#and also I want to save chapter 9 for you all to actually read because it’s pretty good (if I say so myself)

[a-writing-otter]

WIP Wednesday - Chapter 10 of The Redemption and Subsequent Death of Bill Cipher

Bill is drinking tea as he looks down at Dipper’s journal. The most recent pages are several detailed descriptions and theories revolving the entity known as Copernicus (Less of an “entity” and more of a “pain in the ass” in Bill’s opinion, but tom-may-to, to-mah-to). After wading through what memories he’s got, Bill has divulged everything he can come up with on both the demon himself and incubi in general.

“So, they’re only as strong as who they’re feeding off of?” Dipper asks, scribbling something down.

Bill makes a halfway gesture.

“They’re only as strong as the strength they’ve accumulated and the realm that they’re rooted to. Copernicus feeds on this realm, most incubi do because it’s a plane rife with people who all hate their lives and are willing to indulge in anything to escape it. The goal is to feed here and tear it up in another dimension, usually the Nightmare Realm. Copernicus wants to feed and tear it up here, so he needs to bring his roots into this realm. If he does that, he doesn’t need Dottie Gleeful anymore and can just walk around and cause indiscriminate chaos.”

“Which is why he needs the rift opened—“

“So he can squeeze his scrawny ass through,” Bill mutters into the tea before taking a sip.

“How do we avoid doing that while getting him out of a person?”

Bill comes a little closer over Dipper’s shoulder.

“Your uncle’s working on that right now,” Bill mumbles before pointing at the book and the drawing that Dipper has rendered of Copernicus’ previous demon form, per Bill’s description. “Good sketch, kid.”

Dipper smiles up at him before turning back to it.

“What does he look like normally?”

Bill sighs at that.

“Well, it’s… a little more complicated.” He stares down into the cup for a second. “I always knew him like that, as a diamond with three eyes, similar to the way I used to look, but a different shape, color, and eyes set-up. He also likes neck-ties and bowler hats.”

“But?”

“But incubi are a lot more fluid with their form,” Bill explains. “He put that form on to appease me. To… To make me feel less alone.”

Copernicus, once upon a time, had been very good at that. Up until a couple of months prior, he hadn’t remembered their time together unfondly. Copernicus had been a pretty good boyfriend, all things considered. They’d drifted the Nightmare Realm together, caused undue chaos, and when Bill had told him about the things he heard, the things he saw, Copernicus believed him.

Another universe, they might have ruled this stupid planet together.

But now Bill wants to “protect it” and that kind of throws a wrench in everything else.

Not to mention his current “boyfriend” situation which is less of a “boyfriend” situation and a “maybe-not-also-kind-of-yes-boyfriend-situation”. Which, like, now isn’t exactly the time to quantify that just because they slept together.

And Bill said that he loves him.

And neither of them have commented on it in the few days since.

It’s fine. It’s good. All fine. Time to figure this stuff out once they dealt with everything else.

Right.

“What’s he look like when he’s normal?”

It takes a second for Bill to conjure the image, thinking back to the dream he’d had before they exorcised him.

“Kind of… amorphous. A cloud, grey-purple in color. Lots of hands and eyes. God, Cooper’s really just eyes. Incubi tend to have very fluid forms, lets them adapt to different forms with ease.”

“So if he is able to get the rift open—“

“No, he won’t just turn into anyone.” Bill lets out an almost bitter laugh. “He’s vain as anything, you saw the way he was with Dottie. He’s got forms he favors and he’ll turn into one of those. But, we’re not opening the rift, so it’s not really an issue that we—“

“We’re going to open the rift,” Ford announces as he walks into the kitchen.

“Oh, look,” Bill glances to Dipper, “your uncle’s gone crazy.”

[sufferu]

Your fantastic writing skills gave me angst I demand compensation. Lol. You gave me a lot to think about and I have to say, in my nearly 9 years of being an avid fanfic reader. A writer never made me THIS invested.

After being abandoned by everyone, do you think subaru will go to Priscilla? She was the only one who saw his side.

I have to say tho I get Subaru's side more. He can't control RBD. If anyone had the power to bring back loved ones they would. I'm sure Ferris wouldn't hesitate to save crush. I think everybody is so upset that they tunnel visioned and didn't do right by him. Everything is outside of his control. He doesn't choose to come back. But he is, so he tries to save more people everytime.

Subaru obviously has issues. And I don't like the way the re zero narrative punishes him for using RBD. Meanwhile, Al is over here spaming reset with no consequences.

The world hates Subaru and the rest of the cast blame him. He is trying harder then ANYONE to LIVE, but they call him a suicidal monster.

I’m so glad that you’re enjoying my fic! That is some high praise right there, lol: I do hope to meet those expectations going forward ;)

Though I will say…I am approaching this from a slightly different angle. For starters — this will be a lot clearer in the actual chapter than it was in this ficlet, but Arc 5 does not go the same way it does in canon, hence how Subaru managed to save EVERYONE and capture/kill literally every attacking Archbishop in Priestella. This is the main reason why everyone is so angry and devastated. If it were canon Arc 5, things might have gone differently. …Then again, Arc 8 DOES exist. So maybe we would have ended up in this situation someday regardless.

But also���well.

Return By Death isn’t JUST a powerful ability that Subaru has access to: it is the epitome of weaponized self-destruction, in which he can literally sacrifice himself over and over again for the sake of those around him whether they like it or not. He is fully capable of taking all their pain on himself, of placing himself in unimaginably horrible situations on other people’s behalf, and doing it for…maybe even all of eternity, depending on how things go. If you’ve ever read The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K Le Guin — Subaru has the potential to basically become That for the entirety of Lugunica. And even worse: if he’s employed as a knight, it is arguably his sworn duty to do exactly that, because a knight is a profession in which one lays down their life for the people they want to protect. What does that turn into when the knight can do that again and again, indefinitely?

The cast of Re:Zero shows every sign that they would absolutely fucking hate the idea of being reliant on something that disgusting. Julius sacrifices his reputation to try and keep Subaru alive, Tivey and Hetaro declare that throwing away one’s life for a cause is a fucking joke, Ferris has this whole thing about valuing life to the point where just a hint of Subaru being suicidal sends him into an actual nervous breakdown, Vincent is raked through the coals for his attempt to sacrifice himself for his country just that one time by both the narrative and the people around him, Arc 4 exists — there’s A Lot that points to most of these characters finding the idea of this cycle of repeated sacrifice bring just AWFUL, and even to the idea that they’d actively take offense to someone attempting to do such a thing on their behalf.

There is one exception to this rule, however, and that is Priscilla Barielle — who actively praises subjects that sacrifice themselves for her, who forces Aldebaran to reset whenever he does something she doesn’t like, who praised Subaru as a brilliant knight when he was (narratively speaking) at his very worst, who symbolizes the mechanisms of fate itself, who’s final moment involved her sacrificing herself for her homeland, and who is in every way the pinnacle of the Sword Wolf that Vollachia praises as the ideal subject (VOLLACHIA, mind you, which is a nation that has the whole Muspel contract going on). Priscilla is an actual monster, an awful personality, and the antithesis of the themes of Re:Zero. So her siding with Subaru in this instance is — completely in character, but it’s one of the most damning things I feel I could have done.

(I am glad that someone was able to actually connect with her though — was afraid that I made her too cartoonishly evil lmao)

As for what’s happening to Subaru now…well, you’re right about the end of that duel being the rock bottom of his character’s state in this fic. But — just because he was fired from his post doesn’t mean he’s being ABANDONED. They can’t afford to abandon a time traveler to be left to his own devices, first of all. But also, even in they’re all Very Angry with him right now…all these people still love him an awful lot. There’s a reason Wilhelm decided to duel him for the position and take the blame for his removal all upon himself, instead of doing something that would leave Subaru more at the mercy of public opinion. And there’s a reason Crusch’s idea of “suicide watch” was basically, “Hey, Wilhelm, do you want a new grandchild?” instead of something like “Let’s imprison him in the catacombs of the Kingdom.” They DO care about him. That’s the problem.

[vaaaaaiolet]

Sleep-deprived Leon's upstairs neighbor works late 'cause she's a singer on a deadline, and he's having none of it. He comes up with a wild solution to the problem in a moment of desperation, and he's surprised when you actually go along with it, but anything to get a full night's sleep, right? Then he finds himself wanting a bit more than camaraderie with you in the process.

f/m, romance, fluff, does this count as crack??? popstar reader w/ a twist, ID leon is USELESS w tech + lives under a ROCK, also you manic pixie dream girl a bit too close to the sun but it's ok bc ur cute LOL

word count: 2.6k // read this chapter on ao3

a/n: req fic + belated bday gift for my lovely 🍍 anon!! as usual i got carried away and butchered it. um. NOTHING makes sense just go w the vibes i beg you </3 pt. 2 coming out asap bc this fic will not leave me alone in the best way :)

chapter one

Rule of thumb: don’t bang on the first date. 

Leon’s wrapping his pillow around his head like a pair of goddamn Beefs (or is Beets? those tacky, overpriced- oh, forget it) while his upstairs neighbor gives her bed a run for its money on a Friday night, at a blessed 9 PM no less. 

Oh yeah. Her.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump. 

R-rated suspicions aside, Leon tries hoping for the best. His new neighbor might just be an interior designer of the nocturnal sort. Sick of his previous rowdy, college kid-infested apartment building, he’d moved into this complex not too long ago thanks to a very politely-worded call to Hunnigan about open listings in quiet, senior citizen-friendly neighborhoods. Call him old, call him boring, but after a long day of running around saving humanity from the newest bioweapon to hit the market, all Leon ever wants to do these days is get a few winks of sleep. He’s pushing 30. Insomnia’s no fountain of youth, people. 

Thump, thump-thump-thump. 

New Girl upstairs seemed to have the same idea but with far more nefarious intent. She’d moved in at the same time as him, he’s sure – Leon saw a flash of her face a few days ago when she was lugging boxes of stuff into the elevator up to her floor. She’s the only sign of life from the 21st century he’s encountered since the day he came to sign his lease papers. Why? 

Because Hunnigan had fulfilled his request to a T. Leon’s new apartment building is long-term care home adjacent. 

Full of grandmas and grandpas who got about as loud as their record players, only leaving their homes to fetch the mail – telegrams by the wrinkles on some of them. It was perfect. Leon was positively thrilled when Eunice from Unit 202 very, very slowly, waved hello to him on his moving day.

THUMP-THUMP! THUMP-THUMP!

And then she happened.

Maybe he’s just a grumpy old man right where he belongs, in all his 29-and-a-half glory. But the pounding that girl is giving her bed with some frat boy right now is giving Leon the college dorm experience all over again. It takes him half an hour of tossing and turning in his sheets to throw on an old jacket, beeline to the elevator, punch the neon 3 button, and darken New Girl’s doorstep. 

His turn now. A quick knock, knock is enough for Unit 304’s door to open a crack.

“Hey, I’m from downst- oh my God, are you decent?”

And you, standing at the door in a dress that’s more sheer than his disbelief, only tilt your head to go, “Huh?” 

“Listen, I know tomorrow’s the weekend but I- shit,” his face burns, “could you keep it down, please? You guys are really loud and it’s late.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You- you and whoever you’re with, could you not do this right now?” Leon croaks. 

Your hands flail wildly in dismissal. “Oh no, that was just me jumping on my bed! Helps with my creative process,” you say, smiling weakly. “I didn’t know the floors were that thin, I’m sorry.”

Bullshit. “They are.” Leon grimaces, “And um, it’s fine if you guys are loud, just save it for when everyone’s asleep next time.”

A frown interrupts your smile. “I just said it was me. There’s no one else here, seriously.”

“So what’s with the getup?”

“The-” your eyes drift down to the near see-through of your dress and Leon gestures vaguely, as if you need more explanation to why he’s avoiding eye contact with your chest. “Oh, this?”

He nods. 

“Creative process!” you chirp brightly.

“For what, pray tell?”

Curiously, that puts the wind out of your sails. Suddenly you having trouble meeting Leon’s eyes, lashes fluttering as you look up, down, anywhere that’s not his face. 

“For school,” you finally make out, fingers wrapping around the edge of your door. “I’m a music major.”

Pianos and prancing on beds don’t exactly mix. He can’t help but squint at you. “And the jumping helps with…?”

“Getting past writer’s block!” 

Back to bubbly with the ball in your court, you go so far as to open your door a little further to explain. Leon’s cheeks blaze as he tries his damndest to keep his eyes from drifting south. 

“I read online that moving around helps with ideas, and I’m supposed to have a whole album written by the end of the week. I probably shouldn’t have procrastinated…” you trail off with a half-hearted chuckle, “so now I’m throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks, y’know?”  

He hums. “You wanna be a singer?” 

“Mhm!” Your updone hair bobs with you, reminding him a little of a bobblehead. It’s almost cute enough to make his AMs worthwhile.

“Then you better start singing somewhere else, sweetheart. The walls are just as thin as the floors.” 

And Leon immediately turns his ass around to go back to sleep.

In hindsight, it might’ve been a little mean of him to leave like that. But his bed is just so heavenly, and with the sleep deprivation he’s been racking up lately, Leon’s half sure he just dreamed that entire exchange. There’s no way a girl like you in college – in her 20s, give or take – is seriously jumping on her bed on a Friday night for a homework assignment. That too in a dress fit for the club to add to the irony. Are all creatives this weird?

He pinches the bridge of his nose as the elevator descends, pushing aside his last glimpse of the glum expression he left you with in your doorway. So much for first impressions. But hey, you didn’t really make a great one either. He’ll call it even. Maybe get you a gift basket for chivalry’s sake.

He considers all this as he slips back under his blankets, finally, at 9:45 PM.

And then he hears a creeeaaak.

“Please,” Leon groans, jamming his pillow over his ears. 

Thump…thump?

Nix the gift basket.

6:00 AM on Saturday finds Leon with his eyes wide open and glazed insomniac red.

His alarm blares as if to say, you actually thought you’d need to get woken up, didn’t you?

It’s a little patronizing. He teaches it a lesson by throwing it off his nightstand.

Sometime between 11 and 12 at night, you’d gotten bored of your bed and taken to something with wheels. An office chair is Leon’s best guess. You’d rolled across your floor all night, and the resulting clatter of plastic grating on hardwood had kept him awake until the sunrise. Hangovers were more pleasant than the night of sleep (or lack thereof) he’d just gotten, and Leon’s no wimp. He’s a man, goddamnit. A decorated government agent!

So he handles the problem at its source. Whips out his flip phone like a man, and makes a very important call.

