#also tried to get a wide range of fandoms going!

[welcometololaland]

Weekend WIP Game

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more). (There are also questions for artists/GIF creators below).

For Writers

1. WIP List:

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

For Artists (I'm not sure if this will work for GIF makers, but I'd love if it did!)

1. WIP List:

2. Which WIP is your most complex?

3. Do any of your WIPs involve you using a technique/style that you haven't used before? What inspired you to try it?

4. Which WIP do you expect will take you the longest?

5. Which WIP are you finding the most enjoyable to create?

6. Do you have a favourite character to draw/stitch/paint/depict? Are they in many of your WIP projects?

7. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of creator's block?

9. Do any of your WIPs contain characters outside the main ship? How are you finding creating those?

10. What emotions are you hoping to convey through your WIPs?

11. Are there any features/details you are finding challenging in your WIPs?

12. Which WIP has the most complex shading/colouring?

13. Which WIP has the most complex background?

14. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for?

15. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

16. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other art doesn't?

17. Are any of your WIPs commissions?

18. Do you have a character that is more difficult to draw/stitch/paint/depict? Are they in many of your WIP projects?

19. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

A HUGE OPEN TAG SINCE THIS IS LITERALLY THE FIRST TIME THIS GAME IS POSTED PLUS: @daisymae-12 @clottedcreamfudge @indomitable-love @iboatedhere @everwitch-magiks @inexplicablymine @celeritas2997 @kiwiana-writes @cha-melodius @cricketnationrise @beautifulhigh @dumbpeachjuice @athousandrooms @villiageidiot @the-amber-fox @stereopticons @apothecarose @hippolotamus @jesuisici33 @statueinthestone @ramonaflow @lilythesilly @nontoxic-writes @fuckingyrs @orchidscript @rmd-writes @nelsonnicholas @fitzherbertssmolder @thisbuildinghasfeelings @strandnreyes @lemonlyman-dotcom @carlos-in-glasses @three-drink-amy @birdclowns @wandering-night19 @heartstringsduet @inflarescent @tintagel-or-cockleshells @alrightbuckaroo @carlos-tk @freneticfloetry @lightningboltreader @reyesstrand @goodways

[prettyoddfever]

the "Ryho" mindset is still happening

I didn’t like how part of the fandom treated Ryan during the pre-split years. This might end up being a lengthy explanation but bear with me because it’s relevant to the modern fandom.

So it was a well-known fact in 2006 that Ryan was straightedge/sober (Spencer was too, but he got less attention from the media). Being straightedge kind of became part of Ryan’s image (here’s a random example) and a lot of fans really connected with that. Then Ryan got drunk for the first time at the end of 2006, and we started seeing pictures of him partying with friends in early 2007 before the band even went to the cabin. 

By summer 2007 Ryan was like a completely different person. I get that the drugs & alcohol probably helped him become more outgoing, but I also think he was just becoming way more confident & comfortable as he grew up. And SO many fans seriously hated the change. Fans still randomly criticized the other 3 guys, but that stuff seemed more like the regular small complaints that happen just for the sake of complaining when people are bored (ex: Jon’s beard existing or vanishing). The stuff about Ryan was very different in tone and there were some consistent themes throughout the last half of 2007: Ryan was too in love with Keltie, he dressed like a hippie now, and he partied a lot. Basically, he was changing. He was no longer the same person that he was during the Fever era.

It honestly seemed like many fans were angry at this new version of Ryan for taking the old version away from them, as though they had some sort of ownership. There was tons of drama over the fact that we were seeing lots of pictures of Ryan partying with various friends (some of whom posted detailed stories about their nights or how drunk everyone was). Some fans said Ryan was a hypocrite or a liar and tried to make him out to be an alcoholic, as though he’d personally betrayed them by destroying who he was "supposed" to be.

However, I think most of the complaints were actually rooted in something bigger: Ryan looked happy.

I felt like a lot of the younger fans had latched onto the idea of a shy, wounded guitarist who needed to be saved or *understood* or whatever… you know the cliche I mean??  That was the vibe that the media sometimes tried to give him during the Fever era, so even they knew it would sell! But now Ryan was partying a lot with a wide range of friends, was dating Keltie, had completely abandoned his Fever-era aesthetic, and seemed to be closest with Jon in 2007 instead of Brendon. He was “destroying” the static image of Ryan that fangirls had taped onto their bedroom walls.

I remember a decent amount of fans actually admitting that they wished Ryan would go back to being depressed. Like they literally wanted him to be unhappy & unsure of himself because they liked him better that way. Others accepted that Ryan was changing and were happy for him, but still thought his bitter lyrics were better. And then even if other people wouldn’t admit that they were clinging onto an old version of Ryan, their main criticism still seemed to revolve around the fact that Ryan was living his life, having fun, and being different than he was the previous year.

I saved one fan’s post because it summed up some of the complaints this year:

The nickname “Ryho” really took off in late 2007.

Obviously a ton of fans loved Ryan (and the kids who were bashing him still claimed to love him too). The petty criticism just became annoying to me. People slammed his new clothes, his new hairstyles, the way he carried himself or talked, his weight/body, his “creepy” fingers, and the “girly” things he told Kerrang he liked (pumpkin spice candles, vanilla milkshakes, his puppy, and Titanic). Even the kids who used to love Ryan’s mild arrogance were now holding it against him. A lot of the fans who were criticizing Ryan in the last half of 2007 jumped right back to being his “fans” once the Pretty. Odd. era got going and things were interesting again, but I guess it shouldn’t have been surprising that so many fans were able to easily switch to bashing Ryan once again in spring 2009 when he was changing yet again. It’s like they were so focused on what Ryan wasn’t doing that spring (ex: recording the third Panic album) that they couldn’t see or accept what he was doing: building a whole new life for himself in a completely different music scene with the new crew of friends he’d been hanging out with for a while (Alex Greenwald’s scene).

One of the things that stuck out to me in late spring & summer 2009 was how many fans felt rejected by Ryan (and Jon). Those fans had basically idolized prior versions of Ryan and were hurt to slowly watch him destroy all of that as they realized he didn’t want to be part of the machine of the music scene that the fandom still loved. That hurt translated to them lashing out in anger.

So you know how I mentioned that in 2006 part of the fandom liked the idea of a shy, wounded guitarist who wrote bitter lyrics and needed to be *understood * and saved? And they resented Ryan for destroying that concept in 2007 and taking away the Ryan that they loved? They wanted to view him as a static character and couldn’t accept that he’s a constantly-evolving human. This is still happening today. Some fans are still upset that the version of Ryan that they want was taken away (ex: Ryan left the Fever era behind, left Panic behind). Except now instead of resenting Ryan for the choices that he made, some modern fans have rewritten the past to blame external forces like Brendon instead. I've been trying so hard to wrap my mind around this for a while, so here's my take on it... keep in mind that this is just my own observation/guess. Ryan isn't very visible now, so people are free to project a lot onto him. I think that by blaming Brendon (who is the visible one left), people can still happily view Ryan as a helpless victim who needs saving, and never feel rejected or betrayed by his choices... then it's like Ryan didn’t actually want to leave them, and could still be the person that they need him to be. Idk I'm still trying to comprehend what happened to the recent fandom tbh.

I'm absolutely not saying that all of Ryan's current fans are like this!! It's just that some little bits I've seen are concerning because they essentially take away Ryan’s agency & erase him. Even on a smaller scale, I've still noticed how some modern fans focus heavily on stories that dramatize Ryan's pain & portray him as a passive victim, regardless of whether those stories conflict with reality. Like why exactly is that angle a priority? Some examples:

Camisado is for dancing

the "funeral picture" isn't real

Lollapalooza was a fun show

June and July are different months

Ryan participated in the stage gay

some of the Ryden stuff could probably qualify too

Keep in mind that I'm saying this as a fan of Ryan. I am genuinely happy to see that he has so many newer fans! But sometimes I'm a little concerned that patterns might be repeating and maybe some people are more focused on their own creation of a character/image than an actual musician who has had many many phases.

[laughtalelogs]

❄impossibilities - zoro x reader❄

❄ day 2 - little lie, trapped together in a snowstorm, “I thought you knew where you were going?!” ❄ fandom/character(s) - one piece - zoro x reader ❄ warnings - no beta reader, gn!reader, enemies to ???, forced proximity, implied sexual themes ❄ word count: 1.6k+ ❄ description - what happens when an unstoppable force, you, is crammed a tin can with an unmovable object, zoro? you both hate eachother's guts— that's what.

--

sorry this one is so late! today caught up with me bad. hope you enjoy, this one is actually complete this time too!

tomorrow is everyone's favorite lesbian, nami! I should have that one up timely, since it'll only be a small blurb.

check out the rest of the days here

The bitter cold was all consuming. The wind raged over the icy hills. Its whistling rang against the metal that shielded you from its burn. Snow pelted the foggy windshield in a thick layer of white, frost seeping into the cramped, humid caravan. You looked over at the man in front of you— well, what you could see, at least. 

Hunched over, his thick thighs squished against both walls. He made a poor attempt to find comfort as he spread his legs wide but preserved what distance he could from you.

Yet, your knees still knocked together. The polyester squeaked as you both tried to avoid contact. A green glow lit the dark silhouette of his brow bone and jaw. His scowl was clear, even in the dark. 

You rubbed your clammy, cold hands on your snowsuit. You weren't sure what made you more uncomfortable. It was a toss-up between the swordsman, your freezing feet, and the sweat rolling down your back, soaking your thin cotton shirt that insulated you like a sauna.  You didn’t know how long you could take this, and it seemed he was at his limit too.

“You do realize this is your fault?” His voice sliced through the stale, warm air, snapping his head up at you, voice leaking with annoyance. 

“I don’t control the weather, Zoro,” you bristle, avoiding his unwavering gaze.

You look behind at the console, the screen blinking an incessant warning on the panel: Warning, low temperatures detected. Return Brachio Mini to Franky immediately. 

"But you control this." He gestures at the broken panel.  “We could’ve been back by now.”

“I’m sorry I like to be thorough; you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” You snapped back, but a small ounce of guilt bangs in your chest. As if you didn’t already know that, you thought. It didn’t stop you from holding on to your sliver of pride.

“When has Nami ever been wrong?” He tried to adjust for the hundredth time with no luck.

You sighed. How did he know how to get under your skin and fester there? “It was just sunny outside! You even took a swim earlier,"

“Now I’ve got a stalker?” His lips curl in cruel amusement, making your eye twitch with anger.  “That still doesn’t answer the question.”

“Fine, Nami was right. that's what you want to hear?” you hiss between tight lips. "And she’s going to kill us if we don’t freeze to death. Or maybe the lack of oxygen will come first.”

He tilted his head. “So Nami is right, and I’m not?”

“Glad to see you have your priorities straight.” You can’t help how naturally your eyes roll into your skull. He always brushed off the danger, like an annoying fly. It was a mere inconvenience to the brute. While he sat there, calm and unwavered, you were trying to quell your racing pulse, worry eating away at your patience.  

“I’m not dying here, and neither are you. I told you I could open the hatch." His voice was soft but determined. You feel your chest burn. 

“And lose the heat? Are you stupid?” you grumbled.

“You’re the one worried about the air.” He shrugged.

“Yeah, and I’m also worried about freezing to death too. Say, do you have anything between your ears, or is it just a stand for your sword?”

“Ha. Ha. Ha.” He claps, each echoing off the tinny walls. You sit in silence, trying to calm down. 

"I only agreed to come because I knew you'd get lost." You repeat, fiddling with the transponder snail. Still, no signal. 

And that was something Zoro couldn’t argue with. He slanted his eyes down at you as you turned back toward him, crossing your arms over your chest. Silence enveloped you once more, thick with tension and aggravation. 

