#and he's the one with structural power and she's the one who's been murdered

[skiesareblue]

There's a point at which disliking Rebecca just falls into vastly tired women-hating tropes lacking any nuanced thought and part of this fandom's definitely made it there

[brucewaynehater101]

Batfam Suicide Squad AU:

Villainous versions of all of the Bats are shoved into one universe together. Up until this point in the AU, they do not know each other well. They've maybe seen each other on the field (which probably ended in fights and held grudges), but they aren't family. They are practically strangers.

Amanda Waller just wants to kill them. However, somehow, there's a force that's even worse than these fuckers. She needs a team to take that down, even if the participants are unwilling.

Bruce Wayne:

A cunning villain who can naturally lead teams. He primarily works alone but has proven to be efficient with any person he has to work with. He can bring out their better attributes, but he's ruthless, wary, and an asshole. He has contingency plans to take down anyone and everyone

Dick Grayson:

Practically immortal half-Talon assassin for hire. His rumored mentors are other Talons, Deathstroke, Superman, and various Titans. His skills in combat are fierce, his abilities are enhanced by his state, and his early childhood acrobatics do wonders for his abilities to escape and fight. These pale in comparison to his natural charisma and ability to turn enemies into allies.

Barbara Gordon:

The best hacker on this side of the galaxy. While she mainly stays off of the field due to her being paralyzed from the waist down, she is a formidable opponent. A significant number of politicians worldwide owe her favors, heroes and villains work for her, she knows top secret information, employs a number of traps to protect herself, and understands the nuances in social structures.

Jason Todd:

A brutal enforcer who utilizes fear, power, and death in his territory to demand obedience to his rules. Extremely skilled in various weapons, hand-to-hand combat, bomb making, and demonstrations of force. His senses, healing speed, and reflexes are uniquely enhanced by his exposure to Lazarus Pits. Despite his persona of being quick to anger, he's a masterful tactian and manipulator.

Cass Cain:

The only candidate who does not kill. Her combat prowess exceeds all other candidates and is rarely defeated in battle. Her eerie silence, ability to read others far more accurately than even psychics, and her stealthiness lead her existence to being more of a feared rumor than a confirmed sighting.

Tim Drake:

While he can defeat a range of opponents in combat, his strength lie in the plots he enacts anonymously. He is skilled in plucking strings and dominoes to create the outcomes he desires. Other abilities include hacking, combat, stealth, disguises, and manipulation. For any battle he prepares for, he rarely loses. Only a small handful of his crimes can be proven to be caused by him.

Steph Brown:

She is skilled in deflection, disguises, social circumstances, combat, and observations. Brown utilizes a variety of personas to distract her victims and lead them astray. She's deadly, but hides this aspect well.

Duke Thomas:

A daring and charismatic leader of a meta rights movement. His group has committed various crimes in their pursuits. He is the only born meta of the group, extremely skilled in utilizing his powers, decisive in outcomes, skilled in combat, and ruthless to prejudice. He can be charming and is extremely emotionally intelligent, which is a skill he uses to subtly influence others.

Damian Al Ghul:

Due to his high kill count, special permission has been given to allow the sixteen year old to be entered into the program. He's exceptionally skilled in all weapon combat but primarily uses swords and knives. He's astute and can utilize his age as a finely tuned weapon to infiltrate, distract, or disappear. He has experience with leading, murder for hire, and complex missions.

Alfred Pennyworth:

A formidable marksman and retired serviceman for MI6. His skills with all styles of guns, acting abilities, unflappable manner, medic training, vehicle maneuverabilites, and sharp tongue aid him in any supportive role. Although he is unlikely to assist on field, he will provide necessary background aid.

Tim and Barbara, in this AU, have both grudges and respect for each other. Tim does not match Barbara's computer skills, but he's a far better foe to her than most. Usually, Tim has a policy to bow out when Barbara is involved or find a way to hide his involvement from her.

Bruce doesn't know Damian is his biological son. Damian hopes to keep him in the dark. Dick, due to his training with blood scents, is the first to know about their relationship. This only occurs after Bruce and Damian get injured on separate missions and Dick makes the connection.

Jason and Damian both have tried to kill Tim. Because Tim seemingly can't die to their attacks, the two have made a game out of trying to kill Tim whenever they see him. Jason and Damian do not know the other also does this. Jason refers to Tim as a "cockroach-like bastard."

One of the batkids jokingly refers to Bruce as "Dad" and Alfred as "Gramps" due to their older age. This catches on with the rest of the batkids until it becomes a regular and fond nickname for the older men.

Bruce had a plan to escape with the help of Kate. After seeing Damian (he doesn't know that's his son), Bruce decides he can't leave a kid. Then he becomes fond of the rest of the group and delays his escape plan again until he can escape with them.

Which of the Bats know each other from encounters in the field? Who holds grudges against each other? What led each Bat to become a villain?

As far as background shit, idk.

I might update with a criminal dossier for each bat later

(In case it wasn't clear, this is a batfam meet late forced found family AU)

@hisaribi helped me with this ^^

[river-of-wine]

I know I’ve mentioned this plenty of times before but I’m still kind of annoyed by how the fanbase just kind of completely declawed the four lords and placed the entirety of the responsibility for their wrongdoings on Mother Miranda.

The Baker family are great, I love them, they’re an incredible unit of antagonists who are intended to be very sympathetic, at least for the most part. Jack and Marguerite in particular have lost all control over their minds and their bodies, turning into extremely violent murderers and cannibals who threaten and attack their own family, kill anyone unfortunate enough to come across them and, especially in Marguerite’s case, lose complete autonomy over their own bodies. Marguerite turns into a walking bug hive who’s only purpose is to feed her family and birth her new children. Jack is an unstoppable murderous force of patriarchal violence who has so much fun chasing down and harming his victims, which in the Daughters DLC includes even his own daughter. The exception to this is obviously Lucas, who has been cured of his infection and his acting of his own free will. All of this is caused by Eveline, everything Jack and Marguerite do controlled by her, and yet Eveline is just as sympathetic as the rest of them. She’s a ten year old girl. Even Jack, who has watched his family and their victims suffer because of her infection, doesn’t seem to hold any of it against her. She just wants a family of her own, after all. It’s a complex and tragic situation.

The four lords, while I suppose being similar in structure, are not the Baker family. Not in dynamic, not in character, not in the kind of tragedy that they embody. I could talk for a while about just how completely different they are, but I don’t know if I really need to.

The Baker family are so tragic because they were just innocent bystanders trying to help a woman and a little girl they found in a shipwreck out in a storm. That’s the only reason they ended up in the situation that they were in. While the lords have similar origins, being victims of Mother Miranda’s experiments to bring her daughter Eva back, an important distinction between them is that in the case of the lords, all four of them are still acting of their own free will. Yes, Mother Miranda has undeniable power over them. She leads the cult they are part of, she has control over the village, she is their superior. However, I really dislike when every negative action by the lords is pushed onto her, as if the lords are not all grown adults who are for the most part acting independently of her.

With Alcina, she is the head of her own extremely brutal crimes. I think a lot of people have forgotten quite how horrifying the situations of the maidens are, possibly due to the prevalence shipping between Alcina and the maidens, and though we have minimal information what we do know is very frightening. Alcina uses her work force like livestock, draining them for their blood in a cellar full of horrific torture devices, and leaves their corpses to shamble around, armed and ready to attack any unwanted guests that have slipped out of the daughter’s clutches so that Alcina still doesn’t have to do her own dirty work, given how highly above everyone but Mother Miranda she appears to view herself as. While yes, Alcina does need human blood to survive, her methods are brutal, and none of this has been enforced upon her by Mother Miranda. Similarly to Jack on occasion, she takes a great deal of pleasure in hurting and attacking Ethan as he runs from her. Additionally, everything she does to Ethan is against Mother Miranda’s request. While yes, it is retaliation after he killed Bela, the part I often see people leave out is that Alcina is equally as upset that he entered her property and was attempting to steal from her, and she isn’t just after him to kill him.

Alcina has also been an active participant in aiding Mother Miranda with at least one experiment, considering that I’d how she got her daughters. While I’m sure her strong admiration for Mother Miranda and Mother Miranda’s power over her has absolutely had an affect in this, that’s not something I’ll deny, Alcina is still a grown woman and in her written entries about this shows no qualms about her participation in this. Her general attitude towards others, using young women as a good source and turning men into scarecrows, also leads me to believe that she does not exactly care who gets hurt or taken advantage of when it comes to her and Mother Miranda’s personal endeavours.

Donna and Moreau are the two more sympathetic people within the four lords, but they are not innocent. To start with Moreau, he’s desperate for Mother Miranda’s approval, as well as the other lords. He’s insecure and lonely, and he’s doing what he has been instructed by Mother Miranda when it comes to protecting the flask. However, he does also take quite a bit of joy in trapping Ethan in the reservoir and swimming after him with the intention to eat and kill him. Moreau though, given his conditions and circumstances, is the one I think is the least to blame for what he does.

Donna is hard to discuss because we know so little about her. Her parents are dead, as well as whoever Claudia was to her, she communicates through Angie and she can cause those who enter her house to hallucinate. According to Mother Miranda, Donna is severely mentally ill and that is what has made her an unfit vessel. I think a lot of people took this to mean that Donna is unaware of what she is doing, that the hallucinations she is showing Ethan are frightening, but after having been a fan of this game for years I just can’t agree with that anymore. Donna intentionally lures Ethan into her house with visions of his supposedly dead wife. Donna is going after fears she likely knows Ethan has, making him relive Mia’s death, take apart a mannequin of her, listen to her voice panic over something being horribly wrong with Rose, all building towards the horrifying baby that chases him through the house. There is no way Donna doesn’t understand how what she is showing Ethan is distressing, especially when you consider that, given how she can make herself appear and disappear at will within Ethan’s vision and that Angie is sitting in the hallways stationary and unspeaking, Donna was likely close by Ethan at all times and could see and hear his frightened reactions to what she was intentionally showing him.

Donna’s death is upsetting, but Ethan was not just chasing her down and killing her. Donna was attacking him, or at least she was controlling her dolls to do so. It’s still a hallucination, but Ethan doesn’t know that. When faced with a threat that is keeping you trapped and trying to end your life, you will likely try to get away or try to fight back, as Donna is doing to Ethan after he starts to attack her and Ethan is doing to Donna when he thinks his life is still in danger. I would also like to remind everybody that Donna communicates through Angie. What Angie is saying, that’s Donna. Angie doesn’t talk or move once she’s dead, it is Donna who controls her.

Lastly, Heisenberg. I think Heisenberg is the one of the four most entrenched in headcanons. Headcanons are fine, I am never in this post trying to suggest they aren’t, but my issue comes in when people use them to try and change the canon of the game. For example, it’s fine to believe that Heisenberg was experimented on by Mother Miranda as a child, but that isn’t canon. It’s fine to believe that Heisenberg mourned the deaths of his siblings, but that isn’t canon. The opposite is, with Heisenberg not viewing the cult as an actual family and being very openly mean to all three other lords, even Donna and Moreau who seemingly haven’t done anything to slight him. While his goal of killing another Miranda is a very understandable and sympathetic one given what she has done to him, using a six month old baby as a weapon and trying to bring her father into the mix only to try to get him killed when he denies him is not. I cannot overstate quite how little Heisenberg actually cared for Ethan and Rose’s safety when it came to his goal, and given that we are playing as Ethan, Rose is the priority.

Heisenberg has built an army of corpses he has presumably stolen and desecrated. This is kind of fucked up actually, and done completely independently of Mother Miranda. He also puts Ethan through a very dangerous lycan gauntlet before he even reaches the factory, which makes it even stranger to me that people seem to interpret Heisenberg’s deal as something that would have benefitted both him and Ethan and as if he ever had Ethan’s safety in mind.

