#MY BEST GUESS IS INCOMPLETE DOMINANCE?

[thatoneluckybee]

Turning your favorite characters into cats is a BAD IDEA because while trying to figure out the most plausible way to make a cat as close to a rainbow as possible genetically (using breed specific traits on breeds they don’t work with too because it’s a doodle screw it) you will discover something genetic that doesn’t make sense in YOUR CATS and then spend an entire day on breeder and veterinarian websites discussing the minute differences between different types of gray and run around aggressively explaining cat genes to people and trying to get their opinion on something and still not get answers and if this becomes a hyperfixation I should be legally allowed to scream

[golvio]

Finally got around to seeing all of Apotheosis’ new endings, and I’m still sitting with it days later.

OG Apotheosis was among the bottom of my Princess ranking list since I guess I’m not into the whole Domination bit as some other prople, though I figured there was more to her based on what was already there. However, I wasn’t ready to have my suspicions confirmed in such a viscerally upsetting way in the Paranoid version of the “make her feel what you felt” ending. Like…as initially satisfying as finally forcing her to stop hurting you felt, it stopped feeling like a victory when you actually saw what you’d done to her. You stop feeling like a helpless victim when you understand just how hollow she’d felt inside despite her boasts and your perception of her as untouchable and unstoppable helped reinforce this armor she’d built around herself.

She may have cruelly lorded over you to compensate for her own feelings of helplessness back when she was at your mercy, but you were the one who gave up and ceded all control to her in the first place. Your relationship is a conversation, not a one-sided Pygmalian molding of an empty blank slate, and the two of you built that abusive relationship and unbalanced power dynamic together. On one hand, the prison of your own mind within the role you assigned yourself is far harder to escape than any physical jail and can operate even in her absence, to the point where acting against its oppressive rules seems so impossible that it feels like “madness.” On the other hand, no one is actually keeping you there but you.

This ending and Fury’s “pacifist” ending feel like funhouse mirror reflections of each other—each hurts the other to try to force them to understand the harm they’ve caused and get an apology, but by hurting each other they diminish each other, by hurting each other they hurt themselves. Becoming the warden of the jail where you’re also held prisoner can only give you the illusion of control and freedom, at best. Any “victory” in such a power struggle, no matter how initially triumphant, is ultimately a Pyrrhic one.

And then there’s the “Grace” ending. As much as she’d hurt you, in her last moments, instead of selfishly clutching you to herself tighter for comfort, she hurls you towards the exit, giving you a single chance for a mad, impossible dash towards freedom. She didn’t have to do that, and ultimately there was no point in doing that because the hole she opened sealed itself back up before you could reach it, but she still did it. Despite her embracing her role as unstoppable, untouchable goddess to flee from the memory of her original weak, vulnerable self, deep down she didn’t actually want to hurt you. She missed you and wanted to be with you again, but since all she knew was domination and subjugation, she only knew how to express that through trying to paternalistically control you. When the chips were down and she was being reassimilated into the Cosmic Spaghetti of Shifty’s incomplete form, she finally relinquished control and was able to express her true feelings selflessly.

That…gave me some very conflicting feelings. Don’t get me wrong, I love when finding out more about characters I initially disliked makes me feel all conflicted. It’s just…a lot. Woof.

There’s also this theme of being “trapped inside yourself,” in this case literally when it comes to two fragments of gods living out an allegory for their own imprisonment. It may be true that the Vessels are only incomplete pieces of The Shifting Mound who weren’t meant to function on their own, but Shifty herself is so vast and all-encompassing that each of her pieces is complex enough to be a functioning individual in her own right, which is especially true of the Chapter 3+ Princesses, who’ve developed so much from their experiences that they feel much more like “real,” multifaceted people. If you find Tower/Apotheosis first, then reach Shifty’s heart, the Princess you find there is the version of the Heart that feels most like she’s her own person separate from Shifty, and rejects Shifty’s idea of godhood. Her rejection of “labels” after her being constrained by Shifty’s parameters feels a lot more meaningful as a result.

On top of that…now you understand what it feels to be trapped inside of a “bigger, more Important” version of yourself. If The Long Quiet is you, then your godly meta-body is also the prison that’s keeping both the conscious, individual, mortal You trapped along with the Princess. It’s not like you can just get up and leave because you have no conscious control over this part of yourself. And when you do wake up, you risk losing yourself as you are now to integrate into that greater whole. Is that really worth it, or is there another way that doesn’t require giving up your individual existence? It’s like the flipside of The Empty Cup, too, in terms of foreshadowing the possible “Third Way” you can escape without embracing godhood and staying trapped within yourself, within the role you built up for yourself.

[oscarupsets]

Sidney Poitier led two Best Picture nominees in 1967: In the Heat of the Night and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Sadly, the latter is not the Upset this week, but that just means I'll have to return to it later.

Disregarding the fact that I feel like I just watched a Sidney Poitier film heavy-handed on race relations, In the Heat of the Night was a real treat to watch.

Poitier and Steiger's performances are the highlight of the whole film, even alongside some odd minor characters. The lighting and visuals are also super pleasing. There's a blip on the Wikipedia (that directs to a book I cannot access) that describes the attention to detail the crew used to light Poitier for a color film, opposed to his previous B&W.

The title song is also very catchy. It sticks in my head just as much as the song from High Noon.

The Graduate was the highest grossing film of 1967, and also had very catchy songs (given it's basically the same 3 Simon & Garfunkel songs over and over again).

Just as described in the Variety review, The Graduate is great for the first hour or so. I think Dustin Hoffman as a human can go kick rocks, but his performance in this one is just so ridiculous that it's perfect. He plays "overly anxious" so well, to the point that he's often caught in complete silence making small sounds at himself.

The ended seemed weird and incomplete, but I wouldn't discount the rest of the film because of it.

The 40th Academy Awards saw a major change - below-the-line crafts with B&W and Color categories (art direction, costume design, etc.) combined back into singular categories.

In the Heat of the Night dominated on Oscar night, but The Graduate and other top-nominated films still took home plenty of awards earlier in the season.

The Graduate was highly recognized for its direction from Mike Nichols. Last year's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf was Nichols' directorial debut, and he will later become a competitive EGOT winner.

Surprisingly, In the Heat of the Night was not recognized by the National Board of Review in 1967, but has been recognized alongside The Graduate in all other major lists. The Graduate topped the original AFI list at #7, while In the Heat of the Night entered the updated list at #75.

Unofficial Review: This is not an upset. The Graduate was (is it still?) a classic and is fine to watch, but not even Mike Nichols can direct his way out of that unbalanced plot.

[storm-driver]

Having finished the DLCs in full, and thus gotten my fill of FFXVI in its entirety (save the Final Fantasy mode and the Kairos Gate endings), I can officially say, with all certainty, FFXVI is a game that exists.

Spoilers below the cut for FFXVI and its DLCs.

I'm not one to mince words when I wanna gush about a game I love. And FFXVI has the makings of something truly fucking incredible. Wonderful fight choreography, out-of-this-world kaiju battles, music that brings you to tears through passion alone, environments that speak for their rich history, characters with such strong bases and motivations, all tied up in a bow of underwhelming character writing and a misguided ending to what could've been one of the best stories I'd seen in the JRPG genre.

I wanna reiterate: I love this game. I think FFXVI is fucking amazing, was worth the 60$ price tag, and it's two DLCs were very fun to play through. I stand by my original word that Clive Rosfield is one of the best FF protagonists we've gotten since Final Fantasy X.

However, loving the game for what it does right can stand in the same room as disliking the game for what it does wrong. It's unfortunate that I feel the need to tear into the game like this, given how much I want to praise its feats. And I still will, I still think this game is worth playing in spite of what it does wrong. But it also be remiss of me to say "just ignore these parts of the game!" and hope that people can turn a blind eye like I can.

I was hoping the DLC could ammend something I originally disliked about the original game: the ending. The ending is by far one of the most contested parts of the game when it comes to discussing the positives and negatives. Some people like the ambiguity of it all, others would rather have the truth spilled.

For me personally, I'm not in either field. Because I don't think the ending to the game is a culmination of the journey Clive takes. It does not feel genuine. It doesn't feel like he deserved his fate to be left up to guessing. If he died on that beach or if he let his name fade away in history in favor of his brother. Neither of those choices speak to me as "Yeah, that's where the story was going."

It's bitter. Not bittersweet. Plain bitter. It feels like a kick in the teeth for trying to fight his destiny. How dare he try to change fate for himself and the world. You are now cursed to live a false life, if you even survive that long. Not even your dust will be remembered.

Now, my fervent and desperate hopes regarding this game were that the acquisition of the Leviathan eikon would change his fate. After all, we saw at the end of the game that Clive was an "incomplete" vessel, thought we're never told exactly why. The assumption is the missing Eikon in Leviathan. But if not Leviathan missing, what is? Is his humanity itself keeping him grounded, to a point where he cannot change his fate? The fate of his brother?

Is the ending, and I ask this with the utmost of curiousity, meant to tell us that Clive was destined to lose everything in the end? That fighting his shackles only helped the world, and he couldn't even save himself or his brother? That a price must be paid for hubris on this grand a scale, and Clive is the unfortunate victim of it all?

This game screamed to me constantly that he wasn't going to die easily. He would not let himself lose everything he'd worked so hard to retain. For god's sake, the main message of the Bearers and Dominants is that they should get to choose how to live their life, and to live their life to the fullest.

The ending of the game speaks of inevitability. A direct contrast to everything Clive was fighting for. The ending doesn't do a good job of making it feel like a bittersweet victory, as it just kills off Joshua and deliberately tells Clive, "Nope, not good enough."

I digress, this is gripes with the ending, and how I had hoped it would change. Obviously my hopes were misplaced. Or maybe I'm jaded and trying to interpret this in ways that the writers didn't intend. But I can't help but percieve it this way, especially when I look at other people discussing the DLC and finding a lot of them thought the same.

Another thing, the hidden Eikon in the Kairos gate content. Ultima being an eikon you channel. I genuinely do not understand the point of this eikon outside of it being a means for trailer bait. Because that's all it ending up being. No story implications. Not even true practical usage besides being intense damage nukes and an overall homage to Ultima as a source of power. Prove me wrong if something at the end of Kairos gate ends up being story related, but I have a very strong feeling it is not.

[snow-lavender]

Attrition, Incomplete Acquisition, and F!Will

(or, I Use My Degree to Rant About Block Men)

So because I am a loser who finds writing essays enjoyable, I'm going to use my Linguistics Major brain to rant about the implications of a Minecraft RP's con-lang. However, I am not so much of a loser that I enjoy formatting said essays. This post is just based on what I remember from past classes, particularly a class on Bilingualism that I took last semester. I might get some things a little bit wrong. And there's no bibliography. I'm not writing citations for this. You can't make me.

Willowmvp's Fable SMP character stands in an interesting linguistic situation. He hails from a dimension that speaks a different language than the main realms of the story's world. This dimension uses Vo'lete, a conlang that cc!Will created for Fable, if I remember correctly. However, at some time before the current story, the Aether fell and Will fled to the main dimension of world, which speaks English. He would have had to rapidly adapt to a society that did not speak his L1 at all. However, he is now attempting to re-learn Vo'lete.

The purpose of this post is to spitball the ways in which that scenario would have impacted f!Will's fluency in Vo'lete, and explore different ways his resulting bilingualism (or lack thereof) would manifest. Gear up mothers and fuckers, this is gonna be a long post.

Firstly, some explanations of the terms I'm going to be using:

L1 and L2

L1 denotes a person's first language(s). These are acquired from a very early age, and therefore result in high proficiency. It comes down to age; consistent, quality exposure to a language before roughly the age of 2 leads to L1 acquisition. However, this fluency can decline through a person's life, due to a number of factors.

L2 refers to languages acquired later in life. Again, they can be multiple. L2 is multidimensional. There is more than one type, because of the many ways to learn a language later. "Second language" applies to Canadian kids learning French in school, and a 40 year old immigrant from Ethiopia learning Swedish through immersion. L2 does not have to be (and often is not) acquired to a native-like proficiency level. 

Language dominance

On a societal level, a dominant language is the language that is most common and/or has the most power in a situation. This can happen naturally or by force. Which language is dominant in a person's life can also vary depending on the situation they're in. A Mexican-American may live in a Spanish-dominant home, but got to an English-dominant school in an English-dominant society.

On an individual level, it is the language most dominant in a particular person’s life. It is not necessarily the L1.

Critical period hypothesis

This is the theory that there are periods in which language learning is easy, and then it gets more difficult as one ages. Specific ages are disputed, and would vary induviually, but the jist of it is, young kids can easily acquire language, while it is more difficult for teens and adults.

