#and if there is an Ulterior Motive to Q

[elliscousland]

i'm going to break down why this song works so well for ellis & morrigan very, very soon.

[apollos-boyfriend]

forever i am Begging you to react to lonely king 🙏

forever freaking out over muffin because “this isn’t mcyt music this is professional industry music” can someone Please point him towards derivakat

[kohabielnin]

Helo,hello , I really really enjoy your Truth and inference series, and I'm so happy that your request box is open.

/*excited noises

Can I request the whole truth and inference cast reacting to a modern reader?(I really think there should be more idv x modernreader fictions),thank you, thank you.😘

Of course, I love exploring more of the T&I universe so it always excites me to be asked something about

D.M/Désire Mélodis

• When he discovered it, it was as if a million new possibilities had appeared to him,

• If with the knowledge of the time, it was already dangerous, with modern knowledge then...

• Everyone realized that he was treating you better than he treated others, just so he wouldn't lose you to Mr. Inference,

• Tuberose got a little jealous when he realized that D.M was treating you well and Gatto was deeply afraid of that,

• Passing on the knowledge you have to D.M can be one of the most dangerous things to do, you can't predict what this man will do,

• In general, even though he has ulterior motives for you, he seems to treat you well because he wants to, not to get information out of you, he is a real mystery

Noir/Saphir Mélodis

• He found this extremely interesting when he learned,

• Just as he found it interesting, the concern came in threefold,

• He doesn't want D.M to find out for fear of what his brother might do to you,

• Crimson also helps you hide your secret, since according to herself, nothing will stop her from treating you like a little sister,

• Sometimes, out of curiosity, Noir asks what things are like in the modern world and never ceases to be surprised by his answers,

• According to him, he would love to see how everything will turn out, but he knows he won't live long enough for that, so he is content just listening to their stories

Gatto/Aesop Carl

• First he was shocked, then excited, and finally confused,

• What would a person from the future be doing in the past, he thought, but the excitement of learning new things about chemistry was greater,

• He asked, even in a shy way, for you to teach everything you knew about medicine and modern chemistry,

• I can say that I have never seen a Gatto as excited as he was while you explained and demonstrated everything you knew to him,

• Even Cat was fascinated by his knowledge after making a delicious salmon dish that she had never even dreamed of trying before,

• You and Gatto made a promise that this would be your secret and no one else would know

Mr. Inference/Naib Subedar

• He was very excited for several reasons and one of them was that with his knowledge of his time, he would get evidence to put D.M behind bars,

• Lady Truth scolded him for thinking about using you to get rid of D.M, then he apologized to you,

• To make up for what he wanted to do, he bought you a basket of sweets which he shared with White and Lady Truth,

• You taught Mr. Inference everything you knew out of your own free will and he learned much faster than you imagined,

• For him, meeting you was like a blessing from the gods, after all, even if you weren't someone from modern times, you were still a great companion for him and his friends, so he felt grateful for that

White/Saphir Mélodis

• When you felt comfortable telling him, it was his happiest day, even though he already knew,

• Every fraction of a second, this boy asked a different question,

• Even though it was tiring answering so many questions, seeing his surprised and interested look, it was worth all the tiredness,

• Whenever you finish answering his questions, q he will say that I would love to be able to see with my own eyes what you are talking about,

• Even if it feels sad in your chest to hear him say that and know it's a lie, you still smile and say, who knows...

• Of course he notices that you are sad and showers you with affection, after all, for him, seeing your sad face is worse than death

[xveenusx]

Love

Paring(s): rafe cameron x fem!reader

Summary: in which two people come to terms with how dangerous their love is, but it's impossible to leave.

Author's note: Rafe on his knees is sending me. This is part two to Hate and is complete angst because I like to hurt my own feelings. ALSO, the GIFS depict exactly what's going to happen in this peice to help you visualize it better :)

Rating: ANGSTY, but kind of a good ending but not really bc they are horrible for each other

Warnings: v toxic relationship

Part 1: Hate

━━ ★ Masterlist

_____________________

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.

My head hung against the cool tile in the shower, water pounding against my body as I fought against the urge to succumb to my pain.

You won't ever be over me

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Yet, it didn't work. I couldn't block out his words as they pistoled into my mind again and again. Slapping my hand against the tile, I groaned out loud and rubbed my eyes.

Memories of my mistake continue to stampede over every coherent thought I could form. It was embarrassing how easily I gave into him, but when he touched me, all sense went out the window.

He was the chink in my armor, because when he loved me, I mean really loved me, the sun shined brighter and the world went into focus. He could ask me anything and I would have told him in a heart beat. There was just this sense of security that finally gave me the ability to be myself. I felt like I was safe and solid ground for the first time in my life.

But as time went on, there were small slip ups that caught my attention. The hushed meetings with his father, his eagerness to be around my friends, the constant Q and A about gold.

I pushed passed the alarm bells ringing in my head because I didn’t want it to end. I caught him in lie after lie which always ended in a screaming match. I’d storm away but it always ended in us finding our way back to each other. Always.

Maybe it’s wrong to say this, but I was relieved that he needed me just as bad as I needed him. He couldn’t seem to leave me alone either.

The longer we were together, I couldn’t help but begin to question why he was really with me. The idea of there being an ulterior motive for loving me paralyzed me with fear.

Because, if that was true, I didn't think I'd survive it.

So like a junkie, in every sense of the word, I gave into the drug that was Rafe Cameron and gave him anything he wanted. I became an entirely different person that I didn't recognize.

I was so desperate to be loved by him that it almost killed me.

A familiar burning behind my eyes made me smile in irony. Tears usually accompanied anything that involved Rafe.

I slowly slid down the shower wall, bringing my knees to my chest, and set my chin on top. Closing my eyes, I attempted to focus on the pounding of the water but despite the noise, it couldn’t overpower the noise in my head.

Detoxing was nearly impossible. I'd take another dose, and then another, but when the high eventually wore of—because it always did—this is what was left:

A shell of me withered down in self loathing.

I hate you.

No, you don't.

The water eventually turned cold but I refused to move from my spot on the floor. I just couldn't face him, not yet.

It hurt to fucking look at him.

A fist pounded on the bathroom door but I chose to ignore it. I shivered slightly at the ice cold water but preferred this biting pain over what awaited me on the other side of that door.

"Open the door."

I turned my head away from the door and instead rested my cheek on the top of my knee and stared at the wall.

"I'm not fucking kidding. Open the door, why is this shit locked anyway?"

I rolled my eyes. The dramatics were unmatched.

"Go away." I croaked out, hoping for once in his god damn life that he listened. "I swear to god."

"I'm shaking in my boots, babe."

Jesus Christ.

"Rafe-"

"I can hear you crying from out here."

That shut me up. I thought I was being discreet. "I'm fine. Please go away."

He pounded on the door again. "Do you really think a locked door is gonna stop me?."

My eyes closed briefly at his words. The organ in my chest that refused to listen to reason began to beat a little harder.

"Rafe, please. I need a minute." My voice cracked at the end of my plea.

It was quiet for a few moments before I heard his feet shuffle away. I relaxed in relief at his departure and lifted my head directly under the water, hoping it will clear my mind.

"Fuck this." Was all I heard before a sharp crack echoed and the door busted open.

My gaze found his and it took all my strength to not shrink under his gaze. I'm sure I was a sight for sore eyes, curled up on the floor of the shower shivering.

Rafe let out a distressed noise before moving towards me but I scooted back, throwing my palm up. “Stop.”

He stopped in his tracks with narrowed eyes. “You have about five seconds.”

“Boundaries. We need boundaries.”

“Boundaries?” He repeated slowly, making it seem like the term was foreign to him. “What the fuck for?”

“Because I need a moment. Let me cry in peace.”

Rafe nodded his head and relief let me drop my shoulders.

“Well, I’m not leaving you alone when you cry, there, that’s my boundary.”

I open my mouth and close it. He couldn’t be serious?

He shut off the water while letting out a string of curses as he took in my shivering figure. Yanking a towel off the rack, I'm suddenly enveloped in warmth as he wrapped the towel around my body and picked me up.

His scent lured me in like an old friend. Exhaustion weighed on me heavily so I gave in yet again.

I shoved my face into his neck enjoying the warmth his body provided and the shivering slowly subsided. Rafe said nothing as he set me on the edge of the bed and softly began to dry me.

He was gentle despite the severe expression he wore.

“We should probably talk.” He uttered, running the towel along my legs.

I shook my head, the desire to sleep was overwhelming.

Rafe paused. “I can already feel you pulling back from me.”

He knew me all too well.

