#and make himself appear as a better candidate when he eventually was the one to miraculously 'stop' Aro during one of his rages

[soulsxng]

🎥 Aro

@arcxnumvitae | 🎥

"Were you trying to escape me? What a deluded mutt...and here I had thought I finally taken all the fight out of you, with how obedient you'd been the past few months. Well. I suppose that's to be expected, when you're dealing with a stupid beast, they're bound to forget their training if they're given the opportunity. And you even went and stole my God Seal, hmm? After I told you that you didn't need it anymore, too...how nice it was of my assistant to return it to me."

The words echoed in the god's mind. Some hazy nightmare brought about by the fever, no doubt...though Darrow didn't remember falling asleep. So maybe it was a delusion. He didn't know, anymore.

Either way, when he opened his eyes, his vision swam. Even though he knew he was laying down, it felt for a few long moments, like he was falling. He didn't dare to attempt sitting-- he already knew the result that would come of it.

"Ah-ah, I'm not finished with you, yet. Did you think I would really dismiss you after such an act, without punishment? No, of course not. Now, kneel."

"Mnh..." Everything hurt. He felt weak. His body freezing and burning up all at the same time.

When he turned his head a bit, he could just barely make out the discolored that spread from the wound on his back and hip. An ugly hue, made manifest by the infection that was no doubt coursing through him.

He felt like he needed to throw up, but by this point, he doubted even bile would come up.

"They really weren't kidding about this sword of yours, were they? Hah! Perhaps I should keep this, as well. After all, a feral beast like you should be able to fight just fine with fang and claw."

How long had he been laying here? It felt like forever.

Maybe Irazor knew, somehow, that the deity he'd captured had a back-up plan, in the event that the escape that led to his being in this position failed. Of course, Aro had planned to do it another way, but...

Agonizing as this was, it was likely to work better than the old plan.

"...Hm? My. Looks like I may have gone a bit overboard. Can't get up? Pitiful...you two! Make yourselves useful, and bring my little pet back to his cage, before he bloodies my floor any further."

It took time to get to this point. But...after cutting off his connection to his God Seal nearly in its entirety, he may as well have been a simple kitsune, again. A being that needed to eat, and drink. A being that could get sick, and easily die from a wound as grievous as this.

Irazor wouldn't want to risk losing the Inari as a tool, so he would eventually have no choice but to call a healer. And there were only so many who had the ability to heal a god that was so far gone. Fewer still who wouldn't sell him out for having entrapped a deity, like this.

And the closest to this place in particular, happened to be none other than...

"Darrow? Darrow! There you are, you stubborn fox-- oh, look at the state of you...! Don't you bare your teeth at me now, I'm going to help, but we need to be quick! Irazor's men will find him any moment, and I have no doubt that they'll come straight this way, once they do."

A small, rough hand presses briefly to his cheek, and though he nearly bites at it, the familiarity of the voice stops all but the weak snarl that rumbles in his throat. A snarl that quickly turns into a small whine when his vision settles enough for him to make out the form of the faerie witch who was knelt beside him.

Something was pressed into his hand, and even in his severely addled state, the thrum of power that immediately reverberated through him made it clear that it was none other than his God Seal.

Between that, and the sudden (and painful, though if he made any noise to indicate such, she didn't comment) burst of healing magic forced through his body, Aro at last felt some semblance of awareness returning to him. He still wasn't able to move much, but it was something. At that very least, he could return to his fox form, to allow himself to be cautiously lifted into the sling pouch the witch had carried him in countless times before.

'Clio...'

If she hadn't immediately looked down at him, he would have worried that he didn't have the energy to communicate with her in this form. Even if it was an extremely limited form of telepathy, it still felt like it was taking a lot out of him with even that one word.

"What is it, dear? You should be saving your--"

'...I feel disgusting. I want to take a bath when we get home.'

Obviously that was not the right thing to say, at this moment, because all Clio did was give a near growl of "Oh! Mischievous little...! And here I had worried myself sick over you! No more yapping out of you; rest!" Before buttoning the pouch shut.

Maybe that was for the best, though. This way, she wouldn't be able to see the way he trembled. Ignoring the way his body was further wracked with pain, when he wiggled around to press as close to her warmth and familiar scent, as he could manage.

'...Thank you, Clio...'

[tyrantisterror]

Who's THE Devil?

You know, from, like, The Bible?

One of the things the various takes on Hell more or less agree on is that there is one demon among the legions of Hell who more or less reigns supreme - The Devil with a capital The. What they rarely agree on, however, is which devil that is. So, for funsies, let's look at all the candidates for The Devil, shall we?

Belial

The concept of demons arguably predates Abrahamic religions, at least if we take it at its most nebulous definition of "supernatural people from an Other world who are somewhat antagonistic toward humanity." But the more specific and probably more familiar version of them began with The Book of Enoch, one of many texts that were deemed non-canonical by Christians yet still holds a great deal of influence on Christianity as a whole. It's an extended account of the Noah story, positing that a group of angels rebelled against heaven because they wanted to sleep with mortal women, and created a race of giant half-human half-angel offspring called the Nephilim (Goliath, of David and Goliath fame, was one of the nephilim). God wasn't happy with this, and sent the rebel angels to a fiery pit before killing most of the nephilim with the big ol' flood (though Goliath's lineage survived somehow I guess).

It's not quite how most people picture the War in Heaven and rebellion of the angels, but it's nonetheless where that story started, and that makes it important. This is the first take on what would become the classic origin story for demons and Hell itself. And who is the leader of the rebel angels in this story? Why our good friend Belial, of course. Belial would remain a prominent demon from hereafter, but despite having the earliest claim for the crown of The Devil, Belial has not remained the frontrunner in the race, and is generally demoted to just being a high ranking demon, rather than the Highest ranking one.

2. Beelzebub

I've talked about Beelzebub before and I don't want to spend too much time rehashing that post, so brief recap: Beelzebub began as a mean nickname for a god from a rival religion to Judaism who was named Baal Zebul, which means Lord of the Heavenly Place. Baal Zebub, by contrast, means "Lord of the Flies." Eventually Baalzebub becomes Beelzebub and, divorced from the original context of its creation, becomes a character in his own right, being a prominent demon. And because Beelzebub appeared in a lot of texts, many of them very old as demonology go, he became a major competitor for the title of The Devil, and remains so to this day. I think it's partly because the name "Beelzebub" is really fun to say, but the sheer history and volume of demonology texts portraying him as a big, powerful devil also help. In the rare stories where Beelzebub appears but does not get to be The Devil, he's still portrayed as fairly high ranking, with both Milton's Paradise Lost and Marlowe's Faust making him The Devil's right hand demon, second in command of Hell. So even when he loses the crown, Beelzebub takes home a good silver medal

3. Asmodeus

Asmodeus is another of our "predates Christianity" demons, right up there with Beelzebub and Belial, and as far as I can tell from what I've read he was originally intended to be The Devil rather than just a devil. It's kind of right there in the name - "deus" means god, so Asmodeus having that name marks him as a demon who thinks himself equal to God.

(well, ok, there's some debate about the full origin of his name, with some arguing the "deus" part was originally a play on "deva," which in turn is loosely translated as... demon. The fact that Asmodeus's name is pronounced/spelled differently to a preposterous degree is part of why the water is so muddy - Asmoday, Asmodai, Asmodee, Osmodeus, it goes on and on)

One of his better claims to the crown comes from the story of Solomon - you know, the wise king who told people to cut babies in half. Solomon's less canonical feats include enslaving a shitload of demons to build a temple for him by way of the rite of exorcism, using a magic ring and the power of Christ to compel the damned to do manual labor for him. Asmodeus is specifically stated to be the strongest demon he summons in part because he is the King of all Demons, i.e. The Devil - and the other demons weep at the sight of their king being reduced to a slave by mortal hands.

Why is this a strong claim? Because the story of Solomon in turn inspired The Lesser Key of Solomon, a text about using the rite of exorcism to summon and use demons to do your bidding. The Lesser Key of Solomon includes the Ars Goetia, which is basically a big ol' bestiary of demons, and where many of your favorite pop culture demons - like, say, Stolas the owl guy - come from. Being the King of all demons in the story that inspired one of the more thorough and exhaustive lists of demons and their hierarchies should count for a lot.

There's one other great claim to fame Asmodeus has in his favor. While not directly named in Dante's The Divine Comedy, the description Dante gives of Satan's physical appearance matches with the most popular descriptions of Asmodeus - in particular, his three heads, one of which is yellow, one red, and one black. Granted, it'd be more of a smoking gun if one of those heads was a bull and the other a goat, but they're all very ogre-like, so I still think it stands. Dante's Devil is, more likely than not, Asmodeus, and that's a BIG point in Asmodeus's favor.

4. Hades/Pluto

Ok, so, a great deal of the Old Testament was originally written in Greek, and the New Testament was written in Latin, both of which happened when belief in the Olympian Gods was pretty strong. As such, the word "Hades" appears in the Bible a lot when talking about the place where dead people go, though it probably wasn't meant to literally be the same underworld as that in Greco-Roman mythology. Probably.

But because Christianity was spread primarily by the Roman empire once they converted to Christianity, and because Europe ended up getting a centuries-long case of stockholm syndrome for the Roman Empire that involved many people in power declaring that Greco-Roman mythology was super important literature and Latin was the language of God Himself, there is a good chunk of Biblical apocrypha that treats the use of Hades as, well, a literal crossover of sorts. Which is to say that Hades the god is sometimes treated as, like, a figure in Christianity, generally a demon specifically. And because he's, you know, Hades, from, like, The Odyssey, people feel he needs to be prominent. I mean, Hades RULED the underworld in Greek mythology, so if we're stealing him for Christian folklore, he should at least be in upper management, right?

The strongest case for Hades being The Devil comes from The Book of Revelation, one of the few books in the Bible that actually contributes to demonology (despite what people tell you, demons really don't show up in the Bible that much - most of what we think of as iconic demon lore come from non-canonical works). You know the four horsemen of the apocalypse? War, Famine, Plague, and Death, right? HA, WRONG! It's Conquest, War, Famine, and Pestilence & Death, you fake horseman fan. Well, anyway the line that introduces Death/Pestilence & Death ends with "And Hell followed with him." Except, no, not really, because the specific word used is... Hades. "And Hades followed with him." Which, depending on how you want to interpret the line, could very well mean a literal, King of the Underworld Hades.

Of course, the problem with using Revelation as proof is that Revelation itself is pretty unclear on who's leading the forces of evil. Is it the Seven-Headed dragon who's cast out of Heaven at the beginning of the end of the world? Is it the seven headed leopard monster that the dragon gives his crown to? Is it the monster who crawls out of the ground to speak for the seven-headed leopard with the voice of a dragon? Is it Hades? Is it God, the one who's allowing all this violent shit to happen and frequently sending his angels to make it way fucking worse? Who can say.

So, while it's not super common, there are more than a few works where The Devil is none other than Hades himself. Disney... might not have been completely off the mark, I guess?

While I think Hades's claim is pretty weak, I should note that one of the works that puts a LOT of Greek mythology into Hell is none other than Dante's The Divine Comedy. 70% of the demons in Dante's Hell are just Greek monsters, with the remaining few being Asmodeus and some OC demons he made up with portmanteu names a la Pokemon. Notably, Hades is one of those demonized Greek figures - presented as the Judge who decides where in Hell sinners end up based on their crimes. He's not The Devil, though, so while Dante kind of helps Hades's case, he also kind of ends up making a counter argument to it.

5. Abaddon/Apollyon

Ok, so, the word "abaddon" is used in some texts to refer to Hell, and sometimes it's personified as well. It literally means "ruin." Well, in time, Abaddon is personified and become a demon, which should feel like a familiar story to you by this point. And because Abaddon can also literally be Hell itself, it's only natural that some stories posit Abaddon the demon as the rule of Hell, much as Hades is the ruler of Hades in Greek mythology. This is Abaddon's big claim, and it's not bad, but it's not super strong. Nonetheless, it was enough for at least one prominent Christian text, Pilgrim's Progress, to make Abaddon (under one of his synonym names, Apollyon) to be The Devil, so we can give him that too.

6. Sheol

The sections of the Bible that are written in Hebrew use the word "Sheol" to refer to the underworld/afterlife rather than Hades. Now, Judaism doesn't have the same Hell as Christianity, or the same concept of Heaven either for that matter, and Sheol is less a place of torment for the damned and more of a waiting room for the dead to hang out in until the Messiah comes.

Nonetheless, Sheol did get personified like Abaddon and Hades, and that personification (which, in some versions, is a batty old lady, which is fun) later became a demon in its own right, and thus, for the same reasons as Abaddon and Hades, has a claim to being The Devil by dint of also being, you know, Hell itself. Not the strongest, most popular claim, no, but a claim nonetheless.

7. Satan

Feels rather obvious, doesn't it? Ok, so, in The Bible, one of the characters who was retconned into being The Devil is the angel in the Book of Job who takes on the title of Satan. In the original context of the story, "Satan" is not a name, but, again, a title - a job title, really, roughly akin to "prosecuting attorney." The Satan in the Book of Job isn't a rebel angel, but an angel whose job is to argue for the opposing view point to make sure everyone is doing the right thing. Less "The Devil" and more "the devil's advocate."

But! Christians fucking LOVE the devil, and they want more devil in their Bible, so many translations treat (the) Satan not as the hard-working servant of God he was originally written as, but as, you know, The Devil, arch-enemy of God and justice. And so Satan becomes synonymous with The Devil, and over time more and more appearances of The Devil give him the name Satan.

