#They care about each other so much that they’d sacrifice so much for them

[rere9500-18]

Personally, I saw this scene as Nya’s last goodbye to her WHOLE family. She knows she may not be the same after she merges with the sea , so just in case she hasn’t told them enough before, she’s telling her family she loves them for possibly the last time.

Even if they couldn’t hear it.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hey um, what if the Overblot boys told each other their backstories?

Mmm… Well firstly, I think it would take a lot of effort to arrive at a point where all of the OB boys would even feel comfortable being that emotionally intimate with the others. Many of the OB boys are highly guarded and resistant to putting themselves in compromising positions. For example, I can easily see Azul being paranoid that the others would use his background as blackmail; he would not risk having his own vulnerabilities becoming public knowledge. Would Leona really be okay with being sentimental in front of various people he dislikes, especially Malleus and Vil? Would Idia feel safe unpacking his trauma and grief in front of his peers? Etc, etc, etc.

Secondly, I think that even if the OB boys were hypothetically at the point where they were okay sharing their backstories with the others, it wouldn’t change much about their immediate circumstances?? The OB boys generally don’t strike me as particularly… empathetic? At least not automatically empathetic. It’s something they would need to put effort into and actively work on. I imagine that they’d otherwise just pull a Zuko-style “That’s rough, buddy” or potentially even say something tactless that rubs their peers the wrong way (for example, not fully understanding the situation or even downplaying one another’s trauma). Riddle (someone with very little to no experience with social media and entertainment mediums) might not get how being a celebrity influences Vil’s life, Leona might insult Malleus (someone whom he has a bone to pick with), everyone might still be upset with Malleus for what he did to them in book 7. etc. Each OB boy only has their own experiences as the lens through which they see and interact with the world, and it’s not that easy for just anyone to put themselves in the shoes of another person.

Hearing a (for lack of a better term) traumadump doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll connect with it or understand just how grueling it was for the person who experienced said trauma. It would usually take a significant amount of time and reflection (ideally facilitated by a licensed mediator or professional) to digest those stories in group therapy and to make sure that everyone actually understands one another. A surface-level story retelling alone in most cases isn’t (again, for lack of a better term) “enough”, especially with how self-centered, emotionally immature, and different many of the OB boys are.

Think of empathy like a skill or a muscle. It isn’t innate. You need to develop it and train it, and not putting it to use can lead to atrophy. And given how arrogant and independent your usual NRC student is… yeah, it’s definitely going to be something for them all to work on.

If you want to think of it another way, it’s like how different players will react differently to reading the OB boys’s backstories. Someone who experienced bullying similar to Azul could more easily empathize with him while also not fully “getting” the full scope of other stories they hear. Maybe they can’t understand why Riddle still cares about the mother who mistreated him. Maybe they don’t see why Jamil sacrifices so much for his family. It doesn’t make the player a bad person for not understanding all the stories, it simply means they have a limited perspective. The same is true of the TWST characters; they, too, have incomplete perspectives and rely predominantly on their own points of views to make sense of the world.

Maybe knowing their backstories in advance would change some scenes in small ways (such as book 6, when they split up and then butt heads with each other). They’d know where the other boys were coming from, and how that informs how they act in present day. However, I maintain that I think not much would change from the original. In a stressful situation like book 6, they could easily slip up and say something insensitive/make assumptions about their behavior based on their background/overlook or not even consider their background in the first place since they’re so focused on the current task. For example, Azul, feeling insulted that Riddle is underestimating him, could make a snide remark that just because his mother was a control freak doesn’t mean Riddle also has to be. Jamil could still see Leona as a spoiled prince because, despite being treated like an outcast, he still grew up in immense privilege as royalty. They can so easily fixate on their own interpretations of events that it colors how they perceive others, rather than how they can relate to others no matter how similar or dissimilar their experiences were.

In other ways, I think the OB boys sharing their backstories with one another stifles potentially meaningful development. Character growth in TWST isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon, and we’re here for the long haul. What does depositing all the backstories in their laps achieve for the OB boys? It artificially puts them in a situation to “better know” their peers rather than let it happen organically or allowing them to grow closer through their own efforts. Let’s look at the Deuce-Epel beach scene from book 5. Do you think it would have been as impactful of a scene if Epel explained his life in the countryside and how he got his traditional views on gender norms to Deuce? Personally, I don’t think so. The scene we currently have has them bonding and connecting through a shared activity (shouting at the sea), then having a heart-to-heart without a heavy backstory exposition. It’s through that, not explicit backstory sharing, that the two form an attachment and become genuine friends.

Those are all my thoughts!! ^^

[nynyhaha]

Spider Themes: The illusion of false gods or why the Spider is problematic regardless of morality

Can a cause be worth dying for? Or is it the sacrifice for the sake of something that proves the thing valuable?

There’s two ways to look at the members of the Phantom Troupe, by looking at the things they do to other people,and at the things they do to themselves and each other.

Seeing how much they identify with the Spider,we can throw the theory of them just being selfish psychopaths out of the windows. Neither do they seem manic or crazy,and yet..in a way they remind us of a cult. Besides that,I’ve also found them to have qualities or the following: rebels,revolutionaries,soldiers,robinhoods,martyrs.

Despite committing so much undeniable evil,and despite them never really saying it,there’s clearly a greater good involved. This idea of something bigger is exactly what the story is subverting,and seemingly critiquing. Or is it?

It might be what makes those characters so captivating and interesting-their unquestioning devotion to the entity that is more than just the sum of themselves,what they live trough and die for - The Spider. Why would the proof of criminals like them having principles and loyalty to something be a problem? In a weird way, the Spider has an almost redeeming function - after all it’s a reason and a potential excuse for all their horrible actions. At the same time,isn’t that what makes it a bad thing? If all those people are killing because of that one cause,isn’t it what turned them into who they are now? Isn’t it what makes them do all this evil? “I wouldn’t kill for something that requires murder.” typa issue is what we got here.

The Spider as The Cause

Whether the Spider’s existence itself is what’s most important or if it is still fulfilling a purpose like it did when it was created is up for debate,in fact it’s implied that this is exactly what causes Chrollo to feel lost and unable to understand his own motives. Another reason is that rather than standing for A cause,it merely stands for THE CAUSE,much like how “god” can stand for whatever a person cares about most.

We might wonder endlessly for what reasons exactly the Spiders are doing all of that,and while there are tangible reasons given in their backstory,they work just as well to represent people who are dedicating themselves to whatever,emphasis on dedication. Regardless of specific goals,there will be sacrifices,suffering and pain following whoever cares about anything too much.

The Spider as A Team

Besides loyalty to an idea or principle,there’s also one towards one’s group,regardless of that group’s purpose or function. Without knowing anything at all about motives,backstories,aims,etc we can still see how seriously the members take it. It’s definitely a friend group,one that can’t afford to be a found family,even if that’s what they might be naturally gravitating towards.

The group or team as the greater good is even more fundamental than any additional purpose of said group,as it stays even when the purpose changes. In that regard the Spider is like any other gang,it’s in- vs outrgoup,a small team of partners in crime vs the world.

This “one for all,all for one” dynamic could exist outside of any broader context,even if since the start the Spider was meant as an opportunity for personal fulfilment (as we know now,it was quite the opposite)

The issue comes up when seeing how much the Spider setup hurts its members (as I discussed in the post about their utilitarian approach)

Since the Spider is a villain group,it’s no wonder it’s damaging to the people involved - why would it even be good for their mental health to kill that many people? Of course they’d make enemies and eventually die because of their dangerous lifestyle. But what would really change if they never walked down the path of darkness?

Beyond Morality

Had the Troupe managed to end up as not villains but heroes,would they risk their lives any less? Could they make a bigger change? Would the dynamics within the Spider even change,if it was a more benevolent organisation? Probably not,as there would still be a goal to achieve at any cost and a collective that’s worth more than the individual. Given that it’s taken seriously enough,none of the members would avoid “giving up their lives” anyway. No,they have to give everything up for something,and there we go again.

It’s tragic that Chrollo deemed it necessary to become a villain of all things,but had he decided to protect Meter City in a less brutal way,he would’ve still lost himself in this mission and Pakunoda would’ve followed him,all while vowing to never touch him and never see inside his soul💔🥀

The other side of the coin

^from the 1999 version yorknew opening

Of course it’s the people closest to one that are meant here(I think the song is talking both to Kurapika and Chrollo telling them to value their friends over their cause)

This theme runs all through hxh,it’s present from the very start as characters on a dangerous journey have to constantly chose between reaching their goal or prioritising the safety of themselves and the people around them.

Gon and Killua’s friendship and the fun they have together >> finding Ging

Meruem spending time with Komugi >> grand plans of world domination

Bonds between individual Spiders >> The entity that is the Spider

It’s as if the series is saying “purpose and happiness lies in the here and now,not in what is grand and unreachable”

Another thing supporting this interpretation is this panel from the chimera ant arc:

The tragedy stems from human inability to “just live”,instead we require a greater narrative. It’s neither virtuous nor selfish to devote one’s life to some unreachable goal or mission, but it’s shown as irresistible,as the only way to cope with extreme circumstances.

I wouldn’t say that Togashi is outright condemning hunters,Spiders and assassins in their pursuit of meaning through extreme means, but there is shown to be great harm resulting from that.

Everyone is chasing something,and there’s really no other choice. As much as we want to determine whether the cause is worthy or not (yes because outsiders shouldn’t get away with kidnapping Meteor City’s children,no because it’s no longer about that) the actual reason the Troupe exists is because none of those kids could continue their normal life as voice actors,instead starting a life of a way different format.

There’s technically nothing stopping anyone from just “retiring” in favour of peace and quiet, but in the case of the Spiders especially that’s not even an option,it will never be enough for them.

Chrollo and his friends couldn’t have continued to live normally back then,let alone do that now,but wouldn’t it be nice?

