#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

[mimiiiiiiiiisstuff]

hey is 🚚 again sorry about the whole flu thing, I think everyone in my house is starting to catch it too.

there’s this story I’m fond of, and i will go one for way to long if I add details ( I already rewrote this ask twice lol) but it’s called I just want to freeload on your luck.

And near the end of the story, the antagonist(who is the adopted child) basically mocks the mc’s family because they actively neglected mc and they barely had to do any manipulation for them to treat her that way.

I feel like Tiffany would be similar, as of now, we don’t know much about her other than that 1-she’s a spy and 2- she’s been bullying reader for years now.

but when the batfam starts to hate her she probably won’t give a damn, maybe she’ll even throw everything they’ve done ( or rather didn’t do) back in their face.

they already caused 11 years worth of damage, so where do they get off acting like she’s the monster?

at least she knew what she was doing.

I’m still trying to speculate what her goal is if she couldn’t keep up the facade for long without stealing reader’s achievements - did she think that reader would put up with her nonsense forever?

Is she trying to be reader because she (mistakenly) thinks that the nice treatment she’s getting now is what reader was getting all this time?

Or is she that much of a sadist and wanted to make her even more unhappy?

I guess we’re going to have to wait to see

( while it’s probably a bit different there are these nasal sprays that you can use to prevent a cold before it gets worse, I felt one coming down yesterday and I used some so that might help if you get sick again! :) )

(also also reader doing their nails or wearing nail rings/guards (like Aki from street fighter) to administer venom would be neat!)

The thing is the batfam won't just hate her, some of them will actively be trying to hurt Tiffany. Tiffany is a very malicious character but part of the reason she tries so hard to mirror reader is because of her own insecurities. Before reader got bitten by the snake, Tiffany might've been able to keep stealing her things and bullying her because reader was so insecure that she could never really stand up to Tiffany. Tiffany is a spy so her goal is to infiltrate the batfamily and basically steal their secrets for as long as possible. She really does get off on making the reader suffer as a little side quest though. I was thinking more along the lines of reader having acrylic nails that somehow release venom tbh.

[kikyoupdates]

Tears of a Villainess ⭑˚🗡️⭑ 𝑓𝑎𝑟 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒

yandere!ocs x reader

yandere, reverse harem, isekai, original characters x fem!reader, slowburn, slowburn yandere

Reincarnation isn't as great as it sounds, especially when you've been reborn as none other than the villainess. Fated to die if you stand in the heroine's way, you immediately resolve to distance yourself from the plot. As long as you have nothing to do with any of the relevant characters, surely, you'll be able to avoid an untimely death. But in a horrible turn of events, the heroine ends up wanting to get close to you. Are you really doomed to meet the villainess' tragic end? Or is there an even more sinister fate that awaits you?

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You’re straight up not having a good time. 

Normally, these kinds of events are meant to be fun. Back in your original world, people would get together to kick back and relax, seeking respite from their busy day-to-day lives. Parties and social gatherings are supposed to be things to look forward to. 

In this world, however, that’s not the case. 

Living among the nobility is a staggering difference from what you once knew. Very few people are actually here to enjoy themselves. It’s all about maintaining appearances, and everything you say or do will likely be held against you at some point. Everyone hides their true intentions between fabricated smiles and thinly-veiled threats. It’s a dizzying, confusing affair, and since everyone thinks you’re the villainess, there’s no end to the unwanted attention you receive. 

But that’s not even the biggest problem. It’s one thing to have to try and navigate through this new environment you’ve suddenly been dropped into. 

It’s another thing to have to convince the villainess’ best friend that you’re actually who you say you are. 

“[Name], where are you going?” 

Flynn keeps following you. Rather foolishly, you’d hoped that he would leave you alone after you wandered off. But no, he insists on sticking to your side like glue, and he doesn’t bother to hide how suspicious he is. 

“Is everything okay?” he frowns. “You seem… agitated.” 

You nibble on your bottom lip.