I can see an argument for this being the strongest claim, because the sheer amount of works where "Satan" is treated as The name of The Devil is enormous. But I think it's important to note that many of those works actually treat it as a name for the devil, which is to say, not the only name. I guess a lot of modern works think the name is so commonly used that it lacks its punch, and so they have The Devil pull the "I have many names" schtick to sound more imposing.

8. Lucifer

So there's a part of the Bible that talks about a star falling out of Heaven as a sort of metaphor for how people can fall from grace. Well, good ol' King James translated this as not just a falling star, but specifically The Devil himself, giving him the name Lucifer, which means "light-bringer." The King James translation of the Bible is bad in that it's immensely inaccurate, but good in that it's a beautiful piece of poetry in its own right, and since it had the authority of a goddamn king behind it, it quickly became a prominent Christian text and is still the preferred translation of many Christian sects to this day.

So, you know, that's pretty fucking big as claims go. There is one incredibly prominent (if woefully inaccurate) translation of the Bible where Lucifer is The Devil. Kind of hard to fight that one.

But it doesn't end there! I would argue that the most influential origin story for Christian devils, the one that has become ingrained in the cultural consciousness as THE story of the War in Heaven, is Milton's poem Paradise Lost. That's where most of the tropes we associate with The Devil and demons and Hell really come together to form the great devil mythology - well, it and Dante's The Divine Comedy, anyway. You know which name Milton chose for The Devil?

Lucifer.

Well, ok, he also calls Lucifer "Satan" with about equal frequency, but still - Lucifer is The Devil of Paradise Lost. And because of the sheer weight that both Paradise Lost and the King James Bible have in culture, Lucifer has ended up being used as The Devil in countless works since! Not bad for a translation error, right?

While the sheer number and notability of literature that uses Lucifer as The Devil is kind of argument enough for him having the best claim, I'd like to add one more argument in his favor: dramatic irony. I think what draws people to Lucifer is the meaning of his name - "the light-bringer" - and how it contrasts with his role as the king of a pit of darkness and misery. "Light-bringer" is a heroic name, the name of a character who brings hope and joy, which makes it so delicious when it turns out our "light-bringer" is an utter bastard. It's just irresistible, isn't it?

9. Mephistopheles

A good number of demon stories - arguably the majority of them - focus on mortals who make deals with demons and end up damned to Hell for doing it. We call these stories "faustian pacts," and we do that because the most famous story of this kind is the story of Faust, a scientist/alchemist who makes a deal with a devil named Mephistopheles to learn the secrets of the universe and ends up doing a lot of sinning in the process. Since Faust is such a famous and influential story, it only follows that its main devil is frequently viewed as The Devil.

...except

In most versions of Faust, Mephistopheles is not presented as The Devil within the narrative. He's a henchman, a flunkie, with one of the bigger names like Lucifer or Beelzebub pulling the strings. So while there are a number of stories (including a few versions of Faust itself) where Mephistopheles gets to be The Devil, it's far more common for him to be a devil - perhaps a prominent devil, maybe even one of the strongest and a close member of The Devil's inner circle, but rarely the one in charge.

10. Baphomet

Baphomet is a god whose name and appearance was repurposed as a demon by The Church of Satan, and so while I have to admit that is a claim to the crown, I don't think it's a great one. First, nothing about the Church of Satan's belief system is meant to be taken genuinely, with them admitting that they view Satan/Baphomet as a symbol rather than a literal supernatural being they believe in. Second, by rights Baphomet should be allowed to be Baphomet instead of being literally demonized. I honestly think it's better for Baphomet to lose this race than to win it.

11. Iblis

Demons in Islam work differently from demons in Christianity. Rather than being fallen angels, demons are wicked Djinn - a race of people made from fire and smoke rather than ash and dirt like humans. Djinn aren't quite as powerful as angels in Islam, but do have significant supernatural powers that humans lack. Like humans, Djinn have free will and can choose whether to be good or evil - and those that choose to be evil reside in Islam's version of Hell, where they are ruled by Iblis, the first Djinn to choose the wicked path and the ruler of Islam's Hell.

Unlike Christianity, there isn't really any debate on this. Iblis is, for all intents and purposes, the CANONICAL ruler of Hell, The Devil of Islam, and thus has the strongest and really ONLY claim to be The Devil of that religion.

...but, at the same time, Iblis can't really be the Christian devil, because Christianity doesn't have Djinn, and all the iconic parts of Christian demonology kind of hinge on the idea of demons as rebel angels, which demonic djinn very much aren't. So while Iblis's claim in Islam is irefutable, he doesn't have one in Christianity. Ain't that wacky?

I think it should be noted that there are more-or-less canonical texts where Iblis isn't treated as purely evil, either, including one where he actively asks for help in repenting and is turned down because, well, evil has to exist, and someone has to rule over it, and like it or not, that's Iblis's job now. It ends with Iblis wailing that he has become the greatest martyr of Islam. Which is so fucking hardcore, I love it. In Christianity, the texts where we humanized demons are non-canonical at best and deemed heresy at worst, but Islam allowed it to be more-or-less canon. They saw the coolest takes on the Devil and said "yeah we can allow that" - so much more rad than what Christianity did with them.

~

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So, who do YOU think is The Devil? You know, from, like, The Bible?

[lightlycareless]

I saw your posts about how Naoya doesn’t want a third in his bedroom activities with Y/N and how he reacted with Naoaki. But do you think that Naoya would ever let Toji join in as a third? I can’t quite tell if he would or if that’d be even more intimidating to him since he couldn’t think how you couldn’t be super into it with Toji. It probably wouldn’t happen either way since you mentioned in one of works that Y/N is intimidated/a little scared of Toji

Hello!!

Not going to lie, I’m really happy something like this popped up in my ask hahahahah I was waiting for it!! It was inevitable, you know???

But now, going onto a more serious note—

After thinking about it and really wanting to say that Naoya wouldn’t share you even if it was Toji we’re talking about… because like, he admires Gojo but he wouldn’t allow that with him, right?

However, the admiration he has for Toji is at a completely different level compared to anyone else, and if he began to show the simplest of interests in Y/N, there’s no doubt in my mind that Naoya would try to create interactions between the tw, so they’d get to know each other, spend time, that kind of stuff.

 But does that mean he’d allow him to fuck you?

… Toji would first have to show interest in you like that in order to even be considered.

Warnings: mentions of infidelity (I’d go with dub-con at this point) mentions of pregnancy, and Toji mocking Naoya in all crude ways possible. Also, someone likes this kind of stuff a bit. (honestly this is me just wanting to write something with toji. the actual answer is on the bottom lol) SMUUUTTTT MINORS DNI.

a sequel can be found here.

It happens soon after you’re brought to the estate.

You’re the newest addition to the Zen’in clan: a bright smiled, innocent looking girl that surprisingly (not really) fell into the claws of the heir.

Toji had become accustomed to the women that caught Naoya’s interest—the type that would make anyone think “of course he likes someone like her.”

But they never lasted beyond two sightings before he was already with someone else, and certainly, no one ever thought of them as suitable candidates for marriage.

Eventually they stopped appearing all together, and for a long time, Naoya was single as he could be… until you arrived.

Someone so… different to Naoya in every sense of the word, far outside his typical interest, or malleability. Yet you managed to not only catch his attention but persuade him into marriage—and it seemed you wanted him too.

It’s safe to say that these things made Toji deeply intrigued by you—and not only because of your outstanding merits towards his seemingly unconquerable cousin, but also because on a personal level, he found you a beauty hard to ignore, much more delightful than those before you, and soon, he finds himself somehow understanding why the wimpy heir decided to marry you.

But his amazement doesn’t stop there, reaching a new high when finally meeting you, face to face, for the first time. It wasn’t just your aura, which he considered to be highly unfitting to the surrounding environment, that affected his perception, but the way you treated him as well.

Even when intimidated by his presence— just as he expected, used to it by now—you still remained amicable towards him; to the disgrace of the Zen’in, the stain in the family lineage no one even dared look at, less mention.

Not to you though. To you, he was Naoya’s cousin, his admiration, the one he sets as inspiration when it comes to strength, partaking in small talk whenever possible before retreating, but not without expressing how you’d like to see him around more often, perhaps even drink tea together one day…

Toji is completely smitten by you at this point, and the question of how you even set your eyes on Naoya, when there were so much better options, quickly settles in his mind.

But perhaps how you managed to inundate his thoughts, to the point you are all he thinks about, is the bigger question in turn.

The topic of a threesome is nothing more than a fantasy to him at that point— highly unexpected, if not impossible, and completely avoided…

That is, until tensions between you, Naoya, and Toji, become far too much to ignore.

It would start with Toji complimenting you, like the devil whispering against your husband’s ear, he’d say…

“You have a beautiful wife, Naoya.”

And your husband is somewhat elated to see that his idol approves of you, somewhat seeking his approval one way or the other.

But after his words become more cryptic, to say the least, hesitation begins to flourish in Naoya’s mind.

“Do you ever wonder she feels lonely after you leave for work? In this wide, cold manor… it’s impossible not to—I know all about it, after all.”

“… is there something you want, Toji-kun?”

Here is where the idea finally makes its appearance in your and Naoya’s conversation—offered by you, shockingly, but not because you were interested, rather, because that’s the conclusion you arrived to after hearing Naoya’s request of, in his own words…

“I want you to spend more time with Toji-kun, so he doesn’t feel… lonely.”

“It almost sounds like you want me to fuck him.”

“I never said that.”

“But you implied it.”

He remains silent.

“Naoya… do you want me… to?”

You were nothing but highly aware of his admiration towards the man. The constant proclamations of his virtues the rest of the clan failed, or didn’t care, to observe—even going as far to defend him against them when needed.

It gave you a certain happiness to know that Naoya confided in someone that way, pushed him to overcome his limits, so naturally, you’d want to do anything for the man that brought out the best side of your husband.

But you never, not even in your most bizarre dreams, expected his fascination to go to these lengths.

However, as much as you were offended by his indiscreet suggestions, a very deep part of you was also… allured by it.

There is no reason to deny the mystery that surrounded Toji—a kind of atmosphere that even though terrifying to you, you still couldn’t keep your eyes away from him, silently trailing his every move from a safe distance while earnestly wondering what a man like him could spend his time on when away from the estate.

Does he… goes to see someone? Spend the night, or weeks, in someone’s arms whenever he didn’t come back?

Or indulge in shady business as most began to suspect? As the occurring scars appearing on his arms and chest suggested?

It’s not something you’ll get to know, you dejectedly reckon, but you suppose that getting to know him, even if just for a little bit, will make the invitation to your… nightly activities, all worthwhile.

“…so that you won’t feel lonely.” Is the excuse you go with when bringing up the matter to Toji—probably the dumbest one you could’ve given him considering how he doesn’t hesitate to erupt into laughter, amused by this silly, stupid pretext of yours.

As well as infuriated, for the one thing he hated the most right after his family, was being pitied.

“I don’t want you to treat me like I’m some kind of miserable animal.” He scoffs once his glee dies. “Don’t come here, offering things you’re not even sure about, just because you want to feel good at my expense.”

Naoya and you rightfully conclude that not only had you been incredibly immature by going through with this unusual request, which wouldn’t have survived as long as it did have it been literally anyone else, but also, dented whatever little relationship the two had with him—although your concern sustained more for Naoya; you could only imagine how this strain would make him feel…

And yet, even when the foreseeable future had apparently darkened, closing windows for any kind of reconciliation thanks to his disgust towards the whole situation… something in Toji’s demeanor told you he hadn’t given up on the idea.

Whether because he saw the growing, genuine anxiety reflecting on the young couple’s face, or because he was glad his subtle actions finally paid off…

“But who am I to reject opportunities handed to me?” He adds—it’s almost undetectable, but something akin to desire flashes across his eyes. “If that’s what the heir and his lady  want, I’m nothing but your humble servant.”

You and Naoya agree on a night for everything to unfold, one that wasn’t necessarily intruding on his upcoming missions, but also fit in Toji’s schedule.

Either way, it’s safe to say that no amount of preparation could’ve done anything to ease your nerves.

Not even the constant reminder that you agreed to it, and now, had to keep your word.

The idea of inviting someone into your intimacy had always escaped your and Naoya’s minds. The reasoning behind it was simple: you did not want to do something like that in your marriage. It was almost… sacrilegious to even think about it. And Naoya agreed, too jealous to debate otherwise.

So now, that you’re here, waiting in your bedroom, just a few minutes away from those doors sliding open and welcoming that extra person in… it’s as nerve-wracking as you expected.

Almost to the point of calling it off…

But when Toji finally appears, in nothing less than a simple robe… something deep inside your conscience quickly reminds you why you were so willing to accept suggesting this offer, even when you had listed a thousand reasons not to.

You loved your husband very much, and there is no doubt in your soul that he is the love of your life, the future father of your children, the one you will spend the rest of your life with. You cannot imagine any other man in that position, none at all.

But tonight, and only for tonight… you wished to know what it felt to be touched by someone else.

By a man so intimidating, rejected by the same society that brought him onto this world, forced to be unruly, without inhibitions, just to have a chance to survive and eventually becoming nothing but shade, a monster that no one even dared to mutter his name for fear he’d come to haunt their existence—something that your husband never experienced, never had to.

