#I'm taking this grudge to the grave baby

[jumpscaregoose]

absolutely hilarious turn of events the cozmez vs gokuluck drama cd is coming out almost exactly one week after the one year anniversary of me Becoming Like This

[monsieuroverlord]

Initial Hellverine #1 Thoughts:

Lol, but no seriously, we're back, baby!

Solid premise, sets the stage for what's to come -- no major complaints from me so far.

Spoilers:

In summary, weird occult shit is going on and Akihiro is roped into dealing with it along with his own internal issues.

We open with Akihiro monologuing about his past -- how his mother died, Romulus, his adoptive family, etc. He's travelling as far as he can, moving from place to place, because he has nowhere else to go and doesn't trust himself enough to reach out to anyone he gives a damn about.

He stops at a gas station and stops a robbery there. Then, he ends up in Georgia, stopping a human trafficking truck, followed by ending up in a swamp in North Carolina.

Akihiro is having a bit of an existential crisis because a) he's not really alive at the moment b) what the fuck is his sorta life now? and c) the classic trauma response of feeling worthless (a.k.a. he's done some pretty messed up stuff in his past, does he really deserve to move forward?)

He then sees a ghost girl (Bagra-Ghul powers) and offers to help, while she leads him to their watery grave. Akihiro then finds the rest of the victims as Bagra-Ghul takes over and they beeline it for the culprit in the nearby cabin. Akihiro reflects on the feeling of relief he gets every time Bagra-Ghul takes over, like it needs a proper outlet.

After taking care of the murderer, Akihiro takes the time to properly bury each of the victims -- the girl buried surrounded by wild flowers (which I thought was a charming touch -- especially juxtaposed with Aki's thoughts here)

Now, we get a glimpse of what happens exactly after Bagra-Ghul "takes care of" its targets. Essentially eviscerating and mangling each corpse into some sort of demonic symbol.

Akihiro arrives in New York, at the Sanctum Sanctorum -- a.k.a. the home of Dr. Strange, for help. Before he could even knock, Dr. Strange opens the door, telling Akihiro his situation is fascinating. He doesn't have the power he used to, as he isn't Sorcerer Supreme anymore, but he is curious about Aki's predicament. (He's also a hot mess right now, but Aki's in no place to judge). Strange also threatens to destroy him if he tries anything.

Strange notes that Akihiro is an odd choice as a host, though Bagra-Ghul is parasitic. Grabbing a book, Strange questions what the demon does with its victims -- not just maiming, but sculpting some sort of horrific configurations. Then Strange asks to see one, and Akihiro gets pissed because he doesn't want to kill someone just to satisfy this weirdo's curiosity.

Using demon and/or Dr. Strange telepathy, Akihiro forces Strange to see the configurations horror sculptures for himself. Then Strange uses magic to knock Aki back, and tells him to never try that again.

From the mental link, Strange learns that the reformation Bagra-Ghul underwent by bonding with Logan wasn't quite accurate -- ancient forces at play and all that. Logan's good, but he ain't that good. And the demon is still a servant of Mephisto and there's a special plan already in motion. Dr. Strange likens the demon's fixation on evil to fertilizing a garden. If you want to grow evil, your garden bed's gotta be rich in nutrients to fuel that.

Strange then opens a portal to the North Pole (Akihiro's grave site) to investigate and put a stop to it. Otherwise, Strange will end Akihiro once and for all.

My thoughts:

Lots to digest here. Very exciting as we've only had crumbs from team books and guest appearances for quite some time.

I will preface this by saying I can hold a grudge and I'm still salty about Sabretooth War. I don't trust Percy yet, but it does seem like he actually did his research reading up on Akihiro for this series and I am slowly starting to be swayed.

In my opinion, this issue was excellent, long overdue for Akihiro, and well-deserving of a reread or two. (I feel like I need time to process everything in this book -- even the art has excellent touches, lol) I would say this was an impressive beginning and I hope the series keeps this energy.

Art is excellent and expressions and perspectives are awesome.

I mean, look at this (That perspective though):

And this:

And this:

(Great art all around)

It absolutely killed me that poor Aki can't catch a break. I mean, tried to sleep in a barn but that caught on fire. Then somehow managed to acquire a tent, but that also caught fire. My poor boy :(

(But sweet delicious angst-- it draws me in and tears at me).

I also like the introspection we get here. I very much enjoyed Aki's thoughts and internal struggles. It was something we sorely lacked throughout Krakoa and this feels like a much more natural progression of his character.

Dr. Strange straight up threatening and not trusting Akihiro was a nice touch. I haven't read too much Dr. Strange, but I'd say generally, it makes way more sense for him to be distrusting at the bare minimum. I mean, Krakoa aside, Aki was not a nice dude, lmao. He has to have a reputation amongst the super hero community, right?

No Aurora yet, but there's still plenty of time and I miss her. Hopefully we'll see her sooner rather than later!

Overall, an excellent start in my opinion, and I hope it continues.

[bangchansgirlsblog]

My Biggest Regret

Part four:

**

"Y/n pass me the tomatoes please,"

Chan's mum and Y/n had started cooking a big meal for the boys. It was currently 5 in the evening and Chan's dad had gone to pick up the boys from the airport leaving Hannah, Y/n and his mum cooking in a hot kitchen for 9 men. 9 grown men meant a lot of meat, a lot of bread and a lot of food in general.

"Here you go auntie," she passed the tomatoes and started on the dessert. Chan's favorite cheesecake. She hadn’t cooked it in a while but she knew she could, after all she made sure to in-grave the steps in her brain just incase Chan had ever asked her to make it for him.

"Mum I don't know why we're cooking so much for him!" This was the 50th time that evening that Hannah was complaining, "there just going to finish all this in 10 minutes!"

"Aish!" She smacked Hannah’s arm lightly causing Y/n to smile at the two and giggle, "all you've done is complain since morning! Be like Y/n and actually help," Hannah rolled her eyes and walked over to the oven to check on whatever was inside there.

"Y/nnie, my love, maybe go rest a little bit? You've been on your feet for a few hours,"

"It's okay auntie, we're almost done anyway so don't worry about it," Y/n assured Mama Bhang.

"Okay sweetie but aren't you so excited! Channie comes home!" She clapped her hands and spun a little.

"Yes I am excited, woah woah-" Y/n quickly grabbed the spoon that was about to hit the ground and handed it back to her.

"We must celebrate today don't you think?" The older lady stood by the stove and stirred one of the broths that were cooking, "how about some wine?"

"Mum, where shall I put this?" Hannah was holding a tray and it looked very hot. She was sweating a little too just like the rest of them.

"Just put it by the counter and start plating everything baby," she instructed the girl before turning back to a very concentrated Y/n, "so wine?"

"Yeah sure, I can go out and get some-"

"Oh! Don't be silly! You really thought I wouldn't have a stash of wine?" She teased and walked over to the caboards in the leaving room and walked back with two bottles in hand.

"Are we finishing both of them?" Y/n asked in shock looking at her elder grabbing three cups and setting them down.

"Oh sweetie! If we can, why not? We've been in the kitchen for hours! Don't we deserve this?" She poured and filled the glasses with wine and handed them out.

"Okay! I'm almost done with the sauce, I'm moving the hotpot onto the dining table, you two finish dishing up plates and start bringing them out,"

"Okay Mum, what about the ice cream? Should we put them in the coolers?"

"No, just feel the coolers with ice," she instructed Hannah before leaving the two in the kitchen.

"I've never seen her this happy before," Y/n giggled and started to stack the foods on the plates.

"Same to be honest, I don't think she was even this happy when I graduated," Hannah rolled her eyes and took a sip of her wine.

"Oh! Don't say that Hannah, you know we were all so excited," Y/n had attended the graduation and made sure to take a lot of pictures cause she was proud and she wanted to make an album of memories to give to Chan when he came back. She had stacked a lot of pictures of things he had missed including birthdays, graduations (including hers) and just casual dinners and parties. The book was thick and she couldn't wait to hand it to the boy.

"I just don't under why-"

"Hannah you can't have this grudge with your brother, I was also in pain and I was hurt but you can't keep holding onto the grudge, his on his way home right now, you should be celebrating. Don't ruin it by being angry! Let him get home and after dinner you can talk to him about it okay?"

"Ugh I hate it when you're right," Hannah rolled her eyes. They both took another sip from their glasses and finished up setting the dining table.

The balcony door was open revealing the hot grill outside waiting for Chan's dad to put the steak's on the grill.