You could see it so clearly 3 hours ago. Zoro went off by himself on the island. He either got into trouble or got lost, causing it. With limited options, you knew tagging along was the better one. He never tried to see it from your angle, no matter how hard you would persist. You used to feel envious of this, how his troubles would roll off his shoulders like a duck sheds water. Now, you realize he lacks the brain to see the issue. 

With a voice laced in anger, he broke the silence once more. “Anyone else would’ve gotten us back to this ship now,”

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” you shoot back. “And I’m not anyone else.”

“You got that right,” he muttered, shifting as your knees knocked together again. You ignore the swift blow to your ego, pestering further. 

“So you rather Sanji?” 

“Please, don’t say that name right now; my head hurts enough with just you here.” 

"Answer my question, swords." You point your finger at his chest. The heat of his body radiates into your finger. He swats your hand away, rubbing the spot like it burned. 

“Both of you are annoying. One of you is lucky they're—" He paused, catching himself, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. You tilt your head, leaning closer in curiosity. 

"Never mind, this shit is stupid.” He trailed off, voice low as he avoided your gaze. His face twists between disgust and something else you can’t quite label; his eyes flicker away.

“No, finish your thought. Lucky? Lucky for what? And who?”

“I’m not doing this with you right now.. You're impossible.” He groaned, rubbing his temples. “Let me try to fix it; we’re losing daylight.”

You stared at him. “And do what exactly? I don’t think you can slash yourself out of this one.”

He looked up at the ceiling, hands reflexively thumbing the swords jutting at his hip. “That’s not a bad idea, actually.” 

You scoffed. “You can’t be serious.” 

“As a heart attack. Move.” He grabbed your shoulder, standing up, hunched over with a hand gripping Wado. You dug your heels in and leaned back. 

“No.” You glare at him, ignoring how his frame folded over yours. You sink further into the chair to avoid his gaze. His legs slot into yours awkwardly. “I won't let you ruin our only way back.” 

“And I’m not going to listen to your constant whining anymore. Move.” He grips tighter on your shoulder, eyes boring into you, unreadable. “Now.” 

“I won’t, asshole!” you seethe, but you’re losing your bite as he dips his head down, slamming a hand down behind you in frustration.

“ I have had it up to here, with you. You can’t control everything.” He whispered tersely, eyes searching yours for the answer.

"I don’t,” you whispered back. 

“Then why have you insisted on doing everything? There’s no I in team.”

You try to deflect, picking at your sleeve. “I’m surprised you can spell."

He rumbled your name, and you looked at him, eyes serious. The green highlights his small, pouting mouth. It reflects pretty shimmers off his earrings, which sway with his movements.  His grip on your shoulder loosened as he loomed down, his face impossibly close to yours. You feel his breath feather against your cheeks, warming your windburned skin. 

“Trust me, dammit..” His voice was low, not commanding, but pleading- a small tinge of frustration laced within his voice that left you wondering ‘trust you with what?’ 

The weight of heady legs pressed closer into yours. You freeze.

 ...Was he?

 You watch his eyes soften as his eyes dart across your face. For a brief moment, he eyes your chapped lips, his own twitching into something too tender, too vulnerable to be meant for you. You were rendered silent, trying to steel your legs from squeezing his toned leg between them.  this must be some cruel dream you were conjuring for yourself. But no, you both were here, breathing in each other's air, staring into each other's eyes for what felt like eternity. You feel your body buzz with the palpable energy left suspended in the air. 

Before your brain can catch up with your thoughts, you exhale sharply, lips forming a soft ‘o’. You were unable to back further away, feeling yourself pulled in by his gravity. He couldn’t be... Could he? 

But then- 

Sharp metal and glass clash violently after Zoro swiftly unsheathes Wado, stabbing the panel behind you. You scream and jolt forward, tumbling into Zoro’s chest as he falls back, sparks whizzing in the air. The interior groans and spurts, before suddenly, the engines whirs with purpose. The lights of the cabin flicker on, and the power levels itself out again.

“What the hell was that?!” You jump out of Zoro’s arms, pushing away the arm he had wrapped around your waist. You can see the way his cheeks are dusted red, but he leaned back, sheathing the sword. 

“I fixed it. See what happens when we can trust each other,” He smiled.

You look at him incredulously. He was stupid, but not braindead.“That wasn’t trust! that was- you- you tricked-”

“What did you think was going to happen? I’m not that easy.” He smirked and you feel embarrassment eat away at whatever nerves you have left.  He did know what affect that had on you, and seemed to relish it. 

“I’ll kill you with my barehands,”

“Why don’t you just get us home instead?” He juts his chin to the panel.

You try to calm your shot nerves for a moment to think, reaching at whatever remnants of the panel to carry yourselves back home. You needed to be far away from him, as soon as possible. Your hands twitch as you try to retrace the land, snow melting slowly off the windshield. 

You worry on your bottom lip.  Great. 

“I... I think we’re lost.” You force the words out of your mouth, defeat weighing you down.

“I thought you knew where you were going?!” He yelled behind you in exsperation.

"Uh.. yeah, my bad."

Maybe you were a little impossible.

and legends say they are still in the snow, battling their sexual tension, frozen in time lol.

hope you enjoyed this! If you can't tell I like when zoro is mad at you lol. Sorry if the end is a bit rushed :')

ngl I highkey wouldn't mind making a pt.2 to this with MAYBE some smut- but forewarning, i’m rusty asf. if you would want one, let me know! this was definitely supposed to be longer, but I thought it'd be cute leaving it off here.

If you enjoy that, check out my other stuff (x)

[smahell]

is there a villain in obey me?

yes. according to this simple search, diavolo is the antagonist we should fear. and date. and collect cards of. for some reason.

this was sent in a discord server I was in as a very very obvious joke (hopefully) and this result is surely ai generated, or google's done a whoopsie-doodle and taken something off of reddit.

yes, diavolo can assert himself as an antagonistic force, but all of his actions are always within logical reason. though it may be against the wishes of the brothers and MC, he always does what is right for the devildom, whether that may be putting lucifer on house arrest, or locking belphegor away from his brothers.

diavolo is literally just trying his best, and he's been doing that since his father basically dumped the responsibility of a whole realm on his shoulders and abandoned him to sleep at the bottom of the devildom. his past is genuinely so sad.

so, who's the villain in obey me????

you could certainly say it's belphie.. but you can also date him. belphie changes through our the story, and as of right now, he holds nothing against humans and anyone in general. though it was a short span of time, he has gained the (somewhat undeserving) forgiveness of everyone around him after trying to kill MC.

like yes, michael, but it's very obvious with him disguising himself as raphael, going against god's will, and even his manipulation of the brothers that he wants the brothers back, and still sees them as family. even if that may not be reciprocated.

you could say father. but in a sense, lilith broke the rules, and so did the brothers. they all needed to be punished accordingly. and the brothers still refer to him as "father" and not by any other name. they don't hate him as of now.

they feel sympathy. an attachment. a connection.

in the og where michael was mentioned once or twice, the fandom was quick to assign him as The Bad Guy™, but getting to know him through nb, he really is just like all the other characters in terms of role. and throughout nb michael is doted on fondly by the brothers. it's that sort of difficult familial love estranged families can relate to.

are these good decisions? no

but he's not a villain.

if you lost the loving family and friends you knew, and you had the power to get them back through such unconventional means... michael is just using the powers he was given.

"so then.. maddie's the bad guy." okay grandpa, let's get you back to your wheelchair..

she's barely even mentioned for starters, and from what I've heard, she's not even been mentioned in nb. all she's done is made mammon cry at some point, and tried to marry diavolo. she might be a shitty person, yes, but she's never even involved enough to make out lives, or even all the brothers's lives a living nightmare. she's a very minor nuisance, at most.

all the characters do something antagonistic. every single one of them. if there was a villain it would discredit the fact that the game isn't about heroes and villains and morality, but about people. and that's what makes obey me so good. and if there was (a villain), the story would've ended by now, long before the franchise's fifth anniversary. ****

every character is morally grey, and the fact that it leaves it up to the player to annotate what is good and bad makes the whole experience more immersive and personal than ever. however, it speaks volumes concerning a lack of media comprehension that anyone would try to assign a villain to obey me.

obey me is about dating silly demon boys, and watching people live, whether that be in peace and harmony, or in tense, on-the-brink-of-destruction moments. the story has no need of a true antagonist, when we have well developed and wide range of characters gets that impact the story no matter what. enjoy the game, hate or love the characters.. whether they're antagonists or not, just have fun.

****(because the devs weren't very good at writing the first game.. so I doubt they could've had the support to have written a second one)

[edit: this was brainstormed between @prettylittlelambs and i on discord :3 thank you for sort of inspiring me and going me come up with more ideas]

[lancermylove]

Owl Beast Curse (HC)

Fandom: Twisted Wonderland, the Owl House

Pairing: Leona, Malleus, Riddle, Vil, Kalim, Azul with gn!Reader

Warning: None

Requested by: Anon

Prompt: Can you do twst dorm leaders(except Idia) with a gn s/o who has the owl beast curse? How they react the side effects(easily detachable limbs) and their sister is the one who cause it

A/N: Thank you for including the link to the wiki! Hope you like it.

———————————————

Ah, siblings. He hates them. Leona is not surprised that your sister cursed you, as he knows family does more harm than good. He is pissed off at your sister, to say the least, and doesn't care what excuse your sister has to curse you. Her actions are unforgivable.

Leona feels a twinge of sympathy for you, especially since you didn't deserve what your sibling did. But he doesn't show you pity, nor does he feel sorry for you because, in his eyes, you are strong. To be able to handle a curse, and that too, one inflicted by a family member, must be pain, both physically and mentally. Leona respects you more than he did before.

Leona is not a fan of you detaching your limbs to play pranks on him or who off, especially not your head. Whenever you do, he blankly stares at you.

Once he learns that the curse is triggered due to stress, he tries to help you maintain your stress, even if he doesn't show it outright.

Are you stressed because you have an overload of homework? Leona will sit next to you and practically tell you all the answers so you can finish the assignments before your stress levels get out of hand. Are your friends stressing you out? He will stand behind you and glare down at them until they shink and run away.

Once you tell Leona about the elixir, he will make sure you take it daily. The last thing he wants is for Crowley to learn about your curse. He doesn't trust the head mage, who is anything but benevolent.

Malleus never told you this, but he had detected the curse on you since he first met you. However, the prince figured he would learn about your curse eventually, so he didn't try to pry any information from you.

However, when he learns the details about your curse, Malleus feels a wide range of emotions, from concern to anger. How could your own blood curse you? He wonders if this kind of occurrence is common among humans.

When he sees your owl beast form, he remains unfazed and finds it fascinating. He is not afraid in the slightest, as Malleus knows if you try to attack him, he has the strength to hold you back.

The prince is very concerned about your ability to detach your limbs. Does it cause you pain physically? He is a bit relieved to know you are not in pain from it, but Malleus still doesn't want you to pull your limbs off, not even as a prank. The only exception is Halloween.

The prince wants to track down your sister to learn why she did this and hold her accountable for causing you pain, but first, he wants to focus on finding a way to help you. All the mages in Briar Valley are attempting to find a way to get rid of your curse and, if you sympathize with the owl beast, a way to save it as well.

Kalim will be taken aback if you tell him about your curse. However, if you don't tell him and accidentally transform into your beast form, Kalim will be shocked. Though, if anyone tries to attack you while you are in that form, he will protect you.

When he learns that your sister is responsible for cursing you, Kalim has difficulty wrapping his mind around it. Just the thought of your own family going against you is devastating to him. He has many siblings, and they all get along well, so he can't fathom there are families in which siblings can be enemies to this point.

Kalim is willing to do anything and everything to help you. You are his s/o, so he is responsible for helping and supporting you through thick and thin.

