of Episode 3 is wallowing in suicidality and self loathing. Being a housewife and sacrificing her ambitions to become a "real adult" is killing her. But she is being resigned to her suffering it, and attempting to craft a new life and new dreams she can grow attached to.

These regrets bleed into her current life, she's forced her dreams onto George, and grows more bitter and resentful day by day. The weight of her reality is starting to become unbearable, and as such she's desperately seeking a way to:

Eva: …I'll believe. I'll believe, so create a miracle with that magic… If you don't, the hole in my heart will never heal…

Evatrice comes in, her younger self "untainted" by the realities that haunt her. Able to use her magic to save her from the reality of being Ushiromiya Eva.

At this point Evatrice is Eva's escape from having to be Ushiromiya Eva. Her younger self acting as a power fantasy in which she can escape into. Though notably, Evatrice is also prone to romanticization, most notable in her actions with Rosa as she imagines a past for them that never actually...existed.

Evatrice: …Hey, Rosa. Do you remember, long ago, when we were small, when we used to talk about what it'd be like to become witches and fly around the sky? Evatrice: …That dream has been granted, hasn't it? I became a real witch and granted it for you.

My friend ran the math for the ages here. When Rosa was 5, Eva was already an adult. They were never small together. This is a distorted interpretation of the past that doesn't actually exist.

What Rosa remembers of their relationship is being horrifically abused in the psychological torture maze that is the Ushiromiya family. While Evatrice creates this sisterly bond that they haven't been able to indulge in since they were kids.

This brings me to Eva and Evatrice's confrontation after Hideyoshi's killing. Where Eva starts conceptualizing Evatrice as:

Eva: …I was gripped by that temptation, which is why you were born. While you are a young girl version of me, at the same time, you are also my self-centered evil heart. Because of my foolish greed sprouted by that mountain of gold, the shell of the egg that is my heart cracked, and you were born into this world… I am responsible for your birth…!

Completely different from the almost savior like version of her that existed in her head beforehand. Evatrice has now become a child who cannot "understand what made Hideyoshi so wonderful" who cannot understand the "dreams that she had as an adult" who cannot conceive of anything other than herself.

Now, I would like to remind everyone that Eva was already very good at being self-centered and evil before Evatrice was involved in any of this. For one, she has been organizing George's life so that she could vicariously live her dreams through him, and being horrifically misogynistic towards Natsuhi and Jessica in the process.

But also, more importantly, she is rewriting her own feelings about her life with her family in real time!

Evatrice: …What the heck? Our dreams were made real with magic, right? We solved the riddle of the epitaph. Then we found the gold and got the Head's Ring. All of our dreams came fully true, right? What more could you want…? Eva: Those weren't all of my dreams…!! What about living a wonderful life with that person and giving George an excellent life…?! I still have many dreams that haven't come true…as a wife, as a mother…!! And yet, and yet…!

Now, I'm not necessarily saying these dreams don't exist. They do!

I Am However saying that Eva is flattening the emotional reality of the situation in order to ignore the complex feelings that she doesn't want to interrogate, and in the process distorting the lived past.

Again, Eva was bordering on suicidal because of her life with Hideyoshi. There was a wound in her heart that she could not heal. Pushing her dreams onto George wasn't enough. Trying to get one over Krauss wasn't enough. These aren't enough to fill what she has lost, and what she has lost is...well.

Ushiromiya Eva is still unable to conceive of herself as the true successor of the family head:

Eva: …But now I see that's just a lie! Just an excuse that the have-nots make for themselves!! In front of this mountain of gold, I've finally realized something so obvious…!! By using this money, I can give birth to all the happiness in this world! With this money, my husband's company is already saved. We will always be happy as a family. And I can even leave a vast sum of money to George…!! The rest of the relatives will eventually be ruined and disappear. At that time, George will use this gold, and just like Grandfather did, he will revive the Ushiromiya family's lost honor. George is the true successor to the Ushiromiya family!!

She's pulled herself out of the running for a long time now since she was born a woman. That still hasn't changed. The wound is still infected, antiseptic has Not Been Applied to it!

Her "adult" dreams are the dreams she gained when she abandoned the idea of being able to fulfill her ambitions. This doesn't make those dreams "bad" persay, but they were created out of this ingrained understanding that as a woman she will be unable to fulfill her true desires.

And yet, she's created this narrative that Evatrice was her greedy evil self that sprouted from her diseased heart unable to "give up" her "childish fantasies" of holding power in the world. She's just a child that:

Eva: A child like you cannot understand what made that man so wonderful!! Oooooooooooooooohhhh, dear, aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!

So, to go back to the romantization of the past.

Why does Ushiromiya Eva romanticize her relationship with Hideyoshi?

It wasn't as happy as she makes it seem! Eva's "Good Happy Wife" behavior is something she crafts purposefully!

This time, it was Gohda. It looked like they'd kept everyone waiting too long after all. Even Eva had to stand up without grumbling now. She had to stop forcing her bad mood onto her husband and causing him any more trouble. Because that wasn't someting a 'good wife' would do.

And in this same scene Hideyoshi says that her genuine fear at having horrifically fucked up George's life (another point in how Eva's family life isn't exactly how it seems like) is just "her hormones acting up." One google for misogony in the Medical Field can tell you how, even if it's just him covering for Eva, calling her "hormonal" holds Implication. Not to mention how his scene trying to talk down Evatrice is him reminding her of her duties as a wife. Nice is not the same as Good.

And yet she still holds onto it. Again, she flattens her own feelings and compartmentalizes them. Rejecting her own power fantasy, and casting Evatrice out from herself, denying that she has any want to do those things. Why would someone do that?

Well, there's a lot of reasons. People need to cope with reality after all.

And again, Hideyoshi is nice, not good.

Hideyoshi "Enabler" Ushiromiya is one of the few things keeping Eva from killing herself. Every time she has a breakdown about her life and how she's done wrong to others. Hideyoshi is there to reassure her that she's done nothing wrong actually and that she's a perfect wife and mother.

Eva: ......I....I wonder if I've been using George as a tool for my own revenge....I wonder if my childish hostility towards Nii-san has caused me to treat the boy's life as a toy.... ....Aah, what have I done...What have I...! Hideoyshi: That isn't true. George is our wonderful son, and he'll always perform admirably wherever he goes. Eva, even if you let your own hopes get in the way a bit, everythin' turned out okay in the end, hasn't it?! You haven't done anythin' wrong. In fact, George is grateful for the strict discipline you gave him, right?

We know he's wrong here! Literally a few paragraphs before this Eva was admonishing herself for doing this exact thing!