A disgruntled female voice crackles through at the first ring. “May I remind you that this line’s only for emergencies, Leon?”

“It is! I need you to find me another apartment, Hunnigan, please,” Leon sits up, rubbing his eyes to plead his case to an unimpressed Ingrid Hunnigan. “My upstairs neighbor won’t let me sleep. The floors are thin as hell and she’s been moving around all night. It’s even worse than my last place.”

“Really? An old lady is giving you that hard of a time?” 

“She’s college age — a singer — and when she starts singing for her homework all the time, I’m really not going to get any sleep. I’m begging you, Hunnigan. Get me out of here.” 

“Strange.”

“Isn’t it?”

“Truly,” Hunnigan deadpans. “You know how hard of a time I had getting you into an apartment building only for people over 55, Leon?” 

He winces, holding the phone a little further from his ears just in case. 

“How many favors I had to cash in, strings I had to pull, all because you’re hopeless at navigating an apartment listing site, let alone anything on the Internet? Do you realize I had to do that in my personal time because your request would fall under illegal use of federal intelligence resources?”

Leon falters. “I didn’t-”

“So here’s what you’re going to do,” Hunnigan says shortly. “You are going right back to your neighbor and working out a solution like an adult.”

“But I already-”

“You’re solving this on your own, Leon. Figure something out because I know you can delegate. Got it?”

He really doesn’t. He’s only good at that outside of the US.

“Is that clear, Agent Kennedy?” Hunnigan repeats for semantic measure.

“Crystal,” Leon mopes, sapped of all hope when she ends the call with a ‘good luck’, just like back in Spain. A familiar routine.

He’s back in front of Unit 304 by 9:00 AM. 

You open your door with a half-chewed yawn, wrapped in a robe and looking deceptively angelic, that is, if it weren’t for the immediate pinch your pretty brows take on when you grace him with a decidedly sour look. 

“Up already?” Leon tries.

This time all he gets in response is a quick nod, a mouth parted in distaste. 

Forward march, Kennedy.

“You were up past midnight. I heard you, y’know, on your chair. Kinda loud.”

“I’m not annoying you on purpose,” you sigh, tucking your arms into a tight cross over the fluff of your robe. “I just really have to turn my album in on time and I’m having crazy writer’s block. They told me the people here are quiet and easygoing. I haven’t had a single noise complaint so far except for you, did you know that?” 

“That’s because everyone in this building either has hearing aids or doesn’t realize they need them yet,” Leon grits. “I don’t even know how you got in here, to be honest.”

“A sparkling letter of recommendation, thank you very much. And you?” You push up on your toes indignantly. “Are you just older than you look? ‘Cause you might need a pair of hearing aids yourself.”

Leon bites back a scoff. “Don’t need ‘em. I can hear you plain as day from below.”

Sirens are starting to blare in his head and it’s like he can feel Hunnigan glaring at him from her HQ in the sky. Aborting mission again isn’t an option. If Leon doesn’t fix things now, he’d be starting bad blood that might outlast the combined remaining lifespans of the building’s tenants. His salary could cover rent that long; his ego, not so much.

You’re about two seconds away from shutting your door in Leon’s face before he interrupts with a save pulled straight from his ass: “I’ll help you write your songs.”

So instead, you squawk, “What?”

He sticks the toe of his shoe in your doorjamb for insurance. Blurts, “I mean it. I’ll help you come up with ideas.”

“How on Earth would you do that?”

Great question. No better time than the present for the both of you to find out. 

“You said moving around helps?” Leon repeats for you to confirm with a quizzical nod, “I’ll take you anywhere you want. Anywhere in the city, you name it, I’ve got a motorcycle I’ll get you there on. It’ll be a change of scenery. Just whatever you do, enough with the gymnastics at midnight.”

It’s a desperate lifeline, a creepy one now that he’s had more than two seconds to think about it, but a lifeline nonetheless.

And to his horror, all you do is stare. 

The resulting silence feels like crystallizing amber. A clock ticks agonizingly from somewhere in your living room. Tick, tick, shit, he desponds. But thankfully, your laugh bubbles out not a moment too soon, sending a tsunami of relief down his shoulders. 

“Gymnastics, really?” you snort, covering your mouth with a well-manicured hand.

“I’m serious.” Leon shoots for a winning smile. “But I have to ask, is working late also part of your creative process?”

Your eyes crinkle maybe, but you shake your head no. 

“Then we’ll go whenever you’re free. Show you a few of my favorite spots, see if it speeds up your songwriting. Sound okay, sweetheart?” 

“How about now?” you pipe up.

Leon coughs his splutter into something more dignified. 

“You said whenever I was free! It’s a Saturday, you’re free,” you point a finger at his chest, “I’m free,” turn it back on yourself, “and I need to finish writing my album by, like, yesterday. This is perfect!” With a miniscule squeal, you disappear back into your apartment.

Leon’s left standing in your entryway wondering when his lifeline became a dynamite detonation cord.

“You haven’t even asked me my name,” he calls out to deaf ears. Cups his hands for effect because he can hear you flinging hangers onto the floor. “Don’t they teach you about stranger danger at school?” 

“I’ll find out eventually!” floats back your worrying response.

You’re an efficient dresser, Leon gives you that. A thankfully normal one too at the dress and heels you rush back up to the door with. A large pair of cat-eye sunglasses perched on the bridge of your nose makes Leon do a double take at the cloudy sky outside, but then again, maybe it’s another part of your creative process. Beyond his pay grade.

You adjust your sunnies with gusto, grin up at him when he gives you a curious look. 

“Well, go on,” you say, pulling out your phone. 

Leon blinks at the glowing rectangle.

“Number, name?” You tilt it as if you’re trying to entice a toddler. “I can’t just keep calling you Mr. Noise Complaint.”

“Aw, you’ve been telling your friends about me?” Leon chuckles at last, pulling out his flip phone and handing it to you.  

And suddenly it’s your turn to stare at a piece of foreign technology.

You take your sweet time putting in your number. It’s very entertaining, the way the tip of your tongue sticks out the tiniest bit when you make a mistake and the sound of furious keypad backspacing follows right after. Leon’s no better, setting himself on your phone as “LOEN KEENAYD”, and with his pride bordering on hubris, he has no choice but to keep it that way.

“Really small backspace key,” he fibs when you peer at the gibberish in your contacts. 

Your lip bite makes for a piss-poor job of hiding how funny it is.  

“It’s Leon, by the way. Leon Kennedy. Apartment 204.” 

You fix his name in half the time it took him to put it in. He holds his hand out for a shake, timeless enough, and you give it three businesslike pumps.

“I have to grab a spare helmet from my place, I’ll meet you down at the garage,” Leon promises.

You point at him before stepping into the elevator. “Either your idea works or I’ll have to work past midnight to get this album done and then you’ll really owe me, Leon.” 

In another life, you could’ve been a CEO. You’ve certainly got the pointer finger for it. 

Leon tips his chin in acknowledgment. “Whatever it takes to get back into your good graces, ma’am,” he grins.

That gets a cackle out of you as the elevator doors slide shut.

And he takes the stairs this time, waves good morning to Eunice in 215 on his way to pick up that helmet for you. It must be a good day, Leon thinks, sounding out your name in his phone’s contacts. Eunice even has a post- Great Depression era vinyl playing on her record player. Maybe it’s a sign to not be so glum about his situation. He’s finally fixing it, isn’t he? 

So be it. A guy can dream. In Leon’s case, he’s hoping he gets eight hours by Monday.

psst, find more of my work here!

comments and reblogs are very much appreciated <3 take care and i love you!

divider by @/saradika-graphics <3

[starberry-cupcake]

WE'RE DONE WITH BOOK 2!!! THIS IS IT!!! Time for one last recap for Harrowcita ♥

previously, in harrowcita del 9:

this happened

CHAPTER 52

last we've seen of Team Gideon (this is Team Gideon, Team Harrow is coming and going from the river rn), mercygirl had decimated dr reverend emperor john

popped him like a piñata

mercygirl and augustine start talking about how everything's gonna go directly to shit now without the guy, since the houses existed because of him, etc.

they have some sort of hope on finding somewhere they can go stay at, maybe

they hug and augustine says something like he wants to be buried beside her, so they can hate each other eternally

I love what they've got going on tbh they're soulmates in hate, new form of eternal bond just dropped

gideon the first is about to tell them something, but they're interrupted by light

gideon starts describing that red dust becomes blood and then becomes body things and I'm like "nonononononono"

BUT I'M NOT THAT LUCKY

GUESS WHO'S BACK

DOCTOR REVEREND EMPEROR JOHN IS NOT DEAD

LPM [in south american spanish]

packing back all my celebratory party supplies

so he immediately murders mercygirl upon returning

rip girl, you really tried and that's more than I can say for a lot of people

who are in this room rn

emperor asshat takes mercy's robe from her body and puts it on

he says "hope the sixth house didn't get cooked in the flare"

"I never like cleaning house all at once, but it seems as though I have to, don't I ?"

so...is this a frequent thing? killing all your lyctors? replacing them with others by making them slurp their cavaliers once in a while? acting like there's no other way around it?

the emperor does that asshole thing

he starts asking them if they'll be loyal to him and, if they say no, he's gonna kill them

all very democratic and whatnot

apparently beasts can't kill him and he was acting afraid, in case you needed more reasons to hate him and whatnot

he calls gideon the first "gideon episode one", so that's also a genetic trait, aside from the eyes

gideon the first says he's gonna be loyal

gideon the first is taking things very calmly, but we'll see what's going on with that in a sec

also, the emperor asked gideon the first to kill harrow

because he's still buying numbers for the ass-kicking raffle I've got going on

it isn't at all a surprise, not just because another addition to the silver platter of bullshit he has done, at this point, doesn't really change much, but also because he was not doing anything about the harrow-aimed violence at any point, so

gideon (ours) goes "go to hell, pops"

he's bummed about gideon the first "killing" wake and is going to spare gideon's life, even if she doesn't want to be loyal to him

yandere twin pledges loyalty (we'll come back to this later)

and augustine goes "fuck you, john"

those aren't his words but that's what I heard in my head when I read it

then, the entire emperor's bolthole starts tilting to the side and in goes the whole thing into the river

at this point, I was remembering that the emperor mentioned there was a layer in the river, in the cylinder schematics mercygirl had drawn, in which he was powerless

so I was hoping and wishing for this to be the plan

gideon the first takes our gideon, trying to save her from the whole river situation, since she isn't a necro and there's not much she can do about it

so, since the emperor's bolthole went straight into the river, they've entered with their whole body, soul and etc.

fully dressed in flesh

gideon the first goes "wish he'd given me the packet"

???????

augustine and the emperor are wrestling homoerotically into the river

with yandere twin trailing behind them

so gideon asks gideon Sr to do something, since he's a necromancer

and gideon Sr says he isn't actually gideon Sr....

IT'S PYRRHA THE CAVALIER

turns out gideon Sr died in the fight against the beast

battle he was fighting with "mad sweetheart matthias"

♥

pyrrha has been living in gideon Sr this whole time, kinda like gideon and harrow, but with less finesse

and pyrrha ALSO had an affair with wake using gideon Sr's body

but there's no time to unpack the insane amount of luggage gideon is gaining from this whole encounter with her entire family tree

because augustine's plan was indeed to throw the emperor into the bit of river he can't defend himself in

but the entrance looks a bit like this thing from inuyasha, only that's a lot bigger

augustine and the emperor are still homoerotically pulling each other on their way down to the mouth, that's extending tongues to lick at them

it's probably a familiar scenario for them, only in a bigger scale

gideon and pyrrha are trying to decide if they wanna die by a bullet, by this whole thing that's going on in here or in the river

according to pyrrha, gideon's mom would have taken the bullet

but not gideon

gideon is gonna see this thing through, dammit

she's also having an existential crisis the size of the emperor's bolthole because life was simple before, it was just harrow and the dusty ninth, and now there's a family tree, she's a child of multiple divorces and she was born to blow up

so, gideon sees that yandere twin is close to augustine and dr rev emperor john, which means she can probably help augustine out and push the emperor in

BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT SHE DOES, NO

NO NO NO NO

WHAT SHE DOES

IS TO BE THE WORST

OF COURSE, YOU VALIDATION-SEEKING ASSHOLE, OF COURSE YOU'RE GONNA DO THAT

"uwu you're the emperor's favorite, harry" "at least augustine pays attention to me, harry" "the emperor loves you, harry" "you have it easy because you're the emperor's pet, harry"

GET OUT OF MY FACE YOU TRAITOROUS THIRD HOUSE ATTENTION-SEEKING TIM-BURTON-BLONDE-AND-PALE LEAD

YOU AND CHAD CAN GO STRAIGHT TO THE FANG-FILLED MOUTH OF HELL

I'M FUMING

I'M GONNA BITE HER ARM OFF AND RIP IT FROM HER BODY ALL OVER AGAIN

AND I'M GONNA SPIT IT RIGHT AT THE EMPEROR'S FACE

ANYWAY, BACK TO THE RECAP

gideon is being very poetic about harrow in what she thinks might be the last moments of her life

again

"at the end of everything, if it was going to be you and me, layered over each other as we always were"

♥

but in comes ice cube barbie to...save the day?????

idk, at this point

people's intentions are blurry

"your bullshit dead girlfriend had come to claim you"

gideon says she speaks "in the wrong voice twice removed" and that she's trying to do CPR on her

to some extent, because her sternum is shattered, apparently

or harrow's, I guess

so, who knows what's gonna come out of this

CHAPTER 53

this one happens half an hour before the other stuff

for the timeline that I'm still somewhat keeping, hanging by a thread, as is my sanity

Team Harrow is currently just consisting of harrowcita, the reverend kitten, and real!dulcinea

the super important info real!dulcinea said she needed to tell harrow is that what's using harrow's body isn't a spirit or a revenant

her body isn't being puppeted, something is moving it around and it isn't a fragment or a ghost

because it doesn't feel like awake will the real slim shady please stand up

is this gideon???? does it mean gideon is more than a ghost?????

real!dulcinea is like "idk what you can do with that info but that's not up to me anymore, bye~"

and harrow goes "there's a difference between keeping a shred of dance card and saving the last dance"

IS THIS HOPE???? ARE WE HANGING ONTO HOPE????

I SURE AM

so, into the river goes harrow

(if you wanna reblog onto better things harrow, this is the post)

there's the corridor from the last time

and she ends up in the locked tomb

always back to the tomb

wonder why the series is called that

but there's nobody in the actual tomb

chains are broken and there's the two-handed sword that the sleeper waker slasher awake love the way you lie had with her

harrow goes to mimir in the tomb

but in she finds...