It was around 6:30. The glasses of wine were empty and now filled again. They were all washing up the dishes and cleaning up the house because Mama Bhang had recieved a text saying they were pulling up in the drive way.

Y/n's stomach started to churn, she couldn't believe. Chan was here. Chan was finally here. The glass in her hand was suddenly empty again. She had chugged it down.

"Okay should we go take a shower now?" Hannah asked as she finished wiping the table. Her mum was laying blankets on the couch incase anyone was going to sleep on it and she put out a few snacks on the table for the boys.

"Yeah let's go," Y/n agreed and headed to Hannah's room. She closed the door behind them and Hannah poured another glass for Y/n.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" Y/n asked already tipsy. They both giggled as Hannah nodded her head.

"If we're going to do this, let's atleast do it drunk?" She justified, well questioned.

"You're so silly!" Y/n chuckled and grabbed her towel to head into the bathroom.

Her head was spinning a little but she couldn't help but overthink everything. She couldn't contain her emotions. She couldn't explain how she felt. She could just simple day she was happy but that couldn't explain all of her emotions. She wanted answers from Chan. Why did he disappear? Did he still love her? Because she made sure to keep herself pure for him. She made sure to keep herself innocent for him because he had promised to be her first in everything.

"Y/n! Hurry up girl!" The knock on the door causes her to jump out of her trance and quickly get out of the bathroom. Hannah was sat on the bed scrolling through her socials.

“Okay I’m done,” she said while rolling her eyes playfully.

"Finally! I thought you passed out or something," Y/n put down her toilet bag and get dressed as Hannah was taking her shower.

She had decided to wear a cute blue body hugging dress that she had gotten from skims with a white and blue cardigan.

She then went on to put on some perfume and do a little bit of makeup. Her hair was then slicked back into a pony tail.

When Hannah was done she also wore something similar to Y/n's but hers was in red and she let her hair fall since it wasn't long enough to be put up.

They decided to take a few selfies and pictures since they both could agree they looked really cute and wifey material.

"Girls?! There here!" They hear Chan's mum yell throught he house. The two got up and finished the wine in their glasses and made their way downstairs.

"Oh my girls! You both look so beautiful," she cooed at the sight of both of them.

"Thank you mum! Now where are they?" Hannah was impatient, she wanted to see her brother and his friends.

The door handle wiggled and then opened revealing her dad and a bunch of people behind him.

"Geuss who's home," his voice boomed throughout the whole house.

"Move!" His mum run past his dad and jumped into Chan's arms. Her body trembled against his as she started to cry.

It was a beautiful sight and Hannah and Y/n couldn't help but tear up a little.

"Oh my baby Boy! I missed you so much. This can't be real," she cried in his arms as Chan allowed her too.

"Hey Mum, I missed you so much," he wouldn't admit it but tears dropped from his eyes aswell. He did miss his mum with everything in him.

"Well since those two are busy," Chan's dad cleared his throat while chuckling, "girls these are the guys, introduce yourselves," he encourages the two girls that stood behind the couches.

"Hey, I'm Hannah, Hannah Bhang. His little sister and this is Y/n, Y/n Y/l/n. She's a family friend." Hannah smiled and waved. Y/n waved too, since she wasn't used to being people around her age she looked terrified but in all honesty she was just shy.

"Nice to meet you finally! I'm leeknow," he walked over to them to shake their hand. "That's Changbin, Han, Felix, Hyunjin, Seungmin and I.N," he points at the different guys. They both smiled and waved at each of them. Y/n was trying so hard to remember all their names.

The blonde guy caught her eye though. Hyunjin was it? His was so pretty but what made her fall for him more was his soft plump lips.

"Welcome to Australia," Y/n finally said, "Make yourself at home." She smiled and lead them to sit down.

"Hey! hey! hey! I haven't met them yet!" Chan's mum said after she finally let go of Chan and dragged the boy into the house, they all chuckle and get up again to greet their elder. She made sure to give them hugs and kisses.

"Hannah!" A not so familiar voice called distracting them from the sight in-front of them. They both turn to Chan. "Are you not going to kiss your brother hello?" He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. His eyes automatically falling on Y/n.

He gasps and analyzes her figure, she was even more beautiful than he could remember. She looked so innocent and so grown up now.

The guilt started to eat away at him. It started to slowly creep up and it made his body heat up.

"Okay okay you're squeezing me to death!" Hannah was panting and trying to wiggle out of his strong grip.

"Woah," was all he could say. He almost even dropped his travel bag. "Y/n?"

"Hey Channie!" She smiled and waved at the boy who quite literally looked like he was about to pass out.

"Long time no see ehhh?"

**

[creepslayer7]

Tim: Oh, so when crows remember people who wronged them and hold grudges, it's “intelligent” and “really cool”.

Tim: But when I do it, I’m “petty” and “need to let it go”.

Bruce: Real life should have a f***ing search function, or something.

Bruce: I need my socks.

Jason: You seem familiar... have I threatened you before?

Danny, opening a Capri Sun: Guess I'll drink my sorrows away.

Danny or Jason: I have one foot in the grave but in a kind of fun flirty way, the way one might slip on a fishnet stocking.

Jason: Get in, loser, we’re committing vehicular manslaughter!

Tim: It's not like I try to blow things up, exactly. It just sort of happens. You've got to admit though, fire is fascinating.

Baby Jason: Did you just call me a shrimp, you a**hole?! I'm still growing, dammit!

Jason: I have no respect for Santa. Don’t sneak in through the chimney and undermine my authority by bringing my family presents. Walk in through the front door and fight me like a man.

Tim to Damien: Could you maybe just like… stab me… right in the gut. Just REALLY twist it in there. ‘Cause that honestly seems less painful than this conversation.

Danny: Yum, thanks!

Kidnapper: *puts more tape over their mouth* I said stop eating it.

Steph: I love sarcasm! It’s like punching people in the face, but with words!

Damien: I wish I was a cat, but not in a furry kinda way, more like a “I can sleep all day and hit people with no consequences” kinda way.

Danny: *in a jail cell* What about my Miranda rights!? You’re supposed to say I have ‘the right to remain silent’”! NOBODY SAID I HAD THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT!

Tim: *in the cell next to them* You have the right to remain silent, what you lack is the capacity.

Jason: Lol. Heads up if you try to make a candle with food coloring, the food coloring will just sink to the bottom of the glass, and when the flame eventually reaches the bottom all the food coloring will catch fire and become one giant tall flame that you cannot possibly blow out and the glass will start to crack and then you’ll throw your tea on it in a panic and then the extremely hot food coloring will boil and sizzle horribly and then the glass will shatter. Please take my word on this.

Damien: What did you do Jason?

Jason: A Mistake.

Damien: Treat spiders the way you want to be treated!

Jason: Killed without hesitation.

*Tim is comforting Dick when Damien stayed the night at the Kent farm*

Tim: Stop crying because he's gone. Start smiling because Damien is someone else’s problem now.

Dick: Damien, when’s your birthday?

Damien: Why? So you can look up my natal chart? So you can figure out my weaknesses? So you can destroy me?

Dick: …So I know when to wish you a happy birthday.

Dick: Nice rock.

Jason: Thanks, Damien gave it to me.

Damien: I threw it at you!

Jason: Isn't he the sweetest?

Bruce: Where are your parents?

Random black hair, blue eyed child he found: What are parents?

Bruce: You're coming home with me.

Jason or Danny: The next time I open up to someone, it'll be my autopsy.

Damien: I don't follow the rules. I follow dogs on social media.

Bruce : Like they say, "If you can't beat them, curl up in a ball and protect your organs."

Damien: Of course I have a lot of pent-up rage, you fool! I've been the same height since I was twelve!

Dick: Why aren't there friend pick up lines? Pick up lines to make friends like-

Dick, to Danny: Hey, that's a cute outfit. You know where it would look better? On nobody else, because you're a beautiful individual.

Damien, to Jason : Be my friend or I'll set your entire family on fire.

Tim: There are two types of people.

Bruce: You three, explain right now!

Damien : It was Danny.

Tim: It was Danny.

Dick: It was Danny.

Danny:

Danny: …fuck.

Tim: Do you think I'm plastic?

Jason: No.

Tim: Phew. Oka-

Jason: Plastic, at least, has some use in life. You're not plastic.

Danny: Gatekeep, girlboss, and what's the other one again?

Damien : There isn't another one. You're crazy.

Danny: If I can't cause tiny bits of chaos every day, I think my body will shut down.

Danny: Damien is late again.