[thewhumpcaretaker]

Vincent tending to Chidi’s wounds when a medical professional isn’t near (with Vincent surprisingly having good knowledge on wounds) has always been on my mind and I thought to share with you ^_^

Anyways here’s a crappy screenshot of them because aaaaaaaaaaaaaa Chidi looks so small😭

Thank you so much for this ask! This ended up being almost chapter-length and I may use snippets of it in Those Who Have Something to Live For later on, oops!!

Also, small hearts for small chidi: 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

-⚜- I Want to Be Next to You -⚜-

TW: gunshot wound, discussion of self-sacrifice

The first thing Chidi noticed was the red pouring out of Vincent’s shoulder. The second thing he noticed was how fast he was breathing.

He didn’t say anything, just staggered back against the wall with alarmingly wide eyes almost rolling back in his head - that look of unspeakable terror that Chidi had seen only a few times in his service with Vincent.

Chidi was across the balcony and in contact with Vincent almost instantly, gripping both arms to slow his fall and guide him to the ground. Their legs folded under them in unison, almost gracefully, like two swans landing on water. And they both felt they were drifting on something like water, suddenly floating above a terrible, murky depth. Their eyes were locked together, mirroring each other’s desperation. “C'est bon [It’s okay],” he whispered, low enough to reach only Vincent.

He didn’t respond at first. Then, as if without breathing, “Non, ce n'est pas le cas, ils putain… ils… [No it’s not, they fucking…they…]”

Chidi couldn’t contradict him. They had been ambushed. A particularly crucial client had insisted on meeting Vincent on “neutral ground,” without much backup, in a remote villa. As he had feared, it was merely a ruse to make an attempt on Vincent’s life. And Chidi hadn’t stopped it…they’d laid hands on Vincent, they’d put metal in him…

“Get a medic, and arrange evacuation,” he barked over his shoulder, without breaking eye contact with Vincent. Chidi was scary like this.

The ground around them was littered with bodies. Only two other guards survived – and the enemy was demolished. One of those guards hesitated. “What should I tell them about the deal, sir? And the ambush?”

“I don’t care! I’m going to stay with my ward! GO!” My ward. Vincent was the ward of all the bodyguards, but Chidi didn’t say our. No, at moments like this, it became clearer than ever that Vincent was his responsibility in a way that none of the other Myrmadons shared.

In another moment, they were alone.

“Chidi…” It wasn’t the beginning of a question, it was an inarticulate plea. Vincent’s head was lolling from one side to the other against the wall, in danger of knocking against it from how badly he was shaking.

“Je suis là. [I’m here.]” He lowered him the rest of the way down, not against the hard marble, but into his lap, elevating the wounded shoulder above the rest of his body. Overwhelmed by the mixture of shock and human contact, he clenched his teeth and closed his eyes for half a second before staring desperately up at Chidi again. It was a magnetic look, impossible to break away from. Help me, it was saying. Chidi obeyed.

“Je vais vous attacher un garrot maintenant, monsieur. Cela signifie que je vais attacher un morceau de tissu autour de votre épaule. Cela pourrait faire mal mais je vais essayer d’être rapide. [I’m going to tie you a tourniquet now, sir. This means I’m going to tie a piece of cloth around your shoulder. It might hurt but I’ll try to be quick.]” For once, he was the one chattering away, trying to fill the silence, to keep Vincent’s mind from running away with him. He kept his breathing as steady as he could, and his face expressionless. He had to be the rock right now, something to hold onto.

He took off his suitcoat and then ripped off his shirt sleeve from underneath, tying it around Vincent’s shoulder. As it squeezed the muscles around the wound, Vincent went even paler, panting in an effort not to scream. Even at a time like this, he didn’t want to look weak. It made Chidi’s heart twist. “Vous allez bien, monsieur. [You’re doing well, sir.]” He wasn’t. He was starting to hyperventilate, and it really concerned Chidi. “Peux-tu respirer avec moi, lentement ? De la même manière que je respire. [Can you breathe with me, slowly? The same way I’m breathing.]”

The Marquis struggled for a moment, staring at Chidi’s chest. He saw another wave of fear rise up behind Vincent’s eyes as he lost control. “Je – je ne peux pas – [I – I can’t – ]”

“Ce n'est pas grave alors. Continuez simplement d’essayer et concentrez-vous sur ma voix. Je vais faire pression sur toi pour arrêter le saignement maintenant, d'accord ? Et je continuerai à faire ça jusqu’à ce que l’aide arrive. [That’s okay then. Just keep trying and focus on my voice. I’m going to press on you to stop the bleeding now, okay? And I’ll keep doing that until help comes.]” Chidi did his best not to talk too fast, not to let the panic affect his voice. He felt like breaking down – seeing Vincent like this was too much. But he had to be reassuring for him.

“…d’accord… ça prend combien de temps? […okay…how long with that take?]”

“Je ne sais pas, monsieur. Pas longtemps. [I don’t know, sir. Not long.]” He lowered his hands over the wound and pressed down as hard as he could. Vincent made an awful, strangled sound. Even through the pressure, Chidi could feel how badly he was shivering. “Attendez, faisons ça aussi. [Wait, let’s do this too.]” He took his hands off the wound long enough to throw his coat over Vincent’s chest, and then pressed down again. Vincent snuggled involuntarily into the warmth, the shivering subsiding a little. After the initial pain of Chidi’s strength against his shoulder again, he relaxed into it. Then, following a long moment of hesitance, his hand rested on top of Chidi’s.

“Merci.” He stroked along Chidi’s hand just the way he would if they were just resting in bed together after making love.

“Bien sûr. [Of course.]”

His eyes were closed again and suddenly Chidi worried he might lose consciousness.

“Hé, pouvez-vous continuer à me regarder monsieur ? Reste éveillé s'il te plait. [Hey, can you keep looking at me sir? Stay awake please.]”

Vincent wrenched his eyelids open with what seemed a very great effort. “Parlez-moi alors. [Talk to me then.]” It was an order, but spoken so quietly, so vulnerably.

“D’accord.” Chidi thought for a moment. “Tu sais, j'ai appris la médecine de campagne pour toi. J'ai pris des cours le soir, pendant mon temps libre. Parce que si jamais tu étais bloqué comme ça, je voulais être sûr de pouvoir t'aider. [You know, I learned field medicine for you. I took lessons in the evenings, during my leisure time. Because if you were ever stranded like this, I wanted to make sure I could help you.]”

Vincent swallowed. “Je ne le savais pas. Je…te remercie. [I didn’t know that. I…thank you.]” His hand was stroking idly against Chidi’s, with deep affection, soothing both himself and his lover at once. He was getting into that zoned out space that he entered sometimes, when he was hurt or very sick. A space that forced his deeply defended heart to open a little.

“Ce n'était pas un problème, monsieur. Je suis content de l’avoir fait. [It was no trouble, sir. I’m glad I did.]”

“Je suis… je suis content que tu sois là. Peut-être… peut-être que je dramatise mais… [I’m…I’m glad you’re here. Maybe…maybe I’m being dramatic but…]” He went silent for a long time, so long that Chidi almost thought he was passing out. But he wasn’t. “Si je meurs, je veux qu'il soit à côté de toi. [If I die, I want it be next to you.]”

Chidi’s throat tightened. He looked away at the sunset, waves of pink and gold crashing down over jagged mountains. But it wasn’t half as beautiful as Vincent, so he looked back. “Si je meurs, je veux que ce soit pour vous, monsieur. Mais je préfère que nous vivions tous les deux. [If I die, I want it to be for you, sir. But I’d rather we both live.]”

Vincent didn’t answer for a long time, and when he did, it was in a rush, with his voice dropping quieter and quieter until Chidi could barely hear him.  “Je préfère ça aussi, ces jours-ci. Il y a quelques instants, quand on m'a tiré dessus, j'ai réalisé que… Pour une fois, je n'avais pas peur parce que j'étais seule, mais parce que je voulais continuer à vivre. Je veux être à côté de toi. [I’d rather that too, these days. A few moments ago, when I was shot, I realized that…For once, I wasn’t scared because I was alone, but because I want to keep living. I want to be next to you.]”

You will. You always will. “Je serai toujours à vos côtés, monsieur. [I will always be by your side, sir.]” Chidi wrapped himself around Vincent’s body, giving him all of his warmth, all of his presence, all of himself. For life.

[besideprimroseshade]

ᴳᵒᵈ ⁱˢʰ ᵀʷˢᵗ ˣ ⁱᵐᵐᵒʳᵗᵃˡ ʳᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ CH: 3

"I want you, I want you, it's like my IQ's going down"

TW: decapitation mention, religious themes?? sorta??

    Current Alias

    Hanakoto Y/N

Finishing the now cold remains of your mashed potatoes and steak you get up.  Bumping into a student walking behind you, they offer their apologies first, a low voice that you'd expect from an grown adult not a teen.  "My apologies child" was all he said as he walked away.  Staring as he walked away you couldn't help but feel a twinge of familiarity radiating from him.

    You’re unsure why you returned to school, back in your mortal days it was pure hell for you.  It wasn’t difficult by any means, but certain subjects had a way of making you feel so hopelessly stupid that you considered just giving up on everything together.  Gradually, nothing seemed interesting anymore, slipping into eternal sleep seemed so inviting.  Much more so than the hours of work that you hated yourself for not being able to finish.  You hated yourself for not being able to finish a simple worksheet, it should’ve been easy, you started it but now you’d have to finish it.  But it wasn’t easy, it was a struggle to even look at the paper, your own disappointed voice in your head chastising you relentlessly.       Gradually, everything got to be too much.  And honestly, you stopped giving a fuck the day you challenged that god.  Praying to an all-knowing being that you weren’t even sure really existed anymore.  Your family was particularly religious, putting their faith in a god that you too believed wholeheartedly in your youth.  You knew that you shouldn’t pray for yourself, yet you still did.       Your faith was shaken roughly after a dear friend of yours was struck with a sickness.  You prayed day and night, begging your family’s almighty god for some sort of relief for them.  Anything to ease their pain, anything to ensure their survival.  Your poor friend who’s only sin was being too kind to stray animals.  You offered up your sweets as a penance to perhaps appeal to this god’s mercy.  One day, they actually appeared back at school, no longer bound to their wheelchair.  It was a miracle, perhaps all your prayers and sacrifices worked, perhaps the god was moved by the prayers of their devoted follower.     They were buried just a week later. 