Different types of Bilingualism

Simultaneous: constant exposure (maybe not balanced) to two languages from before age three. No L2, two L1s

Early child: exposure to L2 starts between 3 and 7, middle difficulty, but native-like proficiency is probably going to happen

Late child: between 7 and 12, starts to get dicey, native-like is still possible

After that, Adult L2 acquisition, very hard, likely not going to lose things like accent even if thoroughly have a grasp on grammar

How do these ideas and age cut offs relate to f!Will? Well, his acquisition of both Vo'lete and English could be very different depending on what age he was when the Aether fell. The best lead to figure this out is to guess at how long the War of the Realms was based on character's ages (and try to ignore any funky time stuff introduced by the resets because that makes my brain hurt).

Will appears to be in his late 20s, while Athena is in the 17-18 ballpark. This put Will at about a decade older than Athena. We know that Athena was created near the end of the war, and that Will must have been born before it, as the Aether's falling was the catalyst. This means, at most, Will was around 10 years old when the war began. However, a war does not devastate three realms in a matter of months. More likely, it was at least a few years long, meaning Will would have fled to the Overworld at a maximum of 7 or so years old.

On the other extreme, the Aether likely didn't fall 10 years prior to the end of the war. We have no indication that anyone was immediately there to care for Will when he went through the portal. The fact that he didn't die of exposure implies he was older than an infant. Realistically, our extremes for Will's introduction into a English dominant society are around ages 4 and 7.

(As a quick side-bar, Will might have been raised as a simultaneous bilingual in English, Vo'lete, and Ender. We see in the fragment of Alerion's temple in the Overworld that the books welcoming souls there are written in all the languages that the world's inhabitants might speak. It is entirely possible that the Aether was a bilingual society.)

We know that current adult Will is not fluent in Vo'lete. He is having to re-learn it. This is not unusual for people who have high exposure to their L1 in early childhood that then tapers off. Like muscles, languages atrophy if not used regularly. I propose two scenarios that would have led to Will losing his grasp on Vo'lete.

Firstly, we could have a scenario incomplete acquisition. If Will was on the younger end of the spectrum when the Aether fell, he may have never been a fluent Vo'lete speaker at all. Young children take time to fully grasp a language. If a toddler is suddenly thrust into a scenario with no exposure to their L1, not only does their acquisition freeze due to lack of input, the language is not as solidified in their brain. The language would be vulnerable to loss. Will could have had a very rudimentary understanding of Vo'lete, and then forget almost all of it due to age and lack of use.

However, fully acquiring a language does not mean the fluency is permanent. If Will was closer to the 7 end of our age range, he would have had a near complete knowledge of the sound, structure, and grammar of Vo'lete. His only shortcomings would be in the vocabulary department. In this case, we would have a situation of attrition (loss of a language from a starting point of native fluency). Attrition is common amongst immigrants and their children. When the new, dominant L2 is already the only language used at work and school, it is very easy for it to become the default in the home as well. This would absolutely be the case for f!Will, as no one in the Overworld seems to be familiar with Vo'lete.

However, not all aspects of language are affected equally by language loss. Phonology, for example, is very difficult to lose. Even people who have a language spoken in the home that they never learn pick up some of that language's sounds. I don't know how much Vo'lete's phonology varies from English's. It can be hard to make out exact sounds when the only character who speaks Vo'lete aloud has a voice filter. But Will would have kept any sounds and sound-changing-processes in the back of his mind, even up to where we are now in the story.

Lexicon, on the other hand, is one of the first things to be lost to attrition. The first signs of attrition are consistently forgetting words from your L1, only being able to describe them in L2. Thankfully, it is one of the easier parts of language to re-learn, and Will seems well on his way to doing that, given his limited resources.

So yeah, there's some ideas relating f!Will to real-life manifestations of Bilingualism. I don't really have a neat ending for this. Sorry if there are any typos in here. I don't have time to proof-read it, as I have a class to get to in an hour. But I hope my unorganized ramblings were at least a little entertaining! Can't wait to get home this evening and have half of this post rendered irrelevant /lh.

[theshortolivia]

I am so sorry to hijack your post op but you are so right and the second I watched this I did research about nerve damage and how (if) it heals and also came up with like three fic ideas based on that entire premise and I so Normal about it and have to share it

Disclaimer I’m gonna talk about the physical anatomy and repercussions of nerve damage in a little bit of depth so a bit of biology and stuff about how his life would change

First, yeah there’s no way all of those were missed and given the point blank distance at least some are completely severed and idk much about the force of a bullet but even one’s that weren’t hit directly are probably damaged too. From the little research I did I do believe sensory and motor nerve cells can grow back (incompletely they’ll never be the same) where the success varies and depends on the type and severity of the damage (and other stuff like type of nerve, age, etc). Given the distance between both nerve ends aren’t too far they usually grow back together themselves (apparently about 1mm per day!) but without surgical intervention precisely joining them (which is also the only way to really know what the extent of the damage was in the first place) they’ll grow back a little wonky and might grow sensitive lumps (neuromas) as they find their way back together. Nerve pain and tingling is super common while they’re growing back. Also sometimes the nerves just, don’t heal, even with surgery. Like I said I only did a little research so I’m not totally sure all the reasons why they might not but I DO know that specifically motor nerves (sensory nerves can recover after years) have a time limit for healing, if they don’t after a certain window function is completely lost since if the ‘motor endplate’ which is where the nerve joins the muscle doesn’t get an electrical impulse for 18-24 months, it atrophies and dies and therefore no impulse will ever be able to pass from the nerve to the muscle again.

Also I kinda had the thought that rei would probably resist any intervention to increase the chance of any healing and would maybe even take measures so it didn’t heal because it’s what’s protecting him and by extension his family from the organization. (Personally I don’t think it makes sense that even a completely nonfunctional arm would make rei’s father just give up and leave them be like that like I’m p sure you can head an organization with one arm idk how much active assassin work rei’s father does himself anymore but that’s neither here nor there and I WILL probably write smth about that) the POINT IS if rei is unlucky enough that it does Not heal at all by itself and nobody manages to convince him to get intervention after that window that’s it

Also (and this is mostly guessing) even with best case scenarios with healing a long road of physical therapy and difficulty with fine motor would very likely be an issue like writing, typing, tying shoes, etc, as well as general weakness since in my limited research that’s part of what I’d guess ‘incomplete’ means. Also given how the healing goes and exactly the damage, nerve pain is definitely on the table as well as increased sensitivity and inhibited or uncomfortable motion from scarring (which can be alleviated with surgery).

Anyway no matter how lucky or proactive he is his arm will never be the same and I love writing about the recovery after the fact so my mind is running absolutely wild with what he’d have to relearn to do with his non dominant arm, or one armed, or with his right arm after its healed. It makes me wonder how readily he would accept help and how readily he would even share his experiences with pain and frustration with anyone. And while I have a suspicion rei wouldn’t want to have any intervention, if he did, I would love to write the journey and the support from his family.

props to the animators for being so fucking accurate on the anatomy of rei's injury. in case you have any doubt this man is permanently disabled on his right upper limb from all the nerve damages. just so he could leave the organization and stay with his family. i am feeling so normal about them :)

[casspurrjoybell-32]

All It Took Was One Look - Chapter 42.5

*Warning Adult Content*

Dominic

Have you ever had your heart snatched out of your chest and stomped on right in front of you?

No I don't think you have or you wouldn't be alive to read this.

This is how I feel... I feel alone, worthless like nothing in this world would brighten my day again.

The sunset will never be breath taking again.

A football game will never be fun again... Nothing matters but her.

I was so torn inside I couldn't muster the courage to say her name or my world would crash completely to my feet and there would be no coming back.

She left, rejected me... for the life of me I never would have guess it would hurt this bad.

Now I understand why a man would become a rouge wolf.

I knew now why they are so bitter and angry because this is the worst punishment a man or woman could ever go through.

My life was never meant to be this way... I was supposed to find her, we fall madly in love and watch her grow with my pups.

Sit in the back yard together and watch our pups play while we laugh with joy... we were supposed to grow old together.

No this, I was never meant to find her then lose her in less than a month.

I couldn't get her look of horror out of my head, it haunted me in my sleep and throughout my days.

I definitely couldn't shake the sound of her blood curdling scream from bouncing around in my head constancy sending shivers of agony though my body.

Why, why did this happen to us... I thought if I showed her the real me she would be accepting, a little freak out of course, I could have handled that but she ran from me.

A grunt of pain left my lips as a shot of fire pierced through my heart.

I collapsed against the wall outside sliding down, my legs refused to hold my weight anymore.

I clutched at my chest, a grimace on my face as I waited for it to pass.

This has been happening more often, I think it was her letting me go further and further from her heart and life.

It was tearing me apart the more she pushed me away.

I ruggedly breathed through the pain for a few minutes till it faded but always lay dormant for the next time she let herself forget a piece of me go.

Tears built in my eyes, I didn't want her to forget me, I wanted her to love me.

I brought my knees up to my chest and lay my head down on them.

This wasn't fair... I would forever have a hole in my heart.

I know that I asked Liam to help me but I was just being selfish, he had his own mate to deal with, he doesn't need my mate problems on his shoulders too.

I began choking on my sobs... she was so lucky... she could forget me because she was human, she would be forever in my mind and heart even if it's incomplete and always will be.

"Dominic?" Alpha Jacob's voice had me shooting my head up out of surprise.

Shit... I scrambled up to my feet... I couldn't have him see me so weak when I was going to be the next beta out of some miracle.

"Alpha." I inclined my head down standing at attention, showing him respect with my eyes cast down.

He had Wyatt our Beta next to him and he was giving me a sympathetic look and I cringed.

"What are you doing, son?" the Alpha asked me.

"Nothing sir," I said, nodding and looking over to Beta Wyatt.

"Come. Take a walk with us," he said giving me a gentle smile.

This was our Alpha, he was one of the best a pack could have.

Refine, charming, generous, caring along with strict and stern all the quality's an Alpha need to be a great leader.

He passed all those traits down to his son and I knew this pack was in good hands.

I nodded and quietly followed them as they went over the estate looking for thing to fix and change.

They were talking amongst themselves and I was starting to get annoyed as to why the hell they wanted me to walk with them if they were just going to ignore me.

I could be wallowing in self-pity right now... I sighed as I watched the two men, I was envious of them of one thing though.

They had women who loved them unconditionally... they never knew the feeling of what a rejection could do to you.

It made you physically weak, depressed and hurt all over to where dying would be the best antidote.

To bad I wasn't suicidal, it would made thing a whole lot easier though.

"So Dominic, you've improved in your training drastically. I would have to say your one of the top in the group along with Liam," Alpha Jacob said.

"I am?" I asked, astonished. I hadn't noticed.

I guess I have been working my ass off, more so to keep my mind busy.

"Yes, you're working your way up there. You're almost Enforcer material, you could be defending our lines in but a short amount of time. Wyatt and your father Reed have kept close tabs on your progress and with a little separate training you could stand beside your father."

I gaped at them as we came to a stop at the of the house.

"Seriously?"

He laughed as Wyatt had just a small smile on his face.

"Wyatt would be willing to teach you, if you're up for it along with your father of course."

"Y-yes, yes it would be an honor to be an Enforcer," I told them.

And it was true I have always wanted to be a defender of our pack, be the one they can look up to along with their Alpha and here was my opportunity.

"Good, we'll have you start tomorrow," he said and I nodded eagerly.

"But Dom, there's one condition," he was suddenly very seriously. I turned warily.

"What's that, Sir?"

"That you don't let this consume you. You're young, have fun, hang out with your friends."

My enthusiasm died quickly and I scoffed bitterly.

"No disrespect to you Alpha but I honestly don't care about that. About hanging with friends or anyone for that matter, Sir," I told him truthfully.

He sighed his face dropping a bit in disappointment and then I realized that something was wrong, the way they were acting was off.

"You know... don't you?" I asked suspiciously and their eyes widened before reluctantly nodding in unison.

"Right..." I hissed angry that they were pitying me.

"Did you give the position to me to make me feel better?" I asked a little harsh than necessary.

"No, that was all you."

I nodded, suddenly wanting to be somewhere else.

"Can I be excused?" I asked looking anywhere but their direction and I heard a sigh.

"Dom, you have to let us help you... others don't have people to help them through this," Beta Wyatt said.

"No offence Beta but even if they had people, there is nothing you can say or do that will make this easier. So can I leave now," I growled staring at the ground.

"Liam asked me to help and you are a member of my pack... I will not give up on you Dominic no matter what you say, I am here to help those who need it," Alpha said.

I shook my head and walked away not even waiting to be excused.

*****

"Dude, she was all over me at Tyler's party. Screaming my name all night man," Shane said getting a high five from the guys at our table.

He was gossiping about getting laid to the guys as we sat for lunch.

Alpha Jacobs forced me to go to school today even though I refused, you can't ignore orders.