Of fucking course I’m agitated! You’ve been grilling me nonstop from the very start! I only know a few facts about the villainess based on the game! I don’t know the inner workings of her entire goddamn life!

“I’m just bored,” you try to dismiss. “There’s nothing to do here.” 

“Couldn’t we find someplace to talk instead of you walking around in circles like this? It would help the time pass faster.” 

As if. Not only do you want to avoid him for the sake of preventing a potentially gruesome death, but above all else, he knows way too much about the villainess. He’s already asking a ton of questions, and you’ve barely spoken two words to him. He’s simply too perceptive for his own good. 

You strain a smile. “I’d rather not stand still right now.” 

“Hm,” Flynn frowns. “Like I said, you seem agitated. But why?” 

“I don’t know. Maybe they laced that wine with something,” you shrug, chuckling a bit.

He doesn’t seem amused in the slightest, and you desperately try to remember whether the villainess had a sense of humor that extended past bullying others for fun. 

Honestly, probably not. 

“Okay, well… gotta go!” 

You high-tail it out of there, but unfortunately, you’ve come to realize that running in heels is a giant pain in the ass. It’s the main reason you haven’t been able to give Flynn the slip yet. All he has to do is speed-walk a bit, and he’s able to keep up with relative ease. 

However, Lady Luck decides to shine down upon you, and in the few seconds that you stumble clumsily and manage to place a bit of distance between yourself and Flynn, you happen to run into your parents.

Your mother is quick to frown. “[Name]? What’s the matter with you, girl? Why are you running around like that? It’s improper.” 

“I feel sick,” you immediately blurt, with the same energy as a young child walking into their parents’ room to tell them they threw up. 

She takes a few moments to look you over, and fortunately, the nervous beads of sweat on your brow and overall frantic expression must be rather convincing. Your father was engaged in a conversation with some other nobleman until just a second ago, but he too turns to look at you, visibly concerned. 

“I’d like to go home,” you state. You add, with a shaky breath, “Please.” 

Right at that moment, Flynn walks up from behind, having just caught up to you once again. 

“[Name],” he sighs. “Seriously, what’s going on with you today? You’re acting—oh. Apologies. I didn’t see you two there.” 

Flynn politely greets your parents, but they don’t pay him much attention, because they’re far too preoccupied with fussing over you. 

“Hello, Flynn,” your father mumbles in a hurry. He presses a hand to your forehead, which is undoubtedly clammy, because you’re a nervous wreck right now. “Oh dear. Forgive me for not being able to stick around for a chat. [Name] seems to be feeling ill. We had better take her home so she can rest.” 

You watch as Flynn’s brows lift. “What?” he frowns, turning towards you. “Is that true? I thought you were just agitated. Do you really think they put something in the wine?” 

“Who put what in the wine?” your father gapes. 

“I-It’s not like that,” you chuckle awkwardly. The last thing you want to do is unintentionally frame someone for drugging you. “I was just kidding. Um… but I really don’t feel well. It’s possible I might have caught a cold. Or maybe I just haven’t gotten enough sleep lately. I’m worried I might collapse.” 

What follows is quite possibly the biggest freakout you’ve ever seen, and honestly, it’s kind of fucking embarrassing. 

“Collapse?!” your father exclaims. “Good heavens! Then we must get you out of here as soon as possible! Everyone, move! Give my daughter some space!” 

He proceeds to pick you up into his arms, despite the flustered squeal you let out, and your mother isn’t any less dramatic, with all her nonstop desperate wailing. 

You squeeze your eyes shut, mortified beyond belief.

Please, just kill me now.

There goes your plan of trying not to draw too much attention to yourself. All of the guests clear the way and let you pass through, but you catch them whispering amongst themselves, and you’re willing to bet they’re not saying nice things about you. 

Oh, well. The villainess already had a bad reputation. You’d be a fool to expect that you could overwrite it so quickly. It’s just going to take some time. 

You really wish your parents would calm down, though. 

“Move, move, move! This is an emergency, goddammit! My daughter is barely clinging to consciousness!” 

“Uh, I’m still fine,” you protest. 