P*RN

apparently it's a gideon originally imagined piece of high quality fifth house erotica

of course it is

EPILOGUE

six months after the "emperor's murder"

I DON'T THINK HE'S DEAD THOUGH

YANDERE TWIN DECIDED TO RUIN THINGS BECAUSE SHE CAN'T DEAL WITH AUTHORITY REJECTION OR WHATEVER

DON'T MAKE ME GET INTO THIS AGAIN

MY BLOOD PRESSURE CAN'T TAKE IT

sixth house skull though, we love to see that

so there's a "she"

who is being taken care of by three people

one is teaching her how to do necromancy, another how to use a sword and another is taking care of her

maiden, mother and crone

my first bet was judith, regina george twin and camilla

undetermined, though

idk why judith would be helpful, but those are three people we know of that were alive and kickin'

they're eating nice food but when a vendor makes a comment about how "she" should have been hurt by the hot food and she wasn't, they decide to ghost that vendor forever

they're somewhere around soldiers and gunfights

this "she" perspective then starts waxing poetic about the person who takes care of her

and asks "have you worked out who I am?"

and CAMILLA answers "not yet"

WHAT A HOPEFUL THING TO END WITH

THE BOOK ENDS WITH A LIE, THOUGH????

"the tomb will open in alecto the ninth"

gonna have to wait a whole other book for the tomb to open, I guess

harrow's taking a long nap

she deserves it

@lady-harrowhark told me the situation of the book releases when I mentioned how I thought this was a trilogy that had ended and she had to give the "oh, sweet summer child" explanation

who the fuck is nona though

is this "she" nona? maybe it is

she's smiling in the cover, which is already an oddity, but if she's been taking care of by camilla, that's a good reason to smile forever

I NEED TO STOP THEORIZING

ANYWAY, this is it for Harrowcita Del Nueve!!!! The adventure continues, though, because the hiatus I went in allowed me to get Nona beforehand and I already have a cute bookmark for her that my sister gifted me. See you in the next one!!!!

[cosmerelists]

My Top 10 Favorite Stormlight Fights...That DON'T Involve Kaladin

I wanted to do an overall “top fights” list but I found that were all, uh, just Kaladin. So Kaladin’s best fights will be saved for a future post, probably, but for now--let’s give some love for those epic fights that DON’T involve our most dramatic hero.

[SPOILERS FOR ALL OF STORMLIGHT ARCHIVES!]

10: Adolin (and Renarin!) vs. the Thunderclast [Oathbringer]

This one makes the Top 10 for me mostly because of how cool it must have been in theory...although tragically we never do actually get to see Renarin fight the Thunderclast. I mean, Adolin's part is still very cool--gotta love the one guy without Radiant powers nevertheless trying to fight a giant stone monster from ages past. And then Renarin comes and defeats it off-screen, and that is cool enough to make this list even though we don't see it.

#9: Moash vs. Leshwi [Oathbringer]

This is such a short fight, and it probably wouldn't make the Top 10 for most people...but I thought it was cool. We have Moash facing off against a Fused--one of the first Fused we ever see--with a Shardblade, only to realize that he can't beat her with that weapon, so he grabs a simple spear instead (my heart!). Then he gets lashed to the sky...but pulls her with him and stabs her in the chest. And so he kills her, and Lewshi being Leshwi, she's like, "Okay. You're legit and I like you." So kind of a cool character-building moment for both of them!

#8: Adolin & Dalinar & Elhokar vs. the Chasmfiend [Way of Kings]

This fight didn't do it for me one a first read, because frankly I didn't care that much about the Dalinar chapters in Book 1 because I was always waiting to get back to Kaladin. But upon a reread and a re-reread, I liked it much more! Like so many early fights in Way of Kings, it felt like a sort of tutorial for how the powers work, here focusing on how Shardblades and Chasmfiends Work. You get to see Adolin & Dalinar work well together despite their conflicts, and you get to see Elhokar being, well, Elhokar.

#7: Adolin’s Duels [Words of Radiance]

Except for the last one, to keep this ranking Kaladin-free! But Adolin's pre-Whitespine-Uncaged duels were also very legit. Adolin is a great swordsman, and that makes him fun to watch (well, read about). And I loved the way that he had a different way to mess with his opponent in every duel, from unhinged battery to slowly picking apart the other guy's armor. It's great to see someone good at dueling get to do what they're best at.

#6: Szeth vs. an entire party [Way of Kings]

I'm referring to when Szeth assassinated King Hanavanar of Jah Keved...while the guy was holding a big dinner party. And while this scene is a little painful to read, since Szeth slaughters everyone while crying, if memory serves, you gotta be a little impressed by the way Szeth is able to kill an entire room of people, many of whom are armed with Shardblades or half-shards. At one point he even tosses his sword away and goes hand-to-hand with people holding deadly weapons and just slaughters them all, no problem. That guy is frightening good at murder.

#5: Navani vs. Raboniel vs. Moash [Rhythm of War]

Some fights are cool because they involve visually stunning moves or epic swordplay. Some are cool because they rip my heart into a million pieces. This is one of the latter! Navani killing Raboniel is gut-wrenchingly tragic but also so cool (the Fused are impossible to kill and yet, Navani does it)...and then Moash shows up. The confrontation between Moash and Navani was an emotional beat I didn't know I needed until it was happening...and listen, I am SUCH a sucker for self-sacrifice. Raboniel grabbing Moash to let Navani escape, even after Navani killed her? I'll never be over it.

#4: Szeth vs. Gavilar [Way of Kings]

I mean, this one is a true classic. It's the first fight we see, and serves as a basic tutorial on how stormlight and Shardblades work. We have Szeth in the opening of Way of King, going to assassinate Gavilar. He lashes people and things left and right. He's on the ceiling and the walls. He's burning souls and cutting holes in the building. He's desperately fighting Gavilar in what is probably Gavilar's only cool scene in all of the books. It's just classic.

#3: Shallan vs. An Entire Army [Oathbringer]

I'm not sure this would make a "Top Fights" list for very many people, but it is one of my personal favorites. This refers to the Battle of Thaylen Field (yes, Kaladin is in the background but that doesn't count as involvement), when Shallan, Veil, & Radiant summon hordes of alters to distract the Odium-crazed army. Not only does she fend off an entire army single-handedly (holy shit, Shallan), but she does so despite the fact that it is her being killed over and over again in thousands of forms. The image of her, Radiant, and Veil holding hands as she struggles to stay conscious is incredibly powerful to me. And Jasnah goes to help! A+ fight.

#2: Adolin & Maya vs. the Tukari [Rhythm of War]

This is one of my all-time favorite fights. It takes place in Shadesmar, when Adolin runs to help Notum who is being stabbed and beaten by a group of Tukari, Not only is it a heroic fight against grossly mismatched odds, which I always love, but it also demonstrates the bond between Maya & Adolin. And when the two of them fight back to back using the kata... *chef's kiss*

#1: Dalinar vs. Odium [Oathbringer]

I'm aware that Kaladin is, like, in the background here, but the actual conflict between Dalinar & Odium does not involve him. And this isn't a physical fight--there's no clashing of Shardblades or running on the ceiling--but damn if this fight doesn't hit hard. Dalinar fights with a book and with his whole soul, and he refuses to give up his pain or to absolve himself of the guilt of what he's done. This might be one of the most powerful moments in any book, so it gets the top spot here!

What are your guys' favorite non-Kaladin fights? Let me know in the comments, if you want!

[differentpostrebel]

Lost and Found: A Pirate's Promise

Chapter 18: Fragile Promises

A/N: We are back at it again with another chapter! Thank you to everyone, who has followed, who has liked the series so far, who has reblogged, commented. I cant wait for you guys to continue reading what else I have in store! I'll also be creating a masterlist soon so that way its more organized for you guys!. We have a surprise guest in this chapter so you dont want to miss this! Chapter 19, will be uploaded tonight as well. And we are getting the showdown! Law vs Vergo and Y/N vs Monet! We even got some Sanji moments in there as well!  But without further ado let's get to it!

Word Count: 5.8K

Sanji X Reader, Sanji x Y/N, One piece X Reader 

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13,chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, chapter 17, Chapter 18 (here)

Sanji POV… 

"I’m not going anywhere... I promise," I murmured, holding Y/N close as she clung to my coat. Seeing her so bruised and battered, her top missing and her wounds still fresh, made my heart ache. I felt a pang of guilt and jealousy knowing I wasn’t there to protect her.

"Y/N... where’s your top?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the jealousy and concern I felt.

"Oh, that," she began, her voice trembling slightly. "The Yeti Cool Brothers kidnapped Nami and me. I was tied up, and my back was bruised and bleeding. After Traffy rescued us, we went back to the encampment. I gave Chopper the ointment I used during training so my wounds could heal faster. Chopper, who was in your body at the time, helped with the ointment. Then Traffy saw I needed more care and took over. He bandaged me up, but I need to get this tightened again later."

The thought of Chopper and Law seeing her so vulnerable filled me with a mix of jealousy and frustration. Just then, Law’s voice cut through my thoughts.

"Hey, Cook!" Law called, his tone dripping with mockery.

"What now, Traf—" I began, but Law cut me off.

"I’m giving Y/N my coat again," Law said, tossing it toward her. "It’s warmer and should cover her better."

Y/N caught the coat and put it on, visibly relieved but still looking exhausted. "Thanks, Traffy."

"Don’t mention it," Law said, his smirk never fading. "Just doing my part."

I shot Law a heated glare, unable to hide my frustration. "You think you’re so noble, always swooping in like you’re the only one who can help."

Law’s smirk widened. "Well, maybe I actually care about her well-being. Unlike some people who only show up when it’s convenient."

"Convenient?" I snapped, unable to keep the bitterness out of my voice. "You think you’re the only one who cares? What about all the times I’ve been there for her?"

Law’s eyes flashed with irritation. "You were there, but clearly not enough. I’m the one who’s making sure she’s okay now."

With a sudden, almost casual movement, Law activated his Devil Fruit ability. "ROOM," he said, creating a spatial bubble around Y/N. The space shifted, and before I could react, Law pulled Y/N closer to him, his arm wrapped protectively around her.

"Traffy, what are you—" I began, but Law cut me off with a sharp glance.

"Just making sure she’s comfortable," Law said coolly, his eyes locked onto Y/N with a possessive intensity.

Y/N looked up at Law, her eyes tired but grateful. "Traffy... thank you."

Law’s gaze softened as he looked at Y/N. "Don’t mention it. Just making sure you’re alright."

I clenched my fists, my jealousy boiling over. "Yeah, well, don’t think you’re the only one who can play the hero here."

Law’s smirk returned, though his eyes remained locked on Y/N. "You’re just mad because you can’t always be the one saving the day."

As we moved forward, the tension between Law and me was palpable. Our feelings for Y/N created a rivalry that was impossible to ignore, but for now, we had to focus on her safety and well-being. 

Just then, I saw Law’s hand gently cup Y/N’s cheek. My heart clenched as I watched him lean in slowly, his gaze fixed on her with an intensity that made my jealousy flare. Y/N looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mix of exhaustion and gratitude.

Law’s face was close to hers, and I could see the softness in his expression. He leaned in and placed a tender kiss on her forehead, a gesture that spoke volumes about his feelings.

I couldn’t contain my frustration any longer. "Hey, Traf! Get your hands off her!"

Law’s gaze shifted to me, his eyes narrowing with a mix of irritation and defiance. "And why would I do that, Cook? She needs comfort right now."

"Comfort?" I snapped, trying to control the anger in my voice. "You think you’re the only one who can give her that? Just because you’re here doesn’t mean you have a monopoly on caring for her."

Law’s expression hardened. "Maybe you’re just jealous because you weren’t the one who got to be here for her when she needed it the most."

Before I could retort, I saw Y/N start to make her way back to the first floor. She turned to Law and gave him a warm smile, one that made Law’s cheeks flush slightly. His smirk returned, but there was a softness in his gaze as he watched her leave.

"Alright," Law said, regaining his composure and shifting back to the matter at hand. "As you may notice, the whole island is completely covered in gas, but there is a way out. There's a passage that's completely enclosed, leading to the sea. This lab is massive, which means it has multiple buildings. We’re currently in Building A. Once you pass Building B, you’ll find Building R. Look for a door marked R-66. That passage will lead you to the sea."

He paused, letting the gravity of the situation sink in. "Here’s the deal: you all have 2 hours to escape, or you’ll die. As Law turned to head towards another passage in the lab, he cast one last glance back at Y/N. A sly smirk played on his lips as he called out, "Y/N, you stay safe out there! I’ll be sure to have a repeat of our session just in case your wounds need tending."

The comment made my blood boil. I clenched my fists, barely restraining myself. His smirk was infuriating, especially with the way he was so casually referring to their intimate moments.

Y/N’s cheeks flushed slightly at Law’s words, but she managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Traffy. I appreciate it." 

Law gave her a final nod before disappearing down the passage. I watched him go, my jealousy simmering beneath the surface.

Y/N POV.. 

To say that the interaction between Sanji and Law was going to be peachy was an understatement. The tension between them was thick, and I felt it weighing heavily on my already exhausted body. I was emotionally and mentally drained, barely holding it together. When Law used Room to separate me from Sanji, it reminded me of the chaotic moments back at Sabaody.

What really threw me off was Law’s kiss on the forehead and his slick comment about our "repeat session." His words made my face flush with heat, and I couldn't help but feel a mix of embarrassment and amusement. Sure, he had tended to my wounds, but the way he spoke about it made it sound like something far more intimate. I chuckled softly to myself, thinking that maybe I should tone down the flirting... but then again, where would the fun in that be?

After grabbing my sword, which I had dropped earlier, I turned to see Zoro approaching me. His usual stoic expression softened as he saw me, and he enveloped me in a warm hug.

"Hey, Y/N," Zoro said, his voice gentle but filled with concern. "You alright? You look like you’ve been through hell and back."

I managed a small smile despite my fatigue. "Just about. It’s been a rough day, but I’ll be okay. Thanks for asking."

Zoro gave me a reassuring squeeze before stepping back.

“You know Zoro, after today I might just take your offer on that tall cup of Sake.” I said. 

Zoro raised an eyebrow, a hint of a grin playing on his lips. "Oh? You remember that offer, huh? I’ll hold you to it. We can get a drink after this mess is sorted out."

I chuckled softly, feeling a small flicker of relief. "Definitely. I think I’ll need it after everything that’s happened."

As Smokey’s orders reverberated through the lab, the urgency in the air was palpable.

