#and learning that the party has also been just the worst influence on this kid!

[marquisecubey]

I have a new dnd character and I’ve been drawing her so much for the past week uuuuuuhhhhhh anyway here’s sister Frenelle I named her after a type of light fixture

(Congratulations! You have clicked on the Read More and you have unlocked her long ass backstory. Enjoy this thing I sent to my dm, which I can only assume that she must have liked because she gave me a free legendary magic item lmfao. Don’t worry if you’re not up to snuff on Eberron specific lore, I catch you up on the important bits.)

The secret child of an elven nobleman and a human scholar, Frenelle Albright was born in the isolated island nation of Aerenal.

Aerenal was not a kind place to anyone who was not a full-blooded elf, and with very few flesh and blood friends to talk to, her mother's wide collection of books became her dearest companions. From an early age, the doctor saw great intelligence and curiosity in her daughter; the tomes she pulled from her mother’s shelves were leagues above her expected reading level, and by the age of eight, she could even hold entire conversations about complex historical topics.

Humans cannot wander freely across Aerenal with no reason, but it was a vital place when it came to Dr. Albright’s research. The goal of the books she was writing was to help the rest of the world gain a greater understanding of Aereni society, and to hopefully encourage them be less afraid of their open practice of necromancy. But sadly, while it was a fantastic place for a researcher, there were also very few opportunities for her bright young daughter to truly flourish and learn at her own pace. So one day, she had a difficult conversation with her daughter: For the next several years, she would stay on the island, while Frenelle would be moving across the sea to attend a boarding school in Fairhaven on her father’s coin.

Frenelle was terrified at first of being alone. She was already a terribly shy girl by nature, and the new city and climate were overwhelming. For the first month, she hardly spoke to anyone at all, not even to her teachers. However, over the next few months as she properly settled into Fairhaven, she was taken aback by how welcoming the new environment was, especially compared to the coldness of her hometown. People actually wanted to talk to her, and they remembered her name. She had peers that she could talk to about all of the math and magic and history that were bottled up for so long, and when she excelled at a topic, she was rewarded instead of scolded.

The most exciting thing about the academy was that she wasn't even the only half-elf there. Or rather, Khoravar as they called themselves, and as they called her too. The main group of khoravar who took her under their wing were a group of rambunctious kids from House Lyrandar, and it was here that she met her best friend, a boy named Leeko.

Leeko was outgoing, kind, and a bit of a hothead, but he was also passionate and smart in the same way she was. He loved all of the flying machines and massive airships that his family was building, and he talked intensely about how excited he was to pilot them one day, proudly showing off the Dragonmark of the Storm on his right hand. Despite them seeming like total opposites at a glance, the two couldn't have been closer. Every time they met up to try and study for classes, they'd end up talking for hours on end about everything from old magic to new technology. For the first time in her life, Frenelle wasn't alone.

Each year, she would return home to her mother for a couple of weeks, but as she continued to thrive in Fairview, she began to notice that the doctor was growing more isolated and depressed each year back on the island of the dead. Eventually, she was able to convince her mother to leave behind her studies, coming home with her daughter, never to return.

Frenelle quickly rose to become one of the top students in her class, graduating from her boarding school with honours and moving on to study divination magic and history at the University of Wynarn. By then, Leeko had left for the island of Stormhome to train as a pilot, but the two continued to write long, cascading letters to one another every single week.

Her unconventional background gave her a unique perspective when it came to her studies at Wynarn. This was all well and good, until it led to her constantly interrupting professors during lectures to question their biases. This was especially true when it came to the taboo field of necromancy, which she had grown up seeing as a very normal thing in her culture. Eventually, however, she quickly grew wise to the fact that if she wanted to succeed as an academic, she would need to suck up to her less worldly professors every now and again. After all, if she wanted to make her point of view known, she should attempt to hear them out as well.

While working on one of her Master's degrees, Frenelle's work ethic and passion managed to attract the attention of a temple of Aureon in Arcanix, where she was offered a position as a novice. She was hesitant to quit her studies at first, but at the urging of Leeko, who just had gotten a job as an air shuttle pilot at the floating towers, she dropped everything and accepted the massive opportunity.

In fact, the chance to see Leeko again may have been her biggest reason for moving to Arcanix, because it turns out, she had started to develop romantic feelings for him. And, as she would later come to find, he felt the exact same way. She would even learn that he had planned on marrying her, which was no small deal of course. After all, Leeko wasn’t simply just her best friend, he was an heir to House Lyrandar, the Half-Elven dynasty who controlled the rapidly growing industry of air travel across the civilized world, using the Dragonmark of the Storm that ran in their blood.

A proper, pure Dragonmark gives a person tremendous power. Most importantly to those in the twelve Dragonmarked houses, it is a predictable power. However, the same cannot be said of the unpredictable power that results when people from two different houses produce a child. Unpredictability is volatility, and volatility is danger. For the sake and the preservation of society, all marriages and sexual relations between those with different Dragonmarks are strictly prohibited.

Frenelle didn't actually notice her mark for the first few days. She had figured it was some benign skin condition, a small rash around her eye. When it didn't go away, she went to see one of the healers at the temple, who laughed when she said she had no idea what it was. When he realized she was being serious, he explained that she was a foundling, a Dragonmarked person with no previous ties to a house.

He explained that her Dragonmark of Detection was an incredible thing.

With the power of her newly manifested mark, Frenelle became an obvious standout among the rest of the clergy in ways she hadn't even thought were possible. She could look into people's thoughts, see entirely new creatures from beyond the material world. She could protect people from danger.

The royal family of Aundair was in search of a governess for their children, but not just any regular teacher would do. They needed a cleric, a person who could embody the very will of Aureon, the god of magic, knowledge, and the law itself. Their job wouldn't be just to teach, but to physically protect the future of the kingdom. And, who in the world could possibly be better for that than the gifted foundling who just landed on the steps of Arcanix?

Frenelle walked past the cockpit as she boarded the air shuttle. The pilot smiled as he called her name and waved with a childlike excitement. She lowered her head. Words that he’d never get to speak reverberated through her skull. She felt his heart sink like a rock through her own chest. He wanted to marry her.

Vows of celibacy aren't necessarily a requirement for becoming a cleric. However, many choose to take them on in an effort to avoid mortal matters clouding their judgment. It's not as though she had much of a choice in the matter. After all, when the queen who funded your schools and the god who bestowed you these powers give you a call to action, to uphold and protect the law, you listen.

So, as a cleric with a high stakes mission, Frenelle simply chose to take that mission very seriously. And you see, it's actually fine. She's fine. They're fine. It’s fine. He’s fine. They’re fine. They're all fine. She's fine. It’s fine.

[princess-of-the-corner]

Was musing on the "Aware of Abuse" AU for the Sad Rich Kids Trio and ho it influences their behavior, or how their perspective has shifted, from least to most detailed:

Adrien: He is not overtly super different, in canon he was already expressing frustration with his father and ducking out from under his control to do what he wanted.

The main shift is rooted in his perspective. Namely that if his father does love him (Doubt) then his love is so toxic Adrien wants no part of it. He deems any concession Gabriel makes suspicious at best and deems any lingering affection on his own part as a childish thing he needs to outgrow.

Beyond that he's simply more blunt, he doesn't make excuses for his father and is a bit more aware of how the other kids parenting sucks. This ironically may actually make it harder for he & Marinette as she'd struggle to see what was wrong early on and presume him kind of a brat or rude for disrespecting his father so much.

Kagami: As one might expect given how heavily controlling and authoritive Tomoe is, Kagami has very little wiggle room to openly defy her or act differently without risking being trapped or extremely harsh punishment,

As a result the shift is more in subtle things and how she communicates and views the relationship. Namely, she does not love her mother and only pays lip service to respecting anything other than her material skills as a combatant. She also feels that given what her mother does to her is largely indistinguishable from hatred (The physical nature of sparring sessions & training are deeply unpleasant) that Tomoe's feelings don't matter.

Thus she's more overt around others in her disregard for her mother and already prone to trying to sneak off or undercut her. She has burner phones and secret social media accounts for example. In this regard she likely does not become Riposte.

Instead her emotions would be mostly fear of her mothers reaction & anger at the situation and what this costs her in general. Thus she likely turns into something intent on seeking her mother out and attacking her, or otherwise trying to force her mother into her shoes. I had a name for this I think, Aku-Gami? Anyway its basically a signal flare to Adrien & Chloe of "One of us! One of us! One of us!"

Chloe: Like with Adrien her shift would be fairly recent. Mostly in response to the clusterfuck handling of Adrien after Emilie's disappearance & her parents being their worst selves about it. She was on her last thread from keeping Adrien's head above water then being booted and so she explodes at her mother over the phone & rejects her father out of anything but necessity. After which she doubles down because she can't un-dig this hole but she can sure as fuck make it big enough to engulf them all.

Put simply, Chloe's ingrained "Fight" mentality has now been turned on her parents in full. She'd still struggle to articulate most of the things they did wrong, or why they were wrong. But she is angry, rebellious and good at lashing out so she does that and only concedes when she has no other choice or legitimately terrified.

Despite this her changes are less overt, her fight mentality is a survival mechanism like Adrien's people pleasing so she can't just turn it off. She's still been actively taught a lot of terrible things like its moral to cheat to win, & un-learning that is hard, especially if doing so makes you feel weak. & She's been mimicking Audrey since forever, that doesn't just go away over night.

At the same time though she has more freedom than the others & any overt issues she can identify she can try to address for good & ill. Her dad thinks she shouldn't hang around with people "beneath her station" Well screw that she's throwing a party in the ballroom for the class/school before the new school year starts & Adrien can come too.

This likely means she doesn't rip up Rose's letter cos that was like, peak Audrey. She might be tempted to do the social media thing with Kim cos that is something someone might do, but she'd also be more able to apologize for it. She may indeed still lock Juleka in the bathroom, unless they are like, actively friendly at this point.

A lot depends on how well her shifts in behavior are taken by the class as she's not gonna suddenly be super self aware or easy to get along with in many regards. Though given S1 still had Kim get a crush on her & Rose trust her with a letter, I tend to feel it makes more sense that not everyone had a bad impression of Chloe going into the year. So it'd vary.

Regardless, Chloe would be both the most extreme in shift, while keeping a lot of thorns. But she'd be more open to changing in general if able to contextualize a negative reaction as tied to something her parents would do, letting her aggressively reject it. If she feels 'she' was in the right though, she'd not shift her behavior at all but dig in deeper.

Fucking hell I do go on don't I?

Oh I love all of this though!!

[mari-lair]

Could you do an analysis on what Hanako’s life was like when he was human? And his relationship with the “fake” Tsukasa

As in the time gap between Tsukasa jumping in the hole and until he killed Tsukasa because in the 4pm book stacks, when spider face was cleaning up his wounds I see handprints on his wrists which kind of imply Tsukasa (or someone else) did…things

Also do you feel that the manga implies that sort of thing between Amane and Tsukasa too?

I am not very interested in Hanako’s relationship with Tsukasa, so I can't do a 'proper' analysis. But I’ll share some thoughts.

I personally don’t believe there is a ‘fake’ Tsukasa, he has always been weird, he never told anyone that the ‘god’ under the house copied his speech and he didn't show any hesitation or remorse about sacrificing animals to get his wishes.

Which was all to grant Amane's wishes, a brother he decided he would die for since four. He has been obsessed with Amane since way before learning Amane would kill him.

The only thing the “God” inside Tsukasa seems to have truly done is stunt his growth (he still acts like a child) and give him knowledge a normal human shouldn’t know.

Still, the horror child framing of this change is in the mom's point of view: Amane seems happy.

And Amane’s joy remains for years.

When Nene travels to the past and meets Amane, who appears to be at the very least eight years old, it is heavily implied he didn’t come with his parents, just Tsukasa.

At this point in the story, I don’t think he was being abused, physically or emotionally: He is eager to trust and help Nene, who is a stranger, and he displays a lot of confidence, honesty, and joy. Not being scared even when Nene try to steal his wishing paper.

He doesn’t seem particularly troubled with his family either. He ever implies a member of his family is crazy, or shows intentions of wanting to use his slip to ‘heal’ them, as a kid as sweet as him would likely be inclined to do. He seems a bit lonely cause his bro was focusing on something else that he can't interrupt instead of keeping him company, but that's about it.

And in Shijima's world they are buddies, which would be... weird... if Tsukasa had hurt him.

But I’ll be honest, considering how old this plot point is, Amane’s injuries are extremely vague. It could be anyone.

Maybe something happened, and Tsukasa got violent, and clingy to the point of being hurtful, maybe his parents snapped and Amane couldn't blame family, maybe is a third party, maybe is a curse, I don’t know, I don't plan to re-read the entire manga to get a better feel on it, but since you asked for my opinion, I personally think this turn for the worst in his life is partially the red house fault, and partially Amane’s own actions.

Let’s rewind a bit.

Tsuchigamori, or spider face, said the only person to alter their own fate was Amane. Not Tsukasa, who was influenced by future Kou, or Nene, who is always seeing the past: Just Amane.

Changing the future is such a big deal it became Tsuchi’s yorishiro, the spider can’t get over it. So I would say it is important to consider Amane's ‘normal’ future.

What changed Amane’s wish? What made him give up?

It wasn’t Tsukasa’s disappearance or reappearance. It was his meeting with Nene.

These slips are a big deal.

We are told they are rumored to make your wish come true in a land of supernaturals where every rumor so far was true. And that it is so hard to get all the five colors, that Yako was never able to, and she is an old spirit.

And the wording Amane used is... Concerning.

As the astronomy teacher he was fated to be, Amane would have never met Nene again, and even in the case he was still teaching by the time she was a student, she would have not been an ‘onee-san’ anymore: He needed to die before 14 for her to stay an onee-san when they met again all those decades later.

I do think the red house and Tsukasa and so on plays a big part in Amane’s fucked up life, but it is strange he only got injured and “gave up going anywhere” after meeting Nene and putting his wish on the Tanabata tree.

We have no info on this part of his life though so it’s anyone’s guess.

[thecrowandtheraven08]

I had the other two in other posts, but I figured I’d put them here so it’s more organized and so I don’t lose them

4. Cassian is surprisingly strong! They’re able to pick up and carry Astarion. They’re likely able to lift Halsin slightly, much to his surprise. Though they would never consider their physical strength their greatest strength though. They much prefer to think that is their mind

5. Oh there’s not a doubt in my mind that Cassian and Astarion have Scratch with them on the road. I don’t exactly know where Yenna goes after everything and since the game didn’t tell me what happened to her*, so she and Grub went to go stay with Halsin. Also the owlbear, whom I’m still thinking of a name for, is staying with Halsin.

Honestly, Cassian, Astarion and Halsin would likely have a bunch of animals around in general. Points to Halsin being a Druid and Cassian’s love for animals. I’m sure one day Cassian will bring home a feral kitten, bring him to Astarion and be all “he reminded me of you. I couldn’t just leave him out there all alone”. Halsin for sure agrees that the feral kitten reminds him of Astarion.

*Note: Lae’zel was kidnapped and the party found out in the sewers. Yenna was still in camp with Grub

6. Cassian has had to escape many things. From their predicament with the tadpoles, to having to sneak out of the hells with Hope and a hammer and even having to escape from messy social situations they got themself into. Sorry Gale, they do not feel the same way. The hardest thing for them to escape has been their ties to Lolth.

Even after managing to escape the Underdark, finding friends, eventually finding a partner and a loving family willing to take them in, and even starting to plan out a future, they still couldn’t shake the grip Lolth had on them and the dark requests she makes.

Many of their worst qualities came from their deep religious conditioning and the whispers Lolth would send. They tried so hard, but even when trying to find another deity to follow, Lolth had ways to have them come back. It’s not until after they finally get rid of the tadpoles and Cassian faces their trauma head on in the Underdark that they’re finally able to shake her influences completely.

7. Cassian is fascinated with mythology. One of the first things they’d want to learn when they finally come up to the surface would be the myths the surface dwellers tell. They love to hear stories of monsters and heroes of old. They’d totally be the type to tell old myths to the kids Halsin takes care of. They’d have a lot of mythological tales from the Underdark memorized. They’d make sure not to tell anything too spooky

Saw this floating around and honestly I think you guys should do some of these for your tavs and their relationships or characters in general uwu

[rogueddie]

I am sorry for my rambling. I have a thing about Steve and pain. Like.

Steve most likely learned to ignore his pain because his parents never acknowledged them. They barely even acknowledge him, so he's terrible at gauging how bad anything is. By his standards, if he's walking, he should be okay.

And then Steve can sorta understand he's not okay from watching others in the Party, but doesn't ask for help because, one, he never learned how to, two, he doesn't think he deserves it. I adore Robin but I always flinch a little when she calls a man who's been tortured an asshole right after said torture and Steve just. Lets her.

I don't blame her because they were coming off a truth serum but man. Steve's reaction. Barely anything. Just a matter of truth to him, however painful. In his mind, he is still the asshole, so better for him to suffer than others. Like, what's more pain to him? It's just more paint. He takes it and walks it off. Actually, worse, he throws himself into more danger.