Pristine, upkept, and highly controlling. That’s who Naoya was.

While Toji was like the forbidden fruit, that once the seed of curiosity was implanted in your mind, didn’t take long for you to seek after.

If you were to get one taste, if only a small one, you’ll be satisfied.

And in turn, you’d give him a chance to soil the values you represented: the untouchable wife of the heir, the woman Naoya desperately fought to obtain, the door to the next generation of Zen’in sorcerers…

All crumbling beneath the touch of someone they considered the lowest of the low, a disgrace.

This was supposed to be an affair between the three, with the obvious notion that you were to be shared amongst the two men, as equitable as possible, although with preference for Naoya.

However, Toji’s existence had always marked an exception to all rules, and your husband soon realizes that he wasn’t to be an active participant as he wished to be, and that perhaps, this was a bad idea all along…

Toji found it endearing to see how Naoya was trying to “get you in the mood” by kissing you, as if trying to cheer you up through this amoral endeavor, and do your best to please him, darling!

But the same time, it felt almost as if he were seeing a bunch of virgins discovering what sex was for the first time, which he did not have the patience for.

Feeling rather generous, Toji takes matters into his own hands by swiftly pulling you away from Naoya and forcing you to focus on him—coarse fingertips kneading and grabbing your skin as to remind you who you were doing this for in the first place—all while capturing your lips into a heated kiss that quickly takes your breath away.

“What? Don’t want this anymore?” he breathes hotly against your ear, making you squirm and whine in turn. But while his words were directed to you, his eyes are nothing but locked onto Naoya’s uneasy ones.

Your husband isn’t naïve when it comes to the teasing nature of those around him. How he believes everyone is out to get him, try to get what he has, yet failing miserably.

He’s seen it on Naoaki, how he attempts to get to him through you, teasing you, flustering you, but overall, keeping his attention on you, because after all what said and done, Naoya is still a figure of respect and he wouldn’t dare mess with him directly.

But Toji isn’t like that. He’s nothing like all he’s ever faced before. His cousin is relentless when it comes to disrespecting authority, more so when it comes to your husband. Naoya just makes it too easy.

Maybe it’s another way for him to get back at the Zen’’in. Spit on their faces and let them know that no matter how much they try to isolate him, look away whenever he crosses their paths, act like he doesn’t even exist—

A monkey like him will always find its way around them. To rattle them.

And he wants Naoya to see that.

He wants him to burn the image of his wife being ravaged by a lowlife like him—touching her, defiling her, and…

How she likes it.

“Do you see that? Do you see how well she takes me?” Toji breathes, a smirk on his lips as his eyes remain on the lewd way your cunt squeezed his cock as if struggling to hold him yet trying so hard to keep him inside.

Toji didn’t know whether to laugh at the seemingly too good to be true notion of the innocent, naïve, well liked by everyone wife of the heir throwing her hips back into him whenever he plunged his cock deep into her pussy.

At the way you’d moan whenever he abused that one spot that made you even tighter, the squelches of your greedy pussy evidently enjoying how your walls are being stretched, in ways it hadn’t as he was able to discern from Naoya’s size, or the squeals you’d gift him whenever teasing your asshole with his fingers, slapping your ass soon after, one of the many markings he’ll leave behind of this unforgettable night…

But most importantly, at the fact that Naoya was completely aroused by a man defiling his beloved wife. Because as much as he wished to place himself above it all, like he was hating the idea of sharing you, his throbbing cock and occasional rub in efforts to calm his frustration gives him away.

“Are you getting off with this, Naoya?” Toji would refer to him yet again, pace unrelenting as he subdues you beneath him. You can’t show it, but you’re glad you’re unable to see your husband’s face—it’s much too shameful to do so, if not terrifying.

But thrilling

“With the sight of your loyal wife, oh so dedicated to the heir…”

“St—Stop it To—Toj—ah!” you gasp when he pulls you by the hair, raising your face and forcing you to see Naoya, but with all the pleasure he’s giving you, you’re simply not there. “T—To—ji…!”

“And yet, here she is. Taking a monkey like me, right in front of your dear husband, like her life depended on it!”

“N—No…!” is what you manage to gasp through the brief seconds of awareness, doing your best to not show the feelings he was pushing your body through—obviously failing. “Don’t—don’t say—!”

You weren’t oblivious to this treatment.

After all, Naoya could be rough, borderline cruel, teasing, and yet…

He was nothing compared to Toji.

It’s always been like that. Even when many denied it, Toji was just on another level, and if his merits in the world of jujutsu didn’t show that, your incessant moans proved so.

“To—ji—Toji….!”

Naoya had long begun to feel as if he were watching something he shouldn’t—as if he were intruding on a couple’s intimacy, and not as if he were your husband, the partner in question…

But with the way Toji was fucking you, manhandling you into positions he wasn’t even aware he could do, less you tolerate… it’s like he was the one invited over for a threesome, and not the other way around.

“Look at her, Naoya.” He smirks, licking his lips as he continues pounding against you in the nth position that night—the one Naoya hated the most, for it forced him to take a good look at what was happening to you.

Toji had you with your legs raised, arms keeping you still and hands locked behind your head as his cocked plunged deep and viciously deeper into you, a lewd sight that Naoya couldn’t avoid due to the nature of this position.

Naoya could take any situation, perhaps even naively hoped that he would be able to withstand more of this if he didn’t get to see how Toji fucked you…  but he knew he had lost control of the situation the moment his cousin set his eyes on you, and now, couldn’t do anything but stare at the libidinous fact of his cock claiming your entrance repeatedly as you lose yourself into the pleasure.

“Look at the way her cunt takes me.”

Your husband doesn’t respond, he can’t, not when his gaze is solely focused on your blank eyes, mouth agape, drooling, while your moans reveal the overwhelming extent of pleasure he knows he’s never given you.

“She’s squeezing me so tight, it’s like she doesn’t want to let go!” Toji laughs, and really, he’s happy you don’t—this is confidently a thrill he hasn’t experienced in a long time, if ever!

It felt almost demoralizing to do such a thing, but yet, what will a man like him know about morale? Or even care after all the horrible things he’s gone through?

“Do you even fuck her right, cousin?”

He looks forward to keeping this moment in his heart till the end of his days…

If not longer, as the revelation that suddenly crosses his mind implies, the only moment that would snap you and Naoya out of trance when acknowledging this wasn’t just senseless rambles of a man drunken in pleasure, but a threat to their relationship, if not the clan.

“I can’t wait to see the look on everyone’s faces once they figure out you’re pregnant with my kid.”

“Toji, don’t—” Naoya gasps, eyes snapping to his.

“N—No, To—Toji! is what little manage to muster before Toji locks you in on place once more, as if reminding you of your position before one of his hands snakes down to tease your sensitive bud, fingers roughly squeezing and twisting it, making you moan and tense as your orgasm pushes you closer and closer the edge—a sensation Toji can delightfully feel building up in his throbbing cock as well. “Ple—please Toji!”

Please what?

Please don’t cum inside you?

Or please cum inside you?

You don’t know at that point anymore.

But not that it matters, it’s not a decision for you to make anyways, not when he continues to plunge his cock against you, deeper as he could reach, bruising your cervix, against that spot that has you seeing stars, a few more strokes, and then—

He cums.

He cums, letting out all of his warm, thick seed into your tight walls, and filling you to the brim. Deep inside your core and with an extravagant amount you couldn’t hold, managing to escape through the rim of your entrance and drip down onto the sheets, a sight Naoya could not peel his eyes away from, reinforcing the overwhelming feeling of wrongness against all, and yet… he did nothing to stop it.

Naoya didn’t fight it, didn’t push his cousin away or even condemn him.

He just watched everything unfold, the same way you did through your hazed eyes, and took it.

“N—No…” you whimper, doing your best to raise your hands onto your face and hide from him, urge him to look away, but you couldn’t, and he didn’t, filling you with shame amidst your orgasm as Toji rubbed out the last wave of your release, unwittingly tightening against his still hard cock, making him moan in your ear. “D—don’t look, Naoya…”

“A baby.” Toji breathes, still high on his release—he doesn’t know if he really means it, or it’s just the side effect of his orgasm, but he’s too drunk to care. “A baby from a disgrace like me and a saint like you—I wonder what will come out of that?”

His cock suddenly slips out of your cunt while adjusting himself, accidentally splash some of it’s seed onto Naoya’s grasp. Your husband looks at it with utter disgust, but he can’t discern whether it’s for the fluid, the notion of you being pregnant with someone else’s child, or that he secretly enjoyed witnessing all this.

“But most importantly…” He breathes, raising his eyes to Naoya once more. “What will you tell the elders once they find out? How will you explain that your wife is carrying a bastard, simply because you wanted to see a disgrace like me fucking her?

“You—you won’t get her—one time isn’t enough.”

“Is that what you tell yourself?” He mocks, Naoya frowns. “I wouldn’t bet on it—"

Toji sighs, taking a deep breath before reaching for his cock, aligning it onto your entrance, giving it a teasing rub or two that quickly has you whining in reproach, trembling at the prospect of another session like this when you’ve barely rested—but moaning when he finally enters you, throwing your head back as he goes all the way back to your cervix, stretching your walls and pushing the rest of his seed out, before nestling the tip just where you he liked and staying there.

He smiles, raising your legs yet again, before beginning to thrust.

“After all, I’m not done yet.”

Neither you nor Naoya would bring this up again.

Keeping it a secret between the two, hoping the third wouldn’t use this as blackmail, offering whatever it took to hide this affair from the clan, even if the answer was one they weren’t sure if they wanted to listen, more so when Toji simply… eased them to not worry, telling them that:

“If I need anything, I’ll let you know.”

Although he knows it wouldn’t take long before one of you approaches him in the future for a similar affair, knows it’ll happen, it’s just a matter of time.

But whether it’ll be you, or Naoya… that’s something he’s thrilled to find out.

Omg. Well, that was interesting to write 😊 So long story short: if Naoya were to know this would happen, he would NOT invite Toji for a threesome hahaha. And in an ideal world, the thought of being with anyone else but your husband is enough to scare you away from it—as I told you, NaoyaxY/n is my way to go. It is what it is. So nope, no threesome with Toji. You're too intimidated by him anyways.

But does that mean I will deny myself from writing things like this? NOPE. Hahahaha I still hoped you enjoyed it!! Now I gotta write the Naoaki one….

Thank you so much for sending in this ask! I hope the hentai plot going on was good lol.

Take care, and hope to see you soon!!

[xjulixred45x]

♡I saw your Akaza reader headcannons and i loved it!!!:D what about a Gyutaro reader? You can choose if daki should be involved or not, that's all up to you!(I love your blog☆)

THERE'S NO GYUTARO WITHOUT DAKI! I'LL TAKE IT!! but it's a little short😅 more like a Drabble.

Imagine having had the same kind of life as Gyutaro. being the son of a prostitute, constantly being rejected for your appearance, living in poverty and having to eat insects, even your own mother wanting to get rid of you. that was the life life of Gyutaro!reader.

Gyutaro! The reader got used to living on his own, to having to resort to dirty tactics to stay alive, well, how else was he going to do it?

That's what he thought until his sister, Ume, came into his life. and everything took on a different color.

Ume was his pride and joy, since finally there was someone in his family who loved him sincerely and did not want to hurt him, however Gyutaro reader was very protective of Ume. teaching her his ways to survive. that together with his sister's beautiful appearance, made them prosper.

until no longer...

Ume one day stabbed a Samurai in the eye, they tied her up and burned her alive...when Reader was not there...when he arrived he was ambushed by the same samurai. killing him.

This is how the sibilings got to Hell.

The brothers became prominent Overlords, Gyutaro Reader with his brute strength and Ume/Daki with his charms and beauty, having many souls in his repertoire.

I highly doubt that they want to help the hotel, honestly. but I can see them having a kind of rivalry with other demons relevant to the plot, such as the Vees, since they are precisely considered their "replacement".

Alastor has known the brothers for quite some time, they have been in Hell before him and he definitely knows not to underestimate them. Of course, he doesn't consider that they are at his level (egocentric HDP) but he definitely doesn't have time to mess with them.

Finds Gyutaro reader's greedy attitude very interesting and funny, he believes he will go far, although first he should bathe more often and stop hurting himself so much! He sees his constant envy to others as good "fuel" for his success!

Alastor can definitely handle Ume/Daki's attitude well, although, with all due respect, he thinks she's the most insufferable lady he's ever interacted with in his afterlife. although again, she is charming in her own way.

Charlie really wants to believe in them, seriously! but... they don't really give you a good reason to do so. Gyutaro! reader is not like Angel on the level of "fucked up but he's good underneath it all" NO! is "FUCKED and only good with Daki/ume, the rest? Screw them!" and Gyutaro reader's jealous tendencies along with his aggressive attitude would make OBVIOUS that Charlie would not consider him a good candidate for the hotel.

with Daki/Ume, on the other hand, she could have a good relationship if she hits the right places (her ego) and thus have them as allies, play with her to dress up and buy luxurious things together (Charlie could even know a little more about how they ended up in hell like that). In general, much more manageable for Charlie than his brother.

Vaggie DOESN'T LIKE either of them, period. believe that Gyutaro! reader is an idiot and his sister is a spoiled brat. but when she gets into a fight with Gyutaro! reader after he learns that she "made his sister cry," Vaggie understands the depth of their bond a little better.

Lowkey, she thinks they are good siblings, but terrible people. She won't think twice before taking out the angelic spear and pointing it at them to defend the hotel from them. nothing too personal. really.