Arguing him was pointless. We’d both end up with our voices gone and nothing solved.

“I can’t do this with you right now. I just want this day to be over.” I spoke quietly, fiddling with my fingers.

Rafe doesn’t answer me, instead he grabs some satin set and slowly started to dress me. Lifting my arms, he pulled the thin tank over my head before kneeling down and doing the same with the bottoms.

It was moments like this that almost made me cave. Rafe Cameron, of figure eight, heir to a real estate empire, was down on his knees for a Pogue.

Pressing a gentle kiss to my inner knee, he stood up, towering over me with his hand cupping my face. His face was the picture of relaxed despite our current kidnapping, but I knew it was solely because we were together.

“This can’t happen again.” The words were out of my mouth in seconds.

He just smiled, humming softly to himself as he continued to stare.

So I tried again. “You can sleep on the floor.”

That made the smile drop fast.

“You want me to sleep on the floor?”

“Yes.”

“Like the actual floor?” Rafe asked slowly, his gaze moving down to the hard wooden floor in distaste.

“The fucking floor, Rafe.”

His eyes narrowed at my tone, “Why?”

“Because I said so.” Because, my panties will be off in seconds.

“Try again. I’ll argue with you all night until you tell me why.”

“Does this not hurt you as much as it hurts me? Looking at you fucking kills me.”

“I’m going to marry you. It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow. But I will marry you," He said the words so nonchalantly, you would think he was discussing the weather, "So no, it doesn’t hurt me to look at you, to be around you, because I know this is never going to end. I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you."

I waited, for what seemed like forever, to hear him say these words. Yet, now that he did, I simply didn't believe it. Too much has happened. His words no longer held the weight that they used to and for a brief moment I felt a twisted sense of relief because that meant I was one step closer to being free of the shackles that chained me to him.

My brows furrowed as I tried to think of something to say, but nothing came out.

I shook my head and crawled towards the front of the bed, tugging the sheets down and burrowing myself into a cocoon. "Go to sleep, Rafe."

He muttered something under his breath as he walked over to the makeshift bed on the floor. I heared some shuffling before a heavy sigh echoed in our room and I knew he finally settled.

It was for the best. My sanity needed to remain intact and this was the only way. That didn't stop me from missing the warm embrace of his body that always lulled me to sleep.

Rolling onto my side, I peaked over the side of the bed and saw his head already turned in my direction. A faint smirk tugged at the coner of his lips and his eyes sparkled with amusement.

"You still want me on the floor?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes." No.

Rafe let out a chuckle before silence enveloped us and the only thing I could hear was the sound of our steady breathing. All trace of humor left his face and we stared at each other, his eyes never leaving mine. It almost appeared like he was commiting my face to memory.

"You're safe. You can go to sleep," Rafe murmured, "I won't let anything happen to you."

A familar rush of affection slammed into my chest and I forced myself to break eye contact first. I couldn't let him see the expression that adorned my face. He was embedded deeply into my soul.

"I-" I love you.

Rafe cut me off, "I know."

Curled on my side with the sheets pulled up to my neck, I closed my eyes and whispered painfully, "I wish I didn't."

I could feel his gaze burning holes into my back, but I knew better than to turn around. Sleep, I told myself, everything will be better tomorrow.

Minutes passed and I knew he wasn't going to answer.

"I know that too." Was all I heard before I embraced the darkness with open arms.

_______________

Disoriented.

That's how I woke up. My eyes felt heavy and my head drummed against my skull. This pain comparable to only being severely hungover. Yet, I barley had anything at all. It was simply the Rafe effect, also known as extreme emotional distress.

I rubbed the sleepiness from eyes while my mind betrayed me with replays of the last 24 hours. Peering over the edge of the bed, Rafe is sprawled out awkwardly on the ground sleeping. His bare chest slowly rising up and down, his necklace gleaming from the morning light that seeped into the room.

It hurt to look at him, but when I looked away, it hurt even more. The fear of forgetting what he looked like or how he sounded when he laughed consumed me. What if everything faded?

Love and hate were more similar than one would think.

As if sensing I was was awake, Rafe shifted onto his side and opened his eyes slowly. I watched as his eyes took in our surroundings before last 24 hours finally hit him.

Instantly, his eyes find mine and his body relaxes, a smug smile tugging at his lips.

He got up from his spot on the floor and made his way over to me. Sleepiness still present in his eyes, but his face was content. The bed dips and a warm hand pushed my hair out of my eyes before tracing my nose then the outline of my lips.

"Good morning." The low raspy timber of his voice had me clenching my thighs together.

I allowed myself these few seconds to bask under the glow of his attention. Swallowing down the lump in my throat at what I'm about to do, I steel the storm of emotions that brew inside me.

Moving my face out of his grasp, I shifted my body into a sitting positon, placing a slight distance between us. "I meant what I said last night. This will not happen again."

The words burned coming out my mouth.

"Can we just skip this part?"

I shot him a blank look. "What part?"

He heaves out a sigh, his large hand rubbing against his buzzed head. "Aren't you tired?"

Did he hit his head? Confused filled me as I glanced at the unmade bed. "Tired? I just slept-"

Rafe barked out a bitter laugh. "Of running. Aren't you tired of running?"

My fingers gripped my satin top in an attempt to control my anger. He would choose this exact moment to bait me. Maybe six months ago I would have taken the bait, but I was drained.

He always chose the hard way.

"Really? You want to have this conversation now?" Keep calm. Breathe.

Rafe searched my face with a serious expression, then his lips tipped. "I don't know if you remember, but we have all the time in the world."

I rolled my eyes. Despite my very weak attemps at pushing him away, Rafe never seemed discouraged. He only appeared mildly annoyed at my desperate attempts to kick him out of my life.

"You're about 6 months late on your right to have this conversation. Now, get off of my bed." I tried to shove him off. Nothing.

Blue eyes narrowed. Good, I hope he was mad. He'll finally understand what it was like to be me the past couple months.

"If you're trying to piss me off, it's working. So stop." Was all he said, with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Stop doing what, Rafe? There is nothing left to talk about."

"Stop acting like you don't care."

Rafe's determined attitude was exhausting.

And somehow, despite everything, I still felt myself drawn to him, even after how poorly he's treated me.

"Acting like I don't care is all I have left." My stomach tightened at my honesty.

His cold blue eyes grew distant, clearly not liking my truth.

"You have me."

The conviction in his voice would make anyone believe him, but I wasn't going to fall for his pretty words again, no matter how badly I wished they were true.

"No, I don't. I never did so this entire conversation is pointless." I stated a matter-of-factly. "Do yourself a favor and walk away."

Clicking his tongue, Rafe shook his head at me. "There you go again, telling me what I can and cannot do."

I had to hurt him to just get the distance I needed. He'd leave me alone if I hurt him.

"What are you gonna do? Tell your dad on me?" The minute the words flew out of my mouth, I regretted them.

Artic eyes narrowed into slits and his entire demeanor shifted, his shoulders tense and face hard. "Don't talk about him."

"Got daddy issues, do you?" My mouth would not stop.

I could see that I was successfully hitting my target, but it only made my heart ache. It needed to be done though.

Rafe's expression shut off, a familiar cold look settling in his eyes. "Tread fucking lightly."

My heart thudded dangerously as I debated my next words. "I might not hate you today or tomorrow, but I will hate you. Because, hating you is better than loving you."

The words tasted like vinegar coming out of my mouth, but they had their desired effect.

Agony briefly flickers on his face, but he schooled his expression. His eyes seemed to bore through me, our stare off so intense, that I had to look away.

If I believed he could change, even if there was a slight chance, then I would have fought for us. But, I knew him like the back of my hand and Rafe was who he was—unapologetically. I didn't have any fight left.

"I know what you're doing." His voice trembled, dark and on the verge of breaking.

I closed my eyes in defeat. Of course he did. I couldn't even hurt him without him seeing straight through me.

"You want to make me the bad guy? Fine. I'm the bad guy, bad Rafe Cameron. But don't pretend for one second that I'm not under your skin just as bad."

"You are, you are and it's exhausting," I grimaced. "Does knowing that make you feel better?"

"Yes, it does because I'm not the only one feeling like this."

My throat clogged. "How much longer can we keep doing this?"

"As long as it takes for you to give in." Rafe stroked a strand of hair behind my ear, the clouds of his eyes gleaming with twisted adortion.

Frustration bubbled up the surface. He was relentless in his pursuit, not caring if he hurt me in the process. As long as I was his, nothing else matterd, even my pain.

"This isn't a game. I am not a game." I stated harshly, shoving his hand away. "I'm a person--a person who has feelings."