He also goes out of his way to ensure you are not stressed. If Kalim sees you stressing out, he immediately distracts you with his cuteness, hugs, kisses, or taking you on a magic carpet ride. He also enlists Jamil to help with your stress management.

When Kalim sees your limbs detach, he experiences a wave of emotions. First, shock. Second, discomfort for you, thinking you are in pain. Third, sadness. If you even remotely joke that the detachment causes you pain, it will draw tears to his eyes, as if he was filling the pain himself.

Family members can be...a pain. He understands this, but to think they would go as far as to curse you. Riddle is angered by the thought, but his concern for your well-being overshadows his anger.

He is startled and a bit fearful when he sees you in your owl beast form. Even then, he stands his ground, knowing that he has to help you through this. However, when he sees/learns about your easily detachable limbs, Riddle is creeped out. If you try to detach your limbs in front of him, he will get angry. In fact, he wants to add a rule to the book of rules saying you are not allowed to take detach your limbs.

Like Kalim, Riddle enlists the help of his dorm members when he learns stress is your main trigger. When he is not around, Cater, Ace, Trey, and Deuce are responsible for helping you calm down.

Riddle is relieved that Ace and Deuce are in the same class as you so that they can keep an eye on you to prevent any incidents from happening on campus. Riddle worries that someone on campus might try to use you as a test subject if they learn about your unique curse.

If possible, he even learns how to make the elixirs you drink so that you never run out of them.

On many occasions, Vil feels like you are hiding something from him. Then, he sees you drinking an elixir daily and knows for sure you have a secret. Part of him wants you to tell him when you are comfortable, but the other part knows he needs to know, especially if it could pose a danger to him and the other students.

When he sits down and talks with you, you detach your limb to show him the side effects. Vil immediately grosses you and gets upset with you. NEVER do that again in front of him. Even if it doesn't physically pain you, it hurts him to see your limbs not attached to your torso.

Vil asks another question: Why didn't you tell him about the curse earlier when the two of you started dating? Were you afraid that he would judge or leave you? He assures you he will not leave or judge you for being cursed; if anything, he wants to help you find a way to lift the curse.

The moment Vil learns your sister was the one who cursed you, he sympathizes with you but is angered beyond belief. His need to seek justice kicks in, and Vil's first instinct is to track down your sister and confront her. At some point in the future, with your permission or against your will, he will find your sister and confront her.

Azul already knows you are cursed even before he sees you transform into the owl beast. Once he saw you drinking the elixir, he took a few drops from one bottle to test it. Though he couldn't find what the elixir was for, he found similar ingredients to a recipe in their world that is used to keep curses at bay.

Though he doesn't show it outright, Azul is deeply concerned about you. He doesn't confront you about your curse and waits for you to tell him or for the curse to take effect.

He is not surprised when he learns your sister is responsible for your state. He has firsthand experience in seeing the dark side of people around him. Azul focuses more on finding a cure to your curse rather than the past - for the time being.

He won't admit it out loud, but Azul finds your curse fascinating and wants to learn more about it. Even when he finds a way to separate the owl beast from you, Azul plans to keep the beast alive. Something tells him that you don't want the beast to be harmed, but more than anything, he wants to learn about the creature as there are no creatures like the owl beast in their world.

At first, Azul HATES it when you detach your limbs in front of him. Eventually, he gets used to it, especially with you and Floyd pranking everything with your detached body parts. Even if he walks into his office and finds your head on his desk, Azul will sigh, shake his head, and focus on his work.

———————————————

➣  Please visit my website for the full masterlist!

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

''#and in-ho in particular represents the overarching idea of 'human nature/people do not change‚ no matter how ''good'' you are'''

I don't think this can be said with certainty before watching season 3, particularly as we know we're getting more in-ho backstory/a look at his character in season 3.

I could see an ending where in-ho doesn't change his belief...but I'm also not sure that's got the full meat of what they're doing with his character. and, even if he doesn't change for it, I think the part of him that does have conflict over it...that subconscious piece that does have hope that he's wrong...is very important, and compelling, and interesting, to who he is -- and what's been broken in him and what he's fallen from, how he's found himself in this darkness and whether it's encompassing or whether there still is something that could enjoy the goodness of humanity in him. and there is a beacon of light in gi-hun, that in-ho is obviously trying to quash, but I really don't think 100% of him wants it to be quashed.

I also don't know that a message of 'once this person loses any hope in humanity there's absolutely no way for him to come back from that and he wouldn't even want to' is particularly...great? as a message or commentary.

i dunno, maybe he will just be a 'I'm evil and darkness and this has been my master plan and I've never once hesitated'...but that's not really what I've taken from it so far (despite, yes, all his manipulation and calculatedness), nor something I'd find very fulfilling as a story.

Definitely agreed that there is depth to him! He's absolutely a complex character, and I think (but may not have gotten across clearly in my couple of posts about it) that the emotions he experiences while playing the games with Gi-hun are somewhat genuine. I think the showrunners actively want us to see those emotions and view them that way! I just think he's leveraging those things for the ultimate purpose of tearing Gi-hun's worldview apart (for a wide range of possible reasons). It seemed like the main read of his character in fandom spaces has been more focused on magnifying whatever inner conflict there may be (to the point of being surprised that he didn't have a change of heart at the end), so I wanted to emphasize that he is actually doing this stuff on purpose. I'm looking forward to how they develop him in Season 3!

I also don't think the show will necessarily conclude that "people don't change, no matter how good you are" (meaning human nature, not necessarily In-ho in particular), but that is the "thesis" of In-ho's character at this point. What I mean is that, narratively, his function is to argue against Gi-hun's belief in people and their ability to overcome their horrible circumstances, and to do the right thing instead of the selfish one. In-ho joins the games with the express purpose of proving that no matter how clearly Gi-hun makes his case, no matter what he tries to do, people are going to play the games anyway, because human nature won't change: "survival of the self ahead of others" is the fundamental drive of all people. And these people need the money to survive, so they will play at the cost of others' lives.

Gi-hun's character is challenged by the events of season 2 because that claim seems to be being proven right; even when many people want to leave the games, and even when the cost is clear, there is still a larger faction who want to stay. But what he doesn't know is that In-ho is orchestrating events so that that is certain to occur! Without In-ho as the final player, the games might have stopped; someone else might have voted X. And that's just the most obvious of the changes made because of his role. So in the end, it's not actually a fair fight of ideas--the system/establishment that tries to set people against their fellow man has so much more power that they can "make their case" more convincingly. That's why In-ho wins in the end: what he represents has (at least for now) come out on top, because the people he represents are already there.

Since he is a human, I think it's likely that he feels a degree of inner conflict about this. But everything we've seen from him indicates that he really does believe his perspective to be the only reasonable way of seeing things. And that's deeply tied with his own choices: if he was wrong, if there was another way, then how can he ever hope to atone for the wrong he's done? The more people do in the name of their ideas, the more desperately they become entrenched in them.

In short, I think In-ho is very complex and compelling--just maybe not as conflicted as people like to read him. He's not as sympathetic if he really believes in what he's doing, but I think the plain reading would indicate that he almost entirely does. But it's more interesting, in a way, to have a villain who doesn't want to be proven wrong! And more satisfying if, in the end, he can be--and perhaps can even change, himself.

(Also, I'm not sure if you sent another ask as well, but I tried to touch on both of them here in any case!)

[randoimago]

Saw your randothoughts thing and so I thought I'd send this to your askbox. My request is for you to write whatever you want here! Like a free space!

JoJo's Part 5 Bucci Gang as Options in a Dating Sim

Fandom: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Character(s): Giorno Giovanna, Bruno Bucciarati, Leone Abbacchio, Guido Mista, Pannacotta Fugo, Narancia, Trish Una

Type of Request: Headcanons

Note(s): Ngl, this is a really cute thing to do anon. I can see this eventually being a bit tricky if I have no ideas at the time, but I do appreciate this now! I'll just use this to set up my self-indulgent idea.

Giorno

Quiet and keeps to himself. Only seen really enjoying life when he's with his closest friends. All the girls want him, but he is very uninterested (but he's polite about it at least!)

An interested relationship with his dad. It's not bad, but home life is difficult. Giorno recently learned somethings about his father that has made him very iffy. His dad still loves Giorno very much though.

His route probably begins if Player has high Intelligence stat or something. Giorno seems perfect, but his grades aren't there. Which is weird because he is very smart (and you learn the reason his grades are dropping is because he just doesn't turn in his homework or care enough about assignments).

Of course, you have the ClassicTM of some random girl being jealous of your relationship with Giorno, tells you to stay away, Giorno finds out and says to ignore her (he deals with the problem behind your back by calling the girl out, much to her embarrassment)

Maybe random Dio cameo just to freak out Players with how ridiculously hot Giorno's dad is. There're many comments online about "Forget Giorno, I wanna date his dad."

Bruno

Older student that helps your teacher in class. He's very kind and friendly to all the students (except when they aren't kind back). Very helpful. It's easy to see why several students have crushes on him, but he smiles and waves them off.

I can see his route beginning with you r running into him outside of class and seeing how tired he really is. Like his cheerful facade in school is a mask he wears. He's still kind and patient, but he also has some built up anger from past things.

You learn he lost his parents when he was very young and ended up in the foster system, which definitely affected quite a bit of his upbringing. But he even tried to keep a friendly face to help the other kids there.

You also learn that it's why he's so friendly to a wide range of people. Yeah some of the students in your class are annoying, but Bruno doesn't know what they might have been through/are currently going through.

Probably the easiest one to get romantic points with. At least, you know that you lose points with any option talking down about others so it's a process of elimination from there.

Abbacchio

Older student as well, in Bruno's class (has a cameo in Bruno's route and Bruno has a cameo in his later on). You probably end up meeting him from choosing to hang out with Bruno. Abbacchio doesn't really talk to you, mostly ignores you (which Bruno says that Leone is a nice guy, just going through some things).

Probably would be classified as the Bad Boy option, but that's not really what he's going for. His looks and attitude give him that rep.

His route begins by you going to find Bruno's usual spot you hang out in and there's only Abbacchio. You can choose to not talk to him or ask about Bruno. Talking gets points even though his answer is to be annoyed.

Definitely a bit tricky to romance at first until you learn what options to say. Likes being reassured, but not to a "You have done nothing wrong!" level. Also doesn't mind initiating conversations as long as it's not a dumb "So how are you doing?"

His route can seem slow burn or like not a lot is happening as opposed to other routes, but there are subtle things, and his character portrait does have tiny smiles or little ear blushes that people spam about online.

Definitely some grumbling from him if Giorno is another character you have a high relationship stat with.

Fugo

Ends up being your tutor if your intelligence stat is falling. Absolutely has a crush on you instantly if you're sweet and nice to him, but he doesn't do anything about it.

Tries to keep being the sweet, nice tutor but if your intelligence stat isn't at a certain level on a certain day (I figure this would be a dating sim that does the Day 1 through Day whatever as the ending) then you notice him losing patience and starting to be more of an ass with asking if you even give a damn.

And if your intelligence stat is what you focus on so you don't get the angry Fugo scenes then there's still a scene in his route where you see him going off just so you know how angry he can get. There's a lot of apologies from him with you seeing him that way. Honestly his route can be a bit triggering to some.

Like he'll never be the abusive romance option, but I'm not going to lie and say he immediately gets over his anger or whatever because of you. He will work on it as you advance with his route because he doesn't like the idea of upsetting or scaring you.

If you choose the wrong dialogue option, then you get a "Fugo walked away" because he thinks that's better than showing you his angry side all the time. There are so many memes about it on the internet.

Mista

I like the idea of the Player being told rumors of Mista and getting the option to say, "I can change him." and if that option is picked then the Player is instantly locked out of the relationship (flirting can happen and Player can go on one date with Mista, but nothing comes of it).