Angel Dust meets Daki/Ume from the entertainment district area in hell, both are well known and considered Sex Icons, so for quite a while Angel had to compete with her for ratings, which generated a long-lasting feud.

although Angel eventually gave up because he realized that Daki/Ume's mental maturity is that of a YOUNG GIRL, a teenager at most, so he is not hostile towards her, in fact he is somewhat jealous of her for having a brother like Gyutaro! reader who supports her and protects her from people like Val. For him, may they continue like this, may they be happy.

Husk is surprisingly the one who could have a better relationship with them, simply because he doesn't get involved in their affairs and therefore they don't get involved with him. You may even function as a father figure to them that they didn't know they needed.

Husk can handle Gyutaro!reader's aggressiveness (with food) and Ume/Daki's whims (with sweets) better than anyone else. In general, Husk is almost untouchable in the areas that have sibilings thanks to the fact that he is on his good side. (he probably also knows how young they died, so he unconsciously spoils them)

Sir Pentious is afraid of them, clearly, he doesn't want to be near them. yes Gyutaro! reader is close HE STRAIGHTENS UP immediately and doesn't make a sound. If Daki/Ume is around, he does everything he is told WITHOUT EXCEPTION.

Ironically, thanks to this, they find him funny and do nothing to him, even (along with Husk) he is one of the few characters in the Hotel that really amuses them. so KEEP LIKE THIS PENTIOUS!

Niffty....Gyutaro! The reader stays away from her, he only tolerates her for being Alastor's maid, but she gives him the creeps (remember that Gyutaro, apart from being a ✨BadBoy✨, looks like a Mantis).

ironically Daki/Ume enjoys spending time with Niffty to play and dress pretty. two mentally unstable women living together! What could go wrong :)

In general, most respect their Overlord status, and don't really want to mess with the indestructible duo. they know! They mess with one and they're screwed✨

Shares, reblogs and comments are very welcome!

[mermaid-trash]

CEO!Diluc x GN!Reader (SFW)

CEO!Diluc who hired you as his assistant because not only were you the most qualified candidate for the position, but you had also been the only candidate not to fawn over the young tycoon during the interview process.

CEO!Diluc who is caught off guard by the warmth that you bring to the office every day, and quickly becomes the one fawning over you; admiring your appearance from behind important papers that hide his flushed cheeks, waiting impatiently for the next time you enter his office with paperwork or a fresh cup of coffee in hand, all while trying to ignore the unfamiliar pounding of his heart.

CEO!Diluc who, against his own beliefs, engages in small talk with you every morning, asking how your weekend was and listening attentively to your response for the smallest scraps of information about your life, your likes and dislikes. Unbeknownst to him, the soft smile present on your face as you speak is mirrored on his own as he listens.

CEO!Diluc who more and more frequently catches himself thinking of you outside of work, when he drives past a café he thinks you would like or sees someone wearing a piece of clothing he thinks would look better on you, but convinces himself stubbornly that it doesn't mean anything.

CEO!Diluc who invites you to join him for lunch one day, simply so that he doesn't have to eat alone of course, and enjoys your company so much that he asks again the next day, and the next, until eventually he doesn't have to ask anymore. It becomes an unspoken part of your routine, to spend an hour together uninterrupted by work, sometimes chatting and sometimes just unwinding in a comfortable silence together.

CEO!Diluc who accidentally asks you out on a date during one of these lunch breaks. You had mentioned a restaurant in the city that you wanted to visit, and the words had escaped him before he could stop them: "We could go together tonight, if you like." His heart freezes at the stunned look you give him, but then you smile. It's wide and genuine, and Diluc realises that he desperately wants to see it again.

CEO!Diluc who spends the rest of the day panicking, suddenly aware of how underprepared for romance he feels. He isn't even certain that this is a date since neither of you had used that word and he doesn't want to presume anything, but still, this may be his only opportunity to spend an evening with you outside of work, and so he wants to make sure it's perfect for you.

CEO!Diluc who is obviously uncomfortable sitting at the small table opposite you, his eyes scanning the room constantly for anyone who may be watching him, judging him for this travesty of a date; he can barely even bring himself to look at you, so beautifully dressed up for him and lit by the flickering candle atop the white cloth covered table. He fears if he looks at you now, he may never want to look away.

CEO!Diluc who starts at the sound of your voice calling his name softly, his gaze suddenly jumping to your face and the concern written plainly on it. Biting your lip, you voice the question that had been playing on your mind all day until this moment: "Diluc, is this…is this a date?"

CEO!Diluc who freezes, warmth flooding his face as he searches blindly for the right answer. He fumbles, stuttering and stammering like a fool under your attentive gaze. In the end, he settles on a half answer: "I suppose that depends on what you would prefer." His head drops a little shamefully at his own hesitation; he was a coward, too afraid of rejection to take charge of the situation and affirm that yes, he wanted this to be a date.

CEO!Diluc who is pulled from his thoughts by the feeling of your hand grazing his, soft fingers intertwining with his in a firm, grounding grip. Shocked, he glances up at you and is greeted by a shy smile that makes your eyes twinkle far more beautifully than they had in the candlelight.

CEO!Diluc who's heart still hammers against his ribs erratically, but the young man finds it within himself to squeeze your fingers lightly in an unspoken assurance of his affections.

[caesarflickermans]

Part One: What we know

When exactly the rebels in the Capitol began gathering is unknown to us. We know there has been an undercover group “for several years” aiming to overthrow the Capitol (CF, 27). We also learn about Plutarch’s plans during the 10th Anniversary Interview, where Collins mentions that a tribute at the centre of the rebellion had been a plan for at least a decade, and hopes had been centered around candidates such as Finnick (SC).

There is no further information on when the underground group came into being, but we learn about several of their members, including Plutarch, Cinna, Tigris, Cressida, as well as her remaining team. We rightfully can speculate on Portia being included, too.

As this is my favourite element of the series to contemplate on, I have put together a timeline that  paraphrases my own thoughts!

Part Two: My own speculation

50 ADD: Haymitch’s Games as the spark for the rebellion

A young intern Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee works at his first Hunger Games; the second Quarter Quell. He is a direct witness to Haymitch's rebellious act and the Capitol's successful attempt to undermine it through direct action against the victor and potentially manipulating future footage of the Games. To Plutarch, this is the beginning of a rebellious act. Potentially, friends and family had already been lost to the mad king, but maybe the events of the 50th Games included more loss. Had someone powerful not dimmed, but brightened Haymitch's spark, maybe a rebellion could have ensued. Painted by injustices that the mad king had done to the people within the Capitol, and a belief that democracy serves Panem better, Plutarch begins to think about rebellion as a riddle: How could one end the tyranny?

50 ADD/51 ADD: Haymitch’s victory tour

Without a mentor, Haymitch needs company for his victory tour. Plutarch volunteers. This is his attempt to befriend, and eventually recruit, Haymitch to join his idea of an underground movement.

Mid 50s: Plutarch recruits Caesar Flickerman

Among the first people he recruits is Caesar Flickerman, whose feelings on the Capitol have made a 180 ever since he began to work closely with the tributes. As his job is to work close with tributes and mentors, Caesar is the perfect person to recruit and stay in contact with victors, as well as manipulate the viewership to pay close attention to a potential candidate. Over the years, they become close friends.

Late 50s/Early 60s: More allies join the rebellion

Victors such as Chaff, Beetee, and Lyme begin to join the rebellion. Within the Capitol, Plutarch recruits people such as Tigris—who he met as early as his intern years—to join their forces. They consider an escape to District 13 as their plan begins to take further shape. Most rebels only know of a few allies as to not compromise the mission.

Mid 60s: Searching for a Spartacus

As resources grow and a plan becomes realistic, Plutarch begins to look out for potential candidates. Several fail in the arena, and others do not spark a rebellion as he had hoped.

Plutarch establishes himself as a Head Gamemaker to have a stronger influence on future Games and their Gamemakers, as well as becoming a trusted advisor to Snow.

[The events of my fanfiction ‘She smelled like white roses’ take place here, where Plutarch befriends, falls in love with, and recruits Virgilia Snow, the wife of the President]

Late 60s: Reaching out to District 13 and recruiting more allies

Plutarch finds life in District 13, making his plan to escape to 13 even more viable. He also recruits people such as Cressida and Cinna, the latter who is an aspiring designer and promises to jump in on last notice to a potential District.

Cinna’s role in the rebellion is to wait for a potential candidate, and aid in their appearance before the Games. He has prepared several designs for several Districts.

74 ADD, 74th Reaping Day

Katniss’ volunteering brings hope to a stagnant underground movement. Several things are set into motion, including replacing District 12’s stylist with Cinna on very short notice.

74 ADD, Pre-Games

Katniss notes that a Gamemaker keeps watching her. As Plutarch reveals later that he was present during the score evaluation (CF, 6), we can theorise he might have watched her during the training days as well (THG, 7). It can be theorised that Plutarch was, in part, responsible for Katniss high score. Secretly wishing to give her attention and a fighting chance, he might have pretended to be offended and wanting to punish her. In addition, he might have advocated to include a bow and arrow 'to make the Games more interesting' if one had not been included prior.

Caesar as a potential ally might have spoken to Haymitch about Peeta's plan and, in turn, asked Peeta about a love back home as well as encouraging Katniss to spin her dress. The interviews work perfectly in favour of the rebellion.

74 ADD, The 74th Games

I assume that the rebels, specifically Plutarch and Virgilia Snow, convinced Seneca to perform a rule change. Seneca, in hopes to continue as a Head Gamemaker for the third Quarter Quell, would have been more willed to impress President Snow. The rule change might have always been a temporary idea, withdrawn at the last minute for maximum entertainment.

74 ADD, Post-Games

Katniss excels far beyond what the underground movement might have hoped for. The early waves of rebellion grow fast, leaving the rebellion to try and set into motion Plutarch’s return to Head Gamemaker status—a process aided by someone close to the President; his wife Virgilia.

Shortly after the end of the 74th Games, the plans for the 75th arena’s layout begin.

75 ADD, The Victory Tour and the Quarter Quell announcement

By the time that Katniss arrives at the Capitol for her victory tour, the flames of rebellion have grown ever further. Plutarch only needs to fuel them and get the main part of the rebels to 13. Many have questioned the extent of the rebellion's plans when he speaks to her.

When Plutarch mentions that "arenas aren't built in a day" (CF, 6), it is unlikely that he directly refers to the process of building arenas. Instead, his words mirror the sentiment that "Rome wasn't built in a day", thus potentially indicating that the rebellion, and the idea of rebellion, needs time to grow.

In addition, a general assumption is that Plutarch did, at that time, not intend for the Quarter Quell to exist in the shape it came to exist. A quote used in favour of this interpretation is that he later stated that "I never dreamed you'd be a tribute again" (CF, 27). This is similar in the movie, where the Quarter Quell premise was only changed after Gale's whipping which occurs after the victory tour.

While it is therefore true that the rebellion had not yet influenced the Quarter Quell premise, it does not indicate that this was not Plutarch's plan all along, simply that he had not yet had the opportunity to adjust the Quarter Quell to his liking.

75 ADD, Post Quarter Quell announcement

Plans are brought into motion, final arrangements with District 13 are being made. The rebels are finally seeing their plans brought to life.

Cinna begins his design plans for Katniss’ mockingjay suit and hands them to Plutarch shortly before the beginning of the Quarter Quell.

The victors are informed about the final plan of the Quarter Quell right before its start, and only in the extent necessary for each individual victor. They learn about the bread code and several plans are laid out that Katniss can escape; the lightning tree not being the sole solution. I assume there are several plans as the bread code changes from four days (without Beetee) to three days (with Beetee). It would also be surprising if Plutarch didn’t have a plan B up his sleeves.

Lastly, I take it that the destruction of the arena was not truly necessary, as hovercrafts get in and out all the time (with or without the help of an inside source). Plutarch might simply have favoured the metaphor of a physically destroyed arena.

[delicatedevils]

𝐇𝐔𝐃𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐓 : 𝐀 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐅 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘;

❝ ... Well I think I've gone mad, isn't that so sad? What a shame you lost a brain you never had ... ❞

hudson frost (cismale, he/him) is twenty-nine, has been in blue harbor for approximately three weeks and currently resides in weaver ridge. He works as a bartender at the vault and kind of looks a lot like drew starkey. People around town would describe him to be +honest and +adventurous, but also -sarcastic and -temperamental.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐒;

Full Name: Hudson Caleb Frost

Age: 29

Date Of Birth: 15 September 1995

Zodiac: Virgo

Parents: Steven Frost and Michelle Dixon

Siblings: Two older siblings

Orientation: Heterosexual

Occupation: Bartender at The Vault

Languages: English

Positive: Candid, adventurous, daring, confident

Negative: Sarcastic, temperamental, stubborn, deceitful

CONNECTIONS | PINTEREST

𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘; (TW drugs, violence)

Hudson Frost was born into an almost underwhelmingly normal family, in a completely normal neighbourhood in Kentucky, with two perfect, stuffy older siblings. His mother was a primary school teacher, his father a bank teller. Anyone who observed the Frost family from the outside would have concluded that they had all the makings of a perfect family; yet Hudson was unmoored. A wildcard from the day he was born.