His expression reamined unreadable. "A person with feelings for me."

I was losing. Badly. Talking to Rafe was like talking to a brick wall.

"I've had to put myself together three times, Rafe. Three times!" I screamed, my voice cracking in despair. "Each time harder than the last."

"I finally glued myself together again and you're already pulling away the pieces. For how long am I yours this time? A week?" I pushed. "A month?"

"You've moved on before so do it again. Let me do the same." I cleared my throat to push back tears.

"You think I haven't tried?" He asked incrediously, throwing his hands up in the air in utter disbelief.

Rafe stalked over to me, his eyes brewing with anger as he pointed to the veins in his arms. "You're in so deep, I can't get you out of my system."

I knew the feeling all too well. I am not going to cry.

"'You're right here. Right fucking here and you won't go away." He reached for my hand and placed it directly on his heart which pounded wildy under my touch.

My resolve was breaking and my previous anger easing away like a silent wave. He didn't have any peace either.

The heavy weight on my chest had me leaning forward, resting my forehead against his pec, my hand still in his grasp, pressed tightly against his heart.

"Loving you almost ruined my life." Rafe was a cliff. One that I threw myself over again and again, expecting to fly only to be met with cold hard concrete.

"Again with the meladrama?" Spell broken once more. Another peice being peeled away from me.

A joke, this was all a joke to him.

"You're not listening to me. You never listen to me." I shouted directly into his face, pointing to myself, needing him to finally fucking see me.

Tears finally fell from my eyes as I stared at him with pathetic hoplessness.

"How is what I did any worse than what you did?" The world stopped spinning as his words hit my chest. Something inside me broke.

I shook my head in utter diesbelief at his words. I pushed to my feet, my hands collided with his chest as I shoved him with all my strength.

I headed straight towards the bedroom door, slamming my fists against the door in an attempt to get the guards attention. I was slowly suffocating in this room. He always managed to do this to me.

I should've known better. I mean really known better. Rafe was a mindfuck.

"Run away one more time and I swear to god-" Rafe advaced toward me, his hands reaching out for me.

No, he needed to keep his hands to himself.

"Don't talk to me." I spat, holding my hand up. Facing the door once again, I pound several more times with no response before accepting defeat.

Slumping against the door with my forehead resting against the cool wood, I pleaded, "I can't be in here any more. I just can't."

Once again, no answer.

"We're talking about this. You don't get to avoid this conversation anymore."

"Want to try that again-stop!" Rafe bent down and tossed my body over his shoulder. Anger burned through my veins as I struggled against his grip, but it did nothing to deeter him as he stalked us over to the bed.

Dropping my body roughly on the bed, he towered over me and met my gaze, warning clear in his eyes.

Swallowing my pride, I dug my nails into the soft flesh of my palms. "You can't compare our actions. They aren't even on the same playing field, Rafe,"

"I can and I am comparing them, because believe it or not baby, it's the same damn thing."

Rafe was standing directly in front of me, his large thighs caging my dainty figure in. My chest heaved up and down in anger.

"Is that what you tell yourself so you don't have to deal with the fact that you're a shitty person? I'm not listening to this." My gaze was frantic as I tried to figure out an escape plan.

"I've clearly been too nice. You don't have a fucking choice. "

"Rafe, stop it."

"No, you stop it. Why are you acting like you expected me to be a nice guy? I'm not and never will be. So, you're going to sit here and listen to what I have to say." He tone harsh and unnegotiable, grasping my chin in between his fingers.

I glared, meeting his harshness with mine. Fingers threaded into my hair as he forced my head back to stare at him.

"You knew exactly who I was when you met me. You saw the good, bad, and the ugly and still chose to fucking love me," He snarled, his hand slammed against his chest, "to love me."

Oh god. Was he right? He was.

"Then you leave me for being who you fell in love with?" Rafe's body was shaking as he jerked my head back towards his face when I tried to look away. "Knowing who I am and loving me anyway, just for you to walk away. Am I that easy to walk away from? "

His gaze was expectant but he already knew the answer. No, he wasn't easy to walk away from. It almost killed me each and every time.

"No." I answered, my voice so low it came out as a whisper.

"How is that any more cruel than what I did to you?" I couldn't answer becuase he was right. My heart bled at this point as I tried to scramble some coherent thought. I wanted to say something, anything to counter his statements but fell short.

A sob caught the back of my throat.

"So get the fuck off your high horse. I beat up Pope on figure 8 and guess who kept my bed warm after that?" He mused, his fingers brushing against my knees forcing them open more. "I shot and killed Sheriff Peterkin and you consoled me."

I gulped for air but it seemed like nothing was reaching my lungs. He was right. We were so inextricably linked that his darkness became my own. It was so easy for me to excuse all of his horrible actions simply because I love him.

The laugh he let out sent shivers down my spine. "Fuck, I almost drowned Sarah and you still opened your legs for me. Still loved me, didn't you?"

Horror filled every cell in body. I curled my arms into myself as pain slashed through my heart while my hands and arms shook.

"So which one of us is really fucked up?" Me. Him. Both.

Rafe pulled his lip into his mouth as he regarded me with dark eyes. Leaning over me, he brought his mouth to my ear, the ghost of his breath causing shivers to wrack down my spine. "The answer is between your legs."

I stopped breathing. Wetness seeped onto the silk bottoms leaving an obvious stain on my pants. I tried to close my legs, but Rafe let out a little tisk.

I thought I had a chance to save myself before I got stuck in the trecherous storm that was Rafe Cameron. I was doomed the moment I met him.

He smiled at me almost as though he knew I reached the same conclusion as he did.

Rafe lowered to his knees, resting directly in between mine, with his hands raised up. I stare down at him with broken eyes, my handsome monster kneeling on the ground for only me.

When he saw I made no point to move, his large calloused hand covered my shaking ones while the other softly grazed the damn spot in between my legs causing me to visibly tremble.

"Do you get it now? There is no after for us. There is and always will be an us." The words were spoken softly, but firm. Though his eyes weren't on me, and in stead were in between my lefs. His hold on my hands being the only thing anchoring me.

I did. I hated that I loved him. I hated how he'd never leave. I especially hated how I couldn't leave. I hated my body's gross reaction to him and his filthy words.

"I love you."

My head jerked up, eyes wide with surprise at his confession.

"I do. That's why I wear the necklace and the cufflinks." He answered my question. He finally answered my question.

Before I could respond, a soldier bursted into the room with narrowed eyes. He took in the scene before him before relaxing but my body was snapped with tension.

Rafe looked down at our hands before standing up slowly and letting go. "Trust me."

He was asking in the only way he knew how, by demanding. He'd broken so many promises before that the trust between us was in shards. I found myself nodding anyways.

I'd already been broken before, what was once more?

In seconds, Rafe lunged toward the solider with his hands fisting along the shoulders of the man's bulletproof vest. Slamming his body hard to the ground, Rafe climbed on top before lifting the man's body and slamming it against the floor again and again.

He dragged his fist back before slashing it with quick and brute force against the soldier's face. Blood splattered against the white tiled floors as the man groaned in pain.

Rafe didn't stop. His knuckles becoming a marred mess due to them being split open. He didn't even wince.

"Get the gun." A loud ringing noise echoed in my ears as I stared at the unconcious man on the floor who's face was unrecognizable.

"Baby, get the gun." The term of endearment pulled my out of my head. Rafe's electric eyes stared at me with urgency and darted to the side.

I moved my head in the direction of his stare and see a black gun several feet away. My brain shut off and body felt numb as I picked it up with trembling hands.

My steps were timid and hestitant as I walked back over to him. He held out his hand, the rings shining in the light. "Bring it here."

For a second, a brief second, the thought of shooting him crossed my mind. I could be free of him. I could do it.

No, I couldn't. I loved him. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

I rested the heavy pistol in his hand and watched as he dug through the man's pocket and grabbed a phone. "We're getting out of here. I have my boat parked somewhere here on the island. We get to it and we can go wherever you want. Just me and you."

Rafe stood and stepped towards me, determination in his eyes, with his hand held out for me to grab.

I took a sharp intake of breath. My blood rushed loudly in my ears as I decided what I was about to do. My friends, my life, were they worth losing for him?

His necklace sparkling against the sun and those cuflinks shining against his shirt caught my attention.

Our souls were wired together, infused. I was a monster. Just like him.

Loving Rafe was a death sentence. Little did I know—I was already dead.

I reached for his hand.

_________________

Psycho toxic rafe is the man of my dreams but also my nightmares :) They are both crazy though clearly and need help.