All four of the lords have tragic aspects to them and there are definitely reasons to sympathise with all four. They’re victims of Mother Miranda, who knows they will all be killed. She wants them to be, giving her less to deal with by the time she has Eva back. They never meant anything to her. Not Alcina or Moreau, who were desperate for her attention. Not Donna, suffering from her unspecified but apparently severe mental illness. Not Heisenberg, who was seemingly her favourite creation. However, all of them are grown adults who do their own bad things independently of her.

And it’s fine to still like them. It’s fine for them to be your favourite character. It’s fine to have happy or nice headcanons about them or want to kiss them or be their friend or to want them to have survived. It’s fine to like characters who do shitty things. It’s to be expected in a game series like Resident Evil. It’s a horror game series. People are going to do bad things.

I just find it so boring when people take away all their bite. What makes a character like Lady Dimitrescu so fun it’s that she’s completely over the top. She’s campy and ridiculous, her castle layout makes no sense, she’s got three kids made of swarms of flies dressed like a set of goth triplets, she’s a lesbian who’s castle is full of naked statues of women, she turns into a big dragon and laughs maniacally while flying around and trying to eat you. She’s evil and it’s fun. It’s the same with Heisenberg. He’s a campy show off with a fun voice and a massive hammer he never actually uses. He can control metal. He looks like a cowboy. He pronounced Miranda in a funny way. He talks to you over an intercom while trying to get you killed. They’re fun and evil and they fight over who gets to kill Ethan like they’re two little kids. It’s absurd.

What makes a character like Donna so scary is that she’s silently working in the shadows, unassuming at a first glance and unseen for most of the time in her house. She is the least threatening of the four upon first glance, and yet she has undeniably the most frightening part of the game. Pretending as if Donna is completely unaware of what she is doing and babying her like she is an incapable child waters her down completely and takes away from the effectiveness of her character.

Villain characters are great! They’re very often the highlight of the story they are in, and they aren’t real! The four lords especially are often so completely exaggerated in what they do as well. It’s fine to like villains! It doesn’t make you bad! Characters can be bad people and you can still like them!

It’s just frustrating seeing a group of very fun and exciting villains, all designed with different aspects of horror, all over the top and campy and stupid and fun, all doing their own set of fucked up things, watered down to a set of poor innocent victims who have never done any wrong ever. If you want Jack and Marguerite, take Jack and Marguerite. Lady Dimitrescu loves killing and eating women and Karl Heisenberg turns corpses into soldiers. They’re bad people and they do comically exaggerated bad things. If you can’t stomach liking a character like that, horror is probably not the genre for you. Unless it’s Resident Evil 7, I suppose, but apparently tall women aren’t hot when it’s Marguerite Baker crawling on the walls.

[lexsssu]

Beast (Dion Agriche)

TAGS: Dion/Dragoness!reader, pining, pervy thoughts, breeding, oneshot Ao3 ver. | Ko-fi | Commissions (OPEN)

This place felt…sad.

The towering manse was objectively magnificent and yet an air of gloom seemed to envelop the very air that passed through the exquisite halls. Though perhaps it could be attributed to the unmistakable metallic scent that hung heavily within almost every corner of the estate. 

Whether it was the main courtyard, the gardens, or from deeper within, the darkness that settled over the entire structure was like a shroud of death that beckoned victims to fall into the sweet embrace of oblivion. It’s only through luck however, that they can either meet a swift end or a drawn out and miserable one. 

Judging from the melancholic or downright pained expressions upon the ghostly specters that roamed the area, it’s safe to say that this was a place of great suffering and tragedy. None of the actual living occupants could see them, most especially that man whose soul harbored an impressive amount of corruption for a human. No matter how many angry spirits clung to him in hopes of dragging his soul straight out of his body in order to enact their just revenge, each death done or ordered by his hand only seemed to further the taint. 

It’s almost as if he drew power from the lives he’d stolen.

He wasn’t the only one who attracted the attention of the restless souls. The man’s children who tried to follow in his footsteps also had a trail of bodies before them even before they could be called adults. Even one of his wives, a seemingly spritely woman with doll-like features, took lives as easily as getting rid of unpleasant pests.

In conclusion, this family is as cursed as the land they had stained with rivers of blood over the years.  

Much to your surprise however, not every Agriche shared a penchant for senseless murder. One of the eldest living daughters (Roxana) only had a single ghost following her and even then, the ghostly image of the teen boy didn’t seem to want to tear her limb from limb like all the others. Rather, he followed after her much like a puppy who only wanted to keep up with her pace. Sadly, the blonde never seemed to take notice of the boy who bore remarkably similar features with her even as he tried to reach his hand out to touch her. 

For she lives within the plane of the living, while he now resided in between life and death, unable to move on due to regrets or some other unfinished business you didn’t know of.  

The question is…are you content with staying as a mere observer?

The blonde youth perks up the moment he realizes you can see him, sheer relief brimming from every pore within his spectral body when you speak your first words to him. He is rich with the secrets Lante Agriche fights tooth and nail to prevent from ever seeing the light of day. 

A lonely boy becomes lonely no more and a displaced dragoness finds that becoming lost wasn’t too bad when you have good company around you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dion doesn’t dream.

Considering the amount of blood that stained his rough hands, it is better that he only descends into nothingness whenever he rests his eyes, for one could only imagine what horrors lay in wait to torment him for all the atrocities he’d committed. He’s not afraid of the ghosts of his victims, but rather finds it useless to think of flames that had already been snuffed out when they could no longer influence the living in any way.

But then something changes.

He feels a soft, warm touch that gently traces the length of his nose, cups the sharp angles of his face, and even delves into his dark locks. Though his eyes remain closed, his own subconscious supplies him with the image of hands much smaller than his own large ones that poked and prodded at him without fear. 

While he would have caught the appendages and mayhaps stuck a knife into anyone who decided to lay their hands upon him, Dion knows that this could only be a dream because who would even dare to caress him so gingerly in the middle of night within the Agriche’s own manor? If anything, he finds his dreamself to commit to memory the feeling of such a gentle touch being bestowed upon him, because rationally he knows that he has no need for softness. In the confines of his own subconscious however, he supposes that he can allow himself this at the very least.

When he wakes up at the crack of dawn, it is to open windows with its blinds fluttering as the morning breeze makes its way to his room, bringing with it not just the familiar scent of iron that seemed to permanently surround the place he’d grown up in. 

Though he cares not for flowers specifically, he does have knowledge on their practical uses such as poisons and the like. He also prefers knowing the native flora and fauna of the hunting grounds he’d be thrown into in order to get a better grasp of the terrain.

Blooming honeysuckles make his brows furrowed in confusion despite his stone-cold exterior, confused as to how and why such a scent overpowered the ever present iron tang in the air. 

Curiouser and curiouser.

Dion remains oblivious to the shared laughter between a woman with ivory in her hair and a boy whose eyes reflected the deep, bright expanse of the open sky as they watched him stick his head out of his windows to locate the origin of the oddity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“YOU...”

“...Me?”

Dion feels his body practically burning from the inside-out, his heart beating several miles per minute as he finally gets a good look of the poltergeist that haunts his nights. He remembers the tender touches you press against his skin, the warm caresses that leave him gasping for breath and his loins aching for sweet release by the time he’s released from your clutches once dawn has broken. 

He does not need your sweetness.

He has no use for your gentleness.

And yet he craves it.

He has never desired anything. 

He has never felt so strongly about anything other than the swish of his blade, the gurgling of his victims, and the blood splattered against the ground as another mark of his martial prowess.

And yet you drove him to become more of a feral beast than he ever was as he now wished for nothing else other than to possess your whole being just as you possessed him without even meaning to.

“...are MINE”

Your surprised squeak is music to his ears, the flush on your cheeks pleasing the beast that sought to have you pressed down on the ground and taken ruthlessly, flooding your fertile womb with his virile seed...

.

.

.

To be continued(?)

[thatsonemorbidcorvid]

Du Wen at Her, the bar she started last year, in Shanghai. “I think everyone living in this city seems to have reached this stage that they want to explore more about the power of women,” she said.

Her is a self-described feminist bar in Shanghai where women gather to talk about their place in society

Tang Shuang at her bookstore, Paper Moon, in Shanghai

Wang Xia, left, and her Xin Chao Bookstore space in the Shanghai Book City in Shanghai

The female bookstore, Paper Moon, in Shanghai

In bars tucked away in alleys and at salons and bookstores around Shanghai, women are debating their place in a country where men make the laws.

Some wore wedding gowns to take public vows of commitment to themselves. Others gathered to watch films made by women about women. The bookish flocked to female bookshops to read titles like “The Woman Destroyed” and “Living a Feminist Life.”

Women in Shanghai, and some of China’s other biggest cities, are negotiating the fragile terms of public expression at a politically precarious moment. China’s ruling Communist Party has identified feminism as a threat to its authority. Female rights activists have been jailed. Concerns about harassment and violence against women are ignored or outright silenced.

China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has diminished the role of women at work and in public office. There are no female members of Mr. Xi’s inner circle or the Politburo, the executive policymaking body. He has invoked more traditional roles for women, as caretakers and mothers, in planning a new “childbearing culture” to address a shrinking population.

But groups of women around China are quietly reclaiming their own identities. Many are from a generation that grew up with more freedom than their mothers. Women in Shanghai, profoundly shaken by a two-month Covid lockdown in 2022, are being driven by a need to build community.

“I think everyone living in this city seems to have reached this stage that they want to explore more about the power of women,” said Du Wen, the founder of Her, a bar that hosts salon discussions.

Frustrated by the increasingly narrow understanding of women by the public, Nong He, a film and theater student, held a screening of three documentaries about women by female Chinese directors.

“I think we should have a broader space for women to create,” Ms. He said. “We hope to organize such an event to let people know what our life is like, what the life of other women is like, and with that understanding, we can connect and provide some help to each other.”

At quietly advertised events, women question misogynistic tropes in Chinese culture. “Why are lonely ghosts always female?” one woman recently asked, referring to Chinese literature’s depiction of homeless women after death. They share tips for beginners to feminism. Start with history, said Tang Shuang, the owner of Paper Moon, which sells books by female authors. “This is like the basement of the structure.”

There are few reliable statistics about gender violence and sexual harassment in China, but incidents of violence against women have occurred with greater frequency, according to researchers and social workers. Stories have circulated widely online of women being physically maimed or brutally murdered for trying to leave their husbands, or savagely beaten for resisting unwanted attention from men. The discovery of a woman who was chained inside a doorless shack in the eastern province of Jiangsu became one of the most debated topics online in years.

With each case, the reactions have been highly divisive. Many people denounced the attackers and called out sexism in society. Many others blamed the victims.

The way these discussions polarize society unnerved Ms. Tang, an entrepreneur and former deputy editor of Vogue China. Events in her own life unsettled her, too. As female friends shared feelings of shame and worthlessness for not getting married, Ms. Tang searched for a framework to articulate what she was feeling.

“Then I found out, you know, even myself, I don’t have very clear thoughts about these things,” she said. “People are eager to talk, but they don’t know what they are talking about.” Ms. Tang decided to open Paper Moon, a store for intellectually curious readers like herself.

The bookstore is divided into an academic section that features feminist history and social studies, as well as literature and poetry. There is an area for biographies. “You need to have some real stories to encourage women,” Ms. Tang said.

Anxiety about attracting the wrong kind of attention is always present.

When Ms. Tang opened her store, she placed a sign in the door describing it as a feminist bookstore that welcomed all genders, as well as pets. “But my friend warned me to take it out because, you know, I could cause trouble by using the word feminism.”