Jason: How did this happen? I called him at 8 o’clock this morning and pretended it was 11.

Dick: I printed up a fake schedule for him saying we were starting at 9 instead of noon.

Tim: I set his clock to say PM when it’s really AM.

Danny: Oh boy. We may have overdone it.

*Damien bursts through the door*

Damien : WHAT TIME IS IT?

Tim: Well, if you're not at least a little bit gay for your friends, then what kind of friend are you?

[beeboos-creativecorner]

Visionaries - an Assassin's Creed: Mirage found family fanfic

Final day, baby !! This was the beginning to a wholesome, found family story, heavily inspired by a post my bud made about one of her dreams early this year. I was hooked on the concept, it got out of hand, but the story itself didn't carry through to its glorious end </3 One day I hope to return to this fic (if I find inspo or play Mirage again), it was about to get quite deep into spiritual concepts that really hit home for me, while also expanding more on Eagle Vision lore (because I never see anyone talk about it in depth ??). For now, I'm perfectly happy with sharing what's already here - just because it's unfinished, doesn't mean it's not worth something Be warned : side mission where Basim has a massive attitude hehe

Fic under the cut x

“There are no explanations for how or why these mysteries affect our lives. But they’re like imprints, innate, woven into the fabric of our souls so when we walk this earth, we experience the world in its true light. You see things differently, do you not? You need not say so. You read differently, that’s all. You may not know it, but you cast a weary gaze upon the earth. I do not find the same qualities among many of our brothers, meaning our creed, our ideals are taught and applied to the world but not fully understood. It takes a talent many humans have not mastered. Not all can see through the veil that is the physical — the abstract. When we gaze upon a tree, we see its roots. I do, I’ve seen you have, and Sahar will see more of it too as the time passes. I sense the same sensitivity in her. There is no value for the sense we have been given and oftentimes it may feel like a curse to be free of ignorance and exposed to the harsh light of the world and its people. Although we are few, be reassured that your experiences are not misunderstood and are shared by a select few scattered throughout this life.” — Hamid, unused excerpt

'Hasty' and 'with an agenda' were the last descriptors Basim would use to pin to his personality, but coming from the lips of his mentor, almost anything rang true. He may have pushed his limit in arguing his point, true, and as futile as it was, it was worth every word to try — he was right, he'd take that to his grave. It earned him a following jab at his apparent 'growing ambition' and 'if he cannot execute a basic task, he has no place in executing the morally corrupt'.

Within his very essence, Basim knew this was to spite him for his cheeky defiance and even so, he had worn a smile to dress the wound of being outwitted. He'd wrestled with his features to achieve such a slight feat; his face betrayed him even at the best of times, but he denied giving her the satisfaction of any visible sign of defeat.

Incisions aside, he believed Roshan to be above petty, childish constructs like dealing punishments. Today he was proven wrong. Some days she had shorter patience for him than others — that was a topic he never had the courage to broach — and despite being a full-fledged member of the Hidden Ones, his autonomy was lower than he'd hoped for. He wasn’t an initiate anymore, so where was his wiggle room? He could follow a set of directions and traditions just fine, so long as they were reasonable. What he was being subjected to, was not.

Basim wasn't impatient per se, but he found sensibility in efficiency. Anything that wasn't consuming his time in a week-long, leisurely fashion suited him. This newest task, however, was of the painstakingly slow kind.

Holding petty grudges was not worth Basim's time but neither was this supposed 'mission', so he allowed himself to be at least a little resentful towards Roshan. He didn't do mindless things, he hated mindless things. If he wasn't learning, progressing or excelling, what was the point?

If he had no respect, he'd accuse his mentors of being lazy. He didn't see anyone else claim contracts off the board, he didn't see anybody else offer to help out allies in need. The first and final verdict was: "Basim can do this." They were right. Basim can do this. Something sparked up in him, a spur of cleverness and optimism. He wanted them to validate what he already knew and he aimed to win that battle. He planned on doing this errand and doing it so well that his betters would simply have to admit: "Basim is above menial chores" and tell him he can be on his way. Then the invisible rope that tethers him to Roshan would loosen. Wiggle room. Deserved space. So his step lightened as he followed the path he was instructed to take. He'd do it and make light work of it. Although a little begrudgingly.

—

He waited outside the walls of Baghdad, leaning against the post of some merchant's stall, fading in and out of a doze. A sensible rendezvous point, excluding getting over the wall, which happened to be half the mission. It was a necessary precaution. Apparently the guards did not favour someone who looked just as suspicious as the next person that walked past. Getting past the gate was the easy part, slipping past the guards' line of sight was another. It was a post dependent attribute; those posted at gates had a heightened sense of paranoia. There was always something tense about the atmosphere when walking into a guarded gate. He knew not why. His muscles clung to the ghost of a memory of that provocative experience and that was sufficient information to remind him not to repeat that mistake of waltzing in where he supposedly didn't belong.

He wondered how he'd get back in, now that his foggy mind was drifting in that direction. If it was him alone, he'd routinely backtrack and go back the way he came. His dismay was in knowing he would struggle to do so with others accompanying him. Again, proving he wasn't the man for such a mission. One or two allies wasn't a problem, solo tasks were preferable, though. The nature of this mission, however, entailed allies of lesser physical aptitude than he, so he was told. That side note subtly nagged at him. He found himself beginning to reroute in his head to vacate for the newcomers. What a headache. He wished he'd succumbed to sleep instead, a nap would've been more beneficial for the moment. No matter how dwindling his rest was, his thoughts continued to tick, preventing him from absconding reality and forcing him to focus on identifying his new brothers.

Picking them from the crowd wasn't an excruciating challenge whatsoever. He gave them credit if they were feigning incompetence to make an innocent first impression to the public. Basim watched them for a minute, stumbling, struggling to carry items, settling the crates down in a spot that looked 'good enough' when it very obviously was inconveniently in the middle of the road — clever. Almost believable. It wasn’t quite 'hiding in plain sight', but one could never be too careful as a Hidden One. Perhaps remaining hidden sometimes meant to call yourself to attention. Oddly counterintuitive, yet effective nonetheless.

Feeling a little guilty he hung back for so long, he approached the pair. He plastered on a smile like he was reuniting with family and not like he was wishing to be curled up, snoozing in the shaded patch he was previously sheltered by.

"Allow me," he offered kindly, taking a box out of the hands of the smaller of the two, lightening the load. His eyes snapped to the corners, searching for the small imperfection that would confirm these were indeed his allies. A little triangular carving, resembling the symbol of the Hidden Ones. He got the right people. The boost of dopamine didn't last long when he honed in on the exact situation he was placed in, regarding present company.

His 'allies' were a man and his young daughter. It all clicked into place. Every letter of the mission briefing was true and didn't hint at any grander, more exciting scheme, despite being so vague. Bothersome and disappointing. The girl — who may have been no more than twelve — shyly thanked him for the assistance but her voice faded into the background of his own internal one. He began to conspire what he'd do when he broke from the bounds of this living purgatory. Deep, undisturbed sleep. If he was lucky.

Poor hospitality, Basim. Ripping himself from his daydream, he turned to the girl's father to introduce himself. The polite thing to do.

"Basim."

"Hamid." His eyes creased with lines of kindness as he smiled. "Sahar." He gestured to his daughter, who perked up but retreated into her father's shadow. He sensed her discomfort and sent the girl a nod of solidarity. She didn't warm to the telepathic message and he understood well enough. He adjusted the crate in his arms and hugged it to his chest to prepare him for the path ahead.

Unnecessary words were not spent and hence introducing themselves, nothing else was discussed. Prearranged missions had a tendency to be smooth sailing if well-thought-out. This one was no exception, considering its low risk of running into danger. Save from the looming gate in front of them. Both dangerous and not thought about at all. No one was to blame for the gate problem, but the responsibility fell to Basim to deduce how to navigate said problem.

They neared the gate and Basim's own inner safety mechanism was already firing off warning shots. He kept himself cloaked between the man and his girl as they walked, appearing as if he was their servant carrying their luggage. Or he hoped that's how he was being perceived by the jittery guards at their designated stations.

"Just to be sure," he raised the question, inclined towards Hamid, in nothing more than a whisper to maintain the ruse he'd made on demand. "What are in these crates? If we are pulled up by the guards, I'd like to know what it is I'm carrying." Routine security checks were common but as long as Basim wasn't hauling a crate full of contraband or smuggling other living beings across the threshold, he wouldn't take issue with it. Surely not, especially with someone so young in his company. He couldn't imagine dragging a child into illegal activities. No child should be raised in an environment like that, he'd never been more adamant about anything.