He wasn’t a troubled child, but his parents used to say to all of their equally normal friends and colleagues that he emerged from the womb with an attitude, and that attitude stuck with him all through adolescence (often getting him into fights, much to the abhorrence and tired frustration of his mother). He was a nightmare in classes, being a nuisance and making smart mouth comments wherever possible. After his fourth expulsion, Hudson's parents were at a loss. What were they supposed to do about the kid who seemed hellbent on bringing embarrassment to the Frost family? Boarding school seemed to be the only option, but freedom from the constraints of his family only enabled Hudson further. To the school's credit, they were persistent in steering him towards a good path laid out with a good future (helped by the investment his parents were making to keep him there) however, they too reached a tolerance limit. He was finally kicked out at sixteen, and Hudson's parents washed their hands of their wayward child. And that's when his life began.

By his early twenties, Hudson had seen pretty much every corner of America there was to see; he did enough odd jobs to keep himself alive and made sure to never stay in one place too long. To be tethered was the equivalent of death. He revelled in being a twenty-something with no real skills or prospects. As long as the money was coming and the parties were good. It seemed only natural that Hudson would eventually fall into the recreational-drug-user-turned dealer pipeline. How could he not? It paid better than any yard cleaning job, and was considerably less work for him. As it turned out, For someone who appeared so unapproachable, Hudson had a certain charm to him that he could use to his advantage if he needed to. Somehow, people seemed drawn to his chronically lazy nonchalance; would they be the lucky one to make Hudson Frost express a real emotion? He was happy to sell the idea if it helped sell the product. Employee of the month, eat your heart out.

As his clientele grew, so did his confidence, which festered into arrogance, into sloppiness. He started short-changing his clients, even stealing from them sometimes, if he thought he could get away with it. How would they know? Hudson didn't see it as an issue, but smart business. His reckless abandon failed to inform him that he might be putting himself into danger. Until it hit him over the head. Literally. Waking up in a Los Angeles hospital with three broken ribs, broken jaw and shattered collarbone knocked some sense into him, but not without a strong warning. You owe us, or next time you're dead.

Scared straight just enough to leave town, Hudson sought out the most inconspicuous-without-wanting-to-stab-his-eyes-out-boring place he could think of to lay low: Illinois. And so here he is, freshly arrived with a bullshit resume, a poorly devised cover story and a deep pit in his stomach that's telling him, now you've started running, you can never stop.

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒;

TBC!

[japhgura]

The Zanpakutō Arc is my favourite arc of the anime. 

Really weird pick, I know. But when I saw it for the first time when I was much younger I loved all the cool spirits, I’ve always been super in love with the concept of Zanpakutō and getting a look into what the spirits are for everyone was so cool.  

When I rewatched the Arc, I realized that I still very much love the arc, but for different reasons. Namely, the Antagonist, Muramasa. I love his motives, how he goes about stuff and his character. He might be my favourite character in all of Bleach and this is a filler arc. 

But as much as I realized my love for the antagonist, I noticed that the stories of the Zanpakutō Spirits, as well as the designs and what they’re like seemed... Very lacklustre. I get that it’s filler and character development or anything isn’t allowed but.. oof. 

This turned out rather long so the rest is under the cut, including Kazeshini mini-makeover!

So one day, I wanna rewrite that Arc and give it as much love as it deserves. Kind of a passion project that would take a shit ton of work, but the end product would be something I could not only enjoy and share, but look back on fondly for a very long time. 

When/if I do that there’s a few things I wanna do for it. 

We’re gonna play by AEIWAM (by @gallusrostromegallus, go look at the tag) rules.  

Bleach without mods is very hard to play after having experienced Aeiwam and I can’t go back anymore.

This would very much be just me joining the bandwagon of creators playing in Gallus’ sandbox of wonder, but Aeiwam is what got me back into Bleach and the world building is too gooddddd. So, Zanpakutō Arc would once again be more of a filler (though Gallus if you find anything in it that you like please feel free to pick and choose if I ever manage to write this) 

The Spirits need some serious make overs. 

 While some designs are cool, others are kind of uninspired and really do feel like filler. Some of the personalities are stereotypes pretending to be characters. The whole Haineko, Tobiume, Hyōrinmaru love triangle was kinda weird imho. Stuff like, just put a bit more autistic special interest spice in it, make it more funky. Spend actual quality time on the Zanpakutō spirits, their appearance, their characters and their relationships. Have more funky things like Itegumo the Avalanche (Courtesy of @gallusrostromegalus). Spirits like Hōzukimaru and Ruriirokujaku would are prime candidates f.E.

3. Muramasa deserves better.

For real. Did not deserve to turn into glitter after breaking himself over and over for his Shinigami. Absolute Love and Loyalty met with nothing but hatred. The guy stabbed him and broke the sword and Muramasa was still nothing but loyal.

Fun Fact: Maegawa's first appearance was in a story we later called Zanpakutō Stories: Stockholm Syndrome. Very good time.

Her powers were made specifically to be able to save him from death by getting the hollows out of him without hurting him.

Her name is a bit of a wordplay. Asahi, the morning sun of a new day. And especially Maegawa. Muramasa expresses multiple times to his Shinigami to leave behind the past and look forward. To move forward. Together.

Maegawa, roughly translated: forward river. Pretty on the nose, but I couldn't resist

Actual cool stories between Zanpakutō and Shinigami.  

The conclusion of almost all sub stories between Shinigami and Sword Spirits was kind of a let down. The arc started strong in that regard, but then everyone broke swords left and right and they fixed it at the end with Mayuri Special Clown Magic. The premise of losing your powers forever if you kill your Zanpakutō Spirit was very cool but eventually ignored and even subverted by the Shinigami starting to purposefully destroying the swords halfway through.  

It would be a lot cooler if instead of just defeating them in battle everyone has to properly engage their Zanpakutō spirit and work out whatever gripes Muramasa has drawn out and strengthened. 

In that same vein, here’s an example I was pondering for this arc. A prime suspect of both ?? Design and very very unsatisfying story conclusion: 

Kazeshini 

The design was always really out of left field for me. A rude, battle-hungry being of slaughter with random cloth for decency and a vaguely scythe like haircut. 

...And that’s... Shūhei’s Zanpakutō spirit? Shūhei from the 9th? Who doesn’t particularly enjoy bloodshed, is always ready to help others out and though trying to be edgy is actually very much a goof? That Shūhei?  

That never really clicked with me. 

I mean maybe it’s implied violent tendencies or some random blood thirst deep down but I never felt like we really had any proof for that with Shūhei himself. Though it might’ve very well have gone r/whoosh. I struggle retaining all the information sometimes.

But then I had a fun little thought. 

At his very core, I feel like Hisagi is someone whose just intrinsically helpful. He wants to help, to do whatever he can and to prove himself to others. 

He puts on a tough front and some people fall for it, but he’s actually extremely kind-hearted and a very hard worker. 

Why would his Zanpakutō spirit not share that trait? The trait that’s at his very core.  

Slaughter Demon Kazeshini is a front. A tough looking exterior from a Zanpakutō spirit that really just wants to help its Shinigami with all its heart. 

The moment I saw Shūhei’s Shikai for the first time I actually had to think of Naruto for a moment. And when I pondered what those scythes might actually look like my thoughts returned to that thought: Kamaitachi.  

("Kamaitachi" (鎌鼬) from the Kyōka Hyaku Monogatari by Masasumi Ryūkansaijin)

Kamaitachi are yōkai that resemble weasels with scythe-like front claws riding on dust storms. Now the version I’ve sketched is a ferret because I can’t keep my wiggly guys apart apparently, but also has the scythes more ferret-forearm-area. But Kamaitachi were the inspiration. 

So this little guy is giddy as all hells when the Shikai first happens. Finally he can help his shinigami!! He’ll do his best and they’ll be so cool together and- 

Shūhei looks at his blades in a mix of shock and repulsion. “They look like they reap life itself” 

He hates his shikai. 

Kazeshini is distraught. Why..? Why the hatred for their blades? Fear? He doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t know _how to help_. But he wants to help! He needs to help! 

And then he gets an idea.

He needs Shūhei to hate _him_. Not the blades. He needs Shūhei to be stubborn, to use these blades and become stronger.  

So Kazeshini comes up with a plan. Shūhei doesn’t know his true form yet. He hasn’t seen the little ferret trying so hard to be a sword spirit he can rely on. And then Kazeshini does what he learned from Shūhei.  

He puts on a front.  

And that front is the rude Slaughter Demon Kazeshini, who never fails to infuriate Shūhei, to infuriate him to want to become stronger. To get Shūhei to show him that his blades can be used for more than death. 

Their Zanpakutō Arc story would be this little communication disaster falling in on itself and Shūhei finally seeing Kazeshini for what he really is and coming to terms with the blades (and himself in a way)

(The initial idea was that Kazeshini sees Hisagi's hatred for a part of himself (Hisagi hating Hisagi I mean) made manifest in the blades and decides to redirect Hisagi's hatred against his own soul toward itself to protect him, but since Zanpakutō spirits in Aeiwam work a little different I thought I'll need that overhaul that a little hehe)

But yeah, there we have it. This has been steeping in my brain soup for a very long time. But I really need to finish Maegawa Backstory before I start anything else haha

[khaleesiofalicante]

You know what would make you feel better!

Did you read Cassandra Clare’s newsletter Better-er in Black?

It’s hilarious and an April’s fools joke but man I’d love to read some of those! 😂😂

Feel better love! -Bri

If you didn’t get it here’s a copy!

Hi readers! Spring is truly here, and along with it I have an announcement I think you’ll enjoy. As you know, I recently revealed the ten romantic relationships that will form the basis of the ten stories in Better In Black, a collection themed around love and romance. Since that post I’ve been veritably drowned in a sea of requests for other relationships to get their own stories. So rather than the originally planned ten stories, I will somehow be producing, while writing the first Wicked Powers at the same time, twelve extra stories, which will be compiled in a lengthy blog post called Better-er In Black.

Below find the relationships for the previously unannounced stories, as well as a brief summary. I’ve tried to capture the ones that had the highest demand, so apologies if your favorite didn’t make it.

Thule!Jace/Thule!Clary

A short while after the defeat of Valentine, Thule!Clary begins her Shadowhunter training with Thule!Jace, but their romance, finally allowed to truly blossom, means neither of them can keep their mind on fencing for very long. Note that at this point in the story Thule hasn’t actually diverged from the main world of the Shadowhunter books, so the text here is exactly identical to Chapter Two of City of Fallen Angels. However, the word THULE has been stamped on every page in bright red letters, to remind you.

Lightwoods/Blackthorns

In 1412, as a result of an epic, high-stakes beef stew cook-off, eight Lightwoods and nine Blackthorns gathered in East Sussex, at the site of the Battle of Hastings, where in 1066 William defeated the English king to secure the Norman Conquest of England, for a truly massive orgy. This…is that orgy.

Magnus/Abraham Lincoln

In 1858, Magnus Bane travels to Springfield, Illinois to help his friend, lawyer and future President Abraham Lincoln, prepare for his series of upcoming debates with rival candidate Stephen Douglas. He buys Abraham Lincoln a comically tall top hat, and somehow Abraham Lincoln pulls it off. As their debate prep grows more intense, they eventually fall into one another’s arms, and the fire of their love will tear the roof from the Illinois State House. Possibly literally.

Valentine/Valentine

One day while shaving, Valentine catches sight of himself in the mirror, and is utterly struck with his own beauty. That jawline! Those cheekbones! Valentine can barely look away as the figure within the mirror raises one eyebrow enticingly. He catches the other man’s gaze and stares him down. He dares him to look away first, but neither of them will break eye contact. Truly, Valentine has never before known the kind of respect and desire he feels for this hot blond man before him. Eventually, Jocelyn comes upstairs when he doesn’t appear for breakfast and finds him sloppily open-mouth-kissing the mirror. She tactfully doesn’t ask any questions and hurries him out of there. Unfortunately, he doesn’t remember, and she doesn’t notice, that he has only shaved the left half of his face. Havoc ensues among the Circle.

Kraig/Kraig’s Retirement Party

When Kraig’s parents unexpectedly visit him in London for the weekend, it turns out he has been pretending to them to be in a serious long-term relationship, and when they arrive they’ll surely find out he’s single. Now the attendees of his retirement party must pretend to be his polycule to fool his parents. But who can say what the fake romance might demand Kraig and his retirement party do to keep the deception going? And what the results might reveal of feelings long held secret….

Asmodeus/Astaroth/Azazel/Belial/Belphegor/Leviathan/Mammon/Sammael

The scene immediately following the epilogue of Lost Book of the White. I don’t really get why people are always asking for this one, guys, it’s gonna be super gross. I guess, as the old fandom saying goes, “You ask for the tentacles, you get the tentacles.”

Jude/Cardan

I mean what’s she going to do, sue me?

Luke/Fassandra Flare

In an alternate universe, Jocelyn is away on a ten-year-long mission to Antarctica. One day a red-haired writer of fantasy for teens and adults named Fassandra shows up at the New York Institute and guess what? She is the best Shadowhunter of them all, and wows the rest of our heroes with her incredible skills at sword fighting, knowledge of demons, motorcycle riding, witty banter, mixing poisons, performing autopsies, singing, and skateboarding. Jace wants to smooch her, but is rejected because he is too young by, like, decades. Luke loves her, but sadly before they can kiss he holds a signing event for her at his bookstore and is trampled to death by people looking for pens, since Luke forgot to provide any.