Let me know what you think! Next up is Conrad fucking Fisher and I assure you, your heart will be broken.

Tag list: @narcissuspetal @valeriedelevingne @harrys-humble-housewife @mrs-dasilvasantoss @yoonki-bored @maybankslover @blazebreaker @thepopcultureaddict @cartiiwannagotoplutoo @imawhoreforu @jj-pls-give-me-a-chance @summer-may

[uneducated-author]

I was thinking about Double Black (when do I stop) and realise that something has been bothering me about Chapter 109 (Ya Think?!)

There's one line that doesn't fit, and it isn't the one about 'fate' because Dazai is constantly shown as believing in fate, nor is it the one about Soukoku's destiny, because Dazai believes in that more than anyone.

It's the one about Chuuya's 'lame ass' punches.

Okay I hear the judgy silence.

Because the thing is, Chuuya is the strongest fighter in the series. Soukoku as designed as a duo comprising of the strongest fighter alongside the smartest tactician. And Dazai might be petty about Chuuya, calling him predictable, short, a puppy, easily led, he doesn't really call him weak. The closest I can think of is in the 15 story, where Dazai points out that Chuuya's raw power has been limited, because the boy hasn't learned to fight strategically in any sort of cunning manner. But even then, that's wholly different to calling Chuuya weak.

And this is a running theme. For instance, think of the Double Black reunion. Dazai meets Chuuya, insults his tacky hats and then Chuuya demands to fight Dazai, crush him along with his schemes.

The reason the reunion scene works so well is because of how balanced it is. There are two fights. One is physical, and the other a battle of information and who has access to it.

First, Chuuya initiates a physical attack, of which Dazai mainly dodges, with one strike towards Chuuya's abdomen which Chuuya basically discounts as weak. Then Chuuya brutally beats Dazai up. Whether Dazai is truly using his full fighting capabilities is debatable, but the real importance is in the dialogue. Dazai's initial statement is actually crediting Chuuya, unabashedly labelling him the greatest martial artist in the Port Mafia. There's no room for doubt here, Dazai is speaking an honest truth. Chuuya internally notes that Dazai is reading his attacks well but Dazai's next observance is all about how predictable Chuuya is, to Dazai specifically. He says that he can read all of Chuuya's movements, as he should be able to, as Chuuya's partner. Chuuya counters by saying that 'you can't beat me just by predicting my moves'.

The fight then pauses the physical element, instead diverting to information. Dazai's a living dead mans trigger, where his death will bring down the port mafia, but the way he has set it up is by giving the current executives information on the leverage he holds against the organisation. It's a plan which is purely suited to Dazai's capabilities and goals, Chuuya even notes that he has a no-win scenario here, and both decisions are hard to make.

Dazai is the victor ultimately, but it's surprisingly balanced. Chuuya won the physical fight, but Dazai gets the information he wanted. On the other hand, Chuuya and Dazai both prove how well they know each other, with Dazai's bragging about knowing Chuuya to the highest degree, and Chuuya knowing immediately that Dazai has some ulterior motive, stating almost immediately that 'you can fool Akutagawa and the rest of the Port Mafia, but not Me'.

Later in the fight to save Q they almost parallel this moment. Chuuya takes a swipe at Dazai with his foot after Dazai makes a quip about his shoes, and Dazai smugly notes that he should give up trying to attack because Dazai knows him so well and can read his attack. Chuuya doesn't refute the statement fully, merely countering that if Chuuya had been attacking at full strength he could destroy Dazai.

Soukoku is special because of the disparate capabilities. But there's something else too.

Dazai doesn't lie. Well, this is a fake statement. More accurately, Dazai doesn't bluff. Dazai bluffs and manipulates and only reveals selected informations to force an incorrect statement, but he has clear strategies to manipulate someone.

Even when Dazai manipulates the Sheep into betraying Chuuya, to expose how fickle the group is, he does it without any hidden tricks. The glory of the scheme is that Chuuya is Right There, and he can piece together how exactly Dazai fooled him in hindsight. Dazai's greatest manipulations are ones where previous conversations click into sharp contrast, and your realise just how badly you were played. He might fake being captured, or hide his motivations, but he very rarely tells truths that can be very easily disputed. Fyodor, Dazai's foil, pulls off a similar sort of strategy when stuck with Ace actually.

Dazai says it best. 'I don't lie in these types of negotiations'. He knows that the best negotiation position is the one where you are in complete control of the circumstances and information available.

So... Why provoke Chuuya with something like this? Both previous times his statements are about Chuuya's 'tacky hats' or a snide comment about 'liking your taste in shoes-just kidding!' and those provoke a physical fight just fine?

Well, look at Chuuya's responses, every time. Dazai points out how he, and he alone is immune to Chuuya, for all his power, and Chuuya always responds with some variation of 'if I was serious I could crush you' and 'reading my movements won't help you win an actual fight'.

Chuuya is a weapon. Was burned, cut and moulded into one, and the worst thing is that it is so bluntly clear. He is known for his power, and nobody can deny the clear and obvious superiority he has over pretty much every other fighter. And Dazai can't refute this. But he can refute that Chuuya is harmful. That Chuuya can hurt Him. He can say, bluntly and clearly, that I am never at risk from you. And Chuuya can try and discount it, thinking of an out of control force of nature help back by two lines of poetry, but Dazai stays firm. That you are powerful, and that means nothing to me. That I know you well enough, and that makes me invulnerable against you.

Dazai for the first time bluffs. Knowing that Chuuya is trapped inside a body that he can't control, a situation beyond his worse nightmare. And Dazai has to trust. But if all goes wrong, he needs to make sure Chuuya can survive this, killing his partner in the way they never feared. He's never wanted to survive this prison arch, has been devoted to merely killing Dostoyevsky.

(It puts Chapter 101 into perspective. Dazai must have known that Dostoyevsky's escape was possible, has known what it is to fight alongside a gravity manipulator. So he says goodbye to Chuuya, because Dazai might be dead soon, and that doesn't matter, but Chuuya once made him interested to live, and that means he should know.)

So he talks to Chuuya, and tells him that it isn't him. This isn't the strongest martial artist in the port mafia. This isn't his partner, this isn't the short dog with bad fashion sense. This is someone who's on the opposite side, a terrible fighter, who can't even aim properly.

This is the only comfort he can offer. This is the only way he can't give up. He tells Chuuya 'you are strong' and he tells Chuuya 'I know you' and he tells the corpse with the mask of his partners face stretched over a strangers skull that 'you are weak'.

When Odasaku had died, in his final moments he had seen who Dazai could be. As Dazai dies in his final moments, he looks up and tells his partner that this isn't him.

[the-bitch-files]

this is amazing!

that scene where jack wipes the sword against his sleeve just stands out for me.

sometimes, your blorbo is a professional hitman from a seedy, obscure 1992 action flick. 🗡️🩸

[diamondcitydarlin]

I understand it's not even the fifth-most important point in your post, but I really think that going forward, making sure all creators (at least those of Gaiman's calibre) have as little direct access to fans as possible should be industry standard. We've all heard the horror stories about Vic whatshisface at cons and whatnot, but even the folks who aren't certified creeps detract more than they add to the fan experience (witness the five-alarm Drama that breaks out whenever creators make the tiniest ship-adjacent commentary in interviews).

Couldn't agree more. The Neil Gaiman allegations are not a new phenomenon by any means; we know from countless prior exposures that predators use fame and fortune to ensnare victims, especially those that have been predisposed from maybe even an early age to revere and idolize them. And like you say, even if someone in such a position of power/influence has no ulterior, sinister motives for reveling directly in their fan base, there are so many other things that can go awry from crossing those boundaries. (Gaiman himself warned of the legal complications that could arise from people sending him fanfic directly- you'd think that'd be reason enough for him to, yknow, not be constantly on tumblr interacting with the fanbase and tags, but ofc we know why now)

I think there's something to be said about the quick rise of the internet/social media and the consequences of that in fandom spaces, that we're kind of having to catch up and learn from difficult experience how best to set those boundaries between fandom and creators. It's easy to think we should have known better already, but Gaiman had been carefully crafting his persona for decades at that point and always seeming like one of the 'good ones' as so many others were exposed throughout the years. I think in fact that probably strengthened the parasocial bonds as people clung even harder to him as the precious exception to the rule.

