#I would rather a child gets a story about standing up to bullies and then learning why they were driven to that point in the first place

[theoogtree]

Okay Lysandre literally just. "Whether or not I commit a world extinction event lies on your shoulders" sir I am a 10 year old that got my first Pokemon 4 days ago.

[latenightdaydreams]

Tutor (fem)

Loser!König x Bully!Reader

MDNI🔞

Part 2 Part 3

Master List

>cw: fem/afab, bully, oral, p in v, virginity loss

2.3k word count

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König is a loser. He’s a 23-year-old virgin college student who is too scared to talk to women. He would much rather stay home and build Gundam’s, play video games, or work on his schoolwork. In public, he is quiet and timid. He tries to blend in to not be seen. Being a whole 6 '10, he can’t. As a child, he was constantly bullied for his size and being chubby. As an adult, he still gets picked on for being tall and awkward.

You are a part of the problem. A short, curvy, big-breasted bitch; the apple of his eye. König sits in the back of class and watches your hips sway as you walk to your seat. The way your breasts bounce like hentai boobies. His cock grows hard as you bend over, making your cleavage more visible to him. Just as he got lost in a trance, you snap him out of it.

“What are you looking at? Freak!”

Your hands on your hips, a disgusted look on your face. König’s face turns red as he realizes that you’ve caught him in the act. You flip him off and turn to sit. He reaches down to adjust his boner, taking a deep breath and letting out a small sigh.

After class, as everyone stands to pack their bags, he stays seated, looking at his cell phone. He has your Instagram profile opened on his phone, gazing at a bikini picture you posted this summer. You look absolutely perfect in your tiny pink bikini. He has become so lost in your photos; he didn’t realize you were walking past him to leave.

“What the fuck?” A loud laugh breaks out.

König looks up to see that you caught him looking at your profile. He turns off the screen of his phone and clears his throat. Inside his chest, his heart pounds so hard it feels like it’s going to explode from embracement.

“Sorry.” His voice is meek as he avoids eye contact with you.

“Fucking loser.” You scoff while walking away.

This was going to be a long year.

Three months into the school year, you haven’t turned in one assignment yet and have failed the few tests you’ve had. The dean sent you a message telling you that if you don’t raise your grades, you would be at risk of being put on academic probation. You needed a tutor, and fast.

König sits in his dorm room at his desk, working on building Lego set #21348, when he hears a knock at his door. He looks over his shoulder at his door, trying to decide if he wants to deal with people. After a few seconds, he stands to answer the door.

Once he opens the door, his eyes grow wide seeing you standing there. “Oh, h-hey y/n.”

“Hey König.” You smile up at him and push him aside, walking into his room. His room is simple and neat. Robot figures anywhere he can place them and a Lego set on his desk. You walk over and look at the set, König walking up behind you.

“So, what is this? Star Wars?”

König tilts his head confused about how wrong you are. Do you even know what Star Wars is? “Uh, no. Star Wars is a space themed futuristic story…” He could see the lack of interest on your face. “So, why are you here?”

“Geez, you’re a bigger fucking nerd than I thought you were.” You say pushing over a mini figure he has posed on the desk. His mouth hangs open, stopping himself from asking you to not do that. He watches as you turn and take a seat on his desk chair.

You look up at König as he towers over you. “You’re smart, right?”

“I guess.” König rubs the back of his neck feeling bashful.

“Well, I’m failing math, and I need a tutor. The issue is… well, I can’t afford one. So I was wondering if you could tutor me.”

This isn’t what he was expecting, well more of not what he hoped for. “I don’t have time to tutor. Sorry.”

Your smile drops and you stand up. “Too busy? You’re always in here building stupid fucking Legos or robot’s models.”

“Technically Gundam’s are mechs, not robots like a transformer.”

“Wow. Okay.” You sound annoyed and uninterested. “So, are you going to help me or not?”

“I already said I can’t.” His voice gets even more timid.

You’re not use to people saying no to you, especially not pathetic men who worship the ground you walk on. In fact, you hate being told no. How fucking dare he.

“So, you can sit and fucking gawk at me, stalk my social media accounts, but you can’t help me for a few fucking hours?” You push his muscular chest.

He stumbles backwards, actually intimidated by you. Speechless, he doesn’t know what to say. His eyes drop to your breasts as you keep walking to him. Not one thought in his mind other than how hot you look at this exact moment.

“I- I uh, I.”

“What? You forgot how to talk?” You push him once more and he falls back on to his bed. As soon as he does, your eyes drift down to the tent growing in his pants and you laugh. König’s eyes go wide as your hand reaches out, grasping his boner through his sweats; his face burning hot. He looks up at you in a daze.

“Oh, wow. Loser actually has a fat cock.” Your other hand grabs his jaw and forces him to look into your eyes. You lean in and lick from his lips to his nose before moving back and letting go of him.

König’s heart is fluttering in his chest, this feels like a dream. His eyes watch like a hungry dog as you pull your tight fitted shirt, unhooking your bra and tossing it aside. Your hands unbutton your jeans and expose a thin thong that barely covers your fat pussy lips.

“Why are you still dressed?” Your voice shocks him out of his daze.

Quickly, he pulls his shirt off. A ripped muscular body is not what you expected him to have under his baggy clothing. He drops his sweat pants along with his boxers allowing his cock to spring free. König, now nude, stands in front of you frozen. His gaze lingering on your pussy. You’re the first woman he’s seen naked in person.

“Do you have condoms?”

He looks at his bedside table, even though he is well aware he has none. “Um, no. I don’t.”

“I knew you were probably a virgin.” He blushes and looks down when you say this. You walk closer to him. “Are you?”

“Ja, I am.”

“No fucking wonder. Lay down.” You demand in a strict tone.

König jumps like a drill sergeant to yell at him. He quickly gets on his bed and looks at you. His cock twitching with excitement. You climb onto the bed with him, straddling his massive body. His hands instinctively rest on your thighs as you lean in and kiss his lips.

“How about I teach you—” You kiss him in between talking. “How to fuck—” His fingers squeeze your thighs. “And you tutor me?”

Without thinking, König nods his head enthusiastically.

“Good. We will start with math.” You giggle, reaching your hand behind his head to pull the pillows away from behind him.

König looks confused by your comment. Math? Then his eyes go wide as you straddle his face. Your twat lingers above him. He gazes up as if you’ve just shown him God. If he could take your scent and make air fresheners, he would. His cock is upright, erect, waiting to taste you.

“Stick your tongue out, big boy.” You lean forward and place your hands on his chest. One hand reaches forward and jerks his cock.

König sticks his tongue out eagerly, watching your body as you lower yourself onto his face. Your pussy rests on his mouth and nose, hips rocking back and forth on his tongue. His eyes flutter closed as he tastes pussy for the first time. How could he have lived this long without tasting this sweet nectar?

His fingers dig into your thighs as he pulls you down closer to his face. His tongue rapidly laps at your cunt, slurping and drinking your wetness. You moan, eyes closing as you continue to grind; he’s surprisingly skilled.

“You want me to suck your cock?”

“Ja, bitte.” He groans, his sound muffled from you sitting on his face.

Leaning forward, you pull his foreskin down and wrap your lips around the tip of his cock. He lets out a moan, his toes curling. Your hands move in motion with your head as you bob your head up and down on his cock. König moans into your sopping wet cunt. He’s in heaven.

König’s hips thrust forward to match your rhythm. One of his hands moves from your thigh up your body to squeeze your breast before roaming back down. When you pull your mouth away from his cock, he thrust forward even more, craving your friction. You lift yourself up off of him, his hands hold on to your thighs tighter as if trying to keep you on him. Reluctantly, he lets you go; swiping his tongue between your folds once more as you stand.

You move your body to the side of him. He watches you as he licks his lips, trying to savor the taste of you. The heat of your pussy radiates over your cock.

“You’re buying me a Plan B right after this.”

“I will.” His eyes are glued to yours.

Slowly you rock your hips over his cock before grasping it at the base. You look into his eyes as you lower yourself on him.

König’s mouth drops open and he lets out a loud groan. His eyes glued to your tight cunt stretching around his cock. He grabs at the blanket underneath him, squeezing it to the point his knuckles are turning white. He can’t last long in your pussy.

“Mein Gott, you- your pussy—” He can’t form a coherent sentence.

His hands reach out for your breasts as you bounce on him. You have the most incredible pair of tits he has ever seen. He’s always known you were hot, but seeing you like this, not even Aphrodite couldn't compare.

You slap away his hand and lean forward. “Grab my ass and fuck me.”

König nods, having seen this in porn before, he knows what to do. He thinks. His large hands grasp your fat ass and squeeze his fingers into the supple flesh; bending his legs at the knee, he begins to thrust up into you.

As he tries his hardest to not cum, his thrust is slow. He looks at the ceiling as his mind is running 110mph. You grab his jaw again, forcing him to look at you.

“Fuck me. Harder.” You demand of him.

“I don’t…want to hurt you.” He struggles to speak, looking up at you through half-lidded eyes.

“If you don’t fuck me hard, we are done here.”

König would not let his crush on the last two semesters just walk away, especially not since he got you to this part. Guys like him don’t get women like you. He grabs you and rolls you over on to the bed, slamming you down a little harder than he meant to. The look on your face tells him you didn’t mind one bit.

He grabs your hips and pulls you to him, slipping his cock back inside of your tight little cunny. You moan out as your hands grab his arms. König doesn’t hold back as he restricts your movements underneath him using his massive size. He pulls his hips back far before slamming down into you. His enormous cock being rammed deep inside of you, deeper than you can take.

“Oh, fuck! Like that you fucking freak!” You moan out.

König lets out a small growl as he ravishes your body, ruining your cunt for any other man. His mouth clashes into yours, desperate for your kiss. A trail of his hot wet kisses leaving from your mouth down to your breasts. He bites the skin around your areola, marking you as his for your stupid fuck buddy to see.