“She’s passing out quite literally as we speak!” 

You roll your eyes and let your body sag, utterly defeated. Seriously, what a family of drama queens. You can’t even blame the villainess for turning out the way she did. 

The only silver lining is that the evening is being cut short, and you don’t have to spend any more time with Flynn. You never imagined how stressful it would be to have someone scrutinizing your every move. 

“Is she going to be alright?” Flynn asks worriedly. Your father is in the process of hoisting your body up and lifting you into the carriage. “Would it be okay if I come along as well, Count [Last Name]? She’s given me a fright. I’d like to stay by her side, if possible.” 

Fuck no! Don’t do that! 

You’re just about to protest, but thankfully, your father interjects before you have to. 

“She is very ill, Flynn,” he mutters somberly. Which, again, is kind of ridiculous. All you said was that you were worried you might collapse, yet here he is, acting like you’ve just been diagnosed with a terminal disease. “Right now, she needs as much rest as possible, and time to recover. Our family physician will look after her. I’ll ask that you please give her space so she can properly regain her strength.” 

Flynn isn’t able to hide his disappointment, but nevertheless, he nods. 

“I understand, sir. In that case, I’ll keep her in my thoughts and wish her a swift recovery. Please let me know when she’s feeling better.” 

I know I jokingly asked to be killed earlier, but can people please stop acting like I’m going to die? 

You slump back into the cushioned seats inside the carriage and sigh heavily. This evening has been sufficiently exhausting, and in more ways than one. You wonder how you’ll be able to break off your friendship with Flynn. He seems rather attached to you, based on how worried he is, and you remember from the game that he vehemently defended the villainess’ actions at first, since they were such close friends.

Clearly, getting rid of him won’t be an easy feat, but in the interest of ensuring your safety, you’re going to have to make it happen. 

“Goodnight, [Name],” Flynn says. He smiles encouragingly. “You’ll be alright. Be sure to get as much rest as possible, and I’ll come visit you soon.” 

Unlike his smile, which appears genuine, yours is tight-lipped and forced. 

I would much rather you didn’t. 

“Mommy, can I have more apple juice?” 

You hug the blankets closer to your chest and make puppy eyes at your mother, who leans down to affectionately pat your head. 

“Of course you can, sweetie,” she beams. “I’ll have one of the servants fetch some for you right away.” 

Well, it’s the morning after your parents frantically brought you home, and spoiler alert: you didn’t die. 

You did, however, discover that your parents are even more whipped for you than you could ever have imagined. Which was kind of embarrassing last night, but in the grand scheme of things, you’re thankful. 

If something goes wrong and you desperately need help, you have a good feeling that they’ll stand by your side. 

Also, since they were so terrified last night, they’re pretty much giving you the princess treatment right now. You even got to eat breakfast in bed earlier. 

Your mother has been more suspicious of your strange behavior compared to your father, who takes it all in stride, but she seems to have mollified a bit. It’s probably because you’re acting like a spoiled baby right now, which is much more in line with the villainess’ demeanor. You make a mental note to be a bit more bratty from time to time. 

Flynn promised to visit you, but you told your parents that you still want to focus on your recovery, so he thankfully hasn’t stopped by yet. You’re going to try and keep him away for as long as possible, at least until you can figure out how to deal with him. 

Anyways, you’ve got the whole day to yourself. You don’t even have to do any more math problems for a while, since you’re supposedly so sick. Haha. 

You may not be a villainess, but you’re no saint, and you’ll take just about any opportunity to goof off. 

“Fiona, come along with me to the garden,” you gesture. “I want to stuff my face with pastries and drink yummy juice under the sun.” 

“My lady, shouldn’t you stay in bed?” she frets. “Your father made it very clear how ill you were… he said it was a miracle that you even made it through the night.” 

Bro. 

You roll your eyes and sip on your glass of apple juice. “He’s just exaggerating. I feel much better now. I’m just taking advantage of how much they’re spoiling me. Don’t tell them I said that, though.” 