“Listen up, men!” Smokey’s commanding voice cut through the chaos. “We’re searching for missing children and then finding the door labeled R-66. According to Law, it’ll lead us to a harbor where we can escape Punk Hazard. Move out!”

The G-5 soldiers responded with a determined "Understood!" and swiftly began their search.

Nami took charge, organizing everyone with practiced efficiency. “We’re splitting up to find the kids and head to R-66. Let’s go!”

As we prepared to head to the door, Sanji’s hand reached out, grabbing my wrist with a firm yet gentle grip. His eyes were filled with a mixture of intense worry and frustration.

“Y/N,” he said, his voice trembling slightly with emotion. “I need you to be careful. This place... it’s not safe. I can’t bear the thought of something happening to you.”

I looked up at him, my heart aching at the sight of his concern. “Sanji..” 

Sanji’s eyes searched mine, his expression pained. “It’s… It’s... I care about you more than I can put into words. Seeing you hurt, or in danger—it tears me apart. I don’t want to lose you.”

I felt tears welling up in my eyes at his heartfelt words. “Sanji, I care about you too. Your worry means everything to me. I promise I’ll be as careful as I can.”

Sanji’s grip on my wrist tightened for a moment before he let go, his face a mix of relief and lingering concern. “Just... please, be safe. I need to know you’re alright. More than anything.”

I nodded, feeling a lump in my throat. “I promise. I’ll be careful.”

Sanji gave me a final, lingering look, his eyes full of unspoken emotions. “Stay safe, Y/N.”

As Zoro and I moved toward the doors, a sudden commotion drew our attention. The G-5 soldiers had surrounded us, their weapons at the ready. Without hesitation, I sheathed my sword and clenched my right hand, connecting it with my left palm, sending a surge of electricity crackling through the air.

The energy built up, crackling and sparking around my right hand as I prepared to strike. The tension was palpable, and I could feel the intensity of the moment, my heartbeat quickening in anticipation. Zoro, sensing the shift in the air, tightened his grip on his swords, ready to spring into action at any moment.  

Just as I prepared to strike, Zoro suddenly dropped his swords, his expression fierce. "Zoro?!" I exclaimed, confused and alarmed.

“Hey, Luffy!” Zoro shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

“What’s mosshead doing now? This better be good,” Sanji muttered, his concern evident despite his frustration.

“Luffy, you hear me?” Zoro continued, his tone urgent. “You’ve got to get it together! We’re in the New World! The stakes are high!”

I couldn’t help but smirk at Zoro’s commanding tone. Sanji joined in, a grin spreading across his face. “Just what we needed—a kick in the ass.”

Luffy, looking both surprised and somewhat abashed, scratched the back of his head. “Sorry about that. It won’t happen again.” His grin returned, more determined this time. With Luffy heading off toward Caesar, Smoker followed close behind, leaving Tashigi with the G-5 soldiers.

Suddenly, alarms began blaring throughout the lab. “What’s happening now?” I muttered, just as a G-5 soldier lunged at me with a blade. I quickly sent a shock through him, causing him to drop his weapon and stagger back. The other G-5 soldiers, startled, began cocking their guns again.

Before they could take aim, Zoro stepped forward, his voice commanding, “Stand down.” The authority in his tone was unmistakable as he grabbed the hilts of his swords. The Samurai and Brook readied themselves as well, preparing to strike. In unison, they launched attack after attack, slicing through obstacles and creating a clear passage.

“Y/N, get on,” Sanji called out, extending his hand toward me as he mounted Brownbeard’s back. His expression was serious, his concern for me evident. “We’ve got this, now let’s go find those kids.” says Nami, as we begin to hurry to the door. 

“Yeah!” Usopp echoed, determination in his voice.

Just as Zoro was about to unleash another attack to clear the way, Tashigi suddenly appeared, blocking his path with her sword. “Tashigi?” I said, surprised to see her intervene.

“But Captain, why?” one of the G-5 soldiers asked, confusion evident in his voice.

Zoro smirked, recognizing the familiar face in front of him. “Why hello, there, copycat. Captain now, huh? So why don’t you want to fight me?” His tone was teasing, but the challenge was clear as he held his stance, ready for anything.

Tashigi glanced back and forth between Zoro and me, her expression torn. “I see now where you get that smart mouth of yours, Y/N,” she said, her tone a mix of frustration and reluctant admiration.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Guilty as charged,” I replied, trying to lighten the mood despite the tension in the air.

After a moment of internal conflict, Tashigi broke away, turning to her men with determination. “Everyone, leave! Now!” she ordered, her voice firm and unyielding. The G-5 soldiers hesitated for a moment before following her command, retreating toward the doors.

Seeing the opportunity, we urged Brownbeard to hurry. “The only way out of this building is to escape now,” Tashigi shouted, her urgency palpable. “Caesar is trying to fence us in!”

We barely had time to process her words when a gunshot echoed through the lab, shattering the tense silence. The shot had pierced a wall, causing the poison gas from outside to start seeping in. The deadly mist crept toward us, its effects immediate as some of the G-5 soldiers began to turn to stone.

“RUN! NOW!” Tashigi yelled, her voice laced with desperation as she tried to get her men to move. We sprinted toward the sliding door, the gas closing in fast. Just as the door was about to shut, a few of the G-5 men grabbed their captain, throwing her over the threshold to safety.

“Let go of me! Our men are out there! We need to help them!” Tashigi cried, struggling against the soldiers holding her back.

“No can do, Captain,” one of the men said, his voice strained with emotion. “Please, just let me go!” Tashigi pleaded, tears brimming in her eyes as she fought to return to her men.

“Excellent Marines! Thank you! Our captain is safe; you’ve done the Navy proud! We’ll take it from here,” another soldier said, his voice steady as the door finally shut, sealing off the gas—and their fate.

We watched in silence, the weight of what had just happened settling heavily on us. The lab was filled with the quiet sound of Tashigi’s muffled sobs as she struggled against the reality of the situation, her tears a stark contrast to the grim resolve of the soldiers who had sacrificed themselves for her safety.

“Brownbeard, let’s move,” Nami said firmly, as we began to leave Tashigi and the G-5 behind. Robin had rejoined us, her presence a small comfort in the chaos.

“I can’t believe he’d destroy his own lab,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. “He must be desperate to wipe us all out.”

“We may have escaped, but it doesn’t mean we’re safe yet,” Usopp said, taking off his coat. “We need to find those children and get to Gate R-66 fast.”

“Agreed,” Sanji added, his tone grim as he took a drag from his cigarette. “The sooner we get out of here, the better. I’ve had enough of this island.”

I lay back on Brownbeard’s back, wincing as pain shot through my leg. “Damn Vergo,” I muttered, clutching my leg.

Sanji noticed my discomfort and immediately knelt beside me, his expression turning from concern to determination. He carefully examined the damage on my leg, his brow furrowing as he took in the extent of Vergo's brutality.

“This is worse than I thought,” he said, his voice tight with frustration. “You’re hurt badly. I should’ve been here to stop this from happening.”

He took a deep breath and grabbed some cloth from his coat pocket, swiftly tearing it into strips. His hands worked with a focused urgency as he began to bandage my leg, his movements precise and firm. “Hold still,” he instructed, his voice gentle but insistent. “I’m going to do what I can to ease the pain and make it more manageable.”

As he wrapped the cloth around my leg, he looked up at me with a mix of worry and resolve. “I should have protected you better,” he said, his voice tinged with guilt. “I know I can’t undo what happened, but I’ll make sure you’re taken care of. We’ll get through this.”

Despite the pain, I felt a wave of gratitude wash over me. “Sanji, thank you,” I said softly, touched by his dedication. “I appreciate everything you’re doing.”

Sanji finished bandaging my leg, giving it a gentle pat. “We’re getting out of here,” he said firmly. “And once we’re safe, I’ll make sure you get the help you need. Just hold on a little longer.”

Before I could respond, Zoro shouted, “Hey, can’t you run any faster!” to Brownbeard, who was struggling under the weight of everyone on his back.

“Are you kidding?!” Brownbeard retorted, gasping for breath. “You guys are getting heavy! When did all of you get on my back?”

“You’ll have to forgive us, Brownbeard,” Zoro said with a shrug. “We don’t have much of a choice.”

“Really?! It better be a good one!” Brownbeard huffed.

“It is,” Zoro said, his tone deadpan. “We’ve been running all day, and now we don’t want to stop.”

I couldn’t help but giggle at the interaction. The levity was a welcome distraction from the pain in my leg.

“That’s a horrible excuse! Get off my back!” Brownbeard grumbled, his frustration evident.

The Samurai, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. “Good sir, your name is Brownbeard, correct?”

“Yes,” Brownbeard replied, still running. “Why?”

“It pains me to ask this,” the Samurai continued, “but my son has been taken, and I need to rescue him as soon as possible.”

“Huh?? Your son?” Brownbeard asked, clearly taken aback.

“Yes,” the Samurai confirmed. “I simply need your assistance because I am too tired to run.”

“You guys are horrible!” Brownbeard complained, shaking his head. “Get off my back!”

“I’m feeling a bit hungry,” Brook said cheerfully. “Brownbeard, do you have any snacks stored back here?”

“Ohh, I’d kill for some food right about now,” I added, rubbing my stomach. “And a drink too.”

Sanji’s eyes lit up with determination. “Ohhh, my goddess is hungry! Don’t you worry, I’ll whip you up a meal that will put you back to health in no time. No need for Law or Chopper to come and take care of you.”

Zoro raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “Seriously, Sanji? You’re thinking about cooking right now? We’re in the middle of a crisis!”

Sanji shot him a sharp look. “Well, someone has to make sure Y/N’s taken care of. It’s not like you’re offering any help.”

“Help? I’m carrying a sword and fighting off enemies while you’re planning your next culinary masterpiece!” Zoro retorted, crossing his arms. “Besides, it’s not like you’re the only one worried about Y/N.”

Sanji’s face reddened, his concern clearly turning into frustration. “Of course I’m worried! I’m trying to make sure Y/N is okay while you’re just standing around with your usual attitude!”

Brook chuckled at the exchange. “You two are always good for a laugh, even when things are tough.”

The sound of Brook’s laughter managed to pull a genuine smile from me, and I let out a soft chuckle despite my exhaustion.

Sanji suddenly stood up, his expression serious. “Guys, I’ll be right back. Mosshead, take care of Y/N.”

“Wait, Sanji, where are you—” I started to ask, but before I could finish, Sanji leaped into the air, using his Sky Walk technique to disappear into the distance.

“I wonder why he left?” I said, glancing at Zoro and Usopp.

“He probably sensed an enemy nearby,” Usopp suggested, his tone thoughtful.

“Ohhh, you’re right,” I murmured, watching Sanji’s retreating figure.

“Yeah, he’s got a sixth sense for these things,” Zoro said, his eyes scanning the surroundings. “Just stay alert.”

I nodded, my gaze following the path Sanji had taken. “Take care of yourself, Sanji,” I whispered, hoping he’d hear me somehow despite the distance.

Sanji’s POV… 

How dare that... that... egotistical asshole try to put the moves on my Y/N! The memory of Law’s smug face only fueled my anger. Once we get out of here, I won’t go easy on him. But what matters most right now is that I have my love back.

Seeing Y/N like this, bruises marking her beautiful skin, dried blood matted in her hair, her lip busted open—it tore me apart inside. I wasn’t there to stop this... I wasn’t there to protect you! The guilt gnawed at me, a bitter taste in my mouth. Yet here you are, looking at me with such grace, such love... I truly don’t deserve someone like you, Y/N.

When Y/N muttered, “Damn Vergo,” struggling to put weight on her injured leg, it felt like a knife to my heart. I couldn’t stand to see her in pain. I moved closer, the concern in my chest growing heavier.

“Let me see,” I said, my voice firm, but laced with the worry I couldn’t hide. I knelt down, taking in the sight of the dark purple bruise, the swelling on her right leg. It’s worse than I thought... Frustration bubbled up inside me, mixing with the guilt I carried. “You’re hurt badly...” I muttered, my voice thick with regret. “I should’ve done more for you.”

With shaking hands, I pulled out some cloth from inside my coat pocket, tearing off pieces to use as a makeshift bandage. As I started wrapping her leg, I whispered, “I swear, Y/N, I’ll never let anything like this happen to you again. I’ll protect you, no matter what.”

I finished bandaging her leg, giving it a gentle pat before looking up at her. The concern in my eyes was met with a soft, reassuring smile from Y/N, but it wasn’t enough to ease the guilt gnawing at me. As we continued our journey to rescue the children and get the hell out of Punk Hazard, a sudden shift in the air caught my attention. I paused, listening intently. It was faint, but unmistakable—a woman’s tears.

I must help! The thought was immediate, instinctual. I couldn’t ignore a lady in distress, not when she needed me.

“Guys, I’ll be right back,” I said, my voice firm with resolve. “Mosshead, take care of Y/N.”

Zoro grumbled something under his breath, but before Y/N could protest, I was already in motion. "Wait, Sanji, where are you..." her voice trailed off as I left the group, skywalking through the air with a singular focus—finding and helping the woman in need. Nothing else mattered in that moment. I’d find her, make sure she was safe, and then return to Y/N and the others. I wasn’t going to let anyone suffer if I could do something about it.

As I continued my way through the corridors, the distant cries of a woman grew louder, leading me right to the source. "Bingo!" I murmured, honing in on the sound. "I hear a lady in need of my help!" Without hesitation, I launched a powerful kick, sending the man who was causing her harm flying into a nearby wall. I landed gracefully, standing tall with determination etched on my face. Pulling out my cigarette, I lit it with a practiced flick, taking a slow drag before blowing out a puff of smoke.

"I heard the heart-breaking sound of a woman’s tears," I declared, finally coming face to face with the poor lady. But before I could say more, an alarm began blaring, its shrill noise echoing through the halls. "Crap, not this again!" I cursed under my breath, as the G-5 men around us scrambled to retreat, leaving me alone with this scumbag.

The man, still dazed from my kick, looked up at me with a sneer. "You’re a pirate," he spat. "Why are you helping a bunch of Marines?"

"Because you’re not supposed to hit ladies, scumbag," I shot back, my voice low and filled with menace. "Didn’t your parents ever teach you that?"

"Ladies, huh?" He mocked, a twisted grin spreading across his face. "Then I should’ve done more to the Princess. How’s her right leg doing?"

His words hit me like a ton of bricks, realization dawning on me in an instant. "Vergo!" I snarled, my hands clenching into fists. This was the scum who touched my Y/N!