Reginald

Prospective marriage partners from across the globe come to take an audience with Reginald and propose to him a romance that would be known for eternity, a legendary love that would write its name in stars across the sky. He rejects them all and eventually falls asleep in a picnic basket.

AU!Simon/Isabelle

A no-magic AU in which Simon is a plain, mousy, shy college student in the Pacific Northwest who meets dashing, dangerous billionaire entrepreneur Isabelle Lightwood. Sparks fly when Isabelle’s past brings unexpected darkness to their affair. I had this idea one night after falling asleep in front of something on streaming, I can’t remember what it was.

Cortana/Excalibur

It may seem glamorous, but it’s hard being of the same steel and temper of Joyeuse and Durendal! The life of a legendary magic sword is just go, go, go, busy, busy, busy, and nobody could possibly understand…or could they? A chance meeting on the battlefield brings together two swords who couldn’t be more different—until they start to realize how much they have in common, such as having been forged in faery fire by Wayland the Smith and also constantly being used to stab people. Taylor Swift songfic.

Ragnor Fell/Batman

I’ve just always thought they would get along.

Happy April 1st!

- Cassie

I did see this and IT WAS THE FUNNIEST THING EVER.

Also, this is such a passive aggressive fuck you to all the people who bullied her about the pairings lmao.

[ivan-fyodorovich-k]

Maresuke Nogi was always his own toughest critic. Emperor Meiji trusted him and appointed him to high military posts in Japan: general in the imperial army, governor-general of Taiwan. But we all make mistakes, and Nogi’s lapses gnawed at him. Twice he requested the emperor’s leave to commit ritual suicide. Each time, the emperor refused. In Nogi’s home, now a quiet shrine in a Tokyo meadow, you can see pictures of Nogi reading the newspaper on September 13, 1912, the morning of his boss’s funeral. No one was left to stop him. Near the photo you can see the sword he used later that day to disembowel himself.

I raise the example of General Nogi to encourage present-day leaders (military, political, educational) to take a much more modest step. They should offer to resign—often, and both in times of trouble and in times of calm. This weekend, the president of the University of Pennsylvania, Liz Magill, did the honorable thing, and the chair of Penn’s board, Scott Bok, followed his kōhai’s example shortly after. Magill resigned because she, along with Harvard President Claudine Gay and MIT President Sally Kornbluth, performed abysmally under questioning in Congress. Their inquisitor, upstate New York’s Elise Stefanik, a Republican, asked them whether chanting genocidal slogans violated their universities’ policies. It depends on the context, they all said, on the advice of counsel and the worst PR teams money can buy. Within days, Magill and Gay conceded that their answers had not been ideal. Gay is facing calls for her resignation, too.

Resign. Resign. Everyone: resign. Resignation has come to mean failure, something one does when cornered, caught dead to rights, incapable of continuing for even another day. It should be an act of honor—a high point in a career of service. It isn’t shameful. It is noble. It is the first and sometimes only step in the expiation of shame, and (ironically) the ultimate sign of one’s fitness for office.

No one demonstrates the value of these traits better than those who lack them entirely. I thought of Nogi’s katana, flashing from its scabbard, last week when the House voted to expel George Santos, Stefanik’s colleague in New York’s Republican delegation. The House almost never kicks anyone out, mainly because those facing expulsion have in the past tended to resign rather than weather the indignity of an expulsion vote. Santos is taking his ouster well and posting prolifically on TikTok. A psychologically normal person would have resigned the instant his tower of lies showed signs of wobbling. To let it crash down, then dance around the rubble of that tower until the orderlies arrive and pull you away, is truly mad behavior, and a demonstration of unfitness for the job, or indeed any job other than TikTok star.

I cannot prove this, but I believe the tendency to stick it out rather than resign started roughly when Representative Anthony Weiner (New York again, this time a Democrat) called a press conference to discuss whether he had, in fact, tweeted a picture of his penis, tumescent in his underwear. He could have just quit, and eventually he did (but lived to humiliate himself another day). But that pause to hold a press conference broke the seal on something dangerous, the idea that one can talk one’s way through a mortification. To take the podium and subject oneself to hostile questioning under those circumstances bespoke a delusionary chutzpah.

It soon became clear that anyone socially defective enough to persist through a scandal has a good chance of surviving it. By the time then-candidate Donald Trump (Republican, guess where) appeared on the Access Hollywood tape, describing his hobby of sexually assaulting women, it ceased to be obvious that at some point one should tap out and go home. If you have no shame, and you refuse to go, there might not be anyone out there who can make you. Mechanisms exist, as the Santos case shows. But the mechanisms were devised to govern people from another time, sensitive to ridicule and guffaws.

One should be ready for criticism, both earned and unearned. But resignation—more precisely, the offer of resignation—is an expression of confidence, both in oneself and in one’s employers or constituents. A board can reject a resignation. Voters can turn out in the streets to beg you to reconsider, or can turn out at the ballot to vote you back in. In fact, the more defensible one’s position, the greater esteem we should show for the one who offers to leave it. Call this the Nogi rule.

Harvard’s Claudine Gay evidently believed that she’d erred, because she reverted immediately to damage-control mode after leaving Washington. The next day, she told the Crimson that her testimony did not represent “my truth”—that is, that she disapproves of genocidal anti-Semitism. (This is an extreme example of the political axiom “If you’re explaining, you’re losing.”) Her original answer before Congress lacked any visceral disapproval of anti-Semitism, certainly none to match Harvard’s recent record of condemning speech deemed offensive to historically disadvantaged groups. Her affect was robotic, neutral. She showed no signs of concern at all.

But her neutrality was born of an honorable principle, well worth defending. It reflected the values of free expression in a modern interpretation of the First Amendment, under which anyone can say just about any foolish thing, as long as saying it isn’t about to cause someone else to break the law. If the “context” of a genocidal chant is a nonviolent rally, the university shouldn’t stop anyone from chanting. (It should examine its soul. But that is another matter.) If the context is a crowd of protesters with bricks in hand, running at a group of Jews, the university should expel or fire every demonstrator there, whether armed with a brick or a bullhorn. All three presidents should have said this, then added a note of contrition over their universities’ failure to uphold these principles of free expression in the past.

But I’ll say it again: Gay should resign. To offer her neck to Harvard’s Board of Overseers would show her confidence that its members, like Emperor Meiji, would see past her error and ask her to endure in her position. It would also demonstrate her willingness to own that error, to acknowledge it publicly and unselfishly. Maybe the board would accept her resignation, and maybe it would not. Either of these fates is better than the one she is courting. At the moment she is trying to wriggle out of her error, and clinging to her job as if her dignity depended on keeping it. Better to teach by example that the reverse is often true, that dignity depends on leaving a job—and that staying suggests that one has nothing else, once it is gone.

The greatest legacy a resignation leaves is the creation of a culture of resignation. One institution that, up until now, has had such a culture is the Israeli defense establishment. A few weeks ago, I spoke with a former Mossad official who assured me that the entire leadership of the Mossad and the Israel Defense Forces would, as soon as the Gaza war reached a satisfactory pause, resign from their positions. They would do so, he said, because resignation was the only honorable response to their failure to foresee and prevent Hamas’s attack on October 7. Their predecessors did so in 2006, after the very messy war with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and after several other episodes of modest failure in Israeli history. That they might stick around, slinking back to their offices as if hoping everyone forgot about their mistakes, would be inconceivable. In this context, one understands better the popular rage against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in whom the spirit of General Nogi is extinct: To this day, he is making the case to the Israeli right for his remaining their leader indefinitely.

One can’t get far in politics without a dogged willingness to destroy one’s critics and step on their corpses to reach the next height. But this is a minimal qualification for success, and everyone who attains high office, having climbed up from decades in the Senate or in departmental meetings, has it to an unusual degree. To persist is just to do what comes naturally for these people. To give up at the right moment—that is a quality against type, and a virtue possessed by the greatest of leaders. It is nevertheless available even to those who have hitherto shown no signs of greatness at all. Let it be said of them what is said in Macbeth of the Thane of Cawdor: that nothing became them in public service like the leaving it.

[artzychic27]

Please, I beg you: put the Coven Box in Scarlet Beetle and ikati Black! It’s just too good!

Alright, let’s see…

Maison Kurtzberg is dead

Nathaniel discovers the Coven Box in his room on the anniversary of his death, finds out he’s 1/64th warlock, and that his father was Scarlet Warlock, beloved underground hero of Paris until his untimely passing

With Maison now gone and seeing that Nathaniel has come of age, he is now the Guardian of the Coven Box and next in line to become the next Scarlet Warlock

Of course, Nathaniel’s freaking out, becuase how can he possibly live up to the standard his dad set?!

But the Kwamis assure him he’ll do well when the time comes

A week before the start of school, Nathaniel comes across an old man who introduces himself as Wang Fu, the Guardian of the Chinese Miracle Box

He has Nathaniel follow him to the massage parlor and warns him about the Butterfly Miraculous being discovered and used for evil purposes by an unknown user

He explains that the Ladybug Miraculous can be used to purify Akumas, but it needs a worthy holder and need to be balanced out by a holder worthy of the Black Cat Miraculous

So, naturally, he wants Nathaniel to choose someone

Nathaniel: WHAT?!

Master Fu: Yes, I trust your judgment.

Nathaniel: You just met me five minutes ago. How do you know I’m not some psycho?

Master Fu: You would’ve incapacitated me and ran off with the other Miraculous.

Nathaniel: … True. Okay, I’ll choose someone.

When the first day of school arrives, Nathaniel is terrified, because he’s worried he’ll choose the wrong holder and doom Paris once the Butterfly holder sends out an Akuma

So, Loki gives him a hand. After transforming into Nostradamus, he gets a glimpse into a limited number of possible futures, showing different people in his class with the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous

And, the best possible future is the one where Kim has the Ladybug and Max has the Black Cat

So, he’s got his answer

It works out well, they defeat Stoneheart… Then more Stonehearts appear, but they’re frozen, so that’s good!… The. Ivan gets Akumatized again and leads his Stoneheart army

After calming Nathaniel down and assuring him he made the right choice, Screech prompts him to transform into Scarlet Warlock and aide Scarlet Beetle and Ikati Black

He amplifies their powers, allowing Scarlet Beetle to create non-physical lucky charms such as a bright light to blind the Stoneheart army, and allows Ikati Black to destroy whatever he commands, and makes the ground crack under the Stoneheart army’s feet, trapping them in a deep hole

The Butterfly villain makes their appearance through a bunch of Akumas, introducing themself as Malachite (Malachite is a species of butterfly)

After Scarlet Beetle purifies the Akumas and defeats Stoneheart, Scarlet Warlock makes himself known to the other heroes

Of course, they’re freaking out, becuase there’s a new incarnation of the previous Scarlet Warlock

He informs them that he chose them to wield the Miraculous and that he’s the new Guardian of the Coven Box. Whenever they need backup, they can let him know until Master Fu is ready to make himself known

So, meanwhile, Nathaniel is scoping out possible holders for each Miraculous. He takes one Kwami with him to school so they can get a better look at those with potential

Here are the candidates

Lunaa: Aurore, Marinette, DJ

Faate: Reshma, Sabrina, Jean

Wiisp: Jean, Myléne,

Lokii: Juleka, Gerard

Slypph: Simon, Alya

Jabb: Denise, Ivan, Mindy, Spinelli

Hoppy: Lacey, Rose, Lotta, Adrien

Hiss: Ismael, Sabrina

Snapp: Marc, Austin T, Gia

Tazz: Zoé, Nino

Cammo: Cosette, Juleka,

Faawn: Mireille, Victoria

It’s not long before the media eventually catches wind of the new Scarlet Warlock, and now he’s being swarmed by reporters questioning if he’ll ever be able to live up to the previous hero, which pisses Nathaniel off a bit

While Scarlet Beetle and Ikati Black help take some of the attention off of him, there are still some nosy people

When a new Akuma arrives, Scarlet Beetle and Ikati Black realize they need a new ally, and Scarlet Warlock has the perfect choice

They meet Lady Nevermore, the Raven Heroine who’s able to defeat the unpredictable Akuma using her power to see into the future

And surprise, surprise, it’s Juleka!

She’s actually had a suspicion Nathaniel is Scarlet Warlock and it was confirmed when she caught him transforming. Of course, she let him know and gave him his word she wouldn’t tell anyone since she knows the consequence

It eas at that moment, Lokii found their holder

Meanwhile, in his civilian life, Nathaniel’s become quite enamored with a certain writer but has no idea how to go about it since Marc is clearly out of his league and probably has dozens of guys after him

Let this be a lesson. Even gorgeous people can be super antisocial introverts

Also, he’s been meeting with Master Fu on weekends to learn how to become better acquainted with the Coven Box. According to legend, Miracle Boxes part of a bloodline can form a connection with the Guardians, but as it gets passed down, that connection needs to be formed again to build familiarity

Soon, Nathaniel is able to turn to pages written by previous Scarlet Warlocks (And one Witch), which were locked by the Coven Box

And the best part… SPELLS! They kind of got the same vibe as Eclipsa’s spells, but they’re totally safe… Yeah, they are

Nathaniel doesn’t really have a reason to use them as Scarlet Warlock, but it’s pretty cool to know how to use magic

As more creative Akumas show up, Scarlet Warlock calls in more allies for Scarlet Beetle and Ikati Black- Scorpix, Pack Leader, Spotlight, Charmer, Nocturno, Killer Croc, Jane Doe, Wydowna, Kero, Sarcophia, Trioceros

They’re allowed to keep their Miraculous, but only transform when the situation calls for them so that so many Miraculous aren’t out all at once. It gives the users time to train themselves a little bit more, too

[only-lonely-stars]

A Bride for the Prince (Chapter 3 - Preparations)

[Prologue] // [Chapter 2 of 9] // [Chapter 3 of 9 - you are here!] // [Chapter 4 of 9] – (FFN) (AO3)

Part of the @ninjago-fairy-tale-au!