Wang Xia, the owner of Xin Chao Bookstore, has chosen to stay away from the “F” word altogether. Instead she described her bookstore as “woman-themed.” When she opened it in 2020, the store was a sprawling space with nooks to foster private conversations and six study rooms named after famous female authors like Simone de Beauvoir.

Xin Chao Bookstore served more than 50,000 people through events, workshops and online lectures, Ms. Wang said. It had more than 20,000 books about art, literature and self-improvement — books about women and books for women. The store became so prominent that state-owned media wrote about it and the Shanghai government posted the article on its website.

Still, Ms. Wang was careful to steer clear of making a political statement. “My ambition is not to develop feminism,” she said.

For Ms. Du, the Her founder, empowering women is at the heart of her motivation. She was jolted into action by the isolation of the pandemic: Shanghai ordered its residents to stay in their apartments under lockdown for two months, and her world narrowed to the walls of her apartment.

For years she dreamed of opening a place where she could elevate the voices of women, and now it seemed more urgent than ever. After the lockdown, she opened Her, a place where women could strike friendships and debate the social expectations that society had placed on them.

On International Women’s Day in March, Her held an event it called Marry Me, in which women took vows to themselves. The bar has also hosted a salon where women acted out the roles of mothers and daughters. Many younger women described a reluctance to be treated the way their mothers were treated and said they did not know how to talk to them, Ms. Du said.

The authorities have met with Ms. Du and indicated that as long as the events at Her didn’t become too popular, there was a place for it in Shanghai, she said.

But in China, there is always the possibility that officials will crack down. “They never tell you clearly what is forbidden,” Ms. Tang of Paper Moon said.

Ms. Wang recently moved Xin Chao Bookstore into Shanghai Book City, a famous store with large atriums and long columns of bookcases. A four-volume collection of Mr. Xi’s writings are prominently displayed in several languages.

Book City is huge. The space for Xin Chao Bookstore is not, Ms. Wang said, with several shelves inside and around a small room that may eventually hold about only 3,000 books.

“It’s a small cell of the city, a cultural cell,” Ms. Wang said.

Still, it stands out in China.

“Not every city has a woman’s bookstore,” she said. “There are many cities that do not have such cultural soil.””

[genericpuff]

This plot point annoyed me so much! I thought she was finally going to open up to Persephone about the reasons why she hated Hades so much, about what he did to her, but no! They just introduced a new yet unnecessary character to the story 🤦🏼‍♀️

What are your thoughts about it?

oh yeah it annoyed the piss out of me too and for one very big reason that is CHRONIC in LO:

It's a solution to a problem Demeter didn't have.

This happens to a lot of characters throughout the comic. They'll have some kind of plot-driven conflict or character-driven flaw, and then it will be solved by something else entirely that had nothing to do with their original problem or doesn't line up with the theme of their storytelling. Minthe had insecurity issues and a toxic relationship with Hades? Just give her a classroom full of children to babysit! Hades had infertility issues? That's fine, Persephone somehow fixes those issues because at the end of the comic they have babies and Hades has his happy ending so it's fine! Hera was in an unhappy relationship with Zeus and had trauma from her past as a victim of Kronos? No problem, just make her an all powerful fertility goddess! Persephone accidentally causes winter which kills possibly thousands of people? Gaia is here to save the day, and also she's the one who makes Persephone return to the Mortal Realm for a couple months with full visitation rights. Apollo is a serial rapist who's attempted murder on several occasions, even against his own father in an attempt to take the throne? Community service, that'll solve it.

Demeter is one of the biggest examples of Rachel's inability of writing an actual cohesive plotline. She writes like the only goal is to come up with new twists to keep people reading each week without ever considering what themes or questions she should be answering throughout. So when she does pose questions, the answers often wind up being severely disconnected because she can't be bothered to actually plan out a plotline with narrative structure, she just needs 'things' to happen. To put it bluntly and simply, she writes like how a 13 year old on Wattpad would write, no actual thinking about the material she's presenting, no consideration for the curtains and what color they are, just "make the things happen so that people will keep reading because that's what writing is!"

Demeter's problem wasn't her failing to understand Persephone. It was people failing to understand her when she had reasonable cause to both be wary of Persephone moving to Olympus as well as Hades and his intentions with her daughter. But because Rachel needs to have the perfect happy ending for her self-insert power fantasy couple, she resorts to gaslighting both Demeter as well as the audience by extension into believing that the solution to Demeter's character arc... is understanding Persephone more.

Like first of all, the moral "people just want to be understood" is way, WAY too "baby's first storyline" at this point in the story especially when we've tried to tackle much bigger topics like sexual assault, and when we know how complex Demeter's backstory is. There's no way she needs to be told by Hebe that people just want to be "understood". She absolutely knows this already, and has been fighting to be understood by her siblings and peers and family for centuries, but of course, everyone sees her as just "the contrarian".

But then the final solution is... the sudden appearance of Demophoon as her long-lost child, and Hades giving her the volcanoes. That's it. She doesn't get to actually become Queen of the Mortal Realm, she never really gets closure over the past 2000 years of abuse from everyone around her, Hades just - like with everyone - buys her affection and she gets a new baby to pour her attention into instead of Persephone and we're all just forced to go along with it for the sake of Rachel's fantasy.

Rachel can't write (￢_￢;)

[woman1festo]

big info post about the Maryland mall shooting and the shooter, Darion Aguilar.

( i have compiled this post in my notes from all different news articles, sources and google searches. it wasn't too easy to find much, but i hope this is enough insight/info.)

Darion Aguilar was a 19 year old, as described by his mother as a as 'a gentle, sweet kid' who has never been interested in guns.

'If you were to go in his room you would see what a gentle sweet kid he was,' she said, adding that he was a vegetarian because he was concerned about animal welfare.

He was also described as a "good kid" who "is quiet, kept to himself. Nice, normal, calm demeanor."

That was until January 25, 2014. He took a taxi around 10:15am, then he had entered the The Mall in Columbia where he was dropped off.

He went downstairs to a food court directly below the store, authorities say surveillance tapes show him sitting and walking around for nearly an hour. this may have been due to the fact that he was obsessed with the Columbine shooting. it's suspected that he waited until the time of the shooting had lined up to the original one in 1999.

(Investigators found thousands of searches on Aguilar's computer related to mass murder, school shootings, guns and explosives.

He also looked up websites for people with mental health problems, and he told a doctor he was hearing voices in the months before the shooting.)

Reports have said that Aguilar took a picture of himself inside the dressing room at Zumiez in the minutes leading up to the shooting and posted the photo to tumblr with a caption reading,

"I had to do this. Today is the day. On previous days I tried this I woke up with anxiety, regret and hope for a better future this day I didn't, I woke up felt no emotions no empathy no sympathy. I will have freedom or maybe not. I could care less."

It was said in mentioned selfie that some of way he is dressed, wearing a white t-shirt, boots and cargo pants with his shotgun in a sling around him, is reminiscent of one of the Columbine killers.

Police say he bought a shotgun last month – a 12-gauge Mossberg – and kept it hidden as a taxi cab dropped him off at the mall. before exiting the dressing room, Aguilar dumped his backpack out, changed his clothes and assembled the gun.

As soon as Aguilar stepped out, he raised his gun, took a few steps, aimed at his first victim, Brainna Belolo (21), and fired, killing her instantly.

He continued on to aim at his next victim, Tyler Johnson (25) , who was said to be near the front of the store, hitting him multiple times. he also died instantly.

Aguilar then stepped out of the store and fired two shots across the mall on the upper railing. One struck a railing while the other struck a woman in the heel. He then turned towards the food court, fired one shot and struck a wall right outside the Great American Cookie store, very narrowly missing more victims.

Next Aguilar turned back to Zumiez and fired through the glass at a mannequin before re-entering Zumiez, sticking the shotgun in his mouth and shooting, killing him instantly.

A total of nine shots were fired by Aguilar, out of the 54 rounds of ammunition he brought with him. The backpack he had with him contained homemade explosives, most likely made with fireworks, but were not powerful enough to cause major structural damage, police said.

"(Aguilar) was just silent. Focused. There was no sort of expression or emotion," an eyewitness recalled.

Despite officers arrived less than two minutes after the first 911 call, they entered to find Aguilar dead.

Desperately searching for a motive, police discovered his journal, which was about 20 handwritten loose-leaf pages in roughly chronological order. In a portion police released, Aguilar makes an angry, expletive-laced statement in which he anticipates the killings in "a couple of hours."

"I'm going to [fucking] kill you all in a couple hours I'm anxious, I hate you all so much you are pathetic pieces of [shit] who deserve to die. Worthless you all are [fucking] worthless. Everything seems fake. I think that I may already be dead," one journal entry read.

He apologized to his family for what he was about to do, that he wrote he was ready to die, that he wanted to die and hated others. He never mentioned to his family that he needed any help for his mental illness. While he talks about killing people, he never gave any specific targets.

Sources say it also shows a hatred of certain groups and a general unhappiness with life. 

[bekkandaa]

Tom Riddle: Narcissism, Heritage, and Mental Breakdown

This analysis will delve into Tom Riddle's narcissism, heritage, and my own hypothesis that a mental breakdown led to the ultimate murder of his family.

Before I begin, it's important to define some key psychological terms for anyone unfamiliar with the subject. I'll try to simplify things down, but if anything doesn't make sense don't worry too much.

Malignant Narcissism: This term describes individuals who exhibit all three traits from "The Dark Triad"— Machiavellianism, Psychopathy and Narcissism.

Machiavellianism : Commonly characterised by manipulation and exploitation of others, unemotional callousness, self-interest, and an overall lack of morality.

Psychopathy : Commonly characterised by continuous antisocial behaviour, selfishness, unemotional callousness, and an overall lack of remorse.

Narcissism : Marked by grandiosity, pride, egotism, and an overall lack of empathy.

In Psychoanalytic theory, primary narcissism is a normal part of child development, involving self-interest and object-love. Children often harbour notions of greatness and believe they are immune to any consequences. As they mature, they become disillusioned from these grand notions to integrate into mature society. pathological narcissism actually develops when this process is disrupted, resulting in defective narcissistic structures.

( Interestingly, a number of psychiatrists have established a direct link between malignant narcissism and evil— a perspective likely considered in the creation of Tom Riddle's character. However, it is important to note that while there is a connection, it does not necessarily define someone as evil.)

Tom Riddle's behaviour aligns perfectly with Heinz Kohut's theory of object-love. According to Kohut, a child requires a mother to affirm their grandiosity or, lacking this, seeks an adult to create an "idealised parent image." Tom, lacking a mother figure and grandiose figure to emulate, proceeded to construct his own powerful parental figure.

This is evident when we see Riddle question Dumbledore about his father's wizardry, as Tom assumes his mother could not have been a witch as if she was she wouldn't have died. This belief is shattered during his teenage years, which inevitably triggers his (narcissistic) rage of his idea being disillusioned. Tom Riddle has always been a character with an ongoing quest for identity and self-validation, which is seen in his prolonged search for the Chamber of Secrets to confirm his status as Heir of Slytherin.

Tom Riddle's obsession with power and control is a fundamental aspect of his character we can't ignore. The pursuit of control is a primary human motivation, gaining control is actually proved to enhance one's sense of well-being. For someone like Tom, when this control is threatened, they would resort to coping mechanisms to preserve their sense of self. For a narcissist like Tom, a threat to his control equates to a threat to his very self.