Evatrice: …Even though Father and Krauss ruined your life, you're trying to push your dreams onto your son, ruining his life. Is that what you call being an adult? Eva: G-George is a son I'm proud of, one who won't embarrass himself no matter where he goes…! The dream I wasn't granted might come true for George…! Jessica's a delinquent in both her grades and her behavior. And she's a woman! If only Jessica would step down, George would become the heir…! Even saying it was painful. Am I just forcing my own regrets onto George? It's not like I have any right to look on Jessica with scorn. Wasn't I just horrible for hitting her with the same words that had caused me so much suffering…? …I understand. I understand… The desire to triumph over my brother is part of my own personal revenge. I can't use George for that…

We also have a very good reason to believe that George Ushiromiya in fact...is not grateful for the strict discipline his mom gave him. In fact quite the opposite actually! Hideyoshi is acting as Eva's instant gratification husband. Saying what she wants to hear even if it doesn't really help in the long term.

Do also note that Eva called her hostility towards Krauss here "childish." Already downplaying the extent of the abuse she experienced due to him.

To acknowledge Evatrice's power fantasy as part of her own existence, she must first acknowledge a lot of conflicting emotions and deeply upsetting truths. Both before the murders and after it.

And Ushiromiya Eva just...cannot do that in the state she is in at the start of episode 3.

[positivelybeastly]

X-Men #5

Late, but who cares? Let's go.

So, I've made no secret that I thought Kwannon wasn't really being given enough to do, these last few issues of X-Men, and it's for the same reason I'm happy to see Greycrow here - Zeb Wells' Hellions was amazing. It was one of the few Krakoa era titles that actually bothered to examine the moral double standards of the era, that really took advantage of its unique status quo, that looked at mutant resurrection and thought, okay, how can we mine this, not for obscure background cameos that will make a person on Twitter happy, but for actual drama? It was a truly great series, and I was hoping it would be followed up, if only in small ways.

I do like that Kwannon and John have a cabin together. With how they left off, it felt very personal and intimate between them, like they truly didn't need anything else to be content with one another, and neither of them struck me as people who need action to be fulfilled - or, rather, they don't see action as a means for enjoyment. As Kwannon says here, it merely gives them purpose. So far, so good.

Wasn't expecting an Amelia Voght callback, of all characters. Then again, this is a Jed MacKay joint.

Psychics and death, name a more iconic X-Men duo.

It is interesting that we get kinda sort of confirmation that Quentin remembers being a head, since I would've figured that the Cerebro cradles were down and he'd have lost those memories, but I suppose it's also possible he could have just heard about it second-hand and been like, wow, I got turned into a head in a box? Weird.

Yeah, no, you don't get to call Scott Slim, Quentin. Only Hank, Bobby or Warren get to do that. And Jean, if she's feeling quirky.

Can I also say something? I actually dig Quentin's fit? I don't know if that says something about my fashion sense or what, but I actually like this look for him more than . . . pretty much any other look he's had. Granted, that's not saying much, given his other uniforms were black blazer with t-shirt, the 60s retro-futuristic mutant fascist attire, or the bland melange that was his X-Force uniform, but I do actually like it. Purple and checker pattern work.

So, this whole issue is an homage to New X-Men #121, which was part of Marvel's Nuff Said initiative, and it, along with all the other issues published that month, had pretty much no dialogue in it, it was all told purely through art. It's not a direct homage, of course, since dialogue is happening, but I appreciate the lampshade being hung on it here, with Quentin both pointing out that this isn't like the other homage, and then not-so-subtly pointing out why it isn't like them.

Because Quentin can't shut the fuck up.

Honestly, that's a fun spin on it. That's how you iterate on something you've seen before.

I'm a sucker for mental landscapes. Always have been, always will. I just like getting to grapple with a character's psyche in a tangible way, it's why I like series like Silent Hill or Star Trek's many telepathic episodes. And if I had to break down why I like them?

Well.

Pretty much.

You really could've just called this New X-Men volume 3, Jed, and I don't think anyone would've objected. That being said - I couldn't have given less of a shit what happened in Marauders volume 2, so seeing that Cassandra Nova is back and wasn't consigned to the dustbin because of that series is a win in my book. She's a top tier villain, tbh, one of the best new X-villains of the last 20 years, and her particular incisive methodology for breaking down heroes' psyches feels like it's perfectly suited for the team of this book.

As she demonstrates.

Ahhhh, good foreshadowing earlier, good stuff. And I have to say, Stegman's Sabretooth is fucking top tier. Excellent rendition of the big man himself (whom I already miss, even if he does have a miniseries coming up very soon).

This is a great sequence, tbh. Like, poor Quentin - this is actually the most anyone has made me feel for Quentin since Aaron, about ten years ago - but in terms of threat and character exposition, it's very good, with some excellent art and very Nova-esque deconstruction. I also particularly like this panel composition.

His head is in a smaller panel. His head is literally in a box.

Good stuff, tbh. Again, this is the most useful Quentin feels like he's been in a while, because if he did anything of real worth in X-Force other than die, I'll freely admit that I do not remember it.

Hank, Scott, do you . . . wanna get them some paper towels, or . . ?

Overall, not a bad issue - definitely not as memorable as the original psychic rescue, though.

Now, originally, I was gonna say, you can't hold that against it, it's not easy to match Morrison, that's just common sense, but then again, most writers don't directly invite the comparison, so, I really hope Jed is cooking up something long term and satisfying, because constantly referencing Morrison is all fine and dandy, but it needs to go somewhere.

Still, I'd say the title has been squarely good thus far, and it still has room to get better and better, so I'm gonna give it time to breathe.

Also?

Our expert panel of judges have concluded that Hank McCoy once again wins the title of Original X-Man with the Dumpiest of Dump Truck Asses. Thanks for trying, Scott, but, uh. Your nickname is Slim for a reason.

Conner, you and I are gonna fight.

Damn right. It's not Hank's fault comics readers don't read anything from before 2010 . . .

[sunnimint]

The Super Sonic × Reaper Metal AU refuses to leave my mind. So, I'm going to word vomit.

For reference, the S!Sonic × R!Metal AU is now officially named the Golden Grim AU. Here's some background info on how it all started!

Before we get into it, I want to emphasize that the Chaos Emeralds and Master Emerald in this AU are somewhat sentient- that’s what changes everything.

When I say Sonic goes super for the first time and couldn't change back, I really mean it. Following the events in StH 2, Sonic stays in his super form, the Chaos Emeralds refusing to part with a perfect vessel. This means the only people who have met and known Sonic as a blue hedgehog is everyone who was already introduced before StH 2's release. I'm taking some liberties, since I've heard that Sonic CD takes place before StH 2 (possibly canon?), meaning Amy and Metal have met Sonic first in his regular blue hedgieness. This means that Sonic didn't turn Super in Sonic CD too.

Super Sonic is, at first, very ecstatic to have godlike powers. He doesn’t mind not turning back, not at the beginning. Therefore, at this stage, S!Sonic is content to be running/flying around as a golden hedgehog with unlimited strength. The world is at S!Sonic’s fingertips, and he brings Tails with him wherever he goes. Tails, whose admiration for Sonic grows tenfold because of his super form. People around the world have taken notice of a powerful golden hedgehog. This marks the beginning of S!Sonic’s religion.