You push him back. “Rub my clit.” You reach for his hand and guide it so he knows where to touch. “Do small circles.”

He nods and begins to rub slowly at first until you yell at him to go faster. König lets out a surprised moan as he feels you tightening around him. Is this what a female orgasm is? Fuck yes! His hips faster, his rhythm slightly off as he tries to also focus on your clit.

“Don’t stop.” König watches in amazement as you arch your back and tremble. Your pussy becomes so wet it's splashing as he rubs it. He feels on top of the world.

Instantly, a loud pitched moan leaves his throat. A stupid smile crosses his face as he eyes go slightly crossed. He cums deep inside of your pussy. As his body naturally falls forward you push him off to the side.

König lays on his back, on cloud nine. His pale eyes study your face and your body as you lay beside him.

“So,” your breathing is still heavy, “I’ll come by tomorrow and we can start working on my tutoring.”

He nods, willing to give you anything you ask for at this point. Mentally, he is not over the fact he just ate and fucked y/n, you, your pussy.

You stand from the bed and begin to get dressed. Your cunt hurts, König fucks like a mating bull. He’s a good fuck though, there is not denying that.

“Oh, and if you tell anyone, you’re dead.”

“I understand.” König watches you as you get dressed with hearts in his eyes. “What are we?”

You stop and look at him for a moment before letting out a small laugh and shaking your head.

Part 2 Part 3

[ultraericthered]

One Villainous Scene: Cage Of Expectations

A brief one, but it gives so much insight and explains so much about the inner world of a character who, up to this point, was kept shrouded in mystery even though we all knew he was the villain, and also perfectly sets him up to make the decisions he ends up making.

While the later retcon tells us that Ken became a prodigious, genius boy due to a "Dark Spore" inplanted in him by accident that only "went off" when he visited the Dark Ocean, the whys and hows aren't really crucial to understanding Ken's story at this point: he's a star student, star athlete, and even something of a young celebrity within the world of science and computers. Because he is so well known and renowned, he's given plenty of filmed interviews like we see him doing here. After the interview is done, the headmaster of Ken's school comes over to him to offer congragulatory words...and then in a very shady move, whispers to Ken the offer to tutor his daughter in her studies over at his place so that she can excell in her grades at his school, saying he'd reward Ken handsomely for it. Ken plays the "I'm just a kid, I ain't THAT good" card, which makes the principal start to back off...but then he turns back around and asks the disgruntled Ken for an autograph. Turns out that beyond mere corruption and nepotism practices, the headmaster was pestering Ken about these things because his daughter's a fangirl of Ken. This does not please Ken. Who do some plain, unexceptional, low IQ girl and her plain, unexceptional, low IQ father think they are asking him for favors like this? Such matters are far below his time and efforts.

(In the English dub, this interaction is changed to some nonsense about the headmaster wanting Ken over to help him win at a video game called "Donkey Madness" prior to getting the autograph. The effect on Ken is the same, but I think it takes a lot out of the scene.)

Ken is then seen at dinner with his parents, who are acting all congragulatory and gushing over their son's interview and how smart he is and how maturely he presents himself. Yeah, they're really shitty parents. Much as they do love their son and loved his late brother, their love for the idea of being the parents of a special genius child enraptures them so much that they lose sight of what's really best for their child and his needs as a human being, and they coast off the achievements and reputation of their child without really giving back to him in any substantial way. Ken isn't really pleased with the way they interact with him either, so he gets up and leaves the table.

Then comes the big moment. An image that says so much even when so little is said (again, in the original. The dub butchered it by having Ken internally ramble the whole way, which not even Derek Stephen Prince can really save.) Ken's on the roof of his apartment building, standing in front of a barred fence. He can see the entire city from here, a city filled with mediocre people who he considers to be completely beneath him, but who will always look to exploit his gifts and use whatever he accomplishes for their own benefit, and will feel alright about themselves for doing nothing, being nothing. Ken would love nothing more than to abuse, bully, enslave, torture, or even kill the whole lot of them...but he's far too intelligent to not know better. He knows that the rules of civil society prohibit him from acting freely upon those cruel urges, making him have to conform and comply with the regulations set by lesser people. He, a Chosen One, a "perfect human", has to just sit there and take it like a good little boy, to not werewolf and go wild on these people. He's trapped. Caged like a rare breed of animal rather than the god he believes himself to be. The bars he grabs onto represents this cage, and all he can do here is snarl and shout out to city below him "INSECTS!"

But of course we know that there's a place Ken goes to where he can actually live his wildest fantasies, and act as he would naturally prefer to act towards lesser beings completely free of repercussions. The world he believes is one large MMORPG that exists for his pleasure. The Digital World, where he asserts himself as the Digimon Kaiser. And it's at this point where he starts to call that place home.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Oh I love these:

Jacob Anderson

On Sam Reid's performance as dream Lestat: "I noticed after we did a few scenes together with that dynamic, I would just notice Sam copying me. I would have to be like, 'OK, he's studying the way that I stand or the way that I say things. It's the story. It's what's supposed to be happening.' But occasionally I was like, 'I don't do that!' Now I've seen the season, and I'm like, 'It's genius.' I'm looking forward to seeing what Sam says about playing Louis, essentially. It's Lestat as Louis remembers him, filtered through the things that Louis doesn't want to say, and can't say. And maybe the things that Louis is embarrassed or ashamed about, Lestat just says it."

Sam Reid

On Lestat and Armand's relationship: "They have a very, very, very messy relationship. I think a big part of why Lestat didn't want to go back to France, in Season 1, when they were in New Orleans, is because he doesn't want to run into Armand. He doesn't want to see Armand. He's got a very, very complex relationship with him. It's not like he's like, "Ugh, Armand!" [Disgusted noise] It's like, "Ugh." [Exasperated noise] He's not twisty, turny, thinking about Armand every single day or whatever. He's like, "Ugh, I just would rather… Yeah, I don't want him around." But when he does the flick of his wrist when he thinks about Armand, he's also flicking a huge chunk of his life away."

Delainey Hayles

On Louis and Claudia's relationship: "The book became like my Bible in a way, where I was able to look back and look at how Anne Rice describes Claudia. And I was taking into consideration that it's been her and Louis for a very long time. As a child, you absorb your surroundings. Claudia has spent a lot of time with Louis over the past couple of years. So I think, in a way, his empathy kind of rubs off on her."

Assad Zaman

On the show's memory theme: "I personally think often we equate — if the memory's a little bit inaccurate, then the feeling isn't real. [But] if you think back to our childhood, we elaborate on the stories in our heads so much, and often the tiniest things, moments that meant a lot to us become bigger as we remember them. Time slows down or speeds up, and people become larger or smaller in our heads depending on how they made us feel in that time. I think [there's] a lot of that this season — when we go into Paris, I think that's where the performative nature comes into it. We get to really embrace those emotions. The love between Louis and Armand, the romance, is one of the most beautiful parts of it, the way it starts."

Eric Bogosian

On his experience working on the show: "To be working on such complex material and be asked to do things that I haven't done before, and to be working with such amazing creative team — I mean... I've been around. I'm not speaking from, like, this is my second show or my third show. This is like, my 35th show, or 60th, or something. So when I say that Rolin [Jones] is amazing, Hannah [Moscovitch] is amazing — that's our writing team — and that Jacob and Assad are amazing — these guys are very generous. And I think a lot about [how] when you go into deep work as an actor, you have to feel safe. I have definitely not been safe [in the past], especially with men. Men can be real jerks on set, and the audience can't see it, because we have to do our job. But if you're with a bully star, it's hard to go to where you need to go to. And Jacob, who's mainly who I'm working with, he's a very loving guy. Maybe people don't want to know this about him. Maybe I'm only supposed to say things like, 'In real life he's actually a vampire,' but in real life, he's actually a real, very sweet man. Very human."

Ben Daniels

On Santiago's approach to the theater: "It's like people trolling on Twitter. It's like, they're hidden behind the screen, but his screen is the fact that he's pretending to be a human. And he sort of is getting those mortals by the scruff of the neck and saying, 'Look at yourselves. Look how ridiculous and pathetic you are.' But they lap it up because they think it's a show."

THERE'S MORE!

[seriousbrat]

you said james changed but did he? no apology in sight... still tricking lily and going behind her back to hex snape.. leaving his wife and newborn alone in their secret hiding spot to mess with muggles..

genuinely lol what is this 'leaving their hiding spot to mess with muggles' thing, I think you're the second anon who has claimed something like that recently and it's like.... where lmao. when did that happen? who r these muggles? 😭

if you're referring to the prequel, that was almost certainly, like 100% certainly, before harry was born when lily and james were fighting for the Order along with the rest of the Marauders and not in hiding. This is what Lily says, years later, in her letter to Sirius:

James is getting a bit frustrated shut up here, he tries not to show it but I can tell -- also, Dumbledore's still got his Invisibility Cloak, so no chance of little excursions. If you could visit, it would cheer him up so much.

doesn't that imply he wasn't sneaking out? and if he had left the hiding spot in the past it was "little excursions" with Lily's full knowledge and approval, with the safety of the cloak. I don't see the big deal, and it's possible that Lily was leaving the house on occasion too when they had the cloak.

people are so determined to see things in the worst possible light it's kind of funny. It's not enough that James was a dickhead and a bully in canon, he has to be this insidious abusive master manipulator guy who somehow conned Lily "you make me SICK" Evans into marrying her and having a kid with him. Like, no offence but it's just not that deep.

We don't see how he changed because the story isn't about him, it's about his son, but there's plenty of evidence that he did, a BIG example being that a girl who couldn't stand the sight of him and was extremely vocal about the fact ended up marrying him. Something changed, and it's just highly unlikely that James, a fictional character, constructed an elaborate ruse behind the scenes that we see no evidence for to trick Lily, and every other character, into thinking he was an entirely different person. If that had been the author's intent for these characters who, btw, do not exist outside the text we're given, there would be proof of it. Rather, we're given evidence he 'deflated his head' and that lily fell in love with him and that they were happy together.