He saw the recognition in my eyes and relished in it. "She’s a feisty one, let me tell you," he continued, taunting me. "I just couldn’t keep my hands off her. Would’ve done more if we were alone in a room."

Rage surged through me, hotter than any fire. I could feel my blood boiling, every muscle in my body tensing with the overwhelming urge to beat this bastard into the ground. "You’re going to regret ever laying a hand on her," I growled, my voice trembling with barely controlled fury.

This wasn’t just about defending a lady anymore—this was personal. This was for Y/N. And I wasn’t going to hold back.

Vergo sneered, unfazed by my anger. "I don't have time for your mortal platitudes," he spat, launching a barrage of kicks that I met with my own. Each strike reverberated through the corridor, the sheer force of our blows shaking the walls around us.

"What's a Straw Hat doing helping us?" one of the G-5 men muttered, watching the battle in disbelief.

"You saved my life," the woman—Tashigi, I realized—said, her voice filled with gratitude despite the chaos.

But there was no time to respond as Vergo pressed his attack, his moves precise and brutal. I countered with equal ferocity, determination blazing in my eyes. With a swift pivot, I unleashed my Flanchet Full Power Strike, my leg igniting with intense flames as I drove the blow into Vergo’s chest, sending him crashing through the wall once again.

"Holy crap, he's strong," one of the G-5 men exclaimed, their awe clear in their voices.

But I wasn’t done yet. Not by a long shot. This fight was far from over, and I was going to make sure Vergo regretted every single moment he spent laying a hand on Y/N.

"We gotta give him some backup, Captain!" a few of the Marines shouted, their voices trembling with urgency.

"What are you morons doing?!" I yelled, noticing the door sealing the gas was now opening. "Caesar wants to seal you up to poison you! See what I mean!"

Just then, Vergo stood up, his expression unreadable as he prepared for another round. "Well, would you look at that," I muttered, realizing what was going on. "You've got metal under your skin. Y/N never had a chance," I whispered, the rage bubbling up inside me again.

"Quit interfering," Vergo growled, launching himself at me once more.

I met his attack head-on, my foot connecting with his body in a powerful kick. But suddenly, I felt a sharp crack in my leg. "Crap," I hissed, quickly dodging Vergo’s relentless assault, evading each of his strikes by mere inches.

"Black-Leg, the door is closing fast! Get out of there!" one of the Marines shouted, panic in his voice.

I managed to break away from Vergo just in time, but not before noticing some of the Marines lying motionless on the ground. "Crap!" I cursed, rushing over to them. "Hey! Stay with me!"

Just then, an announcement blared over the speakers, "Law made it to the factory room! The traitor Trafalgar Law made it to the factory room!" The announcement cut off as the door closed, trapping the gas inside.

I barely managed to escape with the two Marine officers in tow, leaping into the air and calling down, "Hey! Everyone made it!" I said, my tone lighter as I spotted Tashigi. "Especially you, Tashigi!" I added, with a bit of a flirtatious edge.

"Keep kicking ass, Black-Leg! Yeah, you rock!" the G-5 Marines cheered.

"I don’t care about you!" I shot back, dropping the two Marines unceremoniously on the ground. "Ladies only!"

One of the soldiers, his tone concerned, offered, "We could give you first aid if you need it?"

"Shut up! If it’s not a thank-you kiss from your captain, I don’t want to hear it!" I retorted, lighting a cigarette with a flick of my lighter. As I exhaled, I muttered to myself, "I got lucky—that kick could have destroyed me." My mind wandered back to Y/N. "That’s the same armament Haki that injured Y/N’s right leg."

Turning to the Marines, I noticed one of them pale and trembling. "Well, I never met the guy, but he turned pale and ran off. Besides, he’s got hell to pay after what he did to my Y/N."

"Anyway, we should get moving," I continued, my tone shifting back to urgency. "We have to save those kids."

And with that, Tashigi, the G-5 men, and I began running, determined to find the children and make it out of this hellhole alive.

Doflamingo POV…

"So, Law is going after SAD," I said, hearing the news from my transponder snail.

"With this development, there's no doubt he has betrayed us," said Vergo.

"I see," I replied, laughing at the whole scheme. "Well, can't say I'm shocked, but that's some gratitude. Treated him like a brother, and this is the thanks I get," I said, lounging on my sofa. "He made it to the manufacturing room, Vergo?"

"Yes, sir."

"He's also fancied a girl here, a 'princess,' if you will," said Vergo.

"Is that so?" I muttered, intrigue sparking within me.

"She's quite a fighter, and she's feisty as hell," Vergo whistled. "I still regret not taking her to a room alone."

Just then, Baby 5 came crashing through the window, glass shattering around her. She stood in front of me, gun pointed directly at my chest, tears welling in her eyes.

"I’ve heard rumors about a 'Princess'... Is she the one who’s captured his heart? Tell me, Doffy! Says Baby 5. Baby 5 cried, her voice trembling as she lowered the gun slightly.

I ignored her cries, dismissing her completely as I turned back to Vergo. "Misfortune never comes alone," I mused, a wicked grin spreading across my face. "Then his misfortune will be my doing."

I threw my head back and laughed, the sound echoing through the room as Baby 5 stood there, torn between anger and sorrow. I could feel her desperation, but it was irrelevant to me. Law had crossed a line, and if he thought he could get away unscathed, he was more of a fool than I imagined.

Y/N POV… 

"You know, this dragon doesn’t seem like a runt at all," says Zoro, now lying beside me. Turns out the dragon from before—yeah, it was drugged up, and now the effects have worn off, revealing its true potential.

"Indeed," I replied to Zoro, watching the dragon’s fierce movements.

"Will you two quit it and do something!" Usopp shouted, desperate as the dragon breathed fire dangerously close to us.

"Can’t, I’m on watch duty," Zoro said, casually pointing at me.

"And I’m trying to recover," I added with a smirk.

"You're not helping, Y/N!" Usopp exclaimed, his voice a mix of frustration and fear. I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

"Fear not, my friends! I have a score to settle with this dragon, and I shall protect you!" declared the samurai—Kin’emon, as I had learned his name. "By the might of my sword, this dragon shall be vanquished!"

"Not so fast!" interrupted Brook, stepping forward with his sword drawn. "This dragon and I also have a score to settle!"

"Ohhh, are we getting a show too?" I teased, leaning back slightly. "This is when snacks would have come in handy."

"And booze," Zoro agreed, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

The tension in the air was palpable, but amidst it all, I couldn’t help but chuckle at our little group’s dynamic. The dragon roared again, and while the others prepared to fight, Zoro and I simply exchanged a knowing glance, savoring the chaotic yet oddly familiar atmosphere.

"But, Brook, you just met the dragon today?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"True," Brook admitted, "but it looked like it was going to eat me! Then it turned away like I was some bag of bones! It’s accurate, but still hurts!"

"There, there, pal, it's okay," Usopp said, trying to comfort Brook from the sting of the dragon's rejection, patting him on the back as Brook sniffled dramatically.

The sight of Usopp consoling a skeleton about being rejected by a dragon was too much, and I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Even Zoro let out a low chuckle beside me, the absurdity of the situation taking the edge off the tension.

"Only us," I muttered, shaking my head as the samurai and Brook readied themselves for their showdown with the dragon. "Only us."

Just then, Nami released her Thunder Trap, shocking the dragon with a powerful jolt of electricity. The dragon roared in pain, and neither Kin'emon nor Brook managed to vanquish the beast.

"Well done, breast band girl! You're skilled in the ninja arts, I see," said Kin'emon, nodding approvingly.

Turning towards Kin'emon, I clenched my right hand, a surge of protective anger welling up inside me. "Nami, want me to—"

"No, Y/N, it’s okay," Nami interjected, her voice calm and reassuring.

I slowly unclenched my hand, taking a deep breath to steady myself. Just then, Usopp stepped forward, launching his Special Attack: Raposa. The dragon’s senses were disoriented as the attack hit, causing it to thrash about in confusion.

"What?! The long-nose man can conjure sorcery too?" Kin'emon exclaimed in amazement.

"What did you call me?!" Usopp shouted back, indignant at the "long-nose" remark.

Then Robin joined the fray, her calm voice cutting through the chaos. "Cien Fleur: Quatro Mano, Hold." Giant hands sprouted from the ground, grabbing hold of the dragon and forcing it down.

"Are you all powerful ninjas?" Kin'emon gasped, running forward with Brook, both eager to finally vanquish the dragon.

Zoro and I exchanged a look, stifling our laughter as the scene unfolded.

[alexiethymia]

Hi, love your blog ❤️ especially your analysis on Jinshi and MaoMao. I have read LN till around volume 9 plus manga and I don't have any problem with spoilers.

Can you list all Jinshi X MaoMao moments? Like from volume 10 to whichever volumes you have finished...?

You see, as much as I love other characters, I'm mainly reading it to see my favourite ship sail, i.e. JinshiXMaoMao ✨ so if there are any great shipping moments in future chapters please list them, I'll give it a go. Thank you so much, really loved your char analysis ✨. This gem of a story is not discussed enough!

I can’t recall everything entirely, and the web novel I’m sure will differ from the light novel. But here are a few.

Some of the moments which I loved where when Jinshi asked to hold Maomao’s hands interlacing like in a lover’s hold. From what I read, he sort of marked her middle finger. Maomao later gets embarrassed after the fact. I’m not sure if it’s because she thinks everyone else saw them or because of the mark.

The moment I mentioned in my post was I think the end of LN 12? And also the end of WN 10 if I’m not mistaken. Maomao goes to Jinshi on her own. They end up hugging on the floor and she ends up falling asleep on him. He brings her to his bed (like the time she saved him during the ritual), and kisses her forehead for replenishment.

The recent WN arcs are quite interesting since Maomao has accepted his feelings and in her words, they’re now in a relationship (though of course as characteristic of Maomao she’s still cool towards him). There’s one interesting chapter about a night visit (haha) though nothing happens. In other words Jinshi is restraining himself. But surprisingly! It’s Maomao who’s being a bit forward now. At the end of the recent chapter in the recent arc, Jinshi is stopping himself from touching Maomao because he’ll want to hug her tight (and bite and lick her too, gosh does this man not get embarrassed at all??) and Maomao ends up tracing her finger down the back of his wrist up until his middle finger (maybe as payback to what he did in the Western Capital?) and I don’t know about you but it reads to me as her teasing him, though I might warn her from provoking him too much haha. (But then again maybe Maomao does want something to happen).

It’s also sweet to hear her inner thoughts after the night visit that she was both relieved and disappointed nothing happened and that she wants to both see him and not see him. It’s interesting to see her maybe unsure, and perhaps also a bit restless when Jinshi doesn’t call on her. Because this time she’s the one who asks Chue to call Jinshi to contact her. And finally the piece de resistance, when she wants help with something involving her Joka nee-chan, she thinks about someone she can trust, and the only face that comes to her mind is Jinshi. Arghh my heart. For this wary cat to realize how much she really trusts Jinshi. And perhaps her taking this step in accepting his feelings is her way of showing belief in his words that he will make it so she doesn’t regret them being together.

And oh! I loved the mother and daughter-in-law talk. For Aduo to finally reveal the truth to Maomao since she sees how serious the both of them are getting, for Aduo to compare herself to Maomao, for Aduo to offer her a chance to escape even if it would make her son unhappy (Chue actually interjects here! Because Aduo ordered her to make his son happy and Chue can’t accomplish that mission with Maomao gone, gah my heart. Chue the captain of the Jinshi x Maomao ship), and despite that chance and learning the truth, for Maomao to gain the resolve to stay (with Jinshi) anyway. They really have come so far.

[cressthebest]

Crimson Rivers thoughts pt. 44

chapter 67:

1. jfc remus (how is he that strong)

2. god, can’t our side have one fucking win? all these people captured. including my remus

3. “"She started the war for me, and she'll end it for me, too."” GOD i love lesbians

4. NO NO NOOOO NO NO NOOOOOO NOOOOO NOOOO MARLENE STOP NOOOOO!!! SHE WANTS TO PROPOSE TO DORCAS AFTER THE WAR!!!! SHES GONNA DIE I CANT HANDLE THIS

5. 😦

6. marlene?? i-

7. i’m still in shock

8. okay i have my bearings. this is why the post is two days after the last one lol. anyways, i’m actually pissed that she didn’t get to die a big dramatic or memorable death. she didn’t do anything. it was just a landmine. and she’s dead. and i get it, i really do. war isn’t always big heroic deaths. it’s also this. where one moment, you’re planning to propose to your partner and laughing with your freind, and half a second later, you’re blown to bits. but genuinely, her death fucked me up. i knew it was coming, but not like this. holy shit, not like this

anyways, the first thing i did after i read that bit was text my freind. and first thing they did was call me. i sent in bold “IM CRYING” and i get back “why” “MARLENE” bro immediate call. not well. not well at all

9. i continued and read the rest of her death. and her last words being dorcas will forever fuck me up

10. PANDORA????? PANDORA????

12. anyways all i did was call back the freind and say “PANDORA” and that bitch laughed at me. (love them to death) told them to go suck a lemon (they’d never heard that phrase before) and then they made me hang up to finish reading

my poor roommate has heard me call this freind twice (it’s ten o’clock at night)

13. “Horace would need more than just two hands, many more, to count the amount of people who would have gladly put their guns down for Pandora alone.” yeah, me for one

14. FLEAMONT NOOOOO

15. james will be devestated beyond belief

16. remus? huh??? he was shot in the head. but. he had a pov. i’m not sure now

17. …dorcas? i was so sure she had a pov

no wait she has a pocket. just checked

18. regulus???

19. um actually albus can fucking keel over. wont save all those other people in the lineup, then hears his brothers name and is willing to sacrifice the war for him. i get it, but alberforth knew this would happen to him

20. huh, damn. and alberforth still gets shot

21. 🚨🚨🚨pandora is safe. holy shit pandora is safe. i repeat pandora is safe 🚨🚨🚨

22. and fleamont and suddenly that all made sense

23. “”You forgot to count your bullets."” do i hate snape? yeah. but that’s fucking iconic

24. “Riddle lost the moment those doors burst open and two of Euphemia's someday son-in-laws moved into the room with Dorcas Meadowes one step ahead of them.” lmao freaking iconic. more historically important than trump getting shot

25. effie stopping to mourn barty gave me chills

26. NO FLEAMONT!!!! i’m getting fucking whiplash from this

27. effie having such a short pov but still so much emotion and character is shown in her love for fleamont

28. yall remus, regulus, and dorcas are fucking insane.

and i’m so here for it

29. “For all those years Sirius was taken away from him, Regulus breaks Riddle's fingers. Ten years, ten fingers.

