#actually i have done that and i can confirm thats my reaction

[horce-divorce]

Any fellow rockhounds out here??? Check out this sweet brick I found today. Thank you Lake Michigan for your endless wonders and treasures

[quitealotofsodapop]

Hey Mac, we thought you were dead;

Sequel to this post on Macaque being back in the "Century Stone Egg Au".

After the pregnant Monkey King breaks his shock, he'd run to embrace Macaque, even if he'd just been super close to clawing his eye out (again) and that they're last meeting was a huge fight. He only holds back because he's honestly a little scared/worried how and why Macaque is there. Wukong is immediately trying to apolgise for his violent reaction, but Macaque just laughes out; "Nah, it's my fault. Should've asked first." It's only with the shadow monkeys' breathy, almost *fond* laughter that Wukong realises that Mac is truly there for peace. Mac's interaction with PIF further confirms this.

The reincarnation gang + the dragon couple are super sketched out though. Pigsy is the one to loudly ask "How do you know it's him and not some weird copycat?", mostly cus he's legit worried for Wukong in this moment. Somebody's dead partner don't just show up one day!

Wukong responds with his Gold Vision + its hard to fake the way Mac smells. The gang still refuse to leave the two alone together until they recieve a decent explaination.

The fact that Macaque literally looks like he crawled out of the grave quickly gives everybody a bad feeling, and they def force Mac to sit down and explain how tf he came back to life before he's even allowed smell Wukong.

Macaque: "I may have agreed to do something... kinda stupid in hindsight." Wukong, : "Mac... look at me. What did you do?" Macaque: "...ok don't be mad." Wukong: "I'm preemptively seething." Macaque: "I accepted a deal from the White Bone Spirit." Wukong: "I'M FURIOUS!!!" *starts throwing whatever's closest at Mac* Macaque, dodges a pillow: "Pfff! Calm down, it's not like I'm actually gonna do it! She brought me back to life to release her from a tomb or something and I chucked the key away the second I got back." The whole Room: "..." Wukong: "Mihou... thats the stupidiest thing you could have done!" *summons hair clones to throw stuff at Mac* Macaque, now failing to dodge fruit: "OW! Why are you upset!? We both know nothing good will come of letting that demon free!" PIF: "Mihou, if this Bone Demon was able to bring you back from the dead, then she has the power to track you down and recind her offer." Macaque: "...so you're saying that I have to fufill her deal, or I might get dragged back to Diyu?" Wukong and PIF, at the same time: "YES!!!" Macaque: "Shit." The Whole Room: *covering Red and Mei's ears* "LANGUAGE!!" Tang: "You should work on that before the baby gets here.

Oh you better believe Mac's in the doghouse until they can figure out how to resolve the LBD business deal. PIF calls up her lawyer to go over the exact terms and conditions.

Fire Star: "Ok, I've got good news and bad news." Macaque: "Bad news first." Fire Star: "The Lady Bone Demon's geas is airtight. You will have to open her tomb *slash* free her spirit in order to keep your place in this mortal realm - less you be recalled at a later date for a task of similar value or until she makes you redundant." Pigsy: "Translate for the non-lawyers please." Fire Star: "Either he does it, or she makes him do it, or she just takes his soul." Macaque: "Shit." Wukong & PIF: *glaring daggers at Mac* Macaque: "So what's the good news?" Fire Star, slyly: "Those are the only conditions to the geas. There's a reason you need lawyers for these kind of things nowadays. She didn't stipulate say... where to release her. Or whom would be present to greet her when her tomb opens." Everyone: *shares similar delighted/scheming looks* (*a few hours + a few calls to a worried Nezha later*) Macaque: *unlocks LBD's tomb* LBD: "Freedom! Freedom! Fr-" All of Wukong's allies in the Heavenly Army + Diyu officials:

LBD: "Oh bother."

As the Bone Demon gets carted away for conspiracy to destroy the world, she gets yelled at by all of the Underworld/Diyu officials that now have to deal with the fallout of her actions.

King Yama: "Do you understand how much paperwork I have to do to mark this monkey as alive!? He doesn't have a death date! It's been blotted out! I'll be correcting his files for months!!" Macaque: *high fives Fire Star for the solid lawyer-ing*

As far as Hell/Diyu is concerned, Macaque performed a service and was paid upfront. They don't want the headache of trying to take him back if his mate (someone who's trashed Hell before) wants to keep him.

Wukong is still super-mad at Mac for a variety of reasons, don't get hom wrong. But he's atleast glad in the moment to have his mate back. And glad that LBD is gone for the forseeable future.

[ganondoodle]

I am sorry to hear that the depression has stolen your spark.

I want you to know that you are the sole reason I gave Skyward Sword a chance. Your art was so beautiful and compelling that I just had to know about the media it came from.

Your art introduced me to an incredible community that years later, I am still benefitting from. Your art was the gateway, and I've always been thankful to you for that.

I hope your spark realights, and I hope you can kick depression right in its ass.

i- i did that????? qoq

yes im reviving old reaction pictures

i hope im not ruining the mood bc .. this legitimately made me tear up and i kept thinking of this ever since receiving the ask-

but bc i cant keep my mouth shut (i apologize if you are already well aware of all this i just .. like to talk i guess), i ... idk i have said this before but i feel incredibly conflicted about demise (am i allowed to like him??? do i even like him when i changed him so much??? am i a fraud fan????) and the game he comes from, i .. dont actually like skyward sword that much, or, not as much as it may seem like (my favorite is windwaker, second is botw), every now and then i even feel guilty for demise being my blorbo tm- as much as i love him im under no illusion what his introduction to the series did, the games lore is not .. great, it seems to have kickstarted the decline of the series writing and completely torpedoed any sort of fandom discussion by making zelda a literal reincarnation of the good tm gods of love and light and peace and everything good tm uwu and pit her against an evil demonnnnn that just crawled out the earth one day (??) and was only evil and bad and dark and hate incarnate an hated the good tm gods bc hes jsut so eviiiil, it gave rise to the utter dissmissal of any sort of ganondorf related discussions (funny how it only seems to apply to ganondorf, and none of the other villains hmmmmmmmmmmmm) bc, while not confirmed confirmed (though the fandom likes to pretend that), hes now widely seen as a reincarnation of demise and thus, doesnt need nuance or be given any grace or thought bc apparently when you say someone is a demon (or its reincarnation, which i dont believe ganondorf is, to be clear) that means its fine to not give them any thought bc demons are just evil tm and thats ok and good writing actually (wat????)

(if you take skysw as canonically how it all went down bc my interpretation makes it all be a fabricated lie so the gods can play their little games, there is no godess reincarnation, that was a lie to make way for an opressive kingdom belivieing itself to be irrevocably good no matter what they do etc)

it also cheapens any of the past entries, all of them have been flattened by this, why disscuss ganondorfs motivation lol, he just be a demon/demons puppet, zelda could never be wrong or do bad things bc she literal incarnation of goodness uwu etc- (and then totk, only the second game after skysw, retreads its points and makes it even worse while ALSO trampeling over that game imo)

i dont like saying it, but i do feel a little alienated even from ganondorf fans (i love him too!!!!!) bc they hate demise, and rightfully so, it feels weird having your main blorbo be the reason your second fav is constantly done dirty, why you cant even talk about anything critically bc 'iTs jUst a sIMpLe fAiRytALe' now and part of the reason the lore in general has gone to shit, and i dont know how much i can talk about that before i become an obnoxious 'well ACTUALLY my blorbo, who is the reason for all this, is ALSO done dirty and im gonna explain away the bad stuff via my completely noncanon reinterpretation-' guy, or if i already am what im doing with destiny is like .. my way of trying to fix it and make it interesting again? though at this point i guess im falling into the category of people who change their blorbo so much that there really isnt anythign left of the og, which worries me alot, though i wonder if thats even possible given how little there is to him in the first place, i so often see viral posts that make me feel guilty or conflicted for the way i work with media, "actually my blorbo did all those crimes and thats good you all who need to explain away the bad things are weak and annoying!!" "people who change their favs until they barely resemble the character anymore should just make an oc instead!!"-

i dont know if i take these types of posts too literally, i dont know when or how they apply, but it always circles around in my head, i know not everyone can like what you do, but i want to work with the material i have in an interesting way, not a puritanical way (or however you call that), its not in my mind every second, but it nevertheless makes me doubt what i do with my fanworks anytime i talk about them-

... this wasnt really the point of the message was it ... apologies, i hope not every ask will devolve into a sort of mini rant ;__; i dont mean to invalidate what you said, (and im not saying skyward sword is all bad, its full of charm, from characters to designs, just the lore is .. damaging) it is incredibly touching bc me or my art having a positive impact on people blindsides me every single time like "WHAT??? IMPOSSIBLE you MUST be thinking of someone else, no way i could do that", when something gets brought up my thoughts just kinda start pouring out, i thought about deleting everything i wrote, but then felt like that wouldnt be as genuine anymore (i am not normal tm after all and im long past a point pretending otherwise) and have wasted another hour for nothing, so im gonne leave it in and hope, pray even, it comes across correctly

q-q

[hey-cringelord]

last night a friend and i got really deep into the kiritetsu friendship and eventually spiralled into a lengthy conversation about tetsutetsu being not transgender, but the biggest ally in existence

started with "kirishima and tetsutetsu are similar, so theyre both transmen" then decided no, actually, tetsutetsu just had no idea that was a thing

convo highlights:

theyre gym bros. often sending each other post-pump day pics fresh out the shower (there might have been a mention about near- full bush in the pic. cannot confirm or deny)

the first time kiri sent a pic tetsutetsu thought the kt tape he uses to bind was from a very serious injury that kiri didn't tell him about. cue kiri mansplaining chest binding, what it means being a transman, and tetsutetsu's immediate 100% support

"super manly bro" "manly man!" ⬅️ live tetsutetsu reaction

more about being gym bros and the pics they send because theyre so fucking funny:

kiri is an avid leg day fan. tetsutetsu is not. multiple arguments here that is just gym bro mumbo jumbo to any unlucky eavesdropper

tetsu believes core should be given its own dedicated time slot at the gym. kiri has never once done core workouts on purpose and just loops core into his usual routine (and by letting his classmates rock his shit in training). more arguments ensue

their leg day pics to each other are either shorts pulled way too far up or just. butt naked in the gym. they dgaf. (there has been a number of occasions where they open the message and accidentally flash their friends. response is usually "but hes so built, what the hell !?")