I've already said it but I don't think James not telling her about fighting with Snape (who, let it be said, at that point was also instigating) is a good thing. Obviously. It's dishonest and he should have told her. But I also think a likely reason he didn't tell her was not wanting to hurt her. That doesn't make it okay, but there can be problems and slip-ups and things to work through in a relationship without it being some big evil insidious manipulation.

Sev hid all sorts of things from her too, important things like "I'm thinking about joining the Death Eaters btw lol". People lie and hide things, especially teens. Maybe the simplest explanation here, rather than this weird jamespiracy thing, is that a seventeen year old boy was kind of shit sometimes but ultimately dedicated his life to protecting others, fought bravely in a war, grew tf up, and sacrificed himself to save his wife and child.

idk like to me it's not that deep, and it's continually bonkers to me that some snape fans will have wildly different standards for their innocent baby boy (idk him) than they do for every other character. bro did way worse stuff than not telling his gf he was getting into fights, james did worse stuff, and yet I still love them both and u wont convince me not to

[queenvhagar]

so, now that the season is over, can i just vent about how useless and borderline tasteless those aemond/sylvi scenes were? maybe not tasteless, as ewan wasn't filmed naked against his will or coerced like the og GOT actresses were, but i certainly didn't feel whatever it was they were trying to get me to feel by watching those brothel scenes. while i can empathize with the plight of the smallfolk and will always stand up for sex workers, it just didn't work for me in this context. yes, as a big fan of aemond, there was a part of me that wanted to see him express some degree of vulnerability this season, but with his own fucking family and not at the expense of seeing the brothel madame from s1 again! anyone who is in or even on the fringes of the HOTD fandom knows what an issue the conversation surrounding sylvi was back in 1x09, and i feel like this was a move to capitalize on aemond's popularity, set the stage for his preference of older women once he meets alys, or maybe even just filling the nudity quota as per hbo's standards. i mean, damn, if they're going to put aemond in a position of romantic or sexual intimacy, can they just save that shit for his semi-canonical love interest? hell, i would rather he be demanded to bring floris baratheon to court, which would do that job of opening up conversation about whatever is going on in the stormlands and how borros is choosing the handle the war effort on his end! sylvi is not a character we know or care about on the same level of the main cast and i doubt she's going to leave a significant impact on who aemond is going forward, so why shove this glorified extra in our faces and attach them to a character who was/is kinda the dark horse breakout fave of s1? she adds nothing to him or the story beyond another smallfolk pov - which we already have with mysaria and the dragonseeds! what a waste of time. 😒

I agree. The purpose of these scenes was to humiliate the character or make him laughable for having "mommy issues" and literally drinking milk and laying in an older woman's arms. And all that so they could also include Aegon bullying him for it because otherwise he had no motivation to want to kill him all of a sudden. It is extra icky with the implication that this is the first woman Aemond was ever with as a literal child when he was brought to her to "get it wet." I don't think the show handles discussion and portrayal of sex in this show at all. Despite its "sex positive" attitude toward Rhaenyra it seems it shames every other character when it comes to sex: Aegon having his penis exploded, Aemond having mommy issues cuddling his abuser and drinking milk, the voyeuristic sex of Alicole included only for shock value and shaming the characters for being hypocrites, the lack of recognition of Alicent's inability to refuse Viserys and that marital rape scene seemingly just used to contrast with Rhaenyra's sexual liberation... To say this show is weird about sex and mixed with its messaging is saying the least.

[hyperfixated-on-musicals]

"Learning love is not a crime."

[Inspired by @catboyrichardkarinsky 's Quotev story]

Sexuality scared Marvin. Not in the way that a horror movie would scare a child but in the sense that opening up about it would make him want to cry. School has always been tough for Marvin.

The feeling of sitting alone, letting the rain fall onto him as he held himself where no one could see him hurt but it also felt safe. Across the soaking wet grass, Marvin spotted a boy who looked to be around his age, probably 16 or so surrounded by a group of boys.

Marvin hated confrontation so he sat back and listened.

"Fucking fag!" One of the boys shouted.

"Get the fuck away from me! What the hell did I do to you?!" The boy in the middle shouted.

"Why don't you get your boyfriend to come help you out?" Another boy taunted him.

At this stage, Marvin stood up and walked over to the group of boys, trying to get closer but avoid confrontation at the same time.

The boys kept hurling insults at this one seemingly defenseless kid.

"You know what, Whizzer? We would've almost thought you were normal if you kept the act up."

"If you don't do exactly as we say, we'll out you and your faggot boyfriend to the whole school."

The boy, Whizzer, tried to stand up for himself.

"I don't have a boyfriend. And so fucking what if I did?! It's just a guy I like."

Marvin felt slightly proud of Whizzer as he moved closer.

Crunch.

The leaves cracked under the weight of Marvin's feet, causing the slight moment of silence to be broken and for all of the boys' eyes to be on him. Marvin froze.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt..."

He did mean to.

"Do you have a problem?" One of the boys stepped forward.

Marvin gulped, trying to ignore the anxiety building up in his chest.

"Whizzer, right?"

"Yeah..."

Marvin leaned in closer to Whizzer, his lips close to but not touching Whizzer's ear.

"On three, we run," Marvin whispered.

One.

Steady breathing.

Two.

Don't think of the guys that want you dead.

Three.

Running as fast as they both could, Whizzer and Marvin made it to the safety of the back of the school. It was the only place that Marvin felt comfortable in so it was something big for him to introduce his safe space to a stranger.

"Are you okay?" Marvin asked as soon as he got his breath back.

"They want me dead. I want me dead too."

"Huh?"

"I'm gay... They want to tell the whole school, practically sentencing me to death or at least banishment from this school due to isolation," Whizzer mumbles his explanation. "So, yeah, I'd rather kill myself than have people know what I am. And that isn't some joke. I'm not just saying that to lighten the mood. I... I've... Why am I even telling you this?"

"I'm gay too. I haven't told anyone. Not even my parents know," Marvin confessed.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"You're not like... playing a trick on me and planning to humiliate me, are you?"

Marvin frowned at how cautious Whizzer was being but on the other hand, he couldn't really blame him. Those boys tortured him for being queer.

"It's just... I've tried to kill myself. The bullying became too much to handle. I couldn't take it."

Whizzer started tearing up. His world was falling apart and all Marvin could do to help was pick up the broken pieces. They skipped school that day. Growing old together was all that seemed to matter to both of them.

[paganminiskirt]

“Wouldn't believe me. Knew from birth I was marked to die by lightning. Momma forced me into the bath, twisted my vittles and shoved me in the water even though she knew the electricity could sneak up them pipes and cook me like a suckling pig. Bitch never was right in the head.”

It’s interesting how, between Coyle and Gooseberry, he seems to be classified as more of a natural born evil (like Traeger/Blair/Knoth) while the horror that she embodies is consistently characterized as the byproduct of sustained abuse, or rather of a bunch of horrifying overblown coping mechanisms for it (like Gluskin/Walker/Marta.) Phyllis presents as someone who was socialized with such atrocious, systemized cruelty that she's unable to live outside of that paradigm of parental domination, clinging to this understanding of childhood thats conventions - safety, obedience, innocence, even performance - are defined exclusively by violence.

Now Coyle is as much a product of his environment as she is, but not in the sense that the narrative is constantly reasserting the trauma that warped him along the way. He presents as a particularly sadistic cog in a pre-existing machine of brutality, one that rewarded him from start to finish as he stretched the limits of what he could get away with before getting scouted by a power structure that enabled his cruelty to an even more depraved extreme.

He fits his setting quite well, since the 1950s are recognized as a time of infamous institutionalized injustice. Another widespread aspect of 50s America was cultural and social repression, and that’s where you find the root of what makes Coyle the way he is. This is a man with a hideously destructive fixation on guilt and shame - specifically of the kind that can't be overcome or redeemed, only denied. ("The trick to an effective lie is standing your ground. Never give a fucking inch.") He might bloviate about how it's other people that are Wrong & Dirty & Bad, of course, how he's got nothing to be ashamed of, but there are moments when it's made particularly obvious that this is a cover up for some part of his own identity that he finds irreconcilably repulsive.

There's the aforementioned fact that he’s 100% convinced that if you just lie really really hard, you can bully the truth out of existence. There's that line about how he believes in “educational shame,” “spitting in the eyes of the blind,” i.e. using degradation to uphold a kind of farcical social purity even if you know you’re just maintaining a front. There’s the part where he bemoans that there isn’t a jail anywhere that he himself could be put in, “someplace peaceful and close, someplace warm I could not escape,” like his version of heaven is just to be a dog in a cage, helpless and weak but contained. There's the part where he goes off about how the “undesirables” will inevitably overwhelm him one day, all while using the whole scenario as an excuse to fantasize about being broken and degraded in front of a crowd jesus christ leland go to therapy. There’s also the quote that I put at the top. Which is vague (and sourced from the unreliable narrator to end all unreliable narrators) but also relevant to the discussion of his personal hangups.

Coyle might have had something done to him as a very young child, correct? It’s nowhere near as integral to his characterization as Gooseberry’s trauma is, nor is it laid out as clearly; and yet, the tenor of that story is certainly unpleasant, and it only gets worse when you try to parse out what exactly he’s describing. “Vittles” is just redneck for “food,” but when utilized to describe the actions of someone wrangling a naked child it takes on a much uglier connotation - especially when paired up with a verb like “twist.” The line about how his mother wasn’t “right in the head” is definitely another projection, at least partially, but much of the rest of the quote points to what happened being significant to his obsessions as an adult.