Now, to my entire point. The revelation of his true heritage and the truth about his parents triggered a mental breakdown, causing an identity crisis. Freud posits that human behaviour is influenced more by the unconscious mind than the conscious. The unconscious mind protects itself by concealing negative memories, which can affect behaviour and attitudes. In Tom’s case, his father's abandonment left a mark, which he could not reconcile. His only solution was to eradicate this source of shame and hatred.

Tom Riddle’s patricide and subsequent name change to Voldemort signify his profound self-loathing and rejection of his humanity. This action eradicates the evidence of his shameful heritage. According to Krech, hatred often correlates with anger, manifesting as a desire to destroy the source of hatred. Riddle’s murder of his father and paternal family was an attempt to reclaim control and restore his ego. TLDR :  Tom Riddle has a fragile sense of control and ego, loses the sense of control once he learns of his true heritage. Causing a mental breakdown and killing his family. In conclusion, he is miserable and hates everyone. ( even himself to a point.)

[itsclydebitches]

The narrative H/C potential of switching Cazador and Orin’s kidnappings is just delicious to me. Instead of Astarion’s siblings waking him up and giving the party the chance to defend him, the player arrives back at camp (or finishes a long rest if Astarion is currently in your party) to discover that he’s just gone. No note, no sign of a struggle, nothing. Insert any hand wave-y means of abducting Astarion quietly here. The point is that this would wreck him.

Not just because he’s now back in the clutches of Cazador (though that’s obvious), but because you’re not coming for him. See, having Orin as your kidnapper is actually one of the more reassuring options, despite her murder-happy disposition. Even if she nabs a struggling character like Gale who might believe they’re unworthy of rescue for any number of reasons, Orin is one of the few baddies you simply have to engage with. Significantly, knowledge of that necessity is baked into the actual story-world. We see fighting her as a gameplay mechanic—defeat three mini bosses to reach the final boss—but that structure still exists as a Save The World quest for your party. No stone, no victory. No Orin, no stone. Ergo, they’re fighting Orin. So whoever is kidnapped knows that the party will show up eventually, even if it’s not for them. That’s it’s own wonderful, angsty assumption—“You came because it was the right thing to do, not because you care about me. My rescue was always a byproduct of saving the people who truly deserve it”—but at least there’s still reassurance in knowing you’ll see them again. All the kidnapped member has to do is not piss off Orin in the meantime and hope the party doesn’t die along the way. Not stellar odds, admittedly, but are they really any worse than what they’ve been dealing with all along?

Getting kidnapped by Cazador on the other hand... oh boy. He’s a missable boss, both mechanically and narratively. Who’s worried about him when there’s a fucking Netherbrain threatening all of Faerûn? Sure, sure, your Tav might have spent their journey helping every idiot with suitably convincing puppy-dog eyes, but Astarion is very much not a refugee tiefling/snake-threatened child/shadow-cursed hero/etc. He’s a chaotic, caustic bitch whose trauma is expressed more through biting fury than soft bouts of crying. Not only is he (in his own mind) not the sort of person people go out of their way to save, but would you even know where to begin? Depending on your approval rating you might still be iffy about Astarion’s past, as well as this upcoming ritual. Has Tav met any of the siblings yet? Do they know that Cazador’s Ascension would pose a threat to all of Baldur’s Gate? Do they have any means of finding the entrance to his palace without a former resident in the party (or convenient map marker)? Now, toss in the fact that, depending on how many long rests you’ve done, the party has only been traveling together for a matter of days/weeks. They know one another deeply (yay trauma bonding) but once separated that timeframe feels pretty insignificant, particularly to someone who has existed for over 200 years. Even if you’re romancing Astarion and he has more reason to believe that this short period of time was emotionally meaningful, he’s still admitted to manipulating you, to molding your emotions to best ensure his protection... but protection never extended to this.

Besides, Astarion has literally been here before. No heroes rescued him across two centuries of enslavement. Why would they rescue him now?

Except, it’s far worse this time around, isn’t it? Cazador isn’t merely his abuser, he’s now set to become an all-powerful vampire whose hold will truly be unbreakable. Astarion isn’t merely a slave to one individual, he’s now got a ticking time bomb in the form of a parasite set to enslave him to another. (And isn’t that something to chew on: him cursing the fact that the artifact’s protection still extends to him. At least as a Mind Flayer he wouldn’t feel anymore, would have a chance to fight back.) This time around Astarion isn’t just another beloved “child” of Cazador’s, he’s uniquely gifted in his ability to walk in the sun and resist commands. The hells only know what Cazador will make him do with that newfound power if he survives the ritual— or how Cazador will ensure Astarion’s continued “loyalty” while he does it. Worst of all though... now Astarion has had a chance to see what life could be like. Freedom. Agency. People who love him despite all the reasons they shouldn’t. Whoever said, “Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all” was a fucking fool. It’s so much worse to go backwards, to have lost not merely the life you dreamed of, but also the ability to pretend you never needed it in the first place.

Imagine that Astarion. Picture how broken he would be.

Now imagine the party kicking down Cazador’s door. The look on Astarion’s face when he realizes that despite the danger, the practical hurtles, the bigger stakes at play, the fact that it’s him... they came anyway.

[atarathegreat]

Heyyyyy, I was thinking some bakugo x princess reader... except Reader is not ANY kind if princess...Reader is an absolute menace of a princess, why? Well first of all she wasn't even royal blood, she just kicked her way in trough murder and intimidation...second of all, reader is also a witch...but...a pretty witch...she is brutal, cold, and wont think twice before destroying whatever is on her way, Bakugo decided to try and challenge her to a fight, and just JUST when he entered her room, he saw her, Right out of taking a warm bath...Reader confuses Bakugo with one of her servants and feeling a bit funny she decides to...well...you know what i mean right? ;) well, at the end she finds out about eho bakugo really is and decided to make a deal with his tribe...

She ruled her own small kingdom, having even the king bow to whatever she wanted. Y/n wasn't too far from a barbaric ruler, the only thing keeping her from being completely evil was the fact that the kingdom began to thrive under her rule. Despite the harsher enforcement of the laws, many of the villages loved her and praised the way things began to turn up.

But Bakugo fucking hated it. Who was this low-class sorcerer that thought she was the best? Some seed stain on a pair of discarded trousers who had high hopes of becoming known. Bullshit! Second-rate duelist with a beginner's tool bag!

Bakugo glared up at the castle, remembering the last time he was there. A grand feast with the biggest animals that could be hunted and the best ale that had ever been made. Wenches at the ready, though Bakugo hardly messed with any of that, he was too busy trying to out drink his father. He always failed.

"Come out, you stinking boars ass!" Bakugo shouted as he hurried down the halls. Not to be confused, Y/n's maids tried to stop him, but there was little to be done when a barbarian was crashing through vases, tables, and benches. "Wench! Show yourself!" He threw a door open, only to freeze.

The room was ugly and barren, but the one inside...

Bakugo turned red as the woman stood from her trough, body bare for the gods to see and servants to touch. Soft thighs, plush hips, wet bre-

The man shook his head and turned the other way, growling.

"Oh, good. You're here. Fetch my clothes." Y/n walked calmly across to her bed, ass jiggling as if there was no structure beneath. He'd never been so stunned that he obeyed anyone, but he would blame it on the witch and whatever plants hung around her room. "Here." He threw the clothes at her and crossed his arms, not really in the mood to watch her dress, he liked her naked.

Y/n stared at him, her eyes a little angry and a little amused. "You throw my clothes at me? How brave. Why do you do such a thing?" It was the way she twitched her lip, that had to be the way she enforced her spells, her incantations. Why else would his tongue feel too thick for his mouth, or his throat too dry? "I will not be dressing you. It's not my job." Bakugo crossed his arms, trying to fight the magic. She was attractive, that had to be a part of her craft. She was putting him under a spell, clouding his mind with her dark ways.

"Come closer, young man." Y/n propped her leg up on the bed, exposing her most vulnerable to him, "Get on your knees, here." Her hand! When she pointed, Bakugo felt the absolute need to do as she said. How strong was this woman that she didn't need a wand? A staff? A stone? Just her little pointer finger and an order...

"Since you want me naked, I shall be naked. But you will pleasure me as payment." Y/n beckoned him closer.

Bakugo knew his place at the top of the foodchain, but this womans magic was making him forget it. To take back an ounce of his power, Bakugo gripped her thighs and dragged her closer, growling, "You'll be paid tenfold."

Gods above, she was delicious! Bakugo never wanted to pull his mouth from her heat, delving his tongue as deep as he could to taste all of her. Like honeysuckle or peaches. He wanted more. She gasped as Bakugo forced her other leg up, spreading her further to allow him deeper. "Yes, right there...good job, good job." Y/n threw her head back, gripping the furs beside her, "Oh, gods, slow down. Let me enjoy this."

He doubled down, applying more pressure with his tongue as he moved slower. Pride welled in his chest as she grabbed his hair, ordering him to give her more. The sound of a powerful witch begging for him to do more to her. Bakugo stood, ripping his trousers open and leaning over her, "You taste pretty, I want to know how you feel wrapped around me."

Nothing in the world, no sensation in the world would ever prepare him for the way his breath was snatched from him. "So fucking tight." Bakugo bullied into the witch, grunting as she squeezed tighter around him. He put her legs together and rested her ankles on his shoulder, making it a tighter fit, "There ya' fucking go, sweetheart. Now we're moving."

"Fuck...who are you?" The witch gasped, breasts bouncing in tandem with each of his thrusts, "None of my servants are so foul mouthed." Bakugo chuckled, beating his cock deeper so he could see the outline of himself in her gut. "Bakugo Katsuki, barbarian prince."

Her magical grip on him slipped as he got closer and closer to dumping his seed. Y/n shivered as the barbarian nipped at her ankles, leaving his own silent marks on her body, a mark that he had claimed her. But not his seed. Bakugo pulled free, fisting his dick until he covered her stomach in his mess, just to stick himself back in to finish her. "Oh, there! There!" She gasped, knees bending. It was then that she fully lost her grip on the spell laid over him and Bakugo was able to fully abuse her tight body, lifting her by her legs so he could stand at his full height.

"Gods above!"

Bakugo wished he could've tasted her orgasm, but he was happy enough to feel the way she squeezed him, riding out her high so she would come down easy.

It wasn't a traditional victory, but Bakugo had conquered the witch. Seeing his seed on her belly was like seeing blood on a hunt. Her spells, her magic, it all meant nothing now that he had won.

"Your magic is null now." He chuckled.

"I never used magic."

[naomikozura]

Love of My Life Prologue

HeianEra!TrueForm! Ryomen Sukuna x Sorcerer!Fem!Reader

A/N: This story will contain a lot of heavy dark themes, warnings will be posted with each part accordingly. This is NOT SFW, so be prepared for dark themes in the realm of murder, abuse, generational trauma, abusive parents, etc. again warnings will be posted accordingly. MDNI 18+ ONLY. Continue at own Risk!!

Warnings: Mentions of murder, death, loss of control, mentions of a massacre, gruesome scene, lack of empathy, death of an entire family. (If I missed any lmk!)

WC: 1K

Series Masterlist

Part 1

Throughout time there have always been stories of the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna and his reign over the jujutsu world during the Heian Era. The infamous jujutsu sorcerer has been historically known as the most powerful sorcerer of all, he was selfish, cold-hearted, lacked human empathy and morality, his sadistic tendencies causing the erasure of hundreds if not thousands of people throughout the Heian Era, as well as the jujustu sorcerers who dared to fight him. 

During the Golden Age of Jujutsu, four prominent families rose to solidify themselves to build the structure around the practice of jujutsu and learning to control cursed energy. The families consisted of the Gojo Clan, the Zenin Clan, the Kamo Clan, and the late L/n Clan. 