Summary:

Once upon a time, there lived a faithful and hardworking girl named Pixal Borg, who worked every day to satisfy her demanding stepmother. For years, she cleaned and cooked, giving no argument, until the day came when she met the prince. A Pixane Cinderella retelling.

Chapter summary:

The ladies of the Borg estate prepare to attend the festival, and Pixal gets creative.

As the king's festival drew closer to hand, the Borg household was thrown into a flurry of excitement and activity, such that there was no rest for anyone, especially Pixal.

Amaryllis was swept up in the excitement of the coming days. She sent for the best tailors, cobblers, jewelry makers, and more, so they might flatter her daughters with their work. Over the days, each came in his or her own turn to their estate, laden with tools and materials. They practiced their crafts with ease, creating beautiful gowns for Begonia and Columbine, which matched gorgeous new shoes and lovely jewelry. Bedecked in beautiful fabrics and jewels in such number, the two of them paraded around with aloofness, as if they were simply "nice." To Pixal in particular, they flaunted all their finery, in hopes of making her envious.

Amaryllis encouraged her daughters to ask after Prince Zane as if they were royalty, using the prestige of the Borg name to make themselves worthy candidates of his affection. One of her daughters was bound to catch the prince's eye eventually, and she would spare no expense in achieving such a goal, if only to raise one of them to royalty.

As they prepared and pranced, Pixal went about her days with little concern for them, doing her best to ignore their antics as tamp down any envy. However, she too was thrown into a flurry of work, and the excitement seized her too. The work they created in their excitement was such that her books were soon to collect dust, and she was displeased with such a possibility, but her mind wandered to possible ways to enjoy the festival herself. With such a thought in mind, she worked as quickly as she could, using her ever-growing vocabulary of spells to help her whenever her family could not see her. Her clip in particular was used copiously, to do immense amounts of laundry and clean rooms in half the time it would have taken her.

Eventually, however, the excitement got the better of Pixal as well, and she began to dream about the festival in greater amound. Only a couple of days away, it was to be a three-day affair of enormous proportion, only one hour's travel from the Borg estate. It was rumored that there would be games and shopping, and that the prince himself would be participating in each day's jousting tournament. He would take the favor of some lady and parade it high, so all the kingdom might see that he had taken interest in a woman to be his princess. Pixal thought it sounded almost foolish, as the prince would likely take a favour from every possible candidate, but nevertheless her heart beat quickly at the thought.

The day before the first festival day, Pixal built up her courage and sought out Amaryllis in the estate's gardens.

"Stepmother?" she asked.

At the sound of her voice, Amaryllis turned to her and frowned in distaste. "What is it, Pixal? Why are you disturbing me?"

"I have a request." Pixal folded her hands and nestled them in the folds of her skirt, intent on appearing meek. "I would like to go to the festival with you."

Her stepmother looked her up and down, appraising and disdainful. "You want to go to the festival. Do you even have anything to wear?"

"I do."

"It is not rags, is it? You must try to have a little dignity, Pixal."

"I do not only wear rags!" Pixal protested. "I have a dress to wear."

Her stepmother looked unimpressed. "Very well, then. If you are to go to the festival with us, you must prove that you deserve to attend. I will not have some dirty servant girl parading the Borg name through the mud."

"How must I do that?" Pixal asked, trepidation making her stomach churn.

"As you go about your day, you must do it without being touched by a single speck of dust. No member of my household may embarrass me with a poor appearance. If you are at all dirty, you may not attend with us. Go, clean yourself up. If you cannot do that, you cannot go."

Pixal agreed and left her stepmother's presence quickly. When she could, she washed herself carefully, scouring the dirt from her fingernails and the dust from her hair. Then she donned her cleanest day dress and continued with her day. Unfortunately, as she worked, she encountered her sisters.

"Pixal, there you are! I need my necklace polished," Begonia simpered. "It has corroded, see? You must use your strongest, blackest polish." She put the dirty necklace into Pixal's hand.

"Pixal the maid makes herself known! What an opportune time," Columbine crowed. "I need you to clean my bedroom. It's filthy!" She shoved a dusty, dirty shift into Pixal's other hand.

Pixal sighed. "I cannot do these things today. I need to stay clean, or Stepmother will not bring me with to the festival."

"That sounds like a problem for you to handle," Columbine said.

"We could always tell Mother that you aren't doing any work at all," Begonia threatened.

"What would she think if she heard that? So selfish."

"You had better do it!"

Pixal sighed again, wishing to every power above that she was not put in this situation, but unable to protest. "Very well..."

So she went and did as they had told her. Her hands became blackened with polish, and she could not clean it away from under her fingernails. As she cleaned, she became covered in dust, which she was unable to completely sweep away. The evening approached, and she only grew ever dirtier, having no time to clean herself up before the next task that was thrown upon her by her stepsisters. Her hope diminished every hour, but finally she found a time to slip away in private, right before her stepmother was to inspect her.

In the washroom, Pixal took out her hairclip. She had saved its uses that day, in hopes that she could do this. She took a deep breath. "Salva me in opere… make me as clean as snow."

Within moments, the clip began to glow, and an apparition came forth from it. It cleaned her and her clothing, and when it was done, one would think she was royalty if not for her plain dress and hair. She examined herself in the looking glass and smiled. Surely her mother could not find fault in her magically clean looks. Though Amaryllis hated her, she could not deny her this.

When Amaryllis saw Pixal, she frowned deeply, and for a moment, Pixal thought she had done it. Amaryllis examined Pixal very closely, but found nothing, searching even the smallest things. When she was done, she shook her head. "I see that you were very careful. You are perfectly clean. However, since you are, you were no doubt also lazy, to be so untouched. A lazy girl cannot come with us to the festival– I would be shamed!"

Pixal stared at her in shock. "I was not lazy, Stepmother! I polished Begonia's necklace and I cleaned Columbine's room, plus all my usual chores! I did everything asked of me!"

"None of Begonia's necklaces needed polishing, Pixal. Even if you did, your hands would have been blackened! I see no polish on you." Amaryllis glared at her. "Furthermore, Columbine's room is always clean. If you had been told to clean it, would you not be covered in dust? You must not have done that either."

Pixal fumbled for an explanation. "I scrubbed my hands and changed my clothes, Stepmother. I was very careful!"

Her stepmother looked at her in unmasked exasperation. "I'm sure you did. You will not be coming with us. This conversation is over."

-----

The next morning, Amaryllis, Begonia, and Columbine all left for the festival. Each was decked in finery– lovely dresses, jewelry, and shoes, each brand new. They laughed as they prepared, and the two sisters twirled and flounced their skirts, sure that they would catch some noble eye, if not the prince himself, and marry into riches and luxury. Both came to Pixal in turn and taunted her before piling into their carriage, jeering.

"It's such a shame you can't join us, Pixal. You could have met the prince!"

"Really, it truly is. I can't imagine how dreadfully boring it will be here, home alone."

"Meanwhile, we will be meeting Prince Zane and sweeping him off his feet."

"More like he will be sweeping me off mine!"

"He won't pay attention to you! I'll be his favorite!"

Still bickering, Begonia and Columbine climbed into the carriage. Amaryllis hung back for a moment, and Pixal's skin crawled. "Perhaps if you were more industrious, you could come," Amaryllis said lowly, and then she entered. Then they were off, and Pixal was left alone at the estate.

Pixal sighed as she watched them go. Deep in her heart, she knew there was no way they would have let her come, anyway. She would not be able to go with their knowledge or approval...however, she knew a way she might go to the festival without them. If she did, she might have some fun; she would be free for a day, would she not? With that dream in mind, she went back to her basement room.

When she arrived, she pried open the loose wall board and took out her purple dress and shoes, which she had received when her father gave her the clip. She donned them carefully, gingerly clasping the bodice around her stays. Just as she had hoped, they still fit her perfectly, and were in the same condition she had received them. Happily, she spun around, watching the skirt twirl out.

With her first difficulty solved, Pixal began to ponder the second. Her family would not notice if she did not clean for one day, but she had to be able to leave, or it was pointless. Thus, she needed a solution. As she pondered her situation, she wandered the estate. She passed by the road outside, and then an idea struck her.

Ten minutes later, with a spell tome in her hand, Pixal came back to the road. She opened the tome to a specific page, and then pulled some kitchen herbs from her pocket. She placed them on the ground and began to recite a spell from her book, carefully checking the pronunciation before she did so. "Ut me ad requireris..."

Immediately, the herbs began to smoke green and blue, creating a plume that rose high into the sky. It sparkled with magical energy, glowing slightly. It seemed as if all else around it became slightly darker, but it did not trouble her. With a deep breath, Pixal closed her tome, pocketed the extra herbs, and walked into the column of smoke.

-----

When Pixal next opened her eyes, the smoke was gone. She stood in a small clearing, behind some sort of stall. She took a few steps forward and looked around. Sure enough, she was at the festival! Her spell had worked!

She ran back to behind the stall and put the cloth over her book, nestling it in a little hollow with some more herbs. If it stayed hidden all day, she would be able to return easily. The festival was waiting for her, and she would spend all day, knowing her family would not return until long after nightfall.

Having set her course of action, Pixal turned to face the road. Her family may have denied her, but Pixal would be attending the festival despite them. For the first time in a very long time, she would have some time for fun on her own– freedom was hers for the day, and she could do whatever she wished, if she only knew where to start.

-----

Ut me ad requireris = "Take me to the festival."

[mwsa-member]

The Art of War Plus The Art of Politics: Strategy for Campaigns: Special 10th Anniversary Edition by Shawn R. Frost, Sun Tzu, Gary Gagliardi (translator)

MWSA Review Pending  

Author's Synopsis

A winning playbook ten years in the making!

Why did we write this book? After avoiding political involvement for decades, I got frustrated and had an axe to grind and needed a practical guide to winning in politics for non-political-science-majors. That book didn’t exist, so we wrote it.

We first published much of this book in 2014 before Shawn's SUCCESSFUL run for School Board. He defeated a two-term incumbent, named Disney, who was the President of the State School Board Association. When Frost beat Disney by almost 10 points, local journalist Russ Lemmon referred to it as a "Shocking" victory and spent several column inches of front page real estate speculating on how a first time candidate beat a powerhouse named Disney. We knew it boiled down to two words: Better Strategy.

Reasons to buy this book: You want to WIN

"All of Politics is Local, but the science of strategy (winning) is universal and timeless."- Political Sun Tzu™

You want to sharpen the most powerful weapon in any contest, the human mind.

If your opponent reads this book, and you don't, it's over for your campaign

You want to follow in the path of a consultant with an almost 94% win rate over 5 cycles

Here’s what’s different about this book: This builds on The Art of War plus the Art of Politics: Strategy for Campaigns by Gagliardi and Frost (2014) by adding an epilogue by Frost "10 years on the front lines of politics and the culture wars", Political Sun Tzu Key Concepts throughout, and End of Chapter Summaries to highlight key points from the past 10 years on the political battlefield and hard-won lessons.

This book is two books in one: on the left hand page is Gary Gagliardi's award winning translation of Sun Tzu's Bing Fa (Chinese) as The Art of War (English) and the facing page is the political interpretation. Much of this book was first published as “Sun Tzu’s Art of War plus the Art of Politics: Strategy for Campaigns” Feb 10, 2014, ISBN: 9781929194728

Does this book even work? Yes, it absolutely does. When we wrote this book, I hadn’t even been a candidate, let alone an award-winning political consultant and campaign educator and it delivered massive wins for me and our clients. This is the guidebook used to help shape the political landscape in Florida since 2014. The primary author, Shawn R. Frost, has used this book to get bills passed, candidates elected, and help launch political committees and movements.

The updates in this Special 10th Anniversary Edition add to that winning formula.

Frost's former clients, friends and colleagues regularly appear on FoxNews, NewsMax, OANN, Daily Wire, CNN, MSNBC, and in print everywhere. He considers himself to be a slightly smarter version of Forrest Gump in that he has had a front row seat to history. All because he mastered the mindset and skills contained in this book, and the courses at Science of Strategy Institute and he practiced and refined them at his consulting firm, MVP Strategy and Policy LLC.

That's the thing about good strategy, it is universal in its effectiveness and timeless in its influence.

We can’t promise you will win 93% of the time like Frost did, but reading this book moves you in the right direction. You will know how to win your campaign, see a loss coming sooner, or win eventually by advancing your strategic position through a winning or losing campaign over time.

Read this book again and again, to sharpen your mind like a sword, until winning becomes an instinct.

NOTE: A nearly identical version of this book was also published as "Political Art of War: Winning Strategy for Local Campaigns" ISBN:979-8883734686 and ASIN: B0CXCCMNMH on Kindle. Readers are advised that these are essentially the same books with minor layout and design variations

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Nonfiction—How to/Business

Number of Pages: 237

Word Count: 46,194

[animegirl1363]

The Selection ch 1

AO3

Summary: The Selection is a time for those that are picked to showcase what they are made of in order to make a future for themselves. To be picked by a high classed family or company is a huge honor.