It would certainly explain all those times where he tries to convince the player to see themselves as helpless, pathetic, “born guilty.” Looking at him through the framework of secretly being everything he accuses others of being, what else could’ve made him feel like that? A “half-formed monstrosity with it’s heart on the outside,” damned from birth?

[dufferpuffer]

Just read about you okaying one of the anon ask about random ships. Because just like so many people I too like your analysis...

I know that this might be out of your usual circle of favorite characters. Or a little strange ship too...

But I always found it interesting to think about two rebels of rhe family. One from house of black and one from house of Weasley.

Sirius Black and Percy Weasley.

I think the fandom has slept on Percy's potential as a lead character for good story.

Harry dislikes percy right along ron and twins etc but if we see from certain angle he was nit wrong in not trusting dumbles. And he having trust in ministry and authority figures and not wanting to be part of a vigilante group is also not bad thing.

Him having fights with parents is also nothing new, we all at certain age think that we know better than them.

Percy is a gryffindor though. He didn't say no because he was scared to fight. He said no because he didn't like Dumbledore approach. Again understandable as order was full of teens and ya with bright future if not for albus pushing them to fight

Mr and mrs Weasley make it seem like they don't want their children to fight but since they are affected by the war we can't say them no too. But they did everything in front of children in ootp. R + h+ h will be the front warriors because of harry but twins and Charlie and bill do follow their parents' foot steps..

The dynamic bw Sirius and percy I would like to explore but my brain is not much help in it as to what will be the interaction be like.

I mean with Sirius having seen with his own eyes that under Dumbledore regime they are all like sitting ducks, dumbles not helping his own unlawful imprisonment situation, making things difficult for harry.

What if the two join forces.

I too dont like age gap romances but in Wizarding word people live more that 150 years so what is a 14-15 year age difference.

If you are irked about a romantic relationship bw the two than you can share your thought on them platonically joining forces to help each other...

Sirius has a unique situation because he understand what it feels to just move away from your family. That it is not all sunshine and roses. That it is a tough decision. He also has been wronged by order and it's leader by ignorance and indifference, same as percy who like a typical middle child feels left out.

Sirius knows that though ministry is useless, this time he also doesn't wants to bet all his chances of win on Dumbledore like last time...

If you are interested I will like to hear your thoughts 🤔💭

Ok, first of all - I do not mind age gaps. It would be pretty hypocritical if I did, since my partner is 17 years older than me lol I cannot blame Percy for fucking a hot old man when I, too, fuck the hot old men. I find the whole concept of 'age gaps being irksome' demeaning - not to mention rooted in sexism, homophobia and ableism. An adult should be able to love another adult. Period.

That being said - Percy and Sirius... an interesting concept.

Overall I think, while they have ALOT of similarities, they have some aspects that would grind against each-other. That doesn't mean I don't think they can work, I just think they have a hump to get over: - Sirius' judgemental nature and being a playful bully. - Percy's pride and protective nature (being like his mother).

Sirius is an understanding, compassionate guy... but there are things that crawl right up under his skin: - Like 'abandoning' the people you love. He isn't an idiot, he can tell Percy hasn't abandoned his family, but he would think he is wasting his time at the Ministry of all places rather than actually being there physically and emotionally for them. - He also can't stand stiffs. His parents, his brother - even Molly herself, doesn't want the kids to do anything... He is a firecracker. He likes to poke sleeping bears and break some rules. - Percy is proud, to a ridiculous level. He will close his eyes to the truth in order to keep pushing. He has decided on what he will do - and even if everyone he loves says no. He has the childish desire to be a Big Grown Boy which leaves his ego easily bruised... and Sirius would find that naive, and perhaps a little too much like his brother. Percy may be an adult, but he acts like a snotty little brat.

The main dynamic I could imagine them having - Is Sirius being annoying, like a third Twin, someone that pokes fun at Percy's expense for a laugh... but with a burning, caring desire to not let Percy become another Regulus... or another HIMSELF. Facing the pain of having to lose a sibling before he has the chance to reconcile with them - just because he was stubborn.

I think Sirius would want to SAVE him from his own mistakes... and for Percy, having yet another person see his ambition as a mistake would be aggravating. Sirius' earnestness with his concern would harm his pride. And that's an interesting dynamic to work through. Perhaps, forced to abandon his pride - like being fired from the Ministry - would open Percy up to listening to an old dog who has seen the 'truth' of the world...?

Maybe spending more time with Sirius and seeing how the Ministry has treated him - how they continue to treat him - would disillusion him to the Ministry. He believes when his family says Voldemort is back, and he believes Sirius when he says he was innocent... and so he finally has to make himself wake up from his dreams and put his burning passions to a different goal.

Sirius is trapped in his house... but Percy is free. Maybe it starts as just running errands, but turns into a team. The both of them working together - maybe Percy even working within the Ministry, spying for Sirius specifically. Spending all that time alone together, moping about becoming jaded, drinking about their dreams going up in smoke... I mean if you want intimacy or romance that's a perfect launchpad.

I know in the extended text below its alot of negative stuff but I would DEVOUR a good fic about them. I would LOVE that. If you are planning on writing one WRITE IT - and if you aren't... any recs?

Extended thoughts below (900ish words)

Firstly... I love Albus. I stand by him and most of his decisions... though I agree that Sirius is probably not the biggest fan and for good reasons... but I don't think we actually see him disagreeing with Albus much in canon...? I might be forgetting something. Sirius is DEFINITELY keen on the 'child-soldier' thing. He FIGHTS for Harry and the kids to be involved when they are underage. If Percy wants his entire family out of the war, especially his siblings... Sirius wants them in. An interesting conflict.

~~~

I don't think Percy didn't join the Order because it was 'full of teens' - it wasn't. It had 3 teens that visited sometimes - and they were kept in the dark until they were 17. Dumbledore wasn't making child soldiers, aside from Harry - but what choice does he have? "...with bright futures if not for albus pushing them to fight" They won't have ANY future if they don't fight for their lives. By the end of GoF it isn't a question of if, but when: When will Harry be forced by fate to fulfill the prophecy? When will the Burrows' protective charms fail and expose them? When will Hermione fight for her life as a muggleborn? These events are guaranteed. Not hypothetical.

I know this is a tangent, but Albus fought in possibly BOTH Muggle World Wars and three Wizarding wars. He knows the horrors of war. He tried to shelter Harry, to keep him at arms length, unaware of politics, hidden in safe places... but he couldn't do that forever. Especially not when the Ministry was unhelpful, most of the Wizarding World was blinded by propaganda - and he was dying.

Shit I talked about Albus too much again, what was I saying? Oh yeah - I don't think Percy didn't join the order because of that. I think he simply had faith in the Ministry and Pride in himself. His older siblings left the country, leaving him as the eldest. His father stayed in a low-paying job he was constantly putting at risk... and wasn't trying to be promoted. He wanted to turn his families life around. He LOVES his family.

~~~

While Sirius knows how difficult it is to leave family you have a complicated relationship with - he left his family because he rejected them. He numbed himself to their fates the best he could.

Percy left because he loves them. He wants to support his little brothers and sister. He wants to make his Mother proud and earn his fathers respect. He was going to work his ass off in these turbulent times and work his way up to being Minister of Magic.

...Sirius would think that is very cute. He is jaded. "You really think Cornelius Fudge got to his position through 'hard work'' and 'honest effort'...? Oh, you sweet boy... how naive." But I also think it would bamboozle him a little: "You love your family, but you left them? You aren't fighting with them? You're messing about at the ministry instead of being their knight...? You're being a cute little secretary or whatever to the same old bastard that pushed for me not to get a trial??" Sirius is loyal to a fault. He would acknowledge Percy's drive as admirable but think he is putting it all in the wrong place. Sirius could see Percy's heart, his intent, his love - in a way that others don't... but he doesn't relate. Percy's heart is good - but he's off chasing silly dreams. This isn't the time for dreams. This is war.

~~~

Percy was a proud prefect and Head Boy - exactly the sort of rule-enforcing snob Sirius would terrorize for fun. That's not a deal-breaker or anything - but Sirius is more like Fred/George. An interesting dynamic since Percy can't stand bullying.

~~~

Percy has faith in the Ministry, enough to stick with them all the way until the last book - and thus, has little faith in Sirius Black. He isn't going to out him, but he doesn't see him doing much either: 'Sitting drinking in your mothers house... Not exactly trying to clear your name, are you?' He might even feel some embarrassment for how the Ministry failed Sirius, which could come out in all sorts of victim-blamey ways.

~~~

Percy doesn't have many people on his side, but he doesn't feel like he NEEDS them on his side. He is a big tough man all on his own! Sirius might show him compassion and some understanding, but I don't know if Percy would care to listen to him. He is a bit independent man now - and, for awhile, people trying to show him compassion and understanding might make him feel patronized.