And if you rewatch season one, Steve isn't as terrible as others make him out to be. He says some heartless shit, sure, and he never does anything further than admonishing Tommy and Carol when they get cruel. But he was a kid, a teenager, surrounded by people who enabled the worst of his habits and no parents to teach him any better, he (and others) should cut him some slack. He does not. He fights tooth and nail to protect others, but he has no pity for himself. He doesn't ask for gratitude. He kind of. Breaks my heart.

Okay, rambling over. I will no longer spam your askbox, thank you for having me.

no no ramble more it gives me an excuse to ramble myself and there's nothing I love more than just rambling adfgfdsa

the thing about steve learning to ignore his pain bc his parents never acknowledged him? ouch but also- what if it leaves him convinced that he can just sleep any injury off and be fine? he's sure that it'll be fine eventually, just give it time. but that's how he ends up with permanent, long-term issues? because he keeps putting it off until it's too late to actually do anything to help prevent it?

and robin? the calling him an asshole thing is way worse than you're making it sound. she wasn't on truth serum, she was just stressed and probably hysterical. it's entirely understandable, she probably went through heavy shit herself, but that wasn't her under the influence of anything.

its just worse that his dialogue really shows how deep that 'bullshit' speech cut him and how he's clearly not healed from that. its why he accepts the insult so easily, doesnt seem to doubt that robin means hes still an asshole.

and season 1 steve is my baby. only because people go so hard on him, he really wasnt that bad. not good by any means but he's not what people say. so he's my baby now and I will bite anyone who comes at him.

[0aurelion-sol0]

SNK keeps on being amazing. ( A rant that is not really one. )

133.

Just this panel alone is able to confirm everything that I wanted from this manga.

Eren's condition has always been what I suspected.

Ever since he sided with his brother Zeke, who manipulated Marley in attacking Eldia to retrieve the founder and other titans. Something THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DO, because they were being pressured by many other countries and were not as powerful as before due to their lack of powerful weapons like the ones in the Middle Eastern Alliance which were able to PIERCE through the fucking Armored Titan.

THIS resulted in the fucking festival and we know what happened then. Dozens of people died including children continuing the cycle of hate that has been started for god knows how long. And Eren WILLINGLY took a part in it because he wanted his actions to be a little easier while he was going to genocide the whole fucking world.

INCLUDING his own island because let's be honest when Eren is done with the Rumbling, destroying every ecosystems. EVERYTHING that keeps a planet alive, his little island won't live for long.

"The ground... It's crying." CHAPTER 131 said by one of the goddamn kids he fucking killed.

Marley is now sure, let's fucking kill all Eldians.

He did his attack on Liberio, he betrayed everyone. Crushing Hange's every possibilities of finding a peaceful way of settling things down after having been hidden MANY useful informations by Eren, Zeke and his group but also the Azumabitos.

Sparking a civil war inside Eldia, leading to an Eldian supremacist group cause let's be honest when Floch killed that Marleyan and than gave his little first king Fritz speech, it was like seeing Hitler all over again and the Klux Klux Klan.

I MEAN... FLOCH OF ALL PEOPLE! A guy who has PTSD after seing dozens of his comrades died, their faces exploded by fucking thrown rocks. He bastardized Erwin's ideologies and no matter how good willing he was, he was just a dead man walking acting like a fool.

He also betrays his own party now, the Jeagerist by allowing the very people they tried to stop the power to stop him. By activating the Rumbling, he also caused the death of Eldians inside the walls as we've been shown with Hitch.

AND THE WORST... destroy every connection he has with his friends. Hurting them, putting them in danger by the very group he created and the Titans.

Oh but that's not all...

He uses the titan the same way Marley did it, with oppression and violence. He is not stopping the cycle of hate, he is continuing it. And it will have repercussions inside the very group of people he tried to defend.

People killed each other inside the walls and they will kill each other without it. Mikasa as shown us that when her parents got murdered and she almost became a slave.

And he killed Hange with these same titans. I don't care if they sacrificed themself. He didn't live up to what he preached. They died and Hange was someone close to him and was concerned with his well being. Maybe it was too late but they also had many other priorities as Hange was commander. They also fell into depression because of their position. One of his mentors and friends, one who tried to talk with him while he was in that cell planning to destroy the world...

talking to himself...

At this point, you know where I'm going with this. We've all suspected it, we all know it. Let's not be blind about it.

Eren is influenced by the Attack Titan. Not Ymir (at least I hope so and I think so), not Kruger and certainly not Grisha.

It's pretty clear now.

I mean Eren's change happens off screen, every time we see him he is completely different from what we used to know of him.

He barely cares about his friend and don't give me the bullcrap of (hE dOeS tHiS fOr tHeM.) If he was he would have secured them and put them in a place where they wouldn't interfere, he would have tried to convince them. HE WOULD HAVE COMMANDED FLOCH NOT TO HURT THEM.

He would have not commited genocide after knowing what it led to with Reiner, Annie and Bertholt.

That's not Eren. And the stupid argument of "hE's aLwAyS bEeN vIoLeNt". That's just bullcrap and it just destroy every bit of beautiful empathy we have seen of him. With Mikasa, Armin and Historia. Levi who he respected a lot.

It just isn't coherent. Every action he does is not coherent since the timeskip.

NOW HE'S CHALLENGING HIS FRIEND ? WTF ?

I mean is no one questionning this, doesn't it seem off from what we've seen of him.

Eren is no strategist BUT... he isn't stupid. Every sane person would know that these actions will not benefit anybody.

But... they still happened.

If we look back again, here is Eren being positive trying to put Armin in a good mood.

The outside world... endless possibilities. It's a man who wonders.

Yet, AT THE RIGHT MOMENT... he has a flashback of Faye. And his face just change.

Isn't it just weird ? Like at the right moment where he can have a positive outlook on thing. NOPE.

And this has been going and going and going...

Here:

Chapter 130.

Eren arrives in Liberio what does he see.

A flashback of his mother's death

I mean it's pretty clear now.

_________________________________________

Eren has been influenced and convinced by the Attack Titan that there's no way out. He's been reliving past memories of his and others, past memories that were traumatic. It put him in a state of depression and dread through 5 FUCKING YEARS. On top of that, he is able to see the future and what he saw will happen and has happened hence his reaction to Sasha's death.

A fucking mental breakdown.

Jesus Christ, I don't know if I've ever cursed that much in my life.

It's impossible to stop what is going to happen, because what is going to happen, needs to happen.

But as we know Sasha is in the afterlife with Erwin, Hange and the others. And we have been confirmed that this is the afterlife. So we have time-travelling, afterlife, 13 years curse, people who can turn into titans, parallel dimensions and Eren who can see through birds.

But the fandom said, no, the prospect of him being manipulated by the Attack Titan is impossible even after knowing it has special abilities.

I MEAN...

Umm... This has happened before. And I saw no one complain.

So why this ?

Is impossible ?

Especially when Eren's whole arc is about questionning his perspective of the world and becoming in control of his violence and rage. Having an agency. HELLOOOO!!!????

What better way of having the main threat of that being the very thing that causes all of his problems and his powers.

Doesn't this remind anyone of anything ?

Yep. The Uprising Arc. And who ? Historia, the girl whose all life, she couldn't act as herself or have any real agency.

Yes, you know the girl whose pregnant and decided to live the rest of her life Little House On The Prairie style. ( I mean I don't think it's her but... that's what it's looking right now. )

And who is a descendent of Ymir Fritz. With too much uncanney similarities between the two.

They could have said the Founder, Eren Jeager or something else but no they said... "It's the Attack Titan."

And it's not Ymir, if she was the one to control Eren. Why wouldn't she free herself on her own if she's able to do that ?

And in 131, she was clearly in a position where she was questionning her choice.

And perhaps she probably tried to stop Eren but the Attack Titan took over him and her. Using her powers as she is the founder.

And now just like Eren, she has no eyes. She is still a slave. Why ? I thought Eren freed her. So ? This is the only logical explanation right now.

I mean when is the last time we saw Eren.

He was sleeping inside his titan in 131. Having a dream about seeing his "sight" of freedom as a kid. And also potentially watching things with birds.

It's just weird. If he was fully in control, the characters wouldn't have questionned it and none of this weird shit would be happening.

He clearly doesn't have a free will.

This requires too much energy and Eren is a normal Eldian, not one of Royal Blood. Being both in Paths, watching this " sight ", communicating, watching with birds, moving his titan which is enormous and the thousands of colossal titans is clearly hard and too dangerous for only one person to do.

Isayama has fooled us all and me in the process.

All this time, it was that goddamn thing pulling the strings. And with the help of Isayama since he is the goddamn author of this series

In chapter 88, we learn the true meaning of Shingeki No Kyojin.

The beauty of the japanese language, as confusing as it is, can be translated by Attack On Titan, at least for us american and western audiences.

( yes because as someone pointed out in the comments, it's a mistranslation but since I don't understand how to give credit by linking because I don't understand how it works, i can't credit. So you can find the person in the comments. DO NOT JUDGE ME, tumblr is not the best place to post sometimes. )

But it's not the Attack on Titan anymore.

It's the Attack Titan.

( piece of shit is it's surname. )

[sepublic]

Is the Golden Guard a Homunculus?

           Once more bringing up the idea of the Golden Guard having a connection to Eda, while also taking several cues from Belos and being trusted by him, being a teen prodigy with magic similar to Belos’…

           I’m gonna go out on a crazy limb here, and suggest this; What if the Golden Guard is a Homunculus?

           Alchemy is a common element in fantasy, of which The Owl House is an example of. With its use of magic, glyphs, and potions, I’d be surprised if alchemy didn’t exist in the Boiling Isles, or at the very least, if it didn’t have its own equivalent; Which, the entirety of Potions magic is probably this show’s take on alchemy!  

           A homunculus is an artificial human created by alchemy, although for the purposes of this theory, the Golden Guard is an artificial witch. The fandom has talked and half-joked, half-speculated on the idea of magic being used to bypass the issue of people of the same sex being unable to produce children; Some ideas have suggested same-sex witches being able to create a child by using pieces of themselves, combined with a magical ritual or two. That is of course pure speculation; However…

           We already know Belos as someone who can create living things from magic; He’s manifested fleshy constructs, and even the Intro Worm at a whim! The Golden Guard himself can even conjure flesh from magic to transmute into a metal sword! So the idea of creating living things from magic is hardly out of the question in this show, and definitely not for Belos and the Golden Guard…

           With how the Golden Guard seems to be set up as a dark parallel to Eda, a look into the kind of person she could’ve become had she joined the Emperor’s Coven as a kid; What if the Golden Guard is a Homunculus made from pieces of various witches, among them Eda herself? We’ve all considered Eda’s lost potential, and wondered just how powerful she could’ve been, had she never been cursed and given the opportunity to fully learn and explore as she’d wished; Eda herself has wondered about it, no less…

           And Belos? He definitely seems like the type of mad scientist, low-key eugenicist who’d do this sort of thing, out of some morbid fascination, a desire to unlock true power, explore the full extent of magic; And in a way, weaponized Eda’s potential without having to deal with Eda herself, by having a Homunculus with her DNA that’s totally loyal to Belos!

          Given how the Golden Guard obviously isn’t a clone of Eda –what glimpses of his face we’ve seen, plus his gender indicate otherwise- then it’s possible that Belos has taken DNA samples from multiple subjects, the strongest witches throughout history (such as the Coven Heads and even Kikimora), with the goal of creating the most powerful witch by combining DNA from all of them! Hence, the Golden Guard as a fledgling experiment, who already proves to be rather promising, with the help of Belos’ tutelage since the very beginning.

           With this show’s dives into body horror, and the ability of Belos to conjure living things to serve him, I wouldn’t be shocked. I could totally see Belos experimenting with his magic, moving on from making animals like the Intro Worm, to a full-blown Witch! For all we know, he may have even put in a bit of his DNA as well… 

          Of course, whether or not this sample was from before, or after he became so physically messed-up, I can’t say. With the connections to both Eda and Belos, the Golden Guard being a homunculus brewed in a lab would be a way to explain those potential ties, without having to resort to a VERY gross age-gap fling that isn’t in-character for either party.

           Alternatively, the DNA sample came from Gwendolyn, who IS a member of the Beastkeeping Coven, and did give birth to Eda herself! As for the potential issues of a sample coming from Eda, who is cursed, well…

           There is that one shot from the trailer showing an owl beast with a face similar to the Golden Guard’s mask;

           Could this be him? Did taking a piece of Eda, perhaps a strand of hair or something, result in the Golden Guard inheriting her curse? It’s also possible that the Golden Guard isn’t cursed, because Belos is able to cure such things, and unlike Eda, the Golden Guard would be loyal to him and have thus ‘earned’ that, especially since Belos wants to explore his creation’s potential. Alternatively, Belos got the Eda sample from before she was cursed; Possibly by visiting Gwen and asking if she had anything, such as a baby tooth, from Eda prior to the curse.

           Likewise, if the Golden Guard DOES contain a bit of Belos, this sample could’ve come from before Belos became so messed up… And/or, due to being young and less experimented upon, with DNA from other witches, the Golden Guard manages to still be healthy despite the presence of Belos inside of him! It is worth nothing that the Golden Guard wields magic similar to Belos, so for all we know, this fragment of the emperor is what allows him to do that, having been distorted in the same way.

          That, or Belos trusts the Golden Guard, enough to keep him privy on a bunch of secrets that the emperor normally reserved for a ‘chosen one’ such as himself; Only those selected by the Titan are worthy of this form of magic, and because Belos himself is decayed, the Golden Guard is the only viable candidate left to truly explore the full potential of this magic. Also, being a construct made of Belos’ unique magic, with his own bile sac and everything; That could explain why the Golden Guard is able to wield that same magic, because he’s made of it!

           And being made from Belos, who isn’t too physically well-off, that could be why the Golden Guard is established as tired in our first glimpse of his personality… That, and/or he’s exhausted because he’s a teen prodigy who has to do the work of an adult, and not just any adult but the right-hand man to Belos! Maybe the Golden Guard was created as a means for Belos to create a new physical body for himself, before he repurposed his homunculus as an apprentice of sorts, while possibly still keeping him as back-up host.

          Perhaps the Golden Guard was Belos’ attempt at creating witch super soldiers, of creating generations of witches by his own hand, who would be totally loyal to him; Thus keeping Belos from having to rely on families for children he doesn’t trust… And potentially freeing Belos to get rid of ALL other witches, because now he can make his own loyal ones from scratch! Belos would be the kind of person who’d want to make an army, while killing whatever he can’t control, hence the hunt for the Selkidomus.

           Plus, being made for the sole purpose of surpassing all other witches, even Belos- It could definitely add a lot more to the Golden Guard’s arrogance, but also a huge amount of pressure as well. And it’d make him feel indebted to Belos, for giving him life, for granting him such great talent and ability from the get-go, for basically writing his destiny out for him, a fate of grandeur and glory.

          As a lab creation controlled and indoctrinated since birth, influenced before birth even, with Belos’ influence ingrained into his very body- It could add to why Belos seems to trust the Golden Guard on matters even Kikimora isn’t privy about! Creating a whole kid to raise into an adult, an entire life for a single purpose, and making sure that life KNOWS that purpose and fully devotes their existence to it, because it’s literally why they exist to begin with- Not exactly something I’d put past Belos!

           Plus, for Eda; The Golden Guard could act as a disturbing mirror for her. Not just in the kind of person she could’ve been, but as a harsh reminder of the magical potential and power she could’ve had, had she never been cursed; And again of the magic she completely lost, when the curse reached its worst limits. It’d be a way to haunt Eda at a point when she’s lost her magic, by dangling what could’ve and should’ve been; It’s like a ghost and a specter for those who have mourned or wondered Eda’s lost potential.

[pompettepink]

Angry, loud, and wrong. See what happens when you get your info from tiktok/bare minimum research. I'm guessing you Googled a tiny lil bit and found this and decided to run with it

Congratulations, you've become influenced by Humbert the pedophile. I personally don't know why you were so eager to align with the mentality of a child molester to give yourself the grace to call coquettes dad/daughter kinksters who utilize lingerie and kids property to entertain males, but you clearly have an ahistorical anti coquette agenda to push and are more than happy to use misinformation to spread that agenda. Lucky for you I love correcting people who are wrong/liars!! 💗🎀

Nymphet got its start from the fashion and personality of csa victim Dolores Haze (1997). The 50s aesthetic coupled with the spirited but tragic life of Dolores is what inspired OG nymphet wardrobes, not modern pornography.

Alongside the growing interest in nymphet retro fashion their were also many pop culture moments that became associated with the aesthetic and helped it grow, with Lana del Rey and Marina Diamondis being really big players in the community. With Lana specifically her romanticism of country Americana, New York Americana, 50s Americana, Florida Americana, and California Americana, along with her glamorization of sex, drugs, and rock and roll influenced the way the community styled themselves and lived their life.