The tale of a witch who wants to be left to her own devices. A person who is quite indifferent. A man who wants to rid himself of poverty. And someone with nothing to offer.

Pairings: YuseixAkiza, JackxCarly, CrowxBrave

The selection is a week long event in the city of Neo Domino. The chance for someone to showcase their skills in order to get picked for a chance at a better life. It is supposed to be exclusive. Only those who are picked out are allowed to participate. The process is random. One day close to the time of the event, the person will receive a letter. They will be accommodated during the duration of the event too. The whole of Neo Domino will be in high spirits. Royals looking for workers and marriage candidates. Companies looking to snatch up new recruits. It is a busy time for everyone involved.

One girl forever looked in her house. Looking out from her window. Watching as the city made its preparations. She was a witch. She had the powers to heal any wounds. Well, just physical wounds. She could not cure something like asthma or create a limb from nothing. She could fix a broken bone, relieve pain, or if someone did have a missing limb, she could reattach it as long as body part was present. It was a wonderful gift. However….

“Akiza, you have another patient.” She was called for. She let out a sigh.

It was the gift that caused her confinement. No one knew how she got these powers. Her parents were both scared and enamored with her abilities. They could use her powers gain notoriety. Even though they were already rich before her power manifested. They were scared of letting her fall into the clutches of anyone else.

She did not go to school. She was home-schooled through the computer.

She did not have friends growing up.

She was being used as a bargaining chip. She was only healing who her father could use to bolster his standing.

She wanted to help people. But this wasn’t it. She wanted to be a doctor. She was getting close to the age where she should be going to college. But she knew her father would not allow it. He wanted her to stay dumb so she could be under his thumb forever.

Akiza healed the man. Her job was done. She was headed back to her room when her father called out to her.

“Akiza, I want you to go to my study. We need to talk.” Voice cold as ice, left no room for argument.

Akiza did as she was told. She waited for her father, and she did not wait long. He came in and sat at his desk. Her mother stood right next to him.

“You know that The Selection is coming up.” He started. “This year you will find a husband. I have already found one for you.”

He turned the computer screen around to show the man she was going to be betroth to. Divine was his name. Akiza had never heard of him before, but she found him utterly repulsive. She looked at screen with nothing short of disgust and wanted to call him trash right then and there.

“Do I get a say in this?” Akiza already knew the answer.

“No.” Her father said.

“Akiza, this is what is best for the family. Best for you.” Her mother spoke up.

Akiza wanted to ask how exactly this is best for her. Keeping her locked up like this. Controlling everything aspect of her life. She wanted to scream.

Instead she nodded. She posed no objection.

“Good. During our appearance at The Selection you will choose Divine after his showcase. Sometime later this year you will both get married. Eventually we will expect an heir between you two. That is the plan.” Her father said. After that she was dismissed.

Akiza returned to her room. She wanted to leave. She had to leave. There was no where to go. She can’t leave the city. Yes, she was trapped in the house. They were still a public entity. The family had to make public appearances. Her face was known everywhere by everyone important. Public transportation would just turn her over to the authorities. No telling how people would treat her due to her powers. They might try to use her, just like her parents.

She had one plan. Her motorcycle: Bloody Kiss. She had practically begged for her own means of transportation. Her father most likely gave in when he figured that she had no place to go; read escape. And got her private lessons. She never used it, but she took good care of it. Now it was finally time for her to ride it to freedom.

-Yusei-

Yusei was a normal resident of Satellite. He collected scrap to build motorcycles. And tried to survive just like everyone else. Sometimes visited by his brothers: Jack and Crow. Today all tree were huddled around a letter that Yusei received.

It was an elegant envelope that was too pretty to rip open.

“Well Yusei are you going to open it?” Jack asked. He was very impatient at his brother for not reading the contents. All boys knew what the letter was. Yusei had been selected to showcase his skills and have the potential to have a future.

“If you are so eager Jack, you can open it.” Yusei said.

“Gladly.” He said almost too excited. Crow stopped him.

“Even you can’t be so low Jack.” Crow swiped the letter before Jack could get his hands on it. He placed it in Yusei’s hands. “You know you don’t have to accept. But it would be a good idea to see what’s inside.”

Yusei took the envelope with a sigh. He just wanted to end his brother’s prying antics. He opened it. Inside was something Yusei did not expect. The was a photo of a man and women with a baby. The man looked extremely like Yusei. This shocked everyone. The contents of the letter read:

          Dear Yusei,

          Inside you will find a picture of your mom and dad. Due to unforeseen circumstances they both died. However due to your father high prestige as a scientist he was able to leave behind money for you. If this letter reaches you, that means you are finally of age to take it. I invite you over to so we can discuss options for you to properly receive your money.

“Signed Director Goodwin.” Yusei finished.

Inside was also a badge. It showed the wearer was apart of the Selection. Yusei had been picked.

“This is incredible!” Jack said. “You can finally leave this waste dump.”

Yusei did not share the same excitement. He was perfectly content with his life. He handed Jack the badge before walking back over to his motorcycle to continue work on it.

“Well I guess that’s his response.” Crow shrugged. He was disappointed that his brother wasn’t going to get the money.

“Fine! Stay on this wasteland!” Jack stormed off with the badge.

“Come Yus. Just think of the things you can do. You can make that shop you always wanted.” Crow said. “I remember one of the names from when we were little. What was it… Scrap Iron Repairs. Wait or was it Scrap Iron Tuning?”

“If I get the money, then people will treat me differently.” Yusei said.

“Not me.” Crow shook his head. That made Yusei smile. “Even Jack won’t either. He’s just mad that you won’t take it to make your own life better.”

“Yeah, but then I’ll be Dr. Fudo’s son and not Yusei anymore. That was from Goodwin. I think there is an ulterior motive going on.” Yusei said. “Quite frankly, I want no part of it. Anyone can be chosen for The Selection. At any age. So why wait now that I have access to my money?”

Crow agreed with Yusei’s deduction.

“Well I have to get going. I’ll see you around.” Crow left the hideout to return to his own.

-Crow-

Once Crow reached his hideout he was greeted by the kids. The commotion caused Pearson to come out. He was holding the same envelope as that Yusei had.

“You got selected too.” Crow said.

“Yep.” Pearson nodded. “I can’t wait to show this engine off. It will be our ticket to freedom.”

‘Our’. “There you go again. You don’t have to worry about me. I am just a drifter with no future.” Crow said.

“It was you came up with the idea we should put wings on the motorcycle to stand out from everyone else.” Pearson said. “With my engine, this baby will soar. Bolton is going to let us use his company’s private course to test it out.”

"Bolton! You two have mended your relationship?” Crow asked.

Last year Bolton and Pearson got selected. Bolton stole Pearson’s blueprints and took off. Leaving Pearson with nothing to showcase. Now he is the president of his own company now.

“Yeah… He is the one who selected me. Since he is the CEO, he has that privilege now.” Pearson said. “He still remembers you because there are two badges.”

Pearson handed Crow a Selection badge.

“But I have no skills or qualities. I can’t do math or science.” Crow said.

“Crow,” Pearson looked at him. “Winter is coming.”

Crow gulped. The winter is the worst season. No warmth. Sickness was in abundance. Food was scarce. If he went to the city, even for a week, he could stock up on all the necessities. Even if he doesn’t land a job in that short time-frame, this badge granted him a small chance of preparation for the upcoming winter.

Crow looked back at the kids.

He exchanged a knowing look with Pearson.

“We leave tomorrow. Someone will be here to pick us up. I’ll be riding Blackbird to the hotel.” Pearson said.

Determination filled his heart. ‘For them… I’ll do my best.’

-Jack-

Jack was livid. He could not believe that Yusei was just going to let his chance go to waste. He knew Yusei was smart. He could easily get picked by some high-profile tech companies.

He looked at the badge.

“Well if he isn’t going to take his chance, then I will.”

The next morning. Before the sun peeked over the horizon. Jack snuck into Yusei hideout. There was the white motorcycle Yusei was working on. Jack was here since the beginning. He knew how it worked and what to do. He got on it and drove it off. He made his way to the bridge not looking back. It was there at Neo Domino where he will finally raise to the top.

Soon their lives will be changed by the paths they take.

[prettyboykatsuki]

its not even like. on purpose. he just misses you a lot while he's away and goes through his camera roll to look for something else. a screenshot of a code for a game he's playing. something silly. but there's pictures of you and he just starts to swipe. most of his camera roll is you, he realizes a little late. he doesn't know what that happened. it used to be mostly choki

there's just one picture of you that's a little nicer than the rest. a candid. a friend took it for you and you're laughing and wear that top you like that sits nice on you. you were excited to show him when you got it on sale.

(nagi remembers not really understanding. and you rolling your eyes at him for it, even though you weren't really mad. he gets it now, he thinks.

it looks nice on you)

he's not really thinking about it. his sweatpants get tight. he scratches his belly, and it rests just above his navel. it stirs again the longer he looks at it. there's more details to look at and the longer he stares the harder he gets. he's sensitive, weirdly - even more when you're not around to take care of him. a symptom of it, maybe.

so he barely has to do anything before his cock gets wet. ruddy with precum, heavy in his hand. his strokes are clumsy because his eyes are glued to his phone, and they lid the closer he gets to cumming. out of focus, he fixates on the feeling of missing you. it's overwhelming. too much, too fast - his bedroom fills with the loud sound of him fucking his own fist, his breathing.

he's usually so quiet but he's... whining a little. he's known he's capable of wanting things for a long while but it's easy to forget just how much it makes him burn until you're no longer in the same room and it spreads heat through his nerves. makes all the hairs on his neck stand on end.

he breaks eventually. gets too much and he cums into his fingers, says your name on a breath like it might make you appear in his bed.

he catches his breath too. takes a minute. and without thinking twice, he takes a picture of the mess he makes in his bed - thinking of a conversation you had a while ago about how he should express himself better.

(sent 2:22am) [1 IMG ATTACHMENT] miss you.

can’t stop thinking about nagi masturbating to a selfie of you

[aerinamis]

wondering which oc i should give a missile launcher as a weapon

i feel like it should either be someone from dirulaka's world or vira/irisu's. the three candidates i could think of were dirulaka himself, muni, and sorin. now the reasoning for each:

dirulaka - a researcher his world and others, specializing in necromancy. out of the three i proposed, he's the least fitting for the missile launcher. he probably already has a book he can do necromancy with, but i think it'd be funny for him to blow up his enemies only to revive them with necromancy. however, he's already a dragon/goose hybrid AND a scientist, so if he just wants the fire and explosions, he can do that himself. (ok i know that not all scientists work with fire and explosions but i bet he has connections. he has connections to erx actually. erx is an arsonist. i always forget that). i think the reason i wanted to give him a missile launcher is because he'd look cool next to korin, who uses a flamethrower for a weapon

muni - strategist for the chronos containment center. muni's the newest oc atm so i haven't developed them that much yet, other than they have the most compositionally fucked up outfits ever. as a result, they're friends with kanami and i think they've modeled some pieces for her a few times. i don't know how the modelling business works. muni's from vira's world and i was gonna say that he's one of the magicless but no. i forgot i made him specialize in archaic/ancient magic. maybe it can be some dramatic scenario where he discovers he can use magic and then leaves the world out of fear for what might happen if he found out. ohhhhhhh muni and sorin angst woowowowooooo wowoaoowawww. muni could pull off a missile launcher style-wise but a) he has no reason to be fighting as a strategist. maybe for emergencies or him just pulling out the missile launcher for funsies and b) explosions and fire just doesn't fit with their vibe. a splatoon weapon would work much better for them

sorin - ahhh my 6th? 7th? rabbit oc. uh. it went cysai -> koei -> cbgc/tsunoka -> mafumi -> zoiwa -> cobweb -> sorin. also here's like two screenshots from when i was trying to figure out if i made koei or cbgc first

(about koei)

idk how tall sorin would be. i think they'd be average height, near mafumi/zoiwa's range. for reference cobweb is 200 cm tall (willow is 180 cm, third tallest oc after korin who's 194 cm. aeris can be 176 cm and onami/storyteller 174 cm, idk how tall cysai is. 170 cm sounds like a good height). i also forgot cobweb existed for a while. cobweb reminds me a lot of wataru appearance-wise, but i made them a month before i relearnt? remembered? his existence? i probably saw him before back when i had tori as my fave. and that was 2 years ago. oh god oh fuck maybe wataru did visit me in my dreams

ok sorry i need to get back on track. so sorin, my favorite paranoid magicless rabbit. and that's exactly why they should have a missile launcher. i think it'd be a mana-modified weapon so they'd be able to use it as their primary weapon without having to worry about... reloading missiles or anything like that. sorin and cysai look really similar actually. sorin's appearance definitely wasn't based off an old picrew i had of cysai. haha. but speaking of cysai, i had considered giving them explosion magic a while back if they ever had to fight. it'd be funny. but it didn't make sense for them to fight, so i just let them have... multitasking magic. and due to their similarity in appearance i think it'd be a fun callback (for me at least) to burst dps cysai or whatever the heck people call people that use explosion magic. well. sorin becomes part of the dirulaka/korin group eventually (for reasons i will figure out later) and giving sorin the missile launcher allows them to match their vibes while avoiding dirulaka looking dumb since he most likely breathe fire already. they are the arsonist trio that erx wants.

this concludes my essay.

also i just realized that sorin and korin basically have the same name. god damn it. korin needs to be renamed now /j