Each family held cultural and political significance during this time, being of the few jujutsu bloodlines that held the power of special techniques and abilities, each family strong in their own right. The connections between the four families were strong and solidified, a mutual respect and understanding shared endlessly. 

During the early years leading to the Heian Era, each family had produced heirs to take over the family legacy and continue it through generations. Each heir growing and mastering their powers and continuing the bloodline through their children, and those children after them. In the years during the Heian Era, four new heirs were born within the same timeframe. 3 boys and one girl. The Gojo, Zen’in, and Kamo clans were all full of content and celebration, announcing the birth of their sons while the L/n clan remained quiet as the young mother held her baby. 

The leader of the L/n clan refused to be put in a position of weakness, solidifying his resolve in making his daughter the heir to the clan and training her to be a strong jujutsu sorcerer. As the young girl grew, she became stronger, learning to manage her cursed energy and learning her special technique better known as the Eye of Aurora. 

The Eye of Aurora was specialized throughout the L/n clan, a technique that helped manipulate and rearrange the atoms within cursed energy, and could rip it apart from the inside out and completely stripping cursed energy users to dissipate into nothing. The L/n had controlled it well enough to use it for the better of the realm, but in order to keep within the Four Families, they needed to ensure the next holder would be trained and taken under control. 

The last time an untrained inheritor gained the Eye of Aurora they had completely decimated and ripped through one of the nearby towns killing over a thousand people in the overwhelming rush of power. The scene had seemed almost out of a wicked fable. Bodies ripped to shreds, decapitated corpses, and blood soaking the soil that the surrounding plants started to die, every stone covered in the thick carnage. It was one of the most tumultuous trials in jujutsu history, leading to the immediate execution of the L/n member. 

The L/n head took his task seriously in training his daughter. As she became more skilled, she became more beautiful, becoming coveted between the families and having their sons ask for her hand in marriage. The young L/n daughter found herself in the middle of three courtships, each one a beneficial relationship to gain for her and her family. 

Those ties would never be solidified. 

Ryomen Sukuna had heard of the young gifted daughter of the L/n clan, barging into their territory and forcing the L/n leader into an ultimatum. Give his daughter to him in marriage or suffer being eradicated from the jujutsu world entirely. The L/n wife cried and begged for Sukuna to leave them, causing an uproar and resulted in her death as Sukuna used his cursed energy against her. L/n had no choice but to do what would be safe for his ancestral name and gave his daughter to the King of Curses, casting her into a pit of despair. 

Sukuna forced the young L/n to marry him, leaving her family in ruin as he quickly used her to gain her power, stripping her entirely from her special technique. He murdered her, many knowing her demise would be at his hand since the King of Curses could never bring himself to empathize or care deeply for another being. Once he’d killed her, he returned to the L/n House and destroyed the entire family, erasing every last one from the four families of the jujutsu world for good. He left no trace of their inherited special abilities and ended the blood line for good. The L/n leader begged for mercy in his final moments before Sukuna ultimately ended his life. 

This has been known as the Burning of Aurora. 

This tale has been used as a vital part of jujutsu history, but what the history writers don’t know is the truth of what happened. 

This tale has blurred the lines of truth and myth, the overdramatized rendition was made to completely take away from who the powerful sorcerer was before he went completely hellbent and destroyed everything and everyone in his path. 

Thousands of years ago during the Heian Era, there was a short moment in time before the King of Curses turned into a monstrosity. A moment where he showed what little humanity he had for none other than the only daughter of the L/n Clan. 

Although the old tale recounts that she was forced into marriage before her cruel death, the truth of his union with her is far more humane and full of an endless amount of admiration and contentment. 

This was the last shred of humanity Ryomen Sukuna had before turning into a black soulless sorcerer. 

A/N:

This is a new mini series i’m doing, I hope you guys enjoy! This will probably post a lot slower since I am working on my Jason ToddxReader series , Playing With Fire. But it will be uploaded and completed!! I think total there will be 4-5 parts w prologue included!

Hope you enjoy and can’t wait to hear your feedback!

[arcane-ish]

Arcane Act 1 - Everybody ends up where they don't want to be and why that is a problem

In my first reaction I talked a bit about structural weaknesses and after a bit of sleep one thing popped into my head. I tried to get not spoiled too much but one of the few things I read that there was an interview and somebody from the writing team said that in a way everybody ends up where they don't want to be or something a long those lines.

I think this theme is heavily present in Act 1 already and I think this is kind of a structural writing problem. Because it is usually fundamentally more interesting to see characters have a goal and try to achieve it and either get it or fail than for characters to be pushed into something by higher powers.

The additional problem is that so far in Act 1 we haven't always seen enough of what the characters want instead. So character A wants X, but is forced into Y.

Let's go into detail:

Back when I read the spoiler I assumed it would be something like that:

Jinx ends up as a revolutionary

Vander who wanted to curb his violence ends up as a violent beast

Vi ends up as a cop

Caitlyn ends up in a position of power and influence

Ekko ends up working with Piltover even though he wants to protect his people

Now that Act 1 has rolled around we concrete have:

Vi taking the badge

Caitlyn being thrust into leading Piltover (maybe being thrust into her mother's spot)

Viktor becoming an object of worship without wanting that

We see the first traces of Jinx becoming a freedom fighter and Ekko being pulled into working for Piltover.

Ironically, I think I've been enjoying the story of Mel and Ambessa (I know I'm probably in the minority) because that theme feels least present with them so far or at least they seem to be acting more along the lines of their genuine interest still.

Mel

Mel wants to protect Piltover in her way and doesn't trust her mother. She is also forced by circumstances to do stuff she doesn't like (like agreeing to the invasion) but she's still overall pursuing her interests (trying to figure out what Ambessa's plan is, trying to soften the murderous interests of the rest of the council). Maybe in the future her "ends up where she doesn't want to be" will be her working with her mother or becoming like her.

Ambessa

Ambessa of cource we find out is being hunted by the Black Rose, so I presume her "I don't want to be here" is being in Piltover. But she still feels like she's expressing her personality and making moves and being proactive within the situation she finds herself in. Maybe her ending up doing the opposite of what she wants will be either protecting Piltover or having to fight her own daughter (maybe a Black Rose possesed Mel).

Their stories are more fun to me because they are still in the "want" phase and not in the "forced" phase.

Caitlyn

Next we have Caitlyn. I think she's actually one of the better ones (again I presume many people will disagree with me on that). For one she actually gets some room to express what she wants. She wants peace (scene where sits at her mother's pond). She wants like Mel to soften the blow of Piltover against Zaun to some extent. We can infer that she wants a happy life with Vi (though I think that could have been really driven home if we had gotten a dream sequence which makes it clear: yes what she really wants is sit in a flower field and hold hand and play footsie with Vi, thus making it more tragic when her actions end up driving them apart).

It also benefits from her conflict not being purely external "Ambessa pushed her into taking power", but being actually an internal conflict. She wants to be a good person, but she also wants revenge and struggles with those feelings and her growing prejudice.

Viktor

With Viktor the whole "forced" is most present. He probably wasn't planning to be a prophet, it just sort of happens to him. I think his story is still weak because we have seen very little of what he actually wants. We can infer if we remember season 1 that he wants peace and hextech not being used for war. But in the show it feels very "oh, yeah, gotta go."

Vi

Vi of course ends up taking the badge. I think her story suffers because to me it feels very muddled what she wants at the moment. She wants to help apprehend Jinx. We presume she wants to be with Caitlyn.

Also her "forced" push is pretty unimpressive (like really? being flattered that Caitlyn praised her to other people plays a role?). She protects people almost out of instinct (ie the chemtech attack on the council).

In season 1 Vi's wants were a huge driver of the whole story. Vi wants to prove herself that's why she organizes the heist, Vi wants to make up for the mess she made with the botched heist, Vi wants to protect her family and save Vander, Vi wants to find her sister, Vi wants to rescue Jinx from Silco's influence.

Every single one of her wants ended up blowing up in her face and that made up the deep tragedy of season 1. We like Vi, we care about Vi's wants and hurts us to see her fail. She wants to prove herself but brings tragedy on the Lanes, she wants to turn herself in but gets foiled, she wants to save Vander, but he dies, she wants to find her sister and when she does it turns out that her sister is a different person, she wants to pry Jinx from Silco's influence but it turns out Jinx really enjoys it and there is no way bring Powder back.

In season 2 her wants feel pretty muddled and much weaker. She wants to apprehend Jinx with the task force. She feels bad and guilty over Caitlyn's mom. She presumably wants to be with Caitlyn.

I think it worth noting that there is IMO no strong drive to protect Zaun. I think a lot of fans probably perceived her as this is something she should feel, but IMO I genuinely don't see it.

Vi is somebody who suffers from being perceived as a Zaunite, she has some loyalty in the sense that she doesn't take the badge, but I genuinely don't get a deep connection between her and Zaun. Vi I think is more universal in that if she sees anybody getting attacked she wants to step in and help, there is no special loyalty to her people. She defends the Pilties when the Chembarons attack, she stands up to Caitlyn when Isha is in the line of fire. There are hints of Vi having a codex but I feel unclear on what exactly that codex is (no killing kids? no kiling at all? no killing except proven guilty people?).

Please note how at no point when the subject was on attacking Zaun she brought up Ekko (ie come on Caitlyn, you know there are good people down there, such as Ekko, or no attempts are made to warn Ekko that an attack is coming). [it's a pity I think if this connection had been made it would have ramped up the tragedy and emotional punch a lot, would have portrayed Vi more as somebody who is torn between Zaun and Piltover]

(my personal read is that Vi feels no connection to Zaun because she was in jail for so long and when she came back she no longer recognized it as "her" Zaun and maybe she associates Zaun with having poisoned her sister)

Anyway, Vi's clearest moment of tragedy coincides with her moment of stating an actual believable want and it says a lot about her as a character in Season 2 so far. It's the scene where she tells Caitlyn that everything around her changed and she wants Caitlyn to stay the same.

And of course she states it exactly 5 minutes before Caitlyn changes on her (becoming like Jinx as Vi puts it).

Still, what Vi expresses in that conversation is very telling of her character. That she feels like she has lost her connection to everything and she was clinging to Caityn as her one thing and that that one thing changes and rejects her.

I think Vi's story suffers from her stated want coming to late in the act and her morals being inclear (ie she against killing? can't be since she asks Caitlyn to take the shot on Jinx? so just kiling children? innocents? what violates her moral code and what doesn't?).

Jinx and Ekko

I think Jinx and Ekko are not completely deep in the "forced" phase, but I think they are sort of muted" in the "want" as well. Jinx has expressed that she wants to die but imo it feels sort of half hearted. Jinx says she wants to blow it all up, but imo it feels sort of half hearted. Jinx expresses anger over what Caitlyn using the grey but we don't really see the process of what she does about it.

Her forced aspect comes in the sense of the girl latching on to her (and there's potential there in her repeating what happened between her and Silco) but I think all of the new characters fall pretty flat so far. NuGirl really would have benefitted from getting a flashback to explain her backstory. (yes even if she ends up getting killed)

Ekko just wants to protect his people but the illness of the tree forces him to go to Piltover with Heimer. At this point both his wants and his forced are pretty muted.

Jayce

I think Jayce's story suffers from him being actually the character who is in multiple stories. He's a little bit with Caitlyn and Vi (he wanted to honor Viktor's wishes not to build hextech weapons but he makes them for Cait after all), he's a little bit Mel, he's a little bit in Viktor's story, and a little bit in the Heimer/Ekko story.

I think better writing could have really made use of the fact that Jayce is the character who is in multiple storylines but imo it didn't happen.