For what Riddle took from James, Regulus takes his eyes. This is a difficult task. Regulus has never removed someone's eyes before. It's messy, and it takes the combined efforts of Remus and Dorcas to keep Riddle from flopping right out of his chair.”

mom pick me up i’m scared

30. “There are no good people in war, and now Dorcas thinks there are no good people out of it—certainly not her, because she would gladly go back into it just to have Marlene again.”

going feral over this actually. i’m unwell. i’m so freaking feral over this omg

31. reading authors notes and finding out that monty was author’s prim is actually making me go fucking insane

32. 😀 hi i’m unwell

(anyways side note, uhhh chapter was fucking insane but also like if y’all are reading this fic or this post, just know that there is no anger or resentment towards the author. he wrote this for himself and shared it with us. it’s a masterpiece and we RESPECT people. so yeah, this is the story he wanted to tell, so he wrote it for himself. just ya know, so yall remember)

[also don’t sell fics 😊 i will hunt you down]

[nikeiyomiurioverthinker]

Nikei Yomiuri has BPD: the masterpost

So I've been formally requested to make a post on why I believe Nikei has BPD- so strap in, folks, this is gonna be a long one.

I want to preface this with, I am in no way a mental health expert, I am in no way qualified to actually diagnose anyone with anything, but I am a weirdo who likes to read the DSM-5 for kicks who also happens to think about Nikei Yomiuri a lot. Everything I say needs to be taken with a grain of salt, yadda yadda yadda, you know how that all goes.

TW for discussions of sui, CSA and SH. I am not planning to discuss any of these topics in depth (except for the first one, due to just. Nikei being Nikei), but if the topics distress you in any way, I would advise simply not reading this. Look after yourself.

So, firstly, I would like to discuss how BPD develops. Though there are many possible causes, such as genetics, affecting the on-set of BPD symptoms, one of the most common causes is childhood abuse, especially CSA. We currently do not yet know Nikei's backstory and how he was 'saved' by Utsuro, but it is commonly believed that it had to do with CSA. It both explains some of his behaviors- the weird hypersexual tendencies and his extremely negative reaction to being touched by Mikado from behind, for example- and 'fits', so to speak, Void's tendency in everyone there suffering some sort of child abuse. This is mostly to explain how Nikei fits the common parameters of someone in whom BPD could develop.

Now, as for the diagnostic criteria: the DSM-5 dictates there are 9 major symptoms of BPD, and in order to qualify, the patient needs to fulfill at least 5.

Before I go over which of the symptoms he fulfills, I want to start with stating that Nikei is a particularly hard character to get a read on, mostly due to him faking his personality for the greatest majority of the game, and though I do not believe everything about him that we see is 100% fake at all times, it would be presumptuous of me to discern what I personally believe to be real or not. Therefore, I will keep myself limited to:

His actions throughout the game (plus the ones he made from behind the scenes and also what he did before the actual happenings of the game)

Nikei's bouts of anger (which he is shown to be physically unable to control)

Chapter 6's Void Theatre (since Linuj has stated that Nikei was being truthful in it and was thus is 'real self')

Talking about his anger… symptom number 1, "Inappropriate, intense anger that can be difficult to control" and symptom number 2, "Rapidly shifting intense emotional dysregulation". I don't think I need to go too in-depth when talking about how he fits these symptoms. If you have played the game, you know Nikei is shown to turn easily aggressive in ways he seems unable to control. I think the scene that highlights that the most is the one in chapter 4 while everyone is in Nikei's room- right after Mikado leaves. Nikei is unable to calm himself down, and has to cut short the meeting due to his inability to regulate his emotions properly. Honestly, Nikei in the fourth trial could also be used as an example for this.

Symptom number 3, "Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment". The man's gut reaction to Emma, Hajime and Iroha 'leaving' him was to come up with a plan to fuck over the man who took them away from him. It's actually a little hard to express myself in-depth on these first points, because I feel as though it would just be me repeating the game's plot points or just. Describing his character, rather than adding anything new to the discussion… of course, it's also pretty obvious that Nikei has extremely unstable relationships (again, Void), so he fits the fourth symptom as well, "Unstable and chaotic interpersonal relationships, often characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation, also known as "splitting" ". He doesn't necessarily 'split' on anyone in game, unless you count the fact that he can go from developing a crush on Sora to hating her guts in chapter 4, though in that case, his sudden hatred is more than understandable, considering the context- but I have to stress, it is almost impossible for us to know how Nikei feels about people in general, since most of his relationships are technically developed off-camera. As I am talking about Nikei's relationships, I feel like it would be a disservice to this 'theory' to not bring up this specific answer to a question that Linuj himself gave:

Nikei is not healthy with his interpersonal relationships. While this comment is strictly about romantic relationships, it is not a stretch to say that he gets obsessive about others in general- ergo, his relationships are unstable by definition.

Our fifth symptom is "Markedly disturbed sense of identity and distorted self-image"- one of his most obvious characteristics as a person is his inferiority complex, which feeds into his desire for power. To this, we can also add his struggle with his own self-worth. We don't know why exactly Nikei idolizes his hand as of yet, but it doesn't take an expert to realize that no matter the reason, his obsession with it doesn't exactly give us the impression his self-image is in any way stable.

Theoretically, I could stop here, since to be diagnosed you only need to fulfill 5 symptoms, but I am an overachiever to a fault so I'm gonna go on.

Symptom number 6, "Impulsive or reckless behaviors (e.g., uncontrollable spending, unsafe sex, substance use disorders, reckless driving, binge eating)". Now this might be weird to some of you, since Nikei doesn't really show any of these behaviors in game (again, not counting personal headcanons for this, so even if I do believe Nikei is definitely a reckless driver, I can't exactly say that counts since it is 100% based on vibes) but these are all just examples of reckless behaviors- Nikei has just significantly more personalized ones. Like, say, participating in a killing game of his own free will, or using an actual stun gun on himself rather than just pretending to be unconscious, or randomly changing key details of the plan he made supposedly months prior on the fly (ie adding Teruya to the mix when his spot was originally supposed to be taken by Syobai). Assuming Nikei has BPD actually makes chapter 4 make more sense.

"Recurrent suicidal ideation or self harm"- this is the last symptom I am going to talk about, and the primary reason for the TW at the start. This is probably gonna be somewhat headcanon-y, and if anyone wants to disregard that as such I cannot exactly fault them for it, but hear me out: Nikei's plan counts as a suicide plan. Nikei is not an idiot- he would have known that, no matter how it ended up going, if he failed or not, Nikei was gonna die either way- if his plan worked and Yuki was executed, Mikado would have retaliated and killed him in revenge; if his plan worked and Yuki got away with it, he would have died in the mass execution; and if, how it happened in canon, he failed he would have been killed, too (Mikado may have said that he would have forgiven Nikei if he returned back to Void, but let's be real here- that was a bold faced lie. He was just gloating). This plan would have ended up with him dead no matter what, and he was okay with it- which I don't need to tell you, is not exactly something someone who has never considered suicide before would do.

(Also random thought that I probably wouldn't be able to fit in another post- Nikei's execution itself is fairly odd, in the sense that he was ultimately the one who killed himself. He was the one that ran up the stairs, he was the one that jumped off the building, he was the one that failed to catch the ladder- hell, jumping off a building is a pretty common suicide method. His death is unique in the sense that he brought it all to himself- he was the only executee that wasn't tied down in any way, all his actions were truly his choice. He didn't need to run away from the Monocrows, but he did. He didn't need to go up the stairs instead of down, but he did. He didn't need to jump, but he did.)

The last two symptoms are:

Chronic feelings of emptiness

Transient, stress-related paranoid or severe dissociative symptoms

Which I don't think I can apply to Nikei in good conscience, since it's pretty hard to discern how that man is feeling at all times (other than, well, when he is raging). That would wound up being wayyy too headcanon-y for even me to excuse. Like, do I believe he is depressed? Absolutely. Do I believe he has PTSD? Certainly, but I can't point to any exact action he takes in game and point to it to say that he is 100% depressed. It's mostly just vibes. And again, I don't really need to? I have already given ample evidence as to why I believe Nikei has BPD, even without these last two symptoms.

(I mean, I COULD prove that Nikei has PTSD- if we consider his more than likely sexual trauma and his reaction to him being grabbed by Mikado specifically, someone who he considers to be a threat- that certainly feels like PTSD to me. Even without that, I genuinely doubt anyone that lived through the Tragedy DOESN'T have PTSD. Anyway I am losing track of the post here-)

I don't exactly know how to end this, but yeah! That's about it. Nikei has BPD, thanks for coming to my TedTalk.

[catindabag]

That’s it. Here are my personal Top 10 favorite TBOSAS fanfics to read on the weekends.

PS: Most of them were published even before the trailer for the upcoming movie premiered.

So here are my recommendations:

1. The Plinth Prize by Redex

This oneshot is a certified classic angsty Snowjanus/SnowPlinth fic. And honestly, this is why I support my fellow SnowPlinth shippers, cuz this story could definitely replace the last 3 chapters of TBOSAS and I wouldn’t even question it.

2. Nothing to lose by HopelessRomantikk

This oneshot is another Snowjanus/SnowPlinth fic. However, this one is quite romantically sweet as cinnamon with lots of kisses. Just play the song Say Yes to Heaven by Lana Del Rey in the background and you’re good to go.😘

3. Reflections of the Garden by madzdolin

This one is an angsty SnowBaird fic that actually gives you one of the best bittersweet endings ever. It also gave the readers a proper closure to Coryo’s relationship with both Lucy Gray and Sejanus. You might even cry a little when you read the last chapter. Just saying~.😚

4. Saving Each Other by flipflop_diva

This oneshot is one of those unique SnowBaird fics that gives the readers a good “What if” scenario to seriously think about, cuz in this AU, Coryo doesn’t escape the Arena with Sejanus. So he’s basically stuck with Lucy Gray as another “tribute,” until they both won by waiting and poisoning everybody else. And yes, Reaper was not amused.

5. You Complete Me by gaytriforce

This oneshot is another classic Snowjanus/SnowPlinth confession fic. Moreover, I really loved the simple way of how they got together. And to be honest, this short fic could replace the whole Peacekeeper arc and I wouldn’t even notice the change.

6. Pursuit Predation by evaerobics

This oneshot is that rare Snowjanus/SnowPlinth AU fic that deserves another 50 chapters. It basically gives the readers a “What if” scenario where Coryo was chosen to Mentor District two’s male Tribute, Sejanus Plinth. And yes, Sejanus kissed Coryo in front of his classmates before entering the Capitol Arena.

7. The last two loves of his life by boneslen

This one is a good bittersweet angsty SnowBaird/SnowPlinth fic. Basically, Lucy Gray was forced to become an Avox by Dr. Gaul. Sejanus is still dead. And Coryo is busy having a mental breakdown every second of the day. The newly elected President of Panem just really wants both his girlfriend and boyfriend back, ok. The Bi-panic is real with this one.

8. Roses and Nutmeg by PliaPlia

This Snowjanus/SnowPlinth oneshot features a very stressed out malnourished AF Coryo, who became quite ill because he keeps giving away his food to a very busy Tigris. Seriously, somebody give the poor cabbage boy some soup. Sejanus, call your Ma and feed your future boyfriend.

9. Feverish Dreams by Cordeliadumaurier

Let’s just agree that this long ass SnowBaird fic has the craziest story of the season. I mean, the revenge plot alone is amazing, and every single character is insane in their own way, even Lucy Gray. Moreover, everyone is just borderline obsessed with Coryo’s dead dad, Crassus Snow. Even dead Dean Casca Highbottom was freaking in love with Snow’s dead dad! So yeah, they’re all obsessed, depressed, and crazy. Everyone needs therapy, but Snow still lands on top. #Crasca4ever

10. The Sound of Snow Falling by PRES_CS_HGT

This HG/TBOSAS fic is one of my personal favorites. The plot alone is great and unique in its own way, because it features a very young and confused 5’4 and a half Coryo Snow waking up after the end of the Second Rebellion. Also, the new President, Alma Coin wants to place him inside the Arena as a Tribute for the crimes he doesn’t even remember committing. And his assigned Mentor, Katniss Everdeen hates him for some reason. And what the heck happened to Tigris?! Why is she so old?! And why does she look like a literal tiger?! Who knows, Coryo Snow.

Special Mention:

1. I’m so sorry, Coryo by HopelessRomantikk

Basically, this features Sejanus Plinth’s angsty POV in TBOSAS, and how he was secretly in love with Coryo Snow since forever. However, he still meets the same fate here.

2. The needle in the brain by Sweetlit

This TBOSAS AU fic is already wild and spicy like some Lana Del Rey album. The plot alone is great and full of mysteries. Moreover, this story’s “What if” scenario features a very desperate and depressed Coryo Snow seducing a heartbroken Dean Casca Highbottom to let him stay in the Capitol after winning the Hunger Games. And let’s just agree that if ever Crassus Snow reads this fic, he might as well burn Panem to the ground.

3. The Hanging Tree by SirFanfic

This oneshot features a regretful Coryo Snow, who decided to have a last minute change of heart and saved Sejanus from being hanged.

[annawayne]

Hi Anna!!!! I hope you're taking care of yourself :3 For the writers ask game, in regards to MYLYSW:

1, 2, 5, 9, 11, 13, 14

Please take care Anna, and I wish you lots of energy and inspiration and good moments to do the things you want to do :3

Oh, Moon, hello-hello!

*sigh* I'm not very good because one of my chronical health problems came back yesterday, but well, I'm as fine as I can be, considering all the circumstance, but thank you a lot for your words and questions!

It was such a great distraction to answer all of it about My Yellow Light in Your Soft Whispers (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

1 What inspired you to write the fic this way?

From the very start, I really wanted to explore Annie's character and far, far into the future, where she already experiences a lot of new things and the date of her death, when she was under curse, long expired. But since this whole traumatic event happens at the very beginning, all the next chapters are the mix of the past and the present. I think, that when something terrible happens to us which shatters all the world we knew, we always tend to look at the past, how the things used to be with the sweet longing and nostalgia. And yet, with these flashbacks I also want to show that not everything was so unclouded back then. They were happy, but didn't they just simply convince themselves for it because "this is how it should be"? Plus, all the flashbacks + the present events work together with Unreliable narrator tag - Annie IS unreliable narrator, and that's why some things the reader should read with sort of skepticism.