That was the beginning of this god’s fall from grace in your mind.  Your teenage years were full of suppressed rage, each time you tried to express your feelings your parents shut you down and handed you tools to work in the fields. That did help, but you ended up ruining the fields in your anger, and your parents decided it best for them to have you take walks instead.  Walks were nice, they offered some sort of solace for your bottled emotions.  Occasionally, along the shores, you’d find some merperson that had swam too far from their home.  Sometimes they’d tempt you down to the watery depths with their songs, and other times they were simply curious about humans.  Both were better than being home, in your mind.      The diaries that belonged to you as a child were thrown out, further cementing your disbelief in this god that you had so fondly worshipped.  You hated each page, you hated your younger self for being so fucking naive, you hated that god.  You found a particularly bright colored diary that reappeared in your shelves.  It was your favorite, a special book handed down from your mother, it bore a smooth dull red cover, still had some of her notes written down in her neat handwriting.  You almost laughed at yourself when you read it again, swearing was so forbidden in your household, however did little you write ‘shut up’ without a care in the world.       Into the trash it went, for a second time, it was probably possessed or something.  There went another piece of your past that you so fervently hated.  The horrible grammar, the shitty drawings, that ‘unshakable’ belief, you didn’t realize it was possible to hate something so much.  You bought more journals as the centuries passed, and decided to not throw out anymore, lest that force that brought your red one back from the trash struck again.      Then the worst drought in a centuries time struck your village with a vengeance.  Usually, you’d read in history books that you stole from your brother, that your village would sacrifice a young maiden or child.  To appease the gods and beg them for rain.  The willing sacrifice would be led to a quiet place in the cliffs, then they would pray that their life would help pave the way for the new lives that the rain would nourish.  Then came the gruesome part, they were usually drugged, their head chopped off and placed on a stone for the gods.  The body was buried on the mountain, and then they would pray again.       You do wonder why after your challenge your village was hit with rain enough to replenish the river that had long run dry.  Perhaps the gods looked with favor upon your foolish endeavor.  Perhaps they decided to further prove your demise.    You were currently preoccupied with completing the work of a student whom you shared classes with that didn’t seem particularly interested in completing today’s classwork.  You sent them a short summary of how you completed the work and they paid you decently.  You felt like those tutors that you’d see in the windows of the rich families of your town.  Helping the kids learn their school and life skills.  All things their parents were too busy to teach them.       You recognized the student in front of you, that deep-voiced boy from lunch.  Purposely bumping into him you drop one of your books, “Oh no my books!” You mutter and bend down to pick it up, noticing that he does the same.  You meet his eyes, round and scarlet.  They seemed so familiar… Wait… That fae… What the hell was he doing here?

    “Have we met before?  Once upon a dream perhaps?” He breaks the silence with a cheerful grin.  Glaring into his eyes, you attempt to fish out any information about him.  "Who the hell are you?" you stare incredulously.  He senses your suspicion "Ah, I haven't introduced myself havent I?  I'm Lilia Vanrouge, Vice Housewarden of Diasomnia.  Pleasure to meet you!" he extends his gloved hand out.  And you take it cautiously, shaking it slowly.  Then you pull your hand away.

    "You" the word slips from your lips before you register it.

    "Ah, so we have met before" he mutters softly, taking note of your glare.

    You stand up slowly "Lilia..." you say it as you rise, something about his name strikes a familiar chord in your memory.  "your name doesn't seem familiar but you do" you add cautiously.  What if he takes you for some rando stalker or something of the sort? he pauses and continues "You seem familiar to me as well..." he takes a long silent pause "Ell... is that you?".  You throw a hand over his mouth "It's not Ell anymore, it's Hanakoto, don't forget that... and wait, how do you know my name?" you hiss.  "Ah, Hanakoto, do you mind if we continue this er… reunion back at Diasomnia?  Classes should be starting again soon, and I’d hate for you to be tardy cause of little ‘ol me”.  Lilia gives you one last smile before vanishing into thin air, your schoolbook in hand.     Damn him, wait, why would he need your schoolbook?  Oh, for a bribe, so that you couldn’t refuse his offer… He was more conniving than you gave him credit for… damn bastard.       You finished your school day without much fanfare, as usual.  You stood in the Mirror Room, approaching the mirror with the emblem of Diasomnia above it.  Lilia, such a floral name for hardened warrior.  Well, at least you knew it now.  That explained his past distaste for the lilies that you occasionally grew to sell.        Diasomnia was the equivalent of a gothic castle if you’ve ever seen one.  If you were a weaker soul perhaps, maybe the very sight if it would have you shaking in fear.  Though you thought it to be too much.  In any case, this was your destination.  You walked the long and rather thin path that led to the dorm's great black doors.  Pushing them open with a heave you were greeted by the sight of an annoying freshman who you recognized from the Orientation, Sebek Zigvolt if you recalled correctly.  A loud boy, with a lean build, bright green gelled back hair and golden eyes with slit pupils.  He was missing the common features of a Zigvolt though, where were his scales?  He must be a half blood then, you decided silently as he greeted you with a shout.  You were expecting him to spout off something about humans in disdain. But surprisingly he welcomed you, "Welcome to Diasomnia!" you muster a reply "Hello, Zigvolt...".   

    You follow him into the dorm's lounge, "I do not know what Master Lilia sees in a human like you.  But if he specifically invites you to Diasomnia, I will do my best to treat you like a guest!".  He shouts, much to your dismay.  Sure, go ahead and announce me being here to everyone you sigh inwardly.  Taking a seat on the plush black couches of the dorm's lounge, you two wait for Lilia to make his appearance.  Now that you thought about it, it had been a while since you had last seen a member of the Zigvolt clan, last member you had seen was Baur.  He was a soldier under Lilia back then or something, you never really cared to learn about him.  This boy wasn't a full fae, so perhaps he was a grandson or great-grandson, the hatred the fae held towards the humans made the thought seem impossible in your mind.  Perhaps it had been healed by centuries after?  In any case you were here to see Lilia, not ponder about the racial tensions between humans and fae. 

    Lilia himself decides to appear right next to you, making his presence known with a bright 'Well hello there!'.  Sebek stiffens at the sight of his Vice Housewarden.  "Master Lilia!  Thank you for gracing us with your presence!" you give him a small hesitant wave and place your hands onto your lap.  "Whats with the sullen face??  Don't you miss me El-er Hanakoto?" he corrects himself mid-sentence after remembering the underclassman's presence.  "Eh, not really" you admit honestly, "How dare you be so curt when Master Lilia is speaking to you human!" Sebek cried.  "He's your master not mine" you lean back against the couch, "Tis quite alright Sebek, Hanakoto and I are acquainted" Lilia smiles.  He processes this new information and mutters an apology.  The elder fae waves a hand in a shooing motion, "No need to apologize, I'm sure that Hanakoto has taken no offense" you nod in agreement, "I really don't give a fuck". 

   “Well, now that you’re here, why don’t we discuss some things in private?  I’ve been meaning to talk to you” Lilia smiles.  You throw him an incredulous stare, “You are aware how that sounds right?” He returns with an innocent look “Nope!” and grabs your hand, teleporting the two of you to his room.

    You followed Lilia into his room, "What the fuck??" you mutter as your eyes trail around, observing clothes and objects that were hurriedly shoved into drawer shelves.  "Ah, well, I didn't have much time to clean up" he chuckles "Silly me".  Lilia's room is a random ass assortment of items you presumed he collected from after you met.  A guitar on the bed, a spare jacket and shirt tossed over the wardrobe's open door.  "How did you go from only owning the clothes on your back to some grandpa with a hoarding issue?" you groan in disbelief.  "That, Hanakoto, is a story for another day".  "How has time been treating you?" he sighs with an air that you can't decide if it's playfulness or genuine curiosity.  "Same as always" you admit.  Lilia snaps his fingers and summons a rather elegant teapot and two teacups. 

    You hesitantly take the cup of tea that was oh so generously offered to you.  The distinct aroma of oranges and cardamom filled your senses as you brought the cup to your lips.  "Have you a family yet?" he asks the question carefully to which you shake your head, "Nah, the only family I had are dead and gone".  Your eyes look up from the cup, "You?" he sighs wistfully, "I do, I have a son...".  He says the word 'son' with such love you were almost jealous of this random child.  "Gods, I feel ancient" you tease.  "You're much older than me after all" he grins, before his lips fall into a frown "I missed you, Ell, I thought that you left me...".  Lilia's words run a knife through you, your grip falters and bit of steaming tea falls on you, Fuck you whisper, fuck fuck fuck fuck... you had forgotten that you were forced to leave your home by the forest, lest you be killed by those Silver Owls or the fae.  You never told Lilia, just packed up and left in a hurry, taking your house with you. 

    'I missed you Ell' the words stung with a force you weren't expecting.  Truth be told, you wanted him to forget about you, everyone forgot about you in the end so what was another person to add to that list?

   But no, Lilia had aged almost 400 years and still remembered you.    He had a family.  He looked older, he was no longer the petty creature with an attitude.  He was a father, a father beloved for his wisdom.  Yet he still remembered you.     You were exactly the same, physically and mentally.  You would never change.  You would outlive him, outlive his family, outlive his grandchildren and great grandchildren.  There was something that you felt, a feeling that choked you, a feeling that you'd heard of people experiencing when their loved ones passed.  But, your so called 'loved ones' had passed oh so many years ago, yet that feeling never came to you.  It was only now, that you met with Lilia again, that you understood the feeling.  That haunting feeling of grief and loss.  That horrible feelings that was like a hand closing on your throat.  Choking the life out of you.  You felt unworthy of being remembered by him, why did he remember you out of all people?  When he could've easily forgotten about you like so many others had.  Why you?

