#and Lis means sly or fox

[staledirt87]

What if Human!Au

Janus is the father of Virgil and Remus

Patton is the father of Logan and Roman

Logan and Roman are both adopted, as is Remus but Virgil is the bio son of Janus and unnamed ex. The foster house Roman and Remus were in refused to advertise them as siblings as Remus was a "problem child" and Roman was a "golden boy" so Patton and Janus had no idea they were seperating twins.

A lot more under the cut:

There's always music playing in Janus' house, every day he comes home and puts on a jazz or classical record on the old record player he got from an antique store. On relaxed days Janus will come home, put on a record, and read on his armchair with Virgil listening to the music on his lap and Remus drawing at his feet.

Patton makes sure there's always fresh pastries in the Hart household. There's never a limit to how much they can eat as long as they eat an actual meal along with it. Logan always offers to do the measurements and Roman doesn't let anyone else do the mixing. It's a good day when there's flour everywhere, at least one egg got dropped by Roman, and there's warm cookies on the cooling rack.

Logan talks and talks to Roman who writes and writes about what he's told and they excitedly present their work to Patton who is always chest-bursting proud no matter what. Roman and Logan only ever fight when they play together and Roman's ideas are too fanciful for Logan and Logan's ideas are too boring for Roman. Only Patton can settle those arguments by either distracting them with something else or saying "actually, that can work if you do this!"

Virgil is really reserved around Remus at first, clinging to Janus' leg whenever he was near, but then Remus showed him his drawings of monsters and demons and Virgil pointed out a spider and then they were best friends. One day Janus gets called to the school because Remus punched a kid because they were bullying Virgil for crying over a spider and Janus makes this big act of being disappointed and saying "I'll make sure he learns his lesson" for the principal when really he takes them both out for ice cream afterwards.

Janus takes Virgil out record shopping as he refines his music taste, buying him whatever records he wants. As a birthday present Janus and Remus buy and paint a record player for Virgil's room. Whenever Remus runs out of paint or pencils Janus takes him to all the art stores he can and buys like a year's worth of supplies. The best gift he ever got wasn't even for a special occasion, on a whim Virgil composed a playlist for one of Remus' smaller sketchbooks and Janus payed someone to press a vinyl of it with the cover art being the cover of the sketchbook. They have movie nights on an old projector of classic slasher films.

Patton makes days of things. Roman wants to see a play? They're going to the mall afterwards and maybe even going to the aquarium. Logan wants to see the meteor shower that night? They're watching documentaries about deep space objects and meteorites all day until it's time to star gaze. Unlike in the Lis household where the main love language is quality time the Harts excell in gift giving and acts of service. Logan got the box set for all of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works and a poster of the observable universe on a random Tuesday and Saint Patrick's Day respectively. Roman comes home one day to see all of his scripts edited in eraseable ink and his favorite sweets on the kitchen table. Patton never gets tired of telling them stories at night, taking suggestions from both kids and expertly weaving a tale of magic and science and evolutionary pathways of dragons until both are asleep.

The kids meet in high school and Roman and Remus immediately have a bond. They don't recognize eachother as brothers yet but there's something there that they both feel. They write comics together and commonly argue about the plot and designs, but their relationship never really falters. Virgil attaches himself to Remus' side and because of that meets Logan. Their bond strikes much slower than the twins' but eventually Logan becomes the #1 person Virgil goes to when he's having a panic attack or anxious about something: whether it's talking him through excersices or just being present Virgil always thanks him with a song recommendation or a sneak peak of a song he's writing.

Janus comes home from work (defense attorney) to Remus' embellished tales of the four's escapades and Virgil listening to music, somehow hearing and correcting every time Remus tries to make Virgil look stupid. Occasionally they'll vent about a teacher that took away Remus' figdet toy because it was "distracting" or forced Virgil to present in front of the class. On those days Janus will make them their favorite foods and put on the special jazz record he only ever uses when it's been a tiring day or one of the kids had a nightmare. Janus doesn't hesitate when Virgil is having a bad anxiety day or Remus can't get gory explicit images out of his head to call them out of school with a forged doctor's note.

Patton works at an elementary school so Roman and Logan walk there after school and do homework in his classroom until school lets out. After Patton is able to leave Roman starts telling them an equally embellished story of the day with Logan's occasional correction when it starts getting too outlandish. On bad days where the students were rowdy and Roman got his notebook taken away for writing in class and Logan got picked on for taking slang literally they'll go home and bake whatever they have the ingredients for.

As the friendship goes on they start spending more and more time with eachother outside of school, Remus and Virgil taking the time that Janus is still at work to join Roman and Logan at the elementary school or the Hart kids visiting the Lis house to chill and listen to music. Janus and Patton never officially meet until it's 3 am and they're in the police station because the twins convinced the other two to jump a fence and Remus' sleeve got caught in the barbed wire and their combined yelling alerted someone walking their dog.

They get to talking more after that and notice some similarities in the twins when they were younger. While Remus used to talk about his "brother at the foster home" Roman would mumble in his sleep about "how unfair it is the knight has to save the dragon." Janus does some digging and finds out the truth. They discuss how best to tell them before eventually deciding on a conversation over a laid-back dinner.

It doesn't stay a laid-back dinner, as soon as they sit down Virgil immediately realizes something is up, which means Logan and Remus realize, which means Roman also knows. Logan asks what's wrong and Virgil just points to Janus: "the snake is gonna tell us something." Janus looks impressed and him and Patton tell them what they found out. Roman and Remus freak out and are split between being pissed they didn't realize before or ecstatic at finally reuniting.

[yandere-wishes]

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆Doc-Ringo⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

✮ Yandere! Boothill x Reader

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Plot: There's a slick black-clad little gal who's been messing with his bounties recently. Boothill's been dying to rustle her up and take a bite

⁀➷ Warnings: Yandere behavior, blood, and gore, war trauma, Genie trying to do a cowboy accent.

⁺₊𝄞₊⁺: Crimson and Clover by Joan Jett

And I don't hardly know her,

But I think I can love her,

Ah, now when she comes walking over,

I've been waiting to show her,

My mind's such a sweet thing

I want to do everything

What a beautiful feeling

It's not like the movies, they fed us on little white lies.

~💜

The first time he sees you there's a tempest of bullets rattling off his chest. Metal singing metal, as shells vie for an opening. It's all very lethal,

like the center of a rabid dust storm. Kissing death and sucking in her poison. Boothill can't tell where the bullets are coming from only that there's a dozen at a time ringing over his head. He shields his face with the metal of his forearms peaking through the gap to catch a glimpse of black.

Pure black.

That's the first thing he notices as your frenzy yields, You're clad in black from head to toe, even going so far as to dawn an eerie familiar mask. He's seen this scene play out somewhere before, he just can't remember where. "Morning mister", he likes that voice, jejune and teeming with confidence. It reminds him of himself, back when the sunset used to mean something and he could still feel wheat stocks under his soft palms.

"Howdy lil'lady I reckon you're in my way. Mind stepping aside before you get yourself hurt?" Your answer comes in the form of an aimed pistol, spine straight, midnight serape caught on the wind. He thinks you look a little too much like the folks back home -back when there was a home- blood boiling over eager for a fight. His bounty is standing just over yonder, blocked partly by your stubborn shadow. Boothill doesn't think twice before firing two rounds.

He's met with four...

He's in a cheap motel on Penacony, screwing in bolts that came loose. In the end, you laid claim to his bounty. Dragging him away to the hills. He's left growling at the thought, bested by a muddle-fudging fox. Lil gal probably ain't never even been in a proper shoot-out. The screwdriver cracks under his metal fingers. Boothill ain't about to start letting some pretty little thing get in the way of him and his targets.

The TV screen flickers to a melancholy monochrome. The films are old, distorted, crippled in parts. But he keeps them around, much like everything else about him, it's a bygone thing refusing to die.

He still likes to play them from time to time, trying to elicit the tastes of home. Hearing Nick and Graey setting plates out for dinner as his siblings rush downstairs. The movies are older than the new universe in more ways than one.

They come from a simpler time.

He'd always wondered why someone would bother painting such precious things in black and white. Spilling melancholia into picture frames, leaving everything tasting of vodka and vanilla.

It doesn't matter though, not really. All that matters is the sound of hooves on sand and bullets shooting. So long as the cowboys live their stories, everything else can be forgiven.

But this time something's off. The bandit's black mask shines through, gleaming something awful making him grind his sharp teeth. That damn mask, sitting pretty over a sly smirk. it reminds him of you, little cutie with your slick attitude. What bandit goes around doing hero's work anyway? What kinda twisted little lady are you?

He's getting mighty sick of this. Do you think you own the universe or something? "Been seeing way too much of you lately." There's sand in his Synesthesia Beacon his voice coming out horse, brittle. He kicks the head of an IPC lackey trying to drive home a point. "You getting on my nerves cutie". The ground looks nothing short of a graveyard, bodies scattered some piled. The blood paints the sands in a deep maroon, reflecting the glint of the distant stars. The last soldier is cowering behind you, his whimpers singing in Boothill's ears, one more bullet, that's all it'll take. "This one's mine" you mutter, and he wonders for a moment if the dry weather is getting to you too. "Not a chance pumpkin" his gun's drawn, firing bullets before you can even feel for your holster. The smirking bullet impales your abdomen, aimed point blank at the officer's head. But before the last body can be claimed you kick the man out of the way.

"Damn it" Boothill's anger is tangible, he knows you can feel it between your teeth. He's going to kill you, tear off that star-saken mask, and riddle you with bullets. You're getting too confident.

He doesn't notice your bullets at first. Protostars trying to act all rough and mighty. There's a temporary cluster of dust, a fraction of a second where his eyes aren't pinning you down. That's all it takes and then you're off. Sinking into the darkness and swimming away, taking his target with you.

It's only after the initial anger wears off that Boothill notices a tear on his thigh. A letter scrawled on the frayed leather of his pants. So you've started leaving your own marks, ay cutie?

He almost wishes he could feel the sting of your blade on his flesh. Feel your nails scrapping along his shoulders as he pins you to the ground.

Boothill fires at the moon.

Next time.

Next time for sure....

He's been chasing you for some time now. But catching up with you isn't as easy as he first thought. Seems like you go wherever the wind takes you and he's too busy with revenge to be following your capricious whims. The IPC ain't going to kill itself you know. And Boothill damn well wishes you'd start sitting still. He's heard from a reliable source that the IPC soldiers are throwing a little get to together down in one of the bars. Just a happy birthday for a colleague, nothing fancy. The thought alone makes his mouth water, place will be crawling with pests just waiting to be gunned down. Maybe tomorrow he'll try looking for you again, but tonight? Tonight's his night.

The neons have dulled now, they never were terribly bright to begin with. Penacony may be the land of dreams but not even dreams can stop reality from seeping through. The bar's loud, some new pop singer's music blasting from every speaker. Boothill downs his drink, liking how the ice cubes chime like a bad omen. He shoots the speakers first, needing some peace to focus on what comes next. The peace corp's lackeys are drunk, they stumble over themselves trying to reach him. He shoots each one like a kid playing carnival games. It's almost too easy...