It's also a VERY big misconception that Larme Magazine/Girly Kei/J fashion played a part in the shaping of nymphet and has any effect on coquette today. The reason that that misinformation keeps getting spread is because a few Larme articles were actually inspired by Retro Americana, much like how nymphets were inspired by Retro Americana. But coquettes do not look into girly kei for inspo

And honestly, the magazine itself has a better grasp on the American Lolita archetype than you do anon. It says it right there!! "Lazy, selfish, and charming". That's the lifestyle of coquette!! Coquette from its Nymphet origins has been about RECLAIMING and CELEBRATING girlhood. We take tragic figures like Dolores Haze, Lana del Reys persona, the girls from The Vigin Suicide, religious figures, and Marilyn Monroe and imagery like reading, eating, partying, vintage fashion, hanging out with friends and listening to music, and reflect that onto ourselves and our childhood and how we grew up and how that relates to our style and our community.

Our community isn't perfect, we do have girls who have been groomed, we have girls who have crushes on their teachers, we have girls who do drugs, we have girls who have tons of sex, we have girls who lewd childhood, we have girls who sell adult content, we have girls who romantize Lolita, and we have girls who do preform for the male gaze, being a girl is messy and annoying and wild and we can be destructive and ditzy. But, we also have girls who are hyper critical of Lolita, we have girls who hate men, we have lesbian girls, we have girls who don't listen to Lana, we have girls who don't wear Americana, we have girls who police the tag to keep out smut, we have girls who are anti kink, and we have girls who protect younger girls regularly. You can also find that stuff in the J Fashion communities you mentioned.

Fairy kei girls can be huge kinksters. Girly Kei girls can be invested in the male gaze. EG Lolitas can be into DDLG. But the worst of those communities does not affect the whole.

You're lying to yourself and spreading misinformation by telling others that our community sprang up from porn and lingerie and kid items and kink and males. There's people on both sides (j fashion girls here and coquettes in their own tag) who have been speaking about the other side but literally just drop it. Learn the history. Listen to older members. Listen to old girly kei magazines. And let it go.

i hate when coquettes tag kawaii and jfashion tags

yall know ur aesthetic community came from the movie adaptations of Lolita, right? u know the inspiration for the aesthetic is "precocious young girl" and thats what the word coquette means... right? like ur aware that the reason lana del ray and lingerie and childrens toys are so associated is bc its based on ddlg fantasies?

im not gonna shame anyone for their kinks or aesthetic inspiration! but please for the love of fuck keep that out of egl, fairy kei, girly kei, kawaii etc tags!! u have ur own!! especially egl its literally ab hyperfemininity away from the male gaze which is the opposite of coquette/nymphette!!

.

[imaginesmai]

With all my heart (IRONDAD) - Chapter 1

Hey there! I’m back with a full fic! ❤💕💕💕 This is an irondad/bambi/The game plan AU! It’s finished, so it will have two updates every week, or more (if you guys like it a lot!) Make sure to follow me on instagram:@ irondadiscanon to know when I update, more irondad content and fic recs!

SUMMARY: Tony Stark isn't the best dad - distant, cold, almost neglectful. But when his ex-wife dies, he has to take care of his son; 5-year-old Peter, a boy with too many allergies and that can't talk to Tony without stuttering. Follow the path of two hurt people, a man and a boy, who learn how to love each other through thick and thin.-A Bambi AU (Disney) that @buckets_of_stars inspired me into writting that I've mixed with The Game Plan.

AO3 link

Tony has a tight smile on during the funeral. He knows he has no right being there, that most of the people around him, even if they are strangers for Tony, were closer to Mary than him. He shifts uncomfortable in his black suit, fighting the hangover from last night. On his right, Mary’s sister is crying her eyes out, looking at the coffin as its lowered on the ground. From what he has heard, the man besides May is Ben, his husband, and both of them have made a long journey to come to the funeral. It makes him feel bad, because Tony was the one arriving late and he lives barely thirty minutes away.

 But the news hit him hard. 

For six years, he has been doing just fine. He gets drunk, sleeps around with anyone that catches his eye, bosses around and goes to sleep really, really late. It’s not something to take pride of, but Tony likes his life – now, his past life. There is another thing that has been a constant for the last five years and a half; monthly cheques to his ex-girlfriend account. Since he lost any type of right over his son. Five and half years ago.

 Now, Mary is lying eight foot deep in a coffin. He received a call yesterday, and found comfort in his liquor cabinet. He shouldn’t have, he’s sure of it, because he knows that there has to be new changes on his life from now on; but he still kept a small place of his heart for the brunette girl with big, doe eyes that had a contagious laugh. Tony tightens the grip on his left wrist, trying to control the shaking of his hands. 

When that doesn’t work, he tries next looking at the small figure gripping May’s legs, close to Tony. It’s not the first time Tony has seen Peter Parker, because once or twice every two months, he gets to spend a weekend with his son. He has a room on the tower, as dull as a white paper, and Tony is listed as his second emergency contact. It doesn’t matter how much he tries to distance himself from Howard. Most of the times the kid is with him, Tony is reminded of the lost chance of raising him. Peter sees him as a stranger, and Tony drinks.

 Peter sniffles softly, and May runs a careful hand through his curls. Taking after Tony, he’s short and skinny. The father doesn’t know much about him – that he likes science, is asthmatic and has a list of allergies, dyslexic, and his favourite colour is blue and red. Mary made sure to keep him away from Tony, and she wasn’t wrong. Because Tony is the worst influence the kid can have.

 It doesn’t matter, though, because May and Ben are both active workers that are barely home, and Peter doesn’t have any other family left.

 “Tony”

 He turns around, and shamefully discovers that almost everyone is gone now. Only May, the priest and Peter remain. The last one is still hiding between May’s legs, hiccupping every now and then. Tony blinks and coughs the awkwardness; he tries to clear the wetness around his eyes, and thanks himself for getting dark glasses before leaving that morning. May, always the kind woman, gives him a soft smile, and squeezes his forearm gently. His husband doesn’t like Tony that much, but it seems that May sees something not even Tony himself can see.

 “We have to arrange some things. Custody papers and legal documents” she says.

 “Yes. I’ll – My driver is just there. He will take us to the notary. He has enough space for all of us. And don’t worry, Happy is discrete. He won’t – “

 “Ben and I can take care of it just fine” May interrupts him. He pushes Peter forward, but the boy doesn’t look up. “Peter hasn’t slept much, and he hasn’t eaten since yesterday. I thought that, maybe, you could take him home and rest a little. It’s been hard for everyone.”

 “Happy can take him”

 “Peter needs his father”

 It’s her stern voice. He has only heard it twice; once, when Peter was born and he was late for the birth, and Mary decided she didn’t even want him to meet his son. May had used her stern voice on her and Tony had held Peter close, as the boy latched on his little finger. The second time was directed at him. He was ready to give up the custody of Peter, he didn’t want to go to the trial; and thanks to May, who dragged him out of his ear, he got to see Peter every two months. Even if he hadn’t known how to do it right.

 Peter looks up at Tony, and the man notices the tears still falling from his eyes. He has the same look he always carries around Tony; as if he wasn’t his father, just an authoritative stranger that he had to respect.

 “I think a nap will do you some good” Tony lowers his voice, and tries to give Peter a reassuring smile. “Did you pack your bag already?”

 “No” he answers in a small voice. “Uncle Ben said I c-could do it later”

 “We can bring it later. Maybe have a last dinner together before we leave?” May suggests, and Peter nods vigorously. “We have to leave tomorrow morning. But we are only a few hours away. If he gets sick or needs anything, we’ll be here as soon as possible. And that goes for you too Tony. You can call me anytime you want”

 “I think we’re gonna be just fine. Right, Peter?”

 Tony holds his fist so that Peter can bump it, but the kid just stares at it. Possibly, it’s not the best place to do something like that. Reluctantly, he lowers his fist. He remembers the first time Peter was brought to him as a conscious human being, not a baby. Mary had been on a trip with him for three months, and Tony got to stay with Peter for a week – and in that moment, when Peter didn’t call Tony daddy but ‘Mr Tony’, Tony realized that Peter didn’t see him as a father. As a dad.

 It hurts him that he hasn’t known how to be there for his son. Some of the dates Mary and him set for Peter to stay with Tony were spent poorly; Tony out drinking and Peter with Pepper or with a nanny. Tony missed some of them because he liked to party, and the man wasn’t there when the kid had his first asthma attack and ended up in hospital. He wasn’t even there for Peter’s fourth birthday, because he was lost somewhere in Monaco drinking expensive liquors and losing consciousness.

 Selfishly, he thinks that this is his chance to make things right. Peter has to stay with him, because there is no chance that he lets the boy in the system, and staying with his aunt is impossible. So, he tries to bury his hurt and keeps the kind smile on.

 “Give me a call when you’re finished” he tells May, who nods. The woman kneels in front of Peter, and cradles his cheek.

 “We can come whenever you need us. Ask Tony to call us or use the phone mom got you, it’s in the bottom of your bag. You remember Ben’s number?” May asks. Peter doesn’t answer. “Come here, give me a big hug”

 Peter launches himself to his aunt’s arms, letting out a chocked sob. May hugs him tight and lets him cry on her shoulder. As most of the times he’s with his son, Tony feels misplaced. Like he’s watching a show he’s not a part of – like it isn’t his family. It’s not, his mind supplies. They break the hug before Tony can dwell on the thought for too long. If someone expected Peter to hug his father next, they get a huge disappointment. Peter moves to stand close to Tony, and quickly dries his tears so Tony doesn’t notice them.

 “No peanuts, walnuts, cashews or hazels. That goes for Nutella or other chocolate sweet that could have hazels” May remembers him, although Tony has JARVIS programmed to keep up with Peter’s allergies. “There are epinephrine injections in his bag, with the instructions. He has to take his vitamins every morning. After breakfast”

 “And I have to be careful with lobsters and oysters, because they upset his stomach”

 “You have to cut the crust off the sandwiches, and Peter doesn’t like cheese sandwiches. But make sure to put extra cheese on his pizza”

 “He also likes mac and cheese, I know” Tony says with a bit of annoyance. “He’s my son. I know him better than what you think”

 “You better take care of him, because I don’t care how much money you have or how important your last name is” May takes a threatening step forward. “If I have to drag your sorry Stark ass to court, I will. Without blinking once”

 Tony briefly remembers the conversation he has had with May before the funeral. Mary said it in her will, Ben and May knew they would have to change their life style if Peter came to life with them, and Tony was the most capable person, in materials and financial terms, to take care of Peter. But still, she had offered to take him. And Ben had threatened Tony. The man hopes he can live to everyone’s expectations.

 He reaches a hand and brings Peter closer. In a soft whisper that only comes out every now and then when he’s with his son, he tells him to go and wait in the car. Peter gives a quiet ‘yes sir’ and hugs May one last time. Tony doesn’t miss the glassy eyes May gets when Peter wraps his skinny arms around her waist and squeezes her tight. He has never received a hug from Peter.

 Not like he feels worthy of them.

 Peter waves at her and drags his feet to the car. The boy likes Happy, or at least he likes him as much as he can like someone from Tony’s life – he gives the man some rare smiles and actually answers to his questions. He watches as Peter disappear inside the car, and closes the door behind him. Then, he turns to May.

 “You can’t say those things in front of Peter” he argues. “He’s gonna think I’m some kind of monster that it’s gonna eat him at night”

 “He already thinks that. Why do you think he wanted to spend the night with us in the hotel instead of going with you? Peter is afraid. The only memories he has with his father are you sitting on a couch drinking, hiding in the lab or giving him away to nannies” May points a shaky finger at him. “He spent the whole night crying and sobbing, but when he comes here, he tries to hide it so you don’t see him. Trust me when I say he knows where he’s going”

 “And what am I supposed to do? If he hates me so much, then maybe you should take him!”

 There is a second of silence in the lonely cemetery.

 “Peter doesn’t hate you, Tony. He thinks you don’t want him” she says sadly, and Tony thinks he preferred the idea of Peter hating him. “All he knows is a cold man with a hard face, that didn’t make an effort to love him when he went to see you”

 “I really don’t know how to fix that, May” he admits. He realises his own eyes are getting misty behind the glasses, but he doesn’t feel strong enough to wipe them. He only wants to go back home and lock himself in the lab with a bottle of whisky, maybe two.

 “You and I both know you love him. You did things wrong, but so did Mary. So just – show him you love him, now. Consider this your chance to be a father to Peter, a real father”

 May surprises Tony by dragging him into her arms, and he goes rigid. He doesn’t like behind handed things, he doesn’t like shaking people’s hands, he doesn’t like touching anyone and doesn’t like being touched unless it’s Pepper. He has ignored Rhodey’s calls and Happy attempt to comfort him, because he knew that no matter how much he hated physical touch, he would break down.

 So, Tony breaks down in sobs, and hugs May Parker back. The woman is tall but skinny, yet is almost as strong as Tony. It’s the touch he needs, because it manages to keep him together. Tony thinks of Mary, of how beautiful everything was before he fucked up and she left, pregnant without knowing. He thinks of her sweet smile and dimples, of her brown curls that fell loose on her back. And he sees her in the boy in the car, in the way he pretends to be collected but wears his heart on his sleeve.

 A raindrop hit him on the nose, and when he looks up, he’s met with another on his left glass. He tears away from May who doesn’t bother wiping the tears away from her cheeks. They share a short nod and a few words, then Tony walks towards the car. He tries to make the small distance to it as long as possible, because he doesn’t want to meet the doe, bambi eyes that will stare at him in the car.

 Because Peter does that a lot – staring at Tony. Not talking, not smiling. Staring at Tony as if he’s looking for something that he doesn’t have. That’s part of the reason why he avoids the boy so much, because if he can’t be what Peter needs, then what good can he make?

 Apparently, he’s about to find out.

Want to read more? Check out my side blog @imaginesmaimasterlists, where I keep all the masterlists! Feedback is always appreciated

[depressedhatakekakashi]

Sleep Over’s and Ghost Stories

AU: Rural Au

Words: 2289

Rating: General

Characters: Hatake Kakashi and Tenzo|Yamato

Warnings: Ghost stories, Mentions of blood.

Summary: Naruto informs Kakashi that he has invited his friends over for a sleepover at their ranch that night. Knowing he can’t do everything himself to get ready to host a bunch of kids, Kakashi calls in some help.

Warning wasn’t something that Naruto had given Kakashi a lot of that afternoon when he came running into the house after a long day of school and announced that he had invited his classmates over for a camping sleepover, tonight.

Any less warning and Kakashi might not have been able to secure any help for the night, leaving him to take care of all of the food prep, wood gathering, and other chores that needed to be done while Naruto took the trunk into town to get enough marshmallows to feed an army.

That was an understatement of course. It was more likely that they could feed all of Konoha with the number of Marshmallows he had bought. At least he had also thought ahead and gotten eggs and bacon for tomorrow’s breakfast, which Kakashi had no doubt he would be cooking.

Panicking over the amount of work that was being handed to him, and wanting someone there to help him out, Kakashi decided to call the best person to help him out for the night.

Gai had unfortunately informed him that he had to head into the city the next morning for a supply run, meaning Kakashi had to call his other best friend. An unpleasant call to make since he knew that Tenzo had planned to go to the lake tomorrow for a relaxing day by himself.

Thankfully with enough pleading and a promise to go to the lake next week with Tenzo, he finally secured some help for the night.

Which was how he ended up here. Setting up a bonfire for the kids while Tenzo and Naruto put out chairs for everyone.

“Did you buy enough non-marshmallow snacks?” He called over to Naruto, wanting to make sure that no one was left hungry tonight.

“I even made sure to pick up extra bags of everything for Choji,” Naruto beamed. “And I asked Choji to bring some snacks from the bakery, Sakura to grab some stuff from the general store, and Kiba’s even bringing some dog food because I told him it was the only way you’d let him pet Pakkun.”

This must be one of those ‘proud dad’ moments that Gai was always talking about.

Tenzo, on the other hand, didn’t seem as happy about Naruto’s underhandedness, judging by the unimpressed look on his face. “Some days I wonder how you two get along, and then moments like this happen,” crossing his arms over his chest he turned to glare at Kakashi. “Quit teaching him bad habits, Senpai.”

They both knew that was never going to happen of course. Kakashi loved teaching Naruto all of his worst habits. It ensured that there would always be someone in the village to mess with other people, even long after Kakashi was gone.

“I also asked Sasuke to bring some cat food,” Naruto added. “Once Kakashi Nii-san told me you were coming over to help. He said he could bring a bag of cat food that Itachi made himself. Something that your cats would love.”

Tenzo’s hands dropped to his side, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips.

“I see,” his voice softened. “Still, you shouldn’t lie to Kiba to get free food for the dogs.”

“He’s right you know,” Kakashi added, smiling when Tenzo gave him a skeptical look. “But really it’s Kiba’s fault for believing you. Everyone knows Pakkun won’t let anyone pet him but me.”

Ok, him and Gai, and sometimes Tenzo depending on how nice the pug was feeling.

“Senpai, what did I just say about teaching him bad habits!?”

Resting his hands behind his head, Kakashi chuckled when Tenzo started to lecture him about the importance of friendship and trust. This wasn’t the first time he had gotten this exact lecture and there was no doubt in his mind that it wouldn’t be the last. Tenzo gave it to him at least once a week after he used his friends’ love of praise to get a free coffee or lunch out of him.