    At least I completed something that my brother said I couldn't, he said that I would die unremarkable and forgotten.  You're wrong for once fuckface. 

   You forced yourself out of your thoughts and choked out a little, "I missed you too" before finishing your now lukewarm tea.  You shook those despairing feelings away as someone knocked softly on the door. 

���══ ≪ °❈° ≫ ══╗

Author's Thoughts

Lilia Vanrouge - 'He actually remembered me...'

Sebek Zigvolt - 'Loud and annoying, but whatever.'

Silver - 'One lucky kid.'

╚══ ≪ °❈° ≫ ══╝

An: thank u all my lovely readers for still sticking around <333 and to all the new ones that have joined this hell lmaooo. plz forgive any errors <333

[rookiesbookies]

Greek God!Captain John Price x Maiden!Reader

TL:DR - this is what happens to the sacrifices sent to Price from my if the boys were greek gods post. Just a little thought exercise for myself.

Please send requests! I love hearing from you guys! Also Masterlist is pinned on my account❤️

Each of the boys have a forest dedicated to them surrounding the small village. Each are great hunters so it made sense, Konig has the mountain that separates the village from the neighboring war people, serving as protection.

When the neighboring war people did attack, it wasn’t pretty. Often killing half the men and taking whatever women they saw fit.

However, this girl escaped. She ran from their tents, and bolted into the woods. It wasn’t long before the men chased after her. Axes in hand. Yelling. Sprinting. Laughing darkly. Taunting her.

She ran as far as she could. She could see the fir trees. The big, thick, Grand Firs that were close together like a shield. She was lucky they hadn’t gotten her past the mountain. She would have been done for.

Her knees scraped against the limbs of the trees. Sap stuck to her whole body. Her dress tore against the branches. She began to cry.

Until she saw it. The glittering alter to one of their gods. She flung herself atop it.

She breathed out a prayer.

“Dear God Price, please God of Protection, save me now. Take me as a sacrifice if you must. Please, I beg of you. Protect me or send me a savior.” She cried out against the gold bench. Her fists clenched in the thin fabric of the drape over the altar.

She could hear the shouts of the men, gasping and crying harder.

She turned over and put her head in her hands, pulling her knees close. She prayed they’d run right past her.

She felt a warm hand touch her shoulder. She opened her mouth to scream but another covered it.

“Don’t. You’ll give us away, lass.”

She wanted to cry as she watched the war people stand in front of her, peeking around. It was as if they didn’t see her or the altar.

“See, yer a bit young for what I normally take as sacrifice, but I’m sure I can put a use to ya.”

As the people walked away she sighed and mumbled, “where do the other women god?”

“Simple, really. I see if they would fit as a bride for myself. If it doesnt work out, say we aren’t compatible, I see if I can find a man in another neighboring town that would best suit them and protect them. I put an illusion on the town yer from, as it is so remote, so that if you ever saw any of the women you wouldn’t recognize them.” He cleared his throat, “not very good pickings from your village as I see it.”

“So what is to happen to me?”

“I will see if you will work as a bride, if you do not, I will find you a protector and husband to care for you for the rest of your days.”

She shot up and hugged him. She didn’t expect gods to be this benevolent, much less a son of Zeus, but she had dreamed of escaping her village for so long. The torment of the war people was too much.

“But you said I was too young-“ she started. He patted her head.

“If it works out it will be a miracle. You’re about 10 years younger than I wanted my wife to be for the rest of time, but it will do.” He sighed, “most women do not seem to get along with me, so it would be a great deal of luck needed for you to.”

He tucked a hand under her knees and one behind her back. She held onto him around his neck as he flew. He landed in a far section of the woods. There was a cottage on top of a hill, it looks very nice and large. There was a big chimney sticking up from it with soft smoke coming from it.

“Did you mean to leave the fire burning?”

“I was in a bit of a hurry when I heard your prayer.” Price gently set her down before making his way inside. “I’m going to be chopping wood to keep the fire going out back. If you need anything, I won't be hard to find.”

She spotted dishes in the sink and decided she could have some use. So, she grabbed a wash rag and began to wash the glass cups and ceramic plates. She noticed the table had four places set. She wondered why, she assumed most gods spent their time alone. Maybe a second would make sense for whatever sacrificial woman he had at that point. But four?

There was a loud knock at the door. Without hesitation, three men came strolling in.

“Hello lass, could ya point us in the direction of Price?”

She pointed softly towards the back door of the cabin, the man with the mohawk and the tanner man walked toward the door. The blonde one stood there and stared at her.

“Bit earlier for a sacrifice ‘in’it?”

She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out, so she looked down at her feet.

The man huffed and watched the back door. The two men came back in with Price, the one with the mohawk had his arm around Price’s shoulder and they were laughing.

“I hope Simon didn’t scare you too bad, love!” The one with the mohawk chirped. “I’m Soap, one of yer resident gods. And that’s Gaz.”

Gaz gave a little wave.

She would admit, she hadn’t assumed gods played poker or that they ate. However, Price did end up cooking a noodle meal with beef sauce. It had a couple vegetables like onions and peppers in it, which he had asked her to help slice. She did so with no complaints.

“I see you took to washing dishes earlier.”

“Was I not supposed to?”

“I was just a bit surprised, love, most of the women just make themselves at home on the couch or try to take me to bed to see what a god can do.”

“Oh,” she said softly. She carefully watched the knife as she cut. Price stepped away to get a spare chair from a closet, Soap and Gaz unfolded the table to reveal a hidden piece that made it longer.

Price helped teach her how to finish cooking the meal before plating for the boys and themselves. Price guided her to the seat next to his and they all ate merrily.

“Say, Captain, how do ya feel about a wee game of poker?” Soap began to deal and she gestured that she didn’t want to. “Ever played, lass?”

She shook her head.

“Watch the master then.” Soap flexed his arms with a proud smile, Simon rolled his eyes and Gaz jabbed him in the stomach, making him smack his hand pout.

The game continued and she watched all the men play, Price was showing her his card and talking her through the rules and the different hands as the game went on, using it as a way to throw Soap off. By the end of the night, Simon had won two games, Price had won three, Gaz had won two, and Soap had won one.

The boy began to head out and Simon smacked the back of Soap’s head, “so much of a winner now are ya,” and laughed to himself.

Price laughed to himself about it as well, under his breath though, he didn’t need Soap hearing him and getting upset or offended.

“How was that for a night, love?”

She giggled, finally starting to warm up to the god in front of her, “pretty fun.”

“I hope you don’t mind helping me clean up.” He said softly as she pushed a chair in and took plates to the sink. Price cleaned up the drink Gaz had accidentally knocked over on himself when Simon won.

Her cheeks began to heat up as he stood behind her, putting a plate in the sink. The were meer inches between them. “There’s spare undershirts of mine in the bottom drawer of the wardrobe up stairs. Go get some rest, I’ll take the couch.”

“I-I can’t rob you of your bed! That feels cruel!”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded profusely.

“Than I suppose I have another idea, since I refuse to make a lady take the couch.”

Part 2 is on my pinned master list

Let me know in comments or my inbox if you want a part 2! Please sent requests in my inbox!

[candycandy00]

I saw you reblogged a lot of stuff from x men. How would you pair the jjk men with x women?

I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to answer this, anon! I hope you’re still around to see it!

Gojo x Rogue

Both have powers that make them basically untouchable. Both are freakishly strong. Both are considered extremely attractive both in universe and out. Rogue is very used to dealing with a hot, arrogant guy who thinks he’s a gift to humanity (that’s basically her type). Gojo would no doubt like a feisty, fun loving woman like Rogue. 

Geto x Emma Frost

Both can be cunning and duplicitous. Both are extremely sexy. Both are natural leaders that people tend to want to follow. Both have dealt with depression, and both have spent time on the “good side” and the “bad side” in their respective stories. Also Emma is a telepath so she could probably help Geto a lot with his emotional problems.  

Nanami x Storm

Both are considered the “mature one” of their groups. Both care deeply about the younger generation and become mentors. Both are very intelligent, and can be very kind but also stern when necessary. Nanami is one of the few men who wouldn’t feel threatened by Storm being a lot stronger than him. I think they’d get along very well. 

Sukuna x Dark Phoenix

Let me be clear. Dark Phoenix using Jean Grey’s form. Not Jean herself. Honestly I just want to pair Sukuna with someone who completely dwarfs him in power. For fun. I think he’d kinda be turned on by the fact that she devours entire solar systems for breakfast. Oh the chaos they could get up to together. But there are some similarities! Both have taken over the bodies of multiple humans, both are often associated with fire/flame powers and imagery, and both are motivated by their own hedonistic desires for pleasure. 

Choso x Psylocke

Both are strong martial artists. Both have brothers they would and have done anything to save/protect. Both have experience with inhabiting bodies that don’t belong to them. Also Choso needs someone very forward and upfront about her feelings because he’s the type to totally miss signals. And that’s Betsy in a nutshell. Betsy also seems to have a thing for emotionally damaged big brothers. 

Toji x Kitty Pryde

Okay these two have practically nothing in common besides having weird purple creatures that like to hang out on their shoulders. But they are each other’s type for sure. From what little we’ve seen of her, Toji’s wife seemed spunky and feisty (the way she’s grinning in the Zenin family tree thing says a lot). That fits Kitty. And then Kitty’s two primary romances were with a huge, muscular dude and an assassin with a checkered past and very questionable morals. Both with black hair. Toji would be like catnip to her. 

Higuruma x Cecilia Reyes

Both had respectable careers they shined in before being dragged into this superhero nonsense. Both were pulled into the action late in their lives, compared to most other characters, and both had to adapt very quickly to a world of violence and powers and villains. Both are highly intelligent and practical. These two would have plenty to talk about! 