😁👍💪🔥🏋️‼️ literally the only emojis seen in their texts

just. the idea they send each other the gayest possible videos. like those twitter dudebros trying to get thirst comments? thats them. except theyre so bro about it theres nothing gay about it

tetsutetsu's transgender learning experience:

kiri introduces the idea to him, explaining only the transmasculine side of things.

(curtains open) transfem monoma, everyone!

tetsutetsu asks people he knows if theyre trans (genuine curiosity. he thinks this trans shit is metal as hell) (literally everyone gets asked btw. no one is safe)

monoma beats him over the head when she says yes and his response is "thats so manly!" and once she (or probably kendou...) explains it to him: "that's so womanly!"

proceeds to say he thought she had a really intense chest routine and thats why her chest was so flat

tetsutetsu asks bakugou and promptly gets threatened in a back alley. tetsu says kiri told him transmasc is a thing, so now kiritetsu are getting threatened in a back alley. its a shared bro experience

after learning monomas transfem and shes not just like that, tetsutetsu fights for his life to not say "hey bro/dude/man!" when greeting her. it takes barely a day for her to get fed up with "hey lady!"

i could keep going, but this is already a wall of text on my laptop screen. i really just wanted to share all these so i can come back to them, cuz i was up until three am with a killer stomach ache from two half daquiris and baconator fries from wendys. i might have cried laughing at one point, not sure

[lemon-natalia]

Harrow the Ninth Reaction - Chapter 45

‘An amount of time before the emperor’s murder’ oh this is getting ridiculous

ohh Abigail leading Harrow away feels slightly bad to me, i hope they’re who they say they are and not fake/malevolent

huh, what is up with the horned animal imagery and Lyctors. i doubt its anything meaningful, but given the rest of the religious imagery in the book it might make sense if its a ram or some other religious-y associated animal

and the Harrow’s memory Dulcinea IS the real one, because she’s a ghost! ooh i can’t wait to see what she’s really like

and yay, Isaac and Jeannemary are safe … kind of … in a manner of speaking? as safe as a ghost can be i suppose?

oh wow so Silas’s whole murder/suicide of himself and (presumably fake mindscape) Corona was him just being a dramatic little bitch who didn’t want to play along. iconic of him 

okay, so from what Abigail’s saying the River is supposed to be only a temporary place, where souls are supposed to move on to whatever’s ‘beyond’, but something unnatural has happened and stopped them from doing that. i love that she’s dead and still theorising and also a little mad that she couldn’t write a paper about it. we got such little of Abigail last book before she died and i’m loving seeing more of her here

and Ortus is actually the real Ortus, i wasn’t expecting that. also they found out midway through about the bomb but couldn’t disable it?? thats a really awful way to go, knowing you’re gonna die and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. and i hadn’t even thought about the poor pilot that might have also been killed, i assumed the shuttles were auto-piloted or something 

also Ortus is remarkably generous to Crux rn for a guy who murdered him

oh Harrow is beating herself up so much for her previous attitude and actions towards Gideon and Harrow - yes she did absolutely treat them poorly, but its also wound up in a whole lot of guilt about their deaths, neither of which were her fault

and Harrow also just cannot accept that it was ultimately Gideon’s decision to die. even if she has good intentions in that its coming from a place of deep care for her, Harrow is kinda diminishing Gideon’s final choice here

‘I was, and am, a grown man, and you were both neglected children’ oh this is tearing my heart out, someone finally acknowledging just how fucked up Harrow & Gid’s childhoods were, and how young they were to be in such awful positions. and Harrow with all of her guilt over everything, just cannot accept that she might be a child who was hard done by

and she finally isn’t totally rejecting someone’s comforting touch! i wasn’t expecting Ortus and Harrow’s dynamic to go this way, but i really do love it 

fuck yeahhh! confirmation that Gideon the First’s name is in fact, Gideon the First! and i am also very curious as to why Gideon’s mother, whoever she is, was saying said name as a revenant

this message seems to be differentiating between ‘our civilisation’ and ‘yours’ which is strange. these are very likely from the Sleeper then. also i am facepalming because it took me until the end of this chapter to realise that the invading soul was in fact the Sleeper 💀

‘I am going to exorcise the Sleeper’ we are getting a ghost hunt with Abigail and Magnus!! kind of 

[cosmic-d1ce]

"how can you like sugarduo theyre so toxic" thats why i like them!!!! FML 🔛🔝 fuck everyone that doesnt like them!!!!

FML

Roier gets access to the Room

"He's family now, right? It's a family secret."

Cellbit's attempts to convince Forever have, so far, failed. Roier already knows. Roier has known for some time. He knows about Phil and he knows about what Forever really is.

"I'm just worried that he won't react as well as you guys did..."

Their reaction was insane, thinking back on it. They found out that Forever and Quackity had kidnapped Philza and they were all fine with it. They didn't even bat an eye. Mike had shrugged and said "amor é amor" with a laugh. They all laughed together. They knew what Forever was doing to their friend and that was fine.

It didn't matter. They watched Phil get destroyed and didn't care.

Now, it makes Cellbit feel a bit sick. He knows what love is now, thanks to Roier. It is not what Phil and Forever have.

What they have is sickening. Something depraved and cruel. Thinking about it too long makes Cellbit want to die. He knows he could have stopped it. He could have helped Phil but he didn't.

"I'll make sure it's okay. I can't keep something like this from my husband, Forever." Cellbit knows that will do something.

"Fine. If he freaks out though, it's on you." Forever huffs.

Roier is calmer than Cellbit had ever seen him. Cellbit walks into the dark room hesitantly. Forever stands close behind them. Cellbit can tell that he's on edge. He's worried.

"Morning, Phil." Cellbit says as the light flickers on. "Roier wanted to see you."

Phil casts a cautious glance between Roier and Forever, looking for confirmation.

In response, Forever speaks. "He's family now. He can see you if he likes." He shrugs despite his obvious nervousness.

Roier's communicator was left in the hall, in the drawer where Phil's stayed. His weapons, too. Forever is very aware that people would not be happy if they saw this. He knows that Roier probably isn't too fond of it. He knows he needs to be careful.

Cellbit can see the moment his husband spots the chain on Phil's ankle. It keeps him attatched to the bed. It's a punishment. Cellbit isn't sure what for, but he doesn't want to ask.

"I thought you hated me." Phil's voice is quiet. It always is. It's quiet and shaky and it breaks Cellbit's heart.

"Why would I- Oh! No, no! Fit and Wilbur are the only ones that actually hate you!" Roier laughs. "And some of the eggs but I don't!"

Cellbit's eye twitches. His husband is not the best at saying appropriate things. It's cute sometimes but here it is not.

Phil's voice cracks slightly, "Oh." he's on the verge of tears.

Forever notices not long after Cellbit does. He moves past Roier and Cellbit, walking over to Phil to kneel in front of him. He puts his hands on Phil's knees to comfort him.

"Don't cry, sweetheart! You know they hate you for a good reason, you shouldn't get so upset."

Cellbit watches Roier lose his mask. His expression changes to one of horror and confusion as he listens to Forever 'comfort' Phil.

"I kn-" A loud smack cuts Phil off.

"Also, I told you not to speak. Meu deus, por que você não ouve?"

Roier's hand trembles as he watches. Cellbit grabs a hold of him and pulls him a little closer. Roier calms himself quickly.

Forever turns to them with a bright smile. "Sorry about that, he's been awful recently! Had a little episode a few days ago, didn't you?" He looks back at Phil.

By 'episode' Forever means that Phil was starting to refuse his orders. He did it sometimes, despite everything.

Phil nods.

"There you go, well done, honey." Forever smiles, tail wagging in delight. He pats Phil on the head, ignoring the way Phil flinches away from his hand.

Cellbit hesitates before he speaks, "What did he do?"

"Screamed at me. I told him to go to bed and he screamed and cried and tried to hurt me, so, now he's here."

Cellbit knows there's more than that. He can see Phil's expression shift as Forever explains. He'll ask Phil later.

"You- you chain him up every time he does something bad?" Roier asks, a slight tremble to his voice.

"Not every time. Depends what he did. A while ago, he screamed at me and I just taped his mouth shut for a while."

Cellbit remembers that. Forever had triggered Phil on purpose, did something he knew would scare Phil into fight or flight. He had admitted a little while after to Pac that he just liked it when Phil was afraid. He said it was cute. Like a little bird.

"Punishment needs to fit the crime! He's chained up because he wouldn't come here when I told him too." Forever smiles.

"Ah... I see." Roier forces a smile in return, Forever doesn't seem to notice how strained it is.

"It's not so bad, he's okay with it! Aren't you, Phil?"

Phil nods quickly with a shaky smile. His eyes are still watering, tears threatening to spill over as he blinks.

Forever smiles back as his tail thwacks against the floor. He stands, using one hand to lift Phil's chin to make him keep eye contact. He gives him a kiss, although it's clear he doesn't want it. Phil doesn't fight but he's certainly not happy about what's being done. Forever pulls away with a smile and strokes Phil's hair again.

"Come on, we should let Phil rest, he's tired." Forever says as he starts to walk back to Cellbit and Roier.

Cellbit nods without question, although Roier is hesitant. Forever notices and stops in his tracks.

"What?" He asks, smile fading from his features as he stares at Roier.

"Nothing! Nothing! We should be going anyway! We have.... things... to do..." Roier trails off as he smiles nervously at Forever.

"Come on, Phil's tired. Let's go." Cellbit makes his tone stern as he pulls Roier slightly back towards the door.

"Yes, okay, great idea, as always, gatinho!"

Forever hums as Cellbit unlocks the door for Roier to step out. He's not happy about any of this.