Meanwhile, Naruto continued to set everything up. Far too used to Kakashi and Tenzo’s arguments he had learned long ago to tune them out and keep doing whatever it was he was in the middle of.

It was simply better not to interrupt Tenzo, or one risked him dragging them into the lecture. Naruto was already lucky he wasn’t getting it alongside Kakashi since it had been his actions that upset the woodcarver.

“Oh!” reaching out, Kakashi placed one hand over Tenzo’s mouth to silence him and used the other to point towards the driveway. “Naruto, your friends are starting to arrive.”

Naruto immediately dropped what he was doing and turned towards the driveway, throwing his hands up into the air when he saw Itachi’s car pulling in beside Tenzo’s truck. “Sasuke!” He called out, running towards the driveway and leaving Kakashi and Tenzo to finish up with the bonfire set up.

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

Once everything had been set up and all of Naruto’s school friends had finally arrived, it was finally time to relax and enjoy the rest of the night. At least, enjoy as much of the night as one could while Kiba was sitting beside him trying desperately to pet the pug dog sitting on his lap.

“He’s going to bite you,” he warned, chuckling when Kiba continued to ignore him and narrowly avoided getting his hand chomped by Pakkun. “I told you.”

“He’s supposed to love me,” Kiba huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring down at Pakkun. “All dogs love me.”

“Pakkun’s a picky dog,” scratching the pug behind the ears, Kakashi chuckled when he instantly relaxed into his hand. Forgetting all about the mean teenager who had been interrupting his relaxing nap just seconds ago. “You have seven other dogs to play with on this ranch. I don’t see why you’re so determined about getting Pakkun to like you.”

“All dogs should like me,” planting his hands on the chair, Kiba glared back at Pakkun from the corner of his eyes. “I’m a dog person. All dogs love me.”

Giving his head a shake Kakashi turned his attention back to the rest of the group and continued to scratch Pakkun’s ear. It was amusing to see Kiba continuously trying to win his favourite dog over, but at some point, the kid had to give up.

When feeding Pakkun treats didn’t work, it was a lost cause. He had chosen his favourite human and he simply wasn’t interested in anyone to who Kakashi wasn’t incredibly close.

“We should do something interesting,” Glancing towards Tenzo, Kakashi raised an eyebrow when he saw him staring at Naruto and all of his friends huddled around the fire roasting marshmallows. “It’s too quiet. Something interesting has to happen.”

And Tenzo accused him of being a bad influence.

“Mmm, and what ‘interesting’ thing would you like to happen?” Watching as Tenzo leaned in close, Kakashi listened to his plan carefully. A small smile pulling at his lips.

This was going to be perfect.

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

Catching the attention of the kids hadn’t been as hard as Kakashi thought it would be. With the simple mention of a ghost story, he suddenly found himself surrounded by excited, bright-eyed kids waiting patiently for him to tell them the story.

Now he just had to hope that Tenzo was ready to put his plan into action.

“The tale of old man Tobirama, hmmm. Well, I guess you’re all old enough to hear it now. But don’t come crying to me if you end up having nightmares for years about it.”

“Kakashi, stop teasing us and tell us the story already.” Naruto insisted, puffing out his cheeks and glaring at his guardian.

“I bet it’s not even that scary,” Sakura commented, acting like she wasn’t leaning in to hear better. “‘Old man Tobirama’. There probably wasn’t even anyone named ‘Tobirama’ in our village.”

Oh, boy were they in for a surprise.

“Well, in the case,” leaning forward, Kakashi planted his hands on his knees and smiled down at the group. “Let me tell you the story of old man Tobirama. The grumpy old guy who lived in the old Senju ranch and would cook up children for dinner.”

At the mention of the Senju ranch, he could see the kids already starting to shake.

“Long ago, before I was even born, the Senju ranch was full of life. With a large family, parties every weekend, and a garden that could make anyone jealous. They were known for having the best fruits and vegetables in all of Konoha, though back then the village was a lot smaller so who knows how good they were.”

He’d probably get smacked by Tsunade for saying it, but it was worth it for the giggles he got from his audience.

“For the longest time, the Senju’s lived in the village peacefully. Mingling with the other villages, trading their fruits and veggies for other goods that they could use. But then one day the Senju’s just stopped coming into town. It was like they disappeared. No one knew what had happened to them, but there were rumors. Little whispers that floated around the village about the middle child, Tobirama.”

Naruto shivered in front of him, Sakura slinked behind Ino just a little, and Kiba used Bull as a shield from Kakashi. So far, none of the other kids were showing much of a reaction except for prompting Kakashi to continue with the story.

“For years the house lay empty. No one going in or out. It slowly started to decay and rot from the inside, and the garden became overgrown. Surrounding the house with vines, vegetables, and fruits. There wasn’t an inch of the place that was accessible. After fifty years the villagers finally got together and made a decision. The house had to come down.”

“This is boring,” Sasuke interrupted him. The same unimpressed look on his face that he always had when someone other than his big brother was talking. “Nothing is even happening.”

Giving his head a shake, Kakashi reached out and flicked Sasuke in the nose.

“Hasn’t Itachi taught you anything about patience, brat?” he teased. “I’m just getting to the good part. Now shush.”

Settling back into his seat, Kakashi returned his hand to Pakkun’s head and took a deep breath. “Anyways, the villagers had made their decision. They found a group of hard workers to tear down the old building and started to gather all of the equipment that they would need. A week later the workers were ready to head onto the property and start with the demolition. They hoped that it would only take a few days, but as the hours passed by, they slowly started to disappear one by one.”

Sakura was now completely hidden behind Ino, and it looked like Ino wasn’t doing much better. Her face had lost all colour, and her eyes were wide with fear.

Naruto had slowly begun to inch away from Kakashi, using any of his friends that were readily available as a shield between himself and his guardian. Hinata was cowering behind her favourite hoodie, only her eyes visible.

The only people who didn’t look fazed by his story were Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Shino. None of which were a surprise given their personalities.

He just had to hope that Tenzo pulled through and managed to fix that.

“By the end of the day the only person left was a young woman. Desperate to find the rest of her group she searched the entire house. Looking in every bedroom, searching the yard and even the attic. But no matter how often she called out to them, or where she looked, she couldn’t find them anywhere. Finally, she was left with only one place to look. The old cellar under the kitchen.”

There were a few mummers in the crowd, and at least one ‘not the cellar’ spoken in a whisper somewhere behind Shikamaru.

“Pulling up all of her courage, she headed for her new destination. The door to the cellar creaked as she pulled it open, but when she peered down there was nothing but darkness. She called out to the others, but no one answered.”

Naruto shifted a bit closer to Sasuke, nudging his shoulder until the Uchiha finally gave in and threw an arm around him.

“Taking the first step down the stairs, she held her breath. The stories villagers had told her growing up swimming in her mind. Images of Senju Tobirama, a teenager with bright silver hair and angry red eyes, wielding a bloody ax in his hands. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get rid of those thoughts, and every step she took down into the cellar felt like it would be her last. But finally, she made it to the bottom of the stairs and reached out for the cellar lights pull cord, hoping to add some light to the room. Finding it in the pitch black, she tugged at it and…”

“She was met with the face of Senju Tobirama!” Jumping up behind the kids, Tenzo flashed the light under his chin and warped his face into the most haunting face he could manage. With wide creepy eyes, and his mouth hanging open with what Kakashi could only assume was ketchup smeared all over his chin, Tenzo sent every single one of the kids scattering. Screams filled the air, only slightly drowned out by Kakashi and Tenzo’s laughter.

If Kakashi had been smart he would have brought a camera. There was no way Itachi was going to believe him the next morning when he told him about the look of absolute terror on Sasuke’s face.

[shesawriter39049]

|Breakdowns & Bugatti’s| M|

     *****  Headcanon’s for my OT7 AU*****

Genre: Rich Kid AU/ Drama/ Suspense/ Smut/ Angst

AU SUMMARY : The story of 8 heirs, who also happen to be the children of some of the most powerful, and well known political figures in The Big Apple! This is a candid look at all of the sex, lies, drama, scandals, couture and boujee affairs that are caught both on, but more importantly off camera!

OR: Gossip girl meet’s HTGAWM? Essentially if GG was on HBO, darker, and had more depth within it’s plot! Which is no shade, I love me some Gossip Girl, but realistically looking back a lot of the “Drama” wasn’t that...deep lol! But we still loved it all the same!

Note:  The first chapter is called “The Kim’s of New York” So these headcanon’s are solely the Kim boys & the OC! ALSO, I just tried to find the most discrete gif for the Y/N there is NO ethnicity for ANY of my OC’s! Also, it’s set to be a OT7 intertwined plot but the smut with the OC will prob only be 3/4 members deep!

***The sneak peek for part 1 which is Namjoon X Reader will be linked***

~~~~~~~

Name: Namjoon Kim

Age: 21 Birth place: New York, New York

Current Residence: West Village, New York/ Songpa-Gu, Seoul Korea

Profession: Heir, College student, Entrepreneur, Art lover, Smartass, Heartbreaker (Closet fuck boi) 

College: NYU (Incoming Junior)

Degree: Aiming for a Master’s in Journalism & Political communication. Endgame :Political Journalism

Preferred Degree: Opinion, Trade, or Art Journalism, or a Museum Curator   (Namjoon actually anonymously runs a pretty popular art based travel blog)Namjoon also dabbles in that Soundcloud life making beats under an undisclosed name...however that’s just a hobby....so he says...

Business Type:....Co-owner/founder of an exclusive, invite only, dating service....do with that information what you will!

(Bonus Question ) Licensed Business?: LMAO….sure

Net Worth : 10 Figures

Dating Status : Closet Fuck Boi! Wait, is that not an option? Okay fine. He’s single...ish…Kinda? Well to be fair it depends on the time of day honestly! Is it a Sunday? Are we going to Brunch at Society Café? Or, is it Friday night and he’s going to the “Press Lounge”? More importantly is it election season and and does his father need him to not look like a hoe!? This is all crucial information, I need meticulousdetails honestly! So for the time being I guess I’ll have to pass on the question!

Aesthetic : Tom Ford X Hugo Boss X Valentino X Dior X Tommy Hilfiger = Couture Business Casual! I.E Namjoon always looks like he’s going to some business meeting with Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos! Even if it’s like...noon on a Saturday and your going on a day trip to Nappa...He’s still in calfskin loafers and a disrespectfully tight button up. Namjoon’s giving like...hot college professor PornHub realness...Yup His whole “Scholar Student” Aesthetic is a whole ass kink and baby boy knows it! 

Political Tie: Father, Joshua Kim, New York Senator

Parents : Father : Joshua Kim, (New York Senator, son of Billionaire tech Tycoon Sang Woo Kim) Mother: Christine Kim : Luxury Event planner

Siblings : Only child

Political Party: Democratic

Actual Political Party: Liberal Daily : Matte Black Porsche 911/ Satin Red Ferrari 458/ Bugatti Veyron Matte red

Name: Seokjin Kim (Jin Kim)

Age: 23

Birth place: London, England

Current Residence: Upper Eastside, New York/ Chelsea London

Profession: Existing, Retired Editorial Model, Entrepreneur, Occasional influencer (When he feels like it) IE, the influencer that never really asked for the titile...he’s just rich and living his life! I mean let’s be real who isn't curious to see how the -1% lives?!

College: University of Oxford

Degree: Maybe he has a Master’s in Business...maybe he dropped out!

Preferred Degree: Culinary Arts...or honestly...just chillin...maybe eventually open his own modeling firm or something down the line!

Business Type:....Jin casually runs high stakes poker matches...and that’s all you need to know for right now….

(Bonus Question ) Licensed Business?:...Again...that’s all you need to know right now…

Net Worth : 10 Figures

Dating Status : Single, and not in the mood to entertain….unless you’ll like...walk yourself out after then maybe...Oh also it’s a requirement that you’re aware there’s more luxury brands than Gucci and Louis Vuitton. Show up in anything straight monogram and Jin’s going flaccid on command!

Aesthetic : Chanel  X  Dior X Cavalli X Dolce X Fendi  = On Duty Runway Model! It truly doesn’t matter if he’s going to brunch, the movies, or sitting front row at Galliano! Jin always looks like he should be front row at Galliano! Whilst also effortlessly looking 10x’S pretter than half of the bitches in Manhattan even on his worst day! Androgyny at its finest, well Jin and Judge Parks son are kinda tied in that department!

Political Tie: Father, David Kim, Mayor’s Chief of Staff/ “Ghost” press secretary

Parents : Father : David Kim, (Retired Corporate Attorney, son of Billionaire Oil Tycoon Hyun-Son Kim) Mother: Lisa Kim, Co- owner of Hotel Shailla, daughter of Michael Lee, Millionaire Entrepreneur )

Siblings : Taehyung Kim (20), Hae Jin Kim (29) Deceased...( Allegedly)  

Political Party: Democratic

Actual Political Party: Honestly, Jin could give less than a damn

Daily : Matte Pink Aston Martin One, White Bugatti Chiron

Name: Taehyung Kim (Tae Kim)

Age: 20

Birth place: Rome, Italy

Current Residence: Cobble Hill, New York/ Pairs, France (When he’s not in school...or just on the weekends)

Profession: College student, Painter, Podcast Host, unwarranted fashion critique/ Stylist! Tae lowkey thinks his IG feed is the reprise of “Fashion  Police” Joan Rivers bless rest her soul..she would’ve loved him!

College: Bernard (Sophomore)

Degree:  Fine Arts (Painting/ Sculpture)

Preferred Degree: Exactly...what he’s doing...he enrolled at NYU for business. Lasted all of like...5 months before he dropped out!

Business Type:....Tae run’s a very...controversial late night Podcast  appropriately titled “Tae unfiltered”! It wasn’t supposed to be a job, lord knows he doesn't need one...However due to the steady increase in his audience the youngest Kim is on track to ending up on Forbes without his inheritance.

(Bonus Question ) Licensed Business?:...Yup!

Net Worth: 10 Figures

Dating Status : Single, and more than ready to mingle, Tae essentially had the same girlfriend all throughout high school! The pair broke up maybe 7 months ago when she opted to go to college in London. So let’s just say he has a lot of making up to do and he’s very much….open to new experiences…

Aesthetic : Guicci  X  Gucci X Gucci X  Gucci X Gucci = Gucci!? Nah, actually Tae, is fond of anything that doesn't...blend in...so Moschino, GCDS, Vetements, Kenzo, Balmain= If it lowkey looks like it could've been homemade...but it cost like bare minimum 4k! Or he just highkey looks exactly like you’d expect, like a very rich, art student who loves funky. abstract, unethical, clothing! Is he going to Coachella or to the farmers market? We may never know but that’s fine! He’s also young, and well aware that he’s fine as fuck, and that’s a whole ass problem! Tae may not have a ton of experience but he’s far from shy and more than down to learn...

Political Tie: Father, David Kim, Mayor’s Chief of Staff (Ghost press secretary)

Parents : Father : David Kim, (Retired Corporate Attorney, son of Billionaire Oil Tycoon Sang Tae Won Kim) Mother: Lisa Kim, Co- owner of Hotel Shailla, daughter of Michael Lee, Millionaire, Entrepreneur )

Siblings : Seokjin Kim (23), Hae Jin Kim (29) Deceased ( Allegedly)

Political Party: Democratic

Actual Political Party: Liberal AFFFFFFFFFFFFF

Daily : Lime Green Lamborghini Huracan/ Matte Grey Ferrari F60

Name: Yn/Ln

Age: 21

Birth Place: Paris, France

Current Residence: Upper East Side, New York/ Dubai

Profession:...Taking pictures, of both herself and other people, ugh...looking attractive? Does that count? Oh being well dressed...Self taught photographer, Fashion Blogger, Creative Director,Entrepreneur...

College: N/A ...Possible freshman at NYU or Bernard or, FIT for Photography & or Fashion

Degree: N/A... IF, she went it would be for Fine Arts/ Fashion degree for Creative Direction

Preferred Degree: Honestly, none, she lives and breathes fashion and due to her lifestyle Y/n already has the type of connections that up and coming photographers would die for! BUT...said college degree would shut her father up...so it’s a possibility! However, it’s not like he considers photography or being a fashion influencer a real job anyway...sooo she mideswell just not even bother!

Business Type:....Existing? Her main job is essentially...breathing...and occasionally taking pictures of other people! Oh, and herself as well, she get’s paid to post daily content! She runs a website called “MyJobIsToBeWellDressed” Co-owner of an exclusive invite only dating service!

(Bonus Question ) Licensed Business?: Yes and...(lmao)...for the first part, where her blog and all of that is concerned, yes...she’s 1099 the full nine! The other job however...................mmm... next question?

Net Worth: 10 Figures

Dating Status :YOLO

Aesthetic : 90’s Couture meet’s “House of Yes” @ 3 AM ( Back when luxury brands weren’t afraid to have fun and be a little risque)  Chanel X Versace X Dolce X Prada X Gucci X Galliano = Well kept sugar baby??? Or every time you see her your literally like “Dude where the fuck are you even going!!??” Baby girl is always overdressed, she showed up to go on a doggy date through central park with Yoongi and Holly in 7 inch Louboutin’s sooo..we love that! Owns literally every vintage 90′s runway archive you can think of...If you’ve gagged over it on Pinterest it’s in Y/n’s closet. She’s smooth as all fuck...that’s for damn sure, radiating the perfect blend of BD and WAP energy....she’s a bad bitch and she knows it! Fuck the entire upper Eastside knows it!

Political Tie: Father, Christopher L/N, New York Senator

Parents: Father : Christopher L/N, (New York Senator, son of Billionaire Automotive Tycoon/ Real Estate Mogul Gregory L/N/ ) Mother: Ashley L/N, (luxury) Interior Designer & Daughter of Hotel Mogul Michael L/N

Siblings: Only child...maybe

Political Party: Democratic

Actual Political Party: Liberal

Daily : Matte Black Bugatti Divo / Satin Purple Lamborghini Murcielago/ Any car that any of her friends are driving because...fuck that, ridding shotty all day!