Hamid flashed a surreptitious smirk and replied, "Secrets." Basim's expression hardened. Any more vague information could get them killed for sure, his gut told him so. He itched to pry the lid open and look inside this burden to reveal these apparent secrets. Were it not nailed shut and in his arms, his thief's fingers would make that happen.

"I must know." Basim grew desperate, his alerted senses picking up every potential threat in the near vicinity. They were within the gate's suffocating grasp and Basim need not even be told. His ribcage felt as if it were curling in on itself and his physical surroundings grew dense. "Some peace of mind," he clarified, wondering if his anxieties were creeping through. He noticed it was beginning to get harder to mask fear when fatigue runs the body and mind down.

"Nothing more than dusty, old books and crafting materials, my friend, you need not worry. We'll pass the guards with ease." Basim wished he felt reassured by those words. He did not in the slightest. "Keep close, Sahar," he instructed the girl and she obliged willingly. Out of apprehension of the new environment, Basim figured.

They all crammed uncomfortably together to indicate they were associated with one another. Hopefully not condensed enough to separate themselves from the normal passersby. They walked on through the crowd, almost making it through the gate entirely before they were singled out by a heavily armoured man seated at a desk. Horribly out of place in any other circumstance, but in the moment he was booming at them to come over, nothing felt contradictory about his cladding and his passion for logarithms.

Hamid advised Basim not to say a word and leave the talking to him and Basim would've loved to verbalise his agreement, if his throat hadn't sealed itself off. His breathing ran shallow and he had to redirect all his energy towards controlling the onset of panic.

They knew his face. He knew they knew his face. Or his robes at the very least. Posters depicting his visage were all over Baghdad. Shoddy depictions at that, but sometimes that was enough for the brain to use as an identifier. His head drooped, staring at the box he held, passing his fear for submission or shame. This is the last time he ever played movers or servants, he swore to himself that. He didn't particularly mind it, but it was always the situation in which he had to do so was what bothered him most. Always a close shave from being sprung. Being that close to death left him in no control, like dangling above molten lava tied to nothing but twine. To say the least, he did not favour it.

It was a falsely polite, drab exchange of 'where are you headed?' Abbasiyah. 'What are you transporting today?' Writing materials, tools, homeware. 'What brings you to Baghdad?' The awaiting world of learning. 'Oh, Abbasiyah is wonderful for that' and 'is that your daughter? That's lovely. There's much to see, young one,' and a threatening, 'I don't want to see her out unescorted; supervise that one.' Amidst it all, not a single eye batted at Basim The Servant and he'd never been so grateful for a small stroke of luck. Hamid offloaded a pouch of coin and they passed through into the light again, into Baghdad.

"How did you do that?" Basim queried, once he'd regained the ability to breathe steadily.

"Do what?" Hamid's tongue phrased it just right to make Basim sound like the fool, although his answer was another question. "Bypass the guards? Simple. Don't act as if you've something to hide." Basim pursed his lips. This new ally had an attitude. "A little honey makes even dirt taste sweet." An odd answer, if not cryptic.

"Bribery?" A guess to decipher the riddle. That pouch of coin...

"Not at all. I paid my fee. It's all in the understanding, my friend. A bit of sympathy for the guards, uh? They get bored and tense, working tirelessly. Give them some small talk, some kindness, make their job easier for a minute and be on your way. It's not only you on edge. To change the energy received, you must change the energy being emitted." Basim almost stopped dead in the way of an oncoming camel. He'd completely froze in puzzlement. Was he a window? Was it so obvious that he was sweating through his robes? Perhaps he was a terrible actor.

"I see," he said, letting the scepticism tint his words. "Unfortunately, some of us do not have the luxury of conversation. Forgive me if I'm wary of being attacked." That, in fact, was a confession. One he didn't want slipping from his mouth.

"Ah. Not a friend of the Caliph?" A joke? "I hope this won't become a problem." The inflection indicated it was more cautious question than statement. Basim followed his eyes to Sahar, who was tailing her father, invisible in the shade of the shadow he cast. Therein lay the worry.

"Nor do I. I will do my best to keep you both safe. You have my word."

"To the letter," he affirmed, nodding a split second before a bag tumbled off the stack of precariously balanced luggage Hamid was hauling. He uttered an obscenity under his breath. "Sorry." Basim wasn't certain on who he was apologising to, so he kept quiet. "Did not think transport through. We'll have to carry everything the rest of the way there, if it doesn't trouble you."

Oh, it did. It did a lot. "Not at all." Lying through his teeth. Basim wasn't one to do such things. Not normally. Being crabby over this mission since the briefing had a domino effect and he'd rather be feigning kindness than maiming with honesty. He'd get over it. Whenever he forgot that it was all Roshan's fault for assigning him this colossal time waster.

From the shade, Sahar peeked out to claim the bag, as her arms were void of baggage, then slinked back to her hiding place. Hamid appreciated his daughter's help and did so verbally, whilst scanning the area for his bearings. His thorough search soon morphed into uncertainty.

Basim was tired of this. He was before, now it was painful. Any more incompetence and he'd lose his mind. For someone who spoke so eloquently, he had no idea how Hamid couldn't discern his north-east from his south-west. Wanting to move this process along, Basim suggested,

"Do you have a map?" He tried not to sound like he had better things he could be doing. Albeit true, anything to minimise lingering out on the streets would be beneficial for everyone, not just him. Hamid peered past the countless boxes and bags to his belt, where many pouches were attached.

"Uh, I don't suppose you could look?" Basim repressed a sigh.

"Of course." Of course you would, he wanted to say, but he knew better. Growing up a pickpocket didn't make him exempt from showing courtesy. He was doing his best to give his new brothers (burdens) a warm welcome, no matter how unhappy he was with the task at hand.

He put the singular crate down at his feet and sifted through the pockets for a map that might pinpoint the location of wherever they were meant to be headed. As he fixed his mitts on a square of paper that could have possibly been a map, a shriek tore through the peaceful bustle of Baghdad.

"Thief, thief! Guards! That man is stealing from his purse!"

"No, no, no. Not now." Retracting his hand in a flash, out of impulse, he scooped up the crate again. Hamid spoke a thousand words with one look, but the baseline was: 'what in the world is going on?' "We should get going," he instructed with urgency, ushering them away as quickly as he could manage with his hands full. So much for ensuring their safety.

Swords drawn, a pair of soldiers spliced through the crowd to pursue Basim and his newfound kin. He placed himself tail-end in defence, hurrying Hamid and Sahar forward with his quickened step. A struggle, factoring in the weight they bore in their arms. Basim hadn't given a second thought as to where they were going, it just had to be a lengthy distance between him and any armed forces. Not the warmest of receptions, but he'd had colder — Roshan earlier that morning, for example. Not that he had the second to spare to ruminate on that instance. Food for thought he had no time to digest.

—

They lost their pursuers eventually. Veering down countless trails and disappearing on something so simple as a bench did the trick. An old trick, yet effective to no fault. Prior to that debacle — the other part of Basim's brain not kicking up adrenaline and spurring him to run, counted at least twenty apologies to the public, all served by Hamid as they pushed past with impudence. He'd changed his tune, resting his forehead against the tower of boxes he had in front of him, speechless and more or less breathless. Basim concurred, his heaving created an offbeat overlay, loud in his ears.

Next to her father, Sahar clutched her one bag like it was precious, making almost no noise as she caught her breath. At intervals, she'd cast her gaze to Basim, full of spite that he'd broken his vow moments after pledging it. Her displeasure with him was fair, Basim accepted that. But the scrutiny of a little girl was unsettling, especially feeling it impact his perception. If he'd disappointed a kid, surely he was inadequate for this kind of job. He didn't even take a glance at her — couldn't bear to. Though his eyes were elsewhere, he could feel her emotion beginning to hang about him like a shadow, reflective of the few moments he spent in her company.

His mind spiralled, remembering friends he'd let down before. How many kids' lives he cut short from his recklessness. He didn't mean to. Just like he didn't mean to this time. Oh no. Guilt. Too deep now. The darkness was familiar, an old friend returning to visit. A resented old friend. Familiar though, and strangely reaffirming. A nightmare was his waking hours. His resting ones too (if he could call it resting these days).