[fishfroggshasathermos]

(Inanimate Insanity ep 17 rant)(spoilers)what the hell was that episode what the hell was that episode oh my god oh my god ohm ygod SCREAMING

i clicked on it when it was 1 minute out and i SFDLGJBMNVKJFLDR'EJLDFKJG i had to pause like 10 times to just compose myself after everything this series is INSANE its making me INSANE NOW I KNOW WHY ITS CALLED INANIMATE INSANITY OH MYG OD OH MHY GOD WHAT THE HELL

like legit i was watching the new BURNER episode that came out just before i saw this one, and when i saw the crumbling of the show i was thinking to myself that 'geez i cant trust anything after ii' AND LOOK WHAT VID COMES OUT

im so grateful to the ii team for working on such an astounding show such as this, i truly cant believe its gotten this good and this deep. i became a fan when s2 was just starting out, and i have a lot of fond memories binging the series with my friend all throughout gradeschool. now im in highschool and i still love the show. i hope theres going to be more though !!! im really hoping to get a happy ending for all the characters, or at least some more closure if a happy ending is too much to ask for.

haaaaaaa... now that i got my primary freakout out of the way, maybe ill go ahead and talk about what i liked about this episode

such high quality production as always man like II has been really good when it comes to voice acting, animation, sound design, and im glad theyve been keeping it up

THE WRITING IS ACTUALLY SO GOOD NOW TOO LIKE WHEN FAN STARTED PIECING EVERYTHING TOGETHER I WAS LIKE THIS IS REALLY COMING FULL CIRCLE ??? THEY PLANNED THESE TWISTS IT OUT PRETTY WELL i really like that in a story, shows theyve got intention with their themes

and the themes of inanimate insanity oh man!! i really like the direction the object show community has been going on this sort of meta commentary on the show itself, like i saw when i watched ONE, so seeing inanimate insanity go so much deeper now is a treat

in a way animationepic is mephone?? we are mephone?? everyone watching and making this show is getting a kick out of these characters' drama for entertainment and thats what we found out mephone has done to make them in the first place.. of course we as real people dont hold that responsibiity over fake characters. (which is what cobs and mephone think and must have thought too).

its a show about what is real vs what is fake and ultimately seems to be showing us that the relationships you form with others, those friends that you care about, can never really be programmed or faked out. the contestants rebel against the game and cobs because they want to live freely and because they want to protect their friends. its this love for life and others that makes us all human (well might not be the right word in this case hehe).

I FEEL LIKE ALL THE CONTESTANTS' PERSONALITIES WERE SO WELLSHOWCASED IN THIS EPISODE like their reactions felt real and believable for this kind of news, and everyone got a moment even if small (box was in too!!) (i really wonder if that theory i saw about box being a 'killed' contestant is right-- it seems like there wont be enough time to fit that backstory in but if they make that confirmed that would be so hype)

finding out everyone's personalities were pre-written by mephone4 in the last episode was one thing, but actually seeing them scribbled down in writing was so SJDKLA shocking??? it really slapped me with the reminder that mephone was pretty much just a child who was lonely and made his own friends.. his backstory is something i think about a lot i feel pretty bad for him :((( also imagine being the contestants and finding out god is basically a traumatized four year old boy

for some of the contestants, their programmed personalities i expected: cheesy is unserious, goo is inconsistent, salt is a trend setter and pepper is a trend follower. but a bunch of them came as a really big shock to me!!!

i think candle's said 'must be needed'? actually that works for her arc in iii but its still dangg that was embedded into her..

baseball having 'always strikes out' made me sob cuz THATS why he always seemed to come up short, i always had a soft spot for baseball he seemed to try his best but never really got it right.. and now its cuz he was made that way?

AND SILVERSPOON'S????? 'thinks hes worthless' OH MY GOD this guy this one had a lil kick to it

and does anyone feel like suitcase isnt rlly a backstabber cuz i saw mephone4 put that on her paper, and knife calls her that too but when i was watching those episodes her actions felt less like back stabbing and more like standing up for herself, at least in my view. i could actually rant about suitcase for a lot longer because GOSH my girl does not deserve any of this! im a suitcase supporter for life shes genuinely so nice to people even if they arent well-liked if suitcase has 0 fans i am dead! and she did so well this episode, the dynamic and conflict between her and knife is always *chefs kiss*

the plot was plotting this episode, really felt well-paced and tense, it was really fun to watch the scenes keep bouncing between all these groups of characters and i think they balanced the moving parts really well!

the ending. that goddamn ending. mephone taking cobs' hand again. when cobs extended it i just knew in me phone's face that he was going to accept it. hes still pretty much a young child. only a few months (years now ?) old. hes going to follow his creator because thats the one thing hes been taught and commanded to do. he just watched his whole world crumble around him, everything and everyone he made to escape this man and his cruelty, and he's just going to come back. of course he is. what else could he do now? hes got nothing just like cobs said he would. hes just a child and cant do anything right, cant have any friends that stay and are real and are his own. (the themes of abuse are strong in this one OH MAN)

graaaaaahhh

im really only saying good things yall might think im js a glazer but honestly this show deserves to be glazed ON GOD i would rant more but im getting a bit tired maybe ill edit this when my thoughts plague me with more ii visions at night WATCH THE EPISODE (wait actually u probably did if ur at the end of this post) WATCH IT AGAIN

[spamtoon]

DCRC Week 8. In week 10.

This is normal at this point, but this time I have an excuse for being late! Vacation! But everybody else is taking naps so like come on now's the perfect time to read Dangerous Disguise by Carl Barks, obviously. Oh wait hold on let me get on Club Pengui.n

First thought I like how they phrased it that the only reason he'd send them on a vacation is if he NEEDED them out of duckburg at the moment. alright donald your bad luck is only going to make things worse here lets get you and the boys out on holiday. Here, go ruin the mediteranian

im so mad i just like. looked down a textbox and thats literally what donald confirms help

Okay there we go I'm in now we can REALLY read this story, which I've heard is generally bonkers but I'm unaware of the extent

Lord the humans are uncanny. by now i've gotten used to some of the basically humans with dog noses but these are just. kinda humans. 50s comic style humans yes but they're sitll humans

i love how the triplets' gut reactions to remembering that spies exist is accusing every single person around them of being a spy. shoutout to that guy with a long beard though he's just here to have a good time

needed to include the picture actually. he deserves to stand on the shore and gaze wistfully into the ocean

no don't worry guys donald flirting with real human woman is par for the course right now. for context i just came back from gran fiesta tour featuring the three cabs, a ride where like the movie donald goes after real human women

it might be cliche but madame triple x might just slap as a spy name. i thought about a certain friend's certain duck oc for a split second. you know the one

i like how the spy and the counter spy are complimentary colors. donald just sees a man shaking at the thought of a lady and he's like ok. i get it you don't even wanna deal with this right now

i know this joke has been done to death but the fact they all have the same gun got a good chuckle out of me

what if i started using this as a reaction image. maybe not because of the me but oo la la and that pose is speaking to me right now

chiliburgeria. chiliburgers probably are a thing but i've never exactly thought about one actively before

tied with beard guy this is the best background character

THEY JUST KILLED A GUY OKAY we're not even that many pages in and the triplets have already killed a guy that they don't even know--that guy could have been working for the US government and they would have absolutely no idea because you literally cannot tell

donald just got a power rush after killing the guy he's like HELL YEAH . im a REAL SPY NOW no you're not

this guy's fit slaps. i like to think the nevermind in his declaration speech means that he un-countered at some point. a rogue counterspy that decided to counterspy for a different spy organization.

donald's fucking luck i'm giggling so much in public i'm so. this comic is great i think i needed a dumb fun read today

IM SO MAD great excuse to save him. labor unions saved donald duck everybody

the way the stakes are escalating in these old cartoons i just. taking a concept and running with it

IM SO MAD the way donald is like "my bad luck! when are you gonna kick in!" and the universe was just like "lmao time to spend your vacation fighting a bull"

THE VERY SMALL PANEL everyone is utilizing the very small panel but its. the single best part of the comic they're so little. they're so teeny. carl barks knew it. the secret secret service. i'm so. this comic got my grandparent to ask me what i was laughing at so that's a really big compliemnt. im excited to read more of these random little duck stories in the future

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Gale Reviews: ML Season 5 episode 14 Derision

Spoilers Below

-WHY ARE THEY SO CUTE!?

-Umm Marinette? You okay?

-Have some cereal with your milk.

-Yea something is up with Marinette.

-Marinette's bike is cool.

-Okay adrinette hand holding is cute. But something seems wrong here

-Okay so she reacted seeing an image of Kim... okay weird.

-Okay ... Marinette is having a panic attack. That feels a bit too real

-Bugs! Locker full of bugs. But what does it have to do with...

-Marinette freaked out hard. and Kim says thats her normal reaction to pranks... Kim? What the fuck?! What did you do?

-Of COURSE the akuma shows up now

-"Panic" Oh damn thats a good name for an akuma. But I know Marinette would never get akumatized (especially at this point) But I really want some art interpretations of that form

-So Marinette is having a flashback while Monarch be trying to work on akumatization... How does that work?

-Okay so Marinette had a crush on Kim in 8th grade... Wow someone somewhere owes Lunian some money.

-Marinette with her hair down! Not a drill. Flashbacks matter

-Marinette of 8th grade doesnt want to go to school... Oh wow it feels like origins. Does Sabine KNOW how bad it is? Why not just let her change schools?

-Chloé bullied Marinette, but that was already known...

-JEEZ! Bugs in the locker. Seriously!? Where did chloe make sabrina get those

-And Damacles is a f***ing asshole

-Oh Jeez, Mendeleiev still a harsh b****

-Oh come on! Someone give Marinette a break

-Wait... Kim just thought these were NORMAL Reactions to pranks. He thought these were Okay?!

-Okay wow, yea Mendeleiev and Damocles are garbage. Sure hope no one thought they were better teachers than Ms.Bustier. That would sure suck.

-Chloé is really no different then how she has been all season or season 1

-Juleka looks ready to throw hands. So I really cant hate any of the other students in the class, they seem scared of Chloé, and honestly seeing what I saw. I dont blame them.

-Mylene out right said "Chloé's mom leaving is no excuse. My mom left and I aint a bitch." Go off Queen

-At least Juleka, Rose and Mylene talked to Marinette and were kind

-Kim actually offered his swim trunks to her. Well that is kind of sweet in a himbo way.

-Chloé really just decided to hate on Marinette.

-Damn Socqueline! You defend Marinette. Maybe thats why Marinette wears her hair like that.

-So Socqueline is a year older confirmed. And it does explain the deeper lore about her knowing her mom.

-Tonto. Hehehehehehe

-For a change? So the implication is that Marinette has crushes before. Makes sense. Marinette at this point seems like the type to develop crushes on anyone nice to her.

-Kim doesnt really get when Pranks are pranks and Pranks are... well TOO far. OMG he is the "Its just a prank Bro" type

-Sabrina was watching.... oh this can only end poorly

-Oh... oh no. No no no no no no no.