~~~

Just the image of Percy sending back his christmas jumper, disowning his family... Sirius would go off his rocker. He knows what family pressure is like - but he also knows what the Weasley dynamic is. He knows what Percy is pushing away from and it is pathetic. They love him in all the ways Sirius' family never did, and for Percy to reject that would hurt Sirius, too. "...You made your mother cry, Perce. And Molly isn't like my mother."

~~~

Also sorry this took awhile I wanted to both give it good thought - and shit got busy, I fostered an injured bird for awhile

[shadesofblades]

Baatu Ardakium: The Moonlit Shield

(All of Baatu's updated lore as of JUNE 2024, up until ShB. I already had this up on his ToyHouse page, but decided to post it here as well. This post is very long with lots of text. Includes characters owned to @midnightmagicks! This lore is just the basis of his story, meaning all RP is intertwined somewhere within.)

Moonlit Origins

Baatu Ardakium was born during the end of summer in Ishgard, Coerthas. His father was Berkai Ardakium, a Xaela born of the Steppe, and his mother is Murene Ardakium, an Ishgardian Elezen.☾

Baatu’s father had broken off from his family in his homeland to migrate with a different Xaela tribe across the world. This group tried to settle in the lands of Coerthas, but they encountered an abundance of hardships. Before long, Berkai decided to carve out his own path and travel on his own through the new land. One day, he encountered an Elezen woman by the name of Murene. She was just outside of the city of Ishgard taking on an extra job when the two locked eyes. Murene had never seen a man like Berkai before and they quickly became interested in one another. Their relationship blossomed as they learned about each other and their respective cultures and lives. Many stories were shared between the two that bonded them in a romantic partnership.☾

Berkai and Murene began seeing each other in secret. They did not speak about their relationship to anyone in fear for their safety as Ishgard’s discriminatory rules were violently enforced. Murene would often take jobs outside of the city so that she may slip away to see her partner. (The extra cash was nice as well.) The two eventually had their son in private, but could not share his identity to the world openly yet. However, the day came when Berkai was caught near the surrounding lands of Ishgard, far too close for the likes of the guards. Berkai was given no mercy in his wrongful execution. Murene learned of her lover’s death soon after word spread of a “Draconic man” being slain just outside of the gates of the city. She was unable to do anything less she be branded a heretic or worse.☾

Stoneborn Youth

Murene solely raised Baatu as his father was almost completely gone from his childhood. The two lived together in the slums of Ishgard in a tiny condominium, part of the lower working class. Murene was a single working mother, so Baatu did what he could as a child to help her with chores and errands while also being home schooled during his early years. On occasion, Baatu would try to help his mother by cooking meals even at a very young age.☆

The other children of Ishgard didn’t take kindly to Baatu’s mixed heritage. Growing up to learn that dragons were Ishgard’s enemies, Baatu’s peers would often bully and abuse Baatu for his draconic appearance. As a young child, Baatu wouldn’t know what to do in these situations but to run home to his mother who would protect him. He was hurt physically and emotionally often, other kids not wanting to be friends with him and some even throwing rocks at him. During one of these ambushes, Baatu was hit in the face rather hard that ruined his right eye permanently.☆

During one of his grocery errand runs, young Baatu saw a handsome family of white scaled Au Ra. He was stunned by their brilliance and excited to see other people with features like his own. The young daughter of that family even seemed to stand proud against any of the other children’s racist mocking. He was so distracted by the sight of them that he tripped and dropped his bags, causing a scene that would get their attention. The young son of the family rushed over to help his peer with his bags, sparking excitement in Baatu. He asked the other boy many questions about who he was or where he came from. Nearly all of his questions went unanswered, however. This was the first time Baatu really felt a connection with a stranger.☆

There was a day that Baatu had come back home to some other adult Elezen in his house talking to his mother. Young Baatu hid to listen in on the conversation the adults were having, which he soon found out was about him. The other adults were somehow convinced that Baatu was the one causing all the trouble amongst the children and that it was his fault that the kids were acting the way they were. Murene had none of this and sent them away, very protective of her child. Soon after this conversation, young Baatu started to confront the peers who bullied him. He had a major turn in behavior that caused many of the children to bite their tongues and run away from him. Baatu learned to act threatening and strong rather than run away to his mother. He didn’t want to cause her any more trouble.☆

Teenage Sandbag

As Baatu grew older and bigger, he grew more dominant and violent. His peers started to fear the half Au Ra that now towered over them and avoided him even more than when they did as children. He got into fights for the smallest things just to prove the point that he was stronger than those who opposed him. He had an extremely hard time making friends because of this and even stirred up trouble in the wrong crowds. Thankfully for Baatu, none of the guards cared for visiting the shadier parts of the Brume. However, there were times he came extremely close to getting arrested, and honestly it it a miracle he never was. All of this social isolation didn’t seem to bother Baatu much outwardly as he spent most of his time helping his mother pay for bills when he wasn’t in school or causing mayhem. By the time he was done with his public schooling, he dedicated his time to getting work as a laborer.☆

It didn’t take long for Baatu to want to move away from Ishgard- especially after the calamity that ruined Coerthas’ climate. He had this idea of leaving home even at a young age, but never pursued it until his mother gave him her blessing. She said he should live his own life and do whatever he wanted to do, and Baatu took those words to heart. Shortly after, Baatu quit his work and packed his bags to travel down Eorzea, barely a gil in his pocket. He picked up work as a hired hand and learned the way of the sword and shield. Through his travels, he met new and interesting people, but still had a hard time making friends as his demeanor was more than abrasive. Finally being able to meet other Au Ra, Baatu tried a little too hard to get close to them, usually ruining their relationships in turn. Living in some rowdy social circles and easily getting into the wrong crowds, Baatu learned that his tough guy behavior was only punishable by a fist fight or a ban from a bar.☆

From the bone-chilling stoneland of Ishgard, Baatu traveled southward until he found a new home in the hot sands of Ul’dah. Work was plenty, and he finally felt like he belonged amongst the diverse crowds of travelers from around the world. He was making some coin and anything he could spare he sent over to his mother back in Ishgard. Eventually, Baatu caught the eye of a Flame recruiter and the himbo was easily persuaded to join their ranks. Baatu was rather happy with the Flames as they provided a place to sleep and food on his table. All he had to do was get better with that sword and shield of his! He would often make homemade meals for the other recruits and earned a name for himself amongst the soldiers. This was a prime time in Baatu’s life where he finally made some friends, one being E’mal Khama.☆

New Blood (ARR)

While living in Ul’dah during his young adulthood, Baatu became more tolerable and even friendly. Sometimes he was a little too friendly and ended up sleeping around quite frequently. These types of encounters usually didn’t end well and Baatu often found himself alone again.☆

One of these intimate encounters was with E’mal Khama, the Viera dancer from Gridania. The two hit it off well, but couldn’t hold up a romantic relationship at all. Regardless, they quickly became good friends and started helping and hanging out with each other more and more. E’mal was a rascal around Baatu, but taught the big idiot about how to not be a complete asshole. Baatu cleaned up heavily because of his friendship with E’mal, learning that not everything has to be a competition of strength and power.☆

Whilst working a side job after hours one day, Baatu saw a handsome Raen Au Ra come into the city. The stranger appeared ticked off at everything around him, but Baatu couldn’t help but pursue the handsome man. He learned his name was Zansei and that he came from overseas to train as a lancer. Baatu, not knowing how to talk to other Au Ra, made great advances on Zansei. He would bother the other Au Ra to the point of exhaustion. Zansei had enough of Baatu following him around and agreed to entertain him by teaching him how to talk to others. Even E’mal was surprised by Zansei’s decision to help Baatu rather than just turn him away completely like how other Au Ra would. Something felt so familiar.☆

Family (HW)

After a healthy amount of time with the Flames, Baatu became focused on learning combat and defense. He grew greatly as a tank and dedicated most of his time training in order to protect those around him. This period of discipline, alongside the social aid he was receiving from Zansei and E’mal’s teachings, helped Baatu grow into a stronger and more mature individual. He learned about strategy and gained wisdom on tactics through his training. Those around him grew confident, something that was brought on not just from his shining smile. Without realizing it, Baatu was able to manipulate aether in ways that helped the constitution of himself and those around him. Even without a casting focus, he was able to bring his aether into combat with surprising skill. It took time and consistency, but Baatu became a truly reliable paladin.☆

His work with the Flames took him all over Eorzea. As soon as he displayed such an outstanding magical constitution, they used him to travel from place to place via Aetheryte. Eventually, he was assigned to a station in Ishgard. He was extremely hesitant to go back to the stonecold city, but he had no other choice. Covered from head to toe in armor, Baatu looked unrecognizable to anyone he might have known in Ishgard. He could very well have been any old Au Ra. During this time, Baatu was uncharacteristically quiet and tame, not stirring up any trouble and avoiding people as much as he could. Even his fellow soldiers noticed this change in him, a few even teasing him for it.☆

Zansei in particular noticed this unusual behavior from his friend, but only confronted Baatu about it when he learned that his mother lived in the city. There was a small argument between them where Baatu tried to convince Zansei that he wasn’t ready to see his mother again. Zansei didn’t have any of his excuses and forced him to go visit. Nervous that he hadn’t lived up to an expectation he gave himself, Baatu cautiously knocked on his old home’s door and took off his helmet when his mother answered. The three of them had a fantastically long conversation filled with hours of catching up and old stories about Baatu’s childhood. Zansei learned a lot about Baatu that day, more than Baatu would have liked but it was clear that Murene loved to chatter about her little boy.☆

Love Blossoms (SB)

War in the Far East brewed uncertainty and worry within Baatu’s partner, Zansei. The two had a discussion about Zansei’s journey back to his family in Kugane and the couple’s next steps in their relationship. Without any resistance, Baatu promised Zansei that he would find a way to support him and his family. It took a bit of convincing, but Baatu bargained with his higher ups in the Flames to be stationed in Hingashi. It sure didn’t hurt to be well equipped for travel.☆