At the moment (maybe just because of how Act 1 ended) Hextech feels like his big tragedy. (Mel's line about wanting to protect his dream) Season 1 Jayce was cocky and wanted to make the world better with Hextech (+ be a magician), in season 2 he finds out that hextech is actually completely fucking over the The Arcane.

Again this is something that could really have benefitted to a flashbacks for Jayce's highs when everything was still golden and glorious for him rather than just pans onto his old mug.

Conclusion

Structurally the tragedy is there for everybody, but I don't really *feel* the tragedy of it yet because the show isn't making heavy enough use of contrast (ie investing more time of emotionally showing us what the character actually wants so we can feel the weight of when they end getting the actual opposite, I think flashbacks could have accomplished that).

[harleyxhoward]

Analyzing The Abilities of Characters From The Boys Pt. VII (Blood Sisters Edition)

*mention of Marie’s self harm, she’s the second section*

🤯Victoria Neuman🤯

“Diva Down” was the cry I bellowed at the S4 finale. One of my favorite characters gone by the hands of a pesky man. Please pause for a moment of silence.

Victoria’s ability to manipulate blood was tethered to her vision, which is the main part I’ll be focusing on. While she can make people’s heads explode, she must see her targets clearly in order to be able to do so. This ironically stems from her general “blindness” in terms of the consequences of her actions. As I previously berated her for, her careless injection of Compound V into her daughter came at a price she could have avoided had she not been so proud.

Additionally, her murdering congressmen and ultimately threatening and killing anyone and everyone who stood in her way made her a true loose cannon, especially since The Boys now have nothing on her. With her secret out, it was only a matter of time before she popped someone’s head in that room, and Butcher still defended his team, regardless of the symbiote situation he has going on.

Vicky’s bloodlust and situational blindness prove to be the main reason why her abilities manifested the way they did.

🩸Marie Moreau🩸

Another one of my favorites who possesses a similar ability to Vicky, Marie proved that with the right cultivation, she can be far more powerful than people give her credit for.

Marie’s abilities seem to be the result of her resentment of and mourning of her own familial structure. She feels like she “lost her blood” in losing her family, so she’s now able to manipulate the blood of others, along with blood letting/self harming in order to create tendrils of blood. While she reasons that this practice is “just her power”, it’s evident she uses this as an outlet to express her perceived powerlessness in the world. Despite a kickass power, she’s been at the mercy of Red River, GodU, Vought, and every government system her whole life. Marie’s a girl who needs release, and she turns to a literal shedding of her familial tethers by releasing her blood.

Both Marie and Vicky have great durability and a wide range of abilities, but while Victoria settled on her explosive, immediate power to put an end to her opponents, Marie opts to perform more invasive and creative maneuvers, insinuating that while they could have done the same things, Vicky was “blinded” by the immediate gratification of success, while Marie willfully seeks out solutions to a wider range of issues, this cementing her as the hero in the end.

[melleonis]

list of worm characters and how good they would be at force fem

beware spoilers

UNDERSIDERS Taylor (Skitter): unless there's an estrogen spider somewhere in the world, no shot Taylor (Khepri): unfortunately, unlimited power comes at the cost of a rapidly-dwindling understanding of gender Grue: lacks both the ability and the inclination. his fragile masculinity makes him a fine target, however. Tattletale: you'd think she'd be good at it, or at the very least sufficiently-advanced egg detection, but she also believes everyone on the team is straight, so this is gonna be a blind spot for her. Bitch: shockingly good at it if the end goal is puppygirl, stone useless otherwise. Regent: i mean. he could, but what's in it for him? easily bored, no patience for process. at best he could manage getting someone into a tutu for a lark before losing interest. Imp: gaslight girlboss of course she's gonna be great at this. what's this? all the contents of your underwear drawer replaced? you didn't do that... did you? who else could have? so you must have wanted this...right? Parian: if you will not wear the dress, the dress will have to come to you. Foil: nah

EVERYONE ELSE Accord: ugh who wants a tidy feminization? Bakuda: hey maybe you'll get hit with the fem grenade! probably you'll just die, or worse. Bonesaw: oh now we're talkin. unparalleled biomech horror force fem game. the mechanical spider tapped into your spinal column decides when it's time to get you prettied up for a tea party. Canary: shania twain karaoke incident feminizes twelve, birdcage for sure. Cherish: trivially easy to set up an emotional conditioning system. wearing skirt? dopamine hit! wearing pants? kill yourself - whoops. well, she'll have a lot of time at the bottom of the ocean to figure out correct feedback intensities. Clockblocker: in theory one should be able to get up to some mischief while someone is frozen in time, but i'm not sure dennis has the ability to freeze someone without also freezing their clothes, which means this has limited utility. could play a support role for someone else. Contessa: effortlessly trips you into a chain reaction that completely reshapes your life as part of a twelve-thousand step plan to improve humanity's long-term odds of survival by a fraction of a percent. thank you for your service. Echidna: all your evil monster clones are girls for some reason. whether this works depends entirely on how you respond to awkward post-incident questions your friends have about it. Eidolon: yeah i mean he could. but it doesn't make him feel globally, historically important so he's not gonna. Gallant: is "feminine" an emotion he can inflict? girl feelings beam attack? shame we'll never know, RIP. Gregor the Snail: nothing in canon says he can't secrete a mildly acidic ooze that turns you into a slime girl. Jack Slash: broadcast shard should in theory mean he can easily manipulate other capes into getting feminized, but that's less time spent on self-aggrandizing mass murder, so. Marquis: bone structure matters less than you'd think in the grand scheme of things, but yes he can reshape your jawline and cheek bones, give you those child-bearing hips. pros: he doesn't kill women, so you're that much safer. cons: it is going to hurt like a motherfucker. Number Man: oh no your company has fallen on hard times and you've been laid off! and how peculiar that the only business hiring anywhere near you is the maid cafe. it says they're very strict about their dress code but that's probably fine. and food's gotten so expensive but wait these odd imported protein shakes are absurdly cheap... Panacea: you know what the joke is already, come on. Scion: has Path to Victory and would never in a billion years think of using it for anything fun.

and finally,

the Simurgh: best in show. sure, it'll take four years for the triggers and conditioning to work their way through your subconscious but when they do...

BONUS Simurgh/Dragon double-team: Defiant probably never spent enough time close to the Simurgh to get affected, plus he had those high-tech earplugs he designed himself, so surely he's fine. nevertheless, his focus wanders during a critical moment while editing Dragon's source code, and now she's bossier, maybe even a little meaner, and the prosthetic parts she's making for colin's cyborg body are... different. curvier, softer. and every time he tries to find the problem in her code he gets distracted, and she gets more and more imperious. can he find a way out of the Simurgh's conditioning and his AI lover's domination? will he have to seek help from Saint - or worse, Teacher? surely they wouldn't take advantage of him in his vulnerable cyberdoll state?

[outletcrash]

My poison ivy! I'm extremely proud of this. backstory under the cut :)

its been in the back of my head that ivy is indian since forever. i literally have no clue why its just There. she's tamil specifically, because i have favoritism regarding the script its written with.. it tickles my brain...

anyways heres my Poison Ivy: Origins comic i made last night in like 3 hours.

(theres a section here on her early life and the backstory of her parents that im still workshopping. basically she was a bastard child that only her mom supported and they left for gotham)

Bhavani got a job as an accountant for a law firm on recommendation from an uncle who had a company that worked in Gotham (he was kinder to the pair). She was always gifted in math. Bhavani raised her daughter the best way she knew how, even without the support of her family. 

Pamela (now nicknamed Ivy due to multiple kids misreading her last name as Ivy. And she was very nature-focused even as a kid, digging in the dirt and identifying different kinds of trees using books she got at the Gotham Library with her mother) excelled in school, surpassing most of her peers. The pursuit of knowledge was the one thing she enjoyed. Her classmates were sticky and loud and irritating, and when she wasn’t ignoring them she was tying their shoelaces together as revenge for talking too loud during quiet time. She managed to make just enough casual friends to not worry her mother too deeply, but this was the start of a downward spiral.

She lost friends, and not many could take on the effort of befriending her. She lost herself in biology, the study of life. Especially plants and conservation. Plants were just so… simple, compared to human society. But their structures and functions and genetics were fascinating. She skipped grades to take higher-level classes on genetics. Her grades were phenomenal but her social skills were extremely underdeveloped. Not like Ivy cared. Humans were a plague on this earth, pumping the atmosphere with CO2 and poisoning rivers and cutting down forests. In her mind, they did nothing but harm the serenity of nature she so cherished. 

After graduating with a PHD and doctorate, she got a job as a genetic engineer. She studied alternative ways to help regrow ecosystems after deforestation. Her Gotham University coworkers were wary around Ivy. She was a woman none of them knew anything about, who would say ecoterrorist-aligned comments offhandedly the few times she ever spoke. 

Ivy was working on a genetically engineered plant on the day of the accident. It was designed to nurture plant species by sending chemical signals, and it took in energy through waste products left by deforestation and manufacturing. At least, in theory. 

Ivy was working all alone in the lab at 2am. She hadn’t slept for hours, she was so close to her breakthrough. She was so close to making those billionaire bastards pay for what they did to the earth. She wasn’t wearing proper safety equipment nor using proper containment procedures during the incident. And as such, she was infected. The plant didn’t just take in waste material, it took in living flesh. Ivy’s cells were transformed in a gruesome fashion, her entire genetic code was re-written as it spread through her body. Her skin was green and her lab coat was bloody. Her newly-red hair flowed behind her as she escaped the lab, running through university grounds. Each footstep brought grass and dandelions cracking through the concrete in full bloom. Trees and grass grew to get closer to her, reaching for her. 

Ivys powers were completely out of control. She was crying and hyperventilating as her mind was warped. It had given her a need for flesh. When she made it to Robinson park, she couldn’t overcome the primal instinct. Plants still crawling at her ankles, and she killed a squirrel with her bare hands and ate it raw. This only fueled her fractured mind to want more. Ivy's first ever murder was a pedestrian, who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He tried to flee when he saw a bloody green woman with a squirrel carcass in her mouth, but it was to no avail. He was strangled to death with poison ivy vines, and eaten. 

Finally, the primal instinct was satiated. Ivy escaped to a warehouse in the industrial district of Old Gotham. She tended to her injuries as best she could, soon discovering she had healing abilities. The injuries from her being torn apart had already mostly healed. She slept on an old couch, dreaming about what she could use these powers for. 

When the news broke on the mysterious and grisly death of a random pedestrian, the media was all over it. Since he was killed by poison ivy, and from security footage the culprit was seemingly a woman, the media dubbed her Poison Ivy. Many believed it wasn’t possible, and that the footage was faked, but the GCPD was stumped. 

Batman looked through the footage and, by process of elimination (matching the appearances of the scientists who had access to the laboratory, keycard scanners throughout that day and evening, as well as their known affiliations and potential criminal history. Two of them did deal weed but it was nonviolent and they didn’t match the woman in the tapes.) 

Dr. Pamela Iyer was the clear suspect. She matched the woman's appearance (besides the green skin and hair, she was a tall woman with long straight hair and a flat nose.) Batman interviewed her coworkers and found she had a history of being antisocial with eco terrorist beliefs. None of them knew where she lived, however. And when the bat interviewed her mother (the only person her coworkers had ever heard her speak to in a positive light) she was very concerned. Suspicious of Batman, clearly, but worried for her precious daughter's well being. She said that Pamela had always loved being near nature, and that she didn’t care for the quality of structure she had to stay in. But other than that, her mother couldn't help. She does bring out the intimidating motherly stare at Batman, making him promise to bring her daughter home safely. 