-Kim you are really an idiot. And not in the endearing himbo way.

-Marinette didnt have a plan back then... Oh! This is gonna result in a trauma where she needs to... Oh wow this is gonna be traumatic af.

-Socqueline is like a big sister to her. Poor thing already can see this going poorly

-This looks like an adorable time. The marikim looks adorable, yet all I can think about is how Chloe will ruin it.

-Oh no, Kim. Please dont do this.

-IT HAD BUGS IN IT! KIM! KIM!!! IN WHAT WORLD DID YOU THINK THIS WAS AN OKAY PRANK?! THAT WAS 8 TYPES OF FUCKED UP. I DONT CARE HOW CONVINCING CHLOÉ IS. YOU ABSOLUTE GARBAGE MEATHEAD!!

-Welp... Chloé has done some f***ed up things. But Wow. This really is her at her worst. Like damn. That is just... And here I thought Lila was bad.

-So Astruc, you really needed to drive the point home on why you hate chloé. You REALLY drove it home. But really

-Socqueline Out here for the save! At the very least saving Marinette from ABSOLUTE eternal shame. Put some respect on this character that only appeared this season.

-Kim REALLY doesnt get how f***ed that was. Its a sad day when a Himbo is more dumb than kind. That just make him an idiot.

-Marinette needs a hug.

-So this explains everything about Why Marinette knows absolutely everything about adrien early on. Well except for the fact he is chat noir. But yea. It was actually TRAUMA!

-"And that he is not friends with Chloé." Yea Adrien, buddy. You might want to completely burn that bridge now. Side note, this completely contextualizes Origins and why Marinette assumed the worst about Adrien off the bat. Damn. This was deep. A little exposition heavy... but deep

-And Chloé gets Socqueline because she broke her phone. Well Damocles. You are officially s*** in my eyes. Even Darker owl seems less slay to me. YOU RUINED DARKOWL FOR ME YOU BASTARD

-She got suspended for two weeks. That sucks

-Wow, so was that flashback instant? Or was Monarch just patiently watching that flashback ENGROSSED by it?

-She broke free by working through the source of her trauma in a matter of seconds... Okay.

-Oh damn! Ondine and Adrien look ready to throw hands at Kim. And Justifiably so.

-Kim... You done goofed. You really are an idiot and My opinion of you is trash.

-Adrien going full arthur anger meme. PUNCH HIM ADRIEN. PUNCH HIM IN THE FACE

-Dude doesnt even swim with his goggles.

-Monarch really said "If I gotta settle, I can at least spin it to make it sound better than it is."

-Dark Humor, Hehe instead of Dark cupid. Clever. Cause his sense of humor is dark. Also CHAT NOIR HAS A REASON TO PUNCH HIM IN THE FACE.

-Its twisted that he gets his old power

-Also... was he wearing that in the pool? That thing is waterproof? Neat.

-I like the updated costume. But I hate kim right now

-Adrien is ready to throw hands.

-Chat noir wants to beat Kim's ass today. SLAY KITTY SLAY

-YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Chat noir giving Dark Humor the Two Piece No Biscuit.

-He gonna cataclysm him! oh sh*t. Chat noir really felt regret about accidentally cataclysming Monarch, but now ready to erase kim. Yea I completely understand. Valid.

-Ladybug understably needed to stop him... But that caused him to get hit with the goofy arrow. Damn

-Ladybug had to detransform and retransform quick. Tikki really sped ate her cookie today.

-She got jokes

-And Ladybug's plan faked him out and now he got a toilet on his head

-Ladybug may also be using this as a chance to work stuff out.

-The ladynoir is cute. But Chat noir was still 100% justified in his beating of dark humor... Except the cataclysm. But I get why he was ready to use it.

-Well at least Kim is owning up to his s***. He is still an idiot. But He is a himbo. But yea, still a dick move early on Kim. Path to redemption Kim. (still forgave him too quickly.) But Ondine will beat his ass if he doesnt stick to it.

-This Adrinette is adorable and sweet and understanding.

-Trauma is still there. Guess she isnt completely over it, which is understandable. It will take some time (or like 3 episodes)

-Adrien went to chloé. Oh damn. You go boy

-Yea, this chloé is season 4-5 chloé alright. Nothing surprising here. She is just vile

-Sabrina looked annoyed at that speech. (Sabrina will remember that)

-Adrien is officially done. He ended it there officially. Friendship over.

_____________________________________________________________

So I have a LOT of thoughts on this.

For one, Every adult in miraculous is an idiot. Sabine, its good you has Socqueline there to help... but that doesnt really mean s***. This is where you work with the school to have her change classes, or even schools. 3 years of that treatment is enough.

Also, Damocles. You gutless coward. Even if it did cost you your job. The fact you let yourself get controlled to let your STUDENTS suffer is gross.

And Kim... Kim you are an idiot. The fact that you didnt even think that a prank like that was too far?! Adrien was more than justified in a cataclysm. But you did apologize and promised to THINK about the consequences. Plus you are a kid. I can forgive. But THIN ICE MY GUY

Chloé, yea season 2 and Season 3 chloé might as well be a completely different character than this chloé. Zoe appeared after harnessing any decency Chloé has left. But yea, I dont care for this chloé. Not gonna defend this chloé.

So this does explain a LOT about Marinette's more cautious personality. But it also doesnt make sense in a way that Marinette didnt really think things through before. Because if thats the case... then the thing that made her a good ladybug was because of a crippling trauma?! I feel like this maybe should have fleshed out younger marinette more.

Socqueline really was like an older sister to Marinette, but sadly it feels like her inclusion without mention before makes this feel like this traumatic event wasnt planned from the get go as the reason Marinette is how she is. Also after what happened to Socqueline. How could Tom and Sabine allow Marinette to go to that school again?! Seriously. Especially after KNOWING Chloé would be in Marinette's class in origins.

Side note, Adrien was 100% perfect this episode. Loved him. Ondine too. I do wish Civilian adrien did get ONE punch on Kim tho. Just one.

Chat noir laying a beating though was great.

Right, so even though I enjoyed the episode to an extent... I cant say it leaves the show in a better place. If anything, I think it leaves things much worse off.

6/10

3 points for the adrinette moments

2 points for Chat noir laying a beating on Kim

1 point because Kim apologized.

Overall I dont like the direction of things this implies

[loopy777]

thoughts on the way MHA ended? Lots of people absolutely pissed that izuku x uraraka was sunk rather decisively(im as well, but thats more because i now know sitting through 428 chapters of their boring ass romance was an objective waste of time) just so Kohei didnt have to deal with an ending that actually had ships sail, and the fandom reaction to that.

For me, i am absolutely gonna use Uraraka's canon wishywashyness to the bitter end, not having the guts to confess for 8 years after the final battle, to shit on her mercilessly in my own stories XD

Wow, harsh. Deku could have asked her to dinner some time in 8 years! What's a girl to think when a guy doesn't go on a single date from age 14 to 22? XD

Anyway, shipping aside, I am quite pleased with the ending. I thought we got good resolutions for more characters than I expected, and I really like not just that last-second twist but how it's done. All Might's eyes are freaky-looking, though.

Since I'm not really a MHA shipper, I thought it odd that we don't get a single romantic confirmation, but I think it's left open enough that there could be romance going on with whatever pairing a reader wants. Perhaps that was a deliberate, cynical choice. I do think there's a lack of payoff in the romances, as we have Deku, Uraraka, Kaminari, maybe Kirishima, and Yaoyorozu all having crushes that provide inspiration at critical character-growth moments, but none of them take the next step. It feels like all those subplots just stop before any climax. We don't even have Kaminari asking Jiro on a date and getting shot down. It feels like there's something missing in terms of the shape of the story.

However, I recognize that Romance is always awkward with these epic coming-of-age tales, especially one in a 'modern' setting like MHA. For something like AtLA, in an 'old' fantasy setting where older teenagers are considered full adults, especially one without formal schooling, I can buy someone marrying a love interest they meet at age 14. For something like MHA, though, it feels more unrealistic since most of us do not know someone who married their first high school sweetheart.

So, normally, I wouldn't dock MHA many points for these no-payoff romances. It could have done a lot worse by attempting the payoffs and fumbling them.

Unfortunately, in the wider context of the MHA, I think this is a fatal flaw that makes me unable to recommend the series to anyone.

No exaggeration. Explanation below the cut.

So, how many actual romantic relationships are there in this story, including the adults? Not that many, if we go by what's on screen. I mean, we had to get out-of-story clarification that Deku's father is still married to his mother. And of the relationships we actually see, how many of them are alive and functional and not something awful like Todoroki's backstory?

Bakugo's parents

Gentle Criminal and La Brava

???

That's all I can think of.

And then I've noted that none of the student crushes get any payoff. We're very clearly shown that these kids have attractions to each other, but at best it becomes a kind of unspoken courtly love. What's up with that?

Well, you could argue that MHA's intended audience is 12-year-old boys who don't want to see kissy romances. And normally, I'd consider that an acceptable answer. It's all over shonen anime/manga: feints towards romance (because boys like the idea of attracting pretty girls) without any actual depiction or fulfillment that could turn off squeamish immature boys. Some of this may be influenced by Japanese society overall, as my understanding is that displays of physical affections overall are rarer there, but I don't think that's the primary factor. Certainly, there are shonen stories where a boy and girl have an actual ongoing romantic relationship, and sometimes there's even kissing.

MHA doesn't have that, though. It has broken relationships, comedic relationships, and unfulfilled crushes. Even among adults.

What else does it have?

Fan-service outfits. Sexual assault played for laughs. Several instances of leering teenage female nudity.

Yeah, I've talked before about how Mineta is the worst part of the show because of how much fun the story tries to make them, and you don't have to go far on the internet to find people who think MHA's depiction of female teenagers is pretty gross, but pair this with the overall story's notable lack of any actual serious romance. That is not a great look. It says the only interest MHA has in romance is for the sex.

Now, I don't know that this reflects Horikoshi's actual feelings or psychology. Maybe this is an unfortunate mix of a juvenile sense of humor with a cynical ploy to avoid ticking off any shippers. But, thanks to the Death Of The Author, the overall message of MHA is that romantic love is equally powerful but less fulfilling than molesting your female classmates. Remember, Kaminari may have found his motivation to help take down some villains thanks to his love for Jiro, but Mineta found the strength and strategy to ace his practical exam thanks to his horny obsession with Midnight.