Following the events of StH 2, Eggman crash lands onto Angel Island, but the whole shtick in StH 3 & Knuckles is different. Knuckles, upon meeting Super Sonic (who even after he punches, still remains in his Super form) relates S!Sonic to the mural in the Hidden Palace. Thus, a rivalry is not formed and Knuckles struggles to keep believing Eggman because Knuckles believes S!Sonic is a supposed chosen one/a prophet/divine being. Eggman is therefore forced to leave but concocts a plan for the Master Emerald in order to replicate Sonic’s power.

With Knuckles trying to become S!Sonic’s servant/get 'guidance' from S!Sonic, he is distracted enough to not notice Eggman once again back on Angel Island. Alone with the Master Emerald and having brought Metal back from Little Planet, Eggman has Metal use the Master Emerald in hopes that he will become super like Sonic.

The Master Emerald, however, does NOT like to be used by anyone it deems as unworthy. Eggman is unworthy. Metal, who wants nothing more than to destroy Sonic, is also deemed unworthy. The Master Emerald punishes them both, granting them their wishes but at a cost.

Reaper Metal is born but his origin is a tragic one. Upon his new form, R!Metal is content to have a power that rivals S!Sonic but the feeling is short lived when he notices his surroundings. Everything in R!Metal’s vicinity is, essentially, lifeless and dark. Eggman, who was next to Metal, is nowhere in sight. There are no animals or insects chirping in the background. Everything has gone silent around R!Metal. The Master Emerald has made R!Metal a personification of death, destined to be alone with no one’s company but S!Sonic, his loathsome copy.

The Master Emerald also, as punishment, gave empathy to R!Metal. R!Metal can feel the life being snuffed out of every being that comes close to him.

[marshmallowprotection]

I've been meaning to ask: there's a call on day 3 (?) i think, of Saeran's AE and the option is "i remember how i used to starve", what does he answer if you pick that option? I've never wanted to say that to him but i also want to know ;;

Okay. This is specifically an outgoing call you can get on the second day right after Jumin wakes up from the Elixir Gas. I'm going to give you the answer to every option the game gives you because I don't think I've seen anybody share the answers before in any threads online. You can tell him... four different answers to his question. This is what it will look like in your call history once you have it.

I'm putting everything under a cut because there's a lot of images.

Saeran is speaking to you for the first time since you were dropped off at V's house in the mountains, and he wants to ease your fears. Granted, I do think he's trying to ease his own fears, too. Reminiscing seems to be the best way to do that in his mind at that point. "This is the first time that... we've been separated since Magenta, isn't it?"

So, you can respond to him in four ways. Here are the options that you can choose from at that very moment. Most people... do not click the one that talks about starvation. Personally, the first one I clicked on my first walkthrough, of course, to take my breadcrumbs for Ray. But! I have the answers to all four!

Do y'all want me to say as much as I'm thinking about Ray when we've already heard it a billion times since he first appeared in the game from me? Probably, why else would you be here? It is appealing to me GE Saeran is capable of pointing out that Ray and Suit Saeran both are trapped in cages, though. Now that's what I call growth and reflection.

The two of them and their experiences cultivated who he is as a person and understanding them both at a core level shows a lot of perspective into how he feels about those two. He carries their love, mistakes, fears, hopes, dreams, nightmares, and everything in between.

So these little comments as few as they are in this DLC, are the breadcrumbs you want to see.

In this statement, it is the reflection that stands out to me. It is a fact that he is able to understand what went wrong back then. How Suit Saeran thought he was doing what he needed to do to be strong and have the things he wanted, and how those things were not the same as what he intended.

He understands strength does not come from anger and animosity. True strength comes from devoting yourself to the right thing not because you know it gives you a reward, but because it was the right thing to do.

In contrast to the starvation comment, you can tell him you warmly remember all of the food Ray made during that time. Ray put a lot of thought and care into making sure that you were able to have something delicious.

In fact, if you've ever read his diary, you would very well know how long he spent trying to learn different recipes since they are outlined in the diary itself. I don't know, I prefer this more if only because it shows his devotion and care toward you.

Yeah. I don't know what I expected from the "I remember how I used to starve." option, but it crushed me emotionally. Not only does it do the worst in reminding him how he used to have food withheld from him as a child, but it also brings the guilt of knowing that even if you did forgive him for what happened with Suit Saeran, he still isn't able to forgive himself yet. It's proof that GE Saeran wants to be better at every chance if you wish to have him in your life.

He'll fight to be a better man every day.

[halojalex]

Lets hear that essay

oh man i kind of wasn’t expecting to get any replies to this LMAO bUt here we go. strap urselves in this is gonna be a long one

i won’t share the whole document i wrote bc it’s really long and i go off on a lot of tangents but here’s the general idea

for starters, i believe g&c is absolutely about jalex. we already know it's about a gay couple, so with this in mind, alex telling jack that it's about him is enough to at least consider what that means. granted, i know many believe that he was joking, but i've always thought his tone and general demeanour seemed far too sincere for him to be joking; we've seen how alex acts when he jokes around with jack, and this was different.

furthermore, it's also worth pointing out that jack and alex specifically wrote this one song on their own in a cabin (?) away from everyone else; i know this may not seem important on its own, but it's always worth keeping in mind. ie why would two friends go off to write a song about a queer relationship on their own?

adding onto this, there was that interview with kerrang where alex talked about wake up sunshine as a whole and how it’s about discovering yourself and coming to terms with who you are (i’m paraphrasing but that’s the general idea), so to have a song about a gay couple on an album that’s all about alex discovering who he is seems to me like he wrote it from personal experience.

secondly, i feel like it's important to note that, while jack and alex have always been closer than the average friendship, always bordering on acting like a couple, this closeness was especially apparent during the time that alex was separated from lisa and was living with/near jack. people have commented before on how 'dependent' they were on each other back then, so it's clear that the bond between them was especially strong at that time. of course, i'm sure many will say that it could've been bc alex needed jack's support/bc he was living close by so spent more time with him/whatever, however i feel like there's more to it than that, given all the other reasons. i think they were more than friends.

i'd also like to bring people's attention to one particular incident - that photo of them spooning on a beach. frankly, i've always been a little surprised that so many people have skipped over this without blinking, bc that photo to me has always seemed so intimate and domestic, i find it really hard to believe that many friends would casually sit like that.

and of course how can i forget to mention alex's bday post for jack in 2021? that caption haunts me. "what's there to say that isn't already tremendously obvious? you're a bright light in this weird world my dude. love you times a million" how does that not scream a bday post for a partner? "love you times a million"??? bye they ruin me. all of it just seems so,,, romantic?? idk but i feel like if my closest friend wrote something like that about me i'd find it just a little too much. but maybe that's just me. but also i've seen/heard people say that that caption sounded a lot like something they would write/have written for their partner so,,,,,,, make of that what you will.