He's talked about being a playboy but he's really not. Like rumors are that he constantly dates a new girl each day or that he doesn't seem to give a damn about classes, but that's also not true.

Mista does flirt a bit when meeting the Player, but if you tell him off or seem shy then he laughs it off and tells you not to worry and that he'll try to not make you uncomfortable.

He's honestly just a dork and yeah, he's flirty, but it is mostly for fun, and he doesn't mind if nothing comes out of it. Mista does feel guilty if someone does get the wrong idea of his flirting and he does apologize.

While he seems like his route should be easy, it's also one of the more difficult ones. Very much a balance of engaging in his flirtiness but also being able to tell him to focus on other things and genuinely getting to know him.

Narancia

Kind of like Giorno, his route happens depending on your intelligence stat, but it doesn't have to be as high as it does with Giorno. Narancia just has abysmal grades, and he really has plans for the future that he wants to achieve, but learning is difficult for him.

Narancia is a sweetheart, but you need lots of patience. As you get to know Narancia, he starts bringing you sweets and stuff as thanks for tutoring him. Might ask you out to a movie as well.

He's very quick to crush on you and you do have the option to ask to slow down a bit, but he's just very sweet and does his best to make you proud.

He's the one that introduces you to Fugo, which can lead to the Love Triangle or just Fugo's route.

While Narancia can be a very easy route to complete, going with him causes you to end up in tricky situations due to your intelligence stat not increasing due to Narancia wanting to skip school with you to hang out all the time (if you're romancing Fugo too then it makes things extra tricky).

Trish

A lot of dating Sims or games with romance are a lot more inclusive now, but back in the day, Trish would be the Token Lesbian option everyone talked about (for better or worse).

Snotty rich girl, you overhear that her friends don't actually like Trish, but her dad has money.

Getting to know her, she's actually shy and sweet. She's just gone through a lot and finds it difficult to trust others. Very much enjoys relying on you as you gain her trust in the route.

Quick to jump to your defense too. There's probably a moment that other snooty girls start talking shit about her and you can step in and when they start talking crap about you then that's when Trish doesn't hold back.

Honestly at the start of her route, she figures you just want to get on her good side for her money. The first hangout causes her to snap at you at the end and throwing a wad of cash at you because that's obviously what you're really after. It ends with apologies and getting a huge stat jump in your relationship with her (you just need to make the right dialogue choices).

BONUS

Definitely some kind of Highschool/College setting (character ages would have to be messed with a bit). Giorno and Trish would be freshman; Bruno and Abbacchio would be Upperclassmen; and Mista, Fugo, and Narancia are in the same class with the Player. (Fugo is so smart he skipped a grade and that's why he's not a freshman)

Love triangle route with Bruno + Abbacchio. Abbacchio doesn't want to get in the way and watches you and Bruno interact from afar. Bruno wants Abbacchio to be happy for once in his life, but Bruno can't help being selfish too.

Love Triangle Route Fugo and Narancia. You have to be on Narancia's route and Narancia is the one that mentions Fugo having a crush on you. Fugo doesn't do anything to mess with it since he likes that Narancia is happy, but you can tell by Fugo's actions and his blushing that he's crushing.

[swordsandarms]

This is a reply in regards to this post, which highlights the high likelihood that, whether people are fine with the author's choices or not, RxL is written by him with romantic nuance as far as the text goes. @sahtinekryze

And I think this fandom really needs to have a honest analysis of the idea of "selfishness" in narrative choices such as this, which is that when it comes to how the whole "duty vs love" scenarios Martin writes, he does not actually writes it with some wide spectrum ranging from selfish to sacrificial. There are usually no other choices than the two.

Could one define the alleged choice of breaking a noble marriage contract that would have negative political influence at the least, had it been the best case scenario (which one would logically assume the two might have hoped for instead of very lots of people dying including themselves) as 'selfish', which in its very definition is doing something for one's self, though it may not be advantageous for others? Yes.

But as I said, Martin doesn't write a middle ground. There's that, or Lyanna marries an unwanted man and is hence forced to have a non-consensual relationship with him, and forced to carry children out of a noncon relationship, so that her male relatives can reap benefits of political power, as well as her groom through her womb. And as shows inspired by these books love to show us very graphic such cases (like Daenerys in GOT, or the storyline given to show!Sansa, or the changes for show!Alicent in HOTD), I am sure fans should have learnt better about the accusations usually thrown at Lyanna in fandom spaces in regards to being another woman marrying against her will in a society where a woman cannot say no, marital rape isn't recognised, and a husband is "just taking his rights": that "this is just being whiny". (There are many other examples in the books; the author is also not holding back on what unwanted or unsuitable marriages mean to women.)

Against the fanon idea that she is some wild, demanding, conceited girl, she doesn't rage, she doesn't bite. She has a tentative, soft spoken conversation with her brother about it and her reluctance in the matter, and is (nicely) dismissed.

Had she not (allegedly, while all is unconfirmed) fallen for the Crown Prince and he for her, there is no one else powerful enough to extract her from her situation (her male relatives having made up their own minds in the matter), nor anyone else to go from where she cannot be recovered by a powerful and connected family and fiance. No one else she could marry/sleep with that wouldn't be shut down and covered (as seen with Tyrion or Lysa) to preserve the higher price for which her womb can be bartered. Just no other viable choice that wasn't the other end of the scale: a woman being sacrificed by men, for men's uses.

As I said at the start, this is simply how Martin writes these conflicts of "mind and heart". He corners the characters. There is no light at the end of the tunnel that isn't also sort of "selfish" and "dumb" looking on the surface.

This can be applied to more such situations in the text-

Catelyn undoes the already precarious state of her son's campaign by releasing their most valuable captive. She has not even a guarantee that her 'selfish' act for love will work. But there are no options she's given. No one else cares to make it a priority to get her daughters back. The only other choice is to let it be and let 2 girls be sacrificed in marriages of ill intent to use their wombs and discard them, unsure if she will find anything left of them but Lannister named babies when this is over. It is "selfish". It is "dumb". Yet she's cornered.

Jon makes the decision to go fight Ramsay Bolton because he's run out of options and he's cornered. Arya is allegedly in the hands of the family that have viciously killed a number of Starks and taken Winterfell. She is 11 and allegedly married. He is made sick at the thought of what is being done to her. He's tried the "lesser" tactics of getting her rescued without being seen as trespassing the status quo of the NW publicly, by sending others for her. But it was always going to come to this. Ramsay guesses (or finds out) that his escaped bride would make it to the Wall. Keeping "peace" and "doing his duty" instead of "being selfish and dumb" is handing over "Arya" himself if she even makes it to appease the Lord of Winterfell, sacrificing a girl to an unwanted marriage meant to use her for her womb and discard her.

There are no actual choices when there is no actual scale in between "selfish and dumb" and the sacrifice of a girl (or, you know, 2,3, as many as Westeros would swallow as it did for millennia for this or that Lord or King to amass and keep power), whether they are Lannisters trying to get Winterfell, or Starks extinguishing the line of the Warg King.

[augustmourn]

Fic Writer Questions

Tagged by @saiditallbefore, thank you!!

(Of note, I have written... very little in 2024, so that relates to some of my answers.)

how many works do you have on AO3?

169

what's your total ao3 word count?

579,513

what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1 - Unexpected (Bojack Horseman, Bojack/Mr. Peanutbutter fake dating to romance) has over 1.4k kudos. It's the second most kudosed fic in the fandom, and used to be the top before being surpassed by a massive crossover fic. I'm actually really proud of it--it's pretty different from what I usually write, and I think it's both pretty funny and feels true to the canon.

2 - you know what they say about assumptions (Star Wars, Anakin/Obi-Wan/Padme modern AU) has just over 900 kudos. It's the first fic of mine that someone podficced. I haven't reread it in a while, and I was in high school when I wrote it so I'm sure I can find a lot of flaws, but it got a good response.

3 - Into the Dark (IT Movies, Richie/Eddie, time loop) has just over 750 kudos. I wrote a lot of Reddie fics in the approximate 9-13k range and at this point they all sort of blend together, but this was one of the earlier ones I wrote and it's fix-it for the canon, so I assume that's why it's popular.

4 - The Kids Are Alright (IT Movies, Richie/Eddie, teenage getting together fic) has just over 700 kudos. Another longish Reddie fic from this era, and I have fond feelings about this one too!

5 - Lights Will Guide You Home (Star Wars unfinished epic fix-it fic) has just shy of 650 kudos and is almost out of the top five, thank god. This was an ambitious attempt that was the first fic I posted on this account, and I did not finish it and have not touched since high school. Sometimes I contemplate going back, but I have not updated it in... seven years, wow. I've grown and changed a lot as a writer since that time and have freed myself from Star Wars, so I'm not up to date on the lore.

do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I used to, and I also used to go back and respond in batches, but I've fallen off of that in a few years. Partly because I used to just do it as soon as I saw the email and then when I started doing exchanges I wanted to wait until author reveals, and then the backlog became overwhelming. As well as often feeling like I had very little to say and feeling kind of embarrassed about it, lol. I do try my best to go back and respond after author reveals of an exchange, at least to the recipient, but it doesn't always end up happening. I do read and appreciate every single comment, though.

what's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Probably quiet birds in circled flight -- IT Movies, AU where Richie commits suicide instead of Stan. It's been a while since I've written just a straight up Grief Fic and I enjoy that writing headspace.

what's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

That feels hard to define, haha. I write a lot of noncon and darkfic, and even the ones that aren't noncon or entirely dark have some darkness to them, but I think in IT fandom I did write a few longer, earn-your-happy ending fics. The two listed in my top five above fall into that category--and I guess the Bojack fic as well. full heart and other organs is a fairly sweet, essentially pre-relationship AFTG AU.

do you write crossovers?

I have not written one. I tried to write one for a fic event once and didn't finish it... and I found buried in my google docs two Magnus Archives/The Good Place crossover fics that I didn't finish. But none published, haha.

have you ever received hate on a fic?

I got a barrage of hate comments on a werewolf sex fic because it was a full form shifted werewolf and people thought that was the same as the character fucking an animal, but other than that, no lol.

do you write smut? if so, what kind?

Yeah...

I've written a very wide variety from fluff to kink to noncon. I enjoy writing it and I think it's probably the kind of writing I'm best at, just based on sheer amount written.

have you ever had a fic stolen?

I think someone posted some of my Reddie fic on Wattpad but tbh I don't think I even looked at it until it had already been taken down.

have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! One of my AFTG fics has been translated into Russian.

have you ever co-written a fic before?

No. I'm interested in the idea, but writing is a very solitary activity for me, and I don't think I've ever had a specific idea that aligned enough with someone else (and both with an interest in writing it) to try it.

what's your all-time favorite ship?

Lol, I don't think I can confidently say! I tend to leave fandoms and then not really get pulled back in. The fandom I'm most confident in calling a forever fandom is AFTG, where Neil/Andrew is like, the better ship, but Neil/Riko lives in my hindbrain as a noncon ship of all time.

what's a wip that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

Well, that Star Wars fic from 2017 >__> most of the others have not seen the light of day. Actually I finished a very long Danganronpa fic about a year ago and I recently realized I don't think I will be able to edit it or reread it maybe for a very long time, and probably not publish it even if I do, which does make me sad. Too tied up in my ex.

what are your writing strengths?

Porn. Lmao. But I think I'm also good at comedy, though maybe not consistently.

what are your writing weaknesses?

I'm not good at writing long or writing subplots. I struggle with research and being intimidated by the idea of research, so that feels very limiting in terms of what fandoms I can try to write.

what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I don't think I've ever done it. I can see narrative utility in certain cases, but most of the time "they said in French" or whatever will do just fine. A nickname from another language that is not the primary language the characters are speaking is not something I've written personally--I would probably only do that if it was established by canon.

what was the first fandom you wrote for?