Yuji x Jubilee

This is a match made in heaven, basically. They’re both young and fun loving, both capable of being silly and serious, both orphans who had to grow up fast, both have powerful mentors they greatly respect and want to make proud. Both even have a far more serious black haired friend that they annoy. These two would have a blast together hitting up the arcade or going to the movies. 

Megumi x Husk 

Both are hard working and put a little too much pressure on themselves. Both feel like they have something to prove, and both are a little too willing to sacrifice themselves for what they see as the greater good. Paige has a thing for moody guys in black and Megumi would definitely like a genuinely nice and caring girl like her. 

Yuta x Monet

Both are among the most powerful of their groups. Both are considered prodigies, both have a vast assortment of skills and abilities. Yuta is definitely attracted to strong, domineering women and Monet fits that completely. And due to Monet’s painful past, she really needs someone kind and caring like Yuta. 

Inumaki x Moonstar

Both have abilities they have to be very careful to control or else risk hurting their friends. Other than that, I just think they’re cute together lol. 

[kindaasrikal]

I FINISHED MY ZANE DRAWING

He was originally not gonna have pants cause i didnt find it weird since he is still a metal man, but then i realised others might take it a bit weirdly so i had to quickly add pants 😭

ANYWAYS BACKGROUND:

Zane is known to sacrifice himself for those he cares about, and it shows how deeply protective he is of his team/family. In an AU, if that protectiveness got a bit too strong…mixed a bit too much with his care…he becomes secretly obsessive. He stalks the ninja when away from him and is constantly keeping tabs on them, his relationship with them is similar to canon, but he always makes sure to know where they are and their health. None of the ninja, including Pixal and Wu, have any idea of this going on, and they never will.

He watched over the ninja (plus Pixal and Wu) in a little area in his room, and watches memories and current events they’re going through daily. His love for them all is platonic (romantic for Pixal), and as much as he is aware that watching-stalking- his family is not normal nor okay, he does it since he only ever ensures he knows what they are doing at all times, and that isn’t too bad, right?

(Wrong, its still bad, Zane just worried and cares too much to bring himself to stop)

In this AU, if his team were to find out, i feel like they’d be concerned but accepting. Like bro it’s ZANE, they trust him more than anyone. They put limits to it and rules, but other than that they let him keep doing it. In fact, this allows them to freely do the possibly stalker-ish activities they do freely.

Kai says that sometimes he tracks or follows then when he’s worried.

Nya bugged everyone’s gi with recording and tracking devices. She listens to conversations sometimes if shes suspicious (read: worried).

Jay has books on all of the ninja, and the notes are deeply personal and downright creepy.

Cole hunts down everyone one of team mates might’ve met or known, acts like he accidentally bumped into them, and slowly weeds information out of them related to them as a person and their intentions. If they’re a close friend to his teammate/s, he gets information out about their interactions of conversations.

Lloyd follows everyone. Whilst Kai probably jumps from buildings, and leaves after knowing it’s ok (most of the time), Lloyd follows on ground with a disguise. He learns the others interests and picks then up himself to bond with them, not realising that picking up the exact same comic jay just touched and hugging it whilst thinking Jay would love him if he got this and read it is kinda creepy.

Pixal bugs all of their tech, she knows every location, every conversation, and has many recordings. She never checks them though. What she does do is read their conversations through text, she likes gathering information about the ones she loves, and likes the drama that pops up sometimes.

Wu is normal, he’s like an overbearing dad who just interrogates his team with gentle words and they spill. Either that or he already knows, by guessing.

And because i need to add Morro to everything, Wu is overbearing because of not knowing everything Morro does because if he did he might’ve been able to prevent what happens.

And when Morro was younger, he used to hide behind corners and watch people, never letting them know he’s there. He never followed them, but if he’s already there and he sees you, he’s watching you in a corner until either has to leave or you do.

But thats child Morro, ghost (cursed realm) Morro pulls a Zane and watches people, so does Garmadon in the departed realm.

BUT RESURRECTED MORRO?

Yeah, he’s the only normal one. After everything he just became tame and couldn’t care anymore. He was a bit freaked out when Lloyd comes up to him two weeks later and says “you rlly like reading about horror stories, right?” Because they both have been avoiding each other and only had five normal conversations, and not a single one was casual, so how the heck did Lloyd know that.

Anyways that was fun :>

[demigodsanswer]

Percabeth dance au/baby fic

Twice Upon a Pointe baby au is on the way I promise. Here's a preview! M rated for baby making

A month before their wedding, Annabeth handed Percy a detailed schedule of when she wanted to have kids. 

Kids were a must for Percy, but he didn’t care how or when they happened. They were obviously much more of a sacrifice for Annabeth, who wouldn’t be able to dance on stage for many months, functionally sacrificing nearly a year of performance time in an already short career. He told her that they could wait until she was older, start sooner, find a surrogate, or try to adopt. Anything worked for him. 

Annabeth was not as much of a go with the flow person. She had the timeline of their family mapped out. They’d get married shortly after she turned thirty, and they’d start trying a year and half later. They wanted two, maybe three kids, and she wanted at least a year of dancing in between. 

“I want to make sure I’m dancing for The Nutcracker when I’m thirty-six, since that will be my twentieth anniversary with City Ballet,” she said, pointing to this break on the schedule. “So if I’m not pregnant by November when I’m thirty-five, we need to pause.” 

Percy looked at the time line. The hard deadline for babies was when she was thirty-eight. “I want to make sure I still have a few more good years of dance too,” she said. 

“This is remarkably thorough,” Percy said. “Trust me, I’ll do my best, but these things don’t always go according to plan,” he reminded her. 

She just kissed him. “I’ve built in plenty of wiggle room.” 

~ 

When Nutcracker season ended Annabeth had an appointment to have her IUD taken out. Birth control was replaced with neonatal vitamins, and spontaneous passionate sex was replaced with obligatory every-other-day sex (something about higher sperm counts). Percy couldn’t exactly complain, though. 

They’d been married for a year and a half, and so, according to Annabeth’s plan, it was time to get moving on baby number one. 

Really, they were both bouncing off the walls excited about their next step. They avoided telling people they were trying -- “It feels weird to announce to people that we’re fucking bare back regularly,” Annabeth had said -- which added to the excitement. Even before the baby was conceived, they had a little secret between the two of them. 

But by April there was still no baby. 

They had promised each other that sex wouldn’t become a chore, that they’d find ways to keep it interesting. But it was starting to drag on them. The Spring season didn’t make it any easier. 

Chiron had put another two weeks of Sleeping Beauty on the program, but he did it at the end of Spring for maximum exhaustion. 

Percy and Annabeth stumbled into their apartment, Percy already on Uber Eats to lock down dinner and fast, both exhausted from hours of rehearsals for Beauty and then a night of performances of ballet rep. 

“That was easier five years ago,” he complained, flopping onto their bed while Annabeth shuffled into the bathroom. He picked out her favorite tacos, selected sauces on the side, and threw in some extra chips and guac before getting on with his own order selection. 

He’d almost made up his mind when Annabeth opened the bathroom door and sighed heavily.

“Terrible news,” she said. 

Percy sat up in a panic. “What? What is it? What happened?” 

“I’m ovulating. We need to have sex tonight,” she said. 

It was supposed to be an “off night,” where the sexiest thing they did together was eat take out. 

Percy flopped back onto the bed, sighing dramatically. “Oh will the horrors of this day never end!?” He cried out in mock-distress. “Come here, gorgeous,” he said, opening his arms to her. She crawled into his embrace. “Let me just place this order. I’ll have you knocked up before the food arrives.” 

Their sex was very … Catholic: relatively passionless, missionary position, all in the service of reproduction. 

Percy was still a good man and a better husband. He made sure there was enough foreplay to make sure she got off at least once, but the actual penetration was … well, fine. It did the job. Or, more like he did his job. 

Percy finished with a grunt, burying himself inside her as she moaned. He leaned down and kissed her as he pulled out. It wasn’t the most exciting sex they’d ever had -- not even close -- but he still felt the incredible intimacy of the moment. 

He kissed her again, letting his hand tangle up in her hair, as another one lingered down to her belly. 

Four months. Four months of sex every other day, in positions optimized for conception, and he still hadn’t been able to get her pregnant. She’d been pregnant once before he knew, back when she was twenty-one and with another man. Annabeth hadn’t kept it, but the sheer existence of that clump of cells in her past meant that if there was a fertility issue, it wasn’t hers. 

He kissed his way back up, planting one on each breast, then each collarbone, before finally meeting her lips. 

“What if it doesn’t happen?” He asked through the kiss. 

“It will,” she promised. “It’s only been four months. There’s nothing to worry about.” 

He nodded, although hardly comforted by her assurances.

 “Will you hate me forever if it doesn’t?” He asked.

“Hate you forever?” She asked, resting a hand on his face, forcing him to look at her. He could feel the metal of her wedding ring against the skin of his cheek. “Of course not. Percy --” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in close of a hug. “Remember what you told me? That these things don’t always go according to plan. If it doesn’t happen, we figure out a new way, okay?” 

Percy nodded into her shoulder.

“And if it doesn't, we don’t know that it’s you,” she added. 

“You’ve been pregnant before,” he said. 

“Ten years ago, before birth control, before several mental health crises. A lot can change,” she said. “You wouldn’t hate me if it didn’t happen, would you?” she asked. Her tone wasn’t the same as his genuine worry. Percy could tell she was just trying to make her point: if he wouldn’t hate her, of course, she couldn’t hate him. 

Percy kissed her forehead. “Impossible. I could never. That you are willing to do this at all is such an incredible act of love, I can’t even --” his voice broke. 