ofc honourable mention of the time they went to a gay bar together and karaoke. i realise it’s only from word of mouth that we know that it was a gay bar, but it seems a well-enough-known fact that i feel like i should include it.

i’m sure there’s more i could say, it’s just hard to keep track of everything, especially without making this ten pages long. but another thing i believe is that jack has always had feelings for alex, long before they ever got together. granted, that on its own doesn’t necessarily mean that he and alex dated, however it’s important to note. one thing that sticks out to me with regard to this is how andie once made a post commenting on how jack never looked at her the way he looked at alex. this is interesting to me bc it just seemed like she was implying that she was competing with alex in a way. maybe it’s just me, but i can’t really see that post any other way than that tbh. i mean why else would she have said it? if jack didn’t have feelings for alex, then why would it matter how he looked at him?

furthermore the fact that jack wasn’t alex’s best man at his wedding fr keeps me up at night (i mean not literally but u get the idea). like everyone knows how close they are, alex has literally called jack his “best friend in the whole world” (brb while i cry over that), so why wouldn’t he choose jack, his closest friend, to be his best man at his wedding? i always feel like he did that intentionally to spare jack’s feelings. as if he’s always known that jack has feelings for him, and as such he knew he couldn’t put jack through that, as presumably the best man would have had to give a speech etc. just something else i think about a lot.

anyway, all of this was probably very confused, i hope it makes sense as i have a tendency to waffle sksjsksj but yeah, this is my general idea! lmk if anything doesn’t make sense djskdjsk

[jumpywhumpywriter]

Chapter 1: A Lost Legend

Warnings: death threats, intense intimidation, mentions of kidnapping

I've finally decided to start posting chapters of my giant in-progress fantasy trilogy roughly in order, so people can finally read the whole story (or at least, as much of it as I've written so far -- the story still has some parts missing).

I'm excited to reveal more about Shadow, the badass, snarky, morally-gray anti-hero. For those who love characters with a traumatic past and a dark sense of humor who trust no one but themselves.

**IMPORTANT TO KNOW: there are a few chapters that haven't been written yet, and for those parts I have included a brief "background information" section at the top of the chapter before that summarizes what happens in the missing chapter so people can still keep track of where the story goes.**

Summary: Thomas is just your average professional teenage hacker, living off of his dead father's fortune. But when his brother goes missing, he stops at nothing to find him. Even if it means destroying everything he knows and allying with an ancient warrior with magic and a taste for blood. The only problem? His 'ally' hates him.

Emerald City School, 8th grade…

   "Today is a lesson on the oldest history of Emerald City. So far we've already learned about legends from different cultures about unicorns, dragons, and all that other interesting mythology, but did you know that this city has a legend of its very own?"

   The students all leaned forward with interest and eagerness, aside from a few that merely scoffed and rolled their eyes, Thomas being one of them. The teacher turned on an overhead projector, which came to life with a quiet whirr, projecting a slideshow on the screen at the front of the classroom.

   "According to that legend, there were creatures called Falkry that roamed the earth long before this city was founded.” The teacher clicked a button and the display being projected on the screen shifted to show a detailed drawing fantasizing what a Falkry may have looked like. "They were described by various tribes and settlements as ancient and powerful beings that possessed great magic. They had the body of a human, with giant wings on their backs that granted them flight, and fangs like that of a wolf." The image on the screen showed a terrifying creature shrouded in darkness, whose face was twisted into an eternal snarl.

   "Now I know that some of you have already heard this tale before in bedtime stories, so who knows anything else about this legend?" She asked the class. Multiple hands flew into the air.

   "Lucus?" She called with a nod.

   Lucas was sitting at the desk beside his brother Thomas, who let out an exasperated groan.

   "Here we go again..." He muttered under his breath.

   Lucas had always been a strong believer in this particular myth, and had a bad habit of annoyingly reminding his brother about it multiple times every single day. It was his favorite topic. When he started talking about it, almost nothing could get him to be quiet again. Thomas, on the other hand, never believed in such things. In his mind, it was a fraud just like every other ancient storytale.

   Falkry are about as real as ghosts and vampires, he thought to himself. He glanced to the side as his brother prepared to deliver his obnoxious speech, one that he had already told to Thomas more than a million times in the past. Lucas cleared his throat in an official manner before he began.

   "The story goes that Falkry used to live on an island far away from humans, until a group of bad people decided to attack them and drove them out, so they fled to human-populated environments such as Emerald City. There, the few survivors of the attack remained in hiding, hidden away in the darkness where no others could find them. And so, they lurk in dark alleyways at night, watching... waiting... for the right time to rise up and take over the cities they now reside in!" He threw his hands up in emphasis, and Thomas pinched the bridge of his nose as a few muffled laughs broke out among the other students.

   "Well, it certainly sounds like someone is a fan of fiction. Well done. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us." The teacher offered him a smile and chuckled, and Lucas puffed out his chest proudly at the praise.

   The next hour or so went by in a flash until it was finally time for the lunch break. All of the students picked up their homework on the way out of the classroom; an essay that would be written on the topic of Falkry. They would be required to do research on the subject and turn their findings into an informative piece of work that was to be at least three pages long.

   Thomas and Lucas were the last ones to enter the lunch room and sat at a table all by themselves, being considered the outsiders and weirdos in the school, while everyone else grouped together in their own social circles.

   Thomas stabbed at his food in frustration as his brother started babbling on about the lesson from earlier.

   "This is so cool! A lesson on Falkry! This is one piece of homework I think I'll actually enjoy! And that's really saying something, cause' I hate homework," he started.

   Thomas finally snapped. He'd had enough of hearing the same story over and over again.

   "Oh come on, Lucas. You're smarter than this. They're just a myth! A myth! As in, not. real." Lucas flinched back at the tone of his brother's voice, looking hurt. But Thomas wasn't finished yet.

   "Let me ask you this. Have you ever actually seen a Falkry?"

   "Well... no, I haven't. But that doesn't mean they're not out there!"

   "Uh-huh. I'm sure they're just hiding out, along with the Loch Ness monster, right?" 

   "Either way! This city isn't anywhere I'd want to hang out alone at night…" Lucas said defiantly, pouting.

   "Then it's a good thing you don't hang out alone at night. Now can you please stop talking about it? I have to start on my essay." Thomas huffed, and pointedly pulled out a folder from the backpack leaning against his seat, grabbing the paper with the assignment criteria on it. In reality, he had all the time in the world to start on his homework later, but he simply wanted a way to end the conversation.

   The two of them finished their meals in complete silence, before heading off to their next classes. Not a single word passed between them the whole rest of the school day, until they were finally walking back home for the day.

   Thomas glanced every so often at Lucas while they went to see if he was alright, but he was pointedly avoiding his gaze.