“Oh,” she blinks, realization dawning on her. After a few moments, she smiles. “I see. In that case, I’ll accompany you and ensure that I see to your every need.”

You grin widely. 

“Thanks!” 

And so, you spend the better portion of your morning doing nothing in particular. Honestly, waking up in another person’s body out of nowhere is a much bigger deal than you’re making it out to be. Anyone else in your position would probably have had a mental breakdown at the start. 

But apart from the fear of the bad endings that the villainess faces in the games, you’d like to say you’re rather enjoying this new life of yours. Seriously, compared to being a struggling university student, drowning in homework and hefty loans, getting to eat delicious pastries while sitting comfortably in an extravagant garden really isn’t that bad. In many ways, it’s a massive improvement. 

It’s a grim thought, but you realize there’s very little about your old life that you actually liked. It felt like you were just going through the motions every day, devoid of any real passion or longing. Ever since your parents died, you fell into a bout of depression and pretty much shut everyone out. 

Being able to start over was surely a blessing in disguise, and all the more reason why you’re hellbent on protecting this new life. 

“[Name],” you mumble in a daze, the taste of sugar lingering on your tongue. You stare up at the clear blue sky and smile. It isn’t the same name you grew up with, but from now on, it is your name, and you’re going to wear it proudly. 

You hum, popping another pastry into your mouth. You could probably afford to hold back a bit, otherwise you really will get sick this time, but whatever. It’s a beautiful day, and you’re feeling great, and it’s so nice and peaceful right now—

Hm? 

A carriage has just pulled up to the manor. You watched it roll in from your vantage point in the garden, so naturally, your curiosity got the better of you and you started walking over.

Fiona scrunches up her brows. “My, who could it be? I didn’t think we were expecting any visitors today.” 

You shrug. “Don’t look at me. I’m usually the last to hear about these things.” 

Both of you stare at each other, visibly perplexed, but it turns out that your questions are soon answered, because the carriage door opens, and a man disembarks. 

And of course, that man is…

…actually, who is he supposed to be? 

You don’t have the slightest clue. He has black hair and rather piercing blue eyes, which you can make out even from a good distance away. He’s dressed in elegant clothes, so he’s clearly a noble. You suppose he must be one of your parents’ acquaintances or something. They probably know a whole bunch of people.

For some reason, though, it feels like you should know who this man is. There’s this weird sense of déjà vu you’re getting, and it’s like an itch in your brain that you just can’t seem to scratch. 

It isn’t until you’re staring him face to face that it finally clicks. 

“Ah!” 

Rowan Calderwood. That’s what his name is. He made a few very brief appearances in the game, only in about two or three scenes, but you remember now that he’s supposed to be Alistair’s cousin. 

Also, if you recall correctly, they’re not on especially good terms, but aren’t too familiar with all the details.

But that’s beside the point. What is he even doing here? 

Rowan tilts his head. “Pardon me. Is there something on my face? You looked rather shocked for a moment, and even exclaimed quite loudly.” 

You clamp your lips shut. Right. As far as you know, the villainess and Rowan never actually met in the game, which means he’s probably just seeing you for the very first time. It’d be better to pretend like you don’t know who he is. 

“No reason in particular,” you shrug. “I just thought you were a trespasser for a moment, that’s all.” 

Rowan’s eyes widen, but rather than looking offended, he just looks amused. He’s not technically trespassing, but if what Fiona said is true, then he must have showed up without an invitation, which is considered to be quite rude.

“Please forgive me if I gave you a fright,” Rowan says, then he bows deeply, only to lift his head after a few moments and smile. “I take it you must be [Name]. You’re even more beautiful than I had imagined. My name is Rowan Calderwood. It’s a pleasure to finally be meeting you.” 

You wish you could say the feeling was mutual, but he interrupted your pastry-eating session, and you didn’t even get to finish the fresh glass of apple juice Fiona had just poured you.

Plus, he’s related to Alistair. Is he here to try and convince you to restore the engagement? Because no way in hell is that happening. 