So the end result is that MHA is decidedly icky about this, and while it's a great superhero story and shonen, IMO, I couldn't recommend it to anyone without a major warning about this aspect of it.

[hollyhomburg]

personally i think someone accessing namjoons home address and phone number doesn’t compare to a fan joking about giving him a hickey,

also this is not like a dig at you, i just genuinely can’t really understand and maybe you could explain- why are hickey jokes so outrageous but smut headcanons and stuff are fine? (again, purely asking because i cant understand n maybe you have an explanation)

i think the separation is that smut and things in the written sphere are like obviously completely fictional- and thats what makes it okay and different from jokes about namjoon's hickey. purely because the former underminds what namjoon the person wants and the first just talks about namjoon the charecter in an authors eye.

like while there are certainly some y/n reader insert fanfics that lean into the fanservice and delusional aspect of it- i don't think the vast majority of the people who write fanfic legitimately think the events in the story happened in physicality. how many fics have you seen where like yoongi's a tentacle monster and jimin's a hapless victim? like no one thinks that shit is real. just because i write a fic where jungkook has bunny ears doesn't mean he's actually a hybrid or that hybrids exist. People aren't going to confuse reality here.

but when we argue about what the boys actually say and if they're really lying to us- that is involving the real namjoon in a different way than fiction is. it's not fictional and it's not done with his wishes in mind. like i don't understand why people are so committed to not beliving him.

to bring this back to fanfiction, like i don't know if namjoon has a big dick or not, the same way i don't know how big joel in the last of us is- but the nature of fiction is that it is always speculative. if namjoon irl said "i have a big dick" and we said "no i think you have a small dick" that would be INFINITELY more problematic. it's real people vs fictional people. the version of namjoon that i write about doesn't exist, the one people make hickey jokes about does and his privacy is being violated to sate the need to know about his private life.

making jokes about namjoon's hickey is not specultive fiction, it's speculative reality, it's questioning namjoon the person not namjoon the character. and you can't not admit that the joking back and forth creates this dynamic between people who are possessive of them and people who aren't. there is a certain sense of one up man ship where people are like "i'm going to prove it to you that he actually is dating" "finally all the crazy fans can go away now that he's come out with a hickey," "namjoon is getting it all you people can go stfu" (all things ive seen on twitter tbh)

i feel like this dynamic is a result of the misogyny that female fans are treated with- like according to the media we're all stereotyped as teenagers who have crushes on people who will never know we exist. and certain fans have different reactions to it. One is to completely reject the idea of army being possessive over them and hunt down the people who do or in stalkers case- hunting down namjoon to expose his private life, either to sell to the media to prove he is in a relationship. or to sell it to the sassengs who want to confirm or deny the existence and nature of his private time.

there is nothing revolutionary about not believing that namjoon's bruise is a bruise- the only thing that tells me about you is that you don't believe namjoon and have his best interest at heart.

it comes down to what are we willing to do to prove what we believe is real, which is why personally- i think we should only accept info about irl bts's private life from them, and ignore any other 'hints' that we may get until they're confirmed. as far as i'm concerned, i belive bts. they don't want to talk about their relationships? then for all of my concerns i don't care about it. i won't wonder, i won't go looking at jungkook's gym to find out if he ever comes with anyone, i won't go to an art museum in the hopes that namjoon might be there. i certainly wouldn't book a train ticket or purchase information. if they want to shout from the roof tops about how much they love a girl they met in a coffee shop? i will gush with them.

speculation about their private lives and information about their private lives should be given to us fans on their terms and in their timeframe. Not because someone stalks them. it comes down to respecting a boundary.

bts have never set the boundary that they didn't want fanfiction made about them- in the case of hyyh and the bts world game- they outright encouraged fictional fan driven content- even the highlight reels are representative of this- beautiful pictures of fiction that fan creators can take and mold.

on the other hand they've certainly created a boundary about their private lives and what they're willing to share with us. they don't want us to speculate about it because it only causes shit like this.

long rant over; TLDR- fanfiction's are fictional for a reason, saying namjoon is lying is not fiction. believe bts and what they say or don't say about their private lives and move on.

[angstflavoured]

I do agree that just like killing Jimmy or putting him a crypod wouldn't have been the best options, but it was the fact that it was able to GET to this point of desperation thats the problem. Curly had 20 different chances along the years where he couldve done something about Jimmy, but didn't. He wasnt forced into this situation--he brought it upon entirely himself. There werent any measures on the ship for locking somone up because thats what the physch evals were for. the ones that jimmy didnt take seriously but curly let him on the ship anyways because hes his good friend.

Its a common misconception that Curly only knew about Anya's assult right before the crash. Its blantantly wrong. He didnt know she was pregnant, but it is confirmed that she and Curly talked about this before they even got on the ship.

Curly knew about what Jimmy did before he even did the psych eval. thats the whole point that hes been covering up for him and acting like he can fix things without any company interference.

In this scene as well, Curly tells Anya that she could've told him and that he wouldve done ANYTHING to help her. BUT SHE KNOWS THAT A FUCKING LIE!! She knows thats a lie, and so she doesnt even take the time to reply to what he said. Shes not like 'ah thank you so much for being so nice and doing everything you can to make me feel safe.' She knows she isnt safe on this ship, with Jimmy or Curly.

On top of all of this, most peoples reactions to figuring out their best friend raped and IMPREGNATED their other friend, wouldnt be "hm... well we can talk this out like reasonable gents."

But alas, this is Curly's reaction. He goes to Jimmy to talk things out. He isnt lying or decieving Jimmy, he's genuinely trying to make amends. He trying to get Anya and Jimmy on good terms so they dont have to tell anyone about this and no one has to get in trouble. Curly never fucking planned on letting the company know about this, if anyones telling anyone its going to be Anya telling the company and reporting them. Curly's playing every single side of the court and its doing nothing but HURTING EVERYONE involved.

I urge anyone who thinks differently to rewatch this scene because its actually insane. He's trying to string Anya and Jimmy together so no one has to get reported, and Jimmy TELLS him like 'no man. This times its over like im gonna get in big time fucking trouble. Or... I could just kill all of us.'

And Curly just. Doesnt say anything to that! Him and Jimmy share a moment of silence, Jimmy pats Curly on the shoulder, and says "Ill take care of it." And Curly WATCHES HIM WALK AWAY. TO CRASH THE SHIP. Because he would rather do literally anything but directly hurt a friend. Which isnt noble, its cowardly.

It isnt until the last fucking second that Curly grows some sense and tries to stop the ship. Which ends with him horribly disfigured.

Like oh my god, OH MY GOD!! Curly just is an awful person. He couldve done sooooo much more way before things got to the point they did, and even AFTER, he didnt do all he could. He didnt even put up a fight to stop Jimmy at all. And he didn't really seem to think of him all that differently even after Anya's assult.

Like... the lengths people will go to to defend Curly and say what he did was reasonable is insane to me. He didn't do nearly all he could've and THAT was a huge point of the game.

im gonna be honest. I think the idea that curly should have put jimmy in a cryo pod immediately after finding out is CRAZY. like yeah sure. I mean they're already short one pod in case of emergency but yeah throw jimmy in there. that'll be totally fine if smth happens to curly and there's no one to run the ship.

like idk was there not only like,,, a day between anya telling curly and jimmy crashing the ship? how was curly supposed to know the situation was so fucked that he needed to act immediately? and what was he supposed to do to deal with it. it goes beyond his desire to people please, he has been forced into a situation where there are no appropriate actions he can take due to corporate greed. they did not provide any options for a crew mate who needs to be detained. they didnt provide enough crew mates to replace a co-pilot if needed.

shit was never just as simple as put jimmy in the cryo pod. thats like. an incredibly important point the game is making.

[nayaaatv]

joshua bf hcs !

✰ ; fluff, male-wife material joshua.

warnings ; mentions of food, and im p sure thats it (?)

wc ; 0.6k ♡

a/n : i love him sm i actually cannot.

+ req by anon ♡

this man is a little bit too obsessed with dressing you up. you can always depend on your boyfriend when ur going shopping. by the end of the day you're gonna be surrounded by the outfits he chose for you. spoiler alert, you look so hot in all of them LMAO, stylist bf things.

he's super in love with watching sunsets with you. ever since you guys started dating, he has always been sneaking a lil pic of you next to the beautifully colored sky, and little does he know, you do too. well, occasionally so.

matching bracelets ♡_♡ suits him so much tbh. and he's like never taking it off too. its those thread bracelets with your initials graved in them hehe.

cleans up everywhere when you're stil asleep. and cooks the most drool worthy breakfast ever its like ur in a mf hotel i swear. he takes care of your things like its his, sometimes you wake up to him reading a book you finished recently whilst drinking a hot cup of coffee on the couch. "hey, i heard you finished this. nothing bad happens in the end right?"

spoils you but spoils you like how a normal boyfriend would spoil his lover AND how a dad would spoil his daughter. one day he could be buying you a pandora necklace and the next could be him coming home with bags filled with matching pajamas and a fairy costume set for ages 3 and up. (ps, the pjs have my little pony prints on them) his excuse for the costume is -- "it says 3 and up baby. you're up, aren't you?". (im tearing up)

random slow dances at noon. with the curtains closed and a big lamp being your only source of light. its so comfortable and calming. your head laying on his shoulder as his hand stays there on your waist. both your hands intertwined as you get lost in the music playing from his phone. everything becomes quiet and suddenly its just the both of you in the world. you can only see him and he can only see you. nothing is on his mind, just you. and vice versa. you find yourself just standing there together until your legs cant handle it anymore. it always end with a nap or even a dinner date. who knows, he just loves being with his angel.

showering together, only if you're both comfortable with it ofcourse. by this i don't mean it in a sexual way like at all. he feels like its his duty to wash and scrub your hair wish the perfect amount of shampoo, and you like rub soap on each others back ㅠㅠ. then afterwards he's blow drying your hair while your taking cute little mirror selfies or putting on skincare together. this is one of the times joshua feels content. he feels more than happy when he's with you right now in moments like this. he adores it when you do his hair too. he gives you little pecks and kisses all over your face as soon as your done. (ok im gonna go cry now)

loves cooking for you. he secretly took cooking classes when you guys first started dating and now he's a five star michelin (ehe). everything in him is so curious and excited for your reaction everytime he cooks a new dish. you can find him constantly looking for new recipes for you to try. expect your stomach to never have issues ever again due to his godly cooking skills. you seriously don't know how he does it, but you let it slide as long as you're getting fed. he's super satisfied when he sees you full and tired from all the food he gave you. he always reminds you to always drink water afterwards and not to move around much. and let me confirm, he definitely has the 'kiss the chef' apron. and obviously you do kiss the chef! always. ♡

✦ ; @odetoyeonjun @stuckinmyhead5 @guavagyu @starry-mins @pearlygraysky @enhacolor @khypods @yoonzin0 @enha-choo @shadowofgyu

m.list - dino or dk is next ><

[empressdad]

TOH HOLLOW MIND SPOILERS;

(those are just my reactions from the beggining of an episode till the very end)

— poor hunter doesn't know what the bananas are and has to pretend that he doesn't care

— oo luz teaches king spanish!!