~~~~~~~~

There they are!!

The sneak peek is linked below...part 1 is Namjoon X Reader

However Jin and Tae are briefly introduced...and they will eventually have induvial chapters as well!

SNEAK PEEK

[lycorogue]

“What did you expect me to do?”: In Defense of the Car Scene and Alya

Okay, so I’ve been seeing a lot of salt lately (and I tend to follow blogs that stay positive and relatively salt-free with regards to the fandom) about the car scene towards the end of the Miraculous Ladybug NY special.

Mainly the “stupidity” of the writers having Alya demand that Marinette should have said something to Adrien when the car pulled up.

“Couldn’t you see he was just waiting for you to tell him to stay?”

I’ve seen fans counter “it’s not like it would have changed anything” or “what could she do against his father’s wishes” or “her asking him to stay wouldn’t have stopped Gabriel from demanding he come along” and other such arguments.

And, yes, as viewers and as adults (I believe most, if not all, of the blogs I follow are run by adults), WE know that those are all true. Gabriel, as Hawk Moth, has just set a dangerous supervillain lose on the city with a way to make NYC even MORE dangerous by turning the superheroes against the city as well. He wants his son the HELL out of there ASAP. Nothing anyone would say could change his mind.

We also know that the only reason Adrien was allowed to go in the first place was because Gabe-y was going to NYC himself and figured it was a convenient way to not have to hide that he’d be even MORE absent from Adrien’s life for a few days. Especially given that Nathalie is clearly bedridden after the events of the S3 finale and so Gabriel can’t even outsource his parenting onto her.

HOWEVER, as the CHARACTERS, none of them know that.

What they DO know is that Marinette is apparently a miracle worker. As far as they are concerned, Marinette is the Mr. Agreste Whisperer. There have been a couple of times that she was able to convince Gabriel to let Adrien do something. If she’s involved, he can go to birthday parties. He can host a Christmas dinner. He can return to school. He can sneak off to a movie. He can do impromptu photo shoots for his friend’s fashion line. He can go on international class trips. Heck, the fashion show that showcased Marinette’s winning derby hat MAGICALLY DREW GABRIEL AGRESTE HIMSELF OUT OF HIS HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MONTHS! One of the FEW times he’s left his mansion in a year (at least). 

If Marinette could do all that, despite the odds, despite Gabriel Agreste seemingly being steadfast in his decision, then why can’t she do so again? Why couldn’t she ask Adrien to stay with them, and then try to talk Mr. Agreste into allowing it?

She refused to sit idly by when Adrien said he wouldn’t be able to go on the New York trip. She stormed over to the Agreste mansion and “convinced” Mr. Agreste to let his son come. 

“My father told me everything. The only reason I can enjoy this beautiful sunset is you. I thought it would be impossible, but you believed in it. You're always willing to take a chance on something or someone, even when no one else is.”

...even when no one else is.

Marinette doesn’t give up on anyone or anything!

Until that moment. That moment when Adrien desperately needed someone to fight for him, to prove to him he’s worth fighting for, to validate that people DO value him and want him to stay. The moment when Adrien needed Marinette’s determination and positivity the most, and she failed him. (Not to salt on Marinette. I totally get why she froze. I’m just putting this in the perspective of the characters)

He had told Marinette that “You're always willing to take a chance on something or someone, even when no one else is,” and yet, apparently this is the point where Marinette draws the line. This is when she’s no longer willing to take that chance. HE’S not worthy of that chance anymore, and with everything that just happened between him and Ladybug, he FEELS that to his core.

Alya sees this. Alya can SENSE how much Adrien needed his defender in that moment, and Marinette just threw in the towel on him. Yes, Nino begged Adrien to not go, but it’s been shown multiple times that Nino truly doesn’t have any power over what Adrien can and can’t do. Sure, it may be a small bit of comfort that Nino wanted him to stay, but it wasn’t what Adrien needed in that moment. 

THAT is why Alya was so pissed at Marinette. All those times that the girl did over-the-top stunts to try to get Adrien’s attention. All the times Marinette has gone to bat for Adrien over “silly” things in the past. All the energy Marinette puts into proving Lila is lying. Then the ONE TIME someone clearly needs her to go to bat for them, and she BAILS!? THAT is when Marinette suddenly doesn’t think Adrien’s worth the effort!? Worse comes to worst, if Gabriel shrugs Marinette off and still demands that Adrien comes with, at least then Adrien still knows someone is willing to fight on his behalf, and that’s something.

But this? Not a single word? It snaps Alya. Trying to get over Adrien is one thing, but now Marinette is overcompensating to the extreme where she’s not even being a good FRIEND to him. Nope. This shit is NOT going to fly with her.

So she storms up to her bestie. She yells at her. She has no clue what inner turmoil is going on with Marinette. She knows nothing of Chat Noir. Honestly, at that moment I don’t think she even realizes Ladybug and Chat Noir are in NYC.

True, it’s a dumb move to send Marinette racing after Adrien in the rain when the city is on lockdown and a dangerous supervillain is on the lose. I’m sure Alya beat herself up about that the moment Marinette was out of view and Alya had a moment to calm down.

BUT THE GIRL IS FOURTEEN! SHE’S ALLOWED TO BE LASER FOCUSED AND NOT SEE THE BIG PICTURE WHEN HER EMOTIONS TAKE HOLD. KIDS ARE ALLOWED TO MAKE MISTAKES.

Also, let’s just face the facts. The amount of times Alya puts HERSELF in danger for a scoop, she probably doesn’t even truly grasp the potential consequences. I mean, yeah, she’s cut back on the self-endangerment a lot after becoming Rena Rouge, but still. Besides, NYC is flooded with superheroes, and at this point none of them have been influenced by the supervillian yet. As far as Alya’s concerned, how much danger could Marinette truly get in, right?

Plus, Alya never expressly told Marinette to go full-romcom-trope and chase Adrien down; meet him at the airport to beg him to stay. She just yelled at her best friend to shake her out of whatever teenage BS was going on with her trying to get over Adrien and make a flippin’ decision already (not that Alya was making that easy, but that’s for another post). Marinette simply made that decision on her own and Alya didn’t stop her. Maybe she tried, but Marinette moved too quick. We don’t know. The camera was on Marinette.

That notwithstanding, once Alya sees the news and knows that Marinette is now MIA, she probably has a MAJOR breakdown. We didn’t see it because it wasn’t important to the plot, but I trust that Alya doted heavily on Marinette the second she returned. Apologizing for her outburst and not focusing on if Marinette was okay. This is probably also where that 180 about deciding how Marinette feels about Adrien came from. Alya demanding Marinette figure it out NOW potentially put her in danger, so instead Alya has decided that Marinette SHOULD go at her own pace; there’s always tomorrow. We’ll see if that continues in s4.

Now, would I have written this whole car scene differently to try to avoid all of those narrative pitfalls? Maybe, but I’m also not a professional scriptwriter, so I can’t really critique those who are for their judgement calls. They went for the emotional gut-punch, and they kept the characters in-character. That’s all I can really ask for from them. 

At the end of the day, while it is always nice when shows take on the responsibility to educate their viewers and show them healthier ways to accomplish things, it’s not expressly their job. Their job is to entertain, and that scene WAS entertainment. It’s only with emotional and mental maturity, as well as an analytical and critical eye, does this scene present itself as problematic and therefore no longer enjoyable, despite it being fairly accurate with regards to how teenagers might think. 

Now, I’m not saying we CAN’T criticize the show. By all means, go ahead. I am still reading the salt and internalizing why it’s there so that I can learn and be better with my own writing. However, we should also be aware of how our own views and personal demands on storytellers might jade us to the show. In doing so, we should then be cautious about HOW we criticize the show, because the last thing this fandom needs is more salt.

[jihyuncompass]

Hello... May I do a platonic request of the RFA+V+Saeran with a teen!Mc on their routes?

This ended up being quite a bit longer than I had planned originally but hey more to enjoy right? 

Zen

Zen would of course obviously be concerned. 

He’s a sweet guy! He’s a protective guy! 

He was a teen runaway, he knows what the streets are like. They’re no place for someone young and on their own. 

So as soon as he learns your age, Zen’s protective nature kicks in. 

Congratulations! Zen is your older brother now. No one is ever going to hurt you again. Also no you don’t really have a say in the matter.

When the whole Echo Girl scandal hits, he’s very careful around you. He cares about you, and the last thing he wants is for you to be dragged into this mess with him. The worst thing he imagines is the press finding out about you. Possibly accusing him of harming you or taking advantage of you in some way. 

He would never hurt you, and he doesn’t want anyone getting any ideas. To him, you’re his younger sibling and he’ll do everything to protect you.

And unfortunately, for a little while that means keeping you at a small bit of a distance. Although considering its Zen. It’s not too much of a distance.  

Soon things with Echo Girl start to calm down, but then. There’s the bomb, and Unknown. 

The moment he comes into that apartment, sees you, a child. And Unknown trying to take you away. Zen knows that he has to get you to safety. He doesn’t even think when he grabs you and starts running, all he knows is you’re safe with him, and he won’t let this guy take you away and hurt you. 

That protective older brother nature only becomes more intense once you’re at his apartment. He’s checking up on you constantly. Are you hurt? Are you scared? But he’ll also reassure you, you’re safe with him. That guy isn’t coming back. It’s okay. 

He takes you back to his apartment. Where he can properly watch over you. Make sure that the hacker can’t get to you again. Can’t try and take you away to god only knows where. 

After his route ends he still cares for you. Through this experience it’s only cemented that you’re family to him. And unlike his own family, he’s gonna stick with you and support you no matter what. 

Yoosung 

When you meet Yoosung he’s still in the midst of his grief over Rika. 

Her death left a huge impact on him. After all he did look up to her so much. She was his role model, his hero. And well now she was gone. 

Your arrival however marks a turning point in his life. Not only are you the newest member of the RFA but you’re also just a kid too. 

He’s actually pretty excited that you’re younger than him. It’s nice not being the youngest member of RFA anymore. 

It doesn’t take a super long time for Yoosung to take you under his wing. He remembers what it was like being a teenager, it’s not like it was all that long ago. 

Also he just thinks you’re really cool! You try and stop Seven from pranking him too much and you like to talk to him about video games! What could be better?

In a way, he starts treating you the same way Rika treated him when he was younger. As a role model, as someone to look up to. Instead of seeing Rika in you, he starts to see Rika in himself. He did always want to be like her anyways. Have that sort of influence on people. Just like she did on him. 

You start to notice his habits changing. He starts gaming less and studying more. If he wants to be a good role model then he has to act the part right? 

Like with Zen. When he learns about the bomb in the apartment he’s instantly concerned and angry. The anger he felt towards V during his route was intense, but this is much much worse. Because not only is there a bomb in the apartment, there’s a kid, in the apartment with the bomb. 

This gives him all the more reason to go to Mint Eye and face the hacker. As long as the hacker is active, you’re not safe. And to him, your safety is the most important thing. 

He’s hesitant to let you see his eye injured. He doesn’t want to scare you. Or worry you. He needs to seem like a good role model. 

But you don’t care about that stuff, you just want him to be okay. That is all that matters to you. 

After his route ends he of course stays close with you. How could he not after everything that happened? Yoosung will always be a good friend to you. Especially once he graduates University, he truly becomes someone you want to admire. 

Jaehee

Jaehee is absolutely concerned when he learns of your age. 

She’s friendly towards you, of course he is. She’ll probably be less suspicious of you than she normally would be. However in exchange she’s also very hesitant around you. 

However with time she’ll warm up to you a lot. In a lot of ways she’s like your cool put-together older sister you can talk to.

There’s a lot of bonding over Zen’s musicals. She’s more than happy to educate you on everything there is to do with Zen’s career. You’re like her little fandom protegee. 

During her route she may see a lot of her younger self in you. She’s forced to think a lot on her own past and how she ended up where she is now. 

Looking at you she imagines her past going differently, her life turning out a different way. What else could she have been doing now? If life had been a little different. 

Jaehee’s the kind of person who will happily hear you talk about what you’re passionate about. She had to give up a lot of her own dreams in order to be successful, but she wants you to be able to follow your own passions. 

Knowing you, and thinking about herself as a teenager really helps embolden her. She realizes that she should be trying to follow her passions. Not just survive. 

At the RFA party she thanks you sincerely for everything you’ve done for her. For inspiring her, for helping her gain courage. 

He also promises to help you achieve your own dreams. Being the person she needed when she was young. 

She’ll still open her cafe, however she’ll promise that once you’re old enough, and ready you’ll always be welcome to work and help her run things. 

Jahee’s never had a sibling, and it’s been years since she’s had a significant familial relationship with anyone. But together, you’re like a little family. Someone who helped her find a new path in life. And for that she is eternally grateful. 

Jumin

Jumin is very taken aback when he learns of your age. 

Jumin is tricky because I don’t think he’d talk down to you because of your age, but he definitely isn’t going to pretend that you’re an adult. 

Regardless of age, the way into Jumin’s heart is through his cat. If you show genuine heartfelt interest in Elizabeth the 3rd. He’s going to like you. 

Another way is through cracking jokes with him. Jumin is so funny, but his humor tends to go over most people’s heads. Laugh at his jokes, and it doesn’t matter your age Jumin’s going to appreciate talking to you. 

At first, you’re probably going to be a little intimidated by Jumin. Not only is he an adult but he’s also Jumin Han he’s smart, he’s powerful, he’s rich. 

However after a while you start to feel comfortable with him. He doesn’t seem to scary or powerful as he did at first. (Although every once in a while he might say something that reminds you he is the Jumin Han).

It doesn’t take very long for Jumin to grow a sort of attachment to you. You always seem to know what to say to him. Which is something the RFA notices very quickly about the two of you. 

So when things in Jumin’s life get complicated Having you be the one to go see him almost feel obvious. 

That feeling of being intimidated definitely returns when you go to the Penthouse. It’s so large and fancy, and extremely overwhelming the first time. 

Once you see him though, and start talking with him it becomes easier. It gets more natural, like it is in the chatroom. 

When Elizabeth runs away he becomes incredibly protective over you. You’re a child after all, and what if you get hurt? What if someone tries and hurts you? He couldn't bear the thought of something bad happening to you. 

Similarly to how his route goes normally. You have to convince him that you can take care of yourself, and keeping the things he loves all locked up isn’t going to help anything.

You have to encourage him to not view you just as a child. But someone who is capable and can take care of them self. It might take a while, but eventually Jumin will come to understand. 

Obviously he’s not going to propose to you at the party. But he makes it clear that he considers you apart of his family, and if you would let him. He wants to be part of yours too, and having any bond with Jumin Han means that he’ll always be there for you, looking out for you always. 

Seven/Saeyoung

He’s aware of your age right from the very start. Once he does his background check he knows EXACTLY how old you are. 

To him this is just another reason you shouldn’t get to involved with him. You’re a kid and he’s a messy with a lot of messy stuff in his life. And the last thing he wants is you getting caught up in his messy life. 

Still he likes joking around with you. He doesn’t prank you the way he does Yoosung but he loves cracking jokes with you. It’s the kind of humor and validation that he adores. 

During his route, it’s complicated trying to get through to him. 

Seven is dealing with many of the same worries that he does normally. But now there’s this added layer that you’re a kid. You’re a kid trying to make friends with someone very dangerous. While also living in an apartment with a bomb. 

It’s... a lot for him to say the least. And as a result it weighs on him heavily. He can’t help but care about you, you’re just a kid who’s been forced into this whole mess. 

While he’d never say it out loud to himself he thinks a lot about his brother. 

This of course increases tenfold when Seven sees his brother at the apartment. Seeing his brother just proves in his mind that he failed him somehow. That something is very very wrong, and that you shouldn’t be near him. 

Like in his route, you have to be patient with him. Empathize with him while also being firm. While I do think he’s less likely to last out as aggressively towards you because of your age. He’s still closed off from you and keeps pushing you away from him. 

However, with time his head will start to clear a bit. He’ll realize that pushing you away isn’t going to do any good, you’ve already proved that you aren’t going to just leave him alone. 