And yet, still I'm somewhat left at a loss of what the hard and fast rules should be, and if they should be the same across the board or if there's any room for nuance. I know that crafting a social media presence, even a persona can be important for accruing a marketed interest (and just unavoidable in the world we live in now, for people in related careers) and I don't think creators/famous people showing appreciation and recognition of their fanbases has to be an inherently bad thing. I know that people enjoy having Q&A panels with creators and interviews asking divisive questions about pairings/plot decisions etc in a show has been a thing since TV digest- but of course, getting in a friendly debate with your IRL friend over whether the last interview from the head writer of Friends meant Ross would end up with Rachel or not is very different from online discourse with thousands of angry, opinionated strangers, and maybe that needs to be taken into consideration in future- that is, if the creators in question actually care about their fans and aren't stirring the pot on purpose, which could also be the case. Anyway.

What's also true and I think should be taken into consideration going forward is that people of Neil's wealth and level of fame don't really need to be constantly interacting with fans on social media. I feel the smarter, safer route there for everyone involved is to have an assistant or PR person to handle social media accounts and in Gaiman's case specifically I feel that this is the least his team could do in the way of restorative justice/keeping his fans safe. This time, he really shouldn't have any public social media he runs himself. I'm literally imploring his lawyers, people, whomever has the ability if you happen to be reading this, to just cut him the fuck off from now on. I don't think that's asking too much of anyone involved. (They have for the time being ofc, but I'm calling for a lifetime ban). As that relates to other famous people, I would say we need to just bear it in mind. A little healthy suspicion for someone famous that's just trying to 'hang out with the gang' on a routine, intimate basis because, like, why? To what end, exactly?

And maybe we need to also have some discussions about predator behaviors from celebrities/creators during in-person meetups, how to recognize them and what to do on an individual and fandom-wide level if it happens. Like, I don't personally think it's appropriate or advisable for a famous person to proposition a fan (regardless of age or gender identity) romantically/sexually at their first meeting with this person at a fan meetup (it's a fan meetup not speed dating), I don't think they should be giving fans their number or contact info (even if it's purely intended, it's not appropriate or safe for either party). I don't think creators/famous people should be commenting on their fans' appearances at these meetups even if it's 'positive' ('wow you're so beautiful'- though there's nuance here, like if someone's wearing a cosplay and it's only about that etc, it can be nebulous but I think yall know what I'm talking about). I think all of those things should be regarded by fans as possible red flags and I think creators should have enough of a sense of responsibility over the power dynamic to know better than to cross those boundaries. I also think fans should feel safe and supported when coming forward with stories of behavior like this and I think we have to always be prepared to learn and 'accept' things we wish weren't true about famous people we like but don't know (accept as in accept as true and then get to work on what restorative justice can be realistically achieved for the victims).

But yeah, I'm interested in knowing what others think about this. Has this revelation made you view the famous people you like differently? Do you think there are better, further methods that should be taken to put boundaries between creators and fans? What can we as fandom communities do better to keep each other safe going forward? I'd love if it we could discuss these issues further.

[multifandomfix]

Red Reznikov Fluff Alphabet

A = Aroma (What do they smell like?)

Aside from the smells of the kitchen, Red smells like orange peels with a hint of sugar.

B = Babe (What would they use as pet names? Do they use them a lot?)

She has a ton of pet names for you. Mostly in Russian, and there’s a fair amount of them that she simply will not tell you the meaning of.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

She’s not about to cuddle with you right off the bat. That’s something that’s earned with her. She does enjoy a cuddle every now and then though.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? What would they think about living together?)

Red is all about family, so settling down isn’t even a question. She’s not in for something casual.

E = Emotion (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Red is pretty reserved in her affections, at least out in the open. Though she does show her love in less direct ways, like picking up something you need, or cooking you something extra special.

F = Flirt (How do they flirt? Are they smooth or awkward?)

If she feels like putting in the effort, Red can definitely flirt. She doesn’t often, mainly lets you pursue her, but when she does, it’s guaranteed to leave you feeling very flustered.

G = Gifts (Are they a gift giver? What kind of gifts do they give?)

Red is very much a gift giver. She likes to give you small gifts just as reminders that she loves you and has been thinking about you.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

She can certainly get behind the idea of a good hug. If you’ve been apart for any length of time, expect a big ol’ bear hug upon return.

I = I Love You (How fast do they say the L-word?)

She shows it more than says it, so you might have to wait a while for the actual words to pass her lips, but it’s well worth it when you finally do hear it.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

She only gets jealous if she thinks someone is an actual threat to you or to her. If they’re playing nice with you and she thinks they have ulterior motives, she’ll be stepping in and warning them off before you know it.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you?)

Red loves to kiss your head, your cheek and even sometimes the palm of your hand.

L = Little ones (How are they around children? Would they want some of their own?)

She raised three boys, so needless to say, she can definitely handle children. She wouldn’t want any more however. That chapter of her life is behind her.

M = Meet (How did they meet you?)

At lunch during your first day. Unlike Piper, you complimented the food, after having nil to nothing for the day or two prior.

N = Nurture (Are they good at taking care of you if you’re hurt/sick?)

The best. Red will have a thousand and one Russian home remedies to get you feeling better faster, some are far more palatable than others.

O = Out (What’s a typical date night with them like?)

A home cooked meal, usually made by Red, though sometimes she lets you help, followed by some quality time in whatever form that may come in.

P = Propose (When do you/they propose? How does the proposal go?)

Red wouldn’t want to make a big to do out of it. She’d prefer that if you were to propose, you’d just pull her aside and ask.

Q = Quirk (What small habit/feature/quirk do they have that you find especially endearing?)

The way she runs her fingers through her hair when she’s trying to look extra intimidating never fails to make you smile, but you wouldn’t want her to catch you doing it.

R = Routine (What does a typical day together look like? Routines, schedules, habits?)

She’s always up really early to get the morning meal started, and despite always wanting to help, she prefers you to get your sleep. It’s in the evenings that you really get to spend some time together. It’s her favorite part of the day, reading her book with your head on her lap is the best way for her to wind down.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you?)

She’s very protective. God help anyone who crosses you. Lucky for you, few people dare mess with Red, so you can rest assured you’re pretty safe.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, etc?)

She puts in more effort than she’d ever admit to. She wants her special plans to look like they were spontaneous, but she’s organized every detail way in advance so everything will go off without a hitch.

U = Unique (What’s something they’d only do for you?)

She’d only let herself be truly vulnerable with you. She shows some vulnerability with Nicky, but even then there’s a bit of a wall up. But for you, it comes down.

V = Vulnerable (How long does it take them to feel comfortable being vulnerable around you?)

As mentioned above, it’s something she only allows herself around you. That being said, it does take a good, long while for her to even reach that point.

W = Wardrobe (What would they wear to impress you?)

That’s not something she ever really thinks about. You’re so damn besotted with her, she doesn’t think it would much matter.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Red’s main love language is food. But, she also loves physical touch, as long as it’s kept behind closed doors. You can get all lovey dovey with her and she’ll positively melt for it.

Y = You (What are some things they would like in a partner?)

She’d want someone who can be strong, yet still let her take the lead with most things. They’d have to have a good heart and go absolutely crazy for her cooking.

Z = Zzz (What are their sleep habits?)

Red can be a fitful sleeper at times. Sometimes you have to gently wake her from a nightmare, and when she’s able to settle back down, she’s usually a more peaceful sleeper afterwards.

For @demonbabe

Forever Tag: @baubeautyandthegeek, @ghostsunderstoodmysoul, @immyowndefender, @valencethefriendlychangeling, @crimsonwidow666, @rebelbossheart, @thedailyspiritualist, @orangeisnttheonlyfruit, @woman-simp, @aperol-with-izzy, @leonoralessoem, @ellepossum69, @lakita-fisher, @nclgsticore, @analuw, @luvlesavyy, @malfoyfeed, @aliciabrower, @bitchr-mkay, @sparrowspixie, @imaginationismyworldlypleasure

Red Reznikov: @derry-n, @riveranddoctorsong123, @music-bird, @geekyandgay98

[wundrousarts]

this might be nothing but i'm back onto hollowpox and noticed how conall says "we don't engage in formalities here, wundersmith" and then either mostly or completely refers to morrigan as wundersmith and then maud lowry says that that is her title but it might start being more and more part of her identity or something

amendment to the last ask: conall mostly calls her wundersmith rather than completely because he calls her morrigan a little while on in the chapter about ghostly hours at least

When Jess said in the recent Q&A that we’d start exploring Nevermoor “more politically and socially”, I really hope part of it will be exploring Wundersmiths, their role in society, and how different people or groups view them.

For Sub-Nine members, Wundersmiths are Other and seem to be almost mystical. They’re all so excited to have an actual Wundersmith in the flesh for once and not just a memory or words in a history book.