Annabeth’s eyes started to well with tears too. They almost always did whenever Percy got emotional. Her empathy overwhelmed her. Unlike her, he hardly ever cried, so she knew if he was close it was … a tear traced its way out of the corner of her eyes, and Percy wiped it away, only for several more to follow. Soon her eyes were welling with tears too. Christ, they weren’t even pregnant yet, and they were both already emotional disasters. 

Annabeth pulled him down for another kiss. They let that one linger as Percy wiped the tears that had escaped the corners of her eyes and traced down to her temples. 

Their moment was disrupted by a knock at the door. “That’s the food,” Percy said, pulling himself up and off of her. She had to lay there for at least fifteen minutes to give it its best chance. 

Percy came back in with the bag and a roll of paper towels to keep the bed clean. When he stepped back into the room, he let himself take in the sight of his wife laying there, naked and gorgeous, her legs open slightly, as if waiting for him, the evidence of his recent presence inside her dripping out. 

When they’d stopped using condoms years ago, trusting just her birth control, he’d been so turned on by the sight of his cum leaking out of her it usually led to a second or third round. Now, it was almost disappointing. Come on boys, get back in there. You’ve got a job to do, he tried to communicate with his sperm. 

 Annabeth propped herself up on her forearms. “Are we really going to try and eat tacos in bed?” She asked. 

“I know you’re hungry. I’ll feed them to you and keep the bed clean,” he promised. 

“You’re the perfect man, did you know that?” She asked. 

“I do my best,” he said. He mostly ended up feeding her chips and guac until she felt like sitting up. 

“Could you get me a washcloth,” she asked, scooting herself up. Percy wet one under the bathroom sink, hoping the water wasn’t too hot or cold. 

She dropped it on her nightstand when she was done using it between her legs. “If I don’t get up and wash my hands, will you judge me?” She asked, reaching for a taco. 

“You had my entire dick in your mouth twenty minutes ago,” he reminded her. Annabeth was super hot, but seeing her naked wasn’t enough on its own to make him spontaneously hard and ready for baby making. The number of blow jobs he received had gone up in the last few months, but the number of blow jobs he got to completion had gone down to zero. He was under strict instructions to finish in one place and one place only. It was the best of places, sure, but he could do with a little variety here and there. 

“Great,” she said, chowing down without much care. 

“You know, if you get pregnant tonight, you’ll be pregnant for Sleeping Beauty,” Percy reminded her. 

“I know,” she said, a bite of food in her mouth, but still managing a smile. 

“Do you think you’d still be able to do it?” He asked. 

She nodded. “I’ll be what? Four weeks? We might not even know yet.” She took another bite. 

Percy nodded. “Doesn’t matter, though. We don’t know if that one worked,” he said. 

“One of them will,” She promised, but in her eyes he only saw a desperate look of hope. 

Logically, he knew that, if that were the case, they’d move onto another plan. But they were both so ready, and so hopeful. It needed to happen some time. And, Percy hoped, sooner than later. There was only so much more Catholic Church-approved intercourse he could keep having.

[rheasonly1]

Nightfall was the planned time to meet him. You would bang three times on the fence and he would know It was you.

6 weeks you had survived without your loyal and loving companion by your side. The sleepless nights and the empty side of the bed haunted you like a ghost. The room was much colder now and felt no where near as comfortable without the blue-eyed archer softly snoring next to you.

Oh how you missed the warmth of his body snuggled up against yours.

Everybody in Alexandria had lost hope. But there was something inside of you telling you that he was still living and breathing. Still going strong just like you knew he could.

This small spark of hope gave you the grand idea of making a trade with the sanctuary. Fairly simple yet such a big sacrifice. You decided you would switch roles with Daryl. You would become one of many of Negan’s wives, and Daryl would be granted his freedom. He’d return living in Alexandria with the group.

The plan was brilliant. You would keep it from everyone and have them think you died or got lost out on a run. They’d look for you and eventually give up hope.

Just like they did for Daryl.

You were mad towards them at how easily they gave up on him. You didn’t care how much they were struggling because they had no idea what Daryl must be going through.

And it made you more upset that Daryl wouldn’t be surprised, knowing he was used to such poor treatment.

You didn’t even want to begin to imagine how Negan was torturing him right this second.

That set you off. You’d been waiting long enough and decided to get there early. You snuck underneath one of the broken walls that hadn’t been fixed. Successfully you went unnoticed.

3 hours later you were outside the gates of the Sanctuary. The nerves crashed down on you like a ton of bricks nearly making your legs buckle underneath you, but you managed to compose yourself.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Immediately the intimidating gates opened for your entry. Hesitantly you began walking up the path leading to the main building. Soon enough two armed saviours appeared either side of you, eyeing you up and down inspecting every inch of you. Their prolonged stare made your skin feel like it was burning but gave you goosebumps at the same time.

“Leave her.” A rough voice demanded.

Simon appeared from behind a large container holding onto his belt like his life depended on it. He started to chuckle.

“Didn’t think you’d have the balls to go through with this…especially arriving extra early.” He looked around at the saviours who had suddenly appeared all around you.

“Right?”. He asked nodding at a few of them whilst still laughing.

All the saviours joined him in a Mexican wave of laughs.

“Well then! Let’s go meet the man.” He said as he started to walk to the front doors of the building.

Once again two armed saviours accompanied you, one on each side.

Simon had guided you through almost all of the sanctuary and it felt like hours until you got to the point of your arrival.

Simon banged on the door of Negan’s office.

“Come in.” A voice from the other side of the door ordered.

The door swung open and you were practically thrown into the room by both of the saviours beside you.

“Guys guys guys. No need to be so harsh! She is doing us a favour after all.” He teased as he grinned at you.

That disgusting smile sent shivers down your spine every time and he knew it. Simon pulled out the chair in front of you as the gentleman he was. “Please take a seat.” Negan offered.

It was a short conversation with Negan about the deal and it was put into action straight away. Daryl was taken from his cell and was granted his freedom, left to venture out on his own.

You were walking through the sanctuary when you froze in your spot.

You didn’t expect to see him so soon. He was battered and bruised. His frame shook as he walked, with his shoulders shrugged and his head pointed down at the floor. A hoarse sob escaped your throat and his head flew your way.

Without hesitation he ran towards you and threw his arms around you holding on for dear life. He soon let go and grabbed your hand “cmon let’s go.” He whispered. You stood your ground and refused to move. something you were dreading.

“No Daryl.” You shook your head as tears started to form in your eyes.

He stood there confused and his eyes narrowed as if he was angry. He walked back over to you and grabbed your hands caressing your knuckles softly. “You’re free. Go back to Alexandria they need you.” You whispered.

You didn’t give him time to respond as you crashed your lips on to his cupping his face in your hands knowing this could be the last time you ever saw him.

Suddenly you heard Negan’s voice not too far away. You quickly pulled away. “Daryl you need to go. Now!” Hesitantly he ran over to one of the many motorcycles firing it up and rode away hopefully back to Alexandria.

And just like that he was gone. The deal was done and you had given yourself up to Negan to do his bidding.

———————————————————————

This was requested by: @bizquake

This was hard to write only because I found it difficult to make it flow one scene into another. But other than that I really loved this idea. Its quite angsty and I’m working on being able to write angst stories better.

But Thankyou so much for this request!

[musicalmoritz]

Ok ok I want you to think about swap terukane so like clock keeper Teru x exorcist Akane. And also like Akanes the super super popular school president. Yea so like thoughts/headcanons?? (I always cook up the most insane ideas in the middle of the night and I actually remember this one vaguely!)

Let’s talk about the Terukane swap au!! I’ve seen a few people write and draw for this but I’ve never rly read any of the fics or looked too much into it so I’m entirely making this shit up on my own, Ik this is a popular trope so I apologize if I miss any of the sub tropes that are included with it ;-;

It’s hard for me to separate Teru or Kou from exorcism since the Minamotos were a real life clan, but I don’t think I’d go about this in the “Akane is a Minamoto and Teru is an Aoi” way. I suppose for this au it’s most reasonable to say the Minamotos are a regular family and the Aois are the exorcist clan. That provides another fun question tho, are the Akane girls still kannagi?? Since this is strictly a Terukane swap au I’ll assume they are, though if we wanted to take it further we could swap Aoi with Nene or one of the other characters. It’s easier for me to follow strict guidelines tho so I’m gonna keep it at just Terukane being swapped

That alone changes so much of the story tho, it’s very interesting to me. We’ll say the Minamotos are still a strict/traditional family, so there’s still some pressure on Teru and Kou. Just not to the extent that there is in canon. And assuming their mom still died in due to complications from childbirth, their dad would still be absent and Teru and Kou will still have to grow up too soon by raising Tiara. But things would be significantly easier on them since they’d be taking care of the family together. Teru would learn basic life skills like cooking, which would take a load off of Kou. Then since the work would be split, they’d both have more free time on their hands. If one of them wants to hang out with friends, the other can take over cooking and cleaning for the night. Tho that would lead to numerous sibling arguments, since Teru is the oldest he’d probably push Kou around a bit when they’re younger lol. He’d run that house like the military

I want to say Kou is the one the Clock Keepers threaten him with since Teru is so protective of him, but that wouldn’t rly work since they wouldn’t be at school together during Teru’s first year of junior high. As an oldest sibling, Teru is very protective by nature, so they might be able to choose any random student. Once they have him where they want him, they throw in some threats aimed at his siblings to secure their chances of making a contract. So Teru ends up going down the same self-sacrificial route we see in canon, he becomes a Clock Keeper so that no one else has to do it

Without any siblings, Akane is the soul beholder of the family legacy. Self-sacrifice isn’t even an option for him, he’s the only one who can succeed his parents so he must do it. Then there’s Aoi, his childhood best friend. If Akane were an exorcist and they grew up together, Aoi would find out about supernaturals way sooner. Maybe he tells her himself, because he can no longer carry the burden alone. And he knows she’s a kannagi, that something bad could happen to her someday if he doesn’t keep a close eye on her, so he has to watch her like a hawk. In this au there’s not as many secrets between them, so much is at stake so they have to be transparent with each other. Akane’s honesty inspires Aoi to be more honest with him as well. So the obsession between them, platonic or otherwise, is a lot more mutual. They developed sort of a trauma bond at an early age and now they have to look out for each other