But also, when he sees you he thinks so much about his brother. The young bright eyes he had when looking up at the sky. He couldn’t protect Saeran, but in his mind he thinks maybe he can protect you. 

After his route the two of you obviously stay close. Even past the secret ends. Saeyoung’s life was mostly defined by the family he chose to have. His brother, the RFA, you. And after he has his brother back and you in his life. He feels like his family is complete. 

V/Jihyun

V feels so guilty. 

You’re a kid. A child. And you’ve been forced into this horrible situation. 

He’s so determined to get you out. To get you as far away from Mint Eye, from Rika as possible. 

If you thought V was self sacrificing in his normal route it’s even worse here. He’s so scared of you getting hurt, of Rika hurting you or even getting near you. 

He does what he can to protect you from Rika and Saeran. Trying to keep you as safe and innocent as he can. He worries about Rika corrupting you, forcing you to believe in her twisted philosophy and methods. Just like what happened with Saeran. 

After you manage to escape Mint Eye with Seven’s help you’re helping V in every way you can. 

He feels even more guilty, he hates that you need to help him. That you need to be the one protecting him right now. 

Getting over the elixir is difficult for him. It’s physically painful and emotionally torturous. However, he’s so very very grateful that you’re there for him through it all. Somehow managing to care for him through it all. 

He deeply values your perspective. You see the world so differently than he does. Maybe because of your age or your experiences. You have this resilience that he admires so much. So when you tell him that he could start over his life. Become a new person. It’s somehow easier for him to believe. 

Despite his rough condition, V truly grows a sort of connection with you during this time. You’re genuinely kind to him. Even though he knows that he doesn’t deserve the kindness you’re showing him. 

At the end of his route he still leaves for two years. He cares about you, he wants to hold onto the bond that you’ve grown together. But he’s also far from the man he wants to be. He wants to be able to protect you, and have a bond with you that is healthy. Balanced. 

You keep in contact with him through letters. He loves sending you photos or little souvenirs from where he’s been. It’s a reminder that he’s still thinking of you, And you’re someone still precious to him. 

When he returns two yeas later. It’s the happiest you think you’ve ever been. You’re two years older now, more grown up but your bond with V hasn’t gone away. 

You’re his friend. Someone who he cares about. To you, he’s a role model, and he’s a good friend. Someone you are very grateful to have in your life. 

Saeran

Oh boy. Okay

Like his brother, Ray knew your age, and unfortunately. It’s one of the reasons he chooses you. 

You’re young, naive. He doesn’t think you’re going to be able to see through what Mint Eye is really doing. And he’s older than you, so you’ll definitely listen to him then. 

He knows he likes being around you right after he meets you in person. 

You’re so nice. You treat him with such kindness all the time. Even when he knows he’s lying to you about the nature of what you’re doing. 

Even after you discover the truth about the “game” you still seem to trust him. Something he’s grateful for, even if he doesn’t quite understand it. 

This is also when the doubts start to set in for him. He’s been told that people will want to hurt and manipulate him. But you don’t seem to want to do that at all? And even without the Elixir you’re a good person.A happy person. 

He also thinks about the physical effects of the elixir. The body pains, the headaches. He doesn’t want you to go through that. You’re so young, and even if you maybe stronger than he is who knows what it would do to you.

So, he can’t let that happen. 

Now, let’s talk about Suit Saeran for a minute because he’s.... complicated. 

He’s scary. He wants to scare you. He wants to prove to you and to himself that you’re weak that he’s stronger than you are. 

On the other hand, he won’t be too violent. Deep down he knows that you’re a kid. And no matter how angry he is he’s refuses to hurt you the same way he had been hurt as a child and as an adult. 

It’s your kindness that helps bring him back to himself again. Helping to reunite the fragmented parts of his mind. These pieces all with the same goal. To leave Mint Eye and to take you with him. 

Saeran has never been able to have a happy family. And while things are complicated. You’re his family now, and he’s going to be the best big brother he can be for you. 

After his route, Saeran has a lot of healing to do. He has so many years of hurt to process and to learn to cope with. You yourself have to deal with everything that happened over the course of your time at Mint Eye. 

No matter what though. the one thing that the two of you are certain of, is that you’ll always be there for each other. You’re in this together. 

[currentfandomkick]

Marinette did not sign up for this pt 3

  Part 3 time. part 1 here part two here, ao3 link here     

             Cass had long since taken to eating at Yan Toh Heen when she was in Hong Kong, where head chef Cheng Wang served her favorite soup, Marinette Soup. Given that Cass often came at odd times and remained a regular whenever she was in town, she had come to know of Shifu Cheng’s inspiration, his niece’s daughter. A girl who reminded Cass of Bruce’s usual adoptees when she first saw her picture, and mentioned it was a good ting her father hadn’t begun adopting until the girl was already a toddler. Shifu Cheng had laughed at the time, and mentioned that Cass might be a good influence on her, if she could keep her father from trying to steal his great-niece away that is.

             Now Cass was looking at the girl’s picture a bit more critically, and with Bruce and his parents in mind, she wouldn’t be surprised if this Marinette—a young designer who had managed to have two major figures in the industry recognize her by 16 with an apparent knack for helping her local heroes—was Bruce’s daughter. Her eyes reminded Cass of Thomas Wayne’s from the portraits, and her smile was a lot like Bruce’s when he wasn’t hiding anything.

             With all this in mind, Cass was already on a plane to find the girl and test out her theory—to see if Marinette of the Dupain-Cheng Boulangerie was also Ladybug—Batman and Bruce Wayne’s daughter.

             She did smile when she saw the group chat for “Middle Kids Only—No D’s Allowed” exploded with Jason, Tim and Steph arguing over who would find her first and what the prize would be. It looked like Cass would win at this rate. She was fine with that—and having a no-questions asked favor from each of the three in the future would be the icing on the cake to meeting their new sister first.

---             

             Marinette has to explain to Adrien a bit of her blow up while they were civilians and out of sight in her room. Tikki and Plagg were napping.

             “So, you’re uh…” she couldn’t blame him for the lack of words. She tended to forget (re: ignore) the fact herself most of the time.

             “Yeah,” Marinette shrugged. “Maman and Papa got me in a closed adoption case, the mother was young.”

             “… I’m now picturing a young Batman and can’t wrap my brain around it.”

             Marinette snorted at that. “It was before Batman existed.”

             Adrien frowned at that, thinking it over as… “So did you ever…”

             Marinette shook her head. “My mother warned against it, the note she left for me said it was dangerous to even attempt contacting him.” She ran a hand through her hair as she remembered Maman and Papa letting her read the note not long after her Guardian training began. It was another life entirely. “She said he was an unfit father, and that she never wanted kids so I was better off not looking for them when I grew up. I never planned to—Maman and Papa were all I ever needed or wanted.”

             Adrien smiled at that, grabbing a cookie for himself. “So what happened?”

             Marinette winced. “I, I don’t want to talk about it. Long story short, a wild Murder Robin appeared and told me not to contact his family or else, and I promised to steer clear of affiliates so he wouldn’t try anything.”

             Adrien twitched at that. He knew Marinette and Alya made a few comments about it once upon a time but…

             “Is he the one dropping off the weapons and flower threats?”

             Marinette looked away, keeping her eyes low.

             Adrien tightened his fists. “I see. If he or that family get near you, they’ll have to take on Chat Noir first.”

             Marinette huffed at that. “They’re the normies that took down the world ending metas, I doubt there’s much we could do against them chatton.”

             Adrien shook his head and jabbed a thumb at his chest. “Black Cat wielder, destruction incarnate, and the idiot you share a soul with.” He gave her his Chat Noir smile. “There’s nothing I can’t take on.”

             Marinette snorted at that. “Chemistry.”

             Adrien’s face fell at that. “You cannot tell me chemical reactions are that easy!”

             Marinette smiled at him then. “I can and will say it—Chemistry is easier and superior to physics. Kitchen Chemistry is how we get food.”

             “And physics keeps us from floating off into space.”

             “Not studying it. Studying chemistry I get food, physcics is just a headache of formulas on formulas on formulas.”

             “But the theories!”

             With that, the pair fell into their familiar rhythm of banter for the rest for the night.

             Tim was crossing French designers in Paris aged 14-20 that own or work at a boutique, online or physical, and turned up a large number of candidates for who Ladybug/the missing Wayne could be.

             Babs rolled in on this particular search, and gave him a look. “You know the Justice League wants us to not to contact her, right?”

             Tim made a vague sound of acknowledgement.

             “And that Bruce probably didn’t have a kid at 15, right?”

             “Just covering my bases.”

             Babs looked over his search margins. “Did you check Damian’s search history?”

             Tim scowled at her. “Of course I did, he’s been doing more through wipes, I couldn’t get more than a few scarps of useless code.”

             Babs began to grin then. “So that means I do have a leg-up on you then.”

             He didn’t even want to know how she knew about the competition. But she wasn’t officially in it either (all of the placed their bets down negotiated rules (re: no asking for help from Damian) and agreed the only participants were the four of them). What did Barbra Gordon want out of this?

             Tim paused at that. “What.”

             Babs grinned at him. Tim remembered why Oracle is the queen of hackers everywhere—nothing is safe from her reach.

             “He was particularly taken with a few designers, and one of them happens to be in the range you’re looking for.”

             Tim scowled at her. “What do you want?”

             “You know that picture of me you took a few years back?”

             Tim blinked as that was what she wanted. His ‘Don’t tell The Family’ insurance.

             “Yes.”

             “I want your copies of burned, and any you may have floating around returned to me.”

             Tim weighed the pros and cons to this. The girl should be in his current data pool. And he does know to use Damian’s search again (tracking Bab’s hacks was child’s play now) but she probably deleted most—if not all of—her trail. Decisions, Decisions…

             He could just wait to meet the baby bat. But then he would owe Jason a no-questions asked favor if he found her first… and he didn’t want to know what Jason would use it for. Owing Cass a favor meant family nights with the worst board games or tea parties when he was elbow deep in a mission. A no question favor for Steph was always interesting and usually resulted in Bruce giving them both looks.

             Did he want to lose his leverage on Babs, or did he want to avoid the consequences of the bet more?

--

             Chat and Carapace exchanged a quick look when the pair arrived. A nod from Carapace as he trailed after their paling Ladybug was all Chat needed to begin operation Distract the Justice Leaguer Members.

             He and Rena Rouge were having the time of their lives. Both were genuine in their admiration of the pair and the work they had done. And they were both eager to learn from them—both as individuals and what their people knew of the Miraculous—something Chat and Rena knew there were large gaps in the history of still. And if they could help out Ladybug with gathering information and ensuring she was given space, well, the pair were down for it.

             Chat was asking a confused and mildly frightened Aquaman for combat tips in aquatic situations for future Syren-eqsue akumas.

             “So how do you keep an eye on attacks from all directions? Is it a ‘feel the water movements’ thing? Or is it just something you know how to do from growing up underwater? Could you teach me a few things on it—it’s a weak point that I need to work on.”

             Aquaman was quick to agree to help, eager to avoid angering the Black Cat and given Ladybug’s (apparently continued) evasion of Justice League Members, this may be the best way to both prevent the possible apocalypse and ensure Atlantis’ future safety.

             Wonder Woman was having an interesting conversation with Miss Sting about the uses for her spinning top and potential ways to work on her use of Venom while Rena asked about the Amazons and was there really an amazon who wielded the Ladybug miraculous? There were no confirmations from Ladybug and the Guardian was impossible to find to ask. Was there a Fox and did they have anything on the Miraculous’ history?

             Wonder Woman was quick to supply answers while scanning the area for Ladybug, and noted that the Turtle was missing too.

             “Is Ladybug well?”

             Rena and Miss Sting exchanged a look.

             Miss Sting stepped forward. “Ladybug just needs some space. She isn’t willing to risk breaking her promise since certain people do know where she lives.”

             Rena tensed at that, a scowl quick to her face as she remembered why Ladybug was absent. “She can’t talk to either of you until Murder Robin,”--Wonder Woman winced at the reminder of the current Robin’s past--“makes it clear he won’t keep threatening her if she does.”

             Chat caught enough of the conversation to join in. “Its also not good to stress her out, especially since its going to be open season soon.”

             Miss Sting sighed at the reminder. “Application and testing season.”

             Rena rubbed her forehead. “Don’t remind me. Last time Ladybug was so stressed over her workload that the cure was off for a week.”

             Wonder Woman and Aquaman exchanged a look.

             “Are you stating that stress on Ladybug alters how the Miraculous Cure works?” Aquaman asked cafefully, hoping it wasn’t the case.

             “Yeah,” Chat rubbed the back of his neck. “I figured it always did.”

             Wonder Woman shook her head, mind racing as, “No. Not during Mother’s time—it must be a side effect of something. May I speak to one of the Guardians?”

             Chat didn’t even have time to respond. Both adults noted the way his pupils shrunk and body tensed at the question. He knew something the others didn’t.

             “Uh, there’s only one, and the guy has been radio silent for months now,” Rena explained. “And not to be rude, but given the security breaches in the past, I don’t think it’s the best thing for our Guardian to be in contact, just in case.”

             “I see…”

             Aquaman was the quick to defuse the situation. “Perhaps one of your sisters could reach out to Ladybug? They are not affiliated with the League so that should lessen her stress.”

             Chat nodded along at that. Good. It was better to keep the Destroyer content.

             “I can see who Mother would like to send of the historians given the interest in past miraculous wielders,” Diana conceded. “Could you ask Ladybug if that is acceptable?”

             The teens grabbed their respective weapons and messaged Ladybug. A moment later the trio stated that Ladybug would agree to those terms.

             In the meantime, Chat, Rena and Miss Sting caught the adults up on the Hawkmoth situation and their limitations on investigation. Rena was particularly annoyed by the lack of progress as “Our best suspect was akumatized before Mayura showed up, so he can’t be Hawkmoth. But he lives in the target area, has the funds for a butterfly garden and the ability to keep it underground if LB’s theory about artificial sunlight to keep it secret is right.”

            “But we know he can’t be, so we should drop it and look for other suspects,” Chat added a bit nervously.

             Miss Sting nodded in agreement.

             Rena sighed. “I know, its just, too much adds up on him being Hawkmoth, but then again, that would mean he’d put his own kid in danger just to get the Miraculous. I mean, he’s bad and all but…” Rena shook her head. “LB is right about him making sense but it’s too obvious. I mean, who hides in plain sight, right?”

             Wonder Woman made a mental note to find out who this suspect was and maybe—MAYBE—let the bats do a deep search on this suspect if Rena would name them. He could very well be their villain, but she didn’t know enough on this investigation yet to make a call, nor did she have much knowledge on the Butterfly or Peacock miraculous. She only paid attention to the Ladybug and Black Cat legends—a soul spilt in two, destined to always find one another and willing to do whatever it took to protect the other from self-destructing once they grew close as allies.

--

             In Gotham Jason Todd is on a Mission. That mission happens to be meeting the Baby Bat before Timmers or the Waffle Queen herself beat him to it. Cass hadn’t responded to any of their texts, so he figured she was knee-deep in Black Bat and forfeited for once. He hoped.

             Either way, Red Hood would be tracking a certain Little Lady when he touched down in Paris once his plane took off, and take out whoever this “Hawkmoth” was. Magic terrorism is one thing. Targeting kids? Well, that puts you Hood’s list and high on his priorities real quick. Add threatening his family (estranged, feuding or 'well they're a Bat') to that? Gotham would live without him for a bit.

--

             Ladybug is currently holed up with Carapace in one of their hide-y holes on patrol. She has borrowed (re: snagged and is not returning any time soon) Carapace’s headphones. The music helps her breath. No immediate danger, she didn’t (further) break the rules of engagement, and she didn’t see any sign of Murder Robin in Paris from news reports.

             “So, uh, Murder Robin?”

             Ladybug wanted to groan. She knew this conversation was coming. “Can you send the others the cliff notes?”

             She did not want to do this with each one of them. there are a lot of miraculous users. Besides Chat and Carapace, there was Rena, Miss Sting, Pegasus, Ryuuko, King Monkey, Viperion, and Bunnix. She did not want to have this conversation seven more times.

             “Sure thing Ladybug.”

             Ladybug took a deep breath.

             “Remember Incinerater and Goo-Boy?”

             Carapace paused, face a bit slack as he nodded his head. “The first time Mr. Bug appeared, and the day Rena, Sting and me got our miraculous.”

             Ladybug nodded. “Well, it lasted so long because my transformation timed out. I couldn’t figure out what my lucky charm meant—I didn’t know what the kwami box looked like, and a bigger version of the jewelry box I got Tikki in meant nothing to me.” Ladybug sighed, as once again, she realized how much easier it would have been if Fu contacted her and Chat Noir after the first attack, or even during one on their built-in communicators. Just. Something.

             “So you timed out.”

             Ladybug nodded. “And I got caught in the building that went down.”

             Carapace froze. “Most people were still injured.”