   "Argh, fine, I'm sorry about what I said earlier, okay? Happy?" Thomas sighed explosively, breaking the tense, awkward silence between them.

   Lucas stayed quiet, walking ahead in long strides without even acknowledging his brother, staring angrily at the ground. "Come on, Lucas, I didn't really mean it--"

   "Yes you did," Lucas cut him off sharply, stopping in his tracks and turning to face him. "I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself. I didn't realize how much it bothered you to have me talking about Falkry all the time. Now that I do, I promise I'll never speak about it again."

   "Lucas..." Thomas wrapped him into an apologetic hug, guilt and regret tugging at his stomach.

   "I'm really sorry for snapping at you earlier. It's not that I don't like talking to you or anything, it's just that that particular topic can get a bit... tiresome. Can you forgive me?"

   He pulled back and looked at his brother to see his reaction.

   To his relief, a spark of mischief glinted in his eyes and a wide grin broke out across his face.

   "You're my brother, of course I forgive you, Thomas." Then he suddenly took off running down the sidewalk.

   "Race you home!" He called over his shoulder.

   "Hey! No fair!" Thomas charged after him, backpack bouncing on his back as the two of them raced to their father's laboratory. Their father owned a multi-million dollar lab down the street from the school that studied plant-based and animal-based medicines to try and discover life-saving treatments for those with incurable illnesses. He had previously been a war veteran, until he left to seek out a better life for himself, in the end meeting his wife and having his two children. The laboratory was his way of serving people in ways than being in the military never could.

   To be truthful, the place was almost like a cross between a laboratory, a house, and a medical building, as it had its own medical wing, along with a whole section of the building that had bedrooms, kitchens, and a living room complete with TV and other furniture.

   Their whole family lived and worked in the same laboratory. Thomas often helped his father in his experiments, but Lucas mostly did his own thing, watching TV all day and playing games with his brother. When Thomas wasn't helping his father, he loved working on computers, specifically teaching himself to be an experienced hacker.

   As Thomas and Lucas raced through the city, dodging pedestrians, Thomas gained on Lucas until they were tied for first place, with the laboratory building coming quickly into sight.

   The two of them both crashed into the front door of the place, panting for breath and laughing from the thrill of it.

   "I'm pretty sure... I touched it... first..." Thomas said breathlessly.

   "Nuh-uh! I definitely... got here... before you did..." Lucas gasped.

   Thomas bumped his shoulder playfully as they entered the lab. Alex, their father, appeared from around a corner, his raven-black hair perfectly combed as he fixed the boys in a stern gaze, crossing his arms.

   "What did I tell you about making that much racket? You're going to bring the whole building down one of these days!" Thomas and Lucas ran up to him and gave him a large hug, nearly barreling him over.

   "Daaaaad, we know you're just joking," Lucas said giddily.

   Alex's gaze softened happily and he returned their hug, before grabbing the backpacks from their backs and setting them aside.

   "Alright, alright, you got me. So, how was your day today? You didn't cause too much mayhem did you?"

   "It was great! We are learning about the origin of the city legend about--" Lucus cut himself off, glancing at Thomas to check if it was okay.

   "Fine, you can talk about it, just this once." Thomas rolled his eyes dramatically.

   "We’re learning about Falkry!" Lucas blurted, his eyes filled with excitement.

   "Oh really?" Alex ruffled his hair. "You'll have to tell me all about it later! Right now, I could use your brother's help with another one of my experiments, if he doesn't mind?"

   "Sure!" Thomas instinctively nodded, following his dad through the bright white halls of the laboratory, while Lucas headed off to play video games in the other room. Thomas had his father’s genius brains, and often helped him in his scientific studies.

   Little did he know that only a few years after that day, he would lose almost everything he cared about. His mother died young from a rare form of cancer, and his father followed her a few years later in a fatal car crash, while his brother Lucas went missing shortly after, and was also presumably dead.

   The full weight and responsibility of things fell onto young Thomas's shoulders that day, his father having given him the laboratory along with his life savings in his will. That's when Tanner had come into Thomas's life, taking over the role of father, and helping Thomas manage his father's lab and keep things going. He used to be a security guard. Tanner had been close friends with his father and him, and had often hung out with Thomas in the past, being his life mentor. Every other employee and hired person had left after Alex's death, and the laboratory was reduced to nothing more than a place for Tanner and Thomas to stay, an empty building for just the two of them.

   Since then, Thomas had dropped out of school to focus all of his free time searching for his missing brother, using his skills in technology to hack into multiple government services, and committing several felonies in the process.

   PRESENT DAY, 2 YEARS LATER

   "Hello? Earth to Thomas?" Tanner's gruff voice broke into Thomas's thoughts as he had lost himself in his memories. His words were enough to jerk him back to reality.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" Thomas shook his head distractedly.

   Tanner leaned his elbows on the table in front of him, touching his fingertips together in deep thought and staring at Thomas studiously.

   "I was telling you all the reasons why I think you should accept things as they are and stop searching for Lucas. I mean, you've dropped out of school, closed yourself off to the world, and have been following a dead trail for more than two years. I understand that you want to be loyal to your brother, but this has been getting more and more extreme. You're swimming in some seriously dangerous waters now. If you get caught hacking into the wrong servers, some really bad things could happen as a result. I just don't want to see you get hurt because of it. You are 16 now. You should be out there doing teenager-y stuff and making friends and all. I’d even approve of you getting into adolescent ‘trouble’ at this point.”

   Thomas sighed explosively. "And I already told you, I'm not going to drop this. My brother is not dead, he is somewhere out there and it's up to me to find him. I'm so close to finding answers, you can’t seriously expect me to quit. And the trail is no longer cold, anyways. I finally found a viable lead."

   "Oh really?" He folded his arms, unconvinced. "What have you found that you couldn't find in the last three years of searching?"

   "I finally found a mention of his name in a secret database I discovered recently. It had so many firewalls and encryptions, it took me nearly all day to break it, but when I did, I found his name on a list of dozens." Thomas replied confidently. "I just need to follow things a little longer, and then I might actually have a real chance of finding him! Please, Tanner, I'm so close. I can't give up now!"

   Tanner's expression was torn, heavily conflicted, and he leaned back in his chair with a weary sigh. "Alright, tell me what you found."

   "So, previously, I had been looking into general government servers and databases, when I discovered a single file that spoke of a different organization that flies under the radar. One that isn't connected to the primary government at all," Thomas answered. He watched his friend’s brow furrow in sudden deep concern.

   "And what organization is that, exactly?"

   "Well, from what I could gather, they go by the name 'Jackal'."

   Thomas saw him immediately stiffen at the title, alarm flaring in his eyes.

   "You should stop looking into that."

   "Why? You know something about it?"

   "Yes, I do, actually. I’ve encountered them in the past. They are an extremely dangerous organization, and you could get yourself killed meddling in their business. And I'm not being metaphorical right now. So stop your search before you get into trouble you can't get out of. End of discussion." Tanner rose from his chair and began to leave the room.