— teenage rebellion

— run hunter run or otherwise you'd have to face your trauma soon

— the way she just yelled "hunter!" and he already knew what's going on. he looks so disappointed and as always tired

— went well

— *laughs* "you want to prove that my uncle is evil" damn could he be even more traumatized?

— of course he read alot about this subject. from "ugh how could you" he kinda quickly switched to "ooooo" nerdy

— he looks so happy

— he never found out what happend to the previous one you say? HMM I GUESS HE PROBABLY JUST RETIRED AND LIVED HAPPILY FOR SUREE

— "darius looks so sad here" is there a chance that he knows what happend to previous golden guard and this is why he's part of the rebellion?

— BELOS OH NO

— smol belos hwh

— he actually felt something after he touched that palisman

— oh NO eyEbAllS

— so easy to scare indeed

— omg i love how much he cares about flapjack

— "ⁱ ᵗᵒˡᵈ ʸᵒᵘ ⁱ ʳᵉᵃᵈ ᵃᵇᵒᵘᵗ ᵗʰᵒˢᵉ ˢᵗᵘᶠᶠ" he said softly while behind him we have a pic from he's childhood where he haves obvious human ears CAN SOMEONE TURN BACK AND LOOK AT IT GOODAMIT

— "i love you" hvdjsvxsbhdjdhshsbsjxhd hunter said that he loves flapjack hunter said that he loves flapjack

— kid belos is so cute

— never done anything worthy appearing guilt sure

— lil nod

— flapjack in an owl house

— hooty the protection system

— DARIUS THATS DARIUS DARIUS AND RAINE AND EVERWOLF GODDAMIT I LOVE THIS EPISODE

— darius actually cares about hunter omg

— another golden guard oh man that's getting harsh

— greater good sure

— he's so classic british evil (don't get me wrong all you british people out there i'm just taking about *kind* of evil like all of those colonizers

— hunter is not fun of dying

— show for kids

— hunter is in denial

— creepy belos

— COLLECTOR OMG FINALLY

— hunter in the memory

— "not as long as he stays on the right path" pls hunter don't die

— well how can you be in denial now huh?

— hunter grimwalker confirmed? HUNTER GRIMWALKER COMFIRED

— "it hurts every time he chooses to betray me" now it's just sad

— found family trope? it's kinda bit to soon for that luz

— oh fuck dead golden guard gallery

— the inner belos is a child. there's living monster made out of the dead palismans in the emperor's mind. that's.. interesting.

— yay my youtube just lagged, waiting for the rest in that important moment cool

— okay, back again

— ⁿO DON'T

— why-

— he's killing those palismans again

— did they changed the actor to philip now? can't tell

— i feel so bad for hunter this is just painful now

— "it wasn't wild magic, wasn't it?" he sounds like he's gonna cry and i want belos dead

— yes he's a grimwalker ladies, gentlemen and all of the other genders we were right

— "you looked the most like him" is he talking about he's brother

— witch hunting did he named hunter cause of witch hunting if so hunter should legally change his name to caleb

— haha philip wittabane goes wild

— "no no no no no" actually yes

— HE ALWAYS KNEW

— his not just belos he's philip lmaoo

— king is worried

— RAINE BRINGED FLOWERS DID THEM

— belos needs more human friends in this world huh

— he changed his form to philip HE DID

— "better version of an old friend" does he mean his brother or not i don't need sleep i need answers!!

— he's evil lmao

— hunter yesss

— i mean.. at least flapjack is alive

— that's called panic attack sweetheart

— pain

— pain

— pain

— that's awful i really do feel bad for him i really do

— we the hell are they standing outside we need darius to help hunter

— and that's it?

— why isn't there more

— we need more

— pls hunter come back he's going to catch you there

— okay so that's it? that's it. and there wouldn't be more episodes for another month. they just left us with a cliffhanger. cool.

[moose-muffin]

Sooooo... Uhmmhmhumhmhm.,.,. Do you have any Manray HCS to feed the hungry masses? Maybe? 👉👈👀

Please for the love of god I am starving fhdjdjj

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!!!! HI!!! I AM APART OF YOU LOVELY PEOPLE SO LETS GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD SHALL WE??? THIS IS LOOOOOONG OVERDUE <3 (ALSO THANK U SM FOR THE ASK, OPENING IT MADE MY DAY AND I HOPE THESE HCS MAKE YOURS <3)

MANRAY TICKLE HEADCANONS!!!!!!!!

as a lee…

- HE IS ACTUALLY ADORABLE! LIKE??? FULL STOP JUST THE SWEETEST THING. THINK ABOUT IT RIGHT, HE WAS FULLY PREPARED TO TAKE SPONGE AND PAT OUT AND HE COULDNT BC HE WAS JUST SO TICKLISH HE FELL ON THE FLOOR AND CURLED UP WITH LAUGHTER, HOW MUCH SWEETER CAN HE GET!? ESP BC HES SO THREATENING TOO ITS AN AMAZING COMBO

- like I know the show is silly and all that but it’s also like confirmed to be something Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy themselves have used on him!? like… they MADE THE TICKLE BELT, F O R MANRAY!? this implies they had to find out somehow that he was uber ticklish and I am so curious about that backstory… (more on this later tbh..)

- BACK TO THE THREATENING THING!! his character is genuinely scary like bros got a laundry list of bad stuff he’s done but yet tickling is the thing that takes him out! seriously will never get over it <3

- and also there may not have been that much though in the placement of the belt itself, I’d assume it tickles mainly his lower torso/abs which is a valid spot and I genuinely adore that so much <3

- If I had to continue the list of spots I see him as being ticklish is say bros got ticklish thighs for days… also he’s pretty damn muscular so anywhere that’s strong af is also ticklish af, I don’t even make the rules here THATS like legit science LOL

- also???? there’s like this sweet little video of a irl manta ray getting tickled and its instinctual reaction is to curl up a little bit and the fact that Manray mirrors that is wonderful (could be a coincidence but considering Hillenburgs background in Marine Biology there’s a chance it was planned)

- Also bro has so many little laughs I am obssesed!!!! like he giggles a lot but sometimes has moments of more rambunctious and louder laughter and it is a truly beautiful combo

- If you are to tickle him he is quite literally putty in your hands <3 so so sensitive and so much potential for the best sounds you’ve ever heard

as a ler…

- I’ll probably make more headcanons later (aka anon if you’d like more pls remind me darling bc I will probs forget)

- BUT HIM AS A LER!? He is so unforgiving

- im not sure if anyone would remember this but in the beginning of one of the episodes there’s like a Krusty Krab commerial with Mermaid Man and Barnacle boy being tied up and tickled by manray (implied, nothing is actually shown but it’s said it occurs) to the point of wetting themselves… speaks VOLUMES to how far this man would go for you, if you wanted it of course

- I mean that too, when he’s not up against his enemies he is truly such a polite gentleman and I respect that so much

- He would be similar to a partner totally. Just absolutely the kindest ever but the moment you want to be tickled, say LESS

- he’s on that so fast, bro is ready to pay back anyone for the time he’s spent with the belt on. It brings him joy tbh, and when he knows you love it, it brings him even MORE joy ;)

- He definitely goes for your worst spots and pushes boundaries but would absolutely check in on you after to make sure you’re ok

- He’s something else.. and he may be evil but he cares about you

- He’s such a little ass I love him, you’ll see his shit-eating grin and just KNOW what’s about to go down

- He doesn’t do tickle fights, he does tickle WARS. he LOOOOVES the idea of it being ever running, he could strike at any moment and you’d never know *oOOOooOooo*

- Speaking of that sound effect he absolutely teases like crazy. He’s got the wiggly fingers, the little evil giggles, the whispering teases into your ear when he can.

- Ok I need to stop myself now but all in all, he would be all over tickling, he’s such a wonderful character man and I’m glad you enjoy him as well!!! I’d love to make more headcanons for him so just remind me <3 I can go more specific as well like an x reader or background story type thing, you tell me!!!

ok!!! love you byeee!! thank you anon for a lovely request!!!!

[writinggremlin]

Shit. Found this only 4 minutes after it was posted. The fortune telling from last week hasn't worn off yet apparently lmfao.

This is likely not going to have much reaction from me this time. Sorry in advance! Joined a couple new discord servers and the sudden influx of socialisation has left me a lil spoonless lmao

(Update: I lied, there's a lot lmfao)

YEAH!!! MORE LILY HYPNOSIS LETS FUCKIN GO!!

Awwww platonic intimacy we love to see it.

Lex asked Oliver's permission before picking him up-- my fucking heart-- I love that!!!

Fair enough, Oliver, there's bound to be some betrayal. That makes sense, it's understandable.

"I will do it this time, or perish trying. I swear it." For realsies this time? You mean it? You're sure it'll work? I see we are far from seeing the last of wet cat Lex lmao

Oliver gets treats!! :D!! He gets a lil treat for his troubles! (And then Lex can also have a lil treat for his struggles too! :D! Yippee!!!)

FITZ!!!! FITZ MENTION!!! OH BOY IVE BEEN PATIENTLY WAITING FOR THAT!!!! WHEN YOU SAID SOON I DIDN'T THINK YOU MEANT THAT SOON!!! WE GET A LIL TREAT FOR OUR SUFFERING TOO YIPPEEEEE!!!!!!! :D!!!