             Ladybug winced. “I was. Still. Chat somehow knew to look for my civilian identity and found out I was Ladybug. I thought…” Marinette shook her head, pushing old fears of losing Tikki away. She’s the Guardian now. Tikki and her are together as long as Marinette remains so. “Nevermind. The point is, even after he cast the cure and helped me get home, Goo-boy showed up and Mr. Bug was needed again.”

             Carapace put the pieces together. “You were still hurt. And he left you alone.”

             Ladybug ran a hand through her pigtails. “He had to. I told him to, I figured I could make it the rest of the way.”

             Carapace frowned at that. “LB…” He put a hand on her shoulder. “What happened?”

             Ladybug swallowed a lump. “Tiny Murder Robin.” She stiffened a bit, fiddling with her yoyo then. “He uh, grabbed me, pulled me into a car and held me a sword-point. Not gun point, sword point.” Marinette bleed through then. “Who does that? What kid goes around and says they’ll kill you with a sword at your neck?”

             Carapace rubbed her back, keeping her grounded. “I managed to get him to leave since I was ‘unworthy of the Bat legacy’ and all, discarded and useless.” Marinette shook her head, reminding herself she’s moved past those feelings, the one that tried to well up in her moments. She was bigger than those thoughts. “He let me go since I wasn’t worth the effort if I didn’t know I was Batman’s daughter.” Marinette kept her eyes on her lap, a nervous hands running through one pigtail vigorously. “I kind of sicced him on the current Robin to save my skin.”

             Carapace pulled her in for a hug. She clung back a bit. she didn’t have to look at him as he explained the deal. “I promised to not contact Batman or the JL and he agreed to leave me alone. And he did.”

             Carapace pulled back. “That’s not all of it, is it?”

             “He uh, started leaving flowers and some weapon for winter holidays, Easter and my birthday in my room….”

             Carapace paled at that. “He’s threatening you.”

             “y, yeah…”

             “So that’s why….”

             Ladybug nodded.

             Carapace hugged her tight. “One sec, I’ll text the team. Then we’re doing that plan of action you made the rest of us do for when we can’t show up.”

             Ladybug nodded.

             She noticed a text from the others, asking if she’d be willing to talk to an Amazonian historian on the history of the Miraculous and learn from her. That… wouldn’t violate the terms of the agreement, in spirit or wording. She sent her agreement on the terms that none of the sent historians were Wonder Woman or the Queen herself. As cool as meeting Hippolyta would be, Marinette does not want to risk the violation in spirit (family members probably counted to Murder Robin.)

             “Done.”

             Ladybug blinked as Carapace turned to her.

             “Now what can we do to help?”

             Ladybug opened and closed her mouth, running over her options. “Just keep non-miraculous heroes from contacting me, especially in battle. I just...” Ladybug struggled for words. “He knows where I live. My family.”

             Carapace nodded, keeping a steady hand on her shoulder. “Can’t risk it, I got you—we got you.”

             After a moment of silence, Carapace spoke. “Keep the team on speeddial—if you don’t want everyone on, then at least me, Pegasus and Rena. Rena can distract without getting hurt, I can protect all of us and Pegasus can send him and anyone he works with packing. Monkey probably would want in on this too—he is the Distraction King after all.”

             Ladybug laughed a little at that. It came out weak. “Sure. Chat, he’s…”

             “Busy.” Carapace shrugged. “We all know his dad has him running through hoops to make it to patrol half the time.”

             “Yeah…”

             (Marinette agreeing to intern with M. Agreste and work on her accessories brand under the Gabriel umbrella did give Adrien more lee-way than he had before, but not by much at first. Ever since her line of scarves based on the miraculous heroes took off last winter, he was given more free reign if it involved Marinette as a designer, not Marinette as his friend and classmate. Adrien was allowed at her house at all hours now without no questions asked on the basis of ‘Marinette’s muses have spoken’. As far as Gabriel was concerned, Adrien was learning more about the designing process and crafting of individual garment and accessories from her, and offering critiques as a model on wear-ability and helping her develop her style as a designer while keeping her ‘on-brand’. The fact they mostly goofed off or worked on miraculous-related things together was another matter for another time.)

             Ladybug and Carapace stayed like that for a while, until after the JL left. She may have trolled the Monkey tab on the Ladyblog and snorted at someone’s short of ‘era 1’ Chat running at an akuma while screaming “this is how I will get Ladybug will love me!” with an ‘era 2’ Chat cringing. “That. That is how I got Ladybug to baby brother me.”

--  

           Dick was wondering where the rest of the bats were during patrol. The night before, it was only him. Something about needing to look into something for the JL on Bruce’s end, and Damian was working on something again—trying to make up for a past wrong was the most Dick ever got out of him. It was the third year in a row this happened, and around the same time. Apparently needles are part of this apology.

             Dick really hopes Damian manages to meet the person face to face this time. He has a feeling the person Damian’s apologizing to might be a civilian by Bat standards, and is probably missing Damian’s message completely. Maybe Dick would check up on him tomorrow—Gotham wait for no one and apparently Nightwing is the only responsible Bat at the moment. Thank god for Oracle’s Birds of Prey and the other vigilantes Gotham’s collected over the years. Dick doesn’t want to think about what would happen if this happened without them all.

--

PART FOUR HERE

Thanks for waiting on the update. Working with burned hand so it will take longer for the next installments. Mostly planned for the next chapter but character will do what they want and highjack my writing constantly. Things are moving forward (somewhat) on the Bats and JL end, while Miraculous Team stands with their leader, Ladybug, and aren’t ready to let Anyone threaten her.

this makes for a set-up for much to go Wrong. Feel free to add to the upcoming chaos or put in things youd like to see happen in the comments or by messaging me. 

@heldtogetherbysafetypins @laurcad123 @raisuke06

[maeve-of-winter]

I love the way you write Parson and the Aces. Do you have any aces headcanon that you havent shared? (also ur metafic about the parse biopic is hilarious and I am thankful that you wrote it)

I’m sorry for the long delay in this ask, anon! I kept thinking I would be able to finish a fic that would include a lot more of my headcanons about Kent and the Aces, but I’m pretty stalled on that right now, so hopefully this answer is better late than never.

Also, I’m so glad you liked the Parse biopic fic! I wasn’t too sure how it would do, since I’d never tried writing metafic before, but I’m so glad you enjoyed it! (Link for anyone who’s interested: Lights, Love, and Legend.)

- I feel like in general, the Aces management and veteran players alike were all very, very nervous about Kent joining the team, mainly because of the drugs angle. Hockey is a very, very conservative culture in general, and a player fitting in with the team is pretty crucial as to whether he goes or stays, by choice or otherwise. The concern for Kent was both professional worry that he was into drugs and might create a toxic locker room situation and tarnish the team’s public image, and personal concern that he was also suicide/drug risk and might OD like Jack. There was a lot of emphasis on their “supportive family culture” once Kent joined the team.

- Kent was really handled with kid gloves by the other team members, and dudes kept on making excuses to hang out with him/show him around the city/include him on even the most mundane errands. Kent was dragged along on so. many. Target runs. “Oh, hey, have you seen the grocery store? I know you get your meals delivered, but you should know where it is, just in case!”

- The Aces management immediately decided Kent was going to be living with a veteran teammate and his family, and Kent gets to live with a couple of little kids who really look up to him and are fascinated by this new stranger who’s apparently going to be staying at their house for a while. And since Kent is a rookie, he’s tired all the time from the rigorous schedule and the extra stressors in his personal and professional life, so sometimes he accidentally just falls asleep on the family couch without meaning to. And once in a while when he wakes up, he finds that one or more of the kids have snuggled up to nap right next to him.

- Kent is reluctant to bond with his teammates’ kids at first, because he’s been prepped to hear the worst about himself and get all kinds of intrusive questions about his life with Jack in Juniors so many times that it’s in his head, and he’s worried about maybe being a bad influence on them. But he likes kids, because they’re so easy to please and they seem honestly happy to be around him, so he quickly finds himself helping them across the monkey bars and launching stomp rockets and giving them piggyback rides. It just feels so good to see them smile.

- One of Kent’s teammates is a Russian player nicknamed Yaks because he talks so much. Yaks takes a real shine to Kent and often invites him over to his house to cook for him. He owns several large and fluffy cats that he’s rescued as a part of the Aces’ partnership with the county’s animal shelters. Almost as soon as Kent sits down in this Yak’s living room, he’s overwhelmed by three huge cats trying to cuddle with him, and Yaks takes it as a good sign that his pets automatically like Kent so much. He encourages Kent to get a pet of his own, and this is where Kent gets the idea to adopt Kit Purrson.

- Kent starts learning Russian to surprise Yaks, and when he knows enough to hold a full conversation with him, Yaks ends up being impressed that Kent took the time and effort to learn (even if Kent’s accent is atrocious). Kent then gets the idea to learn the language of each of his international teammates to help them feel more adjusted to life in the US. (This is actually based on RL Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, who knows seven separate languages.)

-  Swoops actually doesn’t really like Kent when Kent first signs the Aces. He hears all the rumors about his partying with Jack prior to Jack’s OD, and is deeply unimpressed. It also doesn’t really endear Kent to him that Kent almost immediately starts playing on the second line with him. 

But then he starts hearing the chirps Kent’s been getting from rival players about Jack’s OD. And he sees how Kent just takes it and tries to ignore it instead of chirping back, since losing Jack as a (boy)friend was painful and he’s still trying to process. And so Jeff gets angry, and so Jeff starts chirping back and fighting these guys to avenge his teammate. He wants to make things right for Kent.

And then one time when he’s out with Kent and the team, celebrating their victory, they change the channel to a recap of their game, which includes a highlights reel of all the guys Jeff fought that time for Kent. One of the commentators jokingly mentions, “There’s nothing Jeff Troy won’t do for Kent Parson,” and all the Aces laugh, because Jeff really has been like Kent’s knight in shining armor for a while now. 

Except Jeff glances over at Kent, who’s smiling for once, and his heart and stomach both lurch, and then he realizes, Oh, shit, there really isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him, and that’s how he realizes he has a thing for Kent.

Thank you for the ask, anon! Sorry that it took me so long to get to it!

[sepublic]

Willow and the Blight Twins

            I could speculate about a relationship between Emira, Edric, and Willow as of NOW in canon… But for fun, let’s explore what it could’ve been like at various points in the past, present, and speculate a little into the future as well!

           Back when Willow and Amity were friends prior to the birthday incident, I don’t think Ed and Em would’ve necessarily had much to say about the Park girl. There’s definitely that implicit approval of Willow for making their little sister happy, but otherwise… I don’t think there’s much they’d have in common, amidst my own speculation on Emira and Edric kind of being closed-off in their own subtle way. Maybe the twins have some curiosity into Willow, into the novelty of this girl who made one Blight kid happy; Could she do the same?

           But based on what we’ve seen, I imagine Emira and Edric’s interactions with Willow would’ve been minimal. At the very least, I like to think that they ended up teasing Amity quite a few times and Willow got caught in the crossfire; With Amity getting frustrated and annoyed and embarrassed, while Willow, just like Luz, low-key found Ed and Em to be kind of cute and intimidating in that sort of way. Of course, Amity would shut down Willow immediately on getting to know her older siblings more, and a slightly-disappointed Willow would just roll along with this and continue on. Maybe Willow herself got exasperated at Ed and Em’s antics- It’s hard to say how much of her personality in the past was like the one she has now. I’m just imagining Amity and Willow both cringing when Ed and Em arrive at the Blight Manor as they’re playing, and Amity finding cathartic relief in someone who agrees that they can be aggravating!

           AFTER the birthday incident, however… Honestly, we don’t know if Emira and Edric knew, or at least suspected, what really happened. Amity claimed on the surface that it was because Willow was too weak- But I wouldn’t be surprised if they suspected their parents’ influence had something to do with it… And BOY did Odalia and Alador have a lot more to do with it than they would’ve expected, all right! Or maybe Ed and Em DID expect it, maybe they knew of the blackmail or at least suspected their parents of going to extreme lengths. I can’t say for sure, but- Given how they mention to Luz their concern over the way Amity treats people, I think her rejection of Willow was a particular incident that lingered on their mind.

          Even if Amity HAD been threatened, I think the twins can take for granted how much bravery it takes to stand up to parental abuse when you don’t have the constant companionship of a twin. They actually mean well and want the best, but sometimes it seems like they can expect a bit too much from Amity- Just like their parents, albeit in a different way. Regardless, I could see a brief period where Ed and Em assume the worst of Willow for hurting their little sister’s feelings, and that’s why Amity rejected her. Maybe they pulled a mean prank or two at first, or at least immediately confronted Willow over it. If they had heard Amity’s reasoning at first –which makes more sense- then they wouldn’t exactly be mad at Willow. If anything, Amity would give either her fake reason, and/or the REAL one would be deduced…

           Either way, Ed and Em recognize that Willow is a victim here. And, maybe they go to Willow and tell her about this! But then again, if they DID know the truth, why wouldn’t they have told Willow? Maybe they just didn’t really notice or think much of her in the first place, and didn’t bother questioning things. Who can say? But in this scenario, I can see Emira and Edric going over to Willow, reassuring the girl… Maybe low-key apologizing on behalf of the Blight family? Probably not. They don’t seem to be openly sentimental nor remorseful in that way. Even if they had known the truth, I can see Emira and Edric abstaining from telling Willow, because they don’t want to get involved and make things more complicated, and/or don’t see the point. Even if they WERE to get Willow involved again- This could just hurt Willow in the long run, as their parents’ threat would still stand. If Willow knew what really happened, she’d have reason to try to reconnect with Amity, and thus risk her chances at Hexside… So like Amity, the twins continue that recurring Blight trend of doing something painful to another person, for their own good. Perhaps Willow tried to connect with the two, if only to get back with Amity?

           Beyond that- Like I said before, maybe Emira and Edric might get curious about Willow. Maybe they might approach the girl, to see what kind of kid could make their little sister happy… Maybe they could have Willow to themselves! Based on canon, however- If any attempts had been made, it clearly didn’t work out. I can see Willow wanting to avoid the Blights entirely after that incident- Or, maybe she tries to use Ed and Em to reconnect with Amity. Maybe Emira and Edric realize that Willow’s better off without Mittens… Amidst them kind of losing interest in Willow, if she only cares about them to get to Amity. Willow’s not exactly the kind of troublemaker like Ed and Em are, and she’s not very upfront the way Luz is- I don’t see her earning the twins’ trust, especially if Willow is still reeling from rejection and Boscha’s bullyng in subsequent years.

           All in all, Emira and Edric might regard Willow with pity as that poor girl who got hurt by Mittens, the first in a LONG line of victims of their little sister, a reflection of the toxic person Amity is becoming- But beyond that and the novelty of having befriended their little sister, I think Ed and Em would just let Willow be. I think both sides would justifiably see a potential friendship as not worth the time nor energy. As Amity got older and became more of a bully, however… And as Emira and Edric became more aggressive and even too spiteful in trying to teach her a lesson- I could see them getting Willow involved to aggravate Mittens. They can be a little overaggressive and too eager about their plans and involving a third party in them, without much regard to how they feel…

           Perhaps it’d have been a situation like Lost in Language, where the twins pulled Luz along into their attempt to post Amity’s diary entries across school. Maybe it could’ve led to resentment from Amity towards Willow, if Willow had gotten involved against her will… But even so, Amity still clearly misses Willow and tried to reconnect in a rather messed-up, condescending way in Episode 3. If anything bad HAD happened, it couldn’t have been too harsh- That, or Amity’s just that lonely. Which, she really was… And really, I can see Willow just setting up her boundaries and immediately saying no to anything the twins want to get her involved with, and quickly they get the hint and leave Willow be.

           In other words, there are a LOT of ways, admittedly, that Willow would not have the fondest memories of the twins, if at all- Assuming their mere association with Amity isn’t just triggering for her, which is totally valid. And I can imagine Willow kind of admitting this to Luz after Lost in Language, should her friend ever recount what happened there, and if Willow ever knew Ed and Em or if they were just sort of there in the background to her, and vice-versa. To Willow, that kind of betrayal from Amity would make it incredibly difficult to form new connections, ESPECIALLY what with Ed and Em being Amity’s older siblings; No matter how genuine they could’ve been, she understandably wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with them, if her “Out of sight, out of mind” handling of her trauma with Amity is any indication.

           Maybe Willow wouldn’t have appreciated Ed and Em swooping in, as if to take advantage of her loneliness- And/or, she didn’t appreciate being used as a tool to get back at Amity, even if deep-down she had her resentments and grudge that built up over time. For Willow, I think she still has that fondness towards Amity, deep-down… She does seem a little concerned for Amity when the Blight girl is literally losing her mind over losing her Top Student star, which Willow hadn’t even meant to take from her! Although if Ed and Em had set up their plan as a means of helping Amity, of getting her and Willow back together- I could imagine an even younger and more confused Willow going along, because she’s desperate to reconnect. Maybe it could’ve led to Amity being emotionally hurt and realizing Willow had been involved, further creating a divide between them… And it’d all just add to Willow’s inner frustrations that have been building up since then.