“I have no intention of taking Alistair back,” you state matter-of-factly, crossing your arms at him. “You share the same last name, so I presume you’re related to him in some capacity. I thought I should make my feelings clear from the start, so that you don’t waste any more of your time.” 

Rowan’s eyes widen for the second time, and once again, he doesn’t look offended, or even appalled. 

If anything, he looks delighted. 

“How amusing,” he chuckles. “It seems you’re even better than I had hoped for.” 

Uh…? 

Rowan shakes his head. “Rest assured, my lady, that isn’t what I came here to say. Admittedly, I’d heard that your engagement with my cousin fell through, but I haven’t made the trip here on his behalf. I came for purely selfish purposes, I must admit.” 

“Oh.” Your shoulders sag, and relief fills your chest. “Well, that’s good. I meant the part about you not trying to convince me to take Alistair back, not the part about you being selfish, just to be clear.” 

“Right,” he muses. “I had a feeling that’s what you meant.”

This bastard just keeps smiling for some reason. What’s so funny? Granted, you know you can be hilarious at times, but you’ve been nothing but stoic thus far. Yet he acts like he’s having the time of his goddamn life. 

Wait a second… 

There’s a theory forming in your mind, and honestly, you’re not sure you like the thought of it all that much. 

Fortunately, Fiona has your back. 

“P-Pardon me, Lord Calderwood,” she nervously pipes in. “Might I ask if you have an appointment? Count [Last Name] made it very clear that there were to be no visitors today. My lady fell ill last night, and she’s been taking the day to recover all her strength.” 

“I was super sick,” you nod. “My father said it’s a miracle I even made it through the night.” 

Rowan frowns, which isn’t too surprising, considering you look healthy as a horse and you were stuffing your face with pastries up until a few moments ago. 

He clears his throat. “Oh my. Apologies. I wasn’t aware that you weren’t feeling well last night. You look so stunning and radiant that I couldn’t possibly imagine you’d been battling sickness as of late.”

“Yes, well, I just so happen to be gorgeous, but it’s true that I’m taking the day off to recover. Also, please make an appointment if you plan to visit again in the future. No one was expecting you to show up,” you say, sternly enough that you hope he takes the hint. 

Honestly, he probably realizes he’s being rude, but it seems like he just doesn’t care. 

“I had hoped for it to be a surprise,” he smiles. “I was so excited to meet you that I must have forgotten my manners. I also wasn’t sure when your parents would accept my request to meet, given that things are rather strained between our families right now. Well, Alistair’s side of the family, at least.” 

You arch a brow. “So, you thought it would be better to show up without warning and take it from there?” 

“I’m guilty of being a touch eccentric at times. Especially when someone as beautiful and charming as yourself is involved,” he adds flirtatiously. 

“How did you know I was beautiful? We literally just met.” 

“I had heard the rumors, of course. You’re hailed far and wide as the most breathtaking, desirable lady in all the land.” 

Desirable? Are we talking about the same rotten villainess with the personality of a stinky tomato? Now I know this is all BS. 

Still, it’s getting clearer by the second where he’s headed with this. You’ve long since connected the dots.

Rowan’s smile has yet to disappear, and he crosses a hand over his chest before bowing once more. 

“It shames me to admit this, but… ever since I heard that you and Alistair were no longer engaged, I simply couldn’t hold back any longer.” 

Oh, boy. This is actually happening.

“I was hoping to speak to your father first and foremost and make my intentions clear, but I happened to stumble upon you, and now, I’d like to say what’s on my mind.” 

“Uh, you really don’t have to,” you insist. “Like, seriously—” 

“[Name],” Rowan breathes, and you watch, horrified, as he gets down on one knee and takes your hand in his. “Would you… grant me the honor of marrying you?” 

More chapters are available on Quotev!

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🗡️ main masterlist! ♡ character appearances

[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.