I think that is such a mix of the past and the present is a great way to show how messy Annie's mind is - she's constantly looking back, not even realizing that some things she sees the way she wants to see, and completely ignoring the present. The past - is her salvation. But is it a blissful oblivion or life-saving escape? Who knows. And this is what I also try to explore in this fic, and that's why we have s great amount of flashback in (almost) every chapter.

2 What scene did you first put down?

Oh, Moon, thank you a lot for this question, because the very first scenes that appeared in my mind are quite the backbone of the whole fic. One of them, is the scene from Chapter 5, with the reveal what really happened that day in March; another one - it's the scene I'm actually writing right now (like, right now-now, I made a break to answer your ask) from Chapter 10, and also the very beginning - this whole day in March was very vivid in my mind, when the first idea came to me, particularly, the scene on the stage - and the transition to AruAni's cottage, where a few times I play with readers making them believe that it was dream - or not - until we realize that it really DID happen. I did my best to confuse the readers as much as possible, and I hope it played out because I really wanted to show how much this day in March affected Annie and how it sets the whole narration rhythm from the start: we can't trust her fully, and yet, to find where's the truth which is the part of her healing, this is what I try to do.

Another scene, it's going to be a bit later, and it's maybe of the most emotional moment in the whole fic. This moment is one of the main catalyst for Annie's character, and I'm quite nervous for it, but well... I don't think too much about it for now, since we have a long way to go :D

5 What part was hardest to write?

This part is actually only yet to come... In the next chapter, 11. This is something that was, let's say, in the second wave of brainstorming for the MYLYSW plot, and I was eager to write it since the beginning, but because this scene is also VERY emotional and marking the new route for AruAni, it's a very responsible scene.

9 Were there any alternate versions of this fic?

There's some very, very, very rough idea of the alternative scenario where Armin never wakes up from his "coma", but I dismissed this idea almost right away because I wanted primarily to explore how two souls overcome something so grave and something so earth-shattering, finding the love - for yourself, for the life and for each other - once again, from the knife-edge pieces of their past scattered around. So I dismiss this very tragic scenario, and stick to "Angst with Happy ending", where through all the difficulties and turmoil, hope and desire to live are much stronger than everything, much stronger than death.

11 What do you like best about this fic?

You know, I left this question for the very end when I was answering all the previous ones because it's always a bit difficult for me to say what "I like" about my writing (and I know you know, and you asked me this question on purpose :D), and after some though I realized that I really cherish this fic for the rawness of emotions and feelings. For the way how it's all so honest that it could you even uncomfortable, how bare and how on display these characters, or, in particular, Annie is. I really wanted to reach this borderline of frankness and truth where is nowhere to hide. I don't know if I succeed, but I do my best to show nothing without sugar-coating and to dive so deep into character's mind, that sometimes it may be scary to see what really hides beneath all layers.

And I think, that this is what I like the most about this fic. How honest and raw it is.

13 What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?

Oh, I have the whole Playlist for this fic, and it's 11 hr 42 min... If anyone is interested, I can share it, but please let me know T^T

And I have a few "main OSTs" for this story which are like the main lead music that settles the whole mood and vibe of the fic, and here it is:

14 Is there anything you wanted readers to learn from reading this fic?

I'll refer with my answer for this question to my answer for the question 9, too: I really want to give hope to everyone who is going through very difficult times that, no matter what, the sun will always come. Even if everything looks so devastating, gloomy, scary and absolutely terrifying, I just want everyone to feel that the things don't get better overnight - it's a process. Long and something torturous, but it's a process, and every day, step by step, you're closer to the moment when things will be better. No matter how angsty this fic is, it has a happy ending, a catharsis which declares that any desire to live is stronger than anything, then death itself, and that it's worth fighting for. You are worth fighting for you, and your happiness is wort it.

For me, this fic is also a reminder for myself. That no matter how difficult and scary my life is, everything ends. The last three years are the pure nightmare for me, and yet, I get up every day with the thoughts that my life is worth it, it's worth to open my eyes and it's worth to cherish it. It's worth the future. And this fic - this is also for me, and for everyone who lost their paths and their grounds. I really hope to give this hope and to show how two completely lost and broken souls find happiness and peace, and if anyone, who will read this fic, will feel some ray of hope or sign to move forward - I'll be enormously happy. Truly.

This fic is like the transition season between winter and spring: first, it's snow that melts, the barren, dry soil peeks trough the piles of dirty mess which is not even snow anymore, but just some slobs. Nights are still cold, maybe even with the frost. The sun starts shine more, but still cold. But some first petals and buds start to bloom - and they're first to die because the winter didn't leave fully. But, with each day. the sun is warmer, the snow melts into the soil and gives water to the new flowers, and the trees blossom with young leaves - and March, this endless March, when the weather always deceives you, finally go and here comes the spring, when everything is born again.

Thank you so much, Moon, for all these questions, and, to be honest, while I was answering all of it, I realized more about my own story then it was before... So thank you for it, always (⁠っ⁠˘⁠з⁠(⁠˘⁠⌣⁠˘⁠ ⁠)

writer's game in question

[poppitron360]

Okay so @green-tea217 requested that I share this fanfic based on this post that I made.

I never usually post my fanfics, but I’m feeling brave. This one isn’t finished, but I’ll post the first chapter ‘cause I’m really proud of it. I’m working on the other fanfics that were requested, but I’m posting this one first because I’ve worked rlly had on it.

Summary: Kind of an OC/FanChild fic about my hcs for Percabeth’s kids. VERY Leo/Nico heavy bc they’re my two favourite characters, particularly Leo.

TWs: Swearing, lack of smut (she is a teenager)

Disclaimers: I was still reading SoN when I wrote this chapter, and I am currently on HoH, so if I’ve missed anything that gets revealed later, that’s why. Also I listened to the audiobooks, so if I spell a name wrong, that’s also why, either that or I’ve spelt something the British way.

Chapter 1:

Olympia hated stories.

She hated telling them. She hated hearing them. She hated the way they were often twisted and bent to contain some kind of message. She hated the theatrics of sharing them around the fire, the hushed voices and dramatic tone. And she hated how every story she heard was almost always about her dad.

Olympia Grace Jackson-Chase.

Of course.

For as long as she can remember, people had told her stories about her parents. About her and her birth. How she had been born on Olympus. How Apollo himself had delivered her, and named her “Olympia Grace” so that it would rhyme with her last name. That wasn’t entirely true. “Grace” was the last name of her Auntie Thalia and Uncle Jason. She hated the stories about them too- about all her parents’ friends. They were myths and legends in the eyes of the other campers, to her they were just people who babysat her sometimes. The Cabin 9’ers had been shocked when she’d told them that the heroic son of Hephaestus who had saved the world from Gaea and her evil forces was actually just Little Uncle Leo, and the first Fire User in three and a half centuries isn’t very mythical and legendary when he’s running in from the kitchen, waving a tea-towel at the fire alarm and yelling “Oh shit, the guacamole’s on fire. I set the guacamole on fire. Don’t tell your mom.”

People never wanted to hear those stories. Only the exiting and dangerous ones.

“Percy Jackson fought the Minotaur when he was only ten years old!!!”

“Percy Jackson keeps insisting I tidy my room.”

Suffice it to say, she was sick of it.

“Dad,” she asked, approaching the kitchen table.

Perseus Jackson, the man, the myth, the legend himself, looked up from his comic book and ginned at her.

“What is it, dolphin?”

“Can you… like… not send me to camp this year?”

Her dad frowned, put The Amazing Spider-Man down on the table and leaned back in his chair.

“Why? What’s up? Are the other campers not nice to you there?”

“It’s not that… in fact, it’s the opposite. The attention is getting too much. I wanna learn to fight, but… I’d rather you just teach me yourself. You can show me how to use my water powers.”

“Oly, I know it’s hard, especially as you’re one of the first Legacies at Camp Half-Blood. I can absolutely arrange for you to not go anymore if you don’t want to… but there’s only so much I can teach you on my own, particularly with your mother’s workload. I want to make sure you’d be protected. Could you maybe give it a try, please?”

Olympia was pretty sure she’d been “giving it a try” for the last 14 summers, but she didn’t want to argue with her dad.

“Fine,” she said.

“That’s my girl,” he beamed, “Now, remember to pack your armour for Capture the Flag, I don’t want to have to drive out there and back just ‘cause you forgot it again.”

She sighed and left the room.

She just wished that he had stayed in the car when he’d dropped her off, but no. He insisted on walking with her to the Big House, saying hello to Chiron and generally being a huge embarrassment. It didn’t take long for the crowds of campers to form around them, whispering behind their hands. She hugged her dad, and said goodbye to him as quickly as she could.

She dumped her things in the Poseidon Cabin. She was allowed in both her mom and her dad’s old cabins, but she preferred to be alone to sleep. She did her activities with the Athena kids though, she didn’t want to stand out any more than she already did.

Olympia sat alone, perched on the edge of the Athena table, when suddenly a kid shuffled up next to her. She looked about twelve, with the same grey eyes of her mother.

“What’s your name?” The girl asked.

“Olympia Jackson-Chase,” Olympia sighed.

“I’ve noticed you doing cabin activities with us, but you don’t sleep with the other Athenians? What’s up with that?”

Olympia took a deep breath, and began to explain, “I’m a-“

“Wait. Jackson-Chase?” The kid gasped.

Oh, here we go, Olympia thought, preparing for the usual swooning and/or geeking out.

“Your mother was Annabeth Chase?”

Olympia was slightly taken aback, “Usually, people talk mostly about my father. I’m always “The daughter of Percy Jackson,” never “the daughter of Annabeth Chase.””

“Oh but she’s a legend! She re-designed Olympus! She led our cabin in battle against the Titans! She even held up the sky! I mean, I know your dad did that too, but-“

“She did it for longer. She was under that thing for over a day, he only held it for at most 20 minutes.”

The girl laughed.

“And, if you ask me, she was the one who did all the work when it came to defeating Kronos. Dad did jack shit, just handed a knife to a guy.”

“Exactly! Just because he was in the Prophecy-“

“Nah, it’s a lot simpler than that,” Olympia said, “It’s because he’s a man.”

They sat in silence for a bit.

She never blamed her dad for overshadowing her mom. He didn’t mean to. In fact, he openly hated the stories that didn’t recognise her for all she did. They were so in love, it was sickening.

“I can’t believe she’s, like, my sister.”

The girl gasped, and grabbed Olympia’s arm, “Wait, does that make me your aunt?”

Olympia shook her head, “Don’t bother with family trees, man, otherwise you get into the whole “my dad’s dad is my mom’s mom’s uncle, which makes me kinda my mom’s second cousin, and my dad her cousin-once-removed”- it’s just too much to get your head around.”

She looked directly into the girl’s grey eyes, “My advice, kid, believe whatever bullshit they tell you about the Gods not having DNA, and just try not to think about it.”

The girl’s face fell. “Oh.”

Then she looked exited again, “Did you come out of her tummy or her head like I did with my mom?”

And there we go, Olympia thought. Geez, they didn’t hesitate to ask the really invasive questions, did they?

She took her three-pronged fork out of her pocket, and fidgeted with it, twirling it in her fingers. Instantly, she realised her mistake.

“Why do you carry a fork around and never eat with it?” The girl asked. More questions.

Might at well get it over with, she thought.

“Gift from Grandpa,” she replied.

“A gift from Poseidon? What does it do?”

She sighed again, and dangled the fork over the girl’s glass of orange juice, and let go. It dropped into the glass with a satisfying plop, and then rose to the surface. No, it wasn’t rising. It was growing. It’s shaft elongated, and the prongs stretched to become longer and way more deadly. Intricate designs started carving itself into the metal. Olympia stood up, and grabbed the shaft of the fork just as it finished growing. A three-pronged death skewer of pure celestial bronze. A Trident.

The surrounding campers gaped at her, open-mouthed.

“Woah,” said one of the Hephaestus campers, clearly someone who hadn’t seen the spectacle before.

“OLYMPIA JACKSON-CHASE! NO WEAPONS AT THE DINNER TABLE! CAMP RULES! YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT!!”

“Sorry Chiron,” Olympia called. She twisted a little ring of metal around the shaft of the trident, and it shrank back into a fork. She sat back down.

“It responds to water,” she explained, “get it wet, and boom, Trident.”

She had named it Blue. It was her first word, after all. Or at least, that was the story. Poseidon had given it to her on her second birthday, and she had just looked at it, holding it in her tiny fist, and cried “bloooo!” It was probably just baby babbling, but Dad said it counted.

“So what’s Poseidon like? Do you have water powers too? Can you get me your mom’s autograph? Is your dad really 7ft tall?”

She ate the rest of her lunch in silence, only answering the onslaught of questions from the young camper when she had to.

Cabin 3 offered a pleasant respite from the crowds and the people. She dropped her armour and weapons from the day’s activites by the door and kicked off her shoes.

She looked at herself in the mirror.

(Drawing of Olympia: Art by me)

Her curly black hair, which she’d dyed the tips of blonde, was pulled back into a messy ponytail. Around her neck hung a necklace of leather chord, fourteen different coloured beads threaded onto them, each painted with a different design. Her broad shoulders and thick muscles bulged through her plain navy-blue tank top. Her skin was tanned from spending long hours training in the sun. She had a battle-hardened look to her that meant people often mistook her for a daughter of Ares. But her eyes was what made her stand out most- one grey, like her mother, one green, like her father. Her parents had told her how her birth had ended the centuries-long feud between Poseidon and Athena for good, and she had been given those eyes as a way of symbolising that. Another story. It felt like every part of her body had been attached to a story about something her parents had done. Why couldn’t she just be herself? She had spent 16 years living under the shadow of her parents, she was homeschooled from an early age, and had been going to camp since before she could even hold a sword- the demigod life was all she’d ever known. Someday, she’d get away from it all. She’d sink to the bottom of the Mariana Trench and just study the fish, and she wouldn’t have to worry about people or monsters

Suddenly, she felt something tap her on her shoulder. Quick as lightning, she grabbed Blue and spun around. Blue, still in fork form, was about a centimetre away from the neck of her intruder, who held up his hands in surrender.

“Whoah there!” He said.

When she saw who it was, she lowered the weapon and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Leo!” She cried.

“Hey, how’s my favourite cousin? Or… whatever.”

She looked at him and smiled. Despite him being old enough to be her dad, he was about half her size. With a thin, wiry frame and very little meat on his bones. His wild, curly brown hair framed his pointed face and elfish features. His dark skin was covered in a thin layer of motor oil and grime of unknown origin. He tapped her cheek affectionately, leaving a grubby handprint on her face. He walked over to her bed and leaped onto the top bunk, his legs dangling off the ladder.