Sighing I moved my food around my plate keeping my eyes down so they wouldn't wonder across the room where 'she' was.

I could smell her and it made my wolf whine in agony.

He was torn that she didn't except us and I could feel him weakening every day.

We were dying and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

The further she got, the dimmer our life got.

There was one thing that could help and that was going rouge letting my wolf take over completely and cutting all ties to my humanity but I didn't want that.

I didn't want to lose myself even though it hurt.

"Hey, Dom you good man?" Seth one of the guy's my pack asked me.

He had blonde hair and honest green eyes.

He was one of my good friends besides Liam.

I nodded my head.

"Yeah."

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Just a headache," I lied.

He looked concerned at me... I don't think he believed me but he didn't press... thank the Spirits.

"Dom, I'm having a party tonight, you coming?" Shane asked and I shook my head.

"I don't think so," I told him and he pouted.

"Come on, you my got to be my wingman. We're going to tear some fem tail up."

He wiggled his eye brows suggestively.

"I'm good."

I narrowed my eyes at him... I knew he wanted me to get over her... no one knew she was my mate they all thought she was some girl I was into.

That was a good thing... I didn't need their pity.

He shrugged and went back to talking.

Soon enough the bell rung and we all got up.

Seth was beside me as we made it to our class, about one step in the door I forgot to get my math book so I told him to tell the teacher.

Nodding he went to sit in his seat while I race back down the hall reaching my locker.

The corridors were empty so I quickly grabbed my book and slammed my locker shut... right when I turned I noticed a figure walking my way down the hall and knew instantly it was her.

The smell of her jasmine scent made me want to whine and the glow of her caramel color skin looked so soft I wanted to touch her so badly.

She tried and kept her eyes away from me by using her long curly hair as a veil but we were alone and this was a chance I could have to get her back.

"Jeanine," I said my voice weak but she heard me and she flinched walking faster.

"Jeanine," I called out louder, following her now.

"Please, talk to me," I begged but she refused to acknowledge me like all the other times I've done to get her to hear me out.

I sighed grabbing her arm gently but she still let out a squeak of fright.

Her beautiful brown eyes were tainted with the look of terror.

I snatched my hand back like she had burned me.

She was scared... she was afraid of me.

My heart died a little more as my wolf howled.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Just leave me alone, Dominic."

Her chin was quivering and her eyes were filling up with tears.

"Jeanine, I would never hurt you. I love you..."

"Stop," she cut me off.

"Don't Dom."

She spun on her heels and ran.

"JEANINE," I screamed after her.

Again the fire shot through my heart again and I crumbled to my knees holding my chest and gritting my teeth from crying out.

She ran away from me again... out of my life.   

[ayearwithtaylor]

An incomplete thread on all the reasons why 1989 could be the next Taylor's Version:

1. The signed Fearless (Taylor's Version) CDs: Remember the price of these CDs? 19.89$. Do I have to say more? Sure, the signed Red (Taylor's Version) CDs were 20.10$, but Fearless came first. Could it be a hint at the order of the next two rerecordings? Guess we'll have to wait and see...

2. Rock and Roll hall of fame: When Taylor Swift inducted Carole King into the Rock and Roll hall of fame, she wore a bodysuit that reminded me a lot of the suit she wore for a performance of Out Of The Woods on the 1989 tour. You know, thethat replaced her skincolor-bodysuit and got mocked for looking like... you know. Was that a throwback? An easter egg? Only Taylor knows.

3. An upstate escape: On TikTok, Taylor herself acknowledged that the car in the ATW short film was produced in 1989. Wouldn't be the first time she used a music video as an easter egg.

4. A scarlet letter: Talking about music videos, a friend of mine pointed out that the A left in the cake of the I Bet You Think About Me mv is a scarlet letter. "We show off our different scarlet letters", anybody? Honorary mention to the seagulls on the bottom layer of the cake.

5. New York: Also known as the Big Apple. Where can we find apples? On the juiceboxes at the kids table, of course! Could also be a reference to the epic bridge in the Blank Space mv.

6. Wonderland: Two things lured me into Wonderland in this interview she did with Jimmy Fallon. "If you want to go down a rabbithole with us, come along" and "We're all mad here". Oh, Taylor, I'm definitely mad here.

7. Magic, madness, heaven, SIN: When the first Red TV chapters came out, @taylornation posted these interesting polls. Notice anything suspicious? Like the three letters that are missing? And how they spell out sin? I have a blank space, and I'll certainly write down this easter egg.

8. Her merch store: @TurtlesVersion over on Twitter shared this screenshot. I wonder why May 13th could be written in blue... surely nothing related to 1989 TV... /s

9. The Joker and the Queen: Taylor didn't make a post for the "The Joker and the Queen" music video, but she did share an Instagram story. With five exclamation points. We know she counts emojis, so could she be counting exclamation points now as well?

10. A blank space: I don't remember who pointed it out first, but there's a blank space between heaven and the last exclamation point. Are you mad yet?

11. An old conversation: In the music video to TJATQ, we see this old conversation between Taylor and Ed. When is it from? 2015. The 1989 era. The rhymes may not be the best, but the easter eggs are for sure.

12. It's blue, the feeling I got: Towards the end of the TJATQ mv, we see two colors dominate the screen. Red, and then after this shot, blue. 1989's color. Red into blue, I think you know where I'm going with this

13. Never out of style: Cathy Waterman, the artist behind the Red ring, posted this photo of the original design, along with a very interesting caption. Maybe she's designing some merch for 1989 TV? Maybe a paperplane necklace?

In conclusion: does my clown make-up look good?

[forestkodama]

I am super glad that they have included some of the animated replacements for the "lost" episodes (the films are lost, but the audio remains), but there is a HUGE chunk of Two not included here that should be here. They exist, and I know because I've watched them, so I'm sad they are not included in this package. So I guess go in knowing this is very incomplete and doesn't reflect all of the awesome Classic Who out there.

Two is my all time favorite, and it is kinda disappointing that of the limited spread, they have the best of him (Enemy of the World) coupled so close with the worst of him (The Dominators). The Highlanders is one that should be here, because that is how we get Jaime (aka Best Boy) and no Wheel in Space, which gives us Zoe (aka Best Girl). No Ice Warriors also, which is some great classic sci fi, and introduces that complex people. No Web of Fear which introduces UNIT. I have a special place in my heart for the Seeds of Death, too, just for the biological warfare element. Honestly most of Two is great, with only a few archs that underwhelm. This was peak Doctor Who Is Fun! for me.

Except for The War Games. The War Games will give you psychic damage and it will take weeks to recover.

americans about to experience peak sci-fi

[girlmeetsliv3]

Lilies of the Valley X

A/B/O!BTS x Reader

Flowers can have different meanings depending on the flower shape, color, and method in which they are presented. Lilies are my favorite for such a simple flower can have so many distinct meanings.

 “Flower essences encourage gentleness and nurturing. And can also calm an overly aggressive person. However, some have the opposite effects.”

Release Date: 06/19/20 @  7 pm

previously ~ next

           YN couldn’t remember the last time she had a check-up. It must’ve been right before she presented when her physician had explained to her, that everything pointed to her sub-gender being an Omega and not a beta. Granted there had been little time for her to dwell on it with her parents outside the door, but it didn’t make for a favorable experience. Her suppressants hadn’t been handled by a doctor, but rather a nurse in a quick drive-thru clinic for which she had to pay $15 every month. Considering how reckless YN had been she went through the suppressants a lot quicker than she should, but no one ever asked any questions.

           The place she was at now was a lot nicer and even had some omegas as nurses which YN hadn’t seen much of. The nurse had asked Hoseok and Namjoon to stay outside for privacy reasons and the alphas had encouraged YN to contact them if she needed anything. Now all YN could do was wait. For what she wasn’t too sure, but a health check-up couldn’t hurt. Her phone served as a distractor, as did Rosé:

           Rosé: Long time no see…

           YN: Sorry I’ve been mia lately. I’ve missed you.

           Rosé: I’ve missed you too. Also, you’ve missed so much

           Rosé: I met someone!

           YN: Who??

           Rosé: He’s a beta. A nice beta. I just kinda ran into him one day and we started talking. Isn’t it amazing?!

           YN: Yeah, that’s great.

           YN locked her phone screen and glanced around the room. On the door, there were the typical pamphlets one would expect all ranging from various topics: sub-genders, presenting, mating, and starting a family. Maybe she should’ve felt something when she looked at them, but YN didn’t feel anything. Not anger or disgust. Not happiness or excitement. It was still far too early in their relationship to consider any of those things. Can it even be considered a relationship? The men were much more invested in it than she was, but then again that was to be expected. They shared a pack bond and YN had only recently started warming herself up to the idea of being with them. It wasn’t like she had much of a choice in the matter, but at least she was thankful the seven of them weren’t pressuring her into anything. Even if they were rushing a bit.

           The door opened to a nice-looking woman wearing a lab coat, on the pocket was embroidered: Dr. Jun. “Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Hyoseong Jun.” YN felt herself relax at the warm aura that seemed to surround the woman. “I’m YN. It’s nice to meet you too.” The doctor outstretched her hand and YN shook it. Jun motioned for YN to lay on the exam table and went through the procedural check-up before motioning YN to sit back up. Once YN was comfortable, the doctor took a seat in her chair, attention fully on YN.

           “So, what’s the reason for today’s visit?”

           Oh. YN didn’t exactly know, but she took her best guess. “I had a bad heat and wanted to see if I could change my suppressants.”

           Dr. Jun nodded, focusing her attention on the computer. “Have you ever had a bad heat before this?”

           YN swallowed, unsure of how to proceed. Rosé had warned her not to hide these things anymore, but YN was afraid of how people would react. Then, again this was a doctor and confidentiality did exist. “I haven’t had a heat since I presented.”

           “Oh?” This caught the doctor’s attention. “Is it something biological? Are you irregular in your heats?”

           “Um, no.” YN shook her head, taking a deep breath before speaking again. “I just took my suppressants so I wouldn’t have a heat.”

           If anything, the doctor seemed even more perplexed at YN’s explanation. “Does your mate know about this?”

           “No, I wasn’t with them. My mates have a pack bond and one of the alphas bit me during our first heat so-”

           “The lead alpha, correct?”

           YN felt time stop, her words dying on her tongue. “No. It was the youngest. We both presented at the same time and he accidentally bit me.”

           Dr. Jun nodded, “Yes, but did you share the heat with the other members?”

           YN scratched her head, the memories of her first heat were kind of muddled. YN did remember the other’s being there, but not participating in it. “They were there, but Jungkook is the one that bit me.” Seeing the doctor’s confused expression caused panic to swirl in the pit of YN’s stomach. “I was told that the bite of an alpha doesn’t heal.” Dr. Jun shook her head. “That’s only true if the mating bond is completed. Did you complete yours?” Dr. Jun had stood up at this point and was walking towards YN. Noticing her panicked expression and the slight shaking of her hands. “N-no.” A million thoughts were bouncing around in YN’s head as she tried to comprehend what exactly the doctor was implying.

           “Only a lead alpha’s bite can’t be healed. If that applied to regular alphas there would be a bunch of mated teenagers running around. I’m sorry, YN but I have no reason to lie to you.”

           No, that can’t be true. It couldn’t possibly be. If it were true then that would mean Namjoon bit her. It would mean Jungkook was innocent. It would mean…

           “It wasn’t an accident.”

           Kim Namjoon was an anomaly. Born to two alphas his birth had been a challenging one: his mother barely surviving it and Namjoon being born two weeks premature. It was a miracle his mother had even conceived, but with the help of hormonal treatments, they had just barely managed. Still, he was a strong child and exceptionally bright. The pros of having two parents of the dominant sub-gender or so he’d been told growing up. None of those things mattered to him though because Namjoon always felt incomplete. Like a part of him was missing and it haunted him. Nothing ever satisfied him because he had no one to share it with.

           His parents encouraged him to make friends and even develop crushes, but it was useless. No one was ever up to par with his expectations - no one felt genuine. Eventually, Namjoon learned the hard way that self-isolation at a young age could have devastating consequences and made him an easy target. Not just among his peers but family members as well. Many found Namjoon to be unnatural - alphas should not be together, much like omegas shouldn’t - his family looked for every reason to pick him apart and by extension his parents. Namjoon felt that was a ridiculous stance in general: sub-genders shouldn’t determine who you’re allowed to be with. However, these were unpopular opinions and not ones he could voice as a child without extreme repercussions.

           Namjoon kept his head down and avoided people, having few friends, and closing himself off until his eleventh birthday. That was the day Namjoon presented. Alphas didn’t typically present at such a young age, but he’d always been peculiar that day. It wasn’t until he was taken to the doctor and given suppressants that Namjoon finally understood why he was the way he was.