From here, Batman goes on a search. He prowls rooftops and streets and uses the grappling hook for fast travel. All while monitoring city-wide security cameras (thanks Alfred!) and paying attention to police radio. He stops muggings and thefts and helps get a cat out of a tree as he scans Old Gotham. 

He came to the conclusion Poison Ivy must be in Old Gotham due to damage on the Robinson Park Bridge, connecting Somerset with the southern island. The damage matched with what had been seen on the sidewalks and streets near the University and the scene of the crime. Dandelions and crabgrass taking the shape of human footprints, cracking through concrete. Batman notices some trees down a certain alleyway in the east streets are warped inwards. Very similar to the trees in the park and university. He follows the unusual growth pattern of the trees, like they were hands outstretching to reach a light source. 

There, he finds an old warehouse. He scales the building with a grappling hook, not wanting to be ambushed on the lower levels if he enters on the boarded up front door.  Entering through an old broken skylight, he finds what must've been a long abandoned drug dealer hideout covered in fresh blood. Very, very carefully, he examines the scene. But there's nobody there. She just got away, her blood on the rotting old sofa is still warm. He also notes three strands of long red hair, which he places in crime scene baggies for DNA analysis. 

His current theory is that the doctor was mutated by her own research. He read her notes and the plant she was experimenting with was extremely dangerous. And the security footage (before it cut out during what he believes was the time of the accident) showed her using improper safety equipment. 

He’s on patrol for hours, but can’t find any sign of her. 

That night, Bruce synthesizes a pesticide-like chemical that could prevent Ivy's powers. However, he talks to Alfred about how the plant would adapt to it almost like a bacteria, and that it might not be effective more than once. 

The next morning Bruce Wayne is scheduled for a charity event. Many rich people are there tied to a business venture Wayne was not aware of. The event was for funding for healthcare systems in Gotham. Little does he know, this is the exact place Ivy plans to attack. She’s hated the rich for years and many politicians and businessmen that support an amazon rainforest deforestation project are there. 

She interrupts their little charity event at a historical building in the financial district of old gotham with a surprise. Ivy broke into one of her old greenhouses at the university, taking small samples of extremely poisonous amazon rainforest plants with her. This happened quickly and silently while Bruce was still at the function. 

Ivy crashed through the large art-nouveau stained glass windows, supported by giant vines. She is lifted down the staircase like she was floating, more vines and deadly plants crawling in from the giant hole in the glass, moonlight from the full moon peeking through the clouds and illuminating her entrance. London Planetrees from around the building grow in front of doors, sealing all the possible exits. 

All of the rich and fancy people in dresses and suits meandering around the building are screaming and trying to run, which is when a mad-with-power Ivy releases her plants. 

They grow to gargantuan sizes in moments, releasing toxic spores and fumes and burning people's skin. Ivy finds the most heinous offenders of the rainforest bill and feeds them deadly plants by hand, graphic symptoms ensue. 

In the pandemonium, Bruce pulls out some tree facts about the flammability of a certain species, managing to throw a fire source directly at it as a diversion before escaping through a vent in the opposite wing of the hall. Alfred is already outside with the Batsuit, he brought it as soon as he learned of the attack. 

Bruce suits up and re-enters. It's a grueling and difficult battle, the most difficult he has fought so far. He manages to spray Ivy with the chemical, and she goes down, all the plants in the hall going still. The excessive toxic fumes suddenly go back to normal levels. Bruce uses an extremely strong tranquilizer on her, she’s still fighting to get up. Finally, Ivy is defeated.

Almost the whole charity gathering was injured in the attack with seven people dead and immense damage done to the structure of the historical hall. 

Ivy’s powers are sedated and she’s taken into police custody, where she is deemed insane. Half of the insanity conviction was her actual insanity and the other half was that Arkham is the only facility capable of holding her, especially since it’s located on an island. Batman agrees with Jim Gordon on this comment. 

Ivy didn’t say anything during her trial, silently glaring with little remorse. The physician diagnosed her with ASPD (which wasn’t right but it's on her legal documents.)

The comic ends with Ivy in Arkham, talking about the rich swine tearing apart the world, and how she finally has the power to stop them. How she can feel the mutation inside of her slowly winning against the sedative drugs, adapting and consuming the chemical to turn it into energy as it was designed to do. How she will return the world to ecologic harmony, with her own hands. It ends with her in the Arkham cafeteria, staring at a mysterious blonde prisoner a few tables across…

the writing isn't like, a fanfiction. its a guideline for a comic in a series of origins comics im planning. do not get your hopes up these'll be done in like, 10-20 years at my current speed. i have a scarecrow and riddler outline in the works, and plans for a batman, joker, harley quinn and probably a penguin comic eventually. and more villians. once i'm done with all the origins comics i'll be doing like, a regular batman series. just for fun yknow.

[prettymuchteddy]

The Invitation

Summary: When Lord Gareth is invited to King Viserys' castle on the nearly desolate island of Dragonstone, he is not prepared to come face to face with the King's daughter, Rhaenyra. However, the longer he stays the more he becomes convinced something is odd about the Princess.

Read on AO3

Pairing: Rhaenyra Targaryen x Alicent Hightower, Rhaenyra Targaryen x Original female characters

Warning: horror themes, vampires, mild blood, biting, blood drinking, polyamorous relationship, character death, and murder

Words: 3,744

A/N: I was inspired to write this after watching Van Helsing. So it has heavy Dracula vibes. Hope you enjoy it!

A knock came from the door.

The man outside hid underneath the arch of the looming structure. Rain poured down on his coat, soaking through. His boots were flooded by the onslaught of water. He released a shaky breath as he knocked again.

“Hello?” He called out; however, the storm was more powerful than his voice.

Yet, his plea seemingly worked when the mahogany doors creaked open. He stepped inside without a second thought.

The warmth of the castle enveloped his trembling figure. He straightened himself to look presentable. He fought against making a face when his drenched shoes squeaked when touching the dark carpet.

“Lord Gareth, I presume?” A voice asked.

The man lifted his head to find a woman standing a few feet from him. He was quick to notice her beauty. She was pale but not as pale as her white hair which had been tied back in a rigid braid. Her elegant long black dress dragged behind. Her light-colored eyes stared him down.

“Yes, I’m Lord Gareth, um I received an invitation from King Viserys…” His eyes wandered trying to find another soul in the castle.

“I can assure you; you’ve come to the right place. My father was the one who wrote you the letter.”

“Your father?” The man seemed confused.

“I’m Princess Rhaenyra.” She smiled.

“Oh.” He fixed his posture. “Forgive me, Your Highness, I was not aware.”

She waved a hand. “There’s no need for such formalities, Lord Gareth. My father is not here at the moment.”

“Pardon? King Viserys isn’t here?”

“No, he went on a hunting trip, but he’ll return in the morning.”

The man glanced at the door. “Forgive me for arriving so early.”

“Again there is no need to apologize. I can arrange a room for you.”

“That’s very generous of you, Your Highness, but I do not want to impose.”

“There’s a storm outside and it’s a long way down the hill again, I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“Are you sure I wouldn’t be a bother?”

“Of course not, we would love to have you.”

He picked up his bag. “Thank you, your highness.”

She smiled and reached out her hand for him to take. “Welcome to my house, my lord, I hope you find it to your liking. We here in Dragonstone are known for our hospitality. So much so people tend to never leave.”

The flight of stairs seemed to go on forever. Each step resulted in a small groan from the man as he climbed up. The castle’s massive size became clear when the ceiling rose to its curved arches. Dark chandeliers hung from the ceiling and how they had even placed them up there was its own mystery. A chill brushed by his neck the higher they went. He kept his calm, following her down a narrow path. The stone walls made it seem like a barricaded fortress rather than the elegant castle he had expected.

The princess turned down a hallway. Her steps were oddly silent against the wooden floorboards. He dragged his bag behind with a tired arm. His heavy feet stomped across the red carpet. Despite his noise, the princess did not utter a word, her relaxed and quiet presence was not interrupted in the least. She abruptly stopped in front of a door.

“This will be your room for the night.”

With a limp hand, he reached out and turned the handle. The door swung to reveal a plain room with a simple bed, nightstand, and cabinet drawer. It was painted in a dull beige color, and there was no piece of décor in sight. Even the floor lacked a carpet. This was it?

Gareth glanced back at the princess. He expected her to look inside the room and realize its conditions were lacking as well. Perhaps recognize that an error had been made.

She was serious however, there was no mistake.

“Get some rest, my lord. I’ll call you down for supper time soon enough.”

She left before he could respond.

He turned back to his room. “No better rooms in this place? I doubt it,” he muttered to himself.

Gareth closed the door behind him. He dropped his bag to the floor, letting it land with a thud. The exhaustion of the day’s journey was beginning to set, and the bed was looking tempting. His eyes were drooping from tiredness. He laid down on the bed, deciding to close his eyes for a little bit. Just as he was falling asleep, he could see a soft glow before succumbing to the darkness.

He awoke when he heard someone’s voice. It was as clear as the cool air he breathed. His eyes scanned the living quarters. The room was darker than before, but nothing was out of place. Only the sound of his own heartbeat rang through. No one was here, yet he swore something whispered in his ear.

Leaning down, he pulled up his boots from the floor.

A shuffle came from behind the door.

He froze.

In the small gap of the door, there was little light. Carefully he approached the door. His timid hand grabbed the handle and opened it to reveal nothing on the other side.

Within the corner of his eye, he saw something move. His gaze went down the long hall. The noise sounded again.

Gareth followed the noise down through the halls. He passed by the individual doors, leading to an open area. He realized he was in a large drawing room from the sofas and small tables. Seated at the head of one of these tables was a woman with dark hair. Her eyes flickered to him.

“Hello,” she spoke gently.

“Hello…” He paused. “Forgive me I wasn't aware there was someone here.”

“Well as you can see, I’m here.” She smiled.

He chuckled lightly. “Yes, clearly.”

She gestured toward the seat across from her. “Would you like to sit?”

He glanced back to the chair. “Yes, thank you.”

“How do you like to play?” She asked while setting down a stack of cards. “Any wagers?”

He glanced at her while she shuffled the deck. A necklace hung around her pale neck. Her smile was gentle and soft, just like the rest of her. She was beautiful beyond words. He relaxed his shoulders.

“Ten gold coins.”

“So, you’re a betting man then?” A voice said.

He flinched. From the corner of his eye, he saw another woman seated beside him. He whipped his head around.

Her hair was a fiery red, cascading down her shoulders. The deep blue eyes scanned the table, quickly finding a pile of cards already set. She grabbed them, bringing them close to her chest.

“You’ll be playing too?” The brunette asked out loud.

“Always,” a low voice answered.

Gareth turned to where another woman had sat beside him. Her fingers caressed the cards as she organized the deck she’d been dealt. Her dark brown eyes were like deep pools he felt he could almost jump into.

“Will you be placing anything to wager?” The brunette inquired to the others.

“No,” the redhead said promptly. “I’ve learned my lesson in the past.”

“I wouldn’t suggest gambling,” the most recent arrival mentioned. “It’s a terrible habit.”

“Old habits tend to be difficult to stop.”

She leaned closer. “Even when they’re terrible?”

“Terrible things tend to be the most exciting,” he flirted.

Her lips curled up in amusement. “How so?”

“Have you ever been to the North?”

“No, sadly never gotten the chance.”

“It’s a frigid wasteland with half-barbaric living conditions. Yet you can feel your blood pumping there as the harsh wind blows on her face. Makes you feel alive.”

She hummed in interest. “Have you gone to very many places?”

“Yes, and I’ve written of them too. I have quite a few books under my name.”

“I must read your work sometime, Lord Gareth.”

“I’d love to show you, lady…”

“-Alicent,” she finished for him. Her gaze went toward the other women present.