The Hunger Games, when I was 12, on FFN. The first fandom I posted on AO3 was Star Wars.

what's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

I am between hyperfixations at the moment and the only thing I've started and have some hope for is... a bit embarrassing, so I probably won't talk about it until I publish it if I do so haha

what's your favourite fic you've written?

I like a lot of my fics, and I've had a lot of fun going back and rereading ones that I haven't read in long enough that I actually don't remember everything that's happening, but I think the fic I am proudest of is the fic I wrote for a TLT big bang last year, Crashing. It's the longest piece of fiction I have ever completed and it felt like a massive accomplishment.

Tagging @ladyculebras, @hearthouses, @queermccoy, @gregwambsganss, @witchoil, and anyone else who wants to!!!

[missr3n3]

Augusnippets Day 10

execution/fake execution/begging for mercy

fandom: cabin tales prequel to day 8 TW: torture, electrocution, forced to watch, unethical human experimentation, major character death word count: 496 @augusnippets

Rachel's hands had an iron grip around her mouth. The dry, frigid basement air stung at her wide eyes. Her knees buckled, a chill coursing through her entire body.

None of her discomforts compared to what she just witnessed.

“Wha… What the hell?” she squeaked, stepping back from the sight displayed through thick, tinted glass.

Roderick. Kevin. Sam. Jeremy. All writhing in agony from a shock Rachel feared would kill them – perhaps should've killed them. Though she couldn't see Sam or Jeremy well from the window's position, she assumed they had similar, blistering burns around their wrists, upper arms, ankles and neck.

“Hm, thought they would've figured out the premise sooner,” Mr. Barnett sighed.

“Y-you didn't tell them!?” Rachel gasped.

“The idea was to control for more variables than prior attempts at this.” Mr. Barnett quirked an eyebrow. “If they were told this is a prisoner's dilemma, they could've strategized beforehand, sullying the results. If you want to really test humans’ trust in each other, such things must be taken into account.”

“But this – then this is kidnapping! It's illegal!”

“You say that like some of the most valuable research into human behavior isn't also ethically or legally dubious. Does the name MK Ultra ring a bell?”

Rachel feared her throat would completely close up. Her mind raced, desperately trying to cut through the boys' resumed bickering to find a way out. For herself, and for them.

“But… But what the hell are you going to do with the results, then?” Rachel tried with a nervous, tense smile. “I-if what happens here goes public, you'll be arrested! S-so, we should just get them out of here and try-”

“Oh, Rachel,” Mr. Barnett cooed, resting an elbow against the glass with a small, chilling smile. “This isn't about fame, prestige, academic accolades. This…” Mr. Barnett beamed as he started the timer again. Rachel thought her heart would stop from the sheer shock of Kevin's frantic, terrified screams. “This is about knowledge. The truth!”

“Wha..? Who cares about that!” Rachel snapped, voice rasping from encroaching tears. “You can't do this to people!”

“Too late now.” Mr. Barnett shrugged. “I can't do anything now that the timer's started. It's up to them.”

Them…

Rachel snapped her attention to the window, beating against the unwavering glass with all her might.

“GUYS!” she screamed. “DON'T VOTE! DON’T PRESS ANYTHING! PLEASE!” Any further words were silenced as she watched Kevin and Roderick press the dials. “Oh fuck…” she whimpered. “Oh fuck, there's gotta be something, there's gotta-”

“Well! It's about time they figured it out.” Mr. Barnett clasped his hands in pride.

“No, NO! STOP!” Rachel desperately grasped Mr. Barnett's shoulders. Just as she did so, her ears rang from the booming screech of arcing electricity. “YOU'RE KILLING THEM!”

“Incorrect,” Mr. Barnett calmly chided, pointing behind Rachel. “They're killing him.”

At Mr. Barnett's words, the foulest stench Rachel had ever encountered stung at her nose.

Burning meat mixed with ozone.

[dropthedemiurge]

Got prompted by @pinkkop but also partially this might end up as the controversial Thai BL post because the range of characters I'd defend with the passion is very wide for me:D

8 BL BOYS I WILL THROW HANDS FOR

Uea (Bed Friend)

This show isn't jokingly called 'A Tale of 1000 Traumas' for no reason, I mean – there is only so much one young adult can go through, and Uea has been through... well, almost everything. Tagging hurt/comfort fics on AO3 will result into red triggers all around. What fascinates me in this character is his resilience, too. He managed to go through everything with the sheer will power and knowing his own worth, what he deserves and what he does not. I am so glad the show made an active choice to send him to therapy and give him a considerate and loving boyfriend! He really needs both.

Sky (Love in the Air)

Again, no surprise that everyone would want to protect Sky. The acting was also chef's kiss in this show, I know I shouldn't be but I absolutely enjoyed seeing Sky getting triggered and sent to the red-lit room in his mind because this was pure cinematography, but irl I would just hug Sky with consent and never let him go. And kick Gun until he never rises up again too. I think Rain should've been given full freedom to avenge for his best friend. But this is also why I'm writing all these skyrain fics – because they are safe space for each other and I want to keep seeing it.

Rain (Love in the Air)

Ehem, like I said– the show has not declared it loudly but he's one of the most ADHD characters in Thai BLs if I ever saw one. He does not deserve to be mocked for his struggles and airheadness. I wish we saw more of him playing into his strengths beside taming a dom, instead of being infantilized by the show sometimes. Don't ask me to dive into full analysis though, I only could watch the PayuRain half of the show once so I'm going off vibes I remember, but I absolutely adore Rain and love reading fics that focus on his ADHD headcanon and how others understand and help him. And also those platonic BDSM tendencies he has with his best friend Sky.

Kawi (Be My Favorite)

For this guy, I would not fight the show or narration because they treated both characters and viewers with care, gentleness, wise teaching and love (Max is a harsh brat but that's his personality). I would actually fight the fandom: from people who hate-watched this show and refused to acknowledge it was amazingly done further than 'i might've liked it but ew screw this actor and novel the show was inspired by amiright don't judge me for liking it jk lol' to some individuals who missed the beautifully developed and portrayed close bond (aspec on at that, I'll stay firm) that spread across >10 years and different timelines and reduced Kawi to immature whiny weirdo who's scared to fuck Pisaeng ten times a day instead of one, idk. This show is a gem with many life-lessons and Kawi has one of the strongest and fascinating character development in Thai BLs that I've seen. Hands are being thrown.

Boston (Only Friends)

The creators of the show said the series didn't have any intentional message, but considering how many long discussions and poured out frustrations we had with some people, Only Friends definitely did Boston wrong. So what if he's a proud slut, should the show punish him for it while praising 'righteous' characters high on their horses? I don't think so. My guy was constantly filmed illegally and threatened by his hookups and friends, he's very hesitant about falling in love but he tried his best with clearly spoken offers, poly views and limits. I also see Boston kinda neurodivergent and/or demiromantic based on many lines he said about himself and his own view of people and relationships in the series. Nick might not be fully compatible with him, and I would throw hands for both of them, but if those two would communicate better, there would be no need for the OOC "twist" at the end. Their story could be beautiful, sad and realistic, instead Boston being kicked down in the street dirt by everyone after opening up about his heart and fears made me angry.

Akk (The Eclipse)

These descriptions just keep getting longer and longer? Oops... I don't think I need to explain the desire to protect Akk – this guy has not stopped crying since a mischievous and passionate newbie managed to break through his 100m thick wall of composure, pokerface and sheer will to survive. And also through all the manipulation Akk faced from the people he looked up to. Akk and everything that he went through managed to rip my heart out, and I'm not kidding. If you're repressed, oppressed and/or struggling with money, desire to make your parents proud and can't help but feel 'disapproved' feelings for someone – meet Akk, he's very relatable. I'd protect him and you too.

Thua (The Eclipse)

*clears throat* I did say this post would get controversial. I can and I will consider 90% of the people who hate Thua as lacking media literacy :D But without getting into useless fandom discussions, Thua is a poor teenager that needs love and support to be able to find himself and his own voice. He's stressed out by a harsh step-father, constantly facing homophobia and mocking in school, has suicidal intentions and the only good friend who opposed homophobic students and teachers, who showed him safe space and helped reach out to his mother, encouraged him to speak out loudly... went behind everyone's back, started dating the main "bully" of the school who threatened every queer for months and decided to support him while silencing students' and Thua's voices. At least that's what Thua experienced from his POV. Would you throw hands? Thua did, and while I may not agree with how he handled the situation, I can't hate him. He finally stood up for himself and his own, tried to change the system, and I'd fight Suppalo school for him too.

Black (Not Me)

There's someone who doesn't need my protection at all! A second before turning into bloody merciless activist-fighter who doesn't shy away from murdering capitalists and cops, I would still want Black not to think he's better off alone. While antagonistic sexually-tense exchange of comas with his ex-best friend can count as one of the most delicious type of romance that happened in subtext not text, he still deserved to seek solace in his ex-girlfriend and (ex? they were so close, why Gram does not care about him at all when he returns? we'll never know) other activist friend's company. Also, fighting with his life to change something in how the country works and hearing 'nah, your twin is better, he knows how to fight with social media so we achieved more with him than with you' from his mentor and Black deciding that he should again ditch everyone he cares about...noo:( I need spin-off about him where he gets everything he really deserves.

[justenjoythegossip]

MEAN GIRLS, CONTROLLED OPPOSITION, “USEFUL FOOLS” & THE STREISAND EFFECT

There has been some controversy regarding my post about the Middle Voice and some misunderstandings that I feel I should clear. I never intended to cause any harm to anyone, that is why I never use mods’ name (not when I talk about Team Real or Team PR or the Middle Voice either) as my goal is never to attack an individual or a group of people. I just try to share my observations, to look past the picture that is being sold, question narratives, try to show the dynamics at hand and the responses that could result from it.  

Mean girls recognizing themselves…

Certain mods felt attacked by this article when I never had them in mind in the first place when I actually wrote it (which, I guess, is quite telling). But also, some rightfully recognized themselves, managed to gather around with their friends for a senseless blocking spree to boot me off the island. They have twisted my words, tried to discredit and ridicule them, which is a classic manipulation technique by the way. 

It has been fascinating to see that all that I wrote (and I wrote plenty) has been reduced to the very silly notion of… plants. And yet, the picture is so much more complex than that. And I have been very careful anytime I have written about Team Real/PR Blogs or the Middle voice to define those groups very specifically and with as much accuracy as I could. And as you probably noticed, I always use the expression “plants/trolls”. Why? Because, those groups encompass a wide range of different profiles. Plants are actually the small minority of the bunch while trolls represent the largest majority. But since trolls consist of so much more than trolling, I guess it is rather important to define who they are and what they do. 

Controlled opposition: a powerful strategy & a psychological weapon… 

* “Controlled opposition is any person or organization which appears to be on one side, but is secretly working against the interests of that movement… With controlled opposition, one organization can play both sides. Controlled opposition can also act as spies, feeding information back to opposition organizations, feeding disinformation to those they pretend to ally with, and deliberately instigating infighting to ensure activist work does not get done”. https://www.hegemonmedia.com/p/what-is-controlled-opposition

PR strategies tend to mirror the games we find in Politics, so we can often use the same concepts to explain what is going on. Lenin once famously said that: “The best way to control the opposition is to lead it ourselves”. Middle Voice mods, Team PR mods and even Team Real mods work according to those very same basic principles. Some might find it strange that I include Team Real blogs to the controlled opposition. And yet it makes a lot of sense because some key players from that faction of the fandom used to debunk the stunts Chris, Abba and their teams were “trying” to pull, and they also used to criticize Chris very vehemently, even calling him disgusting names such as groomer or pedophile. And yet, some of those mods made a very “(non)sensical” U-turn and started to ship the very controversial couple. Obviously it only appeared to be nonsensical, but the reality is very different. Those mods were meant to pave the way for the fandom to embrace them as a Hollywood power couple after initially rejecting them vigorously. If such extreme voices could come to “accept” them, then the casual fan might just do the same. A classic manipulation technique in PR games that include so many of it. 