           "He must be a lead alpha. Only lead alphas present at such a young age." The doctor had spoken to his parents outside, unaware that Namjoon had his ear pressed to the door. "It means your son likely carries the pack bond. He'll have multiple mates and will be able to sense them." Namjoon had been so shocked at that statement, he merely fell when the door opened. The second he got home he researched everything he could on pack bonds and how they worked. It might not be the case, as it was extremely rare, but it didn't hurt to hope. That was the one prevalent emotion that filled Namjoon: hope. He didn't know why, but it just made sense to him. He wouldn't simply find a mate like everyone else - no they were destined.

          Being so rare there was limited information about it. Most of it is pure speculation as most individuals with a pack bond weren't open to sharing their experiences online or those that did claim provided little proof. It didn't really matter as it would be just two weeks later on the first day of school that Namjoon would feel it: the smell, pull, tug that innate feeling that drove him away from his parents and towards the center of the large crowd. Standing there with an old grey hoodie and scruffed converse was Min Yoongi. Namjoon's nose immediately picked up on the light scent of myrrh coming from him and a thought popped into his head. Beta? Though that was impossible as it looked like Yoongi hadn't presented yet, still, something inside Namjoon knew.

           It seemed Yoongi was on edge, but the second their eyes met the elder rushed towards Namjoon embracing him in a hug. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” It left both their lips simultaneously and both seemed shocked until Yoongi laughed it off. “I’m Min Yoongi. Nice to meet you, mate.” Namjoon had never felt happier.

           There was still an ache there, a craving, but Namjoon ignored it for the most part. Then, he felt it again. The pull. The need. Namjoon had stayed late after school working on a project when the soft thumps coming from the dance room caught his attention. Now had he been thinking logically, he might have noticed Namjoon was too far away from the dance room to possibly be able to hear music. But he did and so Namjoon followed the sound towards the room and towards Jung Hoseok. Who froze mid-step the second Namjoon threw the door open, there meeting was a bit different: instead of rushing to meet him Hoseok simply stood shocked. As seconds turned into minutes, the only words that escaped Hoseok where “the fuck.” Before rushing to meet Namjoon and nearly causing him to fall.

           The second they embraced Namjoon’s nose rubbed against Hoseok’s neck and he felt a strong citrus scent. Alpha. Was his immediate thought, but he didn’t share it with Hoseok too caught up in the moment.

            Slowly Namjoon began to meet his mates: Seokjin, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook. All of them experiencing the same reaction upon meeting him and once they meet each other the connection only strengthened. The group stayed together for seven years and it was easy too considering the school they attended housed an elementary, middle, and high. Despite them knowing what they were to each other they simply remained close friends. Best friends. At least until Jungkook entered High school. By then most of them had presented and Namjoon's hunches had been correct. Still, something unnerved him and the others, though they would never directly mention it, they weren't complete.

           It was as if they had all spent years building an elaborate puzzle only for the final piece to be missing. It became increasingly frustrating and Namjoon felt the most guilty as no matter how hard he searched, nothing provided him with answers. It was two years of searching by him and the others, yet there had been nothing. No instantaneous connection. No pull or need. They were beyond content with each other but never satisfied. By then news had already spread that the group were mates and shared a pack bond, which didn't make their search any easier. It's a bit ironic how fate strikes. Or maybe it's cruel. Namjoon would argue it's both. For when the group stopped searching is when they found their missing piece.

          Namjoon was in his senior year, Seokjin and Yoongi had already graduated but since they all lived together it impacted their relationship very little.

          “Don’t overexert yourself.” Jimin stood in front of Jungkook, scolding him after the latter had practically collapsed once the relay was over.

          “But hyung we won. That’s what’s important.” The youngest pouted adorably and Namjoon had to resist every urge to tease him about it. It didn’t really matter because someone would always do it for him.

         “Aw. Jungkookie you’re so cute.” Taehyung spoke, ruffling Jungkooks hair. Soon enough the three of them began bickering between themselves.

         Namjoon looked over the crowd trying to find Hoseok, who had left to bring them all snacks before their next game. It was sports day and in Yeong-gwang that meant another way to prove their superiority among other schools. Namjoon, despite his build, was never the athletic type but most of his mates were so they were drafted by the school to compete. He wasn’t going to complain since it meant he got to skip the dreaded clean up since Namjoon was technically a volunteer. By technically, it meant he got special perks because 4/6 of his mates competed and their families were the school’s biggest beneficiaries.

        “Namjoon.” Taehyung stood in front of him, brows scrunched up. “I’ve been calling you for like ten minutes.”

        Namjoon shrugged apologetically. “Sorry, I was distracted.” He ignored the fact that Taehyung hadn’t used honorifics figuring he’d punish him for it later.

       “Please go find Hobi-hyung. We’re about to start soon.”

           Hoseok was likely in the refreshments section were there currently stood a large crowd of people from his school and those visiting. However, Namjoon didn't head over there preferring instead to take a long way and pass through the lily garden. It was the school's pride and joy, one of the largest privately-owned collections in the country. Most of the students didn't really care for it, but all of them respected it. Sometimes kids from other schools tried to sneak in and vandalize it, but it was only accessible through a key card or a code: one every student had. Namjoon didn't know what led him to the garden only that he had a strong urge to see it.  

           It was when he saw the gate unlocked and the door opened that he panicked a bit. Rushing inside to make sure no one had sneaked in - then he saw her. She wore the school’s uniform with a denim jacket on top. A red sash with the words ‘volunteer’ draped across her body. Namjoon’s heart began to race as his eyes began to water. Finally, he’d found her. The missing piece. His last mate. Slowly, she turned around facing Namjoon with a confused expression. There was a hint of recognition in her eyes and Namjoon expected that any moment now she would run and embrace him. Tell him how she had longed for him and the others the way they had for her.

           “Excuse me. Why did you lock the gate?”

           Namjoon was taken aback, struggling to get any words out. “What?” She marched towards him, but instead of running into his arms she sidestepped and went around him. Opening the gates back up and leaving. Namjoon stood still for a moment or two before he gave chase. He tried to be inconspicuous but knew it likely didn’t seem that way from an outside perspective.

           “YN! There you are.” A group of girls reached her before Namjoon could, embracing her and pulling her away. The slight action caused a hint of her scent to reach him, lilies consuming his senses as another thought prevailed. Omega.

           “Are you certain?”

           “I saw her, hyung.”

           “And she didn’t react?!”

           “No. She just walked past me.”

           “Did you at least get her name, hyungie.”

           “YN. She must be around Jungkook’s age.”

           Silence surrounded all of them back in their small apartment. Namjoon ran his hands through his hair, feeling frustrated. Seokjin felt conflicted at everything that was happening. Namjoon had never been wrong, but YN’s lack of reaction would imply that he was. Maybe she simply knew their mate or spent a long time around them and that is why Namjoon picked up the scent. Then again that seemed like too much of a stretch. Yoongi thought about everything, what were the odds that their mate would be right there in front of them the entire time. Then again, they had all been in the same place and it hadn’t been until Namjoon presented that they’d felt it. Still, Yoongi had felt the bond long before he presented.

           “What is she?”

           Namjoon turned to face Yoongi, “What do you mean?” He knew exactly what Yoongi meant, but wasn’t sure if he should share that kind of information.

           “What is her sub-gender?” Yoongi persisted, trying to grasp if that played a role in it. Maybe she was an alpha and just didn’t pick up Namjoon’s scent. Perhaps she’d recently presented -

           “She’s an omega,” Namjoon muttered seeing the way their expression shifted. No one they knew was an omega or at the very least no one in the school had yet to present as one. Given the difficulties, omegas often faced it would be difficult for someone from an omega family to be able to enter their school. Not to mention how difficult pure omegas were to come by. “She hasn’t presented yet.”

           Hoseok who had remained quiet thus far spoke out, fully aware that his words might only worsen the situation. “I’ve never heard of an omega in a pack bond.” At this Namjoon became frustrated, “Do you think I’m lying?!” Jimin rushed to comfort him. “No. That’s not it. We’re all just confused, maybe there’s someone who could provide us with answers.” Namjoon had someone in mind but wasn’t sure if they would help at all. Seokjin cleared his throat drawing all their attention, “That’s all fine and well but we should meet her first, no?”

           “Excuse me, YN!” YN turned around to see a much taller boy running to her at full speed. Once he reached her, he stopped and smiled. “Sorry. You’re YN, right? Kevin sent me to get you because you forgot to put your student id in the volunteer form so they can’t give you the hours.” YN’s weight shifted on her feet, “Oh. Um, how did you find me then?” The boy kept smiling, but there was a bit of an edge to it now. “You wrote down your fifth period and Kevin described you to me.” YN was still hesitant to give a random stranger her student id, even if he did look harmless enough and had an office pass.

           “Look, I know this looks sketchy and normally we’d just contact the teacher but Professor Wei isn’t answering his phone and their inputting the hours today.” YN sighed, that did sound like something Wei would do. “Alright, do you have somewhere for me to write it down?” The boy grinned and for a brief moment, YN thought about how adorable the smile was. Almost bunny-like.

           “It’s her.”

           “I told you so.”

           “I can’t believe we actually found her.”

           “We can finally be complete now.”

           “...but why didn’t she react with Kookie either?”

           “Maybe it has something to do with her being an omega? Maybe she’ll feel the bond once she presents.”

           “So we wait, then? That doesn’t feel right.”

           “No, we can still get close to her we just don’t announce our intentions outright.”

           Namjoon agreed, “Eventually she’ll feel the bond. She’ll come to us and everything will be made right.”

           Dr. Kang looked down at the seven men who had all crowded into his study. Kang had become a sort of confidant for Namjoon ever since he presented. Being a professor in sub-gender studies and specializing in mythology caused Namjoon’s parents to seek him out in an effort to aid their son. Though the nature of their relationship was meant to be purely transactional, Kang did eventually develop a soft spot for the boy. One not born out of mere scientific interest. Kang had been there when Namjoon had met all the others and though never directly meeting them, he knew of them. Knew enough. Enough to know that the pack bond couldn’t be completed as they had yet to find their last mate. Unfortunately, it seems it would never be completed.

           “I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but omegas can’t have a pack bond.” The look in all seven of their eyes, made Kang feel as if he had just plunged a spear through their heart. “But I felt it. We all did.” Namjoon insisted and Kang had to agree. “That may very well be true, but it is impossible for an omega to feel the bond. It isn’t biologically possible, at least not in any text that I’ve seen.” They all remained silent, letting the information sink in. Kang felt pity for them all, he truly did. Pack bonds were a rarity and beauty. To be left without a mate all the while knowing who they are must damage one’s soul. Not to mention psyche.

           “What do you mean it’s not biologically possible,” Jungkook questioned, his hands fisting the dark material of his jeans.

           “Well,” Kang cast a look around his office searching for the specific book he had in mind. “All omegas are pack omegas. Legends tell us this is from a time before alphas could breed with each other and beta pregnancies were risky. Male omegas were also high in abundance, so all omegas were forced to mate in order to ensure the survival of the pack.” In Kang’s opinion, it was little more than a glorified abuse tale, but it did help to explain the situation. “Due to this omegas didn’t typically mate. So, the pack bond didn’t truly apply to them.” Kang sighed, “Obviously, omegas can mate. It affects them the way it would any other sub-gender, but since there is no historical evidence of omegas experiencing the pack bond it’s best to assume it is impossible.”

           “So what then?” Taehyung asked, clearly agitated. “She won’t recognize us?! She won’t want to be with us?!”

           Dr. Kang shook his head, “Not unless it’s of her own merit. If you can convince her to be with you, then you all can mate and the pack bond will be complete.”

           “And if not?” Namjoon raised his head out of his hands. His voice deep and eyes hollowed. Kang was aware it wasn’t directed at him, but it was terrifying nonetheless.

           “Then she will present, meet, and mate with someone else. There’s nothing you can do about it. The law will only allow the breaking of a mating bond if it is consensual.”

           Dr. Jun reached over hesitantly and touched YN’s shaking hands. “Are you alright?” YN was unable to answer. Instead, she shook her head hoping the doctor would understand. “I see. Do you want me to go get your mates?” No! YN’s hands latched onto Jun’s not letting her go any farther. “I’m sorry if anything I said scared you, YN. That was not my intent. There are a few questions, I would like to ask you, however.” There was a knock on the door, an urgent one, and YN froze in fear. Tentatively June excused herself, heading towards the door. It was the omega nurse looking visibly anxious.

           “I’m sorry to bother, but your next patient is here and it’s an emergency. Something wrong with the baby.”

           Dr. Jun gasped, “Oh dear. Alright, I will be there soon.” The door closed and Jun turned to face YN. “I’m so sorry dear. I’m afraid I have to cut this a bit short.”

           “I understand. Thank you for your time.” The response just slipped out, YN not having put too much thought into it.

           “I’ll get you off suppressants and ask for your alphas to be put on rutters. Be sure to schedule an appointment if your heat is off again.”