“You need to stop growing,” he instructed, “You are getting too big, it’s not fair.”

“You need to stop being so short,” Olympia retorted, then her face broke into a huge smile, “I feel like I never see you anymore!”

“I know, you’re too old for me to babysit now, kiddo,” He complained.

“Well that always ended in disaster anyway. There’s still burn marks on that wall.”

“Did your mom find out?” He asked.

“Nope. Dad told her he just wanted to hang more pictures up. And then he went on a long speech about how nice she looked in that wedding photo, and then took her out for ice cream. I think she bought it.”

“Good.”

They stayed in comfortable silence for a few seconds, and then she asked, “So… it’s great that you’re here and all, but… why are you here?”

“What, I can’t come and visit my favourite partner in crime every now and then?”

“Leo…” Her tone was firm.

Leo’s face was suddenly dark and serious, he paused before speaking, but said, “I think I have news about your brother.”

That was Chapter 1- if this post gets… let’s say… 30 notes, I’ll post Chapter 2.

[ridox]

Questions about Xavier & Theories Following Chapter 8 —

I need anyone’s input/theory/thoughts regarding this matter because I haven’t gone through much of Xavier’s Secret Times and Tender Moments yet, and I’ve only unlocked 3/9 of Shooting Stars

Discussion under the cut for potential spoilers

Anyway, I just finished going through Chapter 8 of the Main Story and based from this conversation with Jeremiah. Does this mean Xavier has direct/or indirect influence over what happened to Josephine and Caleb on Chapter 4?

I’m assuming the Nonintervention Principle is for the Lightseekers who venture through space, calling for them to basically NOT ALTER anything in the timeline they’re hopping onto as a preventative measure to creating a butterfly effect (?)

I remember some people saying that Xavier caused the explosion but now that I think about it I don’t think he inherently has anything to do with it. Rather, I think his presence, Jeremiah’s, alongside all the other backtrackers or whatever you call them, is what caused Josephine and Caleb’s death (?)

I have to gather my thoughts for a more concrete theory about this but in essence, the fact that some of the residents of Philos never returned to their own home and their correct timeline… caused a major butterfly effect that essentially kickstarted the catastrophic events that’s happening in MC’s life as of the moment

I feel like Xavier knew what was going to happen to MC’s grandmother and PERHAPS he even knows if Caleb really died or not but he’s bound by this rule to not intervene and to just let it pan out the way it’s supposed to be

Which kinda creates a loophole because his existence itself in this timeline is what caused it to happen in the first place (?) if that specific theory is right

ANYWAY MOVING ON TO MY ACTUAL QUESTIONS —

I remember reading a theory or perhaps an actual explanation that - in an attempt to try and save Queen MC - Xavier created a Möbius Strip that essentially catapults him back in time creating this unending loophole in the Philos timeline

MY QUESTION IS… IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT THE MÖBIUS STRIP IN QUESTION IS WHAT RESULTED IN THE DEEPSPACE TUNNEL? OR THE DEEPSPACE TUNNEL ITSELF IS THE MÖBIUS STRIP?

I haven’t done enough research to support this theory because it’s 12 AM and I just finished the chapter and want to document these thoughts but I’m theorizing that Xavier’s effort to save his MC in his own timeline resulted in a time rift in the form of the Deepspace Tunnel.

The same tunnel that was the main reason why MC’s heart got implanted with the Aether Core in the first place. What if the Wanderers that ravaged Linkon City those many years ago were actually Philos citizens (backtrackers, lightseekers) that died during the creation of the tunnel and emerged on the other side as just that… Wanderers?

What if the Wanderer that stabbed current MC through the heart is an alternate timeline/Philos timeline MC who recognized herself and essentially transplanted her heart to hers?

LIKE MY MIND IS GOING MILES AN HOUR THINKING ABOUT THIS BUT I KNOW EVERYTHING’S MESSY AND UNORGANIZED SO LIKE MAYBE I’LL WRITE THIS UP MORE IN THE FUTURE WITH SUPPORTING FACTS AND STUFF

But yeah! To summarize it all —

- Xavier and the rest of the backtrackers/lightseekers in Linkon City are Space and Time anomalies

- Their existence in itself is wrong and is what resulted in the catastrophic event many years ago

- Possibly the Wanderer that pierced current MC’s heart is her from a Philos timeline

- Also Xavier may have been indirectly involve to the death of MC’s grandmother and Caleb

- BUT ALSO I think Xavier knows whether Caleb is truly dead or alive

- Bonus: I feel like Caleb found out that an alternate timeline exists and he had to fake his own death for the sake of MC’s safety

- Just by the end of Chapter 8, everyone was talking about the recent discovery of Philos and imo I feel like this happened prior to Caleb coming home in the first place

- I feel like since Ever pretty much runs everything in Linkon, they tried to sway Caleb into turning MC in for the sake of “research” or something after they found out she’s probably the only living person who fused well with an Aether Core

ANYWAY SORRY FOR THE RAMBLE I WOULD LIKE TO HERE ANYBODY’S THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS PLS I’M SO NECK DEEP INSIDE L&DS LORE

[thevioletcaptain]

Hi! I don’t mean in any way to pressure you but I was wondering if you’re planning on continuing your fic “fortress”? I’d love to see it continue🥰 again no pressure I just really like your works!

Hi anon! Thanks for the message :)

Despite the hellishly long gap between updates, Fortress is not abandoned, and I do intend to finish it. It's actually pretty high up on my to-do list right now, and will be the next major thing I post once As A Friend is done.

Here's the order in which I plan to post DeanCas fics/updates over the next few months -- with some vague spoiler-adjacent-but-not-really-spoilery details for anyone who wants them:

Chapters 5 & 6 - As A Friend Roughly 35k words in total, split over these final two chapters. This will see Dean & Cas return to the bunker, announce their "fake" relationship to Sam & Jack, and then [redacted because I'm not giving the whole thing away even though you already know it's gonna be a happy ending].

Chapters 8, 9, & 10 - Fortress Roughly 22k words split between these three chapters. Chapter 9 (the during chapter in which Dean is suffering) & chapter 10 (the after chapter which follows the first days of Dean living with Cas after coming home) have been ready for a while, but chapter 8 (the before chapter, which features Robin's party when they were 16 👀 a party which you might recall was mentioned by Cas during the previous before chapter) has been holding them hostage. So as soon as 8 is ready I intend to post all three at once.

Oneshot - Hearts Beating Life (Into Each Other) Roughly 25k words of canonverse fuck-or-die fic. In which Cas gets cursed on a hunt, and you'll never guess what Dean has to do to save him..... lol. It'll probably get split into two or three chapters for readability, but I plan to post it all at once. This is only one final scene away from being complete at this point, but I want to finish As A Friend & update Fortress before I share it.

Chapter 8 - Isosceles Roughly 17k words, because this fic refuses to let me be succinct. Dean & Cas discuss more almosts, the angels make contact, we find out exactly what Sam said to Dean in chapter 4, Claire [redacted] when [redacted], Mary and Dean bond over [redacted], and the search for Kelly Kline picks up steam.

Chapters 3 & 4 - Empty Heroics Roughly 20k words split between these final two chapters. In which there is bed sharing, a plan is formulated, and Nobody Dies. I realize that barely anyone even read the first two chapters of this fic, but I still really like it and want to finish it off, so it's the fifth thing on my to-do list.

Oneshot - As-Yet-Untitled Shrinking Curse Fic Roughly 10k words of canonverse established relationship PWP. In which they've been together for literally three days when Dean gets hit with a shrinking curse that won't wear off for a year, and comes up with a creative solution to ensure that they can still enjoy the physical aspects of their new relationship despite being small enough to perch on Cas' shoulder.

Chapter 1 - One More Chain Does The Maker Make Roughly 10k words, and the first of five chapters. The whole fic should come in around 50-60k words, and it's canon-divergent from 15.06. Featuring a lot of pining, and Dean working on Jesse and Cesar's ranch. I posted about it here if you want to know more!

The final 5 chapters of Fortress & final 3 chapters of Isosceles will come next -- likely to be about another 30k and 45k respectively, based on current word counts and what remains to be written.

At some point in between all of this I also plan to post some updates to The Coda Project (I've written at least half of each coda up to 1.12 Faith at this point, I just need to buckle down and finish them off in order so I can start posting them again), along with a handful of short tumblr prompt meme ficlets I've written recently -- specifically, those based on the following six trios of emojis: [🧪🧛🏻‍♀️💦], [🔮🛁🫂], [🤠🎶🌬️], [🪼👀🎨], [🥬🍅✨], and [🥶😶‍🌫️🤯], all of which ended up being significantly longer than they should have been, hence the delay in posting them.

...aaaand I realize that this is far more information than you asked for so I apologize. But thanks again for your message, and for reading. I hope you enjoy all the updates when they're posted 💚

[monbons]

an ask game for writers to procrastinate working on your WIP(s)

thanks for tagging me @bookish-bogwitch, @thewholelemon, @cutestkilla, and @noblecorgi!

1. 🦈Tell us the name of your/ one of your WIP(s): Currently, living, breathing, and eating my one and only WIP: The Eternal Life of Baz Pitch. Also, I am probably retiring after this fic because I do not think I can top it!

2. 🍄Describe your WIP/one of your WIP(s) in the format of “___ + ___ =___” Addie LaRue + SnowBaz = so much pain and angst

3. 🌍What tags or warnings will one of your WIP(s) need if you intend to share it? Period-typical homophobia, Implied/referenced DV, Blood and Injury, Death... I mean truly the works. This is SnowBaz in the darkest possible timeline.

4. 🧭An alternative title to one of your WIP(s)? At one point, I joked with @thewholelemon about naming it "Baz Pitch's 300 Year Long Grope-Fest" but for obvious reasons that title would really do a disservice to this fic (although it is sort of true).

5. ⚠️Which WIP you're most likely to finish or update next? Now that I've created a posting schedule for The Eternal Life of Baz Pitch, I want to stick to it. While I'm "done" drafting, I am still making a few big revisions to the last six chapters. I've also been re-reading the first chapters for continuity issues that may have cropped up now that I know how this ends. Either way, I can see the finish line.

6. 💾What is your document of your WIP/ a WIP called? (not the stories actual title but what you’ve saved it as) It started out as "Addie LaRue Working Draft." Once the one doc got unwieldy and long, it spun out into multiple docs titled all sorts of things - mostly chapter numbers, but I do have one not as fun as it sounds doc called "Sex Playground." (ha!)

7. 🖍Post Any sentence(s) from your WIP. “Are you so naive as to think I cannot watch you whenever it pleases me, even if you cannot see me?”

8. ♻️A scrapped idea for your current WIP. I actually have SEVERAL scenes I scrapped...like pages and pages! Largely this is because I have a whole document titled "Voice," which served as a sandbox of sorts where I could play with every possible combination of POV, tone, and style before committing to the final version you see in the story now. There's even a scene in there told first-person Niall! (Bonkers.)

I also have a whole ACTUAL scene I'd love to include as an answer to this question because it was well-written, but I cut it because it made the plot unnecessarily complicated, was frankly too close to the original plot of Addie, and would have made my ending impossible. It is also--sadly--too big a spoiler to include here, so let me give you a few sentences from "Sex Playground" that will not be making the cut:

“Stay.” Baz pushes his hand into the center of Simon’s chest, pressing him back into the mattress. “I want to look at you.” Simon gives Baz a filthy smile. He can look all he wants. 

9. 🤔What’s a story you’d love to write but haven’t even started yet? I really want to write a canon divergence where Simon successfully but somewhat accidentally reveals Baz is a vampire fifth year, so Baz and the whole Pitch family have to flee from the Mage. I already have the "everybody finds out" scene written and the scene where the Mage realizes the Pitch family is gone, so I guess I have started it. But, I also have no idea where it's going or what it's about, so I haven't really accomplished anything. If anyone has ideas or wants to be a partner-in-crime on this, give me a little shout!

10. 🤡How many WIPS are you actively working on? Literally just this one. Again, I am retiring after this fic! (Or at least taking a very well-deserved break.)

11. 🛠Is there a scene or anything in the WIP you are struggling with right now? Absolutely 100% it is writing the smut. Having never written any on-page sex means I'm figuring it out as I go. Lots of frustrated growls from me (not nearly as frustrated from Simon).

12. ❤️Not a question, just a second Kudos to send. I know many of you have already posted, but tagging anyway since you've commented/liked past WIPsdays and such, in case you're interested in the behind the scenes!

@valeffelees, @roomwithanopenfire, @noblecorgi, @cutestkilla, @iamamythologicalcreature, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @youarenevertooold, @drowninginships, @emeryhall, @hushed-chorus, @rimeswithpurple, @aristocratic-otter, @larkral, @artsyunderstudy, @brilla-brilla-estrellita

[tuffmallowinteractive]

TUFF UPDATE 9/7/23

You know... I always talk about how I started The Closet Door, sorta like those old geezers in the 1980s movies. "Back when I first started this game in fall of 2019..."

But this is this is the first time I can talk about actually finishing it. I've been avoiding discussing it for a while. So much has happened in the last year. When I finally got to a point I could have released TCD, I won't lie- I got scared. I learned the world is a rough place. Even in the indie game development arena. Not everyone has your best interest at heart as a creative, and just about anything in life can happen, regardless of what your goals and plans are- including while making a game.

I am so very fortunate to work with others to bring Lake of Reflection - a short visual novel about life, loss and community to life. If I'd never made that much smaller game, I'd never have the courage to release TCD, which has grown so close to my heart, along with everyone that has joined me during my journey to complete it. Thank you so much everyone who helped me make this game. In so many ways, I am like Zeroi- humbled by your kindness and support more than you can ever know.

My first full length project, The Closet Door will be available to play on November 1st, 2023. I think I've discussed all the features (except for some of the backgrounds having animations) before- but if you'd like to know more about the game's features, its synopsis, as well as read the main character bios, you should check out the game page and make sure to follow for the notification when the game goes live!

But you know there's more, right?

Not only will this release have a voiced opening, but I'll be streaming the common route and first few chapters as a sneak peek this upcoming October 1st as a way to celebrate Tuffmallow.com's live launch on that day! I'll also be announcing some other goodies that I've been HARD at work on- it's been feeling so good getting to a point where I can say things are coming together! I'll be doing so in the Tuff Discord (link) because I want to chat with you guys, answer questions and have a ball! Make sure you're there to save the date for the event!

All the negativity in the world couldn't hold me back, my heart is so full right now! I can't wait to share more with you guys, but for now, thanks for everything and just yeah! This Fall is going to be amazing! <3

~AlwaysJmB