   "No," Thomas said firmly. 

   "Come again?" He stopped in the doorway, turning back around to face him.

   "I said no. I'm not giving up on finding my brother. No matter the cost. If you won't help me, that's fine, and I'll do it alone, but I won't be stopping anytime soon. Not until I find my brother. I know he's still alive out there, waiting for me to find him." Thomas glared at him stubbornly. “And I know that he didn’t just ‘disappear’ or ‘run away’ like everyone keeps saying. There’s a reason he hasn’t come back, and it’s because he’s in trouble and needs help. No one will ever convince me otherwise.”

   A long, tense staredown ensued between the two of them, before Tanner broke eye contact and walked tensely back over to the chair again, sitting at the table across from him once more with an exasperated huff.

   "You're sticking your nose into some really dangerous stuff here. And one day it will cost you your life." He rubbed his temples with his fingers in distress, and an unexpected darkness flitted across his face, so fleetingly that Thomas almost missed it altogether. He was silent for a long while, a thoughtful expression set into his features, before he spoke again.

   "Very well, have it your way. I can see that there is no way I will be able to talk you out of it, so I guess I have no choice but to offer my aid. I am most definitely going to regret telling you about this later, but I think I know a way that you can successfully find Lucas without getting yourself killed in the process."

   "Oh? The danger seems fairly inevitable from my perspective. How do you figure otherwise?" Thomas tilted his head to the side.

   "Have you ever heard that old bedtime story... about the legend of the Falkry?" Tanner fixed him with an intense gaze. He nodded.

   "My brother used to tell me about that story when we were younger. Some nonsense about people with wings who had mythical powers? He always believed they were real, and loved to annoy me by telling that story dozens of times throughout the day. Being someone who bases beliefs on solid facts and evidence, however, I never believed what he said about it. It simply isn’t logically or scientifically possible.” He let out a long sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't see how an old fairytale relates to my current dilemma. I thought you said you knew something that might help me?"

   Tanner leaned forward, so that his face was close to his.

   "Do you remember anything else about that particular myth?" He pressed, ignoring Thomas's question. Thomas let out a noisy breath of frustration.

   "You really want me to recant an entire childhood storybook? Fine. The basic gist of it was that there were these ancient, dangerous creatures called Falkry that had immense power, along with bird-like wings that granted them flight like angels. Angels of death, that liked to kill for sport. Am I right so far?" He huffed. Tanner nodded for him to continue.

   "Then, one day, humans discovered their species and craved the magical power they possessed, seeking to find a means of obtaining it for themselves. They hunted the Falkry to extinction in their greed, trying to find a way to steal their power, but in the end only succeeded in exterminating them. No one has ever seen one since, and so the Falkry became nothing more than a many centuries-old legend. Happy?" Thomas rolled his eyes in exasperation.

   Tanner's face displayed an emotion that he couldn't quite place, and when he spoke, his voice was calm and even. "What would you do if I told you that your brother was right all along? That the legends were... are real?"

   "Then I would say I don't believe you and that you sound as crazy as my brother did when he spoke of such mythical beings. They simply don't exist. It defies the very laws of physics and science. And science is rarely wrong." Thomas scoffed. Tanner's stoic expression remained unchanged, and a realization slowly dawned on him.

   "Wait... you... you're serious? You actually believe all that nonsense?" He snorted, eyebrows arching in surprise. Tanner stretched back in his chair nonchalantly.

   "I'm not afraid to admit that I do believe in the legends. And that is because I happen to have seen one with my own two eyes. The Falkry are indeed very real creatures. You are right that the stories say they went extinct, but I know the truth. There is still at least one that I know of who still lives to this day."

   "Alright, now I know you're pulling my leg. Like dragons and unicorns, Falkry are just fairy tales meant to scare children before they go to sleep at night and make sure they get home before curfew." Thomas laughed aloud. But Tanner's face remained stern and serious, and he frowned slightly.

   "There is no lie here. I speak only the truth as I know it. There is a Falkry in existence, and I happen to know that she has taken refuge in this very city."

   "So, even if that was true, how does this have anything to do with Lucas?" Thomas asked cautiously.

   "As you know, Falkry are beings with immense power and strength. If you could convince one to join your cause and help you find your brother, the chance of success would increase exponentially, and the death risk factor would decrease as well." Tanner stroked his chin thoughtfully. "And I have no interest in watching you get yourself killed because you tried to save Lucas all on your own. You've already had your fair share of close encounters."

   "So, let's say that in some universe I did believe that Falkry exist," Thomas said slowly. "Why would said Falkry help us?"

   "Because she is coincidentally an enemy of Jackal as well, same as you. If we can prove that you both have similar goals, she might be interested in offering her services for a mutual gain. It's a bit of a long stretch, however. She isn't known to be particularly fond of strangers, not to mention humans. She hates them with every fiber of her being," he replied.

   “Uh… why did you say ‘humans' like that? You're human, aren’t you?” Thomas narrowed his eyes at him, watching closely for his reaction. He shrugged, unconcerned.

   “Not… quite. Depends on your definition of one. I know how utterly crazy and delusional this will sound, but the reason I know about this other Falkry, is because I am one as well. I used to have wings and all, until Jackal happened. They are a cruel and merciless organization, which is why I want so desperately for you to stay away from them.” He leaned back in his chair, looking like even he could hardly comprehend the words coming out of his own mouth. “I know this is a lot of wacky new information, and I do not in any way expect to believe any of it, obviously, without sufficient evidence...”

   “Yeah, I think that would be appropriate for the circumstances. Now it seems like you’re just making stuff up. First you say there’s one Falkry in the city, and now you claim that you are one as well? Come on, Tanner, give me a break.” Thomas laughed so hard he nearly cried. Tanner waited until his bout of hysterical laughter had died back before continuing his carefully woven story.

   “Like I said, she doesn't like humans one bit–”

   "You've said 'she' now on multiple occasions. Care to elaborate?" Thomas interrupted hotly.

   "Right, of course. The person I speak of goes by the name Shadow. Few people know of her existence, and those who do are terrified of her, rightly so, and do their best to avoid crossing paths with her at all costs."

   "Well, she does sound pretty epic," Thomas reluctantly admitted.

   "When it comes to possibly the most ancient and powerful being in the known world? 'Epic' doesn't even scratch the surface," Tanner said grimly.

   "If she's so powerful... why would she bother to listen to us?" Thomas asked doubtfully.

   "Let's just say I have a bit of history with her, besides being a fellow Falkry. I am perhaps her oldest friend. Basic point, if I am the one asking to meet up with her, chances are good that she will show up." He grinned.

   Thomas eyed him skeptically, still finding it hard to believe that such a creature could have remained hidden for so long without discovery. But at last, he caved, and let out a tired, defeated sigh. "Well, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get my brother back, so we might as well give this a try... even if it does stretch plausibility a bit."