With Maud, I think as a politician she knows the most about what it means to be someone that people will look towards to do things, and about responsibility, and how Mog might even start to confuse herself as a person and herself as a Wundersmith as she goes on. But also I wonder what other possibly sinister aspects to Maud there could be, and if she has any of her own ulterior motives re: Morrigan, the Wundersmith.

Now that people outside of Wunsoc know Mog is a Wundersmith, and people inside Wunsoc understood better after she relit the Fireblossoms, it’ll be interesting to see both how Society members and the public view and treat her. Thinking about that Holliday Wu snippet— what are her PR plans for Morrigan?

[traineecryptid]

NPSS Weibo Q&A (20240831) Part 2

This is a Q&A session held on Weibo. People will tag their questions with the hashtag #南派三叔藏海花在线答疑# (#NPSS Zang Hai Hua Online Q&A#) and NPSS will look through the tag to pick some to answer. The event started at 1500 hours on 2024 August 31st.

Folder with screenshots and big compilation google doc is here. Part 1 is here.

1536

Q: Shu, why was the patriarch's item changed from the bronze bell to the Heavenly Staff ? Is it to match Tianshou? (T/N: Tianshou could be translated as Heavenly Orders)

A: I’ll explain it like this. If Wu Xie wanted to tell this story to someone else and this story was then retold by that someone else, it would certainly differ in certain details from the truth in his notebook. Perhaps it is to keep people from knowing the full story or perhaps it is so that others could better understand it, or perhaps [he] didn’t want to explain too much.

1539

Q: How do you manage to have both actors that fit the roles very well and actors who don’t in every show?

A: Problem with availability. 

1540

Q: Which is the most tragic character in ZHH aside from Xiaoge?

A: Wah, this is a good question. You have to keep watching yourself because this is a very hard-to answer question.

1541

Q: The dramas suck doesn’t mean that your books suck. Don’t worry at all. A: If the dramas really suck, could I have kept making one after another?

1544

Q: Sanshu, is there any way to make Wu Xie and Pangzi immortal? I can’t bear to see Wu Xie die. It would be hard for Zhang Qiling to adapt, right? A: When I was little, I also hoped to have this kind of medicine to give to my grandmothers.

1545

Q: Sanshu, Xiaoge had already inserted the Heavenly Staff and cured everyone from the Tianshou sickness. So why Xiaoge wasn’t cured?

A: Not only wasn’t he cured, all the Tianshou was borne by him alone, fragmenting his memories.  

1546

Q: Sanshu, Wu Xie’s dream house is a courtyard with a moss pond. What kind of living environment would Xiaoge and Pangzi like? A: Tianzhen still breathing when they wake up is considered heaven (ptsd) for them.

1547

Q: Sanshu, what do you think is Wu Xie’s greatest specialty? Is it his long eyelashes like Xiazi said?

A: His little boss spirit. (T/N: according to this article I skimmed, little boss refers to the kind of boss who is very lowkey, keeps themselves on the same level as everyone else and focuses on their business without prioritizing growth.)

1547

Q: In the most recent episode of ZHH, why does Zhang Jiuri and the others hate Zhang Qiling so much?

A: It will be explained right after this.

1548

Q: The universe’s man crush, I would like to ask: When Xiaoge saw Wu Xie treating him all friendly in the beginning, did he not dare to believe that there was someone who solely cherished him and wanted to protect him without any ulterior motives?

A: Zhang Qiling could see through a person’s heart with just one look. Not because he’s smart, but because he has seen a lot. People are a very simple thing for Zhang Qiling.

1550

Q: The universe’s man crush, the world’s man crush, can you tell me what Zhang Qiling would think if he knew that Wu Xie had called him “Menyouping-needing-a-thousand-cuts” before? (T/N: “needing a thousand cuts” is similar to “damned” as in “that damned troublemaker” and is apparently very rude… since i guess you’re cursing on someone to be tortured?) A: A thousand cuts? Are you a candle? You think I’ve only taken a thousand cuts on your behalf? I took your 60 million but I’ve never ever asked you for a single cent more!

1552

Q: Are there any fixed requirements when casting actors? For example, the Iron Triangle.

A: No. As long as the platform approves, the actors approves, the director approves and the original author approves, then it’ll be OK.  It’s not that difficult. 

1552

Q: I feel like ZHH is a very close reproduction of the novel and it even elaborated on some scenes. I feel like I know the characters better and understand them more now.

A: Thank you. It took very long to write.

1553

Q: Actually, Shu, I watched ZHH and I feel that it’s a close reproduction of the novel. Of course, I read the novel a few years ago and some parts have gotten blurry. But when I was watching the drama, I would suddenly remember the scene. Undeniably, some parts have changed but the majority isn’t that different. It’s really, really the best when an adaptation follows the original closely because Shu, your novels are the foundation and the novels are very well written! Although I don’t know why [people] won’t let go of the question of actors, neither were there praises for the scenes. The requirements aren’t high, it’s enough that I can recall the scenes in the novel while watching the drama. Sanshu, remember, no matter which drama it is, it has to follow your novels. The novels are really, really the best! I’ve always felt like actors were a type of feeling, they won’t be able to convince people no matter who plays the part. But the scenes would always resonate with people! A: Everyone has the right to express their own opinions. I also have the right to work hard at promoting. It’s a difficult world. It’s enough that we be ourselves and not leave regrets.

1553

Q: Sanshu, there are already changes to Wu Xie’s blood and he could deter bugs like Xiaoge and all that. Would Wu Xie live forever without aging with Xiaoge?

A: Wu Xie’s only works now and then. Maybe it has something to do with what he eats.

Here's another 15, this section seems to have a lot of longer questions. Can you believe that we're only an hour into the questions? There's like... an amount more. Thankfully NPSS has slowed down.

[alienssstufff]

So I was rewatching that one glitch part of Slime's "trust" stream and I noticed that while he was bugging out, CodeFlippa is actually hiding behind the table, and then joins Phil in giving Slime food. I'm starting to feel like Charlie's corruption isn't intentional (on the code's part), and she feels bad about what's happening to him. There's a couple more instances of her showing indications of concern for Slime (the hug by the Flippa statue, being the first to get him up after he falls at spawn, leaving the church IMMEDIATELY when he expresses discomfort, to name a few,) but they're all different from how she acts in that one scene. What I mean by that is the first example is not recognized or acknowledged by ANY of the islanders, while the others are. The other instances can be written off as deliberate attempts at gaining the island's trust via putting on the ACT of a compassionate daughter, but these actions feel more like an actual child or a puppy sulking when they know they've done something bad. They just don't feel as synthetic to me, I guess.

Thoughts?

Haven’t been able to comb through the vod like u have anon but THATTTTT!! EXACTLY!!!!

Ultimately I do think this Codeflippa is on a mission, something related to going against the Federation- and probably smth to do with that mysterious 3rd party the missing eggs we’re referring to. And for that she has to be the role of q!Slime’s daughter!

BUT totes agree Codeflippa infecting Slime with the code was not something she deliberately wanted to do it’s just in her program to do that. if she wanted to hurt him she literally just Could, Slime isn’t strong and isn’t closely aligned with anyone else - there would be no need to be throwing him on an emotional roller coaster like this if that was the plan.

Smth about YES Codeflippa has ulterior motives and is (accidentally, unintentionally) hurting someone in the process.

[lxrd-ren]

(Fuck me man did I actually crack it-)

Hmm, what if q!Bad being effected by the soul vultures is inherently a good thing?

I mean looking at the wiki for both the soul vulture and the soul stealing potion, it is pretty fucking powerful. I mean you could theoretically suck the life out of someone and use their soul to better yourself. I feel like q!Bad would 100% use this to his advantage

I've headcannoned how q!Bad has very destructive powers to the point where he can't use them cause he'll hurt and destroy everything. Perhaps this whole soul steal potion is his plan to get powerful enough to destroy the federation without hurting anyone else

I've put some thought into it and I think it makes sense

Obviously he found out about these potions from Dapper. But from what we know (and could see) Dapper only ever made the potions by sacrificing his health to the soul vultures

Me thinks the blue spots on q!Bad is from him consuming the soul potion instead of making it. I mean, we didn't see any spots on Dapper right? Meaning the blue spots has to have come from something else. But the blue is so similar, it HAS to have come from the soul vultures in some way. It being a side effect of drinking the potion me thinks is logical enough, and it makes sense that q!Bad is drinking it as he knows from Dappers notes how powerful it is

It also kinda explains the worker in his basement. Sure q!Bad has questioned it and maybe even tortured it, but q!Bad phrased it as an 'investigation' or 'project'. Surely q!Bad knew the worker wouldn't have much information, so why take it in the first place? Well, I think he'd go to these extremes if he had an ulterior motive. Namely, investigating whether the soul steal potion would effect federation employees aka could q!Bad use it against the federation

AND THE TIMING WORKS. When we saw the worker last, it was caged and locked up in q!Bad's basement. Let's say during that time period, he worked out that the worker is indeed effected by the soul stealing potion. And so, seeing this success, q!Bad starts taking the potion. And look at that, the black patches appear the next fucking day. And not 2 DAYS LATER, the blue spots start appearing.