           YN nodded, slipping off the exam table and walking towards the door. Her phone in her back pocket vibrated and YN slipped it out typing the message fast without thinking of the possible consequences. Then as she neared the exit, she deleted the message and turned her phone off. YN pushed open the door to see both Namjoon and Hoseok still sitting in the waiting room, smiles on both their faces.

           “Ready to go?”

           “Yup.”

           YN: Come to my place tomorrow at noon. Say it’s an emergency don’t give up until they let you in. If they refuse, call the cops and show them this message but don’t show the guys.

Hope you enjoyed ~~~

Tag List:

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[queenofnohr]

Hajime Saito Profiles

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Hajime Saito was the captain of the Shinsengumi’s Third Division - the Shinsengumi being an organization for public order that was active primarily in Kyoto during the Bakumatsu period. Along with Souji Okita and Shinpachi Nagakura, he was noted as one of the best swordsmen in the Shinsengumi, though details such as his origins and school of swordsmanship.

Profile 1

Height/Weight: 178cm・77kg Origin: History Region: Japan Alignment: Lawful Moderate Gender: Male “School? That doesn’t matter. Well, if we’re talking about me, I guess you could call it the Invincible Style?”

Profile 2

He continued to fight from the turbulent Bakumatsu period up through the Meiji era as one of the few Shinsengumi members to live out his natural lifespan. His swordsmanship was outstanding even among the rest of the Shinsengumi, with the captain of the Second Division, Shinpachi Nagakura, describing Okita Souji as the Fearsome Blade and Hajime Saito as the Invincible Blade. It is said he diligently performed many off-the-record missions such as purging of members within the group, and one rumor is that he was a secret agent for the Shinsengumi from the shogunate and Aizu. In reality, we have an incomplete understanding of much of his behavior during his time as part of the Shinsengumi, and it appears he held a special position among the soldiers.

Profile 3

At first glance, he seems to be a flippant guy who’s 50% joker and 50% romcom lead, but sometimes the sharp and shrewd glint in his eyes slips through. Among the Shinsengumi soldiers, who tended toward anachronistic ideals, he believed in a flexible way of life unbound by pre-existing values.

“Wha~at, this way is just more interesting to me.”

However, because he’s always like this, his fellow member Okita has given him many nicknames such as the Shabbygumi.

He likes noodles. He especially likes the croquette soba he ate after coming to the modern era.

“Croquettes soaked in soba broth is cheap-looking, delicious, and totally irresistible.”

Profile 4

○ Invincible Blade: Ａ

This phrase describes Saito’s swordsmanship, which was appraised as able to compete for first or second strongest in the Shinsengumi. His style was said to be Mugai Ryuu or Ittou-ryuu, but in reality, it was a free sword technique not bound to anything.

○Free Draw: Ｂ

An ever-changing sword-drawing technique wherein the sword can be drawn with either the left, right, or both hands. A sword technique without school where the blade’s point can be changed freely. A special combat style that is exceedingly difficult to predict.

“Dominant hand? Oh, no, I’m just drawing the swords however when I gotta. Like I always say, ‘If you have time to think, you have time to slice.’”

Profile 5

Mugyou Rank: N/A Type: Anti-Unit Mystic Sword Range: 1-9　 Maximum Number of Targets: 1 person

Mugyou - formlessness. Saito Hajime’s deadly inverted shoulder slash that was described as an Invincible Blade. Swordsmanship that is freedom without form. He incorporates a unique style of approach different from pure speed, disrupting the enemy’s sense of time and distance, and while they mistake the interval of attack, he cuts them down instantly. Because the opponent is cut down from a distance they think he can’t reach from, if they did notice they were slashed, they would think it some sort of illusion.

In general, if his opponent is wielding a melee weapon, even if it’s a spear or other polearm, it is possible for him to ignore its reach and become a frontliner from any distance.

“—Like this my sword is invincible!”

Profile 6 (Unlocked with finishing GudaGuda Yamataikoku)

He was a member of the Shinsengumi since its founding, and the Commander, Kondou, and Vice-Commander, Hijikata, both place very much trust in him. Although he completed many important missions and survived countless fierce battles, he eventually left the Shinsengumi, supported the new government, and lived out his life.

He didn’t speak much in his later years, and passed away telling very little of his time in the Shinsengumi.

He did more work as a secret agent than as a swordsman, leading an aloof existence that belied his true feelings from enemy and fellow soldiers alike— and as such was often accused of being a man who held no conviction as a samurai.

“Well, that’s basically how it is. I aimlessly wander here and there, following whatever seems most interesting at the time. If humans die, they lose, right? So in other words, if you don’t die then you won’t lose. That’s the innermost secret of the Invincible Blade. But who knows, ya’know?”

—Indeed, who knows? That until his final moments he heralded a single flag within his heart, even as he continued on into a new era.

[drivingsideways]

Misaeng review

Ok, it's been almost a week, so I feel like I can get my thoughts (somewhat) in order. As usual, I'm late to the party, given that Misaeng aired 6 years ago, and is already considered a kdrama classic. Still: thoughts!

(under the cut)

I came to this drama with quite a lot of expectations, both because I'd seen it on a lot of rec lists, and also because I'd watched director Kim Won-seok's Signal and My Mister, which are justifiably as beloved as Misaeng. I'm happy to report that Misaeng mostly lived up to those expectations!

The writing & direction work together to make Misaeng a very immersive experience, which is good, considering the entire run time is over 20 hrs. The level of seemingly mundane detail of the operational aspects of running a trading firm that they delve into (and other dramas might have avoided for sake of pacing) seemed odd to me at first, but eventually result in a world building that's incredibly well fleshed out. The (formerly unlikely!) high stakes of a misplaced piece of paper or octopuses in a shipment of squid end up being parts of an emotionally wrenching narrative whole fairly seamlessly. Still, at 20+ hours, Misaeng also does get into the kind of pacing issues that most of the slice of life kdramas I've watched so far have. And it didn't need to! I think it had a wonderful ensemble of characters, and if they'd maybe given a little more time and space to characters other than Jang Geu-Rae (Im Si wan) and Oh Sang-sik (Lee Sung-min), the mid portions may not have felt quite so, well, stuck.

But more than the strong writing and direction, it was really the actors who delivered. They made what could have easily been a dull-ish office drama into a heart warming story about human connection and the joys and troubles of leading an "incomplete life". I'd never watched Lee Sung-min in anything before, and about half way through the series I was like, HOW IS HE MAKING A SHORT TEMPERED, ALCHOHOLIC MIDDLE MANAGER SO SEXY? Like, serious props, dude. Lee Sung-min is by turns annoying and brash and too shout-y and stubborn and funny and so incredibly vulnerable as a man trying his best to live by his principles in a world that thinks they are an impediment to "success", that you forget that he's playing a fictional character-- he's someone you know, he's someone you've seen in the mirror.

His performance as Oh Sang-sik is very ably matched by Im Si Wan's Jang Geu-Rae. This series would not have worked if these two actors didn't have the chemistry they do, and play off each other in every scene. I had watched Im Si Wan recently- in JTBC's "Run On", in which I liked his performance quite a lot, but I absolutely loved him as the naive and endearing Jang Geu-rae. Misaeng, is in part, a bildungsroman narrative centered around Jang Geu Rae. Im Si wan brought a kind of vulnerability to the role that might have felt cloying and emotionally manipulative in the hands of other actors, but Im Si-wan manages to do it with a light touch. I feel he's one of those actors that uses his whole body in a scene, not just relying on facial or verbal expression, and it's a joy to watch.

Each of the other actors in the ensemble also bring that dedication and talent to their roles, even if it's in a single scene. There are lots of one-off characters that we meet during the course of the series, and every single one of them leaves an impact.

But! I'm going to pick a fave from the supporting cast and that's Byun Yo-han, whom I'd last watched as the broody, troubled (and very sexy) swordsman Lee Bang-ji in Six Flying Dragons. I can't imagine a character more in opposition to that one than Han Seok-yul in Misaeng, but Byun Yo-han just knocks it out of the park as the scheming, cheerful and mostly inappropriate clown with a heart of gold; Han Seok-yul is the definition of Chaotic Good, and you're equal parts horrified by his antics- which include sexual harassment dont @ me -- and yet charmed by him. I wish they'd given him a few more scenes and a larger plotline to work with, but I also suspect that he might have just walked away with the entire series if they did that. (Am I plotting that series in my head as I write this? MAYBE.)

Alright, this is getting a bit too long, so I'm going to get to the bits that disappointed me. That's really one major thing: the gender politics. I don't know how different the show is from the web toon it's based on, so I can't tell whether they made significant changes to the basic plot and characters. As in- I have no idea if the webtoon was as male dominated in every way as the show is, so I'm not sure how much of the show's treatment of women as a class, and its female characters in particular, I should lay at the door of the original writer vs the screenwriter and director. I'm also lacking the Korean context in which this was written and made and aired, so you may take my criticism with a pinch of salt, if you please!

That the show features mainly male characters is perhaps unsurprising and realistic, since we know that the kind of corporate life it depicts is very male dominated, top to bottom. The show also portrays the very real and horrific overt and subtle misogyny that women face in the workplace and out of it; mainly in the character of Ahn Young-yi, played with steely determination and quiet suffering by the lovely Kang so-ra. There are only 3 other female characters that have any sort of real speaking role- Sun Ji Young (played by Shin Eun jung), a senior manager at the company, Jang Geu-rae's unnamed(!) mother (played by the amazing Sung Byoung-Sook) and Oh Sang-sik's unnamed (!) wife (played by Oh Yoon-Hong, who's a delight in every tiny scene she has). There are other women who appear but in very minor roles, and often in "comedy" moments that often rely on sexist tropes to start with.

Anyway, right there you can see one of the problems- 4 women characters that have any kind of real screen time, and only 2 of them are named. Aigoo! Screenwriter Jung Yoon-jung is a woman, and like, I don't like putting the burden on any one woman to y'know fix structural misogyny, but I can't also help feeling disappointed that she overlooked even this "small" thing among the larger things.

But that apart, the main issue for me was that while the show doesn't shy away from depicting egregious sexism in the form of sexual harrassment, verbal and physical and certainly emotional abuse, in a manner that's clear that we are meant to be horrified by it--it falls short of depicting how women deal and work with it. It just doesn't give enough space to women or their worldview.

It's very comfortable depicting victimhood, but doesn't put work into depicting the ways in which women survive by finding solidarity with other women. We have a scene or two where Ahn Young-yi who is this show's poster child for female victimhood interacts with the older women who offer sympathy and understanding, but no real strategy or support. And yes, we see men also being targeted by their seniors for the grossest verbal and physical abuse; and it's men who help Ahn Young-yi strategise on how to deal with her situation. Real life experience tells me that it's the women who do this work for other women. I have certainly been on both sides of this equation, for one, and so has every woman that I know in corporate life. And yes, one of the show's core philosophies is that those who endure, survive--but it is none the less extremely painful to watch Ahn Young yi "endure" the kind of abuse she does as a coping strategy and a survival strategy.

At the end of it, when she slowly manages to gain the support of her sexist team, it's shown as a victory-- though naturally imperfect, because this show takes its Realism very seriously (right until the end where it makes a tonal shift into quirky that I was a little ?? about)-- and y'know, sure, it is a victory. And I absolutely understand the choices she makes and why she does it-- I guess I just got annoyed by the fact that other antagonistic figures in the narrative get a more straightforward comeuppance for their egregious behavior, but Ahn Young-yi doesn't even get a goddamned apology from her abusers. Instead, we have a half humourous, half serious moment where she comments on how she's working at turning herself into "someone cute"- because she understands now that sometimes the right strategy is to "go with the flow". Be the water that slowly wears away at the rock. It's an interesting moment- the men she tells this to are taken aback by her bluntness, but also a little clueless about what she means. It's the kind of nuance that I would and do enjoy. Unfortunately, it also closely follows one of the show's most annoying scenes at the tail end of the series- where it tries to play off workplace sexism and misogyny as comedy- boys being boys-Reader, when I tell you that I had to WORK to unclench my jaw--!

I'm not saying we should have a single and obvious narrative of female emancipation. I'm not against realism in fiction, but god, sometimes, please do remember that when we look for escapism, we are actually imagining a better world. The first step toward liberation is allowing yourself to imagine it.

And the show does allow other characters its moments of unfettered fantasy- Im Si Wan parkour-ing all over the rooftops of Amman- and having a semi mystical + Indiana Jones moment in the deserts of Jordan--so why, I ask, are the women not given that gift?

*looks into the camera *

Tl;dr: I enjoyed it, it made me cry every episode, and I cared about all the characters, and if you haven't watched it yet, treat yourselves.