Such tactics include plants (as discussed previously), who work directly for their teams and are meant to drive/sell certain narratives to the fandom. But what is particularly interesting is that you don’t need a whole bunch of them. You might only need one or a couple in each groups. That’s the beauty of it. The rest of those groups will consist of “useful fools”… 

By the way, important sidenote, some people (or groups of people) likely use different accounts to add more weight and credibility to what they are selling. Certain Team (Real/PR/Middle Voice) mods share such similar tones, voices and rhetoric that it seems quite suspicious. It might be coincidental of course. But again probably not. 

The “useful idiots” are very useful tools…

Plants are the original agitators and lead the way while trolls follow in their path. If we use the same concepts as earlier, they are the equivalent of the “useful idiots” in a controlled opposition. 

“A useful idiot or useful fool is a person perceived as propagandizing for a cause without fully comprehending the cause's goals, and who is cynically being used by the cause's leaders.”

So obviously you don’t need to be a paid plant to play the exact same role in those PR strategies. All you need is to be susceptible and respond to a certain narrative, not question it and then amplify it yourself. So anyone can be an unwilling “useful” idiot” without even being aware of it, that is what it so pernicious about it. 

And when it comes to trolls, they will respond to very specific narratives that involve any kinds of controversy or that will trigger heated discussion because they tend to crave the attention and the drama. 

The “Streisand effect” or how not to draw attention to an issue…

*”The Streisand effect is an unintended consequence of attempts to hide, remove, or censor information, where the effort instead backfires by increasing public awareness of the information. The effect is named for American singer and actress Barbra Streisand, whose attempt in 2003 to suppress a photographer's publication of a photograph drew far greater attention to the obscure photograph”.

From a PR perspective, it’s very often smart not to respond to a rumor (true or false) or to a controversy so that you don’t draw more attention to it. Especially since it can be quite dangerous, if your response to a PR crisis is deemed inadequate, it can have even more lasting damage. Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher’s recent apology is a good example of that. They didn’t grasp the severity of their situation and their frivolous response got them cancelled. Pure and simple.

It's true for Chris’ shitshow with this very problematic woman as well. No acknowledgement, no problem! But it’s also true for all these mods who made such a ridiculous (and stupid?) fuzz about being called out plants/trolls when they were never even mentioned by names. Good job on planting this seed inside the minds of their followers. Although I am sure some of them are very much aware of their tactics at this point. 

[bonesandthebees]

I should say that I’m not really a fae stuff reader, but I could not resist, so I am glad you went through the important rules, even though I think I knew most of them already. Also, Alicent needs to know these things in order to be cautious.

Rhaenyra is clearly very bored (and maybe a little bit in love, too soon?), so she draws Alicent towards her tree the second she sets foot in the garden (or is that just the tree itself? I think it would have happened earlier then).

Also, since she is part of the summer court (and the spring days are getting hotter), does that mean it’s about to be summer? Does that make her stronger or give her more control over the humans/human world?

Anyway, I love how playful she is. There’s still the fae trickery, but this human is interesting and willing to talk and has some wits, so it’s more fun (also, pretty gay). I do feel like she could trick her if she really tried because [although I haven’t been trying very hard to trick you,”] fae can’t like. So she isn’t trying that hard (and could change that if prompted).

She does want Alicent to keep coming back, and being married to the king in a different place would make her unable to visit.

You could also claim she’s just trying to win her trust to eventually get her name, that would be a fae thing to do.

Also, [“No, not my father. It almost was, but the King at that time decided my aunt’s claim was stronger. She’s been our Queen for the last few centuries.”] I’m sorry but this is my favourite bit. The fae aren’t sexist so the person closest to the king gets the throne even if she is a woman. (And poor Alicent can barely believe it).

I’d love to see more if this is you feel like writing it, but I’m already very content with what we got.

(2/2)

-🌲

lol yeah part of the reason I decided to go through the rules is because while fae aus are incredibly common in the dsmp fandom to the point where you can assume most people who read fic will be at least vaguely familiar with the setting and basic worldbuilding of a fae au, I don't think they're really a common thing in the hotd fandom? at least I haven't seen any in the ao3 tag so far. so I didn't know how familiar readers would be with the concept and decided to give a quick rundown just in case

I'll say in my head rhaenyra didn't specifically draw alicent towards her tree. it was more like she was just casting a wide net of influence trying to draw any human that came within range to her tree because, as she said, she was bored. alicent just happened to be there at the right time and place.

also, I don't think the fae don't have influence over the seasons in this world. because the way seasons work is already so strange in the world of westeros, I don't think the fae can really do much to change them. in contrast, the change of the seasons has an affect on the fae. as summer draws closer, rhaenyra will gain more power and strength when she's in the human world. but if she were to pop into westeros during a winter she would be a lot weaker.

rhaenyra is definitely having fun with alicent. and yeah, if she wanted to she could probably trick alicent into giving up her name or at least goad her into a deal, but rhaenyra's done that to humans plenty of times before. it's another thing she's bored of. this human is very pretty, looks to be around her age (at least the equivalent since fae age at a different rate than humans), and is fun to talk to. if she tricks alicent, things will be ruined because alicent won't want to talk to her anymore.

also, I don't want to say the fae were completely past sexism. in my head at least there was a very long and drawn out debate still as to whether rhaenys or viserys should inherit the summer court throne even though rhaenys had the very obvious claim. but the decision was instead made in rhaenys' favor, and that set a precedent that has really helped the fae since then move past a lot of sexist ideas and notions. so like, rhaenys had to fight for her throne, but since she secured it things in the fae realm are a lot better for women compared to westeros.

poor alicent though can barely believe it she's like wait what. a woman. huh. that's possible.

I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far thank you spruce!!! I definitely hope to write more soon (although right now I'm trying to push through the next chapter of under the hanging rose, so after that I'll probably hop back over to this)

[thefanfictiontaria]

Upon your return

Fandom: Dreams Of An Insomniac

Genre: hurt/comfort

TW: monster abuse >:[

Characters: Winfrey, Clyde, Dr Lankmann

The moment Winfrey was captured, Clyde went to search for him. As they finally reunite, there's still small problems.

This is filled with headcanons and things inspired by @crystallizedday 's Ao3 fanfic called "Breaking Out" (it's very good, go read it y'all) (also hope you don't mind me pinging you CD-)

================

The monster was wrecking havoc.

Red lights flashed throughout the building, an alarm blaring alongside them. The asylum staff were panicking, the patients screaming and trashing in their rooms.

Clyde was running around the facility, searching. He was close, he knew it. He felt it.

People tried to stop him. Tried shooting. A roar rang out, shaking the walls, knocking people off their feet. He persisted.

He continuously burst through every set of doors, leaving glass shards on the floor. Nobody else could cross their path.

Finally, the last thing keeping him from their partner was a set of titanium doors. They banged and scratched against the metal in an attempt to break it, but...

"It's futile."

A figure stood right behind him. His head was adorned by a top hat and a menacing, unforgettable smile. He was in a lab coat with a name tag, "Dr Lankmann".

"You can't get inside unless you know the code." The man explained, pointing to the number pad. Clyde was getting angrier by the second. "I'm the only one who knows it. You can kill me, but then you won't get to your dear dear friend. Either that, or we can bargain."

"Fine," Clyde spat out. "What do you want?"

"Information. Simply information. I'll ask you three questions, you answer, and then I'll tell you the code." Dr Lankmann's smile widened.

"Well then, ask away."

"Firstly, how did you appear on earth?"

"I don't know. One day we just were here. I know that our god, Six created us."

"Six? Huh... Okay, secondly, to what extent can you modify your own bodies?"

"It depends. Our limbs can go about two meters longer, and the rest is fully dependent on the individual. What else?"

"What happens to the minds you eat?"

"They vanish after some time, but we can use the information from them." The answer seemed to satisfy the doctor. "Now, give me the code." Clyde demanded.

"It's-" he got cut off by a sharp pain going straight through his left lung. He slowly looked down to see a yellow and black striped tail piercing his chest. He coughed up blood. "But... The code..."

"Oh, I'll know it in a minute."

"Why..."

Clyde grinned wide.

"Revenge. You were so fun to play with, humans are so dense." With those words, he devoured the man's mind, quickly finding the code in his memories. He entered it into the pad and the door opened.

There Winfrey was. His limbs and body attached to the wall by multiple shackles. He looked so exhausted. Clyde hurriedly went to get off the cuffs, managing to pick the locks with his claws. There was something on Winfrey's neck that didn't bind him, Clyde shrugged it off for the moment. The second he was free, Winfrey fell to the floor heavily.

"Winfrey! Get up, please! We need to get out of here!" The orange monster exclaimed in a rush. His partner sluggishly got up and started slowly walking to the exit of the chamber. With time, he began running through the halls, Clyde in front of him, leading them both out. People screamed at them in terror. Winfrey swiped at some of them in anger with a roar, but then winced, Clyde looking worriedly. They devoured some of the people's minds and got even more determined to leave.

At last, they found themselves in a forest near the facility. That's when they stopped.

Winfrey sat on the forest bedding, tired from the events. Clyde sat right next. He hugged their partner, at which the bigger flinched a little.

"Oh dear... Winfrey... What have they done to you...?"

Winfrey just hummed in pain and anger. He then winced again, alarming Clyde. At that moment he noticed the device on Winfrey's neck, the one he disregarded before. It was a shock collar.

They managed to get it off, and at that moment Winfrey truly relaxed. He was really free.

He hugged Clyde. The orange monster smiled and returned the gesture.

He closed their eyes, and suddenly Lankmann's memories flashed in his mind. Memories filled with hurting others, hurting their partner. Their grip tightened around Winfrey. Slowly, tears formed in his eyes. A few sobs left Clyde as he gripped onto their partner. He cried. Tears of relief, but also pain. Tears of regret.

"Hey, Clyde... It's okay... I'm here now..." The bigger tried to comfort him.

"I-I know... And I'm happy but... It shouldn't have happened...." Clyde sobbed further.

"Humans are unpredictable. We couldn't have known they found our location. It's not your fault," Winfrey assured.

"B-but-!"

"Shhhh..." He wiped the smaller's cheek. "It is not your fault."

Clyde hiccuped and slowly nodded.

"I-I found us a n-new lair... We should go there..."

"Yeah, let's go."

They ventured further into the forest. After a longer while of travel, they arrived at an abandoned wooden house. It was pretty small, but just big enough to fit the two.

Upon entering, Winfrey concluded it used to be a woodsman's home. It was filled a bit with trash, but mostly a few horn trophies. He also noticed his violin and a few trinkets from their previous lair.

"Welcome to our new home!" Clyde said with a weak smile.

"Where's the nest?"

The orange monster's smile dropped further.

"Well... I just used the bed, since a nest is something you share with another..."

"Give me a minute then." Winfrey ran out and gathered a few branches. He returned and walked towards the bed. He set the branches on the floor, grabbed the mattress, and began arranging the nest. The moment he was finished, he sat in the middle with a welcoming smile.

Clyde immediately leaped into it, cuddling Winfrey close.

"Now this is home."

[somniadelapsis]

Parental instinct

Fandom: Pokemon horizons

Characters: Friede, Murdock, Molly, Orla, Liko, Roy

Summary: Friede does something dangerous and the rest of RWT are not happy about it

They have to stay another day in town since they are waiting for a delivery. It's a nice day so they spend it outside. When it's time for dinner Friede goes to call the kids back. They are playing with a couple of Tangelas. Sprigatito and Fuecoco must have run off somewhere because they are nowhere to be seen. 