The door is stampeded over by a heard of reinforcements. Somehow even in his drunken daze one of those yella-bellied lapdogs called for help. They're swarming the place like panicked rats, pushing past tables and chairs. Firearms aimed at his head. And for the first time, in a long, long time, Boothill feels a sliver of panic run down his bionic spine.

Motherfudger...

Boothill hears the familiar tumult of bodies hitting the ground before he sees what's actually going on. He feels you before he actually sees you. You're pushed up against his back, guns drawn locked, and loaded. "Heard you needed some help" Even though you offer your usual bravado, Boothill still picks up the nervous lilt in your voice, despite everything he thinks he likes it. It almost tastes sweet. "Best get away before you get yourself hurt little fox." "And let you have all the fun? Never."

"Certe murmur pugnando" Boothill laughs, he remembers those very words coming from a buddy of his before a duel. 'At least we'll die fighting' Somethings never change, even if you've carved out every principle from your body with a rusted kitchen knife. You'll always have those pesky morals stuck inside. He hears you chuckle, wonders if you find it odd that a rowdy galaxy ranger such as himself knows a dead language.

Well, he knows a lot about the dead.

The shoot-out lasts longer than he'd have expected.

But the real surprise lies in how neither of you are dead. Boothill's half laid across the bar, looking at you from under his hat. You're making him a drink following his instruction like a good little wife, not contradiction dressed in ebony. Gunpowder withers on his tongue, the bullet smoke permeates the air mixing with the gleeful tang of spilled blood. "Your drinks sure are complicated" you mutter pushing him his cup before picking up a bottle and reading its labels. "What's so hard about it pumpkin? Little bit of white gem and gin. All's you need." He sips your drink slowly, savoring your flavor. He imagines he's gulping you down, holding you for ransom behind his teeth, feeling your delicate little fists pounding against him. "I don't drink" you mumble as you sit across from him, you look so damn elegant, like a little princess from a fairy tale he use to read to a certain someone. You drink deeply from your glass of ice and water. Boothill focuses on the gentle motion of your throat. He licks his lips, trying to push down the thought of ringing such a fragile thing between his palms.

"So little lady, s'about time you start answering some questions...The hell you doing? Running off with my targets?" You set your cup down, eyes locking on his, there's the deficiency he's missed all night. The trigger hair that's just waiting for the right push. "They're not your targets...not really. They're just people. People whose planet got muffed up. I've been trying to gather them all in one place." For a second Boothill thinks you're talking about his planet, his home, his people. But it only takes one more look at you to understand.

"So, how'd yours die?" There's shrapnel in his throat when he asks, open wounds bleeding once more, filling his throat with bitter memories.

You stiffen, and he knows he's thumbing a broken bone, letting his finger dig between the cracks and snapping their frail linings. "Don't know, wasn't there. All I ever got to see were a few limbs, nothing enough to make a full person." you squeeze the glass until your knuckles turn white.

There's vindication rooted in your veins.

He knows the feeling all too well.

"We ain't so different you and I, reckon we make a pretty good team." His metal fingers lace between your soft skin, tracing the lifelines like an old map.

There's a goldmine hidden behind your lips, he imagines he'll have to kiss you to find the little nuggets. Your lips part, eyes filled with an odd-looking sympathy. What he wouldn't give to feel your plump lips bleed between his jagged teeth. "So..." you ask as his mechanic heart skips a beat. "What about yours?"

You've been laughing for five whole minutes. Boothill shouldn't find the noise as ethereal as he does. His anger lays heavily on his bones, he should be even angrier, lounging a bullet through your thick skull. But he finds the noise a little too perfect to disturb its source. Even if it's only created at his expense. Instead, he has half a mind to slap you, hard enough to shut you u and another to kiss you so hard you forget to breathe. "Damn hell so funny, cutie"

You look at him with those luminous eyes. Filled with pain and riddles. Boothill never did like solving puzzles. He only likes tearing things into bits. He needs you spartan, easy to read and use, and kiss. Not something he needs to piece together first.

"Dear stars you have no freaking idea how ironic you are." You say between bursts of spiteful-rooted giggles.

Why do those words sound so haunting like a ghost kiss? they should open phantom pains, but they sure as hell don't. Why do you always leave his head spinning? Boothill rolls his eyes, then leans over to pull down your mask. You jerk back, rewarding him with a dark grimace. You're out the window before he can ask your name.

"See you next time, cowboy"

"Next time I'm drawing blood"

The moment's over.

Fiddlesticks..

That night, Boothill dreams of you. He's lying in a stiff musty bed. It's too dark, even the moon is scared of showing her face.

Boothill dreams of the old saloons back home. Of their cracked wooden floorboards and the worn-out plush of chairs. In the dreams, you're wearing a black lace gown, like the saloon girls used to. He finds it all too funny that even in his dreams you still haunt him in black. Only now you're smiling, really smiling. Not that sly smirk, or mirthless grin you gave him back in the bar on Penacony. No, this here is a genuine smile and he's damn sure he's the one who put it there. You reach out for his hand, he feels warmth.

His

Yours

The dream is thick and dense like swimming through molasses. In another scene he's dragging you through the old doors, laughing as bullets and card chips hit the floor. There's a horse waiting outside. His horse. At least he thinks it used to be his. He pulls you up roughly in front of him. He's high off the feeling of his fingers wrapped around the rugged reins. High off the steed he holds in a vice grip between his thighs.

He's riding faster than he's ever ridden before, clambering for the sunset trying to engulf the sun. You hold on tight, pressing your cheek to his chest. His heart is beating something fierce between his ribs. He feels like an Aeon watching the universe collapse under his galloping feet.

He feels alive.

With the sun's rays behind you, Boothill could almost mistake you for the star-dwelling angels Nick used to tell him about. There's something poetic in all of this. The cowboy standing off against the black fox.

Dare he call it cinematic?

Boothill creeps closer. Tilting his hat and watching you flash a nervous smile through his lashes. "Volo sentire te inter dentes meos" so you know that dead tongue too. "You will soon darling, that's what I'm hoping for" his reply only dwindles your smile.

He's missed the old duels. Missed staring into the eyes of the one who could kill you. It's all a matter of skill and luck. Whose faster, who the aeon will trust?

Somewhere in the distance, the tumble weeds begin to rattle.

"Now"

His bullet glides through the air, piercing through the dust and sand. Your bullet reverberates from your gun a fraction too late and ricochets past his cheek. Leaving a juicy trail of blood.

But his bullet was aimed at your chest.

And Boothill never misses...

You want vengeance he won't deny you it.

So long as you stay by his side.

He'll tuck you away somewhere safe.

Somewhere you won't be leaving him again.

Boothill cradles your body to his chest. "I promised you blood little fox, and Boothill never goes back on his word." His cheeks hurt from smiling as he lays his hat atop your head. He's Picking you up and walking into the sunset. He knows a good ol'doc who'll patch you right up. And then it's a happy life together.

Well for him anyway.

The end

Taglist: @hihellomy @salhanskkdbfkekfb @gasoline-eater @sp1cym0chi

[biolumien]

hello!! I loved your rooftop smoke fic so much oh my goodness could I ask for literally anything hoshina I would love to read more of your works... It would make my day if hoshina fell first/if he was the one hopelessly in love but anything that is easier to write for you I would love to read

ALSO PLS FEEL FREE TO IGNORE THIS IF ITS NOT EXACTLY IT FOR U!!! TYSM IN ADVANCE

notes: bwahhhh omg… thank you for liking my first work…  i havent written hoshina before… but uh. i hope this is good. same reader-insert from last time for this one too!

hoshina falls first (or tries not to, because to love is to be known)

soshiro hoshina x gn!reader i turned it into kind of a character study, forgive me word count: 1103

let’s get this right off the bat, to clear any misconceptions. hoshina’s not a romantic. he doesn’t fall for anyone first. he’s built up the demeanor of a sly, wily little fox not because he wanted to, but because he had to. tread lightly around others, and they will never know what lies in your heart, the insecurities that bubble and eat at you alive. never let them know how you feel, because as soon as your inherent, weak-willed intent is shown, you’ll be devoured alive.

well.

that’s what hoshina tells himself, anyway. 

it’s what he has to remind himself of constantly when he sees you.

you’re not allowed, he reminds himself, to get under his skin. not in any mean way, not in the way where you play up his insecurities–except you do, don’t you? you don’t mean to, but he gets the impression that if he were conventionally stronger, more impressive, that he’d deserve your attention, the small smile that crosses your lips and lights up your eyes when you see him, the faint exhale of breath when you see him–he’d deserve that if he were better. if he were just simply better, he’d deserve it. he’d feel worthy of it.

hoshina’s not a romantic.

he signed up for a line of very dangerous, practically suicidal work knowing it might mean the death of him.

all to prove that he was worth something.

he’s not the ashes you throw away, he’s a brilliant ball of fire, can’t you see–but he needed to prove that he could shine alone, under his own merit. he didn’t need anyone, except he needed mina to get him into the third division anyway. 

he didn’t need you, except he kept making excuses to get close to you, and not even in any particular suave way. hoshina practically pines for your affections and attention, but the key thing about it is that he refuses, in a way that’s either very cute or insanely frustrating, to make it seem like he’s making the first move. fleeting kisses he shared with you, he never properly initiated himself–he’d stand there, make a big show of leaving, and you’d pulled him by the collar to kiss him. 

but at the very least you seem to be accommodating about it, in any case. you sometimes end up preparing him a cup of tea when you go on break, as if instinctually expecting him.

hoshina wonders if he’s pavlov’s dog in this case–drawn by you, trained to behave around you.

he doesn’t know how he feels about it.

“you keep coming here,” you say to him one day in the lab. at your desk is a wide variety of papers–notes on chemical formulas for bullets, the blueprints for one of mina’s new absurdly-large guns shoved haphazardly under a stack of notebooks, a coffee cup clasped between your hands, and you blow some of the fresh steam off. “i’m starting to think the captain’s going to find you slacking off.”

there’s a sardonic smile on your lips, but hoshina’s gotten better at reading you. you’re happy to see him–he can see it in the tiny way you fidget a little bit when he takes the spare coffee mug from your desk, finding it full of coffee already. does he feel his face softening, his drawn-up shoulders relaxing? no, surely not. he’s better than that. he won’t be influenced by you–and yet. and yet. 

“you have a lock on your door if you don’t want to be disturbed,” hoshina says simply, taking a sip of the coffee. black with a single spoonful of sugar in it, because as much as it was impressive to drink your coffee purely black, hoshina quite frankly couldn’t take it. and he’d built as much a complex around that, too, as if a simple coffee preference might define how worthy he is of love. respect. the works. he watches you, sees dark under-eyes from days of restless work and the writer’s bump on your middle finger, and feels his heart squeeze.

god, he hates it. does he? does he hate it? is he insecure about that? does he hate that he doesn’t hate it? does he hate that by pining for you, by forcing his way into your life, that he’s created the rumblings of his own downfall? no. the worst part of it all is that he can’t hate you. can’t hate the way you watch him, and he wonders if you’re watching him the same way he observes you–like a prey animal, almost, twitchy and nervous, in an attempt to grasp at feeble understanding. 