Akane’s popularity comes from his natural inclination to help others. He’s such a kind person, even if he can be aggressive. And without him having to constantly chase Aoi, no one thinks he’s a weirdo. It’s a little odd that he’s so protective of his friend, but he’s so damn nice that everyone just shrugs it off as him being sweet. Teru though? Teru is the weirdo

His family is still strict but without the same expectations placed on him, there’s no need for him to try and excel at everything. No one cares if he’s the best student so he can do whatever he wants. And yeah, he’s pretty, but he’s also loud and annoying. He teases people and gets creepily sadistic at times. This ties into my audhd Minamotos headcanon, without the pressure he’s under in canon, Teru feels less of a need to mask. He still does it to some extent due to societal pressure and all but the only opinion he really cares about are those of his siblings, so he’s content to be himself. He makes a few friends this way too, he’s not exactly popular but the people who get him get him. I’m gonna make him friends with Nene in this au, she appreciates his realness

Because of Akane’s hatred for supernaturals, they don’t get along at first. Teru joins the Student Council to keep a better eye on everyone so he can do better at his job as a Clock Keeper. Kou attending Kamome and getting closer with supernaturals has a lot to do with it. When they first meet, Akane ties Teru up and tries to interrogate him but bcuz this is Less Traumatized Teru it goes way differently than he planned. Teru’s filter is nonexistent so when Akane tries to threaten him he’s just like “oh hello cute boy I like you very much.” But the thing is, Akane can’t tell if Teru is joking or not. He assumes he must be, because there’s no way a School Mystery feels things like love and crushes. Still, Teru is so painfully Just A Regular Dude that Akane is forced to see him differently. Cue the typical Terukane “relationship built on trust” shenanigans. Reluctant partners in crime and what not

I’m not gonna go as far as to say they have a Sakura and Natsuhiko type dynamic but it’s similar. The classic “are you flirting with me?” “have been for the past 10 years, thanks for noticing” meme. Think of it as all of Teru’s jokes about liking Aoi in canon if they were directly aimed at Akane instead. Then the “wait- do you have genuine feelings for Ao-chan?” scene becomes “do you have genuine feelings for me?” or “were you serious this whole time?” Their dynamic changes a lot after that. Akane starts flirting back, and instead of using Aoi to motivate Teru he uses himself. “Help me save her and I might take you up on that offer for a date.” And then they do go on a date, at the school festival right before everything turns to shit

Adding to that, in this au I imagine Aoi and Akane are the ones betrothed in the new timeline. This brings in conflict bcuz let’s say Akane used to have feelings for Aoi but those faded over time, it’s all platonic between them now as opposed to what we see in canon. So he has the opportunity to either be with the girl he used to love, the girl he’s been with all his life, his safety blanket…or go back to the boy who’s stolen his heart. Damn that was cheesy, I’m cooking here

Kako also becomes Teru’s father figure btw bcuz he needs one. And despite his dislike for supernaturals, Teru adores Mirai bcuz she reminds him of Tiara. Found family ftw

Thanks for the ask, I hadn’t thought much abt this au before but now I’ve gotten myself invested

[liloinkoink]

ok. uh. Hoe does everyone meet in the dnd campaign? I havnt heard much outside of you guys arting about it

Syyrin and Ellery met first. Ellery is the only person w a longer-than-human lifespan, and he’d been wandering the world aimlessly as a traveler and lone worshipper of Myrkul for a few decades

eventually he met Syyrin. we haven’t fully fleshed out what their first meeting was, but cj was thinking they met on the road on a heavily rainy day. they’d started off formal and polite but by the end they were both drenched and covered in thick mud and felt a closeness after seeing each other at their worst and most disgraceful. they kept traveling together after that

Ellery started the Myrkul temple specifically bc he’s a few centuries old. he’s seen a lot of deaths but even with all his experience, he’s terrified of dying, and he hates losing people. he worships myrkul as a way to try and be comfortable with it and make it less daunting for people around him. myrkul worship is shunned, so eventually he starts the temple as a way to make it less hidden or shameful, in part bc spending time w Syyrin lead him to realize how little he wants to be alone

Syyrin joins him in founding the cult and does a lot of the administrative half (while Ellery handles the religious aspects)

Flint joins not too long after. he grew up alone on the streets and i’m sure has seen his fair share of death. he loses his last tie keeping him there at the same time he meets Syyrin and after a bit of shenanigans she invites him. at the end, they play a card game—Syyrin says if she wins, Flint joins. Flint, a master at cards, throws the game

Iscariot is the last actual member of the cult. a group of Cyric worshipers fake converting as an attempt to get in and take over, and Iscariot is among them. he’s been raised on violence as he only form of connection available to him his whole life, and secretly fascinated by the softer and more caring approach to death presented in the group. this culminates in him neglecting a ritual sacrifice of an anime and letting it live, breaking his paladin’s oath to cyric, losing his faith and magic entirely

Ellery is the only member of the Myrkul trio he actually properly meets before the sacrifice. Ellery finds him in the midst of his crisis of faith—Iscariot had cut open his own hand just to test his ability to heal himself and been left bleeding and afraid. Ellery bandages his wound up, the first kind touch he knows, and expresses sympathy and care. he thinks of killing Ellery as a test of his faith to Cyric, but his magic never returns. he swears a new oath to Ellery once he’s revived

Mar isn’t part of the temple at all but is brought in by Mabuz and the Cyric gang as a sacrifice. she meets Flint bc he’s also detained to sacrifice, and meets Iscariot bc he kills her. she meets Ellery bc Ellery goes looking for her after his revival and Syyrin bc she sees the three of them wandering around and helps them all escape (which is about when Iscariot also officially meets Syyrin and Flint—mess of a moment). Mar has the least history w everyone and her bonds w the others are the most fraught

the first meetings aren’t all thought out fully yet? but this is about what we’ve got

[nynyhaha]

Thinking about the way Chrollo represents apathy and passion.

When I first saw him,he gave the impression of someone who is both very serious about his occupation and on some kind of mission,and someone who just lets things happen.

The reason he seemed so enigmatic compared to other troupe members is because we couldn’t grasp what he actually values, besides obviously the spider.This whole line of his about not caring for money,glory or fame.The fact that he sells the loot soon after stealing it.

It doesn’t make sense for a thief to be this indifferent towards the treasures he steals.And while the troupe risked their lives trying to steal from the auction,when things went wrong the loot was the last thing they considered.I always wondered what happened to all the boxes at their hideout.I hope they didn’t just leave it there??But it was never the main focus,

I think he occasionally finds something that fascinates him,just to discard it afterwards.It’s almost like he tries very hard to,excuse me, “fill the emptiness inside him”,with material possessions but is painfully aware that it’s not possible.The troupe are primarily known as thieves but it seems obtaining stuff can’t be that satisfying,at least not to Chrollo. Even if he tells everyone to “just steal” in his character song.

The scarlet eyes might’ve caught his attention at some point but again,he’s very dismissive of the whole kurta theme even when Kurapika demands some response.

So I don’t believe it’s greed that drives him.In fact,he doesn’t know what drives him.

And the reason he’s able to commit all those horrible deeds is because of his disconnection with PEOPLE. Being the leader,he’s somewhat set apart from the rest of the spiders.And there are rules that put the good of the organisation before the well-being of the members.That’s supposed to prevent members from caring as much for one another.Which is tragic.

It all only started because they all cared.

How are characters humanised in hunter x hunter? Trough forming bonds with other characters.

Killua and meruem are excellent examples.Both of them grew to care more about humans in general trough meeting a particular person.

Chrollo lost someone important and that very personal grief lead him to stop caring about human lives.Not just his own,but the ones of his fellow troupe members.

Obviously it didn’t work and they still feel very strongly for each other.The whole yorknew arc focuses on those repressed feelings of camaraderie that aren’t allowed to be experienced fully as that would interfere with the Spider.Pakunoda has to break the rules if she wants to save the life of her friend.

Chrollo can’t do that because the Spider with its rules is all he has.He’s very good at ���severing ties” with things like living a save life,the authorities,possibly religion,connections with other people,seeing dead bodies as something to be respected and not as objects.He’s willing to give up everything that made him who he was,but what does he have in turn? Nothing.

The Spider needs to have a purpose but it seems that purpose is lost.Chrollo is lost,all his sacrifices lead to nothing.

He doesn’t even feel hate or anger at the world.He rarely takes things personally.

I think there was some revenge based reason for murdering the kurta clan.The troupe seem like they’d have some reason,even tho it could never be good enough.

But my thesis is that Chrollo’s biggest sin isn’t greed,pride,anger or whatever.It’s apathy.

Nothing prevents him from hurting people who have nothing to do with him,therefore he does.

He’s afraid that things will start mattering again,but at the same time we see him constantly searching for that something.He is scared of it,but he really strives to strive for something so that he can break out of this indifference he feels for everything.

So maybe Hisoka will awake some of this rage buried inside and with it make Chrollo once again seem like a very distressed human.

[ilikekidsshows]

It's wild how people said Adrienette is couple goals or best couple because if it's happened IRL people would shouted 'stay away from that toxic bitch' but then I remembered one of my friends told me she likes joker and Harley and wish she has relationship like them and my brain goes brrr instantly 🥶

---

I actually kinda get the idea of codependent relationships being a fantasy, but the way people fantasize about them can only ever be a fantasy. The idea of there being a person who’s so perfect for you that they fulfill your every want and need is the entire reason why soulmates are such a popular concept. The same thing applies to the fantasy that you, as you are now, are perfect for someone in a way that requires you to do no work to accommodate another person and their needs because you’re already perfect.