The Tangelas seem very young. The older ones usually shy away from people but these ones seem very curious. One of them swings at Roy's raised arm. Another is happily accepting pats from Liko. Friede smiles to himself at the sight. They all are enjoying themselves. Something moves in the bushes. Friede narrows his eyes. Vines slowly extend in the kid's direction. The vines have a bluish shade. He looks more intently. There's a pair of eyes. They are pretty high up. It's definitely not another Tangela. The hair at the back of his neck stand as he realizes what's happening.

"Liko, Roy" They look at him. Surprise paints their faces as they hear his serious tone. "Set the Tangela back down. Slowly." He instructs. His vision doesn't stray from the bushes. The kids follow his gaze. They both freeze. The Pokemon is higher than Friede so it's very intimidating up close. 

"Come on, put it down." He urges. Roy starts to slowly lower himself into a crouch. The Tangela makes a quizzical sound. When it touches the ground it doesn't let go. Neither does it let go when Roy is fully crouching. Roy sends Friede a panicked look. Friede sets his jaw. Nobody moves for a moment. The Tangela shakes its vines to indicate that it wants to continue playing. When Roy doesn't react it makes an annoyed sound and shakes its vines again. When that doesn't get the reaction it's expecting it lets go of Roy and curls its vines in frustration. Friede lets out a breath of relief. 

"Now get up and back away. No sudden movements. Nice and slow." He directs. The Tangelas let out various cries of disappointment as the kids started to back away. A Tangrowth comes out of the bushes. The Tangelas cry out louder. Some sound sad, some angry. The Tangrowth lets out a soothing cry. The Tangelas answer.  Friede hoped that the kids getting away would calm the Pokemon but the loss of their playmates had upset the Tangelas. Tangrowth glares at the kids. A few vines rise from the general tangle. It's reading for an attack.

"Friede?" Liko had also noticed that. Friede swallows. The attack is inevitable. The kids won't make it unharmed out of its range if they start to run. Unless...

He's so going to be yelled at after this.

"When I say 'run', run, okay?"

"Friede?"

"Okay?"

"Yeah." Their agreement is unsure but Friede doesn't really have time to convince them.

"Run!" He calls as he also starts to run. The kids give him startled looks as he passes them running towards the pokemon. He jumps to the side. The vine whip misses. Then he backs away. The next attack brushes his coat. He jumps to the other side. The pokemon lets out a frustrated noise as it misses again. Next it directs a wide attack to knock him out of his feet. He jumps, avoiding it again. When he lands he slips, loses his balance, half falls into a crouch. Just in time to avoid getting hit in the face. The pokemon attacks from upwards. Friede lunges to the side. Gets to his feet. He's not fast enough to dodge the next wide swipe. He at least manages to block it with his arm. Pain laces his whole forearm. He reels to the side. 

"Friede!" The kids scream in alarm.

He wants to shout back that he's fine. But it dies in his throat as a vine wraps around his ankle and yanks. He falls, gets dragged at the ground. Rocks bite into his hands as he tries to stop it. Then he's flying just barely over the ground. Hits it again, rolls around and finally stops. It takes him a moment to realize that he's not being attacked. He opens his eyes. Looks at the Tangrowth who's very close to him now. His first instinct is to flee but he forces himself to stay still. Running will definitely get him attacked. He wrecks his brain. He ain't a professor for nothing. He needs to look submissive. He slowly, oh so slowly, lays on his back, exposing his belly, hands at his sides. He curls up trying to make himself seem smaller. The Tangrowth observes him with its unnerving eyes. The Tangelas call out. The Tangrowth turns halfway in their direction, glares at him and finally it walks away. He allows himself a breath of relief only when the pokemon vanish in the forest. He relaxes and takes a steadying breath, then another.

"Friede?" Right now he has to deal with that. He sits up with some difficulty. He's bruised all over from the ordeal.

"I'm alright." He assures with an easy smile. 

The kids look relieved even if Liko doesn't look quite convinced.

"Hey guys, what's taking you so long?" Murdock calls. They all whip their heads in his direction. The cook's smile is slowly replaced by consternation as he approaches. They must be looking odd with Friede sitting on the ground and the kids leaning over him. 

"Did something happen?"

Before Friede can even open his mouth Roy exclaims. "We got attacked by a Tangelrowth!"

"Tangrowth." Friede finds himself correcting.

"Oh, right!" The boy says unfazed.

"Are you all alright?" Murdock looks them all over, stopping at Friede, who's still sitting on the ground.

The kids nod. 

"Sure." Friede says as he starts to get up. He doesn't get far as one of his legs lights up with pain. He clutches at it hissing through his teeth.

"Friede?" Murdock asks.

"Ok. Definitely not alright. Ow."

"Let me see." Murdock crouches next to him. His hands hover over his leg. He hesitates. He's not sure how to approach this without causing him more pain. 

"Can you get Molly?" The cook askes the kids. They run to get her. Friede frowns. Honestly it's not that bad. Friede uncurls a little. He unties his shoe, struggles to get it off.

"Let me." Murdock says. He loosens the ties more and gently takes off his boot.

"Huh." Friede comments intelligently. His ankle is an impressive shade of red and already starting to swell. He tries to move it and winces.

"Don't move it." Murdock chides. Friede looks away from his worried expression. He observes the bushes. 

"We should move away a bit." He says.

"Why?" 

"The pokemon that attacked us might still be nearby."

He yelps as Murdock lifts him bridal style. He clings to him to keep balance.

"I can walk." He says with indignation.

"Sorry but I don't trust your assessment of that." Friede pouts. He still finds his cheeks heating up at the thought of the rest of the team seeing them like that. His dignity could survive a piggyback ride but this?

After walking a safe distance away Murdock starts to set him back down. Friede has other plans. He wiggles and Murdock has no choice but half set half drop him to his feet. He stands leaning on the cook for balance as he keeps his weight off his injured leg.

"Friede." Murdock sighs in exasperation. Fried just grins.

"Oh, I got you dirty." He says as he points at Murdock's neck. The cook wipes it with his hand. He frowns and grabs Friede's hand. Looks it over. His frown deepns. Friede looks at his hand when it's released from the other man's grip. It's grazed, smudged with dirt and a bit bloody. As if on cue it starts to sting. He looks at his clothes. No wonder Murdock looked so worried. They are dirty and torn in some places. 

"Anything else?" Murdock's question gets him out of his thoughts. He would like to say no but Molly's going to check him over meticulously anyway. 

"Yeah." He looks at where he's gripping Murdock's shoulder. "Uh, I will need both hands for that."

"Then maybe sit down?" As you should have from the beginning goes unsaid. He does sit up. With a bit of help. He rolls up his sleeve to check on his arm. And as he expected it's visibly bruised. 

"Friede." Murdock says as if he knows he willingly got himself in a situation leading to this.

"What?" He asks more harshly than he intended.

Murdock mulls over whatever he's going to say. Friede doesn't get to hear it.

"Friede!" They both startle at Molly's call. She stomps in their direction. "You-" She searches for the right word. Doesn't find it. "Agh!" Friede sets his mouth in a hard line. Murdock looks between them in confusion. The kids must have told her what happened. When Molly sees Murdock's confusion she explains.

"He" She points at Friede "Set himself up to get attacked by a Tangrowth."

Murdock looks at him with a mix of disappointment and frustration. Molly's reaction made Friede want to fight to defend his actions but Murdock's made him want the ground to swallow him up. He tensed. He wanted to get up and walk away from this situation but the throbbing in his ankle reminded him that it wasn't an option. 

Molly sighed, her anger visibly dissipating. "Come on, show me that leg." Friede relaxed a bit at that. She prodded at his leg, moved it a bit. He couldn't help it but hiss and wince through her ministrations. 

"It's sprained." Molly informes. Friede cringed at the idea of restricted movement.

"What next?"

He shows her his hands. "Nothing some soap and water can't fix." She decides.

"Anything else? Or do I have to pat you down?"

Friede pouted at that.

"His arm." Murdock answered for him. After a similar assessment Molly informed that it was only bruised. 

"I can't do more here. Let's get him back to the ship."

Murdock moves to pick him up the same way as before. Now that he's calmed down from the ordeal Friede is fast enough to protest. "No!" Murdock freezes.

"You can't seriously want to walk back to the ship." He says incredulously.

"No, I'm not stupid." Molly looks like she would like to argue about that. "Can we do it piggyback style?" When Murdock doesn't agree immediately he adds. "Please?"

Molly huffs a laugh. "Did you carry him from the forest bridal style?" She asks.

The cook nods. Molly laughs fully at that. Friede feels his cheeks heat up again. He hides his face behind his hands. Murdock pats his shoulder.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about." He assures. Molly laughs louder. Friede groans.

"We can do piggyback if you're so adamant about it." Murdock says.

Friede looks from behind his fingers. "Really?"

"Yep."

Molly wipes tears from her eyes. 

This wasn't that funny. Really.

Murdock crouches in front of Friede. He has to be a bit creative with his movements but he manages to climb on his back. He swings his hands around the cook's neck. 

What was the last time I was carried like that? Friede thinks. Probably sometime in college when he was being silly with his friends. He smiles.

The rhythmic shaking and Murdock's warmth combined with the rest of the adrenaline flushing form his system make him sleepy. He fights it. Everyone had enough of a fright as it was. If he fell asleep they would probably think he's unconscious and that they missed something. He suppresses a yawn. Murdock looks at him from the corner of his eye.

"Tired?"

"Mhm" He admits. "You're comfy." 

"Good to know." He chuckles.

"You didn't hit your head?" Molly asks.

Friede thinks about how he got dragged on the ground. "No."

"Good."

The kids jump them as soon as they are close to the ship asking a million questions. They all try to answer them and calm them down sufficiently. Then Friede's carried to the infirmary, his wounds cleaned. He suggests getting a shower before Molly bandages whatever needs bandaging. She agrees to it but insists he should sit through it. He does as he's told. She might have given him painkillers but they didn't alleviate the pain fully. Freshly showered and dressed in his more comfortable clothes he gets his leg bandaged. Molly spreads some ointment over his bruises. It spreads a pleasant cool over his burning skin. 

The previous sleepiness has disappeared after his shower so they eat in the kitchen. When only the kids walk out after they finish eating he knows he's going to get scolded.

"So" Molly leans forward on the table. "Why did you think that aggregating the Tangrowth was a good idea?"

He squirmed in his seat. "It was going to attack them. If they had run they wouldn't make it out unscathed."

"But you ending up injured is fine?" Murdock asked. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"I- No" Friede bit the inside of his cheek. "I didn't plan to get hit."

"Then what were you expecting when you ran towards it?" It was Orla's turn to ask. She wasn't disappointed like Murdock or angry like Molly. She wanted to understand.

"I dodged some of the hits, thought that I could get away." He explained.

"I know that you're sure of your athletic abilities but rushing in without seeing how strong the pokemon is was beyond reckless." Orla said.

"So what? Was I supposed to watch as it attacked the kids?!" He couldn't help but raise his voice. "None of our pokemon were nearby, it was protecting its kids. It wouldn't let us walk away."

His anger was replaced by guilt.

"I should have made them stop playing with the Tangelas earlier." He muttered.

"You couldn't have known." Orla assured.

"I could!" He hit his palm on his knee to stress his words. "The Tangelas didn't act as fully grown ones do. I should have realized that their parent would be nearby." 

"Stop right there." Molly said. "We're not doubting your abilities as a pokemon professor."

He crossed his arms "Maybe you should." Then he looked panicked realizing he said something he shouldn't.

That shut Molly up. They planned to talk him into taking more consideration of his safety not to touch an apparently deep seated insecurity. He never told them why exactly he didn't like being called a professor. It's even more confusing when he sometimes refers to himself as one. They know he finished the course. Orla had even seen his diploma. He's a walking pokedex so it's a mystery where it came from.