That's it. The jinni. That's what it reminded him of. Sahar's glaring mirrored that of his personal demon and that was a terrorising sensation he thought no person could replicate. His chest was tightening a few notches again, squeezing his lungs, twinging a few heartstrings. His bottom lip jutted out. Perhaps it wasn't just Roshan who was overly sensitive today.

Having had enough of the restrictions, Basim stood up abruptly, without the crate he was responsible for lifting and began a pace in a seemingly random direction. Inner turmoil was no easy conquest. External ones, however, he could deal to and that was a better place to start.

Those posters with his features scrawled on them posed a problem for any future moves he or his companions wanted to make. First thing to tackle: getting rid of those. From there, he hoped, their journey would be less a superfluous plight and more a meaningless meander.

"Where are you going?" Hamid's voice strained with worry. When Basim's reply was dead air, he called out, "Basim?" Suppose his vigour returned.

"Posters. I have to get rid of them," he stated. He didn't mean to sound short and snappy but his patience was wearing thin. His faux perky disposition was corroding.

"Oh, a known face, are you?" His jokes grated on Basim. He wasn't certain if it was the condescending undertones or the fact that it was something he would've said on the other end of the stick. "If you don't mind my curiosity, I'd like to see one. Local art sparks my interest, even if it is so small as a wanted poster." Basim gritted his teeth and prayed no other sign of frustration seeped through. Movers or tour guide, Basim did not sign up for this test of willpower.

"If you can call it art," he muttered. "All right. Keep in sight, I'll show you." Hamid sprung out of his seat with renewed energy. He entrusted the safety of their possessions to Sahar, who was told specifically to stay seated and keep watch until they got back. He felt her uncomfortable presence on him again the second he turned away, leading her father to wherever a poster may be. Being rude wasn't in Basim's nature, but in that beat, he was grateful to be parting ways with her temporarily. Maybe in that time she could fix her sulky demeanour.

—

Fascination was an odd thing, tailored to the individual through innumerable factors. For Basim it was classical literature and the wonders of the sky above. For Hamid... it was an unintelligible scribble based off who knows what. Some eyewitness who had a hard time remembering faces? Because he was sure he appeared nothing like that in his reflection. They said that was the door to narcissism. They may be correct in this case. Though who was he to complain? The less the image looked like him the better.

Basim scrunched his nose, staring at what Hamid could possibly be so enraptured by. There was a likelihood that there were just some things he'd never understand. For once, that notion didn't string him up. Instead, he gazed off into the blur, blank as ever, save from fatigue's dark circles.

"The line work is incredible, the use of colour is eye-catching — an interesting piece," he mused, then paused to lower his voice for only Basim's ears, "if not a little inaccurate." Basim idly nodded in reply, humming a tune between an agreeing 'yes, thank you,' and a sarcastic 'yes, thank you'. The sooner he could dispose of the target on his head, the sooner they'd all be safe to roam. Not that Hamid was too concerned with that at the minute.

Impatient and bored to no imagination, Basim took hold of the edge of the sheet of paper and yanked downwards, shredding the poster in one satisfying tear. On automatic, he balled it and shoved it in a pouch, out of sight, not bothering to look at how they failed to do him justice.

Hence would be the appropriate time to walk away. A hundred times over he'd have done so. Had Basim had the energy, this unimportant instant would have followed trend. Unaware to himself, his psyche sailed off to distant shores once more, starting a new life away from unreasonable mentors, silly missions, sleepless nights, odd companions and bounties on his head. That was a life worth living. He'd have played the scenario out too, were it not for an obnoxious cough that erupted from beside him.

Another civilian out to try their luck and challenge the limits of Basim's sanity. A stream of accusations flowed from their mouth, whirling around Basim but not threatening enough to strike an alerted response. He phased out of reality again with hooded eyes, unamused. Amusement must have been what this civilian was lacking, for creating all this fuss served no other purpose and drew no eyes their way. It was him on the poster, yes, but his refusal to entertain the drama outweighed his instinctual reflex to be honest.

To his relief, words that would have been wasted were preserved and better utilised by Hamid, whose bearing suddenly exuded a graceful, disarming authority.

[kerryweaverlesbian]

Okay well NOW I'm thinking of like. In the placate Dean hypothesis. Sam left a few weeks ago and John's badmouthing him a LOT and Dean is like. Quietly listening and absorbing, not able to say stop (he'd be ignored anyway) but also not able to nod along.

When John's in one of his better moods over beers, not talking about Sam at all, Dean manages to work up the courage to say "You do love him though, right? Sam?"

And John just looks at him, shocked and hurt. Of course he loves Sam. All the bad stuff he's ever fought off, every grave he's climbed into, that was for his family - for the family that was taken from him. He does it for Mary and for little baby Sam. It should be obvious. His revenge is his love.

John's not stupid. He knows Dean takes after him, but he likes Sam more. John had thought that was a strength of their little family, that his boys look out for each other first, but now it feels like a mistake.

"Like, it shows that he's smart, right?" Dean goes on, fiddling with the lip of his bottle with his thumb. John wishes he'd cut that shit out, but no matter how much he tells him, Dean can never sit still unless it's life or death. "It means we must have done something right with him."

"Getting an empty nest, son?" John jokes, and Dean laughs along and shrugs. "I didn't raise you to ask stupid questions. Sam's good. He's a smart kid, resourceful, independent. I talk a lot of shit, but he's always gonna be family. He's..." the only reason I'm alive, John can't quite get to come out of his mouth, so instead he repeats, "He's good."

Then, feeling good about how he handled things, he proposes a toast, "To Sam!"

"Sam," Dean agrees, all worries wiped off his face.

"The only son I have with half a brain."

Dean laughs again, because he always understands John, he's a good kid, then chugs down his the rest of his beer in one go. "So, can we go see him?"

John's good mood drops. Dean proves a disappointment, again. Sometimes he can convince John he's talking to an equal, and then he goes and says childish, naïve shit like this. Can we stay here another few days? Can we go to disney land? Can we visit mom's grave? It's not even purposely hurtful, is the thing. If it were, at least he could see Dean was thinking. The boy at least knows he's done something wrong, dropping his gaze and straightening his shoulders, hands going flat on the table. He always knows he's wrong, but it never seems to translate to learning anything.

"What did I say about stupid questions?"

"Sorry, sir."

"He left us, you remember that? Do I have to be the bad guy to you, too? I thought you understood what we're doing here. Isn't hunting those killers out there more important than school? More important than Sam's petty little grudge?"

Dean doesn't say anything, and John can see it now. Thinking back across the past few weeks, Dean has never once agreed that Sam's at fault, just stood there gormless and noncommital while John laid it all out. He thinks it's John's fault. He thinks John's a bad father, a bad person, selfish, callous, cruel, stupid, every hurtful word that came out of Sam's smart mouth. He always did take after John. Why shouldn't he think like him, too?

It's not fair. He's doing what he can. It's a harsh world out there, he needed to show them how harsh it can be, to prepare them. He needs backup. He needs loyalty.

His phone rings. He takes it outside, leaving Dean in his seat with a stern look. He doesn't want to see Dean's silent misery.

"This is John Winchester. Speak."

"Hello?" The voice on the other end is trembling, a child. John tenses. It's always bad when there's an innocent kid tangled up in their world.

John deliberately softens his voice, "Hey, it's okay little man. Can you tell me what's wrong? Are you hidden?"

"I, um," the kid says, sounding confused, like he's been asked to go off script, "No? I- my name is Adam Milligan. I think you're my...I think I'm you're son?"

--

John strides back into the diner after getting the kid's address, and grabs his coat. Dean perks up, nervously, like a dog who's just been kicked. Well, let him feel bad. He should feel bad, for what he thinks about his own father.

"I'm going to see Sam," John declares, the first excuse that came to mind, and Dean beams and starts gabbling.

"Awesome! I looked up in the phone book, there's a motel-"

"I'm going to see Sam," John cuts through, stern, gratified to see Dean's smile drop down a few notches, "You're going to find a case. We can't leave the world to fend for itself while we all go take a vacation. I'm just going to check on him. Make sure he's safe. No contact, understand? He made it quite clear that he doesn't want to see either one of us ever again."

Dean looks conflicted, so John sighs and leans paternally over his seat, one hand on the table and the other on the back of Dean's chair, to emphasise to Dean that he's parent, here, and to force Dean to look at him. He knows best, even if Dean can't see it yet.

John soothes his voice, like he did on the phone with Adam. He never thought he'd have to use his victim-voice on a fully grown Dean, but hey, that's parenting. "I get it, Dean. Sam hurt both of us. The kid can be cruel. What he did was selfish, leaving us behind like that. What's pushing ourselves on him gonna do, huh? Except rake up more hate?"