This perfect match being a romantic partner is enforced by the amatonormative standards of current society. Many cultures lead to people being raised to put completely unreasonable demands on romance and their future partner. To these kinds of people, the lovesquare really is a dream come true, a relationship where you fit each other so perfectly that you never have to actually do anything to gain, maintain and keep said relationship.

Of course, when we look at the actual situation in Miraculous, this fantasy is only being fulfilled on Marinette’s part in the relationship. She can make whatever demands she wants and have them be met, she can have all her needs catered to and she doesn’t need to change one iota, and if she changes for the worse, well, her partner will just accept her and her treatment of him anyway because they’re so perfect for each other. But, the thing is, Marinette getting all of this out of the relationship, getting to make all the demands while having to deal with none from her partner, is only made possible through the further risking and damaging of Adrien’s mental and emotional well-being. Adrien has to be hurt so that Marinette can avoid being hurt, or even mildly inconvenienced if we’re being honest.

But even that is romantic to the people who glorify these types of relationships. The idea that someone loves you so much that they’d actively compromise their own well-being and health for you is very romantic when you just consider yourself a passive recipient of care and that the fantasy doesn’t have consequences. But, in reality, what human being has so much mental fortitude that they’d be able to make all the sacrifices for their partner while never getting any consideration back or even a break because said partner is so dependent? And, when this fortitude inevitably breaks, what do you think the supposed soulmate of this perfect, self-sacrificing partner will do once their significant other has given all they can, when his mental health cracks from the pressure of maintaining hers? She’ll do whatever she can to avoid having to give that care back, like gaslighting him into thinking that his problems don't actually exist.

This thing about fantasizing about unhealthy, toxic or even abusive relationships is that it always comes without the consequences such a thing would actually have in real life. The people glorifying the lovesquare fully expect Adrien to always be okay enough to put Marinette's needs first, even if he isn't fully okay, because him not being fully okay and still making sacrifices for her is romantic to them, and the fantasy includes that this state can just be maintained into perpetuity. It’s the same thing with seeing Harley and the Joker as a good couple. He literally beats her, but he’s also so obsessed with her that he’d hunt her down if she left him or kill for her. The people who think this relationship is #couple goals are only seeing the obsession, but think that kind of obsession can come without the negative consequences of it, the mistreatment.

[beezonia]

okay since me and nina were talking about crazy ex girlfriend and the song “it was a shit show”

my brain has non stop been thinking about how well it goes with Nathalie and her relationship with the Agreste’s

so take this and do what you like with it and hey @ninadove thank you for kicking the brain worms in my head

——

I love you yes, and I confess, the thought of staying is so enticing

She has to go, before things with them get worse.

But it’s hard Nathalie has been with the Agreste’s for most of her life. To leave would be potentially the worse thing she’s done!

They’d been her confidant’s her shoulders to lean on, until they weren’t.

Until they hurt her and broke her. Emilie and Gabriel taunted her with the power she could never have, with the love she’d never have.

They never did love her the way she’d loved them. God why would they, what did Nathalie had they made her so special in their eyes?

It was then Nathalie knew she had to go. Before it was to late.

Before her poor heart shattered into so many pieces. She’d never recover, Nathalie would be theirs to mould and shape into whatever they wanted her to be.

A puppet.

I can’t believe what I’m sacrificing

She thinks of Adrien and how he struggles to live up to what they expect of him, the legacies he’s surrounded by.

If she leaves now what would he do but sacrifice himself like a lamb. Afraid to let those closest to him down.

God Nathalie can’t leave, she can’t watch him curl into a shell and hide.

He’s a teenager Adrien should be living his life not running away from it!

She’d be sacrificing they boy’s happiness, if Nathalie quit, took everything she had and what they owed her. She’d be leading Adrien like a lamb to slaughter (they’d take their anger out on him and Nathalie couldn’t dare have that happen)

We can’t undo, can’t make amends.

“Oh? Did you think we cared enough to take you with us?”

It’s a sneer, a memory Nathalie doesn’t want to remember. They’d laughed and laughed in her face until she’d been sure of the tears pooling in her eyes.

“Remember your place, Sancoeur.”

Nathalie had all but dragged her feet towards the door, storming off in a flurry of anger and embarrassment.

The woman should have known then that everything she’d done, the person she’d become was just not her.

No, she was a shell of the woman she had been in her prime. Bold and free, now Nathalie was cold and frigid.

They couldn’t make amends and she has no clue why she didn’t notice it till it was right in front of her.

Dysfunction is our lingua franca

Emilie depended on her to much, Gabriel depended on her to little. They both push and pulled like Nathalie was some sort of rag doll.

It hurt her heart that they’d never care for her like they did each other.

Emilie wanted more of Nathalie, Gabriel wanted less but the desire in his eyes said otherwise.

It was dizzying, Nathalie could never think straight when she was with them. It was dark and choppy, like rouge waters in the sea.

She never knew what was coming, if it was bad or good. Would they praise her with sweet words or would they spill poison from painted lips.

Life is short and we’re not getting any younger

When Nathalie thinks back on it, she’s wasted the better half of her life waiting for them to finally adore her.

But of course, that adoration only goes to Emilie, that passionate fire burns the brightest for her.

For each other.

No way in hell would they add another mixture into that equation. It’d cause chaos, unbalance in their lives.

But she’s getting older and Nathalie might as well just live as a hermit. Closed off from the world and the harshness of heartache.

Yeah. That’s exactly what she’d do.

That’s exactly when I should split though.

Nathalie packs her bags one clear night, better to leave without a trace then cause a scene.

Heart thumping in it’s cage, this was a whole new chapter. Leaving the place she’d called home and finding a new place.

A new life, a better no dysfunction life.

She was free! Or she’d hoped to be.

“You’re leaving us?!”

No response.

“Now you’re going to ignore us?!”

Again, no response.

“Don’t go, you can’t!”

It’s Emilie pleading for her to stay, but Nathalie ignores her big puppy dog eyes. She’s gotten over them.

“I can. Thank you for giving me this job, I’ll see myself out.”

I won’t forget, I won’t regret. This beautiful, heart-stopping, breathtaking, life changing….

——-

I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCHHHHH I AM CRYING

[sepublic]

Homesick!

I just gotta say I love the pun of this episode’s title; I thought Homesick would allude to it being about Luz missing home, but it was actually a joke on Hooty being sick!

That said, we DID get what would’ve been our first look at Manny, as well as an early version of Camila lore! Turns out she was going to be a nurse, but in the end I think I like veterinarian better. Still, I remember discussing healing back during S1A as a potential track for Luz because of this, so to see that theme be apparent with both parents was cool!

Manny’s face being shrouded also seems to indicate that the dramatic reveal behind him -the illness- was always planned, at least since the pilots. Luz said he drove an ambulance, past tense, which seems like some dark irony given he probably needed one at one point. Remember how some of us theorized after Reaching Out that the Abomaton alarm reminded Luz of an ambulance siren related to her father? Man… On the plus side! We can guess Camila and Manny met through their professions, so we could try applying that to canon as well! Compassion is such a Noceda trait I love it.

Likewise, I appreciate how these two leaked storyboards have Luz and Eda covering for each other! One sticks their neck out because something means a lot for the other, but the other decides it’s not so important they’d sacrifice the one for it… With this episode, Eda doesn’t want Luz to look like a dunce but Luz is honest and can’t bear to see her mentor be mocked either, and is trying to take responsibility for what she feels is HER mistake too! It’s really sweet seeing Eda inadvertently teach Luz the Healing glyph.

Speaking of, it seems we would’ve gotten individual glyphs for all spells, as the fandom once assumed! I guess the show did glyph combos to explain why Luz doesn’t immediately find everything, as well as create a sort of fun system behind Luz having to mix and match things. And we even got to see what we always wanted; Luz making an ENORMOUS glyph around her enemy! Goes to show my speculation that since glyphs rely on the magic around them, they aren’t physically taxing; Something we see brought up with Eda’s own magic.

Caduceia reminded me of an early Hermonculus, being a teacher who didn’t really care much for the actual students and even seemed to enjoy mocking them! She looks like Raine, so much that I wonder if the design was repurposed for them because it was such a nice one! I dig the play on Caduceus, with Snakeslie as a palisman! Snakeslie looks so much like a worm on a string. Given Luz and Caduceia are both healers, it’s neat they have a snake in common, though Caduceia’s seems to allude to her being a snake (liar); Her palisman’s name is literally Snakeslie. Snakes lie. Glad to see Stringbean with the positive rep!

I also love the gag of King calling himself the King of whatever’s convenient, and it was really cute seeing him want to prove his own worth! Because two witches, it’d be easy to feel like he has nothing to offer, which is part of Sense and Insensivity in canon! There’s parallels between the A and B-plots, with Luz and King feeling ineffectual and their owl friend supporting them, only to be helped as well! Eda and Owlbert are linked and hell so are the demon hunters and Caduceia!

The House Demon lore was neat, even if it was stuff we already figured out with canon; House Demons being like hermit crabs, and also rare! Seeing healing magic be used to make someone sick and even control their mucus/phlegm was disgusting yet fascinating! And I was delighted to see the demon hunters again, they’re underrated side characters imo and we even got a crew nickname for another one of them!

I also like the bit of the moral here; That sometimes, it’s not that a student is bad or isn’t trying, sometimes the teacher is failing them. Maybe some people think this generation is raised too soft and coddled, but I think it’s an important reassurance for a lot of kids who struggle and blame themselves for it; I’ve taken teaching classes before, and we were taught to be vigilant with ourselves as potentially inadequate for students. It’s the onus of the teacher to adapt to a kid’s needs after all, and actually care!!!

What an unexpected delight! I never imagined the crew made storyboards for additional episodes and not just the pilot! This one has no voice alas, but it’s better than nothing and I feel storyboards have such a nice charm to themselves as well! I really thought the pilot would be my last episode review, but I keep getting pleasantly surprised and gifted by this show…!