“if you keep coming back here, i’m going to assume you’re in love with me,” you say.

and you have no idea what those words do to him, really. you don’t know, because hoshina has learned to obscure most of his emotions, at the very least. 

so why does his face feel so hot?

“hm.”

he can’t even come up with a proper retort. you’re staring at him expectantly, as if waiting for the classic hoshina quip–a cackle or giggle, a casual slap on the table with a you wish! attached to it. but it doesn’t come. hoshina stands there, gagged for a moment–and suddenly his grip on his coffee cup feels a little weak.

“hoshina.”

he wishes the smile on your lips didn’t trigger some gut instinct of delight in him.

he’s better than this, damn it. he’s better than this.

your smile quirks up the corners of your cheeks, and there’s something like a shy flush across your skin. and–

“i wish i could take a picture of your face right now,” you say. “you look like you’re coming down with something.”

hoshina scoffs, the sound a little more high-pitched than he’d like for it to be.

“you wish,” he says. 

“so are you?” you press. “in love with me?”

hoshina stares at you–there’s a sudden tightness in your shoulders that wasn’t there before–you’re worried about his answer. and despite it all–his bravado, his hatred of the mere idea that he might rely on someone else–that he would ever need someone to know his heart, that he might be cowed and tamed like a dog–

he loves you.

he doesn’t want you to be worried about the surety of his answer.

“yeah,” he says. “i love you.” and when that sudden tightness in your body language disappears, he finally finds the strength to quip, “just don’t faint over me, alright?” 

and when you reach out to hit his shoulder, he grasps you by the wrist and pulls you in to kiss you.

[shisekibo]

[Story Translation] Chapter Thirty Seven - Angel's Evolution [Episode One: Part Five]

↫ previous story | story list | next story ↬

Haures:

“It's an Angel..."

Ammon:

“Ugh... What horrible timing. Just when we were about to head home too."

Boschi:

“Tsk. And it looks like there's quite a bunch of them too... What's going on with Angels nowadays?"

Haures:

“Boschi. Can you still fight?"

Boschi:

“Just who do you think you're talking to? Of course I can still fight."

Boschi:

“Master. Release our power."

Choices:

"Leave it to me...!" "Just don't push yourself too hard!"

You:

 “Come! Sworn friend of the Darkness. I summon thee!”

You:

 “As bound by the Devil’s Contract, release Boschi and Haures' power.”

Ammon:

“Just don't get too wild, Boschi."

Boschi:

“Yeah. Got it."

Bastien:

“I'll fight too."

Haures:

“Bastien! You should be resting."

Bastien:

“I'm not just going to sit around twiddling my thumbs while you all fight."

Bastien:

“And I... I already swore to myself that I'd protect our Master, even if it means risking my life."

Lono:

“Then I'll fight too! I can't just let you all help me and not do my part!"

Haures:

“Lono?! You too...?"

Bastien:

“Don't get left behind, Lono."

Lono:

“And don't you swing too wide, you sly fox."

Bastien:

“Ha!"

Bastien:

“Master. Release our power."

Choices:

"Work together this time!" "Go get that Angel...!"

You:

 “Come! Sworn friend of the Darkness. I summon thee!”

You:

 “As bound by the Devil’s Contract, release Bastien and Lono's power.”

Lono:

“Right! Let's go!"

Bastien:

“We'll be done here in no time..."

Angel:

“Die. For life..."

slash...!

Angel:

“D..Die... D-die..."

Bastien's sword sliced through the Angel's body...

It exploded into a bright light, before disappearing without leaving a trace.

Bastien:

“The next one's coming..."

Lono:

“Okay! You take the guy on the right!"

Lono:

“Oi, Bastien! You're swingin' too wide again!"

Bastien:

“Ugh... My bad."

Ammon:

“What's going on with those two? They're moving differently from usual."

Fennesz:

“They're matching their movements to one another! They're actually covering for one another."

Haures:

“Since when could they fight together like this?"

Boschi:

“Looks like our services aren't needed..."

Boschi:

“*yawns* I'm tired..."

Lono:

“Is that as fast as you can go, you dumb fox?!"

Bastien:

“If I go any faster you won't be able to keep up. Unless that's what you want?"

Lono:

“Now you've done it. It's a bet! Don't underestimate me, Bastien!"

Angel:

“Die. For life..."

slash...!

-A Few Minutes Later-

Bastien:

“huff... puff..."

Lono:

“huff... huff..."

Ammon:

“Looks like they got most of them in the end, huh?"

Fennesz:

“You two are amazing!"

Haures:

“I had no idea the two of you could be this strong if you worked together. That was some marvelous teamwork, you two."

Lono:

“huff... huff..."

Lono:

“Looks like... Bastien was able to... keep up with me, somehow..."

Lono:

“I guess it's a good think I stuck to his level."

Bastien:

“huff... huff..."

Bastien:

“Don't get it twister... I didn't even use 10% of my strength... I was the one stooping to your level..."

Lono:

“Stop lyin'! You were definitely trying your hardest!"

Bastien:

“I'm not the sort of person to tell lies."

Lono:

“Stop tryin' to make yourself look cool!"

Bastien:

“What did you say?!"

Haures:

“You two..."

Ammon:

“Oh dear. Looks like they're all back to normal."

Fennesz:

“But this is good, isn't it Haures? They were able to work together."

Haures:

“Yes. It's still a work in progress, though."

Haures:

“If they carry on like this, it'll make Angel Hunting much easier."

Fennesz:

“You're right. This really is a step in the right direction."

Haures:

“Yes."

Muu:

“Phew. I was really worried about how it would turn out at first."

Muu:

“What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, I guess!"

Choices:

"Looks like this hurdle has been crossed!" "I'm glad they're friends again."

Berrien:

“Now then, Master. Let us actually make our way back home now."

Muu:

“I'm pooped... I can't want to get into bed and sleep..."

Mysterious Man:

“Oh my. You defeated them all already?"

Muu:

“AH?! Who's there?!"

Boschi:

“Who the hell are you?!"

Mysterious Man:

“I don't think that's any way to speak to someone you've just met. Who raised you? Goodness."

Haures:

“He's flying?!"

Fennesz:

“And this light..."

Choices:

“Is he... an Angel...?"

Ammon:

“This guy?! No way. Angel's can't speak like that!"

Lono:

“Right?! I've never seen an Angel like this!"

Bastien:

“So what on earth is he...?"

Mysterious Man:

“What now? You all look shocked. Did you see something unusual?"

Berrien:

“You... What are you?"

Mysterious Man:

“Me...?"

Mysterious Man:

“Can you not tell...?"

Mysterious Man:

“I'm an Angel, of course."

[yuanzhous]

The man who used to be Li Xiangyi arrives at the beach first. The breeze is cool—the wind carries the scent of sea and salt to him. 

He died there once.

Only, Li Xiangyi—Li Lianhua didn’t bury him as well as he thought he had. He knows now: the answer is not to let go of everything, but to hold tightly onto the things that make him Li Lianhua.

He stands there watching the waves until he hears, in the distance, Hulijing’s bark and the galloping of horses. He smiles, only for the sea to witness.

Di Feisheng arrives at the beach second. Fang Duobing only moments later.

Li Lianhua keeps his eyes trained on the horizon.

He hears them dismount, senses Hulijing come up to his side, excited and expectant.

“Turn around,” Di Feisheng murmurs. It’s not meant for Li Lianhua to hear, but the wind steals his voice and carries it over. “Turn around.”

Li Lianhua waits. He lived ten years on borrowed time. Now he has the luxury of sacrificing a few more seconds.

“Fight me,” Fang Duobing abruptly tells Di Feisheng. He remembers. He understood. And—Di Feisheng must turn to him with a frown—then, “Trust me.”

The impact of the first blow makes the ground shudder. The second splits the air in two. 

Li Lianhua turns.

They are a whirlwind. He’s not a martial artist anymore, and his body could not follow them, but his eyes do. To watch Di-mengzhu fight, all the beauty and furious grace he first saw in their battle ten years ago—to see his Fang Xiaobao come so far, holding his own against this force of nature.

Something eases in Li Lianhua’s chest. He set up the pieces, he led them here, but he didn’t truly dare to hope for this.

Fang Duobing cannot win. Not yet, not today, but one day he will. The light in Di Feisheng’s eyes when they put their blades down means he’s seen that, too.

Li Lianhua begins to clap.

“Good! Very good!” he calls out. “Di-mengzhu, what do you think of my disciple?”

Di Feisheng’s mouth twists into a grin. “He’s got potential,” he admits. “But he needs more instruction.”

Fang Duobing stumbles a couple of steps closer to Li Lianhua, faltering and uncertain. “You sly old fox,” he says, voice thick.

“Fang Xiaobao,” Li Lianhua says. “You solved the case. Well done.”

“How?” Fang Duobing asks in a whisper.

Li Lianhua smiles and spreads his hands out, feeling the air on his face. It’s good to be alive.

“You’re a detective,” he says. “And I am a miracle physician, am I not?”

He grows more somber, looking from Fang Duobing to Di Feisheng and back. They are still frightened—naturally. He left them for three months. But he couldn’t return to them before he was certain it would be for good this time.

“For the sake of you two,” Li Lianhua says, “bringing back the dead is but a small task to accomplish.”

[vladdyissues]

Danny Phantom AU, where Vlad knew about Danny Phantom being Half-Ghost, before ‘Bitter Reunions’... What if Vlad hides his plans to take over both worlds from Danny?... What if Sam/Tucker (around Season 1) learn about Vlad's true evilness, and show proof to Danny?... What if Danny feels betrayed and believes that Vlad only liked Danny for being half-ghost? (Which isn't true) ... What if Vlad is heartbroken that Danny rejects him, and Vlad angrily blames Sam/Tucker for 'ruining everything'? 💔

I love this idea but see it diverging at the halfway point because Vlad is 1) an accomplished liar, 2) sly as a (silver) fox, and 3) experienced enough in manipulation tactics to know how to invalidate Sam and Tucker's claims while making himself out to be the victim. In other words, I don't think Vlad would even get a chance to be heartbroken because he's just that fucking good. Observe:

"How?" Danny stood before Vlad, quivering with rage. Tears threatened to spill from his flooded eyes. "How could you do this? How could you be so"—he struggled before finally spitting the word—"evil?"

"Oh, Daniel." Vlad sighed and sank onto the couch. "You don't actually believe these outlandish claims, do you?"

"They have photos of you in your lab! You in a ghost form! With a cape and fangs and weird hair and everything."

"Photos." Vlad nodded. "And which one of your friends is the computer whiz? Tucker… Fowler, is it?"

"Foley. What's that got to do with anything?"

"Does Mr. Foley have access to Photoshop?"

It took a moment for the implication to absorb through the blinding veil of Danny's anger. A seed of something cold and painful burrowed into the soil of his broken heart. It felt like betrayal.

"What are you saying? Tucker photoshopped those pictures of you?"