"Right," Dean says, weakly, then he shuts his eyes and opens them again, deliberate and sharp, the confident boy John recognises. "You're right. We should leave him out of it."

"Smart choice, Dean," John praises, and even ruffles his hair to make Dean fuss. "I'll call you after I've seen him. If you call before I do, I'm not picking up. Don't want Sam to hear my ringtone." And, don't want Adam to see Dean's name. He's learned his lesson, here. He let Sam and Dean get too close. This kid, he's going to keep pure, clean, out of the life.

This time, he's going to get a son he can be proud of.

I don't know if I've said it before but another thing that keeps haunting me is the fact that in the doomed plane episode in season 1, the guy who met John and Dean before says he knows who Sam is because John kept going on and on about how proud he was of his kid who got a full ride at Stanford. Like either it was geniune, and he was speaking proudly from the heart about his kid despite everything. Or it was to punish/placate Dean (with the subtext of 'unlike this son' or perhaps Dean had started to stick up for Sam - Dean was smiling throughout so I'm leaning towards the latter). Especially since the episode is one of the first Dean Is So Smart episodes. Or a mix of both perhaps. Or some other motive (to hide that he's got an abnormal family to a normie...?)

Just - how must it have felt for Sam to have spent YEARS thinking his dad hated everything he's ever accomplished to hear that. I don't have anything else to say about it it just keeps travelling across my brain.

[smut-angel]

I am on the last episode of the bear I have to wait to savour it but babe. Babe!

Imagine being with Carmy in New York, his one small piece of sanity when dealing with, ick in human form aka the chef guy from the flashback, and like your job, be it like a chef as well, or in my inner world it’s a world class pastry chef that met Carmy in the first restaurant he worked at before French laundry and Noma, anyway whatever it is,

Like you couldn’t leave New York because work contracts and it would be like a month or two before you get to move to Chicago and you of course are having a lil chef baby! Because dad Carmy is my brain rot. So bam like being four months visibly pregnant, because yes.

And just coming in during the absolute havoc that is episode 7. Screaming Camry, the walk out of Marcus and syd. Just my angst to fluff brain can’t take it.

Also Richie having no idea who the fuck you are because Carmy wouldn’t tell anyone, maybe sugar, like sugar got updates and like just assumed Richie knew but like they don’t talk unless they have to.

Add in you and Carmy got hitched in a courthouse in new York because fuck it. And like that would just

Richie: Carmy your fucking married?! Why did no one know about this?!

Everyone else in the restaurant, sugar, Pete and Cicero: oh we knew.

Richie: fucking Pete knew?!

And just. THIS SHOW IS MY NEW BRAIN ROT IN THE SAME WAY DAREDEVIL THEN PUNISHER THEN EDDIE MUNSON WAS.

Me being a whore for Jeremy Allen white has returned. Started with lip Gallagher and will never end

anon i loved every second of this!!! i could totally see carmen being lowkey about being married especially getting married in the courthouse like honestly i'm down for that because im not big on weddings. and richie would totally not let go of no one telling him that you guys are married. like he’s taking that grudge to the grave 😭

carmen would love the fact that you still want to help out in the restaurant but the fact that you’re pregnant makes him want you to stay home more.

“why would i be barefoot and pregnant at home when i can be barefoot and pregnant here?” you’d say to him while helping sydney prep.

“i wouldn’t go barefoot here, sweeps is still not great about mopping the floors,” sydney would reply.

“i don’t want you barefoot and pregnant anywhere. i just want you to rest.”

i think sugar would definitely come around more to check on you and be a good sister in law. she’d probably bring you the weird foods you’re craving and just have nice girl time with you that’s much needed.

[pandasized-crevice]

MY FRESH JUST WATCHED KINNPORSCHE EP13 THOUGHTS

oh this ep is full hour,i'm scared....

i got my bingo card lets see if I get anything

IMMEDIATELY SCREAMING

vegas calling pete sexy?(we been knew petes sexy)but to hear vegas say it

also pete doesn't have his bandages🤨

and he's holding petes hand i love that

be who you arrrrreeee

kinn take a good look at porsches face and tell me you believe he's okay😐

more hand holding🥰 i love hand holding🥰

yeah-thats a lie we hold grudges in this house🕴🏻

kinns so happy please🥺

PAPA WE CALL KORN PAPA NOW?!?!👁👁🫥

OOOOOOOH

you telling me vegas is watching a video so he can cook for pete

🚨SHIT ITS HIS DAD🚨

OOOOH TELL HIM VEGAS

WAIT DON'T

YALL SAW HOW HIS DAD FUCKING TURNED HIS RING TO SLAP VEGAS WHAT A WHORE😠

TELL US KINN WHAT SHOULD PORSCHE PUT IN HIS MOUTH😏😏😏

come on porsche tell him

DAMN YOU CHAN WE ALMOST GOT COMMUNICATION

Kinn i love you fr🫶

COME ON KINN YOU KNOW SOMETHING UP WITH HIM

pete my boy:(😭

im going to fucking cry PETE💔

pause: bible and build are so pretty

your life like this cuz your dads an asshole babe

NO STOP VEGAS

TANKHUN MY LOVE

TELL THEM BABE MAKE THEM SEE

NO PETE 🗣YOU WERE NEVER USELESS🗣

PETE NO WHAT THE FUCK GUYS😨

yall respect bible and build they are Acting their asses off rn thats TALENT🫅🫅

im so scared rn yall

OOH I SEE

OH SHIT

what is this girl.........

PAUSE: TANKHUN IK THIS IS A FUNERAL FIT BUT ITS GIVING 🫣😳

aw porsche rubbing kinns shoulder

tag yourself i'm pol crying

THE ATM BRO

PETE MADE IT BACK YES

arm and pol running away and porsche jumping on kinns back?i expect nothing less from those fools

porsche poking pete to see if he's real I love him

poor pete YALL SQUEEZING HIS WOUNDS GUYS

HIS BRUSIES STOP:(😭

pete still trying to smile💔he makes me so sad

hi kim

leave him alone kim

YUH BLOCK THAT MAN CHAY

rip the wik shrine☠️

STOP THE POLAROID

BRO HOW MANY DOES HE HAVE

time for kim to make a chay shrine

YEAH FUCK IT MEMORY CHAY

vegas crying,petes,crying,IM CRYING

porsche that was so fucking sus and obvious😐

don't just believe pete he’s going through it

AH HA kinn knows porsche isn't telling him something AND then this sus phone call? the misunderstandings are coming🕴🏻

aw tankhun loves pete he makes me soft

aw lord what's porsche doing

VEGAS?!

YES GET HIM PORSCHE👊👊👊

so he's asking vegas for help

OH HO VEGAS HAS SEEN PORSCHE'S MOM

porsche do not tell me you brought pete to vegas in exchange for info

porsche has been mafiaed yall🔫🔫

OH MY GOD

DAMN HEADBUTT

porsche wearing the suit jacket is throwing me off idk why

whom?

AYO THESE ARE PORSCHE'S PARENTS GRAVES

if kinn took them there to talk to porsches parents i WILL cry

welp im crying im SOBBING 😭😭😭

SHUT THE FUCK UP😦🚨😳 ITS THE POOL FUCKING SCENE NO WAY🚨

THE WAY I WAS GONNA PUT ON THE BINGO CARD POOL SCENE HAPPENS BUT I THOUGHT NAH NO WAY?!

IM NOT READY I NEED MY EARPHONES🏃🏃

YESSSSSSSSSSS KINN SAID I LOVE YOU TO PORSCHE🥰🙌 (which yes kinn has shown he loves porsche with his actions but him saying the 3 words to porsche is just chefs kiss😙)

porsche pinning kinns hands? 🥴girl BYE

deutache(correct spelling?idk her)bank we finally meet

porsche hun be careful don't fall outta the pool

SCREAMING but without...without the...🫠🫣

i love that they hug after 🫂��️

porsche please you can trust kinn

shit yall SHIT

GODDAMN IT HE DID LEAVE

love you😊 bye

little baby chay hey girl

wait we taking chay?FOR WHY

this just makes it seem like they're running away😐

bro tankhun loves them he wants to go get them☹️❤️

HEY WHORE TELL US EVERYTHING😠🔫

FUCK THIS PORSCHE WITNESSED HIS PARENTS GET SHOT NOW HIS UNCLE?!