And nearly everyday since, we've seen him either go back to the basement or the soul vultures, presumably to either make the potions or consume it. Oh and look at that, the blue has gotten worse and worse over time, almost as if he's drinking more and more of it

Motherfucker even said at one point:

"All according to plan."

Plus, I remember seeing one post saying how they don't think q!Bad is torturing the worker but rather experimenting on it like Dapper would experiment on shit. I'd say testing if a soul stealing potion would work on the employee is definitely experimenting on it

But I think we should definitely keep in mind the uh, ahem, other side effects.

Such as q!Bad becoming more violent, more hysteric, less empathetic, aka, losing his humanity, almost as if he's losing his own soul by getting hurt by the soul vultures and instead is regaining souls through the soul vulture potion, but ofcourse the souls aren't the same so bit by bit he's becoming more like one such as looking like one (the blue spots all over him), acting more like one (being more violent), sounding more like one.. (those noises we keep hearing at the end + start of stream)

..just saying we might see some soul vulture wings on q!Bad pretty soon..

(K but holy shit imagine the fanart that would look so fucking cool)

[guapoduoshipper]

That's how we started and that's how we will continue until the end.

I've mentioned it before, but it's nice that even q!Cellbit has already made it clear. If there is one word to sum up the guapoduo/spiderbit relationship it is definitely: trust.

They know each other's nature, there are no ulterior motives and MUCH LESS intentions to hurt each other. They have shown their love in their own way: intensely, honestly and so many, many times that I just don't see room for doubt.

q!Cellbit would kill for q!Roier and q!Roier would stand up to the whole world to defend q!Cellbit.

I just let everything flow because I am sure that they, above all, love each other.

[gozine-translate]

Terminally-ill Genius Dark Knight - 145

145 - Moonlight Sword [1]

"Newcomer!"

Without realizing it, I shouted, but all I could do was watch as the brazen newcomer, who had taken the hit meant for me, was trapped in the water prison.

His bleached white hair, his merciful pupils, inside unknown magic, no, inside alchemy were confined and dying

Yet, despite that. his unwavering arrogant gaze as if he doesn't feel any pain, it can be said it was similar to his father's

Now the situation was dire.

Even if he can manage mana to the level of an inhuman realm, can he endure it?

He could only last at most ten minutes

If I don't deal with Jagan within that time, newcomer will die

My eyes involuntarily grow heavy,

An indescribable emotion starts to bind me

Why is that? What is the origin of this emotion I'm feeling now?

I can't quite grasp it, but at least I know this feeling can be expressed as abnormal. 

At least to me, this unfamiliar sensation is wrapping around my body, making me tremble with anger.

"Jagan"

[It was an attack meant for you... too bad]

Jagan spoke as if disappointed while licking his own lips

I take a breath and clear my head.

No, that’s what I tried to do.

But this bastard quickly figured out that it's not that simple

Jagan smirked at me with a sly grin and continued

[Bitch... you’re afraid that piece of trash might die, aren’t you? Isn’t that right? Hahaha! This is why humans are weak. Why protect someone else instead of yourself? I just don’t get it. It’s ridiculous]

A demon like Jagan who is one of the 72 demons, can easily read the emotions of his opponent.

And right now, I’m several times more shaken than usual. Even if it's not what I wanted, I have to endure it somehow.

If not, I won’t be able to get out of this situation.

Right

Just like when newcomer dealt with Paimon in the past.

I have to calm down and focus, or I won’t be able to do anything.

"Lunatic never betrays anyone, demon. Even if it is just a newcomer"

[Foolish]

Jagan grins and fires a stream of water at me.

Shwaah!

With the power of the second form [Full Moon], I easily block his attack with my enhanced "Cold Moon"

'The creation of that water prison has lessened his destructive power'

I gathered that from just one exchange.

But something still feels off.

Is it just my imagination?

'There's no time.'

Clenching my teeth, I grip my sword tightly.

'Right now, the priority is to kill that bastard.'

With both feet planted on the ground, I leap forward.

Now exactly one minute has passed

The scenery around me, bathed in pale moonlight, scatters the golden light reflected off my hair.

Creating a strange afterimage, which is soon swallowed by the dark moon and disappears.

Shwaah! Shwaah! Shwaah!

Streams of water shoot at me in rapid succession, with a chimera occasionally targeting me as well. While dealing with them, I press forward.

Even if he’s been strengthened by alchemy, now that he’s weakened by using that water prison.

He should be about as strong as when we first fought.

I need to finish this quickly and scold that brazen newcomer for disobeying my orders.

As that thought crosses my mind.

I’m already right in front of Jagan.

The blade of "Cold Moon" is poised to strike.

The suppressed words escape my lips.

"Die, Jagan."

[Indeed, you are strong... There was a reason Archduke Paimon died. But do you know this? Successor of the Moonlight Sword, if you strike me down now, that boy will never wake up again.]

"... What?"

My sword wavers for a moment.

His words, I cannot grasp his ulterior motive.

Jagan, as if amused, continued.

[That water prison is the culmination of my life's work in alchemy. Even if I die, it won’t break. Only from the inside can the prison-like barrier be broken.]

"If what you say is true"

[Indeed! To save that brat, you have only two choices: either I personally lift the alchemy or he breaks the water prison from the inside and escapes.]

But is that even possible?

Jagan laughs heartily while saying that. flashing a sly grin, as I quickly put some distance between us.

If I kill him now, does that mean newcomer will die too?

My head goes completely blank and cold. 

Endlessly, over and over again.

The last time I felt something like this was when I witnessed my master’s death.

Why am I so shaken right now?

In this casino in Avilat, bathed in moonlight that shatters into white fragments. 

All buildings here were destroyed, with a crimson moon hanging overhead.

The only difference from the forest I am familiar with is the enormous water prison formed from blood that’s covering the moon, painting the whole area in red and,

the dirty reality that my comrade is trapped inside.

"You’re a devil."

[Thanks for the compliment.]

Jagan's smile was filled with joy.

But I felt nothing.

The strength left my hand that gripping the sword, my heart pounded like crazy

It was a strange feeling, similar to when I first faced the light of the lunatic moon. I immediately knew the reason.

I can’t kill that bastard.

Because I can’t abandon my comrade.

At that very moment, I heard a telepathic message go through my mind.

[Captain, are you still okay over there?]

It was unmistakably the voice of a boy I was familiar with.

Nox von Reinhaver.

He was casually speaking to me from inside the water prison. 

----------------------

Water Prison

As I struggled to stay afloat inside Jagan's ultimate alchemy skill, I looked at Luna who faced the opponent

I could barely open my eyes, and even more, the blood made it hard to see, but there was no other way right now.

With my blurred vision, I made a choice from among many options.

I had to take full responsibility for this decision.

'Choosing to save Luna.'

If I don't prove that this decision was the right one, a bad ending awaits me. Everyone, including myself, will die.

'The second episode.'

When I first went through this, I never thought such a dangerous moment would come. Either way, it was just supposed to be a buildup to the third chapter.

When I was enjoying the game, it was difficult to rate episode 2 more than that. But now, I have to think differently.

I’m dying.

No, I’ve been dying from the beginning.

Every moment, every second. I’ve been dying.

I didn’t want to remember it this way, anyway, it was like that.

'At the moment, there's around 8 minutes remaining'

[Warning! The oxygen level in the player's body is critically low!]

[In 8 minutes, cardiac arrest will occur, and in 9 minutes, the player will die.]

So, they’re giving me one extra minute?

After finishing that insignificant thought, I quickly activated [Telepathy]. Even then, the system was definitely scaring me.

[Warning! Using a skill forcefully can shorten the player's lifespan.]

I know.

[Do you still want to activate the 'Telepathy' skill?]

Yes.

I responded shortly and reached out to Luna. 

Since I had already learned her mana pattern, pinpointing one person was not difficult. After all, isn’t she the leader of Lunatic and my captain?

Even if our alliance was formed out of mutual interests, I trust her. I can only hope she feels the same.