PS. Yes, Han Seok-yul is a disaster bi, sorry, I don't make the rules. Yes, hotties Oh Min Seok and Kang Ha-neul are canonically naked in a hot tub six feet apart because they are bros. Yes, I will be writing the fix it in which they fuck like angry bunnies. Yes, I am going to put my shipper cooties all over this gen slice of life show, deal with it.

[wildflowerwattpad0217]

Hamish Duke SFW Alphabet

THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING. DON’T STEAL MY WORK OR I WILL REIGN HELL DOWN ON YOU. THIS IS THE SECOND PART OF MY THE ORDER ALPHABET SERIES. IT WILL MAINLY FOCUS ON THE KNIGHTS OF ST. CHRISTOPHER.

Masterlist

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Hamish can be very affectionate and he usually shows his affection by either giving you a kiss on the head, making you a drink, or just touching you. God, is he obsessed with touching you but you feel it comforting.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Your friendship started because you two were in the same class and ended up exchanging phone numbers. That Saturday you got a drunk call from him, you don’t know why you were so worried about him but you were so you went to go pick him up. The relationship only blossomed from there. You guys began hanging more and studying together for exams.  Then he asked you out and you said yes. 

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Hamish loves to cuddle, more than anyone knows. It also helps tame his inner wolf, just having you in his arms. You prefer to snuggle into his chest with his arm wrapped around you but he may pretend to act all tough but he is the little spoon.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

When you two first talked about settling down it was scary because he’s a werewolf, you’re a human but in the end Hamish said “If I have to settle down with anyone it better be you.” And Hamish really isn’t that bad at cooking or cleaning but it is something you’ll do together because you strongly believe in equality in the household.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

If Hamish had to break up with you it would be because his parents are forcing him to so the break up would result in tears and both of you sobbing together on the couch of the Knights of St. Christopher Den.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

At first Hamish wasn’t sure about even being in a relationship with you because of a past girlfriend but soon after you guys got together he realized you were the one and wanted to get married but you expressed the fact you weren’t ready and wanted to wait until after college before getting married.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Hamish is very dominant but very gentle with you.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

It depends on his mood, but he loves them. When he is angry, that is the only way you get him to calm down but it is quite frequent, but not very often in front of the others. His hugs tends to be bear hugs basically, it feels as if he’s trying to wrap his whole body around you/

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Two months and you said it right back.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Very. He hates when other people try to flirt with you and he gets very over protective. He tends to spot that it’s making you uncomfortable right away and comes and saves you, making sure they know that he is your boyfriend.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

His kisses tend to be as soft as his lips and his favorite place to kiss you is your neck, while his favorite place to be kissed is the cheek because eleven though they are the quickest he thinks they mean the most.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

He’s weary around them but wants to have them with you.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

In bed, cuddled in each other’s arms. 

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Drinking the alcohol and getting hammered.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

At first you wouldn’t even know he was a werewolf. You would be out about two months in when he knew he was in love with you and that you could be trusted with the secret. During the two months he would slowly open up about his relationship with his parents which you were completely understanding about. When you did find out about him being a werewolf, you thought he was kidding but he was completely serious and you needed time to process it. He understood that and respected it. It wasn’t less than twenty-four hours later you were back in his arms.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Not very but if someone screws with you or his pack, he’s gonna kick someone’s ass.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He remembers everything. Even that one time you just mentioned about going to an art museum sometime. Guess where you went for your next date: An art museum.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

When you accepted him, as a werewolf, when you accepted his world, his pack. (you kinda became the mom of the group ngl)

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Very protective, he makes you sit out of all of the action, which gets annoying but he says you have the most important task, Protecting the Den. You’ve become accustomed to research and you’ve picked up a bit of magic too.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He tries his hardest because he knows you don’t like being left behind so he tries to make it up through dates and such.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Alcoholism.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He’s concerned because of how he was raised, he was raised to always be concerned with his looks.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Yes, you are his mate after all.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He hates the idea of you practicing magic but if it keeps you a little bit safer, he shrugs it off.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Someone who doesn’t bathe regularly. Someone who drinks milk straight from the jug. 

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He tends to hold you while he’s asleep. Unintentionally. When he goes to sleep he won’t be holding you but when he wakes up he will be.

[songtoyou]

Chapter Three: Don’t Then

Paring: Ransom Drysdale x Fabiola Rossi (OC)

Story Rating: This story will mostly be rated 18+ as it is revolves around a relationship that is Dominant/submissive. For each chapter, I will do my best to rate it accordingly, but please know that the overall story will have very adult themes.

Chapter Rating: Rated R.

Warnings: Swearing, BDSM themes, public hand job.

Word Count: 3,019

Story Summary: Huge “Ransom” Drysdale always thought of himself as a powerful man. With his family’s money and status, Ransom could get away with anything. He had the power and control others would envy. Ransom could get any woman he wanted with a snap of his fingers. He was always in charge. He commanded attention. And he hated it. Never having a job in his life (thanks to his mother, father, and grandfather always there to supplement his bank account) or any real-life goals, Ransom felt incomplete and directionless. That is until Fabiola Rossi entered his life and turned it completely upside down.

Chapter summary: Fabiola and Ransom go on their first date. They are having a good time until someone stops by to ruin the evening. 

A/N: It has literally been a year since I have updated this story. I apologize about that and hope to not take as long for the next chapter.

Bold font indicates text messaging.

I do not permit any of my fics to be distributed on other sites without my permission.

Taglist:  @winchwm, @patzammit​

With any sexual partner, it is vital to maintain the separation of fantasy and reality. Sexual activities deemed “kinky” do not always result in instant gratification moments like movies, books, and television tend to show. Many considerations need to be involved when partaking in the acts of BDSM, such as personal feelings and possible risks. It is crucial for the Dominant to not put his or her Submissive in any uncomfortable scenarios and vice versa. BDSM interactions need to be steeped in solid communication, along with the collaboration of willingness to take personal responsibility for one’s actions and choices.

For Fabiola, she was determined to make sure that Ransom understands the essential aspects of BDSM interactions. Since he was new to BDSM, particularly as a submissive, it was her duty to help guide him throughout this unique experience. It was a responsibility that Fabiola never took for granted when it came to being a Domme. It was her duty to protect and guide her Subs when playing a scene. She loved being a Domme.

Currently, Fabiola was standing beside her closet, picking our different outfits to see what would look best for tonight. She wanted something casual and nothing too fancy. So, Fabiola opted for her dark red bandage dress with strappy side cutouts, a halter neck, and an open back with zipper closure that flattered her figure. She accompanied the dress with a black bicker chic crop jacket. Fabiola adorned the ensemble with black peep-toe ankle boots with lace embroidery and buckles, along with a black clutch. Her long hair was curled to cascade down her shoulders in waves, with red lips and dark eyeliner highlighting her facial features.

Fabiola instructed Ransom to pick her up at 8:00 PM at her apartment, and not a minute over. One thing she wanted to do was implement structure and consistency with Ransom. She desired to get him in the habit of being responsible and taking accountability. Fabiola figured that was the best place to start.

As Fabiola finished up getting ready, she heard her cellphone buzz. Thinking it was Ransom, she quickly reached for the device only to deflate. It wasn’t Ransom.

Jonathan: I need to see you. I can’t stop thinking about you, Fabiola. Please give me another chance.

Fabiola let out a frustrated groan when she read the message. Jonathan was her former boyfriend/submissive who appeared not to get the hint that things with them were over. The guy was too clingy for Fabiola to handle. He always wanted to be around her. He wanted more than what she was able to give him.

Fabiola: I can’t talk right now. I’m busy. 

Jonathan: Please! I need you!

Fabiola: NO! I told you that what we had is over. Now stop contacting me!

With a sigh, Fabiola put her phone in her clutch. ‘If you don’t want him to contact you, then block his number,’ Fabiola’s inner voice scolded her.

It wasn’t like Fabiola hadn’t thought about it. However, there was a part of her that couldn’t do it. She liked Jonathan. He was special to her. And some part of Fabiola still felt responsible for him.

She took out her phone and brought up the message chain.

Fabiola: Jonathan, I’m sorry. Look, I really can’t talk right now. How about tomorrow?

‘You’re an enabler!’ her inner voice yelled.

Jonathan: Yes! Thank you! Talk to you tomorrow, sweetheart. 😊

Fabiola rolled her eyes.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to stew over Jonathan’s messages for too long when the doorbell rang. She looked at the time, which read eight o’clock. She opened the door, and there was Ransom dressed to perfection. He wore all black from his jacket, shirt, slacks, and shoes. Very casual but still sophisticated. Fabiola could only guess Ransom’s clothes’ cost, which she knew each piece had to have been from a top designer.

“Hi,” Fabiola greeted. “You’re right on time.”

“I figured you’d count it against me if I didn’t,” Ransom confessed. He looked Fabiola up and down. “You look outstanding.”

“Thank you. So do you,” Fabiola complimented and walked out of her apartment to lock it up. 

Ransom offered Fabiola his arm, which she took, and walked her to his car. He would show that he could be a perfect gentleman since he was the one who recommended they go out for the night before returning to her place.

He wanted to relax but also show Fabiola a good time. Wining and dining women was one of Ransom’s specialties.

“So, where are we going?” Fabiola implored as she looked over at the man next to her.

“I figured I would take you to Yvonne’s. It’s a restaurant and bar. Nice atmosphere. Cool décor. You ever been?”

“No, never been,” she answered.

“I think you’ll like it.”

The remaining drive to the restaurant was quiet. It was as if neither knew what to bring up to start a conversation, which was not surprising. Ransom and Fabiola still didn’t know much about one another.

“How is your writing coming along since we last saw each other?” Fabiola probed as the quietness was getting to her. She figured asking Ransom about his writing was the safest conversation starter.

“Uh,” Ransom began as he steered his car through traffic. “It is…well, to be honest, I’m kind of stuck. I don’t know where to take the story next.”

Fabiola nodded in understanding. “Writer’s block. All too common. You know, some writers have shared with me how they combat writer’s block. You want to hear?”

“All ears.”

“Do you ever develop a list of favorite things your characters like, such as food, music, television shows, all that stuff? A writer told me they did that to help flesh out characters. That way, it helped to steer them where they needed to go within the story. Another writer told me that they would write one-shots where a character would do something different outside of the overall story. That way, you’re still getting your creative writing juices flowing instead of stewing and feeling bad about yourself for not writing,” Fabiola advised.

In all honesty, Ransom appreciated the advice. He was not used to kindness from another person who did not appear to want anything from him, at least not regarding his money or status. With Fabiola, he could tell that she was genuine with her advice offering.

After another fifteen minutes of mindless chitchat, Ransom pulled into a parking lot. He put the car in park and got out. Ransom hurried to the passenger door to help Fabiola out of the car, but she got out before he could open the door for her. 

“I’m sorry,” Fabiola giggled. “I never know if a guy is going to do that or not. I’ll let you open the door for me next time.”

With a chuckle, Ransom offered his arm once again and guided his date to the restaurant. Ransom was not kidding when he said that Yvonne’s décor was “cool.” Heck, it was more than that; it was fabulous. For Fabiola, it looked like gothic Alice in Wonderland, with its bookcases, elegant chandeliers, and other abstract lighting and art along the walls. Fabiola mainly got a kick out of the numerous skulls outlining the front of the bar.

“This place is amazing,” she gushed to Ransom.

“I had a feeling you would,” he smiled at her. Ransom was happy he was able to do something right.

They were greeted by the hostess and then escorted to their reserved table. 

“I’m so tempted to go up to those bookshelves and check out what they got,” Fabiola raved as she continued to take in her surroundings. 

Ransom tried to hold back his smile as he watched Fabiola. She looked like a kid in a candy store. He couldn’t fathom how this beautiful before him was a domme when she had the sweetest and, at times, goofy disposition. Fabiola was just who she was, carefree. Or at least that is what she presented on the outside. He wondered if she had any skeletons in her closet. 

He put down the wine/cocktail menu and leaned his arms on the table. “Tell me something, Ms. Rossi,” he began, “What makes you…tick?”

She quirked one of her perfectly tweezed eyebrows at Ransom, “What do you mean?”

“Like, what drives you crazy? What annoys you?”

“Oh, that is easy. The answer to that is stupid people. I have an extremely low tolerance to people who willingly choose to be ignorant,” she answered and grabbed the wine/cocktail menu. “What about you?”

“My family. They are the worst. You’d hate them for sure. But I won’t spoil the evening talking about them.”

“How about we order drinks,” Fabiola suggested as she continued to look at the drink menu. “Help us relax more, eh. What’s monkey shoulder?” she asked Ransom as she pointed to the drink that was called ‘Monkeys In A Pear Tree’ that had monkey shoulder, spiced pear, vanilla, almond, and orange bitters.

“It’s a blended malt scotch whiskey. It’s rather good. You should try it. Not with all that other shit in the drink, just the whiskey.”