          So I could imagine Willow warning Luz about the Twins; But on the other hand, she also made sure not to bring up her past with Amity, as a means of preventing Luz and Amity from being friends- So probably not. At the very least she might bring it up out of concern for Luz, and/or concern that the Twins could jeopardize Luz’s relationship with Amity, which she DOES want… And I’d really respect Willow for that. It’s like Eda- Not letting her own past experiences mess with the ones that Luz wants to make, and even putting herself out of her comfort zone to get that missed opportunity for her friend! And speaking of Luz; I imagine Emira and Edric might’ve started paying attention to Willow again, after the Abomination incident at school. They do mention having heard a lot about Luz and how she got Amity into trouble; Either from Amity herself, and/or the general rumors that spread around school- Amity DID lose her mind in front of the entire cafeteria that one time, in addition to the whole Covention incident being literally public.

           Knowing the twins, I wouldn’t put it past them to have snooped and investigated into this Luz person, and what Willow would’ve contributed- And they very well may have! They could’ve gained a legitimate interest in Luz, while their old one in Willow’s was relit, because of what the two did to Mittens; Forcing her to ‘learn a lesson’, and realize just how toxic she was being! Of course, Luz and Willow never acted to ‘teach a lesson’ to Amity, and a lot of what happened to her was not their fault, nor was it exactly the most productive way to help Amity along her recovery from indoctrination… Regardless, I can see Emira and Edric seeking out Willow, in the hopes of having her reconnect with Amity; Or at least put a dent in her elitist façade, ideally for her own good.

           Then we could have a repeat of what I mentioned earlier- Ed and Em approaching Willow and inviting her into some trouble, but evidently Willow isn’t interested up until Hooty’s Moving Hassle- Where Boscha mocks her for not being invited to Amity’s Moonlight Conjuring. Which, given Willow’s likely negative feelings towards Boscha, would’ve persuaded her to act out at least once in an attempt to ‘get back’ at Amity… But clearly Willow realized it wasn’t worth the effort, and not something she should waste time and energy in, especially if it low-key triggers her. It’s really not out of the question for Emira and Edric to have approached Willow out of curiosity, asking her what happened, maybe inviting her to stick it to Amity- But Willow declined, maybe after giving the spark notes version of her side of the story. Who knows?

           It’d be interesting if Emira and Edric tried to relate what they heard from Willow, to Amity- Both to mess with Amity, but also to vouch for Willow, if only to make Amity reconsider the kind of terrible person she’s been becoming thanks to Odalia and Alador. Again, I don’t think Emira and Edric would’ve had much interest in Willow herself and more what she can do for Amity… Which fair, they DO care, but they can clearly get carried away, even when involving a third party. And speaking of one connection to Willow through a person- Maybe Emira and Edric get a bit more curious about Willow because Luz is a fan of her, and they think Luz is the utter bomb and so trust in her judgment –they didn’t bat an eye at the infamous Owl Lady after all- but otherwise I don’t think there would’ve been much to bond over… Amidst all of those OTHER issues I brought up, of course.

           Of course, THEN we get the big game changer- We get Understanding Willow. We have Amity forced to confront her past cruelty towards Willow and be honest and upfront, we have Amity forced to low-key admit that she’s being abused, and by recognizing that she’s in a bad situation and avoiding victim-blaming towards herself, Amity can strive to improve, whilst realizing how horrible her parents’ influence has been. I don’t know if Ed and Em knew about what happened, and if they ever learned the full circumstances- But they’d probably see Amity reconnecting with Willow, and hearing about her standing up to Boscha. ESPECIALLY after Amity broke her leg in Grudgby…

           And, I think Ed and Em would be utterly elated to see Amity happy again- To see her rekindling with Willow, getting that old joy, reversing the indoctrination their parents unleashed, or at least moving past it… I can see their utter gratitude towards Luz and Amity for this. And, I can imagine them even insisting on getting Willow and Amity together again, trying to accelerate the process for them to rekindle their friendship; Only for that to make both parties uncomfortable. Because while Amity has undoubtedly begun the path of healing with Willow… It’s not something you can rush, and while the twins might think of Willow as good for Amity (amidst ulterior motives of wanting Amity to be less of a rule stickler and not tattle on them so much), they have to remember that Willow doesn’t owe Amity anything- And that’s something Amity herself recognizes.

           Honestly, this is making me imagine Emira and Edric playing matchmaker, furiously debating whether or nor they should set Mittens up with Willow or Luz, because either girl makes her happy and could help her recover; And eventually the two settle on Luz, because they recognize the long and sordid past between Willow and Amity, and also they just really like Luz more and she seems to have done the most in helping Mittens. No offense to Willow, and I doubt she honestly FEELS that way towards Amity, anytime soon…Either way, Ed and Em learn to respect Amity’s boundaries more, and do the same with Willow. But THEN comes the Season Finale, and… Really, I can see them wanting to get to know Willow, not just for Amity’s sake, but their own?

           There’s what I mentioned earlier about Willow being useful in helping Amity step out of that indoctrination and abuse that Odalia and Alador came up with- Especially since she was able to rally an entire crowd to speak out against a public execution, one ordained by the literal Emperor himself no less! And, Willow succeeded- She made a change, even if Belos claims it was totally the Titan’s will, and maybe it was… But let’s be real here, I think he low-key had to appease the crowd, amidst thinking Eda and Lilith were no longer relevant with the former now magic-less. Emira and Edric have always been rebels and troublemakers… And while I don’t think they’re nearly as morally driven as say Eda or Luz; I think they have a lot to agree on.

           After all, it’s the Coven System’s toxic values that really contribute towards their parents being so harsh, and Amity’s expectations to join the Emperor’s Coven led to her misery. Coupled with the Twins possibly not wanting to be forced to join the Illusion Coven, or at least be told what to do… And, I can see them realizing just how messed up Belos’ system and rule is, and recognizing it as a major source for their ills in life. They’re already supportive of Luz, and Luz hates Belos and wanted to save Eda… Amity loves Luz and wants the best for her, clearly the best course of action is to stick around Luz and her friends! Amidst my speculation on how Emira and Edric would feel about a potential rebellion…

           I can see them really wanting to know Willow- Again, not just for Amity’s sake, but maybe their own? I feel like Ed and Em are like Eda in that they have this implicit frustration, of rebelling against authorities, and wanting to change things for the better… But their efforts never really went anywhere, nor did they improve anything. I think the twins did a lot in the hopes of recovering Amity, but their attempts weren’t all that productive and just made her feel worse- So seeing Willow, who is so much more efficient and successful at initiating positive change, could be inspiring to them. This Park Girl is a REAL leader, a TRUE rebel unlike the common mischief that Emira and Edric cause- And she’s a chance to really stick it to their parents and the toxic system that enables their abuse.

           It could be a chance to be more than what they are, maybe allow Emira and Edric to really explore themselves for once- Or at least trek out a better life for themselves and Mittens, in the long run. I can see them being totally supportive of Willow, even seeing her as a role model to emulate and admire; Kind of like with Luz, I like to imagine Emira and Edric seeing Willow as actually being WAY cooler than either of them, out of their league… And when they approach Willow with friendship, bringing up the Conformatorium Protest? Willow is totally taken aback for a moment, a little shy, maybe a little nervous because these are Blights we’re talking about… But I can see Luz vouching for their characters, and so Willow reluctantly lets them in.

           Maybe Emira and Edric want to know Willow more personally because they’re just curious now- I see them as being totally supportive of Willow, perhaps goading her into more rebellious activities, and/or immediately suggesting and offering their support. Just bringing it up, unwarranted, that they’d love to help Willow stick it to the system, that maybe they have a few ideas of their own, or Willow could teach them a thing or two… And Willow, it’s all a bit much for the Park girl. She’s not totally used to being a leader and may not necessarily want to exert that type of influence so readily, either. I can see Ed and Em getting carried away and sort of expecting Willow to be this bold, constantly-rebelling leader…

           And Willow, she’s not exactly comfortable with this, and she needs time to breathe. Ed and Em eventually realize they’re sweeping her up into their antics without considering what Willow has to say, that she still has a life and is allowed to take a break between activism. For someone who’s been looked down upon for so long, been at the bottom of the hierarchy so to speak- Having a lot of people look up to her almost expectantly could place a lot of pressure onto Willow. She’s always been expected to fail… So being expected to do great, to do the best, to be someone everyone else aspires towards? I can see this pressure really getting to Willow, as her insecurities come creeping in- And maybe she becomes convinced that this isn’t what she was really meant for, that she really IS meant to be a loser like Boscha claimed, because she could never live up to what others expect of her.

           If Emira and Edric were to hear about this- I think they’d be sympathetic to the idea of expectations, given how their parents are like. They’d be aghast that they ever made Willow feel that way, and reassure her that she doesn’t have to be their personal hero- And while I suspect the Twins of being a little clumsy in their reassurances and possibly coming off as harsher than intended… Willow’s got her other friends, too. And, maybe this could serve as a wake-up call to Emira and Edric; That they expect Amity to be just like them, when that can be really difficult… So after seeing just how exhausting this is for someone like Willow, they better appreciate what little Amity manages to accomplish, while still reassuringly encouraging her to do better.

           It’d be interesting to see Willow navigate the kind of power and influence that comes from being at the top, as someone that others look up to. Remembering very much not to be like Boscha and not abuse that authority, while also realizing that even if she has a moral obligation to do the right thing- Willow doesn’t necessarily owe it to others to help them on everything, unless that’s what she wants; In which case, more power to her! It’d be an interesting opportunity for Willow to really step into a leadership role, especially if this is the sort of thing where she can self-actualize, an opportunity to realize this is what she wants to be; While also having others like Gus reassure her that Willow can take a break if she needs to. Gus wants to be in a higher grade, but he’s valid in feeling insecure about his younger age and loneliness, too. Even if this IS your dream, it’s okay if it gets a little overwhelming at times.

I’m also imagining Emira and Edric asking Willow for pointers on how to be more like her in that helpful way, and Willow just sort of awkwardly gives out advice, but doesn’t really know what to say- And maybe sees Ed and Em take what she has to say too far, before she needs to intervene and rein them in, set boundaries, etc. Willow could make the point that she’s not someone who tells the twins what to do- She’s not switching out Belos’ leadership for her own, the idea is that everyone should be able to decide for themselves, what to do. Emira and Edric shouldn’t just look to Willow for guidance on who they want to be, although she can’t tell them they shouldn’t be inspired by her on their own terms, either.

But- Willow doesn’t want to tell them what to do, even if it’s for their own good… And I can see Ed and Em taking this lesson to heart and self-reflecting. Maybe while all of this happens, they also touch up again on Amity and Willow’s past together, and they developed a shared solidariy with the girl about a mutual concern for Amity- About having been screwed over by her in the past, while still wanting the best. And so there’s this silent agreement that even if Willow isn’t exactly Amity’s best friend anymore, she’s totally going to intervene if she’s in trouble- So Ed and Em can totally call on her to help if something comes up.

           Similarly, Emira and Edric let Willow know that if she ever needs a favor, especially if it’s to stick it to the authorities- They’ll gladly contribute! Not gonna lie, I see them totally play-flirting with Willow the way they did with Luz, and that’s just making me imagine a flustered and embarrassed Willow, it’s adorable… Anyhow, I can also see Emira and Edric’s antics encouraging Willow to be more upfront and unapologetic about who she is, because their character flaws could potentially play into Willow’s by actually helping her in the long run- Telling her that it’s okay to go through with what she has in mind, that she doesn’t have to immediately apologize for it afterwards. There is that other issue I brought up, but…

           I think Emira and Edric’s admiration for Willow, could do wonders for her self-esteem. They’d totally reassure her that she IS that cool… And, maybe they could be genuine friends! I don’t think Willow and the Twins have a lot of interests in common besides Be Gay Do Witchcraft- But I can see an unusual friendship forming, and Willow having to be that exasperated Mom Friend to the twins as well. Maybe even getting pulled into their antics involuntarily, just tagging along to make sure they don’t get hurt nor go too far. And it’s healthy for both parties, because now they’re forming more social connectons and building a proper support network.

           I could imagine Emira and Edric maybe teasing Willow about being a dork, before it’s clear that their teasing legit makes her feel bad; So they stop. They don’t really understand what she says when Willow goes on her long talks about Plant Magic and its intricacies, but they think it sounds cool regardless! Luz would absolutely love seeing her friends meeting and interacting with one another and encourage it, she’d get involved, I can only imagine how Gus would come into play… Willow would likely be familiar with their Illusions and know a bit as Gus’ friend, because he’d totally infodump to her about his lessons- And Emira and Edric would be totally impressed at how much this Botanist knows of their craft!

          Maybe Willow could even inspire the twins to really apply themselves, to really explore their own potential- It’d be an interesting parallel to Eda, who was also incredibly talented and wanted to explore that ability, but never could. It’d contrast with the twins having that talent but just not being interested in it… And maybe they WOULD be, if the school system didn’t make education very uncomfortable for them. Being with Willow could encourage the twins to even explore new tracks, get to know other kids who do that, find a new joy in learning… Etc. I could totally see Willow making Edric some cute plants to take care of, along with a nice flower as a gift for both Twins! Especially if they end up trying their luck at romance again, Willow would totally prepare the most extravagant bouqets for the two!

          Not to mention, I can see Emira and Edric being inspired by Willow to be bolder and more upfront about their rebelliousness. To the point where they outright confront their parents over what happened, openly defend Amity… Maybe even run away! I think Willow would be afraid that she made them do something rash, but Ed and Em would insist they’re happier in the long run, that Willow really did do a good thing for them- And she’d totally offer them a safe place at home, assuming the twins won’t room in the Owl House, or find their own home. Willow really tends to underestimate herself, so the twins could show her the positive impact she has on people; And I see her as someone who can be so quiet yet so powerfully reassuring, to any issues the twins themselves may have.

          It’d be nice to see them open up to her about issues of identity to Willow, especially since I’ve speculated about Willow having past issues with her own self-image, and about her trauma even turning her into a monster. If the Twins ever open up about Grom, Willow could sympathize with that feeling of rejection and help them navigate it, while probably growing some nice bouqets to make them feel better in the mean-time; Imagine Willow doing a mock-Grom proposal in good faith, offering such extravagant flowers to Emira and Edric to lift their spirits! And they’re just… SO touched by this, even if they clearly don’t feel that way about Willow and vice-versa! Maybe Willow could reassure them that it’s okay to seek out help, that it’s okay to be brave and make new connections; But it’s also just as fine to just want some time off, to be by themselves. I feel these are lessons that Willow quietly learned on her own, and Emira and Edric could really grow to admire Willow for figuring this stuff out.

          Maybe Willow could teach the Twins to not take their Grom rejection as a sign that they’re secretly bad- That they’re perfectly valid, that was their dates’ mistake, and don’t let this affect who you think you are! Because sometimes, you really ARE blameless, and it can be kind of scary to admit this because it means you really didn’t deserve what happened- But it also opens the avenue towards really believing in oneself and your ability to heal. There could be a relief to Willow, in providing a guiding voice to others when she herself didn’t have one- Keeping others from going through what she went through alone, because Willow would never wish that on her worst enemy; She DID spare Boscha by not joining the Grudgby team in a sense, amidst probably not being that invested in the sport anyway.

          Willow’s a character more concerned with personal growth in recovery, with retribution being uncharacteristic of her and usually ending in disaster- Befitting her Plant motifs. She’s not one to hold grudges because of how toxic and self-destructive they can be, so she could be a firm, no-nonsense voice in telling Ed and Em to not default towards self-loathing if they ever mess up, and instead focus on fixing what went wrong. And it’d teach Ed and Em some humility to see this younger kid know better than them, while putting it into perspective that they don’t exactly always know what’s best for Amity, either- And that anything Mittens has to say can be very valid.

          Having these three messed-up kids learn to navigate these issues together, with Luz and Amity and Gus and so many others between them… It’d be heartwarming. I can see Willow and the Twins reassuring one another that they can grow past and be so much more than the image that others expect them to be, that they can overcome that kind of abuse and refuse to let it define them. They could really teach one another to be themselves, to not care what others have to think- That it’s going to be okay, and there IS light at the end of the tunnel! Luz wouldn’t be the only source of hope for these kids… And Emira and Edric, and Willow, could mutually inspire one another after seeing what they went through; And I can see Ed and Em recounting their own abuse, and Willow gaining a new perspective on Amity that she better appreciates, especially in hindsight of her past actions. It doesn’t exactly excuse her, but…

          And after seeing Willow become more open and confident, the Twins might follow in her footsteps. There’s a respect towards Willow for having gone through all of that loneliness on her own before meeting Gus and Luz… While not romanticizing it, either. Emira and Edric would offer quiet companionship because they know how much it helped them, and I just really love the idea of the two becoming mischievous older siblings in their own right to Willow! Maybe even annoyingly protective at times… That’d be a hilarious extension of Willow possibly being annoyed by them, back when she and Amity were childhood friends- Now she’s stuck with them, now Willow has to deal with their antics and she can’t escape! And with how Ed and Em approached her… I can totally see Willow learning to be the one to initiate contact and relationships with others in the future, too. And the twins are just totally cheering her on from the sideline alongside Gus and their extravagant Illusions!