This period of strife in the East brought Zansei and Baatu closer as a couple. They were able to spend more time together, and Baatu was able to learn more about Zansei’s heritage and culture. With sickeningly poor pronunciation, Baatu learned a few phrases in Zansei’s native tongue. Staying with Zansei’s family also brought great opportunities for new growth as Baatu learned about Hingan cooking from Zansei’s mother. Zansei’s family quickly became comforting to Baatu as they treated him with much kindness.☆

Still, Baatu was stationed out there for work and had to keep traveling from time to time. While on some missions, Baatu was able to see where his roots bloomed from for the first time in his life. He had never realized just how spectacular Othard was and how interesting the cultures of the Steppe were. Through meeting other Xaela native to these lands, Baatu learned of his father’s history and stories that were passed down through his lineage. Zansei was occasionally there to accompany Baatu on these journeys, both of them learning of his heritage.☆

Throughout their journeys all over the star, Zansei and Baatu grew closer and closer. They not only relied on each other in battle, but emotionally and mentally as well. Their bond only grew stronger with the events in the Far East, and eventually they decided to tie the red thread. Zansei confessed to Baatu that he was the young Raen boy who helped him with his bags all those years ago. Baatu took a knee and asked Zansei for his hand in marriage, with his parents’ blessings of course. They easily made it official with an announcement and eventually had their wedding.☆

Surprise Wishes (ShB)

After the war in the East settled down, the couple decided to find a home together. It was custom to build a new structure for the new couple, but Baatu took that very literally. They found a plot in Shirogane together and Baatu began building the house himself. Of course Zansei could not allow his new husband to build something structurally unsafe, so he hired some professionals to help the process. Together, the newly weds designed the layout of their house and helped with the actual construction of it.☆

While the house was still under construction, the lovers encountered something quite fateful. While taking a stroll through the city of Kugane, they picked up on an unusual sound. It came from an abandoned building towards the edges of the water. Zansei immediately picked up on it and grew hurried in his pace. He recognized it to be the pained cries of a child. Not just a child no, as Zansei burst through the unkempt structure with little care for his own safety, he found a young baby, no more than a few months old. He rescued the young Raen and brought her to safety. Baatu could not deny Zansei as he cared for the girl, on the contrary helping him readily. After an extensive search by the authorities to find this young girl’s parents to no avail, Zansei and Baatu adopted the girl and began raising her as their own. They had to change some design plans on their home as well.☆

As if Baatu could not sit still, he took on another endeavor with some help of a few Flame friends. It wasn’t a goal that had been on his mind, but Baatu decided to open up a restaurant in Ul’dah. He figured he had to figure out what to do for retirement from the Flames, and a plethora of his mates suggested he open up a bar. So he did just that. He didn’t know much about the laws of it all, but thankfully he had a few friends- and his own husband- to help him out. And what better place to have it than the city he grew to love. As Baatu is a man who travels often, he does not run the restaurant himself. He will sometimes visit to serve customers and friends, but he often lets his staff do all the work. However, he made sure to teach all his cooks each recipe on the menu with precision and care.☆

[bit-club]

my notes on week one :)

i luv these first three chapters: the first two set up our dual timelines while the third sets up our main characters & their fears and personalities.

after the flood is a great opening scene to establish setting and our monster. one of my favorite details abt this chapter is how it change’s it’s appearance to mimic georgie’s mother and bill to manipulate him. i also like how georgie is the first one to call pennywise ‘it,’ not because he knew about the clown but because pennywise is the same kind of monster you imagine under your bed or in your closet as a child, the one that constantly lurks, hungry.

i also like this section because it’s our first example of the child vs adult mindset that ends up being so crucial to the end of the story— adults worry about murderers and communists because those are so obviously real, while children still have the imagination and fear of being eaten alive by the thing in the basement.

after the festival is so interesting because it shows how derry, what it is, and how the people there feel about it.

resignation vs disgust. these cops have lived in derry all their lives but they’re still shocked when hagarty exclaims what they all know to be true. it’s less turning a blind eye and more willingly accepting it, because this is how it is and this is how it will always be. this blasé attitude is also shown in this earlier excerpt:

this is how it is. ignore the worst of it because this is just how it is. and many of those ‘gory old things’ have living witnesses; mike hanlon will later interview men who were involved in the bradley gang shootout. none of this is ancient history, it happened to your parents and grandparents. but that’s just how it is here (also love how this small section sets up mike’s historic knowledge!)

after the flood was based on the true murder of charlie howard in bangor, maine in 1984.

next we get six phone calls, our introduction to our seven lucky characters. some things i found interesting about each section:

stan knew that this was going to happen, he remembered more than everyone other than mike, and it seems he knew what he was going to do.

neil young reference from the epigraph that i love. out of the blue and into the black. i also like how stan’s character is defined by his reliance on reality; when something doesn’t compute he can’t handle it, and he is no longer a child who could accept and move past the horror. his death is so important to me because the whole chapter sets him up as a successful, logical, and loving man. he’s good at his job, he’s thinking about the future, he really cares about his wife. this man would not kill himself… and then he does. this is the terror we’re facing, the kind that destroys the rational mind (georgie’s sanity was similarly destroyed in ‘one clawing stroke).

i also like this foreshadowing:

stan’s scene is followed by richie’s.

sorry always have to post the richie thesis statement. he’s so wrapped up in his voices (he even uses one when talking to mike on the phone) that’s it’s obvious they’re a manifestation of his own self-hate. i also like how deeply scared he is while looking into his safe, realizing how easy it is to destroy a life— one match, or one lighter, and you’re done. another notable thing is that rather than first remembering his friends or even pennywise richie remembers the bullying he experienced; he felt hated enough that he hated himself too, and still does despite the success he’s achieved as a radio host. his music collection and knowledge is expanse, and he mentions always having something playing— in fact one of the first things he does after the phone call is throw a record on and turn it up— and to me that’s a person who can’t stand a moment alone in his head.

guys i think we’re going out of the blue and into the black

[ultraericthered]

One Villainous Scene: Nowhere For Rabbit To Run

In this episode of Sailor Moon R, all four of the Specter Sisters have spread out over town, and all four of them go after Chibi Usa/Rini when she accidentally alerts them to her presence in a failed attempt to travel back to her original time period. The episode very clearly builds up the idea that there's going to be a major battle, four on four between the Specter Sisters and the Sailor Senshi minus Sailor Moon herself, who has to protect Rini. Watching it for the first time, you're made to anticipate it, making it rewarding when it occurs.

And then you get something you probably weren't anticipating. When it looks like Sailor Moon and Rini are away from the fighting, with Rini safe in Sailor Moon's arms....glowing energy grenades rain down from the sky, and Sailor Moon, preemptively detecting it coming, takes the blow so that Rini doesn't get hurt. The assailant appears on the battlefield, and it's none other than the Specter Sisters' boss, Crimson Rubeus of the Black Moon Clan. The same guy who's been completely stationary and giving the sisters their assignments for the past several episodes makes a surprise in-person appearance to finish this job himself while the sisters are held up by the Sailor Senshi. Briefly explaining who he is, where he's from, and what he's after, Rubeus launches an all-out barrage of energy grenades at Sailor Moon, completely unrelenting and taking sadistic pleasure in seeing her run and struggle in vain to protect the frightened child.

As Sailor Moon lies on the ground, her back literally against the wall and Rini crying for her to get back up, we get the most striking moment from Rubeus that really peels back his exterior and gives us our first real look at the sort of guy he truly is - with a very genuine, pleased smile on his face, he slowly raises up his hand and readies another blast he intends to launch at Rini point blank. Before, the Specter Sisters weren't afraid to get rough with the little girl and they wanted to abduct her to bring her back alive. By contrast, Rubeus here seems to have absolutely zero problem with the notion of doing terrible physical harm to child in a way that would be deadly for her. This is not merely the first of plenty more in-person appearances from Rubeus to come afterwards, but the first of many displays of Rubeus being more than just another bad guy for the girls to be up against, but a callous, deliberately cruel, abusive monster who'll go to the nastiest of lengths to get what he desires, as he thinks only of himself and how he might attain a more glorious standing within the Black Moon Clan. It's what makes him such a memorable bad guy for a section of the show that's otherwise fairly subpar and downright stupid at points (I'll never forgive what Ikuhara did to Mamoru here, who incidentally shows up to help as Sailor Moon stands back up and then for a moment it even looks like Sailor Moon's about to kill Rubeus prematurely, with him only narrowly managing to escape.)

Last thing worth noting about the clip I chose here: the DiC dub is absolute cringe - Sailor Moon, Rini, and Tuxedo Mask all have awful, terribly unconvincing voices, Rubeus' dialogue repetitiously uses "Negamoon" four times, and corny lines like "You're dusted, buster!", "You just a schoolyard bully?" "Find out, cape boy!", and "This guy could use a little scepter therapy" are completely out of place for this urgent moment in the story. But I went with it rather than the Viz dub not only due to it being my first exposure, but for the one saving grace - Robert Tinkler as Rubeus. Steve Staley's an adequate fit for the part too, but he couldn't measure up to Tinkler, who just WAS the character. The smugness, the petulant fury, the all-encompassing malice just oozing from his voice saved most of his material from the scripts. That delivery of "Ready to go? TIME'S WASTING!" and the completely unhinged chuckling that accompanies it is what your childhood nightmares were made of. He just nailed the assingment.

(Also, while I like "Moon Revenge" in this scene too, I sorta prefer how there's no song in the background until Rubeus has appeared and launches his attack. Makes the scene feel all the more special.)

[whispering-radiance]

I was preparing a question about the characters of Eiko and Nomi, but now I have a new one. Perhaps the concept of a male heir can be traced here, or Eiko expressed a desire to engage in exorcism from early childhood. But still, why do the characters of children have such serious differences? After all, they grew up in the same atmosphere (and, perhaps, only with their father and his friend). Besides, the mentality of the time couldn't allow Nomi to not be able to stand up for himself... could it? Okay, they basically grew up without a mother, which has left Eiko devoid of some sense of values, and on top of that, their father is almost always busy. That is, Eiko can be a courageous, independent, immodest and brave girl. But why isn't Nomi like that?