[Captain, are you still okay over there?]

No answer.

I calmly asked again.

[Captain, I’m still alive.]

[Stop using magic right now! If you keep consuming mana, you’ll die even faster! Don’t you understand? If you don't stop..]

Captain shouted. 

Luna's unexpected figure made me hesitate for a moment, but I quickly continued.

[I know that. But I have a way to save everyone, and it’s only possible if you trust me, Captain.]

[Trust you?]

Luna shot a question back to me.

The scene outside, where countless enemies were being slaughtered, the sight of pandemonium occasionally came into view. There really wasn’t much time left.

[Yes. Captain, I’m going to give you two choices. Choose whichever you prefer.]

Choices.

The weight of this word reached Luna.

She’s probably hesitating.

Maybe even trembling with fear.

If I think about her master's episode in the past and the story behind it, the choice she has to make will be cruel once again. 

But she has to do it.

Luna is the only one who can turn this situation around.

[The first choice is to leave me to die and go ahead and cut off Jagan's head. Since you've fought him I'm sure you've realized, but he couldn't exert his power properly in order to keep me trapped. If you take him down quickly..]

[I will hear the second choice]

Luna growled, urging me

She seems pretty angry.

Why, though?

The question crosses my mind like a tide for a moment.

Sure, Luna has a personality of taking good care of her team, no leader like her for those who believe in and follow her

But I’m just a newcomer who joined not too long ago. does she need to go this far for me, who's not more than just a newbie? I don’t understand

I’m sure even she knows that sacrificing me would be the easiest choice. Jagan's dirty, wicked words might have made her hesitate for a moment, but I was convinced she’d cut him down

So, why? 

Why does Luna want to hear the next choice?

The second choice is much harder and more complicated. 

The best outcome would come from the first choice...

Damn it. 

But if she chooses that, I’m crooked.

No matter what, there is no other except to trust Luna's ability now.

[The second choice is simple]

I said, closing my eyes tightly and raising my voice. 

[Teach me your 'Moonlight Sword.']

[..What?]

I knew it would come to this.

If you didn’t want to do it, you should’ve just chosen the first choice. Why make me hope like this...?'

[...Alright. This time too, you must have a plan, right?]

Her response caught me off guard. 

I hesitated for a moment, then reflected on what she said.

Is Luna, one of the three sword emperors, really going to teach me, who's even yet to be a second-year student her sword technique?

A sword technique that her teacher had yet to pass down except to one person,

the [Moonlight Sword]?

[Are you serious?]

[Get into position and get ready. I will explain assuming you already have everything needed]

Luna seemed serious.

If that’s how it’s going to be, then I have no choice either.

A grin naturally spread across my face.

Jagan, this insect bastard, it wouldn't be long before I cut his neck

Of course, that’s assuming I can perfectly master the third super-form of the Moonlight Sword.

[samanthahirr]

Office Hours

Office Hours

In today's installment of "Stories Sam Isn't Writing," I bring you the opening meet cute of a non-MI6 get-together AU, in which private detective James Bond tries to recruit Imperial College professor "Q" Boothroyd to provide technical assistance on his cases.

Bond worked his way up through the Met and achieved the rank of DCI on the murder task force before his habit of following his instincts led him to step on some very important political toes. Bond’s superiors made it clear that the writing was on the wall for him. Rather than face demotion to the Traffic Division or, god forbid, Transport, Bond resigned from the police force and parlayed his investigatory skills into a successful new career as a private detective.

A couple years after his forced retirement, Bond lands his biggest case yet—tracking down the whereabouts of a wealthy recluse who may or may not have been removed from her home under duress. But he quickly hits a snag. The key evidence appears to be on the encrypted security recordings from the purported victim’s home surveillance system. He can’t decrypt it on his own, and it’s far too sensitive to take to a private vendor. Time to call in a favor. He rings up his former partner Bill Tanner to request a little off-the-books use of the Met’s crime lab. For the sake of his career, Tanner must reluctantly decline. But he does tip Bond to the new computer systems consultant the task force has been tapping for the past year, a professor at Imperial College. 

Wonderful. Bond loves spending time with stuffy, pompous academics. But at least this one comes pre-vetted by the Met. And it’s the best Tanner can do for him.

Bond talks his way into the university’s buildings by introducing himself as DCI Bond, a bluff that works far too well on these trusting civilians. In the second building he accesses, he finds the door to Professor Boothroyd’s office in the middle of a long hall. The bench just outside the professor’s door is crammed with four students, each more visually appealing than the last. Bond smiles charmingly at them, but they pay him no attention. He tells himself he doesn’t feel slighted.

He raps loudly on the office door, and when it cracks open, the four students stand in unison, each calling for the professor’s attention in tones of voice that don’t sound desperate so much as eager. 

Bond pushes inside, past the lanky, fluffy-haired student on the other side of the door. Unfortunately, the office appears empty, with no sign of the professor. 

“Can I help you?” the student asks, closing the door behind Bond.

“No,” Bond says shortly, then amends, “yes, if you can tell me where the professor is.”

“I’m Professor Boothroyd.”

Bond is tempted to call him a liar, but his instincts don’t support the assumption. On second glance, the man does seem to have a few years on the young people lined up outside. Behind the hipster stubble and chunky glasses, there are definite smile lines around bright green eyes. Bond recalculates and changes tack smoothly. “Pleasure to meet you. I’m DCI Bond, and I’m here on official bus—”

“No you’re not.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“If you were with the Met, you would have showed me your badge already.”

Bond considers bluffing again…and then deflates with a sigh. “Tanner warned you about me?”

“No, rather the opposite, which is another tell—his people always text ahead. I’ve worked with enough law enforcement personnel to know their protocols, and you’re not following them. So who are you, how do you know Tanner, why are you impersonating a detective, and why are you looking for me?”

Since becoming a private detective, Bond has grown accustomed to back-stabbing clients, ulterior motives, and a cesspool of petty deceptions. In a campus full of trusting fools, the professor’s clear-eyed suspicion is something of a reassurance. 

Coming off the back foot takes some doing, but Bond lays his cards on the table and survives Professor Boothroyd’s interrogation. After a moment of narrow-eyed deliberation, Boothroyd even agrees to examine Bond’s files…once Tanner vouches for Bond’s story—no offense intended. Bond smirks approvingly. By the time Bond secures his agreement, the professor seems to have warmed to him considerably, relaxing into an affable, vivacious demeanor and a smile that holds Bond’s attention more than usually happens without a low-cut blouse or skinny-legged trousers involved.

As Bond exits the small office, the hopeful gaggle of students rise again, each clamoring to get the professor’s attention first. And judging by the low-cut tops and skinny jeans on display, they’re angling for more than just tutoring help. Bond casts a glance back into the office, to the slim, magnetic figure of the popular young professor, and he thinks the students don’t have an entirely bad idea there.

Next time he visits campus, Bond will be sure to wear his best leather jacket. 

And a tighter pair of jeans.

[whimsical-sonic]

i mentioned in the oc q&a that sting does contracted work for a former gun researcher by the name of taz nocturn. let's get into that!

pictured from left to right: dr. nocturn (she/her), vi the caracal (they/them), and sting himself

to explain why sting's working for taz, i need to explain a bit of what's going on with her. long story short, taz left gun to pursue what started as a pet project. she's been experimenting with chaos energy, studying how it interacts with the organic and inorganic, all with an ulterior motive in mind. her research is completely secret. so secret, in fact, that her lab is an abandoned subway system that had been repurposed to suit her needs

vi is taz's assistant. with taz's permission, vi hired sting, having learned about him via a newspaper ad (where he was promoting his services, he was a little desperate for cash). taz and her scientists don't usually leave the subway, and vi can only travel so far...sting is the one they rely on to get them new equipment, new material, new intel. sting is also the person they contact to help them, uh, find participants for their experiments

sting does not know what it is they're testing for nor do the scientists want him to know, can't let anyone on the outside know what it is they're researching. he gets paid well enough to not question it, but he can't help but get a little curious...

in terms of interactions, almost all work-related meetings are with vi. sting has only spoken to taz...maybe about 2 times? 3? taz doesn't really leave her research. she appreciates that sting isn't one for small talk, and he appreciates that she gets right to the point

during the events of my fanstory, a certain blue hedgehog and two-tailed fox start snooping a bit too close to the lab, assuming that eggman is up to something (fair assumption). not wanting to risk discovery, vi called upon sting to go deal with them

if this interests you, please consider voting for sting! 🦂 vote for him here 🦂

if you want to learn more about him, check out his socs2 tag here!

@sonic-oc-showdown