OH HE'S REMEMBERING YES

okay so korn & gun went to get porsche's mom but since she wouldn't leave/porsches dad was like fuck yall they killed them

SHIT IT'S KINN?

but why would he fucking shoot porsches uncle THAT MAKES NO SENSE WHO REALLY DID

PETE'S WITH KINN?!OH HO

H U H AHH PORSCHE WAIT WE NEED KORN TO TELL US THE TRUTH

SHE WAS YOUR W H A T😦🫥😧

AND I DIDNT EVEN GET A FUCKING BINGO DAMNIT

FUCK YALL THE FINALE IS GOING TO BE WILD IM READY YET TERRIFIED

[silverwarewolf]

bruce and dr. facilier for Alexandro Beloved, lelouch for aster, mor'du for ann? :3

Of course! Thank you so much for asking. (I'm also working on the oc advice, dw about that)

This is the ask game for anyone who wants to send in a question!

BRUCE: How likely are their chances of a successful redemption arc?

Alexandro beloved is a tragic antagonist. Once a loving father and husband, stripped away of his family by a disaster. Once a knight at the service of the Azure Kings, stripped away of his position by fault of a prophecy. Currently an assassin after Ivan's head, unbeknownst to him he's the baby prince he once swore to protect.

And later? Fated to a duel with Emilia, fierce when it comes to protecting her family, and a deadly opponent.

Considering all of this, and as much as it pains me to say, i don't think we're going to get a happy ending for him. A redemption arc? Sure, we get to understand him and have some compassion, he'll be forgiven and remembered fondly. At least by Emilia and Kate. But it's much likelier to end in tragedy, like, a 70% chance of it I'd say.

(however, this whole book is about me surprising every reader, me included. I haven't planned out the very ending nor even his duel with Emilia, so i can probably whip something up)

DR FACILIER: How far are they willing to go to get what they want?

As far as it takes, to be honest. He's got nothing to lose! He lost his family! His kingdom! His found family! His sense of belonging when he became a monster! He'll do whatever.

Which is why he's evenly matched with Emilia when they duel. Neither of them desire to kill the other, they just have to stop them temporarily. For protection or for duty, either way.

Key word, it has to be something he wants.

However, if Alexandro fails, Ann will be after him, so that's a worry he has. If she does, though, as strong as she is, she can't overpower a monster so easily. So although it's a way to manipulate him into working for her, he knows that at the end of the day, if he fought for his life, he'd probably win. So yep, he's pretty much uh ... Unhinged? Ruthless?

He'll do whatever to get what he wants, is my point, but he's very much capable of restraint.

LELOUCH: Does your antagonist ever regret their actions?

Oh dear. You've chosen probably the best question for Aster.

Short answer, not really. She's like Alexandro but with Murderous Intent and a Grudge that outweighs restraint.

Long answer (and very vague because this is Unplanned Prequel territory). She lived when the world thrived in sorcery and magic in a very different way than it does now. And when she was a kid she was rather excellent at it, because of talent and practice and like, some sort of internal need to be the best. To use her magic to help the world.

Alas, time goes on and she realizes her magic is a bit different from everyone else's. You know, casting a perfectly controlled fire tornado but being unable to hold a fireball correctly. Changing runes to perfect her spells. Using unconventional ingredients and eyeballing potion recipes. Casting sorcery no one had ever been able to imagine.

And they weren't impressed or grateful. They were horrified of her.

Reduced to an ominous witch, banned from several kingdoms. She fled to the woods and met the kings of the Goose Throne, who were accepting of her skills. She taught some people and wrote down her knowledge, tomes upon tomes that could revolutionize magic.

But then the king broke their pact, and didn't stop the other monarchs from coming after her. Grave mistake, for that was the droplet that toppled over the glass. Taken everything from her, threatening the students she still cared about, cornered through every last part of the planet, she cursed everyone.

She cursed the desert, and the poles, and the forests, and the heavens. That whenever someone would be born sharing her birthday, as the moon eclipsed the two suns at once, she would return and the world would be destroyed. And then she vanished.

Or so the story says.

After all, she couldn't really overpower the royal amulets. Not yet. But a few years ago, twins were born in the same day she did, and one of them is after the other's head to prevent the world from ending.

So i don't think she regrets doing what she did so much as she laments that she never got the chance to be herself, to live the wish she always thought she would be granted once she grew up.

MOR'DU: How are they different/similar to the hero?

Well she and Ivan are twins so they're very similar!

Just kidding.

I guess their greatest similarity is how determined they are to save those they care about. Ann swears on her parents' grave that she'll save the world no matter what, and became quite a decent queen, murders aside. Ivan pretty much had to flee on a day's notice, and yet he's picked up new skills to keep Gene and Kate safe.

(a bit ironic that both of them are objectively stronger than Ivan. However they're not running on that adrenaline rush that boosts their performance so i guess they're pretty on par, though Ivan gets Tired)

And the most relevant difference is that Ivan is willing to go with the flow of things more easily. If he found out he was prophesized to destroy the world, he'd be like "how? why? no i won't" and keep living on. Ann, as seen in canon, will freak out and plan every last detail until she can assure things will be alright.

This also means Ivan is willing to read the forbidden tomes of Taylor's library to disprove the prophecy while Ann scoffs at the idea.

[punkscowardschampions]