With a meek look of apology, Vlad spread his hands and shrugged.

Danny's head spun. "But that—no. No, he wouldn't. Why would—he… What about the documents?" He jabbed his finger victoriously. "Your journal! All those evil plans you—"

"I understand your friend Samantha is an aspiring author. Fiction, I believe. I've read her work in the local student magazine. Very talented."

Another blow. Danny felt the seed sprout into a choking vine, wrapping its tendrils around his heart and squeezing it until it felt like the muscle would burst.

And Vlad. So calm and patient. Sitting there with his hands clasped over his knees, giving Danny the most sympathetic expression. Danny wanted to simultaneously burst into tears and fly into a destructive passion.

"They wouldn't. They couldn't. Why would they…"

"Oh, Daniel." Vlad reached out to him, his face bent with worry. "Come, sit down, dear boy. You look exhausted."

Danny stumbled to the couch and dropped onto the cushions as if the weight of the world were perched on his shoulders. Vlad slid close and put a soothing arm around him.

"Don't you see, Daniel?" He tamed a wild strand of Danny's hair, and the fingers continued their stroking. "This is a simple matter of jealousy. Your friends are jealous of the time we spend together—time that takes you away from them—and they're trying to get you back. It's a tale as old as humanity itself."

Tears skidded down Danny's cheeks. "But it's—these are serious accusations."

"I know."

"Why would they make up something like this, just because we don't hang out as often? I mean, why go through all that trouble? Why… I can't believe they'd actually lie about this."

"Everyone lies, Daniel."

"Not to me. They've never—well. I mean, nothing serious."

Vlad sighed. "It may surprise you to know that I was in a similar situation myself once. When your mother first took a shine to your father when we were in college and began spending more time with him, I became jealous. I missed the hours Jack and I used to spend together in the science lab, just the two of us. I acted out and fabricated lies, made a perfect fool of myself." He shook his head. "It was so silly, now that I think about it. The college reunion last year was my way of trying to make it up to them, apologizing for my past behavior. And look where it's led."

He smiled, gently tugging a lock of Danny's hair.

"I got to meet you, the most wonderful and unique young man in the entire world. I can hardly blame your friends for wanting you all to themselves again. It's really the sincerest compliment, when you think about it. You mean so much to them that they would invent the most outrageous fabrication, slander me and tarnish my reputation, just to have you back. You're that special to them."

He finished with a paternal smile, and Danny turned to him, blinking more tears down his face. Vlad pulled his red handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped Danny's dripping cheeks. The cloth was smooth and fragrant, and Danny leaned into its warmth.

"I'm sorry," he croaked. "I shouldn't have believed them—"

"Shh, shh, my dear boy." Vlad pulled him into a sideways hug and planted a kiss on top of his head. "You couldn't help it. To their credit, they did excellent work. I'd be inclined to believe it myself if I didn't know better!"

When his chuckle failed to lift the misery from Danny's face, he sighed and rubbed the boy's arm.

"I suppose it's my fault, really. I'm a lonely man, and I've been too greedy with you. I must remember that you have friends who need you, too." He pulled back. "Perhaps I should return to Wisconsin for a few months, let you and your friends enjoy the rest of the school year and—"

Danny grabbed hold of his arm. "No, please, don't go away. I—" He dipped his blushing face. "You're special to me, too."

Vlad stared. Then affection tugged at the corners of his downturned mouth. "You don't know how happy that makes me, Daniel."

This time it was Danny who initiated the embrace. Vlad wrapped his arms around the boy and smiled over his shoulder. It wasn't a nice smile. It was leering, cunning, too sharp.

"Perhaps I can arrange for your friends to come over more often," he said. "We can work together instead of separately. I'll even throw in some ghost-free recreation time. How would you three like to spend a few days up at my lodge in Aspen? Skiing all day, hot chocolate and movies at night, not to mention the enormous hot tub I have."

"Sounds great, except they hate your guts."

"Maybe once they get to know me, they'll change their minds."

Danny glumly pulled away. "How am I gonna face them? I mean, they're so convinced you're evil. What can I say? How do I tell them you're not what they think?"

"You don't have to say anything, Daniel. Not right now. Just let them speak. Look for the truth behind their lies. Once you see that they really just miss you and care about you, everything will become clear. And for the record, I have no hard feelings toward them. Be sure to let them know that when the time comes."

Danny sniffed wetly. "You really are a good guy, Vlad."

"Except for when I cavort around my lab, wearing a cloak and fangs, of course."

Danny laughed, and the spell was broken.

Everything was going to be okay. He would talk to Sam and Tucker, get this whole thing straightened out. And if he couldn't, well… maybe they needed a break from one other. Just until the lying and photoshopping and libelous works of fiction stopped. Everything was going to be okay.

As if sharing the same thought, Vlad reached over and grasped Danny's hand, lifting it to press a chaste kiss above the knuckles. He met Danny's eyes. Heat bled up Danny's neck to stain his cheeks pink. He bit his lip.

Sam and Tucker would never understand this, either. But that was okay. He wasn't going to let their lies come between him and the man he loved.

[floatmeintothesun]

Frosty Warmth

Kaeya is a god of ice and constantly enjoys hanging around his favorite mortal (Kaeya x reader)

tags: fluff, gender neutral reader, little to no angst

tw: tiny mentions of stalking (only touched upon once), petnames

Scaramouche/Wanderer version

—

Some people dislike the cold and ice that come with winter. Some people even wish that the season disappeared entirely because of its biting, freezing temperatures.

If you could, however, you’d make it so that winter was the only season.

After all, this is the only time when you get to see Kaeya’s touch in all of its glory. He likes to show you his craftsmanship with every snowflake that lands in the palm of your hand.

Funnily enough, they never melt, and you have a jar of the ones he’s deemed good enough to be given to you. He keeps you company in the dark nights, lighting up the snow on the ground and helping you find your way with every twist and turn.

Kaeya prefers not to be seen often, but the whispers of his sly laughter and teasing touches can be found in the very air itself. His fingers trail on the back of your neck and the sensation of his hand in yours is present whenever you need it. 

You don’t know many ice gods (you only actually know one) but the one you know well isn’t as cold as you probably would have expected.

He’s kind, his jokes are infused with sweet warmth, his frigid anger is as hot as the sun, and his hands, although icy to the touch, positively melt when they intertwine with yours.

Every piece of ice that floats down from the sky is deliberate and you just know that the ones you’ve just been gifted have been handcrafted personally by him.

He appreciates it when you show obvious happiness at receiving his gifts.

You’ll always have a home in the frost. At any time, Kaeya is ready to pull you away from the mortal world whenever you need, into his own home, far beyond the reach of the normal man.

Whether it’s simply because you had a bad day and need a break or a quiet vacation, he’s more than willing to welcome you.

He’s…simply happy that you enjoy being with him, with no strings attached. He has no obligation to put up walls or masks to disguise his intent because it's you.

Kaeya doesn’t need to hide anything from you, because he knows that you won’t judge him. He’s not treated like a distant, cold god, but instead, like a person.

And to him, being valued for simply being himself without borders is something he treasures the most. You have no expectations of him and it feels so good to let loose and be himself around you after having to deal with trickery and weaving through betrayal and lies for millennia.

You are affectionately dubbed as “his most wonderful and favorite human in the history of existence” and although you may think that it’s a joke, he truly means it. 

When you smile, it makes him want to smile as well. He’ll take different forms to follow you around when you're walking around your town.

Maybe a little cat, made of ice and delicate snow, or a fox to nip lightly at your heels, anything to make you laugh. The one he assumes most often however is a tall human, with hair the color of dark winter waters and an eye that twinkles like silver in the stars.

(He has two long arms that are specially tailored to wrap around you and smoosh you against his body, so why wouldn’t he like this form the best? Plus you say that he’s handsome and he positively preens from your praise.)

Your neighbors will tell the two of you that you're a lovely couple and Kaeya only grins, almost wolfishly, and agrees wholeheartedly. There’s a part of him that swells with giddiness whenever he reminds himself that he’s not drowning in loneliness anymore, that it’s you he gets to spend his time with.

Despite being hailed as the lord of cold and ice, he’s surprisingly conscious of how he can affect your body.

He’ll often come to you, dressed in multiple layers, and slowly and sneakily devise ways to transfer all of his items of clothing to you, making sure that you're warm and protected from his element.

You don’t realize that he’s managed to wrap you in his own clothing until he’s satisfied and comments on his work proudly.

That last thing he ever wants you to get is sick. He’s never personally experienced sickness before, but from others’ descriptions, he doesn’t want to be the cause of any of it.

If you do somehow catch an illness, he’s there to nurse you back to health, sitting by your bedside and randomly popping in your room to check up on you.

“You say you're fine now? Darling, I’m…just making sure you feel alright. I can’t have you collapsing from exhaustion, can I? Here, have some more water, I’ll go get you some food.” He’ll tell you after you caught the flu, fussing like a mother hen.

He’s seen the effects of sickness wither away at mortals, and he’s determined to not let that happen to you.

(If he feels attention starved he’ll pretend he has a disease that can only be cured by your hugs and kisses)

He’ll protect you thoroughly as well, his icy fury warding away any potential harm. 

Oh? Someone made you cry? Well, he can’t have that. Looks like their home is completely snowed in! So what if it’s summer?

 There’s someone following you home? Well, looks like they might lose a hand or two to frostbite…maybe somewhere in the near future. Perhaps even an arm.

 Someone hurt you…?

Huh.

Give him names. He’ll get rid of them.

Kaeya absolutely abhors the thought of you getting hurt or being taken advantage of. You never have to worry about being afraid when going out at night because Kaeya is there, every step of the way.

He’ll follow you when you go out to get groceries or whatever supplies you need late at night, his tall and broad form shielding you from harm.

Speaking about tall and broad, he’s a good person to cuddle with in the summer…just not in the winter, much to his sad disappointment. 

“I know you're already freezing, my dear…but I am starving for your attention. Just one hug. Or six. No. Holding hands is not part of the equation, nor does it count.” He’ll sigh, his voice sounding close to a whine. 

Sometimes he wishes he weren’t so cold to the touch, so that it wouldn’t hurt you when you hug him for too long. If you so much as shiver when you're in his presence, get ready to be suddenly draped in large blankets that Kaeya’s managed to conjure out of nowhere.

All in all, he’s very sweet, if not a little mischievous and genuinely cares about your wellbeing more than anything else.

Oh, and he’ll tell you about his brother, who is the polar opposite of him. Sometime in the future, he’ll definitely convince Diluc to come and meet you. 

(Bonus: If you start calling him sweet little pet names like he does for you, he’ll completely melt into a puddle of lovesick goop and become more clingy, practically hanging off your arm constantly for a better part of an hour. Or just wrapping his arms around you with his face buried in the crook of your neck while having you nestled firmly in his lap. You’ll be stuck there for the better part of an afternoon.)

[haovcrse-a]

📞 — you’re stuck in the woods alone and at night & have enough battery to make one last short phone call to your partner/s. what are you saying to them?

📼 — what is a favourite memory you guys share? least favourite?