“Since you’re a guest Lord Gareth, would you like to set any rules?” The brunette asked.

He tore his attention away from Alicent and back to the cards. He only then realized he had no idea what they were playing.

“Need help?” The redhead whispered near his ear.

He was caught off guard by her sudden presence. She did not look like she cared as she leaned closer.

“Is there a specific way you like to play, lord Gareth?” She stood from her seat and positioned herself on the edge of his armrest. “We have our own way of doing things here on Dragonstone, but we’re always happy to amuse guests.”

The warmth ran to his face when her hands ghosted over his hair. He found it hard to look away from her. His throat was dry as she looked him up and down.

“Are you always this shy, Lord Gareth?”

He couldn’t find the words to speak. Her lip quirked up in amusement. He was not prepared to feel her lips on his neck. Good gods help him. Her soft breathing made his breath hitch.

Everything was becoming a hazy blur as the other women stood from their seats and approached. He swore his senses would have driven him mad if the door had not opened roughly.

The redhead suddenly jumped off him. He blinked a few times before remembering where he was. The embarrassment flooded his features within moments.

The princess was standing between him and the other women. “Dyanna, what have I told you about how we treat our guests?” She scolded the redhead.

Gareth straightened himself to try and save whatever dignity he had left.

“And Lenora, Alicent, you cannot simply enable what she does.”

They lowered their heads when the princess spoke to them. He figured they were probably servant girls. Still, he did find it odd that they all wore white dresses and had jewelry. Perhaps they were ladies-in-waiting instead.

“Lord Gareth,” the princess finally acknowledged him. “Supper is ready, please follow me.”

He did as she asked and walked behind her toward the dining room.

The table was already set when they walked inside. Two plates of food were waiting for them and wine filling the brim of two goblets. Princess Rhaenyra sat at the head of the table without a word. She calmly took her utensils and began cutting into her meat.

There was thick silence enveloping the dining room. The clacking of the silverware filled the dry atmosphere. He avoided looking directly at the princess.

“Lord Gareth,” she abruptly cut through the tension. “Forgive my ladies for their behavior. They simply got excited. We don’t get very many guests often.”

“It’s alright, Your Highness. I’m sure your ladies did not mean any harm.” He paused. “Have they served you long?”

“I’ve been with them for ages. With so much time together, you grow fond of each other.”

“It does help that Dragonstone is such a small island.”

She hummed to herself. “They say that home is where the heart is. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“You wouldn’t consider traveling?”

“Oh, not anytime soon, though I did much in the past as did my father.”

“Truly?”

She nodded. “Tell me, Lord Gareth, do you tend to travel much?”

He lifted up his gaze. “Yes, I do.”

“How often are you away from home?”

He sighed. “Months at a time usually.”

“I’m sure your wife gets lonely without you around.”

“I’m not married, Your Highness, my wife passed on many years ago.”

“My condolences.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you at least have an heir waiting for you at home?”

He gave a short laugh. “Not really. I only have a daughter; nothing will pass to her.”

This seemed to grab the princess’ attention as her gaze was torn from her food. “You have a daughter? How old is she?”

“Ten and three.”

“She’s very young,” the princess muttered.

“Indeed. She spends her time with her maids and ladies.”

“Are you so sure? You do travel often.”

He gulped down the wine. “I imagine that’s what she does. I admit, I know very little of where her time is spent. But what man isn’t in the dark about what women think?”

“One must be around to understand,” she whispered.

“She’s used to it, I’ve traveled since she was a babe. Believe me, Your Highness, when you marry and have children, you’ll see for yourself.”

The princess’ eyes seemed to flicker oddly. He blinked a few times. The wine was surely getting to him.

“If I should be so lucky.”

She stood from her seat, neatly tucking her chair back into its original position. Her gaze returned to him.

“Would you like to tell me more as we wait for the desert? I can show you some of my father’s relics from his travels if you’d like.”

Gareth stood from his seat, slightly confused but willing to amuse the princess’ request.

The hall became narrow as they went downstairs. Whatever chill he felt before was amplified further by where they were headed. With little decorations, the stone structure was beginning to look more foreboding. The only things that he could find to dress the bare space were a few portraits hung along the sides.

He looked over at one painting of three people. He recognized the girl in the portrait as the princess despite how young she was. Her white hair was loose with a crown resting on top. Beside her was a man and a woman, both with the same pale hair. Gareth imagined them to be her parents. They stood in front of the drawing room he had come upon earlier, though the room was painted a different color there than it was now. The portrait had dust along the frame. He wondered why the king had chosen to let this part of the castle get like this. They had servants clearly.

“Did your father take the jewelry during his travels?” He asked.

“Pardon?” The princess’ face scrunched up slightly.

“I noticed that one of your ladies was wearing an older relic.”

Rhaenyra nodded carefully. “It is likely, in all honesty, I like to give them gifts often.”

“I believe you might be spoiling your servants too much, Your Highness,” he chuckled.

“How come?”

“The relic your lady Lenora, I think was her name, was wearing is over three hundred years old.”

Rhaenyra hummed in interest. “Truly?”

“Yes, during my travels I’ve gone to many castles both ruled by lords, and some left in ruins. One of them was Harrenhal. It used to be the seat of House Strong, but the family line went extinct more than three hundred years ago. Their sigil was a hand with the colors red, green, and blue. The necklace your lady wore had that same hand in the pendant and the gems were of the same house colors.”

“Huh. For a relic it seemed to be kept in very good condition, I would hardly know.”

Gareth smiled. “Well princess, not everything is like what it seems.”

The princess beamed. “Always fascinating to learn new things.”

He glanced outside through a window. The storm was growing worse as its howls shook the glass.

“Does King Viserys always go hunting so late in the night?”

“No, he hasn’t in many years.”

“Was today a special occasion?”

“When he left the castle, it was to celebrate the birth of his son.”

“I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“He’s not here. He’s with my mother. They’re resting downstairs. Would you like to meet them?”

Gareth tilted his head, slightly. Curiosity overtook him. He didn’t know the queen and prince were here. The king failed to mention them in the invitation he sent.

His feet guided him to where the princess moved. Confusion began to fill his mind when the lights dimmed the more they walked. A stillness gripped the castle. Princess Rhaenyra held the door open for him. He stepped inside of a dark area.

“Right up ahead,” she said.

His eyes narrowed in the shadows. He was cautious of where he stepped. It was completely quiet. A wall stood out to him as something shined when he got closer.

They were silver plaques placed on the stone. It had engravings written. Aemma Arryn 82 AC to 105 AC, Baelon Targaryen 105 AC to 105 AC.

His eyes followed the wall to where two crypts rested.

Gareth stepped backward. “I don’t…you said your father was celebrating.”

“He was…when he left.”

He looked over the years again. 105 AC. That was five hundred years ago.

Rhaenyra began pacing slowly along the cellar. “Usually there would have been more time, but I don’t like to keep my loves waiting too long.”

The man narrowed his eyes as if confused. “I don’t understand…Where’s King Viserys?”

Rhaenyra reared her head. A smile curled on her lips where sharp teeth pointed out. Those unusual violet eyes of her began glowing in the dark. “There is no King Viserys. There hasn’t been for many years. I am the Queen of this castle.”

His expression twisted in shock.

Rhaenyra paid no mind to it, however. “Enjoy your gift,” she said out loud.

The man’s brows furrowed. “What?”

He had little time to process her words as within seconds the three servant women were upon him. They grabbed his arms and pulled at his dress shirt, tearing it to shreds with the strength of wild animals. He tried to push them away, but they latched onto him with a ferocity he couldn’t understand. The redhead, Dyanna, dug her nails into his skin to bare his neck out. A scream ripped from his throat when her teeth pierced through his exposed neck.

“Don’t be shy now,” The princess mocked with a sweet voice. “Were you not eager before when my fiery Dyanna had her lips on your neck?”

He kicked at their hands on his limbs, but they were strong, inhumanly so. The brunette was quick to try to stop his resistance by biting into his shoulder blade. Her sharp teeth dragged against the bone underneath his skin. Another scream of anguish vibrated through the crypt.

“Or when my sweet Lenora invited you for a game under the cover of night? I believed a man like yourself to have more honor than to meet a maiden in the late hours.”

He grabbed at a lock of hair and pulled it, hoping it would be enough to get them away. A hiss came from one of them. He caught a glimpse of glowing blue irises with the white in the eyes being completely gone, replaced with a black emptiness. His hand which gripped at the hair was snatched at the wrist. A loud snap rang out. Gareth screamed as his wrist went limp to his side.

“No clever quips to say to my devoted Alicent? Did you think yourself on her level with your dull travels and flimsy writing?” The princess continued.

The fangs would not let him go. He squirmed in their hold but felt his strength leaving him. The pain was too much. His eyes closed one final time.

Alicent was the first to pull away. She let his limp arm fall onto the cold floor. Her fingers wiped the blood running down her throat, careful to make sure it did not land on her dress and stain it.

The corpse fell with a dull thud when the other two released their grip.

Lenora licked the blood off her lips, her dark brown hair cascading down her face. “You spoiled us this time.”

Dyanna wiped her hand of any droplets. “Yes, how very generous of you.” She raised a suspicious brow.

Rhaenyra gently lifted up her chin. A small smile on her features. “Am I not allowed to be kind to my own wives?”

Dyanna smirked. “I never said it wasn’t welcomed, only a surprise is all.”

Lenora looked over the corpse, a pout on her face. “Rhaenyra are you not hungry? You didn’t have a bite.”

“I’m alright. He was meant for you three.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am, though I’m touched you thought of me.”

“He didn’t put up that much of a fight,” Alicent nonchalantly. “Do you think he was exhausted already?”

“No, if anything he slept very soundly,” Dyanna scoffed. “I could hear him snoring all the way from my coffin.”

Lenora giggled. “Is that what that was? I thought it was one of the rats.”

“That’s an insult to the rats,” Dyanna mused.

“How did you get this one?” Alicent glanced at the body.

“You heard him, he loves to travel, so I imagined his interest would be piqued if the king of Dragonstone wrote him an invitation.” Rhaenyra looked at the dead man. “Turns out I was right.”

“Any relatives that may come looking for him?” Lenora inquired.

“None that will miss him very much,” Rhaenyra stated.

Dyanna wrapped her arms around Lenora’s waist. “I very nearly thought he would figure it out.” She eyed the brunette’s necklace. “He was rather perspective.”

Rhaenyra approached Lenora, gently caressing the jewelry adorning her neck. “He came close but not close enough, unfortunately for him.”

“You’d think with your little stunt in the drawing room, he’d realize something,” Alicent mused.

Rhaenyra turned to Dyanna. “About that, next time my love, be a bit more patient. We don’t need to get so aggressive so early.”

Dyanna smirked, showing off her fangs. “But you love it when I’m aggressive.”

Rhaenyra tilted her chin up, affectionally. “You know what I mean.”

Alicent felt the air shift, becoming warmer. “It’s almost morning.”

The princess smiled at her wives. “That’s enough excitement for one night. Let’s get some rest.”

Lenora and Dyanna were the first to begin heading toward their tombs. Alicent stayed behind scanning the corpse.

Rhaenyra noticed. “What is it, my love?”

“I was wondering how I should get rid of it. I don’t want it leaving a foul smell.”

“I appreciate your concern, Alicent, but I will take care of it.”

Her first bride sighed. “You understand we can handle things for you? Your kindness is not lost on me, but we can take care of you as well.”

“I know, and you already do take care of me.” Rhaenyra lifted up her chin softly. “Now get some rest.”

Alicent smiled. “Don’t take too long, we’ll be waiting for you.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”