   More like a completely insane idea, his mind added. But I might as well play along with it for now. It’s not like I have anything better to do anyway…

   He nearly jumped out of his skin when Tanner clapped his hands loudly together.

   "Great! Come back here at a quarter to midnight tomorrow and I will have an answer as to whether or not she will agree to meeting us," he said, looking unusually enthusiastic.

   "Ugh… Why midnight?” Thomas groaned inwardly, thinking of how exhausted he would be the day after from lack of sleep.

   "Let's just say the darkness is more her element. There's a good reason why nobody's seen a Falkry for so long. They know how to stay hidden, and one of the reasons they are so successful at that is because of how effectively they can use the darkness as cover. Can’t hunt what you can’t see, right?” Tanner winked and patted him on the shoulder and left the room, leaving him to his thoughts.

   Much later, Thomas caught up with him in the kitchen while he was making toast, a few minutes earlier than the time he had been given to show up. He could already feel the tiredness tugging at his legs, and longed to go back up to his bedroom and get some well-needed sleep. Tanner smiled brightly at him as he came down the stairs in the two-story lab.

   "What did she say?" Thomas asked grouchily. He cut straight to the chase, skipping all small talk.

   "The location has been set. I only told her that I wanted to talk with her. She probably wouldn't have agreed if she knew you were tagging along.

   Thomas's brow furrowed slightly. "Why's that?"

   "Like I said before, she's... not exactly a fan of strangers. It makes her a bit skittish, and a whole lot more unpredictable, which makes her even more dangerous than usual," Tanner replied. A ding sounded from the counter and a slice of toast popped up from a nearby toaster. He retrieved it and took a moment to blow on it, cooling it off to a more tolerable temperature before wolfing it down, rubbing his hands together to get rid of the crumbs.

   "Isn't toast more of a breakfast food?" Thomas commented dryly.

   He merely shrugged in response. "Food is food, no matter what time of day it is consumed. Now let's go." He turned around and strode briskly out the door, Thomas following close behind. The drive to the meeting point was made in complete silence, both of them being deeply lost in their own mental worlds.

   After a short while traveling through the city, the car screeched to a halt and the two of them stepped out onto the sidewalk. It was extremely dark out, as they were near the further outskirts of the city, where light pollution was at a minimum, and the dark buildings around them cast sinister, ominous shadows across the road as Tanner led him through the winding streets and alleyways, coming to a stop in front of an old, two story tall abandoned building that looked like it was barely standing on its hinges.

   Old paint peeled off the walls, and the exposed wood beneath had small bits of moss and other fungi growing on it. Every last window in sight was broken one way or another, and there were multiple holes in the side where the wood had rotted away entirely from too much rain and weather exposure. It was obviously poorly looked after, and looked even older than the city itself, without any of the modern-day appearances or structural figures. It seemed to be an extremely old warehouse of some sort.

   "Well, this is the place." Tanner stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned towards Thomas.

   "Are... are you sure?" Thomas asked skeptically.

   "You don't believe me," he stated, seeing the look on the boy's face.

   Thomas dropped his eyes to the ground. "Sorry. I didn't want to come across as being rude or ungrateful... It's just hard to believe that something so scientifically impossible would exist in today's world. And in a heavily populated city, of all places." He shuffled his feet uncomfortably before lifting his head to look at Tanner. "I only came because you said it might help my brother. Not because I believe in ancient myths or old story tales, just for the record."

   Tanner raised his hands innocently. "Well, seeing is believing I guess." He approached the broken wooden door of the building and jerked it open with a grunt, some small splinters of the rotted wood snapping off as a result. Thomas was unnerved at how confident he seemed.

   Is there a slight chance that he might be telling the truth? Could this creature really exist?

   His inner rationalist quickly shot down the thought as he followed his friend into the building's empty darkness.

   No. HE might believe they are real, but they are not.

   The only light in the place came from the street lights outside that streamed through some of the broken windows, illuminating half of the building's interior, where the two of them stood, while the back half remained shrouded in shadows. Millions of tiny dust particles floated weightlessly in the air around them, and the air smelled damp and stale.

   His eyes quickly adjusting to compensate for the limited brightness, Thomas noticed that most of the wooden beams and rafters were completely exposed, as if the building had only been half finished when it was abandoned.

    How strange.

   There was an odd, palpable, menacing aura that seemed to fill the place too, as if his mind could already sense a hidden danger. A lurking threat. Some primal instinct that was telling him to be on high alert.

   It's just nerves. He tried to reassure himself, suppressing a nervous shiver. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. He could feel his skin start to itch and anxiety flared up uncontrollably. There was something in the air, too, an odd heaviness that gave him goosebumps, and put him on edge.

   He watched as Tanner walked calmly to the center of the room, stopping just before he reached the line where the light stopped and darkness began, dipping his head slightly.

   "I wish to speak with you, Shadow, about circumstances that I think will concern you." His voice was strong and bold, unshaking. The sound echoed eerily around the empty room.

   Then he backed up, head still tilted down, until he was standing directly next to Thomas once more. A thick, unbearably heavy silence followed, and after more than fifteen long, dreadful minutes had passed, Thomas finally started to relax, looking forward to getting out of the creepy building.

   I guess he was wrong after all. There is no mythical legend here.

   An unexpected wave of relief flooded over him, and he turned back towards the entrance. He only got one step in, though, before he heard the ever so quiet, barely detectable, muffled sound of something shuffling around behind him, but in his peripheral vision he could see that his friend had not moved an inch.

   An electric, tingling presence instantly set his hair on end. A horrible sensation that hung in the atmosphere. He froze in fear, his heart seeming to stop in his chest as he slowly turned around, traveling carefully back to Tanner's side. His thoughts started to race around wildly in his head.

   No way. This isn't happening. It's just a stray rat or something. That's all.

   But what happened next was enough to make him believe.

   "You bring a human with you," a terrifying voice hissed from somewhere nearby, low and raspy, ancient. A shiver went through Thomas at the sound of it, and a sudden chill ran down his spine, while his blood went cold as ice.

   "I only agreed to meet under the condition that you were alone," the gruff voice continued.

   "Which is why I was unable to inform you of the... last minute complication." Tanner spoke to the empty darkness before him, sounding a lot more confident than Thomas felt at the moment. "I knew you wouldn't have agreed otherwise. Will you at least hear me out?"

   There was another displeased, agitated hiss, followed by more shuffling around.

   "Very well. But it better be good, or else there will be casualties."

   Am I the casualty? Thomas thought nervously, his mouth starting to feel unusually dry.

   Tanner immediately complied, explaining everything, from start to finish.

   "This young boy here, Thomas, has incredible talents when it comes to technology. He can hack into practically anything he puts his mind to." He gestured towards him, who stood shaking in fear. "He is searching for his brother, who allegedly went missing more than three years ago.” He paused, and the voice spoke again.