📸 — who is the most into pda? the least? who flirts more in public?

for Gallahao and thomayahao :]

- tired

oooh gallahao content is so silly >:DD my characterization is off today dfkhkjlg consider this my warm up lol

📞 & gallahao.

"to come pick me up." gallagher scratches at his neck. "what else would i be sayin' to him."

"you'd be able to find your way back no problem," zhao deadpans. "im not wasting my time searching for you."

"how sweet of you, darlin'," he drawls with a roll of his eyes.

"stupid hound."

"sly fox."

( "a-are you two going to finish answering the quest-" "don't bother. they won't." )

📞 & thomayahao.

"bold of you to come to the conclusion that we'd ever be apart," ayato hums. "unless you're insinuating something of course. in which case..."

zhaoyi leans over and nudges him harshly in the ribs.

"stop being weird," he grumbles.

"well, i'd probably tell them i got caught with something and that im going to be a bit late coming home," thoma says with a smile, caught in the middle of the other two's spat. "i wouldn't want to worry them too much by giving out a lot of detail."

"that's only going to make the tiger worry more," ayato snorts, pinching one of zhao's ears.

"i'd tell thoma i love him," zhao says bluntly. thoma forces a laugh.

"aw how sweet!" the blonde says nervously, having an idea as to where this is going.

"and tell ayato he's not in the will."

"you-"

"guys wait were still on camera-"

( "s-should we stop them?" "... let's just... move on." )

📼 & gallahao.

"when this idiot spilt soda all over me the first time we met," zhao chuckles.

"when the dunbass bumped into me and made me drop a tray full of glasses," gallagher responds, a hint of bite to his words.

( "...do they ever stop insulting each other?" "afraid not; it's their love language." )

📼 & thomayahao.

"too many to say," thoma laughs. "it's never a dull moment here."

"i certainly have a least favourite memory," ayato says. it sounds calm enough, but the side-eye his sends zhao is certainly a give away.

"don't be such a pessimist." zhao flicks ayato on the neck. "i, for one, loved that time where you got so drunk after a meeting that you-"

"enough." ayato shoots him a scathing glare before clearing his throat. "fine. my favourite memory is when we all sorted out our feelings and got together."

📸 & gallahao.

the minute "most into pda" came up, the both of them simultaneously point at each other.

"eh? what do you mean me?" the brunette scoffs. "remember that time you grabbed my ass while i was servin' drinks?"

"says the clingy one who always has to be holding my hand our shoulder."

"i'm not clingy."

"you're more of a puppy than a full grown hound," zhao teases with a slight smirk. "neither of us are really averse to pda."

"this one here is the bigger flirt, though." gallagher ruffles the other's hair, pushing zhao's head down lightly. "smooth talks his way out of anything."

"eh, but you love it, don't you, sweetheart?"

📸 & thomayahao.

all hands instantly point at ayato for pda.

"hmm? i don't know what you two mean," he chuckles.

"you're ankle is currently interlocked with thoma's, and you haven't let go of my hand since the first question," zhao scoffs.

"zhao is probably the least into pda out of the three of us." nudges his knee against ayato's in a teasing manner. "ayato is also the biggest flirt."

"lies. kitty over here is clearly the smoother one."

"only when you provoke me. you do it whenever."

"are you saying you don't enjoy it?"

zhao lets go of ayato's hand and pulls thoma to his side, using the blonde as a shield and lets out a soft hiss.

( "cut! we're cutting! no more fighting on set!" )

[miracleandplagueau]

You know bitch is fucked in the head when the series' villain is uncomfortable working with her. (I'm not talking about canon) ✦✦ Short canon Lila rant + no-spoiler MnP changes

Lila Rossi in canon is... how do I put this... I can't even say she's wasted potential, she's straight up unbearable. She's fascinating, yet I can't help to hate her and not in a good way. The thing that really ruins her is the fact that she ALWAYS gets away with everything and ALWAYS gets her way, but not because she's smart - because nobody seems to see through her obvious lies. I mean, really, the prince? The hearing loss? Seriously, even ALYA is stupid in that regard despite knowing full well that Marinette is THE Ladybug, why is she still doubting her?! All that as an addition to ignoring most of the season 5, because I did not get to that point yet but I know that she pulls some serious crap in like episode 18 or 19

And that's not even the end of it. If you look at the logic of just her general, she's a master in identity theft and disguise, has like 3 separate families, amazing at hacking, is able to retrieve items from the bottom of deep bodies of water effortlessly etc... etc.... sighs

Away with canon Lila, let's talk more about MnP!Lila instead. For starters, Lila is not going to study in the same school as the rest of the cast. The major difference in the way she'll work is that she'll work from the outside and rely on the information she manages to obtain from others. It will require her to be witty and thread carefully to not let herself be caught in the act - especially by Jiayi, being alarmed by her sudden reappearance in her life

SPEAKING OF WHICH! The only thing in canon that really connected the two is the fact that Marinette was the only one using her brain to see through her lies. In MnP, Lila Rossi has a deeper, past connection to Jiayi Dupain-Cheng which I very vaguely showed in this little doodle. Being close friends in the past, Jiayi has already trained herself in seeing through Lila's schemes and lies. However, a ruined reputation amongst the miracuclass won't stop this sly fox from coming back in attempt to ruin the lives of those who got in her way. It opens up much more opportunities for confronations and arguments between the two due to knowing one another's secrets and creates a game of cat and mouse between them.

Keeping MnP spoilers to possibly minimum, she appears back in Paris after a fashion show that included Jiayi's designs. What a great opportunity to not only reunite, but to also congratulate your old friend on their success, isn't it? Seeing Jiayi's distain to see her again, she decides to try and bring her back to her side, just as it was in the past. She does a ton of morally questionable things to members of miracuclass and Jiayi across seasons 1 and 2, throws herself at danger If It means she gets to prove a point. For the best part - she decides to take up a partnership with Monarch during which she finds out just how much she enjoys spreading chaos. Why did she do it in the first place? Well, I guess we'll see :)

Her and Jiayi's rivarly is possibly one of my favorite parts of MnP to write so far. It goes a long way, carries a ton of personal baggage and creates conflict years after separation, which later translates into the heroine's second identity so just conflict all around. Giving it some spice,, you know :3c

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1163: Christmas Shopping Shenanigans (Super Smash Bros Ultimate)

7:55 p.m. at New Donk City's Metro Grand Mall Center........

The Jewelry Store

Fox: (Looks Down at the Glass Display Case in Front of Him) Okay, let's see......Hmm....(Points at Some of the Necklaces thar Interest Him) This would look nice on her.....And that one......Ooh, now that one looks a-

'Ahem'

Fox starts getting startled and quickly turns around to see his friends Samus, Falco, and Banjo staring at him.

Fox: Uh....(Leans himself Back on the Case with an Awkward Smile on his Face) H-Hey guys....What's up?

Samus: (Raises an Eyebrow While Crossing her Arms Together) Foxy.....What are you doing?

Fox: Oh, you know. Just.....doing some Christmas shopping and whatnot?

Falco: (Already Unconvinced) Really? At a Jewelry Store?

Banjo: (Raises an Eyebrow in Genuine Confusion) An expensive one at that?

Fox: Hey, I had to start somewhere. And besides, it's the only one I can find here that isn't completely crowded yet.

Samus: ....Riiiiiight. You're not trying to buy any an expensive jewelry for a certain blue fox lady for Christmas this year, are you?

Fox: ...........I can't......Confirm or deny that accusation-

Samus/Falco: Fox!

Fox: ('Sighs in Defeat') Alright, alright, fine! You caught me! I couldn't tink of anything else to give to her...(Starts Rubbing The Back of his Head Back and Forth) So I figured a necklace of some kind could suffice. And before anyone get more on my case, the thought of coming to any of you guys for advice hasn't really crossed my mind since then, not like I wanted to bother you all in the first place....

Falco: Yeah? Well, you maybe should have the thought jammed into that thick skull of yours, dumb-dumb!

Samus: You know we wouldn't have any problem helping you with this, Foxy. We always got back.

Banjo: (Smiles Reassuringly) Yeah, we would've thought of way better gift options than some necklace.

Fox: Hey, what's wrong with giving her a necklace?

Samus: Well, for starters, like we mentioned, most of jewelry in here are expensive. Even more so than the ones Smash Mall has to offer. Second, you and whatsherface aren't close enough for you to go out and buy her a necklace to begin with. (Forms a Sly, Teasing Smirk on her Face) Unless~

Fox: (Sighs While Facepalming Himself) How many times do I have to tell you that we're not even close to dating each other again? And her name is obviously Krystal, Samus.

Samus: I know. Doesn't mean I trust her completely though.

Banjo: You ever thought about getting back to together with her someday? I think you two would be really cute together.

Samus: (Rolls her Eyes) To some capacity....

Fox: Samus

Samus: What? Just saying.

Fox: (Turns to Banjo) I thought about it sometimes, but I wanna focus on maintaining our friendship for now if that make sense.

Falco: (Casually Shrugs) Works for me. But since were on the Krystal topic, that leads us to the third reason of why your necklace gift is stupid.

Fox: Really don't think there's anything inherently wrong with the idea.

Falco: Yeah, unless you're desperate love puppy, which you ain't. Now, don't interrupt. As what i was saying, I, your best friend and first bro, highly doubt Krystal would want you to go out of your way to buy her something crazy expensive. Hell, i know for a fact she'll scold you if you do that.

Fox: ('Sigh') You're not entirely wrong there...But what else should I give then?

Falco: I remembered her telling me she's been wanting one of those pleated scarfs to wearing the rest of winter. It ain't grand and all, but it's somethin' at least.

Banjo: (Happily Nodded in Agreement) That would be a neat gift to give her. I'm actually thinking about getting Kazooie one myself.

Samus: I'm doing the same for Chun-Li and Li-Mei. Heard the wintertime is getting even chiller this time around and I don't want my girls catching themselves a cold or flu.

Fox: (Simply Nodded) Then it's settled. We'll give our respective love ones scarfs for Christmas this year.

Falco: Sounds like a plan for you guys. In the meantime, I will be giving my gal these limited edition air rider's boots. (Shows the Gang a Picture of the Black Leather Boots on his Phone Before Rolling his Eyes) She hardly shuts up about even before we got here.......

Exotic Clothes Store

Luigi: (Walks in and Look Around the Store with Daisy Following Behind) You sure there's something in here Lili would like? (Starts Blushing at Few of the Most...... Risqué Outfits and Items Present) I-I don't I have a clue where to start looking.......

Daisy: Yeah, this is a first for me too. (Grabs her Chin While Thinking) But she is a little more stylish and adventurous than the two of us combined. (Turns to Luigi) You think she'll like any of these outfits in here? I can picture her looking good in some if them.

????: Lovely idea~

The duo turns around and see their pink haired, succubus girlfriend standing behind them wearing a red leather jacket and skirt.