You may not be looking at the mentality that allows you freedom of action (I have my doubts about school, but that doesn't matter). Still, Eiko and Nomi spend a lot of time together, and they also have a cool father (it doesn’t matter whether others know about it or not - it doesn’t stop them from being proud of their father).

And something else. Does Nomi have a complex about his sister standing up for him? Or does he simply not yet know such dark feelings as envy (and, of course, loves Eiko)?

All this is important. I think this is the reason why Nomi disobeyed his father and put on the mask.

Oh this will be a long one, but RAAAAH I will answer. Now, I should probably add that not every little doodle should be analyzed under a careful eye, sometimes I just feel silly and make things because I want to.

| A golden star for parenting |

(I’m not quite sure when exactly Eiko and Nomi were born; but it might be close to defeating the sorcerer; rather than after)

Now that wasn’t fully thought out till last weekend — Amber was a part of the family for quite a bit. I never fully stated this, I just wrote “they’ve managed to start a family before she disappeared” — But oh, even though she was, she wasn’t ideal. If you’re familiar with how Slavic moms sometimes are, then you’ll have a good image of Amber’s character.

She probably left when Nomi and Eiko were old enough to remember her, but they were pretty much still young kids.

What I can say is that she ventured to stop an ancient evil from escaping the Shadow Realm, if it had managed to get out, it would have been game over for all — but obviously I can’t go on with details because I’m still polishing the story.

| Eiko and Nomi - Kids |

I’m not sure where should I start with— Hmm well, maybe I’ll start with Nomi, because I didn’t have a chance to fully explain his character.

Nomi is dangerously smart, he’s an observer and analyzer, but that doesn’t mean he’s weak or not able to stand up for himself. He knows how he should act in certain situations, and that violence is a double edged sword. Like if he stood up to bullies at school, that would just attract unwanted attention or it would have resulted in some kind of parental intervention; and he preferred not to have all eyes on him.

While Nomi sticks with his motto of “Think before you act”, Eiko acts before thinking — At least she when she was w child.

At that time, Eiko was a mess. She tried her best to fill the void their mother had left, but this turned out to be too much of a challenge for her.

She was impulsive and often ended up causing problems for herself.

They both depended heavily on each other — providing emotional support, encouragement, and trying to keep the other from getting into too much trouble. I don’t think they ever felt envy towards each other

| Are they different for each other? |

I don’t think so — What is different about them is the way of dealing with emotions and different situations. Nomi usually bottles up his feelings, prefers to stay quiet and tries to resolve everything by himself. Eiko on the other hand takes it out on the world, usually with anger.

| Exorcism |

Hmmmm— you gotta believe me on this one, but I will write a post that goes in depth on this whole concept — But the whole business with evil and good spirits was kind of an escapism for Eiko; and also a new possible path she could take in the future

| Nomi, his disobedience |

Now this event happened later in his life, we’re talking full adult, developed brain, probably near his 30s — At that time he was already a respected master.

Whatever went through his brain was a mix of an impulsive decision and childhood dreams of wanting to be a Ninja — After all, he worked incredibly hard to archive and learn the ninja knowledge — His father’s order felt like an insult. And so he wanted to prove that the right successor was there all along.

(And like I’ve mentioned in one answer— First Ninja wasn’t fully aware of the curse, but he knew something was fishy about the way the masked acted sometimes— So trusting his gut feelings he wanted it out of his clan — for safety reasons)

[your-fave-adopted-you]

hii! could you write the nrc staff protecting a younger (like, 13/14) transmasc yuu from an older student who’s being a dick about them being trans? ty if you can, no pressure though!! <3

awww i can't help but imagine reader and Ortho being best friends 😭💞

Guardian! school staff protects transmasc reader from upperclassmen bigots

Characters : Crowley, Crewel, Trein, Ashton,

TW : transphobia towards reader, might be upsetting to some ig

M! reader

Context :

Being the youngest student at the NRC has its perks.

Your first-year classmates were pretty chaotic and nice to be around, even Ace and Sebek weren't that mean when you were there.

But apart from them, everyone else pretty much adopted you on sight. You were everybody's little brother now, i don't make the rules.

But unfortunately there were still people like back at home, people who didn't understand, or rather, that chose not to.

But at least this time you're not alone against them.

Dire Crowley

Your bully and you were immediately sent to his office after Trein heard you two shouting during his lesson.

This asshole had been misgendering you on purpose recently but it was today that he started calling you names.

Your classmates usually glared at him and that was enough to make it stop, today he was feeling a little more confident, and you were pissed as ever.

So, long story short, you got a 16- maybe 17 year old looking down to his hands while he explained his version of the story.

Honestly, it wasn't anything you hadn't heard before. "Oh but i didn't know-" "i promise it wasn't my intention-" "it was just a joke! I'm sure... he got it wrong."

Sure, this idiot thinks he can fool Crowley, your legal guardian, your Crowdad just because he's... well, another idiot.

While he was throwing compliments and praise here and there in hopes of getting out of the situation, you started to doubt wether or not your guardian would actually fall for it.

I mean he's Crowley.

Every time the Acedeuce duo and you fuck up, you only have to tell him how lost you were without his guidance, his imposing and respectable presence- for him to forgive and forget

"Hm, I'm really disappointed right now. How could one of my best students get in trouble because of such an entitled child..."

He said very serious, now looking at you directly.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"

And as you were already preparing to explain and justify yourself, as usual, he continued.

"Since when has this rude, overgrown child being doing this to you?- When were you going to tell me?"

The boy sitting beside you started looking more terrified than offended.

Somehow, Crowley's voice... his tone... his face even, half covered- and still

It was so threatening, so scary and sincere

"This isn't just about harassment, young man, or even the fact that you would need this kind of intervention to show the minimum respect for a fellow classmate-

But you also choose to target someone younger than you? what does this say about you? should you even be studying here?"

Crowley was defending you.

The same man that would have made you a janitor the day you got here if it wasn't for Grim. (and child labor)

But after all it seems like he actually cared.

The guy from earlier got detention for interrupting the lesson, and you got away with it since it was him who started it.

This wasn't the first- And maybe and to your dismay- the last time something like this would happen.

But now that you have people that will stand up for you? Maybe you can be ok with staying in this world just a little longer.

Divus Crewel

This actually happened during his lesson.

I don't know how someone would be as stupid as to bully you in front of your literal guardian but here we are.

After explaining the next project, everyone had started chatting, picking a partner and commenting on whether or not they would fail because honestly it didn't look easy

But for some reason, just for a moment the whole class went silent. You know how this happens. alright

And, as clear as day, only one voice was heard.

it was this asshole, telling you to go home since this place wasn't co-ed.

this time though, your friends didn't say anything, as they immediately understood what was going to happen next.

Crewel was staring at both you and that idiot, as he walked over.

"What is exactly the problem then? i don't see any girls here."

"You think I'm gonna listen to a grown man with a full face of makeup?"

seriously this dude had a dead wish .

Detention wasn't going to be enough for Crewel to feel like this asshole got what he deserves.

"We're feeling bold huh? well since you're such a strong, manly guy, you'll have no problem with fixing Ramshackle's kitchen, right?"

before your bully could say anything he continued

"By the way I'm sure Crowley will be very amused to hear that a student has insulted one of the teachers. I wonder what kind of chores he'll give you by punishment."

It's only normal that your guardian is beyond pissed.

and with this kinda stuff he's way meaner than the Crowdad.

Mozus Trein

I won't sugarcoat this okay

He most likely misgenderd you a couple of times before having a very... informative talk with you.

and you know, the typical "You're too young to know!" "What nonsense, why do you dress up like that?" "Come on now, no one is going to kick you out of Night Raven for wearing a skirt!"

But you explained, with all the patience you could conjure, how the whole situation was for you. that you didn't choose to be like this, to feel like this...

That if he was going to be your guardian you would be his son. period.

So, yeah, after a while he gets it. And honestly he never misgenders you again. Not even by "accident" like so many people liked to tell you.

It was an important matter.

You are important.

And then one day during class he hears you and some other student having a fight.

Some dude was treating you like shit just because he thought it would be funny to pick on someone much younger than him ig?

And he was being worse than in front of Crewel, because he thought that your guardian wouldn't care about this kind of stuff.

But oh boy

you know that thing old teachers do with big ass rulers, hitting them against the board to get the class attention ? yeah we'll make it angry and more intimidating.

"May i know what are you two discussing that you are defending with such passion?"

oh but he knew, he just wanted to hear what your classmate had to say.

"Nothing Mr Trein! it's not y/n's fault that ... she's... so wrong about a lot of things"

"Like what, exactly?"

Then the bully proceeded to lie about whatever thing to make it seem like he was trying to help you.

"BULLSHIT!" you finally shout back.

after scolding you for your language, Trein sent the guy straight to the principal's office.

A coward, an asshole and also a liar huh

This was an unfortunate event yes, but seeing the situation from an outside perspective helped this certified grandpa to understand you better, to see how upsetting and belittling this kind of situations could be.

Just try to be patient with him okay? but for sure next time he will be the first to stand up for you and defend you.

Ashton Vargas

It's no surprise that you don't necessarily have the same level as your classmates when it comes to P.E

i mean. they're 16-17

And your much younger...

Maybe riding a broom is something that you can do as well as the rest but you've got huge guys in your class, have you seen Jack and Sebek? i mean 💀

To make it short no one has a problem with it, you have to grow a lot more yet, become stronger, faster

Your self proclaimed coolest dad knew, so no pressure.

But after running out of breath one day, this dude that has never had a word with you acts ... too worried,

Like, you're not gonna die, chill

But he keeps pestering you, calling you weak, fragile, small, stuff like that.

and then he starts misgendering you and saying that you shouldn't be hard on yourself for not being able to keep up with the guys like??????

you tell him off politely, and as he keeps on borderline insulting you, you finally snap.

long story short, things get a bit physical and Ashton has to come over to stop it.

Your friends tell him what actually happened, but since they saw you so angry they wanted to let you fight that guy, you know, for your honor and stuff

(Yes, again, Sebek and Jack's idea and Acedeuce actually being the ones to go tell the teacher.)