   "I don't see how the life of one pathetic human is to be of any concern to me."

   "It concerns you, because it involves Jackal. We suspect he is being held captive there," Tanner continued calmly, and there was a long silence before the voice returned.

"...You have my attention, for the moment. Use it wisely."

   "I know you have been trying to get at Jackal for years. They are your greatest enemy. I think this might be your chance to succeed in bringing them down," he spoke convincingly.

   "And the young blood you bring with you? What role does he play?"

   “Like I said before, he is highly experienced in the area of technology. He could hack into Jackal's servers to allow you access to their facilities like you’ve never had before. He could get you into the very heart of their operations. Imagine the great damage you could wreak there! I bet it would put a pretty big wrench in their plans." Tanner took a deep breath, glancing at Thomas. "That is our offer. You both want to put an end to Jackal. Help us get into Jackal's bases and rescue Thomas's brother, Lucas, and we will help you take down their leaders in return, hopefully putting an end to their organization entirely. And you'll have one less giant threat to worry about."

   Thomas jumped in his skin and his heart leapt to his throat when he heard a loud flapping sound that seemed to come from somewhere up in the rafters, and then he saw a dark form drop down from them, landing in the half of the building that was without light, effortlessly, and unnaturally, silent. Like in a horror movie when the killer is about to pounce on the unsuspecting victim. As he squinted into the gloom, his eyes adjusting further, he could just barely make out the faint outline of the creature’s silhouette, along with two heartless eyes that glowed back at him.

   Then, the figure melted out of the darkness, slowly stepping into the light. First, its booted foot appeared. Then he saw a full head-to-toe black leather suit emerge, followed by a menacing face with a black mask hiding some of its features, covering the forehead, nose, and cheeks, then coming to two curved distinct points that ended near the jawline. The person was wearing a hooded leather jacket, and the hood was pulled up, which made it difficult to distinguish any other characteristics.

   What was most heart stopping, however, was what appeared behind all of this. Two large, snow white wings, with what appeared to be slightly curved bone spurs of some kind jutting vertically out from the primary joint, or first digit.

   But... that's impossible, he thought, gawking in amazement. His brain frantically scrambled for a logical explanation, but none was forthcoming. It was impossible, yet he was seeing it right in front of him. An angel of death, just like the legends had described.

   The creature looked... surprisingly human, aside from the bird-like wings that protruded from the back, which were so long they almost trailed on the ground behind it. The facial and body features of a human remained the same. It had a slender, lithe, agile form, like that of a cloaked ninja, with powerful, rippling muscles hiding beneath the suit.

   It looked to be female, exactly as Tanner had said, and had a long mane of white hair that flowed elegantly over her shoulders from under the leather hood. She also possesed a pair of piercing blue eyes behind the mask, that glowed with mysterious force, and she held her head with the confidence and grace of a lethal, skilled warrior.

   The figure took another step forward, and the air around her seemed to crackle with dormant energy, like there were hidden tendrils of darkness lashing around her.

   Thomas could tell... right away... this was someone incredibly powerful... and dangerous.

   The legends are real.... they're all real... He couldn't shake himself out of his shocked state of mind as the creature drew closer, its eyes glittering menacingly, filled with nothing but pure hate.

   "This is Shadow. She's a Falkry. One of the last of her kind," Tanner whispered into his ear. "I told you they still existed. Believe me now?" Then he stepped away from him as she approached.

   Thomas couldn't breathe. Couldn't move under the Falkry's piercing, ancient gaze as it seemed to stare into the very depths of his soul. He couldn’t help flinching away from its fierce intensity. Shadow started to circle him slowly, like a wolf sizing up a lamb for the kill, her eyes skipping over him, cooly assessing, her white wings twitching every so often in silent observation.

   He stood rigid, terrified that even the slightest movement might be the end of him, cold fear gripping him in its vise-like hold. He could feel his heart start to flutter wildly in his chest like a trapped bird, and risked a fearful glance at Tanner, whose expression was unreadable. 

   The creature circled one more time before coming to a stop merely a few inches from his face, looking down at him as she towered almost half a head taller, casting him in her shadow. Her lip drew back in distaste and disdain, which is when he noticed the two extremely sharp, pointed white fangs poking out of the gums where the canines would usually be. Almost like a vampire of sorts. A very deadly predator. And some atavistic instinct seized his mind. He was desperate to flee before this predator, but too scared to move, the cold adrenaline washing over him in waves and paralyzing him.

   "You reek of fear, human. Pathetic," Shadow hissed, then whirled around furiously to face Tanner, coming to stand near his side.

   "You would have me believe this mere child has the means to get me within Jackal's fortress?" A low, rumbling, cat-like growl vibrated deep within her throat as she hissed the words to him under her breath. He kept his calm, which was an amazing feat considering how intimidating and terrifying the Falkry was.

   “Yes. I have seen him work. He is more than capable of accomplishing the task," Tanner answered smoothly, without missing a beat.

   Shadow’s steely glare shifted back to Thomas, who was trembling so hard that he could barely stay standing, the overdose of adrenaline in his system making his heart hammer against his ribcage, so much so that he could hear the blood pressure skyrocketing in his ears, throbbing painfully in his head.

   She stalked back towards him with predatory grace, her gaze sharp and dangerous, and Thomas took an instinctive, fearful step back, flinching away, sensing a seething malevolence beneath the stoic facade.

   "Tell me, human, why do you want to find this... Lucas... so badly?" She hissed. Every word dripped with the most potent venom, and her eyes were narrowed to twin slits of death as she stared him down with a dangerous look.

   "I... H-He's... my brother... and I d-don't know what to do without him. I've spent n-nearly three years searching for him, and n-now I recently learned that H-Jackal has him locked up somewhere. I only ever w-w-wanted to get h-him back." He couldn't keep his voice from shaking, try as he might.

   The Falkry stared at him for a long, agonizing moment, and he squirmed uncomfortably under her intense gaze, before she turned to face Tanner once more. Something unspoken passed between the two, and the white-winged Falkry dipped her head ever so slightly towards him.

   "You have given me much to think about. I will give you my answer before the next twenty-four hours have passed, whether I would be your ally, or your enemy," Shadow growled stiffly.

   With one last hateful glance at Thomas, she stepped back into the darkness and disappeared as quickly as she had come, leaving a small cloud of dust in her wake as her large white wings lifted her into the air. The resulting breeze blew powerfully over him, and he heard a shuffling sound as she perched back up somewhere in the rafters. Tanner walked up to him a second later and put a calm hand on his shoulder, offering a reassuring smile.

   "You did great. Now let's get you home." He caught him by the arm as his legs finally buckled beneath him from shock combined with the sheer amount of adrenaline in his blood. "Whoa, there! Take it easy. I know this is probably a lot to take in."

   That doesn't even begin to explain it, Thomas thought, and somehow managed to follow him out of the building, still shell-shocked. What on earth have I gotten myself into?

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