"Do you have any better ideas than what i did?" He changes the subject. They all feel a little relieved at that. They are not ready for that conversation. Neither is Friede apparently.

The thing is they don't have any better ideas for resolving this day's situation. They could argue that Friede should have called Sprigatito and Fuecoco over but if they have not arrived at the commotion then they must have run off pretty far. Friede did have the widest knowledge on pokemon behavior among them so if he hadn't came up with any idea to defuse the situation peacefully then neither could they. They couldn't really tell him that he was right and scold him for being reckless at the same time. They would have also put themselves in harm's way to protect the kids. It didn't stop them from being frustrated. Friede often shouldered everything himself and there were only so many times that they could believe he forgot to tell them something. 

Murdock was the first to find the right words. "No." He sighed. "It isn't about today, honestly." Friede frowned at that.

"Can't you lean a little on us?"

"I am." Friede argued.

"You're really not. You ran off somewhere, not telling us where or what you've been doing. It's scary. We're afraid you're going to get in over your head and we won't even be aware there is any danger."

"I know how to pick my battles." Friede gets more defensive.

"We know you do." Orla cut in. "But you can't predict everything. Isn't it good when someone's got your back?"

"But you do."

It's so annoying that he doesn't get it.

Molly's temper sparkes. "Then how come you're ending up in my infirmary the most often?! Or when you get sick you let us know only when you can't deal with it yourself anymore. Actually it's like that with everything!" She threw her hands up. "We're supposed to be working together, not accept help only when we're unable to take care of something alone!"

"I'm not-"

"When was the last time you let us help before it was absolutely necessary?"

Friede opens his mouth. Closes it. Looks away setting his jaw.

"Exactly." 

"I don't want to put you in danger."

"We don't want you to put yourself in danger. It's always safer to face difficulties together." Orla says softly.

Friede mulls it over. "I will try to reach out to you more." He promises.

"Ok. Let's put it to the test." Molly said. "Are you shaken up after today at all?"

He instinctively wants to deny it. 

"Friede."

He deflates. "A bit I guess. I technically know how dangerous pokemon can be but being reminded of it is always scary. And I never liked Tangrowths."

"Yeah, they are kinda terrifying." Orla agrees. They share a smile.

[whumperofworlds]

Whumptober 2024 Day 21: Wraith

Now on AO3!

TAGS: @gala1981 @whumptober-archive @crash-bump-bring-the-whump @rebelxwriter @expressionless-fr

@fourwingedsnake @whumble-beeee @whumpninja @kingxlinkwrites (let me know if you wanna be added or removed!)

CWS: possession, beaten up, crying, forced to fight, guilt, brief minor whump (neither of them get hurt though), male whumpee, male caretaker, whumpee x caretaker.

FANDOM: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles

A/N: I only own Ambra, Hareth, Merle, Egan, Rae, Fina, Gulru, and Keiko. Everything else belongs to Square Enix.

ENJOY!!!

_____

Tattoo gun / Spirit possession / "Let the bedsheet soak up my tears."

The Mine of Cathuriges was filled with monsters, as expected. Monsters ranged from Goblins with all sorts of weapons, to Cockatrices. The Tipa caravanners, however, knew what to do against them, and so far it was a cakewalk.

The eight caravanners entered a clearing, where more monsters ambushed them. However, the team managed to defeat them all with ease; Gulru, Merle, and Fina used their magic skills to kill off any monsters from a distance and heal their friends, while the others killed the monsters with their weapons. Any of the enemies that dared to close in on the three would get a taste of a weapon.

One last monster was left; a Wraith, and it held up its staff. It sent out a quick Ice spell towards Rae, who smirked and jumped back. With a yell, he jumped forward and slashed the Wraith, to which the monster flew back from the impact.

Gulru focused as best as he could to combine his magic with Merle's to turn the spell into Holy. He aimed his spell under the Wraith, while Merle's spell did the same. Rae was a good enough distraction to keep the monster from dodging the spell.

That was when things turned for the worst.

The Wraith glanced at Gulru, and Gulru couldn't help but felt a shiver go down his spine. He had fought against Wraiths, yes, but this one… was unusual. Its glare was strong, its eyes filled with hatred. And Gulru could feel the evil grin on its face.

And before Gulru knew it, the Wraith flew straight towards him, barely missing Rae's slash.

Rae turned to see where the Wraith was going, and upon seeing that it was heading towards his boyfriend, he cried out, "Look out, Gulru!"

Gulru didn't get a chance to dodge—the Wraith dissipated into shadowy particles and entered the holes in his helm, and Gulru screamed as he fell on the ground. He held his helm, writhing and screaming in pain; he could feel the Wraith digging deeper into his soul, and before he knew it, everything went blank. His sight, his hearing. All of his senses disappeared as the Wraith did its work, and he suddenly stopped screaming.

"GULRU!" The team screamed, all of their eyes wide in shock and horror.

Immediately, Rae rushed forward to his beloved, his heart pounding in his chest and fear in his eyes. What was going on? What was that Wraith doing to his Gully?

Fina also rushed to help her friend, but Merle grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her back. Fina, however, tried to fight her as Merle pulled her away from Gulru.

"Merle!" Fina cried, pulling her arm to get herself out of Merle's grip, "What are you doing?!"

"Stay away, Fina," Merle warned, "it's dangerous!"

"But Gulru's—"

"Gulru!" Rae's cry snapped Merle's attention, and she turned her head to see Rae rushing towards the hyperventilating Yuke. He knelt down to his beloved when Gulru stopped moving, and Merle began to scream to him, to warn him to step away.

"Rae! Don't! It's too dangerous!" She screamed.

"I don't care!" Rae cried, using his Cure spell to heal Gulru. He wasn't sure if it would work, but he had to at least try. "I have to help Gulru!"

"Rae!" Merle yelled, "You have to run! Gulru will—"

Gulru sat up then in a sudden motion, and Rae let out a huge sigh of relief. Oh thank Cosmos. Gulru was okay.

"Gul," Rae said, "Oh thank goodness. You had me wo—"

Gulru turned his head to face Rae, and upon seeing the red in the eyes of his helm, Rae froze in place. The eyes glowed, as Gulru stared at Rae for a long, uncomfortable moment.

He then spoke one word, in a voice that was not his own.

"Die."

Before Rae could react, a Fira spell hit him squarely in the chest, flying him back and hitting a wall. The flames dissipated from the new wound before he slid to the ground.

"RAE!" Merle screamed, inadvertently letting Fina's hand go. Fina rushed towards Gulru, her racket in hand, in order to strike down the make Yuke.

"FINA! WAIT!" Merle yelled, but it was too late—when Fina was close enough, Gulru turned and sent out a Thunder spell, shocking the Selkie and paralyzing her. She cried out as she knelt on the ground, struggling to stand to no avail.

Rae only watched, dazed, confused, and heartbroken, as Gulru approached the now helpless Fina. However, Ambra and Hareth ran forward, grabbing Gulru's wings and forcing them behind his back. Gulru screamed a guttural roar, before he managed to overpower the two and used a Blizzard spell to trap them in a block of ice.

Rae's heart pounded in his chest, heaving heavy breaths as Merle ran forward to help him up. Why was Gulru attacking them? Why?

"He's possessed," Merle said, as if she had read his mind, "Wraiths lost the ability to possess someone centuries ago. It seems like this one was able to tap into its ancestors' powers."

"Then…" Rae asked, watching as Gulru approached Egan and Keiko. Keiko scrambled behind Egan, trembling as Egan held up his spear, ready to strike down the Yuke if needed. But Rae could tell that he was afraid as well, judging by how he was trembling. "What are you supposed to do?"

"We have no choice," Merle whispered, sadness etched in her voice. "We have to beat it out of him."

Rae glanced at his friend with shock in his eyes, as if she had suggested to outright murder his boyfriend with cold blood. Hurt Gulru? No. He couldn't do that. It wasn't even his fault that the Wraith possessed him. There had to be another way to get the Wraith out.

"Is there no other way?" Rae asked, "I can't just hurt him! There has to be something, like some sort of exorcism to get it out!"

"We have no choice, Rae," Merle argued softly. She also hated the idea of hurting her friend, but what else were they supposed to do? "Either we hurt him, or we die."

Rae gulped, glancing at Gulru and the two Lilties for a moment. He could see Gulru's Blizzaga spell forming in one wing; Gulru very rarely used powerful spells like this. The only times he used them was to either kill a powerful monster or for extreme emergencies.

And by the looks of it, Gulru's intent was to kill the Lilties.

Rae glanced at Merle, frowning. He knew that she was right.

"Merle," he whispered, "distract him. I'll get that stupid Wraith out myself."

Merle didn't argue or protest—they didn't have time to. She nodded.

Egan and Keiko stepped away from Gulru until the two hit the wall, with Egan still standing protectively in front of Keiko. He growled, his spear pointed straight at Gulru. However, Gulru remained unfazed, as he continued his approach with malicious intentions.

"St-stay back!" Egan growled, his voice quivering. "I don't wanna hurt you, but I will!"

Gulru raised his wing, ready to throw the spell at the two…

Only to get hit from behind from a Fire spell. The Blizzaga spell in his wing dissipated, before he turned to see Merle, her wing out.

Gulru's eyes glowed brighter, as he slowly approached his friend, readying another spell.

He failed to miss Rae's whisper of "I'm sorry, Gully…" before he was knocked down on the ground. Rae straddled his legs on Gulru's back, before he raised his sword in the air.

Tears threatened to fall from Rae's eyes, blurring his vision for a moment. However, he had to concentrate as Gulru struggled against Rae. He had to save his beloved, even if it meant hurting him. He had to do this.

He swung his sword then, hitting Gulru in the back of his head with the hilt. Gulru continued to struggle and scream curses against Rae, and Rae gulped.

The Wraith was holding on.

"Stupid ghost," Rae growled, "get out of him!"

He held up his sword again, hitting Gulru's head again. And again. And again.

Gulru's struggles grew weaker and weaker until he finally stopped. Rae feared that he accidentally killed his beloved until he saw the ghastly remains of the Wraith flying out from the holes of Gulru's helm. He watched as the now-dead Wraith dissipated into thin air, defeated.

Rae got off of Gulru then, as Merle began to tend to the others' wounds and conditions. Rae gently flipped over Gulru, noting the tears threatening to fall from the eyes of his helm. Seeing this broke his heart—Gulru was likely terrified of the whole situation.

"Gulru," Rae whispered, shaking the Yuke's unmoving body slightly. "Hey. Wake up."

Gulru remained still.

"Gulru!" Rae cried, tears pricking in the corners of his eyes. Oh Cosmos, did he end up killing him? "Gully!"

He heard a groan from his beloved, as Gulru began to awaken. The Yuke glanced up at Rae, the tears falling down from his helm then. Upon seeing the wound Rae endured from the Fire spell he threw at him, Gulru gulped.

"I-I-I…" Gulru whispered, his voice trembling as he slowly sat up.

"It's not your fault," Rae whispered, taking Gulru's hand. "Don't blame yourself."

"Y-you're hurt… because of me…" Gulru hiccupped, unable to look away from the wound.

"Gully…" Rae whispered, "you were possessed. It wasn't you." He sniffled, wiping away his own tears he realized were falling. "I'm sorry for hurting you…"

"Y-you did what you needed to do, love," Gulru stuttered, "you saved me and everyone else from me."

"From the Wraith," Rae corrected gently, "you're okay. We're okay. It's over now, okay?"

Gulru sniffled, and before Rae knew it, the Yuke enveloped his beloved into a tight hug. Rae didn't resist; he wrapped his arms around Gulru and hugged him back, hashing him gently as Gulru sobbed in his shoulder.

It was going to be okay, they both realized, as the other team members gathered around and healed the two and held them close.