"With everything that had happened lately, Oliver had nearly forgotten about his master's friend, [...]" same Oliver, ngl. I remembered that part of the plot back in April, and have been excitedly awaiting the moment of his arrival ever since. His grand entrance shall be entirely worth the wait, I'm sure djsbsjbsjsba

SCREAMING AT THE THOUGHT OF FITZ DRINKING FROM OLIVER-- THIS POOR GUY JUST MELTING-- HIS MIND BECOMING A MUSHY PUTTY IN FITZ'S HANDS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I NEED IT I CANT FUCKING WAIT FOR THIS!!!!!!

✨Lovers✨ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Sorry, I had to. They're cute.

Awwww I can see Fitz occasionally using the connection with Lex, complaining and ranting about how dreadful this voyage is, and how much he hates being on the ocean and how he can't wait to finally be on land again. Maybe even being like "Can we please just kill your sire already so that I never have to put myself through these horrors again?"

Lex and social skills? You're saying that about Mr. "Excruciating horrors of mingling" over here?? lmaoooo

Their banter is cute tho. I love it.

OH DAMN OK WE'RE STRAIGHT INTO THIS-- ALSO DELICIOUS SOUP CONFIRMED LETS GO!!!!

WOAH WOAH WOAH WAIT WHAT-- wait-- is this a guided meditation thing? Is this her helping him undo it?? Is he not actually there and this is just in Oliver's mind? I have a sneaking suspicion.

Yep. It's just in his head. Good. I wonder what's actually happening in reality though. Did Lily hypothesize him to make him believe that she was the Maestro? If so then oof to her for having to relive some of that. Couldn't have felt nice roleplaying as someone who's deeply traumatized you.

YEP THERE WE GO ITS CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS JUST IN HIS HEAD! PHEW!!!

The way my stomach dropped at first tho lmfao

Also I was correct she did make him think that she was the Maestro lookit me go! But yeah that probably sucked for both of them.

AWWWW SHE COMFORT HIM YESSSSS AAAAAA

CAT!!!! CAT!!!! CAT ALERT!!!! AND HER NAME IS LUNA!!! YES OLIVER SCRITCH THE ADORABLE FLOOF YESSSSSS!!!!! NEW FAVORITE CHARACTER UNLOCKED!!! MOVE ASIDE FITZ THERES A NEW STAR OF THIS SHOW!!!!! (/j I love you Fitz you will always be the true star)

"She was done up in the latest fashions," Jessica? "and had a scrawny looking man on a leash" Yep. Jessica.

JSBSJDBSJS LEX IS JUST LIKE "I am in hell :D! Please help me :D!" ...mood.

Oh damn now Oliver gets to witness what he looked like at the start of all of this. Damn. He's come a long way.

OUGH-- HE'S FULLY ON THE VAMPIRE'S SIDE NOW HOLY DAMN-- OUGH-- THATS A REALITY CHECK MOMENT RIGHT THERE-- DAMN!!!!

It gives the vibes of Quinn at the end of Corporate Retreat. I love that.

"[...] the sky filled with a thousand brilliant stars." Ugh. Lucky. Why'd I have to be born in the era of light pollution, huh? That's not fair.

AWWWW THEY GET A WALK!!!

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!! THEY'RE SO ADORABLE FUCK--

OH I AM SO EXCITED FOR NEXT WEEK THAT SOUNDS SPECTACULAR!!! Sounds like there might be some ✨shenanigans✨

FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FOTZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FIZT FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FUTZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FIGZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FUTZ FITZ FIGZ FITZ ZFIT ZFITZ FITZ FUTZ FITZ FITZ FITZ FITZ F--

The Rare Bookseller Part 55: Lily's Illusion

Previous > Masterlist

tw: blindness, conditioning, hypnosis, body control, abuse, aftermath of hand whump

October 1925

Oliver's sleep was troubled, filled with nightmares where he couldn't move, couldn't talk, couldn't do anything to make his body obey him. Alexander's sire was shoving him below the waves, drowning him while he was helpless. Alexander was being tied up and tortured, and there was nothing Oliver could do for his master but watch, and --

He woke up in a cold sweat, heart pounding too fast. It was pitch black, and despite being wide awake and terrified, he couldn't open his eyes. He couldn't see where he was, couldn't remember, and cold hands came out of nowhere to grip him tight. In a panic, he screamed, kicking his assailant and struggling out of his grasp, thick blankets impeding his escape.

"Oliver!" said a familiar voice. "Oliver, it's only me. You're safe."

His master. That's where he was -- in his master's bedchambers, in his master's arms. He took a deep breath, trying to expel the fear from his body. He was safe, even though he still couldn't open his eyes.

Alexander gently pulled him in closer, and Oliver accepted it, relaxing back onto the bed. "Sorry, sir."

"No need to apologize. I understand completely. My sleep has also been uneasy, although much improved by your presence," he said. "Are you still blinded?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then we should head to Lily's as soon as you're ready," he said. "Although I suppose I'll have to help you dress and wash."

Oliver's face flushed. "Ah, I'm sure I can manage, sir…"

"Manage with your eyes closed? I won't have you falling down the stairs and harming yourself," he said with a tone that brooked no argument. "I'm going to pick you up now, all right?"

And Oliver felt himself being lifted by unnaturally strong arms, floating through the air with only his master as his tether to the world. Alexander seemed to sense his distress, as he hummed a tune under his breath as they walked, one that made Oliver's tense muscles relax. Despite that, the sensation of going down the stairs was still disconcerting.

"If you drop me off at the door to the bathroom, sir, I can take care of my business," said Oliver, hoping to retain some dignity.

"Very well, but I'm going to tend to your wounds afterwards. I need to make sure they're clean."

Oliver thankfully knew the layout of the bathroom well enough to find the toilet and sink, embarrassed at needing so much aid from his master and already quite tired of groping around in the dark. When he was finished, Alexander entered, removing his shirt to look at his back.

"It's terribly bruised, but the few cuts are shallow," Alexander murmured, applying some cool salve. "…You must think I'm a terrible coward for accepting my sire's command to strike you, rather than standing up to him."

"I don't, sir," he said, and it was almost true. "If you had tried, I don't doubt it would have been worse for both of us." He did know that, but in his heart, he wished that his master had protected him.

"There's only one way I can truly protect you," said Alexander, as though he had read Oliver's mind. "I need to kill him. It's easier said than done, of course, but… I will do it this time, or perish trying. I swear it."

Oliver didn't have to wonder what would happen to him in the entirely possible event that his master did perish trying. He'd no doubt end up in the hands of Alexander's sire, perhaps permanently, and the thought almost made him want to plead with Alexander not to try.

Instead, he shoved that unpleasant thought from his mind as best he could. "Will Miss Lily really be able to undo my punishment, sir?"

"I'm sure she will. Her mastery when it comes to controlling the human mind is unparalleled," he said. "And for enduring these latest hardships, I'll also make sure the pantry and icebox are well-stocked with whatever foods you favor. Anything you need."

"I appreciate it, sir."

"And the night after next, my dear friend Fitz arrives from overseas."

With everything that had happened lately, Oliver had nearly forgotten about his master's friend, and he was gripped by a wave of dread at the thought of another visiting vampire. "Is there anything I should know, sir, to better serve your friend?" he said, trying to feel out the situation.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. Just be your usual self, and I'm sure he'll just adore you. He's been after me to get a decent thrall for ages, you know," said Alexander. "Just be patient with him, give us space when we ask for it, and -- oh, I'm sure he'll want to drink from you."

The place where the Maestro had dug his fangs into Oliver's neck throbbed with pain. "He will, sir?" said Oliver reluctantly.

"It won't be painful!" his master reassured him quickly. "Fitz is nothing like my sire. His feeding will be as gentle as mine. He won't harm you, I swear it."

"I'm glad of that, sir," said Oliver, who still couldn't quite calm his anxiety.

"It probably won't surprise you to learn that my sire is the reason Fitz fled this city and resides overseas," said Alexander. "When my sire is finally dusted, he'll return to me. He'll come live in the manor with his thrall, and we'll be together at last."

Oliver had never heard his master sound so wistful. "He must be very important to you, sir."

"I suppose you would figure out sooner or later that we're old lovers. Fitz certainly won't make a secret of it."

"Lovers?" He was sure he was unable to hide the surprise on his face. "I didn't realize you had any lovers, sir."

"I confess that it's often a painful subject for me. Less so when I know he's on a boat heading over the Atlantic at this very moment. We share a bond, you see, and I can tell by how miserable he is -- he's always been especially prone to seasickness," said Alexander fondly. "But as much as I'd like to spend the evening pining fruitlessly, we really should get to Lily's as early as we can, lest she head out for the night before we can consult her. I'll guide you to the bedroom and help you put on the clothes I've chosen for you."

Oliver let himself be guided without a fuss, still loathing the fact that he was so helpless that he wasn't even able to choose his own clothes. If Miss Lily couldn't help him, if he had to resign himself to weeks of blindness and lose even more of his remaining autonomy to his master, unable to even indulge in the simple joy of reading, he wasn't sure he could endure it.

Soon enough, they were stepping out into the chill fall evening, Alexander keeping a firm arm around Oliver to guide him through the streets. It was distressing to be able to hear other pedestrians on the sidewalk, to feel the uneven stones under his feet, without being able to open his eyes and see anything. He was entirely reliant on his master to navigate the familiar city, and if Alexander let go, Oliver would be immediately lost and helpless. Thankfully, he clung to Oliver tightly.

"We're here," said Alexander. "There are four steps in front of you - let me help you up them."

Oliver heard a loud knocking, then footsteps and a door creaking open.

"Oh, Lex!" said a familiar voice. "I thought you were my 9pm appointment arriving early. And what on earth happened to your hand?"

"Our sire's handiwork, of course. Are you taking customers today?" asked Alexander. "I hope you have some time to help us. It's a bit of an emergency."

"Come in, come in," said Lily, and Oliver felt himself being gently nudged forward into a very warm room. "You know very well I'll make the time, but I'd rather get started right away. I assume our sire has done something to Oliver?"

Alexander's hands rested on Oliver's shoulders. "He commanded Oliver to keep his eyes closed and now he can't open them. My poor thrall is quite blind."

"Oh, dear," she sighed. "That's a surprisingly mild punishment from him, though. He must have approved of Oliver."

"Oliver comported himself magnificently. The very picture of an ideal thrall," said Alexander, and Oliver's heart felt warm from the praise. "Another reason why he deserves to have his sight restored as soon as possible."