[anguesinherbalatentes]

I wud like to hear more on gary going to happy volts

Damn I have a lot to say abt that. Warning it gets heavy and serious but I gave most bully characters heavy stuff in their backstories bc I’m insane. This also isn’t a way to justify the little beast but to explain his behavior in horrid ways. (Warning for suicide ment, general abuse, forced drugging, etc)

Well to answer that we should go far back. Maybe when he was still a little boy. Ahhh the year was 1997

Gary used to be a rather normal kid. A pair of loving parents and a few good friends. Sure he was kinda kooky (would talk to himself, not stand still, write and draw in class, make a mess of plants flowers art supplies and insects all the time, would be very loud and emotional) but that mostly was waxed up to him being an imaginative child. Plus he was rather ok in school. His mom was named Tonya Borisov and his dad’s Gareth Smith. Tonya was an English teacher and Gareth a lawyer who was attempting to freelance his way out of the Smith’s family’s business because he wanted to be independent from their law firm. Quiet suburban life. He met his best friend ever in the world at the age of 5 because they lived on the same block. Aka Petey Kowalski. They’ve been getting up to no good since forever, but him and Gary’s whole thing was running away from playground bullies together and make up stories about their own little world.

Their respective families got along too. Long story short everything seemed peachy. Tonya loved Gary beyond words and tried to accommodate his quirks because they reminded her of her own. A little reckless she was but nothing out of the ordinary. Gareth didn’t understand his son very well and was frequently frustrated with his behavior but he tried because god that’s his only child. Plus Tonya helped him out since he was clearly clueless about parenting. So was she. But there was no one to watch her back, so she had to make do.reasonably this doesn’t last long.

You see. Gary’s psychological issues are inherited from his mother. She already suffered from depression and it only worsened after pregnancy, even if she tried to bottle it up to the best of her abilities because god forbid she asked for help or couldn’t keep up the facade she’d carved for herself. Gareth didn’t help matters. He likes to think he did, but he’s always been too work oriented and weaponized incompetence has always been his best friend. Their relationship strained as Tonya’s mental health deteriorated and little Gary was caught in the middle. He watched his mom grow more and more uneasy (and her patience towards him drained bit by bit) n his dad kept getting snappier and he thought he had something to do with it all.

Around the year 2000, Tonya killed herself. It was unexpected to those with not enough care to see through the cracks. It was one hell of a blow for the little man who suddenly found himself with no actual guidance, and even that had been uncomfortably fluctuating for the past few months.

Gareth was absolutely lost. It’s not that he didn’t have good intentions, it’s just that he didn’t even have the willpower to try and find out how to act without somebody telling him what to do step by step. Still, he tried. But him being kind of an unsuccessful lawyer , now widowed and with a “difficult” kid, surely did wonders for his psyche. And consequently for his patience and relationship with Gary.

Mr Smith, yes the town npc, he’s Gareth’s father. Lets just say he’s not very approving of his son’s fumbling, notably because his siblings successfully integrated in the business and he’s the only one out of place. He constantly berates him and tries to take him back into his home and under his control, and for the longest time he’s unsuccessful. Until the rest of the family begins talking badly of Gareth and his son, and Gareth’s financial situation goes even more down south. In the meantime Gary’s mental health as an unchecked 10 year old boy left to his wits kept deteriorating. He fell behind in class, stopped talking to most of his peers, answered rudely to teachers (even if he didn’t mean to), the whole shabang that frames you as a freak for the rest of your life in little towns. His father did nothing to help. He only began yelling at him more frequently because his tolerance for his hijinks was running thin.

Gary learnt from a very young age that adults couldn’t, and wouldn’t watch his back. That most of the time he was a nuisance and nothing more, no matter how hard he tried to behave he just messed it up in some way.

A turning point to him and his father’s relationship was a party held at his grandfather’s estate. All eyes were on the both of them, especially Mr.Smith’s, and Gary, bored out of his mind and irked at the incessant bickering, answered rudely to the wrong relatives who tried to persuade him into talking about his home life and made a fool of himself gobbling down too many canape’s and retching at a glass of champagne he wasn’t even supposed to have. The whispers were a bit too much to bear for Gareth, and on the way home he snapped at his son like he never did before. Both in the car and in the house.