Lilith: (Lowers her Sunglasses Down) But having a wonderful, loving plumber and princess such as yourselves, are far more amazing gifts than this place has to offer~

Luigi/Daisy: (Happily Gasps at the Sight of.....) LILITH!~ (Rushes Over to Hug their Girlfriend)

Luigi: What are you doing here?~

Daisy: We missed you so much!~

Lilith: (Heart Begins to Melt in Pure Happiness as She Hugs her Partners Back) You guys!~ I missed you more!~ We just got done doing another runway show around this city. So we decided to spend the rest ofbthe holidays here.

Daisy: We?

Lilith: Me and Morrigan. (Rolls her Eyes) She's probably out flirting with some random guy again.....

Meanwhile Somewhere at the Middle of the Mall.....

Morrigan: (Sitting Next and Talking Someone on the Bench) So you're telling me you used to be a king of this....."Dreamland" you speak of?

Dedede: Yeah, those were the glory days I tell you what. (Crosses his Arms While Forming a Cocky Smirk on his Face) Accomplished quite a lot during those fruitful times.

Morrigan: Ooh really now?~ (Smirks Vack in a Seductive Manner) Do tell, my dear~

Dedede: (Chuckles Lightly) Well, personally, I ain't the most bragging person in the whole globe. (Leans Closer to the Long Haired Lady) But I'm more than willing to break a few boundaries for a pretty thang like you~

Morrigan: (Giggles Softly) A humble gentleman as well?~ Is there any more of you that meets the eye?~

?????: How about an uncle of many?

Dedede immediately gets startled as he looks up and see Cloud and Tifa staring down at him and Morrigan with disapproved looks on both their faces.

Morrigan: Oh my. Hello, there. (Turns to Dedede) Are they friends of yours, dear?

Dedede: (Quickly Turns Away) Nope. Never seen those two in all my life.

Cloud: Never seen those two my ass. (Marches Himself Over to Dedede) C'mere!

Dedede: What the- (Suddenly Gets Dragged Put if his Seat by Cloud Pulling his Ear Forward) AUGH! Let go boy! That's my good ear your pulling!! Hey!!

Tifa: (Politely Bows to Morrigan) We are terribly sorry about that, ma'am. He is most certainly with us. (Waves Goodbye While Following Behind the Others) Have a Merry Christmas!~

Morrigan: (Happily Waves Back) Likewise~ It was nice meeting you, Former King of Dreamland!~ (Giggles Properly)

Dedede: No, wait! Get me back there! I ain't done talking to her yet! At least let me give her phone number FIIIIRST!!

Cloud: Shut it, De!

Back at the Exotic Clothes Store

Lilith: So~ How's your family holiday going along so far?~

Daisy: Pretty good for the most part. We roamed around the city, saw the Christmas Parade, met the mayor who's.....(Leans Closer to Lilith and Place her Hand Beside her Ear with a Smirk onher Face) Get this: Peach's been jealous of the longest time now!~

Lilith: Oooooh!~ Scandalous!~

Daisy: (Snickers a Bit) It's more cute than anything. Especially when she tries so hard to hide it.

Lilith: (Giggles Softly) Aw~ I feel for her. Can't remember the last time I was ever jealous of something myself. (Turns to Luigi) What about you, sweetie?

Luigi: (Shrugs) I have a few jealousy moments I can of think, most of which involves me and my brother growing up. Ooh! Speaking of which, we're gonna visit our family after Christmas is over with. You're more than welcome to come along with us, but uh.....Fair warning, our folks can be real......(Takes a Deep Breath Before Speaking Again) REAL pain sometimes.....Mostly around me.......

Daisy: (Hugs her Man's Arm) Our poor baby's been stressing himself out about this since we first got here. (Starts Piuting at Him) After I specifically told him not to.

Luigi: ('Sigh') I knooow, but I can't help it! It's been years since we've all seen each other and everyone's expectations of me have been going haywire since the day Mario and I left on our own in the world. I just wanna make them proud and see me for who I am rather than being Mario's baby bro or worse, his shadow.....

Daisy: (Given Luigi's a Reassuring Smile on her Face) Hey, I have no doubt in my mind that they'll to be proud of you for what you've accomplished so far. (Points at Herself Confidently) And if they start getting doubtful, you bet your ass I'll be here to brag you every step of way!

Lilith: (Happily Joins in on the Luigi Hugfest) Me too!~ I wanna brag about how much of a total sweetheart you are to the both of us.

Luigi: (Chuckles Lightly) Thabks, girls, but you really don't have to go out of your way to do that for- (Suddenly Hears the Sounds of Screaming as He Turns to See a Crowd of People Running Outside with a Raised Eyebrow in Confusion) Me?

Daisy: The heck is going on out there?

Lilith: Don't know. Maybe the real Santa's here?

Daisy: Or the mayor. She's practically like a rockstar in this city.

Lilith: Make that a One-Hit Wonder. I don't think I ever heard her sing something other than "1-UP Gal" before..

Luigi: Maybe she never got the freetime to wrote new material.

Daisy: Yeah, maybe.

Meanwhile Back in the Mall..............

The crowd of people continues running straught through the area, looking aimlessly for the Mayor of New Donk City to perform for them once more. Unknowingly to them, the mayor in question has been hiding behind one of the three giant nutcrackers along with Pit and Sora.

Pauline: ...........Is the cost clear?

Sora: Hmm.....(Slowly Moves his Head Away From the Nutcracker to Watch the Crowd Continue Running From Afar) Yeeeup. They seem to be long gone for now.

Pauline: (Let's Out a Sigh of Relief as She Steps Out From One of the Nutcrackers) Oh Thank God....And here I thought they would never leave me be.

Pit: (Steps Out of the Other Nutcracker Along with Sora) There were so many of them out there.

Sora: Yeah, no fooling. But i wouldn'tsay it's too surprising. (Turns to Pauline With a Smile) This city does have a pretty cool mayor after all.

Pit: (Happily Nodded in Agreement) Definitely.

Pauline: (Smiles Sheepishly at the Duo's Comments) Oh you boys are too sweet~ But I'm pretty sure they only wanted me to give them an encore if anything....

Pit: Oh for that "1-UP Girl" song you did on the parade days ago?

Sora: (Gives Pauline a Thumbs Up) Very nice performance out there by the way, Mayor.

Pauline: (Bows Politely at Sora) Thank you. ('Sigh') But honestly, I think I'm starting to get real tired of singing that song as of late......

Sora: Is that so?

Pauline: (Simply Nodded) Its the truth. (Looks Up at the Glass Ceiling) I know it's practically the city's anthem at this point, but I've been more than ready to start new material for the longest time now. Wish I would have a lot more freetime to do so, but mayor work is hardly ever finished completely I'm afraid.....

Pit: (Gives Pauline a Reassuring Smile) I'm sure you'll get a longer break you deserve one of these days, Mayor. It just takes some time, you know?

Sora: (Happily Nodded in Agreement) Exactly. And we're sure that newer materials you'll be working on will sound just as amazing as the original.

Pauline: (Stares at the Duo For a Brief Second Before Smiling Back) Right. I'll continue to do my best to bring satisfaction to everyone as mayor and a performer. In the meantime, is there anything you two need in return for helping me just now, I'm happy to do it.....Just so long as it isn't anything illegal.

Pit/Sora: (Grabs Their Respective Chins While Thinking) Hmmmmm......

The duo huddle together to discuss their offer among themselves for a few seconds before separating and turning back to Pauline.

Pit: Actually~ If it won't be too much of a trouble for you......

Sora: We would really love it if you make a visit to the hotel lobby Christmas Morning. Maybe perform Christmas song or two for the occasion.

Pit: With our assistance maybe?~

The duo then rapidly blink their eyes with silly, puppy dog looks on each of their faces.

Pauline: (Giggles Softly) Very well!~ It would be my honor to perform a Christmas melody for you all.

Pit/Sora: (Pumps Their Fist Up in Rejoice) YES! Uh....('Clears Throat')

Pit: Glad we've reached a fruitful conclusion.

Sora: Yes. Super glad.

?????: Ohhh boys!~

The trio turns to see Viridi, Kairi and Riku making their way towards them.

Viridi: You two're not causing any trouble here, are you?

Kairi: ('Gasps') Oh my gosh! Mayor Pauline!

Riku: (Politely Bows at Pauline) It's so nice to properly meet you for the first time, ma'am.

Pauline: (Smiles at the Three) Likewise. I take you all are acquainted with these two?

Viridi: Yeah, they're our adorably obnoxious boyfriends we reluctantly fell in love with.

Sora/Pit: (Comically Glares at the Goddess of Nature) RELUCTANTLY!?

Viridi: Kidding, kidding. We fell in love with you guys wholeheartedly.....But you two are still equally obnoxious.

Sora/Pit: ARE NOT!!

Viridi: (Glares Back at the Boys) Are too. And quit yelling at the same time, unless you wanna prove my point even further!

The boys and Viridi starts arguing among each other in front of everyone else.

Pauline: (Turns to Kairi and Riku) You three must be really lucky to have those two in your lives right now, huh?

Kairi: (Smiles Softly) Oh you have no idea.

Riku: (Smiles Sheepishly) They are our Rays of Sunshine after all....

@cyber-wildcat

@caleb13frede

@albion-93

@theweebmaster31

@ma-lemons

[uroborosymphony]

did you say…memes 👀👀👀 okie how about 3 for quinn from the black knight??

Quinn & The Black Knight.

#3 THINGS YOU SAID WHEN YOU WERE PROUD. FROM THINGS YOU SAID ⬩ Still accepting.

"You look at me, treat me, talk to me like and keep me here like I'm a criminal. But deeeeeep down," Her crooked smile widens, in her signature whiskers, sly as a feline, proud as a cocky and cunty fox. "Deep down, you wish you were a little more like me Black Knight, don't you?" Her teeth are showing, a grin, deranged and hungry for more of This. Even though she was indeed kept captive, by the Black Knight and his crew, it wasn't so much prison for her if not the extension of her playground. An agenda. Quinn always had an agenda. "Congratulations on capturing me by the way, three against one waaw that's Impressive, that is Honorable even- No no, really I mean that and I cannot wait to get to know all of you." Her smile drops as the light of in her eyes darkens, only to light up again, a constant manic on-and-off switch while her eyes re-direct towards the surveillance camera at the up corner of the interrogation room. "Hey you hear that? I am thriiilled, oh so happy to be here. Pawn, Rook. Tell me who else is watching this? The almighty resting bitch faced Kang girl? Monitoring a pretty girl like me in a cage all day, mmm, that's a little kinky if you think about it." She pinches her teeth in between her lips, raising an eyebrow. "Listen. You and I both know I'm going to escape, I've already figured a way to since the very moment I stepped foot in here. Chloroformed or not, I always can tell where I am stand. Even in the dark, I know every single corner of this dirty city. So yell your little degenerates over there to tie me up if they really ant to keep me longer, my claws are sharp and my brain? Sharper." Was she bluffing? "That and the very real fact that My king and Love of my life Already looking for me as we speak, followed by an entiiiire armed and ready-to-shoot-you-in-the-face Gang for treating their Queen the way you do. There is a chip in my phone, have your little butlers destroy it or else they're coming for all of your asses. And Oh, at Fang, we're whimsical like this, we do love a bloody mess." Her eyes now, her eyes are linking with his. "That's right. I want us to talk before I get the chance to leave. I know. None of you has trust in me but you're clever enough to go past that. This business is not about trust, it's not about Oh She's a Little Crazy let's be Careful - it's about getting results. And I get shit done. I get shit done fast. Yes, YES, SUUURE, this little stunt I put off with Hyuk was a liiiiittle all over the top but... hey, at least I got all of you's attention... right." She speaks, her tone trailing at the mention of the other man, knowing it was perhaps her biggest mistake, knowing it was going a little too far. Was it a regret of hers? Maybe. Her eyes go down slightly., for a mere second. She could never deny it, there was a bond with the Detective, one of mutual respect and hardworking archieving personalities. His team as well, it became place where she strangely felt accepted, perhaps even a birthing friendship with Suki around their morning coffees. If it wasn't for all the insane games and lies Quinn played with, it could have been something nice. Her pride however, refused to let her admit that in front of the Knight, ever. "I did it to protect my own, to protect my pack the way you are protecting yours by chaining me down like an animal. And you know what? I am proud." Her voice changes, as the taint in her pupils does too, a little more calm spreading under her skin. "I'm proud of being an Actor in this scene we're standing on Black Knight. I'm proud of making moves, I'm proud of showing clawns when it comes to protect my family, I'm proud of teaching the persecutors we're Not low lives they can mess with as they please, I'm proud of making it to the news after the Rich and the Powerful feel like their heads too have a price.