Jac & Jesse

Jac: [some gossip about him that could either be a bit true or totally hilariously not] Jac: when were you gonna tell me, like? Jesse: 👎 Jac: That's what you would say now you've been found out Jac: I 👀 Jesse: not to you Jac: Hmm Jac: I look forward to getting the actual info to spread about then Jesse: you'll have a long wait, dickhead Jesse: be gone by then Jac: Where are you going? Jesse: be quicker to ✔ off where I ain't Jesse: fully booked, me Jac: No one likes a show-off 🙄😏 Jac: how busy are you now? Jesse: busy with a ☕ Jesse: you alright? Jac: Yeah, I'm good Jac: I'm just getting ready for when I go on my own one-stop tour Jac: so when you've got a minute between ☕s maybe we can talk Jesse: go on Jac: You sure? Jac: not trying to be that customer that can't take a hint Jesse: you heard Jesse: don't need to be the customer pissing about when I'm trying to close up Jesse: you're fine to crack on Jac: alright, understood Jac: I won't nurse my ☕ and order a 2nd with five minutes to go Jac: I don't know how to start what I wanna say, helpful, I know Jesse: I ain't put a ⏲ on Jesse: take a bit if you need Jac: I mean, you put me on the 🕔 a bit but I'll just ignore you when you put up the chairs around me 💁 Jac: There's a lot of stuff I don't wanna leave left unsaid Jac: well, a lot of me does wanna leave it and I know a lot of you probably ain't gonna thank me for it either but I don't think I SHOULD leave some of it, the way it has been Jesse: alright Jac: fuck's sake Jac: okay, do you want the apology, the thanks, or the reasons Jac: because I can do them all but you know, pick your fave or least so we can get it out of the way, I don't know Jesse: can you even have a sorry or thanks without the why bit? Jesse: if I dunno what you're sorry for or saying tah for, not getting very far, like Jac: since you've not actually got me a drink, you've got some idea Jac: but okay, I hear reasons loud and clear, no need to be so coy Jac: you know why I need to say thank you Jac: that's more apparent, and easier Jac: and I didn't just pick you because I had no one else, I still could've made mum do it all with me or nan Jac: I wouldn't have picked anyone else, anyway, which sucks for you but yeah, you stepped up and I wasn't appropriately grateful at the time, or close, so I'll say it now Jac: thanks Jesse: you weren't ready to tell her, I get that, that's why I did Jesse: and it weren't like I did it for a tah Jac: no, I know Jac: but I should still say it now, I wanna Jac: it was still shit, and is always gonna be a shit thing that happened to me but you took a bit of it on, and that counts Jesse: you can have one back, tah for not dying, that worried me for a bit there Jac: I still don't feel like I was ever that reckless, like, I know how that sounds, and obviously the baby was a wake-up call that it had gone TOO far, even for my standards Jac: but under normal circumstances, I would've protected you from that, cared to and I didn't, so that's a sorry too Jesse: it was shit scary, the baby bit especially, but that's why I weren't gonna just leave you to it Jac: I thought I had a handle on the rest, but yeah, I should probably let that idea go since what does that matter given what happened Jac: you could've, and I wanted you to, so sorry/thanks again Jac: that's the least eloquent way I can put it Jesse: if it makes it less of a headfuck for you, reckoning that you had it sorted, you can have it Jesse: I don't mind Jesse: but you ain't ever getting me turning my back however much you want it Jac: I don't know, I was doing reckless, destructive things, but I never thought I was going to die Jac: accidents happen though, so, maybe I can accept now that I was tempting shit back then Jac: I don't want it now, and I did want that less as the year went on Jac: but I'm aware it's shit I ever did, that that must've been, well Jesse: what happened to Is was proper raw for all of us back then, probably put me on edge about you more than it would've done Jac: Yeah Jac: it was so right after, I know that's what mum and dad thought Jesse: we've all thought all kinds of shit Jesse: Jude's said loads of it to me before now, like I can give her an answer ✔ or ❌ Jac: and I deserve to live with the consequences of just letting you all speculate Jac: I really know that, and I'm gonna talk to everyone and you can all say or not say whatever you want to me, it's all fair Jesse: we've all lived Jac: that don't mean it's alright Jac: or I ever reckoned it was Jac: I knew it weren't Jac: and again, that makes it less okay Jesse: you weren't alright, none of us were big enough dickheads not to work that out, even her Jac: Obviously Jac: but the point is, you can hold me accountable now and it won't be a waste of time, you know Jesse: you've been a prick, me an' all loads of times, we both will be again in a bit Jac: it's a bit more than that Jac: come on, don't insult me like you reckon I was like that before Jesse: yeah Jesse: but I ain't gonna bother to hold it against you til you actually do 💀 Jac: that's weird Jac: leave your grudges 'til the grave Jesse: I mean I ain't bothering with any grudges Jac: Alright, hippie Jac: are you graciously accepting my apology and gratitude then or what? Jesse: I'll take it Jac: okay Jac: anything you wanna say? Jac: not last words or anything but if you can before you 💀 I'd appreciate it Jesse: you gonna say why then or what? Jac: It isn't as if it's just the one thing Jac: and now that I have to say, there's the fear that you're all gonna say it wasn't a good enough excuse and that's why I didn't say anything in the first place so Jac: let me work up to it Jesse: just call me a massive twat Jac: No, like, it was a lot Jac: and for what Jac: but it was logical at the time, and what I felt I had to do, whether that seems warranted or nah Jesse: I ain't gonna say you weren't 💔 enough for what you did Jesse: nowt to do with me Jac: You might not Jac: you might think it Jac: but I'm not gonna concoct some lie that makes it all seem worthwhile, can't be that bitch Jac: fake sob story Jesse: unless you're a 🧠📖 that don't matter Jac: I'm not used to gossip rags lying or chatting shit on me Jac: I don't wanna imagine that you think the worst of me, tah Jesse: you already have done Jesse: it weren't just us imagining all sorts, come on Jac: I really, on the whole, wasn't thinking about anyone else Jac: not to brag about it Jac: none of you anyway, it wasn't like I HAD to do that, but it also wasn't a choice, being that cunt, shutting you all out Jac: my 🧠 wouldn't Jesse: not offering you a 🏆 or owt Jesse: you've sorted your head out a bit now, if you wanna tell us Jac: I don't but like, I don't want you all thinking the worse now, when that doesn't need to be a thing Jac: We can't have mum and dad thinking I'm gonna go live some trainspotting fantasies in Edinburgh Jac: 'cos I can't have them making trips over all the time, obviously Jac: also, don't wanna bore you with every in and out, so hold on whilst I storyboard my fucking drama here Jesse: would be a pisstake Jac: It all started when Amelia stopped being friends with us Jac: I don't know if she told you fuck all, as you're such pals these days, but it wasn't just like, a natural drifting apart Jesse: it was 'cause she was in love with you Jesse: dunno if you knew that an' all Jac: yeah Jac: that was it Jac: there was a relatively big declaration and like, I wasn't a dick about it, I don't think Jac: but I didn't feel the same like that so that was enough Jesse: it would be, yeah Jac: so like, she was gone but obviously not I still saw her all the fucking time 'cos there's no escaping anyone in this town, and that was just awkward at first Jesse: obviously Jac: and it did kind of piss me off, that she seriously couldn't be my friend still Jac: but it wasn't all about that, there was the Savannah element of it for us both Jesse: 'course Jac: She was jealous of her, didn't like her, all that Jac: and I cared less, because I did have her Jac: and then the Isabelle thing happened Jac: and it all really got fucked up Jesse: she was proper gone Jac: who was? Jesse: Savannah Jac: Right Jac: but before that Jac: the guy Jac: with Isabelle Jac: we didn't know Jac: but we knew he was like, well we thought he was gross, a bit cringe Jac: so me and Sav set her up Jac: people weren't wrong blaming us, even though they got the situation wrong and they didn't know that, it was just between us Jac: that's why we ran away, and a big part of why she HAD to leave, even if her dad wasn't the most controlling person ever Jesse: what did you reckon would happen? with this lad and Is? Jac: just that...I don't even know now Jac: that she'd make out with him and we could take the piss out of her for it Jac: or he'd try it on and that would be funny because he was so gross Jac: not that he wouldn't take no for an answer, that was never what either of us had imagined Jac: but we still aided that situation, even if unknowingly Jesse: no shit you didn't imagine that Jac: fact was and is, if we weren't such shit friends to her Jac: he was still at the party, still could've Jac: but it might not have been her Jesse: I could have a go at you about how you should've been a more decent mate but it's nowt you don't already know Jac: Yeah Jac: feel free to but obviously that's a huge part of what I've been thinking on these past two years so, you don't have to, like Jac: and then, like you said, Sav left Jac: and I couldn't be friends with Isabelle and I couldn't be friends with Amelia and that was that Jesse: you could've said something to me Jac: I've only just been able to Jac: for ages, it was easier to keep blaming her, or say it would've happened anyway Jac: it was raw Jac: everyone was in shock, and I didn't wanna give a basis for the shit people were saying Jac: god knows how it would've been Jesse: alright Jesse: it was fucking bad enough, I remember Jesse: the bollocks people were saying Jac: not that I had to come out and make an announcement, but even if I'd tried to explain to Is, to apologize, she'd tell her new friends and then everyone would know and I'd be as bad as him Jac: worse for the betrayal Jac: I didn't wanna hack that on my own Jesse: or she'd tell her ma and that'd be Jesse: fucking hell Jac: right Jac: she'd probably call the police or something like they can lock me up Jac: and she knew I was a bad friend, Is, I mean Jac: she'd known we all were to her for a while Jac: but I am gonna talk to her, before I go Jesse: 💡🥇 Jac: I know I'm not dying but it's the first fresh start I've had Jac: any of us, even if someone doesn't wanna forgive me, at least they know the score, if nothing else Jac: and I know I've said what I should Jesse: I'm chuffed for you, mate Jesse: don't reckon I could be 💔 and get into a top uni Jac: you could write a top hit though Jesse: don't sound like me Jesse: but I'd probably give it a go if I were Jac: that's all it's about ain't it ❤ & 💔 Jesse: depends Jac: I've never heard a top 40 about... Jac: idk, mowing the grass Jac: doing your taxes Jac: it ain't the mundane Jesse: I'll write one for you if you're gonna be 💔 about it Jac: I think I'll survive, tah Jac: rather not read the speculation about who broke your heart 🤢 Jesse: 🍻 Jesse: you gonna have a word with Sav an' all? Jac: She's arguably one of the only people I didn't really screw over Jac: she got to go to a better school and get a new, rich pretty boyfriend and not deal with that whole backlash Jac: though I'm sure she feels her guilt for it too Jesse: but there's shit you wanna say that you didn't get to Jesse: half arsed fresh start if you don't Jac: I did say it Jac: well, did Jac: she knows Jac: I don't think there's anything to be gained for her or for me from that one Jesse: 👍 Jac: Not got an actual checklist of people to get through but you know Jac: close enough Jesse: make dad a ☕ all it takes to get in his good books Jac: good books is a stretch but not being on his must-constantly-check-in-on list myself will do for now so yeah, fair shout Jesse: yeah if you're well enough to put the kettle on and make a brew you're well enough to do owt Jac: parenting 101 Jac: ✅ Jesse: 🥇🏆 Jac: not serving it to him in a 🏆 Jac: laying it on a bit thick, I reckon Jesse: 🤏 Jac: Well, we're good then? Jac: not to 🕔 or anything Jesse: yeah Jac: yeah yeah or yeah, I guess Jesse: we're good Jac: Good Jac: if I'm not on my repentance tour, might see you when you get home then Jesse: might do Jac: yes very 😎 Jesse: 🤠