“Yeah, I don’t need all that sugar. And I’m not a whiskey girl, unfortunately. I think I’ll go with a glass of wine,” Raina pointed out.

Ransom took the list back and perused the assortments of wine offerings. “How about I get us a bottle. Red or white?”

“Let’s go with red. You pick.”

Waving a waiter over, Ransom ordered a bottle of the red 2017 Syrah. It was a good wine. Not too sweet, but not too “woody” tasting as some would describe certain red wines. With their glasses filled, both opted to go for the shareable plate items—nothing too heavy, just enough to satisfy their stomachs. 

While they waited, Fabiola scooted her chair closer to Ransom. They were seated at a corner table with dim lighting. No one would be able to see what Fabiola was about to do. She placed one of her manicured hands on his thigh. Fabiola began to move her hand up and down. As Fabiola trailed her hand higher up Ransom’s thigh, she watched his face for any reaction that she should stop. When she didn’t see any hesitation from him, she rested her hand against the bulge in his pants. Fabiola squeezed it, and Ransom almost jumped from his seat. 

Ransom felt Fabiola begin to unbuckle his belt and lower the zipper. He looked around the restaurant to make sure no one was looking over at their table. Fabiola let out a little chuckle.

“Do you want me to stop?” she asked him.

He shook his head ‘no.’ “I need you to voice it, Baby Hughie,” Fabiola ordered him in a low voice while she continued to rub him out. He stirred in his seat as she slipped a hand under his briefs.

“Don’t stop,” Ransom managed to breathe out. His cock was almost rock hard.

Fabiola continued to stroke him. Back and forth. Nice and slow. Agonizingly slow. Ransom began to move his hips to try to increase the friction against his cock. 

“Look at you. So needy. You want to cum, don’t you? Is that what you want? You want to cum in a public setting, Baby Hughie?” teased Fabiola as she leaned over and began to kiss Ransom from his neck to his ear. “I want to see how long I can tease you before you eventually beg me to let you cum.”

Even when the waiter brought their food (who was oblivious to what was going on under the table), Fabiola did not remove her hand from Ransom’s pants. She ate her food with her other hand while she continued to stroke his cock with the other. Sometimes Fabiola would bring her fork to Ransom’s mouth so he would eat when she noticed he was barely touching his food. 

When Ransom felt a thumb rub his tip, he let out a low groan. “I need to cum,” he whispered through clenched teeth.

“I know you do, but I’m not going to allow it,” was all Fabiola said and continued to eat her food. 

It was only when she was finished eating that she stopped stroking Ransom’s cock and removed her hand from his pants. She assisted in zipping and buckling Ransom back up to make sure he looked presentable. Fabiola stood up from the table. She handed Ransom one of the clean napkins. “Wipe the sweat from your forehead and drink some water. I’m going to go wash my hands.” 

As Ransom watched Fabiola’s retreating form, he leaned back in his chair and let out a loud sigh. Reaching for his wine glass, he downed the contact in one gulp and poured himself another. Ransom squeezed his own junk as it was still hard. He began to think about other things to stifle the hardness. ‘Family reunions. Aunt Joni in a bathing suit. Grandma in a bathing suit.’ Ransom throughout in his head. 

Unsurprisingly, they worked. His stiffened cock was beginning to recede. Gulping down another glass of wine, Ransom poured himself another. He didn’t quite know how to feel at that moment. He was unsatisfied with not being allowed to cum, but also intrigued with how turned he felt. 

The feeling of not being in control was all-new for Ransom. At that moment, it was Fabiola who called the shots. She told him that he was not allowed to cum. He noticed the chastising tone in her voice when she ordered him to wipe off his sweat and drink water. Normally, Ransom would scoff at someone commanding to do things, but there was something incredibly erotic when Fabiola did it. He picked up his napkin and began to wipe off the sweat from his forehead. He drank his water and waited for the woman, who excited and astounded him, to return.  

Unfortunately, Ransom’s euphoria came to a crashing halt when he heard, “Hey, son. What are you doing here?”

Ransom looked up to see his father, Richard Drysdale, standing before him. “What the Hell are you doing here?” Ransom retorted coldly. 

Ignoring his son’s cold tone and icy glare, Richard took it upon himself to take a seat at the table. He began picking the food off of the plates and took Ransom’s glass of wine to sip for himself. 

“You got a date?” Richard probed his son. 

Ransom let out a frustrated groan. He needed to get out of here. “Is mom here as well, or are you with one of your side pieces?” 

Before Richard could reply, Fabiola came back to the table. She was caught off guard by the new addition who was eating their food and drinking their wine. “Sorry I took so long. I got caught up talking to a woman who wanted to know where I purchased my shoes, then we got off tangent, and well…I’m back now. Who is this?”

“No one important,” Ransom replied.

Richard glared at his son but hid his animosity with a laugh. “He’s a kidder that one. Hi, I’m Richard Drysdale. Ransoms’ father,” he introduced himself. Richard stuck his hand out for Fabiola. Which she accepted with the hand that was previously stroking his son’s cock. 

“Fabiola Rossi.”

“Well, aren’t you beautiful,” Richard complimented. Ransom noticed a look in his father’s eyes. He knew that look. It was the look Richard always had when he wanted a woman that was not his wife. 

“Again, I ask, what are you doing here?” Ransom again asked his father.

Richard looked over at the bar with Ransom and Fabiola following suit. They saw Richard wave a young woman who waved back. “I’m here for a business dinner.”

“Bullshit.”

Ransom knew that his father was having an affair. Everyone in the family knew, except for Linda. But that was his mother. She would rather ignore the problems in her marriage and family while pretending everything is perfect. 

“Look, son, I didn’t mean to crash your date. I just stopped by to say ‘hi,’ that is it,” Richard pointed out.

Ransom merely scoffed. “Okay. You said your ‘hi,’ now leave.”

“Actually, Ransom, I think we should start heading out,” Fabiola spoke up while looking around for their waiter.

“I didn’t mean to cut your evening short,” said Richard as he got up from the table. He stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before bidding adieu and going back to his “business dinner.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ransom was more than annoyed; he was fuming. He was ready to blow, and Fabiola could see it. She watched as Ransom pulled out a couple of hundred bills from his wallet and stood up. She stood up as well gathered her jacket and clutch. Following Ransom’s lead out of the restaurant, Fabiola was only a few steps behind him as they walked to the car. He stopped in front passenger door side and turned around. He watched as Fabiola put on her jacket.  Her hair was lightly blowing in the night wind. His father was right; she was beautiful.

Moving towards Fabiola, Ransom ran his hands up and down her arms to help warm her up. “I’m sorry about that,” he said, indicating what happened in the restaurant with his father. “My dad…he isn’t someone I…”

“It’s fine, Ransom. Let’s not have him ruin the rest of our night. You still want to come over, right?”

Ransom leaned his forehead against Fabiola’s before pressing his lips against hers. He didn’t deepen the kiss and retreated after only a couple of seconds. Ransom went back to resting his forehead against Fabiola’s while she stroked his left cheek.

“Tell me what you want?” she asked him.

Ransom looked into her eyes like he was searching for something. He sighed at what felt like the hundredth time that night. “I don’t know what I want. That is the problem. All I do know is that I don’t want to be like him. I don’t want to be my dad.”

Fabiola nodded her head in understanding. “Don’t then.”

[andersunmenschlich]

Genesis 2

That’s the end of creation! That’s how absolutely everything got created, bar none, creation finished, over, done, finito. No more creating. Bible says this “everything done” day is the seventh, so I guess the time before light and darkness got separated actually does count as a day. Who knew.

The gods, that’s who.

Anyhow, the gods made the seventh day a holy day, set apart as super special because that’s when they finished all the creating. The first day ever that they didn’t do any creating at all. They were done.

And now, suddenly, in verse four, the writer changes.

No, I’m not kidding. It’s a very abrupt shift. Most noticeably, we’re not talking about the gods in general anymore: “אֱלֹהִ֖ים” is now always prefaced by “יְהוָ֥ה”—Yhvh, a specific god! “Gods” gets used like a last name now. It’s like, instead of “the Millers did thus-and-such,” now it’s “Alex Miller did thus-and-such.”

New writer. Real obvious.

Anyway! Our new divinely inspired writer takes us back to before the gods told the earth to sprout plants.

This writer tells us that the reason there weren’t any plants was because Yhvh God hadn’t made it rain or created Adam to aerate and fertilize the ground. Strange. I’d gotten the impression that there weren’t any plants because the gods hadn’t created them yet.

Our new writer also tells us that mist rose from inside the earth and watered the ground. Huh.

That would seem to make the lack of rain unimportant. Why say that there weren’t any plants because there was no rain when rain wasn’t needed?

Weird.

Anyway, Yhvh God took some dirt and shaped it into a kind of golem, then breathed into its nose, and poof! Adam.

Uh.

The plants still haven’t been created. I definitely remember Adam coming after the plants.

Land, space, water, and darkness—light, night, and day—sky—sea, dry land, plants—sun, moon, and stars—sea creatures and flying things—land animals—then Adam. And after Adam, nothing except deciding what everything but the sea creatures are going to eat.

Adam was last. I remember that very clearly (it was only ten or eleven verses ago). What kind of divinely inspired contradiction is this?

Ow, no, don’t throw things.

I’m just confused, that’s all. I don’t know how Adam could be created both before and after the plants. Probably I’m stupid. The Bible couldn’t be wrong, after all! Somehow, I’m sure, the gods created Adam male and female on the sixth day and Yhvh God created Adam plain old male on the third day. I don’t know how that’s possible. But the Bible says it happened, so it must have.

Ah, I know. The first writer messed up the plurals and singulars. Divine inspiration ruined by mortal stupidity! There’s only one god—Yhvh God—and there were two Adams, one male and one female.

...Except that still leaves the problem of those two Adams being made on both the third day and the sixth. Uh.

And wait, this new writer says there was only one Adam, one single male Adam.

...Okay, so the first writer messed up hard, then. They wrote “gods” instead of “god.” They said one intersex Adam… or maybe two Adams, one male and one female… were created on the sixth day instead of one male Adam being created on the third.

That’s… that’s some serious error right there.

Ow! Ow! Quit it!

Look, it’s not my fault! I’m not trying to make the Bible inconsistent! It’s just, look! First the Bible says man was created after the plants and now it says man was created before the plants!

This isn’t my fault! I didn’t make it say that! It just says it, all on its own!

Ow!

All right, all right!

So maybe I misread? Maybe the first part wasn’t meant to be read in a strictly linear way? I know it’s all “this happened, then this happened, then this happened—the first day. This happened, then this happened—the second day.” But maybe you’re supposed to skip around? Maybe the things that apparently happen in one day are actually happening in another?

…That’s stupid! No! I can’t convince myself of that at all!

Ow, ow, okay! Maybe I just don’t understand it because I’m the stupid one, and I’ll never be able to understand it no matter how hard I try—not because it’s dumb, but because I am. Fine, fine, you win, I give up.

So, after creating Adam, Yhvh God creates a garden in a place called Pleasure (“עֵדֶן,” Eden), and sticks Adam in the garden. Yhvh God also makes all kinds of trees that are pretty and/or produce tasty fruit grow in the garden, as well as the tree of Life and the tree of Being Able to Tell the Difference Between Good and Bad.

Side note to tell us about a river that runs through the garden, then splits into four rivers, each of which runs through or along a different place.

The original river doesn’t get a name, but the other four are Increase, Bursting Forth, Rapid, and Fruitfulness. Increase runs through the land of Circle (which has just the best gold, you guys, and awesome gum resin and precious stones, too). Bursting Forth goes through the land of Black. Rapid runs along the east side of Assyria. And we all know Fruitfulness, everyone knows the Euphrates, no need to explain that any further here.

Why this is important, I don’t know. Scene-setting? Nobody’s been able to find the garden of Pleasure using these directions, so it can’t be for that. Anyway, I’m sure Yhvh God knew perfectly well, when he was inspiring this writer, that a worldwide flood was gonna seriously change topography later on.

So the idea is that Adam will be a gardener.

No, this is obvious. There were no plants because there was no man to cultivate the ground? Adam gets put in the garden to tend and keep it?

There’s a reason man exists, and it’s to look after Yhvh God’s plants.

Ow! What?

Oh, the whole “dominate every living thing and even the earth itself” thing? Look. I’m not sure how much I want to trust that first writer, what with their gods and adams and plants being created before humans and all.

Yeouch! Dagnabbit, what?

I can’t throw out any of the Bible? I have to make all of it make sense, all together?

But it contradicts!

Ow! Stop it!

Okay, okay, it doesn’t contradict! I’m stupid! Men exist both to look after plants and to dominate everything, they were created on the third day and on the sixth day, they were spoken into being and they were dirt brought to life, they were male and female and they were just male!