Don't you see it? That people like you and I are already dead? Can't you feel it? At every corner of every streets of this city a bullet in the head is right here, waiting for us. So tell me, what exactly is your plan here, what are you waiting for? Because we're not fighting for our little comforts as Doctors and Teachers getting a check for educating the youth through a system we don't even believe in. Don't you get it? That our time to do something is Now, that we have to give our bones and blood to truly make a difference? It's time to wake up Myungdae. It's time to step up and perhaps stepping up should start with uniting. The game has changed, look at your board. I was never the enemy but we have one in common. That's right, the more we sit down for tea parties like this one, the more they're slipping out of your hands and mine.

ANACHRON."

[shatil12]

So, let’s dive into the latest gossip from the political soap opera that is France. Word on the street is that Macron might be picking a new prime minister, but the real drama lies in whether Le Pen and her crew will play along. Enter Michel Barnier, the guy who squared off against Boris Johnson during Brexit negotiations. Now, if you’re picturing an EU loyalist who sleeps with a Brussels-approved pillow under his head, you’re spot on. This guy is so EU it’s like he’s got "Made in Brussels" stamped on his forehead.

But hold on to your baguettes, because rumor has it that Barnier has been drifting to the right—like, way right. Some even say he’s cozying up to Le Pen’s views. Apparently, Macron and Le Pen had a little heart-to-heart, or maybe just a really awkward phone call, and decided that Barnier could be their man. Maybe they bonded over their shared love of croissants or something.

Now, if you honestly think Barnier’s had some magical epiphany and turned into a French nationalist who wants to stick it to the EU, well, I’ve got a really nice Eiffel Tower replica to sell you. Spoiler alert: nobody in France is buying that story. Barnier is an EU technocrat through and through. He’s the kind of guy who probably dreams in European Union blue and gold.

But here’s the kicker: he’s smart. Like, really smart. He could probably beat you in chess without even looking at the board. This guy ran circles around Theresa May during the Brexit negotiations—so many circles, in fact, that May probably got dizzy and agreed to that Northern Ireland protocol just to make it stop. And when Boris Johnson came along, Barnier didn’t miss a beat. He’s clever, relentless, and as sly as a fox that’s been through a few negotiation training courses.

So, why is Macron bringing in Barnier? Well, it seems Macron’s been trying to disband the left-wing bloc in the French National Assembly, but it’s been a bit like trying to untangle a really stubborn ball of yarn. Despite their best efforts, the left didn’t actually win the most votes in the election. That honor goes to Marine Le Pen, who, let’s be honest, is basically the political equivalent of that one person at the party who keeps winning at charades—annoying, but undeniably good at it.

Anyway, the left cobbled together enough seats to be the biggest bloc, and after what I imagine was a lot of awkward meetings, they proposed Lucie Castets as their candidate for the presidency. But Macron, ever the smooth operator, decided against her. Maybe he sees her as a rival, or maybe he just didn’t like her choice of campaign slogan. Politically, Castets and Macron are like two peas in a pod—same background, same perspectives. They’re practically the French equivalent of twinsies.

But here’s where it gets juicy. Macron’s attempts to dismantle the left-wing bloc have been slower than a Parisian waiter on a lazy afternoon. He needs to get a budget through the National Assembly, so he decides to shake things up with Barnier. The gamble here is that Barnier, who has occasionally hinted (and I mean, really hinted) at maybe, possibly, kind of supporting Le Pen in a runoff, might just be palatable enough to get Le Pen on board.

Now, if you think this plan is as solid as a French cheese left out in the sun, you’re not alone. The idea is that Barnier, with his EU-friendly vibes, might be more acceptable to Le Pen than other options. And if Macron can get Barnier into the prime minister’s seat, he might just get some of those EU-oriented lefties to peel off and join him. It’s like trying to make a French omelet with broken eggs, but hey, Macron seems willing to give it a shot.

But here’s where it gets even more interesting. Macron’s hoping that by bringing in Barnier, he can dare Le Pen to vote against him. It’s like a high-stakes game of chicken, with the fate of the French government hanging in the balance. If Barnier gets confirmed, he’ll be the wily, sophisticated operator trying to form a coalition and get that budget through. And if he doesn’t? Well, Macron can always call for new elections and start the whole circus over again.

Now, let’s say Le Pen decides to play along. How bad does that look for her anti-EU, anti-globalist street cred? It’s like finding out your favorite rebellious rock star actually likes elevator music. I suspect she won’t vote for Barnier outright—more likely, she’ll just abstain and tell her party to do the same. She could argue that France needs a government, and Barnier’s at least talked about immigration controls, so maybe he’s not all bad. And besides, if Barnier’s only around for a short stint, it’s not the end of the world. It’s like letting your least favorite cousin stay over for a weekend—you can put up with it because you know it won’t last forever.

In fact, Le Pen might even pull a Draghi—remember how Italy ended up with an EU technocrat in charge for a while? She could tell her supporters that this is just a stepping stone, and eventually, she’ll come out on top, just like the Brothers in Italy did. Of course, French politics isn’t exactly Italian politics—France is like the older sibling who always has to do things differently. But hey, it’s a calculated risk she might take. And if Barnier becomes prime minister, who knows? Maybe it’ll be harder for her to find an issue to clash with him on.

The real kicker here is that Le Pen isn’t as anti-globalist as some folks might think. She’s a bit like a box of French chocolates—you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get. Like Meloni in Italy, she might not be as anti-EU and anti-globalist as her branding suggests. So don’t be too shocked if she ends up playing nice with the EU in the end.

In the grand scheme of things, Macron’s move shows that the EU and globalists still hold the reins in France, no matter how the voters cast their ballots. It’s like the voters ordered a steak, and Macron served them tofu instead. The National Rally might pitch itself as a sovereigntist party, and Mélenchon might be the left’s standard-bearer, but at the end of the day, they get an EU technocrat.

And as for Lucie Castets? Well, she might lack Barnier’s experience and skills, but Barnier’s the kind of guy who could wheel and deal his way through anything. Appointing Barnier as prime minister is almost like appointing Ursula von der Leyen herself. It’s all a bit of political theater, really. The real question is, how does the EU come undone? Because at this rate, it’s not going to be from votes or democracy. It’s more likely to crumble from economic disintegration—kind of like how a soufflé collapses if you’re not careful.

Eventually, the EU might just come apart at the seams, not because of some grand political movement, but because the whole thing just can’t hold itself together anymore. It’s like watching the wheels come off a clown car—the only surprise is that it didn’t happen sooner. And when it does, Europe will be in for a tough time, much like the disintegration of the Soviet Union. But until then, we’re all stuck in this political circus, waiting to see what happens next.

[ask-jake-wilson]

I mean-ean… he’s my da—dad. As are yo-you.

I care abou—about him.. but I ha-hate how much he lies an—and tricks people. It’s… kinda scar—scary how well he does it. But, I still love—ove and care about him, just as I do the re—rest of you guys.

[They can’t EXACTLY pinpoint how they feel about Steven,,,, but they’re trying.] -🔑

(I would like to mention that I imagine Key sounds like the ‘Salutations, Sir!’ song, just add a staticky filter over it /silly)

“…Noted. But hey. That’s actually sweet. Anyways. Back to you. Therapy. You are still getting that kid.”

[IT JUST FUCKINF HIT ME THATS WHY STEVEN LIKES FOXES. Because they are sly/cunning… that. Or I’m overthinking it. If so! It’s a hc on why he likes Foxes. Bc HE acts like one.]

[impeccablenest68]

30+ Names That Mean Corrupt: Deceit, Greed, and Other Vices

Names that can suggest corrupt connotations include Fabricius, which derives from the Latin word for weaver or maker. While originally an honorable craft, weaving fabric took on shady implications of manipulation. Similarly, Mezvinsky is associated with dishonest moneychanging due to its origin from a Slavic word for banker.

Shylock evokes the unscrupulous moneylender from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice who demanded a pound of flesh as collateral 廊. Diabolus means slanderer in Greek and suggests one who spreads lies 拉. The Latin name Fraud translates directly to deceit 😈. Also of Latin origin, Fallax means deceitful or fraudulent behavior 😉.

More subtly negative names hint at corrupt qualities through euphemism. For example, Sly relates to being cunning 😏 or crafty in a suspect way. The surname Weasel whispers of sneakiness 🙈. Names like Fox and Snake hint at trickiness 🐍 through their associations with wildlife known for

[queer-ragnelle]

hi there @finchjpeg! :^)

let it be known that i'm not a medievalist, so i'm by no means an expert on any of this, but i'd be happy to help give you a jumping off point. i'll include links to the texts i reference so you can read them for yourself if you'd like to learn more and study the quotes in context.

let's begin with the fox...

so in the middle english poem sir gawain and the green knight, sir bertilak returns from the third hunt with a fox for gawain. the significance of this animal is linked directly in the poem to medieval literary character, reynard the fox. here he is evading capture.

and then slain and skinned at the last.

now...who is reynard the fox?