Gareth’s outburst is however less about Gary’s behavior and more about everything Gareth has been holding inside. It’s not just Gary’s tongue or almost involuntary defiance that sets him off. it’s the mounting pressure from his family, the echoes of his own failures, and the crushing weight of trying to hold it all together in an environment like that. But he still fucks it up.

In the past he’d made it clear he was proud of him, and that his presence was cherished. His only son, his only boy, etc. but he started blaming him for Everything going wrong in his life. In a tone that can only be compared to pure and utter Despair. That he didn’t know what was Wrong with him. That he tried to help him but he just kept acting like an animal one way or another. That his mom dying was the kid’s fault as much as it was his own ( right after comparing him to her in the negative: “You’re just like her, you know? Your mother. Always making a mess of things, always dragging everyone down with you.”) That she began feeling ‘sick’ ever since he’d been around. And that he kept tearing his life apart by being a complete nuisance. That he didn’t know what to do anymore. That maybe Tonya was right back then (they got married because Tonya was pregnant, even if she wanted to abort before. This is a low blow). Overall he slurries the foulest shit under the guise of being Tired. However, Gareth’s intent doesn’t erase the impact of his words. Even if he regrets saying all of that later (which he likely does), the damage is done. And because Gareth is too emotionally stunted to apologize, Gary is left to carry the baggage. This disarms the kid ( who’s 12 at the time) in a specific way and feeds into his eventual decline even more.

Around eight grade everything is too much for the little dude. He can’t get a hold of himself, cannot keep friends for the life of him due to his instability, he’s been separated from Pete due to middle school and the kid moving lanes , and his father’s growing emotional distance and neglect aren’t exactly the most formidable recipe to mental clarity.

He tried to kill himself like his mom did, via locking himself in the janitor’s closet and chugging down drain cleaner. They found him before it could kill him. A week’s stay in the hospital later, he was mandatorily sent to happy volts. You can imagine his father’s reaction.

Even if in my personal canon happy volts isn’t designed like a literal prison, but is more so adjacent to the institution described in Girl Interrupted, with the proper accommodations and architecture and all, that’s where the Gary smith we all know and seethe over fully formed. Where his convictions on the world and people really cemented. All because of one man in particular : Dr Bambillo.

He’s head doctor of the department Gary was in, for a good while. Prided himself of being the “friendly” and “approachable” professional. Lets just say it’s the farthest thing from the truth. Things happened there that are a little too heavy to elaborate on. But atop of those, after breaking Gary’s trust (who already was wary of trusting him in the first place, but desperate enough to cave into validation, for crying out loud he was 13) he also had him heavily medicated, and because he’d resist he was put a little too often in solitary confinement. Things got so bad he tried to get out of the place via throwing himself out a window and gouging his eye out with a sharpened piece of a plastic food tray to get to the nearest hospital. It did not work. It only extended his stay. That’s where his eye scar comes from btw. If someone asks he changes the story every time.

The meds he’s given are a source of great discomfort for Gary because they dampen his conscience and act as tranquilizers more than anything else. He was never prescribed the right ones. I took this from his voice lines lmao.

Days and weeks blur in and out, and the only reason he’s let out is because he’s fully blanked out. Or at least that’s what they think.

The place made him realize and internalize no amount of honesty would’ve kept him safe, and that the adults were nothing short of useless. So he had to lie his way through being set free, tongue his pills, remain alert and vigilant because no one was to be trusted. And it got him far. But after his release, he moved onto Mr Smith’s estate with his father, and was immediately sent to Bullworth to be Straightened out.

His lying only got finer and more extensive, and his budding loathing for everything around him began turning him into what he became in sophomore/junior year. He made friends and found Pete again but he fucked that up severely due to his delusions of grandeur and his conviction that life was a simulation at That point lol. But that’s the topic of another post. Aka my personal headcanons on Bully prequel and the rest of the shitass backstories I gave others.

Hope that wasn’t boring lol

[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.☆

[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)

[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.

[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.)