Yhvh God told Adam he could eat fruit from every tree in the garden except anything off the tree of knowing the difference between good and bad, because if he ate anything from that tree “מ֥וֹתתָּ׃ מֽוּת”—he’d be as dead as dead gets that very day.

Then Yhvh God gets to thinking that maybe it’s not great for Adam to be alone.

Uh.

Don’t hit me, but didn’t Adam have Yhvh God? Like… was he really alone? God was there! I grew up hearing that when God’s with you, you’re never alone.

What good is “I will never leave you nor forsake you” if, even with God there, you’re still alone?

Augh, no! I’m sorry I asked!

[nervous breathing, cough]

Okay. So.

Since it’s not good for Adam to be alone (and he’s alone even with God), Yhvh God decides to make a suitable helper for him. Which Yhvh God does by forming animal golems out of dirt and bringing them to life.

….

I… look, I know I’m dumb. But I swear this contradicts what we were told in chapter one.

“Let birds fly above the earth across the face of the sky” on day five, before Adam was ever made, and “let the earth bring forth living creatures” on day six, also before Adam was made, is not compatible with “out of the ground Yhvh God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them.”

Don’t you try to tell me Yhvh God had formed every beast of the field! “וַיִּצֶר֩” is a consecutive imperfect verb just like “וַיָּבֵא֙” (“and brought them”)! They’re the same tense!

Ow! Fine, I’ll move on.

So, being as God isn’t good enough company, he figures maybe a horse will work as a companion for Adam. Or a cow, maybe. How about a dung beetle? Pigeon?

Yhvh God seems kind of stupid, honestly.

Aaah! Fire! No! Bad! Put down the—where did you even get those pitchforks?!?

Right, so, Yhvh God makes all the animals and birds out of dirt and brings them to Adam, in the garden of Pleasure, and whatever Adam calls each one is the name it gets. This is probably a real long process, on account of how many different animals there are, but even after Adam’s named the very last glyptapanteles wasp, he and Yhvh God still haven’t turned up any lower animal suitable to be Adam’s companion and helper.

So Yhvh God goes ahead and makes a more appropriate lower animal.

Ow! Dangit! Look, I’m just saying! It’d be one thing if Adam and Eve were made at the same time, in the same way, like they maybe were in Genesis 1:27, but this is Genesis 2:22, and Eve is obviously not Adam’s equal here!

She’s a tiny part of Adam, a bit he can do without. Yhvh God puts him in a coma, pulls out a single rib. That’s Eve.

Like Adam says when he wakes up and sees her, she’s one of his own bones, a piece of his own body. She’s not her own being as such, she’s a little chunk of him that was removed so he’d have company.

Don’t look at me like that!

What other conclusion are readers expected to draw when one person is literally a single bone pulled from the other one? Especially when the bone-person was made specifically for the sake of the original human.

Anyway, the new writer says this is why a man leaves his parents and is joined to his wife such that the two become one flesh: because that’s what they were in the beginning, one body. The man goes looking for his missing rib and clings to it—the rib gets absorbed by the original body. Man is not complete without woman (woman is never complete, any more than a gear is complete with or without a clock: it’s the clock that’s complete with the gear, and incomplete without it).

Stop hitting me! What is wrong with you people? This interpretation was accepted just fine for hundreds of years, and you know it! This new idea that the Bible would never say women were created not on their own merits but rather for the sake of men—it’s completely ridiculous because look, Bible!

Don’t like the idea of women being lesser than men? Too bad! Leviticus 12:2 and 5! 1 Corinthians 11:9! Ephesians 5:22! Deal with it!

And now another side note: they were both completely unclothed, and it didn’t bother them psychologically. No shame, no embarrassment, none of that. No word on how they felt re: weather, plants, bugs, etc.

End of chapter.

Anyone else feel like these chapters end a bit awkwardly? Like they were randomly slapped in by people who weren’t actually reading any of it?

[latin-dr-robotnik]

SonAmy AU - of knights and hammers

I’m feeling kinda low on inspiration after not having completed a thing I wanted for Sonic’s birthday (should I release it incomplete? Should I actually bother finishing it?), and so I went out looking for something to write, and I found some old ideas that for some reason I didn’t elaborate on back then (maybe I was overwhelmed with exams lol.) 

Prompt: basically this old ask

Now let me tell you a story about a different time.

‘Tis an old tale, from when the modern Spagonia we all know didn’t exist, and the kingdoms that joined under its flag centuries ago were as fierce and diverse as the stretches of land they ruled. 

The old Spagonia castle was the center of the bigger of said kingdoms, and it was located on the rocky coasts by the far south reaches, where the sun runs hot and the knights all over the continent face off against each other, all for the glory of the Queen... and a hefty gold prize.

For the past five years, the tournament has been dominated by a single champion, a knight with a gift of speed like no other, able to struck its enemies several times before they even have a chance to react. Nobody knows his name or where did he come from, but they call him the Knight of the Wind. In the sixth year of competing, everything looked like it was another sweep in his favor.

“Honorable people of our glorious Kingdom! Travelers from the kingdoms all across the world!” The announcer began, as the public flooded the tournament grounds with great enthusiasm, “welcome to the final day of our annual tourney, possible thanks to God and Her Majesty’s enlightment and eternal wisdom!”

The crowd cheered.

“The last bout of today will be a match of titans! On one side we have our five times champion and man of the people, the Knight of the Wind!”

The crowd cheered even harder as he raced into the arena, waving his hand at everyone and posing.

“On the other hand, we have a newcomer that has proven to be up to par for this tournament! Rumors say she’s from the northern lands, others believe it’s God’s own answer to Knight of the Wind’s speed. We don’t know her name, but folk around here have named her the Hammer Knight!”

Some people cheered, but most of the attendants could be heard talking. She stepped in, no waving, no posing, and seemingly unarmed.

“Now, as we receive our Queen’s blessing, let the fighting begin!”

The two stood on opposite sides, not moving or anything for a moment, until the Knight of the Wind broke the ice.

“So, a new challenger, huh?” He shouted, lowering his guard in the process. “A mysterious one, no less!” He started moving slowly, keeping his eyes on her. “Oh, you think you can come here, no name or anything like me, and steal MY tournament? Ha, that’s lame!”

Hammer Knight stood completely still, on guard, as the Knight of the Wind kept half-circling around her, looking for a strategic oportunity to strike like a lightning bolt.

“What’s up, girl? Are you completely frozen inside that heavy armor?” He kept mocking, then shifted to a charging position - right shoulder in front, ready to strike. “Or is it that you just wanted to meet your hero? Look, if that’s what you want, I’ll give you a quick demonstration, but it isn’t free of charge!”

As soon as he finished talking, the Knight of the Wind charged directy towards Hammer Knight, zipping across the arena in the blink of an eye. A cloud of dust covered the entire arena, as the public loudly gasped. 

When the cloud dissipated, the Knight of the Wind was standing alone, Hammer Knight nowhere to be seen.

“Heh, might’ve crushed her so hard she completely vanished.” He uttered to himself. “Okay! Thank you all for coming, it’s been a fantastic tournament but you know I’m the only o---”

The Knight of the Wind turned around to greet the astonished public, when Hammer Knight appeared magically in front of him, swinging a giant hammer she previously wasn’t wielding. The impact sent him flying straight to a wall, with the public gasping again.

He recovered quickly. “Oh... so there you are. Nice cheating, girl, but playtime’s over!”

The battle continued for several minutes with the Knight of the Wind charging towards Hammer Knight with no results for him. She would always dodge him or counter him with her hammer, as he got more relentless - and later exhausted. The public was having a hard time processing what they were seeing.

Exhausted, the Knight of the Wind tried to spice up his tactics, now dashing erratically in an effort to confuse Hammer Knight into striking at the wrong moment. He only managed to hit her shoulder, but as soon as he stopped to catch a breath, she knocked him across the entire arena again. 

This time he wasn’t getting up. After another loud gasp from the public, they started cheering Hammer Knight, and so the announcer came back.

“What an amazing combat we’ve just watched, folks!” The announcer had problems trying to contain the excitement. “Our Knight of the Wind... isn’t getting up it seems! That can only mean... Hammer Knight is our new champion! All hail Hammer Knight!”

The Knight of the Wind wasn’t completely unconscious, and as soon as he heard that Hammer Knight was victorious, he haphazardly got up ran away. Hammer Knight tried to reach for him, but got caught in the midst of celebrations.

Later that day, the Knight of the Wind was sitting inside his personal tent, reflecting upon what happened earlier, until he got interrupted by a messenger of the Queen.

“Pardon my interruption, Sir, I have an urgent message coming from the Queen.” The messenger stepped inside, the Knight facing his back to him.

“If it’s urgent, then tell the Queen to call her new shiny friend, Hammer Knight.”

“You don’t understand, sir!” The messenger urged, “‘tis an important matter that needs your unmatched speed. The Queen needs you to lead and reinforce our troops at the northern border as soon as possible.”

The Knight didn’t move. “I already made up my mind, I’m telling y---”

Another figure stepped inside the tent, interrupting them.

“Oh... I didn’t mean to...”

It was Hammer Knight. 

The messenger freaked out. “Oh my God, it’s really you! I’ll... leave you two alone, if you excuse me.” But before exiting the tent reiterated, “Sir, please consider what I told you. We are leaving this evening, the entire kingdom needs your help.”

The Knight of the Wind wasn’t on a good mood for any of this.

“What do you want?” He let out, notably upset. “You already took the tournament and the gold off my hands, are you going to take this tent from me as well?”

“Not at all,” she softly replied, then kneeled behind him, “I need your help.”

Contrary to what he expected, Hammer Knight didn’t want to take anything from him. After little consideration, he got up and turned to face her for the first time since their battle - now without any piece of armor, just some regular knight robes. He took a long stare at her, silently admiring the one rival that managed to best him. After a minute of silence, he answered. 

“Go on.”

She nodded, then looked up to him. “A war is brewing between the three kingdoms. I’ve been travelling all across the land, trying to stop this, searching for people that could help me, but nobody would listen to me. That’s what led me to you."

“Why would I want to prevent a war, though?” The Knight of the Wind reflected. “It’s all the more chances for me to kick ass, and right now that’s all I honestly care, or need.”

“You don’t understand, do you?” Hammer Knight lamented. “Imagine how this would impact across the land. Fields and villages burning from here down to remote places like the small kingdom of Apotos. There’s a big offensive coming from the East, I bet you it wont stop at the three kingdoms, and people only seem to listen to you - even the Queen herself! Knight of the Wind, please consider the risks at play.”

The Knight of the Wind stood silent for a moment, reflecting.

“I guess the rumors were true.” He let out. “And I guess I can’t let down my people, after all, I always helped them when in need.” He lended a hand to her, she grabbed it and got up. “Just point me out to where we have to go.”

After a moment, he added:

“And by the way, just call me Sonic.”

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

BONUS (bc I got pretty invested in this AU already):

After talking with the Queen, Sonic and Hammer Knight went up north, to the spagonian border. They joined the troops stationed at the border that very same night, and while Sonic was talking with everyone and sharing stories, Hammer Knight was sitting on a nearby cliff, overlooking the river that separates both kingdoms.

After noticing her abscence for a while, Sonic finally found Hammer Knight atop that same cliff, and sat next to her.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been there.” Hammer Knight commented, pointing out the valley beyond the river. “I wonder how is everyone doing... my family and friends...”

“So, it IS true, you ARE from the northern lands! I mean! Your people will likely be happy of seeing their champion back.” Sonic pointed out, trying to contain himself. “Think about it, the triumphant return of Hammer Knight! I doesn’t sound cool to me of course, but for everyone else I bet they’ll love it.”

Hammer Knight chuckled. “Oh, stop being so spiteful! There must be a silver lining to it!” 

“Well, the fact you are the only worthy opponent I’ve faced might count... Hammer Knight.”

“Just... just call me Amy, okay?”

“Fine... Amy.”

The two stood in silence, watching the moon’s reflection on the river.

Conversation came back after a while.

“So, Sonic, have you been up north before?” Amy asked.

“Well, five years of being Spagonia’s champion granted me a world tour already!” Sonic playfully answered. “I think I remember the northern lands, I would’ve visited them again on my sixth year on tour if, y’know, I had won that tourney!”

“Well, now you have the chance to tour around with the new champion!” She teased.

“Yeah... kill me, please.” He joked, and both laughed.

Amy let out a sigh and leaned on his shoulder. 

“I think I like you, oh, Knight of the Wind.”

Sonic didn’t say anything. But on his mind he started considering the thought of actually enjoying moments like that. Maybe she was a lot more valuable to him than just a worthy opponent.

The next morning, the Knight of the Wind and Hammer Knight went on their first adventure, hoping to stop any potential threat to peace.

(Author’s note: hey, got anything for me? Send it to my ask box!)