[illumination of reynard the fox as he appears in roman de renart]

in short, he's a popular literary character from the middle ages that represents mind over matter, cunning over brute strength. he has his own stories in which he stars, but appears in many others as a tongue in cheek reference to the clever, sly characterization of the fox as a scavenger and thief outwitting his stronger enemies. here he is in geoffrey chaucer's middle english the canterbury tales scaring the crap out of someone just existing, despite an attempt to canvass his innocence. sound familiar?

now...the significance of the fox in sgatgk poem is bigger than a reference to this character. on the third day, gawain accepts the green girdle from the wife of the household in the hopes it will keep him from dying to a beheading, and then lies to sir bertilak about having it/doesn't offer it in the exchange. that's consistent with the fox's sly character, not only on the part of the lady succeeding in wearing gawain's honor down so he accepts her favor, but in gawain's attempt to have his cake and eat it too, follow through on his word to the green knight but also not die through the supposed power of the magical girdle.

however...david lowery bungled all of this by cutting down the kissing/hunt exchange game from a full three days/nights. the success/failure cunning/caught aspect of the poem is entirely lost here, especially because lowery did absolutely nothing to create an honorable version of gawain, so this girdle doesn't indicate a breech of conduct. his mom gave it to him and he only got it back from the essel doppelgänger so we could have the ending sequence. it doesn't narratively work as intended. the fox/girdle motif falls apart because lowery had a different story in mind, so they sort of just....exist. unless someone is familiar with the stories of reynard the fox, they're not going to appreciate this inclusion, threadbare such as it is.

now, the giants!

giants have existed in folkloric history since way back, in greek and norse mythology and many others. in the latin text the history of the king's of britain by geoffrey of monmouth the entire "history" of albion (such as the greeks called great britain) is covered including brutus and corineus landing landing there, conquering the giants who live there, and dividing the land.

they go on to conquer the island, culminating in corineus fighting and killing the last remaining giant by pushing him off a cliff. corineus then names that region after himself, cornwall.

and here's an illumination from the french version of brut chronicle which shows brutus and corineus landing on the shore and confronting a couple giants. [british library royal 19 C IX, 1450–1475]

all of that established, and more specifically in arthurian legend, arthur has a quest in the history of the kings of britain in which he slays a giant. duke hoel's niece is kidnapped, raped, and killed. so arthur (along with kay and bedivere) track down the giant, and slay him for killing the girl at mt saint michael. just look at this. possibly the coolest arthur ever been tbh. hot.

there are many more giants in arthurian literature, such as chief ysbaddaden in the welsh mabinogion story culhwch and olwen or sir galehaut son of the fair giantess in the french vulgate cycle where he starts out an enemy of arthur and is converted to an ally through the power of gay love for lancelot. in chrétien de troyes's story of the grail, there's a reference to the lands original ownership via the giants. the examples are literally endless.

so. giants are everywhere. sometimes ambivalent, sometimes hostile, nearly always an interesting character doing stuff, for better or worse, in the narrative.

now. we come back around to sgatgk poem which was published after all of these examples. on gawain's journey to the green chapel, we get a brief literary montage so to speak of his trials as he went. mentioned here are ogres, or giants.

this journey is what makes up the majority of david lowery's the green knight. so it's poem-referential to include giants giving gawain the business. i would rather have had them play a larger role were they to be included or have some other character at least mention them, but alas. they appear immediately after gawain ate some mysterious mushrooms and hallucinated his hand turning to moss.

so it would appear lowery intended for this to be a figment of gawain's imagination and not real. literally coward move but alright it's your movie i guess.

except....i remember something a bit earlier...before gawain ate the mushrooms. rewind...what's this?? is that a gigantic ribcage in the hill?

well damn lowery!!! this is cool af!! would have been nice if this shot wasn't impossible to see without my editing it. god forbid anybody glean meaning from your film by, oh idk, being able to see it!!

anyway i'm carrying on. i hope that gives you food for thought and some things to read! :^)

Shout out to my lovely coworker who messaged me asking my opinion of The Green Knight (2021) and then apologized if it offended me, but they think Gawain sucks. Out here reducing people’s regard for me by doubling down, “Yeah, he really does!” and liking a movie with what I consider to be a mediocre manuscript, if shot well and with a nice score.

Meh opinions about director/writer David Lowery’s baffling writing choices below.

But for real my coworker was just so confused by it all and honestly Lowery could’ve stood to explain obscure historical nuances a little more. And by that I mean literally at all. The significance of beheadings, codes of honor, superstition about foxes, the legends of giants; these aren’t common knowledge to modern American viewers. My coworker had no idea why Gawain would stand up and behead the Green Knight or how Saint Winifred mattered, or why Gawain would throw a rock at the fox in the cave, or plead with the giants and then cower in fear. How would they? No cultural baseline is ever established. And of course, not every movie is for every viewer. But The Green Knight certainly didn’t resonate with medievalists and enthusiasts as much as it could have while confusing and alienating everyone else.

I dunno, having adapted the poem myself, there’s a balance to be found. Somewhere between insulting your audience’s intelligence with blatant narrative pauses to expound upon details and providing literally zero worldbuilding so that even people who read the poem have to sit back and question what they watched. Because it’s not a one to one adaptation, there’s an expectation the narrative will organically define the rules of the universe, and show us the confines of our hero’s skills, understanding, and limitations within that universe.

Shouldn’t Morgan have warned Gawain about dangers and counsel him on etiquette while giving him the girdle? Why didn’t Gawain converse with someone at the pub about the threats outside the kingdom? Couldn’t Arthur have given him an interesting anecdote that foreshadows what’s to come? Merlin is worse than a macguffin, just a wasted narrative tool that could’ve guided Gawain or even reminisced with Arthur about some history, but instead he has no dialogue at all. He just nods when the Green Knight enters and serves as a paternity test in the flash-forward. I wonder how Essel’s bell motif could’ve been extrapolated on. Maybe she gives it to Gawain with a warning about foxes or the threat of bandits or even doppelgängers! Why not give her a cutesy nursery rhyme to sing about the outside world while the year wheel rotates and rotates?

It would’ve been perfectly in character for Gawain to ignore all of this only to meet his comeuppance while providing the audience with necessary context. There was so much time spent on wide shots of Ireland that could’ve been used more effectively or even in conjunction with voice over flashbacks. The creators went through the trouble to cast children to play Gawain’s future offspring, why not use them in flashbacks as a representation of his past self as he reconsiders his rash skeptic’s stance? Even continue the doppelgänger motif? But alas! I’m critical because I liked it and wanted to like it more and because it’s a recent and accessible Gawain-related media several people have watched and come to me about. They thought we could bond over it. Except so far, nobody has liked it…haha!

[chipstertool]

Gaian Story: Prologue Beta Variations

I can honestly say, making a prologue or beginning mark can be a challenging thing to do when creating a story of your own since hooks mean to bring interest to the readers. There were some things I wanted to apply in my story but it feels a bit off for me, so here's three renditions of my prologue!

2020:

Autumn, a season where leaves exchange their greenery for shades of red, orange, yellow, and browns. The summer heat dies down for a chilly breeze. It was a season that was suited for Willowvale, a town that lies within the taiga's spruce trees.

What lies within the town was a family who fit right in: a curious researcher, an alluring witch, and quiet gal with a black feline. The Bairwoods are a particular bunch where the researcher is often cooped up in his laboratory and the witch brewing up various liquids in her cauldron whenever their daughter is out of the house with her feline friend. Some would even claim that the particular duo would eventually rule over the town although the outcome would say otherwise.

2022 Ver.1:

Autumn, a season where leaves exchange their greenery for shades of red, orange, yellow, and browns. The summer heat dies down for a chilly breeze. It was a season that was suited for Willowvale, a town that lies within the taiga's spruce trees. The sense of familiarity from the smell of fresh pinecones hanging from the taiga, the sounds of sly foxes and howling wolves, the sight of bright, plump pumpkins, and the melancholic graveyard that is filled with calming blue orchids.

What lies within the town was a family who fit right in: a curious researcher, an alluring witch, and quiet gal with a black feline. The Brairwoods are a particular bunch where the researcher is often cooped up in his laboratory, either conjuring up experiments or medicine for the pharmacy and the witch brewing up various liquids in her cauldron whenever their daughter is out of the house with her feline friend or the children of Willowvale. Outsiders, unknowing about the town's nature, would claim that the particular duo would eventually rule over the town although the outcome would say otherwise. 

Their daughter was a peculiar one since birth, she would look at something that wasn't even there as she would express various emotions towards the invisible ones. Ever since she was a small baby, visitors who come and go would often look in confusion on what she was aweing about, though, for the ones who observed closely, they sworn to have seen something that emits an eerily aura about them. Some would even tell others that they saw something although most of the time, they were called paranoid. 

Outsiders who encounter her unknown interactions secretly named her the "Invisible girl" or "Haunted girl" as their point of view only see her and her alone. At the time, she did not mind them since she seemed to enjoy the company of whoever crosses her path and have gotten accustomed to the lifestyle she was raised in. 

2022 Ver.2:

It had been some time since her father left Willowvale and joining the exhibition team on researching a ruin within the Celestial region although there as no word of him returning. Her mother, Blair, would worry about the unspeakable yet believable outcomes of what happened to him yet there was a something that Sonia said that made Blair feel hope again. "Mom, I think dad is still alive. I don't know what it is but it feels like he's somewhere in the world roaming about." What her daughter said about her husband made her feel like she mustn't lose to her self doubts in front of her young daughter, no matter what. "Sonia, no matter what happens, he will come back to us. And when he does, he'll tell you what happened during that trip just like he promised." 

        Years later, the town of Willowvale was the same as ever; the sense of familiarity from the smell of fresh pinecones hanging from the taiga, the sounds of sly foxes and howling wolves, the sight of bright, plump pumpkins, and the melancholic graveyard that is filled with calming blue orchids. Sonia had grown into an individual who was eager to get out of her comfort zone, that being her hometown, although the thought of it does intimidate her for a bit. The thought of venturing out into the unknown is a bizarre concept yet there are those who would dare to climb out the comforting nest to test their wings.

Blair: "Have you thought about where you'll be traveling? You know there is boundless opportunity in the world."

Sonia: "I haven't given it any thought to be honest. There are a lot of places that are interesting yet I don't know where to start."

Blair: "Well, have you thought about trying Steamrige? It's the biggest capital in Innova plus you may find discover some new people from other countries." 

Sonia: "I might consider going there since there's suppose to be an academy I wanted to look into since it's almost that time for me to enroll. I've heard that one of their courses involve magecraft."

        As Sonia and Blair continue to converse with each other, they have come to the conclusion that Steamridge would the go-to route in terms of expanding the worldview beyond Willowvale. In terms of continent itself, there are a lot of areas that shelter lots of various characters such as Duskhaven, a shady town located within a thick dark oak forest or Borrowbury, a small village well versed in its flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Of course, there are other continents such as Frostaska where its cold climate might give anyone who hasn't been used to it a surprising chill to their spine or Sanharia, a land filled with arid sands and temperate savannahs. Gaia is truly a vast world made from many interesting possibilities through its environment and inhabitants.

        Through some time in making preparations, it seems that everything has gone smoothly within the Ravengale household: bags were packed, books were stacked, and important essentials were prepared. Sonia had a lot of time on her hands were she was almost to the point of self-exhaustion, luckily enough, there was enough time to sleep throughout the starry night up till the rising morning. As the sun begins to rise along with the sound of birds chirping away their cries, its rays beam throughout the windows of Willowvale making the scenery feel tranquil with the cool breeze starting to seep in. Sonia and Artemis feel the warm aura of the sun as they begin the open their eyes and stretch every muscle and bone they have.