Also Epel was just about to join you when Ashton arrived.💀

"So you were picking on someone much younger huh? do you think it's funny? y/n tried to calmly tell you to fuck off. right? how does it feel to have a younger classmate that's twice the man you are?"

Your guardian was so angry, he basically forbid your bully from playing in any team at any point for the rest of the year.

And he actually called his parents after class 😤

[thetriphibianmonster]

Godzilla Film Watch: Week 2

It's nearly time to say Goodbye to the Showa series. Credit to Wikizilla for the poster images.

Day 8: Seed of Godzilla (1967) Another solid island adventure by Fukuda. The story structure feels a bit more composed than in Ebirah, though I ultimately prefer the earlier film's eclectic mix of characters, despite the introduction of go-to name Goro Maki here. Godzilla's turn as a would be parent here is the highlight, his initial confusion and tough love tactics giving way to genuine love at the end of the film. Unfortunately Minilla leaves a lot to be desired as a character design, and his lack of appeal hamstrings the emotional core of the film. I think it was a mistake to style him after a human child, rather than evoking a baby animal the way the Heisei series would later successfully manage.

Day 9: Destroy All Monsters (1968) In a lot of ways this feels like an expanded iteration on Ishiro Honda's prior film, and I enjoyed it for many of the same reasons. It's fun to see this colorful take on the late 20th century, and we get another cool rocket with Moonlight SY-3. The Kilaaks are also pretty good villains, though they lack the in-depth exploration that the Xiliens got, and I wish the film got a bit more out of the initial human mind control setup before it is resolved. The kaiju action is solid, if somewhat sparse given the expansive roster. Monsterland has some worrying implications though: the forcible confinement of Earth's kaiju to a small island feels deeply at odds with the heroics of many of the more prominent inmates, particularly in the context of later films taking place prior to this one. It's a setup ripe with thematic weight regarding mankind's desperation for control, but the concept remains unchallenged within the film narrative.

Day 10: All Monsters' Revenge (1969) It's funny how neither title for this film matches the subject matter. I understand the argument that the stock footage makes sense in the context of a child's dream, but watching the same battles repeat themselves is hardly engaging, and the film's focus on Minilla certainly doesn't help. The "real world" portions at least have a bit more meat to them. I can see why this was one of Ishiro Honda's favorites: he took the opportunity to experiment with creative framing and camera work. Unfortunately the film's themes don't stand up to scrutiny: what could have been a compelling exploration of the struggles of latchkey children is undermined by a generic "children should fight their own battles" message, minimizing the effects of parental neglect and the dangers of bullying. These themes gets further fumbled in the final scene, where the message seems to be "always cave to peer pressure, as long as you assert your dominance through physical violence first".

Day 11: Godzilla vs Hedorah (1971) This is in the running for my favorite Showa film. Wildly experimental in terms of shot composition and imagery, the darkest film since the original is still never afraid to get a bit absurd. The themes are about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the face, yet their lasting relevance to the present day vindicates their blatancy: it's hard to argue for a more subtle message when society has yet to truly learn it over 50 years on. Yoshimitsu Banno set out to create a monster with the same symbolic weight as the original Godzilla, and I think he succeeded: Hedorah is incredibly well realized and genuinely creepy at times. In retrospect I think Godzilla's savior role here could be read as symbolizing the importance of nuclear energy in moving away from fossil fuels. He definitely gets put through the ringer this time around, and I love the catharsis of him tearing apart the remains of Hedorah as the film's theme song plays.

Day 12: Godzilla vs Gigan (1972) Unfortunately this one failed to grab me. The stock footage returns in full force, but I think the murky lighting, repetitive traveling sequences, and overuse of slow motion hurt the kaiju battles even more. I can appreciate the idea behind slowing down footage to make the monsters seem larger, but without the ability to properly convey momentum they just end up feeling weightless, and the sluggish movement really hurts the fast paced, frenetic action of the Showa fights. Gigan is a fun villain with a strong personality, and the action picks up a bit towards the end, but even then it can't escape the repetitive choreography (at least alternate the direction Godzilla flips Ghidorah). The human cast is at least memorable, though by this point the alien plots are getting repetitive. The M Space Hunter Nebulans give a decent first impression with their uncanny "true peace" vibes (I wondered if there was commentary on Japanese New Religions somewhere in there), but their plan is pretty underwhelming, and it's not entirely clear why they needed the amusement park as a front.

Day 13: Godzilla vs Megalon (1973) What a fun movie. I was hooting and hollering throughout the whole film, having completely lost it by the end of the Downhill Comedy Car Chase. The stock footage is still very obvious, but is much less of an issue when the new footage is so vibrant, energetic, and creative. While none of the films many technical flaws hurt the watching experience, I do find myself wishing the Seatopians were explored more in depth. The ending (briefly) touches on their legitimate grievances with humanity's continuing nuclear tests, a carryover from Godzilla vs Mothra's themes. I think fleshing out these grievances ala the Nonmalt from Ultraseven could have improved them, though this particular movie might not have been the right place to do it.

Day 14: Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (1974) This movie was the first Showa Godzilla I ever watched, and I think it presents a decent slice of what the era has to offer. It's campy and colorful, but not quite as absurd as some of the earlier Champion series films. This is somewhat reflected in Godzilla's design, retaining the large eyes of the previous film, but giving him a bit more attitude. The film certainly isn't without its own flaws and eccentricities: King Caesar takes up an awful lot of real estate within the narrative considering his limited effect on the final fight, and the second interpol agent feels like the film writing itself out of a corner. The Blackhole Planet 3 Aliens might be the most rote set of invaders yet: they're here to conquer earth and that's pretty much it. They're developed more than the Seatopians at least, and I like the laidback, worldweary performance of their leader, even if I'm used to the scene chewing dub actor. The film is pretty light on themes: the grandfather has a vendetta against the mainlanders, but as it's never really explored it ends up having all the pathos of a relative proclaiming some unsavory political opinion during Thanksgiving dinner. Mechagodzilla himself is the real highlight. Hedorah may be more thematically resonant, but the Cosmic Monster's endless arsenal and Jazzy theme tune allow him to keep his spot as my favorite kaiju. It's easy to see why, despite his late arrival, he would go on to become a key player in the Big 5 Toho Kaiju.

[lover-of-skellies]

I don’t know if anyone asked before about how smoochable Nightmare is, but I’m really interested in reading what you have to say ✨

Not going to lie it’s not going to effect the fact that I want to smooch him 😂

We all love Nightmare here, but he's sitting at a 6 right now for numerous reasons, which you're welcome to read if you feel up to!

1) How dangerous is Nightmare's mouth? From what I know, his teeth are flat, rather than sharp or jagged. He could probably change that if he really wanted to, considering that he can change his appearance and do shapeshift-y stuff with the goop he's made out of though, so for this, I'll say he gets 1 point

2) Would he bite, and how aggressive is he? When you think about it, Nightmare does a lot of fighting. In Underverse, he held Chara by their throat at one point, then he battled Cross and Dream. It's been a bit since I watched the series so the could be more people he's fought, so although I feel like he's gotten into it with Error too, I don't wanna make any assumptions about that. Then if you go back to his origins in Dreamtale, he did kill everyone except Dream after his corruption. That being said,, yeah, I feel like all of that makes him pretty aggressive. I'm not sure if he'd bite, but he probably would shove you away or spear you with a tentacle, so 0 points here

3) Are there any health hazards to the smoocher? In short.... yes, there is. The goop that he's made out of. If I remember right, Joku commented before on the goop and said that it would physically hurt to touch it. That aside, the goop is his corruption, and I'd rather not find out what would happen if someone's lips got too close to it, since smooching could mean accidental consumption. For this area, he gets no points

4) Does he have a sympathetic backstory? Of all AU characters out there, I would say he does, considering the events of Dreamtale. He was brought into existence with this massive responsibility that he couldn't do anything about, even if he wanted to. Then, even being a very young child, he was constantly bullied and harassed, and he was led to feeling lonely and inferior to his brother. He never felt good enough, and all he wanted was to feel like Dream's equal, instead of feeling like he was the scum of the earth. Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore. He HAD to show people that he could be as good as Dream, which resulted in him accidentally corrupting all the apples on the tree except for one. The townspeople started going to the tree, presumably to kill him for what he'd done, so he panicked, and I forget if it's canon or not, but somewhere it's stated that he heard the voice of his tree mom's killer, and in his moment of weakness, he was manipulated into eating the apples to make himself stronger. Fast forward to after the incident and after Dream got sealed in stone, but I read from somewhere that he was guilty and often visited Dream for a long time afterwards, grieving and trying to free him, but to no avail. So..... he gets a full 2 points, since his story is extremely tragic and heartbreak.

5) Does Nightmare deserve a smooch? He does horrible things and allows for the torture and harassment of innocent people across different AUs now, just so he can get his fill of negativity. Then beyond that, his entire quest is to kill his brother and plunge the entire universe into figurative darkness, where he'd reign supreme. After everything he's been through, I wanna say he deserves a smooch, but I'm conflicted because of all the horrible things he does and allows to happen currently (mistreating the monsters who work for him also being one of said things). I'm just gonna say he gets 1 point here because the main root of his issues is trauma and corruption, but that shouldn't be an excuse or a justification of his actions

6) Is he cute or cool? Design-wise, yeah, I'd say he's pretty cool. He definitely stands out more than other Sans-based characters do, and he's easily recognizable. He's a tough guy and not someone I'd want to find myself in any kind of argument or disagreement since he has the brains to back up whatever speaking points he's trying to make. He's strong and smart, has a lot of power at his disposal, and does carry a lot of influence over others, so I'll give 2 points here

In total, Nightmare's smooch-ability is a 6 out of 12. You'd have to really convince him first and make him genuinely believe that letting you smooch him would be beneficial to him somehow, which... in and of itself probably wouldn't be very easy to do. Then if you tried to smooch him anyway, you'd probably get speared by a tentacle, strangled by one, or physically hurt by the goop that makes up his body and face now. You can try to smooch him if you want, but yeah,, it'd have to be a quick peck if you wanted to minimalize whatever amount of damage the goop does to your skin