"Let me see." Oliver felt soft hands touch his face. "Oliver, dear, what did he tell you as he was forcing your eyes to close? The exact phrasing, if you can."

Oliver's memories felt muddled and hazy from fear and enthrallment, but he could remember that. "He told me he was placing lead weights on my eyes, sir, that they're too heavy for me to lift, and that he is the only one who can move them."

"All right. I believe I can work with that. Come with me. Lex, you stay out here, and if my 9pm arrives, try to keep her occupied with your sparkling wit and impeccable social skills."

"You can't be serious about that."

"Leaving your manor and socializing sometimes is good for you," she said, as she touched a hand to Oliver's back and pushed him along.

Oliver heard a door close behind him.

"Can you sit down, dear?"

She took his hand and placed it on the seat of a chair, and Oliver sat, sinking into the soft leather. He realized that the chair was awfully familiar -- the twin of the chair in Miss Lily's room at the auction house. The association caused his mind to fog and he couldn't keep from letting out a yawn, already three quarters of the way to trance.

"You remember, don't you?" said Lily, as she ran fingers through his hair and down his cheek. "So obedient, so docile. So sleepy. And so very, very quiet."

Oliver was utterly helpless against the tide of hypnosis gripping his mind. His head lolled backwards as he let out a soft groan. With his eyes already closed tight, it felt natural for sleep to wash over him.

"Quiet, Oliver, you're so quiet. You're sinking back down under my power now. You're completely safe with me. Safe for you to fall asleep, fall deep asleep. You're so drowsy, aren't you? A quiet, docile boy like you just wants to sleep and listen…"

She kept murmuring to him, but Oliver was already out like a light, quiet and sleepy and dreaming. After the terror of the previous night, it was so good to sleep so soundly, comfortable and content. Oliver felt like he could float in this pleasant dream forever.

That is, until he heard footsteps. Footsteps which did not belong to Lily or his master. Footsteps that were oddly light and perfectly in rhythm.

No, it couldn't be. That was impossible. There was no way that he was here --

But he could feel it already, the hold over his body, the feeling that his flesh and bones no longer belonged to him. He wasn't being manipulated, not yet, but he could sense it all around. He was here and in control, and Oliver could barely think through the numbing terror that gripped him.

"Wake up," said the musical voice of Alexander's sire, followed by a crisp snap. "I don't recall allowing you to sleep."

"I'm sorry, sir! I didn't mean to fall asleep." Oliver felt himself forced out of the chair and into a kneel, his back ramrod straight and his sweating hands clasped behind him. He couldn't budge an inch, and although he still couldn't open his eyes, he could feel that icy gaze boring into him.

"I don't understand why you think that disobedience out of poor self control is better than disobedience on purpose. Disobedience is disobedience."

"Yes, sir," said Oliver, trembling, waiting for a slap across his still tender cheek.

"I suppose, though, if you're to have any use as a servant, you'll need to have your eyes open, lest I have to puppet your wretched form everywhere," he said. "I will remove the weights on your eyes, and you will be appropriately grateful, and then you will serve me however I please."

Oliver swallowed nervously, dreading what the Maestro had in store for him. "Thank you very much for allowing me to serve you, sir."

"I will lift the heavy weight off each of your eyelids," he said, and Oliver felt something brush over his eyes, "and then you will graciously be allowed to open them on your own."

Despite being so eager to be cured earlier, Oliver was reluctant to open his eyes now, not wanting to face Alexander's sire once again, not understanding how he came to be here. But he had no choice. He opened his eyes…

…and there was Miss Lily standing before him.

He looked around in a panic. The Maestro was nowhere to be found, a phantom conjured by his own imagination and Miss Lily's mesmerism. "You…"

"He was the only one who could remove the command. I had to make your mind believe that I was him," she said. "I'm sorry for giving you such a fright, but it was the easiest way to undo what was done."

Oliver's heart was still pounding, unable to calm. "Yes, sir… thank you…"

"Poor dear, you're trembling like a leaf. Let me soothe you before sending you back to your master," she said. "Quiet now, Oliver. Quiet your frightened mind. You're safe here. It's only me."

"It's only you, sir…" said Oliver, sinking back into a merciful daze.

"That's right, and I take such good care of you, don't I?" she said with a smile. "You can relax now. Deep breaths, Oliver dear, deep breaths. Let all that tension out. Let that fear fade away. Let your mind be so, so quiet."

Oliver followed her instructions, taking deep breaths, and soon he did feel calmer, the terror of the hypnotic illusion fading. It was only a dream, one which could fade away into the obedient quiet of his enthralled mind.

"Lex is always singing your praises when he talks to me, you know," said Lily. "You're an absolute natural at serving a vampire, just as I knew you would be. Doesn't it make you feel good to serve Lex?"

It was both question and command, reinforcing his conditioning, and Oliver fell into it easily. "I very much enjoy serving Lex, sir."

"Of course you do, sweet boy. You've been so brave, and you deserve to feel good." She patted Oliver on the head one last time. "Now, if you're feeling better, why don't I return you to your master?"

"Yes, sir," said Oliver, feeling like a weight had been lifted from more than his eyes.

They left the stark conditioning room and stepped out into Miss Lily's home, which was done up very differently from Alexander's, filled with bright colors, fussy details, and homespun knick-knacks. A fat black cat ran up to Miss Lily and began winding around her ankles, and she scooped it up and gave it a kiss on the head. "This is Luna," she said. "Her brother Sunny is probably off on Miriam's lap."

"Hello, Luna," said Oliver, giving her a scritch.

As they walked down the hallway, Oliver could hear a steady stream of excited patter. "…and then I told him, is that really an appropriate place to take a lady on a date? And you know what he said? He said, well, they hardly ever hold horse racing at night, so I thought you'd like to see it. And I said, I can't see a blessed thing even with a vampire's eyesight. And then --"

They entered the parlor, where Alexander was sitting on a frilly gingham couch and nodding politely to everything a young woman was saying. She was done up in the latest fashions, and had a scrawny-looking man on a leash, kneeling at her feet. He looked at Oliver with fear in his eyes, pleading, as though there were anything Oliver could do.

"Ah, you had an appointment for 9pm, I believe?" said Miss Lily to the woman. "I appreciate your patience. I had an emergency job, but I'm free to take your thrall to the conditioning room now."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all!" she chirped. "I've been having a lovely time with Lord Alexander here." She stood up and handed the man's leash over to Miss Lily. "Just a thorough reconditioning for obedience and contentment, please. The place I bought him from did such an awful job -- you can see how distressed he is, and you should see the faces he pulls when it's time to feed. He's already escaped twice and I had to waste so much time tracking him."

"Of course, it's my pleasure," she said.

"No…" The thrall was backing away from Miss Lily, practically choking himself with his own leash. "No, please…"

Miss Lily knelt down and pet his head like one would a dog. "It's all right, dear, you'll see. Why don't you just relax? Just relax. Calm and peaceful, okay? I'm not gong to hurt you. Everything's going to be okay."

Oliver watched in fascination as the fear bled away from the thrall's expression, his eyes fixed on Miss Lily's and becoming glassy and dazed. He couldn't help but wonder if he wore a similar expression when he was under Miss Lily's spell.

"That's a good dear. So relaxed and at ease," she cooed. "You're going to feel so much better after you've had a session with me, I promise."

The thrall glanced up at Oliver, as if looking for some kind of confirmation. Oliver remembered how terrified he was the first time he had gone in for conditioning. "She's right," he said with a smile. "It's not scary at all, it's just like having a really good sleep, and you'll feel great afterwards."

"See?" said Miss Lily. "There's nothing to be scared of." She turned to Lex. "Sorry I can't stay around and chat, but I should get started on this session."

"Of course. We'll take our leave, and call on you another night," he said. "Oh, and Lily, before I go -- are you free on Friday night? Fitz will be in town, and I was hoping we could all go to the Tiger's Eye."

"Ooh, I wouldn't miss it," she said. She stood and ruffled Oliver's hair. "You'll be a good boy for our dear friend Fitz, won't you?"

"Yes, Miss Lily."

"Then I'll see you two soon enough, I'm sure. Have a good evening!"

"Are you feeling better?" Alexander asked as they stepped back out into the cool night air. "You're certainly looking much better."

"Yes, much better, sir. Thank you very much for taking me to Miss Lily," Oliver said. Now that he could see once again, he could see that the night was clear, the sky filled with a thousand brilliant stars. "Do you think we could go for a walk before returning home, sir? I could use the fresh air."

"I think that's a splendid idea," said Alexander, wrapping his arm around Oliver's once more.

Oliver saw the thick wad of bandages wrapped around his master's hand, and quite against his will he remembered the sickening smell of burnt flesh in the air. "Sir, your hand…"

"I've told you before that it will heal, but I appreciate your concern for me," said his master with a warm smile. "Your health and company is all the balm I need to soothe my pains tonight."

Thanks to Miss Lily, he was so obedient, so eager to please. "I'm glad that I can be helpful to you, sir."

"Always, Oliver. Don't doubt it for a minute."

Previous > Masterlist

I always enjoy writing Lily! Next week, the beginning of a three-parter involving a masquerade ball and Fitz's very impulsive decisions.

@d-cs @latenightcupsofcoffee @thecyrulik @dismemberment-on-a-tuesday-night @wanderinggoblin

@whumpyourdamnpears @only-shadows-dwell-where-we-are @pressedpenn @pigeonwhumps @amusedmuralist

@xx-adam-xx @ivycloak @irregular-book @whumpsoda @mj-or-say10 @pokemaniacgemini

@sowhumpshaped @whumpsday @morning-star-whump @silly-scroimblo-skrunkl

@steh-lar-uh-nuhs @pirefyrelight @theauthorintraining @whump-me-all-night-long @anonfromcanada

@typewrittenfangs @tessellated-sunl1ght @cleverinsidejoke @abirbable @ichorousambrosia

@a-formless-entity @gobbo-king @writinggremlin @the-agency-archives @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi

@enigmawriteswhump @foresttheblep @bottlecapreader @whump-on-a-string @whumpinthepot

@cinnamoncandycanes @avvail-whumps @tauntedoctopuses @secret-vampkissers-soiree @whatamidoingherehelpme

@strawbearydreams @ghost-whump @tippytappytyping @natthebatt @fire-bugg14

@fuckcapitalismasshole